Near the plaza of the Heaven Dou Empire Royal Academy, in a spacious and bright pavilion. The six members of the Emperor Team—Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, Shi Mu, Osler , and Yu Feng—stared in disbelief at Lan Si and Ye Lingling, who walked in side by side.
When did Ye Lingling, known as the ice-cold beauty and the untouchable flower of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, become so close to a male? Although they were just walking together without any overly intimate behavior, this was Ye Lingling—usually, even Dugu Yan, one of the only two females in the Emperor Team, rarely got close to her.
"Lingling, Lan Si, you…" Dugu Yan asked in shock.
Ye Lingling's expression remained as cold as usual, but a faint, nearly imperceptible smile appeared under her veil. She stopped and introduced Lan Si to the others, "He is my cousin."
"Cousin?" Yu Tianheng and the others widened their eyes.
At this moment, Qin Ming walked over from a distance and asked with a smile, "Everyone's here, what's going on? Why is it so lively?"
"Teacher Qin Ming, you should ask them!" Dugu Yan pointed toward them.
Qin Ming turned his gaze to Lan Si and Ye Lingling in surprise.
Facing Qin Ming and the Emperor Team's gaze, Lan Si smiled awkwardly and explained briefly, "I only found out yesterday that my mother is Lingling's aunt. But for certain reasons, I don't want too many people to know about this right now, so I hope everyone can keep it a secret for me."
Qin Ming rubbed his chin and nodded in realization, "No wonder Lingling's father, the patriarch of the Nine Heart Begonia Clan, Ye Renxin, visited our academy yesterday. He came to see you. Don't worry, since you don't want this revealed, we won't be big mouths."
Receiving this confirmation, the other members of the Emperor Team felt relieved. Although they didn't know much about Lan Si, they were well aware of Ye Lingling's powerful Nine Heart Begonia martial spirit.
If Lan Si's Blue Lotus martial spirit was a mutation of the Nine Heart Begonia, it would make sense. Otherwise, it would be too unbelievable for a commoner spirit master to surpass them so easily.
"Alright, let's end this topic here. You've gotten to know each other these past two days. Now, I'll take you into the first phase of training—actual combat." Qin Ming clapped his hands, his smile gradually fading, and said seriously, "I'm sure you've all learned a lot during the seven days at the Heaven Dou City Battle Arena."
"Yes, actual combat is indeed the best way to enhance one's strength in a short time," Yu Tianheng nodded in agreement.
Qin Ming continued solemnly, "In two years, the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament will take place. You'll face elite talents from academies across the continent. Individual strength alone won't determine the outcome. Teamwork will be essential to achieve the coveted championship. As a side note, I've heard from some of the academy's top officials that the Spirit Hall, the host of the tournament, will provide three spirit bones of over ten thousand years as the final reward for the champions."
"Spirit bones?" Hearing these words, the eyes of everyone except Lan Si lit up. Even Ye Lingling, usually indifferent, showed a hint of excitement in her eyes.
Standing beside Lan Si, Qin Ming observed the reactions of the group. Once the atmosphere was set, he continued, "For the next six months, I'll take you to various cities to participate in battles. This will not only enhance your combat abilities but also help you understand different types of spirit masters and their combat skills. My requirement is that in each city, you should achieve both the group silver spirit badge and the individual silver, if not gold, spirit badges."
"Any objections?"
"No objections," the Emperor Team members replied in unison, brimming with confidence. To them, the spirit masters in the battle arenas were no match. Many didn't even have the optimal spirit ring configuration, so dealing with them should be a piece of cake.
Qin Ming nodded in satisfaction, turning his gaze to Lan Si and Ye Lingling, "Lan Si, we have all seen your strength. With you joining, the Emperor Team will have eight members. Since Lingling is a support-type spirit master and can't compete alone, you'll pair up with her for the two-person battles. As for group battles, you don't need to participate for now. Observe them for a while. Once you understand their combat styles, I'll bring you in."
"No problem," Lan Si responded calmly with a nod.
"Alright, we will meet at the academy gate in half an hour. Everyone, go and prepare. We might be away for three to four months this time," Qin Ming instructed.
The group dispersed to get ready.
Lan Si and Ye Lingling walked side by side down a tree-lined path, forming a beautiful scene that attracted many envious glances.
Ignoring the surrounding onlookers, Lan Si shyly addressed Ye Lingling, "Lingling..."
"Call me cousin," Ye Lingling lightly tapped Lan Si's head with a hand chop.
Lan Si was dumbfounded, and Ye Lingling continued, "Xi, do you remember when I held you when you were little? I was three years old, and you peed all over me..."
"Uh…" Lan Si rolled his eyes, silently thinking, "How could I remember that? I was just a baby."
Ye Lingling continued on her own, "At the time, I thought you disliked me, so you peed on me. I cried. Later, I learned that all babies do that. I even peed on my aunt when she held me. But before I could apologise to you, you..."
She stopped, clutching her skirt, with tears welling up in her eyes as she silently watched Lan Si.
Meeting her gaze, Lan Si felt uneasy. Under the stunned gaze of the onlookers, he gently wiped the tears from her eyes and softly reassured her, "It's all in the past."
"I know, but all these years you... and aunt and uncle..." Ye Lingling's voice was melodious yet sorrowful.
Lan Si shook his head, pulling Ye Lingling into his arms, gently patting her back, and whispered, "It's okay now. I'm here with you right now, right ?."
Seeing this, the onlookers were shocked, and rumors quickly spread that Heaven Dou Royal Academy's "untouchable flower," Ye Lingling, had been won over by a new student.
_____
Hey! If you are liking this fic then please leave a review. That'll help this fic a lot.
Check out my pa**on to read 100 advanced chapters. Link is in synopsis/description of this fic.
_____
If any of you find any error in the chapter, please point it out in the paragraph comments and I will correct it as soon as possible.