novelraw Chapter 131 : World's Good News
Chapter 131 : World's Good News
131: World's Good News
The naval vessel had already sailed into the eastern ocean. It would cruise in the offshore waters for a week before returning to the Pujiang River.
It had facilities like a theater, a ballroom, a swimming pool, and a sauna room. Although the style was a bit rigid, it wasn't devoid of entertainment. Many students were getting to know each other in the ballroom, and some boys and girls even sparked a connection.
However, Yuyin was not interested in these recreational activities. She found a secluded spot on the rear deck to cultivate. As dusk fell, she returned to her cabin. As a logistics and recuperation ship, their room was also equipped with a shower.
Soon, Hua Yuanjing returned. After they both took their showers, they sat together by the window that overlooked the sea at night.
Hua Yuanjing liked to read and had brought several thick books with her, sitting under the lamp to read, and also lent one to Yuyin. But to be honest, Yuyin found it hard to get into the literary, opera-style works that Hua Yuanjing was reading.
Still, just staying on the sea with Senior Sister Jing in the same room, even if they did nothing, occasionally talking, made Yuyin feel a sense of comfort.
Yuyin felt a sense of concern for Senior Sister Jing. She was reluctant to let her venture into a dangerous place like the Prison Abyss, but she knew this was the path Senior Sister Jing had chosen for herself, and perhaps, a path she had no choice but to take.
"Senior Sister Jing, have Two Realms Gates never appeared at sea?" Yuyin asked.
"The specific locations of the Two Realms Gates are also somewhat confidential, but there are no Two Realms Gates at sea around Huaxia. In a sense, the offshore waters of Huaxia are actually safer." Hua Yuanjing said.
"Senior Sister Jing, aren't you going to the ballroom with them?"
"Yuyin, do you want to go? If you want to, I'll go with you." Hua Yuanjing put down her book, seemingly a bit interested.
"Let's not." Yuyin had just asked casually. The ballroom was crowded and noisy. Yuyin had already showered and changed her clothes, so it was better to stay in the room with Senior Sister Jing.
"Senior Sister Jing, why did the Academy arrange for us to have this closed course on a naval vessel?" Yuyin asked.
"This was a decision by the Academy's higher-ups, but they did consult the Student Council beforehand. It's just that Lianyue didn't reply, so the teachers came to me. Holding it on a ship is mainly for security and confidentiality. Secondly... it's like the ballroom today, many students from different departments who don't usually interact got to know each other much better. The teachers' intention is that many of them are classmates now and may become life-and-death comrades in the future. Using this environment to strengthen everyone's relationships. And perhaps, they just wanted to do things differently this year?" Hua Yuanjing said with her long hair down, in a relaxed manner.
"I see." Yuyin also felt that in this one day, the relationships among the Academy students had changed quite a bit. Many people seemed to have matured a lot overnight.
Although within the Academy, between departments, and even within departments, everyone competed fiercely for credits, for cultivation grounds, and even for girlfriends. But... when everyone learned that they would be facing a common enemy of humanity, a terrifying external threat, the relationships between them had already begun to change subconsciously.
They no longer saw each other as rivals, no longer felt jealousy at the other's strength. Some past grievances and grudges now seemed much less important.
After all, once they went to the Prison Abyss, all humans would be partners, comrades.
Late at night, the lights were turned off.
Under the deep blue of the night, Hua Yuanjing's white hair seemed like flowing moonlight, while Yuyin's long hair was like a starry sky.
"Yuyin, do you want to sleep together?" Hua Yuanjing's voice was not as bright as in the daytime, but carried a hint of nighttime ambiguity.
"Eh? No, that's not necessary... I'm used to sleeping alone." Yuyin had almost misunderstood the meaning of "sleep together," but then she thought, since they were both girls, it probably just meant sleeping in the same bed, right? Yuyin thought perhaps she shouldn't have refused, but the words were already out, so she added another sentence.
"Alright then. Besides, the room is small, so we're close anyway." Hua Yuanjing, with a somewhat ethereal air, brushed her long hair and went to sleep on the other bed.
"I remember once, when Lianyue and I went on a training trip together in high school, we slept in the same tent. She's usually so proud, but at night, she would get scared, so I would hold her from behind... But when I woke up, I found it was her holding me..." Hua Yuanjing said while lying on the bed.
"Senior Sister Lian... I hope she can cheer up soon." Yuyin said.
The night was deep, and the sound of waves howled outside.
"Yuyin, let me hold your hand, okay?"
As she spoke, Hua Yuanjing extended her slender, jade-like arm.
"Okay."
Holding hands was also what Yuyin was thinking.
She reached out and held hands with Hua Yuanjing.
"Sometimes, during the day, I'm full of confidence, thinking I can do anything, regardless of the consequences. But when the night is deep and dark, and I'm lying in bed alone, I feel a sense of fear." In the darkness, Hua Yuanjing's eyes seemed to have a watery sheen. At this moment, she seemed not as free and spirited as she was during the day.
"Senior Sister Jing, are you talking about the decision to go to the Prison Abyss?"
"If only there were a truly safe place." Hua Yuanjing said, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Yuyin was silent for a moment. She didn't know where the confidence came from, but she said with a somewhat bright tone, "There will be."
"Eh?" Hua Yuanjing couldn't help but look at her.
"A place where we can feel safe, there will be." Yuyin's originally gentle hand held Hua Yuanjing's delicate one with a firm strength. The two girls' wrists intertwined, their fingers interlocking.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
In the next few days, Teacher Jiang Xue and several other teachers taught everyone various courses related to actual combat, especially combat in the Prison Abyss and the defense of the Two Realms Gates. These included emergency medical techniques, an introduction to some common and usable herbs from the Other Shore, the purchase and preparation of equipment and pills before entering the Prison Abyss, and so on.
One day, after class, Yuyin was walking in the ship's corridor when she saw two teachers looking high-spirited, as if they were very excited, not knowing what it was about.
Soon after, Yuyin received a message from Chen Qian'ning, asking her to come over.
Yuyin arrived at Chen Qian'ning's office.
She was wearing her usual style of dark teacher's professional attire. When she saw Yuyin, she stood up and said, "Yuyin, I have important good news to tell you."
Chen Qian'ning's face was slightly flushed. Beneath her collar, the high, firm chest of her tight white shirt was visibly rising and falling. Her hands were resting on the desk.
"Teacher, what's the good news?" Judging by the teacher's reaction, it was clearly a major event.
"A report of victory, a great victory from the Prison Abyss." Chen Qian'ning walked over. "This is not just for our Academy, for Huaxia, but for the whole world. It's something that lifts the spirit."
"Teacher, what exactly happened?"
Chen Qian'ning took a deep breath. She walked to the window, gazed at the vast sea, and said with a look of reverence, "Lan Lingfeng, at the Late-Stage of Purple Domain Realm, has killed an enemy at the Mid-Stage of Void Truth Realm."
After saying that, Chen Qian'ning still couldn't hide her heavy breathing.
"Senior Brother Lan Lingfeng, at the Late-Stage of Purple Domain Realm, killed a strong being at the Mid-Stage of Void Truth Realm?" Hearing this news, Yuyin was also shocked, and her chest couldn't help but rise and fall.
Mid-Stage of Void Truth Realm? What did that mean?
Frankly, Yuyin didn't even have a clear concept of it right now.
Chen Qian'ning was at the Late-Stage of Purple Domain Realm. The current Yuyin might not be able to withstand three of her moves, with absolutely no chance of winning.
Let alone the Void Truth Realm, and the Mid-Stage at that...
To kill the current Yuyin would probably be a matter of a flick of a finger.
Such a high and terrifying existence was actually killed by the super-genius fourth-year, Lan Lingfeng?
The key point was that Senior Brother Lan Lingfeng was only at the Late-Stage of Purple Domain Realm.
Yuyin asked herself, if she one day reached the Late-Stage of Purple Domain Realm, could she kill a strong being at the Mid-Stage of Void Truth Realm?
No wonder...
Both the Academy and the outside world valued Lan Lingfeng so much. Although he was a fourth-year, he was on a completely different level from the current students. It was feared that even if all the nearly one thousand students from the first to third years were combined, their effect would be far less than that of Lan Lingfeng alone.
No wonder even a proud and self-centered girl like Senior Sister Lian would admire her brother so much. Lan Lingfeng, this was the true genius in the sense of the entire human race.
In contrast, she was just the best in the school. Faced with a Void Truth Realm expert? She wouldn't even have a chance to escape. But Lan Lingfeng could actually kill one!
Chen Qian'ning turned around and saw the expression on Yuyin's face. She understood.
She walked over and gently stroked Yuyin's shoulder. "Relax... It's also my fault for telling you too little about higher-level things before. Even a teacher like me probably couldn't withstand a single move from Lan Lingfeng."
To be able to kill a mid-stage Void Truth Realm expert meant his strength was even higher than that. How could Chen Qian'ning possibly withstand it?
"Yuyin, I'm telling you this for two reasons. First, to let you see the hope of us humans. Second, to make you see yourself clearly, to see this world clearly. You are different from ordinary students. You must not be arrogant. Although you won the championship in your first year, compared to those top human geniuses, especially Lan Lingfeng, you are still far, far behind. You must not become complacent just because you are invincible within the Academy, do you understand?" Chen Qian'ning said sincerely. She was not trying to strike Yuyin down, but genuinely hoped that Yuyin would broaden her horizons and cultivate with a focused mind.
"I understand." Yuyin took a deep breath. "I had heard of Senior Brother Lan Lingfeng's strength before, but I never imagined it was to this degree. And he's only three years ahead of me. I... I must calm down and cultivate step by step, solidly."
"Mmm." Chen Qian'ning nodded in satisfaction. "It's best that you can think that way."
Yuyin couldn't help but think again, "Senior Sister Lian wanted me to join the Student Council, to assist Lan Lingfeng with her. It seems it wasn't just her willfulness, her one-sided desire for control. Perhaps, it was also because of Senior Brother Lan Lingfeng's unimaginable strength and future that she was truly considering the bigger picture. Could it be that I misjudged her?"
Although even knowing that Lan Lingfeng was a genius and powerful, Yuyin would not choose to become his accessory, perhaps she should have more understanding of Senior Sister Lian's obsessive feelings.