Chapter 132 - 134: Master Will Get His Wish
District 1.
Si Xu changed out of his uniform and into his formal attire for the opening ceremony.
He gazed at the magnificent golden feather cage before him, his eyes as still as the eternally frozen peak of a snowy mountain.
"She’s been tainted by the scents of too many others."
A fleeting hint of confusion crossed Si Xu’s eyes.
He had been guided to find Jian Yu, but because the bond of fate was delayed, her location hadn’t been triggered.
The evening of September 15th was equivalent to the first day of school at Weis Lan Noble Academy.
By the time her location was confirmed, the person who belonged to him had already been snatched away.
Si Xu’s lashes lowered, the line of his profile cold and hard. "She is mine. A gift from the god."
The Feather Clan practices abstinence; one cannot succumb to desire without the god’s guidance.
And yet, he was a man of great desire.
Ah Qi landed on Si Xu’s shoulder.
It tilted its head slightly, nestling close to him.
[The one chosen by the Feather God is never a mistake.]
Si Xu’s eyes were so pale and clear that the reflection of the golden cage was perfectly sharp within them.
He looked up and touched the bars of the cage. His fingers were long and slender, their tips glowing with a cold white halo.
"Wash her clean."
Si Xu lowered his gaze. His pupils were clean and clear, without a single speck of dust.
Ah Qi agreed, [Yes, wash her clean. She belongs to Ah Qi alone. Ayan and the others can’t take her.]
The Soul Beast’s ethereal voice was remarkably similar to its master’s.
Si Xu raised his hand, letting the Soul Beast fly down to land on it.
A faint halo of light appeared around his knuckles. "Just a little longer."
Ah Qi gave a small nod, as if pecking at rice. [Master will get his wish.]
...
Outside the arena.
Jian Yu was being pulled forward by Pei Yin when they were stopped by two people with their noses in the air.
"What’s this? You’re asking me for an invitation?"
The two of them froze, their eyes filled with terror, nearly dropping to their knees to beg for forgiveness.
But in the next second, the man with the fearsome reputation on the academy forums suddenly said, "Good thing I brought some."
Pei Yin took out the invitations he hadn’t finished distributing from his Space Ring.
He casually plucked out two and rudely shoved them into their hands.
Leaving them utterly bewildered...
Fuming, Pei Yin stomped away.
Jian Yu pressed her lips together. Pulled along by him, she could only follow with small steps.
Her breathing grew ragged.
"Slow down."
Pei Yin’s steps halted. He had the strong urge to just scoop her up and carry her.
He resisted. Still holding her hand, he slowed his pace. "Which competition area do you want to see?"
The two walked up a spiral staircase and rode it inside.
All sorts of Soul Beasts flew overhead one after another, their shadows falling like they were stepping on people.
Jian Yu thought for a moment. "Anywhere is fine. I don’t know much about this."
She couldn’t help but look up at the sky.
The journey was long, so most who could fly chose not to walk.
The emergence of Awakeners stemmed from an early instance of man-made gene editing.
It was initially intended to avoid certain hereditary diseases, but no one expected it would lead to the sudden appearance of Awakeners.
Human gene editing had fused them with birds and beasts, so the Soul Beasts of the Awakeners entering from above all carried the traits of early fauna.
It was also one way to distinguish them from Mutated Beasts.
Jian Yu’s body was lifted into the air and set securely on the back of Ting Ying.
Her heart leaped in fright.
Pei Yin’s arm wrapped around her waist. "Why envy them? It’s not like I can’t fly."
The wind blew against Jian Yu’s face. She dazedly closed one eye and snuck a peek below.
’Yang Zhang, Red Snake... Maybe I’m only slightly afraid, just putting on an act out of excitement.’
’Acrophobia is a psychological barrier!’
Dizziness, numb limbs—she found it hard to control these physical reactions.
Fortunately, they soon entered the Beast Taming Arena.
Upon landing, Jian Yu stumbled.
She steadied herself, her gaze wandering as she tried to find a familiar face.
After searching for a long time, she found no one.
There were, however, many people walking around the central arena.
To distinguish between academies, perhaps, people from schools other than Weis Lan Noble Academy wore unique identifiers, while the Weis Lan students wore brooches.
The most common were uniforms, masks, silk scarves, rings, and so on.
Pei Yin steadied Jian Yu and led her to a seat in the VIP section.
"We usually just keep an eye on this section. If you don’t like it later, we can move."
"Okay." A blue screen rose up in front of Jian Yu, the image fixed on the empty arena in the center.
Cheers erupted as Si Xu appeared on the screen.
The sacred flame in the arena ignited, and countless Yuge circled the field.
Ah Qi’s ethereal cry suddenly soared, piercing the heavens in an instant.
"It’s about to start. I’m heading over." Pei Yin looked up and pointed to a few people. "Just call them if you need anything."
"Okay." Jian Yu watched him leave, feeling a strange sense of unease.
She anxiously checked her clothes.
Lifting her sleeve, she sniffed it but couldn’t detect the fragrance she had smelled earlier.
Someone came over and asked, "Jian, would you like water or juice?"
Jian Yu shook her head. "No, thank you."
She wasn’t thirsty.
The person persisted, "The competition is long. I’ll just leave some for you."
A glass of water, a glass of juice, a plate of juicy fruit, and various snacks.
They were practically forced upon her.
Jian Yu couldn’t help but suspect the worst. ’Are they trying to make me need the restroom?’
She turned aside, keeping her distance.
Feeling unsafe, Jian Yu simply stood up and moved to the side.
But as the person was setting down the fruit platter, they "accidentally" sloshed the juice toward her.
’They’re not even pretending anymore!’
Watermelon juice splashed onto the back of Jian Yu’s hand.
A familiar scent wafted over her.
Jian Yu looked up, her expression blank. "You did that on purpose."
The person’s voice was timid. "I’m sorry, Jian. I was too nervous, my legs just gave out for a second."
The six people responsible for protecting Jian Yu were all on high alert, as if facing a great enemy.
They rushed over, immediately escorted the person out of the arena, and sent a message to Lin Yu.
Jian Yu raised her hand and sniffed the scent.
In the blink of an eye, she saw Lin Yu walking over.
He happened to catch the scent as well.
His expression changed slightly. "Junior, are you carrying some kind of medicine that can attract Soul Beasts?"
The low growl of an Alien Beast shook the stands.
Jian Yu flicked her wrist.
The Green Mist stealthily crept over the back of her hand.
Lin Yu took a breath, but all he could smell was a pleasant orchid fragrance.
His White Tiger Soul Beast leaped from his chest, its nose sniffing around.
After a moment, it returned to Lin Yu’s body.
Lin Yu’s brow relaxed. "Maybe I smelled it wrong."
Applause rang out continuously, and the crowd’s screams were fervent and unrestrained.
Jian Yu followed their line of sight and looked up slightly.
The opening ceremony was over. It was time for Ling Yanzhi and his group to take center stage.
An overwhelming number of Soul Beast doppelgangers filled the sky, making it impossible to tell which was the Red Snake’s true body.
The group made a spectacular entrance, each one more brazen and flamboyant than the last. Their aura instantly enveloped the arena.
Jian Yu narrowed her eyes. Her vision was becoming unusually clear, far beyond that of an ordinary person.
She could clearly see their faces and expressions.
Valiant, authoritative, sacred, steady, cold, handsome—each face more striking than the next, all of them completely distinct.
Jian Yu’s gaze settled on Ling Yanzhi.
He was still just as relaxed and wild, carrying a natural air of unrestrained, languid nonchalance.
He would watch the terrified expressions of the people below, a slight smile playing on his lips, his face holding a hint of casual mockery and amusement.
The Red Snake would coordinate with him, leading tens of thousands of Winged Snakes to dance, arch their bodies, and dive, casting a sense of oppression over everyone present.
Jian Yu tilted her head back, feeling a little tired.
She lowered her eyes. As her gaze leveled forward, she was suddenly met with a pair of gloomy eyes.