Chapter 68: A New Semester

With less than five days left in his one-month break, Jing Shaoyu finally found himself with some free time.

That evening, he rode his bike alone to Eastsea Park, weaving through the sparse crowd and heading to the secluded part of the park where the plant spirit beasts resided.

It was clearly the day for him to bestow his Nature's Blessing.

Sensing his presence, the plant spirit beasts grew excited, their branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits extending eagerly toward him. Jing Shaoyu gently pushed them aside with a smile, making his way to a throne made of intertwined plants that had been prepared for him.

Sitting down calmly, he activated his spirit, the three thousand-year spirit rings casting a purple glow that made the plant spirit beasts tremble slightly. He raised his hand, summoning the Star Staff. His third spirit ring shone, and a gentle green rain began to fall from the gem atop the staff, showering all the plants within a few dozen meters.

The plants swayed peacefully under the nourishing glow, absorbing the dense elemental energy that gathered around them. Soon, the energy concentration in the area increased noticeably.

After about an hour, Jing Shaoyu completed the blessing and sat cross-legged to meditate.

With the third spirit skill, Nature's Blessing, the plants' growth speed was now boosted fifteenfold, while their cultivation rate had increased tenfold, matching the time-acceleration effect of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Under this blessing, the nine plant spirit beasts, including the camphor tree and sea lily, were essentially training with the benefits of a day feeling like ten.

An hour later, having recovered from his meditation, Jing Shaoyu stood up and prepared to leave.

"See you all next time," he waved to the plants, "Hopefully, when I return next month, you'll have some new companions."

It had been a year since the last plant spirit beast, the sea lily, was born. Not many plants in the area showed signs of evolving into spirit beasts, so his words were more encouragement than a real expectation.

The plants reluctantly watched him leave.

Over the next few days, nothing particularly noteworthy happened, and the start of the new school term arrived as expected.

"Class monitor!"

Walking on campus, Jing Shaoyu heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see two figures—one tall and sturdy, the other short and slim—rushing toward him.

"Big Guy, Xiao Peng! It's you two!" Jing Shaoyu greeted them with a smile.

These two were his roommates from when he first joined the academy: Wei Dayong and Duan Xiaopeng.

"Class monitor, it's been a while!" Duan Xiaopeng said, delighted. "Members of Class Zero are so hard to find these days."

"Exactly!" Wei Dayong nodded in agreement.

Jing Shaoyu laughed, "Maybe it's because our study schedules are pretty packed. How have you two been?"

Wei Dayong scratched his head sheepishly, "Both Xiao Peng and I raised our spirit power by one level! Teacher Ye said that if we can reach level 19 by the end of the semester, she'll apply for a yellow spirit soul for each of us."

"That's great! Keep at it!" Jing Shaoyu encouraged. "With your spirit quality, a yellow spirit soul will really help you grow."

Duan Xiaopeng chuckled, "Hopefully!"

"Oh, by the way, I heard Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi transferred schools. Do you know why?" Wei Dayong asked curiously.

Hearing their names, a hint of sadness crossed Jing Shaoyu's face. "That was their choice. For the sake of their friendship, they decided to transfer."

"Oh, I see." Wei Dayong didn't fully understand but didn't pursue it further. He hadn't been particularly close to Zhang Yangzi or Wang Jinxi, so his question was more out of curiosity.

The three chatted as they walked, soon arriving at the Junior Division's teaching building.

"Alright, we'll head to class now, class monitor!" Wei Dayong and Duan Xiaopeng waved as they went inside.

"See you!" Jing Shaoyu called after them.

"If you want to hang out, just come by our dorm. It's the same one we started in—" Wei Dayong started to yell but was promptly pulled away by Duan Xiaopeng.

Watching the two lively boys disappear into the building, Jing Shaoyu shook his head with a chuckle and made his way to the Class Zero dormitory.

Not long after he returned, he heard Xie Xie's voice and a loud knocking on the door.

"Wulin, are you back? You're always disappearing without a trace!"

"Stop knocking! Wulin's not back yet," Jing Shaoyu said, stepping out with a sigh.

"Hey! Shaoyu, you're here!" Xie Xie's eyes lit up, looking pleasantly surprised. "I thought I'd be the only one back at the dorm!"

"You're always so loud, Xie Xie." Before Jing Shaoyu could reply, Xu Xiaoyan's voice called out from the stairwell. She quickly walked over, hugging Jing Shaoyu's arm with a cheerful "Xiao Yu-gege!"

"Xiaoyan, have you changed somehow? You look... different," Xie Xie noted, looking her over with a puzzled expression.

"Heh, looks like you have a sharp eye!" Xu Xiaoyan giggled. "You're right! I went through a transformation over the break. I'm not the same Xu Xiaoyan as before!"

"Oh really? Well, congratulations then!" Xie Xie rolled his eyes, then retreated to his own dorm. "I'll be in my room; you two are too lovey-dovey for me."

Watching him leave, Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged a resigned look and shrugged.

"Xiao Yu-gege, has Gu Yue returned?" Xu Xiaoyan asked, casting a quick glance at Gu Yue's dorm door.

"She probably hasn't returned yet," Jing Shaoyu replied vaguely. With her mysterious ways, it wouldn't surprise him if she was already inside.

"Oh, that's... a shame," Xu Xiaoyan said, though a spark of happiness flitted through her eyes. "I was hoping to invite both of you out for grilled fish. But since she's not here, why don't just the two of us go?"

"No need. I'm here." Just as Xu Xiaoyan finished her sentence, Gu Yue's dorm door swung open, and Gu Yue stepped out with her usual indifferent expression.

"Uh—" Xu Xiaoyan felt awkward and forced a laugh. "Well, okay, then. Let's all go together."

"Gu Yue, when did you get back?" Jing Shaoyu asked, surprised. He wouldn't have been shocked if she had just teleported into the dorm moments ago.

"It doesn't matter," Gu Yue replied flatly.

"Alright then, let's go get some grilled fish," Xu Xiaoyan said, her cheerful smile returning.

"Wait, let's bring Xie Xie along too," Jing Shaoyu suggested. He could already sense that the atmosphere could turn tense with just the three of them, and adding Xie Xie seemed like the best way to keep the peace.

With him around, the tension between the two girls might ease.

With that in mind, Jing Shaoyu walked to Xie Xie's door, knocked, and called, "Xie Xie, come with us for grilled fish!"

"Sure thing!" Xie Xie immediately opened the door, standing there with a grin.

He was totally eavesdropping, Jing Shaoyu thought with a smile.

Neither Xu Xiaoyan nor Gu Yue objected to having Xie Xie join them. In truth, they also preferred not to dine as a trio, which would have made things awkward. With Xie Xie along, they could think of it as a Class Zero outing.

At least Tang Wulin isn't here, Xu Xiaoyan mused, relieved. If that foodie were around, my savings would be in serious danger!

The four of them headed to Eastsea City's street food district, where a new grilled fish restaurant had recently opened.

"This is the place! It's supposed to be really popular in the central regions, with quite a reputation," Xu Xiaoyan announced proudly to Jing Shaoyu.

He glanced at the sign, unable to suppress a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. It read, "Yuhao's Grilled Fish."

"What an interesting name. Yuhao's Grilled Fish? Is the owner's name Yuhao?" Xie Xie wondered aloud.

"Kind of," Xu Xiaoyan said, keeping the mystery alive. "It's actually a chain. Legend has it that the recipe was passed down by the Ice Spirit Douluo, Huo Yuhao!"

"Seriously?" Xie Xie asked, both curious and skeptical.

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Gu Yue's eyes.

"True or not, the food here is really good," Jing Shaoyu sa

id. "I tried it in Star Luo City once. Worth a try."

"When did you go to Star Luo City, Shaoyu?" Xie Xie asked in surprise.

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