Chapter 186: This Time, the Chen-Tang Duo Must Split Up

Chapter 186: This Time, the Chen-Tang Duo Must Split Up

Chen Ye didn't immediately agree to Qin Muyin's suggestion.

The next day…

As usual, he went to class.

Oh, by the way, he was now in his second year, so his classroom had changed to a different location, making room for the new freshmen.

When Chen Ye arrived, the classroom was already crowded.

Most of his classmates were present—except for Tang Zichen.

For safety reasons, Tang Zichen didn't need to attend in person. On her seat was a monitoring device with a camera aimed at the lectern, allowing her to attend class remotely from her dorm room.

Once the class bell rang, Old Liu appeared at the front of the room.

Seeing his students, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

Compared to this year's freshmen, his students were far superior—not in terms of power, but character!

"Today, we're discussing the contents of Secret Realm No. 6," he began.

"Before we talk about the creatures within, there's something you need to know: Secret Realm No. 6 will be the first restricted realm you encounter!"

"Upon entering, everyone's four basic attributes will be temporarily reduced tenfold! Additionally, hero talents and other superpowers will be prohibited... This information comes from senior practitioners, and the superpower restriction was confirmed by Ms. Qin herself."

"This information is entirely reliable. I remember that even I couldn't use my Atomic Slash in Secret Realm No. 6."

The class was visibly surprised by this revelation.

At this point, Old Liu glanced at the camera on Tang Zichen's desk before turning his gaze toward Chen Ye.

"Chen Ye, if you and Tang Zichen plan to enter Secret Realm No. 6, the two of you shouldn't team up this time."

"Your abilities both fall under the superpower category. In Secret Realm No. 6, you'd essentially be no different from ordinary people, and the monsters there are quite formidable. So, for this realm, I suggest you each team up with someone else."

Hearing this, the classmates all looked at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye, however, remained calm, even appearing a bit indifferent…

With his current attributes, even with a tenfold reduction, he could still easily overpower his peers.

Old Liu then looked around the class and asked, "Is anyone willing to team up with Chen Ye?"

Before anyone else could react, Zhao Zheng raised his hand without hesitation.

"Zhao Zheng, you're willing to team up with Chen Ye?"

When Zhao Zheng nodded, Old Liu smiled approvingly. "I had thought of pairing you with Chen Ye. Your training in traditional martial arts doesn't rely on superpowers or hero talents, so you'll have the biggest advantage in Secret Realm No. 6!"

"With you by his side, Chen Ye's chances of success will certainly improve!"

After praising Zhao Zheng, Old Liu turned to Chen Ye. "Chen Ye, what do you think?"

"I…"

Chen Ye initially wanted to say that this arrangement wasn't necessary.

But he worried Zhao Zheng might misunderstand and think he was looking down on him, so he changed his response at the last moment, "I wouldn't want to drag anyone down…"

Zhao Zheng, sitting right beside him, quickly replied, "Senior, what are you saying? You've helped me so much; how could helping you even count as a burden?"

Chen Ye: "…"

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Then…

Ren Qianqian suddenly raised her hand. "Teacher, since Zhao Zheng has chosen to support Chen Ye, I'll volunteer to look after the class monitor! I'll do my utmost to keep her safe."

Upon hearing this, Old Liu's face lit up with a pleased smile.

He had always hoped to see mutual care and kindness among his students.

"I thank Ren Qianqian on behalf of Tang Zichen for her willingness to help," Old Liu said with a smile, but then he added, "However, we must graciously decline your offer. The education department has already selected a teammate for Tang Zichen."

Ren Qianqian looked momentarily stunned, then asked, "Who is it?"

Old Liu didn't hesitate to answer, "Zheng Shuilong from Jing University. He's quite powerful, nearly at the threshold of the fourth rank, and currently ranks as the strongest freshman, second only to Tang Zichen!"

"Uh…"

He suddenly remembered that Chen Ye's current strength surpassed even Tang Zichen's, so he quickly corrected himself, "Actually, he's the top freshman after Chen Ye and Tang Zichen."

"With Zheng Shuilong by her side, he should be able to help Tang Zichen achieve the best results possible.

"However, don't get any ideas about the bonus reward. To date, no one has managed to obtain the extra reward from Secret Realm No. 6."

Hearing that it was Zheng Shuilong, the students were briefly taken aback, then nodded in agreement.

After all, Zheng Shuilong had been the national freshman champion, carrying both a reputation and solid strength. Plus, Secret Realm No. 6 favored martial arts specialists who could maximize their abilities without superpowers. He was indeed a very suitable choice.

It was clear that the education department truly valued Tang Zichen's safety and success.

Even Ren Qianqian, who had been declined, accepted the decision without any resentment.

"Why is Zheng Shuilong only now tackling Secret Realm No. 6? Given the schedule, shouldn't he have already cleared it?" Cao Yu asked curiously.

Their own delayed entry to Secret Realm No. 6 was due to skipping one of the previous realm entry days (when Chen Ye was competing for the elemental magic core).

In fact, Old Liu's lecture today was mainly intended for Chen Ye, Tang Zichen, and others.

Hearing Cao Yu's question, Old Liu explained, "It seems Zheng Shuilong also missed a previous realm entry day due to other commitments, so it just happened to align with your timing."

Cao Yu had no more questions.

At that moment…

Old Liu's phone rang.

He checked the caller ID and immediately answered, "Tang Zichen, do you have any objections?"

The call was indeed from Tang Zichen.

At first, Old Liu listened with a smile, but soon his brow furrowed.

"Tang Zichen, I understand your concerns… but the decision this time came from the education department. From what I heard, they even made significant efforts to persuade Zheng..."

Shuilong… Alright, alright, I understand. I'll relay your thoughts to the higher-ups."

After hanging up, Old Liu glanced meaningfully at Chen Ye.

From that look, Chen Ye knew that Tang Zichen had likely refused the education department's proposal.

Chen Ye was not the least bit surprised by this.

Setting aside their bond, even from a purely practical standpoint, Tang Zichen would never choose Zheng Shuilong as her teammate.

She knew Chen Ye's true strength and wasn't foolish enough to pick a weaker, unfamiliar teammate over him.

Chen Ye couldn't help but feel a bit reflective.

Even though his abilities were now superior to Tang Zichen's on the surface, he still didn't hold the same importance in the eyes of the leadership.

Chen Ye understood the reason.

Historically, those who had gained strength through elemental magic cores could only reach a maximum of the fifth rank.

Although Chen Ye's progress had been remarkable—achieving a fifth-rank level of destructive fire abilities at such a young age—he knew he would eventually surpass this limit…

However, to the leadership, he still didn't compare in potential to an S2 talent.

People like Qin Muyin had set a precedent.

Tang Zichen's achievements already surpassed Qin Muyin's at the same stage.

To the countless leaders, Tang Zichen was already the hope of the future.

Changing this perception would not be easy…

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