“A girl changes eighteen times before she’s fully grown. Lao Jiu has actually become this beautiful. Indeed, a mature woman is the way to go!”
“Lolis are number one in the world!”
“Lao Jiu can even cut through a mountain now. Awesome, awesome!”
“Is this what they call luck? To become this strong at such a time… Could it be…”
Zi Jiu, whom the assassins had previously failed to harm countless times, shifted her gaze slightly. Her expression grew even more focused.
She turned her wrist slightly.
The massive horse-slaying greatsword, weighing a hundred jin and about three meters long, spun in her hands as if it weighed nothing, forming a blade flower.
Pwah!
A flash of flame passed over the blade. The entire greatsword contracted and transformed, shrinking into a delicate white bracelet, which Zi Jiu put on.
She strode to the door of the training room and pushed it open.
Pale, cold light streamed in from outside.
Five young men and women, wearing Starforce Battlesuits—either handsome or beautiful—stood straight at the door, as if they had been waiting for a long time.
“President! The teacher wants to see you. It’s about the Academy tournament!”
Among the male and female students, the one leading them stepped forward and spoke softly. His eyes, fixed on Zi Jiu, were full of admiration and veiled affection.
Pegasus Star Energy Academy.
Located in the Pegasus Galaxy, this massive native Cosmic Academy ranked 34th among all academies in the Empire.
The transcendent department alone had 1.53 billion students.
Outside, ordinary people might only see a star energy user a few times in their lives. Here, they were everywhere.
If you casually threw a brick into the sky, you’d probably hit a first-tier star energy user.
Of course, in reality, you’d likely hit nothing at all—since when would a star energy user let a brick hit them?
But in any case, among so many star energy user students, there were always those who were inherently different.
One could say they were the star energy users among star energy users—true geniuses.
From the moment they enrolled, they left ordinary people far behind, never to be caught up, their backs forever visible to others.
And the senior sister before him was undoubtedly one of them—and one of the best.
Whether in talent, strength, interpersonal skills, or appearance and figure, she was utterly flawless.
In her second year, she had obtained the qualification for the Academy tournament. She fell just one move short and didn’t make the rankings.
Recently, the graduating President of the Weapon Combat Association recognized her and handed her the presidency instead of another fifth-year senior.
Over the past four years, the number of admirers she had accumulated could circle the entire planet.
Only someone like this was worthy of his following, worthy of his…
Conquest!
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but take another step forward, lifting his head slightly to take in her delicate, slightly coquettish oval face. He spoke as casually as he could:
“President will definitely achieve a ranking in this tournament. And I just happened to get the second-year qualification… I’m glad I’ll be able to witness the moment Senior Sister becomes famous.”
He said it. He said it all!
The male student breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
“666, legendary upset.”
“The ultimate simp. Too bad the girl you love unrequitedly is another person’s simp? Just a losing dog!”
“Damn, Lao Jiu is so successful now, but the first thought I have upon seeing her is still ‘losing dog.’ That character trait is marinated in.”
“So this is the Cosmic Academy where first-tier star energy users are everywhere and second-tier ones are worse than dogs? The power scaling is terrifying indeed.”
“Gotta admit, the battle camp training of the Saints’ hand society really has something to it. Two kids from ordinary families, after three years of training, can become top students in a Cosmic Academy.”
“Although this guy tries to act like an innocent little lamb, he gives off an undeniable aggressive aura.”
“Is that so?”
The corners of Zi Jiu’s mouth lifted slightly as she looked at her outstanding junior from the Weapon Combat Association in front of her. She smiled slightly:
“Then I wish Junior Brother great success in the Academy tournament!”
Tap tap tap…
The male student watched the purple-haired girl stride past him on her long legs.
He was feeling happy and excited from her encouragement and was about to reply.
But just as she passed him, she suddenly said:
“But I’m sorry. I won’t be participating in this tournament. Although I’ll send a message to the teacher, could you trouble yourselves to go and inform the teacher in person for me?”
“I have something more important than the tournament to deal with. I’m leaving the Academy now. I’m sorry for betraying the teacher’s trust.”
After saying this, Zi Jiu didn’t look back. She walked straight past everyone, turned the corner at the corridor, and disappeared from view.
No… she won’t participate in the tournament?
The male student was completely bewildered, almost thinking he had misheard.
But when he turned to look at the others and saw their equally stunned expressions, he realized he hadn’t misheard.
Senior Sister… really wasn’t going to participate in the Academy tournament?
What could be more important than the tournament?
For the transcendent department students at the Academy, this was the best platform to showcase themselves!
“Suddenly feel a bit satisfied. What now?”
“Indeed, what you eagerly anticipate, we don’t care about, because there are more important things waiting for us.”
“The island gathers.”
“This scene feels a bit like the Sabaody Archipelago gathering two years later in One Piece.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
The moment she got in touch with Lin Zhen, Zi Jiu made her decision without hesitation—to give up the tournament and go support her companion.
The timing of this news was somewhat delicate for Yun Che and Kaos.
Because the distance of each Academy from the Empire’s central control was different, students from different Academies did experience a delay in receiving news.
At the time when both Lin Zhen and Zi Jiu had just received the tournament news and hadn’t yet signed the martial invitation letters, Kaos and Yun Che, the two who had both passed the exams into the Imperial Biology Academy, as the top students of the battle camp, had unsurprisingly also received notification from their mentors about participating in the tournament.
They had already signed the invitation letters a day earlier.
Although, after learning about Chatosi’s situation, they immediately said in the chat room that they would give up their qualifications and come to help them, Lin Zhen and Zi Jiu thought it over for a moment and still refused.
“How tragic for Lao Kai and Lao Che, caught by the timing.”
“Wait, so in season two, there won’t be any scenes for Lao Kai and Lao Che? No way!”
“I also like reliable Yun Che.”
Once the martial invitation letter was signed, participation was mandatory and non-transferable.
If one gave up, it was considered giving up the qualification for all subsequent Academy tournaments.
The reason the Academy tournament had such strict regulations was, of course, due to some unspeakable past events.
But none of this was on Lin Zhen and Zi Jiu’s minds at the moment.
To them, the Academy tournament was just one path. If they really couldn’t participate, it didn’t matter.
They had already made up their minds that they would spend their entire lives, if necessary, to make the Saints’ hand society fall.
Mainly because—
If they really used “helping a friend catch a criminal” as a reason to make Yun Che and Kaos give up the tournament, it would likely displease the teachers who had granted them the tournament qualifications.
Thus affecting their subsequent four-year Academy careers.