Chapter 120: The Preliminaries End, Entering the Tian Dou Imperial Palace
Shui Bing 's eyes were firm. "Alright, but no matter what your identity is, my feelings won't change."
Ye Wen smiled warmly. "Alright, you get some rest. There's another match tomorrow, I should get going."
He walked up to Shui Bing , who was still in disheveled sleepwear, and gently kissed her forehead.
Shui Bing stared at him with her large, sparkling eyes, looking both enchanting and innocent. "So, we're a couple now, right?"
"Of course!"
Shui Bing 's face lit up with a sweet smile. "Good, then you should go back."
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Ye Wen left Shui Bing 's comforting embrace, walking alone on the street. The cold wind brushed against his cheeks, immediately cooling the flames in his heart.
The tournament resumed the next day, but the relationship between Ye Wen and Shui Bing had clearly grown closer. They spent time together chatting, discussing other teams' matches, exchanging details about the competition. They laughed and seemed like an ordinary couple, which made Zhu Zhuqing feel increasingly uneasy.
A month passed quickly.
The preliminaries of the tournament were halfway through, reaching round 15.
Currently, Monster Academy, Shen Feng Academy, and Tian Shui Academy were all tied for first place with 14 wins and no losses.
Second place was Thunder Academy with 13 wins and 1 loss.
Third place was Shrek Academy, Blaze Academy, and Elephant Armor Academy with 12 wins and 2 losses.
Shrek Academy, led by Tang San and others, had lost to Shen Feng Academy and Tian Shui Academy. This time, Shrek Academy had struggled, particularly Tang San, who had his Eight Spider Lance broken multiple times and still couldn't defeat Shen Feng and Tian Shui.
It was uncertain whether they would make it past the preliminaries.
Soon, round 16 began, and Monster Academy was to face Shrek Academy.
Ye Wen thought he could finally have some fun teasing Tang San again, but to his surprise, Shrek Academy directly surrendered!
"As long as we stay in the top five rankings, losing to Monster Academy doesn't matter. It's not the right time yet!" Tang San said darkly.
Tang San had wanted to take revenge during this tournament, making Ye Wen pay for all the times he was beaten and for taking Xiao Wu away. But he knew deep down that Shrek Academy couldn't defeat Monster Academy!
He wasn't ready to face Ye Wen yet, as he wasn't confident enough. Thus, he chose to avoid conflict and lead the team to advance to the next stage of the competition.
Ye Wen wasn't worried. He had been practicing his new techniques and would easily overpower Tang San when the time came.
After the 16th round, Monster Academy had completed 28 straight wins, making them the undefeated team of the preliminaries.
Tian Shui Academy, knowing they couldn't win, conceded the match.
Monster Academy dominated the entire stage, leaving every other team in awe.
"Congratulations to Monster Academy for winning the first round!" The announcer, still in shock, announced.
"Let's go," Ye Wen led his team off the stage.
The next round continued with the competition heating up. Shen Feng, Thunder, Elephant Armor, and Blaze all continued to perform well.
Tian Shui Academy, now much stronger than before, easily defeated their opponents.
Shrek Academy had lost some of its edge without Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong were all weaker than before, with Tang San just reaching level 41 and Dai Mubai also at his peak.
Still, with Tang San leading, Shrek Academy managed to secure their first victory.
The first day of matches ended. All the teams left the competition grounds and returned to their hotels to rest.
The preliminaries would last for almost two months, offering plenty of time for teams to improve their strength.
In the evening, Ye Wen lay on his bed in the hotel, feeling unsettled as he thought back to his encounter with Shui Bing earlier that day. Her tearful departure from him still lingered in his mind.
He looked at the clock, and it was already 9 PM. After hesitating for a moment, he put on his clothes and left the room.
"I should go see Ice."
Ye Wen made his way to Tian Shui Academy's hotel.
The hotel was not far, and it took him less than half an hour to get there.
By coincidence, as he entered the lobby, he bumped into Shui Yue'er.
"Ye Wen?"
They both froze for a moment.
Shui Yue'er was still grateful to Ye Wen. If it weren't for the elixir he gave her, she would still be stuck at level 37 or 38. She seemed to have guessed something and asked, "Are you here to find my sister?"
"Yes, where is she?" Ye Wen asked.
"Room 606," Shui Yue'er replied.
"Thanks, Yue'er." Ye Wen said, then walked past her toward the hallway.
As he walked away, Shui Yue'er whispered to herself, "He really cares about my sister…"
Ye Wen soon reached room 606.
(END CHAPTER)
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