Both Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng were startled. Although they envied Qian Lei, they were equally as happy for him. From constantly being last place in the elite junior class to becoming the first to enroll in the Shrek Academy, who wouldn’t be proud?
However, they did not expect that Qian Lei’s early admission would cause them to face such a situation.
With suspicion running in his mind, Liu Feng asked, “Why can’t just the two of us continue to participate in the later tests? Are you saying we’re eliminated, just like that?”
Lan Xuanyu was frowning as well. “Sister Ling, the two of us can attempt to participate in the tests as per normal, it doesn’t matter if we are up against three opponents. Is that fine?”
The two of them were not the only ones taken by surprise, even Qian Lei was shocked to hear Ling Yiyi’s words. The emotion in his eyes immediately changed as he looked at Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng. The excitement inside him abruptly diminished. His departure would actually cause Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng to be eliminated, and prevent them from continuing the tests?
Ling Yiyi looked at Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng with a difficult look in her eyes. “I am sorry, but these are the rules. In fact, for someone from your team of three to be chosen is considered a great success already. Think about it, how many people in the entire federation have applied for the test? To occupy one out of the thirty slots is considered a great feat for your Tian Luo Academy. But in any case, it is with sincere apologies that I inform you that the two of you will not be able to participate in the following tests.”
While saying that, Ling Yiyi waved her hand and summoned a bright light that enveloped Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng. With a flash, the two of them disappeared, still astonished.
Qian Lei watched, dumbstruck, as it happened before turning his head to look at Ling Yiyi. Everything happened so quickly that he couldn’t even react.
After the flash of light, Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng immediately returned back to the valley of lava. The lava pool had regained its tranquility and their surroundings had turned empty, but at the same time, their hearts were filled with grimness.
The qualifiers had been extremely thrilling. They had put in all their effort, risked the dangers, and transformed their peril to safety. They had even killed the Ground Fire Scarlet Dragons.
But who would have thought that they would meet with such an ending? Qian Lei alone had ascended while the other two were eliminated tragically.
Liu Feng clenched his jaw. “This isn’t fair. How could the Shrek Academy be so unfair?”
Lan Xuanyu grabbed onto his shoulders and sighed. “Maybe it’s just luck.”
“Why did it turn out this way?” Liu Feng turned to him with tears suddenly pouring down his face. “I thought—I thought we had a chance. I…”
Lan Xuanyu patted him gently. “That’s right! Who would have thought that we would end up like this?”
Why shouldn’t they complain? Wasn’t the whole ordeal strange? How was it possible? They had put in so much effort, training bitterly for the past three and a half years. Lan Xuanyu himself had spent every day in the abyss of suffering. He had even obtained good results in the qualifiers, only to suddenly be eliminated without good explanation or reason. How could they not feel angry?
“Xuanyu, I’m unresigned! Are we truly helpless on this matter?” Liu Feng asked.
Lan Xuanyu shook his head. “We can’t change something that has already happened.”
“We really don’t have a chance at all?” Liu Feng was completey unresigned to fate!
However, right at that moment, he suddenly saw Lan Xuanyu raising his head, laughing.
That’s right, he was laughing!
Liu Feng stared at Lan Xuanyu. “What’re you laughing for?”
Lan Xuanyu sighed. “Actually, Qian Lei might be even worse off than us. We should be giving him our blessings right now.”
“Ah?” Liu Feng stared at Lan Xuanyu and touched his forehead. “Have you gone mad from anger? Why are you suddenly saying things like this?”
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t expect that Shrek Academy would test us in such a way!”
“Test?” Liu Feng was bewildered. “What are you rambling about?”
Lan Xuanyu sat cross legged on the ground. “Shrek Academy has a 30 thousand years long history and has become the number one academy in the entire world. It did not rely on its strength, but the system it had established through the years. Shrek Academy has always been neutral and never involved itself in battle, only grooming outstanding Soul Masters. Let me ask you this, could the number one academy in the entire world, which has so much experience, ever be unfair? What I’m trying to say is, everything that we are experiencing right now might not be the truth.”
Liu Feng stared at him, dumbstruck. “But Sister Ling already said that Qian Lei has been admitted!”
Lan Xuanyu shrugged his shoulders. “I believed her in that moment. I felt unresigned as well because it was truly unfair to the two of us. But don’t you find it all very strange? How could Shrek Academy treat us like that? I am extremely confident about our performance in the qualifiers. We put in an immense amount of effort, so much so that I believe we did the best. And rather than being sent out, we were sent back here instead. Why didn’t they allow us to go? That is the real question. Then I suddenly considered that Sister Ling might be testing Qian Lei. She is testing his character.”
Liu Feng finally started to understand things from his explanation. “What you mean to say is, Sister Ling wants to see if Qian Lei will abandon us in order to be admitted to Shrek ahead of time?”
Lan Xuanyu nodded his head. “That’s right! It must be like that. And they might have sent us here to see if we would hate Qian Lei because of this! Since he was the reason for our elimination, it would be impossible for us not to be furious with him. I think that Shrek wants to see our reactions.”
Everything clicked into place for Liu Feng, and he looked at Lan Xuanyu in shock. He suddenly grabbed Lan Xuanyu by the neck and shook him incessantly. “Are you even human? How did you see through such a thing? How could you not be confused at such a time?”
Lan Xuanyu gave a helpless look without resisting. “If you have a teacher that immediately attacks you from behind the very first time you engage in a simulated space battle, you will no longer find it weird to be so calm. I have seen all sorts of things already!”
That’s right. When Yin Tianfan allowed Lan Xuanyu to pilot the simulated space warship for the first time, he immediately shot his space warship from behind. This almost made Lan Xuanyu mad.
Yin Tianfan then told him that there was no absolute trust between comrades. Regardless of anything, one had to take care of their own safety. This was a reminder for him.
That was also the start of a long trend where Yin Tianfan passed down cunning theories and all sorts of strange battle tactics to Lan Xuanyu.
It was not that Lan Xuanyu had a big heart, but that he had such a teacher. He would have long been played to death if he did not mentally prepare himself for such things…
Liu Feng released his hold and anxiously asked, “Do you think Qian Lei can deal with it? If he chooses to give up on us, will Shrek retract its offer for early admittance…”
Lan Xuanyu shrugged and laughed bitterly. “I don’t know about that. I have to say, Shrek is really harmful. We are, after all, only 12 or 13! They are cheating us already. I believe even adults wouldn’t be able to deal with such news.
Liu Feng had a helpless look on his face. “It seems that you’re right, we can only pray for Qian Lei now.”
Lan Xuanyu was about to say something when a light flashed a short distance away. A figure stumbled and appeared before them.
The two immediately looked over with caution, but it was no one but Qian Lei, whom they had just separated with.
Qian Lei had a dispirited look. Upon raising his head and seeing the two of them, he dropped to the ground and cried.
Lan Xuanyu and Liu Feng looked at each other before rushing over.
Liu Feng could not hold back and immediately spoke up. “Qian Lei, did you do something bad to let us down and get your retribution?”