Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 265 Outperforming others
……

The turmoil outside the city did not cause much of a stir.

The Spirit Hall remained silent, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School kept quiet, since Xue Qinghe and Xuan Ming, who were involved, had close ties with the sect.

The two were attacked by what appeared to be direct descendants of the Haotian Sect. Whatever the reason, it completely shattered the illusion that the three upper sects were of one mind.

If we delve deeper, it will only worsen the already strained relationship between the two parties.

In the preliminary rounds, after the battle between Royal Fighting Team and Thunder Academy, almost all the subsequent teams chose to forfeit, and Xuanming's brutal methods that day served as a sufficient deterrent.

The Royal Fighting Team won without a fight, preserving their strength but greatly disappointing the audience who were looking forward to an exciting showdown.

The Tiandou Division preliminary rounds have finally come to a close.

The top five rankings are: Royal Fighting Team, Divine Wind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Heavenly Water Academy, and Shrek Academy, which advanced by a narrow margin.

Shrek's advancement was widely considered a lucky break.

The spot that originally belonged to Thunder Academy was vacated because its main player was severely injured by Xuanming and all members withdrew from the competition early.

Despite numerous questions about the legitimacy of the Royal Fighting Team's match, which was even more intense than the previous Canghui Academy incident, all controversies were suppressed with the tacit approval of the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the Spirit Hall.

Yuexuan.

The preliminary round awards ceremony was held today, but Xuanming did not attend, and Gu Yuena was also invited to the Martial Soul Temple by the Pope.

Xuanming was originally cultivating at the hotel, but was invited over by Yuexuan's people.

Upon entering the private room on the second floor, Xuanming immediately noticed Tang Yuehua's unusual behavior. She hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were red, clearly indicating that she had been crying.

"What is it?" Xuanming asked directly.

Tang Yuehua slowly raised her head, revealing slightly reddened eyes, "You and the Spirit Hall, what exactly..."

"It has nothing to do with it."

"What happens next?"

"They are most likely enemies."

Tang Yuehua was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"The situation is complicated, there's no need to ask any more questions," Xuanming said calmly.

"Tang Hao came looking for you?"

Tang Yuehua stiffened, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

“He is your brother, and I understand why you trust him,” Xuanming said.

"But you'd better not get involved in this matter anymore. It's beyond your ability to handle, and your diplomatic skills are meaningless in this situation."

When violence takes center stage, everything else must yield.

“Don’t get involved, that’s my advice.” Xuanming stood up.

"Unless you want to see the Haotian Sect fall into crisis again."

Tang Yuehua hurriedly grabbed his sleeve: "Which side are you on?"

Xuanming turned to look at her: "In the past, we might have had a choice; now we don't belong to either side; and in the future... we won't either."

"The target of everyone's criticism?" Tang Yuehua's eyes dimmed.

"Everything I've done is so that one day I can stand on my own side and do what I want to do, instead of what you think I should do," Xuanming said calmly.

"To have the right to speak, you must first have the ability to silence others; that's what the Pope taught me."

"That day is not far away."

……

After the preliminary rounds, there is a one-month rest period before the qualifying rounds begin.

Unlike the team-based qualifying rounds, the qualifying rounds focus more on individual skill demonstrations, which is the area where the Royal Fighting Team has an advantage.

However, the problems exposed in the qualifiers kept everyone on their toes, and they immediately threw themselves into a new round of training.

Dugu Yan was personally instructed by Dugu Bo, Ye Lingling was entrusted to Bi Ji by Xuan Ming, and Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were personally led by Xuan Ming for training.

As for Gu Yuena, her strength already necessitates no such training.

The training ground behind the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy.

As evening fell, Xuanming collapsed to the ground after a day of cultivation. Gu Yuena sat quietly beside him.

"What did she say to you when she asked you to go to the Spirit Temple?" Xuanming asked.

Gu Yuena thought for a moment: "She asked me what my feelings were for you."

Xuanming was taken aback: "How did you answer?"

"To be honest."

"Tell the truth?" Xuanming's expression shifted slightly.

He was well aware of the attraction his talent, strength, and appearance held for the opposite sex, which was the reason why Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong were all attracted to him.

But this affection was too superficial, so he always kept his distance, never responding or crossing the line.

He even knew that they themselves understood he only saw them as friends, but they were simply unwilling to give up. And he, too, didn't want to lose these few friends, so he couldn't be too ruthless, which made the relationship seem somewhat ambiguous—but only superficially so.

Zhu Zhuqing was different; he gave her the opportunity and ability to choose. They had similar circumstances and personalities, and her feelings for him were more profound.

Therefore, he gave a limited response.

Ning Rongrong and the others knew this, so even when Zhu Zhuqing "cheated" on him, they didn't have any conflicts with him.

Then, Xiao Wu, this girl's feelings for him are very complicated, somewhat similar to Qian Renxue's, but different. But in the end, he can still understand, after all, he was the one who created this relationship. He saved the mother and daughter, and he also took their lives.

Xiao Wu doesn't have romantic love for him, only a complicated longing. You could say she's a good friend, or you could say she sees him as an older brother, but it leans more towards familial affection, just like A Rou sees him as a child.

As for Hu Liena, her feelings for him evolved from the superficial infatuation of Ning Rongrong and the others. It wasn't just a superficial liking; she knew him better and her feelings for him were deeper. That's why he didn't stop Hu Liena like he had before.

Let's not even talk about Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue; their feelings for him are so twisted that they can't be explained in just a few words.

As for Gu Yuena... her feelings came inexplicably, were sincere yet unprovoked, profound yet abrupt.

"What truth?" Xuanming asked.

Gu Yuena tilted her head, looking at Xuan Ming with clear eyes, and said, "I told you I like you."

"Because of the Ice Dragon King, the Soul Beast race, or... pity, sympathy?" Xuanming asked.

He had a nightmare before, and he didn't know how much of his past Gu Yuena had seen.

Moreover, Gu Yuena's mind was too pure, far purer than Xiao Wu's when she first took human form. He couldn't understand her at all, because she seemed to be exactly as she appeared, without any pretense.

But he simply couldn't believe in this purity.

“These are just the causes, not the root cause,” Gu Yuena said softly.

"What is that at all?" Xuanming asked.

“I feel that you know me very well, perhaps even better than I know myself. Then you should know that I will not believe in things that I cannot be sure of.”

Gu Yuena leaned slightly closer to Xuanming, her hair gently brushing against his cheek. "It is you, all of you, your past, your present, your strength, your weakness, your maturity, your naivety, your courage, and your fragility."

Xuanming's eyes held a complex expression. "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Gu Yuena gently held Xuanming's hand, "You are free not to believe it, and I will not force you to believe it."

"But this is my answer, now and in the future."

"I know what you doubt, and I know what you're worried about, but at least for now, at least I, the me in front of you, exist only for you."

"This is for you, and for me too."

"You can take this as a token of my gratitude, but it's also a moment of my impulsiveness."

"Tomorrow may be tough, and I may not be able to be by your side tomorrow, but at least for now, I'm here with you."

"You are all I see, and I am all you see."

Xuanming remained silent for a long time before his gaze slowly fell on their clasped hands. Gu Yuena's hands were cold, yet they carried a strange sense of calm, as if they could soothe the complex emotions churning within him.

"Is this something that Sister Bing taught in her training class?" Xuanming asked.

Gu Yuena gently shook his hand, "This student has surpassed his teacher."

Xuanming took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the clouds, dyeing the sky a brilliant orange-red, a beauty that was breathtaking.

He suddenly felt that perhaps some things didn't need to be understood so clearly, just like the tranquility and beauty of this moment, once broken, could never be regained.

(End of this chapter)