Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

It suddenly sank most of its body into the sand, then frantically drew water and resentment from the surrounding beach and sea sand, its body swelling up like an inflating balloon, while countless sharp sand spikes appeared on its surface, like a giant sea urchin, intending to use an all-around enhanced defense to fight back.

"That's about enough." Duanmu Yan observed the changes in his opponent and decided to end the experiment. The basic performance of the new armor had been tested; it was time to try out the finishing move.

He remembered that Tuona's first-tier skill was called...

He crouched slightly, and the blue patterns on his armor lit up simultaneously, resonating strongly with the surrounding wind.

He locked onto the swollen sand urchin spirit, gathered strength in his legs, and cyan energy converged towards his right foot like a whirlwind.

"The final blow, the Frenzied Tornado Kick!"

He kicked out a small whirlwind from his feet, and the violent blue tornado instantly enveloped the cursed spirit. The countless sand spikes were shredded the moment they came into contact with the tornado, and the thick sand armor defense was torn apart like paper.

boom--!!!

The Sand Curse Spirit's swollen body was completely pierced and exploded from its core! Countless grains of sand, mixed with the dissipated curse power, sprayed outwards like fireworks, and were then swept into the sky by the aftershocks of the subsequent tornado, turning into a murky rain of sand that fell down.

When the sandstorm subsided, all that remained was a shallow pit carved out by the whirlwind, and a small, shivering ball of sand at the bottom of the pit.

Duanmu Yan deactivated his transformation, and his armor dissipated into specks of light.

He landed lightly, brushed off the non-existent sand from his body. The combo and finishing move he had just executed hadn't taken much to his energy, and the experience had been excellent.

He walked to the edge of the pit, looked at the faintly wriggling ball of sand, and said to Xia Youjie who was walking over, "It's still breathing. Do you want it?"

Xia Youjie nodded, raised his hand, and easily subdued the sand ball, swallowing it without changing his expression.

Although it's only level one, it's better than nothing, and sand-type cursed spirits might be useful in certain situations.

He didn't hear the familiar system voice, but that was within Duanmu Yan's expectations.

After all, they didn't get rid of it.

"Not bad, Duanmu!" Gojo Satoru walked over and patted Duanmu Yan hard on the back. "This new armor is really fast! It must be really fun to fight with! The attack power doesn't seem as explosive as Nawa's, but the interference effect is top-notch! And you, how are you so skilled at switching armor? You were hiding it well before!"

Duanmu Yan smiled and didn't explain further: "I just mastered it recently, so I'm not proficient yet."

He looked at the cleaned-up beach and the still blue sea in the distance.

"Alright, the hindrance is gone, shall we... continue?"

He glanced at Gojo Satoru and Natsume with a hint of provocation.

"Let's continue! Who's afraid of who!" Gojo Satoru immediately jumped up and went to condense a water sphere again.

Xia Youjie also smiled and raised his hand.

Sunshine, beach, sea, boy.

After this minor hiccup, the enjoyable holiday continues.

Chapter 35 What kind of woman does he like?

As night falls, the hustle and bustle and heat of the day gradually fade away.

On a corner of the beach, a simple camping lamp was set up, its warm yellow glow dispelling the darkness in the small area.

The three sat around a waterproof picnic blanket spread out on the ground, with the embers of a burnt campfire beside them, emitting a pleasant smell of charcoal. The sea breeze was cool and carried a salty, fishy scent, gently caressing their skin.

The night sky was clear, dotted with stars, merging with the deep black sea in the distance, creating a tranquil and vast scene.

Gojo Satoru sprawled unceremoniously on a beach chair, his long legs stretched out far, holding a can of ice-cold soda in his hand, sipping it casually.

Xia Youjie sat cross-legged on the picnic blanket, looking relaxed.

Duanmu Yan hugged his knees, gazing at the faint lighthouse glow where the sea and sky met in the distance.

"Ah, that feels good!" Gojo Satoru stretched out with a big yawn and let out a satisfied sigh. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly sat up straight, his blue eyes behind his sunglasses shining as he stared at Duanmu Yan.

"By the way, Duanmu! Your new armor is super cool! That green one! It's called... Tuonado? It looks so light and agile! What's it like to wear? Like flying?"

He leaned closer, his face filled with undisguised desire and curiosity: "Hey, since there are two sets, can I try on that one? Just a try! I promise I won't break it! Let me experience it! With the 'Azure' acceleration combined with the armor's speed, will it break the sound barrier? Just thinking about it is exciting!"

Duanmu Yan had anticipated this question. He shook his head and said, "Impossible. I've tried and asked the elemental spirits. Only I can summon and use any armor that has a contract with me. It seems there's some kind of soul-level binding that others can't equip."

That's true. He did ask the system, and it said that General Duanmu's armor couldn't be given to anyone else, but the other two sets of Moon Armor were okay.

Upon hearing this, Gojo Satoru immediately deflated, slumped back into the beach chair, pouted, and muttered, "Fine... stingy. Having two sets of such cool armor to alternate wearing is truly enviable..."

Duanmu Yan glanced at him and said indifferently, "As the young master of the Gojo family, one of the three great families, born with six eyes and limitless spells, someone who was born at the pinnacle of the sorcery world, don't you think it's pretentious to say such things? You are the one who should be envied, Satoru."

Xia Youjie, standing to the side, nodded in agreement, his tone as gentle and teasing as ever: "Duanmu is right, Wu. The starting point you have is an end point that others could never reach in several lifetimes. So don't be greedy."

"What the hell!" Gojo Satoru rolled over on the beach chair, face down, burying his face in the soft fabric, looking exaggeratedly aggrieved.

"They're all ganging up on me, one by one! Jie is one thing, but Duanmu, you've only known me for a short time and you've already gone astray!"

Duanmu Yan and Xia Youjie exchanged a glance and both saw the smile in each other's eyes.

This guy is clearly stronger and more favored than anyone else, yet he always acts like he's the most wronged person, and somehow it's impossible to dislike him.

A salty sea breeze blew by, slightly dispelling the summer night's heat.

Xia Youjie seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "Speaking of which, it seems like the time is almost here after we go back from here, right?"

"Day? What day?" Gojo Satoru looked up, his face clear of any grime.

"Sister school exchange meeting," Xia Youjie reminded him. "The Kyoto school meeting should be in about two weeks."

Duanmu Yan also remembered: "Hmm, I heard Teacher Ye'e mention it. It seems to be a regular exchange competition between two magic academies in Tokyo and Kyoto, which can be considered... a practical exercise?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Gojo Satoru immediately perked up, sat up, and put on that somewhat arrogant expression.

"Those guys at Kyoto Academy... don't they even have a single proper Level 1 mage? The strongest are only a few near-Level 1? What's the point of comparing them?"

"We have a full three level one units here! Three! And we also have the rare reversal spell, Glass. Our lineup is completely overwhelming."

He counted on his fingers: "How are we supposed to win? Let Teacher Moth just announce that we've won, so as not to waste time."

Xia Youjie shook his head helplessly: "Wu, don't underestimate them. The competition rules change every year, and the Kyoto School isn't without its trump cards. They have a long history and always have some hidden tricks or special enhancement methods. For example, the Kamo family's Crimson Blood Technique, and the Zenin family's..."

"You mean the songstress?" Gojo Satoru interrupted him, a smile spreading across his face. "Don't worry~ How strong can she be? After all..."

He and Xia Youjie said in unison, their faces displaying their usual confidence. "...The three of us are the strongest."

After they finished speaking, they both laughed. Duanmu Yan looked at them and was also infected by their confidence without any gloom, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Indeed, with these two monsters around, the pressure on Kyoto School is probably immense.

"Speaking of which," Duanmu Yan recalled a question, "besides the four of us from the first year, are there any other students from other grades participating in the exchange meeting at our school?"

Gojo Satoru shook his head: "That's all. There are already few people in the high school. Our class is considered to have a lot. The second and third-year students have either graduated, are on long-term missions, or... well, in short, we can't get enough people."

"It seems like there are about the same number of students at the Kyoto school, two in the second year and two in the third year, making a total of four."

Xia Youjie added: "So basically it's the four of us against the four of them. But based on past experience, the competition format may be a team battle or a combination of individual battles and team tasks. There are still some variables."

“Who cares about the form,” Gojo Satoru waved his hand, lay back down, and gazed at the starry sky. “We’re definitely going to win anyway. What I’m more concerned about now is whether, after we win the match, Mr. Yagura will take pity on us and treat us to a big meal again…”

The conversation gradually drifted away from the competition. The night breeze was gentle, the starlight was falling, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

It's unclear who started it, but the conversation gradually shifted to a lighter direction.

"Hey, I'm saying," Gojo Satoru said suddenly, crossing his legs and swinging his feet, "Do you two... have a type of girl you like?"

This question surprised both Xia Youjie and Duanmu Yan.

Xia Youjie chuckled: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Let's just chat casually~ We're free anyway."

Gojou said confidently, "Duanmu, you go first! Seeing how innocent you looked all the time when you were surrounded by girls, you must have some ideas, right?"

Duanmu Yan's ears burned as he heard him speak, and the embarrassing memories from earlier that day resurfaced.

He glared at Gojo Satoru, but wasn't really angry.

He thought for a moment and answered seriously, "The type... I guess it's the kind of girl who... has a beautiful smile, a cheerful personality, but is strong enough inside, and has her own principles and goals."

"Oh~" Gojo Satoru drawled, winking, "Your requirements aren't low. So, what about Jack?"

Xia Youjie pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I haven't thought about it carefully. The path of a sorcerer is different from that of ordinary people, and the future is full of uncertainty. It's too early to talk about these things now."

He was more concerned with becoming stronger and upholding his principles; matters of the heart were not on his agenda.

"Tch, boring." Gojo Satoru curled his lip, then pointed to himself, "So what about me? Guess what type I like?"

Duanmu Yan glanced at him, then at Xia Youjie, and suddenly a mischievous thought struck him. He lowered his voice and said, "Could it be that you two both like... Shoko?"

Chapter 36 Vacation Ends

"Could it be that you two both like glass?"

"How could that be!"

"How could that be!"

After they finished speaking, they looked at each other and saw the same fear and lingering dread in each other's eyes, as if they had heard some extremely terrible curse.

Gojo Satoru patted his chest, still shaken: "Duanmu, you can't say things like that! If Shoko finds out, she might not use the Reversal Technique to save us, but she might secretly add something to our food or slightly alter our medical reports, making us lie in a hospital bed for half a month!"

Xia Youjie nodded in agreement, adding, "Moreover, the way Shoko looks at us usually falls into three categories: looking at us as trouble, looking at us as experimental subjects, and looking at us as hopeless idiots. None of them have anything to do with the word 'like'."

Seeing their tense expressions, Duanmu Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It seems that Shoko has a great deterrent effect on these two strongest people.

"Alright, alright, just kidding." Duanmu Yan stopped laughing. "But seriously, Wu, what kind of girl do you like?"

Gojo Satoru lay back down, gazing at the starry sky. His expression behind his sunglasses was somewhat blurry. He thought for a long time before lazily saying, "Hmm... probably, he has to be stronger than me? Or at least not too weak, otherwise it's no fun."

"One should be able to understand Lao Tzu's power, but not be afraid of it or blindly follow it. One should be interesting, not too boring... Ah, and preferably also be able to make delicious desserts!"

Xia Youjie complained, "With your requirements, are you looking for a cursed spirit or a human? Someone stronger than you? Someone who understands your power? Someone who can even make desserts? Wu, you might as well just stay with your infinite past."

"Hey! Jay! What do you mean?!"

"Literal meaning."

The three of them laughed and joked for a while longer.

Under the starry sky, the sound of waves lapping against the beach was like the gentlest lullaby. Young voices, sometimes high-pitched and sometimes whispering, talked about future competitions, complained about their teachers, and shared their wild fantasies and simple hobbies.

There are no heavy responsibilities, no pressure of life and death, only the most relaxed and natural appearance of a teenager of this age, surrounded by the most trusted companions.