Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

It was the final day of Jia Nan Academy's recruitment, and the central square of Wu Tan City buzzed with a larger crowd than the previous days, a sea of people jostling under the midday sun.

Instructor Ruo Lin, seasoned from multiple recruitment drives, had anticipated the chaos. She promptly enlisted the help of the newly admitted students to assist with the process.

Thus, Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian found themselves conscripted, stationed at a testing booth to help with admissions.

By the afternoon, the rush had eased, giving the two a moment to catch their breath and exchange hushed words.

"Xian Er, do you think that guy's out gathering herbs or chasing flowers? How does it take so many days to collect some plants?" Xun Er grumbled, her tone laced with dissatisfaction.

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at her with a gentle smile. "Heh, you've been to the valleys of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. It's crawling with magical beasts for dozens of miles—no flowers for him to pick. Maybe something held him up."

"Hmph," Xun Er huffed. "We leave tomorrow, and if he doesn't show up today, I'll—"

"Xun Er, Xiao Yi Xian, care for some water?"

A smooth, masculine voice interrupted, coming from a handsome young man standing beside their table. He held two cups of water, smiling warmly at the pair.

Xun Er, cut off mid-sentence, glanced up at the youth. She recognized him—gossip among the female students had pegged him as the strongest male recruit in this year's team. Compared to those Xiao Bai had trounced, his strength was notable, and he seemed to have caught the eye of several female teammates.

Unimpressed, Xun Er gave him a cursory look and shook her head lightly. "No, thank you."

Xiao Yi Xian said nothing, offering only a polite, distant smile and a slight nod before turning her attention away.

The young man's expression didn't falter at their cool reception. Shrugging nonchalantly, he tucked the cups away and chuckled. "Today's testing would've been a mess without your help. You've really saved us!"

"It's just Instructor Ruo Lin asking for our assistance," Xun Er replied, shaking her head. Noticing he was about to speak again, she tilted her head and said, "Senior, could we have a moment to ourselves?"

"Heh, my apologies. I tend to talk too much. Sorry for disturbing you!" The young man's smile stiffened briefly before recovering. He nodded and turned to leave.

Just then, another voice, magnetic and tinged with amusement, called out from behind. "Ladies, fancy a drink?"

The young man frowned, irritation flaring. Who's this fool, trying to steal my move at a time like this? And with such a flippant tone? A trace of scorn flashed in his eyes. He'd observed these two exceptional girls for a while—they weren't the type to fall for such tactics.

Let's see who this idiot is. He was certain the newcomer would crash and burn, but the audacity of mimicking his approach felt like a slap to the face. He turned, ready to watch the spectacle.

Black robes, white hair, a strikingly handsome face with an air of authority—who's this guy? Never seen him before.

The newcomer stood behind the girls, holding two cups of water, his gaze warm and gentle.

The young man sneered inwardly, expecting rejection. This guy's in for it. He decided to linger, eager to see the imitator humiliated.

But the next moment left him stunned. Both girls, hearing the voice, lit up with joy, their faces blooming with radiant smiles as they turned to the newcomer.

"Brother Xiao Bai!"

"Xiao Bai!"

"Heh, have some water. You two look exhausted. That Instructor Ruo Lin, slacking off in the back while you're out here working for her!"

The girls smiled sweetly, accepting the cups and taking sips.

Crack! It was as if something shattered in the air.

Xiao Bai seemed to hear it, glancing at the nearby young man with a faint smile before calling out enthusiastically, "Hey, friend, here to register? Come on, I'll help you sign up!"

The youth watched, dumbfounded, as the white-haired man, whom the two previously aloof girls now fawned over, was pulled to sit between them. With a bitter twist of his lips, he muttered, "I'm not," and walked away, dazed.

"Giggle, Brother Xiao Bai, you're so mean!" Xun Er covered her mouth, laughing delicately.

"Hmph! Trying to flirt with my girls? If he wasn't from Jia Nan Academy, I'd have broken both his legs!" Xiao Bai said, feigning indignation.

"Pfft! Who're your girls?" both Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian retorted in unison, their cheeks flushing with a hint of shy delight in their eyes.

"What, think you can jump ship after boarding my boat? No way—not even a window to escape through!" Xiao Bai grinned, mock-ferociously.

Xun Er let out a playful humph. "We'll see how a certain someone performs. Your recent track record isn't exactly stellar. I was starting to think some girl had stolen you away!"

"Right," Xiao Yi Xian chimed in with a teasing smile. "Xun Er was just saying you weren't gathering herbs but chasing flowers!"

"Flowers? In the Magical Beast Mountain Range? It's all beasts out there," Xiao Bai said smoothly, keeping his composure. Can't show a hint of guilt, or these two will pounce.

Xiao Yi Xian was gentler, her temperament soft and serene, and she didn't know him as deeply as Xun Er did. But Xun Er? They'd grown up together, knowing each other inside out. One slip, and she'd smell something fishy.

"Heh, some magical beasts can be quite the beauties," Xun Er said, her smile unwavering but her words pointed.

Xiao Bai's heart skipped, but he didn't take the bait. Feigning ignorance, he waved it off. "What're you thinking? I just ran into Xiao Yan in the mountains, got held up a few days." Sorry, Little Yan, you're taking the fall for this one.

"Well, well, if it isn't Young Master Xiao Bai! Quite the rare guest!" A voice, gentle as flowing water, cut through their banter.

"Oh! Instructor Ruo Lin! Hard at work, I see. Sit, sit, let me pour you some water!" Xiao Bai said with a grin.

"No need to trouble yourself, Young Master," Ruo Lin teased. "I seem to recall someone grumbling that I was slacking off while making their precious darlings work."

"Haha, you must've misheard, Instructor!"

"Hmph! Since you're back, help Xun Er and the others with the work. No more running off—we leave tomorrow!"

Ruo Lin gave a light humph. She'd been staying with the Xiao Clan at Xiao Yu's invitation and had learned a bit about this young man. She was mildly displeased to discover that Xun Er and the others had concealed their true cultivation levels, but their exceptional talent thrilled her. Who would've thought Wu Tan City would yield such prodigies?

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