90: I'll take you there next year

Gu Xiaoyue and her team had won first place in the National Competition, and in the eyes of the teachers and students, they were practically heroes!

Nanya, which had been stuck in fifth place for ages, finally held its head high this year!

The lively welcoming scene was broken by two people shouting, "Hand over the God-Rank Pet!"

The students looked at each other, confused about what these two meant.

Gu Xiaoyue narrowed her eyes. Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian—those two were like persistent ghosts!

Some students in the know whispered among themselves: "Wei Liuyun and the others claim Gu Xiaoyue has a God-Rank Pet! They've been rambling about it for a while. The principal thought they were mentally unstable and sent them away; they only just got back a few days ago!"

"Gu Xiaoyue just got back and they're making a scene again. They must be seriously ill!"

Hearing the students' discussion, Wei Liuyun turned and roared at them, "I'm not sick! What I'm saying is true! In the secret realm, Gu Xiaoyue obtained a God-Rank Pet egg! She framed me for being ill and had the principal transfer me away. Otherwise, this national first place would have been mine!"

Heaven knows how much he suffered after being sent to the mental health facility.

No one believed him. Eventually, Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian recanted their claims, admitting that the God-Rank Pet was a hallucination, and only then were they allowed to return to Nanya Academy.

One student asked, "Fine, let's say what you said is true and Gu Xiaoyue got a God-Rank Pet egg. What does that have to do with you? What right do you have to demand it from her?"

Wei Liuyun, acting a bit deranged, shrieked hysterically, "What do you know! She snatched it from my hands! What's wrong with me asking for it back? She definitely hasn't formed a contract with it yet. Hurry! Gu Xiaoyue, hand it over!"

Many students shook their heads; Wei Liuyun had truly lost his mind.

Bai Youlian appeared relatively clear-headed and normal, and she chimed in from the side: "Students, what Wei Liuyun says is true. That God-Rank Pet egg was discovered by Wei Liuyun and me, and it was snatched away by Gu Xiaoyue and Chu Li."

The students were in an uproar. Could it be that what Wei Liuyun said was true? Was that why he was trying to force Gu Xiaoyue to hand over the God-Rank Pet egg in front of everyone?

Gu Xiaoyue summoned Xiao Mo, held it in her arms, and raised an eyebrow as she asked Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian, "Do you really want that egg? But it has five attributes; you wouldn't be able to form a contract with it anyway."

The students' discussion grew even more intense. If there really was a God-Rank Pet, everyone wanted to see it!

Wei Liuyun was so enraged by the skepticism that his eyes turned bloodshot. He glared with crimson eyes, "It doesn't matter if I can form a contract or not! That egg belongs to me!"

Wei Liuyun's original intention was to let everyone know that Gu Xiaoyue possessed a God-Rank Pet egg. If she refused to hand it over, the news would spread far and wide, and that egg would become Gu Xiaoyue's death warrant!

A mere freshman, so what if she took first place on the freshman leaderboard? Compared to the various powerful figures outside the academy, she was like an ant that could be crushed at will.

If Gu Xiaoyue were truly willing to hand over the God-Rank Pet egg, even if he couldn't form a contract with it, selling it would be enough for him to live comfortably for eight lifetimes.

Gu Xiaoyue was well aware of the schemes Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian were hatching.

She said with a helpless expression, "Wei Liuyun, you're right. I only have Human Level talent; I can't possibly form a contract with a God-Rank Pet egg! The egg is currently in my Yu Beast Space. I can give it to you, but if you sell it, you have to give me half the money."

Wei Liuyun hadn't expected Gu Xiaoyue to relent. He suppressed the urge to let his mouth curl upward, his expression looking quite twisted. "That's no problem, as long as you give it to me! Half is fine!"

Gu Xiaoyue looked very troubled. "I'm really reluctant to part with it, but since I can't form a contract, it's just a waste sitting in my Yu Beast Space."

She unwillingly pulled out a pet egg, which was encased in a layer of ice.

Seeing the pet egg he had dreamed of, Wei Liuyun couldn't help but urge Gu Xiaoyue to give it to him. "Yes, that's it! Hurry, give it to me!"

The onlookers were stunned; there was nothing in Gu Xiaoyue's hand at all!

Bai Youlian's eyes were also fixed on Gu Xiaoyue's hand. Seeing Gu Xiaoyue extend her hand, she instinctively reached out to take the pet egg from Gu Xiaoyue's grasp.

Wei Liuyun yanked her aside, signaling that the pet egg was his and no one was to touch it!

He joyfully took the egg from Gu Xiaoyue's hand and let out a manic laugh. "Hahaha, I got it! The God-Rank Pet egg is mine! Hahaha!"

He had no intention of splitting any star coins with Gu Xiaoyue; he was going to claim the God-Rank Pet egg for himself!

While Wei Liuyun was still laughing manically, several students had already gone to notify the principal—Wei Liuyun was having another episode!

There was clearly nothing there, yet he was clutching at thin air and talking about a God-Rank Pet egg.

Before long, several security department teachers arrived and escorted away both the still-manically laughing Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian, who had been trying to fight him for the pet egg.

Gu Xiaoyue watched them coldly. Since they wanted to make it a fact that she had a God-Rank Pet, it would be much faster to make it a fact that the two of them were insane!

She had simply had Xiao Mo cast an illusion on Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian, making them believe that Gu Xiaoyue held the God-Rank Pet egg they had seen that day.

But in the eyes of the other students, Gu Xiaoyue's hands were empty!

Combined with the subsequent reactions of Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian, it further confirmed that any talk of a God-Rank Pet egg was purely their own delusion!

Even if someone spread rumors about a God Rank egg, they would likely only cause trouble for Wei Liuyun and Bai Youlian!

Gu Xiaoyue scoffed inwardly; some people, in their desperate attempt to obtain things that didn't belong to them, would be completely consumed by their own greed!

She returned to her dormitory. As soon as she entered, a figure threw itself into her arms.

"Xiao Yue, didn't you say the training would only take three days? Why are you only just back now!"

Ye Wanrou had originally thought that Gu Xiaoyue's training at Lianxin Waterfall would take three days in total, and she would definitely be back by the fourth or fifth day.

When Gu Xiaoyue still hadn't returned on the fifth day, she started calling Gu Xiaoyue, but couldn't get through at all.

Although Director Wu and Chu Li were around and no bad news had come back, she was still very anxious, feeling as if she had lost her backbone. Later, she managed to contact Chu Li.

Chu Li told her that Xiao Yue seemed to have entered a state similar to meditation, and only then was she finally able to relax.

Gu Xiaoyue pulled Ye Wanrou to sit down and told her that at Lianxin Waterfall, her Qingqing Bear, and Chu Li's Fire Phoenix and Lihuo Red-Eyed Beast had all leveled up.

Ye Wanrou listened, stunned. "Lianxin Waterfall is that amazing?"

Gu Xiaoyue smiled and nodded. "Ye Wanrou, train your Unicorn and Snowball well. I'll take you to participate in next year's National Competition!"

She had been somewhat conservative this year, partly to silence everyone's gossip.

Since Gu Xiaoyue had achieved first place in the nation this year, she wouldn't have to worry about people criticizing her even if she brought Ye Wanrou along next year.

Ye Wanrou nodded heavily. "I'll work hard!"

Before they could chat much longer, a message arrived on Gu Xiaoyue's brain. It was a notification from Director Ding XinYu—Principal Zheng wanted to see her.

Gu Xiaoyue frowned. What did the principal want with her?