"How did the news about me fighting the Liches spread across the whole school? Could there be a mole?!"
This thought raced through Bai Ze's mind as he raised his head, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. He asked Xia Yinyue, "So… how do you all know about this? Who spread the news?"
Xia Yinyue tilted her head curiously before answering, "Who spread it? Of course, it was the Federation!"
"Not just us probably the entire nation knows by now. Earlier, Teacher Zhou even showed me a recording of the entire battle between that student and the Liches."
"It's just that we don't know which school he's from. Do you think he might be a student at our Tianzhou Academy?" Xia Yinyue said with some excitement.
But when she turned around, she saw Bai Ze's face darkened to the extreme.
Seeing this, Xia Yinyue thought Bai Ze might have misunderstood and felt jealous.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Xia Yinyue quickly explained. "I was just curious. After all, that person is already being mentioned alongside you, Bai Ze. People are calling you both the 'Twin Stars of Sulin Province!'"
"One broke the long-standing provincial records for new students, while the other indirectly benefited all of humanity!"
As Xia Yinyue explained enthusiastically, Bai Ze lowered his head, deep in thought. The two of them were not on the same page at all.
"So it was the Federation that leaked the information, and they even have a recording?"
"Could it be that the observers detected by the system back then were from the Federation?"
"But didn't the system say it had masked my signal? How did the Federation manage to spy on me?"
A series of unanswered questions swirled in Bai Ze's mind. Yet he latched onto one critical point.
"Why was the Federation spying on me… uh, I mean… why were they monitoring that student?"
Noticing his stammering, Xia Yinyue thought he was acting a bit strange today.
Still, she didn't dwell on it and began to explain everything to Bai Ze while they walked.
She talked about the Liches, the Sacred Wood Elves, and even the Heart of the Sacred Wood, explaining everything in detail.
Most importantly, Bai Ze learned that:
The recording blurred out the creatures he created and his planet.
The Federation had exhausted all methods to narrow their search to a single province but had failed to locate him directly.
As Xia Yinyue finished recounting everything, Bai Ze finally understood the situation.
"So… I accidentally did something this monumental?" Bai Ze muttered in a daze, genuinely shocked.
Xia Yinyue, seeing his stunned expression, assumed he was feeling discouraged.
"Bai Ze, you don't need to worry too much," she said comfortingly.
"Even though that person is strong, I believe in you. You'll surpass him!"
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If it comes to it, we can challenge him when we meet, and you can show him who's boss!"
Xia Yinyue raised her small fist, looking adorably spirited.
Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried for Bai Ze.
After all, he had just broken the provincial record and claimed the title of freshman champion. He was supposed to be enjoying the spotlight.
Now, this new genius had appeared out of nowhere, overshadowing Bai Ze's achievements.
Xia Yinyue didn't want Bai Ze to feel disheartened or under pressure.
After all, before ascending the throne, people strive to reach it with all their might. Once seated, they do everything to keep it.
Walking this path meant there was no turning back. Xia Yinyue just didn't want Bai Ze to feel discouraged.
"Uh… haha, don't worry about me."
"I… I'm fine," Bai Ze replied in a low voice.
And he was fine after all, the genius Xia Yinyue was talking about was him!
What was he supposed to do? Fight himself?
Bai Ze shook his head and continued walking forward. Before long, they arrived near the honors class classroom.
However, as they approached, they overheard several conversations.
"Hey! Isn't that Bai Ze?"
"Let me see… Yeah, it's him! Today's the orientation day, so it makes sense for Sulin Province's number-one freshman to be here."
"I'm looking forward to this year. Our province has so many geniuses!"
"Yeah, just a couple of days ago, that guy who defeated the Liches was revealed. He's in the same cohort as us, too."
"I wonder how he would compare to Bai Ze. Who's stronger?"
Bai Ze's expression wasn't great not because of the person they were discussing but because he had no idea how to explain the situation.
Was he supposed to walk up to them, announce his name, and claim he was the one who defeated the Liches?
"That would be so embarrassing…" Bai Ze muttered to himself.
Deciding to let nature take its course, he brushed the thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.
"Bai Ze, we're here! That's our classroom up ahead," Xia Yinyue said suddenly.
Looking ahead, Bai Ze was slightly taken aback.
"This classroom… it's huge."
The classroom spanned roughly 300 square meters, with a single podium at the front and tiered seating arranged in a semi-circle at the back.
Honestly, for a class of just 30 students, the space felt extravagant.
Most of the students were already seated, including Wei Chi and Huang Tian, who were hiding in a corner, avoiding Bai Ze's gaze.
"Alright, you two, stop standing at the door and come in," a clear, feminine voice called from the podium.
It was Teacher Zhou Qing.
Hurriedly, Bai Ze pulled Xia Yinyue along, choosing an empty seat near the back.
Once everyone had settled, Teacher Zhou cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Ahem… Everyone's here on the first day. Not bad."
"Since you're all present, let's start with some introductions."
"You can call me Teacher Zhou. For the next four years, I'll be your homeroom teacher and guide."
Leaning on the desk, Zhou Qing surveyed the class.
"Tianzhou Academy doesn't have many strict rules or mandatory courses."
"Most of the time, you'll be left to your own devices. Occasionally, you'll need to report in for important matters."
"By the way, you've all heard about the recent buzz, haven't you?"
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