Morning in Yuelan City was rarely quiet.
The city had grown into one of the busiest territories on the continent, and every day its streets seemed to carry a different kind of energy.
Merchants pushed carts filled with goods through wide stone avenues.
Soul-powered vehicles moved steadily along the central roads.
Elevated rail lines hummed softly as trains arrived and departed, carrying passengers between districts of the rapidly expanding city.
But today, many of the conversations drifting through the streets shared a common topic.
Near the entrance of one of the larger avenues, a group of young cultivators stood around a public court.
A metal hoop had been mounted above a reinforced stone platform.
Several people were watching as two teenagers attempted to throw a ball toward it.
One of them missed badly.
The ball bounced off the rim and rolled across the ground.
"Too far," someone said.
"You were outside the arc."
Another man laughed.
"Then that should be three points!"
"You still have to get it in!"
A third person shook his head.
"These rules are strange."
Nearby, an older merchant stood watching the scene while drinking tea from a small cup.
"These games spread quickly," he commented.
His friend nodded.
"That sports complex the Lin Clan built is full every day."
"I heard cultivators from other cities are coming just to see it."
Further down the street, a pair of academy students walked past while carrying a ball.
"I'm telling you," one said excitedly, "the cultivator court is amazing."
"The floor doesn't even crack when someone jumps."
"Of course it doesn't," his friend replied.
"They used formation-reinforced stone."
"That place is basically a training arena disguised as entertainment."
In another district, several merchants were discussing the same subject.
"I heard the young master himself designed the place."
"He even plays there."
"That's nothing," another merchant added.
"My nephew said he saw him destroy some red-haired cultivator in a game yesterday."
Laughter spread through the group.
"Destroyed?"
"Completely."
"Apparently the score wasn't even close."
A few nearby cultivators nodded knowingly.
"That must be Xiao Hongchen."
"Serves him right for boasting."
Elsewhere, a group of children chased a ball across a smaller public court.
"Pass!"
"I'm open!"
"Shoot!"
The ball struck the rim and bounced away again, sending them scrambling after it.
Even the adults watching nearby seemed amused.
A few months ago, scenes like this would have been considered strange.
Cultivators trained.
They fought.
They meditated.
They did not normally run around chasing balls for entertainment.
Yet somehow, the idea had spread.
Many people in Yuelan had already begun treating these sports as a normal part of daily life.
Some played casually.
Some treated them as competition.
And some cultivators had even begun using them as a form of physical training.
Of course, rumors about the previous day had also begun spreading.
Near a tea house, two women whispered quietly.
"I heard the young master was seen at the entertainment district yesterday."
The other woman raised an eyebrow.
"The sports complex?"
"That's what I meant."
"I heard there was some kind of misunderstanding."
"What kind?"
"I'm not sure."
"But apparently several people stormed into the arena."
The second woman laughed.
"That sounds chaotic."
"In this territory?"
The first woman shrugged.
"When the young master is involved, chaos seems inevitable."
Meanwhile, at the far edge of the city, the Yuelan Central Sports Complex was already beginning to fill with people again.
Large doors opened as early visitors entered.
Some carried balls.
Others simply came to watch.
The enormous structure had already become one of the most popular places in the city.
Not far away, the gates of the Lin Clan estate opened quietly.
Inside, the estate gardens were calm compared to the lively city streets.
Morning mist drifted between the trees.
Servants moved quietly through the courtyards.
But even here, traces of yesterday's events remained.
In one of the outer training courtyards, Xiao Hongchen stood alone.
A basketball bounced repeatedly against the stone floor.
He caught it.
Aimed toward a temporary hoop mounted nearby.
Threw.
The ball struck the rim and bounced away.
Xiao Hongchen scowled.
"This stupid game…"
He picked the ball up again.
"…I'm definitely winning next time."
A short distance away, Huo Yuhao sat on a stone bench, staring at a notebook.
Several diagrams had been drawn on the page.
Angles.
Distances.
Arrows showing ball trajectories.
Yuhao frowned slightly.
"…Maybe if the release angle is higher…"
He scribbled something down quickly.
Nearby, Chen Zifeng watched with amusement.
"You're studying basketball like it's a formation array."
Yuhao looked embarrassed.
"I'm just trying to understand the mechanics."
Not far from them, Ji Juechen stood silently.
His sword rested beside him.
But instead of practicing sword techniques, his gaze followed the bouncing ball in Xiao Hongchen's hands.
After a moment he spoke quietly.
"…Timing."
Chen Zifeng glanced at him.
"You're thinking about it too?"
Ji Juechen nodded faintly.
"The movement patterns."
"It's similar to combat spacing."
Across the courtyard, Lin Huang walked calmly through the estate garden.
Honghong lay lazily on top of his head in miniature form, her tails swaying slowly behind him.
She yawned.
"…Humans are strange."
Lin Huang didn't respond.
Far beyond the estate walls, the Secret Realm continued to grow quietly.
Crystal veins slowly formed beneath the soil.
Energy circulated through the world.
And at the center of the realm…
A tiny seed rested beneath the earth.
Unnoticed.
But already beginning to awaken.
The Yuelan Central Sports Complex was already busy long before midday.
The massive structure had quickly become one of the most popular places in the entire city.
Citizens streamed through the wide entrance gates in steady waves.
Some came to watch.
Some came to play.
Others simply came to see what the excitement was about.
Inside the complex, the noise was constant.
Balls bouncing.
People shouting.
Occasional laughter when someone missed an easy shot.
Near the entrance of the main hall, several staff members wearing light uniforms stood beside a large registration counter.
Behind them hung a newly placed banner.
TEAM REGISTRATION OPEN
Below it were several smaller notices.
LOCAL COMPETITIONS BEGINNING SOON
REGISTER YOUR TEAM
PRIZES FOR WINNING TEAMS
Two young cultivators stopped in front of the counter.
"What's this?"
One of the staff members smiled.
"We're organizing official competitions."
The cultivators looked surprised.
"Competitions?"
"Yes."
The staff member gestured toward several boards filled with writing.
"You can form teams and register them here."
"Basketball."
"Football."
"Handball."
"Several sports."
One of the cultivators scratched his head.
"Wait… teams?"
The staff member nodded.
"Teams must have a name."
Another worker added helpfully:
"You can also design your team emblem."
"And uniforms."
"And even a team anthem."
The two cultivators stared.
"…An anthem?"
"Yes."
The staff member nodded proudly.
"We already have several teams registered."
He pointed toward a board nearby.
Dozens of names were written across it.
IRON RIVER TEAM
EAST DISTRICT BLAZERS
SKYFALL WOLVES
GOLDEN BLADE CLUB
Another group standing nearby leaned closer.
"So these teams will fight each other?"
The staff member shook his head.
"Not fight."
"Compete."
"In sports."
One of the cultivators crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"And the prize?"
The staff member smiled.
"Resources."
The surrounding crowd grew noticeably more interested.
"Soul crystals."
"Training access."
"And recognition."
One of the older cultivators standing nearby laughed.
"This sounds like the start of something big."
Another man nodded slowly.
"If this spreads to other cities…"
"…it might become larger than expected."
A merchant standing near the entrance added quietly:
"I heard other territories are already building their own complexes."
Several people turned.
"Already?"
"Yes."
"They want to copy the idea."
The merchant shrugged.
"It attracts people."
"Trade."
"Visitors."
"It's good for business."
One of the cultivators looked back toward the registration board.
"If teams form across the continent…"
He paused slightly.
"…this might turn into something like the Elite Tournament."
The others laughed at first.
But then the idea lingered.
Another man spoke thoughtfully.
"…Except instead of soul master duels…"
"…it would be sports."
Near the entrance, one of the staff members overheard the comment and grinned.
"Well…"
He adjusted the banner slightly.
"That's the idea."
Across the complex, activity continued everywhere.
Basketball courts were already full.
In another arena, a group of cultivators had started a football match.
A crowd gathered to watch.
Shouts echoed through the hall.
"PASS!"
"RUN!"
"GOAL!"
In the swimming section, several cultivators were racing through a training pool with a strong current formation.
Others watched from the sides, placing small bets on the winners.
Even the bowling hall had gathered a small audience.
Every time someone knocked down all the pins, cheers erupted from nearby tables.
The complex had become something unexpected.
Not just a training facility.
Not just entertainment.
But something closer to a gathering place.
A social center for the city.
And although most people didn't realize it yet…
The idea spreading through Yuelan that day had the potential to grow into something enormous.
Perhaps one day, teams from across the continent would compete.
Cities.
Academies.
Even empires.
For now, however, the city simply enjoyed the excitement.
Far away from the lively sports complex…
Inside the quiet halls of the Lin Clan estate…
Lin Huang was preparing to begin something far more ambitious.
While the sports complex filled with noise and excitement, the Lin Clan estate remained comparatively quiet.
Morning sunlight filtered through the tall trees of the inner gardens, scattering soft light across stone pathways and flowing ponds.
Yet beneath the calm exterior of the estate, powerful systems were constantly at work.
Formations circulated energy through the territory.
Resource networks processed materials gathered from across the continent.
And deep beneath the estate, connected directly to the core of Lin Huang's greatest creation—
The Secret Realm continued to evolve.
Inside the central formation hall, a large projection floated above a circular array carved into the stone floor.
The projection displayed a shifting image of the realm's interior.
Mountains.
Forests.
Elemental regions.
Energy veins branching beneath the land like glowing roots.
Lin Huang stood quietly before the display.
Beside him stood Gu Yuena, her silver eyes reflecting the moving streams of energy.
The projection shifted slightly as Lin Huang adjusted the formation.
New data appeared.
Wood Crystal Veins — Stable
Vital Crystal Veins — Stable
Elemental Circulation — Increasing
Gu Yuena observed the data.
"The realm has started reproducing natural patterns."
Lin Huang nodded.
"It learned the circulation structure."
He expanded the projection slightly.
The forest biome appeared in greater detail.
Deep beneath the soil, clusters of green crystals slowly continued forming along the Wood Vein.
Elsewhere, golden crystals pulsed softly with life energy near the Vital Vein.
The world was adapting.
Growing.
Learning.
Not far from the formation hall, the newly stabilized Law Cultivation Chamber was already in use.
Several figures sat within the chamber's inner ring.
Xuedi.
Bingdi.
Ning Tian.
Zhang Lexuan.
Huo Yuhao.
The chamber radiated faint waves of spatial energy as formation rings slowly rotated around the interior.
Inside the chamber, fragments of law resonance occasionally flickered through the air.
Not fully formed laws.
But echoes of the moment when the Secret Realm itself had been born.
The cultivators within remained completely focused.
Each observing the patterns in their own way.
Bingdi's eyes occasionally flickered with cold blue light as she studied the circulation of elemental energy.
Ning Tian quietly analyzed the structure of the formation itself.
Yuhao seemed almost overwhelmed, scribbling notes rapidly into a small notebook floating beside him.
Even Xuedi remained unusually focused.
The chamber had proven far more useful than most of them expected.
Back in the formation hall, Gu Yuena continued watching the projection.
"You designed the chamber well."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"It recorded the birth of the realm."
"Now it simply replays the patterns."
Gu Yuena nodded.
"It will accelerate their comprehension of laws."
Lin Huang shifted the projection again.
This time the image zoomed toward the center of the Secret Realm.
A large empty region appeared.
Unlike the other areas of the realm, this location contained no forests.
No mountains.
No major formations.
Only open land where multiple energy veins intersected.
Gu Yuena noticed immediately.
"You left the center empty."
Lin Huang nodded.
"For now."
He turned toward the exit of the formation hall.
"Come."
Gu Yuena followed him without hesitation.
A moment later, the two figures stepped directly into the Secret Realm.
The sky above shimmered faintly with spatial light.
The air carried a gentle vitality that was noticeably stronger than the outside world.
Energy flowed smoothly through the land beneath their feet.
In the distance, forests stretched across rolling hills while rivers glimmered beneath the sunlight.
They walked toward the center of the realm.
After several minutes, Lin Huang stopped.
The area before them was completely open.
All the surrounding energy veins converged beneath this point.
Wood.
Vitality.
Earth.
Space.
All intersecting in delicate balance.
Gu Yuena looked around slowly.
"You chose this location carefully."
Lin Huang nodded.
"This world needs an axis."
Gu Yuena tilted her head slightly.
"A stabilizing structure."
"Yes."
Lin Huang raised his hand.
A small object appeared in his palm.
A seed.
At first glance it looked ordinary.
But the moment it appeared, the surrounding energy shifted slightly.
The seed carried a faint aura of natural enlightenment.
Gu Yuena's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…An enlightenment tree seed."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Inspired by the Golden Tree of Shrek."
He looked toward the open land.
"But this one will grow with the world."
Without hesitation, Lin Huang knelt and pressed the seed into the soil.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
The ground vibrated faintly.
Energy from the surrounding veins began flowing toward the location.
The circulation of the realm shifted subtly.
Gu Yuena watched carefully.
"…A world tree."
Lin Huang stood again.
"Yes."
He looked across the horizon of the Secret Realm.
"This world needs a foundation."
Beneath the soil, something had already begun to awaken.
And as the tiny seed slowly absorbed the surrounding energy—
Lin Huang's thoughts had already moved far beyond the realm itself.
Toward something even more ambitious.
The soil at the center of the Secret Realm trembled faintly.
Energy from the surrounding veins slowly flowed toward the newly planted seed.
Wood energy.
Vital energy.
Even faint traces of spatial fluctuations began gathering around the location.
The circulation of the entire realm had subtly changed.
It was as if the world itself had accepted the new presence.
Gu Yuena watched the ground quietly.
"A world tree."
Her silver eyes followed the shifting currents of energy beneath the soil.
"It will stabilize the circulation of laws."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That's the purpose."
For a few moments neither of them spoke.
The wind moved gently across the open field.
The distant forests swayed quietly.
Then Lin Huang spoke again.
"When the Secret Realm was born…"
Gu Yuena glanced at him.
"You observed the formation of the laws."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"I saw how they condensed."
He raised his hand.
A small projection of energy appeared in the air between them.
Lines of law fragments intersected.
Space folded.
Energy condensed.
Then compressed inward.
Gu Yuena observed carefully.
"…You're thinking about something."
Lin Huang nodded.
"A cultivator normally stores power in the dantian."
Gu Yuena answered calmly.
"The center of energy circulation."
"Yes."
Lin Huang adjusted the projection.
The image of a human body appeared.
At the center, the dantian glowed softly.
Then the projection changed.
The dantian collapsed inward.
Energy compressed.
Laws condensed.
Space folded around a single point.
A tiny sphere formed.
Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…A seed."
Lin Huang nodded.
"A World Seed."
The projection shifted again.
Energy began circulating around the seed like a miniature universe.
Elemental laws moved around it in stable patterns.
Lin Huang spoke calmly.
"If a cultivator compresses the laws they understand…"
"Uses the Law of Space to contain them…"
"And condenses everything into a single seed…"
He gestured toward the projection.
"The dantian can be replaced."
Gu Yuena finished the sentence.
"…with a world."
Lin Huang nodded.
"The body becomes the universe."
Gu Yuena crossed her arms slightly.
For several seconds she studied the projection without speaking.
Then she said quietly:
"…Inner world cultivation."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"That's one way to describe it."
Gu Yuena looked toward the growing Secret Realm around them.
"You're building the same structure twice."
Lin Huang nodded.
"One outside."
He pointed toward the horizon.
"The Secret Realm."
Then he tapped lightly over his abdomen.
"One inside."
Gu Yuena's gaze sharpened slightly.
"You're planning to rebuild your foundation."
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"Yes."
He looked toward the newly planted seed.
"My current structure is already abnormal."
"Multiple soul cores."
"Qi and Blood rings."
"Psychic rings."
"If the dantian changes…"
"All of them must adapt."
Gu Yuena nodded slowly.
"That level of reconstruction would destroy most cultivators."
Lin Huang agreed.
"That's why I can't do it alone."
He turned slightly toward her.
"You have divine power."
Gu Yuena said nothing.
Lin Huang continued calmly.
"If you compress the laws you understand…"
"Use divine power to stabilize the structure…"
"You should be able to create a stable World Seed."
Gu Yuena raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You want me to test the method first."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
He continued:
"If you succeed…"
"Then later you can help me reconstruct my soul cores and create one as well."
Gu Yuena looked at him silently.
The wind moved softly across the field.
The energy of the Secret Realm continued circulating beneath the ground.
Finally, she spoke.
"…You're proposing something extremely dangerous."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"That's not new."
Gu Yuena stared at him for several seconds.
Then slowly smiled.
"…Interesting."
She stepped slightly closer.
"Then I agree with your proposal."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Good."
But before he could say anything else—
Gu Yuena suddenly leaned closer.
She moved near his ear.
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…My Dragon Knight."
Lin Huang blinked once.
Very slowly.
Behind them, the tiny seed beneath the soil absorbed another pulse of energy.
The ground shifted faintly.
And the first fragile roots of the future World Tree began to spread through the land.
For a brief moment, Lin Huang simply stood there.
Still.
Silent.
The words Gu Yuena had just whispered lingered in the air.
"…My Dragon Knight."
That was not the reaction he had expected.
Lin Huang blinked once.
Then slowly straightened.
Behind his calm expression, a small realization formed.
"…So they heard."
Gu Yuena stepped back slightly, the faintest hint of amusement visible in her silver eyes.
"You only realized that now?"
Lin Huang exhaled quietly.
"That explains several reactions yesterday."
He rubbed his temple lightly.
"…And the steam machine."
For once, the usually composed young patriarch looked slightly embarrassed.
Not dramatically so.
But enough that Gu Yuena clearly noticed.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Your internal jokes were not very subtle."
Lin Huang sighed quietly.
"That wasn't meant for them to hear."
Gu Yuena tilted her head slightly.
"Yet they did."
For a moment, the two of them stood quietly at the center of the Secret Realm.
The awkwardness faded quickly.
Especially for someone like Lin Huang.
But the realization still lingered.
"Ye Guyi probably won't be able to look at me normally for a while," he said calmly.
Gu Yuena shrugged slightly.
"She will recover."
After a brief pause, she added:
"Eventually."
Lin Huang shook his head faintly.
"…Troublesome."
Before the conversation could continue further, the ground beneath them shifted slightly.
A faint vibration passed through the soil.
Both of them immediately turned their attention downward.
Energy was gathering again.
The seed Lin Huang had planted earlier pulsed softly beneath the earth.
Wood energy flowed through the roots of nearby plants.
Vital energy from the nearby vein converged at the same location.
The circulation of the entire Secret Realm seemed to adjust around the small seed.
Then—
A tiny green shoot broke through the soil.
Gu Yuena's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…It sprouted."
The small shoot slowly straightened.
Two delicate leaves unfolded.
They shimmered faintly with traces of natural law energy.
Lin Huang crouched slightly to observe it more closely.
"The growth speed is stable."
Gu Yuena studied the surrounding energy flows.
"The veins are feeding it."
Indeed, the newly formed Wood Vein and Vital Vein were both directing energy toward the young plant.
But the tree was not simply absorbing power.
It was regulating it.
Balancing the circulation of energy across the surrounding region.
The entire Secret Realm responded subtly.
Energy flows became smoother.
Spatial fluctuations stabilized further.
Even the distant forests seemed slightly more vibrant.
Gu Yuena watched quietly.
"A world tree truly acts as an axis."
Lin Huang nodded.
"It will stabilize the growth of the realm."
He stood again and looked across the horizon.
The Secret Realm stretched far beyond the central region.
Mountains rose in the distance.
Forests swayed gently in the wind.
Rivers shimmered with spiritual light.
And now—
At its center—
A world tree had begun to grow.
Gu Yuena glanced at the young sprout again.
"If this continues…"
"The realm's development will accelerate."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That was the plan."
At that moment, a small figure appeared lazily on Lin Huang's shoulder.
Honghong had awakened.
She stretched slowly, her miniature tails flicking once.
Golden eyes glanced toward the small sprout in the ground.
"…A tree."
She yawned.
"…You're growing a tree now."
Lin Huang didn't look at her.
"It's a world tree."
Honghong stared at it for a few seconds.
Then shrugged.
"…Wake me when it becomes interesting."
Lin Huang ignored the comment.
His attention remained on the young sprout.
The roots beneath the soil were already spreading slowly.
Connecting with the energy veins of the realm.
This was only the beginning.
One day, the tree would grow large enough to touch the sky of the Secret Realm.
Its branches would regulate the circulation of laws.
Its roots would stabilize the foundation of the world.
And perhaps—
If his other idea succeeded—
The same structure might one day exist inside his own body as well.
Lin Huang watched the sprout quietly.
The future path of his cultivation had just taken another step forward.
By the time Lin Huang returned from the Secret Realm, evening had already begun to settle over the Lin Clan estate.
Lanterns flickered to life along the stone paths of the inner gardens.
Servants moved quietly through the courtyards, lighting formations that gently illuminated the estate.
Compared to the noisy energy of the Yuelan Central Sports Complex earlier that day, the estate now felt calm.
Peaceful.
Almost.
In one of the larger garden courtyards, a familiar group had already gathered.
Xiao Hongchen sat on a stone bench, spinning a basketball lazily in his hands.
Chen Zifeng leaned against a nearby railing.
Ji Juechen stood quietly near the edge of the courtyard.
Huo Yuhao sat beside a small table filled with notes and diagrams.
Across the courtyard, several of the girls were also present.
Tang Ya and Xu Tianzhen were talking quietly.
Ning Tian and Ju Zi discussed something related to resource distribution.
Bi Ji stood peacefully near the lotus pond.
Bingdi sat with her arms crossed, her expression as cool as ever.
Wu Ming leaned against a pillar.
Han Ruoruo observed the entire scene with a faintly amused smile.
And near the far side of the courtyard—
Ye Guyi stood very still.
Very quietly.
Looking anywhere except toward the entrance.
Because at that exact moment—
Lin Huang walked into the courtyard.
Honghong lay lazily across his head, half asleep.
For a brief second, the entire courtyard went silent.
Then Xiao Hongchen grinned.
"Well look who finally returned."
Lin Huang glanced around calmly.
"What are you doing here?"
Chen Zifeng shrugged.
"Waiting."
"For what?"
Chen Zifeng's grin widened slightly.
"To see if the steam machine recovered."
Yuhao immediately coughed.
Chen Zifeng tried not to laugh.
Ji Juechen closed his eyes briefly.
Lin Huang sighed quietly.
"…You're still talking about that."
Xiao Hongchen pointed toward the other side of the courtyard.
"Hard not to."
Lin Huang followed his gaze.
Ye Guyi froze.
The moment their eyes almost met—
She immediately turned away.
Her face turning bright red.
"…."
Lin Huang blinked once.
Then slowly looked back toward Xiao Hongchen.
"…I see."
Xiao Hongchen laughed.
"She hasn't been able to look at you since earlier."
Yuhao scratched his head awkwardly.
"She tried once."
Chen Zifeng nodded.
"And then turned red immediately."
As if to prove their point—
Ye Guyi accidentally glanced toward Lin Huang again.
Their eyes met for half a second.
Her entire face turned crimson.
She instantly looked away.
Tang Ya burst into laughter.
Xu Tianzhen nearly fell over.
"Steam machine!"
Ye Guyi tried to defend herself.
"I— I—"
But no actual words came out.
Bingdi snorted quietly.
"Hmph."
"That's what happens when people say stupid things."
Xu Tianzhen leaned toward her.
"That sounded very tsundere."
Bingdi instantly crossed her arms tighter.
"I am not!"
From nearby, Wu Ming suddenly reacted.
"Exactly!"
"There's no such thing as tsundere!"
The courtyard went quiet for a moment.
Then Chen Zifeng slowly turned his head toward her.
"…You know that makes it worse, right?"
Wu Ming froze.
"What?"
Xiao Hongchen grinned.
"That's exactly what you said last time."
Wu Ming's face reddened slightly.
"That was completely different!"
Tang Ya laughed again.
"Lin Huang called it perfectly."
Xu Tianzhen nodded.
"Scorpion tsundere."
Bingdi's icy aura flared slightly.
"Say that again."
Xu Tianzhen immediately backed away.
"Just an observation!"
Meanwhile, Han Ruoruo stood quietly to the side.
Watching the entire interaction with great interest.
"This group truly never disappoints."
Lin Huang rubbed his temple lightly.
"…This is troublesome."
Chen Zifeng shrugged.
"You started it."
Lin Huang gave him a flat look.
"You did."
Honghong opened one golden eye lazily.
"…Humans are strange."
No one disagreed.
At that moment, Gu Yuena entered the courtyard as well.
Her silver eyes calmly swept across the group.
She immediately understood the situation.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Lin Huang noticed the look.
"…Don't."
Gu Yuena tilted her head slightly.
"Don't what?"
Lin Huang sighed quietly.
"…Nothing."
The courtyard remained lively for several minutes.
Laughter continued.
More teasing followed.
And Ye Guyi still refused to look directly at Lin Huang.
Every time she accidentally glanced toward him—
Her face turned red again.
Eventually, even Xiao Hongchen leaned back on the bench with a satisfied grin.
"You know…"
He spun the basketball again.
"That sports complex might have created more chaos than expected."
Chen Zifeng nodded.
"Definitely."
Ji Juechen spoke quietly.
"…It was effective training."
Yuhao looked thoughtful.
"And the competitions might be interesting."
Lin Huang simply looked toward the sky.
The night air was cool.
Lantern lights flickered across the courtyard.
For a moment, the chaos of the group felt strangely peaceful.
Meanwhile, deep within the Secret Realm—
The tiny sprout at the center of the world continued to grow.
Slowly.
Quietly.
A new future had already begun.