Chapter 109: Have You No Shame

Lou Yitong scrutinized the tiny red insect in front of Xuan Xuan, yet still failed to find anything remarkable about it. Xuan Xuan pulled out a crystal vial and dropped the creature inside. It looked quite interesting; she would have a proper look at it when she had some free time. It seemed as though there was still a psychic connection tethered to it, though the thing was so fragile that Xuan Xuan felt it would have been destroyed before she could even probe its meager mental energy.

Lou Yitong waited for Xuan Xuan to continue. There were plenty of insects, especially on the edge of the rainforest; it would be weirder if there weren't any strange ones. But for Xuan Xuan to be so certain it was a Zerg, there must have been a reason. Just as she was waiting, Xuan Xuan yawned and climbed into bed. Glancing at Xuan Xuan, who had already tucked herself in, Lou Yitong swallowed the words she wanted to ask and lay down in her own bed. They had training the next day, and if she didn't get enough sleep, she would be exhausted tomorrow.

After finally managing to wake up Xuan Xuan, who was playing dead in bed, Lou Yitong urged her to hurry. If they were truly late, they might actually be shipped back to the Imperial Capital. When they reached the training grounds, they found others still running. Although their pace was slow and their steps heavy, no one dared to stop. Xuan Xuan scanned them, wondering if they were hungry after running all night. Of course they were hungry. Aside from a few students from other departments who had collapsed due to poor health, almost everyone had been running for the entire night. Some had wanted to feign illness, but Zhan Yu had arranged for guards to watch them; if anyone fell, they were checked immediately. Who would dare try that? Knowing they could be subdued in a single move, no one dared to resist. Exhausted and famished, everyone gritted their teeth and kept running.

Upon finding the special training class’s spot, Xuan Xuan leaned against Lou Yitong to rest. Apart from Wanqi Weihao and his roommates, who were glowing with vitality, everyone else—including Ai Zhe—looked utterly drained. From time to time, the sound of rumbling stomachs echoed through the air. Xuan Guo looked at Xuan Xuan with disappointment, teeth clenched in silent resentment, wondering why she hadn't been caught. Frowning, she looked at Wanqi Weihao and the others. This didn't fit the character of the Wanqi family at all, especially Wanqi Weihan, who was usually a troublemaker. How could he not be involved in something like this? Furthermore, Xuan Xuan didn't look hungry at all. She was the one who ate the most, the one most afraid of hunger, and the one who always had snacks on her.

She frowned. Could it be that the Zhan and Kuang families were really involved with her? She dismissed the thought immediately—impossible. To her knowledge, Zhan Yu and Kuang Shao already had people they liked, and they were not the types to bow to their families' arrangements. Even if the Zhan, Kuang, and Wanqi families were allied, they wouldn't sacrifice their own happiness for this piece of trash, Xuan Xuan. Was her judgment wrong? She looked up at the two men standing in the front—one stoic, one dangerously charming. Only such men were worthy of her, Xuan Guo, but they were far out of her reach. She balled her fists. With no opportunity, she glanced at Ai Zhe; he was decent, but he still had a long way to go before he matured, unlike the two on the platform who were already standing at the pinnacle. It was a pity. Her target remained locked on Ai Zhe, but only for the time being.

Xuan Xuan glanced at Xuan Guo, feeling that the girl was truly deranged. She gave a lazy yawn. Zhan Yu called the runners back and announced, "Today's task: fifteen laps before nine o'clock. Same rules. No running, no breakfast." The runners’ legs went soft; they nearly collapsed. They hadn't eaten all night, they’d been running the whole time, and now they had to run fifteen more laps without food. The eyes of the special training class turned toward Lou Yitong.

"Start running." As soon as Zhan Yu finished speaking, everyone crowded toward Lou Yitong, Xuan Guo included. No one was a fool; they all knew that the previous day's training would have been impossible without Lou Yitong. Since the run didn't require a specific formation, the only way to save energy was to crowd around her. Those who had been punished the night before were especially frustrated, wondering why Lou Yitong hadn't stolen food. If she had been there, they wouldn't have had such a miserable time. They knew that if they didn't get close to her now, they would collapse before finishing the fifteen laps. But there was only so much space around Lou Yitong, and with Xuan Xuan and the Wanqi group already there, there was no room for others. The boys managed to keep up, but the girls were struggling.

"Who is that?" someone asked, pointing at the person next to Lou Yitong. Because of her singing the day before, many people were focused on her, but the person beside her was different. That was the best spot everyone wanted.

"Shh, keep it down."

"Pfft, what's there to be quiet about? Isn't that just the Wanqi family's trash?" another said.

Xuan Xuan glanced over, feeling she had been caught in the crossfire again. But that person looked familiar—wasn't she the one always following Xuan Guo? She scanned the area and saw Xuan Guo nearby. The girl next to her asked, "Bu Baibai, is that the Wanqi family's trash?"

"Hmph, it's her alright." Xuan Xuan finally learned the name of the girl next to Xuan Guo was Bu Baibai.

"Is she close to Lou Yitong? Why is she crowding her?" the girl beside Bu Baibai asked with a hint of jealousy. Bu Baibai curled her lip; one was a rare ability user in the Federation, the other a trash who got in through the back door. How could they be close? "She's in the same dorm as her; she's just clinging to her."

"How shameless."

"Exactly," Bu Baibai agreed, wondering how she ended up in the same school as her.

Xuan Xuan smirked, scanned the crowd, and cast a "Light Body" spell on herself and Lou Yitong. She then looked at Wanqi Weihao and the others and sent a telepathic message: "Seal your ears with energy." Although Lou Yitong's singing was transmitted via mental energy, it was still sound-based. Though they didn't understand why, they trusted Xuan Xuan and used their ability or physical energy to seal their ears. Only then did Xuan Xuan telepathically say to Lou Yitong, "I'll teach you another song."

Lou Yitong was surprised by the telepathy, but she nodded. The song Xuan Xuan taught her yesterday was truly powerful. Xuan Xuan smiled, humming a song with her mind. A bleak, desolate atmosphere emanated from her. A Soul Singer could not only amplify those around them but also weaken them or even launch direct attacks. Since this crowd wanted to ride their coattails, she would let them have a taste.

This piece was called "Despair." The beastman tribes rarely sang it because it was considered unlucky. Moreover, it was rarely needed; the song weakened the strength and confidence of those nearby. Beastmen usually preferred to crush opponents with raw power and disdained such methods. For the Federation people, it would likely weaken their mental and physical strength.

When Lou Yitong sang this song, the result was different. The language was mysterious, the voice deep, and even her eyes held a look of utter hopelessness. A shroud of despair seemed to envelop her. Wanqi Weihao and the others watched in confusion, but seeing Xuan Xuan remained silent, they didn't dare ask. However, for the crowd following them, it was a different story. The feeling Lou Yitong projected made their already exhausted bodies feel even heavier. It felt as if the road ahead would never end, and the fifteen laps seemed to stretch into infinity.

Kuang Shao, who had been planning to watch them carefully—suspecting his little junior sister had stolen his barbecue the night before—suddenly looked at Zhan Yu in surprise. Zhan Yu was staring at Lou Yitong with a sharp gaze. "No wonder she was specially recruited," Kuang Shao remarked. Zhan Yu nodded. Her abilities were truly heaven-defying. Although the language was unrecognizable, the meaning was clear. Such influence, not just amplification but also weakening—and potentially other abilities they didn't know about.

Kuang Shao chuckled, "Looks like even fewer people will be eating breakfast today." Zhan Yu watched as everyone's steps grew heavier and slower. He had wanted to let most people go hungry yesterday, but they had managed to eat; today he had wanted them to eat, but now so many couldn't. He twitched his mouth—was this little chubby girl from the Wanqi family just here to disrupt his plans?

Xuan Xuan, unaware of Zhan Yu's internal complaints, squinted at Zheng Chao beside her and asked, "Did you encounter anything special yesterday?"

"Hm?" Xiao Daopeng looked at her, confused, but shook his head. "No." After witnessing Xuan Xuan vanish in front of Zhan Yu, the group was too intimidated not to take her seriously.

"You didn't encounter anything unusual after you went back last night?" Xuan Xuan pressed.

"No," Xiao Daopeng insisted. They lived and ate together; how could he have encountered something alone?

"Do you have any strange feelings this morning?" she asked.

"Wait," Xiao Daopeng said, "now that you mention it, I have been feeling a bit mentally hazy today."

"What's wrong?" Wanqi Weihao asked.

Xuan Xuan replied, "I'm not sure yet. I'll call you guys out tonight to go watch the show."

Wanqi Weihan raised an eyebrow. He doubted anyone would dare steal food there tonight, and Kuang Shao wouldn't have anyone prepare anything either. What would be the point?