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"I was initially a little disappointed that I couldn't have a match with you."

He stood up, turned his back to Su Nuo, and waved his hand. "But it doesn't matter now. Forget about it."

Meanwhile, on the ruins, Duanmu Yan was anxiously looking at Lu Ziyun, who was only half alive.

The fawn's feet were still firmly planted on the ground, but its upper body was lying on the ground.

Duanmu Yan wrapped his body in flames and desperately tried to heal him with a reversal technique, but Lu Ziyun's waist was still split in two, resulting in a gruesome sight that was hard to look at.

"Oh no! How did Lu Ziyun Yi become Lu Ziyun Zero.5?!"

Duanmu Yan squatted on the ground and circled the severed body several times, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

He hadn't expected Xiao Lu's body to be so fragile. He had only taken a single Thunderous Strike, but Xiao Lu was suddenly cleaved in two.

Fortunately, because of the use of the Phantom Beast Amber, Lu Ziyun's core of magical power was not located at her waist... to be precise, it was shifted slightly upwards.

Therefore, Duanmu Yan's move did not damage his core of magical power, which allowed him to wrap his opponent's body in flames at the critical moment and then use the reversal technique to pull him back.

"Little Deer, don't die! Wake up! If you still have your upper body, you should try to use your lower body too!"

While frantically casting the Reversal Technique, Duanmu Yan muttered to himself as he looked at the half-body on the ground.

Lu Ziyun's upper body, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened its eyes.

His gaze was still somewhat unfocused, but it quickly settled on the figure beside him who was frantically manipulating the golden flames.

Looking at the beads of sweat on Duanmu Yan's forehead and his anxious expression, he didn't seem like someone who had just defeated you, the strongest.

Lu Ziyun couldn't help but laugh: "I never expected that I could make you so anxious."

Duanmu Yan was concentrating on maintaining a stable output of flames when he heard this, and he almost choked.

No, he's been cut in half, how can he still be laughing?

"You're still laughing. I'll temporarily envelop your body with flames now, and after Jay comes over, I'll use the Transformation of Nothingness to turn you back to your previous state, and that should be about it."

He spoke rudely, but the flames in his hands intensified.

Lu Ziyun's lower body was still standing upright in place, while her upper body was lying on the ground. Now she was truly Lu Ziyun 0.5.

Hearing Duanmu Yan's arrangement, he nodded. "I see. By the way, there's something I want to ask you."

"Ask away if you want."

“I just saw Su Nuo in the revolving lantern.” Lu Ziyun paused. “At the same time, I also have a question… why do you, as a strong person, not seem lonely?”

Duanmu Yan paused for a moment.

Lonely?

Will he feel this thing?

He might feel lost because he can't find a powerful spirit to fight, but as for loneliness... he's never short of companions to travel with.

Wu, Jie, Lizi, Nanami... and the students from the vocational high school, and those guys in the association who would cause him trouble every now and then but who he couldn't really get angry with.

Even now, having reached the pinnacle of the world of sorcery, he still considers himself a happy person.

Duanmu Yan thought for a long time before slowly speaking, "Perhaps it's because I'm a content person."

Lu Ziyun was taken aback for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I see. No wonder the people around you trust you so much. If I had your thoughts, perhaps I wouldn't be so lonely."

"What are you talking about?" Duanmu Yan frowned, his tone suddenly turning unfriendly. "You're my best... cough cough cough, my most reliable companion. Be proud, you're very strong."

Lu Ziyun's expression froze, then he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Really! I hadn't even noticed... I'm not alone anymore! Hahahaha!"

As he laughed, two tears slid down his cheeks. He raised his still-functioning hand, dabbed the tears with his fingers, and looked at them with a puzzled expression: "What is this..."

Duanmu Yan lowered his head and focused on adjusting the flame output, shifting his gaze away from the two tear tracks on Lu Ziyun's face.

"Don't ask me, after all, I've never had one."

Jay arrived quickly. He jumped off the Rainbow Dragon's back and looked down at Lu Ziyun, whose upper and lower body were barely connected by golden flames, yet who was still smiling and greeting him. He remained silent for a moment.

How can someone who was cut in half be chatting and laughing with the person who cut him in half?!

"You chopped him up like this, and then you expect me to clean up the mess." Xia Youjie's tone was very gentle, so gentle that Duanmu Yan felt a chill run down his spine.

"Those who are capable should do more." Duanmu Yan said without changing his expression.

Xia Youjie shook his head and said nothing more. He stretched out his hand, and the light of transformation shone in his palm.

A moment later, Lu Ziyun sat up from the ground, looked down at her intact waist and abdomen, wiggled her fingers, and then looked up at Xia Youjie: "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's rare for this guy to ask me for a favor."

Xia Youjie withdrew his hand, stood up, and waved to Duanmu Yan, "I'm going back first. Li Zi said you should go back early, so you don't get into another fight outside."

The three of them quickly returned to the airship together.

Chapter 334 The Best Ending

On the airship, everyone was still discussing the battle that had just taken place.

As Huzhang was demonstrating the angle of Duanmu Yan's final sword strike, Wild Rose corrected his posture beside him. Fukuro Megumi, squeezed between the two, moved half a step to the side expressionlessly.

Just then, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly echoed throughout the entire airship.

"My money!"

Kinji covered his head with both hands and slid off the chair, collapsing to the ground like a sun-melted rice cake.

His savings, his advance payment of next month's salary, and the money he gambled on with such conviction—it all vanished in less than a minute.

He clearly saw with his own eyes that Lu Ziyun couldn't even last ten seconds when she challenged Duanmu Yan before, so how come she lasted several rounds today as if she had been injected with chicken blood, and even left a bloody mark on Duanmu Yan's face.

This is unscientific, this is unreasonable, this is simply using his money to set off fireworks.

Xing Qiluo squatted down beside him, gently patting his shoulder, her tone full of sympathy: "Don't ask for your salary in advance again next time."

Looking at the scale lying on the ground, seemingly devoid of any will to live, You Tai felt a little guilty and comforted him, "Look on the bright side, at least Teacher Duanmu won. The Federation's mission subsidy for next month should be higher. If you take on a few more missions, the money will come back quickly."

Scale lay on the ground, staring blankly at the airship ceiling, his lips moving slightly, as if calculating how many cursed spirits he needed to exterminate to fill the three million deficit.

Mingming put away the notebook with satisfaction, a graceful and contented smile on her face.

Too many people are betting on Duanmu Yan to win, and the odds are too low, so she won't make much money in this round.

But all those bets on a tie, on Wu Tiao Wuying, or on Lu Ziyun not lasting more than a minute went into the accounts of the Federation and her personally.

People who are good at managing their finances tend to have good luck.

As Duanmu Yan stepped onto the airship, Gotō Sū immediately poked his head out from the side.

"Duanmu, I won't lose to you next time."

"You want a next time? ...Go and get back to work." Duanmu Yan replied without turning his head and sat down next to Li Zi.

Huzhang turned around from the front row, leaned on the back of his chair, and his eyes shone like two freshly wiped light bulbs: "Teacher Duanmu, how did you come up with that last move? Turning the entire battlefield into your own weapon, that's amazing!"

"Exactly, Uncle, were you planning this from the very beginning of the battle? When exactly were the spells on those stones planted?" Wild Rose pressed on.

Duanmu Yan took a sip of her cold tea and looked at the group of students in front of him who were talking all at once.

"It's not that exaggerated. Lu Ziyun's technique inspired me. I just applied his principles on a larger scale. As for the layout, from the moment I expanded the scope of my domain, every pebble was under my control. Wu was too focused when he was punching me and didn't notice the changes in his footing."

Gojo Satoru snorted indignantly from the side, but did not refute it.

He really didn't notice; who would have thought that Duanmu, this seemingly honest guy, was so cunning?

But he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.

The airship slowly landed on the college's sports field.

The cabin door opened, and the night wind, carrying the chill of early winter, rushed in. Several streetlights were still on in the playground, illuminating the track with a dim and warm glow.

As Duanmu Yan stepped down the gangway onto the familiar stone path, he suddenly felt a sense of security upon returning here after the fight, which was more satisfying than any victory.

Riko leaned against the door frame, holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

She watched him walk over from the other end of the corridor, just like every night he came home late over the past ten years, without asking if he had won or if he was injured.

She simply waited until he got closer, then handed him the teacup and gently brushed the dust off his collar.

“I’m back,” she said.

“I’m back,” he said.

The night wind blew in from the playground outside the window, causing the halo of the streetlights in the distance to sway slightly.

Silent all night.

The next day, Duanmu Yan stood at the entrance of the high school, the morning light shining in from the end of the playground.

The students walked past him one by one, just like on an ordinary morning.

Knotweed and Wild Rose were arguing again about a detail of last night's battle. Fushiguro Megumi walked between them, occasionally being pulled into the conversation and replying with a word or two.

Yuta followed behind, his steps much lighter than a few months ago. Maki and Mai walked side by side, Mai muttering a complaint that Gojo Satoru had stolen her pudding again last night.

Gojo Satoru leaned against a pillar at the school gate, his sunglasses pushed up above his forehead, and his body still wrapped in bandages left from the previous night.

He looked at Duanmu Yan and tilted his head: "Duanmu, do you think we can find a more interesting fight than this in the future?"

"I don't know," Duanmu Yan replied honestly.

"Then let's look again." Gojo Satoru smiled, waved at him, and then disappeared.

Xia Youjie walked over from the other side, with Nanako and Mimiko beside him.

Xia Youjie took a few steps, glanced back at Duanmu Yan, and nodded at him.

Duanmu Yan also replied.

Shoko leaned against the door of the infirmary, her white coat draped over her shoulders, a cigarette dangling from her fingers.

She watched the noisy crowd on the playground gradually disperse, a smile playing on her lips, before turning and heading back to the infirmary. The door closed softly behind her.

Zhang Xiang stood in the shadows of the corridor, bowed slightly to Duanmu Yan, and then followed Hu Zhang toward the training ground.

Riko walked out of the dormitory building, wearing that familiar old sweater, her hair casually draped over her shoulders.

She walked up to him, looked up at his face, and gently brushed off a small piece of leaf stuck to his collar.