A figure arrived in Mingdu at a faster speed than Jing Hongchen and the others, and stopped ten miles outside Mingdu.
An elderly man with disheveled white hair stood in the void.
Xuan Zi frowned.
'Old Mu's worries seem to have come true.'
A pair of clear, black and white eyes, unlike his age, gazed at Mingdu ahead, his expression more solemn than ever before.
Despite being high in the sky where no one was around, Xuan Zi felt as if an enormous, unfathomable creature was coiled there, like a sleeping True Dragon. Its powerful aura was like an unfathomable abyss, causing his spirit and energy to instinctively go on high alert. Since the bloodline of the Gluttonous Divine Ox had been purified, reaching the half-step Gluttonous level, and even advancing to the Limit Douluo level, this was the first time Xuan Zi had felt such immense pressure.
His timing seemed quite opportune; the other party happened to be cultivating, which is why he was able to sense their aura from such a distance.
His opponent was stronger than him.
'We can't go any further.' Xuan Zi landed on the ground, his aura receding, and even like an ordinary person, he had no intention of taking another step.
This is a safe distance.
Once Xuan Zi steps into the other's aura domain, he has no doubt that the other will be able to detect him immediately. After all, he is not a Limit Douluo who is good at hiding. It is like a lion trespassing into the territory of a tiger. Even if there is no immediate conflict, the lion will stare at the tiger and feel hostility.
Let's find a place to stay nearby first.
He came here on a mission.
Old Master Mu had given him serious instructions.
Although he hadn't had a single battle where he could go all out since his breakthrough, and his hands were itching to fight, he still knew what was important. The Sun Moon Empire and the Original Douluo Continent were, after all, tacitly hostile. The worst-case scenario was that he couldn't defeat them, and they would kill him. Xuan Zi didn't believe he could defeat Dragon Xiaoyao, who had already reached the limit of his domain years ago, let alone kill him, especially on their territory. If he encountered the spirit tool that Elder Mu had mentioned, someone even he had to be wary of, the final outcome would likely be dire. Even a better-case scenario might disrupt the exchange program, since he wasn't part of the agreed-upon terms and had secretly arrived outside of them, unable to be seen until the exchange program ended.
"They must have listened to Teacher Mu En." Received the feedback from Teacher Electrolux and saw Elder Xuan build a small wooden hut in the nearby forest with some wood he had gathered.
Elder Xuan can be considered a very good henchman.
However, his personality flaws and shortcomings in interpersonal relationships do not make him a good leader.
His shortcomings are one thing, but at least he can carry out missions. Once he becomes the Sea God Pavilion Master, he will be one of his top henchmen.
An Zhen felt that this day was not far away.
Teacher Mu En said that to succeed as the Sea God Pavilion Master, one must at least possess combat power at the level of Titled Douluo.
An Zhen felt it wasn't quite enough. He had experience and contributions, but ultimately, strength was what mattered. Simply being comparable to Titled Douluo wasn't enough; he had to at least defeat him. So, if Spirit Saint, with his exceptional attributes, could rival Titled Douluo, what about him?
An Zhen thinks things seem alright for now.
Universal power + the force of a single punch (hundreds of thousands of kilograms) + infinitely refreshed Paragon Golden Body.
Displacement, attack, defense.
With his omnipotent abilities and the vastness of his current virtual space, his displacement skills are already among the best below the gods. Only an even more powerful version of himself tomorrow can surpass him. In terms of attack, he can destroy a test machine with a maximum weight of 300,000 kilograms. If he were to hit an ordinary Titled Douluo, even with preparation, it would likely kill them, since the human body is not as resilient as the 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast's body.
As for defense, An Zhen felt that his physical body was already quite strong.
This can be seen from Murasaki's performance.
Although he has the ability to refresh his stamina, An Zhen felt that his physical strength was already quite good, considering he was able to conquer the human body transformed from a True Dragon with over 200,000 years of cultivation.
However, just to be on the safe side, it is equipped with a Paragon Golden Body Spirit Ability is still very necessary; safety comes first.
...
"It's huge!"
With eyes as bright as stars gazing at the massive metropolis with its towering skyscrapers in the distance, Huo Yutong couldn't help but exclaim that this was the first time she had seen a city even larger than Shrek City, and that the buildings here were so tall, completely different in style from Shrek City.
The Shrek students, seeing such a sight for the first time, all looked astonished. Even from high above, they could only see a corner of this magnificent city.
Xian Liner surveyed the city without walls, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"You will have plenty of time to experience the charm of this city over the next two and a half years." Jing Hongchen smiled slightly, a hint of pride in his eyes.
A pair of mimicking golden wings unfolded from behind Jing Hongchen, forming a huge protective shield that enveloped the students, ensuring they wouldn't experience any bumps even during long, fast journeys.
"Come this way." Circling the edge of the city, Jing Hongchen led the group to a massive hexagonal building comparable in size to a medium-sized city, then slowly descended towards a vast, wide plaza, instructing them, "This is the Sun Moon Soul Guide Academy. Remember, without His Majesty's permission and the relevant pass, flying over Mingdu without authorization is a serious crime. You will be immediately attacked by the city's powerful figures, regardless of life or death, and will be immediately added to the Sun Moon Empire's enemy list."
"Master." A group of people who were already waiting in the square immediately came forward to greet him.
"Bone Robe?" Jing Hongchen spotted a blond figure.
"Grandmaster." Ye Guyi gave a formal junior's greeting. "My teacher said that students from Shrek Academy are coming today, and I would like to see them."
"I see." Jing Hongchen nodded gently.
"Let me introduce you all." Jing Hongchen looked at Shrek and the others. "This is Ye Guyi, Holy Angel Martial Soul. You may have heard of her teacher, His Highness the Regent of the Empire."
" Holy Angel?!" A look of seriousness flashed in Xian Liner's eyes.
I never expected to meet someone connected to that extremely mysterious demigod so quickly, and it turns out to be a Holy Angel Martial Soul! Add to that the Regent, who's either an angel or a Holy Angel —could it be that a branch of the angels has truly defected to the Sun Moon Empire? Is it the one from the Original Douluo Continent, or the one that fled overseas years ago? If it's from the Original Douluo Continent, that family also openly has Super Douluo members. If they were to betray us at a crucial moment in future wars, who knows what devastating consequences it would cause? And this person addresses Jing Hongchen as "Grandmaster"?
An Zhen had no idea that his casual actions had led others to conjure up a series of complex and scheming ideas.
"Hmm?" Gu Yuena cast a glance, her purple dragon eyes fixed on Ye Guyi.
Regent, that must be An Zhen.
Is this student the proper kind of student?
Meanwhile, in a dimension unknown to everyone, in the virtual space.
" Yu Tong, my little Yu Tong, and my Naer."
The virtual world reflected images from reality. An Zhen stood beside the Shrek Academy team, looking at his two girlfriends whom he hadn't seen for half a year.
Before the others arrived, An Zhen had been thinking about something important.
Should I tell Huo Yutong about my current identity?
An Zhen looked towards Huo Yutong.
Her long, smooth, deep blue hair was neatly styled and cascaded down to her waist. Her fair and adorable cheeks still retained a touch of baby fat, making one want to pinch them. Her fair and delicate skin glowed with a healthy rosy hue. Her eyes, as bright as stars, had completely lost their former timidity and inferiority complex; now they were confident and sunny, with a determination in them that seemed unafraid of any hardship. Although she was petite compared to her peers, she gave off a very reliable aura.
This is the little darling he raised.
From a malnourished little girl to a confident and determined young woman today.
An Zhen had found the answer in her heart.
An Zhen looked at Gu Yuena.
My young master still has that aloof demeanor, like unattainable moonlight, seemingly uninterested in anything in the world. In the six months since I last saw him, he's grown taller and more mature, possessing a stunningly beautiful face, a shapely figure, a slender waist that could be encircled with one hand, and straight, fair legs beneath his knee-length skirt—truly perfect.
An Zhen couldn't wait to see the lord sitting on him.
A day apart feels like three autumns.
An Zhen had a lot of longing that she wanted to express.
But...
"It seems like we haven't been in contact with Naer for the past few months." Upon seeing Gu Yuena, An Zhen suddenly remembered the communication spell she had left on the Golden Dragon Spear.
Why do I suddenly feel like a husband who's been away on a business trip for a long time and hasn't informed his wife about it?
Hiss~
I hope everything is alright.
perhaps.
An Zhen felt a sense of unease creeping into her heart.
A few years ago, An Zhen wouldn't have worried about Gu Yuena, who had just left Star Dou Great Forest. But after these years, although she was still the Silver Dragon King, the sovereign of Spirit Beast, she had gained more of the emotions and experience of a normal being. She was no longer the aloof and naive young lady who had to sleep for many years after the Dragon God was split in two and she gained her own independent thoughts and soul.
Reality.
The group from Shrek Academy was accommodated and underwent the enrollment process, which included various tests. They are currently staying in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy student dormitory.
"Now we'll proceed with the final spirit tool creation test." Jing Hongchen led everyone into a spacious room. "Each of you will have a workbench with the design blueprints for a Level 4 spirit tool that we at Mingde Hall developed ourselves, along with the metals needed to create it. This level shouldn't be too difficult for you."
At the same time, one by one, high-ranking Soul Guides from the Sun Moon Empire entered the room.
"This test is related to the quality of education you will receive, and it also determines who among you will become Ms. Luan Feng's student," Jing Hongchen added.
The next moment, everyone at Shrek Academy's eyes lit up. They had thought that becoming a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer would require going through many trials, but they didn't expect it to start right away.
Luan Feng stood quietly.
Ultimately, we have to go through the process.
After a period of time.
"The methods you teach are outdated," Luan Feng said bluntly to Xian Liner.
"…" Xian Liner, who has always had a fiery temper, remained silent.
After all, what they said was the truth, and they were going to learn from them.
"However, these two are very talented." Luan Feng pointed to Huo Yutong and Gu Yuena and said, "With a cultivation level of four rings, they were able to succeed on their first attempt, and the errors in all aspects were very small."
This wasn't a sarcastic remark, but genuine praise. She realized that these two possessed extraordinary spiritual attainments, completing such a perfect piece despite the limited technology; their talent in craftsmanship alone surpassed hers.
"So, Ms. Luan Feng, are you interested in either of these two?" Xian Liner's tone was filled with anticipation. Their main purpose for this trip was to guide Huo Yutong and Gu Yuena on their Soul Guide paths. Apart from He Caitou, whose talent was decent, the others weren't bad, but compared to the two women, they were far inferior.
"Over the next two and a half years, I will be teaching them about spirit tools," Luan Feng said.
Huo Yutong:!
Was it really that easy?!
A look of joy and excitement shone in her eyes, which were as bright as stars.
The remaining few who were not chosen showed some disappointment, and even some jealousy, in their eyes.
"Then I'll have to trouble Ms. Luan Feng." Xian Liner was overjoyed.
"My research has been conducted in Mingde Hall." Luan Feng looked at Xian Liner. "Although you are the bodyguard responsible for the students' safety, as the Eight-Ring Soul Instructor, you cannot be with the two of them."
Xian Liner shook his head slightly upon hearing this, "I swear on Spirit that I will never steal your knowledge, Ms. Luan Feng."
Having the opportunity to be mentored by a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer is an extremely rare and valuable opportunity. However, Xian Liner must also ensure the safety of Huo Yutong and Gu Yuena, even if it means losing this opportunity; their safety is more important than their studies.
"I swear on my Spirit to ensure the safety of Huo Yutong and Gu Yuena within the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Otherwise, my Spirit will shatter." Luan Feng declared without hesitation, a phantom of a fire phoenix flashing past behind her.
There was no other way; it was His Highness's order.
The next second, Jing Hongchen did the same thing as Luan Feng.
"You two." Xian Liner asked, puzzled.
She was already prepared to bear Luan Feng's wrath. She knew without a doubt that he wasn't doing this out of his own free will, and yet they were still so "ungrateful."
But I never expected the other party to do such a thing.
You can't just swear an oath with Spirit, especially the one you just made. If the other party doesn't keep their promise, their Spirit will truly shatter, and all their cultivation will be lost.
Not only was Xian Liner puzzled, but the other teachers who came to choose students in the room were also confused. When did Luan Feng become so easy to talk to?
"How is it?" Luan Feng tried to keep his tone calm.
Ninth-Level Soul Engineers have their own pride.
If it weren't for His Highness's firm stance, the allure of Spirit evolution combined with the threat of not being allowed to enter that magical world, she would have loved to simply walk away.
"Thank you for your trouble, Ms. Luan Feng." Xian Liner adopted a humble attitude, hoping that the other party wouldn't make things difficult for Huo Yutong and his companion because of the recent incident. As for the safety issue, the other party had already shown such sincerity, using the cultivation levels of two Ninth-Level Soul Engineers to guarantee their safety, which was no less important than their lives.
"Come with me to Mingde Hall."