Word Count: 2,696 Words
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Boom—
A thunderous boom echoed as a radiant golden phoenix descended just outside Shrek City’s East Gate, transforming into Yan Shaozhe’s figure upon landing. A shimring light mbrane peeled back, revealing ten exchange students from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy alongside their supervising teacher, Elder Ma.
"So this is Shrek City..."
"It doesn’t seem as prosperous as Mingdu."
"The Spirit Guidance facilities are so backward!"
Following Yan Shaozhe into Shrek City, the group couldn’t help but point and comnt along the way, their tone carrying the unmistakable superiority of city dwellers gazing upon a rustic town.
The truth was undeniable. Mingdu stood as the largest and most technologically advanced city on the Douluo Continent, and in comparison, Shrek City appeared quaint and old-fashioned.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Xiao Hongchen sneezed repeatedly within the exchange student group, his right eye twitching uncontrollably. Turning to his sister ng Hongchen with a serious expression, he said:
"A twitching left eye ans fortune, but a twitching right eye spells disaster. ng, I have an ominous premonition."
"From a dical standpoint, that’s just an eyelid spasm."
ng Hongchen shot him a sidelong glance, her pretty face blooming with a dreamy smile. "I’m different, though. Last night, I dread that Ling Bai looked even more handso than he did two years ago, so striking that he stole my heart. We were alone by the lakeside at night..."
"Stop right there!"
Xiao Hongchen cut off his lovestruck sister, his face darkening as he lowered his voice. "What’s the difference between dreaming and superstition? Besides, we’re here to secretly learn Shrek’s Spirit Master cultivation thods, not to chase romance! Rember what you told two years ago during the Spirit Master Tournant finals? We are enemies!"
In truth, Sun Moon Imperial Academy, much like Shrek, guarded its core knowledge fiercely while sending students to covertly glean insights from the other side. Neither academy was more honorable than the other; both relied on their own cunning and skill.
ng Hongchen pouted in response. "Public and private matters are separate. Giving our all in the Spirit Master Tournant was about respecting ourselves and our nation. The tournant ended long ago, the hostility is gone, so of course I’m going to pursue my ideal handso man! Think about it carefully. If I bring Ling Bai back to the Sun Moon Empire, he’ll surely teach us everything he’s learned from Shrek Academy!
Xiao Hongchen, I’m warning you, don’t interfere. Grandpa supports my pursuit of Ling Bai! He promised that if we end up together, he’ll personally officiate our wedding and gift nine Class 9 Spirit Guidance Devices as my dowry, symbolizing eternal love!"
"What? Has the old man lost his mind?!"
Xiao Hongchen’s jaw dropped so wide he could have swallowed a waterlon. His grandfather, Jing Hongchen, was actually going along with this lovesick sister’s madness!
Yan Shaozhe led the group across Shrek Plaza, passing over the glistening waters of Sea God Lake, until they reached Sea God Island, the sacred ground in the hearts of countless Spirit Masters and the training haven for Shrek’s Inner Courtyard students.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman had been waiting there for so ti. Yan Shaozhe introduced her with a warm smile. "This is Zhang Lexuan, the youngest mber of the Sea God Pavilion and the Inner Courtyard’s chief student. Here at Shrek’s Inner Courtyard, the chief student acts as the Director of Education. Your life and studies will be closely tied to her."
"You may call Senior Sister, or address as Big Senior Sister, just as the Shrek students do."
Zhang Lexuan gave a gentle smile and presented a tray. "Here are the Shrek student regulations and a map of the academy. Since you cannot yet be considered true Shrek Inner Courtyard students, the red uniforms will not be issued for now."
Elder Ma stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he fixed it on Yan Shaozhe. "Dean Yan, I’m afraid this doesn’t align with the exchange student rules agreed upon by Hall Master Hongchen and Elder Mu, does it? Elder Mu explicitly stated that our Sun Moon Imperial Academy exchange students are to receive the sa treatnt as Shrek’s Inner Courtyard students. Are you reneging on that agreent?"
"Teacher Ma, please remain calm."
Yan Shaozhe replied nonchalantly. "This is rely a small test that every Inner Courtyard student undergoes. Pass or fail, the exchange students will stay on Sea God Island to study. They simply won’t be regarded as true Inner Courtyard students, aning no uniforms and no eligibility for a Shrek Academy graduation certificate."
Elder Ma’s imposing manner imdiately weakened. Since it only concerned nominal status and didn’t affect tangible benefits, he couldn’t very well flare up at Yan Shaozhe. As the team captain, Xiao Hongchen stepped out from the group with his head held high and declared:
"Then let’s get started. Today, I want to see just what kind of test Shrek Academy has in store, and whether it can truly stand in our way!"
His voice rang out loud and clear, brimming with self-assurance. After his devastating loss in the Spirit Master Tournant, Xiao Hongchen had reflected deeply and trained relentlessly day and night. His spirit power had now broken through to Rank 63. He was only seventeen this year and even had the potential to beco a Spirit Saint before turning twenty.
ng Hongchen had also made remarkable progress. Just days before the exchange program began, she had reached the Rank 60 bottleneck and absorbed her sixth spirit ring, becoming a Rank 61 Spirit Emperor.
The other exchange students from Sun Moon Imperial Academy all possessed cultivation levels of Spirit King or higher, coupled with the skills of Class 5 Spirit Guidance Masters.
Since they had co to the continent’s number one Spirit Master academy for exchange studies, it ant their cultivation path involved combining Spirit Master and Spirit Guidance Master skills. Each possessed a Martial Spirit considered quite outstanding within the Sun Moon Empire.
"Confidence is a good thing."
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Xiao Hongchen and offered a noncommittal complint. Young people were full of spirit, but unfortunately, Shrek Academy was one step ahead. The reason they had previously requested information on the exchange students from the Sun Moon side was precisely to select Inner Courtyard students who could specifically counter them!
With entirely different motives in mind, Yan Shaozhe and Zhang Lexuan led the group toward the Inner Courtyard’s Spirit Dueling Arena.
The Sun Moon exchange students caught sight of ten figures before the entrance to the Spirit Dueling Arena. They had various postures; so stood straight like pines, while others sat casually cross-legged on the ground. What they shared was an incredibly imposing aura radiating from their bodies.
"Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and..."
Xiao Hongchen’s gaze swept over these familiar opponents before finally settling on one figure. Sunlight illuminated an extraordinarily handso profile, accentuating an innate noble bearing. Golden hair fluttered backward in the whistling wind, and bright golden eyes reflected a subtle, cold arrogance.
"Ling! Bai!"
The figure he had thought of day and night stood right before him. Xiao Hongchen couldn’t look away. He had trained desperately for two years, coming to Shrek Academy with the sole purpose of challenging this nightmarish rival once more!
Ling Bai offered a faint smile and greeted from a distance. "Long ti no see."
"Yeah, it’s been a..."
"Long ti no see!!!"
Just as Xiao Hongchen was about to create an atmosphere for their two-year-reunion battle, ng Hongchen beside him let out a shout and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, her excitent overflowing in her voice!
"ng, co back..."
Xiao Hongchen watched his sister recede into the distance, helplessly extending a hand like a character reaching out in a drama.
So handso! Truly, unbelievably handso!
While the Sun Moon exchange students facepald with wry smiles and the Shrek crowd stared in shock, ng Hongchen’s eyes turned into bouncing pink hearts. Throwing aside all constraints of position, this hopelessly appearance-obsessed girl charged forward like an unstoppable locomotive, heading straight for Ling Bai.
In the next instant, a lightning-fast green phantom shot toward ng Hongchen. As one of the strongest students from the world’s number one Spirit Guidance Master academy, she reacted instantly, thrusting out a palm shrouded in a hazy ice mist.
Bang—
The green phantom collided with ng Hongchen’s palm. Her palm stung slightly as she got a clear look at the phantom’s true form: a small green snake, about five inches long, its body marked with nine segnts resembling bamboo joints, and its pair of crimson vertical pupils flowed with light.
"Nine Segnt Jade!"
ng Hongchen’s expression changed drastically. The Nine Segnt Jade was a top-grade Bamboo Viper, the most poisonous of poisons. Shrek actually possessed such a dangerous poisonous creature!
"Not a bad eye..."
An enchanting voice drifted over. The Nine Segnt Jade imdiately ceased its attack on ng Hongchen. ng Hongchen looked toward the sound and t a pair of jade-green eyes, veiled like water in mist. Jade-green hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her exquisite face was so striking it was impossible to tell whether she was more beautiful or more bewitching.
"Who are you!"
ng Hongchen’s attention had previously been solely on Ling Bai, sparing no glance for anyone else. Now she noticed that the owner of the Nine Segnt Jade stood very close to Ling Bai, while all the other Shrek students, including Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, maintained a distance from them, as if wary of so terrifying beast.
The Nine Segnt Jade settled into the woman’s palm, casting a cold glance at ng Hongchen before slipping into her sleeve and vanishing. With a bewitching smile, she introduced herself. "Dugu Lin, one of the examiners."
"You’re an examiner?"
ng Hongchen’s gaze shifted from Ling Bai to Dugu Lin, her eyes burning with cold anger. Dugu Lin, however, rely smiled serenely. Then, under ng Hongchen’s glare that seed ready to spit fire, her slender red lips inched closer to Ling Bai’s ear at a deliberately slow pace, as if ensuring ng Hongchen saw every detail in slow motion.
"I originally just ca to have so fun, but now I suddenly feel like bullying her. Would you feel sorry for her?"
"We’re not close. Do as you please."
Her red lips vibrated softly, warm breath puffing into his ear, causing a tingling itch. Dugu Lin was extrely skilled at such subtle actions. Anyone witnessing this ambiguous scene would assu their relationship was intimate.
The enchanting smile on Dugu Lin’s face grew even more pronounced. "So coldhearted? That girl rushed over the mont she saw you. If she heard those heartless words just now, do you think she’d shed a few little pearls?"
"You really have a twisted sense of humor."
"In the last five years of life I have left, can’t I seek out a bit more amusent..."
Dugu Lin lightly licked her red lips with her delicate tongue. This seductive gesture made the hearts of the male students from the Sun Moon Empire burn with an irrepressible fla. They silently thought Ling Bai was truly fortunate to have such a naturally seductive woman accompanying him.
Yet, Dugu Lin could only deceive these naive, inexperienced Spirit Guidance Masters. Shrek’s Inner Courtyard students always kept their distance from her, often taking detours to avoid crossing paths.
As the toxins gradually accumulated within her body, Dugu Lin slowly approached the end of her twenty-five-year lifespan. The poison backlash occurred with increasing frequency, tornting her until her temperant beca sowhat eccentric, and she began to lose control over the leakage of her poison.
She had nearly claid the lives of fellow students multiple tis in the Spirit Dueling Arena. Fortunately, her spirit power cultivation wasn’t high enough; otherwise, the poisoned Inner Courtyard students might not have lasted until the healing-type teachers could save them.
Ultimately, for the safety of the Inner Courtyard students, Shrek Academy awarded Dugu Lin a black-rank Spirit Dueling Badge and forbade her from entering the Spirit Dueling Arena again. While the Inner Courtyard students who had suffered greatly at her hands felt relieved, they privately gave her the nickna: Lethal Serpent Maiden.
Only two students in the Inner Courtyard dared guarantee they were unafraid of the Jade Phosphor Absolute Poison: the Seraphim, Ling Bai, and Ma Xiaotao, who had broken through to the realm of Ultimate Fire.
Ma Xiaotao and Dugu Lin were like parallel lines that never intersected. Dugu Lin’s only friend was Ling Bai. Furthermore, she eagerly anticipated Ling Bai breaking through to Spirit Saint so he could take her to that place.
Thus, Dugu Lin often dressed flamboyantly when seeking out Ling Bai. Onlookers both feared the Lethal Serpent Maiden’s deadly poison and envied Ling Bai for the stunning beauty by his side. After all, Dugu Lin was a woman whose very bones exuded allure, constantly stirring the nerves of any man nearby.
Yan Shaozhe stepped forward and said with a smile, "Esteed top students from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, the ten people before you are your examiners for today. All are Inner Courtyard students of the sa cultivation rank as you.
If you can last against them for the ti it takes an incense stick to burn, you will beco true Shrek Inner Courtyard students and enjoy the sa treatnt.
If you unfortunately lose, it doesn’t matter. You can still remain on Sea God Island as temporary Inner Courtyard students. Shrek Academy will tailor cultivation plans based on your abilities and weaknesses, and you will receive one-on-one guidance from senior students. A second Inner Courtyard examination will be held in half a year!"
Elder Ma smiled broadly. Yan Shaozhe seed like a reasonable man, genuinely considering the interests of the Sun Moon exchange students! He hurried forward to shake Yan Shaozhe’s hand, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.
Yan Shaozhe maintained a calm exterior, but inwardly he was blooming with laughter. These idiots! When had Shrek Academy ever had temporary Inner Courtyard students?
This was a trap that killed three birds with one stone!
First, it would shatter the confidence of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy exchange students. While they couldn’t be mistreated materially, Yan Shaozhe was determined to strike heavy blows to their spirits, leaving them demoralized and unable to glean anything of true value during their exchange period.
Second, the Sun Moon Empire was already unpopular at Shrek, and the temporary student system would further breed resentnt among the Inner Courtyard students, naturally causing them to view the exchange students with disdain.
Third, it provided a legitimate excuse to assign monitors, the so-called ’one-on-one senior student guidance,’ ensuring the exchange students wouldn’t access Inner Courtyard secrets.
Only Yan Shaozhe knew the inside story; he hadn’t even told Zhang Lexuan. He had only ntioned sending Inner Courtyard students to dampen the Sun Moon exchange students’ spirits. He was also afraid others might raise objections, as this approach made Shrek Academy seem less than generous.
In that split second, how could this group of Sun Moon Empire exchange students possibly fathom the sches of the old fox Yan Shaozhe? They were all geniuses, the cream of the crop who had distinguished themselves to beco exchange students. They imdiately rubbed their palms together, brimming with confidence, determined to prove their superiority over the Shrek Inner Courtyard students.
"Dugu Lin, I challenge you!"
ng Hongchen directly issued her challenge to Dugu Lin.
"Very well."
Her appointed opponent had delivered herself. Dugu Lin readily agreed. As their gazes locked, invisible sparks seed to flare between the two won.
"Wait, this ’destined rivals’ atmosphere and line should be mine! Those are my lines!"
Xiao Hongchen suddenly slapped his thigh and hurriedly shouted to his comrades, "None of you try to take him from ! Ling Bai is mine!"
The battle matchups were quickly decided. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and the others each found their respective opponents. At ng Hongchen’s strong insistence, the first match of the exchange students’ Inner Courtyard examination would feature her against Dugu Lin: Red Eyed Ice Toad versus Jade Phosphor Serpent, a showdown between two extrely poisonous Martial Spirits!
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