Word Count: 2,830 Words
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Shrek Academy, Sea God Island.
"Alright then, let’s part ways here. I’ll head back with Sister Ruoruo to heal our injuries. You two go to the Surveillance Pavilion to receive your surveillance assignnts."
Wu Ming stretched lazily as the sunlight stread in from behind her, outlining her exquisite curves. Her pretty face visibly relaxed; after over a decade at Shrek Academy, the academy felt like a second ho to her.
Han Ruoruo cast a deep, concerned look at Ling Bai. Gently, she reminded him, "Little Junior Brother, rember what I told you last night. Surveillance assignnts are different from examination ones; there is no elent of luck involved.
To ensure high assignnt completion rates and the students’ survival, the academy assigns the most suitable surveillance assignnts to each Inner Courtyard student based on talent, combat strength, and personality..."
At these words, Chu Qingtian couldn’t help but clench his fists. Great, last ti he drew a black-grade assignnt to kill a Blood-Face Evil Spirit Master. Heaven knows how much he suffered. Had that fellow not provoked the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo, and had the little girl who narrowly escaped death not called her grandfather to intervene, he surely would have been reduced to minceat by the Evil Spirit Master long ago.
Han Ruoruo continued unhurriedly, "Based on your evaluation, I guess your assignnt will likely be a red-grade surveillance assignnt, the highest level of difficulty. Your injuries require at least seven days of rest, so it is inadvisable for you to engage in further battles during this period.
Fortunately, the academy has relaxed the requirents for new students’ first surveillance assignnt; you have one month during the break to complete it. Do not force yourself, or you may inflict lasting health issues that cause trouble later.
Also, you must pay attention to your diet during recovery. I know you prefer sour, sweet, and spicy foods, but while healing, you need to eat more bland fare."
"Got it."
Ling Bai indicated that he had taken her instructions to heart.
"One more thing, stay away from darkness and get closer to light. Spend at least an hour in the sun each day to dispel evil energy.
And another, five years ago, I bought the wings of the Bright Goddess Butterfly at the academy’s Treasure Gathering Pavilion. During the break, I’ll have a skilled craftsman make you a protective amulet...
And one more thing..."
As Ling Bai listened, black lines gradually crawled over his forehead. Chu Qingtian was nodding off, feeling as if he’d returned to his first-year theory class in the Outer Courtyard with the horoom teacher droning on about Spirit Master theory.
Being straightforward, Wu Ming interrupted Han Ruoruo’s incessant nagging and pretended to be annoyed: "Stop, stop, stop! Dear Miss Han Ruoruo, please rember you’re his Senior Sister, not his mother! It’s just a re surveillance assignnt. If you’re so worried, why don’t you go with him instead!"
"That seems reasonable. Although it violates academy regulations... then again, rules are dead and people are alive..."
Han Ruoruo seed quite tempted. Ever since learning about the hidden danger of the Evil Martial Spirit, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor, she was even more reluctant to let Ling Bai out of her sight for even half a second, fearing that the mont she looked away, he might suddenly fall into darkness and go on a killing spree.
At this, Wu Ming’s expression shifted from confusion to shock to horror. Her fair face instantly displayed a colorful array of emotions. Big Sis, have you gone mad? Are you really going to be his mother?
Without hesitation, she jumped up, hooked her arm around Han Ruoruo’s slender, swan-like neck, and forcefully dragged her away while shouting to Ling Bai and Chu Qingtian:
"I’m taking her to wash her brain! You two hurry and go!"
From afar, Ling Bai gave an OK gesture and, side by side with Chu Qingtian, walked toward the Surveillance Pavilion of the Inner Courtyard.
"Ling-ge, why do I get the feeling that Senior Sister Han is overly concerned about you?" Chu Qingtian scratched his head. "It’s as if she can’t wait to personally take care of your food, clothing, shelter, and transportation."
The reason, of course, was not sothing to be told to outsiders. Ling Bai smiled and explained, "It’s just normal concern. We are Senior Sister and Junior Brother in the Inner Courtyard, so it’s natural for us to be a bit closer."
"Hmm..."
Chu Qingtian thought about it and found it reasonable. After all, Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo had never been secretive; everyone in the Inner Courtyard knew they were close.
Later, the two entered Shrek’s Surveillance Pavilion and happened to encounter Dugu Lin and Pan Tao. The two girls were conversing with an old man whose face was marred by a hideous scar running across it.
"Elder Li, why is it you?"
Ling Bai and Chu Qingtian were slightly surprised. Wasn’t Elder Li the head of the Examination Hall? How did he co to be at the Surveillance Pavilion?
"Shrek Academy allows its staff to hold multiple positions. Do you two have any objections?"
Elder Li, who served as both Examination Hall master and Surveillance Pavilion master, raised an eyebrow. It seed that if they gave the wrong answer, the old comrade would make life difficult for them every day henceforth.
"Haha, how could we have any objections? Elder Li, you’re so energetic and seem to be getting younger every day. I think soone as venerable as you could even go to the Beast Dueling Area and replace the Beast King," Ling Bai closed his eyes and spoke in a sincere manner.
"Now that’s more like it. You four little ones, follow ."
A slight smile tugged at Elder Li’s lips, and the centipede-like scar on his face twitched as he turned and walked into the depths of the Surveillance Pavilion, gesturing for the four of them to follow.
Dugu Lin naturally drew close to Ling Bai, leaning in to whisper with a warm, fragrant breath. She chuckled softly, "You ca up with that so quickly, but why did you close your eyes?"
Ling Bai whispered back, "In case you tell lies with your eyes open, you might just get struck by lightning."
"Hahaha, you’re so bad~"
Creak—
It’s getting hard, getting hard; Elder Li’s fist is getting hard!
Deep within the Surveillance Pavilion was a spacious hall, so vast it felt unusually quiet. All four of them were students who had been studying in the Inner Courtyard for nearly a year. Elder Li didn’t bother beating around the bush and got straight to the point:
"I believe you are all clear about the four major graduation standards of Shrek Academy’s Inner Courtyard: reaching Rank 60 spirit power, obtaining a black Spirit Dueling Badge, passing the graduation examination, and completing thirty surveillance assignnts.
On the continent, the Inner Courtyard of Shrek Academy is also known as the Shrek Guardians. Each generation’s Sea God Pavilion Master personally serves as the leader of the Shrek Guardians, and any evil or chaotic events on the continent fall under their responsibility. Therefore, throughout history, countless Shrek students and teachers have died carrying out surveillance assignnts in honor of this responsibility and sacrifice..."
This monunt built with flesh and blood was weighty. Elder Li paused briefly before continuing:
"Surveillance assignnts, like examination assignnts, are divided into five grades: White, Yellow, Purple, Black, and Red, with difficulty increasing accordingly. The first surveillance assignnt for new students also serves as your annual advancent examination with an assignnt period of one month. Those who fail might as well return to their sects to enjoy life; there is no need to continue suffering on Sea God Island.
Now, on behalf of the Sea God Pavilion Master, I will issue your surveillance assignnts. First up, Pan Tao."
"Present!"
Pan Tao gave an imperfect military salute.
"White-grade assignnt: Man Faced Demon Spider. A 3,000-year Man Faced Demon Spider is wreaking havoc in villages near Yaoxing City of the Star Luo Empire. Go eliminate it and restore peace for the villagers."
"Guaranteed to complete the assignnt!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, these days even Man Faced Demon Spiders have been reduced to white-grade assignnts..."
Chu Qingtian felt a toothache coming on. He dared not imagine how difficult black and red-grade assignnts would be!
"Dugu Lin, black-grade assignnt: Catwoman. In Hailing City of the Dou Spirit Empire, a grand noble nad Xue Wang is fond of Catwon. He forces commoner won to mate with feline spirit beasts to obtain half-human, half-cat Catwon. Your assignnt is to kill Xue Wang and rescue those innocent won."
"Understood!"
A bone-chilling coldness flashed in Dugu Lin’s eyes, her pupils showing a tendency to transform into vertical slits. The aristocratic class of the Douluo Continent had many perverse and cruel individuals who loved hybrid offspring between humans and spirit beasts—Catwon, Snakewon, Dragonwon...
Their births trampled on the flesh, blood, and souls of countless won, existing solely for people’s amusent. As a woman herself, Dugu Lin deeply empathized. She swore to the heavens that she would make Xue Wang pay a bloody price!
"Chu Qingtian, black-grade assignnt: Eliminate an Evil Spirit Master..."
"What? Another black-grade, and it’s an Evil Spirit Master again?!"
Chu Qingtian’s high-pitched voice shook leaves off the trees outside the pavilion, birds startled into flapping their wings and bursting out of the bushes. He trembled as he pointed at Dugu Lin, crying out in grief and indignation:
"Elder Li, the academy might as well just kill outright! How on earth do you see and Sister Lin as being on the sa level? She could beat three of with just one finger without even breaking a sweat!"
"Believe in yourself. Don’t underestimate your abilities. You did great on your last examination assignnt."
Elder Li tried to comfort Chu Qingtian, but at this mont, the latter seed to have been petrified as if he’d t dusa’s Gaze. He seriously suspected that Shrek Academy was deliberately targeting him.
"Actually, there are benefits to undertaking black-grade assignnts." Elder Li coughed lightly. "Surveillance assignnts are divided into white, yellow, purple, black, and red grades. The academy’s graduation requirent is thirty white-grade assignnts. Therefore, with each increase in assignnt grade, it equates to an additional count in white-grade assignnts. Completing one of the most challenging red-grade assignnts is equivalent to five white-grade ones.
Think about it carefully. Being assigned a black-grade assignnt on your first try ans you’ll reach the graduation requirents much faster!"
"That’s if I live long enough to graduate..."
Chu Qingtian squatted to the side, drawing circles on the ground. Elder Li went over to explain the assignnt details to him, then turned his gaze to Ling Bai.
After a long while, he suddenly smiled and asked:
"Ling Bai, guess what grade your surveillance assignnt is?"
"Red-grade."
"So calm?" Elder Li was surprised. "Last ti, when you drew the red-grade examination assignnt of dusa, you seed a bit rattled."
"..."
What kind of words are those?!
Drawing the one-in-a-thousand chance of a red-grade examination assignnt was bad luck. Getting a red-grade surveillance assignnt ans you’re strong!
You’re confusing concepts!
Moreover, he had just obtained a 70,000-year Scorching Sun Fire Dragon torso spirit bone that swept away his previous slump. If Spirit Caras had been invented on the Douluo Continent, he would have snapped a photo of that mont, frad it, and hung it on the wall to prove that his luck was actually excellent!
Ling Bai’s resentnt soared as Dugu Lin and Pan Tao laughed rrily, swaying like flowers in the wind. Elder Li, unable to hide a slight upward curve in his mouth, then announced,
"Red-grade assignnt: Calamitous Ice Devil. Near Dragon City in the Heavenly Soul Empire, close to the Extre North region, the nearby villages make a living by cultivating special foods and dicinal materials like Extre North Moonlight Rice.
Recently, their fields have been wantonly destroyed by spirit beasts. According to the analysis of Shrek Academy’s investigators, it’s highly likely the work of a 30,000-year Calamitous Ice Devil."
"Calamitous Ice Devil?"
The na sounded extrely unfamiliar. Dugu Lin and Pan Tao racked their brains but couldn’t recall any corresponding spirit beast.
Elder Li explained, "The Calamitous Ice Devil is a mutated Ice Devil Titan. It’s inherently prone to bringing disaster. To ensure peace in their holand, the Ice Devil Titan King, one of the three Arctic Kings of the Extre North, personally executes any Calamitous Ice Devils, resulting in their extrely scarce numbers. Therefore, the academy’s spirit beast theory courses have not introduced the Calamitous Ice Devil.
Ling Bai, you can either capture or kill that 30,000-year Calamitous Ice Devil. Just ensure it can no longer destroy the villagers’ fields."
"Understood." Ling Bai nodded slightly.
"What kind of luck do you have..."
Dugu Lin patted his shoulder and sighed, "First the Luminous Mystic Forest, now the Extre North. Each place is more perilous than the last. Your luck is terrible!"
"I don’t think so." Ling Bai gazed northward, a aningful smile on his face.
’Abundant in heavenly treasures and ho to extraordinary people, the Extre North truly is...
A good place.’
...
anwhile, in the dormitories of the first-year students in the Outer Courtyard.
"Yuhao, I’m off! See you when school starts!"
Wang Dong hurriedly closed the door, leaving only Huo Yuhao alone in the dormitory.
"Brother Skydream, wake up quickly!"
Huo Yuhao frantically called out Skydream in his Spiritual Sea.
Skydream rubbed its eyes and mumbled, "What’s wrong, Xiao Yuhao? You seem so flustered."
"Of course I’m flustered!" Huo Yuhao said irritably. "After the break, we have the Outer Courtyard advancent examination. If I can’t pass, I’ll be expelled from the Martial Spirit Departnt.
The minimum requirent to participate is Rank 20 spirit power. I’ve been cultivating day and night, but I’m only at Rank 17, and that’s even after Big Senior Brother won a Mysterious Water Pill from Xu Sanshi at the Spirit Dueling Arena to improve my foundation!"
Having missed certain opportunities, Huo Yuhao’s strength had significantly decreased. Now visibly anxious, although the Spirit Guidance Departnt had high hopes for him, Shrek Academy is the continent’s number one academy for Spirit Masters, and he was unwilling to give up the excellent educational resources of the Martial Spirit Departnt.
"What’s the big deal?"
Skydream flipped over, yawning as he said, "During the break, I’ll take you to the Extre North. By then, whether it’s reaching Rank 20 spirit power, obtaining a second ice-elent Martial Spirit, a 100,000-year spirit ring, or a 100,000-year spirit bone, we’ll solve them all at once! Just wait for your teoric rise!"
"Huh???"
The pie was both big and lavish; Huo Yuhao was knocked flat.
"Trust , as the continent’s first 1,000,000-year spirit beast and an unprecedented intelligent spirit ring, your future is the sea of stars!"
"I love you, Brother Skydream! I’ll pack my things right now and head to the Extre North!"
"Calm down. First, buy so necessities for the journey..."
...
After receiving his surveillance assignnt, Ling Bai arrived beneath the girls’ dormitory of the Outer Courtyard. His stunningly handso face once again caused many passing girls to bump into poles. Although their heads throbbed, they could not tear their eyes away from him.
If it weren’t for having experienced countless rejections over the past few months, they would have rushed over like a pack of wolves to throw themselves at him.
Unfortunately, this unbelievably attractive Inner Courtyard student only gave special treatnt to one and a half girls in the Outer Courtyard.
The Young Miss of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Tian.
Wu Feng (the half).
The two of them slowly walked out. As soon as Ning Tian’s innate noble aura erged, the other girls felt ashad and dispersed. Wu Feng pursed her lips and, upon seeing this, instantly turned into a sour lemon as she said sarcastically:
"Oh my, Young Master Ling, your love life is really flourishing~ I wonder how many beauties you’ve secretly tasted already?"
Smack!
"Ow!"
A karate chop landed on Wu Feng’s head, the strength just right to daze without causing harm.
Ling Bai looked straight ahead, the very picture of righteousness. "Stop spreading rumors about . You should be more concerned about whether you can pass the advancent examination."
Wu Feng rubbed the bump on her head, grimacing, "Who cares about the advancent examination? Don’t change the subject! Ning Tian and I have heard all about how well you’re living in the Inner Courtyard, with a bunch of pretty Senior Sisters blocking you every day."
"Indeed, blocking at the Spirit Dueling Area every day."
Ling Bai specifically called out Ling Luochen, Ma Xiaotao, Dugu Lin, and others.
"Alright, Xiao Feng."
Ning Tian helplessly poked Wu Feng, then said to Ling Bai:
"Bai-ge, I’ve arranged for a carriage in advance. We can set off at any ti."
"Let’s go. Let’s head ho together."
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