Shrek Academy, beside Sea God Lake, Chaos Pavilion.
This pavilion was not a resplendent palace, but a three-story bamboo building constructed beside the lake. It was built entirely from Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Bamboo, naturally formed and untouched by dust. The two characters "Chaos" on its plaque were neither gold nor jade, but had been directly branded into the bamboo by Ling Yun using Chaos Qi. The strokes flowed like dragons and serpents, Dao intent circulating within them, calming the mind and focusing the spirit of anyone who looked upon them. A thin mist lingered around the pavilion, both real and illusory, shutting out the clamor of the mortal world. Only the lake's scenery, mountain views, bamboo shadows, and fresh breeze remained.
Ling Yun held no position within the academy. At the joint request of Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Tang San, he had established a place for teaching here and gave lectures from time to time. What he taught was neither specific Soul Skill techniques nor methods of Soul Power cultivation, much less shortcuts to Becoming a God. Instead, he spoke of Great Dao principles that pointed directly to the origin of all things, the wisdom of wielding power, and the tempering of one's character.
On this day, the plaza before Chaos Pavilion and beside Sea God Lake had long since filled with people. There were young Soul Masters who had only just entered the academy, full of curiosity and yearning for everything; academy teachers with extensive experience, seeking to break through their bottlenecks; seekers of the Dao who had come by reputation from all across the continent and even other planes; and even god-level powerhouses such as Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, who sat quietly in the back rows with focused expressions. Though the crowd was immense, there was