Seeing Hongchen Again

It was an ancient, unadorned room. From its furnishings to the very air within, everything carried the marks of a bygone age. Yet strangely, a faint golden glow emanated from the surrounding walls, brightening the dim room somewhat.

This was the third floor of Sea God's Pavilion, one of the most mysterious and fantastical forbidden grounds in the world. Even Jing Hongchen, master of Ming De Hall, had paid the price of two Rank 9 Soul Tools for rashly coming here, only managing to leave safely afterward.

Yet today, this room at the absolute heart of Shrek Academy welcomed two special guests.

Xiao Hongchen slowly woke from his slumber, still wearing his original clothes, though they had long been soaked through with sweat.

He only felt as though he had had a long dream. In that dream, their entire group had been wiped out, and they had not even caught a glimpse of who their opponent was.

What made his back go cold even more was that, in the dream, he had seen the corpses of himself and his sister. The feeling had been so real that even now, he could still feel the pain in his heart.

"Brother!" At that moment, a sweet voice tinged with surprise and unease rang out, pulling Xiao Hongchen back from his muddled state into reality.

"Good thing it was only a dream. Dreams are fine..." Xiao Hongchen murmured as if sleep-talking, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he looked toward the source of the voice. But in the next instant, every muscle in his body tensed. He sprang up and instinctively grabbed Meng Hongchen, darting to the wall.

He realized that he was in an unfamiliar environment. An ancient room, ancient furnishings, and with no windows, he could only barely make