On the seventh day after Mu En's passing, the air of grief at Shrek Academy had yet to fully dissipate when a team led by Yan Shaozhe quietly set out.
Huo Yuhao and He Caitou walked side by side within the team, their expressions carrying both nervousness and anticipation—this was their first time representing the academy in an exchange with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and they bore Shrek's glory upon their shoulders.
The team traveled north and arrived at Maple Leaf City in less than three days. This city, located on the border between the two nations, had earned its name from the red maples covering the mountains in autumn. Though it was not yet the height of maple season, the layered forests had already begun to blaze with color.
In the plaza at the city center, another team had long been waiting. At its head stood a plump old man clad in a black brocade robe. He was Jing Hongchen, the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Jing Hongchen's eyes were as deep as pools. Though he had not released any Soul Power, he exuded the composed bearing of one long accustomed to authority.
The students behind him all kept their auras restrained, their eyes filled with fervor for Soul Tools. They were clearly Mingde Hall's elite. Among them was a pair of similar-looking youths: Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen.
"Dean Yan, I trust you've been well."
Jing Hongchen stepped forward first, a perfectly measured smile on his face. Yet his tone carried a trace of barely perceptible probing as he offered his condolences. "A few days ago, I heard of Elder Mu's passing. This old man truly regrets it. The fall of a legend is indeed the regret of the continent. I