Still, Mo Yuan truly wouldn't hurt him. A dazzling golden light flashed through his deep black eyes as he used his spiritual power to probe Bai Yi's Soul Power Level and other details.
Level twenty-three, about the same as Wang Dong's. He could be called exceptionally gifted. His Martial Soul had an ice attribute, along with an extremely sharp edge to it. No wonder he had a Bow Martial Soul... After uncovering this information, Mo Yuan immediately withdrew his spiritual power.
A quick look was enough. There was no need to investigate him like a census taker.
Over the past few days, Electrolux had fallen silent after entering the Sea of Consciousness, so Mo Yuan couldn't communicate with him just then. With nothing else to do, Mo Yuan sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate through Quiet Meditation as well.
The sun sank in the west. When the final rays faded from the horizon, night fell over the land, its dark canopy studded with stars.
Outside the new student dormitory stood a beautiful young woman with a graceful figure and an air of nobility. Under the bright moonlight, she looked breathtaking.
The male students who passed by couldn't take their eyes off her. Some were new students in white uniforms, and one was so absorbed in admiring her that he nearly walked into a pillar.
Still, no one approached her. An ordinary beauty might give people the confidence to strike up a conversation, but someone this exceptional only made them hesitate.
As the new students nearby whispered and wondered who the young woman was waiting for, a figure emerged from the dormitory and walked straight toward her.
Looking at Ning Tian's serene smile, Mo Yuan returned one of his own. "Sorry, I got caught up cultivating and lost track of time. Sorry for the wait."
Before entering the dormitory, Ning Tian had privately arranged with Mo Yuan to take a walk that evening, supposedly to get familiar with the academy grounds. Wu Feng, of course, knew nothing about it.
Ning Tian looked at Mo Yuan and smiled. "It's fine. I only just got here."
When the students around them realized Ning Tian had been waiting for a boy, they immediately felt indignant. If she'd been waiting for a close friend or another girl, that would have been one thing—but a boy?
They wanted to see what kind of guy could possibly deserve to keep such a beautiful junior waiting. But once they got a good look at Mo Yuan, they all sighed in unison and turned away.
All right, they made a handsome couple. A bunch of clowns like them had no business commenting...
Ignoring the bystanders, Mo Yuan and Ning Tian walked side by side toward the depths of Shrek Academy.
The sprawling Shrek Academy was bustling with activity. The reason was simple: the new student enrollment period had been underway for the past few days, and over a thousand students had just entered the academy for the first time.
After passing the new student dormitory and the teaching buildings, they came to Shrek Square, a broad expanse where new students gathered in little groups.
Mo Yuan and Ning Tian were so striking in appearance and bearing that people stared at them all along the way. At no point were fewer than a dozen pairs of eyes fixed on them.
Yet whenever a male or female student wanted to approach and introduce themselves, they would compare themselves to Mo Yuan or Ning Tian—and stop in their tracks.
Neither Mo Yuan nor Ning Tian paid it any mind. They had seen it all their lives and were used to it.
The soft glow of Soul Guide Lamps illuminated the quiet path beside Sea God Lake. Moonlight spilled over the water, where gentle ripples shimmered and slowly spread, reflecting the river of stars overhead.
"This is Sea God Lake. There's an island in the middle, and that's where the Inner Court is," Ning Tian said, pointing into the distance.
Although Mo Yuan already knew all this, he still acted as if it were his first time hearing it.
Sea God Pavilion... Golden Tree...
Mo Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the faint, indistinct black silhouette on the horizon.
The Golden Tree was Shrek Academy's greatest trump card. It was, in essence, the Life Core of Douluo Star—or, to put it another way, it was nearly equal to the World Tree of Norse Mythology.
At the thought, a greedy gleam appeared in Mo Yuan's deep black eyes. If I could get a piece of the Golden Tree, could I use the power of alchemy to forge an Eternal Spear Gungnir?
It was a promising idea. The Eternal Spear Gungnir could pierce anything and never missed its target. If he could forge it, it would undoubtedly be a divine weapon—and a powerful one at that.
Unfortunately, setting aside how impossible it was to obtain a piece of the Golden Tree, even if he got one, his meager alchemy skills wouldn't be enough to forge it.
At that thought, the greed in Mo Yuan's eyes disappeared, hidden deep within.
Just then, Ning Tian pointed toward the lake and said, "Mo Yuan, look over there. Something seems to be approaching really fast. It kind of looks like... a giant tortoise?"
A giant tortoise?
Mo Yuan was taken aback, then followed the direction of her finger.
Something was surging quickly beneath the distant, shimmering surface of the lake, occasionally revealing a jet-black shield.
In just a moment, the thing had swum to a spot not far from Mo Yuan and Ning Tian. Water splashed everywhere, and a figure emerged from beneath the black shield.
In the soft light of the Soul Guide Lamps, Mo Yuan got a clear look at him. He was a boy who looked only a little older than the two of them, with a sturdy build, a straight nose, and a square jaw. All in all, he was quite handsome.
The boy wore a black uniform. His face was pale, and he looked tense, as if some great terror were hunting him down.
"Mo Yuan, look at his uniform. He must be a sixth-year senior, right?"
Seeing the boy's black uniform and the black shield on his back, Mo Yuan suddenly guessed who he was.
Xu Sanshi—the Outer Court Twin Star alongside Beibei, bearer of the Mystic Turtle Martial Soul, and the biggest simp in the book. He also had a fondness for taking the "unusual route."
Mo Yuan wondered what kind of wild imagination Tang San Shao had needed to come up with the absurd backdoor-entry plot. Maybe that was just talent...
Xu Sanshi looked up anxiously and saw Mo Yuan and Ning Tian staring at him strangely. He didn't seem inclined to explain. But when he noticed their white new student uniforms, his face suddenly lit up with delight.
He sprang up and landed in front of them. Mo Yuan raised an eyebrow and pulled Ning Tian behind him protectively.
"Junior brother, junior sister, I'm a sixth-year senior. I've got a little 'problem' right now. A crazy woman might come chasing after me soon. If she asks, just tell her I went outside the academy," Xu Sanshi said urgently.
"If I get through this, then if you ever have trouble in the academy, just give them my name. Xu Sanshi. It'll definitely work!"
Without waiting to see whether Mo Yuan and Ning Tian agreed, he darted into the woods and vanished.
"What a strange senior. This is Shrek Academy. How could there be any danger here?" Ning Tian asked, puzzled.
Exactly. Why would Xu Sanshi, one of the Outer Court Twin Stars, be in trouble at Shrek Academy?
Mo Yuan silently considered it, recalling the direction Xu Sanshi had come from and what he'd said.
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something. His pupils contracted slightly as he whipped around to look toward Sea God Lake.
Other students might be safe at Shrek Academy, but Xu Sanshi was different!
"Ma Xiaotao..." Mo Yuan murmured the name.
Ma Xiaotao was famous in the Inner Court as a walking volcano. She had inherited the Phoenix Martial Soul from her ancestor, Ma Hongjun, and along with it, the troublesome Evil Fire.
Before Huo Yuhao fused with the Ice Empress, she had constantly hunted down Xu Sanshi, whose Mystic Turtle Martial Soul had both water and earth attributes, to help her deal with her Evil Fire.
If Mo Yuan's guess was right, the "problem" Xu Sanshi had mentioned—and the person chasing him—was Ma Xiaotao.
At that thought, Mo Yuan felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet.
This was bad!
The best thing to do was run before Ma Xiaotao caught up with them! Better safe than sorry. They had to get out of there!
"Ma Xiaotao? Mo Yuan, who is Ma Xiaotao?" At the name from Mo Yuan's lips, a hint of urgency appeared on Ning Tian's lovely face.
That sounds like a woman's name. Could she have something to do with Mo Yuan?
Unfortunately, Mo Yuan had no time to explain. He grabbed Ning Tian's soft, delicate hand and started to lead her back.
The sudden movement left Ning Tian stunned, and a blush rose to her face. But just as she was about to say something, a deep red glow blazed in the distance, followed by a thunderous shout.
"Stop!"
Before you continue