Xuan Zi's Excitement! Was the Person Found? Was He Brought Back?

"Farewell, Senior."

Ling Luochen bowed once more to Elder Chen. Her voice remained cool, but her movements carried the decisiveness of someone with no choice but to act.

She cast Liu Yuan one last deep look, then fastened her mask back onto her face. Her figure turned into an icy-blue streak of light and swiftly vanished into the shadows of the dense forest.

She had no reason to remain.

Although Ling Luochen desperately wanted to bring this monstrous genius, who could crush an Evil Soul Master above his rank, back to Shrek Academy, the situation was already clear.

Not only did he hold a core identity within the Body Sect, but a sect elder of unfathomable strength had accompanied him as his protector.

Under such circumstances, any attempt at recruitment would be feeble and futile, perhaps even provoking a conflict between two top-tier powers.

The only thing she could do now was return to the academy as quickly as possible and report his identity, strength, and the Body Sect's level of regard for him to Elder Xuan without omitting a single detail.

Thus, Ling Luochen left without looking back.

Only after Ling Luochen's aura had completely vanished beyond their perception did Vina, Chen Lü, and the others finally let out breaths of relief.

"She's finally gone." Chen Lü wiped away his sweat and looked resentfully toward the depths of the forest.

"Those people from Shrek are too much. They dared to try stealing someone right in front of us."

Vina also walked over to Liu Yuan's side. She likewise did not want to see Liu Yuan leave. Whether from the Body Sect's interests or those of the Heavenly Soul Royal Family, having Liu Yuan remain in the Body Sect was far better than letting him join Shrek.

Long Aotian turned around and looked at Elder Chen with a puzzled expression. "Elder Chen, why are you here? Didn't the Sect Master say we were supposed to complete this mission independently?"

Elder Chen put away the sternness he had shown Ling Luochen and revealed a kind smile. "The Sect Master did indeed intend to temper you all."

"But you must understand that a Five-Ring Evil Soul Master's methods are exceedingly vicious. Though the Sect Master has faith in your strength, he would never gamble with your lives."

"Therefore, he specifically instructed me to follow in secret and ensure your safety."

Elder Chen paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. "The Sect Master's meaning was very clear. If you could solve the problem yourselves, that would naturally be the best form of training, and I would never interfere."

"But if a crisis truly arose that you could not handle, the sect would forever be your strongest support."

Long Aotian, Wang Yanfeng, and the others felt an intense sense of security well up in their hearts upon hearing those words.

The feeling of being constantly watched over and protected by their sect elders greatly strengthened their sense of belonging to the Body Sect.

"Alright, you all performed exceptionally well this time. Liu Yuan in particular executed the plan to lure the enemy in perfectly." Elder Chen nodded.

"The mission has been completed, and that Evil Soul Master has been utterly reduced to ashes."

"We will return to the sect now. I will truthfully report your achievements to the Sect Master. I imagine he will grant you generous rewards."

Afterward, Elder Chen waved his hand and led everyone back toward the Body Sect.

On the journey back, Elder Chen appeared to be leading the way, but his heart was in turmoil.

Ling Luochen's confident invitation continued to weigh heavily on his mind.

As one of the sect's upper ranks, he understood all too well what a genius like Liu Yuan meant to the sect.

He was the foundation that would ensure the Body Sect stood firm for the next hundred years, a priceless treasure that absolutely could not be allowed to slip up!

Although Liu Yuan had seemed calm earlier, Elder Chen still felt it was not secure enough.

Along the way, while he did not openly tell Liu Yuan to remain loyal to the sect, he kept dropping hints in every conversation.

"Liu Yuan, you must understand that although the continent is vast, the only ones who have truly studied the Body Martial Soul thoroughly are us in the Body Sect."

"No matter how famous other academies may be, they do not understand the essence of Body Awakening."

"In their eyes, the body is merely a vessel that carries the Martial Soul. But in our eyes, the body itself is a miracle."

As he walked, Elder Chen spoke endlessly of the Body Sect's rich history and the generations of powerful experts it had cultivated.

Walking beside him, Liu Yuan found it somewhat amusing.

He could sense Elder Chen's taut nerves and how greatly Elder Chen valued him.

Liu Yuan turned his head and looked at Elder Chen's somewhat anxious profile. In a calm but exceptionally firm tone, he said, "Elder, don't worry."

"Shrek Academy may be good, but I have never considered going there. Since I am already a member of the Body Sect, I will never go to Shrek."

Elder Chen froze for a moment upon hearing that. Then his tense shoulders finally relaxed, and he nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. "Good! With those words from you, this old man can rest assured."

"You are a clever child. You know where you truly belong."

Although he had received Liu Yuan's assurance, Elder Chen still silently made up his mind: the moment they returned to the sect, he had to immediately tell Du Busi that Shrek had tried to poach Liu Yuan.

He needed the Sect Master to think of more ways. Whether it meant giving Liu Yuan resources, status, or strengthening his emotional bonds with the sect, they had to tie Liu Yuan completely to the Body Sect's chariot.

Otherwise, if Shrek truly offered some even more outrageous terms one day, or sent an even prettier girl to lure him away, the sect would have nowhere to cry.

Meanwhile, the scene from Ling Luochen's perspective had shifted to Shrek Academy.

Driven by overwhelming urgency, Ling Luochen had practically traveled day and night to return to Shrek.

After entering the academy, she did not even return to her Inner Court dormitory to wash up. Instead, she immediately headed for Sea God Pavilion and found Xuan Zi leisurely gnawing on a chicken leg there.

Xuan Zi had originally assumed that Ling Luochen had merely returned to report on the routine mission of killing an Evil Soul Master. He did not even raise his eyelids as he casually asked, "How did the mission go? Did you kill that Evil Soul Master?"

"Elder Xuan, the target has been killed, but I was not the one who killed him." Ling Luochen took a deep breath and steadied her rapid breathing.

Xuan Zi stopped biting into his chicken leg and raised his head in confusion. "You didn't kill him? Did some other Soul Masters from the Heaven Dou Empire interfere?"

Ling Luochen shook her head, and what she said next made Xuan Zi's entire body stiffen.

"Elder Xuan, I encountered that genius you previously told me to find again. He killed him."

The chicken leg in Xuan Zi's hand nearly fell to the ground. Two beams of sharp light burst from his cloudy eyes, and he instantly rose to his feet, his tone turning incomparably excited.

"You ran into him again? In Yaluo City?"

Xuan Zi strode quickly to Ling Luochen, placed both hands on her shoulders, and demanded anxiously, "Quick, tell me! What happened?"

"Did you formally invite him to join our Shrek Academy, as I instructed? Did you bring him back?"

At that moment, Xuan Zi could already picture the young man joining Shrek and shining brilliantly in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

However, Ling Luochen's expression in the next moment was like a bucket of ice water poured over his excitement.