Shrek Academy, work-study student dormitory.
Ji Xuan felt the surging power within him. Every pore in his body seemed to be cheering.
The body he had transmigrated into had truly been lacking in talent. His Innate Soul Power had been a pitiful level three.
If the original owner hadn't been so determined and hardworking, earning his work-study student position by doing odd jobs day and night, he might not even have qualified to enter Shrek Outer Court.
To put it plainly, work-study students were just unpaid servants at the academy.
Sweeping the plaza, the dormitories, the classroom buildings... he had done just about every kind of menial work there was.
Even so, after giving his all to cultivation, he had only reached Soul Power Level thirteen.
Even among the outer-court students, he was at the very bottom.
His first Soul Ring was only a Ten-Year Soul Ring, barely better than nothing.
But now, everything was different!
Innate Full Soul Power!
This was the true starting point for a genius!
Before he could fully adjust, the system's voice rang out again.
[Reward Two: Soul Skill Reset!]
[The host's First Soul Ring has been detected as a Ten-Year Soul Ring. It will now be reset. Three options will be provided, and a random Soul Ring age will be generated.]
[Please select your new First Soul Skill:]
[Option One: Fragment Shot]:
[Soul Skill Effect: The mirror Martial Soul shatters, transforming into countless sharp fragments that launch a single indiscriminate area attack. After use, the mirror Martial Soul requires one hour to re-form.]
[Option Two: Mirror of Truth]:
[Soul Skill Effect: Discern one unknown secret about a target or a weakness in their body or Martial Soul. Can be used once per day. Ineffective against targets whose spiritual power far exceeds the host's.]
[Option Three: Mirror Flower, Water Moon]:
[Soul Skill Effect: Use the Martial Soul as a medium to create an illusion that can affect an individual or a group. The illusion's strength is tied to the host's spiritual power and Soul Power Level.]
Ji Xuan's eyes lit up the instant he saw the third option.
Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
What a perfect name!
This was practically a divine skill tailor-made for his mirror Martial Soul!
Creating illusions, blurring the line between reality and fantasy... The possibilities were simply beyond imagination!
Whether for self-protection, fighting enemies, or creating even more explosive "exposure material," it was perfect!
"I choose [Mirror Flower, Water Moon]."
Ji Xuan made his choice without hesitation.
[Choice confirmed. Randomly generating Soul Ring age...]
[Congratulations, host! Soul Ring age: twenty thousand years!]
Bzzzt—!
A black-glimmering Soul Ring appeared out of thin air beneath Ji Xuan's feet, pulsing silently.
Unlike Wang Yan's earth-shaking transformation, Ji Xuan's change had come like thunder in the midst of silence.
Ji Xuan slowly held out his right hand. An unremarkable mirror appeared in his palm.
With a thought, he activated the Soul Skill he had just gained.
The mirror's surface rippled slightly. The entire room twisted for a moment, then returned to normal.
But to Ji Xuan, the room had already fallen completely under his control.
He could make the bed float, or turn the walls into cascading waterfalls.
If he wanted, he could even conjure an endless sea of blades and flames for his enemies within this tiny dormitory.
"So this is... Mirror Flower, Water Moon."
Ji Xuan felt the power to distort reality and watched excitement gleam in his eyes.
Innate Full Soul Power, along with a twenty-thousand-year First Soul Ring!
A start like this was enough to make any genius envious.
However, Mu En's recent lockdown order left him with mixed feelings.
What he needed most now was to hunt a Soul Beast and obtain his Second Soul Ring.
But the lockdown meant he couldn't leave Shrek at will.
Ji Xuan looked through the window toward the distant cluster of magnificent classroom buildings.
The work-study student dormitory stood on the edge of Shrek Academy's outer court.
It was usually deserted, almost entirely outside the academy's sphere of oversight.
The academy plaza was bustling at the moment, but this place was unusually quiet, with hardly anyone paying it any attention.
Ji Xuan's eyes flickered.
Qiangu Wangyan's schemes had affected nearly every student he had ever instructed.
But these work-study students had been overlooked, either because of their mediocre talent or because they had rarely interacted with him.
Qiangu Wangyan hadn't even been interested in sparing them a glance.
That suited him just fine.
Ji Xuan's lips curled slightly. He packed a few things, made sure he wasn't wearing any academy insignia, and slipped quietly out of the dormitory.
In less than fifteen minutes, Ji Xuan reached the academy's outer wall.
He vaulted over it and landed soundlessly on the street outside.
He soon discovered that Mu En's lockdown order had affected Shrek City as well.
Usually, the streets were full of traffic and noise.
But now, the air was tinged with tension.
There were noticeably fewer people on the streets, and many shops had closed for business. A sense of oppressive calm hung in the air, like the hush before a storm.
The news that Shrek Academy had gone into lockdown had shaken the entire city, which depended on the academy.
Ji Xuan didn't linger. He headed straight for Shrek City's East City Gate.
It was the city's largest cargo hub, frequented by merchant caravans and transport teams.
Before long, he reached the area around the East City Gate.
In the distance, he saw a caravan stopped outside the gate.
A crowd had gathered in front of it, and an argument seemed to be underway.
"Miss, it's not that we don't want to help you. There's just nowhere we can exchange this Purple Crystal Card right now!"
A burly voice rang out. It belonged to the caravan leader.
Standing in front of him was someone in a black cloak, their face hidden from view.
"Nonsense! Shrek City is full of banks. How could they be unable to exchange it?"
The cloaked figure sounded flustered and annoyed, her voice as cold as ice.
She held a purple card in her hand, the Purple Crystal Card commonly used by high-level Soul Masters.
"This card has thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins on it. Isn't that enough to cover your fee?"
The caravan leader was a burly man. He shook his head, looking troubled.
"Miss, it's not that I won't accept it. You have to exchange the card at a bank."
"But now... Shrek Academy has just issued a lockdown order, and the city is rife with rumors that there's an Evil Soul Master at the academy!"
"Who among us merchants would dare go to a bank now? If we get caught up in trouble, all thirty-some of my men could be done for!"
He paused, then spoke firmly.
"If you pay in cash, we'll leave. Otherwise, you'll have to find someone else!"
As evening drew near, the other caravan hands began urging their leader to hurry up.
"Outrageous!"
The woman in black clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. Her voice rose sharply, carrying restrained fury.
Her Soul Power began to spill out of control. A faint icy-blue glow shimmered around her, and the temperature dropped several degrees.
"You..."
Her cool voice carried a hint of barely contained anger.
Clearly, she was considering using force.
Ji Xuan stood not far away, watching the scene with interest.
When he caught sight of the cold profile beneath the woman's hood, his eyes flashed with surprise.
Ling Luochen?
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