"Hey, time to get some breakfast!"
Ye Xinglan carried a small plate with bread and milk on it. She opened the door and called into the room in a rush.
The room was empty. Ye Xinglan walked inside, curiously looking around, when someone lightly tapped her from behind.
Wiping the water from his face, Yun Ze looked at Ye Xinglan and said,
"You're not up too late, which is good. At least you knew to get me something to eat."
Ye Xinglan set the plate down on a nearby table and said with a haughty air,
"Who said I went out of my way to get you food? I was at the dining car... I took too much and couldn't finish it. Yeah, I took too much and couldn't finish it, and I didn't want to waste it. You're just a living trash can, so don't get the wrong idea."
Yun Ze smiled and said,
"Let me guess—you finished your own food first, then went back for more?"
Ye Xinglan sat in a chair nearby and watched Yun Ze sit down and start eating the bread.
"Um, about yesterday... thank you. After fighting you, I thought it over, and I really did learn a lot."
Yun Ze nodded, then said to Ye Xinglan,
"I'm glad you can see it that way. It means I didn't spend all yesterday afternoon working for nothing."
As he spoke, Yun Ze took a sip of milk and said,
"Until you reach a certain level of strength, don't think you're somebody special. Don't be fooled by the way ordinary people put Soul Masters on a pedestal."
Ye Xinglan nodded and said politely,
"I was too narrow-minded before. I didn't understand that there was always someone better out there."
Yun Ze waved a hand, then looked at the train schedule.
"We still have to spend the whole morning on the train today. Then we'll visit the Xu Family branch in Skyfire City. I hear that branch has produced a food-type genius."
Ye Xinglan said,
"I've heard about that food-type kid too. My family said his Martial Soul has something to do with steamed buns, and it produces all sorts of buns."
"But I heard his Martial Soul has made him a huge glutton, too. He's the kind who'd throw away all his dignity just to get something to eat."
Yun Ze pinched the bridge of his nose, then said,
"What a headache. If he really is like that, he shouldn't join the Inner Court. Let him muddle along in the Outer Court."
Ye Xinglan smiled and said,
"Then he's pretty much destined to stay in the Outer Court."
When they arrived in Skyfire City and met with the Xu Family, Yun Ze was nowhere near as polite as he had been with the Ye Family.
After briefly assessing Xu Lizhi's situation, he told the Xu Family outright that Xu Lizhi wasn't fit for the Inner Court.
The flaw in his Martial Soul was too obvious. He could only stay in the Outer Court for now, while they watched to see if they could resolve its effect on his temperament.
To Yun Ze's surprise, the Xu Family had no objections. They seemed eager to get Xu Lizhi, this troublesome child, off their hands.
They even paid the enrollment fee much more readily than the Ye Family had.
On the way back, Xu Lizhi didn't say a word, seemingly intimidated by Yun Ze's imposing manner.
Seeing Xu Lizhi like this, Ye Xinglan paid him even less attention. Instead, she focused on Yun Ze, who sat beside her with his eyes closed, resting.
This time, nothing like a train assassin or any other special event cropped up. The Soul Guidance Train rolled smoothly into the station in Shrek City.
That also marked the official "end" of Yun Ze's mission.
Yun Ze brought Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi back to Shrek Academy and submitted the results of his assessment to the admissions office.
Partly because they trusted Yun Ze's judgment, and partly out of respect for Yun Ming, they accepted all of his recommendations.
Xu Lizhi had no choice but to stay in the Outer Court as a new student. When the next admissions period began, he would join the newly admitted students and start first year.
Ye Xinglan, meanwhile, entered the Inner Court's Special Recruitment Class, a transitional class between the Inner Court and the Outer Court.
The class's overall level was about equal to the Outer Court's highest standard, but its instructors were genuine Inner Court teachers.
However, Ye Xinglan had only about two years to adjust. If she couldn't adapt by then, she would have to return to the Outer Court and start over.
After the mission ended, Yun Ze was called back to Yun Ming's residence.
Over the past few days, Na'er had grown familiar with Yun Ming. When Yun Ze returned, she was practicing the fundamentals of spear techniques in the courtyard.
Yun Ze saw Na'er gripping a wooden spear with a brick tied to its tip, practicing keeping her hands steady.
"Na'er's hands are quite steady. That core strength is a good foundation."
As he spoke, Yun Ze walked behind Na'er, took hold of her hands, and adjusted her posture.
After all, Yun Ming and Guan Yue had studied under the same master. Though their understandings of spear techniques had diverged over time, the fundamentals followed the same principles.
Yun Ze's guidance helped Na'er a great deal. Her body, which had been stiff and trembling slightly, steadied.
"You've only just got back, and you're already acting like the senior disciple. Come inside and talk."
Yun Ming's voice came from inside the house. Yun Ze smiled at Na'er, then hurried into the room.
Yun Ming sat beside the tea table in the main room, holding a cup of hot tea and savoring it.
"How did the trip go? I heard you took the opportunity to assess those two disciples and sort them into different tiers?"
Yun Ming set down his teacup and gestured for Yun Ze to sit.
Yun Ze sat beside Yun Ming and replied respectfully,
"Father, Ye Xinglan is pretty good. She's a little arrogant, but I've managed to tame her a bit. As for Xu Lizhi, if it were up to me—"
"He shouldn't be brought into Shrek Academy. His Martial Soul affects his temperament, making him this gluttonous before he's even ten. Being a glutton would be one thing, but his eating habits have even affected his intelligence."
"He often doesn't think about his own safety at all when food is involved. Someone like that isn't suited to entering the Soul Master World. He'd be better off staying home and living like a rich landowner."
Yun Ming nodded and said to Yun Ze,
"The Xu Family reported the same concerns. But over the years, they've made quite a few contributions to our academy."
"If we can help, we should. I trust our academy can correct a simple problem with someone's temperament."
Yun Ze shrugged.
"You're just too softhearted. You think everything should be judged on its own merits. His contributions are his contributions. We can compensate him according to what he's done; that's no reason to give his descendants special treatment."
Yun Ming waved a hand, then said to Yun Ze,
"All right, all right. Let's leave that aside. Now we should talk about your own situation."
Yun Ze grew more serious, then heard Yun Ming explain,
"Tomorrow, Spirit Pagoda Master Qiangu Dongfeng will be going out to inspect several of the main pagodas. His deputy, Bright Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu, will be in charge of headquarters. You can use that opportunity to go to the Spirit Ascension Platform and ascend..."
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