Guard Duty

The Soul King strength displayed by Lin Yi, along with that eye-catching ten-thousand-year soul ring, was undoubtedly like a massive boulder cast into a calm lake, stirring ripples of shock through the hearts of these proud and arrogant Shrek youths.

The few who had previously harbored views of Ning Rongrong as a "spoiled little miss" found their attitudes shifting in subtle, unconscious ways.

After all, having a Soul King with a ten-thousand-year soul ring as a bodyguard was a testament to the importance the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect placed on this little princess, as well as the unfathomable depth of the power backing her.

Just as the atmosphere grew stagnant, a voice with a unique, magnetic quality—yet unable to mask a hint of craftiness—rang out: "Oh? Our little dilapidated academy has welcomed distinguished guests today?"

Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man with glasses, a hooked nose, a lean build, and a somewhat slovenly tailcoat appearing at the edge of the clearing. It was none other than the dean of Shrek Academy, the Four-Eyed Owl Flender.

Flender pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping sharply over Lin Yi. He lingered for a moment on the jade pendant at Lin Yi's waist—which signaled his Soul King fluctuations—and the spot where the ten-thousand-year soul ring had just manifested, a flash of shrewdness crossing his eyes.

"Dean Flender." Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others hurriedly offered their respects.

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips, remaining silent.

Lin Yi stepped forward, maintaining his composed and respectful posture, and bowed slightly to Flender: "This Humble One is Lin Yi, a guard of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Acting under the Sect Master's orders, I have come to protect my young mistress. I hope you will forgive this intrusion into the academy's tranquility, Dean."

A professional smile spread across Flender's face as he waved a hand: "Easily said, easily said. Sect Master Ning's love for his daughter is understandable. However..." His tone shifted as he rubbed his fingers together, "As you can see, the conditions at our Shrek Academy are quite humble. Between food, clothing, housing, and travel, not to mention... the academy's unique training methods, which are considered secret techniques, having an outsider linger for long-term observation is, I fear..."

The meaning behind his words could not have been clearer--he wanted money, or an equivalent benefit.

Lin Yi chuckled inwardly; just as in the original story, this man would never let the hawk fly until he saw the rabbit.

Yet, his face displayed just the right amount of realization and understanding. He took a Gold Soul Coin card he had prepared in advance from his robes and presented it with both hands: "The Dean is absolutely right. This is a small token of my sincerity, totaling one thousand Gold Soul Coins, intended as compensation for disturbing your academy and to cover my own room and board. As for the academy's training secrets, please rest assured, Dean; I am only responsible for the young mistress's safety and will never pry into or interfere with internal academy affairs. Whenever the young mistress is undergoing normal training, I shall naturally keep my distance."

One thousand Gold Soul Coins!

Even as experienced as Flender was, he was so shocked by this grand gesture that his eyelids twitched.

Behind him, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others gasped. It was never easy for them to earn even a few Gold Soul Coins! Oscar stared at the card, his eyes practically turning into the shape of coins.

Flender switched to an incredibly enthusiastic smile almost instantly, snatching the card as if afraid Lin Yi might change his mind: "Oh my, Guard Lin, you are too polite! Too much of a stranger! The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is truly generous! Rest assured, our Shrek Academy is the most hospitable place! Accommodation, you say? No problem! We happen to have a vacant room in the teacher's dormitory; though it is simple, it is absolutely quiet! From now on, it is yours, Guard Lin!"

In just a few words, the deal was struck. Flender tucked away the card, looking at Lin Yi as if he were a walking mountain of gold, and personally led him toward the so-called "superior room."

As for his previous concerns about "academy secrets," they had long since been cast to the winds.

Watching the speed at which Flender's attitude shifted from haughty to fawning, Ning Rongrong felt a surge of irritation, yet seeing the shock and hidden envy in the eyes of the companions who had previously isolated her, she felt a strange, small sense of pride.

See? We people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are just that impressive!

And so, Lin Yi settled into Shrek Academy. He kept his word; during the day, when Ning Rongrong followed Tang San and the others through their "inhuman" training—running, weight-bearing, sparring, and the like—he never approached, merely sensing her aura from afar to ensure her safety.

He spent his own time in the assigned teacher's dormitory, continuing to hone his soul power and familiarize himself with the five soul skills of his Snow Lotus martial soul, especially the newly acquired fifth soul skill, Pure Lotus Bloom.

At night, when Flender announced "special training"—heading to the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena for live combat—Lin Yi would appear and silently follow at the back of the group.

His presence was like an invisible barrier, and a silent declaration.

The Soul Arena was a chaotic mix of people, and inevitably, some blind soul masters would see Ning Rongrong's beauty and her status as an auxiliary-type soul master, thinking they could pick on a soft target.

But whenever that happened, they would feel a calm yet bone-chilling gaze land upon them, as if they were being watched by something extremely dangerous, causing them to instinctively feel wary and restrain their actions.

After a few times, the Shrek Seven Devils vaguely sensed that with Lin Yi following behind, things in the Soul Arena seemed to go much smoother; at least, the low-class harassment had significantly decreased.

Ning Rongrong, in particular, felt the change clearly. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who had previously ignored her or occasionally made sarcastic remarks, were now at least superficially polite, even if they weren't exactly warm.

Xiao Wu argued with her less often, and Tang San would occasionally discuss positioning and the timing of skill activation for auxiliary-type soul masters with her. Even the cold Zhu Zhuying no longer looked at her with pure detachment when their eyes met.

Ning Rongrong knew that all these changes stemmed from that silent guard who followed at the end of the line like a ghost—Lin Yi.

His strength, his background, and the one thousand Gold Soul Coins he represented had invisibly elevated her status within the team. This feeling was complex; it made her enjoy being "valued," yet she also felt a sense of unwillingness. Did her own worth really need a bodyguard to highlight it?

This contradictory psychology actually stimulated her, and she gritted her teeth to persevere during training, not wanting to be looked down upon by Lin Yi, and certainly not wanting her companions to think she was just a vase relying on her family.

Lin Yi saw all of this and understood. This was exactly what Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo had hoped to see; appropriate pressure could urge this little princess to grow faster.

Time slipped away in this rhythm of daytime cultivation and nighttime combat practice.

On this day, the team's food-type soul master, Oscar, finally succeeded in breaking through to the thirtieth level after grueling training and the pressure of the Soul Arena!

The difficulty of cultivation for a food-type soul master far exceeded that of a battle-type soul master; for Oscar to reach the thirtieth level at the age of fourteen, his talent was truly brilliant.

The entire Shrek Academy was stirred, and Flender waved his hand, deciding to lead the team personally to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Oscar's third soul ring.

The group stepped once again into the vast and dangerous Star Dou Great Forest.

Flender flew ahead to scout, while Zhao Wuji remained on the ground to protect the group. Lin Yi continued to play the role of the guard, following silently by Ning Rongrong's side with his aura restrained.

The process of finding a suitable thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was not smooth, and they encountered attacks from other soul beasts along the way, but with the coordination of Zhao Wuji, Tang San, and the others, they passed through without incident. Lin Yi barely made a move throughout, only quietly releasing his first soul skill, Healing Light, or a localized Extreme Cold Domain after battles if someone suffered minor injuries or excessive soul power depletion, using only a faint healing buff to help everyone recover quickly.

His actions were precise and subtle, the healing effects surprisingly good, yet never overly attention-grabbing.

After a few times, even Zhao Wuji couldn't help but glance at him several times, inwardly praising the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for its abundance of talent, as even a guard possessed such exquisite auxiliary abilities.

Finally, after some searching and waiting, they discovered their target—a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, six or seven meters long, with a bright red fleshy crest on its head and a pair of pale red wings on its back, darting through the low air!

Just as Zhao Wuji prepared to strike and subdue it, an unexpected change occurred!

Two figures swept in rapidly from the other side of the forest. One of them moved with extreme speed, a snake-headed staff in hand striking out to deliver a massive surge of soul power that precisely hit the base of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's wings, causing it to shriek and crash to the ground.

The newcomers were an old woman and a young girl. The old woman looked to be sixty or seventy, holding a three-meter-long snake-headed staff, with six soul rings circling her—two yellow, three purple, and one black. She was clearly a powerhouse at the Soul Emperor level! The girl beside her was about the same age as Ning Rongrong, dressed in neat, tight-fitting gear, holding a snake-blade. She was beautiful with sharp eyes, and her body radiated soul power fluctuations nearing the thirtieth level.

"Senior, why do you seize the soul beast that belongs to us?" Zhao Wuji's expression turned grave as he stepped forward and asked in a deep voice. The other party was a Soul Emperor; while he did not fear her, he did not wish to make enemies lightly.

The old woman, none other than the Snake Matriarch Chao Tianxiang, snorted coldly: "This Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was clearly discovered and wounded by us first. We have been tracking it all the way here, so how did it become yours?"

Both sides held to their own claims, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

According to the rules of the soul master world, in situations like this, one usually has to let their strength do the talking, or... let the younger generation decide the ownership of the soul beast.

The Snake Matriarch's granddaughter, Meng Yiran, stepped forward with a proud look on her pretty face, proposing a duel between herself and the person who needed the soul ring, with the winner taking the soul beast.

Although Oscar was a food-type soul master, his combat power was practically negligible. Just as Flender and Zhao Wuji were finding themselves in a difficult spot, Tang San stepped out.

"I will fight on Xiao Ao's behalf," Tang San said calmly.

During the ensuing battle, Lin Yi stood beside Ning Rongrong, watching quietly.

The duel between Tang San and Meng Yiran was less of a clash of soul skills and more of a crushing display of hidden weapon techniques.

Relying on the subtlety of his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and the unpredictability of his hidden weapon methods, Tang San easily defeated Meng Yiran, whose Soul Power Level was even slightly higher than his own.

The Snake Matriarch Chao Tianxiang's expression turned ugly, but constrained by status and the rules, she could not easily lash out; she merely cast a deep look at Tang San before departing with an unwilling Meng Yiran.

The ownership of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was thus settled. Oscar stepped forward excitedly and, with the help of Zhao Wuji, finished off the soul beast, beginning to absorb the pale purple thousand-year soul ring.

Throughout the entire process, Lin Yi remained like a bystander.

He saw the extraordinary mastery of hidden weapons displayed by Tang San, saw the protection Zhao Wuji and Flender offered their students, and saw the solidarity of the Shrek Seven Devils when facing external pressure.

He had even vaguely sensed another, more powerful aura lurking not far away the moment the Snake Matriarch appeared; it was surely Dragon Duke Meng Shu.

Had Zhao Wuji or Flender forcibly intervened just now, they likely would not have fared well.

His mission was to protect Ning Rongrong, not to solve every problem for Shrek Academy.

Excessive intervention would only disrupt the growth trajectories these people were meant to follow.

He simply stood by, silently restoring their soul power after their battles with soul beasts, ensuring the team always maintained a good state to handle any potential accidents.

Watching Oscar, who was ecstatic after successfully absorbing the soul ring and obtaining his third soul skill, "Rapid Flight Mushroom Sausage," and the companions surrounding him with congratulations, Lin Yi's gaze finally landed on Ning Rongrong.

She was happy for Oscar too, but deep in her eyes, there seemed to be a hidden trace of imperceptible envy and... loneliness.

Lin Yi knew that deep within the heart of this little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the desire to become stronger and the longing to be recognized were gradually being ignited.

And his existence was not only her protective umbrella, but perhaps, it would also become a kind of motivation for her to strive and catch up.

They were originally prepared to head back, but Tang San had broken through to level 30!