Ling Luochen

Luochen was a member of that Shrek Inspectorate team.

Over the past two days, Lu Ran had figured out the timeline: over a year ago, Xuan Zi led a team to the Star Dou Great Forest and encountered an accident. Zhang Lexuan was severely injured and took more than half a year to recover. This time, she led a group including the first-year inner court student Luochen to form a Shrek Inspectorate team to investigate Evil Soul Master activities in Star Luo. After finishing, they encountered Lu Ran while passing through the outer fringes of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Luochen walked over and scrutinized Lu Ran.

Although only two days had passed, it was obvious that he had changed; there was an indescribable feeling about him.

Clearly, he had already awakened his soul power.

Out of politeness, Luochen offered her congratulations: "Congratulations."

On this continent, being able to awaken soul power was truly a stroke of great fortune.

"But,"

A trace of doubt flashed through her beautiful eyes: "How did you get into the inner court?"

It wasn't as if bold outer court students hadn't tried to sneak into the inner court before, but it was almost impossible to succeed, let alone for someone like Lu Ran who had just awakened.

Lu Ran scratched his hair: "Um... I rowed a boat here, planning to go to the outer court library."

Luochen was puzzled; how did he end up in the inner court while trying to go to the outer court library?

"Let me take you out of the inner court first. Outer court students will be punished if they are discovered here."

Lu Ran really wanted to say that he wasn't even an outer court student, but since their destinations were the same, there was no need to over-explain.

Arriving at the edge of the Sea God Lake, the shimmering water was clear and azure, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the lush trees lining the shore.

There was still no bridge.

Luochen lit up a century-old Soul Ring, condensing a two-meter-long ice crystal staff. The surrounding temperature dropped significantly.

As the ice crystal staff tapped lightly on the water, the rippling lake surface froze, spreading rapidly forward until it finally formed an ice path.

So flashy?!

Lu Ran witnessed the entire process and sighed in admiration.

Luochen stepped onto it gracefully and turned to look at him: "Let's go."

Lu Ran stepped on as well. A faint chill came from beneath his feet, but it wasn't slippery at all; it was quite stable and solid, not at all like a floating bridge made of ice.

They successfully crossed the Sea God Lake and arrived at the outer court at the end of the ice bridge.

Sounds could be heard faintly in the distance. Compared to the inner court with its fewer than one hundred people, the outer court had over four thousand students.

Luochen stood on the ice bridge and pointed: "The outer court library is in that direction."

"Many thanks, Sister Luochen."

Lu Ran stepped onto the outer court bank, thanked Luochen, and turned to leave, but was called back: "Wait, do you have a student card?"

Lu Ran was stunned, suddenly realizing he didn't have a student card.

He couldn't get into the library.

Shrek used two things to verify a student's identity: badges and student cards. Badges were divided into freshman badges, outer court badges, and inner court badges. Student cards recorded a student's name, age, soul power, and other information. In addition, there were teacher cards and the like. With a student card, one could borrow all books on the first floor of the outer court library for free.

However, borrowing from the second floor and above required payment.

After a few seconds of silence, he realized his oversight. The libraries he had visited before were all open-access, so he had habitually ignored this issue.

Lu Ran let out a long sigh: "Thank you for helping me over, Sister Luochen... I will go back and find a way."

He would see if he could get some kind of temporary permit or something similar.

"Hehe, that won't be necessary."

A gentle voice rang out. Yan Shaozhe appeared out of nowhere with a warm smile.

"Dean." "Dean Yan."

The two spoke at the same time, but Luochen's voice was clearly filled with surprise, not understanding why the Dean, who rarely appeared, would suddenly show up here.

In truth, Yan Shaozhe had discovered Lu Ran back when he was speeding across the Sea God Lake. He had almost fainted from anger on the spot because Lu Ran's boat was a Soul Tool!

For a long time, Yan Shaozhe had not supported Shrek in vigorously developing the Soul Guidance Department. This wasn't entirely due to internal resource allocation issues, but more because Shrek could never surpass the Sun Moon Empire in Soul Tools.

The Sun Moon Empire had been exploring soul technology for ten thousand years and possessed ten thousand years of technical accumulation. It could be said that the entire country was built upon Soul Tools.

And what did Shrek have? One Soul Guidance Department—where would they get the resources and talent to compete with the Sun Moon Empire?

How could one possibly win by competing in the opponent's area of expertise?

It would be better to focus entirely on developing Martial Souls; the odds of success would be much higher.

He handed him a badge. It was entirely silver-white with only a few simple lines on it.

"In the academy, this badge can prove your identity."

Luochen's heart was even more surprised. The Dean was giving out a badge personally?

Even inner court students didn't get this kind of treatment.

But wasn't he just an ordinary child?

Lu Ran put it away: "Many thanks, Dean."

Yan Shaozhe waved his hand: "The Inner Court library is free of charge; why not go there?"

Lu Ran explained: "I was in a small village before and knew nothing. Now that I have the opportunity, I want to learn more about the continent, and the Outer Court library is more suitable for me."

Yan Shaozhe nodded; it was indeed necessary to learn more.

"Very well, then be off."

He turned to look at Ling Luochen, his voice remaining gentle: "Do not spread word that I was here."

Ling Luochen responded: "Yes, Dean."

In a flash, Yan Shaozhe vanished without a sound, as if he had never appeared at all.

Ling Luochen looked at Lu Ran in a daze; that small figure suddenly seemed to grow tall and unfathomable.

She suddenly couldn't make sense of the situation.

Does Lu Ran have high talent?

That can't be right.

Even Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan didn't receive such treatment.

Could it be that Dean Yan is secretly...

No, even if that were true, it would be impossible to meet in the Star Dou Great Forest.

This thought stayed in her mind for a second before being kicked out.

Countless thoughts flashed by, none of them the answer.

But since Yan Shaozhe had spoken, she dared not ask more.

"Then you go ahead first."

Lu Ran thanked Ling Luochen and walked toward the library.

Ling Luochen watched his figure disappear around the bend, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion as she bit her lip.

Afterward, Lu Ran lived a life of two points and one line.

Cultivating and reading, though most of the time was spent on cultivation.

During this period, The food he ate was no longer ordinary; it consisted of thousand-year-old lingzhi and ten-thousand-year-old dragon bones, which were both nutritious and delicious.

The Rock Crystal Dragon also had a special diet, eating until its belly was round every day.

Coupled with the unparalleled cultivation environment of the Sea God Pavilion, His soul power increased rapidly, and his height grew just as swiftly.

Having suffered from malnutrition and working under the sun and wind, Lu Ran had always been thin and small, but after a year of nutritional supplementation, he shot up from under one meter to over one meter forty, nearing one meter fifty. Although this was still a normal height for his age group, the speed was frightening.

His skin also became delicate and fair, as if he were a different person.

One could only say that soul power truly promotes development.

One year later, His soul power had reached level twenty, and it was time to absorb his second Soul Ring.