When a Child Goes Quiet, You Know They're Up to No Good

A few days later, outside Shrek City.

After Tang Ya woke up, Liu Yuan and the others headed straight toward Shrek City, where Shrek Academy was located.

At last, they arrived.

"Brother Liu, Little Huo, I'll take you to register." Over the past few days, Huo Yuhao had diligently cultivated and finally made a breakthrough, reaching the admission requirements.

Thus, Bei Bei extended the invitation.

"I'd better not."

Liu Yuan waved his hand, smiling as he politely declined.

"Recruitment has only just begun, so we're not in a hurry. We plan to spend a few days exploring Shrek City first, relaxing properly and experiencing the local customs while we're at it."

But in truth,

Liu Yuan simply did not want to enter Freshman Class One.

Everyone knew Zhou Yi was a complete lunatic. Becoming her student would only be asking for trouble.

So why bother?

It would be better to go later and get assigned to a normal teacher's class. That way, everyone would be happy.

"I see."

Bei Bei did not press the matter. Instead, he told them that only the north, west, and south gates could be used to enter Shrek City. "...As for the east gate, it leads directly into the academy. We'll be waiting for you at the academy. If anything comes up, you can come find us for help."

Now that they had grown familiar with one another, Liu Yuan teased him lightly. "Then I'll have to trouble the young master when the time comes."

Bei Bei was not embarrassed by the teasing. Instead, he played along with the joke. "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key..."

"Let's go!"

At that moment, the silent Tang Ya suddenly spoke. Without even looking back, she headed straight for the east gate.

Bei Bei was immediately baffled. She had been perfectly fine a few days ago, so why had Tang Ya's mood worsened again and again after obtaining her Soul Ring, until she had become completely expressionless?

"Xiao Ya, wait for me!"

Seeing that his shout not only failed to slow Tang Ya down, but instead made her walk even faster, Bei Bei could only bid Liu Yuan and Huo Yuhao farewell before hurriedly chasing after her.

After the two had run far away,

Liu Yuan and Huo Yuhao also headed toward the south gate.

As they walked, Huo Yuhao spoke up. "Brother, doesn't Senior Tang Ya seem a little off?"

Without turning his head, Liu Yuan replied, "Girls always have a few uncomfortable days every month. Maybe Tang Ya happened to run into that lately. But you only noticed now?"

"Not just now..."

Thinking back on the past few days, Huo Yuhao shook his head. "I've always felt that Senior Tang Ya hasn't been in high spirits. Do you think it might be because we mentioned, while traveling, that the Tang Sect had declined?"

"But the Tang Sect's decline was inevitable."

Although he cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, Liu Yuan did not spare the Tang Sect any mercy in his judgment.

Living off its old foundations, refusing to make progress;

Rigid rules, no understanding of adaptation.

Those two points alone were enough to destroy any faction! So what was there to resent about the Tang Sect's decline?

Liu Yuan recalled Tang Ya's life...

Perhaps, in her eyes, the true pain was not the Tang Sect's decline. It was that after its decline, her parents had died and her ancestors' legacy had been seized, leaving her without a home.

"She isn't angry because the Tang Sect declined."

Was that so?

Huo Yuhao scratched his head.

His thoughts took a rather unusual turn. "Then could it be related to Senior Bei Bei? Could Senior Bei Bei have made Senior Tang Ya angry?" As he spoke, he looked over curiously, hoping for an answer.

Liu Yuan: "..."

What a joke!

He had been single in both his lives, and this kid was asking him about that? How was he supposed to know what girls thought?

So he said coldly, "I don't know."

"Huh? Why don't you know?"

Seeing that Huo Yuhao was still asking,

Thump—

Liu Yuan did not answer with words, but with his hand. He gave Huo Yuhao a solid knock on the head. "Enough! What nonsense are you thinking about!? Come ask that question again once you've got yourself a girlfriend!"

Huo Yuhao looked aggrieved as he covered his head and continued courting death. "Brother, then when will you get a girlfriend?"

"..."

After a stretch of silence, Liu Yuan could not keep up his composure any longer. Embarrassed into anger, he snapped, "So noisy!"

Thump—

Another heavy knock landed on his head.

"Let's go!"

This time, Huo Yuhao said nothing.

He merely covered his head and silently followed Liu Yuan into Shrek City amid the bustling crowd.

Star Dou Forest,

Core region, the Land of Great Peril.

"Awoo—" Scarlet King let out a mournful howl.

Clearly, he had been beaten badly.

Di Tian stared at Scarlet King, his tone icy. "If there is a next time, I'll skin you alive!"

"There won't be a next time, there won't be a next time." All three of his heads shook furiously, swaying at incredible speed.

"Hmph—get lost!"

Scarlet King said nothing. He merely glanced back at Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who was still being made to stand there as punishment by Di Tian, before turning and racing away from the shore of the Lake of Life.

Only after Scarlet King had left and vanished from sight did Di Tian look helplessly at Three-Eyed Golden Lion. "You little thing! You're far too naughty. You should know how dangerous that was. In the future, don't leave the core region so casually." Although his voice was doting, it also carried a trace of reprimand.

"I understand."

An imperceptible strange glint flickered in Three-Eyed Golden Lion's eyes as she silently admitted her mistake. "I'll definitely behave myself for the next few years. I'm going into seclusion to cultivate. I won't go out again until my cultivation bears fruit."

Then she lowered her head.

She turned around and walked off in another direction.

Watching Three-Eyed Golden Lion's retreating figure, suspicion flashed through Di Tian's eyes. "Did I speak too harshly?"

"Perhaps." A woman in a green dress walked to Di Tian's side, her eyes filled with affection for Three-Eyed Golden Lion. "The Auspicious Beast is still a child. Since she was little, she has never been scolded like that."

"Ah—"

Di Tian slowly let out a helpless sigh. "Bi Ji, I only did it for her own good."

He gazed beyond the Star Dou Forest. A trace of gravity showed in his golden eyes.

"A few days ago, that burst of spiritual fluctuation was incredibly powerful. Judging by its aura alone, it had already surpassed the mortal realm—it was divine! I was worried that a god from the God Realm might target the Auspicious Beast, which was why I became so anxious."

"But now, it seems that a god probably chose an inheritor in the lower realm. Humans..."

Bi Ji remained silent, merely soothing Di Tian.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "Are you really going to let the little one remain in seclusion for so long? Can she endure the loneliness?"

"Well..." Di Tian pondered slightly. "Since she proposed it herself, I suppose she means it. Besides, after this experience, the little one has probably grown up."

But what Di Tian did not know was,

When a child went quiet, she was definitely up to no good!

After leaving Di Tian's sight, Three-Eyed Golden Lion no longer looked dejected. Her entire body brimmed with energy as she excitedly ran back to her residence.

The moment she lay down,

A dazzling golden light enveloped her entire body.

Within the golden radiance, her beast form gradually faded.

Slowly, a human figure emerged, indistinctly visible...