In the end, the two still arrived at the Class Nine classroom on time.
Xiao Xiao had already been waiting for them at her seat. The little girl had put on a new hairband today, with white bows tied around her light green twin tails. She looked fresh and adorable. When she saw Su Chen and Wang Dong come in, her eyes immediately lit up.
"Su Chen! Wang Dong! Good morning!" Xiao Xiao waved to them, her voice bright and clear.
"Morning." Su Chen nodded and walked to his seat in the second-to-last row.
Wang Dong followed behind him. As she passed Xiao Xiao, she pulled a small jade bottle from her arms and casually handed it over. "Here. Su Chen got this for you."
Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, then took the jade bottle. When she saw the emerald-green pill inside, her eyes widened instantly. "Th-this is... a Soul Ascension Pill?!"
Her voice trembled with excitement. As a Soul Master, Xiao Xiao knew all too well how precious a Soul Ascension Pill was.
A pill that could directly raise one's Soul Power by a level was incredibly valuable across the entire continent.
"Class, Class Monitor..." Xiao Xiao turned to look at Su Chen, who had already sat down. Her little face flushed with excitement. "Thank you... This is so precious..."
Su Chen looked up at her. "It's nothing. Just call me Su Chen, like Wang Dong does. 'Class Monitor' sounds awkward."
Xiao Xiao's face turned even redder.
Su Chen... He told me to call him by his name...
D-does this mean... that we've gotten closer?
The little drama in the girl's heart began playing out wildly:
"He told me to call him Su Chen! Not Class Monitor, but Su Chen!"
"Could that be a hint? A hint that I don't need to be so formal?"
"Could it be that he... likes me too?"
"But Wang Dong calls him Su Chen too... No, no, that's different. Wang Dong's his roommate, of course she calls him by his name. So what about me..."
The more Xiao Xiao thought about it, the redder her face became, until even her ears were scarlet. The hand holding the jade bottle trembled slightly. In her mind, she had already imagined an entire youthful romance.
Sitting beside Su Chen, Wang Dong watched Xiao Xiao looking like a girl in love and couldn't help rolling her eyes.
That little Xiao Xiao is off imagining things again. He just told her to call him by his name. Is there any need to blush that much?
Come to think of it... Wang Dong sneaked a glance at Su Chen. Isn't this guy a little too nice to Xiao Xiao? Why is he always so sharp-tongued with me?
"Hey, Xiao Xiao." Wang Dong tapped her desk, her tone tinged with teasing. "What are you daydreaming about now? You're about to start drooling."
"Huh?!" Xiao Xiao jumped in fright and instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth. When she realized there was no drool, she knew she'd been tricked. "Wang Dong! You're awful!"
"Awful?" Wang Dong raised an eyebrow. "Then do you still want this Soul Ascension Pill?"
"..." Xiao Xiao immediately clutched the jade bottle to her chest like a kitten guarding its food. "Who takes back something they've already given away?"
The day's classes passed quickly. Teacher Mu Jin's teaching style was gentle and thorough, and the students of Class Nine gradually grew familiar with one another.
As class monitor, Su Chen had to take care of some class duties, such as passing along notices. Fortunately, Ning Tian was a capable vice monitor and helped him out, so it wasn't too much trouble.
After class, Wang Dong dragged Su Chen straight back to the dormitory.
"Come on, come on, come on! Let's get back and cultivate!" Wang Dong was full of energy. "The Freshman Assessment is just over a month away. I need to hurry and get stronger! I can't let you all leave me too far behind!"
Su Chen let himself be tugged along, somewhat helpless. "What's the rush? Cultivation should be gradual."
"That's what you geniuses say!" Wang Dong rolled her eyes. "For ordinary people like us, if we don't push ourselves, how are we supposed to catch up?"
Su Chen: "..."
If the little princess of the Clear Sky Sect is ordinary, then there aren't any geniuses in this world.
When they returned to the dormitory, Wang Dong immediately began cultivating without a word. Su Chen watched her from behind, shook his head, and sat down cross-legged as well.
The Freshman Assessment was a little over a month away. That seemed like plenty of time, but he had his own plans: break through to level thirty, obtain his third Soul Ring, then head to the Far North to obtain his Second Martial Soul.
The entire process would take no more than a dozen days of travel.
I need to pick up the pace. Su Chen closed his eyes and began circulating his Soul Power.
Meanwhile, at the very heart of Shrek Academy—Sea God Island.
An exceptionally rare emergency meeting was underway in the Sea God Pavilion's grand conference hall.
As the highest governing body of Shrek Academy, the Sea God Pavilion only convened when the academy faced a major incident or when its future direction was at stake. This was also the highest-level meeting in Shrek Academy. Only the vice presidents and presidents of the Spirit Department and Soul Guidance Department, along with the elders of the Elder Hall, were entitled to attend. Important matters were decided by a show of hands.
Even the four presidents and vice presidents each had only one vote at a Sea God Pavilion Meeting.
But today's meeting revolved around a newly enrolled student—Su Chen.
At the center of the Sea God Pavilion's grand conference hall stood a heavy, ancient oval table. Ten of Shrek's most powerful figures sat around it. At the innermost seat of honor sat an old man dressed in gray cloth, his appearance heavy with the air of twilight.
He was Mu En, the current master of the Sea God Pavilion and the Dragon God Douluo.
This level-ninety-nine Limit Douluo usually posed as a gatekeeper at the entrance to the Freshman Dormitory Building. Now, however, he sat in the highest seat of the Sea God Pavilion. Though he still looked as if he might draw his last breath at any moment, whenever his seemingly cloudy eyes opened, a glint sharp enough to make one's heart shudder would flash within them.
The seat to Mu En's left was occupied by a slovenly old man. His hair was a tangled mess, his clothes were stained with grease, and he was chewing on a chicken leg, completely oblivious to the occasion.
But no one should underestimate him. Though he looked unremarkable, he was Shrek Academy's second-strongest expert, a level-ninety-eight Super Douluo—the Taotie Douluo, Xuan Zi! He was also well-known across the continent.
Xuan Zi had only recently returned to the academy, and had just heard from Yan Shaozhe about the "monster genius" Su Chen who had enrolled. It should have been good news, but the "monster" was a descendant of angels.
The seat to Mu En's right was occupied by an elderly woman with graying hair at her temples. She was the mother of Xian Lin'er, president of the Soul Guidance Department, and one of Shrek Academy's elders—a level-ninety-seven Super Douluo known as Elder Song.
Further down either side of the table sat four unfamiliar elders, each a Super Douluo. They were the true foundation of Shrek Academy.
Only after them came Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, Xian Lin'er, and Qian Duo Duo, the four presidents and vice presidents of the Spirit Department and Soul Guidance Department.
The atmosphere in the conference hall was solemn and heavy.
At that moment, Mu En, reclining in his chair, slowly spoke in a hoarse, low voice. "Since everyone's here, Shao Zhe, you may preside."
As soon as his voice fell, the elders all sat up straight, their expressions solemn. Even Xuan Zi, who had been eating and drinking, quickly wiped his greasy hand on his clothes and straightened up, looking serious—though he still held the chicken leg in his hand.
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