Mu En's ruling brought the sparring match to a "draw."
Lin Ciyan neither agreed nor disagreed. A draw was a draw. He'd let his childhood friend save face. Just basic manners—no need to make a fuss.
However, Mu En's next words perked him up a little.
"Ci Yan, Bei Bei, you're both just over ten years old, yet you've already reached the Soul Elder realm. Your talent and foundation are more than sufficient." Mu En looked at the two boys before him, his tone calm but his decision unquestionable.
"There's no need to wait until the usual enrollment age of twelve."
"When the Outer Court opens in June, you can enroll directly."
It was March now, which meant they had three months left.
Then they'd have to say goodbye to their relatively free life on Sea God Island and become "official" students of Shrek Outer Court.
Lin Ciyan immediately began calculating what the Outer Court had to offer.
Academic classes? Douluo history, Martial Soul Theory, an encyclopedia of Soul Beasts...
He'd practically worn those books out already, using them as "bedtime reading" while lounging in his Golden Tree Hammock.
Physical education?
Endurance runs, basic sparring... With his physical conditioning, those were little more than warm-ups.
Electives?
An introduction to Soul Tools, herbal identification, mineralogy, continental geography...
Some of those sounded interesting, but they were probably all as basic as basic could be.
Going to the Outer Court would be a waste of time and an absolute knowledge-level stomp!
Wouldn't it be better to lounge around a little longer and secretly level up with the Slacking Accelerator?
Besides, speaking of how Shrek Outer Court came to be...
Four thousand years ago, Douluo and Sun Moon Continent collided, and war broke out.
In their hour of peril, Shrek Academy raised the call to arms, and countless people answered. A great many Titled Douluos rallied to the cause and joined forces to repel the enemy.
After that battle, the three great empires were horrified to discover that Shrek Academy's influence had become terrifyingly immense!
The top experts whom even they struggled to enlist within their own borders had gathered at Shrek's summons!
Fear and wariness naturally took root.
And so, as the product of compromise and balance, Shrek Outer Court was born.
It opened its doors to the entire continent and welcomed talented youths from every nation. To some extent, it also gave the three great empires a way to "plant their people" and give their scions a chance to "gild their credentials."
That was why the Inner Court was the soul and heart of Shrek, while the Outer Court was more like a super-camp for prodigies and a buffer zone for the various factions.
Lin Ciyan instinctively wanted to find Mu En and "discuss" whether he could get special permission to skip the Outer Court and go straight to the Inner Court once he was old enough.
After all, if there was a shortcut, why squeeze in with the newbies?
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a louder voice in his head drowned it out.
No! He had to go!
He could already picture the thousands of students crowding Shrek Outer Court!
They were a walking source of Slacking Influence and a potential treasure trove of Slacking Value!
The Slacking Accelerator is great, but who'd ever complain about having too much influence? Lin Ciyan's little schemes rattled away in his mind.
Besides, I've only got a little over seven thousand Slacking Value. Unlocking the next shop level is still a long way off.
If I want to build it up quickly, how can I avoid going somewhere crowded?
The Outer Court had plenty of people and relatively lax rules. It was the perfect stage for putting his "philosophy of relaxation" into practice and "showing off without anyone noticing"!
Sea God Island had too many big shots. He couldn't let loose there.
At that thought, the reluctance on Lin Ciyan's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a glint of sly anticipation.
"Yes, Teacher. We understand." He answered respectfully, already beginning to sketch out a beautiful future in which he could "slack off and cultivate at the same time" in the Outer Court.
Shrek Outer Court?
It wasn't a constraint. It was a vast "new map" about to open up just for him!
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three months, Lin Ciyan made no deliberate trips to the city to "grind" influence.
After all, a moderate effort meant gratifying cultivation speed.
Too much effort, and he'd feel miserable all over.
With the Slacking Accelerator's steady boost, he felt his current pace already met his expectations for "Relaxation Cultivation." His motto was sustainable development: slow and steady.
He still spent most of his time in the Golden Tree Hammock, engaging in "Deep Meditation"—which looked no different from sleeping to anyone watching.
The results were significant.
Over those three months, his cultivation had advanced naturally, and his Soul Power had broken through once more, reaching level thirty-four!
Meanwhile, thanks to Bei Bei's private, hard work...
And the boost of the Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura whenever Bei Bei was around Lin Ciyan...
He had advanced in tandem, also reaching level thirty-four.
Looks like, with all these bonuses, the cultivation speed of my Ultimate Attribute is finally starting to approach that of a normal Soul Elder? Lin Ciyan was satisfied with the progress.
I'll never work myself to the bone, but it's pretty nice being able to catch up while lying down.
With the start of the school year drawing near, they needed to complete their registration. Lin Ciyan lay in the soft hammock, his thoughts drifting.
The Outer Court side quest is about to begin... Which "canon NPCs" will I run into?
Tang Ya? Jiang Nannan? Or Xu Sanshi, the guy with the Black Tortoise Turtle Martial Soul? I hope there won't be too much trouble. Slacking in peace is the way to go.
Just as his thoughts wandered off, a familiar ripple passed through his Sea of Consciousness.
Light shimmered around him, and Xiyao's figure appeared, shifting from ethereal to solid as she drifted down beside him.
As soon as the girl of light appeared, she was like a weary bird returning to its nest. She naturally leaned forward, resting her upper body lightly against his chest.
Her exquisite, flawless cheek nuzzled against the hollow of his neck, seeking comfort. She took a deep breath of the pure Holy Radiance that made her feel safe and enamored, then let out a faint, contented sigh.
"Ci Yan..." Her voice was soft with drowsiness and complete trust.
Lin Ciyan had long since grown accustomed to Xiyao's increasingly affectionate gestures, which had first surprised him and now only earned his indulgence.
Over the past few months, as they spent their days and nights together, their soul bond had grown ever closer. Xiyao had become increasingly dependent on him—especially on the light-attribute aura around him.
Sometimes, he even had to condense some highly concentrated light-attribute energy and feed it to her.
Now, feeling the cool softness of the girl in his arms and seeing the contentment and peace flowing through her pure golden eyes, Lin Ciyan couldn't help but soften.
He raised a hand and gently stroked Xiyao's silvery hair, as if it had been spun from moonlight. It felt cool and smooth, like flowing light.
Xiyao narrowed her eyes in pleasure, like a cat being petted.
She lifted her head slightly and leaned closer to Lin Ciyan's cheek. Her cool lips, haloed in light, brushed against his face like a feather, leaving a faint, cool dampness behind.
"I like... this," she murmured. Her light-forged arms circled his neck, drawing her closer, as if she wanted to melt into his aura.
Lin Ciyan stiffened for a moment, then relaxed completely, accepting her closeness and dependence.
He lowered his head and looked at the soul in his arms, pure as light yet completely open to him. An odd, tender ripple stirred in his heart.
He wrapped an arm gently around her slender waist. With his other hand, he soothingly patted her back, once, then again.
"Mm, I know," he replied softly, his voice warmer and more indulgent than he realized.
The Golden Ancient Tree's branches rustled in the evening breeze, scattering dappled, gentle light and shadow.
They surrounded the two embracing figures in an atmosphere of quiet warmth, with just a hint of intimacy.
Life in the Outer Court might bring new challenges and unknowns.
But for now, this unique bond and serenity were the warmest anchor in his Relaxation Cultivation.