Once they'd eaten their fill, the smile never left Wang Dong's face.
She grabbed one of them with each hand and tugged Niu Tian and Tai Tan toward the dormitory.
"Big Uncle, Second Uncle, let me tell you, the old man who watches the entrance downstairs from our dorm is really interesting. He just sits there sunbathing every day and ignores everyone."
"And the homeroom teacher for Class One is an old lady. She's so fierce! Good thing I wasn't assigned to her class."
"Oh, right, right! The view from the roof of our dorm is wonderful. You can see Sea God Lake!"
Tai Tan stumbled as she tugged him along, but his face was full of indulgence, and he cheerfully played along.
"All right, all right. Whatever our Dong'er says goes."
"Slow down. Don't fall!"
The big one and the little one, one making a fuss and the other laughing, looked especially warm and cozy on the lively academy path.
Following behind them, Niu Tian watched the scene, and a rare, relaxed expression appeared on his face.
Yet beneath that relaxation, his thoughts never stopped turning.
Niu Tian had been pondering the whole way.
Pondering what exactly that person meant.
After ten thousand years, Douluo Continent had indeed become a very different place.
Since emerging into the world this time, Niu Tian had indeed seen many unfamiliar things.
The towering buildings, the novel Soul Tools, and the open and covert struggles among the great human empires—all of these certainly counted as changes.
He had to admit that compared with Soul Beasts, humanity's rate of development was downright terrifying.
Ten thousand years meant nothing to Soul Beasts, but for humans, it was enough to transform the entire continent beyond recognition.
Niu Tian couldn't even imagine what this continent would look like after another ten thousand years.
But no matter what, this was still just the mortal world.
Were these mundane changes truly worth that person personally inquiring about?
And why had he specifically emphasized Shrek?
That person resided in the Divine Realm and looked down upon countless worlds. Why would he care about the development of an academy in the lower realm?
Since he had deliberately sent down a divine decree and bestowed a jade tablet capable of maintaining a faint connection with the Divine Realm, whatever he was looking for couldn't be something so superficial.
But what was the key, exactly?
Niu Tian had the feeling that he'd overlooked some crucial clue, like a sheet of window paper that would tear with a single poke, yet he just couldn't find the right spot.
He slipped a hand into his wide sleeve and gently rubbed his fingertip over the smooth, warm jade tablet.
By rights, this should have been the clue that person had given them. It ought to offer some guidance at a critical moment.
Yet ever since he and his brother had entered Shrek City, the jade tablet had remained perfectly quiet. It hadn't glowed or changed temperature at all.
Niu Tian felt as if he'd overlooked some person or matter of tremendous importance.
He was just a tiny step away from connecting all the clues.
"Big Uncle, hurry up! Our dorm's right up ahead!"
While he was lost in thought, Wang Dong had already led Tai Tan ahead and was waving to him.
Niu Tian had no choice but to set his thoughts aside for now, answer her, and quicken his pace to catch up.
The sun shone brightly outside the Freshman Dormitory Building.
In the shade beside the entrance sat a battered wicker chair.
An old man in gray cloth, his back bent, lay in it with his eyes closed, basking in the sun.
As soon as Niu Tian reached the building, his footsteps halted without warning.
His gaze fell upon the old man.
Almost at the same moment, Mu En, lying in the wicker chair, slowly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met in midair.
Mu En's eyes looked cloudy and dim, like those of an ordinary old man on the verge of death.
He gave Niu Tian a casual glance, then closed his eyes again and continued rocking gently with the wicker chair, as if nothing had happened.
Niu Tian recognized who he was and felt a little surprised.
Within all of Shrek Academy, there was only one person with an aura so restrained yet unfathomably deep, one who could make even a Limit Douluo with a divinely bestowed body feel a faint pressure.
That person was the long-rumored Dragon God Douluo, the Sea God Pavilion Master, Mu En.
He hadn't expected to see him here.
Although Niu Tian considered himself unquestionably stronger than Mu En, he couldn't help feeling curious.
For someone powerful enough to shake the continent, was it really appropriate for him to appear here so calmly?
Was this meant to intimidate the two of them?
The thought crossed Niu Tian's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
There was no need for Mu En to do such a thing.
Since he and Tai Tan had already clearly expressed their goodwill to Yan Shaozhe and hadn't concealed their movements, if Mu En truly wanted to intimidate them, he could simply summon them to Sea God Pavilion.
That Golden Ancient Tree in Shrek Academy did have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Pretending to be a gatekeeper here would be gilding the lily.
It seemed their encounter this time was simply a coincidence.
Niu Tian could understand that perfectly.
After all, every powerhouse had their own quirks.
Compared with Evil Soul Masters who killed people and razed entire cities at the drop of a hat, Mu En's preference for sitting beneath the Freshman Dormitory Building like an old gatekeeper was an entirely ordinary hobby.
At the same time, Tai Tan sensed that something was amiss.
His thick brows furrowed slightly, and he fixed the old man in the wicker chair with a hostile stare.
The berserk power of the Titan Giant Ape stirred faintly within him.
He turned to look at Niu Tian, a question in his eyes.
Tai Tan had never been one for thinking things through. When something like this came up, he always left the decision to Niu Tian.
Niu Tian gave him a subtle look and shook his head slightly.
Since the other party hadn't revealed his identity or shown any hostility, they could all keep up the pretense.
Wang Dong hadn't noticed anything unusual between them. She released Tai Tan, went over to Mu En, and greeted him.
"Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
With his eyes closed, Mu En replied slowly.
"Sure is. Good weather for an old man to sit in the sun."
Seeing that the old gatekeeper was in a good mood today, Wang Dong hurriedly asked him,
"Gramps, these are my Big Uncle and Second Uncle. They're family, and they came to visit me today."
"Can I bring them inside to look around the dorm?"
Wang Dong pointed at Niu Tian and Tai Tan behind her.
Mu En nodded and said nothing more, but his permission was clear.
"Come on, Big Uncle, Second Uncle. I'll show you around the dorm."
With permission granted, Wang Dong ushered the two of them into the dormitory.
Tai Tan turned to look at Niu Tian.
Niu Tian nodded slightly.
The two followed Wang Dong. When they reached the chair, Niu Tian's steps slowed for a moment.
Looking at old Mu En, who had his eyes closed in repose, he said with a sigh,
"A new generation of talent emerges in every era."
The old man turned over and tugged his blanket up. His voice was calm.
"In the end, we're all just a mound of yellow earth."
Niu Tian gave him a long look, said nothing more, and stepped into the dormitory.
Not long after the three of them went inside, a slight, slender young man came down the path leading to the dormitory.
It was Huo Yuhao, just back from eating in the cafeteria.
Before you continue