The middle-aged man sat in a chair, wearing a dark blue uniform with the Shrek Academy badge pinned to his chest. His hair was gray, and his face was deeply wrinkled, but his eyes were sharp, clearly indicating that he was an experienced Soul Master. The moment he saw Ye Xinglan emerge, he jumped up from his chair, his worry and anxiety undisguised.
" Xinglan, you're finally out!"
The teacher leading the group sounded visibly relieved. He quickly walked up to Ye Xinglan, looked her up and down, and only relaxed after confirming that she was not seriously injured.
"You have no idea how worried we were about you. You were inside for almost ten hours, four hours longer than scheduled. We all thought something had happened to you, and we were almost about to request the Spirit Pagoda staff to go in and search for you."
The teacher in charge spoke quickly, with a hint of reproach in her tone, but more than anything, she was concerned.
Seeing her teacher's anxious expression, Ye Xinglan felt a little guilty. She knew her teacher was genuinely worried about her. Shrek Academy placed great importance on student safety, and there were strict time limits for entering the Spirit Ascension Platform each time; exceeding the time limit would be considered an accident.
"I'm fine, teacher."
Ye Xinglan's voice was calm, and she raised her hand to signal to the teacher not to worry.
The teacher in charge was about to say something when a boy next to her rushed over.
He was a chubby little boy with a round face, big eyes, and fair skin, looking kind and cute. He was short and stout, and when he ran, he looked like a rolling ball, but he was quite fast.
"Sister Xinglan!"
Xu Lizhi rushed to Ye Xinglan, his chubby face full of worry. His eyes were red, as if he had just cried, and the tip of his nose was also red.
"You're finally out! You scared me to death. You were in there for so long, I thought you were in some danger. The teacher said he would go in to look for you, but the people at the Spirit Pagoda said the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform was too big and it would take time to find someone, so we waited outside for hours..."
Xu Lizhi was very talkative, speaking rapidly, like a machine gun. His voice trembled slightly, and his chubby hands gestured in front of him, expressing his anxiety and worry.
Ye Xinglan felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at the chubby little boy. Xu Lizhi was her teammate at the Shrek Academy. Although his strength wasn't top-notch, he was kind-hearted, sincere, and a trustworthy partner.
"I'm fine, Ryuchi."
Ye Xinglan interrupted him, her tone gentle but firm, "I'm really fine. See, I'm perfectly alright, aren't I?"
She spread her arms and spun around in front of Xu Lizhi, showing off her perfectly healthy body.
Xu Lizhi looked her over carefully and, after confirming that she was indeed unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped his eyes and a smile appeared on his chubby face.
"It's good that Sister Xinglan is alright, it's good that she's alright."
The teacher in charge calmed down. He walked up to Ye Xinglan, carefully observed her breathing, and then nodded.
"Your Soul Power fluctuations are much stronger than before you went in; it seems you've gained quite a bit."
Ye Xinglan nodded and calmly uttered words that shocked everyone present.
"My Soul Spirit has been elevated to the five-thousand-year level."
The teacher in charge of the group's eyes widened.
Xu Lizhi's mouth opened into an "O" shape.
Xie Xie raised his eyebrows.
A five-thousand-year-old Soul Spirit is an extremely high level of cultivation for a three-ring Soul Master. Many four-ring Soul Master cannot even reach five thousand years of cultivation in their Soul Spirit, but Ye Xinglan achieved this when she was only in her thirties.
Five thousand years?
The teacher leading the group sounded visibly surprised, "It had only been three thousand years before you went in, and you advanced two thousand years in just ten hours? What exactly did you encounter inside?"
Ye Xinglan did not answer. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and the image of that taciturn boy with Light Gold Vertical Pupils reappeared in her mind.
Seeing that she didn't speak, the teacher in charge didn't press her further. He knew Ye Xinglan well and knew she wasn't the type to lie; if she said her Soul Spirit had been elevated to five thousand years, then it must be five thousand years.
"Anyway, it's good that you got out safely."
The teacher leading the group patted Ye Xinglan on the shoulder, "Let's go back to the academy. Everyone else has already gone back; only a few of you are left."
Ye Xinglan nodded and followed the teacher toward the door.
She took two steps and then suddenly stopped.
She turned around and looked at the teacher in charge, her azure eyes showing a hint of seriousness.
"Teacher, do you know about the Eastsea Academy?"
In Eastsea City, Wu Zhangkong and Zhong Shenxiu emerged from the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda. One was tall and the other short. If it weren't for their different hair colors, they would look like brothers to ordinary people. They were two handsome men with a cool and indifferent demeanor.
Wu Zhangkong's expression was gentle, like a kind older brother next door. He ruffled Zhong Shenxiu's hair and asked, " Shenxiu, how was your experience inside?"
Zhong Shenxiu raised an eyebrow, seemingly still savoring the battle. "Not bad, I felt a bit of pressure again after a long time. My first Soul Spirit is almost at the ten-thousand-year level." He paused, then continued, "And I also encountered people from Shrek inside."
Wu Zhangkong Wu Zhangkong became alert. As a student from the Shrek Academy, he knew the guys there all too well. He asked with a hint of nervousness, "Did they attack you? Or did they invite you to Shrek?!"
Zhong Shenxiu shook his head, recalling Ye Xinglan's promise to him before leaving, and chuckled, "No, it was a guy about my age who wanted to challenge me to a duel."
Wu Zhangkong's expression changed again, and he asked with a puzzled look, "A challenge?"
Zhong Shenxiu nodded affirmatively. "Ah! It should be a good battle."
After much thought, Wu Zhangkong realized it wasn't impossible. After leaving Shrek and truly experiencing society on his own, he discovered just how domineering and unreasonable the teachings Shrek Academy had instilled in him were. Therefore, Wu Zhangkong chuckled and said, "Actually, Shrek Academy does have quite a few advantages..."
Zhong Shenxiu raised his eyes and eyebrows, waiting for Wu Zhangkong to continue.
Wu Zhangkong stammered for a long time, unable to think of how to tell Zhong Shenxiu. He couldn't very well say that the students of the Shrek Academy disregarded Federation law, went around challenging other schools, broke limbs at the slightest disagreement, or even trespassed on military bases, could he?!
Zhong Shenxiu's gaze never left Wu Zhangkong, a slight, ambiguous smile playing on his lips. This caused the renowned, icy teacher of the Eastsea Academy to blush instantly, and in annoyance, slap Zhong Shenxiu on the back of the head. "Don't make fun of your teacher!"
Zhong Shenxiu then chuckled, replying perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, yes."
The two figures walked towards the Eastsea Academy, bathed in the setting sun.
"Teacher," Zhong Shenxiu suddenly spoke.
Wu Zhangkong was staring blankly at the shops on the street when he heard this and turned his head. "What's wrong?"
"Are all people who come out of the Shrek Academy like you?" Zhong Shenxiu asked casually, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness.