After leaving the Extreme North, Cao Longyan raced all the way back and soon arrived at Shrek Academy.
He wasted no time, immediately seeking out Mu En, Xuan Zi, Bei Bei, Zhang Lexuan, and the others. He told them that his Soul Power had broken through to Level 37, making him a Soul Elder, and that he had awakened the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul. But he said nothing about his adventures in the Extreme North, his encounter with Meng Hongchen, or the secrets of the Guardian Spirits hidden behind it all.
After that, Cao Longyan went to the Soul Guidance Department to visit its two deputy deans, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo. He told them he had regained his Soul Power and could continue studying both martial arts and Soul Engineering.
Then he went to Rakshasa Street and saw Tang Ya's family. He discussed plans for the street's development in detail with Tang Ya's parents, urging them to expand steadily while staying alert to surprise attacks from the Holy Spirit Cult.
Meanwhile, Tang Ya was hiding behind her bedroom door, secretly watching Cao Longyan through a crack.
Seeing that he was safe and had regained his Soul Power, her worry for her idol finally faded.
But the hatred for the Holy Spirit Cult in her heart had never faded. She had to grow stronger!
With the first day of school drawing closer, Cao Longyan completed his enrollment in the Outer Court without a hitch.
Given his talent—even with part of his strength sealed—and his mastery of Soul Tools, he was more than qualified to enter the Inner Court directly.
But Mu En and Xuan Zi wouldn't let him. Everyone still remembered what had happened more than half a year ago, and the fear it had left behind.
None of them wanted him, not yet fully grown, to shoulder the risks of the Inner Court again or take on those dangerous surveillance missions.
Cao Longyan accepted their decision gladly, and was even secretly relieved.
He had planned to find an excuse to stay in the Outer Court anyway. On one hand, he wanted to develop quietly and keep his strength hidden; on the other, he wanted a chance to get close to the new student Huo Yuhao. He hadn't expected the others' decision to save him the trouble.
A few days before the school year began, Cao Longyan made a special trip to the Soul Guidance Department's testing area.
He hadn't worked on Soul Tools in a long time, but his hands were still steady. He deftly took out the components, then engraved the Soul Guidance Array with the same practiced ease as before, every movement smooth and precise.
In the blink of an eye, a perfect Level 4 Soul Tool took shape. It far surpassed the standard of an ordinary Level 4 Soul Tool and even came close to Level 5.
Everyone present was stunned.
The Soul Tool component in Fan Yu's hand clattered to the floor. His eyes went round, shock written all over his face. He hurried over, picked up the perfect Level 4 Soul Tool, and examined it from every angle.
"What a monster..."
Nearby, He Caitou gaped, unable to say a word for a long time. His gaze was full of awe and admiration.
The Street Boss was as powerful as ever...
He'd thought that now he'd finally become a Level 4 Soul Engineer, he could surpass Cao Longyan, who'd spent almost a year out of practice. Instead, reality had dealt him a blow right to the head.
The other students and teachers from the Soul Guidance Department crowded around, too. They stared at the perfect Level 4 Soul Tool, collectively drawing in a sharp breath as they murmured among themselves.
But only the first four people in the Soul Guidance Department knew about the changes to Cao Longyan.
"My god, could a kid of eleven or twelve really make this? This talent is terrifying!"
"Who is this monster?!"
"He's even better than Senior He Caitou. He's a genius of the Soul Guidance Department!"
The day before classes began, Cao Longyan packed his things and headed to the first-year dormitory.
Since the rear entrance of the dormitory building was closest to Sea God Island, he entered through the back.
He'd been assigned a three-person room and was the last to arrive. The other two beds had already been made.
One bed was plain and simple, with neatly arranged bedding and no extra decorations.
The other was the complete opposite, with luxurious bedding.
But he couldn't see either of his two roommates.
Cao Longyan quickly made his bed, set his backpack at its head, then went out through the front door to take a look around the Martial Soul Department.
As soon as he stepped outside, he glimpsed Mu En beneath a nearby tree, reclining in a chair with his eyes closed, looking perfectly at ease.
The Profound Ancestor really knew how to keep his feet on the ground...
A crowd of new students had gathered in front of the tree to watch. The sounds of fighting and cheering filled the air.
Having read Peerless Tang Sect, Cao Longyan knew without even looking that the two people surrounded by the crowd had to be Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
This... Had his transmigration's butterfly effect really failed to interfere with this fated showdown?
He had to admit, when it came to fate, Tang San's family was just too overpowered...
He hadn't expected that even after Cao Longyan had snatched most of Huo Yuhao's opportunities, Huo Yuhao would still make it into Shrek without a hitch. As expected of the chosen one.
Although he'd taken Huo Yuhao's opportunities, Cao Longyan had always liked the way Huo Yuhao was portrayed early on...
As for his later life, when Tang San used him as a pawn and controlled him from beginning to end, Cao Longyan just couldn't get interested...
Tang San, you want to use Huo Yuhao as a pawn and control his entire life...
Heh. You might be disappointed. With Cao Longyan around, your dream is going to fall apart. He would help Huo Yuhao escape your control and become the master of his own life.
As he considered how to draw Huo Yuhao to his side, Cao Longyan looked toward the crowd. Sure enough, he spotted a thin but stubborn figure, struggling to hold his own against his opponent with nothing but his Soul Power.
The match ended shortly afterward. With sheer, desperate grit, Huo Yuhao had beaten Wang Dong into submission and claimed victory. The spectators gradually dispersed.
Cao Longyan stepped forward and joined Mu En. The two began discussing Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who had just fought.
Afterward, they chatted a little longer, talking about everyday things. Their conversation was full of an elder's care for a junior and a junior's concern for an elder.
When they were done, Cao Longyan said goodbye to Mu En, wandered around the Outer Court's Martial Soul Department to get familiar with the place, and soaked up the campus life he'd missed for so long. Only then did he stroll back toward the dormitory.
Just as he was about to reach the dormitory entrance, a tall figure brushed past him.
She was a senior from the Shrek Inner Court, dressed in its uniform, with long, golden hair in big waves.
Cao Longyan found her strangely familiar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before. But he couldn't remember where, so he didn't dwell on it and continued straight into the dormitory.
The moment Jiang Nannan brushed past Cao Longyan, however, the aura around him felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
She paused, then turned instinctively to watch him walk away, her brows furrowing.
She felt there was something unmistakably similar about this junior and the red-haired boy Cao Longyan she'd known years ago.
But the Cao Longyan before her was completely different from the one she'd met back then. The only thing they probably had in common was that they were both short-haired boys.
Could he be little brother Longyan?
Cao Longyan didn't notice the gaze behind him. He went straight into the dormitory and returned to his room.
But the moment he stepped inside, he froze.
Two familiar figures stood in the room.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong?!
They turned to look at Cao Longyan at the same time.
A hint of curiosity flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. He gave Cao Longyan a slight nod and offered a shy smile.
"Hello, I'm Huo Yuhao, and this is Wang Dong."
Wang Dong frowned, his tone distant and a little haughty.
"So you're the last roommate? Why do you look so cold? And how come I feel like you're even more handsome than me?"
Cao Longyan looked at the two of them, the faintest smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"I'm Cao Longyan. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, I hope we'll get along."
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