Heading to Shrek

"Absolutely not!"

Ling An immediately vetoed the idea.

"Shrek Academy is the greatest academy in the world. If you voluntarily withdraw, outsiders will not see it that way. They will only think you failed the academy's assessment and were expelled. That would not only affect your future, but also the Ling family's reputation."

Neither father nor daughter could convince the other, and the two found themselves at an impasse.

"Um... actually, you don't need to argue."

Ling Tianchen helplessly raised a hand.

All three pairs of eyes immediately turned to him.

"Having Sister Luochan maintain Ultimate Ice right now may not necessarily be a good thing."

"Ultimate attributes are certainly powerful, but they also make soul power accumulation more difficult. With Sister's current cultivation, it would instead slow her progress. It would be more appropriate to complete the final transformation after she breaks through to a higher realm."

At this point, Ling Tianchen looked at Ling Luochan and spoke seriously.

"Sister, trust me. I'll give you an even better opportunity, so don't be too eager to obtain Ultimate Ice right now, okay?"

"Fine... since it's a request from my adorable little brother, your sister can only agree."

She reached out and gently rubbed Ling Tianchen's soft blue hair.

"But you have to keep your word. If you dare lie to your sister when the time comes... your sister will get angry."

She deliberately raised her little fist and put on a fierce expression.

"How could I? I like Sister the most."

The smile on Ling Luochan's face grew even brighter. She bent down and gently embraced Ling Tianchen, her voice so tender it seemed capable of melting ice and snow.

"Sister likes Tianchen the most too."

"From now on, let's always be together and never separate for the rest of our lives, okay?"

Together?

Why did that suddenly feel a little like an overprotective older sister?

No, no. This was Sister sincerely expressing her feelings. How could he let his mind wander during such a heartwarming moment? He had to be overthinking it.

It was all because he had watched too much weird anime in his past life...

"Okay."

Ling Tianchen nodded without the slightest hesitation.

Beside them, Ling An and Shui Wuyue exchanged a glance.

There was relief in both their eyes, along with a faint trace of worry.

They were relieved that the two children still shared such a deep bond, but worried because Luochan's dependence on Tianchen seemed to have far exceeded what was normal between siblings.

However, seeing the heartfelt smiles on the siblings' faces, they ultimately remained silent in mutual understanding.

Five years later.

A luxurious carriage drawn by two horn-scaled horses slowly came to a stop outside Shrek City's eastern gate.

The carriage door opened, and a youth dressed in white leaped down.

He looked to be around eleven years old. His ice-blue short hair was soft and naturally neat, while his features were exquisite to the point of near perfection. Yet between his brows rested a steadiness far beyond his age. His light brown eyes were clear and calm. Simply standing there, he possessed a presence that made it difficult to look away.

In the end, he had still chosen to attend Shrek Academy.

He had been born in the Heaven Soul Empire. Though he did not feel much attachment to it, his family did, so naturally he would not go to the Sun Moon Empire and become a loner.

Without a body martial soul, he could not join the Body Sect. The three great empires were all more or less the same—he could go, but they were nothing special. Without royal blood, he might be restricted everywhere and regarded with suspicion by the imperial family. Of course, that was before the Sun Moon Empire had revealed its fangs.

When it came to choosing the least terrible option, Shrek was naturally the only road left. If he displayed a little of his talent, Shrek would give him the resources he wanted. Still, he did not want to become too deeply tied to the Shrek faction, so he would observe first.

If Shrek could still be saved, taking it over for himself would not be impossible. After all, he had no interest in building a faction from scratch, though cultivating a few people around him was certainly fine.

Before Shrek Academy's eastern gate, a slender figure was waving at him.

"Tianchen, over here!"

Ling Tianchen looked over, and the corners of his lips rose into a faint smile.

Five years had passed, and the eighteen-year-old Ling Luochan had long since shed the immaturity of her girlhood.

She still wore a light blue dress, with pale blue hair falling over her shoulders. Her skin was fairer than snow, and her features were cool and distant. The icy aloofness that kept others at arm's length vanished the instant she saw Ling Tianchen.

Though she was still some way from being called a mature beauty, she had already grown into a graceful young woman.

Ling Tianchen first nodded to the Soul Emperor guard who had escorted him all the way.

"You've worked hard. You can head back now."

"Yes, Young Master."

The Soul Emperor did not hesitate in the slightest before driving the horn-scaled horses away.

"Tianchen, you finally made it."

Ling Luochan placed both hands on her hips and deliberately puffed out her cheeks.

"Your sister has been standing here for ages. My feet are sore."

Ling Tianchen looked her up and down, unable to suppress a laugh.

"Come on, Sis."

"You're a level fifty-five Soul King. Running a lap around Shrek City would be like taking a stroll for you. I don't believe your feet are sore, but if you say they stink... that might be a little believable."

As he spoke, his gaze deliberately drifted toward Ling Luochan's feet.

Her long, slender legs were wrapped in white stockings, straight and evenly proportioned, while she wore a pair of light blue ankle boots.

The walk from the inner courtyard to the eastern gate was indeed quite long.

Following his gaze downward, Ling Luochan's pretty face immediately reddened slightly.

This brat... when did he learn to tease girls?

Pretending to remain composed, she lightly shifted her toes and secretly stirred a trace of ice element, instantly lowering the temperature inside her boots.

Then she stretched out a slender finger and lightly flicked Ling Tianchen's forehead.

"After not seeing each other for years, you didn't learn anything else, but you certainly learned how to bully girls. At this rate, you won't be able to find a girlfriend in the future."

"Do girlfriends need to be found? Don't they just appear on their own once you reach the right age?"

Over the years at Tianshui City Junior Soul Master Academy, countless young girls had secretly slipped him love letters.

On graduation day, they had even cried in a heap because they could not bear to part with him, making him feel a little embarrassed.

Ling Luochan's mouth twitched slightly.

She was so annoyed, yet what he said was true.

"Oh, right, Sis. Don't tell me you still don't have a boyfriend?"

"..."

The air suddenly fell silent for a moment.

His previous words had already been painful enough, but this one landed like a critical hit.

Ling Luochan glared at him indignantly.

"T-That's because every boy in the academy is as useless as chickens and dogs! Not a single one of them is pleasant to look at."

She lightly raised her snow-white chin, secretly glanced at Ling Tianchen, then snorted with complete confidence.

"They aren't even half as outstanding as my little brother. Do they deserve to speak to me?"

After saying that, she secretly glanced at Ling Tianchen again.

"I see. Then by that logic... Sis, you might never find another boy besides me to talk to for the rest of your life."

A clear vein bulged on Ling Luochan's forehead.

Finally unable to endure it any longer, she grabbed Ling Tianchen by the ear.

"You stinky little brother! You're getting more and more obnoxious! Don't think that just because you've grown up, I won't dare teach you a lesson!"

"But it's true, isn't it? Who else on the entire continent is even half as outstanding as your brother?"

"Hmph, even if there really isn't anyone, you can't say that to your sister!"