Jing Hongchen's Backup Plan, an Opportunity to Cultivate Inside the Golden Tree

Inside Sea God Pavilion,

Jing Hongchen smiled and cupped his hands toward Mu En. "Elder Mu, Shrek Academy truly deserves its reputation as the continent's number one soul master academy. This visit has truly broadened my horizons."

"Your academy's research into martial souls is undoubtedly the best in the world!"

Mu En was not dazzled by Jing Hongchen's praise. He asked instead, "What about soul tools?"

"Does Hallmaster Hongchen have any advice for us?"

He also wanted to know just how wide the gap was between Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department and the Soul Tool Department of Sun Moon Imperial Academy.

That was also one reason he had agreed to let Jing Hongchen tour Shrek and enter the Golden Tree.

"Elder Mu..." Jing Hongchen took a sip of tea, pride appearing on his face. "I wouldn't dare call it advice. I can only say that your academy's Soul Tool Department is still playing with things Illustrious Virtue Hall researched decades ago."

"If you do not believe me, the Sun Moon Empire welcomes Elder Mu to visit at any time. When the time comes, I will certainly prepare a warm welcome!"

Although Mu En had been prepared, he still sighed inwardly at Jing Hongchen's words.

Even though he had deliberately supported the Soul Tool Department in recent years, the gap between them and the Sun Moon Empire was ultimately still enormous.

He would make a trip to the Sun Moon Empire eventually, and Jing Hongchen had no reason to deceive him.

"Then I shall trouble Hallmaster Jing when the time comes." Mu En half-closed his eyes and replied politely.

"You would be most welcome!" Jing Hongchen continued, "This time, my disappointing grandson and granddaughter insisted on coming with me, saying they wanted to witness the splendor of Shrek Academy, the number one academy."

"I truly had no way to stop them."

"I hope Elder Mu can arrange for some students to teach those two a good lesson, so they stop acting so arrogantly and looking down on everyone."

Jing Hongchen called them disappointing, but the pride on his face was practically spilling over.

Mu En understood that Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were certainly no ordinary youths.

Yet Shrek's Seven Monsters had suffered losses among their top combat strength. Ma Xiaotao was asleep, while Dai Yueheng was seriously injured.

Since the other side had come prepared, Yao Haoxuan and the others might not necessarily be able to handle them.

But then again... several freaks had appeared among this year's freshmen.

"Shaozhe, leave this matter to you. Make sure the Hallmaster is satisfied."

"Yes, Teacher."

Jing Hongchen secretly tapped his fingers against the chair. A tiny mechanical bug, so small it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, quietly fell to the floor.

He rose and cupped his hands. "Then many thanks to Elder Mu!"

Late that night, while Sea God Pavilion was empty, the mechanical bug silently crawled into the room where Ma Xiaotao slept and soundlessly burrowed into the back of her head.

The second day of school.

Ye Ming listened to Zhou Yi's lesson in the classroom with utter boredom. It was not that he did not want to skip class; he had discovered a very important problem.

The Soul Fighting Arena was not open to first-year students!

That rule instantly crushed his plans to hone himself in the Soul Fighting Arena.

Just as Ye Ming was pondering this issue, a knock suddenly sounded at the classroom door.

Yan Shaozhe's voice came from outside. "Teacher Zhou, have Ye Ming come out for a moment."

When Zhou Yi saw that it was Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, she hurriedly waved for Ye Ming to leave.

Ye Ming stood up, and Wang Qiuer, Gu Yuena, and Wang Dong immediately turned to look at him.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Pay attention in class." Ye Ming waved his hand. "Little brother, when you get back to the dorm later, remember to prepare my bathwater. Hot on top, lukewarm in the middle, cold at the bottom."

Wang Dong spat, cursing himself for worrying about him in the first place.

"If there's anything you can't handle, summon me anytime," Gu Yuena said through their spiritual connection.

As for Wang Qiuer, the girl had not thought of that at all. She glanced at Ye Ming, then turned back to stare wide-eyed at the problem in her textbook.

Ye Ming chuckled and walked out of the classroom beneath the envious gazes of the freshmen.

"Dean, what did you need me for?"

"We'll talk as we walk."

Yan Shaozhe led Ye Ming outside and said, "You saw the old man and the young man and woman who entered the academy with me yesterday, right?"

"What? Did they cause trouble at the academy, so you killed them to silence them?" Ye Ming asked.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Yan Shaozhe choked on his words, then explained, "That old man is Jing Hongchen, the Hallmaster of Illustrious Virtue Hall, the greatest power in the Sun Moon Empire, and a ninth-rank soul engineer. He came this time for an exchange visit."

"The young man is called Xiao Hongchen. At fourteen, he already possesses the strength of a five-ring Soul King. The young woman is called Meng Hongchen. She is even younger, yet she possesses the strength of a five-ring Soul King as well."

"Most importantly, they are both exceptionally talented soul engineers. The two are hailed as the most formidable genius siblings the Sun Moon Empire has seen in a thousand years."

"So those two came to challenge the academy!" Ye Ming finally realized. "You want me to fight them?"

Yan Shaozhe nodded and sighed. "They are too young. Some students in the inner courtyard can defeat them, but the age gap is too great. Even if we won such an exchange, it would be an unfair victory."

"If our continent's number one academy loses, that would be even more humiliating."

"Among the outer courtyard students, even Bei Bei may not be a match for them."

"That's why I came to you."

"How could I possibly do it?" Ye Ming waved his hands. "They're genius siblings that appear once in a thousand years—five-ring Soul Kings and soul engineers!"

"I'm just a first-year freshman who just enrolled. How could I beat geniuses like that?"

Yan Shaozhe rolled his eyes. He truly wanted to give this brat a harsh beating!

He could not do it?

One punch from him had nearly turned a Title Douluo without his martial soul activated into a cloud of blood, and he could not do it?!

The little bastard would not act without a reward!

"You won't be fighting for nothing!" Yan Shaozhe said helplessly. "If you defeat one of them, you will be allowed to cultivate inside the Golden Tree on Sea God Island for one month."

"If you defeat both of them, you may cultivate inside it for three months!"

The Golden Tree...

Ye Ming's heart skipped a beat. This was Shrek Academy's true foundation!

The Golden Tree contained dense light and life energy that could greatly accelerate soul power meditation, help soul masters break through bottlenecks in a short time, and even raise their cultivation realm.

Cultivating inside it could also temper one's source power.

The special energy emitted by the tree could help soul masters cleanse impurities from their martial souls and stabilize their soul cores. It gave additional benefits to spiritual-type or light-attribute soul masters.

It was also a symbol of the highest-grade resources. Only the direct disciples of Mu En and a few Sea God Pavilion members had any chance of receiving an opportunity to enter the Golden Tree.

He had already agreed inwardly, but he deliberately pretended not to understand. "Dean, are the benefits of cultivating inside the Golden Tree that great?"

"They're more than great!" Yan Shaozhe explained. "The Golden Tree is the academy's true foundation. It has been passed down for over ten thousand years, and the energy contained within it..."

"If the Hongchen siblings had not caught the academy off guard this time, how could the academy possibly offer such a top-tier resource!"

By then, Yan Shaozhe had led Ye Ming to the shore of Sea God Lake in the outer courtyard.

Looking at Sea God Island across the lake, he teased, "Kid, do you want to go fight?"

"Of course, if you don't want to, then the academy can only send inner courtyard disciples. At worst, we'll just claim they're younger than they really are."

"Fight!!" Ye Ming said excitedly. "I'm fighting the Hongchen siblings!"