Eastsea Revisited

The Soul Guidance train glided steadily into Eastsea City Station, gradually slowing before finally coming to a stop beside the spacious, brightly lit platform. Unlike Aolai City's tranquil air, steeped in the salty dampness of sea breezes and the weight of time, Eastsea City greeted them with prosperity, vitality, and a deep-rooted pursuit of strength and knowledge.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena stepped off the train with the crowd. They still wore their disguised, unremarkable appearances, their auras concealed like drops of water vanishing into the ocean. Yet the moment they entered the station's vast departure hall, their gazes were drawn in unison to a particularly conspicuous area.

It was a reception desk designed with a distinctly modern, academic atmosphere. A massive holographic screen continuously played Eastsea Academy's promotional footage—advanced Soul Guidance laboratories, fully equipped simulated cultivation zones, energetic students, and, most eye-catching of all, the four towering statue projections frozen at the end of the video: Tang Wulin, black hair flying as he held the Golden Dragon Spear; Gu Yuena, silver-haired and violet-eyed, surrounded by elemental light; Xie Xie, nimble in form and wearing a roguish smile; and Xu Xiaoyan, breathtakingly beautiful as she held a star staff. Beneath the statues were engraved several striking words—"Eastsea's Glory, Four Pillars Holding Up the Heavens."

Above the reception desk hung a banner reading, "Eastsea Academy New Student Reception." Several spirited students in Eastsea Academy's distinctive uniforms enthusiastically answered questions from parents and students, handing out promotional materials. The area was packed with people, filled with noisy anticipation and hope.

Eastsea Academy.

The name rang through the hollow halls of their memories like an ancient bell, its echoes lingering.

Tang Wulin's gaze swept over the busy academy reception staff, and an inexplicable trace of loss rose within him, so faint that even he had never clearly noticed it. The glorious past shown in the footage remained blurry to him, yet a deeper sense of anticipation from his youth quietly surfaced—perhaps, many, many years ago, when he had first come here, he had once looked forward to something special? He shook his head and suppressed the inexplicable emotion.

Gu Yuena's violet eyes fixed on the silver-haired "herself" in the holographic footage, her expression complicated. Di Tian's account and her fragmented memories told her that this was where she had truly begun systematically encountering the human world under the identity of "Gu Yue." It was also... the starting point where she had deliberately approached someone for a particular purpose.

The two stood some distance away, quietly observing. From the conversations around them and the brochures distributed at the reception desk, they quickly learned of Eastsea Academy's extraordinary status ten thousand years later.

The reason was simple: its foundations ran far too deep. Ten thousand years ago, four peak figures who would eventually become Four-Word Battle Armor Masters had emerged from this academy—Tang Wulin, Golden Dragon Moon Speech; Gu Yuena, Silver Dragon Dance Lin; Xie Xie, Twin Dragon Night Radiance; and Xu Xiaoyan, Starry Sky True Universe. These four were not merely symbols of individual martial strength; they were legends who had influenced the course of the entire continent's history.

What made Eastsea City even prouder was that the families of two of these legends, Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, had taken root in the city. After ten thousand years of development, they had long become colossal powers entrenched here, controlling most of Eastsea City's economic lifelines and Soul Guidance technology industries. With the wholehearted support and contributions of these two top-tier families, Eastsea Academy had received a constant influx of resources. Its faculty, educational facilities, and research standards had steadily risen, long surpassing the scope of an ordinary advanced soul master academy and becoming one of the most renowned holy lands for soul masters in the eastern continent.

Perhaps the overall strength and legendary prestige of its graduates still could not compare with Shrek Academy, but any student who successfully graduated from Eastsea Academy was unquestionably an outstanding talent eagerly sought by every major force.

"We arrived at just the right time. They're welcoming a new class."

Tang Wulin spoke quietly to Gu Yuena, his gaze passing over the boys and girls with youthful faces and eyes full of longing for the future. The scene before him faintly overlapped with certain blurry fragments in his mind about new student enrollment. It was still so familiar and lively. Yet times had changed, and people were no longer the same. This time, there would be no beautiful, lively Senior Ouyang, nor anyone else, coming to welcome him as a "new student" with curiosity and enthusiasm.

That realization brought a subtle pang of melancholy, but only for an instant. He quickly composed himself, and an idea took shape in his mind.

He took Gu Yuena's hand and, instead of heading toward the exit, walked directly to a relatively quiet-looking teacher near the reception desk who appeared to be responsible for coordination and management.

The administrator looked to be around forty. His face was stern, and Soul Emperor-level soul power fluctuations emanated from him as he lowered his head to check the list on his light board.

"Hello, excuse me."

Tang Wulin stepped forward, his tone gentle and suitably polite.

The administrator looked up. Seeing a young "married couple" with ordinary appearances but an inexplicably pleasant air about them, his expression softened slightly. "What is it?"

Tang Wulin gave a somewhat embarrassed smile and pointed at Gu Yuena beside him. "We're from Aolai City. We came to accompany my younger brother to the academy's enrollment ceremony. He's still behind us moving his luggage. My wife and I... well, we'd heard of Eastsea Academy's great reputation for a long time and have always admired it. We were wondering... could we take this opportunity to go inside for a look around? We just want to see where the children will be studying and living in the future, so we can set our minds at ease."

His reason was perfectly reasonable, and his expression sincere. He vividly played the role of an ordinary parent concerned for a younger family member while admiring a prestigious academy. Gu Yuena also nodded faintly at the right moment, her eyes showing just the right amount of anticipation.

The administrator examined them for a few moments. Neither of them leaked any soul power fluctuations. Their clothing was ordinary, and their behavior seemed perfectly normal. He pondered for a moment. Although Eastsea Academy was strictly managed, it was not completely closed off. During enrollment season, allowing qualified visitors to tour restricted areas was also a way of displaying the academy's strength and attracting students. Besides, as he thought to himself—in Eastsea City, under the eyes of the Xie Family and the Xu Family, who would be blind enough to cause trouble inside Eastsea Academy?

"Fine." The administrator nodded, took out two temporary electronic visitor passes, and handed them over. "These are temporary access passes. Your authorization is limited to the outer areas of the teaching district, public leisure areas, and several designated exhibition halls. You may not enter the core teaching zone, laboratories, or student residential areas. There will be signs along the visiting route. Please follow the rules and do not wander around."

"Of course, of course! Thank you so much!" Tang Wulin hurriedly accepted the passes and thanked him repeatedly, acting exactly like an ordinary parent who had been granted a tremendous convenience.

With the passes in hand, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena exchanged a glance. Neither said anything, and they followed the signs onto a Soul Guidance bus outside the station that specially transported visitors and new students to the academy.

The bus started smoothly, leaving the noisy station and merging into Eastsea City's bustling traffic. Outside the window stood towering Soul Guidance skyscrapers, streams of floating cars, and a cityscape brimming with modern technological flair. Compared to ten thousand years ago, the changes were nothing short of earth-shattering.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena sat by the window, watching the scenery flash past outside as a strange feeling rose in both their hearts. As complete outsiders, they were setting foot on this land once more and heading toward a place with which they shared profound ties.

The bus passed through half the city. At last, a vast complex appeared at the far end of their vision, sprawling across a broad expanse of land, shaded by lush trees, its architecture combining historical grandeur with modern technological design.

The towering academy gates were solemn and majestic. Above them, the four gilded characters for "Eastsea Academy" shone brilliantly in the sunlight. A rich scholarly atmosphere, along with the distinctive energy fluctuations of soul power cultivation, spread outward from within the grounds.

Eastsea Academy had arrived.

This time, they were no longer ignorant young students, nor were they infiltrators burdened with grave responsibilities. They were travelers who had lost their past and come seeking answers. What fragments of the past would this familiar academy reveal to them? Both of them felt a faint anticipation.