Temporary Separation

Just then, Qian Renxue's cool voice suddenly rang out. "Can Lu Chen enter the Inner Court with me?"

Qian Renxue raised a hand and pointed at Lu Chen beside her, her violet eyes fixed on Beibei as she asked bluntly.

Beibei froze for a moment before shaking his head. "Not for now. Lu Chen is only level 31. Although his combat strength and talent are formidable, his Soul Power is still an entire major realm below yours."

"Only after Lu Chen breaks through to Spirit Ancestor will he have a chance to be exceptionally admitted."

"Then I won't go."

Seeing that Lu Chen could not go to the Inner Court with her, Qian Renxue withdrew her gaze. Her tone was light, as though she were discussing something utterly insignificant.

The moment Qian Renxue finished speaking, Beibei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao all stood frozen in place, unable to react for a long while.

They wondered if they had heard wrong.

That was Shrek's Inner Court!

It was a sacred cultivation ground that Spirit Masters across the continent dreamed of entering, a place whose gates countless geniuses might never manage to open.

Yet now, with such an incredible opportunity placed before her, Qian Renxue was abandoning it outright simply because Lu Chen could not go.

Lu Chen came back to his senses as well. He frowned, turned to look at her, and spoke with a trace of sternness. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Qian Renxue said nothing. She merely lifted her eyes to look at him. There was little emotion in her violet eyes, yet they were filled with stubborn resolve.

That unblinking gaze could not have made her meaning any clearer—if he was not going, neither was she.

Ten thousand years had passed, and Spirit Hall and her family had both become dust in the pages of history.

Lu Chen was the only person in this unfamiliar world whom she could rely on, and who could rely on her in return.

She had grown accustomed to pretending and accustomed to loneliness.

Yet after only a few days together, she had already grown accustomed to Lu Chen's presence.

She was unwilling to walk alone again.

Though they had known each other for only a few days, she enjoyed the feeling of relying on Lu Chen.

Seeing Qian Renxue like this, Lu Chen first felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a complicated swirl of emotions.

When all was said and done, once the halo of Spirit Hall Young Master and the disguise of the crown prince were stripped away, she was merely a girl who had rarely experienced warmth and affection.

Lu Chen fell silent for several seconds, then reached out and clasped Qian Renxue's wrist. "Come with me," he said softly.

Lu Chen did not use much force, but his grip allowed no refusal as he led Qian Renxue toward the Firmiana Shade at the edge of the plaza.

Mottled shadows from the tree fell across the girl's cool profile. Once he stopped, Lu Chen released her hand. Looking at Qian Renxue's lowered lashes, his tone softened unconsciously. "Just because I can't enter right now, you don't want to go either?"

Qian Renxue lifted her eyes to him. Her gaze never left his face as she nodded gently.

The answer spoke for itself.

"Qian Renxue." Lu Chen sighed softly, his voice low and gentle. "Have you forgotten? We have no one to rely on here. Precisely because of that, we can't both remain stuck in the same place."

"Shrek's Inner Court has Titled Douro to guide you personally, as well as the enhancement of Heart Island's spiritual vein. Only there can you recover your strength faster. This is the best opportunity available to you right now."

Facing Qian Renxue's gaze, Lu Chen spoke each word with complete seriousness.

He had already developed different feelings for Qian Renxue, and he also wanted to stay by her side.

But Douluo Continent had always been a place where strength was supreme.

Only with strength could they go farther.

Seeing Qian Renxue's lips move as though she wanted to argue, Lu Chen spoke before she could. "Two years. At most two years, and I'll definitely enter the Inner Court to find you."

Qian Renxue lowered her eyes, her long lashes trembling faintly beneath them.

It was not that she did not understand these principles. She simply did not want to part from Lu Chen.

After a long silence, Qian Renxue finally looked up again and answered softly, "All right."

Her voice was quiet, carrying a hint of reluctance and grievance that was hard to detect, but she had agreed in the end.

Seeing Qian Renxue nod in agreement, Lu Chen smiled and took her hand again. "Let's go. The Inner Court teacher should be arriving soon."

Sure enough, just after Qian Renxue and Lu Chen made their decision, a white figure shot through the air.

"It's Dean Yan! Dean Yan Shaozhe came in person!"

A burst of low exclamations immediately erupted from the crowd, and many Outer Court students revealed excited expressions.

The newcomer was none other than Yan Shaozhe, dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department.

He was also a member of Sea God Pavilion, a level 95 Super Douro known as Bright Phoenix Douro.

Yan Shaozhe could be considered a renowned figure even across Douluo Continent. On ordinary days, not to mention Outer Court freshmen, even Inner Court disciples found it difficult to catch a glimpse of him.

No one had expected him to appear personally today for the sake of a single freshman.

Yan Shaozhe stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the entire area. Without showing anger, he still exuded an imposing presence.

He had been discussing matters at Sea God Pavilion when he heard that the admissions office had found a twelve-year-old Spirit Ancestor with the legendary Seraphim Martial Soul. He had immediately been unable to sit still and rushed over.

Shrek had stood undefeated for ten thousand years because of the utmost importance it placed on talent, let alone a seedling with a god-tier Martial Soul seen only once in ten thousand years.

"Dean Yan." Beibei hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

Yan Shaozhe was his great-grandfather's disciple and someone who had watched him grow up.

Strictly speaking, he should have addressed Yan Shaozhe as Martial Uncle.

However, in public, he always addressed Yan Shaozhe as Dean.

Yan Shaozhe glanced at him and nodded slightly, surprise in his tone. "Beibei? You're here too?"

However, Yan Shaozhe had no mind to catch up with Beibei. He turned to the admissions teacher who had remained behind and spoke slightly faster. "Where is that level 41 Spirit Ancestor genius?"

"Right here, Dean!" The admissions teacher hurriedly pointed in Qian Renxue's direction. "That young lady—Qian Renxue. She's twelve years old, possesses the Seraphim Martial Soul, and has level 41 Soul Power!"

Following the indication, Yan Shaozhe's gaze first landed on the girl's breathtakingly beautiful face. He paused so slightly that it was nearly imperceptible, then his figure flashed as he instantly appeared before Qian Renxue. Before anyone could react, he reached out and gently clasped her wrist.

Gentle light-element Soul Power entered her body through her wrist meridians, carefully sweeping through Qian Renxue's meridians.

A moment later, Yan Shaozhe withdrew his hand. The shock in his eyes could no longer be concealed as he praised her repeatedly. "Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Your meridians are pure and robust, your Martial Soul foundation is unbelievably stable, and there isn't even the slightest trace of medicinal enhancement in your body—you reached Spirit Ancestor entirely through your own cultivation!?"

He had seen many geniuses, but most of them had been built up through the resources of sects and families.

As for someone like this, who had reached the Spirit Ancestor realm at twelve through talent alone, he had not merely never seen one—he had never even heard of one.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, such a talent was guaranteed to become a Titled Douro in the future and might even reach the realm of a Limit Douro!

"Young lady, would you be willing to take me as your master?"

Yan Shaozhe asked Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue inclined her body slightly, her tone calm yet firm. "Thank you for your esteem, Dean, but I already have an inheritance and cannot take another master."

Her Angel Martial Soul had been inherited from the Angel God and came with its own complete cultivation system. Naturally, she would not take someone else as her master.

A hint of regret flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes when Qian Renxue refused, but he did not force the matter.

"Since that is the case, I will not press you further. Come with me to the Inner Court shortly."

Seeing that she already had a master's lineage, Yan Shaozhe said nothing beyond his regret.

However, with her talent, she fully qualified for exceptional admission into Shrek Academy's Inner Court.

"We're leaving now?"

Qian Renxue's gaze instinctively flicked toward Lu Chen.

"Of course." Yan Shaozhe nodded. "If you have no other matters to attend to, I'll take you to register at the Inner Court now. Your accommodations and everything else can be arranged today."

Qian Renxue fell silent for several seconds. When she looked toward Lu Chen, he merely nodded slightly at her, encouragement in his eyes.

Qian Renxue withdrew her gaze and nodded lightly to Yan Shaozhe. "All right, I'll go with you."

With that, she turned and prepared to leave with Yan Shaozhe.

But after taking only two steps, Lu Chen's voice suddenly came from behind her. "Renxue!"

Qian Renxue paused and turned back to look at Lu Chen.

Under the sunlight, the young man stood among the crowd and looked at her. "If you can't get used to the Inner Court food, come out and find me."

There was no earth-shaking farewell, nor any touching promise. It was merely a reminder about an ordinary little matter.

Yet when it reached Qian Renxue's ears, a warm current spread through her heart.

Qian Renxue stood where she was and looked at Lu Chen. Then her lips suddenly curved into an incredibly faint, yet incredibly sweet smile. "All right."

As her words fell, Qian Renxue seemed to cast off every burden. Without another trace of hesitation, she calmly followed behind Yan Shaozhe toward Heart Island in Sea God Lake.

Lu Chen remained where he was, watching the white figure gradually recede into the distance. His heart suddenly felt empty.

Qian Renxue had grown accustomed to his presence, but had he not grown accustomed to hers as well?

"Brother Lu..."

Noticing Lu Chen's low spirits, Huo Yuhao called out softly.

Lu Chen came back to his senses, suppressed the melancholy in his heart, and waved as he called to Beibei and the others. "Let's go too."