Sun Moon Team, Other People's Children

Jing Hongchen did not think much of it. Plenty of people would worry about that problem, so he had the Hongchen siblings continue getting to know Lu Yuan and the other two first and make friends with them.

Gu Qiu'er turned her head away, the smile at the corner of her lips deepening.

Watching the two bicker, Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head. "All right, stop arguing. At least now we have a common enemy, don't we?"

"Shrek Academy has sat on its throne of ten-thousand-year glory long enough. It is time for someone else to take the seat."

"If we can, it would be best to eliminate them directly in the quarterfinals or semifinals."

"Make them fall from their pedestal into the dust..."

"Heh heh heh..."

Gu Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao had long grown used to that laugh. Sometimes, they even joined in with a couple of laughs themselves.

But this was the first time Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen had heard Lu Yuan laugh like that. Both of them shuddered and exchanged glances.

That laugh was terrifying!

Xiao Hongchen swallowed and cautiously asked, "What kind of grudge do you have against Shrek Academy?"

"Just think of it as the traditional enmity between the Abyss Cult and Shrek Academy."

Lu Yuan stopped laughing and patted Xiao Hongchen on the shoulder. "Take us to see your grandfather first. A big shot is waiting for us. We cannot keep an elder waiting too long."

Xiao Hongchen nodded and turned to lead the way.

The five of them returned from the outskirts to Mingdu.

They arrived once more at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

Xiao Hongchen led them through the school gates. The guards on duty saw who he was and did not stop them.

The five of them followed the main road deep into the academy until they reached a relatively isolated gray building.

This was probably the academy's administrative building.

Jing Hongchen was not only the master of Mingde Hall, but also the dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

Xiao Hongchen stopped before the door and turned to Lu Yuan. "My grandfather is inside. Wait here a moment. I'll go in and let him know."

He pushed open the door and went inside.

Meng Hongchen remained at the entrance with Lu Yuan and the other two, casually chatting about the academy's everyday matters.

Before long, two sets of footsteps sounded from inside. Xiao Hongchen emerged first, followed by a plump man in an ornate black robe embroidered with golden patterns.

Jing Hongchen swept his gaze back and forth over Lu Yuan and the other two twice, a gentle smile on his face.

He looked too kind to be a Titled Douluo and a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer.

"You are Lu Yuan, Gu Qiu'er, and Xiao Xiao?"

"I am Jing Hongchen, master of Mingde Hall. Welcome to the Royal Soul Engineer Academy."

As he spoke, Jing Hongchen stepped aside and gestured for Lu Yuan and the other two to come in and talk.

"Sit. There are no rules here, so do not stand on ceremony."

The three of them sat down on the sofas in the room.

Lu Yuan spoke. "Master Hongchen, what arrangements do you have for us participating in the tournament?"

Jing Hongchen poured himself a cup of tea. "It seems Xiao and Meng have already mentioned the tournament to you. I know what the three of you are capable of. It would be a real pity if you did not compete."

"To enter the tournament, you need to register as official academy students."

Gu Qiu'er frowned slightly when she heard that. Just as she was about to say something, Jing Hongchen interrupted her.

"Of course, you may retain your own cultivation methods. The academy will not interfere with your daily arrangements."

Gu Qiu'er nodded in satisfaction. "That is fine, then. We have no objections."

Jing Hongchen smiled and nodded. "Then it is settled. I will have someone coordinate the specific roster slots and training arrangements with you later."

"For now, you will have to stay at the academy. Get familiar with the team members and work on your tactical coordination."

Since Jing Hongchen had arranged everything for them, Lu Yuan and the others had nothing more to say.

"All right."

Jing Hongchen waved a hand. "Xiao, take them to register as students and arrange their accommodations. Come directly to me if you need anything."

The group left Jing Hongchen's office.

Lu Yuan and the others followed Xiao Hongchen down the corridor toward the elevator.

"Your accommodations have already been arranged. You will be staying in the guest building on the east side of the academy, close to both the training grounds and the cafeteria."

Xiao Xiao asked, "Does that make us official students?"

Walking beside Lu Yuan with his hands in his pockets, Xiao Hongchen smiled. "You count as specially recruited students. Grandfather has given you the title. You do not need to attend classes, and you can arrange your training time freely. But in front of outsiders, you all need to say that you are students of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy."

Gu Qiu'er said, "So we are basically just signing on to fight?"

"That is more or less what it means."

After all, there was not much time left before the Soul Master Tournament, and the three of them had essentially come only for that tournament.

As they crossed the academy's main road, passing students occasionally gave Lu Yuan and the other two extra looks.

They were all unfamiliar faces, and they were walking together with the star siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. That was not a combination one often saw around the academy.

The guest building was a three-story gray-white structure. A row of slender Soul Tool lamps was embedded in its outer walls, casting a soft gleam beneath the afternoon sunlight.

Their rooms were on the second floor, one for each of them, all next to one another.

Afterward, Xiao Hongchen led them through the training grounds and around the side of a large gray-domed building. A heavy metal door slid open automatically, revealing a spacious indoor training hall.

Seven or eight people were gathered in the rest area at the edge of the hall.

The sound of Xiao Hongchen and Lu Yuan's group entering made them all look up at once.

Xiao Hongchen walked to the center of the training ground, hands in his pockets, and looked around. "Everyone here? Let me introduce them. This is Lu Yuan, Gu Qiu'er, and Xiao Xiao. Starting today, they are also main team members."

As soon as he finished speaking, a broad, sturdy young man stepped out from the crowd.

His features were well-defined, and his brows carried a steady, imposing air.

"Ma Rulong, captain."

Xiao Hongchen raised a hand and pointed at a skinny boy. "Xiao Xiafeng, responsible for defensive Soul Tool installations and fortification work. His mouth is quick, but so are his hands."

Xiao Xiafeng smiled at Lu Yuan in greeting.

Then Xiao Hongchen pointed at the people beside him one after another. "Mijia, main offensive rapid-fire Soul Tool cannons, barrage suppression."

"Chen Fei, explosive Soul Tools, specializes in area damage."

"Lin Xi, precision sniper-type Soul Tools, long-range eliminations."

"They are all Soul Kings, experienced and highly coordinated. I dare say no team on the entire continent can compare to ours!"

Then Xiao Hongchen pointed at the remaining four. "Zhou Xinghao, Ding Xiaobu, Nana, and Chen An. Reserves. They train with us normally and fill in when the main team rotates."

Lu Yuan, Xiao Xiao, and Gu Qiu'er looked over at them, offering their greetings.

Seeing this, Meng Hongchen smiled. "All right, there is not really much to introduce. It is not like this is the first time everyone has met."

As soon as she said that, the somewhat restrained atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"Haha, Gustot? So your name is Lu Yuan! Welcome, welcome!"

"Golden Dragon Princess, I never thought we would become teammates! That is great!"

Gu Qiu'er crossed her arms and raised a brow. "What? You think I cannot beat you up just because we are teammates?"

"..."

Not great!

Lu Yuan and the others had stayed in Mingdu for over a year, occasionally going to the Soul Duel Arena for matches.

After the Sun Moon Team's teachers learned that such formidable people were at the Soul Duel Arena, they arranged for team members to go there.

Xiao Xiafeng, Mijia, and the others had been matched against Gu Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao plenty of times, and they had been beaten up plenty of times as well.

Even Ma Rulong was frequently matched against Lu Yuan. Other than the reserve members, everyone on the team had been beaten up by Lu Yuan and the others.

Lu Yuan and the others had also become the teachers' examples of other people's children. The team's teachers often used them as examples to motivate the others.