The First Youth Genius Class!

Leng Yaozhu nodded, turned, and left.

As soon as the office door closed, Qiangu Dongfeng's expression darkened.

Over the years, the Spirit Pagoda had grown steadily stronger under his leadership, already showing signs of bringing the entire Douluo Continent under its control. Yet Shrek Academy remained a thorn lodged in his throat, impossible to swallow.

Shrek Academy, Yun Ming... Those two names were his greatest torment. As long as Yun Ming lived, Shrek Academy would remain a stumbling block on his path to unifying the continent.

He needed an opportunity, a chance to eradicate Shrek Academy completely.

And this so-called "Youth Genius Class" might just offer an opening.

Yun Ming wanted to draw the Spirit Pagoda's geniuses to his side through joint training, but why couldn't he, Qiangu Dongfeng, use this opportunity to make Shrek Academy lower its guard?

"Yun Ming, oh, Yun Ming." An icy smile curled Qiangu Dongfeng's lips. "You think you've worked your abacus so cleverly, but little do you know, I'm also waiting for you to expose a weakness."

He turned, sat back down behind his desk, and picked up the file. After studying it for a long time, he finally took up his pen and signed his name.

A few days later, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue received the news at the same time.

The joint Youth Genius Class run by the Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy had officially been established. As the Spirit Pagoda's representatives, Gu Yue and Tang Wulin would go to Shrek Academy for their first year of training.

"Seriously?" Tang Wulin had been stuffing his face in the Spirit Pagoda's dining hall when he heard the news. He raised his head, a chicken drumstick still crammed into his mouth, and mumbled the question.

Leng Yaozhu sat across from him and nodded. "Absolutely. The Pagoda Master approved it personally. You'll go to Shrek Academy for the first year, then come back next year."

Tang Wulin swallowed the chicken in his mouth, his eyes lighting up. "Doesn't that mean I'll get to see Na'er again?"

Leng Yaozhu raised an eyebrow. "Are you close to that little girl?"

"Pretty close." Tang Wulin chuckled. "She's taken me as her big brother."

Leng Yaozhu shook her head helplessly, then looked at Gu Yue, who was quietly drinking tea beside him. "Gu Yue, any problems on your end?"

Gu Yue set down her teacup and said calmly, "None."

Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then. Get ready. You'll leave in three days."

Tang Wulin clenched his fists excitedly. Shrek Academy, Sea God Island, Teacher Zhuo Shi, Senior Brother Wu Changkong, and Na'er... I'm sure to learn plenty of good things this time.

Watching his excitement, Gu Yue's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. She lowered her gaze to the tea in her cup, a deep glimmer flashing through her eyes.

Shrek Academy... Interesting.

Tang Wulin sat in the Spirit Pagoda's dining hall. The chicken drumstick in his hand had gone cold, but he hadn't noticed at all.

The news Leng Yaozhu had just given him still echoed through his mind: Qiangu Dongfeng had agreed to the Youth Genius Class plan.

He set down the drumstick, a complicated expression on his face.

As a transmigrator, he knew all too well what sort of man Qiangu Dongfeng was. The Spirit Pagoda's master wore a sanctimonious facade, but in truth, his ambitions knew no bounds. There was nothing he wouldn't do to take control of the entire Douluo Continent.

There was no way he had agreed to this plan for some high-sounding reason like "promoting exchanges."

That guy is definitely cooking up something big.

Scenes from the original story surfaced in Tang Wulin's mind—a few years later, Qiangu Dongfeng would secretly use God-Slaying Soul Guidance Shells to blow up Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect, killing millions of innocent people.

That catastrophe was the darkest page in the history of the entire Douluo Continent.

He didn't want to see such a tragedy happen.

It wasn't that his feelings for Shrek Academy ran particularly deep, though he had indeed learned a great deal there and met people he genuinely liked, such as Zhuo Shi, Wu Changkong, and Na'er.

More importantly, as a transmigrator who had received a compulsory education, he simply couldn't stand by and watch millions of innocent people die without feeling a thing.

He couldn't do it.

Tang Wulin drew a deep breath and clenched his fists. He was still far too weak. A seven-year-old Soul Elder was already a genius in ordinary people's eyes, but before a powerhouse on Qiangu Dongfeng's level, he was still too fragile to withstand a single blow.

He had to grow stronger as quickly as possible, strong enough to stop that tragedy from happening.

And this Youth Genius Class might be his chance. Studying at Shrek Academy and gaining access to more top-tier powerhouses and cultivation methods would surely speed up his growth.

Gu Yue sat beside him, quietly drinking her tea. Her expression also held a trace of complexity, but her thoughts were entirely different from Tang Wulin's.

She hadn't expected things to move so quickly. The Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy were jointly training geniuses, which meant she would have to spend a year at Shrek Academy. And over at Shrek Academy... her other self was there.

They had originally been one, but for some reason, they had been split apart, each possessing an independent consciousness and body. What would happen if they met? Would they merge? Or... would something else happen?

Gu Yue didn't know. She wasn't even sure whether she should go to Shrek Academy, but Leng Yaozhu had already made the decision, and Qiangu Dongfeng had agreed. She had no reason to refuse. Besides, she really did want to meet her other self.

Early the next morning, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue boarded the Soul Guidance Train bound for Shrek City.

This time, no Evil Soul Masters hijacked the train, and no accidents occurred. The train reached its destination smoothly. Tang Wulin breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, his title of "train killer" didn't hold true every time.

"This is Shrek City." Tang Wulin walked ahead, acting as Gu Yue's guide. "Shrek Academy is in the center of the city. It's divided into the Inner Court and the Outer Court. Our classes will be held in a newly built place in the Inner Court."

Gu Yue followed him, looking around curiously. Shrek City's architecture was entirely different from that around the Spirit Pagoda. It was more ancient and imposing, steeped in the weight of history.

The shops lining both sides of the street offered a dazzling array of goods. All sorts of Soul Tools, cultivation manuals, and rare materials could be found there, and the streets bustled with activity.

"That's Sea God Lake." Tang Wulin pointed toward a shimmering expanse of water in the distance. "Sea God Island is right in the middle. Teacher Zhuo Shi and Senior Brother Wu Changkong both live there. Na'er lives there too. She's Pavilion Master Yun Ming's disciple."

Gu Yue's steps faltered slightly. "Na'er?"

"Yes." Tang Wulin nodded. "I met her when I was cultivating on Sea God Island before. She's a really cute little girl with silver hair and pale purple eyes. She's taken me as her big brother."

Gu Yue didn't reply, merely narrowing her eyes slightly. Silver hair, pale purple eyes... It really is my other self.

The two passed through the bustling streets and entered Shrek Academy's Inner Court. Its buildings were even more magnificent, each radiating powerful fluctuations of soul power. Clearly, they had all been carefully arranged and reinforced.

Tang Wulin led Gu Yue through turn after turn until they finally arrived in front of a newly built three-story building.

"This is it." Tang Wulin pushed open the main door and walked inside.