Chen Tianyuan

The next day.

Early that morning, four men carried the coffin with heavy steps across half the city, arriving at the western cemetery.

In Dragon City, most ordinary people could only be buried outside the city after they died. Those who could afford a burial plot were either wealthy traveling merchants, local nobles, or soul masters who had enjoyed an honored status in life.

Once the coffin had been buried, the gravestone was erected.

It was a slab of bluestone two feet long and one foot wide, its inscription carved into the surface and filled with white paint.

[Grave of Chen Weier]

Beneath that were a few words of tribute composed for her.

Yu Tianyuan knelt before the grave and struck his forehead against the ground three times, his thin clothes snapping in the cold wind.

The sky stretched high and the earth spread wide. The past was gone; from this day onward, there was only Chen Tianyuan.

Time turned back to the previous night.

The young woman introduced herself as Zhang Lexuan. To his surprise, she came from Shrek Academy.

Although Shrek Academy did not admit students so young, she simply could not bear to leave a prodigy with a powerful martial soul and nearly innate full soul power to fend for himself. Or perhaps the scene had stirred her own emotions.

In the end, Zhang Lexuan invited Chen Tianyuan. "Come back to Shrek Academy with me."

Her invitation was like a ray of dawn piercing the gloom in Chen Tianyuan's heart. He now had no one to rely on, with nothing left but a cold, unfeeling old courtyard. Going to Shrek Academy was undoubtedly his best choice.

Chen Weier had left few belongings behind. All Chen Tianyuan could take with him was a silver hairpin. It was hardly exquisite, adorned with only a simple phoenix pattern.

Looking at the empty courtyard, Chen Tianyuan severed the last thread of attachment in his heart. Once he left, there was no telling how long it would be before he returned.

Dragon City was in a remote region, a full one or two thousand kilometers from Shrek Academy. The journey would take them through Heaven Dou City and the Heaven Dou Plain. Zhang Lexuan had only come here to carry out an inspection assignment for the academy.

After buying Chen Tianyuan two pieces of winter clothing in the city, the two boarded a carriage bound for Heaven Dou City.

In the carriage, Zhang Lexuan had Chen Tianyuan release his martial soul again. After checking it repeatedly, she concluded that it had arisen from a beneficial mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Its quality definitely surpassed that of a pure-blooded Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, reaching the level of a super martial soul.

A week later, the carriage finally entered Shrek City.

Shrek City had been built around Shrek Academy. It belonged to no empire, paid no taxes to the three great empires, and did not have to obey their laws. It was governed entirely by Shrek Academy.

With a legacy spanning ten thousand years and profound foundations, Shrek Academy was hailed as the foremost academy on the continent. It had never lacked Titled Douluos, and its students were spread throughout all the major powers. Its influence and ability to rally support could be called unmatched in the world.

Shrek Academy could be considered the ivory tower of the soul master world, so its admission requirements were naturally extremely demanding. Applicants had to be no older than twelve, possess a soul power level of at least fifteen, and have a letter of recommendation from someone of at least city-lord rank.

Rather counterintuitively, however, Shrek Academy was not in the center of Shrek City, but in the east, facing the distant Star Dou Great Forest. It could not be entered from within Shrek City. One first had to leave the city, then enter through the East City Gate.

Although the East City Gate belonged exclusively to Shrek Academy, many merchants gathered there to do business. At times, it was even livelier than the city center.

A dozen or so young students aged fourteen or fifteen stood at the East City Gate. Dressed in yellow uniforms with Shrek Academy's emblem on their chests, they were responsible for maintaining order in the area.

Upon seeing Zhang Lexuan, they waved in greeting. "Hello, Senior Sister Zhang."

Zhang Lexuan nodded and strode straight inside with Chen Tianyuan.

After the two had left, one of the younger male students asked curiously, "Doesn't the academy forbid anyone who isn't a student from entering? Could that little boy be one of the teachers' children?"

Another student patted his shoulder. "We're just on duty, not security guards. Why worry about so much? Besides, Senior Sister Zhang is an inner academy student. Do you really think she'd harm the academy?"

Shrek Academy occupied an enormous area. Its grounds were beautiful, planted with all kinds of vegetation, giving it the feel of a forest park.

After they had walked two hundred meters, ten statues came into Chen Tianyuan's view. Each stood ten meters tall, carved entirely from hard granite.

Three statues stood at the front in a triangular formation. The one in the middle depicted an old man wearing glasses...

As they walked through the campus, students approached from time to time to greet Zhang Lexuan, and she responded to each of them. It was clear just how well known she was.

After passing the statues, they continued to the left. The road remained broad, but a row of shady green trees stood beside it. Through gaps in the branches, they could faintly see a calm expanse of water. A sign planted in front of the trees read "Lakeside Path."

Zhang Lexuan led Chen Tianyuan straight along the Lakeside Path to a broad stretch of lakeshore.

Looking toward the center of the lake, he could see a small island veiled in mist. That was Shrek Academy's true core, Sea God Island, which also housed the inner academy.

Strangely, however, there was not a single boat by the lake. How were they supposed to reach the island?

Just as Chen Tianyuan was puzzling over this, Zhang Lexuan gave him the answer.

Zhang Lexuan grabbed Chen Tianyuan and leaped straight toward the water, naturally giving him a fright.

Yet, miraculously, neither of them sank into the lake. Zhang Lexuan darted forward, each light tap of her toes against the surface sending her dozens of meters through the air. It felt wonderfully like the lightness arts that let one skim across water.

Their figures bounded across the lake, reaching the opposite shore in just a few minutes. From beginning to end, not a drop of water touched them.

Compared with the outer academy, the inner academy was much smaller, and its students were pitifully few. Along the way, Chen Tianyuan saw fewer than ten people.

After walking on Sea God Island for over ten minutes, they stopped before an enormous ancient tree. Chen Tianyuan looked up. The entire tree was golden, constantly radiating an aura of life and light.

As he absorbed that aura, Chen Tianyuan felt utterly comfortable, as though he were an infant in his mother's arms.

At the same time, he was deeply shocked. On his very first visit to Shrek Academy, he had actually been brought straight to the Golden Ancient Tree.

While he was still wondering why, an aged voice sounded beside their ears.

"Lexuan, bring him inside."

Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan led Chen Tianyuan straight into the Sea God Pavilion, the seat of Shrek Academy's highest authority.

Upon entering, Chen Tianyuan discovered with astonishment that the entire Sea God Pavilion had been carved directly into the Golden Ancient Tree. The auras of light and life within were several times stronger than outside. Standing here, he felt as though even his soul had been cleansed.

The furnishings inside the Sea God Pavilion were also very simple. Apart from a long table and a few chairs, there was nothing else.