"Bro, that must have cost a fortune! But our Shrek Academy isn't short of money, right?"
Bei Bei walked over, nudged Mu Changqing with both hands, then immediately folded his hands behind his head and swaggered inside.
"I never thought your Shrek Academy would make such a grand gesture to welcome us!"
Lou Li's towering figure paced back and forth at the east gate as he spoke with a narcissistic expression, even stroking the short hair on his head.
Shrek's staff moved the ten carriages elsewhere, and the group entered through Shrek's east gate.
Many things at Shrek Academy had been renovated. Previously, the entire academy hadn't had a single trash can; now there was a Soul Tool trash can every fifty meters.
It was dismissal time for Shrek Academy's outer court students. A crowd of students poured out of the teaching buildings, all rushing toward the dining halls.
"Big Brother, why does it feel like more than half the Martial Soul Department's teaching buildings are gone?"
Na'er raised a finger and pointed at the brand-new teaching buildings not far from Shrek Square. In the past, the Martial Soul Department could have been said to monopolize Shrek Square.
Most of the Martial Soul Department's buildings had now been demolished, with the cleared space left for the Soul Tool Department. Naturally, Shrek Square had been divided equally between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department.
"Shrek is vigorously developing the Soul Tool Department now, so naturally, the Martial Soul Department has to return its extra territory to the Soul Tool Department!"
Mu Changqing raised a hand and traced out the dividing line across Shrek Square, while Qian Duoduo led the large group from the Blacksmiths' Guild toward the Soul Tool Department.
Mu Changqing, Na'er, and Bei Bei were in no hurry to leave. They still wanted to look around the newly renovated Shrek Academy.
The three arrived at the display area. The old, shabby map of Shrek Academy had been replaced entirely with a larger, newer, more detailed map.
Mu Changqing noticed that Sea God Lake's surface area had shrunk considerably, while the outer court's grounds had doubled in size.
The Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department now occupied exactly equal shares of Shrek Academy's outer court, and the two departments had equal status.
Previously, the whole of Shrek Academy's outer court had only one dining hall. Now three had been added, making four in total. Two belonged to the Martial Soul Department, and the other two belonged to the Soul Tool Department.
The student dormitories no longer housed boys and girls together. Martial Soul Department students lived in their department's dormitories, while Soul Tool Department students lived in theirs.
Mu Changqing wondered whether Yan Shaozhe of the Martial Soul Department had finally grown a brain. Hadn't he been the staunchest opponent of the Soul Tool Department's development before? Now things had turned out like this.
Mu Changqing couldn't help trashing Shrek Academy's dining hall and dormitories in the original story. Such a huge dining hall couldn't even provide enough tables and chairs for its students, and thousands of students had to fight over just a few toilets. It was absurd beyond all bounds.
"Bro! I'm heading back to the Soul Tool Department!"
After saying goodbye to them, Bei Bei immediately left the display area and strode toward the Soul Tool Department.
Mu Changqing held Na'er's hand, and the two used flying Soul Tools to leave the outer court entirely, heading for their residence in Shrek's inner court.
During the year Mu Changqing had been away, Zhang Lexuan had kept his residence spotless. Every month, she cleaned both his and Na'er's bedrooms.
Still a few months short of twenty, Zhang Lexuan had already reached the cultivation of a rank seventy-three Soul Sage. In another ten days, she would represent the academy in this year's All-Continent Soul Master Tournament.
Zhang Lexuan might be the only Soul Sage in this year's All-Continent Soul Master Tournament. Winning the championship would be as easy as lifting a finger for Shrek Academy.
At that moment, in Mu Changqing's courtyard, a woman with delicate features and a voluptuous figure sat gazing blankly at the clear blue sky.
Zhang Lexuan sat upright on a stone chair, her hands resting above the stone table as her palms propped up her fair chin.
Ever since emerging from seclusion, Zhang Lexuan had rarely ventured around the inner court. She had stayed here waiting for Mu Changqing, missing him all the while.
A dark shape suddenly appeared above Zhang Lexuan's head. With a puzzled look, she used her Soul Power to investigate and discovered that the person above her was the very one she missed.
Mu Changqing and Na'er landed safely at the gate outside the courtyard. Hand in hand, they looked at Zhang Lexuan as she approached.
"You two are finally back! Changqing, Na'er, it's been a year. You've both grown quite a bit taller, and your cultivation has improved a lot too."
Zhang Lexuan stood quietly before the gate, her eyes full of tenderness as she looked at the two little ones. From head to toe, she exuded the allure of ripe fruit.
Zhang Lexuan's figure had grown fuller, and her face was more mature than before. She was a mature older beauty through and through.
"Not bad! Sister Lexuan, let's talk inside!"
The three walked shoulder to shoulder into the house, returning to their cozy little home. Na'er noticed that Zhang Lexuan and Mu Changqing had things to say to each other.
Using a bath as an excuse, Na'er immediately left the living room, giving the two space to be alone.
"Our Changqing is getting more and more handsome."
Zhang Lexuan bent down and pressed herself against Mu Changqing's back, crossing her arms tightly around his strong waist and resting her chin on his shoulder.
Under the influence of the Golden Dragon King bloodline, Mu Changqing had grown very tall, even a little taller than Zhang Lexuan. He turned his head and gently stroked her hair.
Zhang Lexuan and Mu Changqing spent a while cuddling on the sofa.
"Right, isn't this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament starting soon?"
Mu Changqing looked into Zhang Lexuan's silver eyes and voiced his question.
"That's right, but your big sister has already reached Soul Sage! Shrek Academy shouldn't have any trouble winning the championship this year."
Zhang Lexuan sat to one side with her arms folded across her chest, her long, beautiful legs crossed on the sofa, looking utterly languid.
Mu Changqing listened quietly beside her, nodding. If he remembered correctly, in a few more years, after Zhang Lexuan's cultivation reached Soul Douluo, Xuan Zi would personally lead a team to hunt for Soul Rings.
Many members of the Soul Ring hunting team Zhang Lexuan was part of would die. Mu Changqing would have to warn Xuan Zi in person; he couldn't let him divide his attention.
"Sister Lexuan, I'm going to the Sea God Pavilion!"
Mu Changqing stood up and headed down the stairs. He still had to see Mu En. A year ago, Mu En had told him that once they returned from Gengxin City, he would take them back to the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect was within the Heaven Soul Empire. Its sect master belonged to the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex lineage, and Mu En held a prominent position in the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex clan.
"Go ahead!"
Zhang Lexuan's sweet voice rang out. Lying on the sofa, she watched Mu Changqing's figure, her gaze full of tenderness.
Mu Changqing was thinking that once he reached Heavenly Dragon City, he would have to find a way to snatch the opportunity beneath that well in the Earth Dragon Sect. When he had the chance, he would also pocket the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Mu Changqing arrived at the entrance to the Sea God Pavilion and pushed the door open. Mu En had been waiting on the first floor for quite some time, and a smile appeared on his aged face.
Mu En could sense that Mu Changqing's cultivation had improved considerably over the past year.