In an instant, every elder's burning gaze focused on Xue Chen.
"Good child, as long as you're willing to become my disciple and join our Martial Soul Department, I'll spare no effort to help you obtain the most suitable Soul Rings. Even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring won't be a problem!"
Yan Shaozhe gazed intently at Xue Chen, his words brimming with temptation.
"Yan Shaozhe, you don't even have a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring yourself, yet you're using one to entice my student!"
Xian Lin'er snorted, already treating herself as Xue Chen's teacher.
With Xian Lin'er exposing his shortcomings, Yan Shaozhe's expression immediately turned rather ugly.
He had been an inveterate womanizer in his youth, and he lacked breadth of mind, leaving him unable to unleash the full potential of his Bright Phoenix Martial Soul. That was why he could not withstand a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
"I can help you hunt down a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring too, as your teacher."
Taking Xue Chen's hand, Xian Lin'er looked at him with an increasingly gentle gaze.
"As for the resources you want, our Soul Tool Department is no worse than their Martial Soul Department!"
Xue Chen was completely numb.
What should I do? Waiting online. Urgent!
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er, the Soul Tool Department and the Martial Soul Department.
Whichever one he chose, he would inevitably offend the other!
After a brief silence, Xue Chen gently slipped his hand out of Xian Lin'er's grasp.
An anxious look crossed Xian Lin'er's face, and a bad feeling immediately arose in her heart. But with Mu En watching from the seat of honor, she could only let go.
"Senior!"
Xue Chen took two steps forward and bowed to Mu En.
"What is it? Have you decided whose disciple you want to become?"
Mu En looked at Xue Chen with interest and asked with a smile.
"Senior, I've heard many legends about Shrek Academy since I was little."
Xue Chen took a deep breath before continuing:
"But I never imagined that the leaders of the continent's greatest academy would fight like this over an ordinary student like me!"
"Whether it's the Martial Soul Department or the Soul Tool Department, aren't they both part of Shrek Academy?"
"No matter which department I join, won't I still be a student of Shrek Academy?"
At these words, every elder's expression changed.
Xue Chen's words had all but laid the conflict between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department out on the table.
"You lot can't even see things as clearly as a child!"
Mu En was slightly taken aback as well, then let out a soft sigh.
"Elder Mu!"
Both Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er looked embarrassed and began to speak.
"Enough!"
Mu En waved a hand, his gaze turning to Xue Chen.
"It really is unfair to make a child like you face such a choice."
"How about letting this old man offer you an idea?"
Xue Chen cupped his hands toward Mu En. "Please enlighten me, senior."
Mu En did not speak immediately, his gaze sweeping over Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe.
Noticing Mu En's gaze, Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe both involuntarily straightened.
"Let the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department train this child together. Lin'er, Shaozhe, both of you will be his teachers!"
After a moment's silence, Mu En suddenly said with a smile:
"As for his daily arrangements, you two deans can discuss and decide for yourselves!"
Everyone could see that Mu En was smoothing things over.
But Xue Chen, the person at the center of it all, thought a little further. By making him a disciple of both Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe, Mu En likely also intended to mend the relationship between the Soul Tool Department and the Martial Soul Department.
"Elder Mu!"
Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe cried out almost simultaneously.
Of course neither was willing. Why should they hand half the training of a peerless talent like Xue Chen to the other?
"It's settled!"
Ignoring their reluctance, Mu En turned to Zhang Lexuan and said:
"Lexuan, take this child to the Outer Court and find Du Weilun. Have him place the child in an Outer Court class for now."
"Yes, Elder Mu!"
Zhang Lexuan nodded, then walked over to Xue Chen, bent slightly, and spoke to him gently:
"My name is Zhang Lexuan. The students at the academy generally call me eldest senior sister."
"Little brother Xue Chen, come with me. I'll take you to the Outer Court to find Teacher Du Weilun."
With that, she took Xue Chen's hand and led him out of the Sea God Pavilion's council hall.
After leaving the Sea God Pavilion's council hall, feeling the warmth and softness in his hand, Xue Chen could not help raising his head slightly to study the Inner Court's eldest senior sister beside him.
Zhang Lexuan looked to be around twenty, and her long, jet-black hair, which reached her waist, brushed against Xue Chen's cheek from time to time.
Compared with the other members of the opposite sex Xue Chen had met, Zhang Lexuan possessed an extra touch of intellectual gentleness.
"Mommy!"
Almost instinctively, Xue Chen transformed into Junior Wa and could not help murmuring.
"What?"
Zhang Lexuan's steps faltered slightly, and she looked down at Xue Chen in surprise.
Had she not already reached the Soul Douluo level and possessed excellent hearing, she would have thought she had misheard.
Mommy? A junior had actually called her mommy?
[Congratulations to the host for successfully collecting and activating S-rank goddess: Zhang Lexuan!] [Congratulations to the host for obtaining the activation reward: True Love Red Thread!] [True Love Red Thread: A single thread binds lovers destined for each other across a thousand miles. Once used, it can kindle the flame of true love, unwavering until death, between two people. (Note: cannot be used on the host himself. If both recipients possess greater spiritual power than the host, it will fail. If only one possesses greater spiritual power than the host, the half of the red thread on that person will lose its effect!)]
Before Xue Chen could answer Zhang Lexuan's question, the familiar system notification sounded in his ears again.
True Love Red Thread?
The corner of Xue Chen's mouth twitched slightly. The things the system gave him seemed to be getting increasingly bizarre!
"J-Junior Xue Chen?"
While Xue Chen was inspecting the effects of the True Love Red Thread, the expression on Zhang Lexuan's face beside him grew increasingly strange.
"Senior sister Lexuan, I didn't mean anything else!"
Noticing Zhang Lexuan's strange expression, Xue Chen rubbed his nose awkwardly and hurriedly said:
"I just thought... thought you were a little like my mommy!"
"I-is that so?"
Zhang Lexuan also smoothed her hair somewhat awkwardly.
Looking at Xue Chen's innocent yet exceptionally handsome, delicate face, perhaps because the word "mommy" had stirred her feelings, Zhang Lexuan actually felt a little maternal love arise in her heart for no reason.
In the past, Bei Bei had been the sole recipient of these maternal feelings.
"Junior Xue Chen, our Shrek Academy is divided into the Inner and Outer Courts. Only the most outstanding students in the Outer Court are admitted to the Inner Court. There are no exceptions."
Zhang Lexuan gently reminded him:
"But since you're a student whom Dean Yan Shaozhe and Dean Xian Lin'er have taken a liking to, you'll enter the Inner Court sooner or later."
"Senior sister Lexuan, can I choose my own class and dorm room?"
Xue Chen nodded, then suddenly asked, as though something had occurred to him.