Just as everyone at Shrek Academy was discussing how shocked Zhu Zhuyun would be when she saw White Emperor City...
On the Douluo Continent, in the Far North.
The Snow Empress gazed quietly at the sky screen.
Unlike the others, who were anticipating Zhu Zhuyun's reaction, the Snow Empress had her attention firmly caught by a term in Jiang Xiaoxiao's words-Demonic Beast.
"As expected, the monsters in that world aren't Soul Beasts. They're called 'Demonic Beasts.'"
A thoughtful gleam rose in the Snow Empress's ice-blue eyes. "I just wonder how those Demonic Beasts cultivate."
At that thought, she unconsciously recalled how, during the earlier sky-screen broadcast, Zhu Zhuqing's consciousness had sunk into a vast, boundless "ocean."
"Both Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun's expressions changed drastically after looking at that white jade slip..."
The Snow Empress murmured to herself, "Jiang Wanwan once said it contained the 'Mystic Moon Goddess Scripture.'"
"Is the Mystic Moon Goddess Scripture a cultivation method from that world?"
As she thought, the Snow Empress stood and walked to the ice window, gazing at the snowflakes falling eternally outside.
"The Shrouding the Heavens World..."
A trace of longing and curiosity flashed through the Snow Empress's eyes. "Just what sort of world is it? And what sort of power do they cultivate?"
And just then...
In the Shrouding the Heavens World, the Moon-Escaping Immortal Palace suddenly began to descend slowly.
"Have we finally arrived?"
Watching the Moon-Escaping Immortal Palace descend, Zhu Zhuyun could no longer contain her curiosity and anticipation, and hurried to the bow.
Resting her hands on the carved railing, she looked down.
"Let me see whether White Emperor City is as grand as Star Luo City... huh?!"
That was what Zhu Zhuyun was thinking, but the next moment, the instant she saw White Emperor City, she froze as though struck by lightning.
Her pupils abruptly contracted, and even her breathing stopped.
"This... is... White Emperor City?!"
The sight before her completely shattered everything she had ever understood about a "city," or even a "nation."
An immortal realm amid mountains and clouds, with walls a thousand zhang high towering into the clouds and stretching endlessly to either side...
Within the city, towers and palaces rose in overlapping tiers.
Immortal Qi swirled, ten thousand rays of rosy light shone, phantoms of Auspicious Beasts flickered among the clouds, and faint immortal music and Dao resonance drifted on the wind.
"This is a city?"
Zhu Zhuyun's rosy lips parted slightly. Utterly bewildered, she wanted to ask, but could not make a sound.
She felt only an indescribable shock, a sense of insignificance, and an excitement almost like that of a pilgrim filling her heart, making her tremble faintly all over, until she could barely hold on to the railing.
Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent.
At Shrek Academy, Ma Hongjun slapped his thigh, delighted beyond measure:
"Hahaha! Here it comes! She's seen it!"
"Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly the expression! Dumbstruck, her soul flown beyond the heavens!"
Ning Rongrong was equally excited. "Say... how long do you think she'll stay like that?"
"I bet ten Gold Soul Coins she won't come to her senses for at least the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!"
Oscar chuckled. "I bet an hour!"
Tang San looked at the suffocatingly magnificent White Emperor City on the sky screen, then at Zhu Zhuyun's profile, frozen like a wooden chicken, and amusement filled his eyes as well:
"She's probably... wondering whether she's dreaming, isn't she?"
"Weren't we exactly the same back then?" Xiao Wu said with a smile.
Not far away, Yu Xiaogang also smiled at Flender and shook his head:
"At last, it's her turn... to experience the shock we felt back then!"
Flender nodded and said quietly, "You might laugh at me for saying this, but when I saw White Emperor City, I almost fell flat on my backside."
Yu Xiaogang nodded instinctively. "This White Emperor City... even after seeing it several times, it still feels incomparably magnificent!"
And it was not just everyone at Shrek Academy. Even Tang Wutong, Gu Yuena, Tang Wulin, Qian Renxue...
They all found the scene amusing.
At the same time, they could not help recalling the very same shock they had felt upon first seeing White Emperor City.
In the Shrouding the Heavens World, at the bow of the Moon-Escaping Immortal Palace.
At some point, Jiang Xiaoxiao had quietly approached Zhu Zhuyun's side. She seemed to relish Zhu Zhuyun's current shock, and a smile beautiful enough to topple cities and kingdoms curved her lips.
Her voice, languid and carrying a barely perceptible hint of pride, sounded softly beside Zhu Zhuyun's ear:
"Little girl, welcome to White Emperor City!"
She paused, and her smile deepened as she watched Zhu Zhuyun's eyes, which still had not quite regained their focus.
"What are you standing there in a daze for? You'll be seeing your little sister very soon!"
Just as Jiang Xiaoxiao spoke to Zhu Zhuyun.
Meanwhile...
[First-person perspective: Shrek Academy student, Zhu Zhuqing (Level 30)]
Inside the Ninefold Heavenly Towers.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing's hair was damp and her cheeks were flushed. She had already put her own clothes back on.
Jiang Wanwan had also dressed and was sitting before a jade dressing table nearby.
Holding a white jade comb carved with laurel patterns, she leisurely combed her ink-black hair, her movements graceful and unhurried.
As she looked at Zhu Zhuqing through the bronze mirror, the faintest smile played on her lips.
"Your comprehension is good."
Jiang Wanwan's voice slowly rippled through the room, carrying a measure of languor and approval.
"Though your technique was a little unpracticed..."
Jiang Wanwan turned, her bare feet touching the smooth, warm white jade floor, and slowly approached Zhu Zhuqing.
She was half a head taller than Zhu Zhuqing. Leaning forward slightly, she reflected the young girl's somewhat uneasy figure in her alluring, peach-blossom eyes.
"But that also proves you've never attended to anyone else before."
Jiang Wanwan's fingertips gently brushed the slightly damp strands beside Zhu Zhuqing's ear, her voice lowering a little. "That's the sort of promising seedling I want."
"And your figure is good, too. You remember that trick I taught you earlier, don't you?"
"Sister Wanwan!"
Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment as she recalled Jiang Wanwan saying during their bath that she could use that place to scrub... scrub someone's back...
I really don't know who Sister Wanwan learned all this from. How can you even use that... that place...
Jiang Wanwan simply smiled as she watched the bashful Zhu Zhuqing.
Just as she was about to say something more and tease this little maid she had newly taken in for His Majesty, a knock sounded at her door, neither loud nor soft.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Jiang Wanwan raised her brows slightly, stopped combing her hair, and called toward the door:
"Who is it?"
A woman's voice sounded outside, seductive with a touch of languor. It was seventy percent similar to Jiang Wanwan's, yet carried an additional hint of elusive authority:
"Who? Your older sister."
Hearing that voice, Jiang Wanwan's brows first lifted instinctively with delight, but quickly drew together again, her expression filling with distaste.
She slowly walked to the door and reached out to pull open the jade door carved with an image of the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens.
Outside stood a woman in a water-blue flowing immortal dress, her ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her features bore a fifty-percent resemblance to Jiang Wanwan's, but possessed a greater measure of mature charm. It was Jiang Xiaoxiao.
"Jiang Xiaoxiao, what have you come to see me for?"
Jiang Wanwan folded her arms and leaned sideways against the doorframe, looking thoroughly unwelcoming.
Then, as though something had suddenly occurred to her, she excitedly spoke to Jiang Xiaoxiao...