Seeing Xu Jiujiu Again

Lu Jingming secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Han Ruoruo stop Wu Ming.

This overly familiar big-sister type was so enthusiastic that he could barely handle it. Dealing with her was truly exhausting.

Only now that things had calmed down a little did he have the leisure to carefully observe the people from Shrek Academy.

Aside from Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming, the five older members were all far from ordinary. For the moment, Lu Jingming could not gauge the depths of their strength.

However, the younger reserve team members of Shrek Academy gave Lu Jingming a powerful sense of déjà vu.

Other than Ma Xiaotao, the one with the strongest aura was a Golden-Haired Youth.

Lu Jingming had read this person's information. He was Dai Yueheng. That dazzling golden hair, coupled with his innate confidence and commanding presence, made him easy to recognize.

Then there was the Black-Haired Youth with colored patterns painted on his face and somewhat feminine features. Lu Jingming guessed that he was Gongyang Mo.

And that honest-looking, simple boy with short black hair was presumably Yao Haoxuan.

There was Chen Zifeng, with his cold temperament and short dark-red hair, as well as a girl who did not seem particularly striking at first glance. Yet upon closer inspection, one would discover that she was also an undeniably beautiful young lady—Xixi.

Lastly was a black-haired girl entirely unlike Ma Xiaotao. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her temperament was cool and aloof, like a Snow Princess. She radiated an icy aura that kept others at a thousand miles' distance. She was clearly Ling Luochen.

Although these reserve team members were still young, Lu Jingming accurately identified each of them based on what he remembered about them.

After all, each of their distinctive temperaments was like a clear label, making them easy to distinguish.

Without much idle chatter, Shrek Academy, led by the Heaven Dou Empire's reception staff, checked into luxurious suites on the top floor of the Sky Dome Grand Hotel.

From beginning to end, Yan Shaozhe never showed himself. Clearly, he had entrusted all matters to Han Ruoruo.

This was undoubtedly also a form of training for the current generation of the Shrek Seven Devils, allowing them to accumulate experience and grow quickly while handling miscellaneous affairs.

At the same time, Zhang Lexuan took Saint Freya Academy's documents to the registration office.

Jing Liu was the teacher leading the team this time, while Lu Jingming came along as the sole reserve team member.

After all, without that status, he would not have been able to stay at the Sky Dome Grand Hotel.

This grand hotel was specifically prepared for participating teams. If accompanying personnel could also stay here freely, then even with its immense size, it likely would not have been able to accommodate everyone.

Unlike the renowned Shrek Academy, Saint Freya Academy was only assigned rooms on the second floor of the Sky Dome Grand Hotel.

The environment here was not bad, but within this hotel, these truly counted as relatively ordinary rooms.

Even so, compared to ordinary hotels outside, this place was still top-tier.

After all, the Sky Dome Grand Hotel was one of the finest hotels in the Heaven Dou Empire. Even its most ordinary rooms were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Saint Freya Academy had only just emerged and was not well known, so naturally, it could not compare to a continent-leading academy with a reputation as illustrious as Shrek Academy's.

But Lu Jingming and the others did not care about that. They were filled with confidence.

Once this tournament ended, even if Saint Freya Academy could not surpass elite institutions like Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, it would certainly join the ranks of the top academies and make its mark in the soul master world of Douluo Continent.

Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, several days had gone by, and the opening day of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament drew closer and closer.

The participating teams from other academies arrived one after another. Even the most distant Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy had checked into the top floor of the Sky Dome Grand Hotel, receiving exactly the same treatment as Shrek Academy.

After all, as the eternal runner-up to Shrek Academy, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy held an influential position in the soul master world. Naturally, the Heaven Dou Empire gave it ample respect.

Over the past few days, Lu Jingming had taken Little Fox around Heaven Dou City, exploring every corner of the ancient city.

Afterward, he came to a conclusion: this city was far inferior to Haiyuan City under his rule.

Heaven Dou City was indeed enormous, covering an area greater than ten Haiyuan Cities combined. Moreover, with its ten-thousand-year history, every corner exuded an ancient and weighty atmosphere.

However, its various buildings and urban facilities lagged far behind those of Haiyuan City.

The people of the Heaven Dou Empire rejected Soul Tools far more strongly than those of the Star Luo Empire, causing the development of their soul tool technology to progress at an extremely slow pace.

In Heaven Dou City, let alone Soul Tool Trams, even Soul Tool Air Conditioners capable of automatic heating were exceedingly rare.

Only high-end establishments like the Sky Dome Grand Hotel were equipped with such daily-use Soul Tools. Even if ordinary residents of Heaven Dou City wanted to use Soul Tools, they had nowhere to find them.

Though he had enjoyed himself thoroughly, Lu Jingming was filled with disappointment.

Even Heaven Dou City, a core imperial city, was like this. One could only imagine what the other cities of the Heaven Dou Empire looked like.

He had once entertained the idea of traveling across all of Douluo Continent, but now that thought vanished like a bubble without a trace.

Compared to the highly developed world of his previous life, Douluo Continent's technological level was simply far too backward.

Once the novelty wore off, all that remained was a sense of tedium.

Feeling rather uninterested, Lu Jingming returned to the Sky Dome Grand Hotel.

Compared to when they had first arrived, the first-floor lobby was noticeably livelier.

After all, more than a hundred participating teams had already checked in. People came and went, and the place bustled with activity.

Just as Lu Jingming was about to head up to the second floor and return to his room, a faint, elegant fragrance drifted toward him. A graceful figure suddenly stepped in front of him.

"Little Jingming, long time no see. Do you still remember your sister?" A crisp, pleasant voice like silver bells rang out beside his ear.

Lu Jingming was greatly surprised and instinctively looked up. Xu Jiujiu stood before him with a radiant smile, warm as the spring sun, yet seemingly carrying another layer of meaning.

"How could I? I might forget anyone else, but I would never forget Sister Jiujiu!" Lu Jingming hurriedly shook his head hard, secretly reminding himself that she was currently both a rich benefactor and someone he could rely on. He absolutely could not offend her lightly.

After all, Xu Jiujiu had put in considerable effort to help Saint Freya Academy obtain its qualification to participate.

"Is that so? I thought someone had forgotten me. After all, aside from asking someone to come to me for help, you never came to see me even once!" Xu Jiujiu's voice carried a faint note of grievance. Her expression resembled that of a devoted girl abandoned by a heartless man, making anyone who heard her feel an involuntary pang of sympathy.

Lu Jingming immediately felt awkward. Thinking about it carefully, that really was the case.

When he had asked her for help, he had only sent letters through someone else. From beginning to end, he had never personally gone to Star Luo City to visit her.

Looking back on it now, that really had been inappropriate.