Mu Sheng glanced down at the two hands wrapped around his waist and teased,
"What, a mighty Soul Emperor who can't even sit steady on a horse?"
Qian Renxue's face grew hot, but she retorted, "Who can't sit steady? I just... I just wasn't prepared!"
That was what she said, but she showed no intention of loosening her grip.
In the Douluo I world and the animated Douluo II world, the people beneath the sky screen were all amused by the sight.
"Hahahaha, Qian Renxue's embarrassed, isn't she? Look how red her face is!"
"Well, well, she's embarrassed, isn't she? She was still talking tough a moment ago, but she's holding on tighter than anyone!"
"Embarrassed? I'd say she's starting to fall for him! She's got her arms around his waist and won't let go..."
"I'd fall for him too! Mu Sheng's so strong and handsome, and he even subdued a 580,000-year-old Ferocious Beast. Who could resist?"
"That Mu Sheng kid isn't just strong, he's a dab hand at flirting too!"
"Look how red Qian Renxue's face is. She's like a completely different person from that cold, arrogant woman she was before."
As the Heavenly Dragon Horse flew faster and faster, the wind grew fiercer. As if possessed, Qian Renxue pressed her whole body against Mu Sheng, her chest tight against his back and her chin resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Feeling the softness against his back, Mu Sheng muttered inwardly, Wait, what's going on with Qian Renxue?
Did she fall in love with me at first sight?
Are the laws of romance on the Douluo Continent taking effect?
Mu Sheng shifted his shoulders, trying to move forward a little, but Qian Renxue only held him tighter.
"The wind's too strong. I can't sit steady," she mumbled. Then she buried her face deeper in the crook of his shoulder, her pearly teeth biting her lower lip and the tips of her ears turning red.
Mu Sheng was helpless. Wait, you're a Soul Emperor and you can't sit steady?
Since he couldn't refuse, he could only enjoy it. With that, he picked up speed.
An incense stick's time later, the Heavenly Dragon Horse slowed down.
Mu Sheng gave the reins a gentle tug, and the Heavenly Dragon Horse folded its dragon wings and landed steadily on a high slope.
Not far ahead, a magnificent city spread out before them.
Its walls towered high, its gate towers were majestic, and buildings stood in serried ranks within. Its streets were wide and orderly, with Soul Masters and merchants coming and going in an endless stream.
A huge plaque hung above the city gate, bearing three great characters that danced like dragons and phoenixes.
Shrek!
Qian Renxue lifted her head from Mu Sheng's shoulder and stared at the magnificent city before her, momentarily stunned.
"This is Shrek City? Shrek Academy is inside?"
Mu Sheng nodded. "That's right, Shrek City. It's governed by Shrek Academy."
Qian Renxue's eyes widened, her face full of surprise. "An academy governs a city? Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire allow you to do that?"
In the Douluo I world, the people beneath the sky screen were also exclaiming in surprise.
"An academy governs a city? Just how powerful will Shrek be ten thousand years from now?"
"If an academy governs a city, isn't it practically a country?"
At Shrek Academy, Flender heard those words from the sky screen. His eyes shone behind his glasses, and he rubbed his hands together in excitement.
"We're that awesome? The number one academy on the continent, and we govern a city too! Hahaha! So awesome, awesome!!!"
Zhao Wuji, Li Yusong, and the others beside him exchanged glances, their faces also filled with pride and satisfaction.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, who had just enrolled, saw it too. Zhu Zhuqing kept a cold face and said nothing, but there was unmistakably more shock in her eyes.
Ning Rongrong tilted her chin up, her face full of questions, and muttered,
"Holy shit, even my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't control a city. How did Shrek pull it off?"
Nearby, Tang San, who was using the alias Tang Shan, stood at the entrance to the registration area in silence, his gaze fixed on the academy gates.
Xiao Wu... why hasn't Xiao Wu come yet?
Xiao Wu wouldn't have abandoned me, would she?
Ah!
No, no!
My Xiao Wu!!!
In the sky screen, Mu Sheng said, "Of course they don't want that, but they still need Shrek Academy to keep the Sun Moon Empire in check. As for Heaven Dou, that country no longer exists."
Qian Renxue froze and asked blankly, "What's the Sun Moon Empire? Heaven Dou was destroyed?"
In the Douluo I world, the people beneath the sky screen couldn't help crying out in alarm.
"The Sun Moon Empire? Never heard of it! Our Heaven Dou Empire was destroyed? How is that possible?"
"Heaven Dou was destroyed? What about Star Luo? Is Star Luo still around?"
In the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Xue Ye stared at the sky screen, his face livid. He slapped the arm of his throne.
"Nonsense! My Heaven Dou Empire will endure for ten thousand generations. How could it possibly be destroyed? This Mu Sheng is spouting whatever comes into his head, utter nonsense!"
Over in the Star Luo Empire, the emperor leaned back on his throne and roared with laughter, winking at a trusted minister beside him.
"Did you hear that? Heaven Dou is gone, so my Star Luo must still be around! Maybe Star Luo was the one that destroyed Heaven Dou and unified the continent! Hahaha!"
In the sky screen.
Mu Sheng thought back for a moment and said,
"The Sun Moon Empire is the country that governs the Sun Moon Continent. More than four thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Continent crashed into this one because of the movement of continental plates."
"The Soul Tools you heard about earlier were invented by the Sun Moon Empire. Because of the war between the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou split into two countries, Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue couldn't help drawing a sharp breath and exclaiming,
"The Sun Moon Empire is that strong? One country fought our entire continent?"
Mu Sheng nodded.
"Very strong. Once Soul Guidance Technology develops to a certain point, ordinary Soul Masters can't stop it at all."
"That's also why Shrek City can remain independent of the two great empires. They need Shrek's formidable power to keep the Sun Moon Empire in check."
In the Douluo I world, the people beneath the sky screen cried out in shock.
"No wonder Shrek Academy can govern a city. So that's why! An academy can keep an entire continent in check. Its strength might be greater than Spirit Hall and the two great empires combined!"
"One academy keeping an entire continent in check? What kind of behemoth will Shrek become ten thousand years from now?"
Qian Renxue's heart was also in turmoil after hearing this.
An academy could actually keep an entire continent in check?
She couldn't help turning to Mu Sheng and asking,
"Is Shrek really that strong? Then how many Titled Douluo do you have?"
Mu Sheng didn't answer, only smiling as he said,
"You'll find out naturally in the future. First, I'll take you to Dean Yan to complete your enrollment."
Without another word, he directed the Heavenly Dragon Horse toward Shrek City.
The guards above the city gate spotted a streak of silvery-white light flying toward them from afar. They were just about to shout for it to stop when they recognized the person on the horse's back. They swallowed the reprimand on the tips of their tongues and replaced it with a respectful greeting.
"Senior Brother Mu Sheng!"
The Heavenly Dragon Horse swept over the city gate and entered the city. The crowds on the streets below looked up.
"Who's that? How dare they ride a Soul Beast through the air above Shrek City!"
"Holy shit, that horse is so cool! It has a dragon's head, a horse's body, and wings too. What kind of Soul Beast is it?"
"Those two on the horse are so handsome and beautiful too! The man has purplish-blue hair, and the woman has golden hair. They look like they stepped out of a painting!"
"You don't know? That's Eldest Senior Brother Mu Sheng! Shrek's once-in-ten-thousand-years genius, who broke through to Soul King at fourteen! I don't know who that golden-haired beauty beside him is, but I bet she's a new junior sister he's taken in."
"A junior sister? I'm jealous. I want Eldest Senior Brother Mu Sheng to take me in too!"
Mu Sheng swept his gaze over the crowd below and frowned slightly.
Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, Wu Feng and the others-he scanned the crowd but didn't see a single one of them.
Had they already enrolled?
Or had the world's plot changed because of me?