The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, draping the majestic east gate of Shrek City in a hazy veil.
Outside the city gates, teachers and students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy who had come for the exchange had gathered.
With five days remaining until the official end of the semester, the two-year exchange program between the two colleges officially concluded yesterday.
Today is the day that Kong Xuan and his entourage will set off to return to Mingdu.
On the Shrek Academy side, led by Cai Mei'er, the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department, Qian Duoduo, the vice dean of the Soul Tool Department, and four other teachers who had had much contact with the Sun Moon Academy students and teachers during the two-year exchange program, came to see them off. A total of six people, which can be considered as giving them enough importance.
The two stood facing each other, the atmosphere not exactly sad, but carrying a solemnity born of a long period of time and a subtle, almost imperceptible, distance.
Ren Jun, the teacher leading the Sun Moon and Moon team, stepped forward, nodded slightly to Cai Mei'er and the others, and spoke in his usual calm tone.
" Dean Cai, Dean Qian, we are deeply grateful for the meticulous hospitality and guidance from the Shrek Academy over the past two years."
"On behalf of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, I would like to express my gratitude. Our students have indeed benefited greatly from this exchange."
With a slightly complicated smile, Cai Mei'er replied, " Teacher Ren, you're too kind. The brilliance displayed by your esteemed academy's talented students over the past two years has also truly broadened our horizons."
Her words were by no means merely polite formalities.
None of the exchange students sent by Sun Moon this time are simple. Even Ji Juechen, whose cultivation speed was initially thought to be ordinary, actually showed strong combat power and eventually comprehended his own unique Sword Intent Domain.
Not to mention Kong Xuan's strength in single-handedly overturning the entire Inner Court, and the mysterious Soul Spirit that Sun Moon deliberately revealed at the end!
All of this was like a series of heavy blows, pounding on the foundation built by Shrek's millennia-long glory, forcing them to realize that they were no longer worthy of the title of "Number One Academy on the Continent."
Both the students' abilities and their related skills have fallen behind.
The Sun Moon Empire has taken the lead in the training of Soul Master, especially in the combination of Soul Tool and Soul Master, and even in innovative systems like Soul Spirit.
Qian Duoduo stood aside, her gaze mostly fixed on the exquisite Flying Soul Tool on the Sun Moon Academy students. Her eyes burned with a hint of resentment, but in the end, it turned into a barely audible sigh.
The gap in Soul Tool cannot be bridged overnight.
The two sides exchanged a few more pleasantries, such as "Welcome to exchange ideas again."
But they both understood that after this parting, when they met again, their positions would likely be even more distinct.
"Then, farewell," Ren Jun said finally.
"Have a safe journey," Cai Mei'er responded on behalf of Shrek.
With the words of farewell spoken, the Sun Moon Clan no longer hesitated.
"Shuashua...!!!"
A series of streaks of light flashed as various Flying Soul Tool unfolded, emitting a deep and powerful hum of Soul Power.
Kong Xuan and all the other exchange students, along with teachers Ma Sheng and Ren Jun, all took to the air.
They took one last look at Shrek City, the city that held two years of memories for them, and then glanced in the direction of the iconic Sea God Island.
Then they transformed into more than a dozen streaks of light, like arrows released from a bow, speeding towards the Sun Moon Empire and quickly disappearing at the edge of the horizon.
Cai Mei'er, Qian Duoduo, and the others stood there, watching them disappear, remaining motionless for a long time.
Once full of vigor, but now standing behind everyone, Yan Shaozhe, the former dean of the Martial Soul Department, remained silent during the farewell, his eyes slightly narrowed, his thoughts unknown.
Having left Shrek Academy and ended their two-year exchange program, the Sun Moon group felt much lighter.
During the flight, their conversations were filled with a joyful anticipation of returning home.
Kong Xuan was talking to Meng Hongchen beside him, a rare gentle smile on his face, "After we get back to Mingdu and rest well, let's go to the Mingyi Pavilion. I've been craving their ' Lava Scarlet Crystal Beast Ribs' and 'Ice Heart Jade Lotus Soup' for so long."
Upon hearing this, Meng Hongchen smiled sweetly and was about to respond when she saw Kong Xuan's smile suddenly vanish.
His expression instantly turned extremely serious, his gaze sharp as a hawk sweeping across the surrounding clouds and the mountains and forests below.
"What's wrong?"
Meng Hongchen noticed his unusual behavior, immediately suppressed her smile, and asked in a low voice.
Kong Xuan frowned, a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "Someone is following us. They've concealed their presence very well, but they can't hide it from me."
Kong Xuan's Divine Power is now comparable to that of Super Douluo, so he sensed the anomaly before Ma Sheng.
As he spoke, he used his Divine Power to briefly inform Ma Sheng, who was flying at the front, and Ren Jun, who was at the rear of the group, of the situation.
Ma Sheng, who was flying at the very front, suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal.
The entire team was well-trained and immediately stopped advancing, hovering in the air. Everyone looked around warily, secretly gathering their Soul Power, but they still did not know what had happened.
Ma Sheng and Ren Jun moved swiftly, flying one after the other to the middle of the group, standing beside Kong Xuan to form a protective stance.
Ma Sheng had just opened his mouth, ready to ask Kong Xuan in detail what abnormality he had noticed...
But the unexpected happened at that very moment!
Without any warning, without any fluctuation of Soul Power, and without even a ripple in space!
Right before Ma Sheng and Ren Jun's eyes, and under the watchful eyes of Meng Hongchen, Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and all their companions...
Standing among them, Kong Xuan, who had just been speaking to them with a serious expression, vanished into thin air!
It wasn't an afterimage left by high-speed movement, nor was it the effect of a stealth-type Soul Skill. Rather, it was as if it had been completely and utterly erased from the world in an instant by an invisible hand!
" Kong Xuan?!"
" Brother Xuan?!"
Where are they?!
After a brief silence, there were gasps of disbelief!
Everyone was stunned; their minds went blank.
Meng Hongchen subconsciously reached out to grab the spot where Kong Xuan had just been, but only grasped emptiness.
Ma Sheng and Ren Jun's expressions instantly turned extremely ugly. Their powerful Divine Power surged out like a tidal wave, instantly covering every inch of space within a radius of several thousand meters.
However, they couldn't detect any trace of Kong Xuan's presence, nor could they find any evidence of spatial teleportation or high-speed movement!
Kong Xuan vanished mysteriously and silently in front of a Titled Douluo and a Soul Douluo!
Ma Sheng and Ren Jun exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and anger in each other's eyes.
"Land! Everyone, gather together!"
Ma Sheng shouted, and everyone immediately obeyed the order. They all swooped down from the sky and landed in the forest below in the blink of an eye.
Ma Sheng and Ren Jun were on the outermost edge, while the remaining trainees stood back to back in a circle, warily watching their surroundings.
Ma Sheng's face was flushed, showing anger and urgency. He then said, "Everyone be careful. The person who made the move is definitely Titled Douluo, and they came prepared."
He wasn't sure if the other party's target was only Kong Xuan, or all of them.
Ren Jun looked around warily, his heart heavy with worry. He wondered how Kong Xuan was doing.