Little Junior Brother, That's Not Fair (Part 2)

The moment she said that, Ling Bai's expression stiffened slightly.

Senior Sister...

Quite lively, huh.

"Senior Sister."

It was just a form of address. She was a girl, so he should just go along with her.

Ling Bai quietly told himself.

"Mhm."

Han Ruoruo nodded in satisfaction. She and Zhang Lexuan had once represented Shrek in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament and won the championship. During that time, the two had become the best of friends and confidantes.

Last night, Zhang Lexuan had told her that an eleven-year-old junior brother had arrived at the Inner Academy and asked her to serve as his guide for a day. Han Ruoruo had agreed without hesitation.

"Little Junior Brother, why didn't you come back to stay here after sparring with Xiaotao?" Han Ruoruo asked with a smile.

"Hm?"

Ling Bai raised a brow. Something was off—very off!

"Senior Sister, you knew about my fight with Ma Xiaotao?"

His expression suddenly turned strange, as if he were saying:

You saw it, so why didn't you at least lend a hand?!

A Soul Ancestor challenging a Soul Emperor, and a rampaging Soul Emperor whose evil fire had gone out of control at that. Was that reasonable?

Han Ruoruo's voice was gentle and melodious, carrying a faintly lingering lilt. "Lexuan and I, along with most of the students with seven-ring cultivation, rushed over. But Teacher Li stopped us beforehand and told us it was Dean Yan's test for you. The dean believed you had the ability to contend with Xiaotao."

Ling Bai mechanically turned his head toward the towering tree at the center of Sea God Island, glowing with brilliant golden light, and said faintly, "Oh? Dean Yan..."

Ling Bai gritted his teeth hard. With flames, sword light, and phoenix cries filling the night, he had wondered whether everyone in Shrek Inner Academy was blind and deaf.

So it was you, you old bastard!

Han Ruoruo continued with a smile, "Lexuan told me you were extremely strong. I didn't believe her at first. You're only eleven years old, and five years since your martial soul awakened is simply too short. But even from so far away last night, I could sense the earth-shattering sharpness of your soul skill."

She raised a slender, pale thumb. "Keep working hard, Little Junior Brother!"

"Thank you, Senior Sister. I definitely won't let you down."

"Good."

Han Ruoruo's crystalline eyes curved into a charming crescent. Ling Bai lingered on her face for a few extra seconds. Delicate brows like a painting, autumn eyes like clear water—this was likely the kind of woman those words described.

"Here, these are necessities for Shrek Inner Academy students."

Han Ruoruo took several items from her earring-shaped Storage Soul Tool and handed them to Ling Bai.

A yellow-green school badge, engraved with an ugly yet adorable little monster.

Among the many soul beasts, the Shrek was itself a rather strange existence, corresponding to Shrek Academy's motto—only monsters, never ordinary people.

Two sets of red Shrek uniforms.

White, yellow, purple, black, and red. Shrek Academy used the age of one's soul rings to represent one's grade. The first four belonged to the Outer Academy, while only red belonged to the Inner Academy.

"Put on the uniform," Han Ruoruo said.

Ling Bai said nothing. He accepted the badge and uniform, then turned and entered the room.

"Creak—"

Two minutes later, the door opened again, and a figure in red stepped out.

A flash of amazement instantly crossed Han Ruoruo's eyes. "As expected, someone with such a pretty face looks good in anything."

"Senior Sister, handsome should be used to describe men..."

Ling Bai covered his face and sighed. Why did everyone at Shrek love using the word pretty? It wasn't as though he could decide to have fair skin and soft features.

"Alright~ Handsome."

Han Ruoruo immediately changed her wording, but Ling Bai still felt as though she were humoring a child.

That was indeed the case. Han Ruoruo was twenty-six this year, a full fifteen years older than Ling Bai. In a relatively precocious world like Douluo Continent, some girls had already given birth by the age of fifteen.

So in Han Ruoruo's eyes, Ling Bai was not much different from a child.

"Forget it..."

Ling Bai waved his hand weakly and asked:

"Senior Sister, have you eaten breakfast?"

"No."

"Want to eat together?"

Han Ruoruo agreed. "Sure. I'll take you around the campus after we eat."

Han Ruoruo led the way while Ling Bai followed at her side. Ling Bai's residence was on the westernmost side of Sea God Island, while the cafeteria was on the easternmost side. The two of them practically had to cross the entire island. They passed many buildings along the way, which Han Ruoruo introduced to Ling Bai in passing.

"The Inner Academy Surveillance Pavilion, where you accept surveillance missions. There are three requirements for graduating from Shrek Inner Academy. First, your Soul Power must break through level sixty. Second, you must pass the graduation assessment. Third, you must complete thirty surveillance missions."

"The Inner Academy Assessment Hall. Like the Outer Academy, students must pass assessments every year to advance. If you repeat a year for two consecutive years, you'll be expelled from the Inner Academy. Oh, right. Three months from now, the Inner Academy will hold a freshman assessment for you newcomers. Only by passing it can you become true Inner Academy students."

"How is this like the Outer Academy..."

Ling Bai immediately thought of the Outer Academy's three-versus-three team battle freshman assessment. He tentatively asked, "The six of us won't have to split into two teams and fight, with the losers eliminated and the winners staying in the academy to continue cultivating, right?"

"Hahaha, of course not."

Han Ruoruo smiled. "The Inner Academy entrance assessment is already extremely strict. There aren't many people to begin with. If the Inner Academy used the half-elimination method you described, wouldn't there be no students left?

"The Inner Academy uses individual assessments, and there's an element of luck involved. There's a chance it could be absurdly difficult, and a chance it could be effortless. Alright, I can't tell you too many details. Let me continue introducing the Inner Academy."

"The Inner Academy Library contains a large number of books about martial souls, soul beasts, and influential figures of the continent. Many are even rare originals. If you have time outside of cultivation, I suggest you come sit in the library more often."

At the mention of the library, Han Ruoruo's eyes unconsciously lit up.

Twenty minutes after passing the library, the two finally arrived at the cafeteria. The journey just to eat a meal had felt as distant as a pilgrimage to the Western Heavens, making Ling Bai consider whether it was necessary to change rooms.

The moment he entered the cafeteria, Ling Bai smelled all sorts of aromas drifting out from within, making his mouth water.

There were fewer than a hundred Inner Academy students in total, and the cafeteria had only one serving counter. Yet the cafeteria itself was built exceptionally spacious.

There were not many Inner Academy students eating at the moment, making the enormous cafeteria seem even emptier. Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo went over to get their food.

Ling Bai courteously yielded to Han Ruoruo, following the principle of ladies first, but Han Ruoruo rebuffed him by saying that a senior sister should yield to her junior brother. He was not the type to fuss over such things, so since Han Ruoruo had said so, he stood in front of her in line.

"Uncle, two buns and a bowl of porridge."

Ling Bai did not like eating overly greasy food for breakfast. He had actually seen an Inner Academy student eating roasted meat early in the morning!

He couldn't take it... he really couldn't take it...

"Coming right up!"

The cafeteria uncle answered and swiftly took out two plump, round buns, then ladled out a steaming bowl of white porridge. Judging by the speed of his hands, Ling Bai estimated that the uncle was at least a three-ring Soul Elder.

The uncle handed the tray to Ling Bai, then turned to Han Ruoruo and asked warmly, "Ruoruo, you're here. What would you like to eat?"

Han Ruoruo and Zhang Lexuan were practically veteran Shrek students, and the cafeteria uncle knew her very well.

"Uncle Mo, I'll have the same as Little Junior Brother."

"No problem!"

"Um, Uncle Mo..."

Ling Bai spoke up to draw their attention and pointed at the tray. "You didn't charge me."

"Charge you?"

Uncle Mo scratched his head, looking utterly baffled. "Charge you for what? The Inner Academy cafeteria is free!"