Jing Shaoyu hadn't expected to meet Guan Yue under such circumstances, feeling somewhat surprised inwardly. However, he remained largely composed.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle!" He immediately bowed respectfully to Guan Yue and called out.
Guan Yue was Yun Ming's junior brother, the personal disciple of the previous Sea God Pavilion Master—Heaven's Favored Douluo, the deputy hall master of the Federation's War God Hall, and himself a Limit Douluo, a demigod powerhouse. Regardless of which identity was considered, he deserved Jing Shaoyu's respect.
"Haha," Guan Yue laughed even more heartily upon hearing Jing Shaoyu's address. "It seems Senior Brother has mentioned me to you. That's great—saves me the trouble of explaining."
Jing Shaoyu very much wanted to tell Guan Yue that Yun Ming hadn't mentioned him at all, and that his knowledge actually came from Leng Yaozhu. But in the end, he held back because he could sense a trace of relief and joy in Guan Yue's words—there was undoubtedly a story behind this.
It wasn't hard to guess. As the disciple of the previous Sea God Pavilion Master and the junior brother of the current one, Guan Yue had chosen to join the Federation's War God Hall instead. While this move appeared unproblematic on the surface, it undoubtedly held deeper implications.
On the surface, both the Sea God Pavilion and the War God Hall were part of the Federation. But everyone knew the War God Hall had been established to counterbalance the Sea God Pavilion. For Guan Yue, as the Sea God Pavilion Master's disciple, to turn around and join the War God Hall—if this transition had truly been smooth and uneventful, Jing Shaoyu wouldn't believe it.
"Yes, I've heard my godparents mention you," Jing Shaoyu said with a bright smile. "Sky-Surpassing Douluo, wielding the Sky-Surpassing Divine Spear, renowned alongside my godfather as the Twin Heavenly Spear Gods—invincible under heaven."
"Ah, those were just the follies of youth, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!" Guan Yue's aged face flushed slightly as he hastily waved his hands, signaling Jing Shaoyu to stop. Then he caught the key detail in the statement. "Wait—godparents?"
"That's right. A few months ago, my godfather and godmother adopted me as their godson. Hehe," Jing Shaoyu replied.
"So that's how it is!" Guan Yue's expression turned sentimental. "This is truly wonderful news. Senior Brother and Ya Li finally have a child!"
Then his face showed distress. "Ah! I never expected to meet my nephew like this, and I didn't prepare any greeting gifts. What should I do? Shaoyu—you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"
"Not at all, of course not," Jing Shaoyu shook his head.
Guan Yue nodded with a smile. "Shaoyu, is there anything you'd like? Battle Armor, Mecha, Soul Bone, Soul Spirit, rare treasures—just tell your Martial Uncle, and I'll definitely get it for you."
"Martial Uncle, there's no need," Jing Shaoyu politely declined before shifting the topic. "Martial Uncle, why have you come here? Is that Ghost God Douluo a wanted target of the War God Hall?"
He hadn't forgotten the conversation and attitude of the War God Hall members accompanying Guan Yue when they first appeared. It seemed the two of them had disrupted their mission or plan.
"Yes," Guan Yue nodded. "We originally intended to use that Ghost God Douluo to track down the Evil Soul Master organization behind him. But although that fellow was weak in strength, his vigilance was high—he never slipped up. We were about to close the net when you two beat us to it."
"I see, my apologies." Jing Shaoyu scratched his head with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"No worries," Guan Yue laughed. "I'm still amazed that a Soul Emperor like you could stand toe-to-toe with a Titled Douluo. Impressive! You've got some of your master's old spirit! Hahaha!"
Seeing Guan Yue laugh so heartily, Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan instinctively exchanged a glance before joining in the laughter.
"By the way, are you two on an academy mission?" Guan Yue gradually composed himself and asked seriously.
"Yes, Uncle-Master," Jing Shaoyu replied, then proceeded to explain the situation in detail.
After listening, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Guan Yue's eyes. "So you're both members of the current generation's Seven Monsters? That's wonderful. Keep striving, youngsters—the future belongs to you."
Jing Shaoyu nodded and suggested, "Uncle-Master, would you like to visit the academy?"
"Visit the academy?" Guan Yue froze, his gaze momentarily distant before he smiled ambiguously. "We'll see. You should focus on your mission—I won't hold you up any longer."
He waved them off.
Taking the hint, Jing Shaoyu bid farewell. "Alright, Uncle-Master. Goodbye!"
He led Xu Xiaoyan away from the Ice Snow Mountain Range. Guan Yue watched their retreating figures, his eyes filled with melancholy.
"Brother Shaoyu, how could you be sure that man was the Sky-Soaring Douluo? Had you met him before?" Xu Xiaoyan voiced her confusion once they were back on their journey.
"It's true I'd never seen him before," Jing Shaoyu chuckled. "But I recognized him because of his aura and demeanor. His presence was unfathomable—only a Limit Douluo could possess such depth. His bearing was both ethereal and sharp, perfectly matching Master's description of the Sky-Soaring Douluo. Besides, he introduced himself as Guan Yue. A powerhouse of his caliber wouldn't bother deceiving juniors like us."
"Mhm, that makes sense!" Xu Xiaoyan nodded vigorously in agreement before raising another question. "Then why didn't he want to visit the academy? He seemed like he wanted to."
"Well," Jing Shaoyu stroked his chin with a smile, "maybe it's a man's stubborn pride."
He wasn't sure how Yun Ming had reacted when Guan Yue joined the War God Hall, but judging by how rarely Yun Ming, Ya Li, Cai Yue'er, and the Twin Holy Dragons mentioned him, it likely hadn't been amicable.
Still, Jing Shaoyu hoped to maintain good relations with Guan Yue. After all, the more top-tier allies they had in the future, the better.
He planned to sound out Yun Ming's stance through Ya Li upon returning to the academy before making further moves. Ideally, he could use Guan Yue to expose the Qiangu family's misdeeds.
Qiangu Dongfeng wanting to overthrow Shrek Academy was one thing, but colluding with the Holy Spirit Church and causing hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths was unacceptable. Toppling the Qiangu family and replacing them with Leng Yaozhu aligned perfectly with Jing Shaoyu's interests.
As for Shrek Academy, well, it's best to save as many as possible. After all, the residents of Shrek City and the students of the academy are innocent.
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Jing Shaoyu already had a concrete plan in mind regarding how to proceed with the operation.
After leaving the Snowy Mountain Range, Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan continued northward. Only upon reaching the edge of the Extreme North did they change course and prepare to return. Their return journey didn't follow the original path but instead took a new route where they also had mission objectives.
By the time the two completed their inspection mission and returned to Shrek City, exactly two months had passed.
"Brother Shaoyu, look! Isn't that the Sky Soaring Douluo over there?" At the entrance checkpoint of Shrek City, Xu Xiaoyan suddenly exclaimed in surprise, pointing at a young man standing by the roadside with an astonished expression.
Hearing this, Jing Shaoyu immediately followed Xu Xiaoyan's finger and indeed saw Guan Yue standing there with a smile, waving at him.
Without hesitation, Jing Shaoyu got out of the vehicle with Xu Xiaoyan and approached Guan Yue. When he reached him, he called out, "Uncle Master, are you planning to return to the academy? We can go together."
"Mm." Guan Yue smiled and nodded in agreement. "But let's get this straight first—if your godfather asks later, you must say it was you who invited me back. Understood?"
"Understood. Don't worry about it." Jing Shaoyu immediately grasped the meaning and nodded knowingly at Guan Yue.
Beside them, Xu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes, too exhausted to comment. She now understood what Jing Shaoyu had meant earlier about men's stubbornness and obstinacy. Even a Limit Douluo could be so duplicitous—it truly opened her eyes.
Thus, Guan Yue followed Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan into Shrek Academy. The Inner Academy senior on duty didn't recognize Guan Yue but knew Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan, so he didn't pay much attention to this "stranger." After all, Jing and Xu were both members of the current Shrek Seven Monsters—anyone they brought into the academy couldn't possibly be a bad person, right?
The trio had just stepped onto Spirit Ice Plaza when Yun Ming and Ya Li appeared.
The moment Yun Ming saw Guan Yue, without a word, he grabbed his shoulder, and the two transformed into streaks of light, rushing into the Inner Academy. Meanwhile, Ya Li smiled and patted Jing Shaoyu's shoulder, saying, "A'Yu, where did you run into A'Yue?"
Her praise was evident in her tone.