Jing Shaoyu arrived at the headquarters of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, initially not intending to meet Leng Yaozhu. Their current relationship was awkward—he wasn't sure what she was thinking or how he should face her, so he wanted to let things cool off for a while.
However, Leng Yaozhu sought him out directly.
When Jing Shaoyu entered her office, his heart was uneasy, and his expression was puzzled. He hadn't prepared for Leng Yaozhu's sudden summons, so when he saw her, he simply stared silently without speaking.
When Leng Yaozhu saw Jing Shaoyu, her heart trembled. The experience of Phoenix Perching on Firmiana had left her fatally drawn to him. If not for her identity as his teacher maintaining her last shred of restraint, she might have already thrown herself into his arms, pleading for intimacy.
"Ahem!" She feigned composure, clearing her throat lightly before saying, "A Yuan, I... Your teacher called you here to ask for your help with something."
Jing Shaoyu blinked in surprise but quickly replied, "Teacher, just say the word. I'll do as you ask."
"Good." Leng Yaozhu gave a soft hum, then raised her delicate hand and produced a small orb. Inside it was a listless black bird. Sensing the outside light, the bird's eyes immediately brightened. Its head twisted around, glancing at Leng Yaozhu, then at Jing Shaoyu, its gaze filled with unmistakable mockery and teasing.
"This is..." Jing Shaoyu narrowed his eyes at the black bird in Leng Yaozhu's hand. He knew about Leng Yulai's possession of a Soul Spirit, but this was his first time seeing her in this form, and he couldn't help but feel curious.
"I want A Lai to become your Soul Spirit. Is that alright?" Leng Yaozhu said with hopeful eyes. "You don't need to worry about her occupying your Soul Ring slots. Right now, she can be considered an Inherited Soul Spirit—she won't generate any Soul Rings."
Leng Yaozhu had gone to great lengths for her sister. Having Jing Shaoyu contract her was a decision she had carefully considered. As one of the people who understood Jing Shaoyu best, Leng Yaozhu knew his achievements would never be limited to those of a mortal. If Leng Yulai followed him, she would undoubtedly ascend to godhood in the future.
However, Leng Yulai couldn't comprehend her sister's intentions. Though the Soul Spirit Orb couldn't block external sounds, it sealed off any noise from within. She heard Leng Yaozhu's words loud and clear, her eyes widening in outrage as she let out a scream of protest—though none of it escaped the orb.
"This..." Jing Shaoyu was genuinely stunned. He hadn't expected Leng Yaozhu's request to be something like this.
Seeing his hesitation, Leng Yaozhu quickly explained, "A Yuan, don't let her weak appearance fool you. She's actually a Ferocious Beast Soul Spirit—a powerful Dark Phoenix with formidable combat strength. Once you contract her, she'll make an excellent fighter."
As she spoke, Leng Yaozhu gently stroked the Soul Spirit Orb. The black bird was immediately released, shrouded in dark mist as its form rapidly expanded, transforming into a sinister, alluring Dark Phoenix with a wingspan of nearly twenty meters—cold, proud, and exuding an eerie charm.
The Soul Spirit that Leng Yulai had possessed was originally a hundred-thousand-year Dark Demonic Luan Bird Soul Spirit. Due to her soul invasion and the environment rich with life energy during the possession, this Dark Demonic Luan Bird Soul Spirit evolved into a true Dark Phoenix, reaching the quality of an Orange Ferocious Beast Soul Spirit.
"Alright, Teacher." Jing Shaoyu snapped out of his astonishment and nodded at Leng Yaozhu.
It was just an Orange Soul Spirit, and it didn't even occupy his Soul Rings. With his current mental power, it was nothing significant. It was essentially a free Super Douluo-level combat power—why wouldn't he agree?
As for what Leng Yulai thought—did it even matter?
"Wonderful, thank you, A Yuan!" Leng Yaozhu was overjoyed and said, "Then I'll immediately form a contract between you and her. After the contract, A Yuan, you can do whatever you want with her—just keep her alive."
"Leng Yaozhu, what are you saying? I'm your sister!" Leng Yulai screamed in terror, but Leng Yaozhu ignored her and sealed her back into the Soul Spirit Orb with a wave of her hand.
Hearing Leng Yaozhu's words, Jing Shaoyu also felt somewhat awkward and said, "Teacher, you're overcomplicating things."
But Leng Yaozhu replied with complete seriousness, "Not at all. I'm being sincere, A Yuan. The fact that you're willing to accept her is already a huge favor to her. Isn't it only natural that she gives something in return?"
Jing Shaoyu had nothing to say to that.
After completing the contract, Leng Yaozhu didn't keep Jing Shaoyu in her office any longer, and he had no intention of staying either. The two bid farewell in mutual understanding.
As Jing Shaoyu left Leng Yaozhu's office and prepared to take the elevator down to the ground floor, he coincidentally ran into Gu Yue stepping out of the elevator. Both froze for a moment, and then Gu Yue walked past him as if she didn't know him.
"Yue'er!" Of course, he couldn't just let her leave like that. He immediately reached out and grabbed Gu Yue's wrist, calling out to her.
"You've mistaken me for someone else." Gu Yue stopped in her tracks and spoke coldly. "I'm Gu Yuena, not Gu Yue!"
Hearing this, Jing Shaoyu smiled helplessly and said, "How did you know I was calling you Gu Yue and not Gu Yuena?"
"I—" A flash of embarrassment and anger crossed Gu Yue's delicate face as she realized she had been too hasty.
"Na'er told me everything, including your identity." Taking advantage of Gu Yue's momentary daze, Jing Shaoyu pulled her close and gazed into her violet eyes, speaking solemnly.
"So what?" Gu Yue's eyes flickered with panic, but she stubbornly retorted.
"Right, so what? Whether you're Gu Yue, Gu Yuena, or even the Silver Dragon King—none of that matters to me. The only thing I love is you." Jing Shaoyu nodded, leaning close to her ear and whispering softly.
Gu Yue's ears and cheeks immediately burned bright red, like ripe persimmons, delicate and utterly captivating.
"You—you—" She widened her eyes, staring at Jing Shaoyu as if she wanted to say something, but he didn't give her the chance. Seizing the moment her lips parted, he abruptly lowered his head and sealed her small mouth with his own.
"Mmph—!"
At first, Gu Yue struggled, pounding on Jing Shaoyu's body with her hands and feet, but he ignored it, refusing to let go. Gradually, her resistance weakened. Jing Shaoyu hadn't restrained her limbs, so she could have easily pushed him away if she wanted to.
But doing so would inevitably hurt him—and she couldn't bear that.
More importantly, under his kiss, she slowly melted, beginning to respond.
The two stood there, locked in a passionate embrace in front of the elevator. Fortunately, others couldn't freely access Leng Yaozhu's office floor, or else their actions would have spread throughout the entire Spirit Transfer Pagoda in no time.
"Now, tell me again—who are you?" After what felt like an eternity, Jing Shaoyu finally released Gu Yue, admiring her slightly swollen lips with satisfaction before chuckling and asking.
"I—I am Gu Yuena!" Gu Yue replied, her breathing uneven but her gaze unwavering. His "bribery" hadn't swayed her resolve.
This left Jing Shaoyu helpless, so he resorted to shamelessness. "I don't care. To me, you'll always be Gu Yue!"
"Whatever you say." Gu Yue rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "You should hurry back to Shrek Academy. Stop coming to the Spirit Transfer Pagoda so often—it's not good for you."
"I don't come here that much!" Jing Shaoyu protested, feeling wronged.
"I don't care!" Gu Yue was adamant. "From now on, only I can visit you at Shrek Academy. You're not allowed to come here!"
Hearing this, Jing Shaoyu immediately understood her intentions and gave her a strange look. "What if my teacher summons me? Am I still not allowed to come?"
At the mention of Leng Yaozhu, Gu Yue's irritation flared. She planted her hands on her hips and raised her voice. "That's exactly why you're not allowed here! She doesn't act like a proper teacher at all—hmph!"
Sure enough, Gu Yue was targeting Leng Yaozhu. Inside the office, Leng Yaozhu gritted her teeth in frustration and embarrassment upon overhearing the conversation at the elevator. Being spoken of like this by her own disciple infuriated her, but since Jing Shaoyu was still present, she decided to hold back—for now. Once he left, she'd settle the score with Gu Yue!
"Jealous?" Jing Shaoyu smirked teasingly, pinching Gu Yue's cheek. "If you want, we could also—"
"Just go already, you playboy!" Blushing furiously, Gu Yue shoved him into the elevator and forcibly sent him away.
Standing inside the elevator, Jing Shaoyu shook his head with a laugh.
Once he reached the lobby, he met up with Jing Ziyuan and Lin Xin, who had been waiting for him, and returned to Shrek Academy.
Three days after the explosion, news of Shrek Academy's attack by an Evil Soul Master organization and the theft of two twelve-level Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shells spread across the continent. Every faction and powerful individual with the clearance to know about such weapons was informed.
The entire continent erupted in uproar, swiftly followed by condemnation and demands for answers directed at Mingdu. How could such devastating weapons—twelve-level Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shells—go missing under Mingdu's watch? Clearly, the remnants of the old regime in Mingdu needed a thorough purge.
Indeed, the former nobles of the original Sun Moon Empire became the scapegoats for this incident. Regardless of whether they were involved or the extent of their involvement, once the Federation reached a consensus, all blame fell squarely on them.
After all, as far back as ten thousand years ago during the Sun Moon Empire era, they had colluded with Evil Soul Masters. So isn't it perfectly reasonable that they would now have ties with the Holy Spirit Church?
Thus, the remaining old nobles within the Federation's upper echelons were thoroughly purged. But this matter was far from over. Simply eliminating a group of already weak old nobles could never satisfy the Shrek faction. No one was a fool—everyone knew exactly what those old nobles were worth. How could a few insignificant pawns like them possibly steal the tightly secured twelve-ranked Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shells?
In the end, within the Federation's parliament, seats held by both the hawkish and dovish factions decreased, while those held by the Shrek faction and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda faction increased.
On the surface, it was merely a shift in parliamentary seats, but in reality, it translated into tangible benefits and advantages. Through this incident, the Shrek faction, which had been on the verge of withdrawing from the Federation parliament, regained its footing, restoring the balance of power among the military, government, Spirit Transfer Pagoda, and Shrek factions.
At this moment, graduates of Shrek Academy were returning from all corners of the continent. Whether sincere or not, as long as Shrek Academy remained standing, no one would willingly discard its prestigious label.
Among these graduates, the number of Titled Douluos alone reached double digits—a testament to Shrek Academy's profound heritage and influence. No wonder the Federation's higher-ups viewed them with such wariness.
With the arrival and support of more and more graduates, the reconstruction of Shrek City progressed at an accelerated pace. The Shrek Academy Inner Court was fully rebuilt in just a single day, as Jing Shaoyu had already resolved the most challenging aspects of its restoration, leaving only the architectural work to be completed.
On the seventh day after the explosion—exactly one week—Shrek City had fully recovered to its pre-attack state, even surpassing its former prosperity. This was because Shrek Academy seized the opportunity to reclaim the subsidiary territories controlled by the Spirit Transfer Pagoda and Tang Sect, thereby consolidating full authority over the entire city.
The Tang Sect raised no objections, while the Spirit Transfer Pagoda voiced some discontent but ultimately had no choice. Investigations confirmed that the launch sites of the two twelve-ranked Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shells were located within an abandoned industrial park managed by the Spirit Transfer Pagoda. Though no one suspected the Pagoda of colluding with the Holy Spirit Church, this still proved their negligence in oversight.
Thus, reclaiming full administrative control of Shrek City became an inevitable necessity for Shrek Academy.
Previously, Shrek Academy had relinquished partial governance of the city to the Federation, Spirit Transfer Pagoda, and Tang Sect to demonstrate that it was part of the Federation and had no ambitions to meddle in its power structures. But after this explosion, no one dared oppose Shrek Academy's decision to reclaim full control.
The moment Qiangu Dongfeng returned from the Blood God Mountains, he received the news. Far from displeased, he was delighted—he had long wished for Shrek Academy to take back these useless zones. At least this way, he wouldn't have to worry about Shrek Academy using them as a pretext to target the Spirit Transfer Pagoda in the future.
After all, he had handed over all the zones to Shrek Academy, which was enough to prove that the Spirit Transfer Pagoda played no role in the attack. At most, they could be charged with negligence—how could they possibly be accused of colluding with the Holy Spirit Church?
Shrek Academy, the new Inner Academy, the new Sea God Lake, and the new Sea God Island.
This new Sea God Island was several times larger than the old one, with forest coverage far exceeding its predecessor. Though it no longer had the Golden Tree, it now featured an inland lake called the Lake of Life. Most of the island's structures were built around this lake.
For instance, the wooden pavilion closest to the Lake of Life stood about twenty meters tall, exuding an ancient charm—simple yet dignified. Facing the lake, it carried an air of solemnity and sacred grandeur.
This was the new Sea God Pavilion.
Yun Ming stood atop the new Sea God Pavilion, gazing at the emerald waters below, his eyes flickering with profound light. The Elders, Inner Academy faculty and students, Outer Academy faculty and students, as well as invited graduates, were gradually gathering below.
Watching them, Yun Ming finally made his decision.
Since this was a new beginning, they would proceed anew. Let the relics of the past remain buried in the dust of time.
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