"Eh? Your Highness, you—"
Juzi froze.
"Hehe, just having a little chat with His Highness," Xuan Ziwen glanced at both Juzi and Xu Cheng, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Alright, we're done talking. You two go on ahead," Xuan Ziwen waved them off with a chuckle.
Keke also smirked and nudged Juzi.
"Mmm~"
Juzi bit her lip lightly, a blush creeping onto her face as she slowly walked toward Xu Cheng.
Only after the two disappeared from sight did Xuan Ziwen retract his gaze. Clapping his hands together, he gathered the attention of the remaining two disciples. "Alright, everyone, listen up! I have an announcement!"
"We're going to De Zhuang for hot pot tonight! My treat!"
[De Zhuang (德庄) is a well-known Chinese hotpot restaurant chain specializing in Chongqing-style spicy hotpot. Founded in Chongqing, China]
"Yay!" Keke jumped up excitedly.
Zimu, on the other hand, looked rather dejected, though he still nodded slightly, not wanting to dampen the mood.
Xuan Ziwen sighed inwardly as he glanced at Zimu. He knew exactly what was on the boy's mind. If Juzi's heart had been empty, if His Highness hadn't appeared, maybe Zimu could have held on to some hope.
But from what he could see, Juzi's heart was already filled to the brim. There was no room left for anyone else.
Meanwhile…
"It's been eight hours."
Above the vast clouds of the Divine Realm, Tang San murmured to himself. By his calculations, his other self should have been in the Douluo Continent for four months now.
He had been tempted to make contact several times but had forced himself to resist.
The avatar he sent below bore his divine imprint. To communicate with it, he would need to activate the imprint, but that would risk exposure to both Good and Evil.
He chose to trust himself.
"I'll wait a little longer…"
Tang San exhaled slowly, suppressing his urge to check in.
Looking into the depths of the clouds, his lips curled into a smirk. "Destruction, you're still too young to play games with me. You think you can stop me from interfering with the continent? Hmph… I have plenty of ways."
Back on the continent…
"Vroom!"
A sleek, red soul-guided sports car roared down the road. Through the windshield, a fiery beauty dressed in red sat at the driver's seat, her hand gripping the steering wheel while the other rested on the open window.
Her expression, however, was far from calm—she looked like she was grinding her teeth in frustration.
Ma Xiaotao was pissed.
Ever since they got in the car, the two in the back seat had been all over each other, making kissing noises that she could not ignore no matter how hard she tried.
"Huff…"
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling sharply.
But…
After the initial irritation, a blush also crept onto her face. Ever since she received the Immortal Herb's sacrifice, the evil fire within her had been completely suppressed.
Yet now, it was starting to stir again.
"Damn it!" She gritted her teeth, her face turning redder.
A ridiculous thought popped into her mind—Could it be… that my evil fire…
She hurriedly crushed that idea and pulled out a piece of extreme ice crystal from her storage soul guide—something Xu Cheng had given her to suppress her flames.
She swallowed it in one go.
Only then did the unnatural heat on her face slowly subside.
Ma Xiaotao let out a sigh of relief and plugged in her earphones. She shot a glare at the two lovebirds through the rearview mirror.
Damn it, do they think I don't exist?
Xu Cheng finally released the girl in his arms, his eyes lingering on her flushed face and kiss-swollen lips.
He smirked.
Then, he glanced at Ma Xiaotao, who was practically radiating resentment in the driver's seat.
What a natural-born Saint Physique…
"What's the rush?"
"After I enlist in the army this time, it'll be a long while before we see each other again," Juzi murmured, nestled against his chest, her eyes burning with desire.
"Besides, if Nana could, why can't I?" she pouted.
"...?" Xu Cheng was taken aback. Nana told her?
What he didn't know was that Nana had been tricked into spilling everything.
"But we're almost at the military camp outside the city—" Xu Cheng hesitated.
Juzi took a deep breath, leaned forward, and pinned him down onto the back seat.
Then, she straddled him.
"Then let's… make it quick!"
Juzi: (˘︶˘)Xu Cheng: (⊙ o⊙)Ma Xiaotao: (Σ(д|||)), These damn earphones aren't noise-canceling enough!
"Tsk—don't move so much…"
"You—ugh, pants!"
Feeling the smooth, delicate skin beneath his palm, Xu Cheng's eyes blazed with fire.
Screw it. No more holding back!
He used his spiritual power to keep the car steady, opened the door, and kicked Ma Xiaotao out.
Then, he locked the doors.
Ma Xiaotao: "…"
She staggered to her feet, spat out the grass in her mouth, and glared murderously at the car, which was now rocking violently.
The evil fire inside her exploded, but she gritted her teeth and held it in. She stomped over and kicked the car twice, then flew into the air, taking up her role as their guard.
"Damn it, they're still human, right?!"
Two hours later…
Ma Xiaotao hovered in the air, her wings spread wide.
Staring down at the still shaking soul-guided car, she clenched her teeth.
"Still not done?!!"
She had been standing guard for two hours. Were they beasts?!
She instinctively touched her abdomen—her Fire Phoenix Seal seemed to be heating up as well.
Damn it! She had nowhere to vent her frustration.
Thankfully, this was a remote road, and hardly anyone passed by.
With a click, the car door finally opened.
Juzi stepped out, leaning against the door for support.
A faint trace of pain flashed across her delicate face.
She wore a simple tank top, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Under the sunlight, her pale skin seemed almost translucent.
Her hair fluttered in the wind as she gazed at the distant fields, her expression a mix of joy and lingering discomfort.
A hand suddenly extended from inside the car, wrapping around her waist.
A soft green glow flickered—healing energy.
The pain on Juzi's face slowly faded.
"What is this…?" Juzi looked at Xu Cheng in surprise.
Inside the car, Xu Cheng lay shirtless, his toned muscles glistening with sweat. He grinned.
"How do you feel? Better?"
"Mmm…" Juzi blushed, biting her lip. "Then… a few more times?"
The car door slammed shut.
Outside, Ma Xiaotao lost it.
"DAMN IT!!!"
On the way back, Xu Cheng sat in the passenger seat, sneaking glances at Ma Xiaotao's stormy expression.
He coughed lightly.
"The Shrek exchange students arrive today. Wanna go see them?"
Ma Xiaotao froze. After a long pause, she nodded.
"Who's on the list?"
"Your Inner Court Senior Sister, Zhang Lexuan, Mo Xuan, Chu—"
Xu Cheng smiled.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Wow, the academy is being generous. Even Senior Sister Lexuan is allowed to come? She's supposed to be a future Sea God Pavilion leader."
Xu Cheng chuckled.
Maybe once… but now that she's in the Sun-Moon Empire, who knows?
In the Sky.
Jing Hongchen used a flying soul tool to carry the twenty members of Shrek, isolating them from air resistance before going full throttle toward Mingdu.
Meanwhile, Fan Yu looked astonished as he observed the thin, cicada-wing-like metal—both soft and sturdy. He silently marveled at the Sun Moon Empire's metal forging technology.
"Bionic metal… how terrifying!" Fan Yu sighed. "I never expected the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology to have advanced to this level."
He Caitou was about to ask a question but hesitated upon remembering something, choosing instead to remain silent.
His identity was simply too sensitive. If the Sun Moon Empire decided to act unexpectedly, it was better to stay low-key…
Fan Yu didn't notice He Caitou's unease and continued his thoughts. From just a small glimpse, one could see the absolute gap between the two sides.
"Young ones, we're accelerating now." Jing Hongchen smiled warmly before suddenly increasing speed.
Ning Tian closed her eyes, adjusting her stance by slightly spreading her feet and lowering her upper body for better stability. However, the imagined swaying never came.
Instead, Jing Hongchen chuckled. "Relax, my 'vehicle' is very stable…"
Ning Tian's small face showed a trace of unnaturalness—it felt like a countryside girl stepping into the city for the first time.
No wonder they called this place the land of soul tools.
Meanwhile, Wang Dong sighed. "When we went to the Mingdou Mountains to eliminate the evil soul masters, I remember Elder Xuan also used a flying soul tool, but that experience… is hard to describe."
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi also revealed slightly unnatural expressions.
The two of them had vomited quite severely after landing back then.
Yet this time, not only was Jing Hongchen's ride stable, but its speed was more than twice as fast.
"Your Elder Xuan isn't a professional soul master engineer, so that's understandable…" Jing Hongchen said with a smile.
However, he didn't continue rubbing salt into their wounds, which earned him some goodwill from the group.
Especially since they were in a foreign land, a sense of security was lacking.
Zhang Lexuan quietly observed the scenery outside the protective barrier. She appeared calm, but her heart was in turmoil.
She kept recalling Elder Mu's words and the expectant gaze of the elders in the conference hall when she had left her room.
Indeed, Elder Mu had picked her up and raised her, and because of this, she felt deeply grateful. However, the idea of stealing conflicted with the academy's teachings about integrity and righteousness…
The inner conflict between her moral resistance to stealing and the expectations of those close to her left her deeply torn.
"Wow, is this Mingdu?" Wang Dong gasped in admiration, his eyes filled with longing.
Below them stretched a city that extended to the horizon, like a massive dragon sprawled across the land. Countless lights illuminated the streets, and towering buildings over a hundred meters tall stood in grandeur. However, what shocked them even more was…
There were no city walls!
The group was stunned.
Even Ning Tian, the young miss of the wealthiest sect, widened her beautiful eyes.
Soul tools were widely used in Mingdu, from small streetlights and transportation vehicles to large buildings. Even the buildings themselves emanated the fluctuations of soul tools…
"Welcome, everyone, to Mingdu!"
…
"Xu Tianzhen?!!"
Xu Cheng entered the monitoring room, only to see a young girl behind a glass window, her eyes darting around sneakily as she hid.
He found it amusing and lifted her by the collar, frowning. "What are you doing here?"
"Didn't they say Shrek's students were coming for an exchange? I just wanted to see what they look like…" Xu Tianzhen poked her fingers together, shrinking back as if caught doing something wrong.
Xu Cheng: "…"
She sure gets information fast.
However…
If he remembered correctly, this little girl would lead the Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy in the next Continental Soul Master Tournament and then… fall for Wang Dong'er in disguise.
Hopefully, that wouldn't happen too soon.
"Hehehe, big brother, you're the best! Just let me take a look~" Xu Tianzhen pleaded coquettishly.
She knew that all the staff here followed her brother's orders.
Though he seemed ordinary in front of her, he held absolute authority among the higher-ups.
"Fine, if you want to see, come out and watch properly." Xu Cheng sighed in resignation.
Xu Tianzhen's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had received an imperial decree.
Not long after…
Inside Mingde Hall.
Jing Hongchen led a large group inside.
Upon seeing Xu Cheng, he immediately bowed slightly. "Your Highness, I have brought them."
"Heh, long time no see."
Xu Cheng smiled as he looked toward Wang Dong, Xu Sanshi, and Bei Bei.
Wang Dong beamed and waved in greeting.
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, however, looked a bit awkward.
Whether it was Xu Cheng's mysterious and terrifying strength displayed in the tournament or the conflicts they had over their mutual romantic interests, the situation was somewhat uncomfortable.
Xu Cheng scanned the group, pausing briefly on Ning Tian and He Caitou before his gaze landed on the poised and elegant beauty leading them.
He extended his hand with a smile. "Xu Cheng."
Zhang Lexuan hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly and extending her delicate hand. Her soft red lips parted. "Zhang Lexuan."
Very soft, very fair… Ahem.
Xu Cheng quickly let go, not lingering like a lecher.
This gesture earned him a sliver of goodwill from Zhang Lexuan—at least he appeared to be a gentleman.
But she still held significant wariness toward him after the Mingdou Mountain incident.
"Welcome to Mingdu. Before we assign dormitories and explain the school rules, we need you all to undergo a physical examination," Xu Cheng said, scanning the group with a faint smile.
"This is a standard procedure for all new students. It won't harm you. Who would like to go first?"
"I'll go," Zhang Lexuan said calmly.
Her long hair flowed as she gracefully stepped forward, entering the machine that the Mingde Hall staff had prepared.
Xu Cheng gestured for the staff to proceed.
A white light scanned Zhang Lexuan's entire body. The examiner read out the results:
"Body strength: Level 91. Body resilience: Level 92. Soul power fluctuation: Level 86. Weight: 47 kilograms. Left arm length… Overall assessment: Soul Douluo, with body strength approaching a Title Douluo's."
"Beep, beep, beep—"
Even Xu Cheng was surprised by Zhang Lexuan's incredible physique.
Ordinarily, there was a vast gap between a Soul Douluo and a Title Douluo in terms of physical strength. Yet, before she had even advanced to a Title Douluo, she had already reached such an extraordinary level.
However, as the alarm blared, his eyes narrowed.
This scanner was primarily designed to detect fluctuations in soul tools, as all high-level soul tools produced by Mingde Hall contained hidden markers. The machine was stationed at Mingde Hall's entrances to prevent staff from smuggling out high-grade soul tools.
Now that the alarm had gone off, the implication was obvious.
Zhang Lexuan had a high-grade Mingde Hall soul tool on her.
Xu Cheng coughed and rubbed his temple.
(End of Chapter)