"Beibei is missing!"
That was Jing Hongchen's first excited sentence upon seeing Xu Cheng.
But immediately after, he saw Beibei step out from behind Xu Cheng and bow deeply.
"Apologies, Dean Jing. I made a trip back to Shrek Academy. I just returned last night."
Jing Hongchen: "..."
In truth, Beibei going missing alone wasn't what bothered him—it was the silence of his disappearance.
He had traced it back to Shrek Academy, which only made him more nervous. To extract Beibei so quietly, with such cost and secrecy, could only mean that Beibei was very important, from all perspectives.
But then—
The very next day, Beibei appeared in his office.
"Alright, go back," Xu Cheng said casually, waving his hand.
Once Beibei left and closed the door—
Jing Hongchen was still confused. "So… what exactly happened?"
"Long story short—Mu En performed a spiritual awakening on Beibei. His bloodline advanced, and his martial soul evolved from the Blue Dot Tyrannosaurus to the Holy Light Dragon. His strength also jumped to the Soul Emperor level. I happened to finish attending the auction last night and ran into him, so I brought him back with me," Xu Cheng said with a sip of tea, completely at ease.
"..."
Jing Hongchen opened his mouth, then suddenly burst out laughing. "So Shrek Academy went through all that effort, only for you to reap the reward. That's just… hahaha, I can already imagine the expressions on those guys' faces."
"Don't laugh, old man. If I hadn't brought him back, A Xiao would be in danger," Xu Cheng sighed lightly.
"You mean…" As soon as he heard about his precious grandson, Jing Hongchen immediately grew serious.
"Mu En likely already knows about me and Le Xuan. The Sun Moon Empire's leverage isn't enough anymore," Xu Cheng replied calmly.
"I was careless," Jing Hongchen said, his expression darkening.
"No matter. If the balance is off, I'll just add another weight. The scales will level out again," Xu Cheng smiled.
"You've been working tirelessly for the Imperial Academy. Naturally, I'll take care of these minor things. Besides… A Xiao is my brother."
"How's the preparation for the Academy Tournament?" Xu Cheng asked, changing the topic.
"You rascal… You probably forgot the date of the tournament, didn't you?"
Seeing that his grandson was being well looked after, Jing Hongchen relaxed, sat back in his chair, stroked his beard, and took a sip of tea with a slightly resentful tone.
"With the empire now sending troops toward Xingluo, many hidden sects have emerged in the Sun Moon Empire. The academy's student quality is better than ever. The competition this year, especially among the first-year students, will be fierce. Standouts include Ye Wanwan, Yu Tianlong, Nan Qiuqiu, Ning Yuan, and Xue… ahem, Xue Ling'er."
"What's surprising is how well they've adapted to soul tools. I thought they'd reject them, but they're using them with ease, even excelling in soul tool practical classes."
"As for Mingdu's defenses, I've spoken directly with Elder Kong. Preparations are complete in all four directions. But… are you so certain they'll attack? Buying burrowing-type soul tools could've been a misunderstanding."
"Hah, I know those guys' habits too well," Xu Cheng grinned.
He had even considered letting them in, surrounding them like in the original series—but the risk was too high. The Sun Moon Imperial Academy was the hope of the future, and couldn't afford even a single error.
"So, are you planning to go through with the encirclement?" Jing Hongchen asked, mulling it over.
"It would cost too much. Let the big fish go, but we must catch the small fry and shrimp," Xu Cheng said, tapping the table.
"Small fry = Title Douluo?"
"Exactly. If we let this slide too easily, there'll be a next time. And we can't always be on high alert like this."
"I plan to pull back both major legions from the Mingdou Mountains. Even without saying anything, do you think Xingluo dares take one more step?" Xu Cheng chuckled.
That was deterrence.
Leave the border undefended, and they still wouldn't dare move.
"But… wouldn't that be risky?" Jing Hongchen hesitated.
"If border defenses actually worked, then our current frontline would be in the Mingdou Mountains," Xu Cheng replied with a soft laugh.
True power can't be defended against.
And the small fry aren't worth defending from.
Ever since Xingluo got its nose bloodied and the White Tiger Duke's army collapsed, the border had become effectively meaningless.
"But still…" Jing Hongchen had lingering doubts.
"I understand. Once this is over, they'll return to the Mingdou Mountains," Xu Cheng reassured him.
At this point, the Sun Moon Empire was less a unified nation and more just… Mingdu.
A vast territory, but most provinces were no different from the old three nations of the continent. Only Mingdu held the essence of the Sun Moon Empire—99% of its combat power resided there. It alone truly represented the Empire.
It was abnormal, yes—but not something easily fixed.
So even if the frontlines were lost, Xu Cheng didn't care.
As long as Mingdu stood firm, everything else could be resolved.
"Finally home~"
Xu Cheng opened the dorm door.
Zhang Lexuan, wearing a pale blue apron, pounced on him.
"I've been busy lately. But after this week, things will get much easier…" Xu Cheng wrapped an arm around Zhang Lexuan's slender waist, inhaling the scent of her silky hair. His expression relaxed noticeably.
"Mu En recovering his strength is real. Maybe it's due to Shrek's demigod Ah Yin. But even she shouldn't be able to fully restore him. There must be some kind of restriction," Xu Cheng murmured.
"..."
Zhang Lexuan shook her head and gazed intently at Xu Cheng with her beautiful eyes.
"I only care about you. The rest doesn't matter."
"As long as you're back safely…"
She gently cupped his face and kissed him.
After a bout of passionate intimacy—
Looking at the blush spreading on her face and her misty gaze, Xu Cheng leaned down and whispered, "You prepared everything, right?"
"Mhm… It's all ready. Even lunch," she answered, her pale ears turning red as she bit her lip—clearly looking forward to it.
"Then I'll eat you first…"
The atmosphere turned more heated.
Unable to resist, Xu Cheng picked up his beautiful senior sister and strode straight into the bedroom.
Everything inside was ready and well-equipped.
Though it was midday, once the curtains were drawn, the room became pitch black…
Soft moans of pain and pleasure echoed faintly…
"Ning Tian, I'll give you one last chance!"
Tang San said with disdain, raising his chin as he looked at Ning Tian.
Truth be told, he didn't dare go to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for fear of being humiliated. So he clung to Ning Tian—her talent was truly outstanding, perhaps even superior to Rongrong's from ten thousand years ago…
"Scram."
Ning Tian snapped, clearly annoyed.
These two clingy, thick-skinned classmates were driving her nuts.
"You…" Tang San frowned.
To be honest, even he was starting to lose confidence in his plan.
He'd first approached Ma Xiaotao—only to be tricked by the Holy Spirit Church. Then when he went to find Jiang Nannan, she beat him so badly he ended up in the Sun Moon Empire's Academy infirmary. Now he and his companion, both limping, had returned to bother Ning Tian—only to be shooed away again.
It was all because of that film!
That damn "Tang San Reimagined" that exposed all his dark traits. If he could find the director, he'd skin him alive.
"Tang San, what are you doing here?!"
A young girl shouted angrily.
Tang San turned to look—and froze, pupils shrinking: "How did you recover…"
He instantly realized—that wasn't something he was supposed to know.
But seeing the beautiful girl, his heart twisted in pain. Wang Dong'er was in his daughter's body—showing her true face now would attract suitors. If someone broke her virginity now, everything he'd planned would collapse!!!
"As a member of the Clear Sky Sect, you betrayed your clan. It's not too late to turn back," Tang San pleaded.
If she returned to the sect, he'd do everything to contact the upper realm through Da Ming and Er Ming, erase her memory, and slap a chastity lock on her. Then maybe… maybe things could go back to normal.
Bang!
Before he could finish, a heavy punch landed in his gut.
Blood spewed.
He was sent flying, crashing into the flowerbed.
"Trash," Wang Dong'er said coldly, giving him a final glance before taking Ning Tian's hand and walking away.
"Ning Tian-jie, if he bothers you again, I'll beat him so badly he can't stand!" she said cheerfully.
Since they'd both studied under Xu Cheng, they got along well, especially with Ning Tian's high emotional intelligence.
"Urgh…" Tang San curled up on the ground, retching as he watched the two girls disappear into the distance, his heart filled with rage and grief.
"Tsk tsk, why so obsessed?" Dai Huabin clicked his tongue.
"If I fail… you'll never get revenge!" Tang San gasped, finally regaining his breath.
"..." Dai Huabin was silent for a while.
"Do you know why I agreed to join you?"
Tang San looked stunned.
"Because Zhu Lu left. The Zhu family took her away. Staying in Shrek only made me miserable. So I went with you."
"But this was always a farce. I've now stepped out of that grief, and I'm done acting with you. I'm going to train for real."
"Whether you succeed or not, has nothing to do with me anymore."
Dai Huabin turned and walked away without looking back.
Leaving Tang San dumbfounded.
"Ning Tian, don't be nervous—just stay in your best form…"
At a quiet spot in the Sun Moon Royal Academy—
Ning Hao held Ning Tian's hand tightly, constantly reminding her like a father sending his daughter off to college entrance exams.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had invested massive resources into her recently, helping her cultivate as much as possible without harming her growth.
And now, the moment of truth had come.
Ning Tian took a deep breath.
The entire clan's hopes rested on her shoulders.
It was no small burden.
"I understand, Father."
"Alright, come with me."
Xu Cheng waved his hand nonchalantly, signaling her to follow.
In truth, Ning Tian's trial was originally more of a formality. With how deeply the Sun Moon Empire and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were tied, she didn't need a real assessment—it could've just been a favor.
But now that they'd reached this stage—might as well make it a true test.
In Xu Cheng's eyes, things like talent and combat prowess didn't matter.
What he cared about… was her heart and character.
If she truly passed his trial—
Her future might hold far more than just godhood…
"Do your best, Ning Tian."
(End of Chapter)