The streets were heavy with traffic, shops lined the sides, and the air was filled with the aroma of food, the clanging of metal, and the various Soul Power fluctuations inadvertently emitted by Soul Masters, blending into a symphony full of vitality.
Especially at the main gate of the academy, that path leading to hope and glory, a long queue that couldn't see its end had formed once again.
There were faces, young and full of vigor, eyes shining with yearning for the future, nervousness about the unknown, and the purest reverence for the name 'Shrek'.
They were this year's freshmen, coming from all corners of the continent, carrying their respective dreams, hoping to start their own legends here.
Unknowingly, Caelus and the sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo had also changed from being members of that long queue to senior students being watched with envious gazes by those freshmen at the end of the line.
The school uniforms on them were no longer the pure white representing freshmen, but had been replaced by the bright yellow symbolizing their status as second-year students.
This was not just a change in color, but a symbol of status and seniority.
"Hello, seniors."
The three walked to the gate and familiarly greeted several third-year seniors who were responsible for guiding the freshmen.
When those seniors saw them, they all nodded in response with smiles, their gazes lingering on Caelus for a moment with a bit of inquiry and respect.
Caelus was a man of the hour in the Outer Court; his popularity was even higher than that of the former Outer Court Twin Stars, Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei.
Under the watchful eyes of the freshmen, which were mixed with envy, curiosity, and reverence, the three passed through the magnificent school gate and officially stepped into the campus for the new semester.
On both sides of the roads within the academy, ancient trees reached for the sky, lush with greenery, forming a sharp contrast with the noise in the city.
Their destination was no longer that white teaching building from last year, but a teaching building located deeper within the academy, built entirely of yellow rock.
It was taller and more ancient than the freshman teaching building, as if silently telling that the students who walked out of here had already shed their childishness and begun to truly step onto the path of the strong.
When Caelus pushed open the door to the Second Year, Class One classroom, many people had already arrived.
In the spacious classroom, students gathered in groups of twos and threes, excitedly discussing what they had seen and heard during the holidays.
Most were students whose homes were in Shrek City or who had chosen to stay at the school for bitter cultivation during the holidays.
Caelus scanned the room; he was considered to have returned relatively late.
His gaze quickly locked onto a small group by the window.
Zhou Sichen was animatedly boasting about something to a few people, while Gu Yuena sat quietly in her seat, one hand propping up her chin, looking at the scenery outside the window. Her cool and elegant temperament seemed to form a peaceful Domain around her.
As for Ye Guyi, she was like a restless butterfly, flitting between several people, letting out a crisp laugh from time to time.
Seeing Caelus and the other two enter, Ye Guyi's eyes instantly lit up. Like she had found a new target, she immediately skipped over to greet them.
"Caelus, Susu, Luoluo, you're finally back!"
The little angel's enthusiasm was the same as ever. She opened her arms and gave Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo a big hug, then turned her head to look at Caelus.
Caelus's gaze fell on her, and his heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly.
In his perception, the current Ye Guyi was like a bottle that had just been filled with water; the surface was still slightly swaying and had not yet completely settled.
The Soul Power fluctuations within her were exceptionally active, even carrying a trace of overflow that was difficult to fully restrain.
That sacred and pure aura was more than one level more solid and powerful than it had been at the end of last semester.
This was a typical characteristic of someone who had just completed a Breakthrough to a major Realm and hadn't had time to thoroughly stabilize their cultivation.
"As expected of you, you saw through it already."
Seeing that Caelus was just staring at her without speaking, Ye Guyi knew that her changes certainly couldn't be hidden from him.
She triumphantly placed her hands on her slender waist and tilted her chin up slightly, like a proud little peacock.
"That's right, this Young Miss has broken through Level 40. I'm a Spirit Ancestor now too!"
"Look at how smug you are."
Looking at her appearance, as if she wanted to announce it to the whole world, Caelus felt both annoyed and amused. He reached out a finger and lightly tapped her smooth forehead.
"How was it so fast? During this month of vacation, did you go and pop some pills?"
Of course, the so-called pill-popping was just a joke.
With Ye Guyi's proud nature, it was absolutely impossible for her to use a method that would damage her Foundation to improve her strength.
Caelus hardly had to guess to know that Qian Renxue's contribution must be behind this.
For the Sacred Angel Martial Soul, there was no faster way to Cultivate than purifying evil, whether it was an Evil Soul Master or a Nirvana Corpse.
"What pills? You're the one popping pills!"
Ye Guyi covered her forehead and gave him a dissatisfied glare.
"Am I the kind of person without foresight? You know my Martial Soul talent. I had good luck during the holiday and ran into a few Nirvana Corpses that didn't have eyes, so I just purified them, and my Soul Power rose up on its own."
She spoke nonchalantly, but Caelus could imagine the danger involved.
A Nirvana Corpse was not a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. To allow her to obtain enough massive Soul Power to break through her Bottleneck, the enemies she faced were definitely not ordinary.
However, with Qian Renxue there, it wouldn't be too dangerous.
"I know, I know. Consider yourself lucky."
Caelus smiled and didn't expose her.
His gaze shifted and landed on that silver-haired figure who had been quiet the whole time nearby.
"To think you've actually caught up to Gu Yue's progress."
Compared to Ye Guyi's Soul Power aura that was almost overflowing, Gu Yuena's aura was like a deep pool, steady and restrained, without the slightest leak.
But Caelus could be certain that beneath that calm surface lay a power more vast and profound than before.
She had not only broken through Level 40, but the time of her Breakthrough was likely much earlier than Ye Guyi's, and she had already thoroughly stabilized her Realm.
"That's right!"
Ye Guyi excitedly chimed in, completely unaware of the deeper meaning in Caelus's words. She ran to Gu Yuena's side and affectionately took her arm.
"Gu Yue has also broken through. How about that? Amazing, right?"
She counted on her fingers, her face full of excitement:
"Including you, you freak, plus me and Gu Yue, our class suddenly has three Spirit Ancestors at once."
As soon as these words were spoken, the classroom fell silent for a moment. Everyone's gaze concentrated on them, filled with shock, envy, and a hint of disbelief.
One had to know that for students of Shrek Academy, at the age of twelve or thirteen entering the second year, most people's Soul Power was still hovering between Level 25 and Level 30.
Even Dai Huabin, who was said to have cultivated bitterly without stopping during the holiday, had only just reached Level 36, and there was still a significant distance to the Level 40 threshold of a Spirit Ancestor.
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