Shock.
Everyone was stunned.
Outside the cave, even the night wind seemed to freeze in place.
The violent spirit power and sinister aura that had threatened to devour everything just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
In their place remained only a deathly silence—and the faint scent of fresh blood lingering in the air.
The corpses of the four Evil Soul Masters lay scattered across the ground. Their faces were still frozen in expressions of utter terror, as if they had witnessed something that shattered their very understanding—something beyond comprehension.
At the center of it all stood Liu Yuan.
Calm. Unruffled.
His robes fluttered gently in the night breeze, as though all he had done was brush away a bit of dust.
The sheer visual and psychological impact of the scene was overwhelming.
Whether it was Ling Luochen, who had just escaped death, or Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, who had watched everything unfold from the cave—their minds went blank.
"How… how is this possible?"
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen stared at Liu Yuan's back in disbelief, their mouths slightly open, unable to form words.
They had never imagined the outcome would be so clean… so absolute.
A Six-Ring Soul Emperor. Three Five-Ring Soul Kings.
And not just any opponents—but Evil Soul Masters, infamous for their bizarre abilities and overwhelming combat strength.
Yet from the moment Liu Yuan moved to the end of the battle, everything had happened in the span of a single breath.
Instant.
Decisive.
Unstoppable.
---
Lying on the ground, Ling Luochen was just as shaken.
Her eyes reflected Liu Yuan's figure, and the storm raging within her heart was so intense that it momentarily suppressed the pain and numbness in her body.
"I… I'm saved?"
She murmured weakly.
Yes.
She was saved.
The moment that realization fully settled in her mind, the last thread of strength supporting her snapped.
The suppressed poison, the exhaustion from overusing her spirit power, and the mental strain from facing death all surged back at once.
Thud.
Her vision darkened.
The world spun.
And she collapsed unconscious onto the cold ground.
---
"Not good!"
Meng Hongchen cried out and rushed out of the cave without hesitation.
She carefully lifted Ling Luochen and carried her back inside, then swiftly took out a fragrant green medicinal pill from her spirit tool.
With practiced ease, she fed it to her.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he walked toward Liu Yuan.
Looking at the corpses on the ground, he helped clean up while speaking in a complicated tone:
"So… this is your true strength, Brother Liu Yuan?"
His voice carried admiration… disbelief… and even a trace of frustration.
"No wonder you were so confident earlier…"
In his heart, Liu Yuan's image had risen to an entirely new level.
Before this, he already thought Liu Yuan was powerful.
But now?
He realized he had been completely wrong.
This wasn't just "strength."
This was absolute domination.
A crushing gap that completely ignored ranks.
If it were him in that situation, he knew one thing for certain—
He couldn't have done it.
Not even close.
And yet Liu Yuan… was the same age as him.
For the first time, Xiao Hongchen truly understood what it meant:
There is always someone stronger.
Liu Yuan only smiled faintly.
"I just got lucky. Took advantage of a sneak attack."
"…"
Xiao Hongchen shook his head, choosing not to argue.
Luck?
He wasn't a fool.
That calm, effortless demeanor could only come from absolute confidence.
This man… was far more terrifying than he appeared.
---
After disposing of the bodies completely, the two returned to the cave.
"Xiao! Brother Liu Yuan! She's getting better!"
Meng Hongchen's voice rang out, filled with relief.
They hurried over.
Ling Luochen's condition had visibly improved.
The blackened skin on her leg had returned to normal, and her pale face now held a hint of color.
Her breathing was steady.
Clearly, the medicinal pill had worked.
Soon, her eyes fluttered open.
Clear. Awake.
The moment she saw the three of them, she understood everything.
Struggling to sit up, she introduced herself:
"My name is Ling Luochen… a student of Shrek's Inner Court."
Then, with utmost sincerity, she bowed her head.
"Did you save me? I will never forget this life-saving grace. Please accept my thanks."
She even tried to kneel.
"Hey, don't!"
Liu Yuan quickly stepped forward and supported her arm, stopping her.
"You've just recovered. Don't push yourself."
Ling Luochen hesitated, then nodded.
"…Thank you."
---
Meng Hongchen smiled and lightened the mood.
"I'm Meng Hongchen, and this is my brother Xiao Hongchen."
She handed over food and water.
"You must be starving. Eat first."
Ling Luochen didn't refuse.
After surviving such a crisis, her body desperately needed energy.
As she ate, Meng Hongchen asked curiously:
"Did Shrek really send you alone on such a dangerous mission? There was even a Soul Emperor-level Evil Soul Master."
Ling Luochen gave a bitter smile.
"The academy only had information about Magic Scorpion… a single target."
"I didn't expect it to be a trap."
She paused.
"They were probably targeting Shrek students from the start."
Then she looked at them again, her voice sincere.
"I truly owe you my life."
Meng Hongchen waved her hands.
"It wasn't us—it was Brother Liu Yuan."
---
Ling Luochen's gaze shifted to Liu Yuan.
She remembered clearly—
That moment.
Like a god descending.
Ending everything instantly.
Looking at him now, she realized something unsettling.
He looked even younger than her.
Yet his strength…
Her thoughts grew complicated.
So the Sun Moon Empire wasn't as weak as the rumors claimed.
At least—
This person in front of her far surpassed her.
---
Liu Yuan, however, simply sighed.
"Ling Luochen… since we've met, let me give you a piece of advice."
She blinked, slightly surprised.
"Please."
Liu Yuan looked at her calmly.
"Value your life more."
"Your life doesn't belong only to you. It belongs to your parents… your family."
"If you died out there today, they would be the ones who suffer most."
He paused, then spoke more directly:
"And more importantly—it's not worth it."
The cave fell silent.
"Shrek Academy is just an academy."
"Maybe you feel pride. Maybe gratitude."
"But in the end, it's nothing more than an exchange."
"You give your time and effort. They provide training."
"Don't bind yourself to something so… intangible."
---
The atmosphere shifted.
Ling Luochen's expression changed.
She could feel it—
The indifference in his words toward Shrek.
It clashed with everything she had been taught.
She hesitated, then asked softly:
"Did something happen between you… and Shrek?"
Liu Yuan shook his head.
"No."
He clearly didn't want to elaborate.
"We're traveling tomorrow. Get some rest."
With that, he turned away and sat down to meditate.
---
The cave fell quiet.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen soon fell asleep.
Only Ling Luochen remained awake.
Liu Yuan's words echoed endlessly in her mind.
At first, she resisted them.
But slowly…
As she replayed everything that had happened tonight—
A question began to form.
One she had never considered before.
Was it really worth it?
For Shrek's glory…
She had nearly died.
If she had died—
What then?
A title?
A reward for her family?
And then… nothing.
She would be gone.
Her parents would lose their daughter.
Her life would end right there.
For the first time in her life—
Ling Luochen's belief began to waver.