Xuan Zi had originally been enjoying himself, gnawing on a chicken leg while drinking wine.
But the moment he heard the scout's report, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh? You've got news?"
He casually tossed the half-eaten chicken leg back onto the plate, wiped his greasy hands on his robe, and leaned forward slightly. A hint of eagerness flickered in his gaze.
He truly cared about this matter.
After all, Ling Luochen's withdrawal had left a crucial gap in Shrek Academy's lineup for the upcoming All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.
Right now, his top priority was to fill that vacancy as soon as possible.
And the "genius youth" Ling Luochen had mentioned was his best hope.
"Speak! Quickly!" Xuan Zi urged impatiently. "Don't keep me waiting!"
The scout didn't dare delay and immediately reported:
"Elder Xuan, we discovered that the mysterious giant Spirit Beast that appeared near Shrek Academy earlier… has also appeared in the Sun Moon Empire's Capital City a few days ago."
"Capital City?" Xuan Zi raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"It caused a massive disturbance," the scout continued cautiously. "But… just like before, it disappeared quickly—as if it had never existed."
Xuan Zi frowned deeply and fell into thought.
What exactly was this mysterious Spirit Beast?
It appeared with overwhelming presence… yet vanished without a trace both times.
Strange.
But soon, he pushed the thought aside.
Compared to that mystery, he cared far more about something else.
"What about that genius from the Sun Moon Empire?" he asked sharply. "Have you found him?"
The scout lowered his head even further.
"…We haven't found him yet."
"What?!"
Xuan Zi's expression darkened instantly. The hope that had just ignited was extinguished in an instant.
He slammed the table, making the wine gourd jump violently.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
"Such an important task, and you still can't find him?"
"What do I even keep you for?!"
"Go search again! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find him! If you fail—don't blame me for holding you accountable!"
"Y-Yes!" The scout was drenched in cold sweat and quickly retreated as if fleeing for his life.
"Sigh…"
After the scout left, Xuan Zi let out a long sigh, his mood growing increasingly irritable.
He picked up the wine gourd and took a large gulp—but the once-delicious wine now tasted dull and lifeless.
He had thought this time would bring results.
Instead, it was another dead end.
And with the tournament approaching… time was running out.
Just then—
Knock knock.
Another knock sounded at the door.
"Elder Xuan, are you there? Wang Yan requests an audience."
Xuan Zi was initially too lazy to respond.
But then—
His eyes caught sight of the exquisite wine jar in Wang Yan's hands.
The label read: "Drunken Immortal Brew."
His dull expression brightened slightly.
"Oh, Little Yan, is it? Come in. What do you want?"
Wang Yan entered respectfully, placing the wine jar beside him.
"Elder Xuan, it's about Huo Yuhao again—the matter I mentioned before."
"I've been observing him recently, and his mental fluctuations are becoming increasingly unusual. I suspect he may be undergoing a second awakening."
"Could you come and take another look?"
Xuan Zi unceremoniously grabbed the wine jar, broke the seal, and inhaled deeply. A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
But he made no move to get up.
He curled his lips dismissively.
"That Huo Yuhao again? Didn't we already check him last time?"
"That's not a second awakening. More likely, it's deviation from improper cultivation."
He took another sip and sneered.
"And honestly… a piece of trash like him—if it weren't for that nominal Tang Sect quota, he wouldn't even qualify to enter Shrek Academy."
"For someone like that, don't waste your effort."
"If you have time, go guide the other students instead."
Wang Yan's face tightened with helplessness.
"But Elder Xuan, what if—"
"There is no 'what if'!" Xuan Zi cut him off impatiently, waving his hand.
"Alright, I'll take the wine. You may leave."
Wang Yan could only sigh inwardly.
He knew further persuasion was useless.
With a respectful bow, he withdrew.
Left alone, Xuan Zi took another long drink and muttered lazily:
"Hmph… I don't have time to waste on trash."
"What Shrek needs… are true geniuses."
"Peerless prodigies who can bring glory to the Academy!"
…
Meanwhile, far away from Shrek—
Liu Yuan knew nothing of any of this.
With the help of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, he had already become familiar with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
And today—
Classes officially began.
To accommodate him—and perhaps also to strengthen his bond with the siblings—Jing Hongchen had personally arranged for Liu Yuan to join their class.
Early in the morning, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen excitedly brought him to the classroom.
The moment they entered, Xiao Hongchen dragged Liu Yuan straight to two connected seats by the back window.
"Brother Liu Yuan, sit here!"
In truth, Xiao Hongchen didn't have many friends in class.
His arrogance and pride had always made him look down on others.
But Liu Yuan was different.
His strength had completely earned Xiao Hongchen's respect.
Now, Liu Yuan was practically the only person he truly acknowledged.
Naturally, he stuck close to him whenever possible.
Meng Hongchen, however, was the opposite.
With her lively personality and charming appearance, she was extremely popular.
The moment she entered, several girls surrounded her, chatting excitedly, while a few boys cast frequent glances in her direction.
Meanwhile, the rest of the class found the situation… strange.
Very strange.
Xiao Hongchen—being this friendly?
Smiling?
Even throwing an arm around someone?
Was this really the same person?
Whispers spread throughout the classroom.
Seizing a moment when Meng Hongchen was free, a girl with neat orange short hair and a sharp, capable aura approached.
It was Ju Zi.
"Little Meng," she asked curiously, glancing at Liu Yuan, "who is that newcomer? Since when is Xiao Hongchen so close to someone?"
Another girl, Ke Ke, chimed in dramatically:
"Exactly! I even thought he was possessed or something. Is that really Xiao Hongchen?"
Meng Hongchen couldn't help but laugh.
"What nonsense! Of course he's not possessed."
"That's just how my brother is."
"When he doesn't respect someone, he won't even bother speaking."
"But when he truly acknowledges someone…"
She glanced at Liu Yuan, her eyes bright.
"He becomes like this."
Ju Zi paused slightly.
She knew Xiao Hongchen's personality well.
Which only made this more shocking.
Her gaze returned to Liu Yuan, now filled with curiosity.
"Then just how capable is this newcomer… to earn that kind of recognition?"