Once these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the table changed instantly.
Xiao Hongchen's identity was extraordinary; he was not only a Genius student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but also the biological grandson of the dean, Jing Hongchen.
At this moment, the olive branch he had thrown out carried a weight far beyond that of an ordinary admission invitation.
Xiao Hongchen knew very well that a top-tier Genius like Liu Yuan, who had been "foolishly" abandoned by Shrek, was a treasure that any power striving to surpass Shrek would dream of possessing.
Since he had encountered him today, there was no way he would let him slip away.
Off to the side.
Seeing her brother had already spoken, Meng Hongchen, who was nearby, immediately understood and quickly chimed in to support him.
She set down her juice glass, looked at Liu Yuan with an extremely sincere gaze, her tone carrying a hint of a young girl's unique charm and seriousness:
"That's right, Brother Liu Yuan! Why don't you come to our Sun Moon Royal Academy!"
"You might not know yet, but our grandfather is the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—Jing Hongchen."
"Our academy has always been thirsty for talent like you, a Genius with such innate gifts. We would absolutely never do something as stupid as destroying our own foundation, like that old fool Xuan Zi at Shrek!"
She puffed out her small chest, her face full of pride: "As long as you are willing to come, I guarantee that you will receive the highest standard of training and resource allocation from the academy!"
"The Soul Engineer technology of our Sun Moon Empire is far superior to the primitive Spirit Master System of the Douluo Continent. There, your talent can be unleashed to its maximum potential! We are inviting you with the utmost sincerity!"
The siblings sang in harmony, their words earnest, their eyes filled with longing and appreciation for talent.
Liu Yuan looked at them, a trace of hesitation and struggle appearing on his face at the right moment.
He picked up his glass, swirling it gently, his gaze deep as if weighing something.
A moment later, he let out a meaningful sigh: "Thank you both for your kindness. To be honest, after what happened at Shrek, I have become somewhat disillusioned with so-called 'major powers' and 'major academies'."
These half-true, half-false words made Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen tense up, fearing he might refuse right then and there.
However, Liu Yuan changed his tone, his gaze sweeping over the sincere faces of the siblings, and finally revealed a smile as if he had been persuaded: "However... we are mere strangers who met by chance, yet you are willing to stand up for me like this. This sincerity moves me."
"Perhaps the Sun Moon Royal Academy is truly different from Shrek. Since you are both so enthusiastic, if I were to decline again, it would seem ungrateful."
He paused, as if having made up his mind, and said loudly: "Alright! I will go with you both and see this top academy of the Sun Moon Empire for myself!"
This half-reluctant, half-willing posture perfectly portrayed the image of a youth who was cautious but moved by sincerity.
However, in Liu Yuan's heart, he was already overjoyed.
'It's done!' he thought to himself.
Thinking back, from the moment he guessed the identities of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, a plan had formed in his mind.
His next System check-in mission was to stay at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy for three months.
That place was heavily guarded; without a proper identity, let alone staying for three months, he probably wouldn't even be able to get through the gate.
But under normal circumstances, as someone from the Douluo Continent, if he were to go rashly, even if he wanted to join, the Sun Moon Royal Academy might be wary of him.
But now, with the personal recommendation of the dean's grandson and granddaughter, he would never encounter these problems again.
This would make it much easier for Liu Yuan's subsequent check-in mission, as well as obtaining the second skill of 'Mega Rayquaza'.
"That's great!" Xiao Hongchen, upon hearing this, was overjoyed. He stood up excitedly and raised his juice.
"Brother Liu Yuan, I guarantee you will never regret today's decision! Come, I'll substitute juice for wine and toast to you! Welcome to the big family of our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"
Meng Hongchen was also beaming, raising her glass: "Welcome, Liu Yuan! From now on, we are classmates!"
"Thank you." Liu Yuan smiled, clinked glasses with them, and downed the juice in one gulp.
The matter was settled, and the atmosphere between the three became even warmer and more harmonious.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were thrilled to be bringing such a peerless Genius to the academy, while Liu Yuan was in a good mood knowing he was about to smoothly start his new check-in mission.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xiao Hongchen became impatient. He glanced at the sky and suggested: "Brother Liu Yuan, there is no time to lose. Let's set off now! Let's try to return to the Capital City as soon as possible so I can introduce you to my grandfather!"
"Alright." Liu Yuan naturally had no objections.
Xiao Hongchen paid the bill without any hesitation, immediately set off, left the small town, and sped toward the Capital City of the Sun Moon Empire.
They were currently deep within the territory of the Sun Moon Empire, but there was still quite a distance to the Capital City.
Along the way, the vast wilderness was completely different from the pastoral scenery of the Douluo Continent. Traces of mineral mining and strange vegetation with a metallic texture were visible everywhere, highlighting the unique development direction of this country.
The three were all capable Spirit Masters, and they traveled very quickly.
They traveled at full speed during the day and found towns to stay in by evening.
Occasionally, when they couldn't reach the next town before nightfall, they would find a safe spot in the wild to camp.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
Tonight, the moon was sparse and the stars were few, and the evening breeze carried a hint of mountain chill.
Liu Yuan and the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen lit a campfire in a dry, sheltered cave.
The fire crackled, its orange light reflecting on their three young faces.
Meng Hongchen leaned against a smooth rock, stretched wearily, and complained: "Sigh, we're almost there, right? I never want to sleep in the wild again; I feel so uncomfortable all over."
Xiao Hongchen poked the campfire with a stick to make it burn brighter, smiling as he comforted her: "Almost there, Meng, just hold on a little longer. At our speed, we will reach the Capital City in two days at most."
He turned to Liu Yuan, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Brother Liu Yuan, once we arrive at the academy, I will take you to see my grandfather immediately. With your talent, he will surely be very pleasantly surprised."
Liu Yuan smiled calmly and nodded: "I am also looking forward to meeting Dean Jing Hongchen. I have long admired such a great figure."
After a brief conversation, the night deepened, and the chirping of insects outside the cave gradually faded.
The exhaustion from the long journey welled up. The three extinguished most of the campfire, leaving only a small cluster to ward off wild beasts, and then each found a clean spot to close their eyes and rest.
However, just as Liu Yuan closed his eyes and the cave fell into silence, a sudden change occurred!
Two powerful auras of spirit power began to rush toward their location at an extremely rapid speed!