Sleepless night.
When the first rays of morning light filtered through the crevices of the cave, Ling Luochen slowly rose.
The faint dark circles under her eyes testified to a night of tossing and turning.
Liu Yuan had already woken up. Seeing her like this, he asked casually, "Didn't you rest well last night?"
Ling Luochen offered a bitter smile and confessed, "I kept replaying your advice in my mind. With so many thoughts, it was hard to fall asleep."
Hearing this, Liu Yuan smiled and shook his head, "It seems I have to take the blame for this, then."
He had intended to crack another joke to lighten the mood, but he saw Ling Luochen's expression turn solemn, her gaze fixed on him with intense seriousness.
"But after careful consideration, I realized you were right, and what you said makes perfect sense." Her tone carried a sense of clarity, as if the clouds had parted.
A flash of approval crossed Liu Yuan's eyes, and he asked, "Have you decided on your path forward?"
Ling Luochen did not answer immediately, falling into final contemplation.
Liu Yuan did not rush her, giving her space with unspoken understanding.
He took out tools from his spirit tool to wash up briefly, then distributed dry rations to everyone.
After a silent breakfast, the group packed their bags and prepared to depart.
At the moment of parting, Liu Yuan looked at Ling Luochen, "So... shall we part ways here?"
Beside them, Meng Hongchen looked reluctant to let go. She took Ling Luochen's hand and extended a sincere invitation, "Sister Luochen, why don't you just come to our Sun Moon Royal Academy! We would never let you go on such a dangerous mission alone."
A warm smile appeared on Ling Luochen's beautiful face. She shook her head gently and declined, "Thank you for your kindness, but there is no need."
"I am already close to graduation and don't want to make any more changes. Besides..." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Liu Yuan, "Some things are better once you've thought them through."
She did not offer further explanation, only waved goodbye to the three of them solemnly, "In any case, I am deeply grateful for your help yesterday."
Liu Yuan nodded at her, then turned and left with the Xiao Hongchen siblings, without a hint of hesitation.
To him, Ling Luochen's encounter was merely an interlude in his journey.
His goal was clear and firm—to reach the Sun Moon Royal Academy as soon as possible, complete the System check-in, and obtain the second skill of Mega Rayquaza.
In this world where the strong prey on the weak, only the rapid growth of one's own power is the foundation for standing tall!
The three of them soon embarked on their new journey.
Ling Luochen stood still for a long time, gazing at their retreating backs until the three figures completely disappeared into the horizon.
When she withdrew her gaze, the smile she had forced out of gratitude for saving her life dissipated, replaced by a cold determination.
She turned and sped off in the direction of Shrek Academy, a thought becoming incredibly clear in her mind:
"Liu Yuan is right. Shrek... is not worth me risking my life like this."
"Even if I don't transfer to another academy, there is absolutely no need to remain in this Supervision Team."
"Once I return, I will withdraw immediately. Then, I will spend the rest of my time at the academy peacefully, and start a new chapter of my own..."
Several days later, Shrek Academy, Inner Court.
Ling Luochen always saw things through to the end.
Even though she had made up her mind, she still chose to report the details of this mission to Xuan Zi first.
She pushed open the door to Xuan Zi's office, and a rich aroma of wine and meat wafted toward her.
She saw Xuan Zi sitting behind his desk without a shred of dignity, one hand grabbing a glistening roasted chicken leg and the other holding a wine flask, eating with great relish.
His flushed, healthy appearance formed a glaring contrast with Ling Luochen, whose face was still pale from unhealed injuries.
Xuan Zi caught sight of her and spoke vaguely while chewing his food. His first reaction was not to care about her safety, but to eagerly ask for the results: "Oh! Luochen is back! How was the mission? Was it completed successfully?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Luochen's brows twitched imperceptibly.
If it were in the past, she would never have thought there was anything wrong with this question, and might even have been eager to report the results for the sake of that elusive "Shrek Glory."
But now, with Liu Yuan's words still ringing in her ears, Xuan Zi's matter-of-fact attitude left her with only one chilling thought:
"As expected, in his eyes, I have never been a living person, just a tool to complete missions."
"But why does he value the success of the mission so much? Are the missions of the Supervision Team not provided without compensation?"
"If there is compensation, where does the reward go?"
These questions, which she had never deeply considered before, were now sprouting wildly in her mind, causing her perception of the academy to waver.
Suppressing her surging thoughts, Ling Luochen began to report the mission details in a formulaic manner.
When she recounted how she had been besieged by several Evil Soul Masters and pushed into a desperate situation, a trace of doubt finally appeared on Xuan Zi's face.
"Is that so? Then... how did you escape?"
"I happened to be saved by a few Spirit Masters from the Sun Moon Empire."
Ling Luochen narrated calmly. When she mentioned that Liu Yuan had intervened and instantly dispatched three Spirit King and one Spirit Emperor level Evil Soul Masters with thunderous momentum, Xuan Zi, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, froze abruptly, his turbid eyes instantly erupting with a terrifying brilliance!
"What did you say?! That Spirit Master from the Sun Moon Empire, he was only fourteen or fifteen years old?"
Xuan Zi's voice rose sharply, his face filled with shock and disbelief, "To have such strength at this age? With such talent, isn't he even more outstanding than Ma Xiaotao?!"
As the "once in a century" super Genius within Shrek Academy, at least in the current generation, Ma Xiaotao's talent was the highest.
But compared to the youth in Ling Luochen's account, Xuan Zi felt that Ma Xiaotao seemed inferior to him!
So, all of a sudden, Xuan Zi could not remain calm at all.
He stared wide-eyed at Ling Luochen, his gaze filled with inquiry.
Ling Luochen nodded expressionlessly.
Xuan Zi's expression instantly became extremely grave.
He regarded the honor of Shrek as more important than anything else, and this honor largely stemmed from cultivating the continent's top Geniuses.
Now, on the eve of the upcoming All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, hearing from Ling Luochen that the Sun Moon Empire was hiding such a Prodigy made him feel an unprecedented and massive threat.
He subconsciously directed his anger toward Ling Luochen and sternly rebuked, "You! Why didn't you invite him to join our Shrek?!"
"With our academy's reputation as the number one on the continent, how could he possibly refuse?"
"Even if he is already a student at another academy, so what? Just poach him!"
Xuan Zi irritably put down the chicken leg and paced back and forth, then impatiently ordered, "Forget it, what's done is done, there's no use talking more! Tell me his name quickly. I will find a way myself; I must bring such a Genius into our fold!"