At this moment, as Xiao Hongchen's voice faded, the end of this sparring match was declared.
Jing Hongchen had been watching the entire sparring match, his sharp eyes never leaving Liu Yuan for a single moment.
After watching it, he finally understood completely why both his grandson and granddaughter held Liu Yuan in such high regard.
Liu Yuan's strength was truly boundless!
Jing Hongchen himself knew...
His grandson's talent was already top-tier among his peers.
Especially after equipping a full set of spirit tools, his combat power far exceeded his own spirit power Rank.
Yet, in front of Liu Yuan, the gap in strength was so vast!
For Shrek to actually let such a talent go, they must be blind!
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Crisp applause rang out as Jing Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, who stood beside him, walked forward, clapping for Liu Yuan as they approached.
"Truly impressive. Xiaoer is completely no match for you, Little Yuan." The look of admiration on his face was undisguised.
Liu Yuan smiled and said, "Just lucky, just lucky. Actually, Brother Xiao Hongchen is also very strong."
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen's mouth pouted, and he muttered dejectedly, "That's exactly why I don't want to spar with Brother Liu Yuan! This is purely asking to be abused! He is simply a monster!"
Jing Hongchen walked over to his grandson, annoyed, and slapped the back of his head: "Now do you know your strength is insufficient?"
"Grandfather told you long ago, there is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond heaven. Don't always be so arrogant, looking down on everyone!"
"There are plenty of Geniuses on the continent! Letting you see this today is good for you!"
"I know, Grandfather." Xiao Hongchen rubbed the back of his head, rarely refraining from retorting.
After finishing, Jing Hongchen turned back to Liu Yuan, his face filled with smiles again, his tone carrying a hint of "entrustment": "Little Yuan, if you have time, you must discipline Xiaoer more."
"This kid just needs to be disciplined. He doesn't listen to what we say usually, so you'll have to be the one to handle him!"
Liu Yuan smiled without saying much, just nodding.
He understood that this was Jing Hongchen's way of indirectly bringing them closer.
Jing Hongchen looked at the harmonious scene before him with satisfaction and waved his hand: "Alright, I have seen your strength, and I am very satisfied."
"The rest of the time is for you young people; go do whatever you want."
He paused, then instructed Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen: "Take Little Yuan around the academy to familiarize him with the environment; school officially starts in a few days."
"I have also given instructions regarding the dormitory; it is already prepared for him. It is a luxury single room in Building Four, and everything is set to the highest specifications."
"In short, you two are familiar with this place, so show him around."
Hearing this, Meng Hongchen spread her hands impatiently, grabbed Liu Yuan's arm, and started walking out: "Alright Grandfather, we know! You're so long-winded!"
"Exactly, exactly. Rest assured when we handle things!" Xiao Hongchen also hurried to keep up, hooking his arm around Liu Yuan's other shoulder, and introduced enthusiastically, "Let's go, let's go, Brother Liu Yuan, I'll take you to see our academy's spirit tool laboratory. There are so many good things there!"
"You girl…" Jing Hongchen looked at his granddaughter's "disrespectful" back, smiled helplessly, his eyes full of doting affection.
Not until the three figures completely disappeared at the end of the training ground did the smile on his face slowly fade.
He turned around, without the slightest hesitation, and walked straight towards his Dean's office.
In the office, Jing Hongchen sat behind that large desk, his expression serious.
He brought up two encrypted file templates with the highest clearance and began to write furiously.
Whether it was the investigation report about the "mysterious Spirit Beast" from last night, or the detailed situation regarding Liu Yuan, he needed to write a proper report to submit to the Imperial family.
Although he was ostensibly the Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy with immense power, he also knew that the true ruler of the Sun Moon Empire would always be the Emperor sitting in the palace—Xu Tianhan.
For such important matters concerning the future of the Empire, he had to report them immediately.
Regarding the report on Liu Yuan, he used words of extreme praise.
He described in detail Liu Yuan's talent, strength, Heart-Nature, and the "stupid" act of him being expelled by Shrek's Xuan Zi due to a personal grudge, and emphasized the entire process of him recruiting him with "utmost sincerity," finally pointing out that Liu Yuan would be the absolute core in the future to oppose Shrek, and even to vie for the title of the number one academy on the continent.
As for the other report on the "mysterious Spirit Beast," it did not contain much, as he indeed had not found any useful intelligence.
After Jing Hongchen carefully organized and encrypted the two reports, and dispatched his most trusted personal guard to send them to the palace...
The sun outside the window had risen to its highest point; it was already noon.
Having been busy all night and all morning, he finally felt a deep sense of exhaustion wash over him.
He stretched, finally having the time to eat a meal, take a hot shower, and prepare for a peaceful nap.
...
At this same moment, inside the Imperial Study of the Sun Moon Empire palace.
Two encrypted reports written by Jing Hongchen himself were already resting securely on Emperor Xu Tianhan's desk.
Xu Tianhan, dressed in majestic dragon robes, opened the report regarding Liu Yuan.
After examining it, an expression of surprise appeared on his face.
"Interesting, truly interesting." Xu Tianhan put down the report, his voice low and powerful.
He gently pushed the report to the side, where an old man with white hair and beard sat, wearing simple cloth clothes, yet exuding an aura as deep and steady as a mountain.
He was none other than the pinnacle of Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineers—Kong Deming.
"Elder Kong," Xu Tianhan asked him, "How do you view this matter?"
Kong Deming picked up the report about Liu Yuan and read it carefully from beginning to end.
A glint of sharpness flashed in his cloudy old eyes, but he let out a cold snort, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction: "Your Majesty, I think this Jing Hongchen is becoming increasingly extravagant with spending money!"
He slapped the report on the table: "Core Disciple treatment, independent luxury dormitory, astronomical monthly subsidies, plus three Soul Bones of any year…"
"Truly a spendthrift!"
"For so many years, the Imperial family has given him the maximum support, yet he has never once been able to cultivate a group of students capable of defeating Shrek, yet when it comes to asking for money, he is not hesitant at all."
Xu Tianhan heard this, smiled, and waved his hand: "Elder Kong, that is incorrect."
"After all, Shrek has a Legacy spanning ten thousand years, with deep foundations and monsters appearing frequently."
"Although Jing Hongchen has never been able to defeat them, these years, we have always sat firmly in second place, leaving other academies far behind, haven't we?"
"Second? What is the difference between second and last place?" Kong Deming huffed, his beard bristling, "Our Sun Moon Empire's goal has always been only one, and that is first place!"
"Your Majesty, you cannot continue to indulge him like this; you must apply more pressure on him."
"Although Shrek is strong, it doesn't mean they cannot be defeated. We have endured for so many years; it's time to win once!"
Xu Tianhan nodded with a smile, agreeing deeply: "Elder Kong's words are reasonable; how could I not want to win once."
"Since that is the case…" He looked at Kong Deming, his tone solemn: "Let the upcoming All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament be the limit; give him one more chance. I hope this time he can give me a satisfying result."
Seeing that the Emperor's mind was made up, Kong Deming was silent for a moment, then finally compromised.
Only, his face still wore dissatisfaction: "To have such an enlightened ruler as Your Majesty giving him unreserved support, it is truly the blessing of Jing Hongchen's past lives."
"Hmph! Then give him one more chance. If he fails again this time, I will definitely not spare him!"
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Inside Shrek Academy, in a dark, quiet room deep within the Sea Gods Pavilion.
The air was filled with the greasy aroma of chicken legs and a faint smell of alcohol, and Gluttonous Douluo Xuan Zi was leaning on a recliner.
Just then, the door of the quiet room was gently knocked, and a figure flashed in like a ghost, kneeling on one knee, in an extremely respectful posture.
A scout had hurried to find Xuan Zi: "Elder Xuan, the matter you previously asked us to investigate has a lead."
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