After finalizing the travel arrangements, the members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team temporarily settled into a hotel in Suotuo City, while the Shrek group returned to the academy.
Back at the academy, Qi Lin asked Xiao Wu and the others to quickly pack up their things. They would set off the next day.
Qi Lin had a strong hunch. Although his presence had altered events—Tang San hadn't used realgar wine to cleanse Dugu Yan's poison like in the original timeline—he suspected Shrek Academy still wouldn't fully join the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team.
It seemed… the day of parting ways was fast approaching.
That night, in Qi Lin's room—
Xiao Wu mumbled, "Brother Lin, I heard from Ning Rongrong that Dugu Yan's grandfather is a Titled Douluo. What if he recognizes me?"
She made a throat-slitting gesture and added, "We can't just ask Sister Na to… take him out, right?"
Qi Lin flicked her smooth forehead and pulled a silver bracelet out of his storage ring. Grabbing her wrist, he carefully slipped it on.
"There. Done."
"This bracelet is made from Sister Na's dragon scales. Wearing it will hide your soul beast aura."
The bracelet was delicately crafted. The moment Xiao Wu saw it, her eyes lit up.
"Brother Lin, when did you make this? It's so pretty!"
Qi Lin shrugged. "It's been a while. I wanted to surprise you, so I didn't bring it out right away."
"Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Brother Lin, you're too good to me!" Xiao Wu squealed as she threw her arms around him and planted two quick kisses on his cheek.
Only after giggling did she release him.
Feeling the lingering warmth on his face, Qi Lin squinted at her with a mock-serious expression. "I suspect you took advantage of that moment on purpose… but I have no evidence."
Xiao Wu's cheeks turned pink as her guilty conscience showed.
Just around the corner, the Silver Dragon King watched the scene unfold, her expression thoughtful.
---
The Next Morning – Qi Lin's Quarters
After a brief tidy-up, Qi Lin saw Gu Yuena step out of the bedroom. Without thinking, he cast a buff on both of them.
But as soon as he finished buffing himself, a sudden surge of soul power erupted from within him.
Gu Yuena turned toward him in surprise. "You just broke through?"
"Yeah. Rank 50," Qi Lin nodded calmly.
Although he'd reached a new level, Qi Lin was already used to breakthroughs like this. Aside from slight surprise, his expression didn't change much.
On the other hand, Gu Yuena was more concerned than he was. Her cold, elegant face turned toward him. "Have you decided what kind of soul beast you want for your fifth ring?"
"How about I take you back to Star Dou Forest and let you choose at your own pace?"
Qi Lin scratched his head. "To be honest… I've always wanted a Blue Silver Emperor as a soul ring. But…"
But in this world, the only known Blue Silver Emperor was Tang San's mother, and she had already sacrificed herself.
He vaguely remembered another Blue Silver Emperor from a different continent. But that one was far older than Tang San's mother, and there was no way he could absorb a ring of that level.
And besides… it was too far away.
Before he could finish explaining, Gu Yuena's expression turned contemplative.
Moments later, a faint smile appeared on her lips. "The Blue Silver Emperor, hmm? Leave it to me."
Hiss—
Qi Lin stared at her. Given this older sister's power… Was she seriously thinking of bringing a Blue Silver Emperor from another continent just to sacrifice it for him?
"Well then, I'll leave it to you, Sister Na," Qi Lin replied without hesitation.
After all… this was just more proof of Sister Na's deep care for him.
And honestly, it felt good to be doted on again.
So sweet!
Unlike that silly Xiao Wu—he didn't even get to live off her; if anything, he had to take care of her.
Gu Yuena smiled softly and pointed at her flawless cheek.
"Uh…"
"Sister Na, what's that for?" Qi Lin looked puzzled.
"You're asking me to help you, aren't you? Don't you think you should thank me properly?"
"Thank you?" Qi Lin blinked in confusion. But in the next second, realization hit—he remembered what Xiao Wu did last night—and his eyes lit up.
"Oh, I see!" With practiced ease, he took Gu Yuena's hand and kissed her cheek twice before letting go with satisfaction.
A gentle smile graced Gu Yuena's lips.
Perfect—both parties were pleased!
---
Meanwhile—
The Heaven Dou Imperial Team had also arrived at Shrek Academy.
They were there to drop off Yu Tianheng and to pick up Qi Lin and the others. But more importantly, they were curious—what kind of academy could produce geniuses like Teacher Qin Ming and the Shrek Seven?
Little did they know, in truth, only Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar had truly been taught by Shrek Academy.
When Qi Lin saw Qin Ming, he couldn't imagine how someone so polite and mild-mannered could have come from a place like Shrek.
He strongly suspected Qin Ming had been thoroughly "educated by reality" after leaving Shrek.
Elsewhere, the Imperial Team stared at Shrek's short, shabby gate—and the crooked wooden sign that barely spelled out "Shrek Academy." Their mouths twitched, faces filled with disbelief.
This… is Shrek Academy?
Everyone turned instinctively to look at Qin Ming.
Qin Ming cleared his throat. "Yes… Shrek is a bit crude on the outside. But our teaching strength is not to be underestimated. Don't judge it by appearances."
The reason Shrek's conditions were so poor yet still attracted so many geniuses? Part of it was Flender's persuasive tongue.
But more importantly—the faculty at Shrek were genuinely powerful.
After all, on the entire continent, Soul Saints still commanded respect.
And Shrek had three of them.
Even among Soul Saints, Flender's combat strength wasn't weak. His ability to fly already gave him an advantage over most Soul Saints.
When Qin Ming had joined Shrek, a big reason was their lineup of strong teachers. As a civilian soul master, he knew how hard it was to find quality soul rings.
"Ha ha ha! Xiao Ming, you guys got here fast!" Flender's booming voice echoed from afar.
Soon, the Shrek group had gathered at the academy gates.
Seeing no one beside Qi Lin, Xiao Wu tilted her head curiously. "Huh? Brother Lin, where's Sister Na?"
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others also looked over.
Qi Lin smiled. "She had something to handle. She'll meet us later in Heaven Dou City."
"Oh, I see!"