Zhang Lexuan led Ji Lin through the area between the white-colored freshmen teaching building and the black-colored second- and third-year teaching buildings, arriving at the dormitory building. The dormitory was expansive and, though a single structure, was painted in four colors—white, yellow, purple, and black—clearly corresponding to the dormitory zones for the different grade levels. The building was six stories tall.
At the entrance of the white-colored section, there sat an elderly man who looked incredibly aged. He wore a simple grey cloth outfit, and his face was so wrinkled it seemed like it could swat a dozen flies at once. His cloudy eyes and drooping eyelids gave him the appearance of being at death's door. The sunlight shining through the buildings cast a warm glow on him as he reclined in his chair, looking quite comfortable.
Zhang Lexuan stepped forward respectfully. "Elder Mu!"
Ji Lin recognized this frail old man—he was none other than Elder Mu, the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En, a Rank-99 Ultimate Douluo.
He quickly stepped up and mimicked Zhang Lexuan's respectful salute. "Greetings, Elder."
"Mm."
Elder Mu responded lightly, then reached out with a trembling hand. "Let me see your badge and dormitory key."
Ji Lin promptly handed them over.
Elder Mu waved them in front of his eyes before returning them. "Go on. Dormitory 108 is the third room on the left on the first floor. From the fourth floor up is the girls' dormitory. Entering there is grounds for immediate expulsion."
"Thank you." After another bow alongside Zhang Lexuan, Ji Lin followed her into the dormitory.
Elder Mu didn't move from his position, muttering to himself, "So this is the boy Lexuan chose? Quite a talent, such cultivation at a young age, and with an Ultimate attribute martial soul. Really does suit Lexuan. What a pity about Beibei..."
After returning from the Star Dou Forest, Zhang Lexuan had sought Elder Mu out for a serious talk. She apologized and asked for forgiveness, stating she could no longer fulfill the promise they had made.
Elder Mu agreed without hesitation and told her not to bear the weight of it. In truth, he had long regretted proposing that arrangement. He had sent Beibei to get close to Tang Ya to support the Tang Sect, never expecting the two to develop real feelings so quickly. He had feared Lexuan might not be able to let go.
As someone who had lived long, he understood well the emotional entanglements of the younger generation were beyond his reach and understanding. Now that Zhang Lexuan had let go and moved on, he was more than happy to see her live her own life.
Beibei had never known about the engagement between him and Zhang Lexuan—so let it be as if it never existed.
At that moment, a few new students passed by, unaware of the elder sitting at the entrance. They entered directly. The old man didn't stop them, only continued to sit there dozing.
"Lexuan-jie, who was that old man just now?" Ji Lin asked as they walked. He already knew Elder Mu's identity but still asked for formality's sake.
"He's one of the academy's senior elders. Just be polite when you see him. Don't disturb him," Zhang Lexuan replied with a shake of her head.
Following Elder Mu's instructions, they soon located Ji Lin's dorm. The student dorms were laid out in a long corridor, with numbered doors on both sides. The place looked old, clearly in use for many years. Communal restrooms were at each end of the hallway.
Unlocking the door with his key released a wave of stale air. The two quickly stepped aside, waited a while, and then rushed in to open the windows. The room hadn't been occupied for over a month—everything was covered in dust.
While airing it out, Ji Lin took in the layout. The dorm was very small, about ten square meters. Two beds took up most of the space. Aside from those, there was only a table and two metal lockers. A simple light fixture hung from the ceiling. There were metal nodes on the wall for infusing soul power, which was required to power the light—a basic soul device.
After some ventilation, the air finally cleared. Looking at the cramped and dirty room, Ji Lin's head hurt. For the so-called number-one academy on the continent, Shrek sure was stingy. Clearly, this was the lasting legacy of Shrek's founding headmaster, Flender, and his "virtuous frugality."
Seeing Ji Lin frown, Zhang Lexuan smiled softly.
"Let me help you clean it up."
"Thanks, Lexuan-jie. Good thing you're here—this would've been a nightmare on my own."
Ji Lin pulled some cleaning supplies from his storage-type soul device, and the two began tidying up.
In just half an hour, with Zhang Lexuan's help, they cleaned every corner spotless. Though the furnishings were still basic, the room now had a much fresher atmosphere.
With the cleaning done, Zhang Lexuan took Ji Lin to get something to eat.
Each grade had its own designated cafeteria, located just behind the dormitory zone.
The two arrived at the freshman cafeteria, which was nearly empty at that hour.
There weren't even any tables or chairs—just an open space. One side had sinks and areas to clean tableware, and the back had a series of food counters. Prices were listed at each counter, with eight in total. The dishes varied, becoming more expensive from right to left.
Eating in the cafeteria didn't even come with a place to sit? A sign at the entrance even stated food was strictly not allowed to be taken outside.
Ji Lin was speechless. Shrek Academy's methods truly hadn't changed in thousands of years—Flender's frugal spirit still lived on.
After a brief moment of surprise, Ji Lin went to the most expensive counter and bought two soul beast meat and vegetable combo meals. The two ate quickly, then left the cafeteria.
"Xiao Lin, let's end things here for today. I need to return to the inner courtyard. If anything comes up, you can come find me there."
"Alright, thank you for everything today, Lexuan-jie."
After saying goodbye, Zhang Lexuan returned to the inner courtyard.
Ji Lin headed back to the dorm, retrieving high-quality daily supplies and bedding from his soul device, which had been prepared by Jiu Jiu long ago.
After laying out his bedding, he found himself with nothing to do, so he sat down to cultivate.
Then, glancing at the opposite bed, he grew curious about who his roommate would be.
"Don't let it be the Tang Princess… I really don't want to end up living with her. That'd catch the attention of Tang God-King. Although right now, he should be too busy to worry about her."
"I wonder if she'll even enroll at Shrek Academy. I left behind that false memory for fun—did she take form with that look?"
He clearly remembered crafting a false memory using Feather Dust to make her look like the most beautiful girl in his heart—who just so happened to resemble Wang Qiu'er from the original story. He even used the name Wang Qiu'er. Ji Lin was looking forward to the moment when Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er crossed paths.
The thought brought a mischievous smile to Ji Lin's face.