The one who echoed the previous statement was Lin Kai, the Seventh Guardian. His strength was also formidable.
In a way, the powerhouses of the Ice God Palace shared a reclusive nature. They were uninterested in the troubles of the outside world and had little need for friendships, preferring instead to study ice and focus on their affairs. To many superpowers beyond their borders, the Ice God Palace seemed aloof, eccentric, and difficult to approach.
"Lin Kai is right. We don't care about this Shrek Academy. These people aren't anything special. Let's just get rid of them as soon as possible."
At this, another man spoke up—Luo Yi, the Eighth Guardian.
"You're all so impatient. I wasn't even done talking yet."
Lu Yuan chuckled, explaining, "The Dean of Shrek Academy didn't come empty-handed. He brought a Dragon Pill."
"He said that as long as we assist with the treatment, he'll offer us the Dragon Pill."
"That's why I didn't send them away immediately."
Indeed, while Yan Shaozhe himself didn't hold much sway here, the Dragon Pill certainly did.
"A Dragon Pill, hmm. It may not be as valuable as our treasures, but it's still a rare and precious item. This Dean of Shrek Academy does seem sincere; it's clear that a disciple of his is very important to him."
Xiao Qiancheng raised her eyebrows slightly. The mention of the Dragon Pill had piqued her interest. Although the Ice God Palace was powerful, they didn't dismiss everything in the outside world without reason.
"That disciple is a young girl with impressive talent. She's not yet twenty but already close to becoming a Soul Sage. If it weren't for her affliction with evil fire, she might have reached that level already," Lu Yuan explained. He had thoroughly examined Ma Xiaotao's condition earlier.
"Oh? That does sound impressive. We don't have many talents like that in our Ice God Palace, do we?"
"Even among us, there weren't many who reached Soul Sage before twenty, right?"
A slender woman with a beautiful face spoke up. She looked to be in her early twenties and was Lan Xueluo, the Sixth Guardian and the youngest of the Nine Guardians.
"Indeed, there aren't many. Among the nine of us, only Ah Wu, Xiao Yuan, Lingguang, and Xiao Xueluo reached Soul Sage before the age of twenty. The rest of us were just shy of it," said Xiao Qiancheng with a gentle smile. As the eldest, she knew the growth stories of each of her families well.
"It seems this girl truly is remarkable, possibly a future pillar of Shrek Academy. No wonder they're willing to offer a Dragon Pill to cure her," said Shui Lingguang, one of the guardians, with sudden realization.
"Shrek Academy does produce some talents. After all, they've been around for ten thousand years, so they must have something. But in the end, they're nothing compared to our Young Master," Feng Xue dismissed. No matter how great a genius, they could never compare to their own Young Master, the most talented individual in the world.
"Well, of course, no one can compare to the Young Master. But this Dragon Pill might be of use to him," Shui Lingguang added, shifting the topic.
After all, a Dragon Pill could aid in Su Yu's growth.
"Indeed, the Dragon Pill might be beneficial for the Young Master."
The others nodded in agreement.
"That's what I thought as well, which is why I didn't reject them outright. But whether to accept this or not, we don't have that authority."
"The First Guardian isn't here, nor is the High Priest, and the Young Master is also absent. We don't have the authority to make this decision."
Lu Yuan explained. The Ice God Palace was highly exclusive, and without permission, no non-ice-attribute Soul Master could enter. This iron rule passed down through generations, was meant to protect the Ice God Palace's countless treasures and the Ice God within. Allowing outsiders would risk offending the deity or even the theft of treasures.
It wasn't that Lu Yuan and the others lacked hospitality; the rules were simply too strict. Only the High Priest, the First Guardian, or the Young Master Su Yu could grant such permission. Especially for major matters, Su Yu's approval was essential.
"Xiao Yuan is right. We can't make this decision. Xiao Yi, since you're the fastest, why don't you head to the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy to seek the Young Master's opinion?"
"That way, we can act according to his instructions."
Xiao Qiancheng looked at Luo Yi. There was no one else better suited for the errand; after all, as an agility-attack specialist, he could travel the fastest.
Luo Yi's face showed some reluctance, but he knew he couldn't avoid this task. Lu Yuan had only given them two days, and for most, a round trip between the Sun and Moon Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire in that time was almost impossible.
Sigh, couldn't Shrek just wait a few more days? It's not like we're the ones in a hurry.
Despite his inner grumbling, Luo Yi nodded in agreement.
"Alright, that settles it. Xiao Yi, go quickly and return soon. Don't waste any time," Xiao Qiancheng said.
"Understood. Ladies and gentlemen, please help keep an eye on my Snow Hall while I'm away," Luo Yi said, cupping his hands politely.
"Don't worry about it. We'll keep a good watch on it for you," Feng Xue replied with a laugh.
"Alright, I'll be off then. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return."
With that, Luo Yi turned and left the main hall, disappearing.
In the hall, Lu Yuan and the others exchanged glances, chatted a bit more, and then departed one by one. They all had their responsibilities and couldn't stay too long.
After leaving the Ice God Palace, Luo Yi sped toward the Sun and Moon Empire like a gust of wind.
...
Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe, who was helping Ma Xiaotao set up a shelter, suddenly looked up with a solemn expression.
He could feel a powerful, icy aura passing by.
"What's the matter, Teacher?"
Ma Xiaotao asked, noticing his reaction.
"An ice-type powerhouse just passed by. Judging by the aura, they should be from the Ice God Palace," Yan Shaozhe replied.
"Oh? How strong were they?"
Hearing it was someone from the Ice God Palace, Ma Xiaotao perked up.
"That person's strength is not below mine. The Ice God Palace… it's truly filled with powerhouses," Yan Shaozhe said, his expression complicated. His strength was already among the top at Shrek Academy, yet he hadn't expected that a random person from the Ice God Palace could rival him. He had a feeling he might not even be stronger than that person. How could this not shake his confidence?
Ma Xiaotao, too, fell silent. Another powerhouse on par with her teacher? The Ice God Palace was indeed terrifying..
...
Radiant City, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight for miles. It was a rare, beautiful day.
During this time, the entire Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was bustling with activity. The reason? The upcoming selection for the academy's reserve team. This selection would choose the most outstanding students to represent the academy in the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament in the Star Luo Empire. Although the selected students would only be part of the reserve team, they would still have the chance to compete. Moreover, they would have the opportunity to meet elite students from across the continent and face powerful opponents. How exciting was that?
Young people are never short on passion and energy, and this stage of life is full of exuberance. Being selected for the reserve team was a tremendous honor, and at the very least, it would give them bragging rights among their peers for the next year. Who could resist such temptation?
Third-Year Dormitory Area, Room 308
Su Yu was dressed in the uniform of a fifth-year student, a shiny fourth-level Soul Engineer badge pinned to his chest. Today, he had taken the time to carefully tidy up his appearance. After all, this was an important event, and it only seemed proper to show some respect.
Compared to Su Yu, Wang Dong'er was even more meticulous, making sure every single hair was perfectly in place. She took great care of her appearance, unlike most male students, who didn't spend much time on their looks. Wang Dong'er, however, seemed oblivious to how over-the-top she was.
Anyone could tell that something was off. Su Yu couldn't help but wonder how clueless Huo Yuhao in the original story must have been not to realize Wang Dong'er's true gender. Even without considering Wang Dong'er's behavior, just from hugging her, it should have been obvious that her body was different from other boys'—Wang Dong'er's body was so soft, like cotton; Su Yu could feel the difference immediately.
There's a big difference between a girl's body and a boy's body. And then there was Wang Dong'er's unique fragrance. What boy could smell like that?
Shaking his head at the thought, Su Yu chuckled.
"Su Yu, do I look handsome?"
Wang Dong'er turned around, striking a pose as if she were showing off a treasure.
Su Yu, playing along, replied, "Too handsome! If you walk out like this, you'll have thousands of girls swooning. Walking with you is going to put a lot of pressure on me!"
Wang Dong'er giggled, her smile as bright as a flower. She knew Su Yu was just flattering her—whenever they went out together, more people always looked at Su Yu. It couldn't be helped; Su Yu's white hair made him stand out even more.
"All right, Mr. Handsome Wang Dong, it's getting late. Shall we head out? The selection tournament is about to begin. It wouldn't be good to be late."
"I'm fine since I've already been placed directly in the top 32, but if you're late, you'll be disqualified," Su Yu pointed out, glancing at the sky to indicate the passing time.
"Let's go, let's go!"
Wang Dong'er quickly gathered her things and pushed Su Yu out of the dormitory.
After leaving the dorm, they headed toward the academy's testing area. The competition was being held in the First Testing Ground, also known as the Soul Tool Testing Ground. This was the largest building on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's grounds, capable of holding over 10,000 people at once. Its architectural style was similar to the Second Testing Ground, only larger, with a massive plaza at its center and rows upon rows of seats stretching upward.
Normally, this plaza was used for exams, competitions, and testing large-scale soul tools. Between the spectator seating and the central testing ground was a linked defense system made up of multiple defensive soul tools, a testament to the academy's advanced knowledge of soul tools. The entire defense system could be operated by a single Soul Master with sufficient cultivation—assuming, of course, that the Soul Master had enough soul power.
When Su Yu and Wang Dong'er entered the arena, it was already packed—a sea of heads with nearly the entire student body present. After all, this was one of the academy's rare grand events.
In the front row sat the elders and teachers of Illustrious Virtue Hall. The second and third rows were reserved for members of Illustrious Virtue Hall, who enjoyed the best treatment in the entire academy.
Starting from the fourth row, seats were allocated for the competitors, while the rest of the students had to sit further back. This year, participants for the reserve team had to be 15 years old or younger and in the third year or above, though few students met these criteria. Most under-15 students were in the first or second year, with only a handful in the third year or higher. By the fifth year, most were already over 15.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke were such examples. Su Yu, however, was an exception—a rare anomaly. Altogether, there were probably no more than five fifth-year students, besides Su Yu, who qualified for the competition. The vast majority of participants came from the third and fourth years.
Su Yu led Wang Dong'er into the spectator area. As they entered, someone in the seventh row waved at them. Looking closer, Su Yu recognized the familiar, adorably cute face—Ke Ke. For some reason, Ke Ke was always especially enthusiastic toward him.
Next to Ke Ke sat Ju Zi, with her naturally dazed, lazy look and fair skin that seemed to glow. She smiled warmly when she saw Su Yu, a gentle, graceful expression on her face. Since Su Yu had smoothed things over from a previous incident, Ju Zi had been noticeably friendlier toward him.
Su Yu couldn't quite figure out what was going through her mind, but his instincts told him to keep his distance. Ju Zi had a tragic past and wasn't as pure-hearted as Wang Dong'er or Meng Hongchen. It wasn't that she was a bad person; Su Yu simply preferred people with a simpler outlook. After all, he already had enough on his mind.
With a wave, Su Yu acknowledged them and led Wang Dong'er straight toward the second row. Thanks to his special treatment, Su Yu was fully qualified to sit in the second row—he could even sit in the front row if he wanted. But there was no need to be overly flashy.
In the center of the second row, Su Yu immediately spotted Meng Hongchen, her long, wine-red hair making her look elegant and demure. Su Yu liked Meng Hongchen's personality—she was polite, knew when to advance or retreat, and was both gentle and graceful. She was a bit like Zhang Lexuan, one of Su Yu's favorite and closest companions.
Of course, this didn't mean Meng Hongchen was a replacement for Zhang Lexuan; she had her unique charm and qualities.
Pulling Wang Dong'er along, Su Yu walked through the second-row aisle, heading directly for the center. Wang Dong'er felt a bit nervous, as the second row was filled with Illustrious Virtue Hall members, the weakest of whom were fifth-level Soul Engineers. Naturally, Wang Dong'er could feel the pressure, so Su Yu had to lead her by the hand.
Seeing him confidently leading someone through the area of Illustrious Virtue Hall members, many of them raised their eyebrows.