Compared to the bustling scene when Ling Bai first arrived, Shrek Academy’s Outer Courtyard was exceptionally quiet at night. All the admissions for new students had concluded, and the older students, having completed their day’s courses, were all meditating in their dormitories, diligently cultivating their spirit power.
They didn’t encounter any students along the way, only the occasional patrolling teacher.
A quarter of an hour later, the group arrived at Sea God Lake. Gentle ripples spread across the water’s surface, creating delicate, shimmering waves. Unlike the jewel-like azure during the day, Sea God Lake at night appeared more serene and mysterious under the illumination of spirit guidance lamps.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at the six freshmen and said with a smile, "You’re all Inner Courtyard students now. Crossing Sea God Lake shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?"
"Come on, Big Senior Sister, you’re underestimating us!"
The Auxiliary System girl pouted so much that she could almost hang an oil bottle on her rosy lips. The others echoed her sentiments, protesting that Zhang Lexuan wasn’t treating them like Inner Courtyard students.
"Alright then, I’ll wait for you on the other side."
Zhang Lexuan effortlessly rose into the air without releasing her Martial Spirit or spirit rings and disappeared like a gentle breeze.
"Big Senior Sister must be at least a Spirit Sage, right?" The plant-type boy speculated.
"Maybe even a Spirit Douluo," the prettiest girl with short emerald-green hair said quietly.
"Who cares about Big Senior Sister’s cultivation level? Let’s get across first and talk later!"
The Auxiliary System girl took out a pair of pink, wing-shaped spirit guidance devices. After strapping them onto her back, she clasped her hands in front of her chest and chanted softly:
"Peach blossoms bloom beyond the fence with vibrant colors!"
’Spirit Guidance Thruster, food-type Spirit Master?’ Ling Bai thought.
Only food-type Spirit Masters needed to chant incantations to use their spirit skills.
Ling Bai showed an interested expression as he looked at this girl. Spirit Guidance Master plus food-type Spirit Master was a rather excellent combination.
"Second Spirit Skill, Energy-Boosting Light Body Little Peach!"
The food-type girl let out a light cry, and a rosy peach appeared. She took a few quick bites and waved to everyone:
"Everyone, I’ll go ahead first!"
A roar sounded as the Spirit Guidance Thruster sprayed two pink flames, propelling her like a shooting star toward the opposite shore.
"Spirit Guidance Devices are really convenient. I should get one to try out if I have the chance," the plant-type boy muttered as he watched the pink meteor streak across the sky.
The next second, a green blur flashed past him—it was the pretty girl with short emerald-green hair.
She had already released her Martial Spirit at this moment. A green, diamond-shaped scale appeared at the center of her forehead, and her voluptuous, seductive body seemed to become as flexible as if she had no bones. Her legs fused together and transformed into a long, emerald-green snake tail.
’Jade Phosphor Serpent...’
Ling Bai recognized this Martial Spirit.
Before leaving, she raised an eyebrow and gave Ling Bai a meaningful look.
"Brothers, we can’t let the girls outdo us!"
Not wanting to fall behind, the plant-type boy had a slender blue-purple vine grow from his palm, a faint aura of life spreading around. Two yellow and two purple spirit rings pulsed along the vine.
"First Spirit Skill, Growth!"
The first spirit ring flashed. The Ghost Vine in the boy’s hand rapidly extended and wrapped around some aquatic plants on Sea God Lake. Using them as leverage, he swung himself across like a human meteor hammer.
"Brother Chu, you’re injured. Do you need me to carry you?"
The tallest and most muscular boy among the group approached Chu Qingtian and asked.
Chu Qingtian waved his hand to refuse. "It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious. Crossing the lake is Big Senior Sister’s first test for us. Your help would only be counterproductive."
The boy trusted Chu Qingtian completely. He turned to Ling Bai and extended his hand, "Tai Xing. Martial Spirit: Vigorous Orangutan."
Ling Bai shook his hand. Tai Xing’s palm was broad and warm, clearly belonging to a Spirit Master with vigorous vitality.
Chu Qingtian laughed heartily and patted Tai Xing’s muscular chest. "Brother Ling, Tai Xing has been my roommate in the Outer Courtyard for six years. He’s also my best friend."
"Tai surname, Vigorous Orangutan..."
Ling Bai’s golden eyes narrowed slightly. "One of the Four Single Attribute Clans of the Tang Sect?"
"That’s all in the past."
Tai Xing grinned and said in a deep, resonant voice. "When the Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, the Tang Sect’s hidden weapons were completely outmatched by Spirit Guidance Devices in that continental war. The Tang Sect steadily declined after that. The ancestor of the Strength Clan, along with the ancestors of the other three clans, proposed that the Tang Sect abandon hidden weapons and transition to developing Spirit Guidance Devices.
However, the Tang Sect Master firmly believed that hidden weapons were the essence of the Tang Sect and vetoed the ancestors’ proposal. The ancestors were greatly disappointed, and after dozens of failed attempts to persuade the Sect Master, the four ancestors finally decided that the Four Single Attribute Clans would part ways with the Tang Sect."
"By the way, Brother Ling, about what happened ten thousand years ago, do you..."
Chu Qingtian asked tentatively. He suddenly remembered that the Seraphim from ten thousand years ago represented Spirit Hall, while the Vigorous Orangutan was affiliated with the Tang Sect. The two had been mortal enemies. He worried that this might cause Ling Bai to harbor animosity toward Tai Xing.
If someone as powerful as Ling Bai targeted Tai Xing, his future in the Inner Courtyard would be nothing short of miserable!
"It’s all in the past."
Ling Bai replied calmly.
Before he had absolute strength and authority, it would be suicidal for him to jump out and take a stand.
Moreover, strictly speaking, he was just an outsider who had reincarnated into this world. He didn’t even know why he had awakened the Seraphim and the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. The one who truly inherited the Seraphim bloodline from the Spirit Hall was Ye Guyi.
"Yeah, that’s all in the past."
Tai Xing shrugged and sighed deeply. "Tang Ya approached me before, hoping I could rejoin the Tang Sect, but I refused. Who would’ve thought that the Four Single Attribute Clans and the Tang Sect would end up as strangers again, just like a thousand years ago...
The grudges and enmities from ten thousand years ago don’t need to be passed down to our generation. Besides, after seeing Brother Chu get beaten up just now, I definitely don’t want to be enemies with the Seraphim..."
"You little punk, rubbing salt in my wounds, huh!" Chu Qingtian pretended to be angry.
Tai Xing had a rough yet thoughtful demeanor. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Bai asked, "By the way, who is that Jade Phosphor Serpent girl?"
Tai Xing leaned back slightly, his tanned face contorting as if Dugu Lin was some kind of taboo.
"As you can see, her Martial Spirit is the Jade Phosphor Serpent. She’s a descendant of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo from ten thousand years ago, skilled in using poison and highly unpredictable in battle. Don’t underestimate her. In terms of combat strength, she undoubtedly ranks first in the entire Shrek Outer Courtyard. Both Brother Chu and I have fallen to her Jade Phosphor Serpent poison before."
"My two good brothers, we can’t keep chatting . We won’t be able to hold our heads up in the Inner Courtyard if we fall too far behind. Let’s get going!"
Chu Qingtian interrupted as lightning flickered beneath his feet. As far as pure speed was concerned, he feared no one. He disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Brother Ling, I’m heading out too!"
Tai Xing released his Vigorous Orangutan Martial Spirit, and his method of moving forward was the most brute-force: jumping, clenching his fists, pounding the lake’s surface, and using the force to propel himself forward!
Despite starting later, Chu Qingtian soon overtook the food-type girl and caught sight of Dugu Lin’s graceful silhouette in the distance.
He looked back and saw water columns exploding where Tai Xing was, and the figure shooting vines from his fingertips was the plant-type boy.
But where was Ling Bai?
"Are you looking for me?"
A teasing voice suddenly sounded above his head.
Chu Qingtian instinctively looked up to see Ling Bai with his angelic wings spread behind him. His posture was upright, and a smile adorned his face. His golden hair was blown back by the howling wind, and under the moonlit sky, he looked like a figure carved out of jade.
’The Seraphim really looks handsome...’
For the first time, Chu Qingtian felt that running on water was utterly lame!