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"Uh, Boss, it seems your aloof persona has been witnessed."
At this moment, Oscar also noticed Zhu Zhuqing descending the stairs.
Upon hearing this, Li Luochen immediately felt as if his toes could dig out a three-bedroom apartment—how embarrassing.
Zhu Zhuqing had mainly come down to buy something to eat. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Li Luochen boasting about how "silent men are the most attractive."
Li Luochen even flicked his bangs for added effect. Zhu Zhuqing was instantly taken aback. Was this really the same Li Luochen she knew—the aloof, domineering, and taciturn powerhouse? How could he have such a side to him?
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but stifle a laugh behind her hand. She found this incredibly amusing. The stark contrast between Li Luochen's usual demeanor and what she just witnessed was hilarious. She thought it was quite entertaining.
Li Luo Chen: …... 'Damn, so socially awkward.'
Without hesitation, Li Luochen teleported in front of Zhu Zhuqing and grabbed her chin with one hand.
"Keep what you just saw to yourself, or I might sabotage your training. I'll make sure you don't get the best cultivation route possible."
Li Luochen's threat startled Zhu Zhuqing, causing her face to flush red. She silently nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, I'm heading out for a bit. Oscar, Shrek Academy will begin recruiting students in three days. Go back and take care of things while I'm gone—I'll be out for a couple of days."
With that, Li Luochen walked out, leaving Zhu Zhuqing and Oscar staring at each other wide-eyed.
"Excuse me, are you also a student at Shrek Academy?"
Zhu Zhuqing asked timidly.
"Yes, though I've just graduated. I'm probably a few years older than you. You can call me by my name, Oscar, or Xiao Ao—it's fine either way."
Oscar introduced himself with his usual cheerful demeanor.
"Then, Senior Ao, what kind of person is Senior Li?"
Zhu Zhu Qing was eager to learn more about Li Luo Chen's character.
"Big Brother Chen? He's eighteen years old, level sixty-seven in soul power, and currently serves as the headmaster of Shrek Academy. Let me tell you, the real Li Luochen is exactly what you just saw.
He's humble, easygoing, lighthearted, and sometimes even a bit playful. He's never carried himself with the arrogance of a powerful individual, which makes him very approachable. As for why he was so cold toward you at first...
I suspect he might have feelings for you. Maybe he was trying to impress you? Hehe, but pretend you didn't hear that last part. Don't let him know I said anything, or I'll get beaten up."
Zhu Zhuqing: ...
She never expected such a young prodigy to be so affable. However, Oscar's final comment—that Li Luochen might have feelings for her—made her blush again. While she did feel grateful to Li Luochen for saving her life, it wasn't quite love yet.
It was more like a positive impression. Either way, he was far better than Dai Mubai. If she were free to choose someone to love, perhaps Li Luochen wouldn't be a bad choice.
"Hmm, go on," Zhu Zhu Qing urged.
"Big Brother Chen had an innate soul power close to level nine. His original spirit was the Dragon Patterned Staff, but his current spirit reflects his deep understanding of it, achieved through spirit evolution and his own opportunities.
He broke through to level ten at six and a half years old, level twenty before turning eight, level thirty at ten, level forty at twelve, level fifty at fourteen, and level sixty at sixteen.
Across the entire Douluo Continent, he's a monster among monsters. Our academy's teachers believe he'll definitely break through to become a Title Douluo by the age of thirty.
For comparison, the youngest Title Douluo, the Hao Tian Douluo, only reached level ninety at forty-four. Big Brother Chen surpasses even him.
Now, let me tell you about our Shrek Academy. Besides me, there are two other students. One is twelve years old and at level thirty-nine in soul power, and the other is the scumbag you saw earlier, Dai Mubai, who's fifteen and at level thirty-seven.
As for Dai Mubai, stay away from him. He's a notorious womanizer. When Big Brother Chen returned from his training, this guy actually dared to flirt with our eldest sister. Oh, by the way, her name is Dugu Yan. She's already a Soul Sage now and Big Brother Chen's girlfriend.
This lustful tiger thinks with his lower half. He was completely shameless, and Big Brother Chen beat him into a bloody pulp. If the academy teachers hadn't intervened to prevent a student's death, he'd already be dead.
Honestly, he's either brave or stupid. Even though Sister Yan was four levels higher than him at the time, and her grandfather is a ninety-five-level Title Douluo, this idiot still dared to flirt with her. According to Big Brother Chen, this lecherous tiger is actually a prince of the Star Luo Empire.
How brainless can you get? If he became emperor, he'd probably ruin the empire. That's why our academy basically lets him do whatever he wants. As soon as he graduates, we're kicking him out."
After Oscar finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing had formed a preliminary understanding of Li Luochen. Learning that he had a girlfriend made her heart ache a little, but she was more astonished by Dugu Yan's strength—reaching Soul Sage level at just twenty years old was terrifying.
Next, Zhu Zhuqing listened as Oscar explained more about Shrek Academy. Since she had decided to join, she wanted to learn more about the institution. The more she learned, the more shocked she became.
The honorary dean was a ninety-five-level Super Douluo (officially listed as such), the principal Flender was an eighty-six-level Battle Soul Douluo, and the vice-principal Liu Erlong, stationed in Tian Dou City, was a seventy-five-level Battle Soul Sage (she had given birth and was raising a child, which slowed her cultivation). Another vice-principal, Zhao Wuji, was an eighty-four-level Battle Soul Douluo.
The teaching director, Li Luochen, was a sixty-seven-level Battle Soul Emperor. The head of the offensive system, Li Yusong, was a seventy-nine-level Battle Soul Sage. The head of the control system, Lu Qibin, was a seventy-two-level Battle Soul Sage, and the head of the food system, Shao Xin, was a seventy-six-level Battle Soul Sage.
Outstanding alumni included Qin Ming (sixty-six-level Soul Emperor), Mo Yu (sixty-four-level Soul Emperor), Su Qingyun (fifty-eight-level Battle Soul King), and Liu Ying (fifty-seven-level Battle Soul King). All of these seniors were teaching at the Tian Dou campus.
Zhu Zhuqing thought that the faculty and alumni of Shrek Academy were strong enough to form a powerful sect. At least, she knew that no academy in the Star Luo Empire had such a formidable lineup.
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Meanwhile, after leaving Suotuo City, Li Luo Chen spread his dragon wings and flew toward Saint Soul Village in the Fasinuo Province at maximum speed.
Now that he had seen Tang San, it meant Tang Hao was likely nearby. He needed to retrieve the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone as quickly as possible. Though he might not need it, it was too valuable to leave behind.
With his external dragon wing spirit bone now at the sixty-thousand-year level, his speed was incredible. It took him only half a day to reach the outskirts of Saint Soul Village. From there, he flew directly toward the forest outside the village.
When he spotted the waterfall, Li Luochen retrieved a black robe from his soul-guided device, just in case.
He then released his mental energy to check if Tang Hao was nearby. With his current level of spiritual power—and considering how rudimentary the use of spiritual energy was in this era—anyone below level ninety-eight would be unable to hide from him.
Especially someone like Tang Hao, whose brute force approach to spiritual energy usage was clearly inferior. His spiritual power likely relied entirely on his head spirit bone.
After confirming there was no movement nearby, Li Luochen entered the waterfall. The cave inside was damp, about three meters high and two meters wide, extending deep into the darkness.
At the very end, everything suddenly lit up. Looking up, Li Luochen saw a stone hole at the top of the cave wall. Below it was a small stone chamber, roughly ten square meters in size.
The chamber was empty, but directly beneath the stone hole was a small mound of earth. On it grew a delicate strand of Blue Silver Grass swaying gently in the breeze. The grass was longer than ordinary blades, with peculiar golden veins running along its leaves.
"The Blue Silver Emperor, huh? Too bad it's just a mindless plant. At least it smells nice."
Li Luochen used his mental energy to scan the entire chamber. He wasn't sure whether Tang Hao had kept the spirit bone with him or left it here.
Li Luochen discovered a hidden compartment in the wall—more like a button-like mechanism. Pressing it firmly, a heavy black lead box fell down. The box was about one and a half meters long and one foot wide, weighing over two hundred kilograms.
Opening it, he found a crystal-clear blue-gold spirit bone shimmering faintly with star-like lights. Its vitality was incredibly potent.
After a brief moment of examination, Li Luochen closed the box and stored it in his soul-guided device.
Having obtained what he came for, Li Luochen left and headed toward Sunset Forest. By now, he had picked up the scent of the Blue Silver Emperor.
Tang Hao's ninth spirit ring would be the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor. To avoid detection, he planned to soak it in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.
Li Luochen flew toward Sunset Forest, taking most of the day to arrive.
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