Indeed, Qingtong's brother! With such a genius sister, her older brother must not be someone unremarkable. In the Sun‑Moon Empire, Jiāng Shèngyù's status was likely quite high.
Elder Xuan looked at him and said, "Young man, there's no need for me to deceive you. Qingtong is vice-captain of the Shrek Academy prep team—her importance is undeniable! The academy has never mistreated her merely because she's from the Sun‑Moon Empire."
"Well then, elder, please rescue my sister as soon as possible! That evil soul‑master is cunning—every passing moment puts her in greater danger!" Jiāng Shèngyù urged immediately.
He looked every bit like a worried older brother—face lined with genuine worry, no hint of acting. Even Elder Xuan couldn't read him.
Xuan glanced at Wáng Yán and asked, "Wáng Yán, what about your students…"
Seeing the tension, Mèng Hóngchén quickly intervened. "Elder, if you trust us, please let us care for these injured students. We have accompanying doctors. Friends of Qingtong are our friends—nationality doesn't matter. We'll take good care of them."
Her sincerity convinced Xuan. He nodded. "Very well. Wáng Yán, you follow them with the wounded while I rescue Qingtong."
"Yes, Elder Xuan," Wáng Yán responded respectfully.
After Xuan departed, Mèng Hóngchén turned to Wáng Yán. "Teacher Wáng, please come with us."
Few Shrek inner‑academy disciples—like Mǎ Xiǎotáo and Dài Yàohéng—welcomed the gesture, as they had long been indoctrinated to see Sun‑Moon Empire as evil. But among the prep team, Bèi Bèi, Dài Huábīn, and Hé Càitóu felt uneasy, while Jiāng Shèngyù's connection with Qingtong meant Jiāng Nánnán and Xiāo Xiāo had no reservations. Wáng Dōng, too, felt unaffected.
To them, Jiāng Shèngyù and the Red‑dust siblings were Qingtong's brother and friends first—Sun‑Moon nationals second.
Ironically, Mù Ēn tried to indoctrinate Qingtong into Shrek's atmosphere, but Qingtong ended up influencing the outer‑academy prodigies instead.
Jiāng Shèngyù didn't take Wáng Yán back to the Sun‑Moon Academy camp—Hū Yǔhào and Táng Yǎ were already there, and it wasn't time for the teams to meet. Táng Yǎ's identity as Tang Sect leader would be revealed at competition for maximum impact.
To keep new tech like soul‑satellites and soul‑comm phones secret, no one in the Sun‑Moon team carried them—Jiāng Shèngyù included. Reluctantly, Xiào Hóngchén notified the main camp of their situation, omitting that they came from Shrek Academy.
Jiāng Shèngyù, Mèng Hóngchén, and others paused at a stream bend. Jiāng Shèngyù unloaded defensive soul‑guided gear from his storage and laid it out.
"Don't worry—these are anti-soul-beast tools. Not hugely powerful, but enough. You're all still wounded—no need to waste ours."
Mǎ Xiǎotáo and Dài Yàohéng glared at him, annoyed, but too injured to protest—scarred by the second corpse‑bomb attack.
Mèng Hóngchén comforted Xiāo Xiāo and Jiāng Nánnán—acting like the older sister she was.
Shortly after, Xiào Hóngchén returned with the Sun‑Moon Academy's accompanying physician.
The doctor first examined the injured students and then produced medicinal materials from her storage. She then activated her soul‑power. In the dark night, a silver-white halo glimmered behind her—a rare healing soul‑tool called Silver‑Moon Halo, reportedly a rare imperial mutation of silver‑moon and solar soul‑tools in the Sun‑Moon Empire.
She revealed herself as Gu Lingjun (OC), vice-president of the imperial hospital—a six‑ring Soul‑Emperor. The emperor had specifically assigned her to the team; anyone could die, but not Jiāng Shèngyù.
The only soul‑tutor Douluo healer was the famed Tiānyīn Douluo, but she had retired. Her junior disciple, a level‑79 Soul‑Saint, now ran the hospital. So the emperor dispatched his vice-president instead.
Six rings of yellow, yellow, yellow‑purple, purple‑black hovered by Gǔ Língjūn as she released a silver glow that illuminated the wounded.
She spoke quietly, "That soul‑master's attacks carried corpse-poison. We're short on antidotes—I can only use what we have, plus my soul‑tool support, to prevent your wounds worsening."
In other words, "I haven't healed you—I'm just keeping you alive."
Even so, Wáng Yán was heartily grateful- Huáobīn and Gōngyáng Mò were on the brink; without her, they'd have died.
With one Yáo Hàoxuān already dead, there could be no more fatalities.
Gǔ Língjūn's eyes narrowed at Wáng Yán.
"You're their teacher? How could you lead students into such danger? Qingtong was captured by that evil soul‑master because of this! If anything happens to her, I'll poison all of you!"
Her words enraged Mǎ Xiǎotáo. She snapped, "You dare talk to us that way? Go poison us then!"
Gǔ Língjūn retorted coldly, "What? You want to fight the soul‑master? Don't take it out on me, a doctor!"
Mǎ Xiǎotáo narrowed her eyes, silent, but met Gǔ Língjūn's gaze.
Gǔ Língjūn then chided them both.
"You, with your soul‑emperor and soul‑king strength, were outplayed by a single soul‑master. Did you underestimate him?"
Mǎ Xiǎotáo and Dài Yàohéng bowed their heads in shame—she was right.
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