"Alright, everyone—return to the academic building with your new homeroom teachers according to your assigned classes. Chen Junting, you three come with me to collect your reward."
With the final class assignments complete, Du Weilun dismissed the freshmen—then called Chen Junting's trio aside and led them to the Dean's office.
Since it was their first time here, the three couldn't help but look around.
Aside from four towering bookshelves crammed with tomes and a few potted plants, the room had no other decoration—strikingly simple and elegant compared to the rest of Shrek Academy.
"No need to be formal—have a seat," Du Weilun said with a faint smile, gesturing toward the sofa.
Chen Junting didn't hesitate. After a brief thank-you, he sat down and pulled the stiff Qin Lan and Gao Ming along with him.
"You've got class soon, so I'll skip the pleasantries," Du Weilun said. As he spoke, the large ruby ring on his right hand glimmered—and a leather pouch appeared in his palm. "This reward is exceptionally rare. The academy hasn't issued anything this valuable in the freshman trials for at least three hundred years. Hence, there's only one."
He handed the pouch—a soul engineering storage device—to Chen Junting. "As team captain, I trust you'll distribute it fairly and not let it harm your bond."
"Don't worry, Dean Du," Chen Junting replied.
Inwardly, he already suspected it was a thousand-year soul bone—and frankly, he wasn't impressed. At Du Weilun's prompt to "open it and see," he untied the pouch's drawstring.
Under everyone's gaze, a burst of yellow light shot out unexpectedly, hovering gently in midair.
A palm-sized bone fragment glowed softly, its dense soul power so potent it seemed to thicken the very air in the office.
"A… soul bone!?" Qin Lan and Gao Ming gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.
Coming from humble families, they'd never seen a real soul bone—only read about them in academy texts.
Yet despite the heat in their eyes, there was no greed—only awe.
And Chen Junting noticed every nuance.
"Yes," Du Weilun confirmed. "It's a left leg bone from an 8,000-year-old Void Demon Leopard. It's highly suitable for any of you three." He glanced at Chen Junting, unsurprised by his calm demeanor. After all, as the future Chief Guardian Elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Chen Junting would undoubtedly possess soul bones exceeding 50,000 years—perfectly matched to his martial soul.
To him, an 8,000-year bone would be a waste.
In truth, while selecting this reward, Du Weilun had appeared to consider the whole team—but his real focus had been on Qin Lan, the second-strongest member of the champion squad.
After all, Qin Lan's martial soul—Void Demon Leopard—was a high-grade mutation of the Voidclaw Shadow Leopard.
"Thank you, Dean Du," Chen Junting said.
Knowing well the danger of possessing such treasure—*"The innocent suffer for holding jade"*—he immediately sealed the soul bone back into the pouch, preventing its aura and soul power from leaking.
Seeing this, Du Weilun said no more. After reminding them to keep it secret, he watched them leave and returned to the freshman academic building.
On their way back—and certain no one was around—
"Qin Lan, this soul bone is yours," Chen Junting said, pulling out the pouch and tossing it to a stunned Qin Lan. He didn't even glance at it again.
"No, no—I can't accept this! The soul bone should…"
Qin Lan stammered, trying to refuse—but Chen Junting cut him off. "Should what? Belong to me?" He turned, meeting Qin Lan's eyes just as the latter nodded in agreement.
"Don't be ridiculous. Nothing 'should' belong to anyone."
Chen Junting waved dismissively. "Besides, do you really think I'd absorb it? First, 8,000 years is far too low for me. Second, it's poorly compatible with my martial soul. Taking it would waste one of my six precious soul bone slots. But you're different."
"Your Void Demon Leopard is a superior mutation of the Void Shadow Leopard—so this bone is the most compatible for you among us three. If you absorb it, its effect might rival that of a 10,000-year soul bone."
Qin Lan had no counterargument.
Heart pounding, hands trembling, he accepted the pouch.
He glanced at Gao Ming—who, though clearly envious, nodded in full agreement with Chen Junting's reasoning. At that moment, Qin Lan knew he couldn't refuse—and didn't want to.
"Hehe… then I'll take it!" he said with a grin, making a playful face behind his mask. Though invisible, the gesture was unmistakable. He even tried to rush forward for a hug—only to be swiftly kicked away by Chen Junting.
"When did you become such a closet flirt?" Chen Junting muttered, lowering his golden-rooster stance.
Then he turned to Gao Ming—whose eyes shone with restrained longing—and pulled another pouch from his storage soul engineering ring. This one bore identical markings.
Inside was another soul bone.
But this one wasn't originally his. Last night, after the feast, Teacher Mujin had privately met him and Ning Tian and handed them this very item.
It was the soul bone Zhou Yi had lost in her bet with Mujin.
Specifically—a Secret Method Right Leg Bone.
At the time, Chen Junting and Ning Tian had tried to decline it. Secret Method bones weren't ideal for them, and they'd suggested Mujin keep it for herself. But she'd revealed she already possessed a right leg bone—so this one held little value for her.
That admission had stunned them.
Revealing one's possession of a soul bone was extremely dangerous—and no soul bone was ever "unimportant." Even unused, it could fetch hundreds of thousands in gold soul coins.
Her gesture spoke volumes: deep trust.
Especially her final words: "You may not need it—but what about other students? Aren't you looking to recruit? This Secret Method bone will be useful."
That sealed their decision.
And now, it was in Chen Junting's hands.
"Gao Ming, this Secret Method soul bone is for you."
"But this…"
Gao Ming stared at the pouch, stunned.
He'd wanted a soul bone, yes—but the first one was a team reward, clearly best suited for Qin Lan. Though disappointed, he hadn't objected.
But this one was different. This belonged to Chen Junting personally.
Realizing that, he immediately tried to refuse—but Chen Junting stopped him.
"Enough. This bone is just as useless to me. Take it. And remember—this is a Secret Method bone. I already gave you the best advice on how to absorb it last time. You listened, right?"
Gao Ming chuckled helplessly. "Captain Chen… for a commoner like me, getting even one soul bone is a miracle—let alone two."
He hesitated, then looked down at the pouch. Something in him steadied. For the first time, he gathered his courage and asked, "Captain Chen… as a support soul master, can I join the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Qin Lan, overhearing, first looked shocked—then nodded fervently, eyes brimming with the same hope.
Exactly as Chen Junting had intended.
Glancing back at the distant Dean's office, Chen Junting smiled.
"For talented soul masters, the gates of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect are always open. If you wish to join… we'd be honored."
"We'll join!" ×2
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