While Wang Lin and the others were conversing, the pleasantries between Jing Hongchen and Yan Shaozhe at the gate finally concluded.
"Hall Master Hongchen, see you in a year and a half."
Yan Shaozhe cupped his hands in farewell. All matters had been discussed, except for the list of exchange students, so he had nothing more to say.
Jing Hongchen, however, affectionately grasped Yan Shaozhe's hand.
"See you in a year and a half, Dean Yan."
"Yes, no need to see me off."
Yan Shaozhe clearly didn't want to say anything more to Jing Hongchen. Breaking free, he pulled Zhang Lexuan along, casting one last glance at the Hongchen siblings in the farewell party.
His face, turned away from Jing Hongchen, wore a trace of helplessness. Regarding this exchange student matter, none of the agreements he wanted to reach were achieved, and none of his expected goals were fulfilled.
Instead, Shrek Academy had nominally given a Soul Tool metal mine to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Although the mine wasn't large and was located in the Ming Dou Mountain Range where even the Sun Moon Empire, let alone the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, couldn't intervene.
But to outsiders, this appeared as a sign of weakness from Shrek Academy.
Yan Shaozhe was helpless about this. When Elder Mu passed away, he had given strict orders: Soul Tools were the progress of the era, and Shrek Academy, especially the Martial Soul Department, had to abandon its prejudice against Soul Tools.
Shrek Academy indeed had to let go of its prejudice, and for this, Shrek Academy had no choice but to pay a certain price.
As the figures of Yan Shaozhe and Zhang Lexuan disappeared from the end of the street, the group gathered at the main gate of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy instantly dispersed.
"By the way, President, are you planning to go to Shrek Academy?"
Walking on the way back, Ye Ran suddenly asked.
"Not necessarily. We'll see."
Xiao Hongchen didn't give a definitive answer. Some things weren't up to his will. He knew that either he or his sister would inevitably have to go to Shrek Academy.
Because if they didn't go, Shrek Academy wouldn't be reassured about this exchange program. They needed hostages to send core disciples of sufficient weight to the Sun Moon Empire.
Otherwise, Grandfather wouldn't be at ease letting him and Little Meng go to Shrek Academy either.
"Will the Vice President go?"
Ye Ran looked at Wang Lin, who was zoning out beside them. Wang Lin snapped back to reality and patted the chubby boy on the shoulder.
"I'm not going, and Little Meng probably won't go either."
Ye Ran didn't even need to ask further; Wang Lin directly gave the answer he wanted to know.
"Great, then I won't go either!"
Ye Ran's face instantly lit up with joy, but with Xiao Hongchen beside him, he didn't dare to be too presumptuous.
"Fatty, don't even think about it. You have no chance."
As Meng Hongchen's brother, Xiao Hongchen naturally knew Ye Ran's situation. He reached out and patted the chubby boy's shoulder, then pulled Wang Lin along, walking quickly toward the Sixth-Year Teaching Building.
"Uh... wait for me!"
Ye Ran, a seasoned simp, was clearly beyond saving. He hurriedly sped up to chase after Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen.
The departure of the Shrek Academy delegation didn't have much impact on the lives of the students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
After this simple farewell ceremony, most people went back to doing whatever they were supposed to do. In fact, many people didn't even know about the farewell ceremony, let alone the upcoming exchange student activities between the two sides.
One student, who only had eyes for his sword, was exactly like this.
Ji Juechen, holding a black fire poker in his arms, was currently standing downstairs at the Sixth-Year Teaching Building, where the Third Laboratory was located.
Not far away, Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen clearly saw Ji Juechen, dressed in white and standing out conspicuously. They stood rooted to the spot, looking at each other helplessly.
"Big Brother, you caused this trouble, you fix it!"
"What kind of talk is that, Little Xiao? You're a genius; are you afraid of a Ji Juechen?" Wang Lin waved his hand.
"I am a genius, but even a genius can't withstand that Sword Lunatic's torment. I fought him three times and broke four Rank 6 Soul Tools, six Rank 5 Soul Tools, and one Rank 7 Soul Tool."
Xiao Hongchen also waved his hand, indicating he absolutely wouldn't fall for it. He had fallen for the same trick three times and paid such a heavy price; he wasn't a fool.
"If anyone's going, you go. Who asked you to teach him swordsmanship!"
"I'm not going. Didn't I fight him three times too? Last time, he even sliced off one of my dragon scales. The wound hasn't healed yet."
Saying this, Wang Lin wiped his hand across his chest, took out a dragon scale, and waved it in his palm.
"So what? You injured him that time, so Ji Juechen didn't disturb us for three days. Isn't it just one dragon scale? Don't you have plenty on your right hand?"
Xiao Hongchen ignored the dragon scale, not buying Wang Lin's act.
"I'm only a Soul Ancestor!" Wang Lin argued self-righteously.
"So what!? Even I can't beat you. The strong are respected; you go first." Xiao Hongchen looked at Wang Lin as if looking at an idiot.
While the two were arguing about who should deal with Ji Juechen, Ye Ran standing behind them suddenly spoke up.
But no one paid attention to him. Both Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen directly ignored Ye Ran's statement.
Wang Lin, also a Soul Ancestor, had spiritual strength at the Soul Saint level, combined with a body comparable to a Soul Emperor and soul skills that could contend with a Soul Saint not using their Martial Soul Avatar.
Xiao Hongchen, with his newly acquired Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear external palm bone and awakened divine beast bloodline, could also contend with a Soul Saint not using their Martial Soul Avatar.
Even these two freaks couldn't gain an advantage against Ji Juechen, which showed that Ji Juechen was even more of a freak than they were.
With such strength, Ye Ran, whose cultivation was merely Soul Ancestor and whose Martial Soul was just a Fire Spirit with nothing special, actually wanted to go up and challenge Ji Juechen.
One could only say that Ye Ran was truly asking for trouble!
"By the way, could we send Ji Juechen as an exchange student to study at Shrek?"
Amidst their mutual shirking, Wang Lin suddenly had a wonderful idea. Ji Juechen, as the only anomaly in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy who didn't study Soul Tools, would be perfectly suited to study at Shrek Academy.
"Good idea!"
Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up immediately, clearly understanding Wang Lin's thought. He also knew that keeping a freak like Ji Juechen confined in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was a sheer waste.
Wouldn't it be good to let him go torment the students of Shrek Academy!?
Shrek Academy also had enough monsters for Ji Juechen to tor... cough cough... to practice swordsmanship with. Otherwise, if Ji Juechen stayed at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and just stared at the two of them to torment, that wouldn't do!
"Then ask him?"
Wang Lin spoke. Xiao Hongchen nodded and shoved Wang Lin forward.
"I leave it to you, A Lin!"
Wang Lin: "..."
This small commotion immediately attracted the attention of Ji Juechen standing by the teaching building.
Upon seeing Wang Lin, Ji Juechen's eyes flashed with brilliance, his whole body permeated with sword intent, and he said loudly: "You're here!"
Giving Xiao Hongchen a certain international hand gesture behind his back, Wang Lin looked helplessly at Ji Juechen, but soon changed his expression, replacing helplessness with profundity.
"Brother Juechen, do you love your sword?"