In the morning, in the classroom.
Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya, and Bei Bei were sitting together.
"Hey! Zhu Ziyang, where did you take Nannan yesterday?" Tang Ya asked with a face full of curiosity. "Why did Nannan's spirit power directly increase to level 30?"
"What!" Bei Bei, who was originally concentrating on the lesson, heard Tang Ya's words, immediately turned her face, looked at Jiang Nannan in disbelief, and exclaimed.
"Bei Bei, do you have any questions?" Bei Bei's exclamation aroused the teacher's displeasure, and he looked at him with an angry face.
"Sorry, Teacher Li! I have no problem." Bei Bei heard the teacher's angry voice and quickly got up to explain.
"Listen carefully!" The teacher saw that Bei Bei's attitude was good, so he no longer pursued the matter and continued to teach.
Seeing this, Bei Bei breathed a sigh of relief. After sitting back in her seat, she looked at Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan with a face full of surprise, her eyes filled with the same curiosity and exploration as Tang Ya's.
"Didn't you tell Tang Ya?" Zhu Ziyang asked Jiang Nannan.
"No." Jiang Nannan shook her head and said, "I hadn't had time to say it when she interrupted me, so I didn't continue."
"Uh~" Tang Ya also remembered that she had indeed interrupted Jiang Nannan's words in the morning, and immediately smiled awkwardly, saying, "Wasn't I worried about being late? Good Nannan, just say it again!"
Tang Ya pulled Jiang Nannan's arm, acting spoiled. Jiang Nannan smiled helplessly and said, "Actually, there's no other reason. It's just that I bought a treasure suitable for me at the exchange meeting a few days ago."
"So that's how it is!" Tang Ya suddenly realized and said, "I was wondering why you two left without even saying hello that day, making Bei Bei and me wait there foolishly for more than half an hour! So you got something good!"
"Hehe!" Jiang Nannan smiled embarrassedly and said, "I was in too much of a hurry that day and forgot to say hello to you."
"Alright! It's been so many days, and my Sister Ya is a generous person, so I won't bother with you." Tang Ya was very satisfied with Jiang Nannan's explanation and said with a light laugh.
"Ziyang, when is Nannan planning to hunt for her third spirit ring?" Bei Bei listened to all this and understood the whole story, so he asked, "Are you planning to have the Academy assist her?"
"That's right." Zhu Ziyang nodded and replied, "We'll set off this afternoon."
"Is that so? Then I must congratulate Nannan in advance." Yu Beibei said with a smile, but a sense of urgency involuntarily appeared in his heart. It seemed he had to work even harder!
—
Afternoon.
After taking leave from Xia Yu, Zhu Ziyang brought Jiang Nannan to the shore of Sea God Lake to wait.
"Brother, what are we doing here?" Jiang Nannan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Aren't we going to find Dean Yan?"
"No need." Zhu Ziyang said with a smile, "We'll wait here for a while, and someone will naturally come to find us."
As he spoke, he pondered, who could that old fellow Mu En mentioned be? It should be one of the elders of Sea God Pavilion, right? Otherwise, Mu En wouldn't use such a familiar tone.
"Oh! Alright!" Jiang Nannan nodded and didn't speak again, but her gaze couldn't help but turn towards the lake, where Sea God Island, the location of the Inner Courtyard, was. Jiang Nannan had imagined more than once, she and her Ziyang brother entering the Inner Courtyard together, becoming Inner Courtyard Disciples together, together... Unknowingly, she thought a little too much. The young girl's heart was burning; she was already a Spirit Elder, getting closer and closer to this goal!
The two didn't wait too long before a person flew over the lake.
Initially, it was a black dot, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into an Old Woman with a youthful face and white hair, landing in front of the two.
"Old Song!" Zhu Ziyang was somewhat surprised and quickly pulled Jiang Nannan forward to greet her.
"Old Song!" Jiang Nannan was secretly puzzled, but seeing her Ziyang brother being so cautious, she couldn't help but be curious about the identity of the Old Woman in front of her.
"Hehe! Long time no see, little fellow." Old Song's face was kind, and her voice was benevolent, saying, "Is this little girl the one who needs to hunt for her third spirit ring?"
"Yes, Old Song." Zhu Ziyang replied, then introduced to Jiang Nannan, "Nannan, this is Old Song, one of the elders of Sea God Pavilion, a level 97 Super Douluo!"
"!" Jiang Nannan, hearing this, immediately showed a look of shock, then respectfully said, "Hello, Old Song, my name is Jiang Nannan, a level 30 quasi-Spirit Elder."
"Good, good! A good little girl!" Old Song's eyes showed satisfaction and she said, "What is your Spirit?"
"My Spirit is a mutated Soft Bones Rabbit, Old Song." Jiang Nannan replied obediently.
"Soft Bones Rabbit!" A trace of surprise flashed in Old Song's eyes, and she nodded, saying, "I understand. Are you two ready to depart? This trip out might take more than a month!"
"We're already ready, Old Song." Zhu Ziyang smiled and raised his right hand, wearing the star flame ring on his ring finger.
"That's good, let's go!" Old Song, hearing this, no longer delayed and said directly.
The three left Shrek Academy and headed south.
"Old Song, are we going to Star Luo Empire?" On the way, Zhu Ziyang asked, somewhat puzzled.
The Mingdou Mountain Range is located at the junction of the Tianhun Empire, the Sun Moon Empire, and the Star Luo Empire. In terms of direction, it should be west of Shrek Academy. They should go directly west from Shrek Academy.
"That's right." Old Song replied, "First, let me finish my own business, and by the way, let you two see what's happening on the continent, and then I'll take you to the Mingdou Mountain Range to help Nannan find a spirit ring."
"Oh!" Zhu Ziyang nodded. What could he say? Besides obediently following, there was no other way.
—
Three days later.
Zhu Ziyang and the other two arrived at Julin Province in the Star Luo Empire.
Julin Province, as the name suggests, is a province with a huge forest, and the so-called huge forest, obviously, is the Star Dou Great Forest. The Star Dou Great Forest within the Star Luo Empire is all located within Julin Province. From here on, it no longer belongs to the traditional sphere of influence of Shrek Academy.
What does that mean?
Starting four thousand years ago, the Spirit Masters of Shrek Academy began to awaken Spirits for free for all age-appropriate children within a hundred-kilometer radius around the Academy. This action obviously touched the interests of the nobles of the Three Great Empires, so the nobles of the Three Great Empires united to pressure the royal families of their respective countries, and then the emperors of the Three Great Empires pressured Shrek Academy. Although Shrek Academy awakened Spirits for the common people in the surrounding areas, it was essentially still a noble class. Therefore, after being jointly pressured by the nobles and the royal families, the then Dean of Shrek Academy finally chose to compromise, promising to only awaken Spirits for free for residents within a hundred-kilometer radius around the Academy, and never to cross the line. He himself then sadly resigned from the position of Dean amidst huge opposition within the Academy.
It was only after receiving Shrek Academy's promise that the nobles and royal families, who felt threatened and fearful, stopped their actions.
However, although that Dean resigned, it was from that time on that the hundred-kilometer land around the Academy became the Shrek Academy's exclusive zone, tacitly acknowledged by all countries. Aside from the urban land and population taxes within this area still belonging to the Three Great Empires, all matters concerning Spirit awakening within this area belonged to Shrek Academy.
It is precisely because of this that most of the Spirit Masters in this area are Shrek people; those with talent enter the Academy, and those without talent remain in Shrek City.
Compared to other regions of the continent, the common people in the Shrek exclusive zone were undoubtedly fortunate.
After the three entered Julin Province, Zhu Ziyang was very puzzled to find that Old Song actually took the initiative to leave the main road and proceed along a small path. This meant that Old Song's destination was not a large city in the Star Luo Empire, but the desolate mountains and wilderness outside the city.
This made Zhu Ziyang quite curious, and he began to guess Old Song's purpose in his heart.
However, before Zhu Ziyang could even guess one or two things, Old Song proactively told them her purpose.
"Ziyang, Nannan, do you see the village over there?" Old Song pointed to the small village that appeared not far away and said to the two.
"We see it." The two nodded.
Looking at the small village that was quite similar to Zhang Yang Village, Zhu Ziyang suddenly realized what Old Song wanted to do.
"We'll go there, and I'll teach you how to perform the Spirit awakening ceremony for the children." Old Song said with a smile.
Sure enough! Zhu Ziyang, hearing this, immediately felt a surge of joy. This inexplicable joy was very complex, and he couldn't sort it out or clarify it for a while, but he instinctively felt that these days of taking the wrong path were not in vain.