Chapter 182 Shrek Academy Arrives!
Heavenly Soul Imperial City, Qingfeng Garden.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the carved beams and painted rafters, gilding this royal palace with a thick layer of golden light.
Inside the pavilion in the center of the courtyard, a sumptuous imperial banquet has been laid out.
Emperor Tianhun appeared to be in high spirits today. He was not wearing a heavy dragon robe, but instead a light and bright yellow casual outfit. He picked up the white jade wine cup in his hand and looked intently at Liu Yuan sitting opposite him.
"Liu Yuan, I must offer you this cup of wine today."
The Heavenly Soul Emperor's voice was filled with heartfelt emotion. He downed his drink in one gulp, then slammed the cup down heavily, pointing towards the Imperial City Martial Arts Arena, and said:
"Fan Yu has only been with the company for a few days, but the reconstruction plan for the soul guidance core array that he presented has already made the old bones of the Imperial Hall admire him to the point of prostration."
"The significance of acquiring Fan Yu to the Heavenly Soul Empire even surpasses that of me gaining two more Title Douluos. And all of this is because of the information you brought back."
Princess Vina, sitting to the side, also showed a gentle smile. She gracefully poured tea for Liu Yuan and softly echoed, "Yes, Father has been smiling the whole time these past few days while handling state affairs."
"Those Soul Masters who used to be arrogant and haughty are now all like they're bewitched, studying with Earl Fanyu day and night."
Poison Undying sat to the side, holding a specially made braised animal leg in his hand, eating with gusto.
He glanced sideways at the Heavenly Soul Emperor and chuckled, "Your Majesty, you are indeed quite lucky. My disciple is not only strong in the fists, but his mind is so intricate that even I sometimes cannot see through it."
Liu Yuan remained calm and did not show excessive pride despite the emperor's praise.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at the empty guest seat—the seat that had originally belonged to Fan Yu.
"Is Earl Fanyu still in the laboratory?" Liu Yuan asked.
"We've been there for three whole days and nights," Emperor Tianhun said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"I sent people to persuade him several times, but he always said 'truth waits for no one,' and he even ate his meals hastily next to the experimental table. I have to say, Liu Yuan, the 'bait' you gave him was really too lethal."
Emperor Tianhun seemed to have thought of something, and his tone became even more excited: "In addition, I have another good news to tell you. With the help of those few pages of handwritten copy, the empire's intelligence network has successfully made contact with several level eight soul masters from the Douling Empire and the Xingluo Empire."
"Although they haven't given a definite answer yet, the wavering in their words is already very obvious."
"If this matter proceeds smoothly, it won't be long before the Heavenly Soul Empire possesses the largest high-level Soul Master Corps on the entire continent. At that time, our national strength will undergo a true qualitative change!"
As Liu Yuan listened to the emperor's grand pronouncements, his fingers lightly tapped the stone table. He remained silent for a moment before slowly offering a reminder:
"Your Majesty, it is certainly gratifying that talented people have returned to their posts, but we must not let our guard down in our defense efforts."
"Especially Fan Yu, he is half of the Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department, and he is also someone that Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er value."
"I know Shrek. They have always considered themselves the leaders of the continent, and such a defection of 'vassals' is an absolute disgrace in their eyes."
Liu Yuan looked into the eyes of the Heavenly Soul Emperor, his expression becoming more serious: "I'm worried that Shrek won't let this go easily. Your Majesty must send the most elite Shadow Guards to keep a close watch on Fan Yu's residence and laboratory to prevent Shrek's people from contacting him privately, or even... forcibly taking him away."
Upon hearing this, Du Busi raised an eyebrow and put down the beast leg in his hand with some doubt: "Liu Yuan, are you overthinking this? This is the Heavenly Soul Imperial City. No matter how domineering those Shrek academy people are, do you think they would dare to break into the forbidden area of the imperial palace and snatch someone in full view of everyone? Don't they have any shame?"
Liu Yuan sneered, his tone profound: "Master, even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone Shrek Academy, which has lost its future."
"In their eyes, Fan Yu is not just a person, but also the face of Shrek Academy and its future strategy."
"It's not surprising that they would take some extreme actions in order to save face."
When Emperor Tianhun heard the words "excessive actions," his initially excited expression gradually turned cold and solemn. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Liu Yuan is right. Those elders of Shrek Academy think too highly of themselves and cannot be judged by ordinary standards."
"I will immediately dispatch three times the number of Imperial Guards to seal off the area where Fan Yu works, and all personnel entering and leaving must be strictly checked."
Poison Undying snorted coldly, and a powerful aura instantly filled the hall: "In that case, Liu Yuan and I will continue to stay in the imperial city for a while longer."
"I want to see if those guys from Shrek Academy have the guts to play the 'forced sale' trick in front of me."
"If they really dare to forcibly take people away, then they broke the rules first. Don't blame me for being ruthless then, and let these old bones of theirs remain in the Heavenly Soul Imperial City forever!"
...
Time flew by in the tense yet orderly atmosphere of the imperial city.
Seven days passed quickly.
During those seven days, Fan Yu displayed an almost frantic work ethic.
He not only devoted himself to studying the core magic array concept of the ninth level taught to him by Liu Yuan, but also demonstrated the qualities of a mature educator.
Knowing that the Heavenly Soul Empire's current foundation in soul guidance was weak, he used the spare time during his research to write a large number of advanced theoretical notes on soul guides from level one to level seven.
These notes cover the simplified carving of the core magic array, the smelting ratio of the new guiding material, and the energy distribution method of the soul tool in actual combat.
In his view, this was not only to repay the emperor's kindness, but also his duty as a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire after returning to his homeland.
Every page of his notes reflects his passion for this land.
Today, the setting sun melts into gold.
Fan Yu had just completed a complex experiment on the guiding force waveband in the laboratory. He took off his gray-white soul master robe, which was soaked with sweat, and changed into a clean set of casual clothes.
Although her face still looked somewhat haggard, her eyes were brighter than when she was at Shrek Academy.
He pushed open the heavy iron door of the laboratory, nodded slightly to the soldiers guarding the door, and prepared to pass through the side garden of the palace to return to the earl's mansion that the emperor had specially granted to him to rest.
The flowers and plants along the roadside emitted a faint fragrance, and the evening breeze caressed his face, bringing a rare moment of relaxation to his tense mind.
"Level nine core… So the core lies in the resonance of mental energy. My research direction was all wrong before…" Fan Yu murmured his research findings as he walked.
However, just as he reached the most secluded section of the tree-lined path in the side garden, the previously rhythmic chirping of insects around him abruptly stopped.
As an eighth-level Soul Master, Fan Yu's mental strength far surpasses that of ordinary people.
He abruptly stopped, his large, thick hands instantly pressing against the storage soul tool at his waist, his gaze warily sweeping across the surrounding void.
"Who?" Fan Yu called out in a low voice.
Before the words were even finished, several powerful waves, strong enough to distort the air, suddenly erupted in the previously calm sky without warning!
(End of chapter)