Just as Huo Yuhao brought Jin Li through a Transmigration to this era Ten Thousand Years later, an old acquaintance also arrived in Shrek City.
That figure was shrouded entirely in a large white robe, with the brim of her hood pulled very low to obscure more than half of her face, revealing only a pale chin and a few strands of silvery-white hair.
She walked through the newly constructed urban area in Shrek City at a steady pace, and finally stopped in front of the ruins of Shrek Academy.
There were no longer any intact buildings left here, only an expanse of broken walls and rubble.
Even so, quite a few people still came to visit, after all, this was the site of the former number one academy on the continent.
The figure in white robes traversed through patches of ruins, walking straight to the edge of Sea God Lake, her gaze falling upon the still-clear surface of the lake.
Her aged eyes gradually grew red, and she stood there quietly, as if looking through the lake water to see certain scenes from the past here.
A gust of wind blew over, gently lifting the wide hood to reveal a weathered face.
Her white hair was coiled at the back of her head, a face repeatedly polished by age and time.
The sorrow in her eyes slowly receded like a tide, replaced by a hint of excitement.
Her lips moved slightly, and she finally murmured a sentence: "I knew it... I knew it!"
After a moment, she sensed her surroundings, confirmed that no one was paying attention to her side, and leaped directly into Sea God Lake.
She dived all the way down, her figure passing through layers of shimmering water and shadows, and finally stopped at a certain spot at the bottom of the lake.
That was a stone wall covered with silt and gravel, looking no different from anywhere else.
She searched around for a bit, then reached out and gently pressed a certain spot on the stone wall. A metal framework slowly rose from inside the stone wall, emitting a low and steady mechanical running sound.
Her figure flashed as she darted inside, and she pressed a button, causing the metal door to slowly close. Immediately, the entire framework began to slide downward, bringing her into a deeper underwater space.
After a while, as the low mechanical running sound slowly ceased, that metal door opened once more.
The figure in white robes stepped out, her feet stepping onto solid ground.
This was clearly deep underground, with only a sparse few Soul Guide lamps lit overhead. The light was dim and desolate, barely able to illuminate the distance of a few steps ahead.
Even so, one could vaguely tell that the area of this underground space was definitely not small. The passageways extended to both sides, and several tightly closed metal doors and neatly arranged pipelines could be faintly seen.
"Who goes there?!"
A deep rebuke suddenly exploded from the shadows, followed immediately by a huge pitch-black scythe slashing out from the darkness with a sound piercing through the air.
The blade was ice-cold, chopping straight toward the figure who had just walked out.
The person responsible for guarding this entrance and exit today was Xu Yucheng. He remembered very clearly that no one had gone out from Shrek Academy today.
Then who was the person appearing here at this moment? Could this underground refuge have been exposed?
He slashed out with his blade, holding back not a single bit, yet that figure in white robes merely raised two fingers, seemingly clamping down casually, to firmly trap that aggressively imposing scythe between her two fingers, rendering it unable to move even a fraction of an inch.
Xu Yucheng's expression changed abruptly, instantly realizing that he was far from being the opponent's match. Just as he was about to open his mouth to call for help, the other party spoke a step ahead.
"Spirit Emperor, not bad." The person's voice was aged and steady, "I am also a person of Shrek."
She raised her head, and under the illumination of the faint Soul Guide lamp overhead, Xu Yucheng finally saw her appearance clearly.
That was an aged face with white hair coiled at the back of her head, and the marks of time between her brows, yet her eyes remained clear and bright, as if concealing many things that had not yet been extinguished after enduring trials and hardships.
Xu Yucheng frowned; he had never seen this face before.
However, the opponent was immensely strong yet had not dealt a fatal blow to him, which caused the vigilance in his heart to loosen just a bit.
He withdrew his Spirit, his tone still cautious, but no longer as cold and rigid as before: "Senior's identity needs to be verified."
The old woman nodded, saying in a calm tone: "That is only natural."
Not long after, a sound of hurried yet steady footsteps came from far down the passageway.
A figure hurried over, a suit of white clothes appearing exceptionally striking in the dimness, with a cold and aloof aura exuding from his entire body that kept others at a distance—it was precisely Wu Changkong.
After receiving Xu Yucheng's emergency message, he immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed over. At this moment, when his gaze landed upon the figure in white robes beside Xu Yucheng, he could not help but be slightly stunned.
Wu Changkong walked over and stood beside Xu Yucheng, his gaze falling upon that aged and familiar face. He remained silent for a split second, then spoke: "Elder Cai, I didn't expect it to be you who returned."
The "Elder Cai" in his mouth was naturally the Silver Moon Douluo Cai Yue'er.
Years ago, because of improper handling when dealing with matters related to Huo Yuhao and the others, she had been dismissed from her position as the Outer Court dean by Yun Ming and ordered to reflect behind closed doors for a year.
Yet one year later, she was not "reinstated to her original post," but was instead sent by Yun Ming to garrison another region, which could be considered fading out of Shrek's core management layer.
It was precisely because of this that when that disaster destroying Shrek Academy descended, Cai Yue'er was able to escape unscathed.
Over these years, Cai Yue'er had been living under an assumed name elsewhere, almost never contacting any old acquaintances.
She was a person who carved Shrek's glory deep into her bones, thinking at every moment about rebuilding that academy.
But after weathering these past few years of sedimentation, she had become much steadier than before. Before fully figuring out the specific situation, she had consistently refrained from acting rashly.
Until not long ago, she heard the news that Na'er had repelled the Abyss Monarch in the extreme western lands. At that moment, she felt it was time to make a move.
Therefore she had returned, returning to this land she had once guarded, returning to this Shrek Academy that had already become ruins.
As the former Outer Court dean, she naturally knew about that refuge beneath the academy.
After a round of investigation, she indeed discovered clues: Shrek Academy truly still had survivors, and now she finally saw old acquaintances of Shrek Academy underground!
Wu Changkong actually held resentment towards Cai Yue'er previously; back then, it was precisely this Outer Court dean who publicly coerced him and his Students. Had Holy Spirit Douluo Yali not arrived in time, he and those children would probably have been bullied by Cai Yue'er using her seniority and status.
That matter was like a thorn, piercing deeply inside Wu Changkong's heart for a long time.
But now that Shrek Academy was destroyed, those grudges and grievances seemed far less important atop the ruins.
The return of Cai Yue'er, this Super Douluo, could be considered a good thing no matter what.
Wu Changkong was not a person who dwelled on old grievances. He suppressed those past emotions in his heart, and his expression returned to calmness.
Cai Yue'er looked at him and asked a question: "Who is currently in charge here?"
Wu Changkong answered truthfully: "It is Elder Long."
Hearing this, Cai Yue'er's eyes suddenly lit up, her tone carrying an uncontrollable excitement: "Elder Long is actually still alive?!"
She naturally knew that the "Elder Long" in Wu Changkong's mouth was Long Yeyue. With this Limit Douluo sitting in command, Cai Yue'er felt that the hope of rebuilding Shrek Academy had increased by quite a bit.
She immediately said: "Take me to see Elder Long."
Wu Changkong nodded, gave Xu Yucheng a look to signal him to continue guarding the entrance well, and then turned sideways, leading Cai Yue'er to walk deeper into the passageway.
The two of them traversed through the underground space one after the other, the dim yellow Soul Guide lighting lengthening and shortening their shadows against the walls.
Along the way, Cai Yue'er saw many familiar figures, belonging to both the Inner Court and Outer Court.
Although nearly all of the academy's teachers had fallen, seeing these young faces still carrying resilient expressions after the disaster, the fire in Cai Yue'er's heart that was about to be extinguished reignited a cluster of brightness.
With these Students here, she felt that the academy in her heart was still there.
Its buildings might collapse, its flags might fade, but as long as these people were still here, Shrek's soul had not scattered.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.