Chapter 27: Ice Element, Ling Luochen (I)

Word Count: 2,896 Words

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'Free of charge?'

Ling Bai was stunned. He recalled how Huo Yuhao, when he first enrolled, was so poor he couldn't afford to eat and was forced to sell grilled fish at the academy gate to make a living.

"Elder Sister, are the fees different between the Inner and Outer Courtyards?"

"Mm."

Han Ruoruo smiled as she explained, "Tuition fees, meal fees, rental fees for Mimesis Training Grounds... In the Outer Courtyard, everything costs money because it was established by the academy at the request of the three great empires. Strictly speaking, it doesn't count as part of Shrek Academy. The Inner Courtyard is the true Shrek Academy.

In the Inner Courtyard, all of these fees are waived. As for why that is, when you learn about the responsibilities the Inner Courtyard shoulders, you'll understand that this is actually a form of compensation."

Uncle Mo nodded in agreement and sighed, "You kids have it tough. Young man, take two more buns! Look how thin you are!"

He added two more large steamed buns to Ling Bai's tray without giving him a chance to refuse.

"Thank you, Uncle Mo."

Ling Bai thanked him with a wry smile. He had a vague idea about the responsibilities Han Ruoruo mentioned. It was likely related to surveillance assignments.

Shrek Academy took maintaining the stability of the continent as its duty and had established the Shrek Guardians. Their primary targets were the evil spirit masters, and many Inner Courtyard students and teachers had sacrificed their lives for this cause.

This was one of the reasons why the Inner Courtyard had so few students.

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo took their trays and found a quiet spot to sit down. Both of them had steamed buns and white porridge for breakfast, but the difference was that Ling Bai was compelled to take four buns, while Han Ruoruo had only asked for two.

Ling Bai scooped up a spoonful of white porridge. The milky, gelatinous liquid held distinct, plump grains of rice that had just begun to bloom, yet melted in his mouth, perfectly complemented by the porridge's smooth consistency.

"Moonlight Rice?"

Ling Bai recognized the familiar flavor.

Moonlight Rice was harvested once every three years in the Extreme North. It was extremely rare, highly nutritious, had a refreshing fragrance, and a sweet taste.

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was famous across the continent for its extravagance. He often ate Moonlight Rice there, and now he found it served at Shrek Academy as well.

Han Ruoruo, who was sitting across from him, teased him when she heard this, "The academy can't mistreat its own students, can it?"

"That makes sense."

Ling Bai took a bite of the steamed bun. Its thin skin encased a generous, juicy meat filling.

The rich aroma of meat instantly filled his mouth. He chewed lightly a few times, and the meat filling melted into a sweet liquid that slid into his stomach. Warmth slowly nourished his body from the inside out.

"How is it, Little Junior Brother? Not worse than the food at your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, right?"

Han Ruoruo rested her jade-like hand on her delicate cheek, watching the slightly surprised expression of the young man opposite her as he chewed. Her eyes rippled with laughter like waves on a lake.

Ling Bai nodded slightly. Even he hadn't expected that the meat filling in the bun was Earth Dragon meat!

100-year Earth Dragon meat!

When Spirit Masters consumed Earth Dragon meat, it could nourish their vital energy and strengthen their bodies. In the outside world, 100-year Earth Dragon meat was sold for fifty spirit gold coins per pound, yet Shrek Academy was extravagant enough to use it as bun filling.

Moonlight Rice from the Extreme North combined with 100-year Earth Dragon meat—even someone like Ling Bai, whose palate had been spoiled by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, couldn't find a single fault with the Shrek cafeteria.

Just as Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo were enjoying their breakfast, an elderly figure stepped into the cafeteria. He was dressed in disheveled, greasy gray clothes, with hair that hadn't been groomed for ages and resembled a bird's nest. A dirty wine gourd hung from his waist.

The old man had barely stepped through the door when he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xiao Mo! The usual—one thousand chicken legs and a pot of wine!"

The wine gourd and a Storage Spirit Guidance Device drew two perfect arcs in the air, landing right on the counter of the cafeteria window.

Ling Bai instinctively glanced over, curious to see which Inner Courtyard personality this might be.

One thousand chicken legs?

Calling him a glutton would be an understatement; this was more like a bottomless pit!

Han Ruoruo's gentle voice chimed in at the right moment, "That's Elder Xuan, one of the elders of the Sea God Pavilion. In the academy, he's second only to the Pavilion Master. Elder Xuan is very kind to us and never puts on airs. He gives a lecture once a week. Among the elders of the Sea God Pavilion, only Elder Xuan teaches in the Inner Courtyard. The other elders are reclusive and seldom appear."

'Taotie Douluo...'

Ling Bai scrutinized Elder Xuan, who looked no different than an old beggar you'd find on the roadside. The gluttony of his Martial Spirit, the Godly Taotie Bull, forced this Rank 98 Titled Douluo to eat continuously. Because of this, he had once made a mistake that he regretted for the rest of his life.

"Little Junior Brother, shall we go after we finish eating?"

"Alright."

The two walked out of the cafeteria side by side. Elder Xuan, however, subtly glanced in the direction they left, a rare clarity appearing in his usually cloudy eyes.

'That Seraphim boy from last night...'

Nothing that happened on Sea God Island escaped the notice of this Taotie Douluo. Naturally, the battle between Ling Bai and Ma Xiaotao was no exception.

Like Yan Shaozhe, he was very interested in Ling Bai.

"Elder Xuan, your chicken legs and wine."

Uncle Mo stepped out from the window, personally handing the wine gourd and the Storage Spirit Guidance Device filled with chicken legs back to Elder Xuan.

"Mm."

Elder Xuan accepted them, and in the next instant, vanished from the cafeteria like a phantom.

...

On Sea God Island, Han Ruoruo continued to help Ling Bai become familiar with the Inner Courtyard. She pointed at a tall red building and said:

"This is the Inner Courtyard Teaching Building. Every weekend, the spirit guidance screen at the entrance displays the instructors and courses for the following week. Whether you attend or not is entirely up to you, as long as you can pass the advancement examination."

"Such freedom," Ling Bai sighed.

The teaching method of the Inner Courtyard reminded him of the university in his previous life. It didn't matter if you attended lectures, as long as you didn't fail the exams.

"This is the Mimesis Training Ground. Spirit masters can achieve twice the results with half the effort when cultivating inside. Your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan should have one as well, right?"

"Mm, the Clan Head said that the Mimesis Training Ground cost the clan a lot of money."

"Haha, the academy also spent a fortune building it. The Mimesis Training Ground encompasses almost all attributes, so most Martial Spirits can find a suitable area to cultivate. I recall there's a place rich in light energy, built using the power of the Golden Tree at the center of Sea God Island. I think it's very suitable for the Seraphim."

"Oh? Then I'll have to give it a try sometime."

After passing the Mimesis Training Ground, the two arrived in front of a cluster of white buildings.

This complex was oval-shaped, surrounded by fences on all four sides, leaving only a deep, shadowy entrance that couldn't be seen through at a glance.

"This is the Spirit Dueling Arena, the last relatively important facility in the Inner Courtyard."

Han Ruoruo introduced, "Shrek Academy forbids private fights but encourages sparring. The Spirit Dueling Arena is where students can fight openly and fairly.

The Spirit Dueling Arena uses badge colors to represent ranks: white, yellow, purple, black, red, and gold—a total of six ranks. The Inner Courtyard stipulates that students must participate in at least three matches per week. Students automatically advance in rank when their points reach a certain level. Only students who obtain the black badge are eligible to participate in the graduation examination."

"What color is Elder Sister's badge?"

"Red."

Han Ruoruo smiled and displayed her spirit dueling badge. In the center of the red badge was a finely etched trident, sharp and gleaming.

"Elder Sister only has a red badge. Are there any students in the academy with a gold badge?"

Ling Bai had assumed that a veteran student like Han Ruoruo would have already obtained the gold badge.

"The gold badge is unique," Han Ruoruo explained. "It represents the strongest student in the Inner Courtyard."

Ling Bai immediately understood after hearing this. "Big Senior Sister?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Don't you challenge her, Elder Sister?"

"I have, but I've never won."

"Ah..."

Putting aside the matter of winning or losing, at least Elder Sister was very honest.

Han Ruoruo felt a little embarrassed. Losing to the same person for so many years wasn't exactly a point of pride. She cleared her throat and proactively suggested:

"Shall we go in and take a look?"

"Sure."

The corners of Ling Bai's mouth curved up slightly. He had caught Elder Sister's subtle expression—it was kind of cute.

The two walked through the entrance. After a brief darkness, their eyes suddenly opened up to a vast space.

The Spirit Dueling Arena was comparable in size to Shrek Square in the Outer Courtyard, where the ten statues of the academy's ancestors stood. The center was an open space for students to battle, surrounded by tiered seating for the audience.

A rough glance estimated there were about three to five hundred seats, not many, but sufficient for the Inner Courtyard.

"Ling-ge!"

"Sister Ruoruo!"

As soon as Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo entered, two voices called out almost simultaneously.

"Qingtian?"

Ling Bai followed the voice and saw one of his few acquaintances in the Inner Courtyard, Chu Qingtian. At this moment, Chu Qingtian was waving at him from the audience seats, and the young woman who had called out to Han Ruoruo happened to be sitting next to him.

Upon seeing the young woman and Chu Qingtian clearly, a look of realization appeared on Han Ruoruo's gentle face. "Ming'er, you're also acting as a guide?"

"The Big Senior Sister personally came to me; how could I refuse? Walking around Sea God Island all day was such a hassle!"

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo exchanged glances upon hearing the young woman's complaints. The former's eyes flashed with amusement, while the latter's showed a trace of concern.

They walked toward Chu Qingtian and the young woman. On the way, Han Ruoruo whispered, "Her name is Wu Ming. Like me and Lexuan, she's also a veteran student of the Inner Courtyard. Ming'er is actually a very nice person, but her temperament is a bit impatient, and she might not always watch her words. Please don't take it to heart if she says anything excessive."

One of the two active volcanoes in the Inner Courtyard!

Golden Crow Holy Lady, Wu Ming!

Ling Bai made an 'OK' gesture. He had already ignited one active volcano, Ma Xiaotao. Unless he intended to never mingle in the Inner Courtyard again, there was no reason to ignite a second one.

As they got closer, Ling Bai got a good look at Wu Ming's appearance. Although she couldn't quite compare to Ning Tian, Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, Zhang Lexuan, or Tang Ya...

Wait, that seems to be quite a few people she couldn't compare to?

Nonetheless, Wu Ming was undoubtedly a beauty in her own right!

"Greetings, Senior Sister Wu. I'm Ling Bai, a new student in the Inner Courtyard." He took the initiative to show goodwill.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Ling."

Wu Ming replied with a slight smile, but then she noticed the dazed Chu Qingtian beside her. Her smile vanished in an instant, replaced by anger as she barked, "Chu Qingtian! What are you standing there for? Greet your Senior Sister Han!"

"Oh, oh!"

Chu Qingtian jolted, his muscles instantly tensing up, and he loudly said, "Greetings, Senior Sister Han!"

Watching Chu Qingtian being thoroughly trained by Wu Ming, Ling Bai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, inwardly grateful that his guide was the gentle and considerate Han Ruoruo.

He was the type who responded better to softness than to toughness. Had he been paired with someone as hot-tempered as Wu Ming, the two might have clashed directly. Igniting two active volcanoes in one day would be quite an explosive event, even by Shrek Academy's standards!

"Ming'er, Junior Brother Chu is still a freshman. Be gentle with him," Han Ruoruo softly advised.

Wu Ming pouted and said, "Sister Ruoruo, if I knew how to be gentle, would those guys give me that kind of nickname?"

"You..."

Han Ruoruo was momentarily speechless and shook her head with a wry smile.

Wu Ming's blunt words had a point. Han Ruoruo's gentle and kind nature earned her the nickname 'Golden Fairy,' while Wu Ming's fiery and strong-willed personality earned her the nickname 'Active Volcano.'

Everyone knew that while names could be misleading, nicknames never lied!

Meanwhile, Chu Qingtian stared at Ling Bai with tearful eyes, silently pleading:

Ling-ge, save me!

Ling Bai looked at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and pretended he hadn't seen anything.

Sorry Brother, Wu Ming is at least a high-rank Spirit Emperor. I really want to help... but my ability can't afford it!

"Are those Hua Yao and Gu Fan on the stage?"

Han Ruoruo let out a slight exclamation, her gaze turning to the center of the Spirit Dueling Arena, where a man and a woman were engaged in a heated battle. Both were 6-ringed Spirit Emperors. As their spirit rings alternated and flashed, the brilliance of their spirit skills illuminated the entire dueling arena.

"Yeah, they've been fighting for quite a while. After not sparring for a few months, it seems they've both become stronger."

Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Hua Yao, and Gu Fan were all close in age and were part of the same generation of Shrek Seven Monsters. They were friends as well as rivals. Wu Ming rubbed her wrists, clearly eager to join in.

"Elder Sister, can I go participate in the battles?" Ling Bai suddenly asked.

Elder Sister?

Such familiarity?

Wu Ming shot a suspicious glance at the duo.

Han Ruoruo maintained her composed expression, "Of course. The Inner Courtyard Spirit Dueling Arena doesn't consider cultivation level but focuses on battle badges. New students are uniformly issued white badges. The opponents you can be matched with will be those with white and yellow badges, mainly consisting of Spirit Ancestors and Spirit Kings."

Ling Bai thought for a moment before saying, "Hmm, I'd like to give it a try."

He had chosen to leave the comfortable Outer Courtyard for the more competitive Inner Courtyard precisely to embrace challenges!

"Alright, Ming'er, I'll take Little Junior Brother to the registration area first."

"Okay, Sister Ruoruo."

After the two left, Wu Ming turned to Chu Qingtian and said angrily, "What about you?"

Chu Qingtian's eyes darted around as he replied, "Senior Sister, I think I'll pass for now."

Pa!

"Ow!"

Wu Ming slapped the back of Chu Qingtian's head with a dull thud, causing him to yelp.

"Look at him! Why are you such a coward!"

Ling Bai went to battle, but Chu Qingtian didn't go. Wu Ming felt he was embarrassing her.

Chu Qingtian clutched his head and felt aggrieved, "Senior Sister, if I sign up with Ling-ge, wouldn't they arrange for us to battle each other?"

"Then fight!"

Wu Ming replied dismissively.

"Ling-ge was admitted to the Inner Courtyard from the outside, and he beat me in the entrance examination. The gap between us is too big. Fighting him again wouldn't have much meaning, and losing too badly would only embarrass Senior Sister!"

Chu Qingtian wasn't stupid. He saw through Wu Ming's little thoughts and said exactly what she wanted to hear. Noticing her expression soften a bit, he continued, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll go after Ling-ge finishes. I promise not to disappoint you!"

"All this talk just to say you're scared!"

Wu Ming snorted coldly but didn't say more, tacitly agreeing with Chu Qingtian's words.

Sigh, it's hard to be me...

Chu Qingtian let out a long sigh, silently praying for the day to end quickly!

Having a walking powder keg at his side made every day feel like a year!

…

At the registration area, the staff handed a brand-new white battle badge to Ling Bai. Looking at the information on the spirit guidance screen, they said:

"Student Ling Bai, your match has been successfully arranged. It will take place right after the current match between Hua Yao and Gu Fan. Please proceed to the waiting area immediately.

Your opponent holds a yellow spirit dueling badge—Ling Luochen."

'Ling Luochen? Well, that really is...

Quite the coincidence.'