At that moment, two handsome young men walked down from the dormitory building. When they saw Zhou Sichen, their faces lit up with joy.
"Big Brother! You're finally here! We thought you had forgotten about us!"
Zhou Sichen turned around and greeted them with a smile. "Ah Xuan, Ah Yue."
When Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao saw the two boys coming down, their eyes narrowed slightly. Although the enrollment period had only just started and wasn't even over yet, these two were already well-known among the new students.
Their names were Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue, and they were the two reigning little tyrants among the freshmen.
Even Wang Dong, who prided himself on his exceptional talent, didn't dare act arrogantly in front of them.
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. These two were actually this senior's younger brothers? Just how strong was this senior supposed to be?
Zhou Sichen turned to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. "I'll come find you later. I need to talk with them about a few things."
Huo Yuhao quickly nodded. "Alright, Brother Zhou."
Zhou Sichen led Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue away. As they left, he bowed slightly to Elder Mu. The two younger boys didn't understand why their big brother was bowing to this little old man, but they followed his example anyway.
Following Big Brother is never wrong.
Elder Mu watched the trio walk away with a warm smile on his face. He had heard the younger students talking about Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue before.
These two youngsters were also very promising talents.
Mu En sighed softly, "Shrek is quite lively this year…"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong watched Zhou Sichen's figure fade into the distance. Wang Dong tugged on Huo Yuhao's sleeve.
"Did you see that? Those two guys just now—his little brothers."
Huo Yuhao nodded, but he didn't seem surprised. Given how powerful Brother Zhou was, it made sense that his younger brothers wouldn't be lacking either.
If Wang Dong had previously thought Zhou Sichen was simply a well-connected senior with a good background, now that impression had risen another notch.
Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue were among the very few freshmen who had already reached the Soul Elder (Rank 30+) level. To have two such prodigious younger brothers, Zhou Sichen's own strength must be on an entirely different level.
Even someone as talented as Wang Dong had to admit they were extremely impressive.
More importantly, if Zhou Sichen lacked talent, then in this world where strength was everything, his two younger brothers wouldn't look up to him with such admiration.
So it was highly likely that Senior Zhou was a super genius himself!
Thinking of this, Wang Dong clenched his fists. Back in his sect, he was the little princess, and while he normally didn't enjoy cultivation, now that he was at Shrek, he realized that there were always stronger people out there.
But that was a good thing. If Shrek Academy were full of nobodies, he wouldn't have bothered coming!
Only by standing shoulder to shoulder with other geniuses could his own talent and strength truly shine!
Meanwhile, Zhou Sichen chatted with Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue as they strolled around Shrek Academy. When the two younger boys learned that their big brother was already an Inner Court disciple, they were filled with admiration and pride.
Seeing Long Xiangyue's smug expression, Zhou Sichen chuckled. "I'm the one who got into the Inner Court. What are you so proud of?"
Long Xiangyue grinned. "My big brother is an Inner Court disciple now—of course I'm proud! Jinxuan, with Big Brother backing us, we can do whatever we want in the academy!"
Cao Jinxuan was more reserved than Long Xiangyue, not as showy, but he was clearly thrilled that their big brother had entered the Inner Court.
Zhou Sichen lightly tapped Long Xiangyue on the head. "With your current strength, the two of you already dominate the freshman class."
Long Xiangyue puffed out his chest even more. "Obviously! We're the Three Prodigies of Tianyuan City, you know. No matter where we go, we're considered top-tier geniuses!"
"Even though Jinxuan and I aren't on Big Brother's level, among all the new students at Shrek Academy, only a handful could even compare to us."
Hearing this, Zhou Sichen smiled faintly.
In the original timeline, the three of them were only around Rank 20 during the freshman assessment, but things were different now.
With Zhou Sichen's top-tier talent in this new life, and his influence on Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue, both had trained diligently since childhood and progressed smoothly.
In fact, almost all of Tianyuan City's resources for the younger generation had been funneled into supporting the three brothers, which led to their current achievements.
Long Xiangyue was already a Rank 31 Soul Elder, and Cao Jinxuan had even reached Rank 32, a full four to five ranks higher than their original selves at this point in the story.
This kind of cultivation speed required not only talent but also effort.
While other kids their age were playing and goofing off, these two had been training hard under Zhou Sichen's guidance. Their accomplishments were well-earned.
Cao Jinxuan added, "I used to think Big Brother was just scary. Now I realize how lucky we really are."
Long Xiangyue nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Big Brother, you should've seen how the other freshmen looked at us!"
Zhou Sichen chuckled, having expected this. There were only a handful of freshmen who had reached Rank 30 or above. With these two added to the mix, they were bound to draw attention.
After checking in on their life in the Outer Court, Zhou Sichen felt reassured.
Though Long Xiangyue could be a bit arrogant, Cao Jinxuan was calm and steady, and with their strength, they likely wouldn't run into any major issues.
Zhou Sichen pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his soul tool and handed it to them. "There are two Soul-Nurturing Pills inside. One for each of you."
Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue didn't hesitate to accept it. The three weren't related by blood, but their bond was stronger than that of brothers, so there was no need for formalities.
And since Zhou Sichen had brought it out, it was clearly meant for them.
Big Brother really is the best.
Cao Jinxuan took the bottle. "Thanks, Big Brother."
Long Xiangyue was beyond excited. "Whoa! A Soul-Nurturing Pill? Big Brother, did you strike it rich or something?"
They had studied hard over the years. Even though they'd never taken one before, they knew how valuable such a pill was.
Zhou Sichen replied, "You still don't understand your brother's talent? This was given to me by Dean Yan. I already used one, but with my current strength, it's not that effective anymore. It'll be more useful for you two."
The two boys couldn't help but look at him with even more admiration. Big Brother truly was a top-tier genius—no matter where he went.
After accepting the pills, the three of them made their way toward the cafeteria—Zhou Sichen hadn't eaten yet.
On the way, Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue asked, "Big Brother, have you seen Big Sis? Ever since she entered the Inner Court, she's been busier than ever."
Zhou Sichen shook his head. "She's away on a mission. Won't be back for at least a month or two."
The two exchanged a look. "So you're just going to sit around like a love-struck rock waiting for her?"
Although Zhou Sichen and Ye Guyi weren't blood-related siblings, they addressed each other as brother and sister—but those who knew them, knew what that really meant.
Even Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue dared to gossip about it.
Zhou Sichen only smiled at their teasing. "Let's go. I'm starving. Let's get something to eat."
The Outer Court cafeteria couldn't compare to the Inner Court's, but the food was still good. The three brothers chatted as they ate.
Even though Zhou Sichen's mental age was more than twice that of his two younger brothers, this was a world where people matured early.
Thanks to his constant guidance and mentorship, Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue were far more mature than others their age.
They discussed various topics over the meal, and after eating, Zhou Sichen finally bid farewell to the two.
Though reluctant to part, the brothers understood that their Big Brother was now an Inner Court disciple, burdened with heavy responsibilities. His path was much tougher than theirs.
As they watched him walk away, the determination to become stronger burned even brighter in their hearts.
If Big Brother was already this strong and still worked so hard, how could they let themselves fall behind?
Zhou Sichen felt genuinely happy to have these two as his brothers.
Both had great talent—in the original story, Cao Jinxuan went on to become the core control-type soul master of Shrek's team, wielding the Time-Flowing Clock, a rare time-attribute martial soul.
And as everyone knows—those who can control time are never weak.
Long Xiangyue's Dragonbone Chakram wasn't quite as impressive, but it was still a high-grade martial soul. And while he acted cocky, he was also incredibly competitive.
He had spent years chasing after Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, enduring countless hardships just to catch up.
Now that both had already surpassed their original selves in terms of strength—and with Zhou Sichen's support—their future was bound to be legendary.
More importantly, they would be trusted allies and key pillars in Zhou Sichen's future endeavors.
****
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