At the Shrek Academy plaza, Dai Mubai walked over from a nearby building to join Ye Chen and the others.
"It's really a shame," he said. "I thought Teacher Zhao could hold you back with his strength, but I underestimated you—you're stronger than I imagined."
Ye Chen smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be staying at the academy for a while. If you want to spar, feel free to find me anytime."
"Remember you said that. Don't complain when I start bothering you."
Being defeated by someone younger was hard for the proud Dai Mubai to accept. He wanted to surpass Ye Chen. Even if he couldn't now, that didn't mean it would always be that way. What he feared most was becoming stronger but no longer being able to find Ye Chen to fight again. That was his main reason for wanting Ye Chen to stay.
As night fell, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and the others passed Zhao Wuji's second test and officially entered Shrek Academy.
Ye Chen was arranged to share a dorm room with Dai Mubai. Although he hadn't officially joined the academy, after testing the others, Zhao Wuji still assigned him a place to stay.
Later that night, Ye Chen quietly slipped out of bed and jumped out the open window. The moonlight was faint, and the sky was just starting to brighten.
Remembering the system's check-in task, Ye Chen took advantage of the early morning and began jogging through the academy.
The task was simple: walk through every area of Shrek Academy to complete the mission. It didn't seem difficult.
Since the academy didn't have many buildings, Ye Chen managed to explore the teacher's quarters and the dean's office within ten minutes. It seemed Dean Flender didn't live on campus, and the other teachers, upon spotting him, simply assumed he was visiting and paid him little attention.
By now, dawn had broken. Only one place remained unvisited.
Ye Chen stood before a small two-story building not far from the boys' dormitory. His expression turned hesitant—it was the girls' dorm. As a young man, barging into the girls' dorm didn't seem appropriate. But giving up halfway wasn't his style either.
After thinking it over, Ye Chen figured going now, with permission, was better than sneaking in later.
There weren't many female students at the academy. He called out to Ning Rongrong from downstairs.
"You want to go into the girls' dorm? Why?" she asked, puzzled. Then, as if a thought occurred to her, she leaned in and whispered into Ye Chen's ear, "If you're curious about something, just tell me. I'm a girl too. Whatever they have, I have. Want proof?"
She started loosening her robe.
Startled, Ye Chen quickly grabbed her hand. "What are you thinking? I'm just curious about the building's layout. I just came from Zhao Wuji's place, seriously."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong giggled and went back inside to talk with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. A few minutes later, she returned.
"Alright, go ahead. Xiao Wu agreed."
"Thanks."
Ye Chen gently ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair and stepped into the girls' dormitory.
The first room belonged to Ning Rongrong. The building was smaller than he expected, with similar furnishings to Dai Mubai's place—simple tables and chairs, with more clothes lying around, giving it a slightly messy look.
Xiao Wu, looking sleepy in her pink pajamas, greeted him with a wave before crawling back into bed.
Not staying long, Ye Chen continued down a short hallway, only to be blocked by a door.
Creak—
As he opened it, expecting an exit, he was met instead with a stunning sight.
Zhu Zhuqing lay asleep on a small bed, her clothes loose and her long legs wrapped in sleek black stockings. Her skin was pale like jade, her figure graceful and voluptuous, and her face mesmerizing. She looked like a work of art, far too developed for someone her age.
"Who's there?" she asked groggily.
Startled, Ye Chen stood frozen. As Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes and saw him, the atmosphere turned tense.
Ye Chen cleared his throat and forced a smile. "If I said I came in with permission, would you believe me?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer, but her extended claws and sudden movement said everything.
Meow!
Summoning her martial soul, the Netherworld Spirit Cat, she charged at him.
She was extremely fast. Even though Ye Chen's soul power was higher, her speed gave her the upper hand.
Without hesitation, Ye Chen leaped out the window and sprinted toward the nearby forest.
He couldn't understand—hadn't Ning Rongrong already cleared things with her? Why was Zhu Zhuqing so furious?
It's not like seeing her would cost her anything. Besides, it wasn't even intentional!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the "Goddess Check-In" mission at Shrek Academy. Auto cultivation speed increased by 100%! Zhu Zhuqing's favorability increased by 300%.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind, annoyingly cheerful. But perhaps, this misunderstanding was a blessing in disguise.
Thinking of how Ning Rongrong had warmed up to him after a rocky start, Ye Chen stopped running and turned to face Zhu Zhuqing.
"Ahem… I swear I didn't mean to! Let me explain—"
Before he could finish, a sharp voice interrupted him: "Netherworld Thrust!"
"You're kidding me, for real?!"
As Zhu Zhuqing activated her soul skill and darted forward like a shadow, Ye Chen couldn't help but complain internally.
"System, didn't you say her favorability increased? She's still trying to kill me!"
[Ding! Each goddess expresses her feelings differently. While her methods may be… unique, her favorability rating is indeed accurate.]
"…You're messing with me. She's actually using killing moves!"
As he dodged another strike, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly pounced, knocking him to the ground. Her sharp claws pierced his chest, and blood slowly soaked through his clothes.
"Damn… she's really not holding back."
(End of Chapter)
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