As Chen Yi guided Qiang Ming deeper into the bowels of Shrek Academy, the hallways grew narrower and darker, more metallic. Soul arrays pulsed with dim power on the walls, thrumming like a heartbeat beneath the floor. They stopped before a steel door set with eight runes — a secure chamber of some kind.
"This is the ninth test," Chen Yi said, her tone serious now. "You'll enter a simulated environment not unlike the Spirit Pagoda's Thousand Beast Platform. But unlike the Pagoda's projections, the beasts here are real. Controlled through special spiritual tethers, but still entirely capable of killing you. This test is about one thing: survival."
Qiang Ming's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. He stepped into the pod silently.
A hiss of air. A flicker of light. And in the next moment, his surroundings had transformed entirely.
He was in a dense, fog-drenched forest — ancient, primal, filled with a sense of ominous tension. His feet pressed against moss-covered earth. Trees twisted in unnatural shapes, their trunks wide as houses. Everything was still.
No hammer in hand. Not yet. He had to move smart here.
He crept through the undergrowth, crouched low, senses expanded.
That's when he heard the roar.
He climbed a ridge quietly and peeked over the edge, eyes widening slightly as he observed a battlefield below. A Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, easily 6 meters tall and radiating death, was locked in ferocious combat with something far rarer — an Auspicious Emperor. Gold and crimson energy swirled in celestial arcs as the two titans clashed, each blow shaking the ground. It was like watching two natural disasters collide.
But what intrigued Qiang Ming wasn't just the fight. It was what the Auspicious Emperor was protecting.
A cave. Just behind it, nestled beneath its flank like an egg in a dragon's nest.
His instincts twitched. Something valuable was inside.
Qiang Ming waited. Patiently. He tracked the battle, watched it drift deeper into the forest. When the two titans crashed through a copse of trees and vanished into the gloom, he moved.
His steps were near-silent. Not from stealth techniques but from hard-earned experience—Slaughter Barony had taught him the art of quiet brutality.
He slipped into the cave.
Warm. Still. And full of a low hum of spiritual energy.
And then something lunged.
Qiang Ming's reflexes snapped into gear as a young Auspicious Emperor, no older than a few months, bounded toward him in a clumsy but furious tackle. Its tiny horns glowed with faint golden light, its fluffy white-and-gold fur bristling.
His first instinct was to slam it into the wall.
But he didn't.
Instead, two skeletal arms burst from his back — his Lich's Hands — and caught the beast mid-lunge. The young cub writhed, squealed, kicked… but Qiang Ming didn't strike it.
He looked at it.
And then he smiled.
"You're adorable, aren't you?" he muttered, as if speaking to a puppy. "You're just scared."
The Lich's Hands brought the cub closer. He sat down on the cavern floor and let the little creature squirm in his lap for a few seconds before scratching behind its fuzzy ears. The cub paused… then nuzzled into his chest.
Qiang Ming blinked. "…Oh."
Outside the simulation, in a room packed with monitors and glowing crystals, Elder Cai, Chen Yi, and Zhuo Shi were all watching silently.
"I wonder what he'll do," Zhuo Shi asked aloud, squinting at the screen.
"I hope he doesn't tear the little thing apart," Elder Cai said. "I've grown fond of the boy. Also—is that an external soul bone?!" Her voice edged up with something between awe and jealousy.
Just as silence fell again, something made them all lean forward.
"Wait…" Chen Yi muttered. "Is he… is he doing what I think he's doing?"
"…He's cuddling it," Elder Cai confirmed, her mouth open in sheer disbelief.
"Youngsters these days," Zhuo Shi muttered, rubbing his temples.
The three elders watched Qiang Ming play with the cub for several full minutes—scratching its belly, letting it bite his finger, even mimicking growling sounds. The scene was utterly surreal after the bloodbath he'd walked into Shrek with.
And then… a golden light flashed.
The adult Auspicious Emperor had returned.
Qiang Ming's eyes widened — and the last thing he saw was a brilliant blast of holy light
He woke up with a start, heart hammering in his chest, back in the simulation pod.
Chen Yi was waiting nearby. "Welcome back."
Qiang Ming blinked slowly, and then his shoulders slumped.
"You okay?" she asked, reading his expression.
"…Yeah," he murmured. "I just wanted to play more with the kitty."
She stared at him.
Then rubbed her temples. "You're the most confusing genius I've ever met."
The tenth test was simple in setup but the most important.
Qiang Ming was led into a chamber with three elders once again: Elder Cai, Zhuo Shi, and a silent third master who only watched.
Chen Yi stood at the back, arms crossed.
"This is the final test," Zhuo Shi said. "A general evaluation. Your results in the previous nine tests speak volumes."
He looked at the other elders. "I say ten points."
"Agreed," Elder Cai added. "His spiritual power, physical might, soul combat potential, forging ability, and even psychological state… he's a clear ten."
"But," Zhuo Shi said, voice growing firm, "because of your tardiness, there will be consequences."
Qiang Ming met the man's gaze, calm as ever.
"You won't be placed in the Inner Court. Instead, you'll begin in the Outer Court. As a working student. You'll have to earn every privilege from scratch."
Qiang Ming shrugged. "Sounds fair."
Zhuo Shi blinked. "No complaints?"
"I didn't come here for privilege," Qiang Ming said. "I came to keep a promise."
Elder Cai's eyebrows lifted slightly.
Zhuo Shi grunted in approval.
Later, Chen Yi guided him across campus to the working student dormitories. The quarters were modest but clean — small rooms, shared kitchens, communal baths. She handed him a calendar with a stern look.
"Your classes start next week. Show up early. This place will grind you down if you're not prepared."
He nodded.
As she turned to leave, Qiang Ming finally took a deep breath and entered his new room.
It was… bare. One bed. One small desk. A thin wardrobe.
He stepped inside and dropped his bag. As he moved to collapse onto the bed, a familiar voice made him freeze.
"…Ming?"
He turned slowly.
There, standing just behind him in the doorway, was Tang Wulin.
Eyes wide. Jaw slack.
Qiang Ming blinked.
Then smiled. "Sup, Wulin."
And for the first time since leaving East Sea, Qiang Ming felt a piece of his world click back into place.