Mingde Hall.
Two years ago, after being thoroughly ransacked by the Body Sect, the once-glorious Mingde Hall had been reduced to rubble. Now, it stood rebuilt—restored to its former grandeur through unimaginable expenditures of labor, resources, and wealth. Every single expense had been astronomical.
During that entire period, Jing Hongchen—the former Hall Master—hadn't closed his eyes for a wink. If he hadn't begged the Crown Prince for clemency, he likely wouldn't even have had the chance to stand here today.
In the end, he was stripped of his position as Hall Master and demoted three ranks in nobility. On top of that, he was saddled with the full responsibility—and personal financial burden—of reconstructing Mingde Hall.
And if the Body Sect ever raided them again?
Well, Jing Hongchen would still be held accountable.
To prevent any future surprise attacks, Jing Hongchen had meticulously fortified the entire complex. He'd accounted for every conceivable infiltration tactic—whether airborne, underground, or solo infiltration—and deployed specialized soul-engineered devices accordingly.
Anyone who dared show up would be instantly exposed.
And yet… despite all that, it still happened.
"Damn that Body Sect!"
Every time Jing Hongchen recalled that incident, his teeth ground together with fury. The better Mingde Hall looked now, the deeper the pain in his heart. That "free shopping spree" by the Body Sect had set back Mingde Hall's research by centuries—maybe even a millennium.
In retaliation, he'd paid an enormous price to enlist the help of the Holy Spirit Cult—those grotesque beings who were neither fully human nor ghostly. His sole demand? The heads of Body Sect disciples. In fact, he'd specified: anyone bearing a Body Martial Soul was fair game.
Well… almost anyone.
He'd made one explicit exception:
Huo Yuhao.
What surprised Jing Hongchen was that, though he found these soul cultivators utterly repulsive, their efficiency was undeniably terrifying.
Within just two years, they'd delivered ten severed heads—including two Soul Saints!
"Du Busi, I hope this really stings!"
"Hall Master!"
At that moment, Lin Jiayi burst in from outside Mingde Hall, breathless and frantic—but the moment he saw the eerie, unsettling smile on Jing Hongchen's face, he instantly grew cautious, as if long accustomed to such expressions.
"Hall Master…" he called out tentatively.
Jing Hongchen, already snapped back to his senses, straightened his posture and picked up the teacup beside him, pretending to take a sip.
Then, as if remembering something, he gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Jiayi… I'm not the Hall Master anymore."
Lin Jiayi immediately protested, voice filled with conviction: "What are you saying, Hall Master? In my heart, you'll always be the true master of Mingde Hall!"
"Alright, alright," Jing Hongchen deflected, deliberately changing the subject. He couldn't hide a trace of anticipation in his tone. "What's the matter? Did someone else just hand us their head?"
"No… it's about the Academy."
A flash of disappointment crossed Jing Hongchen's eyes—but as the current dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, he pressed on: "What happened? Another clash?"
He took another unhurried sip of tea. After all, such incidents were practically routine for him by now.
"No… it's just that… someone's sent us another 'ancestor.'"
"Pfft—!"
Jing Hongchen spat out his tea mid-sip, then burst into a fit of violent coughing. "Cough! Cough! Shrek sent more people!?"
His eyes bulged wide in disbelief.
Within their inner circle, senior staff had taken to privately referring to Shrek Academy students as "ancestors"—a sarcastic title born from bitter experience.
Over the past two years, Shrek students had repeatedly clashed with both students and faculty of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. Worse, they'd used these "conflicts" as opportunities to extort all sorts of valuable items from them. That brat Huo Yuhao, in particular, practically acted like a bandit—snatching up anything valuable he laid eyes on and hauling it back "home."
But due to Shrek Academy's overwhelming prestige—and the fact that they themselves hosted Shrek exchange students—they'd been forced to endure it all with gritted teeth.
Hence… "ancestors."
All Jing Hongchen could hope for now was that his own grandchildren were gaining something truly worthwhile from their studies at Shrek—enough to justify this never-ending humiliation.
"What's the situation with these new arrivals?" he asked.
Lin Jiayi glanced at the application form in his hand. "They claim they're here during their holiday break… to visit the Shrek exchange students."
Hearing this, Jing Hongchen let out a long sigh of relief.
Just visiting?
Well, that was manageable.
At least no major trouble should arise.
But Lin Jiayi, seeing his dean relax, suddenly looked like he wanted to say something—but held back, worried that if Jing Hongchen learned the full details, he might cough up blood on the spot.
"What's wrong? Speak plainly," Jing Hongchen urged.
"This…"
The moment that hesitant word slipped out, Jing Hongchen's heart sank like a stone.
He set down his teacup—no longer daring to drink.
"What 'this'? Spit it out!"
Gritting his teeth, Lin Jiayi thrust the application form forward. "Dean… just read it yourself."
In a panic, Jing Hongchen snatched it.
Three seconds later—"What!?"
His vision went black; he nearly collapsed. The form slipped from his limp fingers and fluttered to the floor.
There, in clear writing, were the names and identities of Chen Junting, Gu Tianchen, and Huo Yuhao.
But the real kicker was the note scribbled in the remarks section:
"Chen Junting and Gu Tianchen intend to tour the capital. In the event of any incident, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy assumes full responsibility."
…
"Ohhh~ Calling you 'Master' now, are we!?"
Inside Huo Yuhao's dormitory, Wang Dong'er sat perched on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, glaring coldly at Huo Yuhao. All traces of affection had vanished—her tone dripping with sarcasm and thinly veiled jealousy.
And the reason?
Standing right before them was a stunningly beautiful, mature young woman—who had just addressed Huo Yuhao as "Master."
"Dong'er, let me explain!" Huo Yuhao panicked, his face burning crimson with embarrassment.
He never expected Nana to show up at this exact moment—and worse, to call him "Master" in front of Dong'er! This was a disaster.
He shot a desperate, pleading look toward Brother Junting.
But neither Chen Junting nor Gu Tianchen offered any help. In fact, they both wore smug, amused grins—as if thoroughly enjoying the chaos.
Left with no choice, Huo Yuhao scrambled to put out the fire.
The whole farce only finally calmed down when Nana turned to Wang Dong'er and respectfully addressed her as "Mistress."
…
Later, Chen Junting and the others learned from Huo Yuhao exactly how he'd met Nana and how their bond had formed.
Apparently, after Huo Yuhao demonstrated his illusionary abilities, Nana—clinging to a sliver of hope—approached him. She begged him to infiltrate a local branch of the Holy Spirit Cult and retrieve her parents' trapped souls.
At first, Huo Yuhao refused to get involved.
But once he learned it was the Holy Spirit Cult, he decided to take the risk.
After coordinating with Elder Zhang Ming—who was still stationed in Mingdu's Nine Treasures Pavilion—he infiltrated the sect's branch under Zhang Ming's covert protection and succeeded in his mission.
Notably, Elder Zhang Ming never intervened directly.
The branch's soul cultivators simply lacked the spiritual perception to pierce through Huo Yuhao's illusions—they were helpless, doomed from the start.
Of course, there were also strategic reasons for Zhang Ming's restraint. A Title Douluo's move would've left unmistakable traces. If the Holy Spirit Cult identified him, the consequences could've been catastrophic.
Still—he'd made it clear: if Huo Yuhao had failed, he would've stepped in without hesitation.
In the end, the souls—turned into vengeful spirits—were successfully retrieved. And Nana had become Elder Zhang Ming's unofficial disciple.
"I see," Chen Junting nodded. He'd already known the broad strokes.
He hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to cross paths with "Ghost Girl" Nana even without Electrolux. But something puzzled him: Huo Yuhao kept mentioning a figure called the "Holy Emperor."
In the original storyline, wasn't "Holy Emperor" just an empty, ceremonial title?
Yet now… it felt strangely significant.
Still, that mystery would have to wait.
"Nana—may I call you that?" Chen Junting asked.
When she nodded eagerly, he continued, "Do you have your parents' imprisoned souls with you? If you're willing, I can help them find peace."
Liberating tormented spirits—that was what truly mattered.
Nana's eyes lit up with overwhelming joy. Given Chen Junting's evident status and power, she didn't doubt him for a second.
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you!"
In the next moment, a black banner appeared before Chen Junting—ominous, radiating an aura of misfortune.
Within it were the souls the Holy Spirit Cult had twisted into vengeful spirits.
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