Hearing Zhou Sicheng's words, Dugu Xianmeng's smile seemed to freeze for a brief moment.
"Not all legends are necessarily true. Either way, I don't believe in them," she huffed.
As they conversed, Zhou Sicheng gradually learned more about his sister's current position in the academy and the close retionship between the so-called Poison Enchantress and his sister.
Before they knew it, they arrived in front of several vils—these were the ones closest to the Golden Tree, making them the most desirable residences.
Dugu Xianmeng pointed toward the vils. "These are the three closest to the Golden Tree. The one in the center belongs to Senior Sister, the one on the left belongs to Fme Demon Ma Xiaotao, and the one on the right is Big Sister's."
Hearing this, Zhou Sicheng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. So these two are my neighbors…?
Dugu Xianmeng turned to Zhou Sicheng. "Big Sister isn't at the academy right now. She'll probably be back in a month or two. You should go on ahead. I'll find you tomorrow and show you around the inner court."
Zhou Sicheng nodded, bid farewell to Dugu Xianmeng, and headed straight for his sister's vil.
Back when they were kids, they had lived in the same courtyard, so sharing a vil now didn't seem like a big deal—in fact, he couldn't be happier!
This arrangement even saved the academy some resources—a win-win situation, wasn't it?
Even though no one lived in the vil at the moment, academy staff cleaned it daily, so he didn't have to worry about anything.
Zhou Sicheng pushed open the door, and a familiar scent greeted him. The courtyard was filled with sunflowers.
These sunflowers were a special breed, cultivated specifically to serve as a mimicry training ground beneficial for light-attribute soul masters.
They also emitted a unique fragrance that brought a sense of peace and rexation, making the environment exceptionally comfortable.
Before his sister came to Shrek Academy, their home's courtyard had been full of these sunflowers—and they were still there even now. She always stayed there for a while whenever she returned home during the semester breaks.
As Zhou Sicheng stepped into the courtyard, he was shocked—the yout was almost identical to their home.
When he entered the vil, he found that the interior design was also nearly unchanged.
Following the habit he had at home, Zhou Sicheng went directly to where his room would have been, opened the door, and was astonished to find that even the furnishings were almost exactly the same.
A wave of emotion surged in his heart. Even though they had spent the past few years mostly apart, his sister had always kept him in her thoughts.
All his hard work to one day marry Ye Guyi was not in vain!
The soul tool he had used to cross Sea God's Lake was actually meant to be a gift for her!
Unfortunately, his sister wasn't at the academy right now. She hadn't even had time to send him a letter. She was probably on an urgent mission.
He was far from home, yet upon arriving at Shrek Academy, he unexpectedly found himself feeling… at home once more.
Zhou Sicheng casually made some food in the kitchen and then carefully explored the vil. Everywhere he looked, it felt just like home.
That night, for the first time in ages, Zhou Sicheng didn't train. Instead, he y down on the bed Ye Guyi had personally prepared for him and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
In his dreams, he seemed to return to the moment he first met his sister…
Back then, she had almost been ambushed by Hellfire. Looking back now, perhaps that encounter had been fate all along…
The Next Morning
Zhou Sicheng woke up early. After so long without proper sleep, he felt as if he had been reborn.
In the past, he had always used cultivation to repce sleep, but taking a proper rest now and then… it really was a different experience.
Gncing outside at the rising sun, he stretched zily, freshened up, and did some morning training in the courtyard.
Before long, he heard Dugu Xianmeng's voice from outside.
"Zhou Sicheng, are you awake?"
"I'm here, Senior Sister." Zhou Sicheng responded, stepping forward to open the courtyard gate.
Seeing Zhou Sicheng dressed in training attire, his long hair tied neatly in a clean ponytail, Dugu Xianmeng raised an eyebrow.
Inwardly, she thought, As expected of Big Sister's younger brother… That appearance, that aura…
No.
I have to win him over before Big Sister returns…!
To outsiders, Dugu Xianmeng was an intimidating and fearsome Poison Enchantress, but in reality, she wasn't cold or reclusive—people simply feared her martial soul.
However, in recent years, she had experienced the joy of having friends, thanks to Big Sister, who had never been afraid of her poison and had always treated her warmly.
Having someone to rely on had helped her become much more at ease compared to her childhood.
Now that she had met Big Sister's younger brother, it was only natural that she felt drawn to him as well.
Most importantly, Zhou Sicheng wasn't afraid of her poison. The absolute suppression of Ultimate Ice over toxins had already been proven in their fight yesterday.
For this reason, Dugu Xianmeng had the confidence to approach him—otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to entertain such bold thoughts…
"Let's go, Senior Sister." Zhou Sicheng looked at her dazed expression and started to rethink his impression of her cold and dark queen persona from yesterday.
Dugu Xianmeng snapped out of her thoughts. "Let's go. I'll take you to breakfast first."
Zhou Sicheng nodded and followed her silently.
As they walked, Dugu Xianmeng began expining, "In the inner court, we don't really have many expenses. The cafeteria is free, but whether you can eat what you want depends on your strength."
Hearing this, Zhou Sicheng's interest piqued. "What do you mean?"
"Even though the inner court doesn't have many students, there are still about forty to fifty people who stay at the academy at any given time. The cafeteria provides only the best soul beast essence and top-tier ingredients."
"However, aside from mixed stews, meals are prepared based on nutritional value and essence concentration."
"In the inner court, we participate in Soul Duels. Once you receive your Soul Duel Points Card and Soul Duel Emblem, you'll be pced into a ranked system. The food you get depends on your ranking."
She gnced at him. "Do you get it now?"
Zhou Sicheng nodded slightly. "I see. So, as new inner court students, we can only eat the lowest-ranked food?"
Dugu Xianmeng smirked. "For the first month, new students can choose whatever food they want. But after that, everything is distributed strictly by rank."
"The inner court is a pce full of geniuses. Some students were considered prodigies in the outer court, but when they enter here, their first month of privileges might be the best month they ever have."
"Of course, if you're rich, you can also buy food that's outside your rank at regur prices."
Hearing this, Zhou Sicheng began to understand the ranking system in the inner court.
If the outer court was a pce to study theories and develop techniques, then the inner court was a pce to forge true powerhouses.
There was only one rule here:
The strong reign supreme.
Before long, they arrived at the cafeteria. The inner court had only two dining halls—one for students and one for teachers and elders of Shrek Academy.
Teachers could eat in the student cafeteria, but students were not allowed to enter the faculty cafeteria, except for a select few.
According to Dugu Xianmeng, only four people were currently permitted to eat in the faculty dining hall:
The strongest inner court disciple, Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan.
The one closest to catching up to her, Fme Demon Ma Xiaotao.
The newly crowned strongest female, Angel Goddess Ye Guyi.
And finally, a mysterious younger disciple who had not been in the inner court for the past few years.
Hearing his sister's title, Zhou Sicheng found it quite pleasant.
Why hadn't she ever told him about this?
Was she too embarrassed?
****
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