Having been unceremoniously ejected from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the Shrek Academy's group found themselves in a rather precarious situation. Students and teachers alike were huddled in a rented courtyard within Heaven Dou City, a palpable air of uncertainty hanging over them.
"What do we do now, Flender?" Zhao Wuji grumbled, his usual boisterous demeanor somewhat subdued.
Flender paced back and forth, his brow furrowed in thought. "We need a plan," he stated, his voice firm despite his own internal anxieties.
It was at this moment, amidst the general air of dejection, that Flender's eyes landed on a discarded flyer fluttering near his feet. He picked it up, his gaze scanning the colorful print.
His eyes widened. The flyer advertised the Blue Tyrant Academy, and the name of the dean jumped out at him: Liu Erlong.
"Xiaogang!" Flender exclaimed, his voice filled with sudden excitement. "Look at this!"
Yu Xiaogang, who had been meticulously polishing his spectacles, reluctantly took the flyer. His eyes scanned the text, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"Erlong?" he murmured, a hint of a long-dormant emotion stirring within him.
Flender's mind was already racing. He saw an opportunity. "We need to go there, Xiaogang! We need to convince Erlong to take us in!"
Yu Xiaogang hesitated. "But… would she?"
Flender clapped him on the shoulder, a sly glint in his eyes. "We won't know unless we try, will we? Besides," he added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "'a certain someone' still holds a torch for you, doesn't she?"
'This could work out perfectly,' Flender thought, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. 'Kill two birds with one stone – find a new home for Shrek and maybe even rekindle an old flame.'
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. The prospect of seeing Liu Erlong again… it was undeniably appealing.
Little did Flender and Yu Xiaogang know, the disappointment that awaited them at the Blue Tyrant Academy would be far greater than they could have anticipated.
The next morning, the two men set off towards the Blue Tyrant Academy. Upon arriving, they requested an audience with the Dean, Liu Erlong. After a brief wait, they were ushered into her office.
Both Flender and Yu Xiaogang were instantly struck by Liu Erlong's appearance. She seemed to have shed years, her beauty now possessing a radiant, youthful glow.
'She looks… incredible,' Flender thought, his jaw dropping slightly.
Yu Xiaogang was equally entranced, a wave of nostalgia washing over him as he gazed at the woman he had once loved.
'She… she hasn't aged a day,' he mused, completely oblivious to the true reason behind her transformation.
They had no idea, of course, that it was thanks to Song Qing's intervention. His assistance in upgrading her Fire Dragon spirit to the Sacred Fire Dragon King had not only amplified her power but had also tempered her physique, leaving her with a more radiant beauty and a younger appearance, looking like she was in her early thirties. Her mature temperament only enhanced her striking looks.
Liu Erlong greeted them with a polite, yet somewhat reserved, smile. Flender launched into their plea, explaining their predicament and requesting that the Blue Tyrant Academy accept the Shrek Academy's teachers and students.
To their shock, Liu Erlong didn't immediately embrace them with open arms. Instead, she listened intently, her expression unreadable.
"I will need some time to consider your request," she said finally, her voice calm and measured. "I will give you my answer later."
This response, especially considering Yu Xiaogang was the one asking, stunned both men.
'She's not immediately saying yes?' Flender thought, his initial optimism wavering.
Yu Xiaogang, too, was taken aback. He had expected a warmer reception.
'Perhaps she's just being cautious,' he reasoned with himself.
They decided to give her the time she requested. Flender, ever the optimist, was convinced that Liu Erlong was simply playing hard to get and would ultimately agree in a few days.
However, during those few days, Liu Erlong had already set things in motion. She summoned Yin Shu, a trusted member of the Blue Tyrant Academy, and tasked her with gathering detailed information about the Shrek Academy's expulsion from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
'I need to know exactly what happened,' Liu Erlong thought, her brow furrowed with concern.
The truth was, a part of her, the part that still held a flicker of affection for Yu Xiaogang, desperately wanted to accept their request immediately. She had even entertained the thought of handing over the reins of the Blue Tyrant Academy to Flender and Yu Xiaogang, allowing her to pursue Yu Xiaogang ardently.
'He's here… perhaps this is my chance,' she had initially thought, her heart skipping a beat at the possibility.
But then, the memory of her conversation with Song Qing from a year prior resurfaced in her mind. His words, his warnings about Yu Xiaogang's true character, echoed in her ears.
'He told me to see if Xiaogang truly deserved my love,' she recalled, a shadow of doubt clouding her features.
Song Qing had revealed to her the extent of Yu Xiaogang's hypocrisy – his betrayal of Bibi Dong, the theft of the Spirit Hall's ancestral research. These revelations had shaken Liu Erlong to her core, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about the man she loved.
As the results of Yin Shu's investigation came in, detailing the disruptive behavior of the Shrek Academy's students and Zhao Wuji's antics, a deep frown etched itself onto Liu Erlong's beautiful face.
'This is… troubling,' she thought, the initial warmth she felt towards Yu Xiaogang cooling considerably.
Considering the report, she simply couldn't bring herself to accept these troublemakers into her Blue Tyrant Academy. Her responsibility to her own students and the reputation of her academy came first.
With a heavy heart, Liu Erlong penned a letter to Flender and Yu Xiaogang. The message was direct and unambiguous: the Blue Tyrant Academy could not accept them.
The contents of the letter landed like a bombshell. Flender's face paled, his optimistic facade crumbling.
"No… this can't be," he stammered, his hands shaking as he reread the letter.
Yu Xiaogang, too, was visibly shocked. A wave of unexpected sadness washed over him.
'She… she rejected us?' he thought, a pang of loss hitting him harder than he anticipated.
At this moment, a profound realization dawned upon Yu Xiaogang. He felt as though he had lost something truly important, something he hadn't even realized he still cherished. A chilling thought crept into his mind: Liu Erlong had finally moved on. The woman who had loved him so fiercely, so unconditionally, no longer held those romantic feelings for him.
A wave of sadness washed over him, quickly followed by a surge of anger.
'After all this time… is this all I meant to her?' he wondered bitterly, a sense of wounded pride stinging him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had just witnessed the final closing of a door he had foolishly believed would always remain open.
~~
Meanwhile, as Ah Yin found solace in the familiar embrace of her ancestral home, Song Qing rested peacefully amidst the swaying blue silver grass. The gentle rustling of the leaves and the vibrant life force of the forest created a soothing ambiance.
'This is quite calming,' he thought, a rare moment of tranquility washing over him.
But even in this peaceful state, his senses, enhanced by the ever-present awareness of his Primordial Life Tree Spirit, remained sharp. It was then that he detected it – a distinct aura, strangely noble and powerful, emanating from deep within the Great Star Dou Forest.
'Noble?' Song Qing mused, his brow furrowing slightly.
What struck him as particularly unusual was the aura's strength despite its source being a spirit beast that his senses placed at around the 5,000-year mark. That level of nobility in a beast of that age was… peculiar.
'I've sensed it before,' he recalled, a faint memory stirring. 'But it was always… protected.'
Indeed, on previous occasions when he had sensed this unique aura, it had always been accompanied by the presence of a formidable spirit beast, one whose power rivaled that of the Great Fierce Beasts – creatures with cultivation exceeding 200,000 years, far beyond Song Qing's current capabilities.
'Why isn't it protected now?' he wondered, a seed of curiosity taking root.
After a moment of contemplation, Song Qing decided to investigate. This anomaly piqued his interest.
He turned to Ah Yin, who was still gently interacting with the blue silver grass around her. "I will return later," he said, his voice calm and reassuring.
Without waiting for a response, he unfurled his magnificent Ancient Void Dragonbone Wings. With a powerful beat, he launched himself into the air, heading directly towards the location of the mysterious aura.
'What kind of beast could possess such nobility at that age?' he pondered as he soared through the forest canopy.
His flight was swift, guided by the persistent pull of the unique energy signature. Soon, he found himself hovering above a small clearing. Below him, nestled amongst the trees, was a lion's den.
And there, standing near the entrance, was the source of the noble aura. It was a lion, seemingly engrossed in consuming the flesh of another, smaller spirit beast.
As Song Qing descended silently, his senses sharpened. He could now clearly discern the lion's cultivation – roughly 5,000 years, as he had initially sensed. What was truly astonishing was the prey it was devouring. The lingering soul power indicated it had been a light-attribute spirit beast, and a powerful one at that, nearing the 40,000-year mark.
'A 5,000-year beast taking down a 40,000-year one?' Song Qing thought, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.
The sheer disparity in their cultivation levels was astounding. And from the residual soul power in the area, he was certain that the lion itself had been the one to hunt and kill this formidable prey.
As Song Qing landed softly a short distance away, the lion spirit beast seemed to sense his presence. Its head snapped up, its gaze turning directly towards him.
And it was at this moment that Song Qing finally recognized the creature. It was a Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
'So that's what it is,' he mused, a flicker of recognition in his emerald eyes.
But there was more to this creature than just its unique appearance. Even from this distance, Song Qing could sense the raw power thrumming beneath its golden fur, the strength of its bloodline radiating outwards.
'Its power… it feels… potent,' he assessed, a hint of intrigue in his thoughts.
Song Qing was momentarily stunned by the lion's striking appearance. Its fur was a brilliant, almost luminescent gold, possessing a semi-transparent quality that gave it an ethereal glow. Its body was undeniably leonine, but with distinct differences. Its claws were longer, more akin to a dragon's talons, and were wreathed in what appeared to be golden flames. Its mouth was more elongated than that of a typical lion, and upon closer inspection, Song Qing could see fine golden scales shimmering beneath its fur.
But the most captivating feature was undoubtedly its third eye. Located on its forehead, just above its two piercing golden eyes, was a vertical slit that glowed with an enchanting red light. The contrast between the red third eye and the golden eyes was mesmerizing.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stared at Song Qing with an intense, yet strangely curious, gaze. There was no immediate hostility, no aggressive posture. Instead, the lion seemed… intrigued.
'This human…' the lion thought, its senses picking up Song Qing's unique aura. The bright blue hair and the gentle emerald eyes gave it a feeling of profound comfort, a sense of peace it hadn't experienced before. It was as if this human was truly a child of nature, an embodiment of the forest itself.
At that moment, Song Qing felt a distinct stirring within him. His Abyssal Demonic Dragon God Spirit, usually a calm and collected entity, was reacting with an unusual intensity.
'It's… resonating?' Song Qing realized, focusing his inner senses.
His spirit, as the Emperor of the Beasts, possessed not only the ability to control and dominate other spirit beasts but also an innate understanding of their origins, their destinies, their very essence.
And through this profound connection, Song Qing came to a startling realization. This Three-Eyed Golden Lion was no ordinary spirit beast. It was an Auspicious Emperor Beast.
Its destiny was intrinsically tied to the fate of all spirit beasts on the continent. In fact, if this particular Three-Eyed Golden Lion were to grow stronger, it would, in turn, lead to the growth and prosperity of the entire spirit beast population.
'An Auspicious Emperor Beast…' Song Qing thought, a wave of understanding washing over him. This explained the unusual nobility of its aura.
Meanwhile, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, its senses remarkably sharp, had also picked up on something extraordinary about this human.
It possessed a faint, yet undeniably potent, hint of the noble Golden Dragon bloodline within its own veins, a lineage that granted it exceptional physical prowess and a powerful bloodline.
But now, as it stared at Song Qing, it realized that even its own powerful bloodline felt… suppressed, almost insignificant, in the presence of this strange human.
'What… what is this feeling?' the lion wondered, a sense of awe mixed with confusion.
Not only that, but the Three-Eyed Golden Lion instinctively tried to utilize the unique spiritual power of its third eye, an ability that usually allowed it to perceive deeper truths and understand the essence of other beings.
But for the first time in its life, it found itself unable to penetrate the mysteries surrounding this human.
Its third eye offered no insight, no understanding. This was an unprecedented experience, leaving the young Auspicious Emperor Beast utterly perplexed.