For Fan Yue, the past two weeks had passed almost without notice. Classes, training, rare moments of rest among friends — his life had settled back into a steady, almost ascetic rhythm.
Early in the morning, a bus for the first-years was already waiting in front of Shrek Academy's main academic building. All first-year students, with the exception of Qian Lei who was in secluded cultivation, had taken their seats.
The bus glided smoothly out through the Academy's gates and headed toward Shrek City's Space Center — the departure point for their flight to the Elf Planet. The distance to the spaceport was short, and the status of Shrek Academy students came with considerable privileges. A dedicated route and a special boarding passage allowed them to step aboard the spacecraft without formalities or waiting in line.
Fan Yue stood with the other first-years and their homeroom teacher Xiao Qi in the boarding zone. Not far away was a small group of people — several dressed in ordinary clothes, though the figures in the red robes of Shrek Academy's Inner Court drew far more attention.
The contrast between the colors of the Inner and Outer Courts was impossible to miss.
Fan Yue glanced at them briefly and smiled inwardly.
Red and green. I wonder what the Academy was thinking when they chose such a terrible combination.
Standing at the front of the group, one man stood out above all the rest. His posture was straight and assured, his calm expression radiating a restrained but palpable authority. When he spoke, his quiet voice filled the space around him with unmistakable clarity.
"We are traveling to the Elf Planet," he said. "From this moment forward, you represent Shrek Academy. Before we begin, I have a few words."
The crowd fell silent instantly. Every gaze turned to him.
"My name is Wang Tianyu. I am the Deputy Head of the Sea God Pavilion and Dean of the Inner Court. The Inner Court students already know me, but for the Outer Court first-years, this is our first meeting. Please remember my name."
Wang Tianyu's voice remained level, almost calm — yet within that calm resided a restrained force that made even the most self-assured students unconsciously straighten their backs.
"The journey to the Elf Planet is a unique opportunity for each of you. Our Academy rarely receives this many spots. You will be representing Shrek before other participants, including representatives of the Federation and other associations."
"The primary reason for this flight is the Heavenly Tribulation of the Beast God Di Tian. You may already know that a Heavenly Tribulation is a trial that a spirit beast or spirit master must pass in order to reach the divine level. No one knows precisely their nature or the reason they appear, but they are directly tied to the laws of Heaven and Earth."
"For you, this is a rare chance to witness the laws of Heaven and Earth in action with your own eyes. If you aspire to reach the divine level, understanding those laws and learning to command them will be your most essential tools."
His voice made every student feel the weight of this ceremony.
"Second — the upcoming ceremony is a unique opportunity for you to interact with the world of Spirit Beasts. You all know that most spirit souls used today are produced by the Spirit Pagoda. Through modern technology we have learned to create even hundred-thousand-year spirit souls. But despite their power, artificial souls lack true spirituality. That is precisely why they rarely show initiative in battle."
Wang Tianyu paused briefly, giving everyone time to absorb what he had said, then continued.
"The first spirit souls came into existence through a special covenant made by the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao, with a dying Spirit Beast. Through a specific ritual, the beast was able to become a person's spirit soul and continue its existence in a new form. If the Spirit Master became a God, the spirit beast would also break through to the Divine Level. This is why not all beast souls oppose the practice. Everything depends on the potential of the Spirit Master and the condition of the beast itself."
His voice grew slightly firmer, his gaze more penetrating.
"The trial the Beast God is about to face is an extraordinary opportunity. If he fails, there is a possibility he will choose to become a spirit soul. But there is also a risk — his soul may scatter under the tribulation's force. However, if any of you is chosen by the Beast God Di Tian, it would be your chance to reach divinity and obtain incredible power. I will say plainly: do not harbor illusions. The probability of this happening is essentially zero. But however negligible, it exists. All is the will of Heaven."
"But this ceremony has another purpose as well. Some beast souls that do not wish to die may voluntarily choose a Spirit Master and become a Spirit Soul. Such souls, endowed with true spirituality, far surpass artificial ones. This is a unique opportunity — especially for the first-years."
Wang Tianyu swept his gaze across those assembled, as though gauging their readiness.
"Your primary objective is to connect with these Spirit Beasts. If you are fortunate, you may obtain a high-level spirit soul. Even if that does not happen, you will gain valuable experience that will serve you on the path to mastery. I hope each of you finds something in this journey that helps you."
Fan Yue turned the thought over quietly.
I wonder what would happen if I formed a contract with a Spirit Beast. Is that even possible for me?
He genuinely didn't know. After realizing that his Battle Soul would generate its own Spirit Rings, he had never once considered merging with a Spirit Soul.
"Master, may I ask a question?" Lan Xuanyu raised his hand, looking at Wang Tianyu with undisguised curiosity.
Wang Tianyu recognized the Inner Court's star student immediately and nodded.
"Go ahead."
"You said that if someone receives the approval of the Beast God Di Tian, they could become a god. Why is that? The Beast God Di Tian himself hasn't reached the rank of God." Lan Xuanyu looked straight at him, his eyes bright with interest.
Wang Tianyu considered for a moment before answering.
"That is a complex question, but I will try to explain. It comes down to the Beast God's power. By human standards, he reached a strength equivalent to the divine level long ago. However, the laws of the world suppress his development, preventing him from breaking through that barrier. Having survived eight great tribulations, he has tempered his very essence — but the ninth will be the decisive one."
He continued, his voice measured and calm.
"As you know, with the evolution of the Mother Planet the upper limit for spirit masters has risen from rank 99 to rank 120. However, only a handful have come close to that ceiling. Those who surpass rank 100 we call Gods. Those who reach rank 110 — True Gods. Only those who break through rank 120 may be called Overgods. By our estimates, if the Beast God Di Tian succeeds in breaking through, he will reach at minimum the rank of True God."
"Thank you, Pavilion Master." Lan Xuanyu inclined his head slightly in respect.
Wang Tianyu's words ignited something in the students' hearts. The odds were infinitesimally small — but they existed.
As the students began boarding the spacecraft, Wang Tianyu's gaze suddenly stilled. He looked more closely at the face of Fan Yue passing in front of him. His eyes flickered unexpectedly, and across Fan Yue's features, he saw the face of someone else.
Why does he look so much like her?!
Fan Yue walked past without any awareness of this, and took his seat on the ship.
The journey was expected to take fifteen days. The Elf Planet was the farthest from the Mother Planet of all, and reaching it required three space jumps.
The spacecraft had settled into stable flight. Through the portholes, a slow river of stars stretched endlessly — an infinite current of light.
"Yue, isn't this incredible! We might actually form contracts with real Spirit Beasts!" Lan Mengqin was practically bouncing in her seat, her eyes blazing with impatience.
Fan Yue didn't answer immediately. He was watching through the porthole as the ship glided through the cosmos.
"Agreed," he said after a pause. "But what I'm more interested in is the Elf Planet itself. If Spirit Beasts live there, the life energy must be extraordinary. And the scenery is probably stunning."
"Oh." Lan Mengqin rolled her eyes. "Since when do you care about scenery?"
She crossed her arms.
"You used to be obsessed with history and Spirit Beasts. You could talk for hours about ancient battles. And now? You barely even read anymore."
Fan Yue pulled his gaze from the porthole and looked at her. A light smile crossed his face.
"Mengqin. People grow. Interests change along with them. That's normal."
She went slightly still.
He called me by my name? When did he stop calling me sister?
And then the question came on its own.
When did he change this much?
The Fan Yue she used to know surfaced in her mind — the one who had been open with her and Dun Qianqiu. A little naive. Easily hurt. Occasionally fragile, but kind, persistent, and genuinely hardworking. Easy to understand.
Someone who stirred strange feelings in her. Someone who needed protection. That was who he had been to her.
And now the person sitting beside her was a different Fan Yue. Solid. Assured. Strikingly handsome, breathing evenly, his face no longer carrying that old uncertainty and weakness.
Strange.
And yet he was still himself. Still slow to open up to people, still unable to make friends easily, still flushing and fumbling when she teased him. But his bearing, his presence — everything had changed. He no longer seemed like someone who needed covering.
He's definitely closer now.
And at the same time, something about that thought pricked uncomfortably at her heart.
Then why does it feel like he's so far away?
An energetic voice from behind cut through her thoughts.
"I heard you talking about my home planet!"
Yuan Huihui leaned forward, visibly lighting up.
"You'll really be surprised when you see it. It's genuinely beautiful. Trees everywhere, and completely unlike ours. Some of them grow hundreds of meters tall. The air is completely different."
He grinned broadly.
"I think you'll love it."
Life on board was monotonous, and most students used the time for meditation. Shrek Academy had equipped the ship with technology that provided ideal conditions for it — even the overloads during the space jumps didn't break concentration, allowing Spirit Masters to meditate in undisturbed peace.
Wang Tianyu sat in the captain's cabin, lost in his thoughts.
This child... he looks too much like Lan Yue. After she left Shrek Academy and joined the Federation's military, she stopped keeping in touch with us. Could this boy be her son? Yang Hui mentioned she had married. But he said nothing about a child.
Wang Tianyu let out a quiet breath.
Sister, the Academy misses you so much. It's a pity you're gone.
He couldn't get Fan Yue out of his mind. Only now did he truly notice how strongly the boy resembled Lan Yue. Especially his eyes — they were literally identical to hers.
The memory of Lan Yue stirred older ones to the surface.
"Tianyu, you need to train harder — you're the laziest and weakest one among the seven of us!" said a girl in a red uniform. A light smile played on her graceful face, and her deep, vivid black eyes were extraordinarily beautiful. Anyone who dared to look into them could feel their attention being drawn in, helplessly and completely.
The battered Wang Tianyu lay on the arena floor, breathing hard and trying to gather himself.
"Senior Sister, I'm not lazy or weak. You're all just too strong and too dedicated! Especially you — you're so focused on self-improvement you don't have a boyfriend or a single moment of rest! Even your younger brother Lan Xiao already has a girlfriend. You should relax a little, or you'll end up a lonely old maid."
Lan Yue's brow furrowed. Her expression grew even sterner, and the smile shifted into something considerably more frightening.
"Tianyu, it seems I haven't beaten you hard enough. I think we should continue training."
Wang Tianyu felt a chill run through his entire body and began backing away, nearly tripping over himself.
"Senior Sister, please don't! If you beat me again I'll complain to the teacher!"
The memory ended there, and a rare smile crossed Wang Tianyu's stern face.
I think after we return, I should speak with Fan Yue. If he turns out to be her son, the Sea God Pavilion will need to know.
The fifteen-day flight finally came to an end.
One by one the students emerged from meditation. Quiet sighs, the crack of joints, muffled footsteps — each person shaking off the stillness in their own way. Fifteen days without a change of scenery wore down not only the body but the mind. Even deep meditation eventually grew oppressive when opening your eyes meant seeing the same space again and again.
"We're finally here?" Lan Mengqin said lazily, rolling her shoulders and drifting toward a porthole.
The simple question seemed to act as a signal. The students followed, and a moment later the entire first year was crowded at the windows.
Outside, everything was submerged in milky white. The ship trembled gently, pushing through dense layers of atmosphere.
Fan Yue had opened his eyes earlier than the others but hadn't moved, continuing to sit still. When the white mist beyond the porthole suddenly parted to reveal a burst of vivid green, his attention was completely captured.
In that same moment the ship's system switched to environmental interaction mode. Currents of fresh air filtered in through the ventilation.
Fan Yue shuddered.
Dense, saturated life energy surged into his body like a warm wave. The bloodline vortex responded instantly — spinning faster, drinking it in hungrily. This energy was comparable to the Mother Planet's, but different in structure: cleaner and softer, though somewhat less dense.
Fan Yue turned his head and looked through the porthole.
What opened before him was a view that truly took the breath away.
Green stretched to every horizon without interruption, without gaps — only an endless carpet of living growth. Among the shades of green blazed brilliant flashes of color, like gemstones scattered across a living canvas. High above, white clouds drifted slowly, making the whole scene feel almost unreal.
This planet appeared to be one unbroken green ocean. No rivers, no seas, no deserts — only plants. He had never seen a planet so completely overrun with life.
The ship descended further, bringing everything into sharper focus.
Enormous trees. Truly enormous.
Some rose higher than three thousand meters. At their very crowns, barely distinguishable, tiny structures were visible — like nests perched at impossible heights. Trees a thousand meters tall were unremarkable here, dozens and hundreds of them. And all around, countless trunks hundreds of meters wide created the feeling of an ancient civilization rooted into nature itself.
The ship slowed and came to a gentle stop.
From among the canopy a thick vine appeared, seemingly coming alive as it coiled around the hull. A moment later several vines wove together into a stable stairway stretching toward an enormous tree, in whose massive trunk a natural opening served as an entrance.
For the students of Shrek Academy, this was their first visit to this planet. Curiosity, wonder, and a trace of tension mingled in their expressions.
"Disembark," said Wang Tianyu, taking charge. He was the first to move toward the exit. The students quickly fell into line behind him. Xiao Qi took his place at the head of the first-year group and stepped after him.
When they descended from the ship, representatives of the planet were already waiting for them outside.
Standing before them was a woman in a long green dress. She appeared to be around thirty years old. Fair skin, a calm and assured gaze. The dress, woven as though from emerald leaves, perfectly complemented her figure. Long pale-green hair fell freely down her back, and on her head rested a slender golden crown.
"We welcome you, Your Majesty." Wang Tianyu stepped quickly forward and gave a slight bow.
"We are almost embarrassed that you came to receive us in person."