Shrek Academy rarely received visitors.
And when it did, they were never ordinary.
That afternoon, as students rested after training, the ancient wooden gates creaked open. A single figure walked in, footsteps unhurried, posture relaxed—yet every spirit beast in the surrounding forest went silent.
Zhao Wuji was the first to feel it.
He looked up sharply, eyes narrowing.
"Teacher," Tang San whispered. "Someone's coming."
Yu Xiaogang adjusted his glasses, expression grave. "Not someone."
A woman stepped into the courtyard.
She wore simple black robes edged with silver, no excessive ornamentation, no visible authority token—yet her presence alone pressed down like an invisible hand.
Her face was calm, beautiful in a restrained, cold way.
A faint six-winged emblem shimmered briefly at her collar before fading.
Spirit Hall.
Zhao Wuji stepped forward, forcing a grin. "Well, this is rare. Shrek Academy isn't exactly a tourist spot."
The woman smiled politely.
"I am Ling Yuan," she said. "An inspector. I am here… to observe."
Her gaze drifted.
It stopped on Lin Chen.
Not abruptly.
Naturally.
As if she had known where to look from the start.
Lin Chen met her eyes.
Neither blinked.
A silent pressure spread—too subtle for most to notice, but enough to make Zhu Zhuqing's hand twitch toward her dagger.
She's strong, Zhu Zhuqing realized.Dangerously so.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward. "Observation usually requires authorization."
Ling Yuan inclined her head. "Spirit Hall recognizes talent wherever it appears."
Her eyes never left Lin Chen.
"Especially," she added, "when talent bends rules."
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"Rules bend themselves," he replied. "I just stand where they crack."
For the first time—
Ling Yuan's composure wavered.
Just slightly.
Interesting.
"May I?" she asked calmly.
Lin Chen nodded.
Ling Yuan raised her hand.
A pulse of refined soul power spread outward—gentle, controlled, designed to probe without harm.
It reached Lin Chen—
And vanished.
Not resisted.
Not blocked.
Absorbed.
Ling Yuan's pupils shrank.
Where did it go?
She withdrew her hand smoothly, but her heart was racing.
"Amazing," she said softly. "You suppress your soul like an abyss."
Lin Chen's eyes sharpened a fraction.
"So Spirit Hall sent a watcher," he said. "Not a blade."
"For now," Ling Yuan replied.
Their gazes locked again.
An understanding passed between them—unspoken, sharp.
Yu Xiaogang broke the tension. "You've seen enough."
Ling Yuan finally looked away.
"Yes," she said. "For today."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"Lin Chen," she added.
He looked at her.
"When the world starts asking for sides," she said quietly, "remember—Spirit Hall rewards those who choose early."
Lin Chen's smile didn't change.
"I don't choose sides," he replied. "I choose people."
Ling Yuan studied him for a moment longer.
Then she left.
The gates closed.
Only after she was gone did the courtyard breathe again.
Zhao Wuji wiped sweat from his brow. "That woman…"
"…wasn't here to fight," Tang San finished. "She was here to confirm."
Lin Chen turned toward Zhu Zhuqing.
"They know," she said quietly.
"Yes," Lin Chen replied.
"And?" she asked.
Lin Chen looked toward the horizon—toward Spirit Hall.
"Now," he said calmly, "they'll start planning."
The system chimed faintly.
[Major Faction Acknowledgment: Spirit Hall][Hidden Route Opened — Supreme Authority]
Above them, clouds gathered slowly.
Not a storm yet.
But everyone could feel it coming.