boyutpedia Chapter 44, Dormitory No. 108
Chapter 44, Dormitory No. 108
The Shrek Academy acceptance letter caused quite a stir in Shrek City.
The news of an eleven-year-old six-ring Soul Emperor swept through the city like a hurricane. From the professors' offices at the academy to the teahouses and taverns on the street, everyone was talking about this mysterious young man from the Clear Sky Sect. Some said he was a genius that only appeared once in a century, some said he had the bloodline of an ancient divine beast flowing through his veins, and others said he was the illegitimate son of a Title Douluo—the rumors became more and more outrageous and bizarre, but one thing everyone agreed on: Shrek Academy's freshmen this year had produced a monster among monsters.
Zi Lingtian ignored these rumors.
The day after receiving their acceptance letters, he and Wang Dong'er checked out of their inn room, packed a few simple bags, and officially headed to Shrek Academy to register.
The morning sunlight spilled onto the bluestone path of Shrek Academy. The tall, straight sycamore trees on both sides swayed gently in the breeze, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Groups of students walked past them, some in Shrek uniforms, others in casual clothes. All eyes were drawn to Zi Lingtian—long purple hair, deep purple eyes, a sharp and angular face that already showed promise at eleven, and a calm demeanor beyond his years.
"Is that him? The eleven-year-old Soul Emperor from the Clear Sky Sect?"
"It should be. Look at his purple hair, it's exactly the same as the rumors say."
"She's quite good-looking..."
"Keep your voice down, he's a Soul Emperor, be careful he doesn't hear you."
Whispers drifted in from all directions, rising and falling like the chirping of cicadas in summer. Wang Dong'er walked beside Zi Lingtian, listening to the discussions, a hint of pride flashing in her large pink-blue eyes, as if those people were praising herself, not Zi Lingtian.
"You're famous now," Wang Dong'er nudged Zi Lingtian's arm with her elbow and whispered.
Zi Lingtian remained unfazed: "In a few days, no one will be talking about it anymore."
Wang Dong'er pursed her lips, not believing his words, but didn't say anything more.
Following the directions on their admission notices, the two passed through the teaching area, the training ground, and a small garden, arriving at the freshman dormitory building. It was a five-story brick building, simple in appearance but exuding a sense of calm and age. Ivy climbed all over the walls, and the wooden-framed windows were spotless, gleaming softly in the sunlight.
A notice was posted at the entrance of the dormitory building, listing the names of the new students assigned to dormitories. Zi Lingtian and Wang Dong'er went over to look and found their names among the densely packed names—
Zi Lingtian, Dormitory No. 108.
Wang Dong, dormitory number 108.
Wang Dong.
Zi Lingtian glanced at Wang Dong'er beside her. Today, she was wearing a white men's robe, and her long, light blue hair was tied up with a hairband, disguising herself as a handsome young man. Her features were already somewhat androgynous, and with her deliberately lowered voice and altered gait, it was truly difficult to tell that she was a woman unless you looked closely.
"Wang Dong," Zi Lingtian called out expressionlessly.
Wang Dong'er—no, from today onwards she should be called Wang Dong—rolled her eyes at him and said in a low, masculine voice, "What?"
We live in the same dorm.
"I know, I saw it clearly, you don't need to remind me."
The two exchanged a glance, and Wang Dong's ears turned slightly red, but he quickly turned his face away, pretending to be studying the layout of the dormitory building.
Zi Lingtian didn't expose her discomfort. He knew Wang Dong was nervous—not nervous about staying in the dormitory itself, but nervous about sharing a room with him. For the past five years, although they had been together day and night, they had never shared a room. The Haotian Sect's courtyard, though small, at least had two rooms, separated by a courtyard. Now, it was all over.
However, Zi Lingtian didn't feel anything special about it. An eleven-year-old boy's mind was focused on cultivation and scheming; he didn't have time to think about romantic matters. Besides, Wang Dong was currently disguised as a boy, and it was perfectly normal for two boys to share a dormitory.
"Let's go in and take a look." Zi Lingtian took the lead and walked into the dormitory building.
The interior of the dormitory building was even cleaner than the exterior. The corridors had dark wooden floors, and the walls were painted light gray. Every few steps, there was a soul-guided wall lamp that emitted a soft yellow glow. On both sides of the corridor were dark brown wooden doors, with brass nameplates on them bearing the room numbers.
Dormitory No. 108 is the first room on the left on the second floor.
Zi Lingtian walked up the stairs to the second floor and down the corridor. The corridor was quiet; most of the new students hadn't arrived yet. Only a few rooms had their doors open, and she could hear voices and the rustling of luggage being packed inside.
When she reached the door of No. 108, Zi Lingtian suddenly slowed down.
It wasn't because there was anything wrong with room 108, but because there was a person lying on a deck chair at the entrance of dormitory 109 next to room 108.
An old man.
The old man looked at least a hundred years old, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles like a dried-up riverbed, his skin drooping loosely, and age spots covering the backs of his hands and cheeks. He wore a faded gray robe, lay on an equally old wicker recliner, his hands folded over his abdomen, his eyes closed, and his breathing slow and even, as if he were asleep.
But Zi Lingtian knew he wasn't asleep.
The moment his consciousness touched the old man, it was swallowed up silently, like a drop of water falling into the ocean. It wasn't blocked or bounced back, but rather encompassed and dissolved by an extremely profound state, almost akin to the Dao.
Zi Lingtian had only ever sensed this level of divine consciousness from one person—Tang San.
No, they are different. Tang San's divine sense is sharp and unstoppable, like a sword drawn from its sheath; while this old man's divine sense is profound and all-encompassing, like a boundless sea.
Zi Lingtian's heartbeat quickened slightly for a moment, then returned to normal.
He recognized the old man.
Mu En. The Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy, a level 99 Limit Douluo, and a Dragon God Douluo. On the Douluo Continent, very few can rival him. More importantly, this old man is one of the few in the original story who truly remains clear-headed and rational—he is not blinded by power, nor swayed by prejudice, and in the chaotic world of Shrek Academy, he always maintains a fair and insightful heart.
Zi Lingtian had a very good impression of Mu En.
It wasn't because he was so powerful, but because he was one of the few normal people in Shrek Academy. Apart from this Dragon God Douluo, there were no normal people in Shrek Academy; they were all blinded by the so-called Shrek Glory.
Zi Lingtian snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at Wang Dong beside her.
Wang Dong clearly didn't notice anything special about the old man on the recliner. In her eyes, he was just an old man sunbathing at the entrance of the dormitory building, perhaps a janitor for the academy, or a family member of some student; in short, someone she didn't need to pay attention to.