On the arena of the Soul Dueling Area, the air still retained a faint smell of burnt material and a trace of elusive, icy breath.
The arena stone surface, scorched black by the Dragons Fire, and the thin frost in the corner that had not yet completely melted—caused by the appearance of Caelus—silently told the story of what had just happened.
Wang Yan sighed softly; this sigh seemed exceptionally clear in the empty environment.
He recalled how Caelus addressed Han Ruoruo.
It was not just Caelus.
He knew that many students in the class, especially the girls, liked to call Han Ruoruo "Sister Ruoruo" in private.
That was a kind of heartfelt closeness, a reliance that transcended the boundaries between teacher and student, feeling more like family.
Wang Yan silently compared himself with Han Ruoruo in his heart.
He loved the teaching profession; he passed on the theoretical knowledge he had learned throughout his life to these children without reservation, hoping to help them walk further and more steadily on the path of a Soul Master.
He believed he had already given his all.
But he could not get along with the students as well as Han Ruoruo did.
He envied Han Ruoruo.
He envied her ability to blend in with the students so naturally, becoming their big sister and sharing their joys and sorrows.
"Teacher Han has such a good relationship with the students."
Wang Yan finally turned his inner thoughts into this plain sentence.
His voice carried a hint of undisguised envy.
Han Ruoruo was checking the damage to the arena. Hearing Wang Yan's words, she turned around and saw the look of undisguised loneliness on his face.
She was incredibly clever and immediately guessed what Wang Yan was thinking.
Han Ruoruo smiled slightly, and that smile was like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling the lingering cold in the Soul Dueling Area.
"Isn't it the same for you, Teacher Wang Yan? The students actually like you very much."
She shook her head and said with a smile.
"Is that so?"
Wang Yan pushed up his glasses, feeling a bit curious; he really didn't know what his image was in the eyes of the students.
"Teacher Wang Yan, you might not know this, but among the first-year students of the Outer Court, there is a private ranking for the 'Most Popular Teacher'."
Han Ruoruo smiled. Other teachers might not know, but she had a good relationship with the students and often learned about this privately circulated gossip from them during chats.
"Oh? There's such a thing?"
Wang Yan was clearly hearing this for the first time, and a look of curiosity appeared on his face.
"Yes."
A trace of mischievous amusement flashed in Han Ruoruo's eyes.
"I only found out a few days ago when that girl, Lan Luoluo, let it slip."
"On that 'Most Popular Teacher' list, you, Teacher Wang Yan, are actually ranked in the top three."
"Top three..." Wang Yan muttered to himself, his eyes behind his lenses shimmering with light.
"Then... who is number one?"
He asked subconsciously.
Han Ruoruo smiled and pointed a finger at herself.
"I knew it; Teacher Han has such a good relationship with the students, the first place is well-deserved."
Wang Yan also smiled and said.
"However, since there is a list, there must be a last place, right? I guess it's Teacher Zhou Yi."
Wang Yan changed the subject.
"That's right, it is Teacher Zhou."
Han Ruoruo shook her head.
"The students' evaluation of her is—a devil, a devil without humanity. They say that Teacher Zhou's class is torture during the lesson and suffering after class; they live every day in fear of being eliminated."
"Teacher Zhou's teaching philosophy, sigh..."
Wang Yan shook his head.
Han Ruoruo didn't want to casually evaluate other teachers, so she ended the topic.
Shrek Academy under the night sky, having shed the hustle and bustle of the day, appeared quiet and peaceful.
However, at the core of this quietness, on Sea God Island in the center of Sea God Lake, the atmosphere was completely different.
Above the island, a golden tree, whose magnificence could not be described in words, rose from the ground. Its canopy covered the entire island like a magnificent umbrella, and every leaf emitted a faint golden halo, reflecting the entire surface of Sea God Lake, making it shimmer like a dream.
And at the top of that huge golden tree, an ancient and elegant pavilion merged with the trunk, as if it had grown out of the ancient tree itself.
This was the Holy Land of the entire Spirit Master's world in the Douluo Continent, the core of the highest authority of Shrek Academy—the Sea Gods Pavilion.
At this moment, the Sea Gods Pavilion was brightly lit.
Beside a huge circular conference table carved from golden wood, the true controllers of Shrek Academy had already gathered.
Except for a few veteran elders who really couldn't get away, almost all the official members of the Sea Gods Pavilion were present.
At the head of the conference table sat a white-haired old man who looked like he was on the verge of death.
His figure was withered and thin, his back hunched, and he was deeply sunken into a large chair, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
However, no one dared to underestimate him.
Because he was the pillar of the contemporary Shrek Academy, a level 99 attack system Limit Douluo, the Dragon God Douluo—Mu En.
On Mu En's left side sat a figure who was completely out of place in this solemn environment.
He was tall and burly, but dressed in rags, with hair as messy as a bird's nest and a scruffy beard; he was clutching a shiny, oily roasted chicken leg in his hand, eating until his mouth was full of grease.
He was the number two figure of the Sea Gods Pavilion, the Gluttony Douluo, Xuan Zi.
Further down were the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, the Bright Phoenix Douluo Yan Shaozhe, and the Vice Dean, the Dragon Spear Douluo Cai Meier.
The Dean of the Soul Tool Department, the Martial God Douluo Xian Liner, and the Vice Dean, the Black Dragon Douluo Qian Duoduo.
There were also several veteran elders whose aura was unfathomable and who rarely appeared in the outside world, such as Elder Lin Huiqun, Elder Song, Elder Zhuang, and others.
They were the true foundation of Shrek Academy.
And at the end of the conference table sat a slightly reserved young figure.
Dressed in white, with long hair reaching her waist, a beautiful face, and an ethereal temperament.
It was the Inner Court's chief Disciple, Zhang Lexuan.
Given her seniority, she would normally not be qualified to sit here.
Sea Gods Pavilion meetings could only be attended by official members of the Sea Gods Pavilion.
But today, she was an exception.
Because she was the leader of this mission to the Far North, and even more so, the protagonist of today's meeting.
Mu En personally gave the order, making an exception to allow her to attend the meeting and report the situation.
Regarding this, none of the veteran elders present raised any objections.
Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before Zhang Lexuan became a member of the Sea Gods Pavilion.
Letting her experience the atmosphere of the Sea Gods Pavilion in advance was perfectly fine.
Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere was quiet and somewhat oppressive.
Only the "crunch" sound of Xuan Zi biting and chewing the chicken leg occasionally rang out.
Mu En closed his eyes, as if he had already fallen asleep.
Finally, Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
He glanced at Zhang Lexuan and said in a deep voice:
"Lexuan, begin."
Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath and stood up from her seat.
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