Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

Hearing Jing Shaoyu's confident response, the green-haired woman smiled gracefully.

"What a confident young man," she said warmly.

"Sister, are you a resident of Shrek City, or are you here as a tourist?" Jing Shaoyu asked, probing subtly while observing her closely.

Though her appearance strongly resembled Holy Spirit Douluo Yali, he dared not jump to conclusions. After all, what if she was Bi Ji instead?

"Giggle~" The green-haired woman chuckled melodiously, her voice soft and soothing. "My home is right here in Shrek City."

"Really?" Jing Shaoyu feigned a mix of surprise and envy. "Then you must know all the fun places in Shrek City, right?"

"Hmm…" The woman tapped her chin thoughtfully, then her eyes twinkled. "Well, there is a lake that's quite fun."

"A lake?" Jing Shaoyu looked puzzled. Surely she wasn't referring to Sea God Lake?

"Hehe!" The woman chuckled at his bemused expression and playfully pinched his cheek. "You'll find out once you're admitted to Shrek Academy. Good luck, little brother!"

With that, she turned and walked away, her steps light and cheerful.

Watching her leave, Jing Shaoyu's thoughts solidified: she had to be Yali.

But why was she here, and why did they happen to meet? Was it coincidence, or something intentional?

As Jing Shaoyu pondered, he couldn't help but wonder how Leng Yaozhu would react if she knew Yali had pinched his cheek.

The next few days flew by, and soon it was time for the Shrek Academy entrance exams. In their inn, the tension was palpable as the two teachers and four students gathered in Tang Wulin's room.

"Teacher Wu, what are you trying to do?" Ye Yingluo was the first to break the silence. She glared at Wu Zhangkong, her voice sharp. "The entrance exam is about to start. Are you really planning to let one Tang Wulin delay everyone else? Make a decision now. I'm telling you, we can't sacrifice the group for one person!"

Her words were blunt and direct, pushing Wu Zhangkong to make a choice.

"You can take the others ahead. As for Tang Wulin, I have my own plan," Wu Zhangkong replied, his tone calm, his eyes lowered.

"No way! Teacher Wu, I'm staying with Wulin!" Before Ye Yingluo could respond, Xie Xie shouted emotionally. "I will never leave Wulin behind!"

Xie Xie's outburst caught Wu Zhangkong's attention and drew a glance from Ye Yingluo, though she was unimpressed. To her, Xie Xie's loyalty was irrelevant; she saw Wu Zhangkong's actions as deliberate favoritism toward Tang Wulin, at the expense of Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan.

Ever since Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi transferred out, Wu Zhangkong's reputation among this cohort had been poor. Many believed he was biased, favoring less talented students from Class Five over the more promising ones from Class One.

Now, with Tang Wulin's situation, Ye Yingluo's dissatisfaction boiled over.

"Fine! I'll take Jing Shaoyu, Xu Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue to the exam. I refuse to let a talentless and unremarkable Tang Wulin drag down three prodigies!" she declared harshly.

"You—" Xie Xie glared at Ye Yingluo, his anger evident, but she remained unfazed.

Wu Zhangkong's gaze turned icy as he looked at Ye Yingluo. Though Tang Wulin's talent and strength indeed paled compared to the others, he wouldn't tolerate such blatant disrespect toward his student.

Feeling unnerved under Wu Zhangkong's cold stare, Ye Yingluo forced herself to stand firm, refusing to back down.

"Teacher Ye, Wulin isn't as bad as you think. He's a hard worker," Jing Shaoyu said, stepping in to defuse the tension. He then turned to Wu Zhangkong and added, "Teacher Wu, please don't take it to heart. Teacher Ye is just anxious and doesn't mean anything by it."

Jing Shaoyu's words calmed both Wu Zhangkong and Ye Yingluo, easing the strained atmosphere.

"Hmph!" Ye Yingluo huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine, I'll take back what I said. Wulin is a good kid, but I still stand by my stance: we cannot let one person hold back the group!"

"…Fine," Wu Zhangkong sighed after a moment of silence. "It's up to you. Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan—what are your thoughts?"

"Teacher Wu, I—" Jing Shaoyu began, but Gu Yue spoke first.

"I agree," Gu Yue said flatly.

Her words drew a heavy sigh from Wu Zhangkong, a stunned expression from Xie Xie, and a look of satisfaction from Ye Yingluo. Though simple, her response clearly indicated her stance, signaling the official dissolution of Class Zero.

Jing Shaoyu glanced at Gu Yue, who met his gaze briefly. Her calm determination emboldened him. "Teacher Wu, we've worked hard for this day. If we miss it because of an accident, I'd regret it deeply. So I agree with Teacher Ye's decision."

Wu Zhangkong's face darkened slightly, while Xie Xie's expression grew more despondent. They both knew Jing Shaoyu's stance confirmed the end of Class Zero.

"Same here!" Xu Xiaoyan chimed in eagerly.

Though her input no longer mattered, it sealed Class Zero's fate completely.

Ye Yingluo smirked triumphantly, her gaze at Wu Zhangkong tinged with glee. This time, she had won.

However, Wu Zhangkong didn't spare her a glance. Instead, he looked at Jing Shaoyu and said, "I understand. I respect your decision. I'll have Teacher Shen escort you to the exam."

"Thank you for understanding," Jing Shaoyu said, relieved. He realized Wu Zhangkong's attachment to Tang Wulin wasn't as deep as in the original story. His reluctance to give up on Wulin stemmed more from his sense of duty as a teacher and admiration for Wulin's Golden Dragon bloodline.

"Xie Xie, go with Jing Shaoyu and the others," Wu Zhangkong said, turning to Xie Xie.

"Teacher Wu, I want to stay with Wulin," Xie Xie replied, shaking his head after a brief hesitation. He knew this choice would lead him down a different path, but he had no regrets.

Wu Zhangkong gave Xie Xie a long, deep look before saying softly, "Alright."

Xie Xie's loyalty earned a rare glimmer of respect from Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. Despite his usual carefree demeanor, Xie Xie wasn't as thoughtless as he seemed.

Just then, a silver-haired woman appeared. She addressed Wu Zhangkong with a cheerful voice. "Senior Brother, is everyone ready?"

Her eyes landed on Jing Shaoyu, a hint of delight flashing within them.

Seeing the woman, everyone but Wu Zhangkong and Jing Shaoyu looked at her curiously. Ye Yingluo, in particular, scrutinized her, as if comparing herself to the newcomer.

"Yes," Wu Zhangkong said, his tone softening slightly. "One student is still meditating and hasn't awakened yet. You can take Jing Shaoyu and the others first."

"Then everyone's accounted for!" The woman's eyes brightened with excitement, completely ignoring his first sentence.

"…" Wu Zhangkong sighed inwardly.

"This is my junior sister, Teacher Shen, a faculty member at Shrek Academy. She will take you to the exam," Wu Zhangkong introduced her.

Hearing this, everyone was surprised, while Ye Yingluo looked visibly deflated. A Shrek Academy teacher was out of her league.

"Senior Brother, aren't you coming with us?" Shen Yi asked curiously.

"I'll wait for Tang Wulin to wake up," Wu Zhangkong replied.

"But won't that make them late?" Shen Yi asked, puzzled.

"I've already figured out a solution," Wu Zhangkong said, waving her off. "Take Jing Shaoyu and the others now. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"Hehe, you got me!" Shen Yi laughed awkwardly before turning to the students. "

Let's go!"

Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan followed Shen Yi out of the inn, heading toward Shrek Academy.