TL: GoldenLung
Wang Tianyu led Lan Xuanyu and the other six to the front of a small hill and stopped. He waved both hands in front of him, and a powerful spiritual forceâor rather, divine senseâwas released from his body.
The branches forming the small hill suddenly split apart to the sides, revealing a not-so-large entrance. A golden light shone from within. It was a golden door, though it was unclear where it led.
"Follow me," Wang Tianyu said, stepping through the golden door and vanishing from sight.
Lan Xuanyu and the others hurried after him, entering the door one by one.
The moment Lan Xuanyu crossed the threshold, his first sensation was that everything around him had suddenly become illusory, slightly distorted. The thick life aura that had surrounded them vanished. In the next moment, his feet landed on solid ground.
As he looked around and took in his surroundings, he couldnât help but freeze in surprise.
They were on a small island, surrounded by crystal-clear, jade-green lake water. Although there was no longer a strong presence of life energy in the air, when Lan Xuanyu gazed at the water, his eyes revealed a look of shock. He could clearly feel that the lake contained an unimaginably compressed concentration of life energyâso dense it was nearly tangible.
And in the center of that lake of life energy floated a small island, upon which stood a massive golden tree. It was from this golden tree that the radiant light emanated, illuminating everything in a golden hue.
Lan Xuanyu and his companions were standing at the edge of the island.
The golden tree was enormous, with thick, sturdy roots extending from its base, naturally forming a treehouse beneath its trunk. Yesâa treehouse.
The treehouse was large and had two stories, styled in a simple, ancient design. It was entirely formed by the golden tree itself, yet blended in so seamlessly it felt completely natural.
Lan Xuanyu and the others were slightly breathless. Though they didnât know exactly where they were, they could guessâthis must be the very core of the academy: the heart of Eternal Sky City.
Wang Tianyu turned to them and said, âThis is the inner city of Eternal Sky City. The golden tree before you is the Golden Ancient Tree, and this treehouse is the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy.â
Upon hearing this, the seven couldnât help but gasp. The Sea God Pavilionâthis was actually the Sea God Pavilion?
There were countless legends about the Sea God Pavilion. Any soul master would know of itâit was a sacred place that all soul masters revered. Every member of the Sea God Pavilion was a core figure of Shrek Academy, and an exceptionally powerful individual.
No one knew how many members the Pavilion had, but it was regarded as the most powerful force in the entire Douluo Federation.
Compared to the Tang Sect, the War God Temple, or the Spirit Pagoda, the Sea God Pavilion ranked above them all.
âCome in,â Wang Tianyu beckoned to them, then led the way toward the treehouse beneath the Golden Ancient Tree.
As they approached, they saw a small wooden plaque hanging above the door of the treehouse, on which the characters for âSea God Pavilionâ were written.
A deep, indescribable emotion rose in their hearts. To be here, at the Sea God Pavilion, was an immense honor.
They entered the wooden house, which was not as lavish or mystical as they had imagined. What greeted them was a well-lit living room, its walls, ceiling, and floor all glowing faintly with golden light, casting a golden hue over everything within.
In the center of the room stood a long table, with nine chairs on each side and an additional seat at the headânineteen wooden chairs in total.
Wang Tianyu said, âWait here for a bit. Iâll notify the other members of the Sea God Pavilion.â
Lan Xuanyu couldnât help but ask, âPavilion Master, are we going to attend a Sea God Pavilion meeting?â
Wang Tianyu chuckled at the question. âAttend a Sea God Pavilion meeting? Youâre not qualified just yet. Youâre here merely to observeâor rather, to be questioned by the Pavilion. Hopefully, in the near future, one of these seats will belong to you.â
As he spoke, Wang Tianyu released his divine sense.
Lan Xuanyu and the others stepped aside and stood together, exchanging looks. Excitement was visible in everyoneâs eyesâeven the usually calm Lan Xuanyu couldnât hide his anticipation. This was a Sea God Pavilion meeting!
The legendary Sea God Pavilion meetings had determined the development direction of the entire Federation multiple times, with each decision having a profound impact. None of them had expected to participate in one upon their return.
Wang Tianyu sat down at the fourth seat from the left. Clearly, that was his designated seat.
Within the Sea God Pavilion, each seat around the seemingly ordinary long table held a distinct significance, reflecting each memberâs level of authority.
Before long, a figure entered. Upon seeing Lan Xuanyu and the others, he smiled. âYou rascal, back already? I heard you stirred things up quite a bit this timeâeven the Federation was alarmed.â
It was none other than Elder Shu.
Elder Shu looked much the same as before, his eyes still shining brightly, though he seemed slightly older.
Lan Xuanyu quickly stepped forward and saluted him. Elder Shu patted his shoulder. âYouâll speak in detail later, especially about the Dragon Realm. The Academy is very interestedâit has extraordinary implications for our School of Life.â
âYes, sir.â
After that, Elder Shu sat down across from Wang Tianyu, the fourth seat from the right.
Seeing where Wang Tianyu and Elder Shu were seated, Lan Xuanyu was inwardly shocked. Both were deputy Pavilion Masters of the Sea God Pavilion, yet they sat only in the fourth seats on each side. That meant there were still seven individuals ranked higherâone of whom was certainly the Pavilion Master. But who were the other six?
Puzzled and curious, Lan Xuanyu and the others continued waiting.
More people entered one after anotherâincluding familiar faces.
Meng Fei and Tang Miao arrived together. These two, the Chief and Deputy Chiefs of the Tang Sectâs Douluo Hall, were greeted with salutes by the seven. Tang Miao sat in the sixth seat on the left, and Meng Fei in the thirdâindicating that Meng Fei outranked Wang Tianyu.
Soon after, another middle-aged man entered. He looked utterly ordinaryâplain appearance, no aura, just like a regular person. Lan Xuanyu had never seen him before.
Yet, the moment he entered, aside from Elder Shu, Meng Fei, Wang Tianyu, and Tang Miao all stood up and respectfully greeted him, âBig Brother.â
The man smiled and gestured for them to sit. Then he approached Elder Shu and said, âElder Shu, itâs been a long time.â
Elder Shu looked surprised. âYouâve returned as well?â
âYes, I couldnât stay away. With such important intelligence, I had to come back and hear it in person. I look forward to hearing these young onesâ reports.â He smiled at Lan Xuanyu and his group.
They quickly saluted him. Though they didnât know who he was, a wave of emotion stirred in their hearts. To be called âBig Brotherâ by those threeâwhat level of strength and status must he possess?
Recalling what Elder Shu had once said about the current generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, Lan Xuanyu couldnât help but wonderâwas this unassuming man the leader of that generation? Only that could explain why Meng Fei, Wang Tianyu, and Tang Miao all addressed him with such respect.
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