Douluo Continent: Angels Descend, Glory Reborn

Watching Tang Ya and Bei Bei's figures disappear around the corner, Su Chen turned around and, following the number on his key, slowly walked toward the freshman dormitory area.

In the sea of ​​spirits, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, who had been quietly watching the show, finally spoke slowly, her voice filled with an unyielding mockery and teasing:

"Tsk tsk tsk, kid, I've been watching closely. That girl named Tang Ya, from Star Dou Forest until now, her eyes, her attitude... hehe, she seems to really like you?"

Su Chen didn't stop walking, his expression remained unchanged, and he calmly replied in his mind, "You're overthinking it."

"You're overthinking it?" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm chuckled strangely. "I've lived for millions of years, what haven't I seen? That little girl's thoughts are all written on that pretty little face!"

"His eyes shone like stars when he talked to you, he was so close, and when we parted, he looked so reluctant to leave... Tsk tsk, youth is truly wonderful!"

"Does your grand plan to become a god include matchmaking?" Su Chen asked rhetorically.

"Hey! You can't say that!" Tianmeng Bingcan retorted confidently. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a confidante by your side on the path to godhood?"

"Besides, this girl has good talent and is quite pretty... If you're interested in her, taking her in isn't out of the question. Anyway, according to your human age calculations, she's only two or three years older than you."

"Kid, think it over? I see you're not completely unresponsive to her."

Su Chen didn't reply. Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's words weren't entirely unreasonable; he naturally sensed Tang Ya's thoughts.

This Tang Clan leader is lively, kind, and resilient, and genuinely harbors a special affection for him. From a self-interest perspective, if he can bring the declining Tang Clan under his control through Tang Ya, he will have an extra card to play when dealing with Tang San in the future.

But this is not the most urgent matter.

Meanwhile, Tang Ya, who had already walked away, was being questioned by Bei Bei.

"Xiaoya, you seemed particularly enthusiastic towards Su Chen today..." Beibei asked tentatively, carefully choosing her words.

Tang Ya paused, a hint of panic flashing across her face, but she quickly concealed it, feigning nonchalance as she said, "Really? I just think Su Chen is so talented and handsome, and we brought him back, so of course we should take extra care of him! After all, he might become an asset to our Tang Clan in the future!"

"Really..." Beibei looked at Tang Ya's slightly reddened ears, and that strange feeling in her heart resurfaced.

But he didn't press further, only nodding: "You're right. Su Chen is indeed a talent worth recruiting."

………………

Leaving the bulletin board displaying class assignment information, Su Chen walked alone towards the freshman dormitory area at a leisurely pace, following the indicated path.

Shrek Academy's inner city is vast and well-planned, so even without Tang Ya as a "guide," finding the dormitory building wouldn't be difficult.

After walking a while longer, passing through a grove of trees where trainees could relax, rows of neat gray-white buildings came into view.

These buildings all share a uniform style, being four stories high and appearing simple and unadorned, yet they occupy a considerable area, clearly indicating ample interior space. This is the dormitory area for freshmen and lower-year students of the School of Foreign Languages.

The key in Su Chen's hand pointed to one of the buildings. He walked to the entrance of that dormitory building, his gaze first drawn to the scene on one side of the entrance.

There stood an old but clean recliner, and an old man was resting with his eyes closed. He was dressed in the most ordinary gray cloth clothes, his hair was sparse and gray, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles and age spots. His body was curled up in the recliner, looking thin and withered, and his breathing was so light that it was almost imperceptible, as if he might quietly pass away in the autumn sun at any moment.

Anyone unaware of the situation would think he was just an ordinary old man on his deathbed, someone the college had assigned to guard the gate to pass the time.

But Su Chen's steps faltered almost imperceptibly.

Moon.

The name and related information clearly came to mind.

This seemingly elderly man, who appears to be on the verge of death at any moment, is none other than one of the strongest figures on the Douluo Continent, the true pillar of Shrek Academy, and the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion—Mu En! A level 99 Limit Douluo, his martial soul is the Holy Light Dragon, and his title is "Dragon God"!

Looking at this peerless expert who was "hidden" at the entrance of the freshman dormitory in such a manner, Su Chen couldn't help but feel a complex and subtle emotion. Information from his memories surged into his mind like a tide.

Mu En, and his close friend and later his enemy Long Xiaoyao, both level 99 Limit Douluo, should have stood at the pinnacle of the continent, looking down on all living beings and living freely in the world. However, because of a woman—Ye Xishui, their fates took an astonishing turn, and they each ended up with a tragic end.

Long Xiaoyao was infatuated with Ye Xishui, even going so far as to join the Holy Spirit Cult, an organization of evil soul masters. Although he seemed to have come to his senses later, he was trapped by this twisted emotion for the rest of his life and was deeply exploited by Ye Xishui.

As for Mu En, in Su Chen's eyes, his situation was perhaps even more "tragic." He also deeply loved Ye Xishui, but he didn't get anything substantial in return. Instead, he turned against his best friend Long Xiaoyao because of her and lived a lonely life.

Furthermore, due to the earth-shattering battle with the sect leader of the Body Sect, Du Bisi, in his early years, he narrowly won but was seriously injured. Later, in order to improve his strength, he forcibly took the "Dragon Pill," which further damaged his essence, resulting in lifelong disability. In his later years, he could only live a life of barely surviving by the dim sunlight at the entrance of this dormitory, placing all his last hope and effort on Shrek Academy and future generations.

Ye Xishui at least had a moment of genuine affection for Long Xiaoyao and gave birth to a child for him. Her bloodline remained in Shrek Academy in another way, and she even became the dean of the Martial Soul Department.

But what about Moon? He devoted himself to protecting her, giving silently, but in the end he received nothing, suffering severe injuries and disability, and dying alone...

A dignified Limit Douluo, a top expert on the continent, reduced to such a state. Fate's cruel tricks are truly beyond compare.

Thoughts churned within him like a surging tide, but Su Chen's expression remained unchanged. He walked steadily to the recliner, stopping about three steps away from the old man. He bowed slightly, his attitude respectful yet not servile, his voice clear and calm:

"Hello, I'm a freshman who just enrolled and am here to move into the dormitory. Could you please help me find my dormitory?" he said, handing over a simple brass key.

Moon, who was reclining on the chair, had his eyelids drooping as if he had fallen asleep. He moved very slightly and then slowly opened them.

His calm, unwavering gaze fell upon Su Chen, slowly scrutinizing him.

A moment later, a hoarse, deep voice, as if it hadn't spoken in a long time, rang out. The voice was slow and had the slurred tone typical of an elderly person: "The key, let me see it."

As instructed, Su Chen gently placed the brass key in his hand into Mu En's wrinkled, loose-skinned, outstretched palm. The hand looked withered and powerless, but Su Chen could vaguely sense the terrifying power contained within it, like a dormant volcano.

Moon picked up the key, without even looking down to examine it closely, but simply waved it in front of his eyes casually, as if merely using this action to confirm the extremely tiny number engraved on it, before handing it back to Su Chen.

He raised his other finger and pointed to the dormitory building behind him, his voice still flat and emotionless: "Go. Dorm 108, first floor, third room on the left." He paused, his cloudy eyes looking at Su Chen, and added, his tone slightly heavier, carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Remember, in this building, the fourth floor and up are girls' dormitories. Boys are strictly prohibited from going up there. If caught, you will be expelled immediately. There is no room for negotiation."

Su Chen took the key, thanked him briefly, and spoke calmly, without the nervousness or trepidation of a freshman, nor with the slightest disdain for the other party being a "veteran gatekeeper." He nodded slightly again and then turned to walk into the dormitory building.

Mu En's gaze, seemingly casual, actually followed Su Chen the whole time, until the figure disappeared into the shadows inside the dormitory building.

On the recliner, the old man's seemingly stiff lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards, forming an extremely subtle arc, and a faint glimmer of light flashed deep in his cloudy eyes.

"Such pure and powerful light attribute... Although it was deliberately concealed and even carried a higher level of divine quality, at such close range, and being of the same light nature... how could it possibly have completely deceived me?" Mu En thought to himself.

His martial soul is the Holy Dragon of Light, a top-tier martial soul with the attribute of light. Although it has not reached the level of ultimate light, it is not far off, and he has an extremely keen perception of the attribute of light.

The moment Su Chen approached, he sensed the hidden yet extremely high-level aura of light emanating from the young man. This was far beyond what an ordinary light-attribute martial soul could possess; it even caused a very faint tremor within his dormant Light Sacred Dragon martial soul.

"Interesting. I wonder when that brat Shao Zhe will discover this true treasure." Mu En closed his eyes again, seemingly reverting to his drowsy old man form, a faint hint of amusement and anticipation flickering in his heart. "Those teachers in charge of admissions at the academy, and those arrogant fellows in the Martial Soul Department... I'd like to see if their judgment has truly deteriorated to such an extent."

He even had a wicked thought: should he secretly give those guys a heads-up and make them "ignore" this boy for a while, and see how long it would take for this gem to shine with its own undeniable brilliance?

Of course, this is just speculation. Shrek Academy needs geniuses, but even more so, it needs proper guidance. This boy named Su Chen likely harbors significant secrets; he needs to be observed and appropriately protected.

At least, under Moon's nose, within Shrek Academy, some hands that shouldn't reach out should think twice.

……

Inside the dormitory building, the lighting was slightly dim, but it was very clean. The floor was terrazzo, and the walls were painted white; although they were a few years old, they were well-maintained. A faint scent of sun-dried bedding mixed with the aroma of wooden furniture filled the air.

Following Moon's instructions, Su Chen quickly found the third room on the left. A brass number plate was nailed above the door: 108.

Su Chen took out the key, inserted it into the lock, and gently turned it.

"Click".

The door opened.

He pushed open the door and entered, his gaze quickly sweeping across the entire room.

The room was more spacious than I had imagined, about twenty square meters. There was a single bed on each side, with brand new bedding and pillows. Between the two beds, near the window, was a large desk with two wooden chairs.

A double-door wardrobe stood near the door. The window was open, and a gentle breeze stirred the curtains, bringing a touch of coolness and the fresh scent of the surrounding vegetation.

A standard and simple double dormitory room.

But at this moment, the room was empty, and the other bed was neatly made, obviously the roommate had not yet arrived.

Su Chen's gaze swept over the two beds, finally landing on the empty bed on the left side by the window, where he put down his simple luggage.

"Dormitory 108..." he repeated softly, recalling the original plot and the dormitory key in his hand that should have belonged to "Huo Yuhao"...

"I didn't expect that," Su Chen thought to himself, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. "I didn't pay attention to the room number when I got my dorm key, and I ended up in the same dorm as that 'cross-dressing' young lady."

Wang Dong'er. Or rather, she should be called Wang Dong now, the future Tang Wutong who has merged with Wang Qiu'er's consciousness but has lost some of her original charm.

Recalling the extraordinary talents and unique charm of Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er in the original work, and comparing them with Tang Wutong, whose fate was forcibly "arranged" by Tang San and whose personality became somewhat spoiled and willful after the fusion, Su Chen couldn't help but shake his head in his heart, feeling a genuine sense of regret.

Wang Dong'er, known as the most beautiful owner of the Goddess of Light Butterfly Martial Soul in Douluo Continent, is the little princess of the Clear Sky Sect. She has an unparalleled beauty and is initially as proud as a swan, but she is sensitive and kind at heart. She gradually grows through her experiences and her feelings for Huo Yuhao are sincere and passionate.

Wang Qiu'er, the human form of the three-eyed golden lion, an auspicious beast of the emperor, inherited a wisp of divine consciousness from Tang San. She has a fierce and persistent personality, and dares to love and hate. Like a burning flame, she is beautiful and dangerous. Her struggle against fate and her pure love are both touching.

These two are top-notch in terms of appearance, talent, and personality; they are each an independent star, shining with their own unique brilliance.

However, under Tang San's "arrangement," they were forced to merge and become Tang Wutong. They lost their individuality, and their personalities became somewhat ambiguous and even contradictory, making her more like a "tool" existing to "be worthy" of the chosen one and to continue the bloodline of the God King.

"This operation is like forcibly combining two SSR cards with unlimited potential into a seemingly gorgeous but soulless, possibly even R-rank, mediocre card," Su Chen commented sarcastically. "That God-King's desire to control the fate of those around him is indeed as 'strong' as ever."

It's a pity, but it has nothing to do with him. At least not now.