Chapter 155: Departure! 

Early morning, at the Eastern Sea City Soul Train Station entrance.

Jing Xiaoyu, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie had all arrived early to gather. Their young faces displayed various emotions—excitement, anticipation, nervousness—all mixed with the hope of their upcoming journey and uncertainty for their futures. It was only natural. 

"Teacher Wu is unbelievable. Why isn't he here yet?" Xu Xiaoyan grumbled impatiently, holding onto Jing Xiaoyu's hand. "He always cuts it close, but why today of all days does he have to do it again?"

"Exactly!" Xie Xie chimed in, nodding in agreement. "Teacher Wu is definitely doing this on purpose!"

Listening to their complaints, Jing Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh softly. He reached out to pat Xu Xiaoyan's head gently. "Alright, relax. There's still half an hour before the train departs. Teacher Wu should already be on his way. Let's wait a bit longer."

"Teacher Wu!" Tang Wulin suddenly exclaimed excitedly, pointing towards the east entrance of the station.

The group turned their heads instinctively and, sure enough, they saw Wu Zhangkong approaching, his pace calm and unhurried.

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoyan tilted her head in confusion as she noticed someone walking behind Wu Zhangkong. "There's a woman following Teacher Wu. She looks really familiar!" 

Jing Xiaoyu's gaze also fell upon the figure accompanying Wu Zhangkong. He couldn't hide his surprise. "Teacher Ye? Why is she with Teacher Wu?"

The woman trailing Wu Zhangkong was none other than Class One's teacher, Ye Yingluo.

"Oh-ho!" Xie Xie's face immediately lit up with mischief as he let out a cheeky laugh. "I heard Teacher Ye has been chasing after Teacher Wu. Could it be…"

His words caused everyone to exchange strange looks. Tang Wulin's reaction was particularly noticeable. He knew about Long Bing, so he didn't believe the rumors about Teacher Wu and Teacher Ye at all.

"I don't think so." Jing Xiaoyu shook his head, dismissing Xie Xie's speculation. If Wu Zhangkong were really interested in Ye Yingluo, then something must have gone very wrong with the timeline. In his opinion, Ye Yingluo being here must have another explanation.

While the group was still chatting, Wu Zhangkong and Ye Yingluo had already reached them.

Facing the group's curious gazes, Wu Zhangkong remained expressionless as he said coldly, "Teacher Ye will be accompanying us to Shrek Academy."

"Hello, everyone." Ye Yingluo, who usually shared Wu Zhangkong's seriousness, surprised them by offering a rare smile. "The Academy's board has approved Zero Class to participate in the Shrek Academy entrance exam. I've been appointed as the lead teacher for this trip, and all expenses will be covered by the Academy."

"Huh?" The students were clearly stunned by this announcement.

"What about Teacher Wu?" Tang Wulin asked quickly.

"Nothing changes," Wu Zhangkong replied indifferently.

Jing Xiaoyu was equally surprised but quickly began considering the implications of this unexpected development.

The involvement of Eastsea Academy in their participation in the Shrek Academy entrance exam didn't alter the core plan much. However, it did introduce subtle changes.

For example, the nature of their trip shifted from being Wu Zhangkong's personal initiative to an official act by the Academy. If the Zero Class students passed the entrance exam, Eastsea Academy could proudly claim credit for nurturing them, avoiding any ridicule from rival cities.

Furthermore, the group's nominal leader had changed. Since Wu Zhangkong had already resigned from Eastsea Academy, the Academy board appointed Ye Yingluo as the lead teacher. This choice made sense for two reasons: she was young—about the same age as Wu Zhangkong—and extremely talented, being the strongest teacher in Eastsea Academy.

At thirty-one years old, Ye Yingluo was already a Soul Emperor. Having her lead Zero Class not only demonstrated the Academy's pride in its students but also highlighted its pool of talented faculty.

Wu Zhangkong, for his part, had no objections to the arrangement. For him, as long as the Zero Class students entered Shrek Academy, the rest didn't matter.

Together, the two teachers and five students boarded the soul train bound for Shrek Academy.

Inside one of the train's carriages, Jing Xiaoyu, Wu Zhangkong, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie sat together, while Ye Yingluo, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan sat on the opposite side. The train soon departed, letting out a low whistle as it began its journey towards Shrek City, located in the heart of the continent.

The atmosphere in the carriage was initially quiet. Wu Zhangkong sat with his eyes closed, resting. Tang Wulin stared absentmindedly out the window. Xie Xie, unable to sit still, kept shifting in his seat, looking around. Jing Xiaoyu remained calm and composed, observing everyone. As he looked at Tang Wulin's brooding expression and Xie Xie's restlessness, he couldn't help but think: Enjoy this peaceful train ride while you can. It might be the only calm journey you'll have.

Meanwhile, over in the girls' seats, Ye Yingluo smiled warmly as she chatted with Xu Xiaoyan, while Gu Yue remained quiet, watching everything with cold indifference.

"Teacher Ye, will you be returning to Eastsea after the exam, or will you leave immediately?" Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously.

"I'll wait until the exam ends, of course!" Ye Yingluo replied with a smile. "The principal and board members are counting on me to bring back good news. By the way, Xiaoyan, how confident are you for the exam?"

"Of course I'm confident!" Xu Xiaoyan grinned proudly. "I'm already a Soul Elder now. I'm absolutely certain I'll pass!"

Her words even caught Gu Yue's attention, and she glanced at Xu Xiaoyan with slight surprise.

What Gu Yue didn't know was that during their five-day break, Xu Xiaoyan had fused her family's ancestral soul bone—the Starlight Blessing Skull—with her grandfather's help. With the soul bone's boost, Xu Xiaoyan now brimmed with confidence, ready to make a stunning impression during the Shrek Academy entrance exam.

"That's wonderful!" Ye Yingluo praised sincerely. But as she spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted to Wu Zhangkong. Seeing him sitting there, eyes still closed, her excitement dimmed slightly.

She had always hoped that reaching Soul Emperor would make Wu Zhangkong finally see her in a new light. Yet, even now, he treated her the same as before—completely indifferent.

Ye Yingluo felt both frustrated and helpless. Is everyone from Shrek Academy really this arrogant? She had failed to get into Shrek Academy in the past, but now, as a thirty-one-year-old Soul Emperor, she believed she had earned some respect. Why couldn't Wu Zhangkong recognize that?

She wanted nothing more than to grab his ear and yell, "The past is the past! I'm not the same Ye Yingluo I used to be!"

Jing Xiaoyu noticed Ye Yingluo's frustrated expression and found it amusing. Teacher Ye, you can be so childish sometimes.

It was true that a thirty-one-year-old Soul Emperor was an exceptional talent across the continent. If this were 20,000 years ago during Tang San's era, she would've broken records. But in the current era, 30,000 years later, being a Soul Emperor at thirty-one simply wasn't enough.

At the same age, Wu Zhangkong was already a seasoned Soul Sage and a Two-word Battle Armor Master. If not for the time he'd spent crafting his battle armor, Wu Zhangkong might have already reached the Soul Douluo level.

In the current age, Shrek Academy's students progressed more slowly compared to their counterparts 20,000 years ago because they had to master the art of Battle Armor crafting. To become a Battle Armor Master, students had to pick up a secondary profession, which reduced the time they spent on pure soul power cultivation.

However, the tradeoff was significant. Though their cultivation speed was slower, their combat strength skyrocketed. If today's Soul Emperor students were to face those fro

m 20,000 years ago, the modern students would likely win—thanks to their Battle Armor.