Mu En thought for a moment, then sighed helplessly once again.
Seeing Mu En sigh, Xuan Zi no longer refused. He nodded and said,
"I understand, Elder Mu. I'll take care of this matter."
Mu En gave a small nod of approval after Xuan Zi accepted the task, then continued,
"That will conclude this meeting. Everyone, go about your business. Shao Zhe, bring Wang Dong and Bei Bei to the Sea God Pavilion."
"Yes, Elder Mu."
Yan Shao Zhe gave a nod of acknowledgment. Not long after the meeting dispersed, he brought the two people Mu En had named. It was Wang Dong's first time entering the Sea God Pavilion, and she found everything here new and fascinating.
Mu En explained to Wang Dong his request for her to cultivate for a period on Sea God Island. Upon hearing this suggestion, Wang Dong's expression became a little strange, as if she were hesitating about something.
After a short pause, Wang Dong finally said to Mu En:
"Elder Mu, I'd like to train together with Qingtong. Isn't she and Xiao Xiao going to hunt for spirit rings? I want to go too!"
"You haven't even reached a bottleneck yet. What would you go for?"
Mu En looked at her and tried to reassure her:
"I know you three are close friends. Don't worry — with Elder Xuan there, nothing will happen to them. Besides, it's only a spirit ring hunt. When they return, I'll have them both stay on Sea God Island for a while."
Hearing this, Wang Dong fell silent. During the time she had been unconscious, her soul had seemed to drift to a strange place shrouded entirely in mist, where a vague figure had been speaking to her continuously.
She could not see the figure clearly, nor remember most of what it had said. She only retained a hazy feeling — a strong desire to remain by Jiang Qingtong's side.
Naturally, this was not something she could tell Mu En. After pondering for a bit, Wang Dong nodded and said,
"I'll follow your arrangements then, Elder Mu."
Mu En gave a slight nod and told Yan Shao Zhe to take Wang Dong away to arrange her lodging. Then, he beckoned to Bei Bei, who was standing nearby with his head lowered:
"Come, let your grand-ancestor take a look at you."
Bei Bei stepped forward to stand before Mu En. Seeing the dispirited air about him, Mu En placed his aged, withered hand upon Bei Bei's head and sighed,
"As a descendant of the Yu Clan, how can you hope to revive our family with such spirit?"
"I'm sorry, Grand-Ancestor, I…" Bei Bei lowered his head in apology.
Mu En shook his head:
"I know of your feelings for Tang Ya, but what's most important now is to improve your own strength! When you reach your grand-ancestor's level, whether it's Tang Ya or Qingtong, the choice will be entirely yours."
Bei Bei quickly interjected,
"Grand-Ancestor, I only like Xiao Ya!"
"Who can truly say what will happen in matters of the heart? Moreover, once you possess the power to overturn everything, who could dare speak against your feelings? Back then, wasn't it only through the power of the Sea God Tang San that our ancestor Yu Xiao Gang could cast aside worldly prejudice and be together with Ancestor Liu Erlong?"
Mu En's voice was patient yet firm, imparting his guidance.
Bei Bei stayed silent, then said,
"But… to reach your level, Grand-Ancestor, I fear I lack the talent."
At that, Mu En turned his hand over, revealing a smooth, lustrous pearl in his palm. He said to Bei Bei,
"This is why I've called you here. Look at this."
"This is…"
Bei Bei's gaze fixed on the dragon pearl in Mu En's hand. He could sense the aura it emitted — an aura that stirred a strange attraction within him, making his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit tremble faintly.
Mu En recounted the origins of the dragon pearl, then continued,
"Its violent aura has been gradually dissolved by me over the years. As long as you refine its power — with my assistance — your spirit can evolve from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon into the Holy Light Dragon! At that point, stepping into the realm of an Ultimate Douluo will no longer be an impossibility."
Bei Bei took the dragon pearl from Mu En's hand, gripping the smooth bead tightly.
"I will not fail in this mission. I'll cultivate until I reach the realm of an Ultimate Douluo!"
Seeing Bei Bei's rekindled fighting spirit, Mu En nodded with satisfaction, then said,
"The dragon pearl's power is too vast. With your current cultivation, you can't absorb it all at once. You'll stay here in the Sea God Pavilion for now — I'll help you integrate the pearl into your body, letting its power reside within you. As your level rises, you'll absorb it gradually. That way, it will be safer."
"Yes, Grand-Ancestor!" Bei Bei nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, Xuan Zi had gone to find Jiang Qingtong and Xiao Xiao. At that moment, the two girls were surrounded by students of the same year from the outer courtyard — not because they were causing trouble, but because these students had come to see them after hearing about the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
Although Shrek Academy hadn't won the championship this time, the official Academy version of events had glossed over the matter of evil soul masters and downplayed the defeat at the hands of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Instead, the narrative focused heavily on the courage of the reserve team stepping up at the last moment to carry the burden in the main competition — a tale made even more stirring.
This tactic had made Jiang Qingtong and Xiao Xiao's reputations shine even brighter in the outer courtyard.
"Elder Xuan!"
When Xuan Zi arrived, Jiang Qingtong and Xiao Xiao bowed respectfully.
Xuan Zi raised a hand:
"I've come for the two of you. The rest of you, disperse."
Most outer courtyard students didn't know exactly who Xuan Zi was, but seeing how the surrounding teachers and the two girls treated him with such respect, they realized he must be a major figure in the Academy and quickly withdrew.
"Elder Xuan, do you need something from us?" Xiao Xiao asked.
Xuan Zi nodded:
"You've both reached your soul power bottlenecks and need new spirit rings, correct? I'm here for that reason — come with me to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for spirit rings. With me there, I can ensure you find the most suitable ones."
"Yes, Elder Xuan!"
After a brief preparation, the two followed Xuan Zi out of Shrek City toward the Star Dou Forest.
Between Shrek City and the Star Dou Forest lay a wide plain. As they traveled, Xuan Zi munched on a chicken leg while asking,
"Have you thought about what kind of spirit rings you want?"
Xiao Xiao considered for a moment before replying,
"I want to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the Three Lives Town Soul Cauldron — preferably a thousand-year ring from a soul beast renowned for its defensive power."
Xuan Zi nodded as he listened, then added,
"However, the Three Lives Town Soul Cauldron isn't purely a defensive martial soul. It should also have a certain level of offensive power, bringing out the heavy, imposing might of a national treasure-level cauldron."
"Mm!" Xiao Xiao agreed with his assessment.
Xuan Zi then turned to Jiang Qingtong:
"And you, Qingtong? Have you thought about what kind of spirit ring you want?"
Jiang Qingtong blinked her eyes:
"Finding a ten-thousand-year spiritual-type soul beast is probably pretty difficult, right?"
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