Elder Mu raised a hand and smiled. "Help me up."
Xu Zihuang hurriedly stepped forward to support Elder Mu's hand.
He didn't have deep feelings for Elder Mu, but his respect was genuine—pure admiration for a powerhouse.
The words Elder Mu had said to him during the day had awakened him greatly. If a person lost sincerity, no matter how perfectly they pretended, flaws would eventually show. So now, when interacting with others, he always invests some real emotion.
Elder Mu rose slowly, his waist still hunched at nearly ninety degrees, making one's heart ache for him.
His arms were thin; though warm to the touch, they were bony and stiff. He truly looked like an ordinary elder on the verge of death.
His twilight-filled eyes gazed at Xu Zihuang, smiling gently with a soft chuckle.
"I'm not lying here to put on airs. When I was young, I suffered an injury, and since then, I've never been able to straighten my back. They felt sorry for me and prepared this recliner."
As Elder Mu spoke, he slowly walked toward the outside of the Sea God Pavilion, with Xu Zihuang supporting him and quietly listening to his story.
The Sea God Pavilion was built atop a mountain several hundred meters high. With Elder Xuan and Du Busi's fight over, the starlight once again filled the sky. Moonlight, starlight, and the mist over the nearby Poseidon Lake blended, creating a hazy yet tranquil beauty.
Elder Mu smiled warmly. "Tianhuang, may I call you that?"
"You are an elder, of course, you may," Xu Zihuang replied respectfully.
Elder Mu's gaze softened further.
"Did you gain any insights from the battle between Xuan Zi and Du Busi?"
"Earlier, the black holes around Elder Xuan and the others seemed to compress an immense amount of soul power. Elder Mu, their ability to unleash such powerful combat strength must be related to this, right?" In front of Elder Mu, Xu Zihuang no longer dared to hide anything. He spoke of what he had seen and the insights in his heart. These had been puzzling him.
Hearing this, even with Elder Mu's experience and composure, a trace of astonishment rose in his heart. He gazed into Xu Zihuang's clear, deep purple eyes for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.
"Tianhuang, your talent is even greater than I imagined. There's no harm in telling you: what Xuan Zi and Du Busi used was control over spatial power. For a soul master to break through from level 98 to level 99 Ultimate Douluo, they must achieve a certain degree of mastery over spatial power. I believe with your talent, you will surely experience this stage in the future."
"Du Busi was right earlier—the academy does have selfish motives. Your gift is unique in the history of soul masters. The Body Sect wants to take you away, and the academy equally wants you to stay."
Xu Zihuang gently shook his head.
"Elder Mu, I've caused trouble for the academy because of my affairs. Compared to joining the Body Sect, I still prefer to stay in the academy. Here, I've made many classmates and teachers. For the first time, I've experienced trusting others and being trusted by others. I really like the atmosphere in the academy."
As he spoke these words, the only person in his mind was He Caitou. He truly trusted He Caitou and was deeply trusted by him in return.
To outsiders, his words seemed completely heartfelt, with a natural sincerity in his eyes even more genuine than his previous responses.
"Good child. Your answer satisfies me greatly." Elder Mu's eyes were filled with gratification.
"Since you're willing to stay, the academy will cultivate you with all its might. In our Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department, there has always been a plan called the Ultimate Individual Soldier. The so-called Ultimate Individual Soldier is someone who can single-handedly change the outcome of a local war. It requires learning to use and craft various soul tools, excelling in stealth, infiltration, sabotage, and more. Lin'er and Duo Duo both agree you are the best candidate to realize this plan. If you're willing, you will study alongside He Caitou in the future. The Soul Guidance Department's resources will be fully allocated to the two of you. If you don't want to spend too much energy on soul tools and such, you may also choose to remain in the Sea God Pavilion, where I will personally guide your cultivation in the future."
Xu Zihuang nodded without hesitation.
"Elder Mu, I am willing to participate in this Ultimate Individual Soldier Plan. I've never had any rejection of soul tools. Soul tools are a product of the era's development. What best suits this era should be the combination of soul masters and soul tools."
"It's good that you think this way," Elder Mu said with a slight smile, then pondered for a moment before continuing.
"I'll give you one day to rest. The morning after tomorrow, report to the Soul Guidance Department. Lin'er and Duo Duo will conduct tests based on your and He Caitou's situations to tailor a training plan for you. Once the training plan is set, every seven days will be a cycle: you'll study in the Soul Guidance Department for three days, then return here to cultivate with me for three days, and on the final day, Wang Yan will guide you in martial soul theory. From now on, you'll live in the Sea God Pavilion. You no longer need to go to the outer courtyard, only participating in the annual promotion assessments."
Xu Zihuang understood—Elder Mu was going to cultivate him with full effort.
"Yes, Elder Mu."
Afterward, Xu Zihuang accompanied Elder Mu in conversation for a long time, finally personally escorting him back to his room. Elder Mu's attitude toward him was very kind, truly treating him as a close junior.
The last room in the corridor on the third floor of the Sea God Pavilion.
The room was not large, about thirty square meters. It contained only a simple wooden table, wooden chairs, a wooden bed, and a bookshelf occupying one wall. These were the only decorations. Through the window, the full view of Poseidon Island could be seen.
Xu Zihuang bowed deeply to Elder Mu before exiting the room and gently closing the wooden door.
Elder Mu watched Xu Zihuang with gentle eyes the entire time.
Fortunately, in his lifetime, he had met the exceptionally talented Yu Tianhuang, but regrettably, his current physical condition could only sustain him for five to ten more years.
"Time waits for no one. War is inevitable. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Child, there's not much time left for you."
Elder Mu sighed inwardly.
If he had twenty years, he would be even confident in cultivating Yu Tianhuang into a new generation Ultimate Douluo. An Ultimate Douluo with twin martial souls and extreme martial souls—how powerful would that be?
From Elder Mu's perspective, once war broke out, Yu Tianhuang, hailing from the three original Douluo Continent empires, would naturally fight for the original Douluo Continent, resisting the Sun Moon Empire's invasion. This was a deeply rooted belief.
It was precisely because of this that the original Douluo Continent side never acknowledged the Sun Moon Empire, viewing it as foreign.
Leaving Elder Mu's room, Xu Zihuang walked down the stairs inside the Sea God Pavilion to the first floor, arriving at the room where Ning Tian was.
The Golden Sunflower Right Arm Bone had turned into specks of greenish-golden light and airflow, spiraling around Ning Tian's right arm, making her delicate skin appear even fairer. Her platinum shoulder-length hair, slightly curled at the tips, gently swayed with each wave of soul power fluctuation.
Under the effect of this Golden Sunflower Right Arm Bone, Ning Tian's entire being exuded a refreshed feeling, as if her body had been cleansed. It made one want to draw close.
Though Xu Zihuang had just ended over a month of meditation, at the location of the Golden Tree's roots, his body had been nourished by ample light and life auras. There was no rush to eat and replenish nutrients.
He simply sat cross-legged opposite Ning Tian, quietly guarding her side.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten Elder Mu's presence. His gaze toward Ning Tian carried a subtle but genuinely existing tenderness. In the past, everything he showed was false, which was why Elder Mu had seen through his facade. So now, he decided to invest some real emotion, truly immersing himself in the persona of Yu Tianhuang—or rather, the Yu Tianhuang persona that Elder Mu believed in and wanted to see.
The highest art of deception was to make even oneself believe it was true. As long as he could achieve revenge and fulfill his ambitions, everything was worth it.
In the fusion of Ning Tian and the Golden Sunflower Right Arm Bone, time flew by.
The moon set and the sun rose; a night passed just like that.
The room the two were in was about the same size as Elder Mu's but lacked the wooden table and chairs. The floor was covered with meditation cushions made from various soul beast pelts. This room was clearly a quiet chamber specifically for meditation.
A ray of morning sunlight cut across the eastern horizon, dazzling yet with a dreamlike quality. Outside the window was Poseidon Island, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, brimming with vibrant energy.
The warm sunlight spilled through the window onto Ning Tian's platinum hair, and at that moment, her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her clear, watery blue eyes.
Xu Zihuang met her gaze with warm affection, then stood and took her jade hand resting on her skirt, pulling her up from the cushion.
"How is the effect of the Golden Sunflower Right Arm Bone?"
"Though I haven't used it yet, I can feel this soul bone is very suitable for me. Teacher Wang Yan was right—the Light Rejuvenation soul skill's effect is indeed excellent." Ning Tian smiled sweetly, and even she, who was usually unflappable, had a trace of joy in her beautiful eyes.
This joy was not only from fusing a soul bone perfectly suited to her, but more from the impact she felt from Yu Tianhuang.
When a soul master fuses a soul bone, it's similar to normal cultivation—they can perceive external situations. She knew Yu Tianhuang had guarded her side for nearly an entire night.
Xu Zihuang led Ning Tian to the window, looking out at the mist rising over Poseidon Lake, and fully explained the Ultimate Individual Soldier Plan and the cultivation schedule Elder Mu had set for him.
Ning Tian looked up at Xu Zihuang, her beautiful eyes overflowing with brilliant light.
The boy she had chosen was always so dazzling.
"I will enter the inner courtyard as soon as possible and keep up with your footsteps." Her soft voice carried a trace of determination.
With her cultivation speed, she would surely break through to Soul Ancestor within two years. A four-ring Soul Ancestor had the qualification to take the inner courtyard assessment, and with her powerful support ability from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, entering the inner courtyard would not be difficult.
Xu Zihuang smiled and nodded, then said as if sensing something, "Let's go. Senior Sister Xiao Ya and Senior Brother Bei should be coming out soon."
With that, the two walked out of the room hand in hand.
Tang Ya and Beibei happened to emerge from the adjacent room. Tang Ya's pretty face was full of excitement, and upon seeing Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, she eagerly greeted them.
"Tianhuang, Sister Ning Tian."
While Tang Ya was unconscious, out of guilt toward the Tang Sect, Elder Mu had conveniently used the Golden Tree's power to cleanse the impurities in her meridians. The cleansing effect of the Golden Tree's light and life auras was undoubtedly several times that of the Profound Water Pill.
Tang Ya's soul power had not only broken through two levels to reach level 35, but her cultivation speed had also noticeably improved compared to before. At this rate, breaking through to Soul Ancestor and graduating smoothly within the next year or so before sixth grade should be no problem. She might even take the inner courtyard assessment.
Being able to stay in Shrek Academy and remain by Beibei's side—how could she not be excited?
Beibei, following behind Tang Ya, crossed his arms behind his neck, a helpless smile on his refined and elegant face.
"Xiao Ya."
Only then did Tang Ya react, remembering Beibei's earlier reminder, and hurriedly covered her mouth, fully displaying a girl's charm.
At that moment, Elder Mu's gentle voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears.
"You may all go."
The four respectfully bowed toward the depths of the Sea God Pavilion and then left.
As soon as they exited the area of the Sea God Pavilion, Tang Ya couldn't hold back, linking arms with Ning Tian and asking in surprise, "Junior Sister Ning Tian, were you and Tianhuang also brought here by that senior in the Sea God Pavilion?"
"Mhm." Ning Tian nodded lightly with an elegant smile.
"I never imagined our academy had such a heaven-defying senior." Tang Ya sighed.
When the Tang Sect had fallen, Shrek Academy had given them an annual enrollment spot. Though she had once resented Shrek Academy for not helping the Tang Sect, she also understood the academy's neutral stance meant it couldn't intervene.
Now, with the great favor Elder Mu had bestowed upon her, the last knot in her heart was untied.
Soon, the four arrived at the edge of the steep bluestone mountain path. Xu Zihuang, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Beibei behind the two girls, softly reminded them.
"The path ahead is rough—be careful."
Tang Ya turned her head and grinned at Xu Zihuang.
"Tianhuang, so many senior and junior sisters in the outer courtyard were interested in you, but you never paid them any attention. I thought you really were a block of wood. I didn't expect you to be so considerate."
Xu Zihuang teased back, "Senior Sister Xiao Ya, I wasn't reminding you—I was reminding Ning Tian."
"You little Tianhuang, now that you have a girlfriend, you've forgotten your senior sister, huh?" Tang Ya played along, deliberately placing her hands on her hips and pretending to glare.
But she couldn't maintain the act for long before bursting into laughter. She stuck out her tongue at Xu Zihuang and pulled Ning Tian ahead quickly.
Though the mountain path was steep, with their soul power above level 30, it posed no danger. Tang Ya also thoughtfully let Ning Tian walk on the side closer to the mountain.
Ning Tian watched the interaction between Xu Zihuang and Tang Ya, her beautiful eyes filled with smiling intent. She grew even closer to Tang Ya. Though Tang Ya seemed carefree, both her words and actions displayed extremely high emotional intelligence.
Among everyone Xu Zihuang had met at Shrek Academy, he genuinely enjoyed spending time with the kind-hearted and simple-minded Tang Ya. It wasn't just her personality—another reason was that he saw the shadow of an old acquaintance in her.
Those were memories from his childhood. During the palace coup that year, nearly a thousand people in the Zihuang Palace had been purged by Xu Ziran's family. That old acquaintance was likely no longer alive.
Beibei patted Xu Zihuang's shoulder and smiled. "Let's go, Tianhuang."
Only then did Xu Zihuang realize he and Beibei had fallen dozens of meters behind Tang Ya and Ning Tian.
Beibei didn't ask about the Body Sect coming to the door yesterday—Xu Zihuang's staying was answer enough.
About a quarter of an hour later, the four reached the valley at the foot of the mountain.
Strictly speaking, it couldn't quite be called a valley, as the mountains on both sides were only one or two hundred meters high. The valley's area was smaller than Shrek Plaza.
The valley was filled with flowers of various colors. Tang Ya, no longer restrained, let out a cheer, spread her arms, closed her eyes, and carefully inhaled the refreshing floral fragrance in the air.
"I've decided, Beibei—I must enter the inner courtyard and live on Poseidon Island." Tang Ya turned, looking at Beibei beside Xu Zihuang.
"It's too beautiful here."
Beibei's eyes were full of doting.
"Alright."
Ning Tian watched Beibei and Tang Ya's interaction, her smile undiminished, but a barely noticeable trace of envy flickered in her eyes.
Xu Zihuang scanned the surroundings, picked the most striking blue-purple iris, and tucked it into Ning Tian's platinum hair.
The two exchanged a smile, the sweetness no longer just from the iris's fragrance.
A mysterious smile surged in Tang Ya's dark eyes, and she pouted at Beibei, shouting.
"Beibei, I want one too. And it can't be worse than the one Tianhuang gave Junior Sister Ning Tian!"
"Alright, I'll find one right now."
Beibei agreed repeatedly. But finding one better than the one in Ning Tian's hair was unrealistic—that one had been meticulously chosen by Xu Zihuang's astonishing vision with his Golden Eyes.
Still, Tang Ya wasn't unreasonable. What she valued was Beibei's thoughtfulness.
Amid laughter and joy, the group arrived at the shore of Poseidon Lake. Along the way, Xu Zihuang also informed Beibei and Tang Ya about his upcoming Ultimate Individual Soldier Plan. Tang Ya immediately suggested that, while Xu Zihuang had one last free day, they all go to Shrek City today to relax and have fun.
Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian naturally agreed happily.
At that moment, Xu Zihuang suddenly turned to glance at the location of the Sea God Pavilion, only withdrawing his gaze when Tang Ya called from ahead and caught up.
In front of the Sea God Pavilion, a woman with a tranquil and gentle temperament stood quietly gazing ahead. Her long black hair fell to her waist, her exquisite face flawless and fair. Her stunningly beautiful features appeared around twenty-five years old, but her dark eyes were filled with a complex mix of loneliness and gratification.
"Sister Lexuan, can I eat the fruit on the tree? Will you pick it for me?"
"Alright…"
"Sister Lexuan, you're so pretty. Will you marry me when I grow up?"
"Alright…"
"Sister Lexuan, I'm tired from walking."
"Sister will carry you…"
Her boy had grown into a handsome young man, but he no longer belonged to her.
She suddenly realized Beibei no longer drew her gaze as he once did, nor was he as dazzling in her memory. That feeling was now more akin to familial affection.
This moment of enlightenment elevated her state of mind. It was a profound and mysterious feeling—perfectly coincidental yet entirely reasonable.
"Lexuan, you've suffered these years." Elder Mu's kind voice sounded in Zhang Lexuan's ear, carrying a trace of relief.
Before his passing, besides wanting to cultivate Yu Tianhuang to resist the Sun Moon Empire's invasion, the matter that worried him most was this.
He had more than once told Zhang Lexuan she no longer needed to uphold that vow. Yet she had persisted almost obsessively. Until today, an opportunity finally arose.
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