Before leaving, the pure light aura that Mu En left behind washed over the inner court disciples, causing their auras to become noticeably more solid.
Many inner court disciples gained insights from this and immediately returned to their residences to enter deep meditation. This was especially true for those inner court disciples who, like Mu En, possessed light-attribute martial souls.
Following Elder Xuan's instructions, Xu Zihuang also came to the underground world beneath the Sea God's Pavilion to carefully sense the gains from this time.
The four-hundred-thousand-year mental-attribute soul skills brought by the hundred thousand-year pure mental-type Evil Eye Tyrant soul ring and soul bone had been deeply engraved in his mind. In the future, he would naturally become familiar with them simply by using them. However, the breakthrough of his mental power to the tangible and substantial realm, as well as the changes brought by condensing and fusing the soul core, would require some time to adapt to and become accustomed to.
Just like earlier, when his mental-attribute soul core quietly stirred the soul power circulation within the inner court disciples, it was a sign that he had not yet perfectly mastered the power of the soul core at his brow.
With Elder Xuan's vast experience, he naturally understood this.
With Mu En's passing, Elder Xuan could truly feel how heavy the burden on his shoulders had become. As the next-generation successor to the Sea God's Pavilion Master position designated by Mu En, Yu Tianhuang had to enter a period of rapid growth in the coming years.
Elder Xuan planned to have Yu Tianhuang reach the bottleneck of Title Douluo within about ten years. With a soul core that operated on its own and gathered the energy of heaven and earth, this was not impossible.
The reason there was such an insurmountable gap between Title Douluo and Soul Douluo was not merely the lack of a ninth soul ring. The more important reason was actually the soul core itself.
Once a soul master successfully condensed a soul core and fused with it, the soul core within the soul master's body would be in a state of high-speed rotation at all times. Even if Yu Tianhuang did not cultivate now, the operating soul core would automatically absorb the energy of heaven and earth and raise his cultivation level.
At the same time, after possessing a soul core, the total amount of soul power and the speed of natural soul power recovery had both undergone enormous leaps.
However, besides these reasons, Elder Xuan had such confidence in Yu Tianhuang because, after continuously fusing a hundred thousand-year soul rings, soul bones, and the soul core, Yu Tianhuang's soul power level had already risen to the sixty-seventh rank.
Such a massive one-time increase in soul power also required Yu Tianhuang himself to spend some time consolidating it.
Taking this opportunity, he also handed over the blueprints for the ninth-level fixed soul cannon and some high-level soul tools recorded at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to Elder Xuan. It was better to take these out sooner rather than later.
After all, in the future, he would still need the strength of Shrek Academy to oppose the Sun Moon Empire led by Xu Tianran. Some powerful soul tools were indispensable.
Of course, he had also left a backup plan. That was his original loyal subordinates from the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment. He had kept a copy of all the blueprints for them. Although Yue Shu Island could not compare to Shrek Academy in terms of resources, it had Wang Xiao, an experienced eighth-level soul engineer.
Several years ago, he had even broken through to the Title Douluo realm. After a few more years, becoming a ninth-level soul engineer was highly promising.
Once Wang Xiao officially became a ninth-level soul engineer, Yue Shu Island would have even greater capability than Shrek Academy to produce ninth-level fixed soul cannons.
On the open ground in front of the Sea God's Pavilion.
The inner court disciples who had finished meditating one after another began to leave. Every inner court disciple had the opportunity to enter the underground world of the Sea God's Pavilion for deep meditation once.
Although these inner court disciples had more or less received guidance from Mu En, only a minority had long-term interactions with Mu En.
Sadness might exist, but it could not be as intense as that felt by Zhang Lexuan and Beibei, who had been raised by Mu En since childhood.
All living plants, animals, and even insects on the entire Sea God's Island had benefited greatly from the golden light rain. Especially the sparse fireflies flickering in the night sky—the light at their tails had turned into brilliant gold, just like Mu En's kindness and gentleness, comforting everyone's hearts.
Following Elder Xuan's orders, Xu Sanshi carried Beibei on his back to place him in a room in the Sea God's Pavilion to rest, while Tang Ya stayed behind to take care of Beibei.
Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er stood together.
Ning Tian gazed in the direction of the interior of the Sea God's Pavilion, her eyes filled with gentle pity, softly murmuring.
"Tianhuang."
After two years apart, they met again under such circumstances. Although she desperately wanted to privately tell Yu Tianhuang about the longing she had felt over the past two years, she also knew now was not the time.
In many situations, Ning Tian was quite rational.
Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er reacted differently. Wu Feng, who appeared obedient and calm beside Ning Tian, was actually tightly pursing her lips, clearly not at peace inside.
That was the pain of longing to possess Ning Tian alone yet being powerless to do so. Moreover, such an outstanding Yu Tianhuang had completely crushed her pride.
As for Nanmen Yun'er, her ink-green eyes flickered with an unusual color.
Originally, with her talent, it would have been difficult for her to enter the inner court of Shrek Academy. Fortunately, her Jade Bluebird martial soul, which was barely at the level of an advanced martial soul, underwent a beneficial postnatal mutation and evolved into a top-tier agility-attack martial soul. She was even valued by Song Lao of the Sea God's Pavilion.
And all of this was related to her contact with Yu Tianhuang.
Because of Xu Zihuang's appearance, compared to the memories of his previous life, the destinies of many people in Shrek Academy had been rewritten.
This was the difference in the weight of each person's destiny. Some people exhaust themselves without making the slightest ripple, while others, with a single thought, can overturn the world.
All signs indicated that he was the child of destiny born in this era.
…
When Xu Zihuang finished cultivating, five days had already passed. He gradually sensed the wonder of the soul core at his brow.
Now, while meditating and cultivating, he could immerse his consciousness in the soul core. In this way, his consciousness could linger in it for what felt like a very long time, yet only a few days would pass in the outside world.
In other words, he only needed to spend a few days to obtain the insights that others would gain from months of meditation. Although this did not increase his cultivation speed, it could greatly enhance his comprehension indirectly.
"A soul core with mental attributes as the main focus, supplemented by time and space attributes." A golden light flashed, and Xu Zihuang, teleported by the Golden Tree to the first floor of the Sea God's Pavilion, showed a thoughtful expression.
Both Mu En and Elder Xuan had noticed the uniqueness of his soul core, and as its possessor, he could not possibly be unaware.
On the contrary, his connection with this soul core was extremely close. After five days of secluded cultivation, he had already completely grasped its mysteries.
The first was the ability to immerse consciousness in the soul core, indirectly enhancing comprehension. The essence of this ability was to slow down the flow of time in the world where consciousness resided.
The other ability was control over spatial power.
However, both abilities were currently limited to the soul core within his body. That is to say, he could not yet apply these two abilities to the outside world. And all of this was related to his Golden Pupil martial soul.
Moreover, he had a strong premonition that only when he broke through to the seventieth rank and gained the ability of Martial Soul True Body would his Golden Pupil martial soul be able to fully unleash its potential.
Elder Xuan stood in front of Xu Zihuang. After inheriting the position of Sea God's Pavilion Master, he paid slightly more attention to his appearance than before. However, that was only relative; it was not so easy for him to change his habits in a short time.
Seeing Xu Zihuang end cultivation so quickly, he could not help but frown and ask with concern.
"Tianhuang, did you encounter any problems during cultivation?"
"No, Elder Xuan. Everything went smoothly. I ended cultivation so quickly because it is related to my soul core."
Xu Zihuang raised his head to look at Elder Xuan, shook his head seriously, and then told Elder Xuan everything about his soul core without reservation.
Elder Xuan listened silently to Xu Zihuang's explanation. The expression in his eyes became increasingly astonished, and finally, he sighed.
"Tianhuang, your feeling is correct. Mu En and I had discussed it before. Your Golden Pupil martial soul is indeed a god-blessed martial soul. Leaving aside the time attribute for now, the spatial attribute attached to the Golden Pupil gives you spatial control ability that is not inferior to that of a Super Douluo. Although it can only be used within your body for now, it will make it much easier for you to condense a second or even a third soul core in the future. The most difficult part of condensing a soul core is maintaining its stability, which you must have felt. Yet for you, this is actually the easiest thing to control."
"Mu En's vision is as good as ever."
At this point, Elder Xuan revealed a heartfelt smile of relief.
"You don't need to return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy for now. Stay in the academy and cultivate peacefully during this period. I am now incredibly looking forward to the expressions on the faces of the participating academy students and their leading teachers at the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition when they see your hundred-thousand-year sixth soul ring."
"By the way, Lin'er and Duo Duo have already finished copying the blueprints for the ninth-level fixed soul cannon that you brought back. They were originally meant to be handed to you." As Elder Xuan spoke, he took out a thick stack of blueprints from his storage soul guide device and handed them to Xu Zihuang.
Xu Zihuang did not refuse and accepted them. Then he also handed Elder Xuan a token engraved with a golden toad pattern.
"Elder Xuan, please help me pass this token to Hall Master Hongchen."
"Hongchen really went all out to recruit you."
Examining the golden toad pattern on the token and the elegant "Hongchen" characters on the back, Elder Xuan gave a somewhat mocking smile. Then, with a smile on his face, he waved his hand at Xu Zihuang.
"If you have any questions about cultivation in the future, come find me. Alright, go on. After two years apart, you should get together with your companions. While you're at it, help me comfort that foolish Beibei."
The current Elder Xuan somewhat understood Mu En's state of mind back then. To pass away peacefully, seeing the younger generation of Shrek Academy full of talent, and having such a peerlessly gifted successor as Yu Tianhuang, perhaps that was already a blessing.
Moreover, Mu En had not truly left.
"Yes, Elder Xuan." Xu Zihuang respectfully replied. Then, under Elder Xuan's gaze, he turned and left the first-floor hall of the Sea God's Pavilion. Just as Elder Xuan had said, he had no intention of returning to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
His accumulation of knowledge in the soul engineer field was already sufficient, and so was his soul power cultivation. What mattered most now was to thoroughly integrate and master them.
He decided to stay at Shrek Academy for a period of time before going out to train. His soul power had increased too quickly in recent years, and fusing the hundred-thousand-year pure mental-type Evil Eye Tyrant soul ring and soul bone had given him four new skills. To thoroughly master these abilities in a short time, actual combat was the simplest and most effective method.
At the same time, he would return to Yue Shu Island, hand over the blueprints to his subordinates, and reunite with Ye Guyi.
Xu Zihuang lightly tapped his foot at the edge of the cliff in front of the Sea God's Pavilion. In the next instant, he appeared in the sky above the Sea God's Pavilion. A trace of purple-gold light flashed in his deep purple eyes, and his tangible and substantial mental power instantly spread out. The entire Sea God's Island, even part of Shrek Academy, appeared in his mind.
Within the range of Sea God's Island, every tiny detail could be seen clearly. This was far more effective than the so-called mental detection soul skills. Only the Sea God's Pavilion was protected by a layer of golden haze that prevented clear vision; that was the power of the Golden Tree.
This was the strength of mental power in the tangible and substantial realm.
Because he had opened a second sea of consciousness, the total amount of Xu Zihuang's mental power had directly doubled.
Although his current mental power had only just entered the tangible and substantial realm, the range of his external perception had reached a shocking thirty kilometers. Although it was still far from the Evil Eye Tyrant Sovereign, a peak powerhouse who could sweep across a hundred kilometers with a single thought, his potential was much deeper.
It could be said that he now already possessed the embryonic form of a future top-tier powerhouse.
Pieces of dark-red crystalline mirrors condensed beneath his feet. Xu Zihuang swiftly flew through the air toward the female student dormitory area on the western side of Sea God's Island.
It was now early morning. The sun rose from the horizon to the east of Sea God's Lake. With light and shadow flowing, Xu Zihuang's entire body was enveloped in a layer of brilliant golden radiance. Already possessing an otherworldly temperament, combined with those deep eyes like a starry sky, he looked like a divine being descending from the heavens.
In the main bedroom on the second floor of a wooden pavilion built along the lake on the west side of Sea God's Island, Ning Tian had just finished a night of meditation and cultivation. Unlike Wu Feng, she would only feel happy and proud of Yu Tianhuang's excellence. But correspondingly, the more outstanding Yu Tianhuang was, the heavier the pressure she felt in her heart.
She did not want to lose the qualification to stand beside Yu Tianhuang in the future, so over the past two years, she had never slackened in her cultivation for even a moment.
In fact, compared to Wu Feng, whose cultivation as a combat soul master rose more easily, Ning Tian was actually ahead in soul power rank.
Wearing thin, soft sleepwear, Ning Tian looked toward the east, where the golden sun was rising, and began her usual routine of washing up.
But just as she came out of the bathing room, a smiling young man suddenly appeared in her line of sight. The young man was slightly leaning back, resting against the wooden railing of the balcony, with the clear, rippling Sea God's Lake behind him.
Ning Tian no longer bothered to comb her platinum-blonde hair. With tender affection in her eyes, she quickly walked over.
Xu Zihuang also understood and proactively opened his arms, pulling Ning Tian into his embrace. The thin silk sleepwear could hardly block the warmth of Ning Tian's body and her faint fragrance.
The longing suppressed for two years, along with the tender affection in her heart, erupted within Ning Tian. Her hands lightly rested on Xu Zihuang's shoulders, and she naturally stood on tiptoe.
No words were needed; all actions stemmed from the emotions in their hearts. There was also comfort for Xu Zihuang.
Their hair and breaths intertwined, as if they wished to never be separated again. In the illumination of the morning sun, light and shadow overlapped.
"Ning—" A clear voice sounded at the doorway. Before the first word was fully spoken, the owner of the voice froze on the spot.
It was Wu Feng.
Seeing the two of them, an indescribable bitterness surged in her heart, and her chest felt stifled. Despair, helplessness, anger various complex emotions mixed.
"Mm—" After a long while, Ning Tian's chest rose and fell slightly as she leaned into Xu Zihuang's embrace, calming her breathing. The corner of her eye caught sight of Wu Feng standing at the door with lifeless eyes.
"Feng'er?"
Xu Zihuang also followed Ning Tian's gaze. The expression on his face was somewhat subtle. With his tangible and substantial mental power, he had actually noticed Wu Feng's arrival long ago.
Ning Tian forced herself to remain calm and said to Wu Feng.
"Feng'er, you go ahead. There's no need to wait for me today."
Having been completely seen by Wu Feng, her face inevitably looked a little unnatural.
"Mm." Wu Feng silently replied, then left quickly with a bloodless face.
The morning sun shone on Sea God's Lake, sparkling with waves. Just like Ning Tian's state of mind, especially when she recalled her earlier behavior, which had been truly lacking in restraint.
Xu Zihuang smiled and took Ning Tian's jade hand.
"Come on, it's been two years. Let's find Senior Brother Beibei and Senior Sister Xiaoya and go to the cafeteria for a meal together. We can chat properly."
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