Several hours ago.
At the Sea God Pavilion.
As the door to the conference room was pushed open from the outside, Yan Shaozhe instinctively looked up from his seat, momentarily stunned upon seeing the newcomer.
Firstly, Old Xuan, who had been fine just moments ago, now had a rather gloomy expression after just stepping out for a while.
Secondly, aside from his teacher, Old Mu, and Old Xuan, there was another unexpected figure who had also appeared here.
Zhang Lexuan.
With no time to think, he quickly stood up and bowed to the stooped figure of Mu En.
"Teacher, you've come."
"Hmm."
Mu En nodded in response, walking toward his recliner while asking, "You called for me so late; what's the matter?"
Yan Shaozhe unconsciously glanced at Zhang Lexuan out of the corner of his eye, feeling a bit hesitant. But thinking that she must have been personally brought in by Old Mu, he silently stopped himself from speaking.
Once Old Mu had settled into the recliner in the main seat, Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat and slowly explained.
"Teacher, regarding the task you gave me to investigate Tang San's background, I have results now."
"Hmm?"
Before Mu En could respond, Old Xuan couldn't help but interject, momentarily stunned: "You found out about Haotian Sect so quickly?"
It's worth noting that as a sect that had been hidden for nearly ten thousand years, Haotian Sect was a symbol of mystery in the eyes of most soul masters.
Even though Shrek had occasional dealings with them, they still knew very little about the situation at Haotian Sect. Moreover, given Tang San's talent, even within Haotian Sect, he should be among the top or even the strongest of his peers.
How could news about him be discovered so quickly?
Seemingly guessing what Old Xuan was thinking, Yan Shaozhe awkwardly cleared his throat twice and explained.
"Tang San isn't actually a disciple of Haotian Sect, so gathering information about him didn't take too much effort."
"Oh?"
Hearing Yan Shaozhe's news, even Mu En was intrigued: "Tell me more."
"Yes, teacher."
"According to the information I received, Tang San's father, Tang Ba, was once a disciple of Haotian Sect, reaching a peak of Soul Emperor at level sixty-seven. However, he later violated the sect's rules and had his powers stripped, becoming a sinner of Haotian Sect."
As he listened, Old Xuan's face revealed an odd expression.
Why did this story feel a bit familiar?
Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan, sitting at the very end of the long table, kept her head down, seemingly indifferent to the situation.
"After being expelled from Haotian Sect, Tang Ba operated a blacksmith shop in Heaven Dou City. Business was quite poor over the years, but he had some dealings with the Tang Sect, helping them forge some hidden weapons. I suspect that the hidden weapons Tang San uses, as well as the Tang Sect's unique skills, come from this."
At this point, Yan Shaozhe paused, looking at Mu En with excitement.
"Teacher, based on this information, it seems Tang San's Tang Sect skills were likely self-taught. Coming from a common family to achieve this level, in terms of talent, Tang San may be even more formidable than our initial analysis suggested. If cultivated properly, he could become another ancestor of Tang San."
"Moreover, since he doesn't belong to Haotian Sect, teacher, we cannot let such a talent slip away from Shrek Academy!"
Ten thousand years ago, Master Yu Xiaogang, who had once been stuck at level twenty-nine for life, became famous on the continent by cultivating a Sea God, Tang San.
And now, a similar opportunity lay before him; how could Yan Shaozhe not be excited?
The same father was a sinner of Haotian Sect.
The same twin martial souls, Blue Silver Grass and Haotian Hammer.
The same use of Tang Sect's unique skills.
Even the name was the same as the ancestor, and this Tang San's talent was even more terrifying than that of the one from ten thousand years ago.
The coincidences made Yan Shaozhe feel as if he were dreaming.
It was like encountering a problem for which the steps and answers were already known, merely needing to follow through to cultivate a deity.
To cultivate a god!
This was something Yan Shaozhe had never dared to think of before, but upon seeing Tang San's overly coincidental background and terrifying talent, a strong impulse inexplicably arose in his heart.
Destiny.
The history that countless people remembered from ten thousand years ago was about to be reenacted in his hands.
With the same talent, Master could cultivate him into a deity; couldn't Yan Shaozhe do the same?
From a knowledge perspective, he possessed a more comprehensive and detailed understanding than Master did ten thousand years ago.
From a cultivation standpoint, he was still a ninety-five level Super Douluo.
Although he held great respect for this soul of Shrek, he believed that times were progressing and did not think he was inferior to Master from ten thousand years ago.
If he took Tang San as his disciple, he could very well become the second person in the Douluo Continent to cultivate a deity!
However, compared to Yan Shaozhe's excitement, Mu En appeared much calmer. After pondering for a moment, he slowly spoke.
"Since Tang San's background is not an issue, Shaozhe, you should find a chance to make contact with him."
"Yes, teacher."
Yan Shaozhe's face had just revealed joy when he suddenly heard Mu En change the subject, speaking meaningfully.
"You wouldn't come to find me so late just for this matter, would you?"
At this, Yan Shaozhe's expression stiffened, and he subconsciously glanced at Zhang Lexuan beside him, awkwardly nodding.
"As you said, teacher, there is indeed another matter."
While he held Tang San in high regard, it wasn't enough to make him rush to the Sea God Pavilion at this hour to talk about it.
What truly made him anxious was the matter of Xian Lin'er wanting to compete with him for the talents.
Earlier, in the office, the plan he discussed with Du Weiren about giving up on Huo Yuhao was made out of necessity due to the soul guide department wanting to fight tooth and nail with their martial soul department.
If it really came to that, would the soul guide department not go all out for Huo Yuhao? Wouldn't their martial soul department also suffer greatly for two geniuses?
And if possible, who wouldn't want to keep all three geniuses—Tang San, Huo Yuhao, and Gu Yue Na?
So he chose to come to his teacher, Mu En.
As the head of the Sea God Pavilion, as long as he spoke, the three geniuses would be allowed into the martial soul department. Even if Xian Lin'er was unwilling, she would have to accept it.
As Yan Shaozhe recounted the situations of Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na, Zhang Lexuan, who had already realized what the other party intended to do, couldn't help but frown.
As she expected, after explaining the conflict between himself and Xian Lin'er, Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat and spoke seriously again.
"Teacher, for three talents of Huo Yuhao's caliber to appear all at once is undoubtedly an unprecedented situation in the ten thousand years since the academy was established. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's our Shrek's luck. What we need to do is seize this rare opportunity and nurture them in the best way possible."
Unaware of how much darker Old Xuan's expression had become since Yan Shaozhe used Huo Yuhao as an example, Yan Shaozhe continued passionately expressing his thoughts.
"Although the ultimate goal of both the martial soul and soul guide departments in training students is the development and growth of the academy, it cannot be denied that when comparing training experiences, the relatively newer soul guide department still falls short of the martial soul department."
"Especially with geniuses like Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na, each of whom is extremely precious. If we do not provide them with the best training and instead entrust them to the soul guide department, it would be a waste of talent and irresponsibility towards the students."
Saying this, Yan Shaozhe paused, then spoke heavily.
"But you also know that when Dean Xian gets angry, she can make some irrational decisions. No one can persuade her except you."
"She's completely disregarding the future of these geniuses for the sake of the soul guide department's rise. I simply cannot bear to see such talents ruin their futures in the soul guide department, which is why I came to request that you intervene and put a stop to Dean Xian's irrational behavior."
Listening to the resolute words in his ears, Zhang Lexuan felt a sense of sorrow in her heart, silently reflecting on the absurdity of the meeting at the Sea God Pavilion.
Mu En first glanced at the various expressions of Old Xuan and Zhang Lexuan before slowly speaking.
"Actually, regarding the three new students you just mentioned, aside from the one named Tang San, I have already made contact with the other two. I even had a chat with the one named Huo Yuhao, and that child left a deep impression on me."
"Huh?"
Yan Shaozhe was momentarily taken aback, subconsciously asking, "What do you think of him?"
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but look up, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at Old Mu, eager to hear this Sea God Pavilion master's evaluation of Huo Yuhao.
However, Mu En did not rush to answer.
After a moment of contemplation, he gently replied, "To be honest, whether it's his soul master talent or the soul guide talent, it's quite remarkable. But his innate power will likely still need to be controlled by you."
Mu En's voice carried a note of ambiguity.
While Yan Shaozhe felt somewhat puzzled, he couldn't help but reflect on the memory of the battle at the Sea God Pavilion's entrance.
The small, delicate boy had fought against several super soul masters of the Sea God Pavilion with a strength that was seemingly above all else. If this was what Mu En referred to, it wouldn't be too much.
Thinking this, Yan Shaozhe responded, "In that case, I'll keep an eye on him. But…"
"His relationship with Tang San is too close; the two are practically inseparable. If one joins the martial soul department, it would undoubtedly drive the other to do the same. In that case, would you still want to keep Tang San in the martial soul department?"
Mu En's voice became serious.
"Once you get caught in that mess, it would only lead to chaos."
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan finally couldn't help but speak.
"Teacher, what are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying you should pay close attention to Tang San," Mu En continued. "As much as I admire his talent, I can't help but feel a sense of caution."
"Since ancient times, there have been countless geniuses and prodigies who appeared. But the more talented they are, the more arrogance they carry within them. If it's not curbed early on, it could lead to problems."
"Tang San may have much to achieve in the future, but he's just a child. In my eyes, he's still a wild seed. So let him grow quietly for now."
"Understood."
Finally, Yan Shaozhe nodded in understanding.
He still wanted to seize this opportunity and train Tang San well, but Mu En had reminded him of the dangers of letting his ambitions overshadow their sense of caution.
"Also, there's something you must remember. You're not the only one interested in Tang San," Mu En added, his voice growing serious. "If you focus on him so much, it will surely attract the attention of many enemies. You must ensure he is safe in the academy."
At this point, Yan Shaozhe could no longer maintain his excitement as he nodded solemnly.
"Understood, teacher."
While they were still at the Sea God Pavilion discussing the situation, far away in the Tang Sect's headquarters.
Tang San sat down, gazing into the dark night outside the window. The moon hung high in the sky, but he couldn't feel even a hint of warmth.
Meanwhile, in the dark room, an enchanting voice echoed through the room.
"Tang San, you've done well, but it's not enough."
With her hands folded behind her, a woman walked toward him.
"You've proven your strength, but strength alone is not enough. In the future, you'll need to learn to control and manipulate others; otherwise, you'll be consumed by your own talent."
"Only by seizing power can you make a name for yourself in this cruel world. If you let yourself be driven by arrogance, you'll quickly find yourself consumed by those you trust."
After hearing the woman's words, Tang San felt a surge of emotions rising within him, mingled with confusion and doubt.
"How can I do that?" he questioned, a hint of hesitance in his voice. "Do you mean I should betray others?"
The woman chuckled softly. "Not quite. Manipulation doesn't necessarily mean betrayal. It's about maintaining the balance of power."
"Once you learn to understand the true nature of the world around you, you'll realize that manipulation is simply another form of control."
Listening to her words, Tang San found himself absorbed in contemplation, trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind her advice.
Though he was still young, he was already keenly aware of the value of power and the dangers of ignorance.
As the woman leaned closer, whispering softly into his ear, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
"Remember, there's no absolute right or wrong in this world. Only power can determine fate."
Tang San remained silent, lost in thought.
"What a strange world."
His fingers traced the silver pendant around his neck as he gazed out into the endless night, pondering the truth of the woman's words.
(End of Chapter)