"How old is Lexuan this year?"
Qian Duoduo asked.
Yan Shaozhe smiled and replied, "Lexuan is only 23 this year, and she's already reached level 84 as a Soul Douluo."
"Twenty-three years old and already level 84? Wow, that must have broken the records of Shrek Academy over the past few thousand years, right?"
Qian Duoduo clicked his tongue in astonishment, clearly amazed by Zhang Lexuan's extraordinary talent.
"At the age of 23, even reaching the Soul Sage realm is rare enough to mark someone as a prodigy, let alone becoming a Soul Douluo. And not just any Soul Douluo, but one who possesses a 100,000-year soul ring at level 84."
"I think Lexuan might have the potential to become an Ultimate Douluo!" Xian Lin'er exclaimed in amazement.
"An Ultimate Douluo?"
As soon as Xian Lin'er said this, the room fell silent. The weight of that statement hung in the air.
An Ultimate Douluo represented the pinnacle of power on the continent.
"A 23-year-old Soul Douluo at level 84… Lexuan truly has the potential to reach the level of an Ultimate Douluo," someone remarked.
"This child's cultivation speed is even faster than mine back in the day."
From the innermost part of the Sea God Pavilion, an elderly figure lounged on a chair, his voice emerging slowly.
When they heard his voice, all the elders immediately straightened their expressions, showing respect. This was none other than Mu En, the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion. He had just finished healing Xuan Zi but rushed over to preside over the meeting. And just as it began, he received this exciting news.
"Teacher, aren't you exaggerating a bit? How could Lexuan be compared to you?"
Yan Shaozhe quickly said though he had high hopes for Zhang Lexuan. He couldn't imagine her being on the same level as his teacher, a true legend on the continent and the pillar of Shrek Academy.
"Shaozhe, I'm just an old man now. If someone can surpass me, that's a good thing. Lexuan is exceptionally talented. Even if she doesn't become an Ultimate Douluo, she can at least reach level 98 as a Super Douluo. In the future, this child might be able to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of Shrek Academy. I suggest the Academy increase its resources for her development so she can grow as quickly as possible. At the same time, let her enter the Sea God Pavilion—she has earned that qualification."
Mu En sighed softly.
"What? Elder Mu, isn't this a bit too fast?"
Mu En's suggestion left many of the elders uneasy. Typically, only Titled Douluo could enter the Sea God Pavilion as elders, and Zhang Lexuan was still only a Soul Douluo.
"Is Lexuan's talent not enough? Only by increasing the Academy's support now can we deepen her loyalty. This time, Xuan Zi left her alone in the Star Dou Forest. Even though there were reasons, it still hurt her feelings. Lexuan is an understanding child who keeps everything inside, but we can't let her become disheartened."
Mu En spoke earnestly.
"And most importantly, Xuan Zi's injuries are severe and difficult to heal. Even with the help of the Golden Tree's power, Xuan Zi's soul power has only recovered to level 94, and he can no longer progress. The Academy now needs someone who can take on its future."
Mu En's words left Yan Shaozhe and the others in silence. Everything Mu En said made sense.
"I agree with Elder Mu's suggestion," Elder Lin nodded.
"I agree as well," Elder Song chimed in.
With these two leading, the rest naturally had no objections.
"By the way, Teacher, something strange happened with Lexuan," Yan Shaozhe began, recounting the earlier puzzling details about Zhang Lexuan.
"Lexuan's physical capabilities are impressive, but absorbing a 100,000-year soul ring without any resistance was unexpected. She said she encountered almost no resistance during the process."
The elders remained silent until Mu En spoke, "Since the 100,000-year-old Moon Spirit Emperor was nearing the end of its life, this outcome isn't too hard to understand. Lexuan's martial soul is the moon, and the Moon Spirit Emperor is a soul beast that absorbs moonlight to cultivate. It naturally loves the moon, so it's not impossible that it felt a sense of closeness to Lexuan. And since it was near death, its soul ring being absorbed by Lexuan might be seen as a continuation of its life."
"Is that so? But it was still a soul beast—why would it willingly become a human's soul ring?"
Yan Shaozhe asked, still harboring doubts.
"These things do happen, though rarely. When a soul beast willingly becomes a soul ring, the chances of it dropping a soul bone are high. With a 100,000-year soul ring, a soul bone is almost guaranteed. In short, perhaps Lexuan was just lucky to encounter a dying Moon Spirit Emperor, and she happened to have a moon martial soul."
Mu En concluded.
"So, it just comes down to good luck? Why didn't I have such luck?"
Yan Shaozhe muttered under his breath.
"Nonsense. Can you compare yourself to Lexuan? Are you as likable, kind, or responsible as she is?"
Xian Lin'er shot Yan Shaozhe a disdainful glance.
Yan Shaozhe was embarrassed but didn't argue back. He had indeed let Xian Lin'er down when they were younger.
"Alright, let's leave it here. Shaozhe, tomorrow, arrange a room in the Sea God Pavilion for Lexuan to train in. Also, the freshman assessments are coming up soon. Pay attention and see if there are any particularly talented new students. If there are, focus on cultivating them. Our Academy really needs fresh blood right now."
"I understand, Teacher," Yan Shaozhe responded respectfully.
"Good. I also need to make a trip to the Star Dou Forest to try and retrieve Xuan Zi's lost soul bone. Xuan Zi is an important pillar of the Academy. We can't let him fall so easily."
"Teacher, are you going to the Star Dou Forest?"
Yan Shaozhe asked in shock.
"Won't that cause misunderstandings with the Star Dou Forest?"
Mu En's status was no small matter. If the Star Dou Forest became too sensitive, they wouldn't be dealing with just Bear Lord but the Beast God Di Tian.
"Don't worry, it won't. Di Tian isn't that sensitive. Besides, I'm only going to look for Xuan Zi's soul bone. I have no other intentions. For now, it's not suitable for Shrek Academy to have a fallout with the Star Dou Forest."
Mu En shook his head. He was indeed angry about Xuan Zi's injury, but he wasn't foolish enough to pick a fight with the Star Dou Forest. The current circumstances weren't right—Star Dou Forest was too powerful. Challenging them now would be like throwing eggs at a rock. Moreover, Shrek Academy had made plenty of enemies. With Xuan Zi injured, it was more important to stabilize the Academy. Better to remember this humiliation and wait for the day when they could repay it.
Upon hearing Mu En's words, Yan Shaozhe felt much more at ease. If Xuan Zi's soul bone could truly be recovered, it would be a great relief. After all, Shrek Academy still greatly needed Xuan Zi's immense combat strength.
"Alright, let's end today's meeting here," Mu En said, waving his hand to signal the conclusion.
The elders rose and left one by one.
Mu En shifted slightly, and Yan Shaozhe quickly stepped forward to help him up. Hunched over, Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe and said, "Shaozhe, our Academy is facing great challenges again. You must take good care of it."
"Teacher, I will!"
Yan Shaozhe responded firmly.
"Hmm, you've always been steady in your actions, but you can be a little petty. You'll need to work on that going forward," Mu En advised.
"Yes, Teacher!"
Yan Shaozhe replied obediently.
"Alright then, go handle your business. I need to set off soon; the later I go, the more likely things could go wrong," Mu En said, waving his hand dismissively.
Yan Shaozhe nodded.
"Teacher, I'll take my leave now."
Mu En gave a slight nod.
After Yan Shaozhe left, Mu En sighed, and in the next moment, his figure disappeared.
The following day, as per Mu En's instructions, Yan Shaozhe arranged a room for Zhang Lexuan in the Sea God Pavilion.
The entire Sea God Pavilion was carved from the Golden Tree. For soul masters, cultivating inside the Golden Tree was highly beneficial. It was comparable to training at the Lake of Life, and the speed of improvement was much faster than in the outside world.
Zhang Lexuan wasn't surprised by Yan Shaozhe's gesture. First, Yan Shaozhe had mentioned it beforehand, and second, she had earned this qualification. Given her current strength and talent, if Shrek Academy hadn't made any moves to support her, she might have started doubting whether the higher-ups were just occupying their positions without doing anything.
What did catch her off guard, however, was Yan Shaozhe's proposal to make her a member of the Sea God Pavilion. Zhang Lexuan immediately declined.
Once she joined the Sea God Pavilion, her position would change. Before, she could still claim she was just a student of Shrek Academy. But once she entered the Sea God Pavilion, it would signify her complete affiliation with the Pavilion.
Her life belonged to Su Yu. How could she become part of the Sea God Pavilion? If she knew where Su Yu was now, she might even think about graduating early to find him.
After the incident in the Star Dou Forest, Zhang Lexuan had realized something important: the only person who truly treated her as one of their own was Su Yu. He was also the only one who didn't want to use her for anything.
Though Di Tian had given her a 100,000-year soul ring, and Yan Shaozhe wanted her to join the Sea God Pavilion, they each had their own motives. Of course, this was normal—who would do something without some personal benefit? But comparisons are inevitable, and Su Yu was the only one who didn't care about such things and valued her as a person. He truly treated her like family.
With that comparison, it was natural for her to feel more inclined toward Su Yu.
"Although I used my young age and lack of experience as reasons to temporarily decline the Dean's offer, I'm not sure how much longer I can delay."
"The Academy wanting to invest more resources in me is a good thing."
"But I don't want to be completely tied to the Academy. Xiao Yu, where are you? If it were you, what would you want me to do?"
Zhang Lexuan murmured softly, her eyes dazed as her thoughts drifted far away.
...
Illustrious Virtue Hall.
In the main hall, Jing Hongchen sat comfortably in the main seat, leisurely sipping tea from his cup. Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Lin Jiayi entered the hall, excitement written across his face.
"Hall Master, I have good news," Lin Jiayi said enthusiastically.
"What's the good news?"
Jing Hongchen asked, setting down his teacup with interest.
"Hall Master, we've just received word that Su Yu has passed the fourth-level soul engineer test. He's now officially a fourth-level soul engineer."
"Oh?"
Jing Hongchen's eyes lit up with surprise.
"If I'm not mistaken, that boy only passed the third-level soul engineer test two months ago. And now he's passed the fourth-level test?"
Jing Hongchen was astonished. Su Yu had already reached the fourth level?
"Yes, Hall Master. Su Yu became a third-level soul engineer two months ago. I assigned him to a new class. But today, he has passed the fourth-level soul engineer test. Here, take a look at his results."
Lin Jiayi handed over the test results to Jing Hongchen.
As Jing Hongchen reviewed them, his expression gradually turned to amazement.
"It's truly a genuine fourth-level result. This boy is truly something extraordinary."
"Yes, Hall Master. He's only been here for eight months, and he's already a fourth-level soul engineer. Such talent is unheard of. We've truly found a treasure."
Eight months—from knowing nothing about soul tools to becoming a genuine fourth-level soul engineer. What kind of concept was that? Since the establishment of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, they had never encountered such an extraordinary student. Su Yu's talent for soul engineering was beyond comprehension.
"With such talent, it's truly rare. Fortunately, he's a student of our Academy. If he weren't, I'm not sure I could tolerate him," Jing Hongchen sighed. He had thought he had already overestimated Su Yu, but Su Yu kept surpassing every expectation.
"If such a genius belonged to someone else, I would be deeply uneasy and wouldn't rest until they were dealt with. But since he's on our side? It's all good!"
With a genius like Su Yu in their ranks, Jing Hongchen felt he could sleep peacefully.
"This child's talent is extraordinary and cannot be underestimated. Here's what we'll do: designate him as a seed talent for Illustrious Virtue Hall. When he advances to a fifth-level soul engineer, there's no need for a formal test—he will be directly admitted to Illustrious Virtue Hall. Also, provides him with an unlimited supply of rare metals for his soul tool studies. His food and living arrangements will also be fully covered by the Academy, and everything should be of the highest quality. Additionally, give him a monthly stipend of 100,000 gold soul coins to ensure he can focus on his studies."
Jing Hongchen announced one generous privilege after another without hesitation.
Lin Jiayi couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder. This level of treatment was unprecedented. Even the current members of Illustrious Virtue Hall didn't enjoy such favorable conditions.
Unlimited rare metals, the best food and accommodation, and a monthly stipend of 100,000 gold soul coins? Even Illustrious Virtue Hall members had a limited monthly quota for rare metals. Rare metals were not only expensive but also extremely scarce!