After the Sea God Pavilion meeting concluded, the Elders dispersed, leaving only Yun Ming, Ya Li, and Jing Shaoyu in the hall.
"Teacher, I'd like to exchange for a Soul Bone from the academy's treasury," Jing Shaoyu said to Yun Ming.
"A trivial matter," Yun Ming replied dismissively.
With a wave of his hand, golden radiance flooded Jing Shaoyu's vision. The brilliance was so dazzling that he instinctively closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they had already been transported from the Sea God Pavilion hall to the Inner Academy's treasury.
"All the Soul Bones collected by the Sea God Pavilion are here. This section contains those from hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, and that section holds those from Ferocious Beasts. You may choose from these two areas," Yun Ming explained.
This was Jing Shaoyu's first time visiting the Inner Academy's treasury, and he was immediately captivated by the dazzling array of treasures.
"Abundant and high-quality"—that was the only thought in his mind.
The treasury housed over twenty Ferocious Beast-level Soul Bones alone, meaning at least a dozen Ferocious Beasts had fallen at the hands of Shrek's predecessors. As for hundred-thousand-year Soul Bones, their numbers were even greater, more than double that of the Ferocious Beast-level ones.
Naturally, Jing Shaoyu prioritized checking the Ferocious Beast Soul Bones to see if any suited his preferences or needs.
These Soul Bones were placed on shelves carved from the Golden Tree, with no protective measures in place. This made sense—if someone could infiltrate the Inner Academy's treasury under the watchful eyes of the Sea God Pavilion Master and the Elders, then at the very least, their future would be assured.
Beneath each Soul Bone was a plaque detailing its origin, quality, Soul Skill, and the evaluation of its original owner.
After surveying them, Jing Shaoyu noticed that the original owners of these Ferocious Beast Soul Bones were all past Sea God Pavilion Masters. This meant over twenty Ferocious Beasts had been slain by them.
This was terrifying. Ferocious Beasts were no ordinary hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts—even a two-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast was a fearsome existence comparable to a 95th-rank Super Douluo!
More importantly, Ferocious Beasts were exceedingly rare.
As Jing Shaoyu gazed at these Soul Bones, it was as if the decline of the Soul Beast race from its peak was unfolding before his eyes.
If Gu Yue were to see these Soul Bones, he wondered if she'd be furious.
Before long, Jing Shaoyu had examined all twenty-plus Ferocious Beast Soul Bones. While none particularly appealed to him, he did spot several that would suit the girls. Absorbing them would undoubtedly provide significant enhancements.
For example, the Titan Snow Demon Left Arm Bone before him had belonged to one of the Three Arctic Emperors, the Titan Snow Demon King. It had been slain by a Pavilion Master five thousand years ago and was the most recently acquired among these Ferocious Beast Soul Bones.
It would be perfect for Mo Hentian. The Titan Snow Demon Right Arm Bone he had previously absorbed would likely synergize well with this Titan Snow Demon King Left Arm Bone.
Another example was a Right Arm Bone from a two-hundred-thousand-year Radiant Tiger King, produced during a beast tide before the era of Soul Spirits.
For Wu Siduo, this would be a priceless treasure, given the close bloodline connection between Radiant Tigers and White Tigers.
Unfortunately, these Ferocious Beast Soul Bones belonged to the academy's property. Even the master of the Sea God Pavilion had no right to dispose of them privately.
For the girls to obtain these Ferocious Beast Soul Bones, they either had to render great service to the academy or be designated as the successor to the Sea God Pavilion master, like Jing Shaoyu.
After viewing the Ferocious Beast Soul Bones, Jing Shaoyu began examining the hundred-thousand-year Soul Bones.
There were more hundred-thousand-year Soul Bones, and the parts were more complete—skull bones, torso bones, and limb bones—with quite a few pieces available.
Regrettably, none of them caught his interest.
"What's wrong? Nothing to your liking?" Yun Ming, noticing Jing Shaoyu's mood, spoke up.
"Mm." Jing Shaoyu nodded. "Although these Soul Bones are all excellent, none of them are quite suitable for me."
"Hmm..." Yun Ming pondered for a moment before saying, "Show me the Soul Bone you have."
"Understood." Jing Shaoyu took out the Dark Demon Dragon Soul Bone and handed it to Yun Ming.
"A True Dragon Soul Bone?" Yun Ming's eyes lit up as he picked it up.
"Yes, the Dark Demon Dragon Left Arm Bone," Jing Shaoyu replied.
"Come, I'll take you to see Elder Long. She has quite a collection of Soul Bones," Yun Ming said with a smile.
Jing Shaoyu was puzzled. "Teacher, what do you mean by Elder Long having a collection of Soul Bones?"
"Hahaha, Elder Long comes from a prominent family. The Soul Bones accumulated by her family's elders over generations are all in her possession," Yun Ming laughed. "She would definitely be interested in this Dark Demon Dragon Left Arm Bone of yours. Trading it for a Ferocious Beast Soul Bone or a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone wouldn't be a problem."
"Oh!" Jing Shaoyu suddenly understood.
He followed Yun Ming to Long Yeyue's small courtyard.
There, Jing Shaoyu saw Wu Siduo.
"Shaoyu, are you here to see me?" Wu Siduo exclaimed joyfully, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him.
Only then did she notice Yun Ming and quickly added, "Greetings, Pavilion Master! Are you here to see my teacher?"
Wu Siduo had become Long Yeyue's disciple—something Jing Shaoyu only learned after his return. He was surprised but also found it reasonable.
After all, Long Yeyue possessed Twin Martial Souls: the Radiant Holy Dragon and the Dark Holy Dragon, while Wu Siduo also had Twin Martial Souls: the White Tiger and the Netherworld Cat. There was a significant degree of commonality between them.
Jing Shaoyu suddenly realized why he had sensed Long Yeyue's displeasure earlier—it was because of Wu Siduo.
"Duoduo, bring them in," Long Yeyue's voice came before Jing Shaoyu or Yun Ming could respond to Wu Siduo.
Yun Ming entered first, with Jing Shaoyu following closely behind. Wu Siduo, giggling, walked up to Jing Shaoyu and wrapped her arms around his.
"Sister Yue, there's something I'd like to trouble you with," Yun Ming said with a smile before explaining their purpose.
After listening, Long Yeyue turned her expressionless gaze to Jing Shaoyu. Seeing Wu Siduo clinging to him with a beaming smile, a flash of anger flickered in her eyes.
"I do have quite a few Soul Bones," Long Yeyue said, then abruptly changed her tone. "However, I have no intention of giving them to a philanderer. Jing Shaoyu, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Her words elicited varied reactions: Yun Ming wore a helpless smile, Wu Siduo looked anxious, and Jing Shaoyu appeared exasperated.
She was forcing him to make a stance.
"Being a philanderer is still better than being heartless, Elder Long," he retorted, unapologetic.
Long Yeyue's expression froze at his words, and she fell into complete silence.
"Shaoyu, don't speak nonsense!" Yun Ming immediately reprimanded in a low voice, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Jing Shaoyu cooperatively bowed his head, adopting the posture of someone who had spoken out of turn and was begging forgiveness from his elders.
What else could Long Yeyue say? She could only smile bitterly and remark, "Indeed, being fickle is better than being heartless. Hahaha!"
"Elder Long..." Yun Ming began, attempting to console her.
But Long Yeyue simply waved her hand dismissively and said, "Enough. Bring out that Dark Demon Dragon Soul Bone for me to see."
Yun Ming let out a sigh of relief and immediately signaled Jing Shaoyu with his eyes. Understanding, Jing Shaoyu retrieved the already prepared Soul Bone and presented it to Long Yeyue.
With just a glance, Long Yeyue's face revealed satisfaction. She then raised her hand, sending several streaks of light flying toward Jing Shaoyu, where they hovered in the air before him.
"Take a look. See if there's anything you want," Long Yeyue said coldly.
"Thank you, Elder Long," Jing Shaoyu replied respectfully before examining the Soul Bones she had released.
There were nine streaks of light suspended in the air—nine Soul Bones in total. Among them, three were from Ferocious Beasts, while the other six were from hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
As usual, Jing Shaoyu first inspected the three Ferocious Beast Soul Bones.
The first was the Radiant Battle King Torso Bone, produced by a two-hundred-thousand-year Radiant Armored Rhinoceros King.
The Radiant Armored Rhinoceros was a typical defensive Soul Beast, so the Soul Bone it produced was also defensive in nature—something Jing Shaoyu had no interest in.
The second was the Starlight Brilliance Left Leg Bone, derived from a two-hundred-thousand-year Starlight Unicorn. This instantly piqued Jing Shaoyu's interest.
He hadn't expected Long Yeyue's collection to include a Soul Bone from a Starlight Unicorn—this was truly a surprise.
Jing Shaoyu's Soul Spirit, An Ya, was a Sacred Unicorn, which shared an extremely close connection with the Starlight Unicorn.
To be precise, a Sacred Unicorn was a Starlight Unicorn that had awakened the Tianlu bloodline. If An Ya hadn't awakened this bloodline and transformed into the Sun of Auspiciousness, she would have remained just a Starlight Unicorn.
Among the two Soul Skills attached to Long Yeyue's Starlight Brilliance Left Leg Bone, one was Starlight Brilliance—the signature technique of the Starlight Unicorn. It released dazzling starlight that enhanced all attributes of allies it touched and amplified the power of their next Soul Skill.
This was an excellent support-type Soul Skill.
The second was an offensive Soul Skill called Starlight Wrath, which boasted considerable power.
At this point, Jing Shaoyu had already made up his mind, but he still wanted to examine the third Ferocious Beast Soul Bone before finalizing his decision.
The third was the Molten Rage Bear Left Arm Bone, originating from a two-hundred-thousand-year Molten Rage Bear Emperor.
"Elder Long, I choose this one," Jing Shaoyu said, looking up at Long Yeyue.
"Then take it," Long Yeyue replied without even lifting her head, her tone indifferent.
Seeing this, Jing Shaoyu reached out and claimed the Starlight Brilliance Left Leg Bone, then thanked her again. "Thank you, Elder Long."
"If there's nothing else, leave. Don't disturb this old woman's rest," Long Yeyue said expressionlessly.
"Haha, very well. We'll take our leave now," Yun Ming said with a laugh, turning to walk out.
Jing Shaoyu nodded at Wu Siduo and followed Yun Ming out.
"Jing Shaoyu," just as the master and disciple were about to leave the room, Long Yeyue suddenly called out, "I hope you can live up to your words today. I'll be watching you."
Jing Shaoyu paused mid-step, then replied with unwavering confidence, "Then please keep your eyes on me."
Long Yeyue's message was clear—a warning for Jing Shaoyu not to let Wu Siduo down.
"Are you planning to fuse with the Soul Bone now?" Yun Ming asked along the way. "If so, I'll stand guard for you."
"Not yet, Teacher," Jing Shaoyu shook his head.
Though the Star Brilliance Left Leg Bone was tempting, it didn't mean he would fuse with it immediately. He wanted to wait until entering the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Inheritance Hall—what if the Pagoda had something even better?
This thought perfectly exemplified his extravagance. Other Soul Masters would eagerly fuse with any Soul Bone they obtained, especially one from a Ferocious Beast, yet here was Jing Shaoyu, still being picky.
"Alright, then I'll head back first." Yun Ming nodded, and with those words, his figure vanished from Jing Shaoyu's sight.
Seeing Yun Ming leave directly, Jing Shaoyu didn't follow but instead headed to the activity room.
"Brother," Na'er looked at Jing Shaoyu with a pout, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Na'er had just learned that Jing Shaoyu had recognized Yun Ming and Ya Li as his godparents. She wasn't opposed to it, but she was deeply dissatisfied that he hadn't told her right away.
"Haha, this way you'll really become my daughter-in-law," Jing Shaoyu laughed, pinching Na'er's delicate cheek playfully.
"Mmm~" Na'er wrinkled her cute little nose and let out a charming huff.
"Shaoyu-gege, an Elder named Elder Mei wants to take me as her disciple!" Xu Xiaoyan excitedly told Jing Shaoyu.
Beside her, Ye Xinglan wore a slightly awkward expression and nodded at Jing Shaoyu.
"That's wonderful! Did you accept?" Jing Shaoyu asked with a smile.
"Of course I did!" Xu Xiaoyan said excitedly. "Xinglan told me Elder Mei is a 96th-rank Super Douluo with the Celestial Star Banner Martial Soul—just like ours, a stellar-type Martial Soul!"
"Elder Mei is a close elder of our family. It was her help that allowed me to enter the academy early. Originally, I should have become her disciple," Ye Xinglan explained with a helpless expression. "But now... so I recommended Xiaoyan to her instead. Compared to me, Xiaoyan is actually more suited to be Elder Mei's disciple—they're both control-type Soul Masters."
"Xixi, thank you, Xinglan," Xu Xiaoyan said affectionately, hugging Ye Xinglan.
Though Xu Xiaoyan's talent and status would have inevitably drawn Elder Mei's attention sooner or later, Ye Xinglan's recommendation undoubtedly sped up the process, allowing Xu Xiaoyan to gain a Super Douluo teacher much earlier. The impact of this was entirely different.
A few days later.
Gu Yue brought Jing Shaoyu to the Spirit Transfer Pagoda headquarters, where they found Leng Yaozhu.
"A'yun, you've got quite the nerve, daring to let a thief become your mother behind my back!" The moment they met, Leng Yaozhu's delicate hand grabbed Jing Shaoyu's ear, her voice filled with anger and displeasure.
"Teacher, I—" Jing Shaoyu tried to explain.
But Leng Yaozhu wouldn't listen. She released his ear, her expression despondent. "Enough. What's done is done. Explanations are meaningless now."
"Teacher, I'm sorry." Jing Shaoyu hadn't expected Leng Yaozhu to react so strongly—this wasn't part of their original plan at all.
"It's fine. I just needed a moment to process it." Leng Yaozhu waved her hand dismissively. Leaning back on the sofa, she tilted her head up to look at him. "A'yun, since Ya Li is now your godmother, that means you're her son from now on. If I hit you, I'm hitting her son—so you're not allowed to dodge, understand?"
"...I understand, Teacher." Jing Shaoyu nodded helplessly.
"Hehe, such a good boy!" Leng Yaozhu's face brightened into a smile, the loneliness in her voice completely gone.
Jing Shaoyu couldn't help but roll his eyes. He strongly suspected that Leng Yaozhu's earlier reaction had all been an act—just to trick him into this.
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