Electrolux once again withdrew into the sea of spirit, beginning his fusion with the Eye of Life.
The gray mist that shrouded the room faded away, leaving only Su Wen, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, drenched in cold sweat.
He stood up to stretch and found his body exceptionally flexible—even tilting his head a full 180 degrees backward was effortless. Remembering Old Yi's instructions, Su Wen focused his mind, and a blue light glowed on his forehead. Suddenly, a third eye opened on his smooth forehead. From it, he slowly drew out a small blade glowing with a cyan hue.
The Soul Engraving Knife.
That's right, the knife had never disappeared; it had merged with the Eye of Life. By concentrating his mind, he could materialize it.
He toyed with it in his hand. Like a luminous night stone, it emitted a faint cyan glow in the dim room. He then scratched his arm with it, but it only left a faint white mark.
"Hiss..." Su Wen stroked his chin. "Is my flesh really this tough? Or is it that it cut open, but the recovery was so fast I couldn't see it with the naked eye?"
By his estimation, this cyan blade was anything but dull.
With Old Yi's help, this blade, sealed for millennia, finally emitted its own unique cold gleam.
He let out a long breath.
Changed clothes, opened the window, and looked down at the entire Star Luo City sprawling at his feet. The night sky sparkled with stars, mirroring the bright lights of the city below.
Tens of millions in population—indeed, comparable to a top-tier city in his previous life.
He rested quietly by the window, letting the night breeze brush by.
He was about to reach level fifty, Soul King.
Crossing this threshold would indeed be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.
Several of his contracted beasts would undergo earth-shattering changes upon reaching their third evolution stage. For example, Little Gold's next stage would be [Behemoth], Gale would become [Gale Demon Ape], and Azure Luan would become [Holy Healing Azure Luan].
Nothing more needs to be said about Behemoth. No matter the world, it's a top-tier fierce beast—rips dragons apart and eats true dragons as food. Unfortunately, these legends come from ancient times, and nowadays, true-blooded Behemoths are nearly extinct. Even descendants with a trace of its blood—like the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear—are exceptionally strong, let alone a pureblood Behemoth.
Gale's evolution leans toward the "Ape" aspect. Hopefully, it's not a Monkey King or something.
Azure Luan has had little sense of presence early on, mainly to cover for others. Su Wen has yet to experience a life-or-death crisis, so its passive skill hasn't been triggered.
"And the expansion of the Sea of Spirit..."
Su Wen mused.
Should he go to the Sun-Moon Empire or not...
If not, his sixth Pokéball was meant for that one in the Evil Demon Forest. But if he goes, it's a dragon's lair and a tiger's den—the Holy Spirit Sect would never make it easy for him. Those guys have probed his details and learned of his terrifying potential; they won't give up easily.
Maybe... let Grand Elder Xuan Zi send a message? (Joke)
After a moment's thought, Su Wen had a plan.
If he could heal and extend Elder Mu's life before leaving the academy, he'd take Xuan Zi along. While Mu En was still alive, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui, perhaps out of guilt or something else, had always kept a low profile and avoided him, suggesting an ambiguous relationship among the three.
You could say the world is a giant troupe. To accuse Xuan Zi of treason is a bit unfair—most likely, Elder Mu was the one connecting everyone behind the scenes. Of course, Su Wen does not blame Elder Mu; if he were Mu En, teetering on the edge, and his old friend (though fallen) still had some affection for him, he would use it too.
Otherwise, tear things up? Say, "I'm too proud to associate with you"? That would only hurt the already faltering Shrek Academy.
Is Mu En a hopeless romantic?
Su Wen doesn't buy it for a second. The old man is shrewd; once he sensed something was off, he quickly pulled out. Instead, the seemingly "shrewd" Long Xiaoyao played the fool, using himself as bait his entire life.
So, the seemingly dangerous Holy Spirit Sect is actually safe for him—at least before Mu En dies.
At critical moments, Long Xiaoyao would even step in to protect him.
"Creak~"
Lost in thought, Su Wen heard a faint sound at the door. Maybe due to his enhanced senses, he heard it clearly.
Then came the closing of the door and a graceful figure tiptoeing in.
"Sister Xiaotao?"
Su Wen raised an eyebrow. "Up in the middle of the night again, what is it now?"
"Didn't scare you, did I?" Ma Xiaotao replied sullenly. She looked around sneakily, then grabbed Su Wen's arm. "Come on, help me cool off in the bath."
"In the middle of the night?" Su Wen was dumbfounded.
"An evil fire suddenly surged up—I can't sleep." Ma Xiaotao's voice was sweet and coy, making Su Wen get goosebumps.
"Sister Xiaotao..." Su Wen tried to beg off.
But Ma Xiaotao didn't give him a chance. With her Soul Emperor strength, she dragged him out of the room by his feet.
An hour later.
Su Wen returned to the bedroom, carrying a beauty wrapped in a bathrobe, limp and exhausted. He gently placed her on the soft bed. Her crimson hair spread out, her charming face and ripe, peach-like figure alluring as a rose in the moonlight.
Su Wen glanced at her and shook his head helplessly.
Still weak, still loves to play.
Every time, she's bold at first, tries to hold on in the middle, and by the end, collapses into a puddle.
But seeing her so pitiful, Su Wen could only let it go.
He pulled off the bath towel covering her, tucked her in, and during the process, was faced with a field of white. Yet his face was calm—such is the advantage of growing up together, truly able to keep his composure...
He sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to cultivate.
Advancing to Soul King as soon as possible—so he could speak more confidently.
"Buzz..."
A golden pattern flickered at Su Wen's brow. Deep in his dantian, a golden core the size of a dragon's eye hung there, molten-gold in color, expanding and contracting with his breath. Energy flowed from it through his meridians, renewing and strengthening them wherever it passed.
Gold patterns flickered on his skin, a visible sign of the energy running through his body.
Again and again, in endless cycles.
"..."
In the silent night, Ma Xiaotao opened one eye, watching Su Wen sitting beside her, unmoved, and snorted lightly with a hint of dissatisfaction before falling deeply asleep.
...
The sun rose as usual.
In the bedroom.
The golden glow slowly faded back into his body.
Su Wen opened his eyes, glancing at the sleeping Ma Xiaotao. Her skin was as white as jade, smooth and flawless under the morning light, her fiery red hair cascading like a visual feast across the pillows. She slept soundly, her long, toned legs exposed from under the thin sheet, tangled enticingly. Her full breasts strained against the fabric, threatening to spill out as she flipped lazily to face him, the curve of her hips and the subtle dip of her waist on full display.
"Sister Xiaotao? Sister Xiaotao?"
Su Wen raised his eyebrows.
He was about to wake her when a jade arm suddenly reached out from under the covers, pulling him back into bed with surprising strength. The intoxicating scent of her skin overwhelmed him, along with the soft, warm press of her naked body against his. Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her fox-like eyes, heavy-lidded with lingering desire, and Su Wen's throat tightened as his gaze traced the swell of her breasts, her nipples hardening visibly under his stare.
She really was on another level.
Though her character was full of flaws in the original, she was undeniably attractive—her body a perfect blend of athletic grace and voluptuous curves.
"Whoo..."
Su Wen felt he couldn't hold back much longer.
Ma Xiaotao's cheeks flushed a deeper crimson as she grabbed Su Wen's hand under the covers, guiding it boldly to her waist before sliding it lower, pressing his fingers against the slick heat between her legs. She arched her back slightly, rubbing her stiff nipples against his chest, her breath hot against his neck.
She was determined to be Su Wen's first in every way that mattered, to claim him fully with her body.
But just as their breaths grew heavier—an ill-timed knock sounded at the door.
"Xiao Wen? Are you up?"
"Lin Luocheng!!!"
Ma Xiaotao lowered her voice but was furious, her body trembling with frustration as she clenched around his fingers one last time before he withdrew.
If Su Wen hadn't held her tightly, pinning her down with his weight to keep her from bolting, she would have jumped out of bed to get revenge on the one who ruined her plans.
"Sister Xiaotao, just stay in bed for a while." Su Wen sighed helplessly, his erection throbbing painfully, denied release.
"Why!" Ma Xiaotao protested, grinding subtly against him in protest, her arousal evident in the damp spot she left on his skin.
"Clothes," Su Wen reminded her, his eyes lingering on her exposed form—the way her breasts heaved with each breath, her shaved mound still flushed and inviting.
"Oh..." Ma Xiaotao finally realized she was naked, huffed in annoyance, and shrank back under the covers, pulling the sheet up to hide her glistening thighs. "You guys go to the competition, I burned off too much evil fire last night and have no energy today."
Su Wen: "..."
What a terrible line.
"Where's Xiaotao?" As soon as the door opened, Lin Luocheng suspiciously looked around the room.
"Ahem, maybe she went out to train? Let's hurry, or we'll be late." Su Wen blushed and quickly pushed the half-believing Lin Luocheng down the corridor.
…
In the hallway.
On the way down, the Shrek team, as expected, ran into the Sun-Moon Empire team. The two teams kept to their own sides as they went down, but the tension was thick.
The Sun-Moon Empire was Shrek Academy's old rival. They'd competed for thousands of years and been suppressed for thousands of years. Naturally, there was resentment. Just as they thought they could finally take the championship after Shrek's main force crippled, Su Wen, this dark horse, suddenly appeared...
First and second place clash.
Naturally, this drew attention from all the other teams.
After all, they were all young people and "fans" in their own way, but their idols were judged by strength. New stars like Su Wen and Xiao Hongchen were secretly admired by many, and people loved to debate things like—"Who's stronger, Su Wen or Xiao Hongchen?" "If Shrek and Sun-Moon really fought, who would win?"
Then they'd start citing references.
"Shrek can withstand beast tides—can your Sun-Moon Empire do that?"
"Nonsense! It's just that Di Tian didn't bother to destroy Shrek. If they really fought, Shrek would get crushed. Not that I side with Sun-Moon, but remember four thousand years ago, when Sun-Moon almost swept the continent? All the powers joined forces and nearly got wiped out. Shrek is nothing..."
Then they'd compare the recent stats: number of Shrek soul masters vs. Sun-Moon soul engineers. 50,000 vs. 80,000—the advantage is ours!
In short, everyone loved gossip and was eager to see strong teams clash.
"Let me introduce myself: Royal Academy of the Sun-Moon Empire, Ma Rulong."
"Shrek Academy, Su Wen."
The two team leaders smiled as they passed—neither revealing their fighting spirit.
But behind them, Lin Luocheng, Bei Bei, and others from Shrek squared off against Xiao Hongchen, Lin Xi, and the Sun-Moon team, sparks flying.
Tensions ran high.
After all, Shrek and Sun-Moon were mortal enemies.
Since the tournament allowed for fatalities, there was plenty of "room for maneuver."
In the last tournament, three from Sun-Moon died, one from Shrek—like Xixi, who later filled a vacancy among the Seven Monsters.
It was no exaggeration to call it a blood feud.
…
"Xiao Wen, why didn't you glare at them, just chatting and smiling?" In the rest area, Lin Luocheng jabbed Su Wen's shoulder, fuming.
Su Wen smiled.
"What's the point of glaring off the field? Better to prove ourselves on the battlefield... I don't dislike Xiao Hongchen and his sister, it's just that we're on opposite sides."
"Besides, why should you be so upset? What's the point..."