Morning light filtered through the thin mist over Sea God Lake, slowly awakening the silent Sea God Island.
Although this island was a core area of Shrek Academy and vast in size, few were qualified to set foot on it. So, while the outer court in the distance was already bustling, it remained tranquil and quiet here when viewed from the window.
That, perhaps, was a blessing—no one to disturb the two young lovers as they caught up.
Su Wen, wrapped in a white towel, stood by the window. His strong, aesthetically muscular upper body was exposed to the air as he quietly gazed down.
Thinking about it, he was only a third or fourth year student himself. Yet, for some reason, watching the lively Shrek outer court disciples below, he always felt a trace of an "elder's" perspective.
Perhaps it was due to his strength increasing and exploring this world more fully.
He'd spent half a year in the Sun-Moon Empire, and with the three months of being sent back ten thousand years, it had been a long time since he'd seen this familiar scene.
From the age of six until now, everything had changed drastically.
His own strength, his aura, even the beautiful women at his side—all made him feel a surge of emotion.
"Ara~"
A coquettish voice came from behind.
Like a spoiled little girl, Su Wen turned around helplessly. On the golden wood bed, a beautiful woman with loose hair propped herself up with one hand, her proud figure half-covered by a thin blanket—enough to make any man's blood boil.
"Xiao Wen…"
If the inner court disciples saw this scene, they'd be shocked. Who would've thought that their usually gentle, yet proud and aloof senior sister could show this side of herself?
Of course, only Su Wen was lucky enough to witness it.
"Hug me."
Zhang Lexuan pouted, lifted the thin blanket, and reached out to Su Wen.
So many days apart, their passion was like a battlefield.
They wished they could melt into each other's bodies. The physical thrill had long become familiar. Su Wen smiled, gently picked her up in a princess carry, and walked straight toward the bath.
"La la la Couple's bath"
Zhang Lexuan was like a girl newly in love, splashing in the large tub, completely unashamed even as she bared herself to Su Wen.
"But your injury…"
In the bath, the two clung tightly together.
Zhang Lexuan's slender hand gently stroked the dark red scar on Su Wen's neck, her beautiful eyes filled with heartache. This was the remnant of the Death God's Light. That attack had been too fast, too fierce. Trying to pull so many people into the Poké Ball at that instant had delayed him by a split second, letting the Death God's Light—costing nearly a hundred thousand souls—graze his neck.
In that moment, he felt countless evil spirits surge into his body, almost wrenching his soul free. Fortunately, Big Eye was there.
Though he seemed unbothered, he'd truly walked through the gates of hell.
"Does it still hurt?" Zhang Lexuan rested on his chest, her fair fingers tracing circles.
"It still burns with the souls' scorch," Su Wen replied, holding her alluring body, then added, "No wonder it was an all-out blow from an Ultimate Douluo."
"You just love being reckless!" Zhang Lexuan frowned, pinched Su Wen's ear. "You knew they might be tricking you—why didn't you come straight back instead of taking the risk?!"
"Ahem…" Su Wen instinctively lowered his head.
Beneath the water, her curves seemed even more enticing.
"I'd just broken through to Soul Sage, and Gale and the others had all reached Super Douluo. I wanted to test things out. Besides, with Azure Luan there as backup, it's hard for me to die. Next time I won't…" Su Wen stared at the water.
"Hmph~" Zhang Lexuan let go of his ear, then gently massaged it, snuggling into his arms.
"Can you think before you take risks? If something happened to you, what about me? What about Xiaotao…?"
"Mm."
Su Wen replied absentmindedly.
"Are you even listening to me!" Zhang Lexuan's face reddened. She grabbed his face, making them look eye to eye, then couldn't help but kiss him.
"Mmm…"
After their lips parted—
"Also, I have a gift for you." Su Wen patted his head, as if remembering something. He took out a pink-blue flower from his storage device, its delicate fragrance wafting out. "This flower looks just like you."
"I found it while exploring the sea with Teacher Xuan and the others, on an unknown island. I felt its temperament was just like yours, so I picked one to bring back."
"Mm." Zhang Lexuan accepted the pale blue flower, sniffed it at her nose, her eyes unable to hide her joy. "I love it. Pin it in my hair for me?"
"Alright."
Zhang Lexuan's laughter turned into soft gasps as Su Wen's hands roamed her silken skin, tracing the elegant lines of her body with the reverence of a cultivator admiring a rare spirit herb.
She arched against him, her full breasts pressing into his chest, nipples hardening under his gentle touch.
The water rippled around them as she straddled his lap, her intimate folds brushing against his growing arousal, slick with desire and the bath's warmth.
"Xiao Wen... I've missed you so much," she whispered, her voice husky with need, as she guided his manhood to her entrance.
With a slow, deliberate motion, she lowered herself onto him, enveloping him in her tight, welcoming heat.
Su Wen groaned softly, his hands gripping her hips, feeling the pulse of her soul power mingling with his own in a harmonious dance.
She began to move, rocking rhythmically, her inner walls clenching around him in waves of pleasure that echoed the tides of Sea God Lake.
Their bodies united in a symphony of passion—his thrusts deep and measured, drawing out her moans as he filled her completely, their essences blending like fused martial souls.
Zhang Lexuan's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as ecstasy built, her climax crashing over her in a shuddering release, her essence flooding around him.
Su Wen followed soon after, spilling into her with a low, reverent sigh, their shared bliss sealing the bond that no separation could break.
...
Su Wen lay back, playing with her soft hair, letting out a long breath, as if reporting, or perhaps talking to himself.
"My seventh soul skill turned out to be a team-wide boost. I always thought it would be a seventh red spirit or an even higher-level Poké Ball, but it turned out to be a true Martial Soul Avatar."
"Team-wide boost?" Zhang Lexuan was surprised.
"Yeah…"
Su Wen smacked his lips.
But it made sense. After all, his martial soul was already Pokémon-themed. Martial Soul Avatar being linked to Pokémon was normal.
It was a bit like Dynamaxing in Pokémon. The appearance didn't change much, but all stats doubled. Because of this, his six spirit beasts could go toe to toe with an Ultimate Douluo, two Super Douluos, and two Titled Douluos. That's why Ye Xishui went all out.
Couldn't out-talk or out-fight them… Might as well use the ultimate move.
…
In the top-level forging department's exclusive lab, the air shimmered with heat from the furnace. The massive forge was like a dormant volcano, exuding an intimidating aura.
This was the forge of a true "Divine Craftsman."
Within, the continent's top divine-forged metals were born. Clearly, Elder Du was far from indifferent about Su Wen's vision of battle armor and his promise to revitalize the forging department. He even found it hard to contain himself when Su Wen returned, bringing a taciturn Sun-Moon Empire native with him.
So, Elder Du decided to show off a little.
Xuan Ziwen arrived, dusty and eager, his eyes filled with anticipation and awe.
He'd been captivated by the "battle armor" blueprint Su Wen described, and now he finally met one of its key figures—the divine craftsman, Elder Du.
There was no earth-shaking display, but Elder Du's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the trembling blue metal on the forging table—Star Silver Ore.
"Clang…"
Each hammer blow squeezed out impurities. Complex, mystical natural patterns emerged on the metal, like the rings of an ancient tree.
Gradually, the blue hue grew purer, as if the metal came alive.
"This… is the true power of a divine craftsman…" Xuan Ziwen muttered, eyes full of awe.
As Elder Du finished, a long "hum" echoed. The Star Silver Ore lay quietly on the table, glowing with a gentle light, as if breathing.
The ambient energy for miles around surged violently, as if a phenomenon was being born. Xuan Ziwen could even see clouds gathering outside, just like a ten-thousand-year soul beast transcending a tribulation.
This was Elder Du's first time demonstrating divine forging before outsiders.
If spirit forging was about creating spirit and life, like a newborn baby, then divine forging was about awakening a martial soul. The metaphor was exaggerated, but not wrong.
"Xuan Ziwen?" Elder Du turned coldly, wiping his hands as he sized up the so-called eighth-level soul tool master recommended by Su Wen.
Xuan Ziwen snapped out of his shock, hurried forward, and said anxiously, "Yes, Elder Du."
"I underestimated divine forging…"
"I thought it was just a percentage boost, but now I see—it's exponential! Forging is as mysterious as nurturing a child. No wonder divine artifacts are said to have souls. I thought that was just a rumor, but now I realize how ignorant I was."
"Heh." Elder Du smiled.
Clearly, he enjoyed the flattery.
Xuan Ziwen excitedly spread out his thick blueprints, pointing quickly. "Look here—this is the ultimate version of the Frostwind Enchanted Sniper, which Su Wen and I developed in the Sun-Moon Empire. It can take a Titled Douluo's head from ten thousand meters. The data is all here."
"Hmm…"
Elder Du raised his eyebrows, eyes narrowing.
Honestly, up to now, it had all been theoretical. Su Wen was just a rookie back then; they'd never truly tested the fusion of soul tools and forging. Even if they had, it was only at low levels.
But now.
As soon as this eighth-level soul tool—the true fusion of soul tools and forging—hit the table, Elder Du saw the future of the entire department.
Battle armor was only the ultimate goal.
Whether it could be achieved wasn't even important anymore.
These experimental results alone delighted him.
Xuan Ziwen, not understanding the subtleties, thought Elder Du was impatient with these "little gadgets," and hurried to introduce his recent research on humanoid soul tools.
"Look here… the initial design of the shoulder-joint linkage. Ordinary nine-level alloys hit their limit here. But with your divine-forged metal… we can increase the threshold by forty thousand percent! And the material is lighter, not heavier!" His voice trembled.
A four-hundred-fold increase.
Was this the power of divine forging?
And that was just strength. What Su Wen and he truly valued in battle armor was the "spirit," the "soul" of the artifact.
"But as you said, all this is based on my divine forging. The metals I forge can decrease weight and boost your so-called battle armor—that is, humanoid soul tools—shrinking their size greatly," Elder Du frowned.
"But you've only based the frame on divine-forged metal."
"So tell me, what's the difference between this battle armor and the rare, unique divine artifacts of legend?"
"This may deviate from Su Wen's original plan—helping Soul Kings rival Soul Sages, Soul Emperors rival Soul Douluos, strengthening the whole academy. But if Shrek has no divine craftsman in the future, won't all battle armor become impossible to make?" (A four-hundred-fold increase is only possible with divine forging; ordinary forging can't achieve this.)
…