Sea God Lake, Lake Heart Island, by the lakeside.
Not long ago, Wang Yan, who had just met Xu Zihuang, was now standing there, though his expression was one of utmost respect.
Raindrops poured down densely over the rippling lake surface, yet within a few meters around him, strangely, not a single drop fell.
At the center of this space sat a disheveled old man. His appearance was quite sloppy. The long robe that should have been white had turned gray-brown and was tattered in many places. His bare feet soaked in the cool waters of Sea God Lake. In his right hand, he held an enormous gourd.
The gourd was purplish-red, of unknown material. From time to time he raised it to drink, filling the air with strong liquor fragrance. In his other hand he clutched a roasted chicken, unconcerned with the grease. A gulp of wine, a bite of meat—he ate and drank happily.
"Eh? This roast chicken is one of the best I've ever had. The taste is truly excellent. Little Wang, prepare more next time."
"Elder Xuan, it's like this. That freshman, not yet twelve years old, has already reached the Soul Elder level. His martial soul is a spiritual attribute Body Martial Soul, but earlier he crushed a Grand Soul Master with a Red Dragon martial soul using only soul power and physical strength. So I suspect he may have already completed a secondary awakening of his Body Martial Soul, perhaps even an innate one. And this freshman is quite eager to connect with the Body Sect. The academy absolutely cannot let him slip away." Wang Yan felt both amused and helpless, but in front of this elder, he could only patiently continue speaking.
"Mhm…" The shabby old man called Elder Xuan swallowed a piece of chicken, then turned to glance at Wang Yan. What was startling was that though he looked aged everywhere else, his eyes were unusually bright—both of them a deep crimson, radiating an awe-inspiring presence.
Yet his gaze was somewhat unfocused, carrying a hint of absentmindedness, as though he hadn't really been listening.
"Golden Eye Body Martial Soul, huh? Interesting." Elder Xuan mumbled hoarsely, his voice raspy and old.
Drinking and eating, he added, "Don't worry. Since he's entered the academy, leaving won't be so easy. Does the Body Sect dare come snatch people from Shrek Academy?"
Though his tone was calm, it carried boundless dominance.
"You're fortunate. To encounter the top-tier Body Martial Soul in your lifetime. The more important a part of the body that forms the martial soul, the stronger the Body Martial Soul. You say this freshman's martial soul is the eyes, and it's spiritual attribute—that means his martial soul is actually his eyes and brain. Perhaps, as you say, he really has completed a secondary awakening. Three months from now, during the freshman assessment's ranking battle, have Xiao Du save me a spot. I'll go take a look."
"Yes."
—
Late at night, Tuoba Yu and Xu Zihuang sat on their beds, cultivating.
Dense halos of soul power glowed around their bodies—one a heavy earthy yellow, the other a dazzling, noble golden light.
Immersed in cultivation, Tuoba Yu was startled to find his speed had once again clearly increased compared to before.
"That feeling again."
His thoughts stirred, but knowing such opportunities were rare, he didn't dare waste time and sank deeper into cultivation.
Meanwhile, a faint silver light flickered at Xu Zihuang's brow, faintly forming a gorgeous hexagonal pattern, shining alongside the brilliant golden soul power on his body.
As Xu Zihuang grew more familiar with the Silver-Scaled White Whale's gift of gathering the world's elemental energy, he no longer needed to release the silver dragon scale to activate it.
The effect was weaker this way, but it was far less likely to expose him.
That silver dragon scale given by the Silver-Scaled White Whale was essentially a special type of external soul bone. Its ability was precisely to condense the elemental energy of heaven and earth.
In some sense, its importance surpassed even the Brilliant Dragon Claw.
As an Ultimate soul master, between ranks thirty and seventy he needed enormous soul power accumulation for his body to withstand the extreme strength he bore. This made cultivation speed drop drastically. But with the aid of the silver scale, he could almost maintain a normal training pace.
The dormitory was now filled with unusually dense elemental energy. Even the blooming Ink Snow Orchid on the balcony spread its branches under its influence.
The black-violet petals shimmered faintly with white light, marking it as a ten-year plant-type soul beast.
The night passed quietly, and dawn gradually broke.
Soon, the outside of the dorm grew lively. Students from other rooms were already up and busy washing.
Affected by the noise, Tuoba Yu ended his cultivation first. Looking at Xu Zihuang still immersed in training, doubt flickered in his eyes.
Both times his cultivation speed had improved had been after encountering Xu Zihuang. Instinctively, he suspected it had something to do with him.
But Xu Zihuang looked completely normal now.
"Could it be that strange orchid?" A sudden thought rose in his mind, and he looked sharply toward the Ink Snow Orchid blooming more brilliantly on the balcony.
At that moment, Xu Zihuang's voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah? Nothing." Tuoba Yu jumped in surprise, quickly brushing aside his doubts. After all, faster cultivation was only good for him.
Xu Zihuang got up and took a uniform from the wardrobe.
"Hurry up, we're about to be late for class."
As he spoke, a faint heaviness flashed in his deep violet eyes.
The biggest drawback of living in a dorm was how easily one's secrets could be exposed. Though he got along well with Tuoba Yu and had a good impression of him, that didn't mean he could unconditionally trust him.
A similar situation was happening in Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's dorm.
"It's almost time for class, are you still going to lie there?" Wang Dong stood over Huo Yuhao's bed, looking down at his wide-open eyes.
After yesterday, his relationship with Huo Yuhao had eased considerably.
Huo Yuhao had actually woken up in the middle of the night, but recalling what happened last night, he ground his teeth in silent resentment.
So you're the same as the others, looking down on me from the bottom of your heart. A second soul ring that's already a thousand-year soul ring—must be from some great clan's scion.
Expression calm, Huo Yuhao stared at Wang Dong, mocking himself inwardly.
After thinking through the night, he understood—only by enduring could he hope for the chance to avenge his mother. He had to stay at Shrek Academy.
What else could he do? His talent was poor, his cultivation low, and he had no background.
But one day, I'll make you all pay the price.
A dog that bites doesn't bark. Nothing could better describe Huo Yuhao at this moment.