Xiao Hongchen's suggestion resonated deeply with Xu Tianxi.
After tidying his clothes, he jumped into Clear Lake as well, enjoying a rare cold bath.
Xuan Ziwen had expelled a significant amount of impurities this time and, aware of his own stench, found a secluded spot away from the two. Meanwhile, a joyful Xiao Hongchen pulled Xu Tianxi over, laughing heartily.
"Hahahaha, that experience was absolutely incredible! All the impurities have been completely purged, and I see a clear path ahead!"
"No wonder you, Old Xu, suggested to Grandpa that we come here for a fortuitous encounter. This opportunity is truly immense; I wouldn't have even dreamed of it, hahaha—"
Xu Tianxi raised an eyebrow, reminding him, "You used to take too many Elixirs. This time, they've been thoroughly cleansed from your system. If you continue taking them, they'll likely accumulate again within a few years."
"Although your Divine Beast Martial Soul can nullify most of the effects, and you have the potential to become a Super Douluo, if you want to reach higher realms, you shouldn't take Elixirs with side effects anymore. Ask the dean to find a way to get some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that can help with Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Origin."
"No more, no more! I'm almost a Soul King now, why would I need those anymore?"
Xiao Hongchen, about to climb ashore, firmly declared that from this day forward, he would be completely against inferior Elixirs:
"I can clearly feel that my body has greatly improved after absorbing life energy. My cultivation speed will increase from now on!"
"Hmph, with my talent, Xiao Hongchen, the Millennium First—no, Second Soul Engineer Genius, give me another six years, and I'll be able to reach Soul Sage!"
"If I recall correctly, Shrek Academy hasn't produced a Soul Sage under twenty years old, has it? I must be the first!"
Having gained significant benefits with Xu Tianxi, Xiao Hongchen felt that being second wasn't entirely unacceptable, especially since that guy's ability in certification was truly terrifying, something he genuinely couldn't match.
However, in terms of Soul Master cultivation, Xiao Hongchen felt he could still put up a fight. By relying on his head start, being older than Xu Tianxi, to break through to Soul Sage, he could regain some face.
Xu Tianxi immediately understood what the guy was thinking and calmly reminded him, "Besides Shrek, there's also Body Sect, which is as renowned as Mingde Hall. Those Evil Soul Masters are not to be underestimated either."
Long Aotian and Yan Feng in the original work were formidable characters with considerable strength, at the Soul Sage cultivation level, their combat power rivaling Soul Douluos. Xiao Hongchen's smile stiffened slightly. "That's still fine. Body Sect hasn't appeared in public for over a hundred years, Evil Soul Masters are like rats in the street, and the academy competition has nothing to do with sects like Body Sect, not even a single Gold Soul Coin. They don't have the qualification to participate."
They originally didn't have the qualifications, but the Wheelchair Crown Prince, Xu Tianran, forced them into it, Xu Tianxi thought to himself. It's always a stab in the back from a teammate that's fatal.
Speaking of which, now that he had taken Xiao Hongchen's place, he had gained a bit of a reputation. His information was probably already on Xu Tianran's desk. He wondered if that guy would have any plans for him.
In any case, when he returned this time, he was ready to reveal his Twin Martial Souls talent to Jing Hongchen. At that point, being guaranteed entry into Mingde Hall would be the least of it. Xuan Ziwen also owed him a significant favor. Even if he didn't introduce him to Kong Deming, he would definitely have to repay this favor in the future.
With these two on his side, Xu Tianran couldn't touch him. The Wheelchair Crown Prince didn't have many strong supporters right now.
Xuanming City.
A flash of pale blue cold light streaked across the sky, passing through the swirling clouds, descending from above and landing within the Xuanming Sect's mountain courtyards.
Xiao Changfeng, clad in a dark robe, strode into a Facing the Sun Hall and bowed respectfully to the elder seated at the head of the hall.
"Teacher, Changfeng has returned after receiving your message. How is your health?"
"Very well, very well."
The elder at the head of the hall was naturally Xu Xiaoyun. His appearance was unchanged from several years ago. He rose, offering a slight gesture to assist, and guided Xiao Changfeng to the seat on the left.
"Greetings, Senior Brother." Besides Xu Xiaoyun, there was another person in the hall, none other than Xu Fu, the Xuanming Sect Master, who had also been in seclusion for several years.
Xiao Changfeng glanced at Xu Fu, and a hint of joy appeared between his brows:
"Junior Brother's cultivation has advanced further. It seems you're planning to attempt to break through that barrier?"
"It's all thanks to Great-Ancestor's guidance that I am where I am today."
Xu Fu laughed heartily. His Soul Power had advanced compared to six years ago, now impressively at ninety-four levels, and he was accumulating Soul Power to break through the threshold of Super Douluo.
This level of advancement was extremely difficult. Many prodigies who were exceptionally talented in their youth would be trapped for decades and still find it hard to break through, even the two vice-deans of Shrek Academy were like this.
Xu Fu was luckier, possessing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. He could slowly grind his way up, but if possible, he still wanted to push through on his own. Only then would he have hope of going further.
"Alright, you two brothers don't rush to catch up. I called you here today to discuss matters concerning the younger generation."
Xu Xiaoyun smiled, raising a hand and giving Xu Fu a knowing look.
Xu Fu understood and turned to Xiao Changfeng, asking:
"Senior Brother, we've heard that Tianxi has become quite famous in the Sun Moon Empire this past year. How exactly is he doing?"
"He's doing very well! He's already passed the Fifth Level Soul Engineer assessment, breaking the record at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Jing Hongchen thinks highly of him, and he gets along very well with Jing Hongchen's two grandchildren…"
Xiao Changfeng recalled Xu Tianxi's reputation, smiling as he said, "He's known as the Sun Moon Empire's Millennium First Soul Engineer Genius. When it comes to certification, no one in the Sun Moon Empire can compare."
"That's truly excellent. I can rest a little easier now." Xu Xiaoyun stroked his beard and nodded, then asked, "What about his Soul Power?"
Xiao Changfeng replied, "Two months ago, I secretly observed him. He's already at thirty-eight levels and will surely break through to Soul Ancestorwithin a year. Although cultivating an Ultimate Martial Soul is slow, there are no bottlenecks. He can break through once he accumulates enough Soul Power."
The smile on Xu Xiaoyun's face grew even wider. "Wonderful, wonderful! I never imagined that despite his cultivation being hindered by his Ultimate Martial Soul, his progress is even faster than Sanshi's."
"Sanshi's Soul Power is only at forty-three levels now. His older brother isn't working hard enough."
"Tianxi's situation is unique; he has always been diligent in his cultivation."
Xiao Changfeng said with a smile, a peculiar glint suddenly flashing in his eyes, which glowed with a faint blue light. He then asked,
"I remember Sanshi is also at the age for his Second Awakening ceremony. How is his Martial Soul doing?"
A strong look of joy appeared on Xu Xiaoyun's face. "He succeeded! His Black Tortoise Bloodline has been completely activated, and he can now control the Profound Tortoise Shell Shield to awaken into the Black Tortoise Shield."
Xu Fu added, "However, his current cultivation is not deep enough. The awakened form consumes a lot of energy. He'll only be able to use it freely once his cultivation is higher."
"That's excellent, then." Xiao Changfeng's pupils flickered, and he nodded slightly.
Xu Xiaoyun saw Xiao Changfeng hesitate, and with a slight furrow of his white brows, he said, "Changfeng, there are no outsiders here. If you have something to say, feel free to speak your mind. Whether it's good news or bad, we can handle it."
"Alright."
Xiao Changfeng's eyes were half-closed as he met Xu Xiaoyun's gaze, his voice low as he said, "Recently, my informant in Shrek City sent back a rather important message. It's certainly not good news; in fact, it's very bad."
"How bad is the news? Tell me," Xu Xiaoyun's normally calm face showed a rare hint of surprise.
Xiao Changfeng replied, "For years, Xu Sanshi has been in Shrek City and has become very close with Bei Bei, the great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo. Their relationship is excellent. The problem lies with this Bei Bei, or more precisely, with Bei Bei's girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? What's wrong with young people getting married?"
It was Xu Fu who asked, his face puzzled. On the Douluo Continent, there was no concept of reaching adulthood before marriage. Soul Power had an excellent nourishing effect on a Soul Master's body, so it wasn't unusual for fourteen or fifteen-year-old Soul Masters to discuss marriage, or even have children.
"It's not that simple, of course," Xiao Changfeng slowly shook his head, then stated firmly, "This Bei Bei's girlfriend is named Tang Ya. Her talent and strength are ordinary, but one thing is noteworthy: she's from the Tang Sect. To be precise, she's the current Sect Master of the Tang Sect."
Xu Xiaoyun raised an eyebrow. "The Tang Sect? Which Tang Sect?"
"Naturally, the number one sect on the continent from ten thousand years ago, the Tang Sect."
Xu Fu asked in confusion, "Didn't they decline after Hidden Weapons lost their market? I heard many of their sect masters had all sorts of problems. Is the Tang Sect not completely dead yet?"
"Not completely dead, but close enough."
Xiao Changfeng continued, "The Tang Sect's old headquarters in Heaven Dou City has been occupied by a minor sect called the Iron Blood Sect. The former Tang Sect Master was Tang Ya's father. Of the entire family, only Tang Ya escaped the Iron Blood Sect's pursuit and went to Shrek Academy to cultivate."
Xu Xiaoyun tilted his head slightly. "Did Shrek Academy help her out of respect for their past relationship?"
"No, the Tang Sect's old headquarters is still occupied by the Iron Blood Sect, and Shrek Academy didn't allocate resources to her. Tang Ya's Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and it's doubtful she could graduate from the Outer Courtyard on her own."
Xiao Changfeng paused, his tone becoming complex. "But that Bei Bei joined the Tang Sect and became Tang Ya's first disciple. Now, the Tang Sect consists only of the two of them."
Hearing this, Xu Fu's expression changed to one of shock, and he couldn't help but say, "A young couple doing this? Does Dragon God Douluo want his great-grandson to join a dying Tang Sect?"
"It's hard to say, and it didn't concern us much originally—"
At this point, Xiao Changfeng's expression turned cold.
"However, I heard that Bei Bei and Tang Ya invited Xu Sanshi to join their Tang Sect. Xu Sanshi naturally refused, but they were persistent, bringing it up again more than once. It was truly excessive—"
Bang—!
Xu Fu smashed the armrest to pieces with one hand, rising to his feet in a rage, his hair bristling. "These scoundrels! They've gone too far! Absolutely too far! Shrek Academy, what a Shrek Academy! What a Dragon God Douluo!"
On the Douluo Continent, a free Soul Master joining a sect or family was a lifelong commitment. Once joined, they could never leave or betray it and had to obey the sect master or family head. This was a universally recognized rule across the entire Douluo Continent.
For Soul Masters who already belonged to a family or sect, joining another sect was almost impossible. Xu Sanshi was the most important heir of the Xuanming Sect. Anyone inviting him to join another sect was equivalent to a challenge to the Xuanming Sect's dignity.
Xu Fu wouldn't simply dismiss this as a childish prank. Given the unique identities of Xu Sanshi and the other two, even if it were a joke, he had to treat it as a serious matter!
To have the heir of his Xuanming Sect join a worthless, dilapidated sect and take orders from others? Would they then try to use Xu Sanshi to control the Xuanming Sect? Shrek Academy was trying to force the Xuanming Sect to rebel against the Douluo Three Kingdoms!
In the main seat, Xu Xiaoyun took a long breath, clutching his chest. Moments later, he reopened his eyes, his deep gaze falling upon Xiao Changfeng.
"Prepare some gifts. Go meet Jing Hongchen—"