Chapter 30: Returning to the Body Sect, Du Busi's Reward
Inside the Sea God Pavilion, liquid golden light flowed endlessly across the ancient, sacred wood, casting long shadows across the floor.
Elder Mu reclined in his wooden rocking chair. His severely deformed spine trapped him in a perpetual hunch, yet his frail body remained rigidly tense long after the shadowy staff member finished delivering the intelligence report. Although his physical form was crippled, the ancient eyes that had long seen through the vanity of the world now flashed with a searing, fiery light.
"At such a young age... Level 27. A two-ring Soul Grandmaster fighting a five-ring Soul King. Bisected at the waist, yet he did not die..." Elder Mu muttered to himself, his thin, weathered face caught in a rare expression of absolute amazement.
"This is not merely a matter of Martial Soul quality. This is the ultimate excavation of human potential." He tapped his withered fingers against the armrest, his breathing growing slightly heavier. "Such a stunning monster. If carefully nurtured, he will undeniably become a supreme pillar of my Shrek Academy in the future. He might even become the absolute leader of this entire continent."
Throughout his long life, Elder Mu had seen countless excellent seeds and peerless geniuses. But a child who could display such logic-defying strength at that age and cultivation level? Even Elder Mu himself would have to admit he was inferior by at least three points in his own youth.
"Such heaven-defying talent must never be allowed to wander the outside world, nor can we allow him to stray onto the wrong path."
Thinking of this, Elder Mu's expression hardened into a mask of absolute seriousness as he gazed at the kneeling staff member below. "Has Elder Xuan sent anyone to make contact or recruit him?"
The staff member bowed his head lower and immediately replied, "Reporting to Elder Mu. After hearing Ling Luochen's detailed report, Elder Xuan expressed extreme importance regarding this matter. He has already ordered Ling Luochen to lead an elite team, traveling day and night to rush back to the vicinity of Yaluo City. They are determined to track the boy's trail and bring him back to the academy at all costs."
Elder Mu nodded slowly, a touch of deep gratification softening the wrinkles on his aged face. "Although Elder Xuan's temper is explosive and impatient, his judgment remains crystal clear when it comes to major matters concerning the academy's foundation. He did well this time. Such an outstanding youth is worth the academy devoting all of its resources to secure."
However, amidst his surging emotions and grand plans for the future, a faint trace of guilt regarding Liu Yuan surfaced in Elder Mu's heart, refusing to completely dissipate.
'But... that boy with the eye-type Martial Soul... surely it cannot be Liu Yuan.'
Elder Mu let out a long, heavy sigh, slowly lying back against the rocking chair. His eyes returned to their usual half-open, half-closed state, masking the sharp light within.
"Although they are of a similar age, and both possess eye-type Martial Souls, I am entirely clear about that child Liu Yuan's innate aptitude," Elder Mu said aloud, shaking his head, his tone tinged with a condescending sort of regret.
"When Liu Yuan left the academy, he was only Level 9. Even if he stumbled upon some miraculous fortuitous encounter and successfully achieved a breakthrough later, it is fundamentally impossible for him to jump from Level 9 to Level 27 in just a few short months., before Liu Yuan was expelled, his Martial Soul had already been definitively diagnosed as a blind disability caused by a failed mutation. This kind of explosive leap in cultivation, coupled with such domineering offensive power and terrifying recovery ability... those are traits he could never possess."
In Elder Mu's rigid understanding of the world, while there were always exceptions for late bloomers who accumulated energy before bursting forth, cultivation could never violate basic logic. In his eyes, Liu Yuan was ultimately just a pitiful, mediocre junior. He was a completely different entity from the peerless monster described by Ling Luochen—a youth who dominated a bloody battlefield and casually regrew severed limbs.
"Go, and increase the manpower to search for Liu Yuan as well," Elder Mu ordered, waving his frail hand dismissively. "That child is, after all, an orphan of my Shrek. Wandering the outside world without strength is never safe."
He closed his eyes, sealing the conversation. "As for that double-pupil boy... he is the hope of the academy's future. The moment he is found, report to the Sea God Pavilion immediately."
"Yes!" The staff member respectfully acknowledged the order, melting backward into the shadows of the pavilion.
...
Far across the vast ocean, deep within the rugged, towering peaks of the Heavenly Soul Empire, stood the imposing mountain gate of the Body Sect.
Liu Yuan and his group, their clothes stained with dried blood and the dust of a weary journey, had finally crossed the steep, winding corridor of the mountain gate. They stepped into the solemn, heavy stone architecture of the Sect Master's main hall.
At this moment, Du Busi sat steadily on the massive high seat carved from dark ironwood. His towering, muscular frame leaned forward as he listened to Long Aotian recount the life-and-death battle outside Yaluo City, word by word.
When Long Aotian reached the part where Liu Yuan was violently bisected by a five-ring Evil Soul Master to save Vina, and how he had subsequently shot through the opponent's wings in a desperate, bloody counterattack, Du Busi's eyes widened. He slammed his thick, calloused palms heavily onto the armrests.
Crack!
The solid ironwood splintered under his grip.
"Good! Well done!"
Du Busi rose to his full, intimidating height, his massive frame casting a shadow over the hall. He covered the distance to Liu Yuan in three massive strides. Although he had already learned the rough details of the incident from the two Titled Douluo escorts in advance, hearing the raw account made his blood boil. He had to personally express his absolute admiration for Liu Yuan's ruthless decisive actions.
He looked down at the calm youth and praised him directly, his voice booming like thunder in the enclosed hall.
"Liu Yuan, you little brat, you really have guts! You are a man worthy of being entrusted with our backs!" Du Busi laughed, clapping a heavy hand onto Liu Yuan's shoulder. "It is not just about your combat record. It is this sheer courage to draw your blade in the face of a vastly superior enemy, and the absolute boldness to sacrifice your own body to save a fellow disciple! That is truly extraordinary! You did very well!"
Du Busi turned his fierce gaze to Vina, the other disciples, and finally to Long Aotian, his voice echoing loudly.
"Although this mission was extremely dangerous, this is the true meaning of training! Flowers raised in a greenhouse might bloom brightly, but they are nothing more than fragile decorations meant to be looked at. Only after experiencing the brutal tempering of life and death can you brats be worthy of being called the future of my Body Sect!"
Liu Yuan, feeling that the residual poison in his blood had been completely cleared and his breathing was perfectly steady, bowed deeply to Du Busi. "Master praises me too highly. This disciple merely did what was necessary in that moment. It was I who caused Master and everyone else to worry this time."
"Stop being so humble, you brat. I am notoriously protective of my own, but I cherish true grit and talent even more!" Du Busi reached into his robes and pulled out a pristine jade bottle. He flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending several streaks of green light shooting through the air. The small pills landed perfectly into the hands of each disciple present.
"This is the Sect's secret Body Strengthening Pill. It will not only greatly consolidate your physical foundation after such a grueling battle, but it will also drastically strengthen the endurance and width of your meridians."
Du Busi waved his large hand, his tone filled with booming laughter. "You have all worked hard and bled on this mission. One bottle for each of you. Go back to your quarters and absorb the medicinal efficacy well! Especially you two, Liu Yuan and Aotian. Do not let me down!"
"Thank you, Master!"
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
The group responded in unison, their voices filled with genuine respect. After exchanging warm, knowing glances with one another, they turned and dispersed to their respective residences, carrying both the heavy fatigue of the journey and the massive gains from their life-and-death mission.
...
Liu Yuan returned to the quiet isolation of Tingtao Pavilion. Without a second thought, he casually swiped his hand, activating the sound-dampening silence array embedded in the walls. The ambient noise of the mountain wind instantly vanished, leaving only the sound of his own steady breathing.
He sat cross-legged on the woven meditation cushion, silently toying with the jade bottle. A faint, earthy fragrance leaked from the stopper, but Liu Yuan's mind was elsewhere. The final, desperate scene of that five-ring Evil Soul Master's eyes, right before the man fell from the sky, replayed vividly in his mind.
'A powerful Martial Soul does not equate to invincibility. The massive chasm of soul power levels is ultimately a fatal flaw.' Liu Yuan muttered to himself in the dead silence of the room. A chilling, unmatched sense of determination surfaced in his eyes.
This brutal trial had given him a massive wake-up call.
Although his Laser Eye was lethal enough to threaten a five-ring Soul King, and his Undying Body could allow him to regenerate from fatal wounds multiple times, the reality was stark. If he had faced that Evil Soul Master completely alone that day, without the Titled Douluo stepping in at the end, his final outcome would have been a miserable, agonizing death.
In the end, his total soul power reserves at Level 27 were simply too thin to sustain a prolonged war of attrition.
'Heaven-defying Soul Skills require an equally massive pool of soul power and spiritual power to support them. My absolute top priority right now is reaching Level 30.'
Liu Yuan popped the cork off the jade bottle, tilted his head back, and swallowed a Body Strengthening Pill.
Instantly, a searing yet gentle heat exploded within his chest. The medicinal efficacy flooded his limbs and bones, washing through his meridians like a tide of warm magma. He took a deep, measured breath. In the dark secret room, the Double Pupils in his eyes ignited with a brilliant, eerie light. As the dual pupils overlapped and rotated, they formed a terrifying vortex, greedily devouring the dense heaven and earth origin energy lingering in the room.
'This time, I will not leave seclusion until I break through to Level 30.'
Liu Yuan's mind was cold and calculating. He had already mapped out his future path perfectly. Once he achieved a breakthrough to Level 30, he needed to hunt down a powerful soul ring that perfectly matched his theoretical vision for the Qilin Step.
By then, possessing devastating ranged attacks, absolute physical recovery, and high-speed melee displacement all in one flawless package, he, Liu Yuan, would finally have the true foundation required to stand tall and crush anyone who stood in his way on this continent.
Therefore, he had to raise his cultivation level. Now.
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