Martial Soul Advancement

Zhu Zhuqing noticed that Ye Feiyang had suddenly fallen into a daze. Even after calling "Master" several times, she received no response.

Confused, she wondered, Could he be... overwhelmed with joy? Cautiously, she reached out and lightly waved a hand before his eyes.

Just as she leaned closer, intending to inspect him carefully—

Ye Feiyang suddenly snapped awake!

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Zhu Zhuqing's exquisitely beautiful face right before him, less than a fist's distance away!

"What are you doing?" he asked instinctively, sounding somewhat confused.

Startled, Zhu Zhuqing withdrew her hand like a frightened kitten.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks. "N-Nothing! You kept staring blankly into space and didn't respond when I called you. I was worried that you might have suddenly fainted."

Ye Feiyang raised a brow, surprise flashing through his eyes.

Huh? This iceberg seemed to be starting to melt?

Such teasing, with its faint little edge, had actually come from her mouth?

"Alright, calm your mind..."

Ye Feiyang immediately assumed the bearing of a proper master and pointed at the ground. "You, sit down cross-legged."

He cleared his throat, his tone carrying a hint of pride. "As your master has said, countless people have begged to enter my sect, yet I could not be bothered to acknowledge them. Those were no empty words."

As Zhu Zhuqing obediently sat down, anticipation gleaming in her eyes,

he had already begun imagining what kind of expression she would wear shortly.

"Now, focus your mind and steady your breathing. Prepare to receive the opportunity your master is about to bestow upon you!"

Ye Feiyang's expression turned solemn, and Zhu Zhuqing inexplicably found herself trusting him.

Following Ye Feiyang's instructions, she sat with dignified posture, a trace of expectation in her gaze.

An opportunity? What sort of opportunity required such solemn preparation?

Ye Feiyang stood with his hands behind his back. A profound, unfathomable air gathered between his brows, and combined with his outstanding looks, he truly drew the eye.

With a flip of his palm, a pill suffused with dim light and radiating Soul Power fluctuations appeared in his hand.

It was the Martial Soul Advancement Pill.

"Do not ask questions. Just do as I say."

"This pill can stir the origin power of your Martial Soul and help it complete a transformation. Swallow it."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at the pill. It was roughly the size of a pigeon egg; setting aside whether she could swallow it smoothly,

could something like Martial Soul Advancement truly be possible?

Yet judging by his expression, he did not appear to be lying. Her heart could not help but churn with shock!

She had never heard of such a miracle. Could such a divine object truly exist in this world?

She even began to wonder whether she had encountered a fraud!

Yet at that moment, the Spirit Cat Martial Soul within her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

A craving originating from the depths of her bloodline surged forth, frantically urging her to swallow the pill.

She wanted to ask something.

But Ye Feiyang merely motioned with his eyes for her to take it.

The desire from her Martial Soul grew stronger and stronger.

Zhu Zhuqing no longer hesitated. She took the pill and tipped back her head to swallow it. Just as she was about to chew it a few times to make it easier to swallow—

the pill melted the moment it entered her mouth, transforming into a torrent of pure energy that surged unerringly toward the origin of her Martial Soul!

"Mm!"

Zhu Zhuqing let out a soft grunt, feeling a force of transformation erupt within her body!

She hurriedly composed herself, not daring to lose focus in the slightest as she guided that miraculous power with all her strength.

She could clearly feel that her originally elegant and sharp Spirit Cat Martial Soul was now bathing in dark, profound radiance!

Its form was undergoing a dramatic transformation.

Its body became more slender and agile, its lines filled with explosive power, while ancient and mysterious dark-gold patterns emerged across its fur.

Her Martial Soul had successfully advanced into the Nine Nether Spirit Cat!

After the Martial Soul Advancement was complete, the pill's remaining energy directly boosted her cultivation, raising her level by two.

Zhu Zhuqing had now reached level twenty-eight.

An incomparable shock overwhelmed Zhu Zhuqing. Never in her life had she experienced such an exhilarating feeling.

This was not a dream, yet everything felt like a fantasy. It was simply unbelievable.

All her previous doubts, as well as her suspicions toward Ye Feiyang, now seemed utterly ridiculous!

She even felt somewhat guilty and did not dare meet Ye Feiyang's eyes.

She had come so close—just a little closer—and she would have personally pushed away this heaven-defying opportunity!

The system-produced item was indeed reliable. No unforeseen complications had occurred during the Martial Soul Advancement process.

When Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes again, her originally cool catlike eyes were filled not only with shock, but also gratitude and excitement.

Looking at Ye Feiyang, who was watching her with a smile, tears unconsciously welled up in her eyes.

Suddenly, an urge arose from the bottom of her heart to rush forward and tightly embrace him!

Though this man spoke casually, every word he had said was true.

"Master! You... you truly... I'm so moved that I don't even know what to say."

"M-My Martial Soul evolved into the Nine Nether Spirit Cat. Its grade has risen. Master's kindness cannot be repaid, so I can only..."

Ye Feiyang quickly raised a hand to stop her clearly emotional and unconsidered words.

"Since you have entered my sect, we are family. There is no need for formalities among family, understand?"

"However, disciple, it is far too early for you to be happy. The opportunity your master intends to give you is far more than this!"

Zhu Zhuqing's lips parted slightly, and she was speechless once more.

Martial Soul Advancement alone had already seemed inconceivable. What? There was something even more shocking than that?

Ye Feiyang had just consulted the system about how to pass cultivation techniques on to his disciple.

Heh, it was actually quite simple!

He merely needed to strike a dashing pose, and the system would handle the rest.

"First, calm your emotions and steady your mind."

Then Ye Feiyang once more displayed an extraordinary bearing.

He held two fingers together like a sword. A nearly imperceptible glimmer of starlight condensed at his fingertips as he gently tapped Zhu Zhuqing's smooth forehead!

A flood of information poured into Zhu Zhuqing's sea of consciousness!

The profound mysteries of the Shadow Profound Nether Art, the martial truths of the Nine Yin Manual, the killing intent of Instant Hell Kill...

The essential teachings, insights, and circulation routes of all three supreme arts were deeply imprinted into her soul!

This method of directly imparting techniques through enlightenment left Zhu Zhuqing utterly amazed.

So there were still so many mysteries in this world that she had never encountered.

At that moment, a powerful desire to explore Ye Feiyang's secrets arose within her once more.

The transmission process was extremely fast, completed in an instant.

When Ye Feiyang withdrew his finger, Zhu Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes.

At some point, crystal-clear tears had begun sliding down her fair cheeks.

"What is it?" Seeing this, Ye Feiyang raised a hand and wiped away the tears on her face.

By nature, she was cold and aloof and rarely cried.

But everything that had happened today left her unable to suppress the turmoil in her heart any longer.

"This disciple is fine. I simply cannot contain my emotions. I will never forget the grace of being given a new life!"

She raised her head. Though the tear tracks on her face had yet to dry, her gaze had become incomparably resolute.

"This disciple will certainly not disappoint Master's expectations!"

Seeing the sensible and obedient girl before him, Ye Feiyang felt rather gratified as well.

Still, he could understand it. If someone treated him this way when he was down and out, he would likely be moved beyond words too.

Sure enough! Taking advantage of someone's vulnerability made things twice as easy.

He had already handed over every item from the growth gift pack bestowed by the system to Zhu Zhuqing.

Rather than saying he was widely recruiting disciples, it was more accurate to say that the system was selecting disciples through him.

However, Ye Feiyang had long since come to terms with it. His relationship with the system was more like a mutually beneficial partnership.

As long as he could profit from it, that was enough.

Following the system's instructions, he carefully explained, "The Shadow Profound Nether Art is of a higher level, so progress in cultivating it will be relatively slow. You only need to proceed step by step. The other two are equivalent to Self-Created Soul Skills. Their consumption is relatively low, and they are easier to master. Comprehend them as soon as possible to strengthen your combat methods."

The energy level of this world was relatively low. The Shadow Profound Nether Art already belonged to the realm of immortal cultivation, so naturally, progress would not come quickly.

After pondering for a moment, he added, "The techniques your master has passed on must not be leaked. Remember that."

Zhu Zhuqing was not foolish. How could she fail to understand that if these techniques were exposed, they would surely attract countless greedy eyes and might even bring about fatal disaster?

The inheritance in her mind alone contained cultivation methods for movement techniques, attacks, body tempering, spiritual power, and more.

Was there any inheritance in the world more precious than this?

She understood the stakes and nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Master. This disciple understands."

"Very good." Ye Feiyang nodded in satisfaction.

He was not afraid of trouble, but he hated hassle.

Besides, how could the techniques he had taught be casually passed on to others?

Unless... they exchanged an enormous amount of money for them. A great, great deal of money.

This system truly was remarkable. When passing on techniques, it even fully bestowed the essential insights and circulation routes, making cultivation far less obstructed.

Ye Feiyang would not even need to guide her from the side, though... he did not understand much himself.

As the medium, he could benefit as well. Otherwise, upon seeing so many rare cultivation techniques, he would surely grow envious and perhaps even refuse to continue.

After handling everything, Ye Feiyang instructed her again.

"Alright, familiarize yourself with the techniques first. Tomorrow, come out with me. We will go... recruit new students."

"R-Recruit new students?"

Zhu Zhuqing remembered that Ye Feiyang had said he wanted to establish an academy.

"Master, I am already your disciple. Why do we still need to recruit students?"

She had thought Ye Feiyang's claim of founding an academy had merely been meant to encourage her.

She had not expected him to be serious.

When she asked that question, she had not thought it through at all, and there was even a trace of displeasure in her tone.

Ye Feiyang glanced at her with a faint smile. "Of course we need to recruit them. I will take in nine disciples, and you will be the chief disciple."

After Zhu Zhuqing recovered, she realized that she had behaved somewhat improperly.

Ye Feiyang had never said that he would take only her as his disciple.

But upon hearing the words "chief disciple," that small sense of loss immediately vanished.

If she could not have Master all to herself, becoming the senior disciple would not be bad either!

That way, Master would be above, and she would be below.

She had already received so many benefits. She could not be greedy without end.

"Alright."

The gloomy mood brought on by encountering Dai Mubai that day had long since been washed away by Ye Feiyang's series of actions.

Ye Feiyang was also pondering. Since he had gone this far, the little bond between those two should have been mostly severed by now, right?

He would need to pay more attention in the future. If the plot forcibly bound them together again and showed signs of rekindling, he naturally had to crush it at the first opportunity.

Ye Feiyang was in high spirits, his steps light, unable to suppress the smile at the corner of his lips.

Sure enough, as long as the hoe was swung diligently enough, there was no corner that could not be pried loose!

Of Shrek's three beauties, he had successfully claimed one.

Two remained? Naturally, he had to keep swinging the hoe!

He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who was still sitting with her eyes closed in meditation, and did not disturb her.

They had agreed to rest properly, yet the two of them ended up meditating and cultivating through the entire night, only opening their eyes at dawn.

Cultivation could indeed be intoxicating at times.

Their destination had already been decided.

The two rose to their feet and smiled at each other, everything understood without words.

Ye Feiyang's goal was clear: the rundown village where Shrek Academy was located!

"Little Zhu Qing..."

As Ye Feiyang led the way, he rubbed his chin. "Tell me, what name should we give our academy?"

Zhu Zhuqing followed behind him and froze at his words. "Ah? Master, are you asking me?"

She silently prayed, It would be best if neither of us could come up with a suitable name, and then the academy plan would fall through!

She had her own selfish thoughts, though she only dared entertain them in her heart.

Outwardly, she remained obedient and replied, "I-I don't know either. Master, hadn't you considered it beforehand?"

"Tch." Ye Feiyang clicked his tongue.

"If founding an academy were not easier, I would really like to start a sect for fun! What a pity, I lack manpower."

After thinking it over, he said, "How about Supreme Academy? What do you think?"

Zhu Zhuqing's little scheme had fallen through, but she still agreed. "Whatever Master thinks is suitable is fine. Any name will do."

Ye Feiyang curled his lip. He hated this sort of "whatever" attitude the most!

She showed none of the initiative a founding senior disciple ought to have.

Forget it. He could not be bothered to think further. It would be called Supreme Academy!

Zhu Zhuqing seemed to be in a good mood today. The gloom from yesterday appeared to have been completely swept away.

She seemed to have truly let go of her previous obsession.

Because she seemed to have found a new pursuit.

"Master..."

She looked at the two of them empty-handed. "Are we really going to recruit students with nothing in our hands?"

Ye Feiyang abruptly stopped in his tracks!

Right! If he wanted to poach talent, he needed to bring some tools...

He looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a few crooked trees nearby.

Suddenly, his gaze settled on an old-looking tree by the roadside, and his eyes lit up!

"You're right! Going empty-handed really doesn't look proper. Wait here!"

Before his words had even faded, he flashed beneath the tree, and the phantom of a longsword flickered through his hand!

A fierce sword aura swept past, and the massive tree, which required two people to wrap their arms around it, crashed down at once. Its cut was as smooth as a mirror!

Zhu Zhuqing's little mouth fell slightly open. The fleeting aura of his martial soul and his stance as he felled the tree had been incredibly dashing!

But what was Master cutting down a tree for?

Before she could figure it out, Ye Feiyang had already returned carrying a large wooden board.

"Master, what do you need that board for?" Zhu Zhuqing looked at it, utterly puzzled.

Ye Feiyang grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth. "Naturally, it's to make a signboard for our Supreme Academy! If we're opening for business, we need a proper storefront!"

With that, he held two fingers together like a sword. Soul Power gathered at his fingertips as he carved across the wooden board in a flurry of swift strokes!

Wood chips flew everywhere. Before long, the four grand characters, Supreme Academy, stood out upon the board.

The lettering was magnificent and imposing, carrying a sharpness like a sword's edge, with quite the air of a grandmaster.

Zhu Zhuqing clicked her tongue in amazement. She had never expected her Master to possess such fine calligraphy!

"Master, the writing is excellent! But where do you plan to hang this signboard?"

Ye Feiyang's hand froze in midair as he held the signboard. "Uh... how about you hold it for now?"

Just then, an enraged roar full of vigor came from the distance:

"Hey, which damned bastard cut down my family's ancestral thousand-year-old peach tree?! Get out here and pay up!"

At the spot where he had just felled the tree, an old farmer holding a hoe was hopping madly as he cursed in their direction. Even the flecks of spit flying from his mouth were clearly visible in the sunlight.

Zhu Zhuqing tugged on Ye Feiyang's sleeve and reminded him in a low voice, "Master, that old grandpa seems to be scolding you?"

"Situation unfavorable! Retreat at once!"