Xiao Wu's Water-Walking Technique

Tang San left.

Dai Mubai pondered where he stood for a long time before finally agreeing.

For Dai Mubai, as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, agreeing to an unknown condition naturally required careful consideration.

But after thinking it over, he still felt that improving his strength was what mattered most to him right now.

If he lacked strength, the most likely outcome in the future would be being crippled by his elder brother, Dai Weisi. He might even be eliminated entirely. If that happened, he would have nothing.

Only by growing stronger and defeating Dai Weisi in the Succession Struggle could he have a future.

Thus, Dai Mubai chose to accept Mu Yuan's condition.

As for Oscar and Ma Hongjun, there was nothing much to say.

The two came from commoner backgrounds and had no such concerns. They agreed without hesitation.

Mu Yuan then taught them the preliminary technique of sticking leaves to their hands.

However, Ma Hongjun's Soul Power was somewhat unusual.

His Soul Power carried some characteristics of the Phoenix Martial Soul and was extremely hot. The leaves would quickly burn up when placed on it.

Mu Yuan therefore found some eggs and had Ma Hongjun control his Soul Power to cook them without damaging the eggs themselves.

Ma Hongjun tried several times. Cooking the eggs was easy, but controlling the heat well enough not to damage them was difficult.

After everyone began training, Mu Yuan called Zhu Zhuqing aside.

"Zhuqing, come with me!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and followed him.

Mu Yuan took her to a river outside.

To Zhu Zhuqing's surprise, Mu Yuan walked into the river and stood directly on its surface.

In the distance, Tang San, secretly watching with his Purple Demon Eye activated, instantly widened his eyes. "This is... River Walking, Force Stops at an Inch!"

The next moment, a tree abruptly sprouted beneath Tang San's feet. "Not good!" Tang San tried to run, but he was already too late. Branches tightly wrapped around his entire body and hoisted him into the air.

Mu Yuan ignored Tang San and continued instructing Zhu Zhuqing.

"Zhuqing, give it a try. The key is to fluidly attach your Soul Power to the soles of your shoes and balance it against the current, keeping your body from sinking."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded as though she understood, then imitated Mu Yuan and stepped into the river. With a splash, she fell in.

Mu Yuan could not help laughing.

Soon, Zhu Zhuqing climbed back out, drenched from head to toe. Even her cat-like hairstyle had come undone, her hair spilling over her body.

"Is it that funny?"

Zhu Zhuqing gave Mu Yuan a calm look, then spat out a stream of water.

Suppressing his laughter, Mu Yuan reminded her, "As a beginner, you can take off your shoes. That will make it a little easier. Also, don't try to stand on it all at once. Start by testing it slowly near the shore."

"So that's how it is." Zhu Zhuqing suddenly understood.

Then she looked at Mu Yuan with a strange expression.

Why had this guy not said that earlier? He had deliberately watched her foolishly fall into the river. He had a truly awful sense of humor.

Shaking her head, Zhu Zhuqing took off her boots, revealing black stockings. After thinking for a moment, she took off her socks as well, exposing her pale, clean feet before beginning to practice walking on water.

It was indeed much easier barefoot. Zhu Zhuqing tested it several times by the bank, and after feeling that she had roughly gotten the hang of it, she stepped into the river again.

Splash!

Once again, she climbed out drenched.

Mu Yuan laughed from the shore. "It's fine. Falling in dozens of times while practicing this is perfectly normal."

Zhu Zhuqing felt a little better after hearing that, then asked curiously, "Then how many times did you practice before succeeding?"

"Once," Mu Yuan said.

Zhu Zhuqing could no longer hold it in. She raised a small fist and punched Mu Yuan's arm. "That's too much!"

After the joking ended, Zhu Zhuqing said seriously, "Thank you, Mu Yuan. If you ever need my help in the future, just come find me. Don't stand on ceremony."

Mu Yuan smiled, patting Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder.

"Alright, keep practicing!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

Just then, a figure happily ran over from the distance.

It was Xiao Wu, with a layer of pink Soul Power covering her body.

"Mu Yuan, I learned it too!"

Ever since Mu Yuan had left alone with Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu had suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of crisis. The technique she had failed to learn despite pestering Mu Yuan for days had suddenly improved by leaps and bounds. In less than half a day, she had completely mastered the ability to attach Soul Power to her hands.

Mu Yuan then demonstrated the water-walking technique to Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu took off her shoes and socks, revealing her toes, then stepped onto the water.

She immediately fell in.

"Mu Yuan, save me!"

Mu Yuan helplessly fished Xiao Wu out.

"You can't swim?"

Xiao Wu clung to Mu Yuan and coquettishly said, "I was too nervous!"

After falling into the water several times, Xiao Wu's clothes clung tightly to her delicate body, the small garment over her chest faintly visible beneath them.

Unlike Zhu Zhuqing's leather outfit, Xiao Wu wore only ordinary clothing, so her current appearance inevitably invited wandering thoughts.

"This is too hard, Mu Yuan. Can you let me experience the proper Soul Power circulation first, like before?"

Xiao Wu pleaded.

Mu Yuan thought about it and nodded.

Since walking on water involved the soles of the feet, the movements were inevitably somewhat intimate. It would not have been appropriate with Zhu Zhuqing, but with Xiao Wu, there was no problem.

Mu Yuan lifted Xiao Wu's slender calf.

Xiao Wu cooperatively extended her pale foot toward him.

Mu Yuan reached out and held it.

Xiao Wu's foot was small and soft. Mu Yuan could hold most of it in one hand.

He activated his Soul Power and attached it to her foot, allowing Xiao Wu to sense the process.

Xiao Wu only felt her foot being held by a scorching hot hand. Then Soul Power brimming with the aura of life covered it, making her feel extremely comfortable.

"How does it feel?" Mu Yuan asked.

Xiao Wu answered with a blush, "..."

"Ah?" Mu Yuan said.

Xiao Wu hurriedly replied, "Um, I mean, it's very clear. I can sense it very clearly!"

Only then did Mu Yuan nod.

Xiao Wu's pink eyes shifted, and she quietly extended her other foot into Mu Yuan's arms, rubbing it against him.

"Focus!"

Mu Yuan helplessly caught Xiao Wu's mischievous little foot.

Xiao Wu giggled.

Splash! Zhu Zhuqing fell into the water again.

She wearily climbed onto the shore and looked at Xiao Wu and Mu Yuan teasing each other not far away.

If she...

Zhu Zhuqing drove the unrealistic thought from her mind and pulled herself together again.

"To grow stronger!"

She stepped into the river once more, then—splash!

Night fell, and everyone from Shrek Academy returned to their own quarters.

Mu Yuan returned to his room as well.

"Why does it feel like I forgot something?"

After sitting cross-legged on his bed for a while, Mu Yuan suddenly looked toward Tang San's bed beside his own.

"Oh, right, Tang San!"

He hurriedly activated his Soul Power.

In the distance, Tang San, who had already fallen asleep while hanging from the tree, was suddenly released by the branches and dropped to the ground.

Tang San rubbed his face as he got to his feet.

"Hiss, that hurts. Mu Yuan, you have earned your death!"