Sea God Pavilion Meeting

Yan Shaozhe's words left Lin Yi stunned.

"Obviously, this sister won. How did I end up winning?"

Lin Yi was a little bewildered. Could a simple assessment really be rigged so openly? Wasn't he afraid that student named Wu Ming would expose it and damage their reputation?

Looking at Wu Ming again, her face was expressionless, yet she did not seem particularly displeased.

Ignoring Lin Yi's racing thoughts, Yan Shaozhe explained, "What you just underwent was the Inner Court's Combat Power Assessment. Do you remember the condition for passing?"

Lin Yi thought about it. It seemed that as long as he endured for the time it took an incense stick to burn while injured by an Inner Court student, he would pass.

Seeing the realization on Lin Yi's face, Yan Shaozhe pointed at the incense that had somehow been lit beside them. Only the incense stick remained, clearly burned out.

According to the rules stated earlier, Lin Yi had indeed won and passed this time.

Yan Shaozhe said, "Since you understand, then, in my capacity as the 261st Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, I hereby announce that Lin Yi has officially become an Inner Court disciple of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department."

"Wait!"

As Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, Lin Yi suddenly called out.

"What is it?" Yan Shaozhe was somewhat confused.

"Why am I in the Martial Soul Department..."

"Shaozhe, we will discuss this matter later," Mu En suddenly interrupted before Lin Yi could finish.

"Teacher..." Yan Shaozhe still wanted to say more, but Mu En raised a hand to stop him, leaving him no choice but to close his mouth resentfully.

Mu En said, "All right, Wu Ming. You have worked hard this time."

Seeing that Wu Ming was somewhat dejected, Mu En continued, "Although your defeat this time was partly due to Lin Yi's unusual abilities, the main reason was that you underestimated your opponent and acted carelessly. If you had gone all out from the beginning, then no matter how Lin Yi struggled, defeat would have been his only outcome."

"However, this was merely an assessment. Now that you have discovered the problem, correct it in the future. From the battle just now, it is clear that you have not neglected your studies in the Inner Court. Continue working hard in the future, and remember this lesson. Wu Ming, do you understand?"

"Wu Ming understands. Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

Seeing Mu En pull Wu Ming out of her dejected mood with just a few words and even renew her spirits, Lin Yi could not help sighing inwardly. The people in this world really seem pretty gullible. They can swallow such obvious motivational drivel...

"Xiao Yi..."

"Here!"

Lost in thought, Lin Yi suddenly heard someone call him and responded instinctively. Only then did he realize it was Mu En. "What is it, Master?"

"Help treat your senior sister, then ask her to show you around the island."

"Yes."

After agreeing, Lin Yi summoned the Golden Tree again and began treating Wu Ming. Wu Ming also sat cross-legged and began recovering.

Seeing that matters here had been settled, Mu En looked at the Elders. "Since everyone is here, I will convene a Sea God Pavilion Meeting."

He then said to Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi, "You two should come as well."

"Ah?"

"Elder Mu, isn't that inappropriate?"

"Follow us!"

Mu En turned and entered the Sea God Pavilion first, with the Elders following behind. Elder Zhuang walked at the rear and patted Lin Qingxuan on the shoulder. "Elder Mu has spoken. You two should come along."

Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi exchanged a glance and could only follow.

A moment later, inside the Sea God Pavilion Meeting Room, Mu En sat at the head of the oval table. Because of his spine, however, his seat was a reclining chair. The Elders took their seats one after another, while Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi stood at the far end of the table without sitting down.

After a moment of silence, Mu En spoke. "I believe you all know what I wish to discuss at this meeting. That's right, it concerns Lin Yi."

"I will state the situation once more. My newly accepted direct disciple, and quite possibly my final disciple, Lin Yi—the child of Qingxuan and Xi Yatou—possesses the Golden Tree Martial Soul, the dual Extreme Attributes of Extreme Light and Extreme Life, a Demigod-level Martial Soul, Innate Level 15 Soul Power, and is currently a Level 26 Soul Grandmaster. His First Soul Ring is ten thousand years old, while his Second Soul Ring is forty thousand years old."

As Mu En spoke, gasps repeatedly sounded throughout the meeting room. Even though they had already witnessed Lin Yi's extraordinariness firsthand, the Elders still could not conceal their shock upon hearing Mu En's words.

Mu En had previously said that any one of these qualities alone would make him an absolute genius, let alone all of them being concentrated in one person.

As though that was not shocking enough, Mu En continued, "On the day Lin Yi awakened, the Golden Ancient Tree suddenly reacted. After I found Lin Yi and brought him back to the academy, the Golden Ancient Tree reacted again and resonated with his Martial Soul, granting him a fortunate opportunity. It was precisely because of that opportunity that Lin Yi was able to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."

Only after hearing Mu En's words did the Elders understand the cause of the earlier incident. They had never imagined that the source of the disturbance that had shaken the entire Inner Court and Sea God Pavilion was a six-year-old child.

But then, a scruffy old man seated at the head of the left side suddenly sprang to his feet and slammed the wine gourd in his hand heavily onto the table. Excitedly, he said, "Elder Mu, he is practically born to be Shrek's future. We must spare no expense in nurturing him."

The Elders nodded repeatedly in agreement. That was indeed true. With such talent, and with his resonance with Shrek's supreme treasure, the Golden Ancient Tree, he was clearly born to belong to Shrek. Moreover, this child was the son of Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi, two former members of Shrek's Seven Devils. His background was unquestionably clean. When Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi had left the academy back then, these Elders had been heartbroken for quite some time.

"Xuan Zi, sit down first," Mu En said.

The scruffy old man called Xuan Zi obediently sat back down.

"So, you all agree that he should be nurtured with our full support?"

The Elders nodded again and again.

"Since that is the case, Lin Yi will enter the Soul Tool Department, and resources will be allocated to him accordingly."

The middle-aged man and woman seated at the far lower end of the right side had initially looked calm. But upon hearing Mu En clearly, their faces became incomparably excited, and they hurriedly asked, "Teacher, did we hear you correctly? He is really joining our Soul Tool Department?"

"Of course it is true."

Hearing Mu En's words, the middle-aged man and woman were overjoyed. They immediately promised, "Teacher, and all Elders, please rest assured. Our Soul Tool Department will certainly devote every effort to nurturing Lin Yi!"

"Wait, I object!"

Yan Shaozhe, who had been stunned, finally came to his senses and hurriedly spoke to stop them.

The middle-aged woman immediately snapped back, "This is Teacher's decision. Who do you think you are, Yan Shaozhe, to dare object?"

Yan Shaozhe's expression changed. "Lin'er, this concerns the academy's future. Can you stop making trouble?"

He then turned to Mu En. "Teacher, sending someone as talented as Lin Yi to the Soul Tool Department would be a waste. I understand that you wish to develop the Soul Tool Department. How about this: Lin Yi joins our Martial Soul Department, and for the next five years, the Soul Tool Department may choose any students from the Outer Court. At the same time, the Martial Soul Department will also provide resource support to the Soul Tool Department. What do you think?"

After Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, nearly all the Elders were tempted. Even the emotions of the middle-aged man and woman, who had initially been enraged, eased somewhat. They understood in their hearts that the Soul Tool Department truly had little appeal for such a monstrous talent. Being able to obtain these benefits now was acceptable.

Xuan Zi, seated at the head of the left side, also said, "Elder Mu, Shaozhe makes sense. Talent like Lin Yi's is best suited to the Martial Soul Department. It would be more appropriate for him to join the Martial Soul Department. Didn't Shaozhe also say that they would support the Soul Tool Department's development?"

Clearly, Xuan Zi also believed that Mu En had placed Lin Yi in the Soul Tool Department for the department's development.

Mu En's gaze swept across the faces of the Elders present one by one. Almost everyone wore an expression of agreement.

Mu En slowly explained, "Sending Lin Yi to the Soul Tool Department was not my decision. It was the child's own choice."

"This child has chosen the path of the Support System. He possesses little combat power himself, so he plans to study Soul Tools to compensate for his lack of combat ability."

"Didn't Qingxuan make the same choice after suffering severe injuries? He is now a Level 7 Soul Engineer, and his combat power is not bad either."

Xuan Zi said, "Elder Mu, how can those situations be the same? Qingxuan only switched to studying Soul Tools because his Soul Power could no longer increase after his severe injuries. But with Lin Yi's talent, wouldn't studying Soul Tools merely distract him?"

Mu En remained silent at those words.

Yan Shaozhe thought for a moment, then said, "Teacher, since it is Lin Yi's own idea, could we speak to him personally? He is only a child, after all. It is inevitable that he may not have thought things through. As his elders, we should naturally help fill in the gaps."

Xuan Zi quickly echoed, "Exactly, exactly. What can a six-year-old child understand? Once we explain things to him, he will know."

Mu En gave Yan Shaozhe a deep look, then glanced at Xuan Zi. He reclined in his chair. The inner side of the long table was already dimly lit, and after Mu En lay back, his expression became even more difficult to make out.

The meeting room fell silent for a long time.

Just as Yan Shaozhe had begun to wait anxiously, Mu En finally spoke. "Since you all say so, bring Lin Yi here. Let him choose for himself."

"Qingxuan."

Lin Qingxuan bowed. "Elder Mu."

"Go bring Xiao Yi here."

"Yes."