Departure

After a month, the Light Cocoon wrapped around Xiao Linyi finally shattered.

With a rustling sound, the moon-white clothes on Xiao Linyi peeled away along with the Light Cocoon. A breeze blew past. Xiao Linyi slowly opened his eyes, only to suddenly feel a chill wash over him.

He looked down and saw his own stark-naked body. With one howl, he alerted Lin Qingxuan and his wife, who had been waiting there the whole time.

Seeing their son wake up, the couple hurried forward and carefully looked him over from head to toe. After seeing nothing unusual, the hearts that had been hanging in suspense finally settled.

Having been seen completely naked by his parents, Xiao Linyi's face was now as red as blood.

Six years old was exactly the age when one knew shame.

Ouyang Xi giggled and was just about to tease him when Lin Qingxuan stopped her. He took out a robe and helped his son change. A moment later, Xiao Linyi had returned to that exquisitely pretty little boy.

The family of three chatted lively for a few sentences. Beside them, Mu En's figure slowly appeared.

"Elder Mu."

"Master."

"Mm." Mu En's gaze turned to Xiao Linyi. He observed him carefully and, seeing that he was not injured, finally let out a breath in his heart. This was Shrek's future. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

"From the look of you, you should have obtained a fortuitous opportunity."

"Mm!"

Seeing that Xiao Linyi was about to explain, Mu En raised a hand to stop him and said, "Xiao Yi, I'll call you that from now on."

Seeing Xiao Linyi nod, Mu En continued, "Xiao Yi, remember this. This is your own fortuitous opportunity. Unless it is someone you trust absolutely, do not tell others about your own opportunity."

His gaze somehow deepened a little. Mu En said slowly, "Remember, a secret that has not been spoken aloud is still a secret."

Xiao Linyi nodded. "Yes, Master."

A smile appeared once more on Mu En's wrinkled face. After several decades, Mu En once again felt the sense of accomplishment that came from teaching a disciple.

His gaze swept over the couple at the side, and Mu En said, "Earlier, I had intended to bring you to meet the various Elders of the academy, but you obtained an opportunity and cultivated for over a month. Now they have all become busy, so we will find another chance. First, I'll take you to obtain your Soul Ring."

Lin Qingxuan said, "Elder Mu, why would such a small matter require you to act personally? Axi and I can just take Xiao Yi there."

"That's right, Elder Mu," Ouyang Xi echoed from the side.

"He is this old man's newly accepted personal disciple. If I don't even accompany him for his First Soul Ring, then what kind of teacher am I? Would it not be better to let the child cultivate on his own?"

Mu En shook his head and said, "All right. This old man knows what you are worried about. While these old bones can still move, it is good to walk around more."

Seeing Mu En's firm attitude, Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi could only drop the matter.

"Qingxuan, thanks to your own son, your injuries have fully healed this time. Why not stay at the academy and cultivate for a while?" Mu En suddenly suggested.

"It's all right, Elder Mu. Axi and I should still go along. After all, it is Xiao Yi's First Soul Ring. Besides, with us there, Elder Mu can act a little less."

"Haha, good. Then this old man will be lazy for once."

Lin Qingxuan looked at his son. "Xiao Yi, are you ready? We're setting off now."

"Mm!" He was finally going to obtain his First Soul Ring. Xiao Linyi could not help feeling a flash of excitement in his heart.

The adults relied on their own strength and did not make much preparation. They simply brought Xiao Linyi along and hurried on their way.

To be honest, this might have been the strongest Soul Hunting Team in today's Soul Master world.

The team included Mu En, a Limit Douluo and one of the strongest people alive; Ouyang Xi, a Level 86 Assault System Soul Douluo, whose Martial Soul was even a top-tier Beast Martial Soul like the Bright Phoenix; and Lin Qingxuan, a Level 78 Healing System Soul Saint. Although his Cultivation Level had stagnated in his early years because of severe injuries, Lin Qingxuan had later switched to cultivating as a Soul Engineer and had likewise reached Level 7 Soul Engineer, equivalent to a Soul Saint. He could also be regarded as Assault System.

With such strength, as long as they did not burrow into a Great Danger Zone, there was nowhere on the continent they could not go.

Along the way, Mu En also did his duty as a teacher, explaining to Xiao Linyi, "The place we are going this time is the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Xiao Yi, now you are about to become a Soul Master as well. Your father said that you like reading and have many ideas of your own. Then, do you have any plans for your future path?"

Hearing the testing intent in Mu En's words, Xiao Linyi did not rush to answer. Instead, he began to think.

Mu En was not displeased because of this. On the contrary, the appreciation in his eyes grew stronger.

Shrek did not lack powerful people. What it lacked were powerful people with brains and wisdom. As the future Mu En hoped for, Mu En did not doubt Xiao Linyi's talent. A Demigod-level Martial Soul and dual Extreme Attributes were enough to explain everything. The only thing Mu En was uncertain about was whether this obedient little child had enough wisdom to support the future Mu En hoped for.

Although this was only a small matter, a glimpse of the small could reveal the great. It was already enough to prove some things.

"Master, I've thought it through."

"Let's hear it." Elder Mu asked with great interest.

Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi also showed interested expressions.

"I have decided to become a Support System Soul Master."

"Support System?!"

All three adults showed stunned expressions.

After all, in the Soul Master world where the strong were respected, what one relied on was still strength. As for the Support System, which had no combat power and could only serve as an accessory to a team or a powerful person, it was absolutely not the first choice for the vast majority of people.

Especially for children.

Unless it was a pure Support System like the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, no child would take the initiative to choose to develop toward the Support System.

There was a saying on the continent: every Support System Soul Master had the heart of an Assault System.

Mu En did not comment on anything. He only asked, "Tell me your reasons."

"My Golden Tree possesses two attributes, light and life. Using these two attributes in tree form is not outstanding in terms of attack. Instead, it is more prominent in support and healing."

"That's all?" Lin Qingxuan asked.

Mu En still did not make any further comment.

"There are also Soul Tools. Because of the development of Soul Tools, the boundary between offense and defense is gradually blurring now. As long as one has Soul Power, even a Support System Soul Master can possess a certain degree of combat ability."

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Mu En's aged face. He nodded and said, "It seems you have already thought carefully about it. Not bad. For your age, you have considered it very thoroughly."

"However, in our Shrek Academy, there is one mainstream view, which is that only power belonging to Soul Masters themselves is acknowledged. As for Soul Tools, they are merely external power."

Hearing this, Xiao Linyi frowned, his tiny brows knitting into three tight lines.

"Is that really Shrek Academy's mainstream view?" Xiao Linyi's voice was full of confusion.

Mu En nodded silently.

Xiao Linyi lowered his head and pondered. After a few breaths, he seemed to make some kind of decision. "Master, then can I not go to Shrek Academy?"

"?!!"

He had not expected Xiao Linyi's answer to be so direct and resolute. Even Mu En's expression nearly broke.

Lin Qingxuan and Ouyang Xi had also not expected Xiao Linyi's answer to leave no room at all. The moment he opened his mouth, he said he would not enter Shrek Academy.

"Why?" This was the shared confusion of the three adults.

"Didn't you say that was the academy's mainstream view? If I don't agree with it, why should I go?"

As if he could not understand how Xiao Linyi could say it so casually, Mu En asked somewhat anxiously, "Then you can go and try to change this view. Why directly withdraw?"

Xiao Linyi's expression was filled with confusion. "I'm only going there to study. Changing ideas and such is the academy's matter, and the academy teachers' matter. What does it have to do with me? I'm only a student. I haven't even enrolled yet."

The three fell silent at the same time. Only then did they realize that Xiao Linyi was different from them. He was only a child and had no real feelings for Shrek Academy. Back then, he had agreed to go to the academy only because both his parents had once studied there. He did not reject it, but that was all.

But now that he had discovered this academy did not meet his expectations, giving up on it, or rather leaving this academy, was also a matter of course.

Ouyang Xi still found it a little hard to believe. "Good baby, Shrek Academy is the Number One Academy of the Continent."

Her unspoken meaning was that he was giving it up a little too casually.

Xiao Linyi's answer was very direct. "Being number one doesn't mean it suits me. And if it's the Number One Academy of the Continent, it should be good at everything. Why would Soul Tools be the exception?"

"As an academy, it should have been inclusive and absorbed all kinds of knowledge. Yet it actually shows obvious resistance and even disgust toward a certain field. That in itself already says a lot."

Mu En fell somewhat silent. Did he not know about these problems? As the Pavilion Master of Sea God Pavilion, there was nothing in the academy that could be hidden from him. Of course he knew these things. But in the past, he could use the academy's powerful strength to forcibly numb himself.

But today, all the coverings had been torn apart in a few sentences by this little fellow whose Martial Soul had only just awakened.

The bright and beautiful Shrek Academy had its inner rot exposed under the sunlight by just a few words from this tiny Soul Master.

All the corruption beneath that bright and dazzling surface was completely exposed before Mu En's eyes. It was unbearably glaring, yet he could not look away.