Yuan En Yehui's Opportunity!

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and Sea God Lake lay submerged in tranquil, pale radiance.

Several Soul Guide Street Lamps stood along the shore, their dim yellow halos casting fragmented reflections upon the lake like crushed gold leaf, rippling apart in the night breeze.

"Ring-ring."

The crisp sound of a bicycle bell drifted over from the forest path in the distance, blending into the night.

His gaze passed through the dense foliage and settled on the crystal-clear lake surface. For the first time, Nan Liujing saw Sea God Lake's true appearance.

The lakebed seemingly contained astonishing Water Element energy. Without question, for Soul Masters of the wood, water, and ice elements, Sea God Lake itself was an exceptional cultivation ground.

"Brother, let's stop here." Na'er excitedly set down the shared bicycle and laughingly jogged toward the shore.

Nan Liujing smiled and followed her, standing shoulder to shoulder with Na'er as they gazed toward an island that appeared and vanished amid the hazy water mist in the distance.

"In this era, nobody would go mad and run out of the Inner Court, right?" Nan Liujing murmured softly.

Na'er froze for a moment, then turned toward her brother. "Brother, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Nan Liujing shook his head.

Na'er did not press the matter. Instead, she pointed at the island and said, "That island is the Shrek Inner Court. I went there once with Auntie. The scenery inside is amazing, and some of the plants are thousands or even tens of thousands of years old."

"Especially that largest tree. The teacher said it has existed for more than ten thousand years."

Following Na'er's gesture, Nan Liujing spotted a Towering Giant Tree that seemed to rise above all else. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Ah Yin was hiding inside it.

Na'er's beautiful eyes held a hint of anticipation. "Brother, are you planning to come to Shrek Academy in the future?"

Nan Liujing smiled. "My little sister is here. Of course I have to come."

A trace of delight rose in Na'er's eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

Looking at the one hundred thousand whys before him, Nan Liujing patiently replied, "What question?"

Na'er's expression turned serious. "What type of girl do you like?"

That truly stumped Nan Liujing. "That isn't something we should be thinking about at our age."

"No." Na'er said forcefully, "You have to answer."

Nan Liujing looked up at the bright moon. "A pretty one, I suppose."

"That's it?" Na'er was stunned. "No other requirements?"

Nan Liujing added, "She should have a good figure too."

Na'er's eyes widened. She immediately felt that her brother had gone mad from paying too much earlier. In a hurry, she crouched down, scooped up a handful of water with her jade-like hand, and splashed it at Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing, who was still gazing at the stars at a forty-five-degree angle, had never considered defending himself against his sister. When the icy water hit his face, he jolted.

"Hahaha!" Seeing her brother's drenched hair, Na'er burst into laughter. Before her brother, she never needed to pretend to be ladylike.

Yet as she laughed, Na'er suddenly sensed something amiss.

Her brother turned and walked toward a nearby thicket, snapped off a branch, then approached with a blank expression.

"What are you doing?" Na'er became alert.

Nan Liujing grinned. "My little sister has been naughty. As her brother, I need to educate her."

"No!" Na'er hurriedly fled toward the shared bicycle.

"Running?" Nan Liujing snorted and swiftly chased after her.

At that time, quite a few students were walking around Shrek Academy when the urgent ringing of a bicycle bell suddenly sounded.

Some people instinctively looked over and immediately witnessed a unique "Shrek Academy Circuit Race."

With two whooshes, two people on bicycles sped past them and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Student A's eyes widened. "If I wasn't mistaken, that buddy in the back was holding a branch, right?"

Student B stared blankly. "What kind of special game is this between couples?"

Sparks and lightning flew all the way. The shared bicycle was nearly falling apart. Only after Na'er resorted to acting cute and begging for mercy did Nan Liujing reluctantly pinch her tender little cheek, letting the matter pass.

It was only when they came to their senses that they realized they had reached a very spacious area.

It was an enormous plaza. A lifelike statue stood in its center, depicting none other than Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao.

To the west of the plaza was a small forest.

"Brother, I think we ran all the way to Spirit Ice Plaza." Although Na'er had only joined Shrek Academy recently, her astonishing memory had already familiarized her with every location, so she recognized it at once.

"Brother?"

When she did not hear her brother reply, Na'er turned toward him in confusion.

Nan Liujing's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the small forest in the distance. It looked unremarkable.

However, the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl in his Sea of Consciousness had reacted.

An opportunity had come again!

"Na'er, stay here. Your brother needs to use the restroom." After giving her that instruction, Nan Liujing rode off.

Na'er gave an "oh," found somewhere to sit, and played with her phone.

The small forest west of the plaza was extremely dense. With the trees intertwined, it was difficult to see what lay inside from outside.

The reaction coming from the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl grew increasingly intense, urging Nan Liujing forward. He followed a small path and silently approached.

Before long, a cluster of small houses came into view. They were low, old, and dilapidated, their walls mottled with age. Some did not even have windows.

"Where the work-study students live?" Nan Liujing realized.

There were signs of habitation nearby, but nobody was in sight.

Looking deeper in, a dim purple glow flickered in and out of view.

Nan Liujing did not hesitate and quickly closed the distance.

When he reached the place where the purple glow had appeared, his pupils suddenly contracted.

In a patch of grass concealed by vegetation lay a girl. With dark red short hair, delicate features, and pale skin, she was Yuan En Yehui.

Yuan En Yehui seemed to be suffering some unknown agony. Her body was curled up, trembling uncontrollably.

It was obvious that with every tremble, purple-black spread across her skin. The surrounding Darkness Element underwent a corresponding mutation, becoming cold, violent, and cruel.

"Mm!"

The intense pain made Yuan En Yehui continuously moan. With a whoosh, clusters of flowing light burst from her back and spread outward, transforming into a pair of black wings with dark purple halos shimmering around their edges.

Those halos wound around her body and gradually transformed into the shape of a Soul Ring. It was purple, yet different from an ordinary Thousand-year Soul Ring. Its color was exceptionally deep, and it bore peculiar patterns.

A Self-Condensed Soul Ring. Nan Liujing thought to himself, but he quickly noticed something wrong.

The Fallen Angel Martial Soul had caused the Darkness Element to mutate. Logically, there was no way it could escape the perception of Shrek Academy's top experts.

Leaving aside anyone else, Yun Ming, Long Yeyue, and even Ya Li should have sensed it. Why had no one come?

As he considered this, the reaction conveyed to Nan Liujing by the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl became even stronger, as though it were asking him whether he wished to accept this opportunity.

"Ah!"

On the ground, Yuan En Yehui's Soul Ring had just condensed when she suddenly clutched her head and let out a heart-rending scream.

A bizarre scene unfolded. The purple-black coloration on her skin vaguely took on the appearance of runes, then gradually burrowed deeper into Yuan En Yehui's body, as though planting some sort of seal.

"Whoosh."

This time, Nan Liujing no longer chose to watch. He stepped forward in a flash, dark blue electric currents spreading over his body. While protecting himself, he grabbed Yuan En Yehui by the shoulder.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl erupted with a special power in an instant. Just as it had seized Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline before, that same power now forcibly pulled the rune seal that had fused into Yuan En Yehui's body out and absorbed it.

An extremely yin, bloodthirsty aura emerged from Yuan En Yehui's Soul Ring, roaring as it tried to burrow into Nan Liujing's body. He snorted coldly. A resonant dragon roar rang through the surrounding air, and his upright, domineering lightning Soul Power instantly tore the aura apart. Faintly, the scream of some Demon could be heard.

Having done all that, Nan Liujing had not even had time to examine the situation when he discovered in astonishment that the purple-black runes on Yuan En Yehui's body had indeed vanished. Yet a layer of dark blue lightning patterns had appeared in their place, flickering a few times before disappearing.

As the patterns vanished, Nan Liujing distinctly sensed a special existence interweaving Yuan En Yehui's Mental Power with his own. He could even feel emotions of loneliness and numbness coming from her consciousness.

"Who are you?" A chilly voice rang out. Yuan En Yehui tiredly stared at Nan Liujing, her black Eye Pupils as isolating as the night itself.

A heavy aura spread through the air, as though Yuan En Yehui might erupt with astonishing power at any moment and smash it down upon Nan Liujing's head.

Nan Liujing flashed a toothy grin. "Trying to attack your own benefactor? That won't do."

Yuan En Yehui was stunned. To her surprise, she discovered that the pain which had just seemed branded into her flesh and soul was gone. The darkness attribute inherent in the Fallen Angel Martial Soul, which had brought her countless sufferings, had also lost that cold, evil quality.

"Brother."

A call came from behind him.

"My name is Nan Liujing."

After leaving behind his name, Nan Liujing turned and headed out of the forest.

Yuan En Yehui rose to her feet and watched him leave.

"Brother, are you sick? Why did you take so long in the restroom?"

Seeing her brother emerge from the forest, Na'er hurried forward and asked with concern.

"Your brother is perfectly healthy." Nan Liujing irritably ruffled the little girl's hair.

He shook his head. "I need to go back."

At those words, the smile on Na'er's face immediately froze. She took hold of Nan Liujing's arm and coquettishly said, "Brother, stay with me a little longer."

"Mm!"

Nan Liujing flicked Na'er's smooth forehead with his finger. She yelped in pain, released his arm, and covered her forehead.

He chuckled. "Your brother will be in Shrek City for a long time from now on. We'll have plenty of time together. Shrek Academy allows outsiders inside, but they can't stay too long."

"Fine." Na'er said dejectedly. Suddenly, a ringing sound came from her phone.

Na'er quickly made a shushing gesture at Nan Liujing, answered the call, and obediently said, "Master's Wife."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm. I came to the Outer Court for a walk. I'll be back soon."

After hanging up, Na'er took out a plate from her Storage Soul Tool. Several bun-shaped items lay upon it. "Brother, these are buns made from Black Abyss Fish. They're very beneficial for nourishing Qi and Blood. Take them and eat them."

Nan Liujing did not stand on ceremony. He accepted them and stored them in his Storage Soul Tool.

These dark buns were something only Sea God Pavilion Elders were qualified to enjoy. They were extremely nutritious and could enhance the body's strength. They could be understood as Whale Rubber without side effects.

"Then I'm off."

Nan Liujing mounted his bicycle and turned his head to bid Na'er farewell.

"Mm." Na'er nodded with a smile. Under her gaze, her brother's figure gradually traveled farther away, slowly disappearing into the dim streetlight until he was gone.

"Pretty, with a good figure."

Only after her brother had been gone for a while did Na'er murmur softly.

"Na'er." A gentle voice came from behind her.

Na'er immediately stood as straight as a pine tree.

Ya Li, dressed in a water-green gown, with peerless beauty and a gentle Life Aura, walked over and curiously examined the disciple her beloved had just accepted.

"Master's Wife, why are you here?" Na'er hurried forward, wrapped her arm around Ya Li's soft arm, and asked in a low, coquettish voice.

Ya Li gently poked Na'er's forehead with a jade-like finger and smiled softly. "Your teacher had something to do, so I came along. I didn't expect to sense you at Spirit Ice Plaza."

"What is it?" Na'er asked curiously.

Ya Li smiled and shook her head without answering. "Have you decided? Which sub-profession will you choose?"

Na'er smiled. "I want to be like you. Other than forging, I'll learn everything."

A smile played on Ya Li's lips as she glanced toward the forest. "Since you've decided, formal lessons will begin tomorrow."

"Can't I play for a few more days?" Na'er panicked. She still wanted to keep playing with her brother tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that.

Ya Li smilingly said, "No."

"Oh." Na'er drooped her head.

Nan Liujing had left at just the right time. In the forest west of the plaza, two figures with no aura leaking from them, appearing like ordinary people, appeared before Yuan En Yehui.

"Qingtian Mianxia." Yuan En Yehui looked at the arrival, her heart jolting as she immediately bowed in greeting.

Yun Ming's calm eyes swept over Yuan En Yehui, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Your Fallen Angel Martial Soul has already Self-Condensed its Second Soul Ring?"

"Yes." Yuan En Yehui was somewhat nervous. Only then did she realize that she had forgotten to report it. She was not yet a true student; because of her Martial Soul, she had merely been granted special permission to remain as a work-study student.

"Release your Soul Rings." At the side, the aged Long Yeyue spoke.

"Yes." Yuan En Yehui did not know her, but she obediently activated her Soul Power. Soon, two Purple Soul Rings rose beneath her.

In the darkness, the Purple Soul Rings appeared deep and noble.

Long Yeyue gave them a single glance, then said to Yun Ming with slight surprise, "These two Soul Rings seem different from the Self-Condensed Soul Rings of Fallen Angel Martial Souls we have seen before."

Yun Ming said in a deep voice, "They are indeed different. The darkness attribute has become purer. If it can evolve, it may even have a chance to advance into Ultimate Darkness. Unfortunately, we did not witness the Second Soul Ring condense."

Martial Souls formed from the powers of other planes were often the hardest to fully understand. It could be called an evil Martial Soul, yet it could also be a normal Martial Soul. In short, it was extremely complicated. Even the Federation had no definite classification for this Martial Soul.

"I'm sorry." Hearing that the Fallen Angel Martial Soul had become purer, Yuan En Yehui's heart suddenly raced. But having forgotten to fulfill their agreement, she hurriedly apologized amid her guilt.

Yun Ming's tone was gentle. "I do not mean to blame you. Remember this: whenever you Self-Condense a Soul Ring in the future, if you feel unwell, you must inform us beforehand. Self-Condensing Soul Rings is extremely painful. If my wife is present, she can ease your suffering."

"Thank you." Yuan En Yehui thanked him sincerely. In truth, she felt rather helpless as well. At the time, her head had been splitting apart and her body had seemed on the verge of tearing open. She simply could not remember to call anyone.

Yun Ming glanced at Long Yeyue.

Yuan En Yehui merely felt a blur pass before her eyes, and the two powerful figures had vanished.

She pressed her red lips together. In her mind emerged the handsome, refined face of the young man named Nan Liujing.

Was it him who helped me?

In the sky.

Long Yeyue said in a low voice, "Could it be that this child's Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul is too powerful, causing the Fallen Angel Martial Soul to mutate? Could it have stopped being the seed that originally descended from the Demon Plane?"

Yun Ming stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the towering giant tower in the distance. "The overall strength of the Demon Plane is lower than that of our Douluo Plane. The possibility you mentioned cannot be ruled out."

Long Yeyue said, "I'll notify the Yuanen Family. No matter what, this counts as good news. That old fellow Yuanen Zhentian will probably be able to rest easier too."

"No rush." Yun Ming shook his head. "This child only has her Second Soul Ring for now, so she still requires further observation. Besides, the Fallen Angel Martial Soul has left too deep a shadow over the Yuanen Family. It is not convenient for this child to return yet."

Long Yeyue paused, then decided that made sense. "Fine. You are the Pavilion Master, so I'll listen to you."

Yun Ming smiled, his gaze falling upon his wife and disciple as they walked hand in hand back toward the Inner Court.