Taiji Silver Dragon Dance, Divine Brilliance Concealed Within, Return to Simplicity, First Lesson of the Semester: Loyalty

Taiji Silver Dragon Dance, Divine Brilliance Concealed Within, Return to Simplicity, First Lesson of the Semester: Loyalty (4k)

Dawn split open the night, welcoming the newborn morning sun.

A pair of silver-white pupils snapped open. Na'er fished out her Soul Guide Communicator, and after seeing Shrek's class schedule, she pouted and jumped out of bed. Leaning her delicate body back and spreading her arms, she stretched lazily.

"Life is dull and meaningless. 8 a.m. classes are murder!"

After fiercely condemning Shrek, Na'er got dressed, flattened a stray silver cowlick, and pushed open the door of the wooden house.

The morning light had just begun to bloom. A halo streamed through gaps in the clouds, bathing the earth in radiance. The boy stood amid the warm sunlight, his plain white robe fluttering gently in the breeze. His fingers loosely gathered the drifting clouds; his opening stance was like embracing the moon, while his fists and palms seemed capable of pushing mountains and filling seas. Every move subtly aligned with the Way of Yin Yang.

The wooden door creaked softly. Na'er leaned against the doorway, and the instant the boy came into view, all her troubles seemed to vanish. A faint smile touched her red lips.

"Your fist technique looks so slow when you practice it, but once you fight for real, you become a completely different person."

"Fast strikes are fists. Slow practice is skill."

Zhao Xuanzhen smiled lightly. His toes touched the ground like crane feathers skimming water, sending an invisible ripple spreading beneath his feet. His Taiji Cloud Hands traced a half-circle, and amid the fluttering of his sleeves, a thread of black-and-white qi condensed. The lingering morning dew was drawn by the vortex, hovering within three feet of him like a wondrous domain of droplets.

"I'll practice with you!"

The silver gleam of the spear tip collided with the dawn, scattering dazzling light. As Na'er watched Zhao Xuanzhen perform his fist forms, a flame suddenly ignited in her eyes.

The Silver Dragon Spear roared like a dragon's cry. Countless spear lights burst forth, transforming into Thousand Dragons Dance. The spear force did not strike directly at Zhao Xuanzhen, but instead flowed along the trajectory of the Taiji Qi Whirl.

Na'er glanced back in midair like a fleeting swan. Her Silver Dragon Spear was like a meteor chasing the moon, every spear form resonating with the rhythm of Zhao Xuanzhen's fists and palms.

The spear wind swept up fallen leaves across the ground. The moment they touched the Taiji field, they were wrapped in gentle force. A layer of black-and-white radiance coated the withered leaves as they whirled continuously around the silver dragon spear shadows.

The corner of Zhao Xuanzhen's lips lifted. His fist forms shifted, and his body drifted before Na'er. The silver-haired girl smiled brilliantly as the Silver Dragon Spear let out a resounding dragon roar. The dragon patterns winding around the spear transformed into a phantom silver dragon, its tail coiling around the spear and its head raised in a roar.

"Ha!"

Na'er gave a sharp cry and slashed her spear tip through the sky. The phantom silver dragon leaped upward. Zhao Xuanzhen stepped upon the Bagua positions, his palms forming a circle as the black-and-white vortex condensed into a slowly rotating Taiji Diagram.

The silver dragon swung its body and coiled around the edge of the Taiji Diagram. Its tail linked with the yin eye, its head held the yang eye, and as black, white, and silver intertwined, light and mist filled the sky. The world seemed frozen in that instant.

Taiji Silver Dragon Dance.

High in the distant sky, Saint Spirit Douluo Yali leaned against a young man's chest. Her emerald eyes reflected the Taiji Diagram encircled by the silver dragon as she softly asked, "Ming Ge, what do you think of the two children Yaozhu has raised?"

There was only one person on the Douluo Continent who could be so intimate with Saint Spirit Douluo Yali. The young man's identity was obvious: Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion Master, Qingtian Douluo Yun Ming.

"Divine brilliance concealed within."

Yun Ming gazed from afar at Na'er as she wielded the Silver Dragon Spear and gave this four-word assessment. Then his gaze shifted to Zhao Xuanzhen, a trace of wonder appearing in his eyes.

"Return to simplicity."

"This is the first time I've heard you praise juniors so highly." Yali was slightly surprised.

"They are peerless geniuses rarely seen in ten thousand years." Yun Ming sighed. "The two children are only ten this year, yet they have comprehended wills uniquely their own and can communicate with heaven and earth through those wills.

"I have to admit it. At their age, my cultivation and state of mind were far inferior to theirs."

"Two intents?"

Yali's breath caught, and her willow eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Na'er has comprehended Silver Dragon Spear Intent. Does Zhao Xuanzhen possess an intent as well?"

"Of course. The only thing that can resonate with spear intent is another kind of intent."

Yun Ming held his beloved wife and said with a chuckle, "Everyone has their own path. Comprehending intent is not an essential path for a Soul Master, so you, who have never entered the realm of intent, cannot see Zhao Xuanzhen's intent.

"In truth, Zhao Xuanzhen's intent is extremely well concealed. After my Qingtian Spear Intent broke through to the Spear God realm, I became more capable of sensing other Soul Masters' intents. Otherwise, even I might have been deceived by his concealment."

"So that's how it is. Zhao Xuanzhen's intent has always protected him. No wonder the Black Swan's curse did not have its intended effect. An unbreakable will is precisely the bane of curses." Yali pondered.

"But there is one thing I'm curious about. What exactly is the intent that child comprehended? Fist intent?"

Faced with his wife's inquisitive expression, Yun Ming shook his head. "It isn't fist intent. I don't know exactly what it is, but it is far more complex than ordinary intent.

"Zhao Xuanzhen's fist technique does contain intent. Yet from what I saw of his battles in the Tianhai Alliance Competition, whether it was shattering the Thunder Dragon unleashed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon or the advanced version Darkgold Fearclaw that gathered the power of three people at the end, both soul skills carried intent.

"All of his abilities seem to become part of that intent—fist techniques, soul skills, Soul Bones, and so on. It is not confined to any fixed form. I have never heard of such a flexible and ever-changing manifestation.

"Interesting. Even I'm becoming interested."

Seeing her lover's tranquil state of mind disrupted, Yali teased, "It's fine to be interested in Xuanzhen, but don't start thinking about taking him as a disciple.

"Yesterday, Yue'er wanted to recommend him to Sister Yue as a disciple, and Yaozhu flew into a rage on the spot. She cares deeply about her disciple."

Yun Ming gently stroked Yali's emerald hair and corrected her. "That is the excitement of uncovering a secret. I am not suited to be Zhao Xuanzhen's teacher. What I could teach him would not surpass Tianfeng.

"Speaking of disciples, I actually favor Na'er more. The Silver Dragon Spear, a rare Tool Martial Soul with the Silver Dragon Bloodline.

"The Sun Moon Empire, predecessor of the Sun Moon Federation, once slew a Silver Dragon. Historical records say that Silver Dragon possessed formidable combat power. It was ultimately killed by the bombardment of multiple ninth-grade Soul Tools, yet before dying, it still used a Seven Elements Storm to kill several ninth-grade Soul Engineers.

"The Silver Dragon and Golden Dragon are dragon descendants closest to the Dragon God, standing at the pinnacle of soul beast bloodlines on the continent. The innate quality of the Silver Dragon Spear is even above the Qingtian Divine Spear.

"In the future, Na'er must continually temper her spear intent and strive to break through to Spear Soul and Spear God as early as possible. Her Second Spirit Soul should still be a spatial-attribute soul beast, preferably one with true dragon bloodline.

"The Seventh Soul Ring must be given particular attention. Find her a Soul Spirit or soul beast capable of transforming her Tool Martial Soul into beast form. If she can control both Martial Soul Avatar forms at once, it will stimulate the Silver Dragon Bloodline to the fullest extent.

"Soul Bones, Battle Armor... Let me think..."

"Hey, stop right there!"

Yali waved a hand before Yun Ming and said with amusement, "Na'er isn't your disciple. Why are you worrying so much? In two minutes, you've already arranged her entire future."

"I cherish talent. I couldn't help myself."

Yun Ming sighed. "Shrek Academy has countless students, yet I have been unable to find a junior qualified to inherit the position of Sea God Pavilion Master. Lan Muzi and Tang Yinmeng would be more than capable of becoming Pavilion Elders, but they are still far from the bottom line for a Sea God Pavilion Master.

"With the talent Na'er has displayed, she will encounter almost no bottlenecks before breaking through to Quasi-God. In other words, so long as she cultivates step by step, becoming an Extreme Douluo is within reach.

"Yali, to be honest with you, I hope to accept her as my disciple and pass down my legacy.

"If Zhao Xuanzhen one day replaces the Qiangu Clan and takes control of the Spirit Pagoda, while Na'er takes my position and inherits the Poseidon Pavilion, perhaps that could ease the increasingly severe conflict between the two great powers.

"But Na'er is connected to Tianfeng... Sigh, it's hard to bring it up!"

Just as a generation's Qingtian Douluo found himself caught in a dilemma, Zhao Xuanzhen below bent his knees and lowered his wrists, completing the final closing form. Na'er drew back her spear with a reverse motion, lingering wisps of cloud qi entwining around them. The morning breeze swept past, and fallen leaves drifted gracefully to the ground, their veins branded with Taiji patterns and silver dragon scales.

"Feels great!"

The Taiji Silver Dragon Dance was like the harmonious union of zithers and lutes. Na'er's mood was greatly improved, and even her appetite had grown considerably. She dragged Zhao Xuanzhen straight toward the canteen.

The two were exchange students, not impoverished work-study students. The canteen provided meals free of charge until they were full.

Once they had finished eating, the canteen director's facial muscles twitched nonstop as he stared at the stacks of plates on the table. He had suddenly received a notice of food shortages that day and rushed over, only to witness Na'er demonstrate Three Bites, One Pig for Zhao Xuanzhen!

For her first meal after enrollment, Na'er had given the canteen a harsh lesson!

"I have to say, Shrek's canteen is pretty good." Na'er praised it with satisfaction.

"Didn't you see the black aura on the canteen director's face? I bet there'll be a sign at the canteen entrance tomorrow, with your giant avatar on it and red letters saying: Silver-Haired Little Pigs Forbidden." Zhao Xuanzhen teased.

"You're the pig!" Na'er proudly puffed out her chest. "If the Number One Under Heaven academy won't let its students eat their fill, then I absolutely have to make a post on the Soul Net and condemn them!"

"I support that. I'll help you buy traffic."

Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er played off each other perfectly. One place could not raise two different kinds of people; their mischievous behavior was exactly alike.

There was still some time before 8 a.m., so the two strolled around Sea God Island and admired the island's beautiful scenery.

"The Life Energy on Sea God Island is so abundant. Even meditating last night was faster than it was at the Spirit Pagoda." Na'er said.

Zhao Xuanzhen pointed at the golden giant tree in the center of Sea God Island. "That is the Golden Ancient Tree, the founding core of Shrek Academy. All the Life Energy and Light Energy permeating Sea God Island come from it."

The further Soul Masters advanced in cultivation, the slower their progress became. Many disciples of great powers enrolled at Shrek not only because their families wanted them to befriend monsters their own age, but also because they wished to accelerate their cultivation with the help of the Golden Tree.

"I heard Inner Court disciples of Shrek get one chance to enter the Golden Tree Underground and seek enlightenment. Zhao Xuanzhen, if you want to enter the Inner Court in the future, would you try seeking enlightenment beneath the tree?"

Na'er had intended it as a joke, but Zhao Xuanzhen nodded softly. "To be honest, I want to seek enlightenment beneath the Golden Tree, but I don't want to enter the Inner Court."

As the Life Core of the Douluo Continent, the Golden Tree was half the reason Zhao Xuanzhen had entered Shrek Academy. The other half was to use Shrek Academy's heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony to awaken the Eight Deceitful Gods.

Because of the Golden Tree's existence, Shrek Academy's geographical advantage could be called the peak of the Douluo Continent. If the Golden Tree Spirit allowed the Eight Deceitful Gods to temporarily reside within its body and mobilized some Life Energy to nourish them, Zhao Xuanzhen might even have a chance to break the shackles of the Divine Plate and allow two of the Eight Deceitful Gods to descend in their Extreme Forms!

However, Zhao Xuanzhen had waited eagerly all night, but that old fellow, the Golden Tree Spirit, never appeared. As a result, Zhao Xuanzhen now had to approach it himself.

After circling Sea God Island, Zhao Xuanzhen used Water Control to bring Na'er across Sea God Lake. They passed a large cluster of Inner Court buildings and arrived before a short white building. At the entrance, a Little Fatty followed closely behind a golden-haired girl with a high ponytail, speaking in a fawning tone.

"Sister Xinglan, have you eaten breakfast? Want a baozi?"

Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizhi!

Ye Xinglan ignored Xu Lizhi's Big Meat Bun and stared blankly at the two approaching figures, her gaze lingering on Zhao Xuanzhen for a long while.

Na'er immediately became alert, using half her body to block Zhao Xuanzhen. That guy had the innate Appearance of a Woman's Disaster, a natural constitution made for living off women.

Aside from Sky Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu and the Bai Sisters, no female creature was allowed to touch Zhao Xuanzhen!

Special note: guard especially against Gu Yue!

Fortunately, Ye Xinglan said nothing. She turned and entered the short white building, while Xu Lizhi followed after her step by step on his short, thick legs.

"Same Teaching Building. Looks like we're classmates." Zhao Xuanzhen guessed.

Sure enough, there were four desks and chairs in the classroom, with the words Zero Class written on their labels.

"Why is Shrek Zero Class too..."

Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er complained. The East Sea Zero Class F4 had fallen apart, and now the Shrek Zero Class F4 had made their dazzling debut.

The four sat according to the nameplates on their desks. From left to right, they were Na'er, Zhao Xuanzhen, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi.

A figure pushed open the door and entered. Their homeroom teacher was also an acquaintance: Shen Yi, the lead teacher of the Shrek Team!

"Class is in session." Shen Yi smiled. "Although we should not be strangers, I'll still introduce myself.

"My name is Shen Yi, and I will be the homeroom teacher of Zero Class from now on. Because of your special circumstances—two pre-determined Inner Court Disciples and two exchange students who achieved the unprecedented score of two hundred—Shrek has decided to establish a Special Class. Red Dragon Douluo, the dean of the Outer Court, sent me to serve as your homeroom teacher.

"Xuanzhen and Na'er are new students, so let me first explain some basic student knowledge. Every Shrek student has a Student Card containing records of their personal information, as well as stored Contribution Points.

"At the academy, Contribution Points can do anything. For example, they can be exchanged for cultivation resources or time using teaching facilities... Within legal limits, Contribution Points can accomplish everything.

"Shrek Academy follows an open education system. Classes are held for half the morning, while afternoons and evenings are free time."

The two nodded slightly. One reason Leng Yaozhu had agreed to let them enroll was that the Spirit Transmission Tower Headquarters was right next to Shrek Academy, so she could be summoned to fight at any time.

The other was that she understood Shrek Academy's teaching style. Classes only took one morning; if Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er wanted, they could directly become day students!

"Now, class officially begins. The First Lesson of the Semester will not cover cultivation. I will tell you about Shrek Academy's glorious history."

Shen Yi opened a thick black book of ancient books and said, "Twenty thousand years ago, First Dean Flender founded Shrek Academy. Led by ancestor Tang San, the Shrek Seven Devils overcame countless obstacles, won the Soul Master Competition championship, explored the mysterious Sea God Island, eradicated the evil Spirit Hall, and became heroes praised by everyone across the continent...

"Ten thousand years ago, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao won the competition championship twice, infiltrated Mingde Hall, blocked the Sun Moon Empire's Iron-Blooded Conquest, destroyed the Holy Spirit Cult, and safeguarded peace across the continent..."

Shen Yi spoke endlessly of Shrek Academy's glory over the ages. Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi listened with fascination, while Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other's eyes.

Well damn, the First Lesson of the Semester was about loyalty!

Gu Yue and Na'er would not sacrifice themselves, and Na'er would not become Yun Ming's disciple. Yun Ming would only try to draw her in after seeing her talent, but...

Na'er: Loyalty!