Mu Xuanheng was gradually making a name for himself in the outer courtyard. Many people knew about the child who hadn't enrolled yet but was already at Shrek.
Time passed in tedium.
Under Fan Yu's guidance, he completed processes like quenching and polishing, and even began inscribing Core Arrays into Soul Tools on his own.
A Level 2 Soul Engineer who was only ten years old sent shock waves through the Soul Tool Department.
Xian Lin'er even convened a Sea God Pavilion Meeting and strongly demanded that Mu Xuanheng join the Soul Tool Department.
How could they allow that?
Yan Shaozhe refused outright, arguing forcefully.
Elder Zhuang had initially wanted to support the Soul Tool Department too, but after hearing about Mu Xuanheng's astonishing performance that day, he decided it was better for Mu Xuanheng to stay in the Spirit Martial Department.
Xian Lin'er slammed the table and stood up. "Are you kidding me? He's a ten-year-old Level 2 Soul Engineer, and he only studies in his spare time. Do you know what that means? Don't forget the Soul Tool Department's assessment of him: he's certain to become a Level 9 Soul Engineer, with a chance of reaching Level 10. There's only one Soul Engineer on the whole continent with a chance of reaching Level 10, and he's over in Sun Moon. Now we have one too. How can we not give him the best training?"
Yan Shaozhe said, "That's not right. His Martial Soul is an enhanced mutation of the Bright Holy Dragon. He has a chance of surpassing Mu En."
Neither of them was willing to give ground.
As for offering him benefits? He was Mu En's disciple, and Xuan Zi had watched him grow up. Did they really need to offer him benefits?
Xuan Zi had been forced into seclusion, so he couldn't tilt the scales behind the scenes.
Mu En made the final call as well: Mu Xuanheng should continue along his current path. It wouldn't interfere with anything.
Besides, Mu Xuanheng was only ten. Who knew what he was interested in? They should let him learn a bit of everything.
Xian Lin'er recalled something Mu Xuanheng had said: "If they don't get exposed to it from the start and only have to choose later, I doubt many people will want to study Soul Tools, right?"
Mu Xuanheng hadn't brought it up casually when he spoke with Xian Lin'er.
In the world he'd come from, students studied both arts and sciences before choosing a specialization.
Xian Lin'er had remembered his words, so she used this meeting to propose adding Soul Tool studies to the first-year curriculum.
Yan Shaozhe resisted just as fiercely.
Fortunately, Mu En was there. Despite being an old man, he was more open to Soul Tools than Yan Shaozhe. He made the final decision to add Soul Tool studies to the first-year curriculum.
Though the arrangement wasn't perfect, the Soul Tool Department had still gotten what it wanted.
While the meeting's central figure, Mu Xuanheng, was eating with Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei.
At this point, neither of them had met Jiang Nannan or Tang Ya yet, so they could all still get along just fine.
Mu Xuanheng had no idea whether Bei Bei would fall for Tang Ya again.
As for Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan, Mu Xuanheng felt he ought to help them out.
He'd gotten along well with Xu Sanshi over the past two years. He couldn't just let a friend of his fall into a bad situation.
"Old Xu, I remember your Xuanming Sect's Martial Soul can turn into a Black Tortoise Shield. Why can't yours?"
At that, Xu Sanshi couldn't hide his eagerness at all. "It's a secret. A secret."
Mu Xuanheng's mouth twitched. He was still so young, yet he'd already gotten into this sort of thing. "Don't get the wrong idea. Something might feel good in the moment, but that doesn't mean there won't be a price to pay."
Xu Sanshi looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
There was no way he could spell it out, so he could only hint at it. "It'll probably be hard to advance to the Black Tortoise. You could think about whether there are other ways, like finding some rare heavenly treasure or something."
"Don't worry. Our sect has a special method. Once my Martial Soul turns into the Black Tortoise, I'll fight you again." Xu Sanshi hadn't paid Mu Xuanheng's words any attention.
Mu Xuanheng decided to change tactics and make sure the kid met Jiang Nannan first.
"I like this. I've spent all these years at school just hanging out with you guys. I forgot to find a girlfriend."
"You bastard, you're abandoning your friends for a pretty face!" the two of them cursed at Xu Sanshi.
"Bullshit! Am I really that kind of person?"
Mu Xuanheng stated his real purpose too. "Old Xu, don't let yourself end up regretting it. Sometimes you have to take on more responsibility."
"Wow, you're so young, and you're already lecturing me. Cut it out. Let's talk about when you'll reach the third ring. We're almost at the fourth ring, and you can't still be stuck like this, can you?"
Xu Sanshi had already been stunned by Mu Xuanheng's talent. Mu Xuanheng could definitely have reached the third ring before the term began.
"I've been at level 30 for ages. The old man wants me to hold off on advancing and build a stronger foundation. He says the Soul Rings I got before were too powerful and might've left hidden injuries, so I need to slow down first. Otherwise, why would I have spent three years at the second ring?
"But I'm about to go get a Soul Ring. I might be away from the academy for a while, so I came to talk with you guys."
Mu En's advice was one thing, but Mu Xuanheng had ideas of his own too. He really needed to take a chance with his third ring.
Having fewer Soul Rings wouldn't hinder his cultivation anyway.
Mu Xuanheng had estimated the timing, and this was about right. He didn't want Xu Sanshi's later pursuit to get so bizarre. Becoming the Black Tortoise wasn't the only way. That Golden Hawksbill Turtle would be alive either way; all he had to do was figure out how to deal with it.
He just didn't know that the poor turtle was spinning like a top, whirling faster and faster as it was whipped.
Bei Bei smiled too. "Go and come back soon. Don't pull what you did last time—risking your life and coming within a hair's breadth of death. We'll be waiting for you."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You two better not go getting into trouble. Don't forget what I told you." Mu Xuanheng left, ready to seek out his third Soul Ring.
"Kid, you're so young, and you're already lecturing us." Xu Sanshi put his hands on his hips. "All right, Bei Bei. We're both on vacation now."
Naturally, they went home for the break.
For Xu Sanshi, the moment he'd dreamed of had finally arrived.
The ceremony to advance his Martial Soul.
As the junior most likely to awaken his Martial Soul, he was guided by members of the Xuanming Sect through the advancement ceremony.
He entered the room with a trace of excitement.
He eagerly got onto the bed and saw the beautiful young woman.
The claw he'd reached out with stopped in midair. The girl was Jiang Nannan, the one Mu Xuanheng had taken him to meet.
At this point, he couldn't say he loved her, but he did feel some affection for her.
Jiang Nannan was trembling with fear. Even Xu Sanshi, foolish as he could be, could tell she wasn't there willingly.
"Junior." He asked softly, but didn't dare reach for her again. He remembered what Mu Xuanheng had told him.
Mu Xuanheng had been trying to guide him.
He sat on the edge of the bed. "Junior Jiang Nannan, why did you agree to this?"
Jiang Nannan didn't answer him. She just cried.
"I'm the young master of the Xuanming Sect. No one can force you. Don't worry." He thumped his chest as he promised her, and suddenly felt a sense of responsibility. Just as Mu Xuanheng had said, he needed to take on more.
"Weren't you going to awaken your Martial Soul? They said if I spent one night with you, they could save my mother."
"You don't have to do this. I'll take care of the rest."
"But if you don't awaken your Martial Soul, I won't have completed my task."
Xu Sanshi stood up. "I would have before, but not anymore. My talent is good enough. I don't need this." He made the same bold declaration to his elders, then got hung up and whipped around like a top.
"How can the Xuanming Tortoise Shell Shield be considered a top-tier Martial Soul? Only the Black Tortoise Shield is. If you don't become a Black Tortoise Shield, our Xuanming Sect will never have a chance to rise again."
The elders took turns trying to persuade them. Some urged Xu Sanshi, while others threatened and tempted Jiang Nannan.
They were locked in a room together again.
"Senior, thank you. You've done enough. I don't blame you. After today, can we just go our separate ways?" Jiang Nannan needed money to save her mother, and Xu Sanshi needed her to awaken his Martial Soul.
"I'll pay for your mother's treatment. Those elders can't threaten me. One day, I'll beat them. If I can't, Bei Bei will. And if Bei Bei can't, Mu Xuanheng will. He definitely can. With a Bright Holy Dragon Martial Soul, I doubt anyone in our sect would dare offend him."
He still didn't choose that path. But he wasn't planning to take a loss either.
"Junior, Senior Sanshi paid a terrible price today. Could you give me a little compensation?" He held on to some of his principles, then showed his true colors.
"From now on, you're my girlfriend at the academy. Kissing and hugging should be okay, right?"
The light of evolution never appeared. The elders of the Xuanming Sect were somewhat disappointed in him.
But as Mu Xuanheng had said, there was more than one way to evolve a Martial Soul.
"I'll get a Soul Ring from a Golden Hawksbill Turtle and turn the Xuanming Tortoise Shell Shield into a Black Tortoise Shield for good."
"What makes you think you can do that?"
"My talent and my friends." He was borrowing prestige to make his case. The Xuanming Sect recognized his talent, and Mu Xuanheng's was far greater than his.
Xu Sanshi felt guilty. "I used Xuanheng as a bargaining chip. I'll have to apologize to him when I get back."
Mu Xuanheng, already being used as a bargaining chip, had arrived at the Extreme North.
Mu En had come with him this time.
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