Huo Yuhao hurriedly said respectfully,
"Elder Mu, please."
Mu En smiled and waved a hand, took the box, and nodded warmly at him.
The crowd watching nearby held their breath in an instant. Every eye was fixed on Mu En, and no one dared even breathe too loudly.
That was the Sea God Pavilion Master, one of the few Limit Douluo left on the entire continent!
Even Elder Mu wanted to buy Huo's Excrement?!
Under everyone's gaze, Mu En didn't hesitate for a moment. He tipped his head back and swallowed every last bit of the excrement in the box.
What had they just seen?
Dragon God Douluo was really eating stones!
"He swallowed it! Elder Mu really swallowed it!"
"I wonder how well it works. Elder Mu's body..."
Hushed whispers rose from the crowd. Everyone craned their necks, staring fixedly at Mu En with nervous anticipation in their eyes.
The next second, Mu En's once-cloudy eyes suddenly lit up. He felt a warm current spread throughout his body.
Unable to help himself, he threw his head back and let out a long, resonant cry, its sound filled with the pent-up relief and surging Soul Power he'd held back for so long!
With that dragonlike howl, faint points of sacred white light suddenly radiated from Mu En.
His back, which had been so hunched he could barely straighten it, slowly began to rise before the crowd's astonished eyes.
His wrinkled, withered face flushed with vibrant color at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Even strands of dark hair began to grow among his graying locks, while his cloudy eyes became clear and sharp.
The pall of old age lifted from him, and he once again radiated the immense might befitting a Limit Douluo!
ROAR!
A dragon's cry that shook heaven and earth rang over Shrek City. The enormous phantom of a Bright Sacred Dragon slowly appeared in the air behind Mu En.
"Who goes there?! How dare you make trouble at the gates of Shrek Academy!"
"We're under attack! Protect the academy!"
As soon as the Bright Sacred Dragon's aura spread, more than a dozen figures burst out of Shrek Academy. They were all teachers on duty.
Their Martial Souls manifested and Soul Power surged as they charged toward the stall, treating it as a dire threat.
But when they saw Mu En standing tall in the middle of the scene, sacred light swirling around him,
they immediately withdrew their Martial Souls. Their expressions changed dramatically as they hurriedly bowed, their voices filled with reverence and astonishment:
"Elder Mu!"
After releasing the pent-up stagnation that had built up in his body over the years, Mu En slowly dismissed the phantom of the Bright Sacred Dragon behind him and reined in his aura, once again becoming the kind, gentle old man he had been.
He waved at the flustered teachers and said with a warm smile,
"Don't be alarmed. I was just letting out some pent-up energy. There is no attack. You may all return to your duties."
The teachers exchanged glances, staring at Elder Mu's transformed appearance in disbelief.
Still, they respectfully acknowledged him and withdrew to the side. Their eyes kept straying back to Mu En, unable to look away.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded.
Xuan Zi came rushing out of the academy, chewing on a greasy chicken leg and followed by a group of Sea God Pavilion Elders, all looking alarmed.
The moment Xuan Zi reached them, he saw Mu En standing tall in the middle of the crowd, his face flushed with health. The half-eaten chicken leg fell from his mouth and hit the ground with a soft thud.
His eyes widened in shock and disbelief. His voice trembled as he cried,
"Elder Mu! Your injuries... You're healed?!"
The Sea God Pavilion Elders behind him froze in place, their eyes wide and their faces full of astonishment.
They understood Elder Mu's condition better than anyone.
Countless rare treasures and miraculous remedies had failed to heal him.
But now, Elder Mu was not only standing straight, he looked radiant. He didn't resemble the frail old man he'd been at all!
Seeing their astonishment, Mu En burst into hearty laughter. His voice was loud and strong, no longer weak as it had been before.
"Indeed! Not only have my old injuries healed completely, my depleted source has also been nourished and restored. I've even gained more years of life!"
"That's wonderful!!"
Xuan Zi's eyes reddened at once, and he trembled with excitement. The Sea God Pavilion Elders were all overcome with joy, too.
Mu En was Shrek's anchor, steadying it against the storm!
His recovery and extended lifespan were a cause for immense celebration for all of Shrek!
Once his excitement had settled, Xuan Zi immediately stepped forward and bowed to Mu En, asking urgently,
"Elder Mu! What great person healed you?! Was it some hidden master who intervened?! We must thank them properly!"
At this, Mu En smiled and raised a hand to point at Huo Yuhao, who stood helplessly before the stall. "The one who healed my injuries is this new student, Huo Yuhao!
"It was thanks to his rare treasures that my old injuries were fully cured and my vitality restored!"
At once, everyone's gaze snapped to Huo Yuhao.
Suddenly finding himself the center of everyone's attention, Huo Yuhao froze. His cheeks flushed bright red, and he clutched the hem of his clothes nervously as he stammered,
"Elder Mu, I..."
Before he could finish, Xuan Zi and the Sea God Pavilion Elders had already hurried over to him.
There wasn't a trace of humor on Xuan Zi's face now. He bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao and said solemnly,
"Student Huo, without you, who knows how long Elder Mu would have suffered? You've given Shrek a new lease on life!"
The Sea God Pavilion Elders behind him bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao as well.
Every one of them was a top powerhouse at the Titled Douluo level. Yet now they were offering their most solemn thanks to a Soul Grandmaster with only one ring and twelve levels of Soul Power.
Huo Yuhao stood completely frozen, his mind blank. He felt as though he were floating, standing among the clouds, dizzy with disbelief.
The most powerful people on the entire continent were all bowing to thank him. He'd never even dared to dream of such a sight.
"Calm down, Yuhao. Steady your mind."
As he stood there dazed, Zhao Ze's calm, amused voice sounded in his Sea of Consciousness, carrying a note of guidance.
"Didn't you set your heart on becoming one of the strongest people on the continent? There'll be plenty more grand occasions than this in your future.
"Besides, you healed Mu En's injuries this time. He won't leave that debt unpaid."
"I understand, Master."
Zhao Ze's words were like an anchor in a storm, instantly settling Huo Yuhao's troubled mind.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement churning inside him.
Watching Huo Yuhao steady himself in just a moment, Mu En's eyes flashed with admiration.
He gave a slight nod and discreetly sent a voice transmission to Huo Yuhao using his Soul Power.
"Yuhao, you've done me an enormous favor. Shrek and I will remember this kindness.
"Starting today, you'll be a core student of Shrek Academy, with access to the academy's finest cultivation resources.
"I promise that I'll personally lead a team to hunt two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings that best suit your Martial Soul, along with the corresponding Soul Bones.
"And now, I'll also give you a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone."
As he spoke, he took out a Soul Tool for storage and pressed it into Huo Yuhao's hands.
Huo Yuhao's eyes flew wide open, and his heart pounded!
Not only was there a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, but there were also Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings and Soul Bones!
Zhao Ze had told him about them, and he knew how precious they were.
How many Titled Douluo could only dream of obtaining such things? Yet Elder Mu had promised to personally hunt them for him!
Huo Yuhao hurriedly said,
"Thank you, Elder Mu. By the way, I've always been very interested in Soul Tools, and I'd like to study in the Soul Guidance Department. Would that be all right?"
He hadn't forgotten what Zhao Ze had mentioned about Soul Tools, and now was the perfect time to ask to study there.
"Oh? You're interested in Soul Tools?"
A hint of surprise flashed through Mu En's eyes, and then he laughed heartily, readily agreeing.
"Good! I'll tell Qian Duoduo right away to give you access to the best resources in the Soul Guidance Department!"
Meanwhile, Wang Dong'er, who had gone to get some snacks, returned after hearing the commotion.
She stared at the crowd gathered in front of Huo Yuhao's stall, frozen in place, disbelief written across her pink-and-blue eyes.
What was going on?
This couldn't be right!
Someone had actually bought stones to eat?!
What kind of joke was this?
Was something wrong with me, or was something wrong with this world?!
"You're saying that a student at Shrek Academy healed Mu En?"
Inside the main hall of the Body Sect, Du Busi listened to his subordinate's report.
"Yes, Sect Master. They say it was an extraordinary Life Crystal!"
The subordinate answered respectfully.
"Interesting. I think I'll go take a look at Shrek myself."
Du Busi rolled his wrists and said with a smile.
His own lifespan was running short, and the Body Sect lacked anyone to inherit its legacy. He might as well see whether that Life Crystal really was so miraculous that it could extend his life.
"Don't disappoint me this time."
Du Busi murmured to himself.
Before you continue