Sea God Island on Sea God Lake

"Xiao Xiao and I didn't believe it, so we went to find Teacher Wang. Teacher Wang comforted us and told us not to be sad, then we went to find Dean Yan, who said he hadn't protected you well."

"The rumors spread further and further. After Dai Huabin found out, he requested the academy to expel you, saying, 'Huo Yuhao, it's impossible for him to come back alive from the Extreme North.'"

"Both of those guys are bad seeds. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu are inseparable, and since Xiao Xiao and I weren't strong enough, we ended up beating Huo Yuhao up a few times."

The girl's skin was soft and delicate, and crystal-clear teardrops fell incessantly, warm and moist.

"Oh my!"

Xiao Xiao had already pushed the door ajar, peeking in secretly, and couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.

"Xiao Xiao! Wait, who are you?"

Wang Dong's pretty face flushed slightly as she suddenly noticed the third person in the room—a snow-haired girl standing gracefully.

Flawless as white jade and charming in her bearing, with such a peerless face, her expressionless demeanor wasn't a flaw at all; instead, it stirred a desire for conquest in men.

The cross-dressing girl with pink-blue hair was uneasy, while the snow-haired girl remained indifferent, and the room fell into sudden silence.

The Sea God Lake rippled with light, vibrant with the arrival of spring, and the lakeside was clustered with flowers. Yet, Yan Shaozhe had no time to enjoy the scenery, heading straight for the center of Sea God Island.

In the Sea God Pavilion conference hall, the elders of the Elder Hall, the deans and vice-deans of the Martial Soul Department, and the deans and vice-deans of the Soul Guidance Department sat in order around an oval long table.

The Dean of the Soul Guidance Department, Xian Lin'er, and Vice-Dean Qian Duoduo sat at the end of the left side of the oval table.

The Dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe, and Vice-Dean Cai Mei'er sat at the end of the right side of the oval table.

Because there was no suitable candidate for dean, Yan Shaozhe's application to resign had been repeatedly shelved, and he remained the acting dean.

In the front row of the oval table, the six elders sat in different postures. The first person on the left was none other than the grey-robed elder who had once watched the Bai Cai Team's battle.

At the head of the oval table, a lounge chair was placed. In the dim light, an elder with a blurred face lay back, resting.

"Everyone is here. Shaozhe, begin presiding over the meeting." A gentle, unhurried voice sounded right on time from the head of the oval table.

Facing the head of the table, Yan Shaozhe bowed in salute. The elders of the Elder Hall straightened their postures, and the grey-robed elder on the far left put down his chicken leg and wine gourd.

"Teacher, esteemed elders, because a core student has awakened a second martial soul, Shaozhe is unable to make a decision and is filled with trepidation, hence why I have convened this Sea God Pavilion meeting."

Yan Shaozhe explained the cause and effect, only to be abruptly interrupted by the grey-robed elder on the far left: "Shaozhe, keep it brief."

Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath: "Do you all remember the last Sea God Pavilion meeting?"

"A spiritual-type external martial soul, with a first soul ring suspected to be a hundred-thousand-year soul ring."

The grey-robed elder on the far left looked puzzled: "Didn't that student go missing in the Extreme North four or five months ago?"

"The Extreme North, although not as rich in soul beast species and numbers as the Star Dou Great Forest, is full of fierce beasts, and the climate and environment are exceptionally treacherous."

"The soul beast tribes of the Extreme North are closely related to sea soul beasts. The Deep Sea Mermaid tribe, the Deep Sea Demon Whale tribe, the Deep Sea Dugong tribe, and others—most of the overlords of the sea soul beasts reside in the Far North Icy Sea."

"He hadn't even attached a second soul ring yet; he wouldn't have been able to survive a single blizzard in the Extreme North. Even if he were a heaven-sent genius..."

The grey-robed elder on the far left hesitated: "Shaozhe, Shrek Academy failed him, but you must pull yourself together. You cannot fall into despair like I did."

"Alright, Xuan Zi, let's not talk about these sad things." The gentle, unhurried voice sounded again from the head of the oval table, though it now carried a tone of consolation.

"Elder Xuan, Teacher. Student Bai Cai, he has returned."

Yan Shaozhe said in a soft voice: "And, he has awakened a second martial soul: the Heavenly Snow Woman."

The fragile hearts of the elders and the deans seemed to be violently bombarded by a soul guidance cannon, setting off a storm of shock. The Sea God Pavilion conference hall fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Elder Xuan stood up, slapping the table: "The Heavenly Snow Woman, how could it possibly awaken as a martial soul?"

"Overlord soul beasts, such as the Deep Sea Mermaid, Deep Sea Demon Whale, Ice Jade Scorpion, Titan Snow Demon, Emerald Swan, Hell Demon Dragon, and so on—there has never been an actual case of them awakening as a martial soul."

"Oh, ten thousand years ago, Ancestor Tang San once met a Sea Witch Douluo, and that Sea Witch Douluo's martial soul was a Deep Sea Mermaid."

"However, that was a special case and cannot be taken as evidence."

Elder Xuan immediately added his argument: "The memoirs written by the first generation of Shrek Seven Devils record that the Sea Witch Douluo's mother was a transformed Deep Sea Mermaid, which is why she awakened the Deep Sea Mermaid martial soul. Other than that, there is no credible record of an overlord soul beast awakening as a martial soul."

"Elder Xuan."

Yan Shaozhe withdrew his gentle demeanor, his sharpness revealed in an instant: "May I ask, does Teacher's Radiant Sacred Dragon, my Radiant Phoenix, and your Godly Taotie Bull correspond to overlord soul beasts?"

"This..." Elder Xuan was speechless, unable to argue.

Admittedly, super martial souls correspond to overlord soul beasts, but the awakening and inheritance of super martial souls remain a mystery to this day.

"We should focus on cultivating Student Bai Cai."

Yan Shaozhe was calm and composed: "With resources tilted toward him, Student Bai Cai will surely become a Titled Douluo before the age of forty."

"The Heavenly Snow Woman as a martial soul awakening must be a super martial soul, a super martial soul possessing ultimate attributes."

"Twin martial souls are similar in quality and identical in type. Student Bai Cai's first martial soul is an external martial soul, and his second is also an external martial soul. Both possess high intelligence, fully conforming to the characteristics of twin martial souls."

"By reverse inference, Student Bai Cai's first martial soul, the spiritual-type external martial soul named Ralts, is no less in quality than the Heavenly Snow Woman."

"Twin super martial souls, spirit and ultimate ice—after reaching level ninety-nine, he might not even be weaker than..."

Before Yan Shaozhe could finish, the deans and elders were whispering among themselves, and Elder Xuan nodded slightly. Aside from the fact that the Heavenly Snow Woman as a martial soul awakening was debatable, no other doubts were found.

"Let's vote: tilt resources immediately, or observe for the time being."

At the head of the oval table, the gentle, unhurried voice sounded once more, and the Sea God Pavilion Council Hall returned to its customary solemnity.

"Allocate the resources." Yan Shaozhe was the first to raise his hand.

"Allocate the resources." Cai Mei'er followed suit, raising her hand.

"Allocate the resources." Xuan Zi tossed aside a chicken bone and slowly raised his hand.

The Sea God Pavilion Council Hall had only ten seats, and in an instant, three were already accounted for. The various elders, along with the Dean of the Soul Tool Department, Xian Lin'er, and Vice Dean Qian Duoduo, raised their hands in unison.

"Passed unanimously. In that case, the Martial Soul Department shall be responsible for drafting the training plan, and the Academy shall provide the corresponding resources."

The gentle, unhurried voice from the head of the oval table echoed throughout the Sea God Pavilion Council Hall.

"Teacher, what about the Ultimate Soldier Plan?"

Dean of the Soul Tool Department Xian Lin'er felt conflicted. Reason and sentiment alike dictated that as a member of Shrek, she should support the Academy in allocating resources to cultivate that student.

However, if the Academy diverted resources to cultivate that student, the Ultimate Soldier Plan would inevitably be affected. The Academy's budget was limited; favoring one side naturally meant neglecting the other.