Sea God Pavilion.
Seven figures sat around the round conference table.
Yun Ming occupied the seat of honor, with Ya Li at his side.
The four elders—Long Yeyue, Cai Yue'er, Feng Wuyu, and Zhuo Shi—sat on either side.
The atmosphere was somewhat delicate.
Because Feng Wuyu had just made a suggestion—
That Yun Jingheng should enter the Shrek Genius Class.
"Let me state my reasons again."
Feng Wuyu's voice echoed through the hall. "You've all seen that child's martial soul. Lunar Phase Flow, shifting through four forms—leaving such potential unattended would be a terrible waste."
"The Genius Class has the best resources, the most systematic training, and the most suitable opponents. He should go."
"Ridiculous."
Zhuo Shi cut him off directly, his voice deep as a bell. "That child is only six. Sending a six-year-old into the Genius Class? Are you trying to force his growth, or make a joke out of him?"
"What's wrong with being six?"
Feng Wuyu refused to give an inch. "Which of the children in the Genius Class isn't a genius these days? Is Jing Heng inferior to them?"
"That isn't the issue."
Zhuo Shi said gravely, "You know the rules of the Shrek Genius Class better than I do. Enrollment means real combat, and real combat means elimination."
"How many children come out crying every year? How many are left with psychological scars? Don't tell me you've lost count."
Feng Wuyu opened his mouth, but offered no rebuttal.
Because Zhuo Shi was speaking the truth.
The training intensity of the Genius Class truly was not something an ordinary six-year-old could endure.
"And besides—"
Zhuo Shi glanced at Yun Ming. "He is the Pavilion Master's son. If we send him into the Genius Class, how are the others supposed to teach him?"
"Train him to the brink of death, and what if he gets hurt? Go easy on him, and would that be fair to the other children?"
That struck at the heart of the matter.
Yun Ming's expression did not change, though his fingertips lightly tapped against the tabletop.
Cai Yue'er spoke at that moment. "I think Zhuo Shi makes sense. We have all seen how unusual Jing Heng's martial soul is."
"But precisely because it is unusual, we must be even more cautious."
She looked at Yun Ming and Ya Li. "That child's martial soul has a will of its own. If it encountered some kind of stimulus in the Genius Class, who would bear the consequences?"
Long Yeyue nodded in agreement. "Yue'er is right. During his martial soul awakening, that moon even refused the Pavilion Master's attempt to examine it. That shows just how strong its autonomy is."
"A martial soul like that needs a stable environment to grow in, not high-pressure competition."
"Besides, all the major powers on the continent are circling around, probing for information about Jing Heng. Is that a good thing?"
Feng Wuyu frowned. "So you mean to keep him locked in a greenhouse? That would be the real waste of his talent!"
"It isn't locking him in a greenhouse."
Cai Yue'er shook her head. "It means teaching him ourselves. Which one of us here isn't a first-rate expert? Is there anything Jing Heng wants to learn that we cannot teach?"
She paused, then smiled faintly. "I'll teach him how to use a moon-element martial soul. Elder Long can teach him movement techniques. You two can teach him Soul Power control and close combat. The Pavilion Master and Ya Li can personally oversee everything—wouldn't a lineup like that be better than the Genius Class?"
Feng Wuyu was left speechless.
Because that lineup was indeed absurdly extravagant.
So extravagant that no one would believe it if they heard.
"I'm not questioning your abilities."
Feng Wuyu struggled to argue. "But the Genius Class has children his own age."
"Jing Heng needs to spar with peers. He needs to learn how to cooperate with people his own age. Those are things we can't give him."
"Then wait until he's older before sending him."
Zhuo Shi made the final call. "Eight, nine, even twelve wouldn't be too late. Sending him now is too early."
Feng Wuyu looked at Yun Ming. "Pavilion Master, state your position."
Everyone's gaze fell upon Yun Ming.
Yun Ming was silent for a moment before speaking. "What does Jing Heng himself say?"
Ya Li gently shook her head. "I haven't asked him. These past two days, he has been studying soul skills at the training grounds all day, then coming back and falling straight asleep."
Yun Ming nodded, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. "Yue'er is right. We can teach him. Zhuo Shi is also right. Right now is too early."
He paused.
"But Elder Feng is right as well. He needs the stimulation of peers. He needs real combat, not us feeding him moves."
"So?"
Feng Wuyu pressed.
Long Yeyue interjected, "Let the child choose for himself."
The meeting's only conclusion.
Let Yun Jingheng choose for himself.
Feng Wuyu and Zhuo Shi glared at each other, both left with nothing to say.
Yun Ming stood up and casually said, "Meeting adjourned," before leaving with Ya Li.
As they walked out of the Sea God Pavilion, Ya Li softly asked, "You're really going to let him choose for himself? He's only six."
"His own wishes... are actually very important."
Ya Li followed his gaze.
At the training grounds, Yun Jingheng was sitting at the edge, his head lowered as he watched ants crawl around.
Sunlight fell over him, reflecting a faint silver glow from the crescent mark between his brows.
Who knew what he was thinking about.
After dinner, Yun Ming called Yun Jingheng into the study.
Yun Jingheng stood before the desk, looking up at his father with the calm expression of someone asking, "What is it this time?"
Yun Ming looked at him and suddenly found it a little amusing.
This child clearly had the body of a six-year-old, yet his eyes always seemed to hold so many things.
"The Sea God Pavilion held a meeting today to discuss how you should be trained."
Yun Ming got straight to the point.
Yun Jingheng blinked. "Oh."
"Elder Feng suggested that you enter the Genius Class and train with children your age. Elder Zhuo Shi opposed it, saying it was too early and that we should teach you ourselves. Everyone else had their own opinions."
Yun Ming paused.
"In the end, your Grandma Long suggested letting you choose for yourself."
Yun Jingheng froze for a moment. "I get to choose?"
"Yes."
Yun Ming looked at him. "The Genius Class, or being taught by us. What do you think?"
Yun Jingheng fell silent for a while.
What was he thinking about?
He thought of his previous life, when he had been twenty-seven, a postdoctoral researcher who spent every day in the laboratory, dealing with instruments and data.
He thought of his current life, where he was six years old, possessed a sword that could become a moon, and had a fox sleeping in his spiritual sea.
The Genius Class?
Peers?
He suddenly remembered the webnovels he had read in his previous life. The protagonist entered an academy, pretended to be weak while crushing the strong, humiliated geniuses from every direction, gathered followers and girls, and ascended to the pinnacle of life.
Then he looked at the man before him—his father, the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, a Limit Douluo, one of the greatest powers of the age.
Behind him stood another—his mother, also a Limit Douluo and an elder of the Sea God Pavilion.
And then there were Feng Wuyu, Zhuo Shi, Long Yeyue, Cai Yue'er... every one of them was someone who could make the entire continent tremble.
If he wanted to pretend to be weak while crushing the strong, he did not need to go to an academy at all.
He only needed to lie around at home, and those tigers would line up to feed him.
But Feng Wuyu had been right about one thing—
He needed to spar with people his own age.
Not to pretend to be weak while crushing the strong, nor to humiliate others and show off.
But to... truly experience what children his age were supposed to be like.
He had lived two lives. Combined, his soul was already over thirty years old.
But he needed to know just how great the gap was between his idea of "normal" and everyone else's idea of "normal."
More importantly, he needed to know—
How that moon would respond to him in real combat.
"I won't go to the Genius Class."
He spoke.
Yun Ming looked at him without saying anything.
"I want to enroll normally at twelve."
Yun Ming looked at him without saying anything.
The study fell quiet for several seconds.
Thinking that his father had not heard clearly, Yun Jingheng added, "At twelve. I'll take the entrance exam normally and won't receive special treatment."
Yun Ming still said nothing.
But the look in his eyes as he watched Yun Jingheng became somewhat... complicated.
What was in that gaze?
Surprise?
Relief?
Or some indescribable emotion?
Yun Jingheng could not tell.
"Why?"
Yun Ming finally spoke, his voice calm.
Yun Jingheng thought for a moment before answering seriously. "Because you just said that Elder Feng thinks I need the stimulation of people my own age and real combat."
"Yes."
"Elder Zhuo Shi thinks it's too early right now, and that high-pressure competition would not benefit me."
"Yes."
"Aunt Cai and Grandma Long think my martial soul is unusual, that it could easily draw the attention of various factions, and that I need protection."
"Yes."
"You think they all have valid points."
Yun Ming nodded. "So?"
Yun Jingheng raised his head and looked at this bargain-bin father of his.
"So I think they're all right."
Yun Ming was slightly taken aback.
"Then what should we do? Find a compromise."
"A compromise?"
"Exactly."
Yun Jingheng nodded. "I'll enroll at twelve. By then, I'll be old enough and able to withstand the intensity."
"We'll have six years for you, Mom, and all the elders to build a solid foundation for me."
"Six years from now, I'll know what my martial soul is like and how much control I have over it."
He looked at Yun Ming, his expression as serious as that of a little adult.
"Then it won't be too late to fight people my own age."
Yun Ming was silent for a long time.
He looked at the child before him—six years old, so small, standing before the desk with his head raised, earnestly explaining his reasons.
He was right.
Every point was right.
"Did you think of all that yourself?"
Yun Ming asked.
Yun Jingheng blinked. "Who else would have thought of it for me?"
Yun Ming said nothing.
Noticing something strange in his expression, Yun Jingheng hurriedly added, "Of course, it's also because I want to stay home and loaf around for a few more years."
"The Genius Class sounds exhausting. At home, I have you and Mom doting on me, and all the elders teaching me. Isn't that great?"
After saying that, he grinned at Yun Ming.
That smile truly was the smile of a six-year-old child.
Yun Ming looked at that smile and suddenly smiled as well.
"Alright."
He said, "Then twelve."
Yun Jingheng's eyes lit up. "You agree?"
"Yes."
"You won't regret it?"
"I won't."
"Then can I go back to sleep?"
Yun Ming laughed and waved a hand.
Yun Jingheng turned and ran, then stopped again at the door and looked back at him.
"Dad."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for letting me choose for myself."
With that, he ran off in a flash.
Yun Ming stood in the study, watching the swaying door. After a long while, he gently shook his head.
"This kid..."
he said softly, amusement in his voice.
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