Silly, Sweet, and Naive

Yan Shaozhe listened to Mu En's reprimand with a bitter heart; he knew he had acted for the sake of the academy, even if he acknowledged that his stagnant cultivation was indeed related to what Mu En had said.

In a certain sense, a martial soul truly influences a soul master. Much like those who possess truly evil martial souls, it is sometimes not a matter of inherent nature, but rather being genuinely influenced by the soul itself until they eventually fall into depravity.

Conversely, a soul master also influences their martial soul. If a soul master with a light-attribute martial soul is constantly scheming and unable to act with integrity, it will inevitably affect their cultivation.

The most classic example is the Pig Master from ten thousand years ago. His martial soul was actually a juvenile Bright Sacred Dragon, but he was so utterly incompetent that he severely dragged down the potential of his soul.

"Elder Mu, that child's family now only has a few clansmen left. The person closest to him is a soul king, his maternal great-uncle named Xiao Zhan. The other clansmen have little connection to Xiao Yi himself."

Seeing that Mu En's expression remained calm and indifferent, Yan Shaozhe tentatively continued.

"Elder Mu, do we need to do anything? Should we relocate his family to Shrek City? This would not only provide protection but also bind a genius like Xiao Yi to Shrek..."

"No need!" Mu En interrupted Yan Shaozhe directly, looking at him with a sense of disappointment.

"Go to the inner courtyard and issue a long-term protection mission. Do not do anything unnecessary; we only need to provide what protection we can. As for the rest, let us wait and see."

Mu En knew clearly that if he brought the family to Shrek City, it would likely be counterproductive. It was enough to assign a powerhouse to protect his family at critical moments; when the time came, the other party would naturally recognize Shrek from the bottom of his heart.

"As for the issue with that little girl Ma Xiaotao, fix your attitude. Take Xiaotao to find that child yourself. If the other party does not agree, do not force it."

Glancing at Yan Shaozhe behind him once more, Mu En emphasized again.

"Understood, Teacher." Yan Shaozhe felt a bit awkward. He had indeed intended to let Ma Xiaotao go on her own, but with her explosive temper, he feared things might go wrong if she didn't say the right things.

After speaking, Yan Shaozhe bowed and vanished in a flash, though it was unclear where he had gone.

Mu En lay on his rocking chair. The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon the old man, making the figure of this Limit Douluo—who had lived a life of integrity—appear somewhat lonely, adding a touch of the desolation that comes with approaching the end of one's life.

"Sigh..." A long sigh echoed. Mu En felt a sense of helplessness as he looked up at the sky. He would eventually reach his end, and then Shrek would face darkness, but...

Looking toward the direction of the freshman dormitory, Mu En couldn't help but let his lips curl upward slightly. The rising sun of the new generation would eventually ascend.

He only needed to let his own light shine one last time.

Inside Dorm 108, Xiao Yi and Tang Wutong had finished their dinner.

At this moment, Tang Wutong was somewhat excited, with oil stains still on the corners of her mouth, looking nothing like the little princess of the God Realm she was supposed to be.

Tang Wutong was gesturing wildly, recounting how she had absorbed her second thousand-year soul ring and boasting about the might of the Clear Sky Sect.

Xiao Yi listened with a smile, responding from time to time, giving Tang Wutong plenty of emotional validation.

Tang Wutong was also feeling incredibly excited. Whether in the God Realm or the Clear Sky Sect, she had always been lawless and unconstrained, indulged by her elders.

However, she had never had a true friend, and given her upbringing and pride, she had never even considered it.

Xiao Yi's arrival—his appearance, talent, and personality—were all excellent. He had protected her when she was in danger and was willing to listen to her, so Tang Wutong had accepted him in her heart.

This had completely opened the floodgates of her long-silenced chatter. Even as pampered as she was, she had never had a peer she could call a friend. Sharing is human nature, and with Tang Wutong's suppressed feelings finally finding an outlet, she spilled everything—except for the things Tang San had strictly forbidden or matters regarding the God Realm.

Xiao Yi acted as a qualified listener and foil. Although this young lady was somewhat arrogant and dismissive, she was essentially just a naive girl who had seen little of the world. Having lived in the God Realm her whole life, everyone she encountered (gods) either respected her father or genuinely doted on and indulged her.

Having never witnessed the malice of society or the complexity of human nature, the labels of "naive" and "sheltered" were naturally applied to her by Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi was not someone who enjoyed listening to a child's ramblings; he had been guiding the conversation all along, moving from childhood experiences to soul ring acquisition, and then to his own experiences hunting soul beasts.

Naturally, the topic shifted to their elders.

When it came to acquiring soul rings, protectors and guardians were unavoidable. Soul masters and soul beasts of the same level usually saw the soul beasts emerge victorious, unless the martial soul was of an exceptionally high quality, which was not the norm.

Speaking of this, they entered Tang Wutong's domain. She had a God King father and countless doting elder deities.

Even in the lower realm, she had two super-powerhouses: Big Uncle and Second Uncle.

"Let me tell you, my Big Uncle, the current Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, is a level 99 Limit Douluo. If you have the chance to visit the Clear Sky Sect, I'll introduce you," Tang Wutong said, head held high in pride.

"That sounds great, it's a deal then." As for actually visiting the Clear Sky Sect? What a joke. Xiao Yi would have to be brain-damaged to do that. He couldn't speak for other places, but the Clear Sky Sect definitely had contingencies left behind by Tang San.

"Then Wulin, your Big Uncle is actually a Limit Douluo? Does he know anything about becoming a god? I have always viewed the Sea God Tang San from ten thousand years ago as my idol. I heard that only by reaching the human limit can one hope to glimpse the possibility of godhood. Is that true?" Xiao Yi looked at her with adoration, as if he were a truly devout believer of the Sea God searching for the footprints left by his idol.

You know, I revere the Third Young Master.

"Of course! My Big Uncle has certainly sensed it." Hearing Xiao Yi praise Tang San, Tang Wutong became even more spirited, waiting with anticipation for Xiao Yi's next words.

"Then can you tell me what he sensed? Was it the Sea God's Light bestowed by the Sea God, or perhaps the legendary God Realm?"

"Haha, you've asked the right person! He didn't sense either. He just heard from Big Uncle that the God Realm seems to have gone missing for the time being." Tang Wutong blurted it out without a second thought, though there wasn't a hint of worry on her face—it was hard to tell if she was just thick-skinned or something else.

Xiao Yi thought to himself, As I expected. On the surface, his expression remained unchanged, still smiling as he watched the cross-dressing Tang Wutong talk away.

Only, his eyes began to take on a different hue.

That laughter seemed to play on a loop in Xiao Yi's mind.

Hehehehehehe, Princess Tang, oh Princess Tang. To think the God Realm has lost contact... then I shall have to...

Hehehe...