This Boy Has the Bearing of the Sea God!

"Let me take a look. There's no need to panic!"

Mu En's voice was gentle as he reached out and took Jiang Yi's arm, running his fingertips over his bones and meridians to examine him.

But the more he probed, the more astonishment filled his eyes.

This boy's body was actually no weaker than a Soul King's! No wonder he could withstand a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

As for mental shock, the Soul Beast wasn't even dead, so where would the mental shock come from... Hiss, now that he thought about it, this boy was terrifying!

Didn't that mean that as long as one's body was strong enough, subduing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—or even a Ferocious Beast—would be a piece of cake?

A few breaths later, Mu En withdrew his hand and looked thoughtfully at Jiang Yi.

"Can your Martial Soul share some of your Soul Beasts' strength with you?"

Yan Shaozhe had already investigated Jiang Yi thoroughly. Given his family background, the changes to his body could only have come from his Martial Soul.

He had also noticed similar fluctuations in his aura earlier, outside the dormitory building.

"That's right. When my companions grow stronger, I receive some of their strength in return, including their physical vitality and Soul Power."

Jiang Yi nodded frankly, without hiding anything.

"This unusual Martial Soul of yours is something this old man has never seen before."

Mu En stroked his beard with a sigh, his eyes full of amazement.

If that was true, then wouldn't the more Soul Beasts he had, the faster he'd cultivate... and the faster he cultivated, the more Soul Beasts he'd have?

This boy truly had the bearing of the Sea God!

"Still, your Ice Jade Scorpion... seems a little different."

Mu En focused his gaze on the little jade-green scorpion, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He reached out, intending to touch it.

But in the next instant, the little scorpion perched on Jiang Yi's shoulder suddenly raised its tail and stinger, lunging at him with a ferocious look.

"Quite the feisty one."

Mu En drew back his hand and chuckled, unbothered.

This little thing wouldn't even let him touch it. It was quite spirited—far cleverer than an ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"Bingbing, don't be naughty!"

Jiang Yi picked up the little scorpion and gently flicked her forehead with a fingertip.

"Roar~"

The little scorpion covered her forehead with both pincers, looking aggrieved as she let out a low growl, then obediently curled up in Jiang Yi's palm.

Watching the exchange between man and beast, Mu En narrowed his eyes, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening.

"As far as this old man knows, the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan has always been proud. May I ask how you managed to subdue this little one?"

He paused, then added kindly, "Of course, if it's inconvenient, you don't have to say."

Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yi, filled with both scrutiny and curiosity.

Shrek City lay in the southeastern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, quite far from the Far North, where the Ice Jade Scorpions lived.

Jiang Yi had gone to the Far North instead of the nearer Star Dou Great Forest. There was probably more to this Ice Jade Scorpion than met the eye...

"Well..."

A trace of hesitation crossed Jiang Yi's face, but inside, he was laughing.

I've been waiting for you to ask.

After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth as if making a momentous decision.

"Elder Mu, please take a look."

He brushed his hand over his waist, and several deep-blue crystals appeared in his palm.

The instant the Ice Pole Divine Crystals appeared, the temperature in the entire pavilion dropped by several degrees, and wisps of cold air rose around them.

That slight change in temperature was nothing to Mu En, but the endless chill contained within the crystals immediately piqued his interest.

This was a kind of metal he had never seen before. And the purity of its cold was almost on par with Ultimate Ice.

"This is a rare mineral found in the Far North, called Ice Pole Divine Crystal. Each piece contains enough cold to freeze dozens of miles..."

Seeing Mu En's confusion, Jiang Yi explained quietly.

"Half a year ago, I accidentally fell off a cliff in the Star Dou Great Forest. But as the saying goes, misfortune can be a blessing in disguise. I found a treasure map, and it described the location of an Ice Pole Divine Crystal vein."

"I wanted to collect the vein first and trade it for resources to improve my strength—but I didn't expect someone else to get there first."

As he spoke, Jiang Yi scratched his head, picked up the jade-green scorpion on his shoulder, and fiddled with her in his palm.

"Oh? Could it have been her?"

Mu En smiled, his gaze falling on the little scorpion.

That seemed to make sense. Had this Ice Jade Scorpion mutated after consuming a rare treasure?

"That's right! It was Bingbing."

Jiang Yi nodded with a sigh and began telling the tale of his "fortuitous encounter."

"When I met her, she was devouring Ice Pole Divine Crystal, but at the time, she was only at the thousand-year level."

"We fought over the vein. The battle was so fierce that we accidentally detonated it, and both of us were buried a hundred meters underground..."

A look of reminiscence entered his eyes, and his voice carried a hint of lingering fear as he brought a young boy's extraordinary adventure vividly to life.

"To stay alive, we had no choice but to work together. It took us several days to dig out a passage."

The Ice Empress in his palm silently rolled her eyes. This guy really could lie without even blinking.

"I see. You little fellow really are blessed with good fortune!"

Mu En glanced at him, some of his doubts easing.

There were a lot of coincidences, but reality didn't always make sense. He himself had once experienced an equally bizarre stroke of fortune.

"Just lucky."

Jiang Yi rubbed his nose.

In the original story, Mu En was a careful man. Rather than let him investigate in secret, Jiang Yi had decided to reveal some things himself.

As for whether Mu En believed him, at least he had given him an explanation.

Compared to the Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, becoming his Soul Ring, this story sounded more plausible.

"Luck is part of strength too."

Mu En waved a hand, his gaze falling on the Ice Pole Divine Crystals. A hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

These minerals, imbued with Ultimate Ice, would be a tremendous help in suppressing that girl Xiaotao's Evil Fire.

"Bingbing ate almost all the Ice Pole Divine Crystal when she advanced to the Ten-Thousand-Year level. I only have this little bit left. It's no use keeping it, so I might as well offer it to you, Elder Mu."

Jiang Yi blinked, understanding the unspoken hint, and pushed the Ice Pole Divine Crystals in his hand toward Mu En.

These Ice Pole Divine Crystals were flawed pieces without Ice Spirit in them, perfect for currying a favor.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing Jiang Yi's cautious expression, Mu En couldn't help laughing. What did the boy take him for?

Still, the boy certainly knew how to read the room!

"I do have a use for these few pieces of Ice Pole Divine Crystal. But the academy can't just take them from you for nothing."

With a wave of his hand, he put away the crystals, then looked at Jiang Yi with a smile.

"Come with me."

With that, Mu En waved his hand again. Ripples spread through the surrounding space, and the world spun around them.

By the time Jiang Yi's vision cleared, they had appeared in a dim secret chamber.

Candlelight flickered, brightening and fading.

The chamber was enormous, as large as a football field, with more than a hundred wooden racks arranged in neat rows.

Mu En led him past the first few rows to a pair of racks in the middle.

In the candlelight, the objects on the racks glimmered in various colors: ancient books, sealed jade boxes, and more...

"These are the academy's secret treasures and techniques, collected over ten thousand years. You may choose any two items from these two racks and take them with you."