This Lifetime, I'm Sticking to You

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the Golden Ancient Tree, spilling warmly over Lin Feng and Ma Xiaotao.

"I let you off too easily..."

"That was just... a dream, right?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." Ma Xiaotao suddenly turned on her side, her gaze resting on Lin Feng's profile, her tone haughty. "Anyway, I'm sticking to you for the rest of my life."

"Mn," Lin Feng turned his head to meet her eyes, his expression gentle and earnest. "A man of his word; what is done must be taken responsibility for."

"That's more like it." Ma Xiaotao's lips curled up, and she turned back to look at the tree, feeling satisfied. "Come to think of it, that Whale Rubber was a massive steal. If we use it sparingly, the rest is enough for us to eat ten more times."

"Ten times?!" Lin Feng's breath hitched, and he gave a wry smile. "It's a good thing it's such a potent tonic, otherwise my fragile constitution really couldn't handle such a beating... Next time, let's find some thousand-year Whale Rubber instead."

"From now on, you're staying with me every weekend." Ma Xiaotao ignored his comment about the Whale Rubber and declared it herself, her tone brooking no argument.

"Fine, whatever you say." Lin Feng agreed readily.

As for the rest of the time...

Whether he returned to the Tang Sect shop to help Tang Ya manage the business, or played a game of wits with that little girl Wang Dong in the Class Nine dormitory, that was his own freedom.

"Everyone is here, come in."

Yan Shaozhe's voice drifted from deep within the Sea God Pavilion, calm yet clear.

Lin Feng and Ma Xiaotao exchanged a glance, then stood up and walked side-by-side onto the steps leading to the main pavilion.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion's grand conference hall, the light was solemn and soft.

A large, oval-shaped table sat in the center, surrounded by ten figures already in their seats.

Their auras were either deep as an abyss or sharp as a blade; they were the deans and vice-deans of the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, as well as the highly revered elders from the Enshrinement Hall.

Lin Feng's gaze swept across them, finally landing on the head seat at the far end of the table.

It was not a standard chair, but an ancient, simple recliner.

The light seemed particularly dim there, yet Lin Feng recognized at a glance that the aged figure reclining in the chair was none other than Mu En.

He had actually awakened from his slumber to attend this meeting in person.

After Lin Feng and Ma Xiaotao took their reserved seats, Mu En signaled for Yan Shaozhe to begin and preside over the meeting.

"Teacher, esteemed elders." Yan Shaozhe stood beside the head of the table, his voice steady and echoing clearly through the silent hall. "I have convened this meeting today to discuss matters that may concern the rise or fall of Shrek's fortunes for the next hundred, or even thousand, years."

"Speak your mind, stop beating around the bush!" Xian Lin'er slammed the table impatiently, cutting off Yan Shaozhe's somewhat long-winded opening. "Don't be so circuitous and alarmist!"

"Lin'er!" An elderly woman with a stern face beside her scolded in a low voice. "Mind the occasion!"

This was practically a classic segment of the Sea God Pavilion meetings; everyone present was long since accustomed to it.

Yan Shaozhe showed no sign of annoyance, merely shaking his head with a touch of helplessness. The history of the personal emotional entanglements between him and Xian Lin'er was well known to everyone.

"No matter, I will get straight to the point." Yan Shaozhe skipped the interlude, his expression turning solemn. "The cause of this matter is as follows: with the assistance of my other personal disciple, Lin Feng, Xiaotao not only completely purified the source of her evil fire, but her martial soul also evolved into a pure Fire Phoenix, and she has advanced to a Soul Saint in one fell swoop."

"An Ultimate Fire Phoenix?!"

"A twenty-year-old Soul Saint?"

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, and without waiting for the crowd to digest the news, he dropped an even heavier bombshell: "That's right, an Ultimate Fire Phoenix."

"Ultimate Fire? A twenty-year-old Soul Saint?!" Xuan Zi, who had been happily gnawing on a greasy chicken leg, suddenly froze, his cloudy eyes shining brightly.

"Exactly, Elder Xuan." Yan Shaozhe met his gaze and threw out the thunderbolt that would set the entire room ablaze. "However, that is not all. Xiaotao's seventh soul ring was not obtained by hunting a soul beast, but was condensed from her own source fire. Its age, as confirmed by Elder Mu and myself..."

He paused slightly, ensuring every word reached everyone's ears:

"Is at the hundred-thousand-year level."

"What?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Exclamations erupted almost simultaneously from several elders, and even Xian Lin'er, who had been sulking just a moment ago, jerked her head up, her face full of disbelief.

Yan Shaozhe said no more, turning slightly to signal Ma Xiaotao.

Ma Xiaotao stepped forward, and in an instant, blazing wings of fire unfurled behind her.

Purple, purple, purple, black, black, black...

When that final, deep-red soul ring, dark as blood and seemingly containing the infinite laws of fire, slowly rose, the entire Sea God Pavilion conference hall fell into a deathly silence.

Every eye was fixed intently on that hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

Once the soul ring was slowly retracted, Yan Shaozhe spoke in a deep voice, beginning to detail the thrilling yet miraculous events of the previous day.

"As long as she is nurtured with care, in time, our Shrek will surely produce another Limit Douluo, and perhaps even have the chance... to touch the legendary realm of the gods."

Yan Shaozhe's mention of "gods" exploded like a thunderclap.

The elders present were all shaken; even with their vast experience, they could not hide their shock upon hearing these words.

Given the foundation and potential Ma Xiaotao had displayed, aiming for that ethereal position of a god was by no means an empty boast.

"Gods! Good! That is good!" In the midst of the silence, Xuan Zi was the first to break it, his cloudy eyes gleaming.

"Shaozhe, you should introduce young friend Lin Feng to everyone." Mu En, who had remained silent for a long time, spoke slowly. His voice was soft, yet it instantly quieted the entire hall.

"Very well, Teacher." Yan Shaozhe replied respectfully, then proceeded to introduce Lin Feng, "Lin Feng is my second personal disciple, his age is..."

Upon receiving a nod from Yan Shaozhe, Lin Feng stood up to display the Soul Ring configuration of his Fire Lotus Martial Soul.

When three black, ten-thousand-year Soul Rings appeared, everyone gasped; Yan Shaozhe had brought them far too many surprises.

"Twin Martial Souls? And it's a Body Martial Soul, just like those two old monsters, Du Bisi and Du Busi?! Shaozhe, you truly have a wealth of talent here."

"A thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder at twelve years old; he truly possesses the potential of a Limit Douluo."

"Esteemed Elders, please allow me to proceed to the crucial part of this meeting." Yan Shaozhe's voice rang out once more. He scanned the room, his gaze finally settling back on Lin Feng.

"Lin Feng's Fire Lotus Martial Soul is capable of absorbing and converting the vast majority of flames in this world. If he can receive long-term nourishment from Xiao Tao's Ultimate Fire, his growth will be incredibly rapid. Coupled with the advantage in Soul Ring absorption limits provided by his Body Martial Soul, it is highly probable that he will..."

He paused briefly, making his next words carry even more weight: "Walk the path of the legendary gods."

These words caused the atmosphere in the entire hall to freeze.

Meeting the suddenly sharp gazes of the Elders, Yan Shaozhe voiced the proposal that would shake the entire academy to its core.

"Therefore, I formally propose that we pool the high-quality resources of Shrek Academy to initiate the Ultimate Soldier Project."

Every Elder's face shed any trace of ease or curiosity, replaced only by pure solemnity and gravity.