"You Jie, how did you know the Spirit-Devouring Evil Blade was actually such a valuable thing?"
The next day, Mu En smiled as he watched You Jie leaning against Zhang Lexuan and enjoying her feeding him. He voiced the question that had been on his mind.
" Mystic Ancestor, it's simple. If it were only evil spirits and curses, the Spirit-Devouring Evil Blade couldn't have achieved such a terrifying record. The problem must lie in the blade itself. The material it's made from must be able to provide a huge amount of energy for the evil spirits and curses.
"Since that's the case, all we have to do is purify the evil spirits and curses, and we'll have a pretty good Ranking Engraving Knife.
"I just didn't expect the Spirit-Devouring Evil Blade's true form to be something so incredible, with such vast and pure life force."
As You Jie answered Mu En's question, he felt a little regretful about his impulsiveness the night before.
He really shouldn't have let his temporary overconfidence get the better of him and tried to fight Zhang Lexuan more fiercely, making her stop suppressing her own desires and completely overpower him.
Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan wouldn't make the mistake of letting desire completely overwhelm her reason. Otherwise, You Jie would have ended up in even worse shape.
"By the way, Mystic Ancestor, once we get back to the academy, you should use this knife to recover your health first."
You Jie didn't want Mu En to lose what little life he had left because of some inexplicable Evil Soul Master, and end up able to do nothing but watch him from inside the Golden Ancient Tree.
Shrek Academy was already suffering from a lack of successors, with too few top-tier fighters. And the handful of other top experts, aside from Mu En, were hardly up to the task.
Perhaps that wouldn't have been a problem in a truly peaceful era. But You Jie knew that, with the aid of Heaven's Will and the help of various factions, the Holy Spirit Cult had already grown into a colossal, epoch-making monster.
Without Mu En, a top-tier fighter, to counter those two Limit Douluo with whom he had so much history, things would only become more troublesome.
Although Heaven's Will's invisible hand meant that neither of those two Limit Douluo would directly blow up Shrek Academy's headquarters, still...
"All right."
Hearing You Jie's request, Mu En readily agreed.
Recovering his health and extending his life were conditions almost no one could refuse, especially when they required no cost or sacrifice.
Besides, Mu En realized that if he wanted his great-grandson to grow up safely, he needed to live a little longer himself.
Otherwise, once he passed away, neither Xuan Zi nor Yan Shaozhe would be able to let You Jie grow up smoothly, much less help Shrek Academy maintain a foothold amid the upheaval caused by Soul Tools.
Perhaps only You Jie, who knew the plot in advance, and Mu En, who had repeatedly visited Ming Capital and Ming Hall, truly understood the impact Soul Tools would have on the Soul Master World, as well as the threat posed by Evil Soul Masters.
"But there's no need for you to hurry back today. There happens to be a high-profile auction tonight. It'll be a good chance for you to broaden your horizons and relax.
"Young people should act their age. You shouldn't neglect your cultivation, but you should have some youthful spirit, too."
After agreeing to You Jie's request, Mu En made another suggestion.
You Jie and Zhang Lexuan had no reason to refuse. They rarely got to go out together. If all they did was change locations to fight, probably only Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun would have considered it worth the trip.
Besides, although they would come to Star Luo City to compete in the tournament a year later, the city's most common sight then would be crowds packed shoulder to shoulder. And with their status as competitors, they wouldn't have the leisure to explore Star Luo City at their own pace.
After breakfast, You Jie and Zhang Lexuan each changed clothes, then strolled hand in hand through the streets of Star Luo City.
Zhang Lexuan had changed into a water-blue dress, which made her look even gentler and more charming.
As for You Jie, Zhang Lexuan had put him in a long coat in a similar shade. It felt a little awkward compared to the clothes he usually wore for ease of movement, but since Zhang Lexuan had picked it out for him herself—and its style was quite similar to that of the famous Flip-Over King—You Jie happily accepted it.
He had also chosen a different hairstyle, no longer cosplaying as Fudo Yusei like he usually did.
"Being this lazy makes me look like an alternate-color version of the Flip-Over King..."
Watching Zhang Lexuan happily choose one lovely outfit after another in the shop, You Jie waited nearby, his smile growing brighter.
If Zhang Lexuan's family hadn't suffered a misfortune, surely she would have been able to live a much more carefree and pleasant life, given her noble birth.
Perhaps this was the Zhang Lexuan who was more like herself, rather than the senior sister of Shrek Academy Inner Court.
Seeing Zhang Lexuan hesitate between two differently styled outfits, You Jie went straight over to her and handed a black card to the shop assistant beside them.
"Miss, I'll take all these clothes, and the ones she just picked out, too. Ring them all up together."
The shop assistant immediately took the black card with a beaming smile, then gathered up the clothes You Jie had pointed out along with the two in Zhang Lexuan's hands to pack them up.
"Hey, You Jie, isn't that a bit wasteful...?"
Zhang Lexuan gave You Jie a reproachful look, but he could tell that she was actually very happy.
"How is buying Sister Lexuan a few clothes a waste? Besides, I've made a little money from Soul Tools. If I were only buying clothes, I could afford to fill the entire room you live in with them.
"And you work far too hard, Sister Lexuan.
"Since we have this chance today, just do whatever you want. Don't worry about being the senior sister of the Inner Court or anything like that. Spend the whole day doing whatever you please."
You Jie answered casually as he took the packed clothes from the shop assistant.
With a Storage Soul Tool, there was no need to carry bags while shopping.
Not far away, Mu En was sipping tea at a roadside stall. Seeing how You Jie was acting, he happily drained another cup.
Compared with Bei Bei, You Jie had inherited Mu En's teachings in every respect but his Martial Soul—and in some ways, he had even surpassed his teacher.
And...
"I was indeed too harsh with Lexuan back then. Fortunately, You Jie was able to help me make amends. Thanks to him, I also have a chance to recover my health this time.
"For You Jie's future, I have to hang on a little longer..."
Seeing You Jie and Zhang Lexuan leave the high-end clothing shop together, chatting and laughing as they headed for the next store, Mu En immediately perked up and heightened his guard against their surroundings.
Xuan Zi's incident was still a fresh warning. Mu En didn't want You Jie and Zhang Lexuan to run into the same kind of trouble.
Before you continue