Ma Xiaotao: Quack, I don't want the Heaven and Earth Roar!

Seeing that bead, You Jie's mouth fell open in astonishment.

Because it was nothing other than the Dragon Core from an unknown colossal dragon—the very object that had provided Mu En with the opportunity to break through to the rank of Limit Douluo, while simultaneously being the culprit that subjected him to the torment of baleful energy, forcing him to live out his days in the form of a hunched old man.

In the original story, this Dragon Core was inexplicably handed over to Long Xiaoyao, who then inexplicably forced Huo Yuhao to absorb it by making him commit suicide, ultimately playing a critical role when Huo Yuhao attempted to condense his Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core.

Well, that final step also completely cost Mu En his soul.

One could only say that while this item was incredibly useful, its method of application seemed rather subtle.

And now, this treasure that was originally meant for Bei Bei was actually being handed directly to him by Mu En...

You Jie subconsciously raised his hands in a formal military salute, while nervously asking:

"Mystic Ancestor, you aren't going to hang me up and whip me until my soul power and mental strength are completely drained, leaving me with no ability to resist, are you?"

Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but burst into laughter, but Mu En's expression froze.

The next moment, Mu En appeared behind You Jie and tapped him on the head.

"You Jie, why is your imagination so vivid? And where did you hear of such an extreme absorption method?"

"Although the method you just mentioned is indeed very effective, it is only meant for emergencies, with the goal of absorbing all the power and essence within the Dragon Core in the shortest time possible."

"You don't need to be in such a rush. Even if there is pressure, I am still here to hold the line for the academy; you won't need to shoulder any great burdens for at least twenty years. Plus, with that carving knife, you can carry it on your person and absorb it slowly. By then, even the Body Sect will be drooling over your physical constitution."

Mu En's words made You Jie heave a sigh of relief; as long as he didn't end up like Prisoner Huo in the original story, riddled with transparent holes, he would be fine.

Speaking of which, since Long Xiaoyao, that number one cuckold of the Douluo Continent, could still maintain contact with Mu En, one wondered how he would feel when he learned that Mu En had not only regained his health but was also brimming with power.

Taking the Dragon Core and the Blade of Life from Mu En's hands and placing them into a specialized storage soul tool, You Jie decided not to linger in the small hut any longer. Instead, he took Zhang Lexuan's hand and walked out of the Sea God Pavilion to feast at the inner courtyard cafeteria.

Just as the two of them walked out of the Sea God Pavilion's gates hand-in-hand, Zhang Lexuan suddenly asked:

"By the way, You Jie, do you have any thoughts regarding your fourth soul ring?"

You Jie paused. Although, given the nature of his martial soul, his first three soul rings had already satisfied the requirements for a Monster Card, a Spell Card, and a Trap Card, the subsequent rings seemed less critical.

However, even though You Jie had only played cards on handheld consoles and in Duel Links, he knew that no matter how "soul-crushing" a deck was, it would always include some generic hand traps—like that Ash Blossom that could directly negate the effect of a future Dragon Emperor.

It was just that You Jie's understanding of hand traps wasn't very deep, and he couldn't even recall their attributes for a moment, so he could only answer while racking his brain:

"I don't have any specific ideas for now, but if possible, a dark-attribute soul beast would be best. Wind-attribute and light-attribute soul beasts seem fine too, and failing that, perhaps a dragon-type or plant-type soul beast..."

"Uh, You Jie, I know your martial soul's development path is quite unique, but if you are this scattered when adding soul rings, won't it really cause problems?"

You Jie's answer was so baffling that Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but worry if his mind had become hazy due to deep meditation, and she reached out to touch his forehead while looking at him with concern.

You Jie realized that his answer had caused a misunderstanding, so he immediately flashed a high-spirited smile, his voice even growing louder:

"Don't worry, Sister Lexuan."

"In time, I will let you see that this world, because of me..."

"The heavens and earth shall tremble!"

"Quack! Let me go, let me go! I don't want to see the heavens and earth tremble anymore!"

On the second floor of the Sea God Pavilion, in a room containing a Cold Ice Jade Bed, was where Ma Xiaotao was currently located.

However, Ma Xiaotao, who had just awakened, immediately curled into a ball in the corner of the room upon hearing You Jie's voice, trembling like a shivering little chick.

Yan Shaozhe rushed over upon hearing the news, and seeing Ma Xiaotao shivering in the corner, the joyful expression on his face instantly turned into a mess of question marks. He hurried to her side, attempting to reach out and pull her up.

As a result, Ma Xiaotao acted as if she had been terrified out of her wits; she slapped Yan Shaozhe's hand away and continued to hide in the corner, muttering something under her breath.

It wasn't until Mu En arrived and bathed Ma Xiaotao in pure light-attribute energy that her condition began to improve.

Sitting back on the bed, Ma Xiaotao looked at Mu En and Yan Shaozhe with embarrassment.

Her behavior just now had been far too unseemly, and she was fortunate that no one else had seen it.

Otherwise, her reputation as the Flame Demon would likely have been completely shattered.

"Xiaotao, what exactly did you encounter? Why did you hide in the corner the moment you woke up, and why were you so resistant to me?"

"Teacher, it's like this. I had a dream. In the dream, I met many powerful figures, and they could all command various types of dragons, all of which possessed immense strength."

"Even the dragons commanded by children who looked only six or seven years old could crush me with a casual wave."

"Especially one blonde man in white clothes; the dragon he commanded possessed both powerful dark energy and flames. When that dragon appeared, I was so terrified that I couldn't even release my martial soul. I could only kneel powerlessly on the ground, watching as the dragon's breath engulfed me, and then..."

Perhaps because the dream was too terrifying, she didn't even realize that her way of speaking was completely different from her usual feigned cuteness and arrogance.

But neither Mu En nor Yan Shaozhe paid any mind to this, as the dream Ma Xiaotao described was too detailed—detailed to the point of feeling like it had truly happened.

"The red star shining in the 'sky', the scars of battle engraved on the 'earth', the soul's heartbeat 'resounding', the impulse of destruction 'awakening'."

"When the four elements gather, the new star shall reach its zenith..."

"Old Mu, could these words Xiaotao dreamed of hide some key, for instance... the key to completely cleansing her Evil Fire?"

Yan Shaozhe pondered the words that had terrified Ma Xiaotao, his imagination running wild as he constructed an inconceivable theory.

Mu En did not immediately respond to Yan Shaozhe's words, for at that moment, he was thinking of his favorite great-great-grandson.