Half a year passed, and You Jie's Soul Power had reached level thirty-four.
That seemed pretty good, but for some reason, You Jie always felt his cultivation speed still wasn't fast enough.
After he beat Xu Sanshi with a single Scrap Iron Fist punch once again, You Jie seemed to understand why.
His body was already quite strong by Shrek Academy's standards, but compared with those duelists, he still fell far short!
Take Seto Kaiba, for instance. He loved jumping out of planes, and his physical fitness had already reached a terrifying level.
Perhaps duelists' physical fitness could rival that of super rookie trainers.
So You Jie decided to shift the focus of his upcoming training somewhat toward strengthening his body.
The trouble was, if he tried to improve his physical strength at Shrek Academy, there was a good chance he'd be made to run laps with everyone else, perhaps even wearing a shoddily made iron suit.
Shrek Academy had some excellent healing-type Soul Masters, and You Jie could ask them to treat him given his connections. But that would be suffering for suffering's sake.
So You Jie decided to ask Mu En directly for advice.
"Ancient Ancestor, is there a training method suited to me that could improve my physical strength?"
"Oh? Why are you in such a hurry to improve your physical strength?"
Mu En, reclining in his chair, didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked with apparent interest.
"My Martial Soul is a summoning-type Martial Soul. Even compared with Tool Soul Masters and Support Soul Masters, it provides very little boost to my physical strength.
"Maybe I can solve that problem with the Soul Skills I acquire later, but that's uncertain.
"Besides, I've already realized that my physical fitness isn't quite keeping up when I fight Soul Masters of the same level."
He meant that before he'd beaten Xu Sanshi with Scrap Iron Fist, Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Underworld Shock had left him feeling rather uncomfortable.
Judging by Xu Sanshi's reaction, his Soul Skill hadn't had much effect on You Jie. Even so, it had served as a warning.
When You Jie finished explaining, Mu En lowered his head and pondered for a moment. Then, as if he'd thought of something, he lifted it slightly again.
"No problem.
"Although your Martial Soul mutated and isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon that my line has passed down through the generations, your physical strength has already exceeded my expectations. That means the body-tempering method passed down through my line can be used on you as well.
"However, your Martial Soul isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, so I'll need to make some adjustments before you can use the method.
"For the next few days, just keep up your regular training. Once I've finished sorting things out, I'll have Lexuan take you through it."
The corners of Mu En's mouth lifted slightly, as if he'd thought of something rather amusing.
You Jie had no idea. After thanking Mu En, he returned to his room to continue cultivating.
Three days later.
"Sister Lexuan, where are you taking me?"
As Zhang Lexuan led him into the Sea God Pavilion, You Jie couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Elder Mu asked me to bring you here. The body-tempering method suited to you is ready, but you need to make some preparations first."
Zhang Lexuan's voice was as gentle as ever, but You Jie could tell she was trying hard to hold something back. Even the smile at the corners of her mouth looked a little unnatural.
Still, You Jie wasn't worried. Mu En was right outside the Sea God Pavilion, sunning himself, and Zhang Lexuan wouldn't do anything bad to him.
It wasn't as though Ma Xiaotao would suddenly lose her temper, set Zhang Lexuan and Mu En aside, and burn him alive. Right?
Under Zhang Lexuan's guidance, You Jie arrived at a room beneath the Golden Ancient Tree, below the Sea God Pavilion.
Since the entire Sea God Pavilion was part of the Golden Ancient Tree, the room had a warm palette that put You Jie at ease.
But with its double bed, a table and chairs, and a small room partitioned off to one side, this didn't look like one of the 108 simulated cultivation rooms beneath the Sea God Pavilion.
Click.
You Jie immediately looked toward the sound and saw Zhang Lexuan smiling as she shut the door behind her. She even locked it.
"Sister Lexuan, what is this—"
"Elder Mu managed to get you a piece of high-quality Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. Taking it will greatly improve your physical strength, and after that you'll be able to follow Elder Mu's method to strengthen your body."
Zhang Lexuan kept her gentle smile as she took a piece of black Whale Rubber from her Storage Soul Tool, along with a Soul Tool blowtorch.
After placing the Whale Rubber on a plate on the table, Zhang Lexuan switched on the blowtorch and heated it.
After a while, the flames brought out a strange fragrance from the Whale Rubber. It was rich, yet it didn't disperse, lingering only around You Jie and Zhang Lexuan, who were seated at the table.
The Whale Rubber's color also began to change. Its original black gradually turned golden.
The Whale Rubber itself softened, and seemed to grow a little elastic.
The next moment, Zhang Lexuan broke off a small piece and gently blew on it to cool it down a little, then brought it to You Jie's lips.
You Jie froze for a moment, then shyly accepted the piece Zhang Lexuan fed him.
The Whale Rubber didn't taste good. At first, he could only taste a strong fishy flavor, but that soon turned into a wave of heat that flowed into his stomach and spread throughout his body.
As Zhang Lexuan fed him the whole piece, You Jie felt the heat fill his body. He grew hotter and hotter.
You Jie immediately tried to enter a cultivation state and absorb the energy, but just as he was about to do so, Zhang Lexuan caught him by the wrist.
The heat from the Whale Rubber had made You Jie's body scorching hot, so Zhang Lexuan's hand felt cool to the touch. Her grip felt pleasant, even...
"Oh no, Sister Lexuan, I—"
Before You Jie could even struggle, the world spun around him. By the next moment, he was lying on the bed, his clothes already open.
You Jie stared at Zhang Lexuan in shock. She no longer looked as gentle and charming as she usually did. Instead, she looked like a predator that had spotted a delicious meal.
At that moment, You Jie suddenly remembered the odd expression on Mu En's face three days earlier, before he'd agreed to You Jie's request.
"Oh no, am I about to get locked up in a secret chamber?!
"Can a Soul Douluo be a Secret Chamber Douluo too?!
"Ancient Ancestor, save me!
"Wait, that old geezer Mu En looks like an honest man, but he's quite the playboy when it comes to relationships..."
"Don't worry, Xiao Jie. The yang energy brought on by the Whale Rubber is too strong. It has to be released in time, or it'll harm you..."
The last thing You Jie heard was Zhang Lexuan speaking in a way that was quite unlike her usual manner.
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