Old Affairs of the Previous Generation, the Bright Phoenix's State of Mind, the Appearance of the Dragon Core

After leaving the Soul Fighting Arena, the afternoon sunlight fell over him, warm and comforting.

Mu Tianyi weighed the money pouch in his sleeve. Twenty Gold Soul Coins—enough for several hearty meals on Shrek City's snack street.

He was still considering whether to go out for a stroll or return to the academy to continue cultivating.

Just as he stepped down the stairs, a figure leisurely blocked his path.

Mu Tianyi looked up.

The visitor was an elderly man in his sixties, dressed in a dark golden robe embroidered with exquisite flame patterns. He possessed the refined air of a scholar, tempered by the authority of someone in a high position.

His graying hair was combed meticulously, his face square and dignified. His bright, sharp eyes watched Mu Tianyi with a smiling expression.

Mu Tianyi was slightly startled.

He had seen this man before.

Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department.

Mu En's direct disciple, a rank ninety-five Super Douluo whose Martial Soul was the Bright Phoenix.

"Dean Yan, what are you doing here?" Mu Tianyi asked in surprise.

Yan Shaozhe stroked his beard and smiled warmly.

"Tianyi, your Xuan Zu asked me to fetch you. He said it was urgent. Come on, return with me."

Mu Tianyi nodded knowingly and did not ask further questions.

Since Xuan Zu had summoned him, it was most likely related to further arrangements for this morning's Reign Over the World cultivation.

Yan Shaozhe placed a hand on his shoulder and lightly tapped the ground with his foot. The two of them rose into the air at once.

Brilliant golden Soul Power surged from Yan Shaozhe's body, gathering behind him into a pair of enormous Bright Phoenix wings.

Their wingspan stretched over three meters, every feather condensed from pure power of light. They shimmered with flowing radiance, incomparably splendid.

Yan Shaozhe held Mu Tianyi by the back of his collar with one hand, leaving him dangling in midair like a chick caught by an eagle.

Below them, Shrek Academy's buildings swept past his field of vision one after another.

The wind howled against his face.

Mu Tianyi fell silent for two seconds.

Honestly, this posture was not particularly dignified.

But Yan Shaozhe clearly saw nothing wrong with it. He even flew quite steadily.

During the flight, Yan Shaozhe turned his head to glance at him, his eyes filled with obvious appreciation.

"Tianyi, I heard from Teacher that you reached rank twenty-five at eight years old. You also have Twin Martial Souls and two thousand-year soul rings. Good, very good."

Mu Tianyi humbly replied, "You praise me too highly, Dean Yan."

"It is no exaggeration." Yan Shaozhe smiled. "Your talent ranks among the very best Shrek Academy has seen since its founding."

"When you are older, you must join our Martial Soul Department. Over at the Soul Guidance Department, they spend all day dealing with lumps of metal. There is no future in that."

The corner of Mu Tianyi's mouth twitched slightly.

He was poaching right in front of him.

Still, Mu Tianyi knew Yan Shaozhe was speaking the truth.

Shrek Academy was divided into two major systems: the Martial Soul Department, which focused on combat techniques for soul masters, and the Soul Guidance Department, which specialized in the development and application of Soul Tools.

In terms of status, the Martial Soul Department firmly overshadowed the Soul Guidance Department.

As for resources, the Martial Soul Department occupied more than seventy percent of the academy's budget.

Besides, Soul Tool technology during the second era was limited, nowhere near as absurdly advanced as it would become in the third era.

For Mu Tianyi, it was enough to know how to use Soul Tools.

"I am still too young. I will have to wait another two years before formally enrolling," Mu Tianyi answered tactfully.

"No rush, no rush." Yan Shaozhe laughed heartily. "A good seedling is worth waiting for. Besides, you already live in Sea God Pavilion. Sooner or later, you will belong to our Martial Soul Department."

Mu Tianyi smiled but did not continue the conversation.

Yet another matter was rapidly turning over in his mind.

Bright Phoenix Martial Soul, rank ninety-five Super Douluo, dean of the Martial Soul Department, Xuan Zu's direct disciple.

Taken together, those identities seemed glorious and awe-inspiring.

But in Mu Tianyi's memories, Dean Yan's vision was actually... rather limited.

It was not that he was weak.

Rather, his mindset did not match his strength.

Mu Tianyi lowered his eyes slightly, recalling some old affairs from the previous generation.

Yan Shaozhe's family background was rather complicated.

Mu Tianyi remembered that Yan Shaozhe seemed to be a descendant of Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.

Long Xiaoyao possessed the Dark Sacred Dragon Martial Soul. A Limit Douluo, he had once been an unparalleled powerhouse as famous as Mu En. Together, they were known as the Light and Dark Twin Holy Dragons.

Ye Xishui possessed the Bright Phoenix and Blood Soul Demon Puppet as her Twin Martial Souls. She was likewise a being at the Limit Douluo level.

In terms of talent and strength, all three stood at the pinnacle of Douluo Continent.

Yet their lives had been filled with hardship.

Though the closest of brothers, they had been ensnared by Ye Xishui's scheme, trapped in guilt and regret for their entire lives, and ultimately unable to break free.

As their descendant, Yan Shaozhe had not directly inherited that grudge, but the shackles on his state of mind had been passed down like blood itself.

Mu Tianyi looked at Yan Shaozhe's sharply defined profile and sighed inwardly.

He had heard Xuan Zu mention Yan Shaozhe more than once.

This man held the lofty position of dean of the Martial Soul Department, possessed the academy's finest cultivation resources, and even received personal guidance from a Limit Douluo like Xuan Zu.

If someone else had those conditions, they would at least have started at rank ninety-six. With better luck, rank ninety-seven would not have been impossible either.

But Yan Shaozhe?

He had been stuck at rank ninety-five for who knew how many years.

With resources and talent both fully maximized, the only remaining factor was the heart.

His state of mind was flawed.

Mu Tianyi had seen too many examples like this in the original work.

Once a soul master reached the Super Douluo level, what determined their upper limit was often no longer talent or resources, but mentality, vision, and breadth of mind.

Yan Shaozhe's heart was too small.

Too small to contain a broader sky, too small to see who his true enemy really was.

Perhaps he would never understand that what trapped him was not anything outside himself, but himself.

Of course, Mu Tianyi would not say such things aloud.

Yan Shaozhe had treated him fairly well, and Xuan Zu had shown him kindness. There was no need for him to poke at someone else's wounds.

He merely gave Dean Yan a silent assessment in his heart.

What a pity.

A Bright Phoenix, born inside a cage.

The Bright Phoenix wings folded away, and the two landed steadily before Sea God Pavilion.

Yan Shaozhe released him. Mu Tianyi found his footing and straightened the collar that the wind had disheveled.

"Go in. Teacher is waiting for you." Yan Shaozhe patted his shoulder, his smile as warm as ever.

"Thank you, Dean Yan." Mu Tianyi respectfully bowed, then turned and pushed open the door.

Behind him, Yan Shaozhe watched the small figure's retreating back, nodded in satisfaction, and left with his hands behind his back.

Mu Tianyi pushed open the door and had barely crossed the threshold when his entire body froze.

Something was wrong with the air in the study.

Dense light energy permeated every inch of the room as though it were tangible, pressing down so heavily that even breathing seemed to slow by half a beat.

Mu En still sat in that grand wooden chair, his silver-white hair falling over his shoulders, his aged face calm as water.

Before him floated a fist-sized golden orb, pulsing slowly and rhythmically like a heart.

With every pulse, the light energy in the room grew denser.

Mu Tianyi instinctively held his breath.