Old Matters of the Former Dynasty, the Bright Phoenix's State of Mind, the Dragon Pill Appears

Stepping out of the Soul Fighting Arena, the afternoon sun spilled onto him, warm and cozy.

Mu Tianyi weighed the coin purse in his sleeve; twenty Gold Soul Coin were enough to feast for several meals on the snack street of Shrek City.

He was just debating whether to go out for a stroll or return to the academy to continue his cultivation.

As his foot stepped off the stairs, a figure blocked his path, unhurried and calm.

Mu Tianyi looked up.

The person who arrived was an old man, appearing to be in his sixties, dressed in a dark gold robe embroidered with exquisite flame patterns. His temperament was elegant, yet carried the majesty of someone in a high position.

His graying hair was combed meticulously, his face was square, and his eyes were bright and sharp, currently looking at him with a smile.

Mu Tianyi was slightly stunned.

He had seen this man before.

Dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe.

The personal disciple of Xuan Zu Mu En, a level 95 Super Douluo, with the Bright Phoenix Martial Soul.

"Dean Yan, why are you here?" Mu Tianyi asked, somewhat surprised.

Yan Shaozhe stroked his beard, smiling gently:

"Tianyi, your Xuan Zu asked me to find you. He said there is an urgent matter, so let's go, come back with me."

Mu Tianyi nodded in understanding and did not ask further.

If Xuan Zu was looking for him, it was likely regarding follow-up arrangements for the Reign Over the World cultivation from this morning.

Yan Shaozhe reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, tapping his toes lightly against the ground, and the two rose into the air simultaneously.

Brilliant golden soul power surged from Yan Shaozhe's body, condensing into a pair of massive Bright Phoenix wings behind his back.

The wingspan was over three meters wide, and every feather was condensed from pure light energy, shimmering with brilliant, magnificent colors.

Mu Tianyi was held by the back of his collar by Yan Shaozhe, hanging in mid-air like a chick caught by an eagle.

Below them lay the building complex of Shrek Academy, passing through his field of vision one after another.

The wind whistled against his face.

Mu Tianyi was silent for two seconds.

To be honest, this posture was not very dignified.

But Yan Shaozhe clearly didn't think there was anything wrong with it, and he was even flying quite steadily.

During the flight, Yan Shaozhe tilted his head to look at him, his gaze filled with obvious appreciation.

"Tianyi, I heard from the teacher that you reached level 25 at eight years old, and you have Twin Martial Souls with two thousand-year soul rings. Not bad, very not bad."

Mu Tianyi said modestly: "Dean Yan is too kind."

"It's not too kind," Yan Shaozhe laughed, "Your talent, looking back since the founding of Shrek Academy, is among the very best."

"When you grow up a bit, you must come to our Martial Soul Department. The Soul Guidance Department spends all day dealing with hunks of iron; there's no future in that."

The corner of Mu Tianyi's mouth twitched slightly.

He was poaching him right to his face.

However, he also knew that what Yan Shaozhe said was a fact.

Shrek Academy was divided into two major systems: the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department. The Martial Soul Department focused on soul master combat techniques, while the Soul Guidance Department specialized in the research and application of Soul Tool.

In terms of status, the Martial Soul Department firmly held the upper hand over the Soul Guidance Department.

And in terms of resources, the Martial Soul Department occupied over seventy percent of the academy's budget.

Moreover, the research of soul guidance technology in the era of Dou II was limited, far from being as heaven-defying as in the era of Dou III.

For Mu Tianyi, it was enough to just know how to use a Soul Tool.

"I'm not old enough yet; I still have to wait two years for formal admission," Mu Tianyi replied tactfully.

"No rush, no rush," Yan Shaozhe laughed heartily, "Good seedlings don't fear waiting. Besides, you are already staying in the Sea God Pavilion; sooner or later, you'll be one of our Martial Soul Department."

Mu Tianyi smiled and did not continue the conversation.

But in his mind, he was rapidly turning over another matter.

Bright Phoenix Martial Soul, level 95 Super Douluo, Dean of the Martial Soul Department, personal disciple of Xuan Zu.

These identities pieced together looked bright, glamorous, and arrogant.

But in Mu Tianyi's memory, the vision of this Dean Yan was actually... quite limited.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong.

It was that his narrow-mindedness did not match his strength.

Mu Tianyi lowered his eyes slightly, recalling some past events from the previous dynasty.

Yan Shaozhe's family background was quite complicated to explain.

He remembered that Yan Shaozhe appeared to be the descendant of Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.

Long Xiaoyao, possessor of the Dark Sacred Dragon martial soul, was a Limit Douluo and a peerless powerhouse who stood on equal footing with Mu En in his day; the two were collectively known as the Light and Dark Twin Holy Dragons.

Ye Xishui, who possessed the Twin Martial Souls of the Bright Phoenix and the Blood Soul Demon Puppet, was likewise a figure at the Limit Douluo level.

In terms of talent and strength, these three were individuals who stood at the very pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.

Yet, their lives were filled with twists and turns.

Despite being the best of brothers, they were manipulated by Ye Xishui into a lifetime trapped in guilt and regret, from which they were never able to break free.

As their descendant, Yan Shaozhe did not directly inherit that grudge, but the shackles on his state of mind were passed down just like his bloodline.

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

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

This man held the high position of Dean of the Martial Soul Department, possessed the academy's top-tier cultivation resources, and even received personal guidance from a Limit Douluo like Xuan Zu.

If it were anyone else under such conditions, they would at least start at level 96, and with a bit of luck, reaching level 97 would not be impossible.

But what about Yan Shaozhe?

He had been stuck at level 95 for who knows how many years.

When resources and talent are maxed out, the only remaining factor is the heart.

His state of mind was flawed.

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

Once a soul master reaches the Super Douluo level, what determines their upper limit is often no longer talent or resources, but their mindset, perspective, and vision.

Yan Shaozhe's heart was too small.

Small enough that it could not contain a vast sky, and small enough that he could not see who his true enemy was.

He might never understand that what trapped him was not anything from the outside world, but himself.

Of course, Mu Tianyi would not say these things out loud.

Yan Shaozhe had treated him quite well, and Xuan Zu had shown him kindness; he had no reason to poke at someone else's sore spot.

He simply defined the Dean in his heart.

What a pity.

A Bright Phoenix, born inside a cage.

The Bright Phoenix folded its wings, and the two landed steadily in front of the Sea God Pavilion.

Yan Shaozhe let go, and Mu Tianyi stood firm, adjusting his collar which had been ruffled by the wind.

"Go on in, Teacher is waiting for you." Yan Shaozhe patted his shoulder, his smile remaining gentle.

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

Behind him, Yan Shaozhe watched that small back, nodded in satisfaction, and left with his hands behind his back.

Mu Tianyi pushed the door open and stepped inside, but as soon as his foot crossed the threshold, he froze.

The air in the study was wrong.

A dense aura of light permeated every inch of the space like a physical substance, making one's breathing slow by half a beat.

Mu En was still sitting in that armchair, his long silver hair draped behind his shoulders, his aged face as calm as water.

In front of him, a golden orb of light the size of a fist was suspended in mid-air, pulsing slowly and rhythmically like a heart.

With every pulse, the aura of light in the room grew a fraction denser.

Mu Tianyi instinctively held his breath.