In a quiet room in Sea God Pavilion, the Golden Tree's gentle radiance spilled down, lending a solemn air to this conversation about the future.
Mu En looked at Lin Ciyan, who appeared lazy but whose eyes were clear and keen beneath the surface. His heart brimmed with comfort and anticipation.
It was time to unveil the mysteries of a higher level of cultivation to him.
"Ci Yan," Mu En said, his voice old and peaceful, yet heavy with the weight of history.
"Since you've felt how difficult it is to cultivate an Ultimate Attribute, you should understand what that represents."
"Today, I'll tell you about the path of the Ultimate Attribute."
Lin Ciyan immediately sat up straight. The usual laziness on his face faded as he adopted the attentive pose of a "good student.jpg."
After all, this concerned whether he'd be able to lie back in comfort in the future. He had to take it seriously.
Mu En spoke slowly. "In the ten thousand years since Shrek Academy was founded, records show that three Soul Masters with Ultimate Attributes left behind legacies at our academy."
His eyes filled with reminiscence and reverence. "The first possessed Ultimate Wind. His speed was unparalleled, and his edge unmatched. With nothing but a sword at his side, he swept away the Evil Soul Master lairs that had ravaged the continent, making Shrek's name resound in every direction."
"The second, who lived seven thousand years ago, possessed Ultimate Wood. His life force was boundless, his power to create without limit. When the academy faced peril, he alone brought about the Golden Ancient Tree's transformation, laying the foundation for Shrek to endure for millennia. He also saved countless lives through medicine and was revered as a 'living sage.'"
"And the third," Mu En continued, his voice growing heavier with boundless admiration,
"possessed Ultimate Fire four thousand years ago!"
"It was under his leadership that Shrek Academy joined forces with the armies of the three kingdoms of that time to utterly crush the Sun Moon Continent's invasion, nipping its wolfish ambition in the bud and preserving four thousand years of peace for the Douluo Continent!"
"All three of these seniors were the brightest stars of their eras, with none to surpass them!"
"Their existence is one of the cornerstones that have allowed Shrek Academy to stand at the peak of the continent!"
Mu En looked at Lin Ciyan, his gaze burning. "Thus, our Shrek has its own legacy of cultivation methods for Ultimate Attributes. At their core, they come down to two words—compression!"
"Your Soul Power must be far more condensed than that of Soul Masters at the same level, or it won't withstand the drain and explosive force of an Ultimate Attribute."
"This doesn't happen naturally. You must actively guide it with your will, tempering it again and again, and continually consolidating your Soul Power until it's like ordinary iron forged into steel."
"That is both the price and the gift of an Ultimate Attribute," Mu En concluded.
"The method I'm teaching you will help you compress your Soul Power actively and more efficiently. It should improve your cultivation speed by roughly ten to fifteen percent."
Lin Ciyan felt a stir of excitement, but it couldn't dispel the slight gloom in his heart.
A cultivation secret for an Ultimate Martial Soul only improved efficiency by ten to fifteen percent?
He'd just examined his Soul Power internally and couldn't help sighing.
He looked at Mu En, his face practically screaming, "Life is hard."
An Ultimate Attribute was great and all, but was its cultivation speed a little too "ultimate"?
In the original story, once someone with an Ultimate Attribute Martial Soul reached the Soul Elder stage, the difficulty of cultivation became comparable to that of a Soul King.
At Soul Emperor, the difficulty rose to that of a Soul Douluo.
Only after reaching the Seven-Ring Soul Saint stage did that hardship end. Then cultivation speed returned to normal, and they could use their deep reserves to catch up.
Once they became a Soul Saint, the road ahead was smooth sailing.
Level 95, the minimum threshold for a Super Douluo, was guaranteed. Level 98 was no great challenge, and even Level 99 was within reach!
Still, as good as that sounded—
He was a ten-year-old Soul Elder, and he was already experiencing the cultivation difficulty of a Soul King?
Who knew how long it would take him to become a Titled Douluo? Hopefully he could do it a little faster!
This didn't fit the script he'd imagined: young and carefree, becoming a god with ease!
Mu En saw the undisguised "disdain" on his disciple's face and couldn't help laughing, though his gaze grew even more profound. "Ci Yan, do you understand how vast a world this 'slowness' opens up?"
Mu En's eyes blazed like torches as they fixed on Lin Ciyan. "Those three seniors were the brightest stars of their eras, with none to surpass them!"
"Their very existence was a legend!"
"And you, Ci Yan, are the fourth! Your Holy Radiance Qilin possesses Ultimate Light, and even bears the power of the divine!"
"Your potential may even surpass theirs!"
But as soon as Lin Ciyan thought of the long years of cultivation ahead, his spirits sank again. "Teacher, the road to becoming a legend is far too long... Is there... any other way to speed things up, even a little?"
"Becoming a Titled Douluo someday sounds great, but I'd rather enjoy it sooner."
It was like a company promising that if he worked for thirty years, he'd be guaranteed a director's position. He just wanted to achieve financial freedom early and then lie back and relax.
Wanting to see the results for himself, Lin Ciyan immediately tried it out on the spot.
First, he circulated his Soul Power lazily as usual, feeling the passive, gradual process of refinement.
Mm, very much his style, just a little slow.
Then, following Mu En's instructions, he focused and began actively guiding and compressing his Soul Power.
It felt awkward at first, but the Holy Radiance Qilin's powerful control soon came into play.
His Soul Power coursed through his body, squeezed and condensed by an unseen force.
The process was a little "mentally exhausting," but the results were immediate!
Good grief, wasn't this just the Soul Power world's version of "996 blessings"?
Actively competing against himself, and for only a little over ten percent more efficiency? If it doubled, wouldn't he be worked to death?
After comparing the two methods, Lin Ciyan confirmed that active compression really could improve efficiency by about twelve to fifteen percent.
That was all?
What was that good for? At his current Soul King-level cultivation requirements, that meager increase was a drop in the ocean!
He'd been hoping for some secret method that could double his cultivation speed outright.
"Teacher," Lin Ciyan said with a pained expression.
"Even with that ten-odd percent increase, I'll be well into my twenties before I reach Soul Saint... That's way too slow!"
"Isn't there any other way to build up Soul Power faster?"
He looked at Mu En hopefully.
He didn't want to spend more than a decade grinding his way forward step by step.
Maybe there were treasures in the System Shop. In the original story, Huo Gua had also come across things that could speed up cultivation... Apart from the Gold of Life? There was also the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... He absolutely had to go there. Add that to the list!
Mu En pondered for a moment before replying, "Heaven-and-earth treasures can help, but they're hard to come by and often carry risks."
"The academy also has special cultivation environments, such as the Golden Tree's source deep within Sea God Pavilion. It may benefit you, but it isn't a long-term solution."
"Whether you obtain a Soul Bone depends on luck, and the same goes for high-level Soul Rings. Besides, those can only be obtained when you advance."
He looked at Lin Ciyan and spoke earnestly. "Ci Yan, solidifying your foundation is crucial. You mustn't chase speed blindly."
"But..." He shifted the direction of the conversation.
"Your Martial Soul also possesses divine power. Perhaps one day you'll encounter an opportunity suited to your attributes. Anything is possible. Stay perceptive and let things take their course."
That was about as useful as saying nothing, but at least it gave Lin Ciyan a direction: he'd have to find some "side income" to speed things up himself!
If he relied only on the academy's resources and this "competing with himself" cultivation method, retirement was a distant dream.
When Lin Ciyan came back to his senses,
he was alone in the room.
Mu En had slipped away without a sound, leaving a storage ring on the table.
Lin Ciyan picked up the ring and sent his spiritual sense inside. He found it piled high with all kinds of rare spirit fruits, Soul-Warming Jade, and Golden Tree leaves that could calm the mind... He nodded in satisfaction.
He sighed, lay back in the hammock, put on his health-preserving Brain Wave Pad, and let Xiyao's glow draw near, warm and gentle.
"Ugh, becoming a Super Douluo is practically guaranteed, but the process is just too agonizing," he muttered.
"No, I can't just sit here and wait. I need to think of something... I should check the System Shop regularly and see if any cultivation-boosting treasures go on sale."
His pursuit of power wasn't extreme, but he was stubbornly determined to reach a level where he could lie back in peace as soon as possible.
This "slowness" had struck a nerve with his desire to "retire early."
[ Ding! Detected that the host is strongly dissatisfied with the current "slow" cultivation speed and has begun to consider proactively seeking "shortcuts" (rationalizing them). Slacking Value +150! ]
Listening to the system's notification, Lin Ciyan pursed his lips.
"Looks like, if I want to lie back even more comfortably, sometimes I've got to straighten up a little and look for a way forward."
"This is called... making a necessary strategic investment for long-term slacking in the future!"
Mu En had made it clear that the academy wouldn't assign him any more mandatory training.
A ten-year-old Soul Elder needed time to consolidate his foundation and explore on his own.
With that thought, he closed his eyes, trying to weave active Soul Power compression into his breathing as his mind wandered.
He began planning how to "legitimately" speed things up for himself.