"When you break through to level forty, I'll offer myself as your Soul Ring and become your unprecedented Million-Year Wisdom Soul Ring!"
Level forty? What a waste!
Mu Guiyun furrowed his brow and said in a low voice, "Does it have to be your fourth Soul Ring? What about the Seventh Soul Ring?"
By rights, a Million-Year Soul Ring like Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's should naturally be used for the Martial Soul Avatar, the most crucial one. That would maximize the boost to his strength.
Just imagining a Million-Year Martial Soul Avatar was enough to make Mu Guiyun tremble with excitement.
As for the four Soul Skills the Soul Ring would provide, he couldn't use them anyway. He might as well do without them.
"Are you sure? My Soul Ring can provide four top-tier Soul Skills. Wouldn't that be a terrible waste?"
Tian Meng wriggled and said lazily, "It's up to you. I don't mind either way."
Hearing this, Mu Guiyun nodded in satisfaction. The big bug at least knew its place.
"Get some rest. I'm leaving."
With that, Mu Guiyun focused his mind, and vanished from where he stood.
After Mu Guiyun left, Tian Meng leaned against the giant tree and shifted into a comfortable position. His voice was full of rueful feeling. "After all these years, I can finally get a good night's sleep!"
Remembering all he'd gone through in the Star Dou Great Forest, Tian Meng ground his teeth in fury.
Star Dou Great Forest.
As his consciousness returned, Mu Guiyun felt that his head was resting on something soft and springy. A familiar fragrance lingered beneath his nose.
"Mm..."
His consciousness gradually cleared. The moment Mu Guiyun opened his eyes, a pair of ample, firm breasts filled his view.
Good grief, who could possibly look so wickedly alluring?
Ma Xiaotao, who had still been seething at Xuan Zi, suddenly felt a twitch against her leg. She looked down and saw that Mu Guiyun had woken up at some point.
"Guiyun, you're awake?"
At the sight of the person she'd been longing for coming around, Ma Xiaotao was overjoyed. "You scared me half to death. If Elder Mu hadn't said you were fine, I... I..."
As she spoke, Ma Xiaotao's voice grew choked. At last, she threw her arms around Mu Guiyun and burst into tears.
"Xiaotao, don't worry. I, Mu, am blessed with a long life. This little setback won't kill me. Besides..."
Mu Guiyun gently patted Ma Xiaotao's back, softly comforting her all the while.
When it became clear that Ma Xiaotao had no intention of stopping, Mu Guiyun leaned close to her ear and whispered, his voice like a demon's murmur, sending words straight into her ear.
At his words, her sobbing stopped abruptly. A blush climbed across Ma Xiaotao's face at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What are you saying...? And there are people here!"
Ma Xiaotao shot Mu Guiyun a coy, sidelong glance, then rested her head against his shoulder, a silly smile still on her pretty face.
Sure enough, this trick still worked!
After comforting Ma Xiaotao, Mu Guiyun looked toward the elderly figure not far away and feigned surprise. "Teacher, what brings you here?"
"Do you think I'm spoiling your fun?"
Looking at the two of them in a tight embrace, a trace of satisfaction flickered in Mu En's eyes, subtle enough to go unnoticed.
As expected of my successor, the Well-Fed Douluo. He's got Ma Xiaotao wrapped around his little finger.
Just as Mu Guiyun had guessed, from the moment the Soul Hunting Squad left Shrek Academy, Mu En had been protecting them from the shadows. He only had no choice but to reveal himself after Zhang Lexuan and the others had been frozen into ice sculptures and Mu Guiyun had fallen unconscious.
Mu En's gaze swept casually over White Emperor Star before settling on Mu Guiyun. He chuckled. "Guiyun, Lexuan absorbed the Moon-Eroding Wolf Emperor's Soul Ring. You won't blame me for taking the liberty, will you?"
Mu En was in such a good mood that he even made a joke of it.
Hearing this, Mu Guiyun waved a hand dismissively. "Of course not. We'd already decided that the eldest senior sister would absorb that Soul Ring."
It was only a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and he couldn't use it anyway. Besides, Mu Guiyun was certain Mu En wouldn't let him come out of this at a loss.
Seeing that Mu Guiyun had no objections, Mu En smiled with relief. His gaze swept over everyone present, and his voice filled with remorse. "I've learned the full story of what happened. The Academy was at fault."
Just recalling the incident was enough to nearly make even Mu En lose his temper again.
All fourteen of the students were Inner Court elites. Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan, in particular, were pillars of Shrek's future. Without Mu Guiyun, Mu En couldn't even bear to imagine the consequences.
At the thought, Mu En suddenly barked, "Xuan Zi! Get over here!"
Only after Mu En called out did Xuan Zi emerge, reluctantly, from behind a tree, his old face full of guilt.
When everyone saw Xuan Zi, their expressions turned quite something.
Mu Guiyun, especially, wanted to point at Xuan Zi and demand:
What were you doing! What on earth were you doing!
"Elder Mu, I..."
Xuan Zi lowered his head, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.
Mu En gave Xuan Zi no chance to speak and cut him off. "Enough! Once we're back at the Academy, go to the Meditation Room and reflect on your actions for three years. Without my permission, you're not to leave that room!"
Mu En's voice was full of disappointment, but in truth, he had little choice.
His time was running out. Until Zhang Lexuan and the others had fully matured, he was counting on Xuan Zi to help protect Shrek Academy.
"Yes, Elder Mu."
Xuan Zi's eyes were red. Seeing Mu En's increasingly gaunt figure only made his guilt all the harder to put into words.
"Ah..."
Mu En sighed, then turned his gaze away from Xuan Zi.
In terms of Martial Soul quality alone, Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul was even superior to Mu En's Bright Sacred Dragon. Yet because of his own shortcomings, Xuan Zi had been unable to break through to Limit Douluo.
Such a lenient punishment naturally couldn't erase the resentment in everyone's hearts, so Mu En made another promise. "Once we return to the Academy, each of you may choose a treasure from the Treasure Pavilion. Consider it the Academy's compensation for what happened."
Sure enough, the moment Mu En finished speaking, the strange looks on everyone's faces vanished, replaced by excitement.
Everyone knew all too well what the Treasure Pavilion was: it was where the Shrek Treasure Appraisal Fair was held!
Treasures rarely seen in the outside world were as common as cabbages there.
"Once Lexuan has finished absorbing her Soul Ring, we'll head back to the Academy."
After giving the order, Mu En turned to Xuan Zi. "Xuan Zi, go catch Hua Yao a Plant-type Soul Beast of around twenty thousand years."
"Yes, Elder Mu."
With Mu En there, Xuan Zi managed not to make any mistakes this time. In less than half an hour, he returned with a Ghost King Vine that was just over twenty thousand years old.
Once Zhang Lexuan and Hua Yao had finished absorbing their Soul Rings, the group set off back to the Academy.
"I'm finally home! Now I can take a nice, comfortable bath!"
As soon as Ma Xiaotao got home, she didn't bother hiding anything from Mu Guiyun. She carelessly tossed aside her clothes and hurried into the bathroom.