"Alas, the conditions still aren't right. What a shame."
Suppressing the urge to put it to the test in actual combat, Mu Guiyun suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Since Mu En's Well-Fed Douluo lineage had such an impressive legacy, then by the same logic, could the Holy Spirit Cult's Modified Douluo lineage also...
At the thought, Mu Guiyun's hostility toward the Holy Spirit Cult rose another notch.
Such an evil thing, in the hands of such dangerous villains—what terrifying harm could it wreak upon the continent!
How could they allow that?
Just as Mu Guiyun was seething with righteous indignation, a knock sounded softly downstairs.
A visitor?
He went downstairs and opened the door. To his surprise, a graceful figure stood before him.
"Eldest Senior Sister? What brings you here?"
Mu Guiyun blinked. He hadn't expected Zhang Lexuan to visit at a time like this.
"Elder Mu asked me to bring you some things."
Zhang Lexuan was still wearing a deep-purple trench coat, but her face was pale. It was clearly the result of forcibly absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
"I see. Eldest Senior Sister, come in."
Mu Guiyun didn't think much of it and ushered Zhang Lexuan inside.
The two sat down on the sofa. Mu Guiyun placed a cup of warm water in front of Zhang Lexuan and, seeing how pale she looked, asked with concern, "Eldest Senior Sister, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."
When Mu Guiyun asked about her injuries, Zhang Lexuan broke into a bright, gentle smile. She then took a storage ring from her pocket and placed it lightly in his hand.
"Guiyun, Elder Mu asked me to give you this."
Spirit Bones?
Feeling the lingering warmth in his hand, Mu Guiyun's expression turned serious. His spiritual power surged into the Soul Tool like a tide.
Inside lay nine jade boxes.
That was Shrek Academy for you—deep pockets, and no hesitation about handing over nine Spirit Bones.
Speaking of Spirit Bones, Mu Guiyun suddenly remembered something. He quickly took the Moon-Eroding Wolf Emperor's torso bone from his Soul Tool and set it on the table.
"Eldest Senior Sister, compared to me, you're the one who can get the most out of this Spirit Bone."
"But..."
Seeing Mu Guiyun offer her something so precious, Zhang Lexuan instinctively tried to refuse.
But before she could finish, Mu Guiyun cut her off firmly. "Eldest Senior Sister, it's settled!"
With that, he simply shoved the Spirit Bone into Zhang Lexuan's arms.
As if! He had a forty-thousand-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion torso bone—why would he want some random bone he'd picked up by the roadside?
Holding the Spirit Bone, Zhang Lexuan fell silent for a long while. At last, she gathered her thoughts, a faint smile returning to her lovely face. "Thank you."
Mu Guiyun nodded, then took the Spirit Bones from the Soul Tool one by one and laid them out neatly on the table.
Most of the nine Spirit Bones were only two or three thousand years old. Their quality was mediocre, and they weren't even well-preserved. Put together, they might not be worth as much as Mu Guiyun's Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear right arm bone. At least their attributes were compatible.
Zhang Lexuan watched, utterly baffled.
Why had Elder Mu given Guiyun so many Spirit Bones? And the quality was...
"Don't worry. I'm not going to absorb these Spirit Bones."
As if he'd read Zhang Lexuan's thoughts, Mu Guiyun explained, "I plan to run some experiments with them. If they work, my strength could increase by at least thirty percent."
"I see."
Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly and sat quietly on the sofa, occasionally glancing at Mu Guiyun without realizing it.
Mu Guiyun paid no attention. He took a silver-white Soul Tool engraving knife from his storage ring and focused his mind. A faint glimmer appeared along the blade.
He picked up a metal-attribute Spirit Bone and ran the blade over its surface. The result was a barely visible scratch.
So tough?
Mu Guiyun's brows furrowed.
The engraving knife in his hand couldn't compare to a Ranking List Engraving Knife, but it was still a fine tool. Yet it couldn't even break through the Spirit Bone's surface.
"Think you can beat me in a contest of toughness? I'm Mu Guiyun. I've never been afraid of that!"
He put away the knife and clenched his right fist. Three sharp golden rays burst from his knuckles, instantly forming keen claws.
External Soul Bone—Dark Gold Terrorclaw!
He applied a little force with his right hand, and the sharp claws immediately left three clear scratches on the Spirit Bone.
Now that's more like it!
Mu Guiyun nodded in satisfaction, planning to visit Xian Lin'er first thing tomorrow morning.
"Eldest Senior Sister, Dean Yan and the others will be back soon. Why don't you stay and have dinner with us?"
After putting the Spirit Bones back into his Soul Tool, Mu Guiyun turned to Zhang Lexuan.
At that, Zhang Lexuan hesitated. "Guiyun, I can just get something to eat in the cafeteria. There's no need to go to so much trouble."
With that, Zhang Lexuan stood up to leave, but Mu Guiyun caught her and pressed her back onto the sofa.
"You're already here. Dean Cai is an excellent cook!"
Mu Guiyun winked at Zhang Lexuan. "Besides, Dean Yan and Dean Cai will be delighted you came."
"Well... sorry to impose."
After a brief silence, Zhang Lexuan nodded and agreed.
Although Shrek Academy was located on the Lima Plain, cliques existed everywhere.
Future inner-court elites like Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, and Wu Ming, who were bound to remain at Shrek, belonged to the traditional Spirit Department.
Ma Xiaotao in particular couldn't care less about Soul Tools.
Even Zhang Lexuan, the inner court's top disciple, was a staunch supporter of the Spirit Department, so she was quite close to its two deans.
The two sat idly chatting on the sofa. Suddenly, Zhang Lexuan seemed to remember something. She looked around and asked, "By the way, where's Xiaotao? I haven't seen her at the academy these past few days."
"Her? After she was frozen in the Star Dou Great Forest last time, her Evil Fire was somehow suppressed. She's been in seclusion lately. You could say she turned misfortune into a blessing."
At the mention of Ma Xiaotao, Mu Guiyun's expression turned strange, and his eyes drifted toward Zhang Lexuan.
If he remembered right, Ma Xiaotao had been working so hard at cultivation for one reason: so that one day, she could give Zhang Lexuan a good beating...
Whether Ma Xiaotao's wish would come true, though, depended on whether her Phoenix Flame could fully transform into Ultimate Fire.
Meanwhile, in the new students' dormitory at Shrek Outer Court, Tang Ya was gently comforting the girl beside her.
"Nannan, is there really no other way to treat your mother's illness?"
At the question, the girl beside her, who had been quietly crying, shook her head in despair. Choking on her words, she said, "Only the Black Tortoise Divine Pill can cure Mom completely, but I can't possibly come up with that much money right now..."
Money...
The moment she heard that word, Tang Ya was so anxious she scratched her head. She was completely broke. Forget helping someone else—even keeping herself fed was a problem.
"It's okay, Nannan. We'll figure something out together!"