Uncarved Jade Shines Brightly, a Thousand Sails Aid the Dragon's Ascent

After resting for another day, and only after Long Jinyu repeatedly assured her and demonstrated that he had indeed recovered significantly, did Ma Xiaotao agree to let him see Mu En, though she insisted on "escorting" him there herself.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En watched the two walk in side-by-side. His gaze lingered for a moment on Long Jinyu's still-pale face before sweeping over Ma Xiaotao's clearly protective posture, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

"Teacher."

Long Jinyu bowed respectfully.

"You're here. Sit." Mu En's voice was gentle as he gestured to the seat beside him. "Has your body recovered well?"

"Thank you for your concern, Teacher. I am no longer in any serious trouble; a few more days of rest will see me fully recovered."

Once they were seated, Long Jinyu skipped the pleasantries, his expression turning grave. "Teacher, according to the intelligence I have analyzed, the Holy Spirit Cult's recent actions, while appearing to be for the sake of creating chaos and extorting resources, are actually a smokescreen."

He paused, glanced at Ma Xiaotao beside him, and hesitated before speaking. "Senior Sister, what I am about to say might..."

"Might what?" Ma Xiaotao immediately cut him off, her phoenix eyes widening. "Trying to push me aside again? Don't pull that! What is there that I can't hear? I told you, don't even think about shouldering this alone!"

Long Jinyu sighed helplessly and continued. "Fine. I suspect that the Holy Spirit Cult's grand display has a true target locked onto two specific people." He held up two fingers. "The first is the current master of the Tang Sect, Tang Ya."

Mu En nodded for him to continue; he had indeed sensed the hidden dangers within Tang Ya's martial soul.

"The second," Long Jinyu's voice dropped, his gaze shifting to Ma Xiaotao, "is Senior Sister Xiaotao."

"Me?" Ma Xiaotao blinked, her face full of astonishment. "Why me?"

"Exactly. Because your Phoenix Flame contains a powerful, latent dark attribute."

Long Jinyu explained.

"This is essentially similar to Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass; both are perfect 'embryos' that can be exploited and induced to the extreme."

To support his theory, he retrieved the captured "Judgment Sword" from his storage Soul Tool. The blade was archaic, yet it faintly pulsed with a bizarre aura where light and darkness intertwined.

"Elder Mu, please examine this sword." Long Jinyu presented it. "I believe that with your discernment, you will understand the trick behind it and what I mean."

A flash of sharp light crossed Mu En's cloudy eyes, and a gentle wave of soul power lifted the Judgment Sword. He only needed a brief moment of perception before his expression darkened instantly.

With his insight as a Limit Douluo, he immediately grasped the viciousness of the blade—

It first used the dark attribute to pollute and assimilate the target's martial soul, then used the light attribute to carry out a so-called "judgment." If this sword were used on Ma Xiaotao, the Evil Fire within her would be thoroughly ignited and sent into a spiral of loss of control, ultimately causing her to fall into darkness, beyond redemption!

"What a sinister method!"

Mu En's voice carried a trace of icy rage.

The look he gave Long Jinyu was filled with even greater admiration. This child was not only peerless in strength but also possessed such meticulous foresight, piercing through the enemy's conspiracy in an instant.

"This sword is an eighth-level Soul Tool produced by the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire."

Long Jinyu added, dropping another bombshell.

"The fact that the Holy Spirit Cult could lock onto their targets so precisely, utilize such precious Soul Tools, and even produce bombs that even you could not detect... I suspect that they likely have a 'prophet' within their ranks who possesses precognitive abilities, and their collusion with the upper echelons of the Sun Moon Empire, or even Mingde Hall, is likely far deeper than we imagined!"

Mu En fell silent, and a heavy pressure filled the air. Long Jinyu's deductions revealed a much larger, more dangerous landscape of conspiracy before him.

Long Jinyu put away the Judgment Sword and continued. "Furthermore, I suspect their preparations for Senior Sister go far beyond this sword. Senior Sister's unusually long coma was likely caused by another type of Soul Tool or secret technique."

He looked at Ma Xiaotao and described the harrowing battle within her Spiritual Sea. "At the time, I attempted to enter Senior Sister's Spiritual Sea to wake her. There, I encountered two consciousnesses: one was the kind 'Little Ma Xiaotao', and the other... was a 'Darkened Tao' filled with negative emotions."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao subconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes. Although her memories were blurry, the coldness and madness of sinking into darkness still left her with lingering fears.

Long Jinyu described it: "The flames controlled by that 'Darkened Tao' were exceptionally bizarre; they were no longer simple Evil Fire, but mixed with a kind of... polluting power that carried a divine majesty. She called it—'Fallen Fire'."

"Fallen Fire?" Mu En's brows furrowed tightly.

"Yes."

Long Jinyu nodded, a trace of lingering fear on his face.

"I used six types of ultimate attributes in succession to confront her, yet I was completely outmatched and forced into a retreat."

"Is that so? To suppress six ultimate attributes with flames alone... then how did you win in the end?"

"In the end..." Long Jinyu rubbed his nose, his eyes drifting slightly as he looked at Ma Xiaotao. "In the end, it was..."

"In the end, he used a special method to wake me up!"

Ma Xiaotao abruptly interrupted Long Jinyu, clamping a hand over his mouth.

"Elder Mu, as for the specific details... please don't ask! Anyway, anyway, he just saved me!"

She was terrified, fearing that Long Jinyu might blurt out something about a "Spiritual Sea kiss."

Mu En was no ordinary person; seeing the state of the two, he understood seven or eight parts of the truth. It must have involved something... ahem, so he stopped pressing. "Well, regardless, Jinyu, you deserve the greatest credit for Shrek City and Xiaotao turning danger into safety. The academy owes you a massive favor."

Long Jinyu quickly replied modestly, "Teacher, you are too kind. I only did what I had to do."

Mu En waved his hand, his expression solemn. "Merit is merit, fault is fault; rewards and punishments must be clear. What you resolved was not just the threat of the bombs, but the salvation of countless lives and the reputation of Shrek. I also heard from Xiaotao about the Medical Pavilion. That you could step forward at a critical moment to protect your peers and repel a powerful enemy shows great courage; that you could remain calm in the face of danger and use your wits to break the deadlock shows great wisdom."

He paused, looking into Long Jinyu's eyes. "Regarding your abilities and your secrets, I will not pry. Everyone has their own opportunities. Shrek is your academy and your backing, not a shackle. We trust you, just as you trust the academy and are willing to give your all in times of crisis."

These words were sincere and powerful, fully displaying the bearing and breadth of mind of the Sea God Pavilion Master.

Long Jinyu, however, felt a bit embarrassed. After all... deep down, he didn't actually have a shred of trust in Shrek.

The only reason he chose to intervene was because the upbringing ingrained in his bones from Blue Star made it impossible for him, a "cheat-user" in this moment, to watch innocent people die before his eyes.

Yet, he had to maintain the proper facade. He stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Teacher, for your trust and undeserved praise."

Mu En nodded slightly and continued, "The support the academy can provide you is, firstly, as promised: we will mobilize all our strength to assist you in finding your lost 'family'."

"Secondly," his gaze swept over the staircase leading to the higher levels of the pavilion, "the Sea God Pavilion Library is open to you unconditionally. It houses not only cultivation manuals for soul masters but also secrets of the continent, ancient anecdotes, discussions on the essence of martial souls, and even... some fragmented records regarding 'gods'. Perhaps you can find the answers you seek there, or... a path to even greater heights."

"Thirdly, regarding your cultivation journey, whether you need guidance for compatible soul rings, rare soul bone resources, treasures to assist your training, or even a custom-made Soul Tool, as long as you ask, the academy will not shirk its responsibility within our capabilities. We will do our utmost to fill the gaps on your path forward."

Ma Xiaotao: "!!!"

Unconditional access to the Sea God Pavilion Library?! Soul bones, custom Soul Tools—even the descendants of the Elder Pavilion masters might not easily obtain these. Elder Mu actually... but considering it's this brat, it's somewhat normal. If anything, it feels like he gave too little.

Finally, Mu En's tone took on a hint of sternness, "Also... regarding the Holy Spirit Cult and that 'Holy Son', the academy will investigate with all its might. You ruined their major plans this time; they will certainly not let this go. You must be extremely careful when you are out in the future. If there is any unusual activity, inform the academy immediately. Do not take risks alone as you did this time, do you understand?"

Faced with Mu En's heartfelt promises and warnings, Long Jinyu remained silent for a moment, seemingly digesting the heavy weight of this trust. He bowed deeply once more, his tone sincere:

"I understand the teacher's painstaking efforts. Since the academy treats me with sincerity, I shall repay it with sincerity. I am deeply grateful for the access to the library and the resources, and I will certainly make good use of them. As for the Holy Spirit Cult..."

A flash of cold light crossed his eyes: "After this battle, I am well aware of their treachery and cruelty. I will be extremely cautious in the future and will never act alone rashly again. If I discover anything, I will report it to the academy and the teacher immediately. Please rest assured, Teacher."

After speaking, he remained in his bowed posture, though a different set of thoughts raced through his mind:

Hmph, Mu En is indeed the only smart person in this Shrek. My "cooperation" just now was not in vain.

It's just that looking at his physical condition... I fear he won't last many more years. I must find a way to recuperate his health later. Having someone who knows their place and can hold down the fort to manage Shrek for me will save a lot of trouble, hehehe~

Leaving the Sea God Pavilion, Long Jinyu let out a long sigh. This conversation with Mu En contained a massive amount of information, making his mood even heavier. The shadow of the Holy Spirit Cult, like a maggot on a rotting bone, was far from dissipating.

Just then, he slapped his forehead, remembering an important matter he had overlooked.

"What's wrong?" Ma Xiaotao asked with concern.

"Almost forgot!" Long Jinyu said with some annoyance, "There is still a 'guest' in the Medical Pavilion. It's been so many days, I don't know if they've woken up yet. I hope they haven't caused any trouble!"