After resting for another day, Long Jinyu repeatedly assured Ma Xiaotao and showed her that he had indeed recovered considerably. Only then did she agree to let him go see Mu En, insisting that she "escort" him there herself.
Inside Sea God Pavilion, Mu En watched the two walk in side by side. His gaze lingered for a moment on Long Jinyu's still somewhat pale face, then swept over Ma Xiaotao's unmistakably protective stance. A complicated look entered his eyes.
"Teacher."
Long Jinyu bowed respectfully.
"You're here. Sit down." Mu En's voice was gentle as he gestured to the seats beside him. "Have you mostly recovered?"
"Thank you for your concern, Teacher. I'm no longer in any danger. A few more days of rest and I should be fully recovered."
Once they had taken their seats, Long Jinyu skipped the pleasantries, his expression turning grave. "Teacher, based on the information I've gathered, the Holy Spirit Cult's operation this time seemed intended to create chaos and extort resources, but in truth, that was just a smokescreen."
He paused and glanced at Ma Xiaotao beside him. After hesitating, he said, "Senior, what I'm about to say might..."
"Might what?" Ma Xiaotao immediately cut him off, glaring with her phoenix eyes. "Are you trying to send me away again? Don't even think about it! What could you possibly say that I can't hear? I told you, you're not going to shoulder everything alone again!"
Long Jinyu gave a helpless smile and continued. "All right. I suspect the Holy Spirit Cult made such a huge move this time because their true targets were most likely two people." He held up two fingers. "The first is Tang Ya, the current sect master of the Tang Sect."
Mu En nodded for him to continue. He had indeed noticed the hidden danger in Tang Ya's Martial Soul.
"The second..." Long Jinyu's voice grew heavy as he turned to Ma Xiaotao. "Is you, Senior Xiaotao."
"Me?" Ma Xiaotao stared at him in astonishment. "Why me?"
"That's right. Because a powerful dark attribute lurks within your Phoenix Flame," Long Jinyu explained.
"In essence, it's similar to Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass. Both are ideal 'vessels' that can be manipulated and driven to extremes."
To support his theory, he took the confiscated Judgment Sword from his Storage Soul Tool. The sword was ancient in appearance, yet a strange aura of mingled light and darkness flowed faintly through it.
"Elder Mu, please take a look at this sword." Long Jinyu presented it to him. "I believe your discerning eye will let you see its hidden workings—and understand what I mean."
A glint flashed in Mu En's cloudy eyes. A gentle stream of Soul Power lifted the Judgment Sword. He sensed it only briefly before his expression darkened at once.
With the knowledge of a Limit Douluo, he immediately saw the sword's vicious purpose—
First, it would corrupt and assimilate its target's Martial Soul with its dark attribute, then use its light attribute to carry out a so-called "judgment." If the sword were used on Ma Xiaotao, the Evil Fire within her would surely be ignited completely, driving her out of control and plunging her into darkness, beyond all redemption!
"What a vile method!"
Mu En's voice carried a trace of icy anger.
His appreciation for Long Jinyu deepened. Not only was the boy exceptionally powerful, but he was also so perceptive that he had seen through the enemy's scheme in an instant.
"This sword is a Level 8 Soul Tool produced by Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire," Long Jinyu added, dropping another bombshell.
"For the Holy Spirit Cult to pinpoint their targets so precisely, use such a valuable Soul Tool, and even produce bombs that you couldn't detect...I suspect they may have a 'prophet' among them with the ability to foresee the future. And their collusion with the Sun Moon Empire's upper ranks, perhaps even Mingde Hall, is likely far deeper than we imagined!"
Mu En fell silent, a heavy pressure filling the air. Long Jinyu's deductions had revealed a far larger and more dangerous web of conspiracy.
Long Jinyu put away the Judgment Sword and continued, "Furthermore, I suspect they prepared far more than just this sword to target Senior Xiaotao. Her unusually long unconsciousness was probably caused by another Soul Tool or some secret technique."
He looked at Ma Xiaotao and described the perilous battle inside her Spiritual Sea. "I tried to enter Senior Xiaotao's Spiritual Sea to wake her. There, I encountered two consciousnesses. One was the kind-hearted 'Little Ma Xiaotao,' while the other...was 'Darkened Tao,' filled with negative emotions."
At his words, Ma Xiaotao instinctively gripped the hem of her clothes. Her memories were hazy, but the icy, frenzied feeling of sinking into darkness still haunted her.
Long Jinyu described what he had seen. "The flames controlled by 'Darkened Tao' were exceedingly strange. They were no longer mere Evil Fire. Mixed into them was a contaminating force...imbued with divine majesty. She called it—'Fallen Fire.'"
"Fallen Fire?" Mu En knitted his brows.
"Yes." Long Jinyu nodded, a trace of lingering fear crossing his face.
"I used six different Ultimate Attributes against it, one after another, and none could match it. I was driven back at every turn."
"Such a thing happened? A mere flame could suppress six Ultimate Attributes...How did you win in the end?"
"In the end..." Long Jinyu rubbed his nose and let his gaze wander before turning toward Ma Xiaotao. "In the end, I..."
"In the end, he used a special method to wake me up!"
Ma Xiaotao abruptly cut Long Jinyu off and clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Elder Mu, you don't need to ask about the details! Anyway, anyway, he saved me!"
She was panicking, terrified that Long Jinyu might say something like "a kiss inside the Spiritual Sea."
Mu En was no ordinary man. Seeing the two of them acting like this, he had already guessed most of what had happened. It must have involved something...ahem. So he didn't press them. "Mm. Whatever the details, Jinyu, you deserve the greatest credit for saving Shrek City and Xiaotao from danger. The Academy owes you an enormous debt."
Long Jinyu hurriedly replied with humility. "You're too kind, Teacher. I only did what I ought to."
Mu En waved a hand, his expression solemn. "Merit is merit, and fault is fault. Rewards and punishments must be fair. You didn't just avert the bomb crisis—you saved countless lives and protected Shrek's reputation. Xiaotao also told me about what happened at the Medical Pavilion. You stood up at a critical moment to protect your fellow disciples and drive back a powerful enemy—that was great courage. You stayed calm in a crisis and broke through the situation with your wits—that was great wisdom."
He paused and looked Long Jinyu in the eye. "As for your abilities and your secrets, I won't ask. Everyone has their own opportunities. Shrek is your Academy and your backing, not a set of shackles. We trust you, just as you trust the Academy and were willing to give your all for it in a time of crisis."
His words were heartfelt and powerful, fully reflecting the Sea God Pavilion Master's stature and magnanimity.
Long Jinyu, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed. After all...deep down, he didn't trust Shrek in the slightest—
He had stepped in only because the upbringing etched into his bones back on Blue Star made it impossible for him, someone who could now be called a "cheat-code king," to stand by and watch innocent people die before his eyes.
Still, he couldn't forgo the proper show of respect. He stood and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your trust and praise, Teacher."
Mu En gave a slight nod and continued. "The Academy can offer you support in several ways. First, as promised, we'll use every resource at our disposal to help you find your missing 'family.'"
"Second..." His gaze swept over the staircase leading to the upper floors of the pavilion. "The Sea God Pavilion Library is open to you without restriction. It holds not only classics on Soul Master cultivation, but also the continent's hidden history, tales of ancient times, studies of the nature of Martial Souls, and even...fragmentary records concerning 'gods.' Perhaps you'll find the answers you seek there, or...a path to greater heights."
"Third, whatever you need for your cultivation—from guidance in finding a suitable Soul Ring or scarce Soul Bone resources to rare treasures that aid cultivation, or even a custom-made Soul Tool—just ask. Within the Academy's means, we won't turn you away. We'll do everything in our power to fill the gaps along your path."
Ma Xiaotao: "!!!"
Unrestricted access to the Sea God Pavilion Library?! Soul Bones and custom Soul Tools— even the descendants of the elders might not get those easily, yet Elder Mu... But it is that little brat, so I suppose it makes sense. Is that still not enough?
Finally, Mu En's voice took on a hint of killing intent. "And then...as for the Holy Spirit Cult and that 'Holy Son,' the Academy will spare no effort to investigate them. You ruined their plans this time, and they won't let it go. You must be extremely careful whenever you're out from now on. If anything unusual happens, tell the Academy immediately. Don't put yourself in danger alone like you did this time again. Understood?"
Faced with Mu En's sincere promises and warnings, Long Jinyu fell silent for a moment, seeming to absorb the weight of the trust placed in him. He bowed deeply once more, his voice earnest.
"I understand your intentions, Teacher. The Academy has treated me sincerely, and I'll repay that sincerity. I'm deeply grateful for access to the library and the resources, and I'll make good use of them. As for the Holy Spirit Cult..."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "After this encounter, I've seen how sinister and ruthless they are. I'll be extremely careful from now on and won't recklessly go off on my own again. If I discover anything, I'll report it to the Academy and you at once. Please rest assured, Teacher."
He lowered his eyes and bowed as before, but another thought had already turned over in his mind:
Hmph. Mu En really is the only clever one in all of Shrek. At least my little act of "cooperation" just now wasn't wasted.
But judging by how frail he looks...he probably doesn't have many years left. I'll have to find a way to nurse him back to health. Having someone sensible who can keep the place in line manage Shrek for me would save a lot of trouble. Heh heh heh~
After leaving Sea God Pavilion, Long Jinyu let out a long breath. His conversation with Mu En had given him a great deal to think about and weighed heavily on his heart. The Holy Spirit Cult's shadow still clung to them like a festering wound, far from gone.
Just then, he slapped a hand to his forehead as he remembered an important matter he'd overlooked.
"What's wrong?" Ma Xiaotao asked with concern.
"I nearly forgot!" Long Jinyu said, looking vexed. "There's still a 'guest' at the Medical Pavilion. It's been so many days—I wonder if they've woken up yet. I hope they haven't caused me any trouble!"
Before you continue