Shrek Inner Court, Sea God Island.
Lan Muzi came hurrying in from the outer court, panting. When he saw Long Yeyue waiting at the entrance, he bowed and said:
"Sister Yue, I found out."
"Did you find him? Where on earth did that brat run off to? I'm going to teach him a good lesson today. I'll punish him by not letting him eat for three days!"
Lan Muzi wiped the sweat from his brow. After hesitating for a moment, he continued:
"Uh, after Xiao Qian left, he went to the Spirit Pagoda. You know they've been holding free Martial Soul Awakening ceremonies over there lately."
"Mm? And then? What Martial Soul did Qian Jue awaken?"
Lan Muzi hesitated, but in the end chose to tell her the truth. "According to the information from our academy's informant at the Spirit Pagoda, Xiao Qian seems to have Twin Martial Souls. One is a Coiling Dragon Staff, and the other seems to be called the Dragon Rising Pillar."
"Most importantly, he seems to have Innate Level 20 Soul Power..."
Long Yeyue froze. Innate Level 20?
As far as she knew, the only person ever to achieve that had been the Angel God, the sworn enemy of Lord Sea God Tang San, as recorded in ancient texts.
Generally speaking, Innate Full Soul Power was the limit for humans. It was said that the extra ten levels the Angel God had possessed when her Martial Soul first awakened had been granted by the deity who watched over her.
So Qian Jue had actually earned the favor of a god.
A Dragon-type Martial Soul. Was it a dragon god?
Why choose that little brat instead of me?!
A raging fire of jealousy blazed in Long Yeyue's heart. She had the Light and Dark Holy Dragon Twin Martial Souls, was a Level 99 Limit Douluo, and stood at the demigod level.
After becoming Limit Douluos, they could all more or less sense the Divine Realm's location, but every one of them had failed to reach it.
And now someone was telling her that her husband's illegitimate descendant had been blessed by a god, with Innate Level 20 Soul Power.
Outrageous!
Lan Muzi stood trembling at her side. Seeing Long Yeyue's twisted expression, he feared that one more word would turn him into her punching bag.
"Forget it. Being blessed is his good fortune."
Long Yeyue forced down her anger and said coldly, "If he's finished awakening his Martial Soul, why doesn't he know enough to come home? I'll teach him how to use his Dragon-type Martial Soul."
Though she was displeased, Qian Jue's talent was undeniable.
Someone with the potential to become a god had to be kept firmly in the hands of Shrek Academy.
"I'm talking to you! Have you gone mute?!"
When Lan Muzi didn't answer, Long Yeyue slammed her hand down on the table, smashing it to pieces.
Lan Muzi flinched. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Someone said they saw Xiao Qian meet the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, and that she took him on as a disciple. He joined the Spirit Pagoda..."
The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted to freezing.
Long Yeyue froze, then let out a sharp, ear-piercing shriek:
"Joined the Spirit Pagoda? He actually dared to join the Spirit Pagoda?"
"That brat doesn't know that the people I hate most in this life are that bunch from the Spirit Pagoda?!"
Betrayal. She had been betrayed once again.
Why did they have to do this to her?!
Elder Bei had done this, Chen Xinjie had done the same, and now even the child she had raised for over a year had betrayed her.
"Go. Bring him to me."
Long Yeyue screamed hysterically at Lan Muzi.
A long time ago, she had stormed the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters and slapped Die Ting, the Spirit Pagoda's Tower Master at the time, right across the face in front of everyone. From then on, the two sides had been at odds, competing openly and behind the scenes.
Lan Muzi was in a tough spot.
He was just a lowly Soul Douluo. Was he supposed to go to the Spirit Pagoda and demand that the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo hand someone over?
But it was Long Yeyue's order. With her seniority and the fact that she was his teacher, she was practically untouchable in Shrek Academy.
There was no choice. He'd have to grit his teeth and go.
He hoped the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo would understand his predicament...
After Lan Muzi left, Long Yeyue couldn't bear to stay there another moment. She needed to return to the academy and explain everything to Yun Ming.
There was no way she'd let Qian Jue join the Spirit Pagoda.
"So you don't remember how I raised you, huh? Once you get to Shrek, you'll see what's coming to you."
Eastsea City, at Qiangu Qingfeng's home.
Under the night sky, after dinner, Qian Jue took the initiative to break the murderous tension in the house, which had nearly congealed into something tangible.
There was no rush to take revenge on Long Yeyue. He might not even need to act himself. Leave Shrek Academy alone for a few years, and it would turn into fireworks all on its own.
For now, he needed to do everything he could to improve his strength, so he could return to godhood as soon as possible and live forever.
"Your Martial Soul is something I've never heard of, either. You'll have to figure out how to develop it on your own, but I can give you some pointers on the Coiling Dragon Staff," Qiangu Qingfeng said.
He hadn't inherited the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul, but he was still a member of the Qiangu Clan. More than that, he had defeated his younger brother, Qiangu Qingfeng, who was hailed as the greatest genius in the Qiangu Clan in a hundred years.
When it came to understanding the Coiling Dragon Staff, there were probably few Soul Masters on the entire continent without that Martial Soul who could match him.
Qiangu Qingfeng led Qian Jue out to the grass and told him to release his Martial Soul.
With a thought, a Coiling Dragon Staff appeared in Qian Jue's hand, shining with nine-colored divine light, a faint dragon aura swirling around it.
Earlier, Qian Jue had thought the rainbow-colored staff was too flashy. He had hoped he could change it a little, and his Martial Soul seemed to have understood his thoughts and made the change.
Qiangu Qingfeng studied the Coiling Dragon Staff in Qian Jue's hand, so different from the one he remembered, and furrowed his brow.
"Your Coiling Dragon Staff has undergone some kind of mutation. It seems to be a beneficial one, and its quality has improved, too. It feels even better than my younger brother's Coiling Dragon Staff."
"Still, while Tool Martial Souls can differ in shape and quality, at their core, they ultimately come down to four realms: Force, Intent, Soul, and Spirit."
As he spoke, Qiangu Qingfeng's aura suddenly turned fierce and immense. A massive Painted Halberd appeared in his hand.
A top-tier Tool Martial Soul, the Purgatory Halberd!
"I'll use a halberd in place of a staff and demonstrate it for you. How much you comprehend is up to you."
The next moment, the heavy Purgatory Halberd began to whirl in Qiangu Qingfeng's hand, its aura imposing, as if it could tear through space. His movements flowed like water, so graceful they drew the eye and left the viewer entranced.
"The first realm: Force."
"Your strikes stir the wind, your sweeps carry power. Your moves are sharp, your presence imposing. This is only the first step through the doorway to the path of Tool Martial Souls."
When he finished, Qiangu Qingfeng swung the Purgatory Halberd again. This time, it erupted with terrifying battle intent, as if it would drag anyone watching into purgatory and put them through an ordeal.
Just watching from the sidelines, Qian Jue felt cold sweat dampen his back.
"The second realm: Intent."
"Infuse the weapon that bears your Great Dao with your spiritual power. When your intent moves, the weapon follows. You can blend in killing intent, battle intent, or conviction, without being constrained by any particular technique. The same is true whether you use a blade, spear, staff, or club."
It wasn't over yet. Qiangu Qingfeng swung the Purgatory Halberd once more, but there was no astonishing display of force. It looked like an ordinary beginner wielding a weapon, simple and natural.
But that was only on the surface. With his insight and experience, Qiangu Qingfeng could clearly sense the terrible power within the Purgatory Halberd beneath its unremarkable exterior. The surrounding world lay within the reach of that single halberd strike, as if it encompassed all creation.
"The third realm: Soul."
"Man and weapon become one, their souls merging. The weapon is no longer an external object, but a second body under your control. You can draw upon the power of heaven and earth, and every move carries the aura of laws."
"Those who reach this realm become grandmasters in their path. Many people never reach the Soul realm in their entire lives."
After demonstrating three times in a row, Qiangu Qingfeng put away the Purgatory Halberd and didn't go any further.
"Too much too soon won't do you any good. I'll teach you the final realm, Spirit, once you reach the Soul realm. The Coiling Dragon Staff in your branch of the family has a hereditary staff technique..."
Before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind swept up before him.
Qian Jue held the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand. He began with a light step, unhurried, each movement measured to perfection.
He thrust the Coiling Dragon Staff forward. The tip quivered faintly.
This wasn't brute force.
The essence of staff techniques lay in subtle strength, in coordinating the waist and legs, and in controlling every inch of the staff.
Chop, sweep, lift, jab, smash, block, seize, thrust—the eight basic staff techniques unfolded one by one in Qian Jue's hands, progressing from slow to fast, from simple to intricate.
A silent "force" gradually unfurled through Qian Jue's movements. Unlike the unyielding Battle Heaven Fight Earth style of the Qiangu Clan's Coiling Dragon Staff, his carried a different kind of dominion, one that looked down upon the world.
Qiangu Qingfeng stood to the side, watching Qian Jue lose himself in the staff dance, utterly shocked.
On his very first day of practice, he had comprehended the staff's force on his own!
At that moment, Qiangu Qingfeng longed to shout:
"My grandson, Qian Jue, has the potential to become a god!"