Xuan Zi's Frustration, Martial Soul Strength!

Inside Sea God Pavilion.

Sunlight streamed through a hole in the dome, falling upon the charred wood and frost scattered across the floor.

The air still held the searing heat of ultimate fire and the biting chill of ultimate ice. Those two utterly opposing auras intertwined, continuously assailing the nerves of every elder present.

Xuan Zi's oil-stained hand remained stiffly suspended in midair.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Mu En's face, restored to its prime, and Yun Yi.

A century of experience was no mere decoration.

Xuan Zi's brain, numbed by alcohol and fine food, was racing at full speed.

They elders knew better than anyone how immense the life force contained within Sea God Pavilion's Golden Tree was, yet even it could only suppress Mu En's injuries rather than eradicate them.

Now, Mu En's hidden injuries had not only vanished, but he had even returned to his peak.

And at precisely this moment, this six-year-old child had appeared here.

There could be no such coincidence in this world.

Xuan Zi swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

Mu En's unquestionable gaze had already explained everything.

This child was very likely the key to the Pavilion Master's rebirth—perhaps even some supreme opportunity beyond their reach.

If that was the case, what was the harm in calling him Little Martial Uncle?

Xuan Zi quickly weighed his options.

At worst, he would just avoid this little fellow whenever he was on Sea God Island.

As long as they did not run into each other in a public place like Shrek Square, calling him that a few times in private would not cost Taotie Douluo his dignity.

Having thought it through, Xuan Zi's taut muscles finally relaxed.

But before he could speak, Yan Shaozhe, standing at the front, moved first.

As the dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe had long mastered the art of reading people.

He knew Mu En's character well. Once his teacher made a decision, there was absolutely no possibility of changing it.

Rather than putting on an awkward display and displeasing his teacher, it was better to accept it openly.

Yan Shaozhe straightened his already spotless white robe, folded his hands before him, and took half a step forward.

Looking at Yun Yi, who only reached the base of his thigh, he bent slightly at the waist and offered an exceptionally proper salute from a junior.

"Yan Shaozhe greets Little Martial Uncle."

His voice was as gentle as jade, without the slightest flaw.

Yun Yi clasped his hands behind his back, and not a trace of panic showed on his childish face.

He gave a slight nod in response to Yan Shaozhe's salute.

Though he appeared as steady as a rock, Yun Yi's heart was already churning wildly with delight.

This was Yan Shaozhe!

The public figurehead of Shrek Academy, a Super Douluo above Rank 95, and the owner of the Bright Phoenix Martial Soul.

A lofty figure from the original story was now bowing to him so respectfully.

With Yan Shaozhe taking the lead, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo exchanged glances behind him, and their psychological burden vanished as well.

The two stepped forward together.

"Xian Lin'er greets Little Martial Uncle."

"Qian Duoduo greets Little Martial Uncle."

Their salutes were crisp and decisive.

Now, only Xuan Zi remained.

Everyone's eyes, intentionally or otherwise, gathered on the second-in-command of Shrek Academy.

Xuan Zi bent down and picked up the purplish-red gourd that had fallen to the floor, then casually wiped it twice against his filthy sleeve.

His messy hair looked like a chicken's nest, while his graying beard still bore grease stains from who knew when.

With the appearance of a decrepit old man in his nineties, calling a six-year-old child his elder was a scene absurdly out of place.

Xuan Zi's lips twitched several times, as though a fishbone were lodged in his throat.

His rough hand squeezed the gourd until it creaked.

"Xuan... Xuan Zi greets... Little Martial Uncle."

The words were practically forced out through Xuan Zi's clenched teeth, dry and aggrieved.

Seeing Xuan Zi's old face flush the color of pig liver, Yun Yi suppressed the urge to burst out laughing and solemnly nodded again.

"Old Xuan, you flatter me. From now on, we can each address the other as we please. You can call me Martial Uncle, and I'll call you Old Xuan."

Xuan Zi's face darkened several shades further. There was nothing technically wrong with those words, yet they still made him deeply uncomfortable.

Watching the elders state their positions one after another, Mu En, standing with his hands behind his back, nodded in satisfaction.

How could he fail to see through the little calculations in these old fellows' hearts?

They felt wronged? They felt embarrassed?

Mu En snorted inwardly. These frogs at the bottom of a well had no idea what Yun Yi would accomplish in the future.

When this little fellow ascended to the Divine Realm, they would understand that calling him "Little Martial Uncle" today was the best bargain they would ever get in their lives.

"Enough." Mu En swept his gaze across the group, his authoritative voice echoing through the room. "This matter ends here. All Academy affairs will continue as usual. My return to my peak, as well as Little Yi's identity, is to be known only by those present. Not a single word is to be leaked outside."

"Yes, sir!"

The elders answered in unison.

They were all intelligent people, and no one asked about the details of Mu En's recovery.

Sea God Pavilion had always followed this rule: if the Pavilion Master did not speak of something, then it was not theirs to ask.

Now that the Pavilion Master was safe and sound, and even stronger than before, Shrek Academy's stabilizing pillar remained firm. That was more important than anything else.

As for the other complicated matters, Mu En now had plenty of time to deal with them slowly. There was no need to explain them during this brief meeting.

The group saluted Mu En once more before turning into streaks of light and tactfully leaving Sea God Pavilion, leaving the space to Mu En and Yun Yi.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Mu En turned around, his gaze returning to Yun Yi. The authority he had shown before the elders faded from his eyes, replaced by the rigor of an instructor.

"Little Yi, the blessings of a god may be powerful, but the violent power of these twin ultimate Martial Souls is not something your newly born body can easily control." Mu En stopped three feet in front of Yun Yi. "Words alone prove nothing. Use your Martial Souls to attack me and let me see how well you currently control this power."

Mu En placed both hands behind his back and stood with his legs slightly apart, as immovable as a mountain.

Yun Yi did not hesitate in the slightest.

He knew that the man before him was the strongest person on the continent. His little tricks could not possibly harm him in the least.

Extreme heat instantly gathered in Yun Yi's palm.

His left hand curled in the air as crimson-gold flowing fire compressed wildly, and the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow took shape once more.

Without an arrow, Yun Yi drew upon the remaining Soul Power in his body and forcibly fused ultimate fire with ultimate light.

The bowstring was drawn into a full moon.

"Twang—!"

The bowstring shuddered, releasing a shrill howl like tearing silk.

An energy arrow formed entirely of light and fire shot from the string.

Along its path, the air was instantly sucked dry by the extreme heat, leaving behind a visible black vacuum trail.

The scattered wood fragments in its path did not even have time to burn. Under that terrifying heat, they simply vaporized into nothingness.

This attack was enough to pierce through the defenses of a thousand-year soul beast in an instant!

Mu En neither dodged nor evaded. He merely slowly raised his right index finger and lightly pointed forward.

A gentle golden glow blossomed at his fingertip, forming a palm-sized shield of scaled light.

"Boom!"

The violent solar true fire slammed fiercely into the light shield, erupting with a deafening roar.

Crimson-gold flames poured madly outward like a reverse-flowing waterfall, attempting to devour everything before them.

Yet Mu En's fingertip was like a reef standing firm amid a tsunami.

That tiny light shield held all the violent destructive power firmly at a distance of half a foot. Not a single spark touched the corner of Mu En's robe.

With his first attack failing, Yun Yi did not pause at all.

He immediately dispersed the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow in his left hand, stomped fiercely on the ground, and used the recoil to rush forward.

A deep-blue cold tide erupted from his right arm, and the Ice Yi Divine Spear, formed from ten-thousand-year mystic ice, fell into his hand.

One moment, the heat was enough to scorch the heavens and boil the seas. The next, it became cold enough to freeze the deepest abyss.

Yun Yi gripped the spear shaft with both hands, suddenly exerted strength through his waist and abdomen, and viciously thrust the Ice Yi Divine Spear toward Mu En's chest like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair.

Before the spear tip arrived, its glacial spear light had already pierced the air.

The fire elements along its path froze instantly, transforming into countless ice crystals that fluttered down from above.

This thrust lacked the violent roar of flames. It carried only a cold sharpness capable of piercing through everything.

A flash of approval passed through Mu En's eyes.

His switch in techniques was decisive, and there was not the slightest delay between shifting from ice to fire Martial Souls. This battle instinct was simply that of a natural-born fighter.

Facing the divine spear rushing at his chest, Mu En turned his wrist and brought his index and middle fingers together, accurately clamping the spear tip like iron pincers.

"Creak—"

A piercing sound of friction rang out.

The dark-blue chill, like gangrene clinging to bone, spread wildly up Mu En's two fingers, attempting to freeze his body.

But the vast Radiant Holy Dragon Soul Power within Mu En merely rippled slightly, expelling every trace of invading ultimate ice.

Mu En exerted a little force with his two fingers.

An irresistible counterforce traveled down the spear shaft.

Yun Yi grunted, and the webbing between both hands split open at once. The Ice Yi Divine Spear flew from his grasp and scattered into ice fragments.

He staggered backward several steps, his feet carving two deep furrows into the wooden floor before he barely managed to steady himself.

Yun Yi panted heavily, sweat covering his forehead while both arms trembled uncontrollably.

Just two attacks had drained every bit of strength from his body.

The consumption of twin ultimate Martial Souls far exceeded all reason.

Mu En withdrew his fingers and looked at the panting boy, his tone solemn.

"Ultimate light and ultimate fire specialize in destruction. Ultimate water and ultimate ice specialize in control and penetration. The quality of these two Martial Souls stands at the pinnacle of this age. But in the early stages of a Soul Master's path, cultivating both at once will only cause your body to collapse and explode."

Mu En paused, his gaze locking tightly onto Yun Yi's eyes as he posed the crucial question.

"Little Yi, in the early stages of cultivation, you should choose only one of them to cultivate and attach Soul Rings to. Tell me, which Martial Soul do you intend to focus on?"