Mu En

At this moment, Mu En was lounging leisurely in his recliner. Even though the sun was nearly setting, he showed no intention of leaving. If one paid close attention, one would discover that the closer one got to Mu En, the more one could feel an indescribable warmth.

A smile creased his wrinkled face as Mu En watched Jiang Yue with his somewhat clouded eyes. Under that gaze, Jiang Yue felt as though there were no secrets left anywhere on his body.

Mu En could not help finding the active Mental Power within Jiang Yue intriguing. He had witnessed everything Jiang Yue had just done. Using one mind for two purposes, drawing a circle with his left hand and a square with his right—Mu En knew very well what he was practicing.

Aside from being exceptionally effective for Soul Masters with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, the Distraction Control Technique could also improve a control-type Soul Master's battlefield control. Quite a few control-type Soul Masters with sufficient backing to learn the Distraction Control Technique would pick up some of it.

"Eleven years old, yet already nearly Rank 38. Hehe, child, perhaps you'll reach Rank 40 before turning twelve. Such talent is remarkable not only within Shrek Academy, but throughout the entire Soul Master world."

"You flatter me, Senior. I am merely doing my best to improve my own strength."

Mu En was delighted to find such talent. Shrek Academy had established its Outer Court not only because the three great empires and various forces had jointly pressured it to do so, but more importantly, to recruit geniuses from across the continent.

Otherwise, if it only recruited Inner Court students from Douluo Continent, the number of Inner Court students would be at least one-third lower than it was now. After all, none of the various forces were fools. They would not easily let go of geniuses who had reached the Soul King realm before the age of twenty.

Mu En still vaguely remembered that when he had been relatively young, he had discovered Yan Shaozhe in the Outer Court. The Bright Phoenix martial soul had been one of the most suitable martial souls to inherit his legacy. Unfortunately, Yan Shaozhe had issues with his temperament, leaving him stuck at Rank 95 despite being nearly a hundred years old.

What was Shrek Academy's greatest problem now? Naturally, it was the lack of a suitable successor for Sea God Pavilion. Xuan Zi had sufficient cultivation, but his flaws were far too obvious, making him unsuitable. As for the comparatively suitable Zhang Lexuan, she was only a Soul Douluo at present. It would take at least another ten years for her to reach the cultivation necessary to inherit Sea God Pavilion.

Looking across all of Sea God Pavilion and Shrek Academy's upper ranks, the most suitable candidate to inherit the position of Sea God Pavilion Master was unexpectedly Song Yunzhi, the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle Soul Master who was only Rank 97 and did not even possess a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Mu En had his own unspeakable bitterness. If his spine had not been broken and his body had not constantly been eroded by the vicious aura within the Dragon Pill, then with his cultivation as a Limit Douluo, living another thirty to fifty years would not have been a problem.

However, the reality was that Mu En did not have many years left to live. Without going all out, he could only guarantee that he would survive roughly another fifteen years in his current state. The exact time was difficult to say.

Aside from the issue of Sea God Pavilion's successor, Shrek Academy's next generation was also a problem. At present, only Zhang Lexuan was truly presentable.

Because of her evil fire, Ma Xiaotao could not cultivate or fight without restraint. Whether she could safely reach the Titled Douluo realm in the future was still uncertain.

If Mu En were in good condition now, that little bit of evil fire would not be a problem at all for a Limit Douluo like him. But there were no ifs.

Whenever Mu En thought of Zhang Lexuan's situation, he could not help regretting his decision back then.

"You're practicing the Distraction Control Technique? From the looks of it, you've only just begun. If you don't mind, tell this old man how far you've gotten. Perhaps I can offer you a few insignificant suggestions."

After shifting slightly, Mu En looked at Jiang Yue and waited for his answer.

Jiang Yue put on a thoughtful expression. After waiting a short while, he immediately nodded.

The Mu En before him was one of the three strongest humans alive. Although his physical condition meant that his combat strength ranked at the bottom among the three Limit Douluos, his knowledge and experience were not something just anyone could compare to.

Furthermore, the fundamental principle behind Mu En's self-created battle technique, Sovereign's Descent, was the fusion of Soul Power and Mental Power. Receiving guidance from such a Limit Douluo, even if it was only a few words, would be immensely beneficial to Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue immediately began demonstrating the results of his brief practice on the ground. He drew circles with his left hand and squares with his right at an extremely rapid pace, without the slightest pause. After adapting for a moment, he began mobilizing the Soul Power within his body and concentrating it in both hands.

Seeing this, Mu En nodded with interest and waved for Jiang Yue to stop.

"Not bad. To reach this level just after coming into contact with the Distraction Control Technique shows that you have excellent talent in Mental Power. But you still need to become more proficient."

"How about this? Come, this old man will let you experience using one mind for three purposes in advance."

The next moment, Mu En raised his withered arm. A faint golden glimmer appeared at his fingertip as he lightly touched Jiang Yue's brow.

A warm force, like a hot spring, slowly seeped through Jiang Yue's brow and into his mind, guiding his Mental Power.

There was none of the imagined stabbing pain, only a natural comfort, as though Jiang Yue had long since mastered this technique himself.

Jiang Yue heard a soft hum in his mind. His consciousness, which had originally been gathered into one mass, quietly split into three clear and independent branches under the guidance of that external force.

"Steady your mind. Do not resist." Mu En's weathered voice sounded simultaneously beside Jiang Yue's ear and inside his mind. "Using one mind for three purposes, each controlling a different matter—this is the Three Apertures Heart realm of the Distraction Control Technique. Try using these three streams of thought to sense three separate things."

At Mu En's reminder, Jiang Yue tried controlling the three separated streams of spiritual power. At the same time, his attention was no longer focused on a single object. Mu En's appearance, a falling leaf from a distant tree, and a bird in the sky—the movements of all three were completely captured in Jiang Yue's eyes.

The sensation was extraordinarily marvelous, as though his brain had been divided into three independent operating units. It was utterly incomparable to simply drawing circles with one hand and squares with the other.

An idea surfaced in Jiang Yue's mind. He wanted to see what he could achieve in this state.

Mu En seemed to have seen through Jiang Yue's thoughts and nodded, signaling that he could do whatever he wished.

Three Soul Rings—yellow, purple, purple—appeared behind Jiang Yue. The silver-white Passionate Sword and crimson Joy Sword appeared in his hands at the same time. After taking a deep breath, the two swords in his hands let out crisp sword cries.

"A special weapon-type soul skill formed from a fusion of Mental Power and Soul Power? It seems it isn't as simple as it looks."

The power radiated by the Joy Sword affected Mu En's heart, stirring the joy buried deep within him. This was not an offensive ability, so it did not trigger the instinctive defenses of this Limit Douluo.

Jiang Yue suddenly moved. As the Joy Sword in his right hand slashed diagonally downward, the Passionate Sword in his left hand swept upward in the opposite direction. The constantly dancing silver-white blade left trails like flowing light.

The sword techniques of his left and right hands were completely different, without the slightest resemblance. Strength and agility appeared together, two utterly different styles wielded by one person without the least sense of discord. The two swords sometimes flew in opposite directions and sometimes brushed past one another. The distance between them always differed by the smallest margin, yet that tiny distance was like an insurmountable chasm. The twin swords met countless times, yet could never truly meet.

After gradually becoming familiar with the two swords, Jiang Yue steadied his mind. The azure Anger Sword suddenly appeared and joined the series of sword techniques. The sword light unleashed by the three blades became one whole. The offensive momentum was continuous and unending, while the defense was as solid as a fortress, leaving not even the slightest flaw to be found.

From afar, no one would dare believe that one person was controlling three swords. It seemed more like three people wielding swords together, weaving an orderly net of blades.

Using one mind for three purposes was not something Jiang Yue could accomplish at his current level. Everything was thanks to Mu En. Yet even with Mu En's help, Jiang Yue could not maintain that state for long. In only this short while, fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

Even so, Jiang Yue had no intention of stopping. His cheeks were drenched in sweat, and his Mental Power was being consumed at an incredible rate, but his eyes had never been so bright.

When the final sword move ended, Jiang Yue spun and came to a halt. The three Soul Rings behind him, the Anger Sword floating at his side, and the two swords in his hands all vanished at once.

Jiang Yue closed his eyes tightly, his aura incomparably steady. Even though Mu En had already withdrawn his power, Jiang Yue remained immersed in that state and did not awaken for a long time.

Seeing Jiang Yue like this, Mu En nodded, unable to conceal the joy on his face.

He did not disturb Jiang Yue and simply waited silently for him to reflect on everything that had just happened, absorbing and summarizing the experience.

About the time it took to burn half an incense stick later, Jiang Yue finally opened his eyes reluctantly. His Mental Power, which had nearly been depleted, had recovered considerably. Though he could still feel the fatigue from overexertion, he also felt a clear, enlightened sense of openness.

He instinctively controlled his Mental Power, trying to recapture the feeling from earlier. The Soul Power that had originally flowed as one within his body split awkwardly into three branches under the control of his Mental Power. Though it was nowhere near as smooth as when Mu En had guided him, he had genuinely touched the threshold.

"Not bad, not bad. You've already glimpsed the entrance ahead of time. I believe it will only be a matter of days before you truly master the Three Apertures Heart. Remember, the core of the Distraction Control Technique has never been 'distraction,' but 'control.' No matter which level you reach, your apertures all originate from one heart. Whether you release or retract them must be under your own control. Do not lose sight of what truly matters."

"Thank you, Senior."

"Mm, go back. It's getting late, and the sun has set. Without the sun, this old man should return as well."

Facing Jiang Yue's solemn bow, Mu En waved him away. After watching Jiang Yue disappear from sight, Mu En vanished from the entrance of the dormitory. The students walking back and forth nearby noticed nothing unusual, as though no one had ever been there.

Before a wooden cabin on Sea God Island, a black-haired young woman who looked around twenty-three or twenty-four sat cross-legged, regulating her aura.

Her temperament was incomparably tranquil and gentle. One glance was enough to make her unforgettable.

Sensing a familiar aura appear, she hurriedly opened her eyes. Her bright black eyes were filled with respect as she immediately rose and approached Mu En, who had suddenly appeared before her, then bowed.

It was not an especially complicated formality, more like the greeting a junior would offer a respected elder.

"Elder Mu, did you go to the Outer Court again?"

"Haha, this old man has nothing else to do now. I just like seeing those children brimming with youthful vigor. Whenever I see them, I feel like I've become much younger."

"Lexuan, how are you feeling? If there is any discomfort at all, remember to tell me. Even if this old man already has one foot in the grave, I can still help stabilize your condition."

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Mu. I know my own body well. If there truly is a problem, I will seek your help immediately."

"That is good. Tell me whenever anything happens. No matter what, this old man will always be your elder."

A trace of concern appeared in Mu En's eyes. He had personally saved the young woman before him, but he had also personally locked this girl, whose family had been destroyed, inside a new cage.

Thus, Mu En's feelings toward Zhang Lexuan were extremely complicated. There was concern for a junior, but also guilt.

Mu En had wondered more than once whether, if he had not made that martial soul oath to Zhang Lexuan back then, she would not have been trapped by love now and could have truly lived a brilliant life of her own.

Zhang Lexuan did not wish to damage Bei Bei's relationship now, so she simply intended to devote everything she had to Shrek Academy.

Over a year ago, Zhang Lexuan had forcibly absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring while at the Rank 80 bottleneck. Given her physical condition and Mental Power at the time, absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring had been far too much of a strain. In the end, she had indeed succeeded in absorbing that Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, but she had also been bedridden for more than half a year because of it.

Even though she appeared to have no problems now, the meridians that had been ravaged by the violent energy contained within the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring had still not fully recovered.

The human body was a vast treasure, but if something went wrong, Zhang Lexuan might remain like this for the rest of her life. Mu En did not wish to see his junior lose her future before he died.

"From the look on your face, Elder Mu, did something worth being happy about happen today?"

"Yes. I encountered a child with rather good talent. Perhaps this old man can still take in a final disciple before he dies."

"A final disciple?!"

Zhang Lexuan was startled. As one of the few young people in Shrek Academy who knew of Mu En's existence, she understood Mu En's identity and strength very well. Any child Mu En thought highly of would possess talent at least on the same level as Yan Shaozhe.

Yan Shaozhe's talent was indeed formidable. He was stuck at Level 95 now entirely because his temperament was incompatible with the Bright Phoenix. If he had possessed another martial soul, he would likely already be Rank 97 or even Rank 98.

"I never expected the Outer Court to produce a genius capable of earning your regard this year, Elder Mu. It seems the Inner Court should become lively again in a few years. Congratulations in advance on gaining an excellent disciple."

"It is still too early to say such things. We must observe him for a while longer and determine his character."

The talent Jiang Yue had displayed undoubtedly moved Mu En. In this era, the most important thing for advancing to the Limit Douluo realm was condensing a Second Soul Core, and regardless of the method used to condense it, one needed sufficiently powerful Mental Power.

An eleven-year-old Soul Elder with exceptional talent in Mental Power—Mu En believed that as long as Jiang Yue developed normally, and as long as his temperament did not run contrary to his martial soul like Yan Shaozhe's, becoming a Limit Douluo would only be a matter of time.

Therefore, Mu En planned to observe Jiang Yue's character for a while before making any decision.

What puzzled Mu En most was that when he had helped Jiang Yue experience the Three Apertures Heart in advance today, he had actually sensed a familiar feeling within the pathways of Jiang Yue's Soul Power, as though he had seen an old acquaintance.

Of course, he was merely familiar with the pathways through which the Soul Power moved. There were so many meditation methods for different martial souls, along with universal meditation methods. Perhaps it was only a coincidence.

No matter the reason, Mu En intended to observe Jiang Yue for a while longer before deciding.