Sea God Pavilion Meeting

Sea God Pavilion.

It sat upon Sea God Island, located at the very center of Shrek Academy's Sea God Lake.

At the heart of the small island stood the towering Golden Ancient Tree.

Inside the Golden Ancient Tree, a massive oval wooden table sat in the center of the hall. Wide wooden chairs were arranged along both sides for the various elders of the Sea God Pavilion to take their seats and deliberate.

The once-tranquil Sea God Pavilion was once again filled with noise.

In the recliner at the head of the oval table, Mu En closed his eyes, his expression placid as he pondered.

To his left sat Xuan Zi, Elder Song, and Elder Zhuang, with Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er at the end.

To his right sat Elder Lin, with Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er at the end.

Although the seats were not all filled, the arguing continued.

Qian Duoduo looked as if he were watching a spectacle, saying, "If we keep this kid at Shrek, what happens if he turns into an Evil Soul Master one day?"

"What do you suggest we do?" Yan Shaozhe asked in a deep voice, suppressing his patience, a hint of guilt lingering on his face.

Qian Duoduo leaned back against his chair, unbothered. After a moment of thought, he said in a gruff voice, "Rather than letting him become an Evil Soul Master later, it's better to cripple his Soul Power now to avoid future trouble!"

Yan Shaozhe could no longer listen. He slammed the table and stood up. "You're talking nonsense! He not only has Innate Full Soul Power, but he also possesses Twin Martial Souls and two innate domains. His second Martial Soul even has a hundred-thousand-year soul ring attached. You're telling me to just cripple him like that?"

Qian Duoduo sneered. "So what if he's a genius? Wasn't Ma Xiaotao a phoenix genius rarely seen in a thousand years?"

"Back then, you swore you could suppress the evil fire in her body, but what happened? How many times did she end up hurting Shrek students?"

Yan Shaozhe, having just dealt with the incident involving Feng Ling, saw his expression darken. He raised his voice. "You're talking nonsense. Can you compare the two? Ma Xiaotao's evil fire is inherent to her Martial Soul, while Yue Ling was injected with a remnant soul of a Title Douluo at an unknown time. The two are fundamentally different!"

"The nature is different, but the risk is the same!"

Qian Duoduo leaned forward, refusing to yield. "It's fortunate that this happened at Shrek Academy, and that it happened in front of Xuan Zi and you!"

"But what about next time? Once the remnant soul makes a comeback, the price we pay to stop it won't be as simple as just one student!"

Yan Shaozhe crossed his arms, his gaze sharp.

"As the guardians of Shrek, we cannot simply abandon Yue Ling the moment we encounter an unknown danger. Besides, he is Xuan Zi's disciple! And a genius Spirit Master at that!"

"If we don't try to save him and simply pass judgment on his fate, how can we call ourselves an academy that protects Spirit Masters?"

Qian Duoduo intended to continue his rebuttal.

On the recliner.

A slight cough from Mu En sounded, and both men immediately shut their mouths, sitting honestly in their seats and ceasing their argument.

"I understand your concerns. This child is a part of Shrek, and we cannot abandon him either." Mu En's aged voice carried a hint of firmness.

Hearing this, Xuan Zi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked:

"Pavilion Master, what should we do for now?"

"This remnant soul cannot be directly erased." Mu En paused, then spoke slowly again. "The soul origin of this Evil Soul Master has already forcibly intertwined with Yue Ling's Spirit Sea."

"If we try to tear it out by force, at best his Spirit Sea will be permanently damaged, leaving him an idiot; at worst, his soul will shatter, and he will die instantly."

Xuan Zi's face dimmed. Regardless of anything else, it would be a lie to say he didn't feel heartache.

He had eaten Yue Ling's cooking for four years, listened to his nagging for four years, and watched him grow from eight to twelve years old. In his heart, he had long since accepted this well-behaved disciple.

The child had always been on his own, self-reliant and strong.

As his teacher, he had been careless to such a degree.

Sigh...

Xuan Zi sighed. At this moment, he didn't know what to do either, and could only look toward the eyes-closed Mu En.

"Then what... should be done?"

Mu En slowly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I can borrow the power of the Golden Ancient Tree to set up a barrier around the periphery of his Spirit Sea, and then use my own spiritual power to construct a seal, confining the remnant soul of this Title Douluo to a corner of his Spirit Sea."

"But the only thing that can truly resolve his situation is his own second Martial Soul, Lovesick Heartbreak Red." Mu En paused, then continued, "By using his second Martial Soul to keep the remnant soul in check, the two will hold each other back, which can provide a temporary solution."

"Of course, this is only an expedient measure, not a permanent cure. In the future, whenever his state of mind is thrown into chaos, cracks will appear in the seal."

Xuan Zi was somewhat anxious.

"Then how can we completely clear this remnant soul?"

Mu En looked over and sighed. "Xuan Zi, we can only pin our hopes on him. Once his cultivation and spiritual power are strong enough, he will be able to wear down that remnant of the evil soul bit by bit."

"Alright..."

Xian Lin'er looked hesitant and spoke in a deep voice: "The risk is truly too great. This child's talent is too exceptional. If the evil thoughts in his soul ever completely spiral out of control, he will surely become the most terrifying Evil Soul Master!"

"If it ever reaches that point, we will have no way to keep him in check."

Mu En smiled gently upon hearing this, his face showing not a hint of worry.

"Isn't Xuan Zi here to watch over him?" His tone was indifferent. "He is the child's teacher. Personally keeping an eye on him, teaching him, and restraining him is his duty."

Xuan Zi was stunned for a moment, feeling vaguely that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what. He could only ask, full of confusion: "Mu En, what do you mean by that?"

As his words fell, Mu En slowly rose from the wooden recliner. In his usually lazy and peaceful eyes, a rare, extreme seriousness gathered.

"The matter of Yue Ling's soul being invaded by an evil soul is actually just a minor issue."

"Don't we elders still exist?" He pursed his lips, suddenly remembering the fish Yue Ling made. That was his favorite dish.

Mu En narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly: "Yue Ling is a good child. He will be a person of Shrek for his entire life, and he even swore an oath on his Twin Martial Souls because of it."

Mu En paused. "We cannot abandon him just because he has some unstable factors. If we did, as the guardians of Shrek, how could we answer to our predecessors?"

"So that's how it is..." Qian Duoduo realized, and after a sigh of emotion, he had no further thoughts on the matter.

Mu En walked with his hands behind his back, his low voice instantly filling the entire quiet Sea God Pavilion.

"Furthermore, the reason I summoned you all here today is to inform you of a more important matter."

All the elders and academy high-level officials present instantly set aside their idle thoughts, sitting upright and focusing, sensing that something was wrong.

Following closely, Mu En's deep words exploded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

"We have always thought that the Evil Soul Masters on the continent were just acting in scattered, evil ways, but that is not the case."

"Behind all the Evil Soul Masters lies a complete, secret, and massive organization. This is the key intelligence brought back by Xuan Zi and Zhang Lexuan after they encountered the Evil Soul Master and saved Yue Ling."

Mu En walked slowly to the door of the Sea God Pavilion, looking up at the lush Shrek Academy, his eyes filled with deep vicissitudes and helplessness.

"And my lifespan... is already running out."