If Anyone Dares Put on Airs in Front of You, Deal with Them as You Please

It wasn't that his talent was lacking; he simply did not cultivate at all. If not for having a good father, he probably would not even qualify to return to the Divine Realm.

Tang Wulin silently grumbled to himself, but his expression revealed nothing. He merely tugged at the corner of his mouth before casually closing the door behind him.

The moment he turned around, a figure came toward him from the corner of the corridor. It was Huo Yuhao, who had just returned from cultivating the Violet Demon Eyes outside.

A thin layer of sweat still clung to the boy's forehead, and his breathing was slightly hurried. Evidently, after finishing his Violet-Gold Demon Eyes cultivation, he had gone out for a few laps as well.

The moment he saw Tang Wulin, his eyes lit up. He quickened his pace, then stopped obediently before him, his voice carrying the earnestness and respect unique to a youth. "Good morning, Brother Tang!"

"Yuhao," Tang Wulin answered with a smile, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the pleasant weather. "When Wang Dong wakes up later, help me tell him that he's been assigned to Class One too. You're in Class One as well, so don't go to the wrong place."

At once, deep gratitude welled up in Huo Yuhao's eyes. His lips moved, and even his voice tightened slightly. "Thank you, Brother Tang. You're so good to me... It would be wonderful if you were my real older brother."

A flicker of darkness passed through Tang Wulin's eyes.

He raised a hand and gently ruffled Huo Yuhao's hair twice. The touch was light, carrying a touch of an older brother's affection, while his tone was perfectly gentle. "You call me Brother Tang. Doesn't that make me your brother?"

Huo Yuhao's ears immediately turned red. He lowered his head, seemingly embarrassed, yet could not help lightly rubbing against Tang Wulin's palm. He looked exactly like a puppy being petted, his eyes filled with trust and attachment.

Tang Wulin watched him, the curve of his lips unchanged, though his gaze grew more contemplative.

At his core, Huo Yuhao carried an air of inferiority and obedience. Give him a little warmth, and he would remember it for a long time. Used properly, he would make an exceedingly handy blade.

Tang Wulin already held enough trump cards in his hand, but there were some things that were not convenient for him to do personally.

If he took charge of the Sea God Pavilion in the future, he would need a vicious dog at his side—one loyal enough, and sharp enough. Huo Yuhao was just right for the role.

"All right." He withdrew his hand, his tone still gentle. "I have some matters to attend to. Cultivate properly, and don't slack off."

"Mm!" Huo Yuhao nodded heavily and watched Tang Wulin turn away, waiting until his figure had completely vanished into the sunlight at the end of the corridor.

Only then did he retract his gaze. He clenched his fists, as though he had made some decision, then turned and returned to his dormitory.

After leaving the dormitory building, Tang Wulin quickened his pace. He crossed the winding bluestone paths of the outer courtyard and headed straight for Sea God Island.

The instant he stepped onto the island, he could not help letting out a faint breath of relief.

Dense vitality surged from every inch of soil beneath his feet, drilling into his meridians through the soles of his feet. It felt as though his entire body had been immersed in a pool of warm life spring water, and every limb and bone silently stretched in comfort.

For someone like him, who possessed the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul and the physique of a child of nature, this place was simply a paradise tailored for him.

Life energy constantly washed over his muscles and bones. Every breath carried the crisp, sweet essence of grass and trees, and even the soul power flowing through his meridians circulated far faster than it did outside.

One day of cultivation on this island was worth more than ten days of painstaking cultivation in the outer courtyard.

Tang Wulin made his way familiarly into his room on Sea God Island. It was not large, but it was bright and spotless. Its window faced the crown of the Golden Ancient Tree, filling his view with lush, dripping green.

He sat down at the desk, took out a blank sheet of paper from his storage soul tool, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote down the five spiritual medicines Old Tang had listed for him the night before.

Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon-Scale Fruit, Ten-Thousand-Year Azure Jade Root, Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood, Ten-Thousand-Year Frost Lingzhi, Ten-Thousand-Year Flame Lotus.

After writing the last word, he set down his brush and stared at the sheet for a while before raising a hand to rub his forehead.

Just from their names, one could tell that these five items were enormously valuable. Their ages were also strictly fixed; even being one year short would not do.

Although Shrek Academy possessed abundant reserves, producing five ten-thousand-year spiritual medicines at once would likely require some effort.

He folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve, then rose and left the room, following the winding branch path toward the Sea God Pavilion.

The path beneath his feet was formed from interwoven, sturdy branches. It was solid and level beneath him, no different from walking on actual ground.

With every step, he could feel the pulse of life beneath his feet. Warm and gentle, it spread upward along his leg bones, making even his muscles and bones faintly burn.

When he entered the wooden house of the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En was reclining in a wicker chair by the window with a cup of clear tea in hand. Seeing Tang Wulin push open the door, the old man narrowed his eyes and smiled as he beckoned him over. "Wulin, you're here? So early in the morning—what do you need from your teacher?"

Tang Wulin walked over and sat on a low stool opposite Mu En. He first handed over the sheet of paper, then spoke in an unhurried tone. "Teacher, let me establish something first. With my current talent and cultivation, my main task in the outer courtyard is to get to know people my age and form the new generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, correct?"

Mu En accepted the paper and gave it a quick glance, but did not rush to read its contents. He nodded first. "That's right. With your physical constitution and cultivation speed, burying your head in hard cultivation would only make you stupid. The main reason for sending you to the outer courtyard is to let you relax more and make more reliable companions. In particular, you need to start looking for candidates for the Shrek Seven Monsters early. That is the utmost priority."

Tang Wulin smiled, then subtly shifted the subject. "Then if I encounter an unsuitable method of cultivation, can I refuse it? If that teacher has a forceful attitude and insists on doing things his way, can I resist?"

Mu En's hand paused slightly around his teacup. He then set it down, an understanding smile appearing on his face.

Leaning back in his chair, he spoke with calm certainty. "You are the youngest elder in the history of the Sea God Pavilion. Forget refusing a teacher's teaching methods—even if you wanted to deal with a teacher, you have the authority to do so. If anyone dares put on airs in front of you, deal with them as you please. You do not need to report it to anyone."

This was exactly what Tang Wulin had been waiting to hear. The smile on his face became more genuine as he pointed at the paper in Mu En's hand. "Then I'm relieved. By the way, Teacher, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye out for these spiritual medicines."

Mu En lowered his head and glanced at the contents of the paper, one brow lifting slightly. "Eh? Didn't you ask for a batch of thousand-year spiritual medicines not long ago? Why have you jumped straight to ten thousand years this time?"

"I have a special bloodline within my body." Tang Wulin carefully chose his words, making his explanation seven parts true and three parts false. "I need to continuously use these spiritual medicines to improve my physical constitution in order to withstand the cleansing of my bloodline power. Lower-grade ones are useless, so I can only look for higher-grade ones."

After hearing this, Mu En did not ask further questions. He folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve, then waved his hand, his tone carrying an elder's usual indulgence and straightforwardness.

"All right. I'll keep an eye out for these five items. Shrek's storehouse should have a few of them, and for whatever is missing, I'll have people search outside. Just cultivate with peace of mind. You needn't worry about anything else."