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

It was not that his talent was lacking; he simply did not put any effort into cultivation. 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.

He had barely turned around when a figure approached from the corridor corner. It was Huo Yuhao, who had just returned from cultivating his Violet Demon Eyes outside.

A thin sheen of sweat still covered the young man's forehead, and his breathing was slightly hurried. Evidently, after finishing his Purple-Gold Demon Palm cultivation, he had gone out for a run as well.

The instant he saw Tang Wulin, his eyes lit up. He quickened his pace, then stopped obediently before him, his voice carrying the particular earnestness and respect of 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, help me tell him that he's been assigned to Class One too. You're in Class One as well, so don't let him go to the wrong place."

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

A shadow flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes.

He raised a hand and gently rubbed Huo Yuhao's head twice. The touch was light, carrying the affection of an older brother, while his tone was warm in precisely the right measure. "You call me Brother Tang. Doesn't that make me your brother?"

Huo Yuhao's ears immediately reddened. 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 full of trust and attachment.

Tang Wulin watched him, the curve of his lips unchanged, though a few more thoughts entered his eyes.

At his core, Huo Yuhao carried an inferiority complex and a submissive nature. Give him a little warmth, and he would remember it for a long time. Used properly, he could become an exceedingly handy blade.

Tang Wulin already held enough trump cards in his hands, but some matters were ultimately inconvenient for him to handle personally.

If he took over Sea God Pavilion in the future, he would need a vicious dog at his side—loyal enough, and sharp enough. Huo Yuhao was perfectly suited for the role.

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

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

Only then did he withdraw his gaze, clench his fists as though making some decision, and turn back toward his dormitory.

Once Tang Wulin left the dormitory building, his pace quickened. He passed through the winding bluestone paths of the Outer Court and headed straight for Sea God Island.

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

Abundant vitality surged from every inch of soil beneath his feet and entered his meridians through his soles. It felt as though his entire body had been immersed in a warm spring of life, every limb and bone silently relaxing.

For someone like him, who possessed the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul and the Child of Nature constitution, this place was practically a paradise tailored specifically for him.

Life energy constantly washed over his muscles and bones. Every breath carried the crisp sweetness of vegetative essence, and even the circulation of Soul Power through his meridians was far faster than outside.

A single day of cultivation on this island was worth more than ten days of bitter practice in the Outer Court.

Tang Wulin made his way familiarly into his room on Sea God Island. It was not large, but it was clean and bright, facing directly toward the canopy of the Golden Ancient Tree. Everywhere he looked was filled with lush, vibrant green.

He sat before 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 herbs 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 final word, he set down the brush and stared at the paper for a while, unable to stop himself from rubbing his forehead.

Just from their names, it was obvious that these five items were extraordinarily valuable. Their ages were also strictly fixed; even being short by a single year would not do.

Shrek Academy's reserves might be plentiful, but producing five ten-thousand-year spiritual herbs at once would probably still 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 Sea God Pavilion.

The path beneath his feet was paved with intertwined, thick tree branches. It was solid and level underfoot, no different from walking on actual ground.

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

When he entered the wooden house of Sea God Pavilion, Mu En was reclining in a vine chair by the window with a cup of clear tea in hand. Seeing Tang Wulin push the door open, the old man narrowed his eyes and smiled, beckoning to him. "Wulin, you're here? What brings you to your teacher so early in the morning?"

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

Mu En took the paper and glanced over it. Rather than looking at its contents, he nodded first. "That's right. With your physical constitution and cultivation speed, burying yourself in hard training would only make you stupid. The main reason for sending you to the Outer Court is to let you relax more and make more reliable companions. In particular, you need to start searching early for candidates for the Shrek Seven Monsters. That is the highest priority."

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

Mu En paused with his teacup in hand, then set it down, a knowing smile appearing on his face.

He leaned back in his chair, his tone certain and casual. "You are the youngest elder in Sea God Pavilion's history. Forget refusing a teacher's teaching methods—even if you want 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 see fit. You don't need to report it to anyone."

That was exactly what Tang Wulin had been waiting to hear. The smile on his face became a little more genuine as he tapped the sheet of paper in Mu En's hand. "Then I can rest easy. By the way, Master, I'll need to trouble you to keep an eye out for these spiritual herbs."

Mu En lowered his head to look at the contents of the paper, one brow lifting slightly. "Eh? Didn't you just ask for a batch of thousand-year spiritual herbs last time? Why have you jumped straight to ten-thousand-year ones this time?"

"There is a special bloodline within me." Tang Wulin chose his words carefully, making his explanation seven parts truth and three parts falsehood. "I need to constantly use these spiritual herbs to improve my physical constitution, or I will not be able to withstand the washing of my bloodline power. Lower-year herbs are ineffective, so I can only seek higher-grade ones."

After hearing this, Mu En did not ask further questions. He folded the paper and placed it into his sleeve, then waved his hand, his voice carrying the indulgent straightforwardness typical of an elder.

"All right, I'll keep an eye out for these five items. Shrek's treasury should have several of them. If anything is missing, I'll have people search outside. Just cultivate in peace. You don't need to worry about anything else."