For some reason, Mu Feng had a feeling that Di Qiuli would not reveal the secret from earlier.
But that was ultimately only what he thought. After all, he was not Di Qiuli. Having his fate placed in someone else's hands did not feel good. The way he looked at Di Qiuli inevitably carried a trace of nervousness, and she noticed his gaze as well. Their eyes met briefly in the air before immediately shifting apart.
After Bi Ji voiced her speculation about the Angel God Position inheritance, Di Qiuli did not say another word.
It was not until Bi Ji left with Di Qiuli that the weight crushing Mu Feng's heart finally lifted.
As for whether Di Qiuli would expose his lie while alone with Bi Ji, after that little test just now, Mu Feng was not worried in the slightest. If he had to give a reason, it was simply because he trusted her.
Watching Di Qiuli's retreating figure, an indescribable emotion suddenly rose in Mu Feng's heart. Ever since Stone Village had been destroyed, this was the first time he had placed such trust in someone—trust enough to entrust her with the secrets in his heart.
Faintly, Mu Feng even found himself looking forward to meeting her again.
Becoming a god was practically the ultimate lifelong wish of every powerhouse who entered the Title Douluo realm. Yet in the ten thousand years since the Battle of Two Gods, no one had been able to take that final step.
Moreover, the Angel God Position inheritance had been severed along with the fall of Spirit Hall. Still, Long Xiaoyao believed three parts of Bi Ji's explanation, because there was no other suitable reason to account for Mu Feng's transformation.
Along the way, Long Xiaoyao frequently furrowed his brow over this matter and repeatedly asked Mu Feng how he felt after his Martial Soul "evolved."
To put the matter to rest once and for all, Mu Feng "boldly speculated" that this Martial Soul mutation was very likely caused by the pill Ye Xishui had refined for him long ago, using the blood essence of dozens of light-element soul beasts.
"Mm." Long Xiaoyao nodded. There had been precedents for such things on the continent. Inducing Martial Soul Evolution after birth was extremely difficult, but that did not mean it was impossible.
For instance, using the corresponding immortal herb could evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to nine levels. Ning Rongrong, the Nine Treasure Douluo from ten thousand years ago, had ascended to godhood in precisely this manner. Tang San, the founder of the Tang Sect, had likewise seen his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor.
After considering it from every angle, Mu Feng's explanation made far more sense than Bi Ji's.
The journey back was much easier. There was no need to worry about savage beasts blocking the road, and Mu Feng quickly returned to his familiar underground cottage.
Upon receiving word that Mu Feng was about to return, Zhongli Wu also came to the Blood Soul Hall.
Mu Feng wore a white robe. Having completed the first Divine Ascent, he radiated a warm, comforting aura. Merely standing beside him felt like being embraced by a gentle spring breeze.
Anyone who saw Mu Feng for the first time would inevitably feel favorably toward him. In this appearance, he seemed completely unrelated to the Holy Spirit Cult. Even Ye Xishui was slightly dazed as she looked at him.
He had only been away for less than a month, yet he seemed utterly reborn. However, this was merely the Holy Angel Martial Soul's enhancement of Mu Feng's outward temperament. Beneath that shell, Mu Feng's soul remained the same—still steadfast upon his own path.
A Martial Soul could only influence his outward aura; it could never distort his character.
Yet this accidental journey also convinced Mu Feng that the power of fate truly existed. The moment he arrived at the border town near the Star Dou Great Forest, he encountered a beast tide. By chance, he also ran into Di Qiuli, who had accompanied the Scarlet King to deal with it. In the end, it was only with her help that he passed the trial.
The odds of such a chain of coincidences occurring were simply too low. It could only be attributed to the illusory power of fate.
Zhongli Wu examined Mu Feng's current appearance with great satisfaction. Even though Mu Feng gave off a light aura that evil soul masters loathed, Zhongli Wu still forced out a smile. "With this appearance, once you infiltrate Shrek Academy, no one will connect you to the Holy Spirit Cult."
As long as Mu Feng did not reveal any major flaws, there was absolutely no possibility of his identity being exposed. The only remaining issue was how to craft Mu Feng's background into something flawless. For the Holy Spirit Cult, which was well versed in underground dealings, that was merely a trivial matter.
Within the Blood Soul Hall, Ye Xishui finally spoke. "In two years, it will be time for you to join Shrek Academy. Aside from your daily cultivation, you should also learn what you need to do after entering the academy."
As she spoke, she silently checked the curse she had planted within Mu Feng's spiritual sea. This was an important means of controlling Mu Feng, this chess piece. No matter what Mu Feng became, as long as she held this rein in her hand, he would never be able to escape her grasp.
Only after confirming that it remained intact did Ye Xishui finally relax.
Mu Feng had no idea that because of Ye Xishui's words, his training schedule for the next two years gained all sorts of strange classes, including but not limited to painting, intelligence transmission, and learning the Holy Spirit Cult's specialized methods of communication.
Although Mu Feng had been the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son for three years, throughout that time he had done nothing but bury himself in cultivation. He had never involved himself in the sect's affairs and had met the Eight Elders and Deputy Cult Leader Feng Ling only a handful of times. It could be said that he knew absolutely nothing about the Holy Spirit Cult's many operations.
Therefore, if they wanted to maximize the value of Mu Feng as a powerful spy, these were all essential lessons.
Naturally, what mattered even more were survival techniques. If his identity was exposed, preserving his own life would undoubtedly be the top priority. This was one of the few subjects Mu Feng practiced diligently.
During the countless nights when those lessons tormented him, Mu Feng felt as though he had returned to the days before the college entrance examinations in his previous life. Even his usual tedious cultivation seemed far more interesting by comparison.
Although Mu Feng spent a great deal of mental energy on these courses that were meaningless for cultivation, freed from the restrictions of the secret technique, his cultivation speed was on a completely different level from before.
In just over a year, Mu Feng advanced from level thirty-three, after having only just absorbed his soul ring, to level thirty-eight. He was now only waiting for an opportunity to break through to level thirty-nine.
Nor did he cultivate like a stubborn fool. Learning from his failure in the illusion trial, Mu Feng paid special attention to cultivating his composure, lest he act impulsively in battle again because of his emotions.
In fact, Mu Feng had not invented this method of cultivation out of thin air. He recalled that after Tang San emerged from Slaughter City, he had undergone similar training to restrain the killing intent in his heart.
But Mu Feng was not as extreme as Tang San had been. He only needed to learn to control his temperament and avoid being swayed by emotion in battle. After all, most of his future opponents would be Soul Masters.
Even when playing games in his previous life, trash talk could affect his performance. Mu Feng, who had focused only on fighting soul beasts, was practically a blank slate in this regard aside from combat techniques.
Once emotions took control, both his command over Soul Power and the effects of his soul skills would be greatly diminished. Thus, maintaining sufficient calm in battle was also a required lesson for any true powerhouse.
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