A Castle in the Air

Mu Feng nudged Di Qiuli with his elbow and whispered, "I didn't expect you to be so popular."

Di Qiuli shot Mu Feng a glare, pointed at the spot on his arm where she had once bitten him, then opened and closed her mouth, her neat pearly teeth gently meeting. She was clearly threatening him.

But Di Qiuli had a different kind of charm when she did not speak. Watching her tender red tongue move slightly inside her mouth, Mu Feng could not help but stare.

Di Qiuli quickly realized what was happening. A blush swept across her cheeks, and she hurriedly closed her mouth, glaring fiercely at Mu Feng.

Realizing he had lost his composure, Mu Feng rubbed his nose and turned away, though his mind still lingered on that alluring sight.

He had always treated the eleven-year-old Di Qiuli as a child. Yet that moment of charm had nearly made him lose control, even with all the experience of his past life. Mu Feng hurriedly patted his cheeks, banishing those sinful thoughts from his mind.

Mu Jin pressed her hands downward, and the classroom gradually quieted. Only then did she continue, "I know everyone still has many questions. Mu Feng, could you come up to the front?"

Mu Feng, who had been conducting an exorcism ritual on himself, snapped awake at Mu Jin's words and walked to the front.

Mu Jin whispered a few words into Mu Feng's ear. He nodded, and as his Soul Power surged forth, six-winged Kayle, clad in noble-style battle armor, appeared behind him. Three Soul Rings surrounded his body.

When everyone saw the colors of those Soul Rings clearly, their eyes widened involuntarily. Someone soon cried out in shock, "Three purple Soul Rings!"

Mu Jin had been asking whether Mu Feng was willing to reveal his martial soul. Given its unusual nature, it was only a matter of time before everyone learned of it anyway, so Mu Feng readily agreed to her request.

Meanwhile, Class One, who were miserably running laps on the plaza outside, suddenly heard earth-shaking screams erupt from Class Nine.

Mu Jin introduced him, "Mu Feng is a level thirty-nine Soul Elder. Does anyone have any objections to him serving as our class monitor?"

With Mu Feng as the class monitor keeping everyone in line, no one dared oppose Mu Jin any longer. The remaining arrangements were quickly settled.

When class ended, intimidated by Mu Feng's terrifying Soul Ring configuration, hardly anyone even left their seats. Only after several bolder students approached to speak with their monster of a class monitor did the classroom become lively again.

Those who spoke with him soon discovered that Mu Feng was far more approachable than they had imagined. He smiled warmly at everyone and quickly earned unanimous praise from his classmates.

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was nearby, Di Qiuli whispered in Mu Feng's ear, "How hypocritical."

Mu Feng, whose smile had already frozen stiff on his face, twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Likewise."

Aside from the theory classes, which helped Mu Feng gain a deeper understanding of martial souls and soul beasts, he was already far ahead of most of his classmates in cultivation. Thus, Mu Jin specially allowed Mu Feng, who was on the verge of a breakthrough, to move freely during cultivation classes.

This was good news for Mu Feng, who was about to advance to Soul Ancestor. While tales of Mu Feng had already begun spreading outside, Mu Feng himself quietly hid away in a corner to cultivate. Other than attending theory classes on time, he was often nowhere to be found in the classroom.

However, he still bore the responsibilities of class monitor. Thus, Mu Feng handed most of those duties over to Di Qiuli and Ning Tian, acting only as an honorary class monitor in name. Di Qiuli needed no explanation, while Ning Tian was the third-strongest cultivator in the class and also hailed from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Naturally, no one had any objections.

Mu Feng sat by Sea God Lake, enjoying the cool lake breeze brushing against his face. Few people came here during class hours, and since Mu Feng had chosen such a secluded spot, it was even harder to find anyone. No normal person would come this way.

Mu Feng opened his eyes and gazed out over the vast Sea God Lake with a sigh. He always felt that he was just one step away from a breakthrough, yet that final sliver of insight was as elusive as an antelope's horn, impossible to grasp.

Feeling somewhat bored, Mu Feng picked up a pebble beside him and listlessly skipped it across the lake.

"Feeling a little lost, are you, little fellow?" A voice suddenly rang out in Mu Feng's mind. It belonged to Electrolux, who resided within Mu Feng's spiritual sea.

"Senior, you're awake?" Mu Feng asked in surprise.

"My name is Electrolux. Just call me Elder Yi," Electrolux continued. "Thanks to that mass of holy light, my spiritual consciousness is no longer as frail as it was in the beginning. This old bag of bones can finally come out for some fresh air."

"From the look of you, have you encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation?"

"Yes, Elder Yi." Mu Feng nodded. "I'm stuck at the crucial threshold of advancement, but I can never grasp that trace of enlightenment. Everything feels hazy and unclear."

Electrolux pondered for a moment. "The more it comes to times like this, the less tightly you should cling to it. Although the cultivation laws of this world differ from mine, the essence of cultivation ultimately leads to the same path. Cultivation is like a spring—it must have a proper balance of tension and relaxation. Rather than exhausting yourself here, you might as well go out and seek inspiration."

Mu Feng took Electrolux's experienced advice and looked out over the boundless blue Sea God Lake. Life at Shrek Academy had certainly been relaxed and interesting these past few days, but such comfortable days were like a castle in the air to him.

Mu Feng murmured, "It's time to return to my original identity."

Mu Feng immediately used his impending breakthrough and the need to enter the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring as an excuse, asking Mu Jin for a seven-day leave. Mu Jin cared deeply about the greatest genius in the class—and even among the new students—and repeatedly asked Mu Feng whether he needed her help.

Despite Mu Feng's repeated refusals, Mu Jin remained somewhat worried. However, seeing how resolute he was, she could only approve his leave.

After arriving in Shrek City, Mu Feng slowly strolled along the outer ring of the southern district. Shrek Academy lay at the intersection of the three great empires, where countless merchants and mercenary guilds gathered, forming Shrek City's vast commercial ecosystem.

Inns and taverns were even more mixed and chaotic. After wandering for a long while, Mu Feng entered a tea-house inn. Passing through the noisy crowd, he went straight to the proprietor.

"Boss, give me a mug of ale. Make it hot—boil it if possible."

The burly man seated beside Mu Feng looked at him strangely and said, "Hot ale? Kid, are you looking for trouble?"

The proprietor, who had just been chatting cheerfully with another customer, gave Mu Feng a meaningful glance. "We only serve chilled ale here. If you want it hot, go upstairs, walk forward, and turn right. There are kettles and firewood inside. Heat it yourself."

Mu Feng nodded and followed the directions to a cramped woodshed. An old man sat inside in dull silence. Mu Feng lowered his voice and said, "Shadows hang over the universe."

The withered old man, who had been moving lazily and listlessly, looked around after hearing those words. His gaze settled on Mu Feng as he replied, "The Holy Spirit saves all living beings."

Mu Feng then slapped a token down before him. The old man carefully held it in his palm. After examining it, his expression changed drastically. He immediately prostrated himself before Mu Feng and said respectfully, "Welcome, Holy Son."

Mu Feng took back the token and ordered, "Have Xiao Hei and Little White come see me."

"Yes." Having received the order, the old man no longer appeared numb and sluggish. He swiftly left the room.

Electrolux said gravely within his mind, "It seems your identity is far from ordinary, little fellow. No wonder you asked me to help you find materials the moment we met."