Saying One Thing, Meaning Another

A scorching sensation spread from his back. As time passed, the temperature behind him rose higher and higher, like a branding iron being heated continuously against his back.

This frog-boiling pain was the most torturous kind. From what Mu Feng had learned in Shrek Academy's theory classes about Soul Bones, this kind of Soul Bone that could resonate with its host and actively fuse with them was not one of the common six great Soul Bones, but an External Soul Bone with growth potential.

Such External Soul Bones possessed tremendous potential for growth. Naturally, their absorption difficulty was correspondingly the highest as well.

The wing-shaped Soul Bone embedded itself firmly into Mu Feng's back, as though countless bone spikes had grown from it and pierced seamlessly into his spine.

This time, Electrolux was not there to help him. It had nothing to do with the strength of his Soul Power's impact, but was instead a contest of willpower.

Mu Feng's eyes turned bloodshot as he let out a miserable howl. It felt as if his bones were building blocks, being picked up and rearranged piece by piece. The process of this transformation was undoubtedly agonizing and lengthy.

Time no longer held any meaning for Mu Feng. In his perception, there was only the thought of desperately holding on for one more second.

As Xiao Hei and Little White watched Mu Feng's twisted expression of agony, they could not help worrying about his condition, even though they knew this was a necessary process for absorbing a Soul Bone.

He had first suffered grave injuries, then absorbed a Soul Ring at the limit of what he could bear, and now he was fusing with an External Soul Bone. Even a man made of iron would be nearing his limit.

And Mu Feng truly was reaching his limit. His consciousness gradually blurred, and his clenched teeth were his final struggle.

Who knew how much time had passed? Mu Feng had collapsed facedown on the ground, utterly exhausted and unconscious, yet his back remained taut.

By then, the golden patterns had long since merged into his back. His External Soul Bone had fused successfully, but the unconscious Mu Feng could not enjoy the joy of that success.

"Water," Mu Feng rasped through his dry throat. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was white around him. "Where am I? Don't tell me I'm dead."

His voice was weak and intermittent, as though he might fail to catch his breath at any moment.

The moment he finished speaking, a straw was placed into his mouth. With a gentle sip, warm water flowed down his throat and nourished his parched body.

Mu Feng closed his eyes in enjoyment, feeling the soothing warmth flow into his heart. He slowly said, "Looks like I haven't gone to heaven yet."

"Pah." A crisp, pleasant female voice rang out. "A bad guy like you should be grateful if you don't end up in hell."

In an instant, Mu Feng recognized the owner of that familiar voice. Di Qiuli sat upright in the chair beside his bed, attentively holding a cup of water in her hands.

Mu Feng turned his head and teased with a smile, "Even if I went to hell, I'd be willing to do it if such a beautiful woman accompanied me."

Di Qiuli froze. She had mocked Mu Feng because he had left the academy alone without even telling her. She had only learned from their homeroom teacher, Mu Jin, that Mu Feng had gone out to obtain a Soul Ring.

She had assumed he was prepared, or at the very least, that a powerful expert would be accompanying him like last time. Yet a week later, Mu Feng had appeared unconscious and covered in blood at the gates of Shrek Academy. It was only because members of New Student Class Nine happened to pass by that he was brought back to the infirmary.

Several groups of people had come to visit him during that time, from Class Nine students to Ning Tian, Nanmen Yun'er, Yu Tianhuang, and Mu Jin. Yet from beginning to end, Di Qiuli had been the only one keeping watch at his bedside.

It had been a full day and night since Mu Feng was sent to the infirmary, and Di Qiuli had stayed by his bedside for that entire day and night. Yu Tianhuang had offered to care for the unconscious Mu Feng so that Di Qiuli could return and rest, but she had flatly refused.

Even though she had clearly been worried about that hateful fellow who had disappeared without a word, once Mu Feng truly woke up, her words came out differently.

Mu Feng had long grown accustomed to Di Qiuli's sharp tongue and did not take her angry words to heart. Instead, he teased her in return.

Once Di Qiuli came to her senses, the tips of her ears hidden beneath her golden hair quietly reddened. Still, she refused to let him off. "You still have the strength to talk nonsense? If someone hadn't recognized your academy uniform and brought you back to the school, who knows which Soul Beast's belly you'd be in as dinner today."

Mu Feng raised an eyebrow. His memories stopped at the final moment of absorbing the Soul Bone, and he had no recollection at all of what happened afterward.

But Mu Feng remembered that he had not been wearing the academy uniform Di Qiuli mentioned at the time. He pondered it silently.

Looks like those two put a Shrek Academy uniform on me before tossing me at the gate.

At that thought, Mu Feng's mouth twitched. He had not expected Black and White Impermanence to be so carefree, actually entrusting his unconscious self to Shrek Academy.

But Mu Feng had truly wronged the two brothers this time. Little White had brought him back to Shrek City and spent a fortune to hire a healing-type Soul Emperor to examine him. Only after confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong did they have someone return Mu Feng to Shrek Academy.

Mu Feng laughed heartily. "Isn't everything fine? I just need a few days of rest."

Di Qiuli's willow brows shot up as she was about to argue with him again, when the ward door suddenly opened. Yu Tianhuang and Nanmen Yun'er entered together. On the way here, the two had already resolved to persuade Di Qiuli to return to her dormitory today. Yet upon opening the door, they saw Mu Feng awake and leaning against the headboard.

The two exclaimed in delight, "Brother Mu (Brother Mu Feng), you're awake!"

The moment she saw them enter, Di Qiuli immediately fell silent and glared at Mu Feng. Mu Feng pretended not to notice and smiled at the two by the door. "You're here."

The moment Nanmen Yun'er entered, she quickly glanced at Di Qiuli. Just as she was about to say something, Di Qiuli suddenly stuffed an apple from the table into her mouth.

"It'll be time to eat soon. I'm sure Yun'er must be hungry."

With her mouth stuffed, Nanmen Yun'er made a muffled sound. Then she saw Di Qiuli's warning gaze and immediately nodded obediently, taking bite after bite of the apple as she nodded.

At this point, even an idiot could tell that Nanmen Yun'er had wanted to say something but had been stopped by Di Qiuli. Since Di Qiuli did not wish to say it, Mu Feng did not want to press her either. If he angered the fierce beast ancestor beside him, the Golden Lion King's wrath would be troublesome indeed.

Yu Tianhuang, standing beside Nanmen Yun'er, was exceptionally perceptive. Seeing Nanmen Yun'er silenced, he guessed that Di Qiuli did not want this matter mentioned in front of Mu Feng. So he obediently kept quiet as well and instead began talking about interesting things that had recently happened at the academy.

Still short on money, Huo Yuhao had set up his grilled fish stall at the entrance again, and business was excellent. What surprised Mu Feng, however, was that Xu Sanshi had still gone looking for trouble with Huo Yuhao over it, and in the end, he and Bei Bei had gone to the Soul Fighting Arena.