I, Chovy! Wasn't this a Soul Core?
Although Mu En had never told Lu Yuan about Soul Cores, Lu Yuan had read the script!
After listening to Mu En's guidance, Lu Yuan immediately grasped the crux of the problem and understood Mu En's true intention.
Mental power guidance, Soul Power compressed into rotation—wasn't this a youth min-version Soul Core?
Granted, Lu Yuan's Soul Power and mental power were still far from sufficient to form a true Soul Core. But once he remade and mastered the Eight-Part Light Wheel Soul Skill according to this line of thought, it would be equivalent to gaining countless experiences simulating a Soul Core outside his body in advance!
Moreover, once Lu Yuan truly reconstructed this Soul Skill in this manner, it would mean that the upper limit of the Eight-Part Light Wheel had been raised by a great deal.
In Lu Yuan's vision, the reconstructed light wheel could be directly unleashed against enemies, or, like a Rasengan, charged fully in his hand. The longer it charged, the greater its power. After all, a Soul Core absorbed the scattered external Soul Power drifting through heaven and earth. Naturally, an Eight-Part Light Wheel modeled after a Soul Core could possess the same function. Of course, the corresponding difficulty of control would also be much greater.
Having found his inspiration, Lu Yuan no longer hesitated. With Mu En guarding him nearby, there would be no danger or accidents. He immediately focused his mind and began trying on the spot.
The first time, he condensed mental power and used it to guide Soul Power—failure. The second time, his control became unstable when he tried to wrap the mental core in Soul Power—failure. The third time... the fourth time...
Lu Yuan completely immersed himself in his own world, undisturbed by anything outside and forgetting the passage of time.
Just as Lu Yuan was immersed in his burst of inspiration, Mu En waved his hand, completely shutting out all outside interference before saying mildly, "Xuan Zi, there's no need to hide there. Come out."
"Mu Lao!" Xuan Zi answered seriously. Though he still seemed somewhat drunk, he had long since put away the roast chicken and wine gourd in his hands. Before this highly respected grand-uncle, Xuan Zi displayed a rare degree of propriety.
Having failed to find Mu En at Sea God's Pavilion, Xuan Zi guessed, based on Mu En's usual habits, that he should be sunning himself in the Outer Court dormitory area. So he had come here and witnessed this scene.
"This is— a Self-Created Soul Skill? It even has the embryonic form of a Soul Core?" Watching the Soul Power vortex continuously gather and collapse in Lu Yuan's hand, Xuan Zi, with his rank ninety-eight cultivation, immediately saw the key issue with his sharp gaze. "Mu Lao, did you tell him about Soul Cores?"
"No. This is a Self-Created Soul Skill he comprehended on his own. I merely offered a few pointers on top of his basic framework." Hearing Xuan Zi's astonishment, Mu En smiled as he praised Lu Yuan's talent, then asked, "Xuan Zi, why have you come to see me?"
"Mu Lao, if nothing unexpected happened, it should be because of this child." Lu Yuan's pure aura of light and Soul Elder cultivation could not be faked. If there was anyone in the Outer Court whom Mu En valued this highly, it should be him.
Then, Xuan Zi briefly told Mu En that Wang Yan had come to him and that he had learned Lu Yuan was suspected to possess Ultimate Light.
"That is correct. Lu Yuan truly possesses Ultimate Light." After understanding Xuan Zi's purpose, Mu En replied, "Compared to my Radiant Saint Dragon and Shaozhe's Radiant Phoenix, the Elemental Envoy Martial Soul is innately purer and naturally closer to Ultimate Light. Combined with his exceptional talent, attaining Ultimate Light was never particularly difficult."
"Then, since this child possesses Ultimate Light and has already reached Soul Elder cultivation, Mu Lao, have you..." Observing Mu En's expression, Xuan Zi revealed an inquiring look.
After all, the last time Shrek had produced a Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute had been during wartime. It was precisely that Ultimate Fire Soul Master who led Shrek out of the encirclement and preserved its legacy.
Now, the continent's situation was turbulent. The Sun Moon Empire was eyeing them like a tiger, Soul Tools were developing with each passing day, and perhaps by fate, a child with Ultimate Light had appeared at Shrek Academy once again. Within the academy, there was also Mu En, a Limit Douluo whose attribute was so compatible, capable of serving as this child's guide on the path of cultivation.
However, the matter of becoming master and disciple had always been of utmost importance on Douluo Continent. Once the master-disciple bond was established, their relationship would become even closer than that of a true father and son. Mu En's status was also special. As the current master of Sea God's Pavilion and the strongest person at Shrek Academy, no one could force him to make any decision, much less one as significant as taking a disciple. If it were someone else—if Yan Shaozhe were the one here—Xuan Zi would not care whether he was willing. Even if he had to beat Yan Shaozhe into agreeing wholeheartedly, he would make him teach Lu Yuan properly, one hundred percent, even if it meant dedicating his life until death.
Although Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe could still teach Lu Yuan if Mu En was unwilling to take another disciple, they knew their own limitations. In terms of Martial Soul attributes, Xuan Zi could not teach Lu Yuan much. If he became Lu Yuan's teacher, his role would lean more toward that of a protector than a guide. As for Yan Shaozhe, setting aside his own issues, he also had Ma Xiaotao, his eldest disciple—well, a somewhat crazed girl deeply troubled by Evil Fire. If one day her Evil Fire consumed her heart and she lost her reason, causing some tragedy of fellow disciples killing one another, it would be far too late for regrets.
So, no matter how one put it, the best candidate to take Lu Yuan as a disciple was still Mu En.
Xuan Zi's probing made Mu En ponder for a while.
The current Shrek could be said to be in an awkward period of generational decline. The older generation, people like himself, had little lifespan left. Meanwhile, Xuan Zi and Shaozhe both had issues with their states of mind. So long as they could not escape the confines of their hearts, their cultivation would not advance any further. Looking across Shrek's upper ranks, the most normal person was unexpectedly Song Lao, Song Yun Zhi, the rank ninety-seven Azure Shadow Douluo whose Martial Soul was the Azure Eagle Divine Eagle.
(PS: The novel never mentioned Song Lao's name, and her title was "Divine Eagle." In the animation, she was called Song Yun Zhi, and her title was "Azure Shadow.")
But Song Lao's seventh, eighth, and ninth Soul Rings were all Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. Reaching rank ninety-seven had not been easy for her, and reaching the Limit in this lifetime was basically impossible.
Among the younger generation, Yan Shaozhe's disciple Ma Xiaotao was tormented by Evil Fire. Though she possessed outstanding talent and an attribute already close to Ultimate Fire, if she continued cultivating without regard for Evil Fire's effects, it was highly possible that the Evil Fire would backlash against her. She might even be corrupted by evil energy and fall into becoming an Evil Soul Master.
As for people like his own great-grandson Beibei, there was no need to mention them. They were still suffering through the pains of love in the Outer Court.
Looking around, among Shrek's younger generation, only Zhang Lexuan truly possessed exceptional talent and stood head and shoulders above the rest, fully deserving of her title as the Inner Court's senior eldest sister.
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