The Black-Level Sea God Token

"But until the academy has thoroughly figured out its origins, don't add a Soul Ring to it, and don't try to summon it in front of outsiders on your own."

Gu Mingyuan nodded. "Understood."

With the Twin Martial Souls confirmed, Xuan Zi finally turned back to the matter at hand.

"You registered a bone martial soul. After you accidentally ate that Medicinal Herb, did your Soul Power surge upward on its own when the herb's power entered your body?" Xuan Zi watched Gu Mingyuan's eyes as he fired off a string of technical questions.

"Did your original bone martial soul ever release itself beyond your control?"

"When you activated your martial soul again, did a huge skeleton or a human-shaped apparition form behind you? If so, what color was it?"

"Besides your current Golden Jade Body, did you gain another enhanced state you could activate and dismiss independently?"

Gu Mingyuan's heart tightened. These questions were far too specific. Xuan Zi was clearly probing for the defining signs of a Body Martial Soul Second Awakening.

He put on a look of recollection and gave an ambiguous answer.

"All I remember is that every bone in my body burned as if it were melting in a fire. It felt like every inch of my skeleton was being shattered and put back together, over and over. The pain was unbearable, and I passed out."

Gu Mingyuan frowned and continued, "When I woke up, my bone martial soul had already become the Golden Jade Body I have now. As for whether my Soul Power shot up, I was alone in the forest, so I had no way to measure it. Since then, I've never seen an apparition behind me or felt any second state inside my body that I could switch on and off independently."

Xuan Zi listened in silence. The tense scrutiny in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a flicker of excitement.

No strange phenomena, no Body Martial Soul apparition, and no awakening grade of bronze, silver, or gold.

"It seems more likely that the Medicinal Herb directly reshaped the source of your martial soul. Your original bone martial soul underwent a beneficial evolution, becoming the Golden Jade Body that now covers your whole body."

Gu Mingyuan felt a stir at that conclusion.

"If this truly wasn't a second awakening, that raises an even bigger question." Xuan Zi looked at Gu Mingyuan's left hand.

"It means your current Ultimate Defense is simply the Golden Jade Body's natural state."

Xuan Zi's gaze seemed to pierce right through him. "It may still have the potential to undergo a true second awakening in the future."

A strange look flashed through Gu Mingyuan's eyes, but he said nothing.

Only now did he learn that the academy had classified his ability as Ultimate Defense. And with Xuan Zi saying it himself, Gu Mingyuan suspected he would receive even better treatment.

Xuan Zi did not pursue the subject. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a dark object flying toward Gu Mingyuan.

Gu Mingyuan caught it. It was a dull metal token.

"A Black-Level Sea God Token." Xuan Zi raised one finger.

"From now on, this token will grant you entry to the Treasure Pavilion's Treasure Appreciation Auction for core disciples. At shops and dispensaries directly run by the academy, paid training grounds, and for goods sold by the Treasure Pavilion itself, you'll pay sixty percent of the listed price. The token cannot be lent to anyone else."

Then Xuan Zi raised a second finger. "You'll have access to the restricted section of the Outer Court Library. You may read its materials on Body Martial Souls, Twin Martial Souls, and Martial Soul Mutation as you please. But you may only read them. You may not copy them or share them outside the academy."

"Third, you'll have priority access to the Advanced Gravity Body-Training Room and the Metal-Type Mimicry Training Ground twice a week. No need to wait in line."

Discounts, academy records, and training resources. Any one of those privileges would have had outer court disciples fighting tooth and nail for it.

Gu Mingyuan gripped the token and gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Xuan Zi."

"Don't celebrate yet." Xuan Zi wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, his tone turning stern.

"These aren't rewards the academy is giving you for free. They're the academy's investment in you. If you stop striving and squander your talent, I'll take back every one of these privileges myself."

Before his words had faded, Xuan Zi vanished into the night.

Sea God Island, Sea God Pavilion.

Warm yellow lamplight filled the quiet room. Xuan Zi sat at a desk and opened Gu Mingyuan's file.

He picked up a pen, loaded it with ink, and drew a line through the words "Suspected to have completed a Body Martial Soul Second Awakening."

Then he wrote three new lines in the blank space below:

[Twin Martial Souls]

[Golden Jade Body, Ultimate Defense.]

[Suspected beneficial evolution; no evidence of a second awakening yet.]

The ink was still wet.

Xuan Zi stared at the lines "Ultimate Defense" and "no evidence of a second awakening yet." His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

In the silent room, only his breathing could be heard.

"It's already Ultimate Defense, yet it might not have truly awakened even once..."

Xuan Zi muttered to himself, then rose and headed out. "No. I need to find Mu En!"

Gu Mingyuan pushed open the door to Dormitory 118.

The lights were off, but there was none of the usual thunderous snoring. Zhou Sichen sat cross-legged on his bed, Soul Power circulating steadily around him.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Sichen slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.

"Why are you still awake?" Gu Mingyuan went to the washbasin and splashed water on his face, surprised. At this hour, Zhou Sichen was usually dead asleep.

"You're putting too much pressure on me, Gu." Zhou Sichen rubbed his aching calves and gave a rueful smile.

"You're already so strong, and you still go out to train in the middle of the night. If I keep coasting like I used to, in a couple of years you'll think I'm holding you back and find yourself a new teammate."

Gu Mingyuan dried his hands, walked over, and slung an arm around his shoulders with a grin. "Is that so? Then you'd better work harder, or I'll replace you with a few junior girls."

"Give me a break." Zhou Sichen rolled his eyes. "You barely gave Ning Tian a second glance, and she's rich and beautiful. What junior girl would catch your eye?"

After a little more joking, Gu Mingyuan's smile faded. "I handed the Soul Bone Du Weilun gave us straight to Old Cao. Are you really not upset about it?"

Zhou Sichen paused, then shook his head.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset at all." Zhou Sichen scratched his head and spoke frankly.

"But I know we wouldn't have even made the finals without you leading the way. You must have had your reasons. Besides, it was only a thousand-year Soul Bone. So what if Old Cao got it? It doesn't change our friendship."

Gu Mingyuan looked at him and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

"Good brother. I'll find you a better one someday."

At the same time, on Sea God Island, in the Sea God Pavilion.

Night lay heavy outside. In a spacious, old-fashioned room, a single lamp glowed faintly. A stooped old man reclined in a wicker chair, eyes closed and breathing slow and deep. He had clearly gone to rest.

Creak—

The wooden door was quietly pushed open. Xuan Zi strode in with a wine gourd in hand, shattering the pavilion's peace.