"Three guarantees?"
Illusion Douluo's eyes lit up.
In her eyes, Mu En was far more trustworthy than Xuan Zi and the others. When Yu Longwu had used Mu En as leverage to threaten her, she had not been afraid largely because she knew what kind of man Mu En was.
Mu En nodded.
"First, you needn't worry that these three youngsters will be treated unfairly at Shrek Academy because of this."
"Second, the academy will open a special path for them, allowing them to study all the way through graduation from the Inner Court without obstruction. They'll also receive core disciple benefits regardless of their year."
"Third, when the next Shrek Seven Devils are selected, the three of them will receive priority."
At that, Illusion Douluo's expression turned a little strange.
It was not because Mu En's guarantees fell short. They were almost too good.
Shrek had been at fault, but three exceptional Soul Bones were more than enough to make amends. That alone exceeded what Illusion Douluo had originally hoped for.
At first, she had only intended to get one or two Soul Bones and a few other treasures.
Yet Mu En had now offered far more than she had expected.
She could hardly help suspecting that he wanted something else.
Mu En saw through her thoughts at a glance.
He chuckled and turned his gaze to Jiang Yu.
"This youngster has Twin Martial Souls, doesn't he?"
Jiang Yu's heart jolted, and everyone else felt a similar shock.
"Don't read too much into it. I noticed your extraordinary perception on the day you enrolled. I kept an eye on you afterward and found that you handled people and situations with a maturity beyond your years. Your talent for cultivation was remarkably good, too."
"But what intrigued me most was his Martial Soul. What sort of dragon could possess both the power of light and the power of space, yet still make my Radiant Sacred Dragon feel the suppression of a Superior Dragon? I consulted many ancient texts afterward and found some clues, but I could never be certain."
"It wasn't until yesterday that I realized the Martial Soul he'd revealed was an artifact. Yet that artifact Martial Soul held not a trace of spatial power. Only then was I certain he had Twin Martial Souls."
Jiang Yu could not help feeling impressed.
He had been admitted under special circumstances, so only his age and cultivation had been recorded when he enrolled, not his Martial Soul. Nor had he revealed it since, until he had been forced to release it yesterday.
The rule in the Soul Master World was not to reveal one's Martial Soul or Soul Skills unless necessary. Doing so gave opponents a chance to prepare targeted counters.
Mu En might have stood by and watched yesterday, but Jiang Yu had to acknowledge his powers of observation and perception.
The surprise on Illusion Douluo's face gradually faded. Now that the secret was out, there was no point hiding it.
"Mu En, your perception is as frightening as ever. Jiang Yu has exceptionally rare Twin Martial Souls that share the same origin. An immensely powerful bloodline lies hidden in his Martial Soul Origin, but even we can't say what kind of dragon it belongs to."
Mu En nodded and beckoned to Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward obediently under Illusion Douluo's gaze.
"Don't be nervous. I only want to feel the power inside you for myself."
Mu En smiled and took Jiang Yu's hand.
The next instant, an extraordinarily pure power of light surged into Jiang Yu's body.
Jiang Yu grunted. That pure power of light had stirred the power of the Space-Time Dragon within him.
Others might not know where the Space-Time Dragon came from, but Jiang Yu knew very well.
It was the master of overlapping light and shadow, appearing only when time and space underwent violent change. It was the loneliest wanderer among dragons and had once served as the Dragon God's shadow guard.
What few knew was that, besides being favored by time and space, the Space-Time Dragon also held considerable power of light within it.
That was why the power of the pure Light Dragon Clan in Mu En had stirred its bloodline.
Meanwhile, Mu En discovered to his surprise that Jiang Yu's Martial Soul Origin had begun absorbing the pure power of light he released.
As it absorbed more and more, pain showed on Jiang Yu's face, but a sheen of interwoven gold and silver bloomed across his skin.
Under its influence, even the exceptionally stable space within the Sea God Pavilion began to warp.
Illusion Douluo and Xuan Zi, whose Spiritual Power had reached a sublime level, both changed expression as they sensed the distortion.
They could clearly feel that time within the warped space had changed as well, subtly but unmistakably.
The power of light, space, and time—three powers beyond ordinary attributes—had appeared in a single Martial Soul?
But while everyone was still reeling, Jiang Yu suddenly screamed and collapsed to the floor.
Small, smooth silver dragon scales had appeared across his exposed skin.
Unfortunately, they lasted only a moment before vanishing. By then, Jiang Yu was drenched in sweat, and every last bit of his Soul Power had been drained.
Surprise flashed in Mu En's eyes. He raised a hand slightly, and the entire hall brightened. A surge of pure, life-giving light swept in and flowed into Jiang Yu's body.
Then he said softly:
"When it appears, light and shadow overlap, and space and time rejoice... The Space-Time Dragon. It's actually the Space-Time Dragon."
Mu En paused to think, then spoke again:
"Lexuan, go to the Sea God Pavilion's treasury and bring me the three treasures numbered 78, 91, and 110."
Zhang Lexuan respectfully acknowledged the order, then turned and disappeared down the passage.
As soon as she left, Illusion Douluo asked impatiently:
"Mu En, if I heard you correctly, you said 'Space-Time Dragon,' didn't you? What kind of dragon is it?"
Mu En glanced at Jiang Yu, who had already sat cross-legged on the floor to absorb the power he had just received, then said with a sigh:
"The legendary darling of time and space, the Dragon God's shadow guard... If I hadn't obtained an incomplete dragon inheritance in a hidden realm years ago, I doubt even I would have recognized this dragon, said to be the most mysterious of them all."
"Oh, come on, Mu En, tell me plainly! What rank of True Dragon is the Space-Time Dragon? Surely it isn't a Dragon King?" Illusion Douluo was so anxious she nearly stamped her feet.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had studied Jiang Yu's bloodline for four whole years without reaching a firm conclusion. Now Shrek Academy had learned the truth of his Martial Soul before they had. How could Illusion Douluo not be anxious?
"There you go, getting impatient again." Mu En gave a helpless smile. "The Space-Time Dragon can't be a Dragon King. A Martial Soul of that level cannot appear in a human body. That's common knowledge."
"As its name suggests, the Space-Time Dragon is a True Dragon that controls light, shadow, space, and time. It is renowned throughout dragonkind for being mysterious in every respect: the master of overlapping light and shadow that appears whenever time and space undergo violent change, and the Dragon God's shadow guard."
"In terms of bloodline rank, my Radiant Sacred Dragon falls short of the Space-Time Dragon. Among dragons, perhaps only the bloodlines of the Nine Great Dragon Kings surpass it. Even the Gold and Silver Dragons, descendants of the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings, are a shade below it."
Illusion Douluo's eyes widened. Even Xuan Zi, busy eating chicken, and Yan Shaozhe, who had kept his head down, looked astonished.
A space-time True Dragon Martial Soul that surpassed even the Gold and Silver Dragons?
Had the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, after a thousand years of decline, finally struck gold?
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