Mu En: So This Kid Had His Eye on the Quiet Room

Jiang Chen smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "Luck. It was only luck."

"That's right, we both got lucky. You two are very strong too. Even at our Shrek Academy, you'd rank among heaven's favored talents," Ling Luochеn added.

She was Jiang Chen's woman now, so she needed to learn how he handled people and situations.

Long Aotian and Vina were among the strongest opponents she had ever encountered. They had lost because they did not understand how formidable an ice-control Soul Master could be.

With enough distance, an ice-control Soul Master was in her comfort zone.

Long Aotian and Vina had simply gotten the short end of the stick.

The Snow Lotus Martial Soul excelled in team battles, while Long Aotian held the advantage in individual combat. After all, anyone who could shatter a cage of Ultimate Ice with one hand was no weakling.

Long Aotian and Vina exchanged smiles.

They knew perfectly well that this had not been luck.

Jiang Chen's strength had also exceeded their expectations. He had not even made a move, merely amplified Ling Luochеn's ice attribute.

If he had actually joined the fight, they probably would have been humiliated today.

Just then, Du Busi and Jin Peng strode over to them, giving Jiang Chen an appreciative look.

Du Busi spoke bluntly. "Although I don't like you people from Shrek, I respect talented experts. Your talent truly is impressive, child. Staying at Shrek is a waste of it. Why not come to our Body Sect? Our doors are open to you."

Jiang Chen knew Du Busi was joking. Since when did the Body Sect accept Shrek students as disciples? He cupped his hands and politely declined.

Du Busi laughed heartily and patted Jiang Chen's shoulder. "Excellent. You're a promising young seedling. Give Mu En my regards when you return to the academy. If you ever need something from our Body Sect, I'll help you-but that offer extends only to you and the young lady beside you."

Jin Peng also offered earnest advice. "The sect master rarely appreciates a junior this much. You're the first, kid. Visit our Body Sect more often in the future, and don't let that old devil Mu En hoodwink you. We're actually one family."

"You're from the Heaven Dou Empire, and so are we. That settles it."

This was the first time Jiang Chen had learned that "one family" could be used like that. He bowed again. "Thank you for your appreciation."

Du Busi nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Long Aotian and said gravely, "Aotian, don't lose heart over this defeat. Failure is the mother of success. Everyone suffers failures on the road to success."

"Reflect carefully on why you lost this time, and keep working hard."

Long Aotian lowered his head and listened earnestly to the lesson, swearing that once he returned, he would work hard to stand alongside the geniuses of this era, or even surpass them.

Afterward, Jiang Chen and Ling Luochеn experienced the local customs of Heaven Dou City before concluding their visit to the Body Sect. They returned to turn in their mission before the academy's new term began.

In the main hall of the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En listened to Jiang Chen and Ling Luochеn's report. A rare, excited smile appeared on his face. He felt as though the back that had been bent for half his life had stiffened straight, as if he had developed ankylosing spondylitis.

Good!

Wonderful!

Jiang Chen had truly done him proud.

While gathering information, he had not only discovered traces of Evil Soul Masters but also joined forces with the Body Sect to eliminate quite a few of them. He had not taken reckless risks simply because he was a Shrek student.

And what was the most important part?

Jiang Chen and Ling Luochеn had defeated the strongest member of the Body Sect's younger generation right before Du Busi's eyes, allowing Mu En to straighten the back that had been bent for years.

At that thought, Mu En took out two ice-attribute Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones, intending to reward them.

Yet Jiang Chen refused.

Ling Luochеn was moved.

This was the first reward she had ever received from the academy.

However, Jiang Chen gave her a look, and Ling Luochеn refused without a second thought.

Mu En frowned. "These are two ice-attribute soul bones. Although they can't compare to an Ultimate Attribute, they're still ten-thousand-year ones. Are they not good enough for you, child?"

"Of course, if you want pills, I have those too."

Jiang Chen shook his head. "Elder Mu, I'd like to exchange them for cultivation time in the Quiet Room. How about opening it to Ling Luochеn and me for a month?"

The smile on Mu En's face froze instantly.

He had known this kid was greedy. So this was why he had refused the soul bones.

But on second thought, Jiang Chen was the future Sea God Pavilion Master, and Ling Luochеn would surely be the Pavilion Master's wife. Giving them early access to the Quiet Room was not a bad thing. Energy was the one thing the Golden Ancient Tree never lacked.

Thus, Mu En agreed, then said, "There will be an Upgrade Assessment after the term begins, for advancing from the first year to the second. You'll need to work hard."

"Also, I can see that your strength has already reached the level of an Inner Court student. Once your Upgrade Assessment is over, I'll let you take the Inner Court Assessment directly, so you can become an Inner Court disciple sooner. If anything happens to me, you'll be able to take over Shrek."

Have you foreseen that your time is almost up...? Jiang Chen cupped his hands and replied, "I'll follow your arrangements, Elder Mu."

Mu En stroked his beard with a smile, his gaze softening further. The more he looked at Jiang Chen, the more pleased he was.

Xiaotao was ultimately unsuited to inheriting the position of Pavilion Master.

Xuan Zi would not do either.

Yan Shaozhe fell even further short.

Lin'er might just be suitable as Jiang Chen's deputy in the future.

With that, after receiving Mu En's verbal promise of a reward, Jiang Chen and Ling Luochеn left the Sea God Pavilion and returned to Heart Lake Island in the Inner Court.

"Jiang Chen, what is this Quiet Room you mentioned? Why have I never heard of it?"

Ling Luochеn blinked her beautiful ice-blue eyes, curious.

To her, a cultivation resource worth exchanging two ten-thousand-year soul bones for ought to be an excellent place for secluded cultivation. Yet despite having been an Inner Court student for so long, she had never heard of it.

Jiang Chen was surprised too.

Ling Luochеn had never heard of it?

That shouldn't be right.

Could those old geezers never have given the previous generation of the Shrek Seven Devils permission to cultivate in seclusion in the Quiet Room?

Jiang Chen then explained the wonders of the Quiet Room to Ling Luochеn.

A few minutes later, Ling Luochеn covered her mouth with her hand. Only after confirming that no one was around did she breathe a sigh of relief.

So Shrek actually had such a place for secluded cultivation.

When she first came to the academy, she had thought the Outer Court and Inner Court were as far apart as heaven and earth, with different cultivation grounds. That was why she had cultivated desperately to enter the Inner Court, believing it to be the pinnacle.

She had never expected that the Inner Court concealed a whole other world, and that only students groomed as successors to the Elders were qualified to cultivate in the Quiet Room.

Did that mean she was enjoying these blessings thanks to Jiang Chen?

When Ling Luochеn looked at Jiang Chen again, her gaze was much gentler, and her smile practically overflowed.

Jiang Chen was so good to her!

Jiang Chen felt his face burning and changed the subject. "Do you know what the assessment for Inner Court students involves?"

At the mention of this, Ling Luochеn immediately assumed the air of an Inner Court senior and declared proudly, "Of course this lady knows. Everyone's assessment is different, but one thing is certain: you have to fight Inner Court students in an Inner Court Arena Tournament. You battle seven Inner Court students, then receive scores from the Elders. Once your rating passes, you can become an Inner Court student."

This really is a continent of tournaments. There's always another competition... Jiang Chen thought silently, then said, "Let's take it one step at a time. I'll head back to the Outer Court to rest."

With that, he activated Martial Soul Possession and flew into the air.

Ling Luochеn waved. "Come earlier next time."