Primordial Bone-Shaping, All Eyes on One Man

"Accuse me of a crime. Call me a spy."

"Is that all?"

"Anything else?"

"If you have other charges or accusations, let's hear them all."

Facing every senior figure at Shrek Academy, along with the threats from Song Yunzhi and Xuan Zi, Huang Jinxu remained calm. He showed no sign of a man facing ruin.

"You..."

Huang Jinxu's words instantly provoked everyone's anger. Xuan Zi's fury surged, and he entered Martial Soul Possession.

By the look of him, he was ready to attack.

"Xuan Zi!"

Once again, Song Yunzhi stepped in to stop him.

Compared with the others, Song Yunzhi was not only older; she was also one of the rare sensible people among them.

They had watched Huang Jinxu grow up. He had never done anything improper, and if he was acting this way today with such confidence, he must have a reason.

"Little Xu, if there's more to this, tell us. I may be old, but I can still judge for myself."

"If there was good reason for what you did, and Yan Shaozhe had it coming..."

Song Yunzhi left the rest unsaid.

Her meaning was clear enough. If Yan Shaozhe was not innocent, they would have to lay everything out in the open.

"Elder Song understands reason."

After crippling Yan Shaozhe, Huang Jinxu had vented much of his anger. He had no wish to sever ties with them completely now.

"This was the second time."

"This was the second time Yan Shaozhe interrupted me while I was making a pill to extend Mu En's life."

"I don't know where Yan Shaozhe got wind of it, but he has repeatedly sabotaged my attempts to make that pill for Mu En."

"If the first time was an accident, a coincidence, then why did he interrupt me a second time?"

"Was he deliberately trying to stop Mu En from living longer?"

"Yan Shaozhe, don't try to fool us with that speech about doing it for Shrek Academy. Explain yourself."

Huang Jinxu turned toward Yan Shaozhe, whom Elder Zhuang had only just saved.

It was the older generation's way: pin a charge on him first.

"Mu En... Little Xu, you were making a pill to extend Mu En's life?"

"Is that true?"

At Huang Jinxu's words, most of those present immediately brightened.

Even Xuan Zi, who had been clamoring to fight Huang Jinxu a moment ago, grew excited.

Mu En was the pillar holding them up. If he could live a few more years, they would have a few more years of stability—time to raise someone who might one day rival him. Then Shrek Academy's glory could endure for centuries more.

At that moment, everyone except the now-crippled Yan Shaozhe and his wife Cai Mei'er looked at Huang Jinxu with shining eyes.

As for Yan Shaozhe, compared with Mu En, he mattered less than a single hair.

"The Primordial Bone-Shaping Pill uses Ten Thousand Year Ginseng King as its main ingredient and Life Tree Branch as its catalyst. Add Stellar Martial Soul Origin, Life Gold Origin Power, the blood essence of a Ten Thousand Year Light Orca... Refined from hundreds of ingredients, it can suppress the violent energy in Mu En's Dragon Core and replenish his Martial Soul Origin. As long as he avoids fighting, it can extend his life by roughly ten years."

"I couldn't make it before because my Spiritual Power wasn't strong enough. If Mu En hadn't been close to his limit, I wouldn't have gone to the Treasure Pavilion for a Head Soul Bone to strengthen my Spiritual Power and make this pill."

As Huang Jinxu spoke, he took an emerald-green pill from his Storage Soul Tool.

The moment it appeared, fragrance and the breath of life filled the room.

A single whiff left everyone feeling comfortable from head to toe.

At the sight of the pill, Zhuang Yusen abandoned Yan Shaozhe. No longer tending to his injuries, he hurried forward to examine it.

"Elder Zhuang, what do you think?"

"Can this pill really extend Mu En's life?"

The other Titled Douluo turned to Zhuang Yusen as well, their eyes full of hope.

"I... I don't know..."

"I've never seen life force this rich and pure in all my years."

"I can't say whether it will extend Mu En's life. But I think it may. I have a feeling that if I took this pill, I would break straight through to Rank 97."

Suppressing the greed in his heart, Zhuang Yusen pushed the pill back to Huang Jinxu.

The pill absolutely could not stay in his hands. He truly feared he might give in and swallow it in secret.

Zhuang Yusen's words gave the Titled Douluo a little more confidence, though unease still gnawed at them.

"Um... You said you took the Head Soul Bone from the storeroom to make this pill for Mu En. That means it could have extended his life back then. But can it still extend his life now?"

At that moment, that muddleheaded Xuan Zi threw out a question that sent everyone's hearts racing again.

He was right. Huang Jinxu had made the pill for Mu En as he had been then. But Mu En had since used Sea God's Light once more. Given his condition now, would the pill still work?

"What do you mean?"

Huang Jinxu looked at Xuan Zi in confusion. He genuinely knew nothing about it.

"Well, not long ago, Mu En used Sea God's Light again. He's now in a deathlike state."

Someone then explained the situation to Huang Jinxu.

"Mu En used Sea God's Light inside the academy?"

The answer left Huang Jinxu stunned.

For Mu En to need Sea God's Light within Shrek Academy, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui would practically have had to come knocking.

Otherwise, among the human Soul Masters on the continent, who could force Mu En to go that far?

"Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire went out of control. She injured many students, and Mu En used Sea God's Light to purify the Evil Fire in them and in Ma Xiaotao. At the time, Yan Shaozhe had called all of us to a meeting at the Sea God Pavilion..."

Xian Lin'er stopped mid-explanation. She turned toward Yan Shaozhe, horror written across her face.

She was not the only one. The other Titled Douluo realized it too.

It was far too much of a coincidence.

So much so that it looked carefully arranged.

Of all times for Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire to erupt, it had happened just as the academy's teachers were leaving work. No one had noticed, allowing her rampage to go on long enough to injure so many students.

And at that very time, Yan Shaozhe had summoned them to a meeting at the Sea God Pavilion.

If even one of them had missed the meeting, that person could have stopped Ma Xiaotao at once. Mu En would not have needed to use Sea God's Light.

And Mu En would not have been left at death's door.

If all of that was coincidence, were Yan Shaozhe's two interruptions of Huang Jinxu's efforts to make a life-extending pill for Mu En also coincidences?

For a moment, every senior figure at Shrek Academy fixed their gaze on one man—Yan Shaozhe.

Wariness and killing intent filled their eyes.