Binding Interests, Nine Treasures Takes Notice

Mu En's way of deepening Huang Jinxu's ties to Shrek Academy was simple: benefits.

Benefits that could not be ignored.

At his age, after all he had been through, how could Mu En fail to see it? Huang Jinxu cared about Shrek Academy, but not all that much.

Talk of ten thousand years of glory meant nothing to him.

Only tangible gains could bind him to Shrek Academy.

As he considered this, Mu En vanished. When he reappeared, he was inside Shrek Academy's Treasure Vault. With a sweep of his hand, he took the hundred-thousand-year Right Leg Bone.

After a moment's thought, Mu En took a Right Arm Bone from his Storage Soul Tool as well.

Only then did he head to Huang Jinxu's location.

"That kid's actually breaking through..."

As Mu En drew near and sensed the Soul Power surging between heaven and earth, surprise gave way to delight.

With Huang Jinxu's Martial Soul and strength, once he reached rank 98, he would be able to contend with a rank 99 Limit Douluo for a short time.

If he became a Limit Douluo himself one day, his combat power would be even more extraordinary.

At the thought, Mu En sighed softly.

Even if Huang Jinxu became a Limit Douluo, he might not be able to stand against Beast God Di Tian deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Only by becoming the Sea God Pavilion Master and drawing on the Golden Tree's power and Sea God's Light could he reach the point of contending with Di Tian.

The Beast God was simply too powerful.

The trouble was, Mu En could tell that Huang Jinxu resisted the idea of becoming the Sea God Pavilion Master.

"There are still three or four years. We'll see whether Xuan Zi can take another step forward."

Mu En then thought of Xuan Zi. His hopes for him were no less than those he held for Huang Jinxu.

If Xuan Zi became a Limit Douluo and awakened his divine beast bloodline, Shrek Academy's resources would make standing against Di Tian possible.

Why do they all have problems? Could there be something wrong with Shrek Academy's location?

Recalling what Xuan Zi had said, Mu En felt a headache coming on.

If Huang Jinxu agreed to become the Sea God Pavilion Master, Mu En would personally suppress Xuan Zi on the spot.

No, it has nothing to do with Shrek Academy. This used to be Spirit Hall's site. Maybe Spirit Hall committed so many evil deeds that they left something ominous here, and it's affecting later generations.

"Damn Spirit Hall. You made the mistakes, but Shrek Academy has to clean up after you."

Mu En shifted his thoughts and muttered a complaint about Spirit Hall. The gloom in his chest finally dispersed, and he felt at ease again.

He had little choice. Too many people at Shrek Academy had been downright absurd over the years. Mu En often had to redirect his frustration; otherwise, he feared they really might anger him to death.

Huang Jinxu was in seclusion, working on his breakthrough, so Mu En decided to return later.

Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's new students began their classes.

Because Huo Yuhao had chosen the Soul Tool Department, his teacher was not Zhou Yi but a Soul Emperor and rank-six Soul Engineer named Suo Ke.

Even though Mu En had personally overseen the academy's reforms, the Soul Tool Department still had few students. Most who came here had weaker talent for Martial Soul cultivation and could no longer remain in the Martial Soul Department.

This year, however, a genius had joined the Soul Tool Department.

She was Ning Tian, a direct disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the sect master's daughter.

At twelve years old, she was already a three-ring Soul Elder. Even in the Martial Soul Department, that would have been impressive. She might even have entered the inner courtyard one day.

Yet she had chosen the Soul Tool Department, drawing the academy leadership's attention at once.

Even Dean Qian Duoduo came by personally to offer her encouragement.

After the dean left, the classroom immediately grew lively. Most of the students could not help whispering among themselves.

Ning Tian paid little attention to them. Her gaze rested instead on a boy seated in a corner of the classroom.

Since the great battle ten thousand years ago, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had gradually declined. Though they bore the name of descendants of Deities, they had never managed to stand at the continent's summit again.

Over the years, the sect had tried countless times to reclaim its former glory, but every attempt had failed.

Their supposed withdrawal from the world had been a matter of necessity.

Unable to compete with the newly risen powers, they had retreated to avoid their edge.

Now the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was caught between generations and sinking further into decline.

The sect's sole Titled Douluo had once been gravely wounded and did not have long to live.

Once that Titled Douluo died, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would be unable to protect its vast holdings.

According to the sect's plans, Ning Tian should have entered the Martial Soul Department, found someone capable of supporting the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and married him.

Better still if she found someone who could raise the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect back to its former glory.

But after Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy won the previous Soul Master Tournament, the Douluo Three Kingdoms had recognized the power and importance of Soul Tools.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the sect most willing to embrace Soul Tools.

And so she had come to the Soul Tool Department.

Even so, Ning Tian knew her true goal lay in the Martial Soul Department.

She had noticed the boy in the corner mainly because Black Dragon Douluo had looked his way several times when he entered the classroom.

Clearly, there was more to him than met the eye.

If he was a genius with Soul Tools, bringing him into the sect would be a considerable gain, even if he never became her future husband.

Huo Yuhao had no idea the Young Sect Master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had set her sights on him. At that moment, he was devouring everything his books had to teach him about Soul Tools.

He absolutely could not let his teacher down.

Though he had not obtained a million-year First Soul Ring or a divine skill to aid him in making Soul Tools, Huo Yuhao's talent for them had been bestowed by the Plane Will.

From books alone, without a teacher's guidance and despite having only just encountered the subject, Huo Yuhao had already developed a clear understanding of Soul Tools.

In the classes that followed, Huo Yuhao showed the rest of his classmates what a Soul Tool genius looked like.

He grasped the basic theories as soon as the teacher explained them, drew further conclusions from them, and even came up with ideas of his own.

Even if he has little talent for cultivation, I must bring him into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Staring intently at Huo Yuhao, Ning Tian made a silent vow.

She decided that after class, she would have someone investigate Huo Yuhao's background and find an opening to win him over.

Elsewhere, Wang Dong stood on the training ground, fresh from being put through the wringer by Zhou Yi.

Yet she felt no physical exhaustion. The class simply felt empty without something—or someone—there.