Contending for Fortune, Entrusting the Dragon Core

Huang Jinxu paid no further attention to how the academy handled the matter.

He had taken the Dean's position for its benefits in the first place. He had never intended to do much work.

He had spent some time digging things up only so he could give them an account of what he had found.

Now that he had compiled everything, whether Shrek Academy acted on it—and how far it went—had nothing to do with him.

If Shrek Academy left those people alone, it would give him an excuse. Once he became a Limit Douluo, he could cite a clash of principles and resign as Dean.

As for taking action against every one of them, Huang Jinxu doubted Shrek Academy would go that far.

It was not just Shrek Academy. No top power on the continent would do so in the same situation.

The reason was simple: shouting slogans was one thing; putting them into practice was another.

Even in a world without extraordinary powers, absolute fairness did not exist. How could it exist in a world where such power belonged to individuals?

Pursuing so-called fairness was the greatest joke under heaven.

"Mu En, I've finished investigating the internal reforms of the Martial Soul Department. I've handed the practical arrangements to Xuan Zi."

"As for what to do with the findings, the Sea God Pavilion Meeting can decide."

"I'll be leaving the academy for a while to deal with... some personal matters."

Huang Jinxu found Mu En and explained the situation.

By leaving, he meant going to the Earth Dragon Sect. He wanted to see Nan Shuishui, but he also had his eye on the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow.

The last time he had gone there, he had not been strong enough to venture deep inside.

Now he was a Rank 98 Super Douluo, his Spiritual Power had reached the realm of a Rank 99 Limit Douluo, and he was a Rank 9 Soul Engineer. With everything prepared, Huang Jinxu was fully confident he could enter and take what he needed.

Both the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow and its accompanying Ice Extreme Divine Crystal would be of great use to him.

The Ice Extreme Divine Crystal in particular would be the key material for crafting his Rank 10 Life-Bound Soul Tool.

When he had gone to the Sun Moon Empire, he had met Kong Deming and learned everything Kong Deming had to teach him. His own power of restraint had indeed hampered Kong Deming's research into Soul Tools, but he had also given Kong Deming ideas for advancing that research. More than that, he had helped Kong Deming become a Rank 97 Super Douluo—though he had delayed the creation of Kong Deming's Rank 10 Life-Bound Soul Tool as well.

If Kong Deming wanted to forge a Rank 10 Soul Tool now, he would have to spend time gathering exceptionally rare and precious materials.

Kong Deming could mobilize the entire Sun Moon Empire to collect resources for him, but when it came to certain scarce materials, he could not gather them as readily as Huang Jinxu.

Right now, Huang Jinxu was racing Kong Deming.

He was fighting for a head start, fighting for a share of Fortune.

He intended to become the first Rank 10 Soul Engineer on the continent.

Other plans for his cultivation were bound up in it, too.

Now, all he lacked was the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal.

The rules governing that place could hardly affect him anymore, but Huang Jinxu could not be certain whether the Plane Will might be concealing it.

After all, from any angle, the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal in the Earth Dragon Sect looked as though it had been prepared for Huo Yuhao, the Child of Fortune.

That was why Huang Jinxu was considering taking Huo Yuhao with him and using Huo Yuhao's status to obtain what he needed.

"Little Xu, you're planning to visit the Earth Dragon Sect, aren't you?"

"This old man won't stop you, of course. I only hope you'll wait a couple of days before setting out."

"The people from the Clear Sky Sect will arrive soon, and they're sure to send their strongest. I'd like you to stay at the academy and help us present a strong front."

"Of course, I won't waste your time for nothing. This is the Dragon Transformation Manual my branch kept after the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan split apart. Several generations have refined it further. Consider it a gift from this old man to the Earth Dragon Sect—and to a younger generation."

As Mu En spoke, he took a book from his Storage Soul Tool.

He knew full well about Huang Jinxu and the sect master of the Earth Dragon Sect, but he had never intended to interfere.

Whatever else might be said, he and the Earth Dragon Sect shared an ancestor.

Bei Bei was now the only one left of Mu En's branch. With its bloodline dwindling, he naturally wanted to lend the other branch some support, so their bloodline could endure—or so the two branches could help one another.

Huang Jinxu was perfectly placed to break the ice between them.

"Thank you, Mu En!"

Huang Jinxu did not refuse.

He had read about the Dragon Transformation technique inherited from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in Shrek Academy's Core Library while researching the Glazed Mystic Jade Body.

He had made a few improvements of his own, but his Martial Soul was not a dragon-type Martial Soul. This was not his specialty.

In some respects, this Dragon Transformation Manual from Mu En was certain to go far beyond his own understanding.

It was a fine gift.

As for whom the Clear Sky Sect would send, Huang Jinxu knew the answer without having to think.

The Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape of old: Niu Tian and Tai Tan now.

This was the perfect chance to meet them face-to-face and gauge their strength.

If he truly could kill them and had a chance to obtain a God-Level Soul Ring, then once his Second Martial Soul was complete, he would want to try.

"There's one more thing... I'd like to entrust it to you. When Bei Bei reaches the Soul Saint realm, I hope you'll give it to him and help his Martial Soul evolve."

As Mu En spoke, he took out another object.

The moment Huang Jinxu saw it and felt the power radiating from it, he could scarcely believe his eyes.

It was a Dragon Core.

The very Dragon Core that had helped Mu En break through to Limit Douluo, yet left his body hunched and disabled.

Huang Jinxu could not determine the cultivation level of the Ancient Dragon it had come from, but he was certain the Dragon Core was at least at the Ferocious Beast level. It was also highly likely the dragon had lived for no less than three hundred thousand years.

What surprised Huang Jinxu most was that Mu En had managed to remove it from his body.

Clearly, the Pill itself had played a part, as had Sea God's Descent.

But Mu En's decision to bring it out now gave Huang Jinxu pause.

Had Mu En sensed something and begun to distance himself from it? Or had the conditions simply been right, allowing him to remove it at last?

Huang Jinxu truly could not say.