Mu En sat down on the reclining chair by the lake and looked at the two of them with a kindly smile. "Sit down, both of you. Don't stand."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance and sat down.
Mu En looked at them, his gaze gentle. "You suffered unfair treatment over what happened today. On behalf of Shrek Academy, I apologize to you."
This apology was given in private.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao both froze. They had never imagined that Mu En would personally apologize to them.
The esteemed Sea God Pavilion Master, a Limit Douluo who stood at the pinnacle of the entire Soul Master World, was actually apologizing to two new students?
"Shrek Academy does indeed have many shortcomings. I've been reflecting on them all these years, too. The academy has placed too much emphasis on its reputation and instead neglected the nurturing of its students.
"Teachers hold too much power, deciding someone's future with a single word. There really is a problem with that system. No organization is immune to mistakes. When we make mistakes, we must correct them. You were right. Shrek needs reform."
He turned to Wang Dong, his gaze deep. "Child, your martial souls are extraordinary. Twin martial souls, the Clear Sky Hammer and the Soft Bone Rabbit-that alone is already astonishing.
"But there's an even rarer aura about you... a dragon bloodline. And not an ordinary dragon bloodline, but an extremely powerful one, its quality even surpassing that of my Radiant Sacred Dragon..."
Wang Dong's pupils contracted slightly. He had not expected Mu En to detect the Golden Dragon King bloodline within him. This old man really was no ordinary person.
Mu En then turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Girl, although your soul power is low, your spiritual-type martial soul is very unusual. The Spiritual Detection Sharing released by that ten-year soul ring of yours surprised even me. An ordinary ten-year soul ring couldn't possibly possess such a terrifying soul skill. You must have quite a few secrets yourself, don't you?"
Huo Yuhao was shocked as well. Her greatest trump card had nearly been seen through.
Mu En smiled without pressing her. "Everyone has their own secrets. I won't force you to reveal yours. But I hope you understand that I took you as my disciples not because of your talent, but because of your character.
"Wang Dong, you dare to speak your mind and do not fear the powerful. That is a rare quality. Huo Yuhao, you are tenacious and repay the kindness you receive. I admire that just as much."
He paused, his tone solemn. "I will make Shrek Academy change. I will show you a different Shrek."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance, each seeing a trace of relief in the other's eyes. Mu En's sincerity completely dispelled the lingering resentment in their hearts.
This old man was sincere in his attitude and impeccable in his character. They really could not bring themselves to be angry with him.
Mu En looked at them with a satisfied smile. "Since you're willing to stay, you'll begin cultivating under me today. The shores of Sea God Lake are peaceful and rich in spiritual energy. Stay here to cultivate. I will teach you personally."
He turned to Wang Dong, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze. "Your martial souls are very special. The combination of the Clear Sky Hammer and the Soft Bone Rabbit is already astonishing, but the dragon bloodline within you is your greatest trump card.
"Although my martial soul is the Radiant Sacred Dragon, I am also a Limit Douluo with a dragon martial soul. The dragon bloodline within you is stronger and more domineering than mine. I can teach you how to make good use of it."
Wang Dong's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"Sovereign's Descent," Mu En said slowly. "This is a soul skill I created myself. It suppresses opponents with presence and crushes enemies with will. Your dragon bloodline is domineering by nature. Pairing it with Sovereign's Descent would be like giving a tiger wings."
Wang Dong's breathing suddenly quickened. Sovereign's Descent!
This was one of Mu En's signature techniques. Even Huo Yuhao had learned it in the original story, and its power was utterly terrifying. He had never expected Mu En to be willing to teach him this soul skill ahead of time.
"Thank you, Elder Mu!" Wang Dong solemnly cupped his fist.
Mu En nodded and began explaining the key points of cultivating Sovereign's Descent.
"The core of Sovereign's Descent lies in presence. You must regard yourself as the master of heaven and earth, the sovereign of all things. Your will must stand above everything, and your presence must crush every enemy. When you unleash Sovereign's Descent, your martial soul merges with your will, forming an invisible pressure that makes your opponent afraid before the battle even begins."
He stood up, and a terrifying aura suddenly radiated from him. It swept across heaven and earth, as though a mountain were pressing down on Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, leaving them barely able to breathe. Mu En's voice rang out beside their ears.
"Can you feel it? This is Sovereign's Descent. It is not suppression through soul power, but domination through will. Once you cultivate it to its utmost limit, a single glance will make your opponent fall to their knees."
Wang Dong took a deep breath, his gaze burning. He could feel that, terrifying as the aura was, it faintly stirred the Golden Dragon King bloodline within him, as though it were responding to that presence.
He closed his eyes and began trying to imitate the way Mu En circulated his aura.
Watching Wang Dong enter a state of cultivation, Mu En nodded in satisfaction. He did not favor one over the other, turning to Huo Yuhao.
"Girl, your spiritual-type martial soul is very special, but your spiritual power is not yet sufficiently condensed. I'll teach you a method for improving it. Practice it once every morning and evening, and it will greatly benefit the growth of your soul power."
He extended a finger and gently touched Huo Yuhao between the brows. A gentle stream of spiritual power flowed into her mind. Huo Yuhao felt a cultivation formula appear in her mind, profound and mysterious, instantly drawing her into it.
"Also, deep within Sea God Lake is an area where the concentration of spiritual energy is several times that of the outside world. It is very suitable for cultivation. You may cultivate there for four hours each day. It will be a great help in increasing your soul power," Mu En said, pointing toward the center of the lake.
Huo Yuhao's eyes grew warm, and she nodded firmly. "Thank you, Elder Mu."
Both of them knew that this was most likely compensation from Mu En, intended to dispel their resentment toward Shrek Academy.
As a transmigrator, Wang Dong naturally also had to understand that he could not see everything in black and white. If they were willing to change, that was naturally a good thing.
At the very least, Shrek Academy was much better than the Holy Spirit Cult.
The days passed unnoticed in cultivation, and time flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
Wang Dong's progress could only be described as astonishingly fast. The soul skill Sovereign's Descent seemed as though it had been tailor-made for him.
The domineering Golden Dragon King bloodline, paired with the crushing presence of Sovereign's Descent, was simply flawless.
He possessed exceptional talent for cultivating this soul skill. In just half a month, he had already mastered most of it.
Although he had yet to reach Mu En's level of making people fall to their knees with a single glance, unleashing it could already make ordinary Soul Elder opponents feel their hearts tremble.
Mu En stood nearby, watching the domineering aura surrounding Wang Dong, his cloudy old eyes full of admiration.
"Well done, lad. To reach this level in half a month-your talent truly is astonishing."
Wang Dong reined in his aura and grinned. "It's all thanks to your teaching, Elder Mu."
Mu En shook his head. "It's your own aptitude for understanding. You've already completed the first stage of cultivating Sovereign's Descent. Next, you need time to let it settle and deepen your understanding. Come see me every so often, and I'll continue teaching you the later stages."
Wang Dong nodded. "All right."
He stretched his limbs, then suddenly thought of Huo Yuhao. "Elder Mu, how is Yuhao's cultivation going? I'll go check on him."
Mu En smiled. "Go ahead. She's cultivating near the center of the lake. That girl works very hard, and she's made considerable progress too."
Wang Dong answered and cheerfully headed toward the center of the lake.
Sea God Lake was beautiful, its emerald ripples rolling and its waters shimmering, with faint spiritual energy permeating the air. He had not walked along the shore for long when he suddenly sensed something amiss.
A fiery-red figure raced across the surface of Sea God Lake at tremendous speed, trailing strings of splashes.
The figure seemed somewhat agitated, her movements contorted and out of control, as though she were struggling with something. And she was heading straight toward the place where Huo Yuhao was cultivating.
Wang Dong's expression changed, and he quickened his pace, charging over.
"Hot... so hot..."
Crimson flames burned all over Ma Xiaotao's body. She looked as though she had been pulled out of a furnace, her skin flushed an abnormal red.
P.S. This is giving me a bit of a headache. The protagonist being so young is really troublesome. I actually wanted to do that sort of thing...
About Shrek Academy: a thousand people have a thousand faces. It certainly wasn't perfect in the original story... but I can't just bash it for no reason, either. It's still a little better than the other organizations-the tallest among a bunch of short people.
After thinking it over, with Wang Dong's identity as the son of a God King, creating a new Shrek seems pretty good.
Before you continue