Mu En sat down on the recliner by the lake, looking at the two of them with a gentle smile on his face. "The two of you sit down, don't just stand there."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance and sat down.
Mu En looked at them, his gaze warm. "Today's events wronged the two of you. On behalf of Shrek Academy, I apologize to you."
This apology was a private one.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were both stunned, never expecting that Mu En would personally apologize to them.
The dignified Sea God Pavilion Master, a Limit Douluo, and a figure standing at the peak of the entire soul master world, was actually apologizing to two new students?
"Shrek Academy indeed has many flaws, and I have been reflecting on this over the years. The academy has focused too much on its reputation while neglecting the cultivation of its students.
The teachers have too much power and can determine a person's future with a single word. Such a system truly has problems. No faction is infallible, but mistakes must be corrected. You are right; Shrek needs reform."
He looked at Wang Dong, his gaze profound. "Child, your martial soul is quite extraordinary. Twin martial souls, the Clear Sky Hammer paired with the Soft Bone Rabbit-that is already astonishing enough.
Yet there is an even rarer aura within you... a dragon lineage. And not just any ordinary dragon lineage, but an extremely powerful one, one that even surpasses the quality of my Radiant Sacred Dragon..."
Wang Dong's pupils constricted slightly. He had not expected Mu En to be able to discern the Golden Dragon King Bloodline within his body. This old man was truly extraordinary.
Mu En looked over at Huo Yuhao again:
"Lass, your soul power may be low, but your mental-attribute martial soul is quite unusual. That Ten-Year Soul Ring of yours released a Spiritual Detection Sharing that even surprised me. An ordinary ten-year soul ring cannot possibly possess such a terrifying soul skill. You must harbor quite a few secrets yourself, don't you?"
Huo Yuhao was also shocked, her greatest trump card almost having been seen through.
Mu En smiled and did not press further. "Everyone has their own secrets, and I will not force you to speak them out. But I hope you know that I am taking you on as disciples not because of your talent, but because of your character.
Wang Dong, you dared to speak bluntly and did not fear those in power; that is a rare quality. Huo Yuhao, you are persevering and know how to repay a kindness, which similarly earns my admiration."
He paused, his tone solemn. "I will make Shrek Academy change, and I will let you see a different Shrek."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged another glance, both seeing a trace of relief in each other's eyes. Mu En's sincerity completely dissolved the lingering resentment in their hearts.
This old man had a sincere attitude and impeccable character, making it truly impossible to stay angry at him.
Mu En looked at the two of them, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "Since you are willing to stay, then starting today, follow me in cultivation. The environment by the shores of Sea God Lake is tranquil and brimming with spiritual energy. Stay right here to cultivate, and I will personally instruct you."
He looked at Wang Dong, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze. "Your martial soul is very special. The combination of the Clear Sky Hammer and the Soft Bone Rabbit is already astonishing enough, but that dragon lineage inside your body is your greatest trump card.
Although my martial soul is the Radiant Sacred Dragon, I am also a Limit Douluo with a dragon-type martial soul. The dragon lineage within you is stronger and more tyrannical than mine, and I can teach you how to properly utilize this bloodline."
Wang Dong's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"Sovereign's Descent," Mu En slowly said. "This is a soul skill I created myself, used to suppress opponents with aura and crush enemies with sheer willpower. Your dragon lineage is naturally tyrannical, and paired with Sovereign's Descent, it can truly be described as adding wings to a tiger."
Wang Dong's breathing instantly grew rapid. Sovereign's Descent!
This was one of Mu En's signature ultimate techniques; in the original story, even Huo Yuhao learned it, and its power was utterly terrifying. He never expected that Mu En would be willing to teach him this soul skill in advance.
"Thank you, Mu En!" 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 aura. You must regard yourself as the master of the heavens and earth, the ruler of all things. Your willpower must override everything else, and your aura must crush all enemies. When you release Sovereign's Descent, your martial soul will merge with your willpower, forming an intangible oppressive force that causes your opponents to lose their fighting spirit before a battle even begins."
He stood up, and an aura suddenly radiated from his body that was terrifying. That aura was all-encompassing, like a towering mountain pressing down upon Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, leaving them almost unable to breathe. Mu En's voice resounded in their ears:
"Did you feel that? This is Sovereign's Descent. It is not a suppression of soul power, but a crushing of willpower. When you cultivate it to the absolute limit, a single glance will be enough to force your opponents to their knees."
Wang Dong took a deep breath, his eyes burning with fervor. He could feel that although that aura was terrifying, it caused the Golden Dragon King Bloodline within him to faintly stir, as if responding to that presence.
He closed his eyes and began trying to imitate the circulation method of Mu En's aura.
Mu En watched as Wang Dong entered a state of cultivation and nodded with satisfaction. He did not favor one over the other, and turned to look at Huo Yuhao:
"Lass, your mental-attribute martial soul is very special, but your spiritual power is not yet sufficiently condensed. I will teach you a set of techniques to elevate your spiritual power. Practice it once every morning and evening; it will greatly benefit the advancement of your soul power."
He extended a finger, gently touching the center of Huo Yuhao's brow, and a gentle wave of spiritual power poured into her mind. Huo Yuhao felt as though an arcane and profound cultivation chant had appeared in her mind, instantly immersing her within it.
"In addition, there is an area deep within Sea God Lake where the concentration of spiritual energy is several times that of the outside world, making it exceptionally suited for cultivation. You can go there to cultivate for two hours every day, which will be of great help to your soul power growth," Mu En said, gesturing toward the center of the lake.
Huo Yuhao's eyes grew warm, and she nodded heavily. "Thank you, Mu En."
Both of them knew this was very likely compensation given by Mu En, intended to clear away their resentment toward Shrek Academy.
As a transmigrator, Wang Dong naturally understood that one shouldn't be close-minded, and if they were willing to change, that was for the best.
At the very least, compared to the Holy Spirit Cult, Shrek Academy was much better.
Cultivation knows no time, and the days flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
Wang Dong's progress could be described as miraculous. The soul skill Sovereign's Descent seemed tailor-made for him.
The tyranny of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, paired with the aura suppression of Sovereign's Descent, was simply flawless.
He possessed extraordinary talent for cultivating this soul skill, and in a mere half a month, he had already mastered seven or eight-tenths of it.
Although he had not yet reached the level where Mu En could force someone to their knees with a single glance, releasing it was already enough to make ordinary Soul Elder-grade opponents feel a sense of trepidation.
Mu En stood to one side, watching the tyrannical aura pervading around Wang Dong, his cloudy old eyes filled with praise:
"Good lad, to be able to cultivate to this extent in half a month-your talent is truly astonishing."
Wang Dong reined in his aura and grinned broadly. "It's all thanks to Mu En's good teaching."
Mu En shook his head. "It's your own comprehension that is high. You have completed the first stage of cultivating Sovereign's Descent. Next, you will need time to consolidate and comprehend it. From now on, come see me every once in a while, and I will continue teaching you the subsequent stages."
Wang Dong nodded. "Alright."
He stretched his limbs, suddenly remembering Huo Yuhao. "Mu En, how is Yuhao's cultivation going over there? I'll go check on her."
Mu En smiled. "Go ahead, she's cultivating near the center of the lake. That lass is very diligent, and her progress hasn't been small either."
Wang Dong acknowledged this, cheerfully walking toward the center of the lake.
The scenery of Sea God Lake was gorgeous, with rippling blue waves and shimmering water light, and the air was suffused with a faint spiritual energy. He had not walked far along the lake shore when he suddenly sensed something was amiss.
A fiery red figure was sprinting across the surface of Sea God Lake at extreme speed, kicking up a trail of water splashes.
That figure looked somewhat frantic, her movements distorted and out of control as if she were struggling against something. Moreover, her direction was precisely where Huo Yuhao was cultivating.
Wang Dong's expression changed, and he quickened his pace, rushing over.
"Hot... so hot..."
Ma Xiaotao was burning with crimson flames, her entire body looking as though she had been fished out of a furnace, her skin flushed with an abnormal red hue.
ps: Having a bit of a headache; the protagonist's young age is truly a troublesome issue, I actually wanted to do that...
Let me touch upon the issue of Shrek Academy: thousands of people have thousands of faces, and the original work certainly isn't perfect... but it shouldn't be completely smeared either; it's still somewhat better than other factions, the tallest dwarf among short men.
Thinking about it, Wang Dong's identity as the Son of the God King makes shaping a new Shrek quite a good idea.
Before you continue