Mu Changqing stood at the entrance to the Sea God Pavilion, holding Na'er's hand. The doors were tightly shut, and Na'er looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings with uncomprehending eyes.
Mu Changqing pushed open the doors, and the two stepped onto the first floor of the Sea God Pavilion. It was empty and silent, their footsteps growing louder as they echoed through the floor.
They followed the corridor upward and soon reached Mu En's room. His door stood wide open.
Mu En lay flat on his bed, dozing with a book covering his face.
Na'er hid behind Mu Changqing, peeking out with half her face, her silver hair veiling it as she studied this strange old grandfather with curious eyes.
"Great-great-grandfather! I'm here!"
"You're here!"
Mu En suddenly woke, took the book off his face, and placed it on the table beside him. Opening his bleary eyes, he turned to look at Mu Changqing.
Holding Na'er's little hand, Mu Changqing walked quietly toward the bed, afraid of disturbing Mu En.
"Throw a punch at me!"
Mu En propped himself up with both hands and grasped the cane made from the Golden Ancient Tree beside his bed. He shakily climbed out of bed, and Mu Changqing hurried to support him.
Mu En led Mu Changqing and Na'er over to the balcony, while Na'er kept a tight grip on Mu Changqing's clothes, afraid he would disappear.
"Na'er, stay off to the side for now."
Mu Changqing stroked her silver hair. She nodded and moved a short distance away from him.
Mu Changqing activated his martial soul possession. His left hand grew a size larger, and his entire arm turned into a Golden Dragon claw. He took a step back, raised his left hand, and abruptly unleashed his strength, punching toward Mu En.
Mu En caught Mu Changqing's Golden Dragon fist with ease. He felt that Mu Changqing's strength was flimsy and feeble.
"Use your soul skill and throw another punch!"
Mu En released his grip on Mu Changqing's Golden Dragon claw and shook his aged head.
"First soul skill, Dragon King Overlord Body!"
Mu Changqing's purple thousand-year soul ring flashed across his Golden Dragon claw. Golden dragon scales covered his entire body, and he punched toward Mu En again.
Mu En caught it just as before, but this time his eyes lit up, perhaps in astonishment at Mu Changqing's soul skill.
"The strength of your first punch was too scattered. You only brought out twenty percent of your full strength, while your second punch brought out forty percent with the amplification of your soul skill!"
"Train more with Xuan Zi from now on!"
Mu En tapped the ground with his cane. It was unclear whether he was praising Mu Changqing or the amplification of his soul skill.
"Yes, Great-great-grandfather."
Mu En listened quietly and nodded. Na'er tilted her head uncomprehendingly, and Mu En began studying her behind Mu Changqing.
Na'er felt strange under Mu En's gaze and hid behind Mu Changqing, clutching his clothes.
"This little girl was probably abandoned by her parents in the Star Dou Great Forest when she was very young and raised by soul beasts."
"I had Xuan Zi investigate. No one in Shilai City has reported a missing child. You'll take care of her from now on!"
"Na'er, come here!"
Mu En raised a hand to beckon Na'er over. His movements were gentle, for fear of frightening the little girl.
"Na'er, go on. This is our great-great-grandfather!"
Na'er trembled all over when she heard Mu En call him. With Mu Changqing's reassurance, she cautiously walked up to Mu En.
"Hello~, Great-great-grandfather!"
Na'er spoke in a soft voice, her large, limpid eyes gazing at Mu En's aged face.
"Hahaha, good child!"
Charmed by Na'er's adorable appearance, Mu En laughed heartily. He stroked her head with a large hand, examining the condition of her body.
Mu En sensed that the blood and Qi within Na'er were plentiful. Drinking beast milk over a long period had probably strengthened her body.
He also detected something within Na'er that suppressed his Holy Dragon of Light martial soul. He felt an urge to bow his head and pledge allegiance to Na'er, just as he had when Mu Changqing awakened his martial soul.
"Could this girl's martial soul be..."
A smile spread across Mu En's face as he muttered to himself. He seemed to have a vague guess.
Mu Changqing's martial soul was the Golden Dragon, and Na'er was so close to him. There was only one other possibility: this little girl's martial soul belonged to the Silver Dragon Clan.
The more Mu En thought about it, the more excited he became. Their Shrek would soar into the skies in the future.
"Ahem... Mu Changqing, take good care of her. You two might have a martial soul fusion skill in the future!"
Realizing that he had lost his composure in front of the children, Mu En immediately coughed twice to ease the awkwardness.
"Na'er, if she bullies you, Great-great-grandfather will help you teach him a lesson!"
"Mm-hmm, Great-great-grandfather!"
Hearing Mu En's words, Na'er looked at him happily, as though he really were his great-great-grandfather.
Mu Changqing could only smile helplessly. Mu En had found a new love and forgotten the old; he wanted to cry but had nowhere to do so.
"Great-great-grandfather, can your injuries still be treated?"
Mu Changqing had not wanted to bring this up in such an atmosphere, but he still raised the matter of Mu En's past.
... Silence settled over the room for a moment.
"After my battle with Du Busi of the Body Sect back then, I was left with a hidden ailment. By a stroke of luck, I obtained a dragon core and broke through to rank ninety-nine, becoming a Limit Douluo!"
"Unfortunately, the balefulness of the dragon core severely damaged my origin, leading to my subsequent paralysis. I could never straighten my back again!"
"I have less than twenty years of life left now, but that's enough for me to nurture you until you've grown!"
"To truly heal my injuries, I might need an immortal herb that can repair the divine soul. Something containing a great deal of life essence could temporarily suppress the dragon core's balefulness within me, but it couldn't remove it. At most, it would let me cling to life for a few more years!"
A trace of sorrow flashed through Mu En's eyes. He seemed unwilling to revisit this painful past, but there was no harm in letting his descendant know.
"Great-great-grandfather, you'll definitely get better!"
Na'er suddenly took Mu En's wrinkled old hand and comforted him. Mu En smiled in relief, the sorrow on his face passing in a flash.
"Great-great-grandfather, I wonder if this can treat your injuries!"
As Mu Changqing spoke, he took a palm-sized, dark green crystal from his storage soul tool. The instant it appeared, a rich life essence filled the air.
Mu En felt the life essence in the air, which made him very comfortable. He stared, dumbfounded, at the Life Crystal in Mu Changqing's hand.
"This is a Life Crystal!!! Where did you get it?!!"
Drawing on the knowledge in his mind, Mu En immediately identified the crystal and cried out in surprise.
A Life Crystal was formed from the solidification of the purest life force, a heavenly treasure that only appeared after gestating for tens of millions of years.
Mu Changqing looked at Na'er, and Na'er was also looking at him and the Life Crystal in his hand. Seeing this, Mu En immediately understood and said no more.
"This Life Crystal can treat my injuries, but I'll only know how much I can recover after using it."
Mu Changqing tossed the Gold of Life in his hand to Mu En, who caught it carefully, afraid of damaging it.
"I may need to enter seclusion for a while. Xuan Zi will take charge of the academy's affairs for the time being."
"After a while, move straight into Yan Shaozhe's place!"
Mu En strode into the room and pressed a button by the head of his bed. A hidden door suddenly appeared, and he walked inside. The passage led directly to the central region of the Golden Ancient Tree.
Mu Changqing did not linger either. Holding Na'er's hand, he left the top floor of the Sea God Pavilion. As soon as they reached the first floor, Xuan Zi was already waiting for them.
"Elder Mu has made arrangements for you. For the next three months, you'll study martial soul knowledge with Yan Shaozhe in the mornings and do strength training with me in the afternoons."
The three strode out of the Sea God Pavilion, and it fell silent once more, as though no one had ever come.