"Changqing, head back with Lexuan!"
Standing on the stairs, Mu En looked at Mu Changqing, who was still in a daze, and waved his cane.
"Great-great-grandfather, we'll head back first!"
Bei Bei took Zhang Lexuan's slender fingers and pulled her toward Mu Changqing. Zhang Lexuan followed him.
"Elder Xuan, I'll come spar with you again next time!"
Xuan Zi was Shrek Academy's strongest strength-type soul master. Mu Changqing was also a strength-type soul master, and only Xuan Zi could serve as his sparring partner.
Xuan Zi shook the wine flask in his hand and grinned merrily at the little brat before him, scraps of chicken still stuck between his teeth.
Mu Changqing, Bei Bei, and Zhang Lexuan left the Sea God Pavilion together and headed toward their residence.
Once the three had gone far away, the Sea God Pavilion fell completely silent. Mu En remained at the foot of the stairs, while Xuan Zi sat on the floor, gnawing on a chicken leg and drinking wine.
"Xuan Zi."
Just then, Mu En softly called Xuan Zi's name.
Gnawing on his chicken leg, Xuan Zi turned toward Mu En in confusion.
"Drink less from now on! And stop letting your attention wander when you're doing things!"
Leaning on his cane, Mu En walked lightly to the conference table in front of Xuan Zi. Seeing him like this, Mu En truly resented iron for failing to become steel.
Mu En knew that Xuan Zi had to eat constantly to replenish his strength because of his Martial Soul, but seeing him act as though anything that did not concern him could be hung high and ignored...
Mu En truly feared that something disastrous would happen if Xuan Zi led Shrek Academy's students in the future.
"Elder Mu, I was only..."
Xuan Zi wanted to argue, but could not find the words. For a military brute like him, even recognizing a few characters was already an achievement.
"As punishment, you can't drink for a month, and you'll copy out the academy rules. Reflect on yourself properly!"
"Please don't, Elder Mu..."
Xuan Zi looked at Mu En as though life held nothing left for him. Being unable to drink was worse than death, and he even had to copy the academy rules.
At that moment, under Mu En's telekinetic power, the wine flask in Xuan Zi's hand shattered into pieces, spilling wine all over the floor.
"Go back to your seat and sit properly. We'll hold a Sea God Pavilion meeting shortly."
Mu En reminded Xuan Zi, who was still grieving over his shattered flask.
Xuan Zi could hardly lose his temper, so he could only bottle it up and slowly make his way to a chair beside the conference table.
Mu En sent out several rays of light, notifying the Sea God Pavilion's elders to come for a meeting.
By now, the seats around the Sea God Pavilion's conference table were full, with Mu En seated at its head.
Elder Xuan and Elder Song sat on either side of the conference table. On Elder Xuan's side were three elders: the Martial Soul Department's dean and deputy dean, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er, as well as Elder Zhuang.
On Elder Song's side were the Soul Tool Department's dean and deputy dean, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er, as well as Elder Lin, the master of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
The two sides of the conference table were more or less divided into the academy's two factions, the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department.
The atmosphere was tense. All eight elders looked toward Mu En, waiting for him to speak. He was the one who had called this meeting.
"The Martial Soul Mu Changqing awakened was the Golden Dragon! The Martial Soul Bei Bei awakened was the Holy Dragon of Light."
"Both possess innate full soul power!"
Mu En told them about his two great-great-grandsons in one breath, wanting to see their reactions.
"What?!"
Aside from Elder Xuan, every elder present was astonished by the news.
How could they not be surprised? They would have counted themselves fortunate if even one of Mu En's descendants could awaken the Holy Dragon of Light.
Yet one of his two great-great-grandsons had awakened the Holy Dragon of Light, while the other had awakened the Golden Dragon, the progenitor of strength. How could that not inspire envy and jealousy?
The Golden Dragon's bloodline was nobler than the Holy Dragon of Light's.
"Then that means the dragon's roar this morning came from your great-great-grandson, Mu Changqing?"
Elder Song looked questioningly at Elder Mu. She remembered that morning's dragon roar perfectly clearly; she had even dropped and broken her teacup.
"That's right!"
Mu En answered slowly, his tone calm.
"Heaven truly blesses Shrek!"
The happiest was naturally Yan Shaozhe, because he was certain that both of Mu En's great-great-grandsons would join the Martial Soul Department. His department might produce two Limit Douluos in the future.
Yan Shaozhe's wife also smiled faintly beside him, while the Soul Tool Department's dean and deputy dean remained silent, both wearing worried expressions.
How could they not look worried? If both of Mu En's great-great-grandsons joined the Martial Soul Department, what room would their Soul Tool Department have left to survive?
"Ahem! Silence!"
Mu En coughed twice and spoke with authority. The Sea God Pavilion instantly fell silent.
"I intend to name Mu Changqing the heir to the Sea God Pavilion's mastership, skipping a generation."
"And name Bei Bei the heir to the Sea God Pavilion's deputy mastership, skipping a generation."
"They will enjoy the same rights as the Sea God Pavilion's elders."
"Who agrees, and who objects?"
Mu En stated in one breath the main matters to be announced at this Sea God Pavilion meeting.
Resting his chin on both hands, Mu En silently watched everyone.
"There's no reason to refuse!"
"The Martial Soul Department agrees!"
"The Soul Tool Department does too!"
The elders of both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department agreed. Elder Zhuang and Elder Lin also raised their hands in approval.
The motion at this Sea God Pavilion meeting passed unanimously.
"Very well, then. On to the next matter!"
"Last month, I went to the Sun Moon Empire."
"I discovered that they've already developed Soul Tools capable of contending with a Limit Douluo!"
"So we at Shrek can no longer remain trapped in our old ways. We must keep pace with the times!"
Mu En declared what he had seen and heard with ironclad resolve.
"What? The Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tools have developed to that extent?"
Xuan Zi had been slacking off on the sidelines, but he exploded the instant he heard Mu En's words. He was a textbook idiot who believed Martial Souls were everything, and he found it difficult to accept that Soul Tools had developed so far.
"Teacher, is that true?"
"It is!"
Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, and answered firmly.
The entire room instantly fell silent. Everyone was shaken by the news.
The Martial Soul Department suffered the most. They had always taken pride in their Martial Souls, always looked down on Soul Tools, and always believed that one's own strength was the only truth.
But Mu En's words could be said to have dealt a crushing blow to their firmly held convictions.
"I've decided to keep Mu Changqing in the Martial Soul Department, while Bei Bei will study Soul Tools under Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er."
"Teacher, how can that be allowed?!"
"Bei Bei can't go to the Soul Tool Department!"
Hearing Mu En's words, Yan Shaozhe immediately lost his composure, his eyes bloodshot and his breath coming like a panting bull's.
Mu En froze briefly. He had not expected the disciple he had always considered steady to contradict him like this.
"Yan Shaozhe, does your Martial Soul Department really have such a huge appetite?"
"How Elder Mu makes his arrangements is none of your business!"
Xian Lin'er, dean of the Soul Tool Department, pointed at Yan Shaozhe in displeasure.
Her Soul Tool Department had finally managed to get a genius. How could she give him up to the Martial Soul Department?
"Enough! Stop arguing!"
"Yan Shaozhe, Soul Tools are the future of the Douluo Continent!"
"We may choose not to use them, but we cannot be without them!"
Mu En released his imposing presence, and the room instantly fell silent.
"Yes, Teacher! I lost my composure!"
Yan Shaozhe immediately regained his calm.
Following the Sea God Pavilion meeting's deliberations, Mu Changqing was named the heir to the Sea God Pavilion's mastership, skipping a generation, and joined the Martial Soul Department. Bei Bei became the heir to the Sea God Pavilion's deputy mastership, skipping a generation, and joined the Soul Tool Department.
Once everyone dispersed, Mu En was left sitting quietly alone in the Sea God Pavilion.
Mu En had originally intended for both Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan to join the Soul Tool Department, but the Martial Soul Department would inevitably feel a strong sense of crisis.
Bei Bei would be the deputy master in the future, while Zhang Lexuan would certainly become a Sea God Pavilion elder. If both were assigned to the Soul Tool Department, it would inevitably suppress the Martial Soul Department in the future.
Mu En could only have Bei Bei join the Soul Tool Department and Mu Changqing join the Martial Soul Department. This would also avoid provoking too much dissatisfaction from the Martial Soul Department.
After all, the quality of Mu Changqing's Martial Soul exceeded that of Zhang Lexuan's and Bei Bei's combined.
Most of Shrek's resources were controlled by the Martial Soul Department. He could not push them too hard.
Even a dog would bite when driven into a corner, let alone the Martial Soul Department. If the Martial Soul Department wanted to trip them up, it would be very easy.
"This continent is going to be troubled again!"
Mu En looked at the Sea God Pavilion's ceiling.