In the animated Douluo II world, the people beneath the heavenly screen were all astonished after hearing what Tang Ya had said.
"So having a Wicked Martial Soul doesn't necessarily make someone an Evil Soul Master? As long as they don't do evil, they have the right to live? When you put it like that... it actually makes some sense."
"This Mu Sheng really dared to say it. Who else would dare speak up for Wicked Martial Souls?"
"He didn't just dare to say it; he actually made it happen. Even Shrek changed its policy because of him. Nobody can match that kind of boldness."
At a dark underground hideout of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Yan Feng stared at the scene on the heavenly screen, an indescribable feeling flashing through his eyes.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands, his voice so quiet that he seemed to be talking to himself:
"If only our Shrek were like that too... then I wouldn't have ended up joining the Holy Spirit Cult."
"My life would definitely be completely different from what it is now, and a lot more exciting."
Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Bei Bei stared at the heavenly screen, utterly dumbfounded.
His other self had changed the entire academy's attitude toward Evil Martial Souls with the power of a single finger?
Shrek! That was Shrek, the hallowed ground that had always fought Wicked Martial Souls and upheld justice. And it had changed just like that?
Tang Ya's expression, however, was complicated. Watching the Tang Ya on the heavenly screen hold Mu Sheng's arm with a blissful smile, she felt a sour ache in her heart.
Jealousy, naked jealousy!
Why did her other self get to meet someone as outstanding as Mu Sheng?
Why did she get to be protected and doted on like that, with no need to fear being abandoned even after her Martial Soul evolved into a Wicked Martial Soul, and even be accepted by the entire academy?
She bit her lip and turned to Bei Bei, her voice tinged with urgency:
"Bei Bei, do you think... our Shrek Academy might agree to this policy too?"
Bei Bei was just about to answer when a cold snort came from beside them.
Xuan Zi folded his arms, the grease shining on his face unable to hide that air about him:
"Anyone with an Evil Martial Soul is an Evil Soul Master, forever beyond forgiveness. This Mu Sheng will definitely regret this decision someday."
"We at Shrek will absolutely never agree to such a policy."
With that, he turned to Mu En in the wheelchair beside him. "Isn't that right, Elder Mu?"
Mu En sat in his wheelchair, his aged eyes half closed. He remained silent for quite some time. In truth, he approved of what Mu Sheng had done.
What was wrong with having a Wicked Martial Soul?
As long as they did no evil, why condemn them all with a single stroke?
If Bei Bei had Mu Sheng's boldness and skill, he would support him with all his strength.
Unfortunately, Bei Bei wasn't even a tenth of the man Mu Sheng was.
His own body was close to giving out, and he didn't have many days left to live. Even if he wanted to do something, he no longer had the strength.
Mu En opened his eyes and nodded slowly. "Xuan Zi is right. This... isn't appropriate."
Hearing that, Tang Ya wilted. Her shoulders slumped, the light in her red eyes dimmed at once, and her heart turned to dead ashes.
In the scene on the heavenly screen, Qian Renxue looked at Mu Sheng a little differently than before.
Before, she had thought he was powerful, had secrets, and could be useful to her. But after hearing what Tang Ya had said, she suddenly felt that he seemed far more complicated than she had imagined.
What kind of person would speak up for Wicked Martial Souls and push an entire academy to change its rules?
As she pondered, she suddenly recalled a name mentioned earlier and couldn't resist asking:
"Who exactly is this Tang San? And why can a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul evolve?"
Tang Ya shook her head, and the rose-red bow on her ponytail swayed with the movement:
"That all happened ten thousand years ago. How could I possibly know?"
She then turned to Mu Sheng, a measure of certainty in her red eyes. "But Brother Sheng should know."
Qian Renxue, Huo Yuhao, and even the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm all looked over.
Mu Sheng didn't refuse. He spoke as he walked. "Tang San was the son of Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect and Ah Yin, ten thousand years ago. And Ah Yin was a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Beast in human form."
"So Tang San inherited Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer and Ah Yin's Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul. He had Twin Martial Souls. Come to think of it, it wouldn't be wrong to call Tang San the son of a Soul Beast."
In the Douluo I world, the crowd beneath the heavenly screen erupted.
"The son of a Soul Beast? Tang San is a Soul Beast's son? Born to a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor in human form?"
"Wait, a child born to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form... if we killed Tang San, would he drop a Soul Ring and Soul Bone?"
"Probably, right? With the bloodline of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he might even drop a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring! How about... we give it a try?"
"Come on, let's go! Before he becomes a god, let's strike first!"
Quite a few Soul Masters were tempted on the spot. They gathered in twos and threes, whispering with their eyes gleaming. Some had already begun planning where to find Tang San.
At the entrance to the Rose Hotel, Tang San froze.
The son of a Soul Beast. He was actually the son of a Soul Beast?
His mother, Ah Yin, had been a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor in human form?
He had only known that his mother had left him the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. It had never occurred to him that she herself was a Soul Beast.
Tang San stood there, his head buzzing, unsure whether he should be shocked or saddened.
His father, Tang Hao, had never told him any of this, not a single word!
Beside him, Xiao Wu's eyes widened. She looked from the heavenly screen to Tang San, her mouth hanging open for a long time.
The son of a Soul Beast... Little San's mother was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?
An indescribable feeling suddenly welled up in her heart: shock, confusion, and a small, impossible-to-hide bit of happiness.
Didn't that mean Soul Beast blood flowed through Little San's veins too?
Would that make him feel a little closer to Soul Beasts than most people did?
Xiao Wu couldn't help sneaking a glance at Tang San. She quickly looked away again, pretending nothing was amiss.
On the main road, Yu Xiaogang had already climbed to his feet and was brushing the dirt off himself. When he heard Mu Sheng's words, he froze on the spot, his hand suspended in midair, the dirt forgotten.
"Tang San is the son of a Soul Beast? Ah Yin was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?"
"I... I taught Tang San for so long, and all that time I was teaching a Soul Beast to cultivate?"
Yu Xiaogang paced two circles on the spot, then slapped his thigh.
"No wonder! No wonder Tang San's talent was so great! That's where it came from! The combination of a Soul Beast bloodline and a human Martial Soul can produce such astonishing talent! It looks like I'll have to add another point to Martial Soul Theory!"
"Hahaha, I truly am worthy of being called Grandmaster!"
In the scene on the heavenly screen, Qian Renxue nodded after hearing Mu Sheng's explanation. "So that's how it is."
She took a moment to digest the information, then suddenly thought of something else and pressed him:
"Then how do you plan to help Tang Ya find a suitable Soul Beast? You can't just pick any Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. It has to match her Martial Soul's attribute."
Mu Sheng didn't answer. He simply led the group deeper into the dense forest.
As they went farther in, the surrounding mist grew thicker and thicker, and traces of large Soul Beasts began to appear all around them.
After walking for about the time it took an incense stick to burn, Mu Sheng stopped and pointed at a depression ahead, covered in dark purple vines:
"We're here. This is a Shadow Vine Snake's territory. Ten thousand years of cultivation, dark attribute-a perfect match for Xiao Ya's Dark Blue Silver Grass."