Outside the freshman dormitory building in Shrek Outer Court.
"Master, is this the right amount of pressure?"
"Mm."
Mu En lay in a reclining chair, basking in the sun. His eyes narrowed, and he gave a drowsy grunt of assent.
"Then I'm going to show you my unique secret technique. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, remember to let me know."
When Mu En said nothing, Yu Tianqing kept the pressure on his shoulders steady. A flicker of electricity appeared on his hand, passed through Mu En's clothes, and entered his body.
"Sss-haah-"
Mu En let out a strange, murmuring cry. His eyes opened, then slowly closed again.
Yu Tianqing stopped what he was doing and leaned close to Mu En's ear, asking softly:
"Master, is anything uncomfortable?"
Mu En rolled his shoulders as though nothing had happened.
"Continue. Double the strength of the electric shocks."
"Yes, yes, right away."
"Crackle!"
This was different from giving Ma Xiaotao electrotherapy, when most of his attention had been focused on dealing with the Evil Fire in her body.
Massaging Mu En, on the other hand, meant working through a layer of clothing. Yu Tianqing had to control the voltage to avoid damaging his clothes, which took a great deal of concentration.
In less than ten minutes, a faint sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"All right~ all right~"
At that moment, Mu En waved for Yu Tianqing to stop. His tone sounded considerably more cheerful as he lifted his eyelids slightly and smiled at Yu Tianqing.
"Since you've worked so hard, whatever you want, hurry up and say it."
"Come now, can't your disciple show a little filial devotion?"
"Then carry on."
Seeing Mu En make as if to close his eyes again, Yu Tianqing could only admit honestly:
"Master, your disciple does indeed have a favor to ask."
Mu En looked steadily at him without speaking.
Old people really are hard to fool. He's practically become a spirit.
Yu Tianqing scratched his head awkwardly and had no choice but to explain why he had come.
"Master, I want to know how to cultivate Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores. You know my Martial Soul: the Yin Yang Thunder Dragon needs to maintain its balance. If I condensed one ahead of the other, something might go wrong. So I want to know how to condense Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores at the same time."
"Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores, eh? Condensing them at the same time?" Mu En smacked his lips. "I don't know how."
Yu Tianqing stared at Mu En in astonishment, only to see that Mu En looked as though it were perfectly natural.
"No one has ever condensed Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores. As far as I know, Di Tian might be the only one capable of it. So if you ask me, all I can honestly say is that I don't know."
Mu En rose from his reclining chair and turned to look Yu Tianqing up and down several times. There was something odd in his gaze, and it made Yu Tianqing uneasy.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I just think your idea is quite good. The main reason a Second Soul Core is difficult to condense is that, as the later arrival, it has to reach a balance with the First Soul Core."
"If you followed your idea and condensed two Soul Cores at once, it might well be a shortcut."
"Your circumstances do make you suited to that approach."
Mu En nodded repeatedly, fully approving of Yu Tianqing's idea.
"But it's still too early for you to be considering these things. Do you know why Soul Cores are generally condensed at the Titled Douluo realm?"
"Please enlighten me, Teacher."
"Because constructing a Soul Core requires the power of your Martial Soul Origin. Generally, the combined age of the Soul Rings you've absorbed must exceed a hundred thousand years, and their attributes can't differ too much from the origin attribute you intend to condense."
"If the origin attributes differ too much, they won't be pure enough. That's also why quite a few people spend their entire lives unable to break through to the Titled realm."
Yu Tianqing thought it over. He seemed to have none of the problems Mu En had mentioned. He intended to go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but he couldn't explain that plan to Mu En in detail.
If he really let Mu En take him to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, how could he still avoid eating beef?
Although Yu Tianqing was Mu En's disciple, Mu En was the Sea God Pavilion Master, after all, someone who would sacrifice himself to the Golden Tree even after death.
If they really went to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well together, he certainly wouldn't be able to do as he pleased.
Was he supposed to follow that Tang San's rules and accept the trials of that bunch of flowers and plants?
He wasn't a masochist like Huo Yuhao.
"Wait until you reach Soul Douluo, then we'll talk. Spend a few more years building up your foundation."
"The Star Dou Great Forest made an agreement with the academy several hundred years ago: humans may not kill Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. That's also why your senior brothers don't have Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings."
"I see your cultivation has reached level seventy. Do you need the academy's help with Soul Hunting?"
"I'm planning to hone myself for a while longer. As for my Seventh Soul Ring, I've already agreed to let an elder help me obtain it. I just wanted to plan ahead and study how to construct Yin-Yang Dual Soul Cores, so I'd have some idea of what to expect."
Mu En nodded. "Very well. You came from a sect, after all, so you're a little different from Yan Shaozhe and the others."
An ancient-looking token appeared in Mu En's hand, and he held it out to Yu Tianqing.
"This is a Sea God Pavilion Token. With it, you can enter the Sea God Pavilion's confidential library. It contains notes on Soul Core research by pavilion elders of past generations. You may read them inside, but don't take them out."
The old geezer finally dropped some gold coins!
"Thank you, revered master."
Yu Tianqing accepted it gladly, even changing the way he addressed him.
"All right, all right."
Mu En waved as though shooing away a fly. This disciple was very talented, but a little too much of a handful.
His waving hand suddenly paused. His expression turned strange as he looked into the distance.
Yu Tianqing followed Mu En's gaze.
At first glance, he saw Wang Dong fighting Huo Yuhao.
Golden wing blades chased Huo Yuhao, who moved unpredictably with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, dodging again and again.
Finally, Huo Yuhao seized an opening, tangled with Wang Dong, and threw him straight to the ground.
Yu Tianqing hadn't expected to witness this scene today either. He chuckled twice, then his figure turned into a flash of lightning and vanished from where he stood.
"Do you yield?"
Huo Yuhao was pinning Wang Dong down, growling as he panted.
"Yield, my ass." Wang Dong refused to give in.
Just then, a dark shadow fell over the two of them. Noticing the change in the light, they both looked up at once and saw Yu Tianqing standing there with a stern face.
"Fighting isn't allowed at Shrek Academy. Didn't you know that?"
Huo Yuhao released Wang Dong, and Wang Dong got up from beneath Huo Yuhao and dusted off her clothes.
"I'll fight whenever I want. It's none of your business."
Oh, this little girl has quite a temper.
A slender figure stepped in front of Wang Dong. It was Huo Yuhao.
"Senior, he's my roommate. We were just fighting for fun."
"I see. You even know to stand up for your roommate." Yu Tianqing nodded. "But you won't be roommates for much longer."
Wang Dong glared at Yu Tianqing. "What do you mean by that?"
"Light Goddess Butterfly, right? Only female Soul Masters can possess that Martial Soul. What are you, a girl, plotting by sneaking into the boys' dormitory?"
Yu Tianqing bent down and stared into Wang Dong's lovely, large pink-and-blue eyes.
"Don't tell me you're a pervert?"
"You! I!"
Wang Dong couldn't get a complete sentence out.
Yu Tianqing patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.
"Boys have to learn to protect themselves when they're away from home. Stay away from people like that from now on, understood?"