"Old geezer Xuan, just let me try. I have a feeling this is my Second Soul Ring. I can't be wrong."
As Mu Yueye spoke, he had already completed his Martial Soul Possession. The moment his Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul emerged, his presence surged.
Before Xuan Zi could say anything else, Mu Yueye acted first and reported later. His left hand, transformed into a dragon claw, slammed into the side of the Holy Radiance Unicorn's neck.
Although this Holy Radiance Unicorn was very old, and according to Yan Shaozhe, extremely rare, with some even more far-fetched claims about it,
its own defense was quite limited. Mu Yueye's punch immediately ruptured the blood vessels in the side of its neck.
Blood flowed from its mouth and nostrils as the unicorn fell headfirst to the ground. A deep purple Soul Ring floated out.
Just as Xuan Zi was about to stop him, Mu Yueye had already placed the Soul Ring around the Radiant Sacred Dragon.
At that point, Xuan Zi could no longer stop him, because if he did not interfere, there was still a chance of success.
The moment Xuan Zi interfered, the absorption would fail outright, and the backlash would immediately strike Mu Yueye.
When that happened, not even with Shrek Academy's resources could anyone say with absolute certainty that Mu Yueye could recover without side effects.
Xuan Zi did not dare gamble on how Mu En would react then.
"This child is far too reckless. He started absorbing the Soul Ring without even asking. Is a five-thousand-year Soul Ring something he can absorb at his current stage?"
Xuan Zi looked ready to blow his beard and glare. Watching Mu Yueye sit down cross-legged, he complained to Yan Shaozhe in a low voice, plainly displeased.
Yan Shaozhe gave a couple of wry chuckles, then shook his head and gave Xuan Zi a meaningful look.
"Didn't Tang San, the first master of the Tang Sect, absorb the Soul Rings of a Man Faced Demon Spider and a Cave Demon Spider beyond his level back then, laying the foundation for his own legend?"
Xuan Zi rolled his eyes and said to Yan Shaozhe,
"You really are muddleheaded. Even Ancestor Tang San didn't go this far beyond his level for his Second Soul Ring back then."
Yan Shaozhe merely smiled, then turned his gaze to Mu Yueye as well and murmured,
"Don't get too worked up over this. Each new generation surpasses the last. Everything has gone smoothly for Xiao Ye since he awakened his Martial Soul. Surely heaven will watch over a fortunate soul this time too."
Xuan Zi, however, said to Yan Shaozhe with some indignation,
"Of course you can say that now. After all, this old man is here drawing the fire. Even if something happens to him, you'll only be second in line to take the blame. If he can absorb this Soul Ring, I'll eat... a chicken leg."
Xuan Zi was furious and had been about to make a bold declaration to Yan Shaozhe, but halfway through, he caught sight of the deep purple Soul Ring out of the corner of his eye. It was no longer pulsing around the Radiant Sacred Dragon, but had settled beneath Mu Yueye and was about to complete its final fusion.
Xuan Zi immediately caught himself and changed the second half of his declaration to his own advantage.
Yan Shaozhe could not help laughing. He tried to steady his breathing and make his smile less obvious as he said,
"There's no need to make a bet with me over that. You eat plenty of chicken legs as it is... When it comes to eating chicken, you've always been a professional."
Xuan Zi snorted but did not pursue the matter with Yan Shaozhe. Instead, he looked at Mu Yueye again.
"This boy really is lucky. Although he usually doesn't show me much respect, I'm afraid no one in Shrek's younger generation will surpass his strength for many years to come."
Yan Shaozhe also watched Mu Yueye. The smile faded from his face as he spoke, sounding both serious and gratified.
"Yes. Now that he's absorbed this five-thousand-year Soul Ring, it has laid the foundation for Mu Yueye's position as a powerhouse among his generation."
At that moment, Mu Yueye opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched his arms and legs. Beside him, Zhang Lexuan asked with concern,
"How is it, Yueye? Are you all right?"
Mu Yueye threw a couple of punches into the air, feeling the increase in his Soul Power after absorbing the Soul Ring.
"I don't feel much. It didn't feel like absorbing a five-thousand-year Soul Ring. It went as smoothly as absorbing a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. It was no different from when I absorbed my First Soul Ring."
His words left the three people who had been anxious on his behalf somewhat exasperated. After breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Lexuan put her hands on her hips and said to Mu Yueye,
"Honestly, Xiao Ye, it's a good thing you managed to absorb a five-thousand-year Soul Ring, but isn't showing off like that a bit much?"
In the end, Zhang Lexuan was too embarrassed to say anything too crude to Mu Yueye, but she still expressed her dissatisfaction as best she could.
Mu Yueye shook his head and said to Zhang Lexuan with utmost seriousness,
"Sister Lexuan, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. I really did find it easy to absorb."
Zhang Lexuan narrowed her eyes and was about to speak, but Yan Shaozhe interrupted their conversation.
"All right. Whatever the case, the Soul Ring has been absorbed successfully. This is no place to linger, so let's make ourselves scarce first."
Mu Yueye and Zhang Lexuan immediately nodded in agreement. By then, Xuan Zi had finished examining the Holy Radiance Unicorn's corpse. After he confirmed that it had not dropped a Soul Bone, the four headed toward the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
With two Super Douluo leading the way, the journey went smoothly. They did not encounter a single Soul Beast blind enough to try to block their path.
Only after they returned to Shrek Academy did Zhang Lexuan and Mu Yueye part ways for the time being. Zhang Lexuan went back to her dormitory to change and wash her clothes, while Mu Yueye went to report the outcome of the Soul Hunting trip to Mu En.
When Mu En heard about Mu Yueye absorbing a five-thousand-year Soul Ring, the expression on his face changed for an instant.
"Xiao Ye, you took too great a risk."
After listening to Xuan Zi's report, Mu En turned to Mu Yueye and spoke in a stern voice.
Faced with Mu En's reproach, Mu Yueye could only smile and say,
"Great-Great-Grandfather, isn't it enough that things turned out well? Besides, I had an absolute feeling at the time that nothing would go seriously wrong when I absorbed that Soul Ring."
Mu En sighed helplessly, then spoke to Mu Yueye earnestly.
"Your parents passed away early. Of this old man's descendants, only you and your younger brother Bei Bei are left. You're also the only one in our Mu family to have inherited this old man's Martial Soul bloodline. If anything were to happen to you, what would I do?"
Seeing that Mu En had unlocked a special CG completely different from anything in the book, Mu Yueye hurried to reassure him.
"I really did have my own reasons to be confident. I know my own body."
Mu En sighed, then forced himself to rally. After composing himself, he looked at Mu Yueye and said,
"All right, what's done is done. I won't pursue it any further. The future of young people belongs to the young themselves, after all... Come, let this old man see what kind of Second Soul Skill you risked paralysis to obtain..."