The golden dragon flew out and struck the arena, shaking the entire metal Soul Fighting platform, which had been forged as a single piece.
The violent impact had actually cracked the platform, which had been smelted from high-grade metals.
Just then, a streak of teal flame swept past, taking human form where it landed.
"What on earth are you doing?"
As soon as the newcomer landed, she set her face in a stern expression. Still holding a spear, she spoke with authority to the assembled group, Mu Yueye included.
Mu Yueye raised a hand and said with a smile,
"Dean Xian, sorry about that. I lost control for a moment, and the attack made a bit too much of a commotion."
Xian Lin'er now got a clear look at Mu Yueye, and her stern expression softened. She took a deep breath, withdrew her Martial Soul and spear, and looked at him.
"I was wondering how there could be such a commotion when most of the Inspection Corps' top students are out on missions today. So it was you, you little rascal."
Mu Yueye scratched his head and said to Xian Lin'er,
"I'm a bit young, so some people questioned whether I could complete the things I'm supposed to in the inner court. I decided to play with them a little and test the power of my fourth Soul Skill while I was at it."
"Besides, normally I'd have to queue up and apply to test a Soul Skill's power, so using the academy's Soul Tool platform worked out just right."
Xian Lin'er glanced at the crack in the Soul Tool platform, then pointed at it and asked Mu Yueye,
"Did you do this?"
Mu Yueye nodded, and Xian Lin'er counted off on her fingers as she spoke.
"There's nothing wrong with using the Soul Tool platform to test your Soul Skill's power. Besides protecting students, the platform was designed to let you go all out and get a clear idea of how powerful your Soul Skills are."
"But you still have to pay for damaging public property."
Mu Yueye nodded. At his age, he wouldn't actually have to spend the few coins he had on hand anyway; the money would still come from Mu En.
Xian Lin'er looked at the crack, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth, and said to Mu Yueye,
"That Soul Skill of yours is impressive. It really is powerful. To make a crack like that at your cultivation level is remarkable."
Mu Yueye scratched his head and replied,
"You flatter me, Dean Xian."
Xian Lin'er turned her gaze to the students who had ganged up on Mu Yueye earlier. Having been saved by the fainting platform, they were now deathly pale.
"Why haven't you left? Do you want to split the cost of the damage?"
The students came to as if waking from a dream. They had only just recovered from the realization that Mu Yueye had nearly taken them out in a single move, and when they saw that Xian Lin'er meant for them to leave, they naturally didn't dare linger.
Although these Martial Soul Department students usually looked down on Soul Tool Department students, Xian Lin'er was a teacher, no matter how one looked at it.
On top of that, the Flying Valkyrie's name was simply too famous, so she was naturally a different matter.
After everyone had left, Mu Yueye prepared to leave the Soul Fighting platform as well, but Xian Lin'er called him back.
"Wait, Yueye."
Mu Yueye had no intention of ignoring Xian Lin'er. He turned to look at her, curiosity in his eyes.
"Is there something else, Dean Xian?"
Xian Lin'er waved a hand and said to him,
"There are no outsiders here. Why call me Dean Xian? It makes us sound like strangers. Yan Shaozhe and I are of the same generation, so by rights, you should call me elder sister."
Mu Yueye scratched his head and replied,
"I called Dean Yan senior brother before because I wasn't yet a student of the inner court. Strictly speaking, I wasn't a Shrek student at all. I was there through my great-great-grandfather's connections, so naturally I could be a little less restrained. Now that I've entered the inner court, I'm a proper student."
"You're a teacher, and I'm a student. It's only right that I show you respect."
Xian Lin'er smiled and said to Mu Yueye,
"We don't stand on that kind of ceremony at Shrek Academy. Those with ability take their place. If you have the ability, we're happy to be close to you and call you brother. Besides, you're Mu En's great-great-grandson, and you studied under him just like Yan Shaozhe did, so you're Yan Shaozhe's junior brother. That doesn't change, no matter how far apart your ages are."
The corner of Mu Yueye's mouth twitched. He didn't want to get tangled up in the question with Xian Lin'er any longer, because it really was a mess. He had called Yan Shaozhe senior brother, but now that he had entered the inner court, Yan Shaozhe was the dean of the Martial Soul Department and, strictly speaking, counted as his teacher too.
So there weren't many people left who could make sense of how their seniority should be reckoned.
Xian Lin'er smiled and went on,
"Never mind. It's only a form of address, after all. If you don't want to call me that, then don't. But there's something else."
Mu Yueye looked at Xian Lin'er. Judging by her schemes over the years, this so-called other matter was the real reason she had stopped him; the question of how he addressed her had merely come up along the way.
Xian Lin'er glanced at Mu Yueye, then leaned closer and said,
"The Soul Tool Department's recent classes have been quite interesting. Would you be interested in auditing one?"
Mu Yueye didn't reject the idea immediately. Instead, he asked,
"Interesting classes? Now that's new. If even the inner court's classes can be interesting, the Soul Tool Department really has made great strides... What are they about?"
Seeing that Mu Yueye hadn't refused at once, Xian Lin'er immediately smiled.
"The Soul Tool Department naturally teaches knowledge about Soul Tools. The classes I'm inviting you to attend cover some of the results of our department's research into Soul Tools over the years. They're rather like a research report. Are you interested?"
Mu Yueye narrowed his eyes and said to Xian Lin'er,
"Dean Xian, I know about some of the issues between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department. I should make one thing clear: I don't share the prejudice ordinary Martial Soul Department students have against the Soul Tool Department."
Xian Lin'er's expression visibly relaxed. It was excellent news for her that Mu Yueye wasn't opposed to the idea.
But Mu Yueye changed tack and continued,
"However, Dean Xian, you should understand my situation as well. I think that, for me, it's enough to know how to use Soul Tools. And I'm not the person you should be telling about your results."
Disappointment flickered in Xian Lin'er's eyes, but she still smiled at Mu Yueye and handed him a card.
"It's all right. Take your time and think about it."
With that, Xian Lin'er turned and disappeared from Mu Yueye's sight.
In the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En stroked his beard in satisfaction and smiled after hearing about Mu Yueye's performance.
"He really managed to crack the Soul Tool platform?"
Mu En asked Xian Lin'er for confirmation, and when she nodded, the smile on his face grew even broader.
Although the crack was extremely shallow, being able to crack the Soul Fighting platform at the four-ring cultivation level was unprecedented.
The last person to accomplish it had been Ma Xiaotao, when her Evil Fire had gone out of control. Even then, it hadn't been through her own strength; the special properties of her Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike Soul Skill had merely melted a small gash in the floor.
Going further back, the only person who had managed it at a similar level was the Ultimate Fire Soul Master who had left such a vivid mark on Shrek Academy's history.
Even that Ultimate Fire Soul Master had only accomplished it at five rings.
Mu Yueye could do it already, a step earlier than that Ultimate Fire Soul Master.
As long as he was properly nurtured, Shrek would surely flourish in the future...