Seeing how happy Mu En was, Xian Lin'er did not immediately go over and disturb him. She waited until the expression on his face gradually settled before speaking.
"Mu En, it's just that Yueye isn't very interested in the Soul Tool Department. It looks like our plan isn't going very smoothly."
Mu En sighed at her words, and his expression relaxed somewhat. He then said to Xian Lin'er,
"That's true. After years of exposure to the atmosphere in the inner court, it's only natural that he looks down on the Soul Tool Department a little, deep down. If we want to make him see the danger, it would be best to find someone around his age who can use a Soul Tool to get the better of him."
Xian Lin'er immediately frowned. She had specifically checked the Soul Fighting arena's records before coming to report to Mu En. After hesitating for a moment, she said dejectedly,
"Mu En, that's too difficult. I don't think there's any chance of finding someone like that in the three nations originally from the Douluo Continent. I don't know whether the Sun Moon Empire has anyone that talented, but even if it does, I'm afraid Yueye might find it easy to go there but hard to come back if he ran into them."
Mu En gave a light cough, then said,
"You're even bolder than this old man. Let's not consider the Sun Moon Empire for now. When the time is right, we'll have a proper talk with Yueye."
Xian Lin'er nodded, then took her leave of Mu En.
Meanwhile, Mu Yueye had just walked out of the Soul Fighting arena when he came face-to-face with Zhang Lexuan, who was striding toward it.
There was urgency and a trace of gloom in Zhang Lexuan's eyes. Startled, Mu Yueye quickened his pace to meet her.
The moment Zhang Lexuan saw Mu Yueye again, the expression on her face eased considerably. She said to him,
"Are you all right? I heard you went into the Soul Fighting arena against someone on your very first day?"
Mu Yueye smiled, then said,
"It wasn't really a fight. I was just playing around with them. You know how things are in our inner court: strength does the talking. Since I'd only just arrived, I had to show what I could do."
Zhang Lexuan frowned and looked up at the group of outer court disciples emerging from the arena with somewhat disgruntled expressions. She snorted coldly and said fiercely,
"A bunch of brats who barely got here any earlier, and they're already copying the older students and pulling rank."
Mu Yueye merely smiled. Seeing Zhang Lexuan like that, he changed the subject.
"By the way, Sister Lexuan, aren't you out on a mission?"
Zhang Lexuan nodded and looked at Mu Yueye gently as she said,
"Mm, I probably won't have any missions for a while. I just asked the academy for permission to go into seclusion and cultivate. For some reason, lately I've had a feeling that my Soul Power will break through soon, so I decided to follow Mu En's advice and give it a try."
Mu Yueye nodded and said to Zhang Lexuan,
"That's good too. You're very talented, Sister Lexuan. If you didn't have to take part in inner court missions all the time, your cultivation would probably have advanced further long ago."
Zhang Lexuan smiled and touched Mu Yueye's cheek.
"When it comes to talent, no one can compare to you, little monster. Now, if I don't use my Martial Soul Avatar, I'm afraid I won't be able to beat you within thirty moves."
Mu Yueye merely smiled and did not contradict her. He simply said politely,
"That's a bit too certain, Sister Lexuan. In a fight, most of the time, no one can predict the outcome without trying."
Zhang Lexuan was taken aback. Seeing the confidence in Mu Yueye's eyes, she nodded and said to him,
"All right, I'll take you out for another good meal today, and then it'll be time for me to go into seclusion and cultivate."
Mu Yueye smiled, then followed Zhang Lexuan to a well-regarded restaurant in Shrek City. After a simple meal, the two went back and forth over the bill, but Mu Yueye paid in the end.
While Mu Yueye was paying, Zhang Lexuan went and bought two glasses of nonalcoholic sparkling wine as a return gift.
It was just to Mu Yueye's liking. It tasted almost exactly like Eastroc Super Drink, giving him a faint taste of his previous life.
After making a mental note of the shop's location, Mu Yueye drank from his glass as he walked unhurriedly toward Shrek Academy.
When they reached the path between Shrek Academy and Shrek City, Mu Yueye suddenly stopped.
An unusual flicker of firelight was visible in a small town facing Shrek Academy. If Mu Yueye had not been circulating his Soul Power in the manner of the Purple Demon Eye, he might not even have noticed it.
Zhang Lexuan was walking ahead. When she saw that Mu Yueye had not followed, she looked back at him in confusion.
"What's wrong, Xiao Ye?"
Mu Yueye pointed at the firelight ahead, and Zhang Lexuan looked in that direction. Mu Yueye said,
"Something doesn't look right up ahead."
His words made Zhang Lexuan frown as well, and she said,
"It's been a long time since I've run into anything like this. Not many people dare to run wild this close to Shrek Academy. Go back to the academy first; I'll go take a look."
Mu Yueye nodded and said to Zhang Lexuan,
"Then be careful, Sister Lexuan."
Mu Yueye had only seen the unusual fire in the small town, but he had never intended to investigate it himself.
If there were anything good, Shrek Academy would not keep it from him; it would surely give him first pick.
Mu En had not even blinked when Mu Yueye absorbed the External Soul Bone that had been passed down for so many generations because no one could properly absorb it.
No matter how good the benefits potentially hidden behind this fire were, could they be better than an External Soul Bone?
Don't be ridiculous.
Mu Yueye spread his golden dragon wings and shot toward Shrek Academy, gliding low through the air.
But an instant after he had flown a short distance, Mu Yueye stopped.
His body felt numb and itchy. It seemed someone was using some kind of technique.
The corners of Mu Yueye's lips curled up. One thing was certain: the newcomer wasn't very strong, because the Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul had not even been fully triggered.
If the newcomer really was strong enough to disregard his true dragon bloodline, there would be no need to use such a cautious method against him.
Mu Yueye fully activated the Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, rather than merely manifesting its wings.
The brilliant light was as good as a flare in the night sky. Anyone in the direction of Shrek Academy who wasn't blind could see it.
"First Soul Skill, Light of Dawn!"
Brilliant light appeared around Mu Yueye. Immediately afterward, a patch of darkness that had blended into the shade of the trees emerged from its hiding place.
It was a youth wearing a half-skull mask. He looked only a few years older than Mu Yueye. He was covering his eyes, while wisps of black smoke rose from his arms where the light struck them.
Light of Dawn was the bane of Evil Soul Masters. With its light shining on the young man, it could be considered a far crueler torture than the youth's own technique.
The youth was no pushover, however. He abruptly waved his hand, and the phantom of a yellow-tinged bone dragon appeared behind him...