Dragon God Douluo Mu En, Jian Mu Douluo Zhou JiRen (Part 1)

"The Golden Tree is where the Sea God Pavilion elders live, and you want me to get you a room there?!" Yan Shaozhe said furiously, decades of composure shattered by Ling Bai.

The Golden Tree was an ancient tree imbued with the aura of light and life, standing at the center of Sea God Island. Without harming the Golden Tree's life essence, Shrek Academy's forebears had used it as a foundation to carve out the Sea God Pavilion.

Getting a room in the Golden Tree was practically the same as getting a room in the Sea God Pavilion. It would be like directly giving the Sea God Pavilion elders a new neighbor!

Though Yan Shaozhe was the dean of Shrek Academy's Spirit Soul Department, he ranked only at the bottom of the Sea God Pavilion. Where would he get such authority?

Xuan Zi's heart skipped a beat as well. Forget Yan Shaozhe—even he had no authority to move Ling Bai into the Golden Tree.

Within Shrek Academy, only the master of the Sea God Pavilion, Dragon God Douluo Mu En, could make the final decision.

"Dean, is it possible?"

Ling Bai looked at Yan Shaozhe's slightly twisted face. In truth, Jian Mu Douluo had only paid such a steep price to refine the Ming Huang Pill because he had no other choice. When Ling Bai had first killed a soul beast and seen blood, it had triggered the Death Prison Spider Emperor's evil nature. After consulting ancient records, Jian Mu Douluo had discovered that only a Ming Huang Pill refined from numerous light-attributed heavenly treasures could suppress it.

Now that the Death Prison Spider Emperor had revived once more, Jian Mu Douluo's body no longer allowed him to refine a Ming Huang Pill. Following Electrolux's advice, he had to borrow the Golden Tree's power!

"This..."

Yan Shaozhe let out a long sigh. For the first time in a century, someone had left him speechless.

"I'll make a request to the Sea God Pavilion Master for you, but I don't know whether it'll succeed."

In the end, Yan Shaozhe decided to meet Elder Mu. It was not merely because of the Golden Tree. The appearance of a god-tier martial soul at the academy was a matter of great importance, and Ling Bai stubbornly refused to become Shrek's successor. The academy's stance toward him needed Elder Mu's decision.

"Thank you, Dean Yan."

Ling Bai bowed to Yan Shaozhe, then turned to Xuan Zi and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Elder Xuan. I can't become your disciple."

"Forget it, forget it."

Xuan Zi waved a hand, pulled out a chicken leg, and began gnawing on it. He muttered, "This old man simply has no fate with a little monster like you. Go back and get some rest early!"

With that, Xuan Zi transformed into an earthy-yellow streak of light and shot into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"Elder Xuan will probably be depressed for quite some time." Yan Shaozhe smiled helplessly. "He finally encountered a genius qualified to inherit his legacy, only for someone else to get there first."

Ling Bai merely smiled without speaking. Anything he said now would sound somewhat insincere.

"Cultivate well at the academy from now on. Don't waste your talent. I'll go ask the Pavilion Master for you."

Yan Shaozhe offered Ling Bai a few words of encouragement before heading toward the center of Sea God Island.

There were many buildings on Sea God Island, but only one could truly be called towering: the Sea God Pavilion.

The Sea God Pavilion had three floors above ground, each over ten meters high. It was the most important place in all of Shrek Academy, concealing countless unknown secrets, including no shortage of precious treasures.

Yan Shaozhe landed before the Sea God Pavilion's main entrance and climbed the stairs on foot until he reached the top floor. The top floor was the Sea God Pavilion Master's room, and also the place where the Golden Tree's light power was most concentrated.

He knocked gently on the door. After silently counting to three, Yan Shaozhe pushed it open and entered. The Sea God Pavilion Master's room was extremely simple: a wooden bed, a wooden table, and a wooden recliner placed in the innermost corner. The area around the recliner was quite dim, and he could vaguely make out someone reclining upon it.

"Teacher."

Yan Shaozhe bowed toward the recliner.

"Shaozhe, there is no need for such formality. Why have you come?"

A gentle voice whose age could not be discerned rang out from the recliner concealed in the darkness. Merely hearing it gave one the sensation of having one's soul cleansed.

Yan Shaozhe straightened, pure reverence shining in his eyes. Master of the Sea God Pavilion, a level ninety-nine Ultimate Douluo, one of the Black White Twin Sacred Dragons—these were all titles belonging to his teacher, Dragon God Douluo Mu En, a name renowned across the Douluo Continent. His lifelong wish had been to become someone like Elder Mu, yet he had always fallen far short. He said, "Teacher, a Six-Winged Angel has appeared in the academy. He..."

Yan Shaozhe then briefly explained the matter to Elder Mu, emphasizing Ling Bai's talent, age, and his relationship with Jian Mu Douluo and the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

"So that child last night was JiRen's direct disciple."

A trace of amusement entered Elder Mu's voice. Jian Mu Douluo Zhou JiRen, the continent's foremost plant-type soul master, had been his old friend for a century.

"Teacher, regarding Ling Bai, what do you think we should..." Yan Shaozhe asked tentatively.

"Tell me what you think."

Elder Mu tossed the question back to him, intending to test his eldest disciple.

Yan Shaozhe pondered for a moment, then said gravely, "Teacher, I still maintain my original opinion. I hope to bring Ling Bai into Shrek Academy. With his monstrous talent and the academy's concentrated resources, he will certainly become a Titled Douluo within twenty years and an Ultimate Douluo within fifty!

"You understand what an Ultimate Douluo with a Six-Winged Angel represents—invinicibility, invincibility beneath heaven!"

A feverish flush spread across Yan Shaozhe's face. His fists clenched unconsciously as he said excitedly, "The Sun Moon Empire is developing far too quickly now. But as long as the Six-Winged Angel exists in the future, neither the Sun Moon Empire nor Mingde Hall will be worth fearing. Shrek Academy's glory will last for at least three hundred years!

"If his children inherit the angel bloodline, Shrek Academy..."

"Will have no worries for ten thousand years!"

"Ah, you... when will you ever broaden your perspective?"

Yan Shaozhe asked in confusion, "Teacher?"

Elder Mu shook his head and sighed. "Shrek Academy has never cared whether it is glorious, because the academy is a place for nurturing soul masters. It stands only on the side of the Douluo Continent and remains absolutely neutral in the conflicts among the three great empires and the major sects. Let me ask you: where is the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"

"The Heaven Dou Empire..." Yan Shaozhe seemed to grasp something.

"Exactly. Ling Bai is a disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, a genius belonging to the Douluo Continent. Whether he becomes the Sea God Pavilion Master or the Sect Guardian Douluo of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in the future, if the Sun Moon Empire dares invade the Douluo Continent, who do you think he will help? Broaden your perspective a little, and you'll find that things are actually quite simple. As for the Golden Tree..."

Elder Mu raised his eyelids slightly and said slowly, "If he wishes to come, then let him come..."

Yan Shaozhe was astonished. His own perspective had indeed been narrow, but Elder Mu's was far too broad. The Golden Tree and the Sea God Pavilion were one entity, yet Elder Mu was allowing an outsider to live there long-term!

Elder Mu paused before continuing, "Zhou JiRen has never followed rules in his life, only his own heart. Back then, when the two brothers of the Body Sect brought chaos to the world, the major sects avoided them like the plague. When facing the Body Sect for the first time, the academy suffered a heavy loss.

"Only when Jian Mu Douluo Zhou JiRen intervened and stopped Du Busi with his own strength did we finally defeat the Body Sect and force them to swear an oath. The academy and I owe him a favor. Now his direct disciple has made a request.

"The academy should grant it!"