The exchange event between the first and second years concluded with a resounding victory for the first-year students, a result that undoubtedly shocked the other grades in the Outer Academy. The names of the first-year students and Jing Shaoyu's group of seven had become widely known throughout the Outer Academy. Even senior students who hadn't met them had heard of their names.
For the first-year students, this victory didn't seem to bring much tangible reward beyond Contribution Points. However, through this exchange event, all the first-year students had truly integrated into Shrek Academy, and the cohesion of their grade had significantly strengthened.
Most importantly, the authority of the class committee led by Jing Shaoyu was now unshakable in the first year. Even the previously unruly Luo Guixing and Xu Yu Cheng had completely abandoned their ambitions for power and influence. Their smiles when facing Jing Shaoyu had become much more respectful.
A week after the exchange event ended, on Sea God Lake, Jing Shaoyu was pulled along by a beaming Na'er.
"Na'er, what's going on? What's got you so happy?" Jing Shaoyu asked, his face showing confusion, though he had a faint suspicion in his heart.
"Hehe, of course it's something good!" Na'er laughed joyfully, her mind replaying the words her shiniang (master's wife) had said to her the previous night. She couldn't contain her excitement and said in a sweet voice, "Big brother, just come with me!"
"Alright," Jing Shaoyu sighed helplessly, affectionately ruffling Na'er's hair. "I'll follow your lead."
In truth, he was already certain that this meeting with Yun Ming and Ya Li would likely involve them proposing to take him as a disciple.
Sea God Island looked no different from the last time he had visited, which was only about ten days ago. It was normal for there to be no significant changes. This time, they once again arrived at the Golden Tree, but unlike last time, they didn't immediately encounter Yun Ming and Ya Li.
Na'er led him up the Golden Tree and directly to the door of Yun Ming and Ya Li's room.
"Shifu (master), Shiniang, I've brought big brother back," Na'er called out sweetly from outside the door. Without waiting for a response from inside, she pushed the door open and walked in.
Seeing this, Jing Shaoyu quickly followed her inside.
Fortunately, Yun Ming and Ya Li were sitting in a dignified manner, so there was no awkward situation. When they saw Na'er and Jing Shaoyu, their expressions varied. Ya Li was naturally happy and delighted, while Yun Ming's face was expressionless, though the slight conflict in his eyes revealed his inner discomfort.
Indeed, although he had already prepared to take Jing Shaoyu as a disciple, or even an adopted son, his mindset couldn't shift so quickly. Just a moment ago, Jing Shaoyu had been the scoundrel who had stolen his precious disciple's affection, and now he was about to become his disciple, or even his adopted son. This stark contrast was too great, and it was only natural that the Sky-Holding Douluo, Yun Ming, would find it hard to adjust.
In contrast, Ya Li had adapted quite well. Her beautiful face wore a gentle smile, and her eyes shimmered with an inscrutable emotion as she said, "Na'er's back, and Shaoyu's here too. Come, take a seat."
As soon as Jing Shaoyu entered the room, he sensed the unusual atmosphere. He didn't show it, however, and calmly bowed to Yun Ming and Ya Li, saying, "Greetings, Sky-Holding Crown and Holy Spirit Crown!"
"Haha, child, why so formal?" Ya Li said with a hint of displeasure. "You're Na'er's big brother, and we're Na'er's shifu and shiniang. You can just call us shifu and shiniang like Na'er does. There's no need to address us as 'Crown'!"
"Ahem, that's right," Yun Ming, who hadn't planned to speak, was forced to respond when Ya Li's hand reached his waist. Even someone as powerful as him feared a woman's kidney strike, so he quickly spoke up.
"Shifu, Shiniang, you're acting so strange!" Na'er said, her big eyes darting between Yun Ming and Ya Li, an innocent expression on her face. "You told me to bring big brother here because you had something to discuss with him, right? So just say it now!"
Na'er was truly eager!
"Alright," Yun Ming, after all, was a Limit Douluo with a flawless mindset. All the strange and conflicting expressions on his face disappeared as he spoke seriously, "Then I'll get straight to the point. Jing Shaoyu, I want to take you as my disciple. What do you think?"
"Ah…" Jing Shaoyu's mouth instinctively fell open, not out of surprise but simply because he hadn't expected Yun Ming to be so direct.
"You don't need to worry about Leng Yaozhu's feelings," Yun Ming said, seeing Jing Shaoyu's reaction and assuming he was concerned about Leng Yaozhu. "We've already discussed it. She will still be your teacher, and that won't interfere with you becoming my disciple. So, what do you think? Have you made up your mind?"
Upon hearing this, Jing Shaoyu immediately reacted and respectfully called out, "Shifu!"
"Good!" Both Yun Ming and Ya Li smiled with satisfaction. Yun Ming said, "Perform the formalities of becoming a disciple."
Under the watchful eyes of Yun Ming and Ya Li, Jing Shaoyu knelt down, respectfully kowtowed three times, and said, "Disciple Jing Shaoyu pays his respects to Shifu!"
"Good child, get up quickly!" Before Yun Ming could respond, Ya Li eagerly pulled Jing Shaoyu up, her voice gentle and her eyes filled with maternal warmth.
"Very well. From today onward, you are my second disciple," Yun Ming said, his tone serious. "Remember, as my disciple, you must never commit evil deeds, or I will personally clean up the house!"
"Understood, Shifu!" Jing Shaoyu immediately replied earnestly.
"Hehe, now big brother and I are not just siblings but also senior sister and junior brother! Big brother, call me 'senior sister Na'er'!" Na'er said joyfully, laughing by the side.
"You silly girl, that's not how it works," Ya Li immediately stepped into her role as Jing Shaoyu's shiniang and said, "Based on age, your big brother is the senior brother, and you're the junior sister. Got it?"
"I know, I was just joking," Na'er said with a giggle, running to Ya Li's side and hugging her arm. "Shiniang, I feel like you don't like me anymore. You're acting so much like a mother now!"
The "mother" Na'er referred to was naturally Jing Ziyuan.
"Am I?" Ya Li's expression became slightly awkward. Had she been that obvious? She forced a gentle smile and awkwardly adjusted the hair in front of her forehead.
Yun Ming spoke up at this moment, easing Ya Li's discomfort. He said, "Shaoyu, I'll call you that from now on. Is that okay?"
"Okay," Jing Shaoyu replied.
"Good," Yun Ming nodded and then said, "As your shifu, I need to understand your true cultivation level and realm. Next, I'll inspect your body. Don't resist, understand?"
"...Okay," Jing Shaoyu, upon hearing Yun Ming's words, instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, as a man, the idea of having another man inspect his body sounded uncomfortable. So he hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. Apart from that small bit of male instinctive resistance, Jing Shaoyu had nothing to hide, as there were no secrets in his body—like a group of parasites, for example.
"Good, give me your hand," Yun Ming said, a glint in his eyes.
Jing Shaoyu extended his right hand, and Yun Ming grasped it. Immediately, Jing Shaoyu felt a surge of powerful Soul Power flow from Yun Ming's hand into his body through his right hand. His body instinctively resisted.
"Calm down!" Yun Ming shouted. "Close your eyes and clear your mind!"
Jing Shaoyu followed Yun Ming's instructions, closing his eyes and calming his mind. His body immediately settled, and his consciousness became serene. Ya Li and Na'er in the room also held their breaths, maintaining absolute silence. This was a moment that required complete quiet, so as not to disturb Yun Ming's focus.
After about fifteen minutes, Yun Ming opened his eyes, released Jing Shaoyu's hand, and showed a look of surprise. He said, "It's done."
Jing Shaoyu immediately opened his eyes and looked at Yun Ming, a hint of gratitude in his gaze. Yun Ming hadn't just inspected his body but had also taken the opportunity to solidify his foundation, stabilize his realm, and, most importantly, helped him fully integrate his two Soul Bones. This meant that the Dark Gold Fear Claw Right Palm Bone and the Nightmare Demon Eye Left Arm Bone had become inseparable parts of his body. Soul Bones that had been deeply integrated in this way could not be forcibly removed unless he willingly gave them up.
To achieve deep integration of Soul Bones on his own, Jing Shaoyu would need to reach at least the level of a Soul Saint. After deep integration, he would be able to use his Soul Bone Soul Skills more quickly, consume less Soul Power, and significantly reduce the cooldown time of his Soul Bone Skills.
"Thank you, Shifu," Jing Shaoyu expressed his gratitude.
"Don't be so formal," Yun Ming waved his hand and said, "You're even more outstanding than I imagined. Tian Feng has indeed put a lot of effort into you—one external Soul Bone and one hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone.
Your foundation is very solid. Although your realm is a bit unstable, you've consciously stopped cultivating to consolidate it instead of blindly pursuing levels. That's very good. According to my prediction, within three months at most, you'll be able to continue increasing your Soul Power.
Your two Martial Souls are extremely harmonious. Despite being completely different and even opposing Martial Souls, they coexist so harmoniously. Apart from their equal quality, there's also a special connection between them. I can't interfere with this connection, and you'll need to explore and study it yourself. If you can fully master this connection, I believe your Four-Word Battle Armor will be very easy to create in the future.
Additionally, your spiritual power has actually reached the Spirit Abyss Realm, and judging by the size of your spiritual sea, your spiritual power is at least ten thousand points. How did you achieve this? Does it have anything to do with the dormant Soul Spirit in your mind?"
Jing Shaoyu was inwardly shocked. Yun Ming had only controlled a wisp of Soul Power to circulate through his meridians, yet he had been able to see through him so thoroughly. Truly worthy of being the number one person on the continent! He answered Yun Ming's last question, "No, it's unrelated. The Soul Spirit in my mind is a two hundred-thousand-year orange Soul Spirit, the Nightmare Demon Eye Beast. She's the Soul Spirit of my Doomsday Godslaying Spear. It's just that my body can't currently handle a Ferocious Beast-level Soul Ring, so she can only remain dormant for now."
As he spoke, Jing Shaoyu summoned his Doomsday Godslaying Spear Martial Soul, and four red Soul Rings appeared simultaneously with his will. Seeing the four crimson Soul Rings appear in the room, Yun Ming, Ya Li, and Na'er all showed expressions of astonishment.
"Did Tian Feng personally find this Ferocious Beast Soul Spirit for you?" Ya Li asked, her expression slightly troubled as she looked at Jing Shaoyu.
"Shifu only helped me contract the Nightmare Demon Eye Beast. As for the Nightmare Demon Eye Beast's origin, that's thanks to the second Soul Spirit of my Origin Elf Soul," Jing Shaoyu shook his head and said, raising his hand. A majestic unicorn appeared—Sacred Unicorn An Ya.
"Master," An Ya respectfully greeted.
"Sacred Unicorn!" Ya Li exclaimed in surprise upon seeing An Ya. "Is this the Sacred Unicorn from the War God Hall?!"
"It's you? That little girl from back then?" An Ya also sensed Ya Li's aura and spoke in a surprised voice.
Yun Ming watched all of this, suddenly feeling as though he had been tricked by Leng Yaozhu. He couldn't help but rub his forehead and said, "I see. Shaoyu, put your Sacred Unicorn Soul Spirit away and hide the Soul Rings of your Doomsday Godslaying Spear Martial Soul."
"Okay," Jing Shaoyu complied, and in an instant, all the extraordinary phenomena disappeared, leaving only a dark black spear lying quietly in his hand.
"I was originally planning to teach you how to cultivate your second Martial Soul in a while," Yun Ming said helplessly. "But it seems like that's saved me a lot of trouble. That's fine, at least I don't need to worry about your Soul Rings. I can just directly teach you spear techniques.
Since your spiritual power has nothing to do with your Soul Spirit, why is it so formidable?"
It was no wonder Yun Ming was so concerned. Jing Shaoyu's spiritual power realm was truly terrifying. If his Martial Soul were a spiritual-type Martial Soul, then reaching the Spirit Abyss Realm at thirteen, while still outrageous, wouldn't be earth-shattering. But neither of Jing Shaoyu's Martial Souls were spiritual-type, so his extraordinarily high spiritual power was deeply unsettling. Yun Ming couldn't help but worry—what if Tian Feng had forced this child's growth, potentially ruining him?
Although Jing Shaoyu's spiritual sea seemed stable now, what if it wasn't? As Jing Shaoyu's shifu, Yun Ming had to consider these possibilities!
This wasn't him being suspicious or overthinking, but rather the responsibility of a teacher.
"Actually, my spiritual power suddenly increased so much after I arrived at the academy," Jing Shaoyu thought for a moment and replied. "During the entrance exam, my spiritual power was only at the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm. It was only after I meditated by Sea God Lake after enrolling that my spiritual power surged to the Spirit Abyss Realm."
"You meditated by Sea God Lake?" Yun Ming immediately thought of something upon hearing this. He exchanged a glance with Ya Li and then asked, "What exactly happened? Tell me."
So Jing Shaoyu recounted the events of that afternoon in detail. After hearing his story, Yun Ming and Ya Li's expressions became a mix of amusement and helplessness, but the tension in their hearts finally eased.
"No wonder the Golden Tree acted up that day. So it was because of you, kid!" Yun Ming said, his smile a mix of resignation and relief. "Well, your Origin Elf Soul is naturally attuned to nature, so it's only natural that Jin Lao would take notice of you."
"Jin Lao?" Jing Shaoyu tilted his head in confusion.
"That's the old man you saw that day. He's actually the tree spirit of the Golden Tree, and we respectfully call him Jin Lao," Ya Li explained with a light chuckle. "I never expected you to win his favor, A Yu. This is great news. Ming-ge, let's prepare a room for A Yu. Since Jin Lao has acknowledged him, his cultivation on the island will surely be twice as effective."
Yun Ming nodded and said, "That's fine."
"Does that mean big brother will move in with us from now on?" Na'er's face lit up with excitement and anticipation.
"No, we're just preparing in advance. For now, Shaoyu will still live in the Outer Academy," Yun Ming shook his head and said. "It's fine for him to stay on Sea God Island occasionally, but to officially move in, he'll need to pass the Inner Academy entrance exam."
"Ah? Why?!" Na'er cried out in disappointment.
Jing Shaoyu, however, didn't show much emotional fluctuation. If he were to move to Sea God Island now, he'd have to think carefully about it.
"A Yu, starting tomorrow, come to Sea God Island every afternoon to learn spear techniques with Na'er from me. Understand?" Yun Ming looked at Jing Shaoyu and made the demand.
"Ah? Every day?" Jing Shaoyu frowned, looking somewhat helplessly at Yun Ming. "Shifu, isn't this schedule a bit inconvenient?"
Yun Ming thought for a moment and said, "I've been a bit thoughtless. How about every three days? Is that okay?"
"Okay!" Jing Shaoyu immediately agreed.
"A Yu, if
you have any questions about cultivating your Origin Elf Soul, you can also ask me," Ya Li said with a gentle smile.
"I will, Shiniang," Jing Shaoyu replied.
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