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Sea God's Pavilion.
The Golden Wood Manor stood at the very heart of Shrek Academy. Su Wen leaned against a window, inhaling the fresh air and gazing out over the expansive vista below.
His lodging had been the subject of a heated debate in the Pavilion Council—Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er had sparred endlessly over who should host him, each wanting the advantage of proximity to curry his favor. In the end, Elder Mu had waved his hand and decreed, "Enough. He will live in the Sea God's Pavilion."
The Pavilion's headquarters now lay within a colossal Golden Tree, its interior—tables, windows, even the floorboards—crafted entirely from that same precious wood. Few besides the senior elders dwelt here. The climate was temperate, the atmosphere serene—a truly perfect residence.
Su Wen glanced at Hurricane, who gazed back at him eagerly. He nodded. "Alright, go on and explore—but stay on the island. Don't stray too far…"
"Roar~!!"
Hurricane pounded its chest in excitement.
Opening Hurricane's status panel, Su Wen stroked his chin thoughtfully. Its base stat had climbed to 0.41, clearly reflecting his own growth in soul power. This meant that not only Hurricane but likely all his future bonded beasts would "share" his cultivation—though if a new soul beast's level exceeded his at the time of bonding, it would be downscaled to his rank.
Moreover, he suspected Hurricane's Wind attribute would strengthen upon evolving. If it reached the level of "Extreme Wind," that would be a staggering advantage. Extreme attributes conferred immense bonuses to a Martial Soul. Ling Luochen was already considered a genius in the Inner Court with a normal Ice-type soul. If the word "Extreme" were added, her power would multiply, rivaling even Zhang Lexuan.
Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul was the Evil Fire Phoenix—an Extreme Fire type. Yet that power was so volatile that even a once-in-a-century prodigy like her needed to regularly "vent" it or risk losing control. As Elder Mu had explained, she had barely mastered it after countless sacrifices. This showed how exceedingly rare Extreme attributes were. But if he could evolve ten beasts, each to their extreme form… he shivered just imagining it.
Shaking his head with a smile, he admitted he was getting ahead of himself. Still, he looked forward to seeing Hurricane's final evolved form. It would have to be impressive.
Settling cross-legged on the bed, he began cultivating. Perhaps due to the Golden Tree's aura, his progress was at least 1.2 times faster than in the forest core. The forest was already rich in spiritual energy, yet it couldn't compare to the tree's potency.
A tiny "spiritual pill" had formed at his navel—no larger than his thumb—but it pulsed like a second heart, supplying him with a steady stream of soul power.
Evening fell as the sun dipped low.
Su Wen exhaled deeply, opening his eyes with a satisfied smile. "Not bad. At this rate, reaching Level 15 should take only two more months."
Strength... what matters is strength.
He stretched and beckoned to Hurricane. The pair—one boy, one baboon—set out for the Inner Court's dining hall.
No mess hall existed on Sea God Island, and there was no bridge to the main academy grounds—only a small boat at the shore for passage. Su Wen leaped aboard, confirmed his direction, and began rowing swiftly toward the Inner Court.
The dining hall was modest. Due to losses from missions against evil soul masters and annual graduations, the Inner Court's population rarely exceeded fifty. A disaster like the one on their last mission could have wiped out at least one-fifth of its total members—a truly grave matter.
"Whose child is that?"
From behind the serving partition, Lu Xiaoxiao almost missed the short figure. At first, she assumed he was a newly enrolled, unusually short Inner Court student. But on closer inspection, she realized he was a six- or seven-year-old child who had just awakened his Martial Soul. Her brow furrowed in curiosity. Could a couple of Inner Court disciples have secretly had a child? Then again, some students were in their thirties, and in this early-maturing world, it wasn't unheard of.
"Ahem, Auntie, I just joined Shrek Academy," Su Wen said, a bit sheepishly. He'd discovered at the entrance that the dining hall required a meal pass. He mentally kicked himself—he should have found Ma Xiaotao first. Navigating this place without a guide was inconvenient.
"You're a Shrek student?" Lu Xiaoxiao tittered, covering her mouth to hide a laugh. "Shrek only recruits students aged twelve and up. You look no older than seven. Be honest, who are your parents?"
"Hey, Su Wen, what are you doing here?"
Just as Su Wen's embarrassment peaked, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
Zhang Yi's face lit up with surprise as he looked Su Wen over. "I've wanted to visit you in the Sea God's Pavilion since we got back, but they wouldn't let me in. Elder Mu said you were recuperating. We've all been worried, but seeing you now… you're all right?"
"Yes, Senior Brother Zhang Yi. My Martial Soul has been restored. Fortunately, it never truly shattered," Su Wen nodded, relieved. His savior had arrived.
"You two know each other?" Lu Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled by their easy familiarity. Zhang Yi was one of the academy's top prodigies—a Soul Sage at twenty-seven from a distinguished family, known for his proud demeanor. He shouldn't be on such brotherly terms with a six-year-old child.
"Oh, my apologies," Zhang Yi slapped his forehead, then smiled broadly. "Allow me to introduce him properly. This is Junior Brother Su Wen. In the Star Dou Forest, he delayed that Blood-Eroding Demon Tiger by a full minute. Without him, our entire squad would have perished."
"What?!!"
Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at Su Wen. He just scratched his head shyly.
Slurp~
Su Wen devoured bowl after bowl of noodles, a stack of empty plates already piling up before him. After a month without real food—though the Golden Tree had sustained his basic energy—he was genuinely famished.
Zhang Yi had left early for some urgent business.
Lu Xiaoxiao, a woman of about thirty wearing a chef's hat and a white apron, sat beside him, her gentle eyes studying him with warm concern.
As Shrek Academy's chief nutritionist, she was no lightweight herself. Her own soul power had reached the level of a peak Soul Douluo. Hearing Zhang Yi's account, she empathized with the terror of their ordeal. Even she would have turned pale with fear if forced to face a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
"Would you like some more?" Lu Xiaoxiao quietly cleared his empty plates and asked softly.
"Burp… I'm full," Su Wen said, shaking his head.
(End of Chapter)