Chapter 14: Everyone Has a Bright Future

The two of them sat cross-legged on the open ground before the Sea God Pavilion. Ye Xixuan closed his eyes, focusing intently on his meditation and cultivation, while Zhang Lexuan carefully observed the flow of soul force through Ye Xixuan’s meridians, ready to correct and supplement whenever necessary.

There were varying levels of meditation techniques; though ordinary methods could aid cultivation, their efficiency was far inferior. Shrek Academy had a legacy spanning over ten thousand years, during which countless prodigious soul masters had emerged. The invaluable cultivation experiences left by each predecessor had accumulated to form the deep foundation of Shrek Academy.

Meditation methods had been optimized repeatedly, their efficacy long rivaling the so-called Xuantian Gong of the Tang Sect’s heritage. This was precisely why in the present age, warriors of the title Douluo level were no longer as scarce as they had been millennia ago.

The era was always advancing.

As Ye Xixuan meditated, he discovered that his innate talent—the Heart Demon Pattern—also greatly enhanced his spiritual power. A stronger spiritual power naturally allowed for finer and more precise control over his soul force. Each time Zhang Lexuan offered a reminder, he quickly grasped the crux and adjusted accordingly.

He spent the entire morning immersed in meditation, reaping abundant benefits.

“All right, Xixuan. Take a break,” Zhang Lexuan’s gentle voice came softly beside him. Reluctantly, Ye Xixuan opened his eyes.

“Sister Lexuan.”

“We’ll stop here for today’s cultivation,” she smiled lightly, her heart gaining a deeper appreciation for Ye Xixuan’s talent and comprehension. She resolved to modify her teaching approach next time.

“This will be our routine from now on. In the mornings, you’ll train with me here at the Sea God Pavilion. Afternoons are yours to manage as you wish. Of course, evening meditation must not slacken either. Since your martial soul attribute is similar to mine, your evening training will be even more effective.”

“Yes,” Ye Xixuan nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something and asked Zhang Lexuan, “Sister Lexuan, does the academy have any Blackwater Pills?”

“Blackwater Pills?” Zhang Lexuan looked at him with slight puzzlement.

“You were born with full soul force. Pills that enhance innate soul force like Blackwater Pills won’t do much for you; they might even introduce impurities into your body. However, Soul Ascension Pills—once you break through to the Soul Sovereign realm—you can try taking one. For soul masters with extreme attributes, once their cultivation reaches the third ring and beyond, their training speed noticeably slows.”

“Sister Lexuan, it’s not for me. I want it for a friend,” Ye Xixuan said calmly.

“Is your friend male or female?”

“Female.” Ye Xixuan met Zhang Lexuan’s intense gaze and strangely felt a hint of pressure.

Zhang Lexuan paused thoughtfully, then pressed further, “Is it that little girl from the Tang Sect?”

“How do you know?!” Ye Xixuan’s eyes widened in surprise, yet inwardly he suddenly understood. So Brother Bei had indeed betrayed me to Senior Sister!

The more silent Zhang Lexuan remained, the heavier the pressure felt by Ye Xixuan, like an older sister’s absolute dominance over her younger brother.

Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan eventually broke the heavy atmosphere by speaking.

“When you train with me tomorrow morning, I’ll bring some for you.”

“Thank you, Sister Lexuan!”

…

A biting cold wind stirred snowflakes that glittered like transparent crystals as they danced through the air. Around them stretched a vast, endless dark blue sea, evoking a chilling, serene mood. This was the Ice Sea in the far northwestern reaches, a vast expanse bridging the Northern borders of the Sun Moon Empire and the Tianhun Empire.

Deep within this ice sea, a massive icebreaker ship sailed on the wind. Its hull was sheathed in thick iron armor, with large spirit-guided artillery barrels extending from both sides, radiating a metallic aura brimming with lethal intensity.

The extreme cold and high latitude distorted the horizon, where shimmering auroras painted the sky with brilliant, prismatic hues.

A stunning white-haired girl stood alone on the deck, gazing into the distance. She appeared delicate, with large, beautiful eyes that shimmered like jade and emerald. Even from afar, her silhouette exuded a faint, gentle warmth.

What was most peculiar was that any snowflake drifting within three meters of her was mysteriously repelled by an invisible force, swirling away like flowing wind and drifting snow.

“Your Highness,” a man around forty approached from behind, his white cloak blending seamlessly with the surroundings.

The girl turned, a captivating smile blossoming on her delicate features, instantly dispelling the solitude.

“Master Mo, how much longer until we arrive?”

“We have now entered the deep northern ice sea. Mr. Langya says if we continue on, it will take about three more days,” the man replied solemnly, his eyes filled with sympathy.

“Princess Vina, you will have to stay at the main sect for a full five years this time.”

“As a princess of the Tianhun Empire, I must bear this responsibility and ease my father’s burdens,” Vina smiled brightly, already resigned within.

“If this act can strengthen the bond between the Tianhun Empire and the main sect, I am willing. Master Mo, Vina understands your intentions.”

“Your Highness…” Mo Feiyun sighed deeply, touched yet heavy-hearted. For a mere nine-year-old to live alone for five years away from Tianhun’s homeland was unbearably cruel.

From their conversation, many shocking truths could be discerned.

Few would guess that the main sect’s residence lay deep within this perilous northern ice sea.

…

Star Luo Empire, the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion.

Inside the awakening chamber, a small, slender black-haired boy looked on with hopeful eyes as a middle-aged soul master awakened his martial soul. His deep blue gaze revealed a steadfastness far beyond his years.

Surrounded by onlookers, he instinctively clenched his fists.

“Mother, I will awaken my martial soul and become a soul master, so that you may live well!”

“Dai Yuhao. Martial Soul: Eyes. Innate Soul Force: Level One,” the middle-aged soul master’s calm voice echoed, striking the boy like thunder, freezing him in place, followed by laughter and ridicule from the crowd.

“No white tiger martial soul awakened?”

“Hahaha, so he’s the servant’s son after all!”

“Innate soul force level one?!”

The young boy could barely comprehend the meaning behind these words but engraved the ugliness of their faces deep in his heart. He remembered his mother telling him stories of common soul masters defying fate and changing their destiny.

“Thirty years East of the River, thirty years West of the River; do not underestimate a young man in poverty!” This was his favorite saying, just as fitting for him today.

In this world of infinite beings, some were nurtured wholeheartedly by Shrek Academy, some valued by the main sect, and others despised in their youth.

But everyone had a bright future ahead!