blogombal Chapter 186 Sea Soul Pearl and Mermaid's Tears
Chapter 186 Sea Soul Pearl and Mermaid's Tears
Chapter 186 The Sea Soul Pearl and the Mermaid's Tears (Part 1)
"A treasure appreciation event?" As he spoke, Kong Tianxu took a dark red invitation card with gold foil stamping from Yan Shaozhe's hand. It was clearly not a soul tool, but it actually emitted a faint soul power fluctuation when he touched it.
"A top-tier treasure hunt," Yan Shaozhe nodded, "is essentially a small-scale centralized transaction organized by some large merchants. The one you have here is not only exclusive to the Inner Academy, but also the highest-level event in recent years. Pills, rare medicinal herbs, soul bones, and even custom-made soul rings—it has everything. There are even treasures worth over ten million gold soul coins; I'm sure there will be something to your liking."
"Based on your contributions, the academy has decided that you may choose any treasure at the event, with the academy covering all costs. Additionally, all other purchases will be discounted by 40%."
Based on the experience in the original work, this so-called treasure appreciation event is divided into three levels. The lowest level is for Shrek Academy to purchase rare metals and ingredients. The other two levels are for students. The event for the core disciples of the outer academy is slightly lower, and the event for the inner academy is naturally the best. Yan Shaozhe should not have lied to him on this point.
But isn't Yan Shaozhe being a bit too sloppy? For him, what's the big deal if money can buy it? In fact, for someone like him who is destined to become a god, money is really just a number.
After all that fuss, the so-called reward was just an admission ticket? Kong Tianxu looked at Yan Shaozhe speechlessly.
Yan Shaozhe seemed to have expected this, but seeing Kong Tianxu's completely unmoved appearance, the smile on his face still froze for a moment almost imperceptibly.
Faced with someone who could throw out hundreds of millions of gold soul coins without batting an eye, his previous reward tokens, which would have made ordinary geniuses ecstatic, seemed rather inadequate.
He coughed lightly and explained, "Tianxu, you don't know this, but the inner academy's treasure appreciation event is the highest in scale. However, some items can only be purchased by inner academy students who participate in the inspector mission. Many students can only afford to sell these items by graduation. This is already an exception made specifically for you, and it's the only one of its kind."
On the surface, Kong Tianxu seemed uninterested, but in his heart, a sense of amusement quietly arose, while his vigilance deepened.
It's worth Yan Shaozhe making the trip himself and going to such lengths to throw out the bait—there might really be something at this treasure appreciation event that could move him. But is it a sugar-coated promise of goodwill, or a carefully laid trap?
But it doesn't matter. With the Myriad Origins Domain by his side, he is absolutely confident that he won't be ambushed. And if Shrek Academy really has the guts to make a move, then the Snow Empress will teach them a lesson.
"Then thank you, Dean Yan." Kong Tianxu casually put away the invitation. "Now, can we talk about entering the Golden Tree for enlightenment?"
"Of course," Yan Shaozhe rubbed his hands together. "But before that, I have another idea. Tianxu, if I remember correctly, you were a key player in the last All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, right?"
Kong Tianxu shook his head and said, "I wouldn't call myself a main player, I'd only be considered a substitute."
Yan Shaozhe's eye twitched slightly. A substitute? A substitute can beat my Xiaotao? Aren't you deliberately trying to disgust me?
He suppressed his embarrassment and cleared his throat: "It's like this. Although you've been enrolled for a while now, and a few people know about your performance in the Star Dou Great Forest, most of your classmates still have some misunderstandings about you. They think you're just relying on the power of your soul tool, and the Xuanming Sect incident has also affected you."
"Therefore, I hope to find a way to fully demonstrate your true strength as a Soul Master, dispel misunderstandings, and promote exchange and learning between students of the two academies."
"So?" Kong Tianxu was now almost certain that Yan Shaozhe had no good intentions.
"Our Shrek Academy is the number one academy on the continent," Yan Shaozhe said, his eye twitching again as he saw Kong Tianxu curl his lip. "Or, to be more precise, the number one Soul Master academy on the continent. Although we suffered a defeat in the last competition, our students are still too stubbornly proud and haven't faced their own problems. Therefore, I'd like to organize an open sparring session within the academy, with you as the leader. Don't worry, I will select students of your age. Their strength will not exceed that of a Soul Saint. What do you think?"
Kong Tianxu shook his head.
You'll have to pay more.
Yan Shaozhe's expression changed several times. After a moment of contemplation, as if he had made a great decision, he said, "How about this? Two items. You can choose two treasures at this treasure appreciation event without paying any price. Consider it my personal reward for your participation in this competition. Think about it. This is the biggest concession I can make within my authority."
"There are no requirements regarding the challengers' cultivation level, but the number should not be too large, so as not to affect my normal cultivation."
Kong Tianxu didn't give a direct answer, but his tone finally softened. He looked at Yan Shaozhe and asked, "So, Dean Yan, when did I join the Golden Tree?"
Does this mean they don't even respect Le Xuan and Ye Huan?
Yan Shaozhe's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but as if he had thought of something, a half-smile gradually appeared on his face. He looked at Kong Tianxu with a deep gaze and said, "The academy will naturally not break Elder Mu's promise. The Golden Tree is an extremely important treasure of the academy, and the opportunity to comprehend it is invaluable. How about this, once this sparring session has successfully concluded, you can come anytime you wish."
"However, according to our previous agreement, after you comprehend it, Tianxu, you will need to complete a certain number of monitoring tasks as a member of the Shrek Academy's monitoring team. This way, it will be considered a proper conclusion."
It seems you want to keep me firmly tied to Shrek Academy for three years. Besides Huo Yuhao, what else are you planning?
Kong Tianxu's mind raced, and his curiosity was piqued.
He looked directly into Yan Shaozhe's eyes: "I only do tasks related to evil spirit masters, and I have the right to know and choose the details of the missions."
"Okay." Yan Shaozhe extended his hand.
"Deal. Just let me know when the sparring arena is ready."
Two hands gently clasped in the air, and an agreement was reached.
Their hands barely touched before parting. Looking at the handsome young man before him, barely fifteen years old yet able to chat and laugh so freely, Yan Shaozhe's eyes suddenly became unfocused, as if he were seeing his former, spirited self. Even his voice softened considerably: "Tianxu, to be honest, if you're willing, the Golden Tree's doors are always open for you. You can absolutely become a true Shrek disciple, and in the future, you might even be able to shoulder Shrek's glory and responsibility."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "Whether it's Le Xuan or Xiao Tao, their futures are also closely linked to Shrek Academy."
The pavilion fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of a gentle breeze rippling across the lake.
Kong Tianxu's smile vanished instantly. He and Yan Shaozhe stared at each other, one with eyes as calm as a deep well, the other with eyes as deep as the sea, a turbulent undercurrent beneath their smiles. In the air, it was as if an invisible string had been quietly stretched taut.
To his slight surprise, the Shrek Academy Dean's eyes were actually quite sincere at this moment, and even his supreme body failed to notice anything amiss.
"I am a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire." Faced with this temptation that would make any peerless genius on the continent sway, Kong Tianxu refused with utmost decisiveness.
After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "However, if Dean Yan really can't bear to part with me in three years, he could lead Shrek Academy to become a part of the Sun Moon Empire. That would surely be quite a lively affair."
"Hehe." Yan Shaozhe also twitched the corners of his mouth, a bright smile that was not in his eyes. Seemingly influenced by him, Kong Tianxu's laughter became even more unrestrained. The two, one big and one small, each with their own ulterior motives, gradually began to laugh in unison.
Suddenly, Yan Shaozhe stopped smiling. Looking at the misty Poseidon Lake, he said very seriously, "Shrek will always be Shrek, and will never belong to any country."
"It's hard to say."
Kong Tianxu patted off non-existent dust from his body, as if trying to shake off the dampness of the Sea God Lake, waved his hand, and then turned around and walked into the increasingly dense rain curtain outside the pavilion, his figure quickly becoming blurred.
Yan Shaozhe remained alone in the drizzling rain, his silhouette exuding a strange sense of desolation.
"You're so eager to push your disciples out, and two of them at once. Yan Shaozhe, you're supposed to be a level 96 Super Douluo, yet you're still such a scumbag. You're an old man, yet you still pretend to be a young man in the rain."
Xian Lin'er appeared out of nowhere, her words full of sarcasm and disdain, yet she still subconsciously stood next to Yan Shaozhe.
With a wave of his hand, the surrounding rain and mist stopped a foot away from them.
Yan Shaozhe's gaze fell on Xian Lin'er's few glaring strands of gray hair. "Lin'er, you haven't recovered from the damage you suffered last time, so don't run around. I've already spoken with Elder Zhuang about Zhuang Yun's matter. That child wasn't particularly close to the academy to begin with, so it's fine for him to go out and explore. You don't need to blame yourself too much."
"Mind your own business. I know that kid's strength and talent are exaggeratedly strong, but is it necessary to be in such a hurry? Even Elder Lin is angry." Xian Lin'er crossed her arms to cover up a few of the most conspicuous strands of hair.
Yan Shaozhe sighed softly, "The continent is not peaceful. A completely unknown Limit Douluo of the Light attribute, and with such ruthless methods, it's not just because of that plan. We also need the younger generation to grow up as soon as possible. And, Lin'er, do you know what I just discovered?"
"Um?"
"Kong Tianxu's physical strength is already at the Super Douluo level."
----silence.
"This is boring, I'm going to cultivate."
Xian Lin'er curled her lips, turned around decisively, and disappeared into the rain in a flash.
Yan Shaozhe remained standing still. The large raindrops, about a foot or so from his body, silently evaporated into wisps of white steam that lingered and did not dissipate.
A gentle figure approached quietly. He naturally took Cai Meier's hand, but his gaze remained fixed on the direction Kong Tianxu had left, silently thinking, "Kong Tianxu, I hope you like this 'gift'."