Xu Yuan offered some advice to Le Zhengyu, who was itching to stir up trouble.
Showing off one's talent by causing trouble?
There was no need for that.
Gold would shine on its own.
Le Zhengyu looked somewhat embarrassed.
Although Xu Yuan was only the class president of Grade 1, Class 1, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pressure from him, and he found himself subconsciously trusting Xu Yuan's words.
Among the eleven people from Shrek present, aside from Cai Yue'er and Wu Zhangkong, the other nine all revolved around Xu Yuan as their core. His words carried significant weight.
"Rather than picking fights, if you truly have extra energy, why not gather some intelligence on the Monster Academy? I've recently heard that the quality of their current students is exceptionally high. There's a monstrous individual among them—unrivaled at the same cultivation level and unmatched in their generation."
Xu Yuan said this calmly.
Tang Wulin looked at Xu Yuan in astonishment.
Class President, you've gathered more information again?
Even though we've been together this whole time, how did you manage to uncover such detailed information?
Tang Wulin couldn't help but doubt his own ability to gather intelligence.
Fortunately, he wasn't a special forces operative or a professional spy. After pondering for a moment, Tang Wulin shrugged it off.
If he didn't have the ability, so be it—it wasn't necessary anyway.
After boarding the giant ship, each member of Xu Yuan's group was assigned a luxurious private room. The accommodations were quite generous, with each room spanning forty square meters. They came equipped with private bathrooms, balconies, and scenic views. The sea breeze made the atmosphere especially pleasant.
At noon, accompanied by three blasts of the ship's horn, the two massive ships slowly departed from the dock, accelerating into the deep sea.
Shortly after setting sail, the organizers announced upcoming activities over the ship's intercom.
There would be a social event—a formal ball that evening requiring attendees to dress elegantly.
---
Evening
Xu Yuan appeared in a neatly tailored suit, dressed in gray and black with a white shirt. Though simple, the outfit looked exceptionally refined on him. After carefully grooming and changing into the suit, Xu Yuan seemed like an entirely different person. The once youthful boy now exuded the aura of a young, accomplished man. Standing at 1.9 meters tall with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a well-proportioned physique, Xu Yuan radiated strength even through his suit.
Standing there, he resembled a straight spear, brimming with sharpness.
The others emerged from their rooms almost simultaneously, exchanging glances filled with admiration.
"Wow, Class President, you look incredibly handsome!" Wu Siduo's eyes sparkled as she appraised Xu Yuan, visibly excited.
Both Yuanen Yehui and Ye Xinglan felt their eyes light up at the sight of him.
Xu Yuan was already naturally handsome, but his presence as a powerful individual added to his charm. His cold, aloof demeanor could captivate countless hearts.
"Let's go," Xu Yuan said indifferently.
Merely standing there, Xu Yuan was already a striking sight.
Even before the ball officially began, seven or eight girls had approached him to strike up conversations. However, Xu Yuan remained distant, and eventually, no one dared to disturb him further.
That said, he wasn't completely cold toward acquaintances.
Lin Yuhan smiled, her eyes reflecting admiration as she glanced repeatedly at Xu Yuan.
Dressed in a light blue gown, she gracefully approached him.
"From the looks of it, you're not used to such occasions?"
Xu Yuan gave a slight nod.
Compared to these trivial events, Xu Yuan preferred a more relaxed atmosphere.
This formal gathering felt too restrictive, keeping him constantly on edge. Despite being a social activity, it failed to provide any sense of comfort.
"That's because you're standing here alone, not enjoying the fun of the ball," Lin Yuhan chuckled lightly, extending her hand. "May I invite you to dance?"
Just as Lin Yuhan extended her hand, Wu Siduo appeared out of nowhere.
"Class President, may I invite you to dance?"
Xu Yuan shook his head and apologized to both girls.
"I'm sorry, but I have something else to attend to."
After apologizing, he left their presence and headed toward Mu Ye, who was pushing a dining cart.
The exchange team consisted of elites from various fields, and Mu Ye had joined by showcasing his exquisite culinary skills.
"What? Not accepting invitations from beautiful women?" Mu Ye teased.
Xu Yuan shook his head.
Women would only slow him down when it came to drawing his gun.
"Teacher, rather than these distractions, let's discuss my second-stage martial soul awakening."
Mu Ye shook his head, feeling that his disciple lacked a sense of fun.
His gaze shifted to Tang Wulin in the distance.
"That classmate of yours would also be a great fit for our Body Sect. Unfortunately, he joined the Tang Sect early on."
Unlike Laughing Face Douluo Hu Jie, Mu Ye's senior uncle, Tang Wulin had been immersed in the Tang Sect since childhood. It was almost impossible for the Body Sect to claim him.
Hu Jie had merely joined the Tang Sect, but all his abilities still originated from the Body Sect. What he gained from the Tang Sect was proportional to what he contributed—and perhaps, due to his origins in the Body Sect, he might have contributed even more.
If they could resolve his emotional ties, bringing him back to the Body Sect wouldn't be an issue.
However, Tang Wulin had cultivated the Xuan Tian Gong technique since childhood, mastered the Purple Extreme Demon Eye and Xuan Yu Hand, and half of his abilities stemmed from the Tang Sect's secret techniques. It was simply impossible to poach him.
Even if Tang Wulin himself wanted to leave, the Tang Sect wouldn't let him go so easily.
Returning everything he gained from the Tang Sect wasn't just talk.
His cultivation methods would be nullified, and his secret techniques would have to be returned.
How would they return them?
After years of cultivating the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, returning it would mean severely damaging his spiritual essence, leaving no room for progress. His eyes would be rendered useless, his hands crippled from the Xuan Yu Hand, and his legs disabled from the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps.
In short, returning the secret techniques would essentially cripple him entirely.
And the Tang Sect had the power to enforce this.
Considering these factors, Mu Ye immediately abandoned the idea of recruiting Tang Wulin.
The Body Sect already had Xu Yuan. Adding Tang Wulin would be a bonus, but losing him wasn't unbearable.
"The bloodline force within him is unique, fused using a peculiar method that nearly functions as his second martial soul," Xu Yuan remarked.
He had studied Tang Wulin's blood essence and attempted to extract the bloodline force, especially after obtaining the Blood Demon from the Huang family's Three Ghosts. His research on separating the bloodline force had become quite thorough.
Ultimately, he concluded that while extracting the bloodline force from Tang Wulin's blood essence wasn't difficult, a mysterious force obstructed the process.
Xu Yuan suspected it was the power of laws.
A peculiar fusion method?
Mu Ye frowned.
Didn't you give him the fusion technique?
Mu Ye was puzzled but didn't dwell on it.
"I've already prepared for your second-stage martial soul awakening. It will happen out here on the vast sea, where you'll challenge the limits of both body and mind. We'll aim to complete your second awakening before reaching the Star Luo Continent."
Mu Ye spoke with a smile.
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He was eager to see the effects of Xu Yuan's second-stage martial soul awakening.
------------------------------------------------------
Thank you to our new Patrons: DeathClan1980, Leroy, Drake Blazer, Mridk, Jose, Destin Woods, Isaiah, Soren Britt, AbsoluteZero, Oprea Andrei George, Sakuya and HADES! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 305: Regret on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.