Chapter 46: Taiji Silver Dragon Dance, Divine Radiance Contained, Return to Simplicity, Awaken

Dawn split the night, ushering in the newborn sun.

A pair of silver-white pupils snapped open; Na’er pulled out a soul tool communicator, scanned the course schedule sent by Shrek Academy, pouted, and leapt from bed, arching her slender back and stretching her arms wide in a long, languid yawn.

“Life is dull and boring—morning classes are murder!”

After harshly condemning Shrek, Na’er dressed fully, smoothed down a rebellious strand of silver hair, and pushed open the wooden door.

Morning light first bloomed, streaming through cloud gaps to dye the earth in radiance; the boy stood bathed in warm sunlight, his plain white robe fluttering in the breeze, fingers gently gathering drifting clouds, posture like embracing the moon, fists and palms like pushing mountains and filling seas—each movement subtly aligned with the Dao of yin and yang.

The wooden door creaked softly; Na’er leaned against it. The moment the boy’s figure appeared, all her troubles seemed to vanish instantly, her crimson lips curling into a faint smile:

“Your fist form moves so slowly when you practice, but turns into a different person in battle.”

“Fast strikes are fists; slow practice is cultivation.”

Zhao Xuanzhen chuckled, his foot touching ground like a crane’s feather brushing water, ripples of invisible energy spreading beneath his soles; the Taiji Cloud Hands traced a half-arc, sleeves swirling as a thread of black-and-white qi spiraled into being. The lingering morning dew, drawn by the vortex, hovered three feet around him like a wondrous domain of suspended droplets.

“I’ll practice with you!”

The silver gleam of her spear clashed with dawnlight, spraying brilliant sparks; Na’er watched Zhao Xuanzhen’s fist form, and a flame suddenly ignited in her eyes.

The White Silver Dragon Spear hissed like a dragon’s roar, thousands of spear points bursting forth, transforming into a thousand dancing dragons—yet the spear’s momentum did not strike Zhao Xuanzhen directly, but flowed along the trajectory of his Taiji vortex.

In midair, Na’er cast a swift, graceful glance back; the White Silver Dragon Spear shot like a meteor chasing the moon, each spear technique resonating with the rhythm of Zhao Xuanzhen’s fists and palms.

Spearwind swept fallen leaves across the ground; the instant they touched the Taiji field, the soft force enveloped them, gilding the dry leaves with black-and-white radiance as they spun endlessly with the silver dragon’s shadow.

Zhao Xuanzhen’s lips curved slightly; his fist form shifted, his body gliding before Na’er. The silver-haired girl smiled brightly; the White Silver Dragon Spear roared like a dragon, its engraved dragon pattern unraveling into a spectral silver dragon, its tail coiling around the spear, its head raised in a mighty cry.

“Hah!”

Na’er cried out sharply, her spear tip slicing through the sky as the silver dragon spirit leapt upward. Zhao Xuanzhen stepped on the Eight Trigrams, palms circling, the black-and-white vortex condensing into a slowly rotating Taiji diagram.

The silver dragon’s body twisted, coiling around the edge of the Taiji diagram, its tail linking the yin eye, its head biting the yang eye; as black, white, and silver merged, the sky shimmered with luminous mist, the world seeming to freeze in place.

Taiji Silver Dragon Dance.

Far above, the Holy Spirit Douluo Luo Yali leaned against a young man’s chest, her emerald eyes reflecting the spiraling Taiji diagram entwined with the silver dragon; softly she said, “Ming-ge, what do you think of the two children Leng Yaoju has trained?”

The only man on the Douluo Continent who could be so intimate with the Holy Spirit Douluo was clear—the young man was none other than Yun Ming, Lord of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy, the Pillar Douluo.

“Divine radiance contained.”

Yun Ming gazed distantly at Na’er dancing with her White Silver Dragon Spear, offering four words of evaluation; then his gaze shifted to Zhao Xuanzhen, a flicker of peculiar interest in his eyes.

“Return to simplicity.”

“I’ve never heard you praise a junior so highly,” Luo Yali said, slightly surprised.

“They are once-in-ten-thousand-years geniuses,” Yun Ming sighed. “Both children are only ten years old, yet they’ve awakened their own unique wills—and can communicate with heaven and earth through those wills.”

“I must admit: at their age, my cultivation base and spiritual state were far inferior to theirs.”

“Two wills?”

Luo Yali’s breath caught; her willow-brow furrowed. “Na’er awakened the Silver Dragon Spear Will—does Zhao Xuanzhen have one too?”

“Of course. Only another will can resonate with a spear will.”

Yun Ming hugged his beloved wife, smiling. “Everyone walks their own path; awakening a will isn’t mandatory for Soul Masters. That’s why you, who’ve never stepped into the realm of will, can’t perceive Zhao Xuanzhen’s.”

“In truth, Zhao Xuanzhen’s will is extremely concealed. After my Pillar Spear Will surpassed the Spear God realm, I could sense other Soul Masters’ wills more easily—otherwise, I might have missed his entirely.”

“So that’s why,” Luo Yali mused. “Zhao Xuanzhen’s will has always protected him—no wonder the Black Swan’s curse failed. An unbreakable will is the perfect antidote to curses.”

“But I’m curious—what kind of will did that child awaken? Fist will?”

Under his wife’s probing gaze, Yun Ming shook his head. “Not fist will. I don’t know exactly what it is—it’s far more complex than ordinary wills.”

“Zhao Xuanzhen’s fist form does contain will, but when I watched his battle at the Heaven-Sea Alliance Grand Tournament, I saw him shatter the Thunder Dragon released by Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and later, the enhanced Dark Gold Terror Claw formed by three people’s combined power—both soul skills were infused with will.”

“It seems all his abilities become part of his will—fist form, soul skills, soul bones—all of them—not confined to any fixed form. This flexible, variable manifestation is unheard of.”

“Fascinating. Even I’m starting to get interested.”

Seeing her beloved’s serene heart disturbed, Luo Yali teased: “You can be interested in Xuanzhen, but don’t even think about taking him as a disciple.”

“Yesterday, Yue-er wanted to recommend him to Yue-jie as a student—Leng Yaoju flew into a rage on the spot. She cares deeply about her own disciples.”

Yun Ming gently stroked Luo Yali’s emerald hair. “It’s not about taking him as a disciple—it’s the thrill of uncovering a secret. I’m not suited to be Zhao Xuanzhen’s teacher; I can’t teach him more than Tian Feng.”

“Speaking of disciples, I’m actually more drawn to Na’er—White Silver Dragon Spear, a rare silver dragon bloodline martial soul.”

“The former Dayue Empire, predecessor of the Dayue Federation, once slew a silver dragon. Historical records say that silver dragon was immensely powerful, ultimately dying under bombardment from multiple ninth-rank soul tools—but even in death, it used a Seven-Element Storm to slay several ninth-rank soul tool masters.”

“Silver and Golden dragons are the closest to the Dragon God among dragon descendants, standing atop the pinnacle of Douluo Continent soul beast bloodlines. The White Silver Dragon Spear’s innate quality surpasses even the Pillar Divine Spear.”

“Na’er must continuously refine her spear will, striving to break through Spear Soul and Spear God realms soon. Her second soul spirit should still be a space-type soul beast—with true dragon bloodline preferred.”

“Her seventh soul ring must be treated with utmost care—find a soul spirit or soul beast that can transform her martial soul into a true form, allowing her to control both martial soul forms simultaneously, maximizing the silver dragon bloodline’s potential.”

“Soul bones, Doukai… let me think…”

“Hey, stop!”

Luo Yali waved her hand before Yun Ming’s face, laughing. “Na’er isn’t your disciple—why are you worrying? You’ve planned her entire future in two minutes.”

“I just couldn’t help it—such talent is rare.”

Yun Ming sighed. “Shrek Academy has many students, yet I’ve found none worthy to inherit the position of Sea God Pavilion Lord. Lan Muzi and Tang Yinmeng are more than enough as senior elders—but they’re still far from meeting the Sea God Pavilion Lord’s baseline.”

“Given the talent Na’er has shown, she’ll face almost no bottlenecks before reaching pseudo-godhood. In other words, if she cultivates steadily, the Limit Douluo realm is within reach.”

“Yali, I’ll be honest—I want to take her as my disciple and pass on my legacy.”

“If one day Zhao Xuanzhen replaces the Qian family and takes control of the Spirit Transmission Tower, and Na’er inherits my position as Sea God Pavilion Lord, perhaps we can ease the growing tensions between these two powers.”

“But Na’er is tied to Tian Feng… sigh. I just can’t bring myself to ask.”

Just as the mighty Pillar Douluo struggled with indecision, on the ground, Zhao Xuanzhen knelt and lowered his wrist, completing the final closing posture; Na’er reversed her spear, the lingering mist curling and entwining. The morning breeze swept past; fallen leaves drifted gently to earth, their veins etched with Taiji patterns and silver dragon scales.

“Ah, that’s better!”

The Taiji Silver Dragon Dance was like strings and zither in perfect harmony; Na’er’s mood lifted immensely, her appetite sharpened, and she tugged Zhao Xuanzhen straight toward the cafeteria!

They were exchange students, not hardworking work-study pupils—the cafeteria served free meals until they were full.

After eating, they looked at the towering stack of empty plates; the cafeteria supervisor’s facial muscles twitched uncontrollably. He’d just received a food shortage notice, rushed over in a panic—and happened to see Na’er devouring a whole pig in three bites!

On her very first meal at school, Na’er gave the cafeteria a brutal lesson!

“To be fair, Shrek’s cafeteria is pretty good,” Na’er said, thoroughly satisfied.

“Didn’t you see the black aura hovering over the supervisor’s face? Tomorrow, there’ll be a sign at the cafeteria entrance with your big headshot and red letters: ‘No Silver-Haired Little Pigs Allowed,’” Zhao Xuanzhen teased.

“You’re the pig!” Na’er proudly puffed out her chest. “If the number-one academy won’t let students eat their fill, I’ll post a scathing thread on the Soul Net!”

“I support you—I’ll buy you traffic.”

Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er played off each other perfectly; one place couldn’t produce two such people—their mischievous, cheeky demeanor was identical.

With time still before morning class, they strolled across Sea God Island, admiring its beautiful scenery.

“The life energy here on Sea God Island is so abundant—my meditation last night was faster than in the Spirit Transmission Tower,” Na’er said.

Zhao Xuanzhen pointed to the golden giant tree at the island’s center. “That’s the Golden Ancient Tree—the core of Shrek Academy’s founding. All the life and light energy permeating Sea God Island comes from it.”

The later a Soul Master cultivates, the slower their progress; many disciples from major factions enroll at Shrek not only to befriend fellow prodigies but also to use the Golden Tree to accelerate their cultivation.

“They say inner academy students get one chance to enter beneath the Golden Tree and attain enlightenment. Zhao Xuanzhen, if you ever enter the inner academy, will you try enlightenment beneath the tree?”

Na’er meant it as a joke, but Zhao Xuanzhen nodded slightly. “To be honest, I want to attain enlightenment beneath the Golden Tree—but I don’t want to enter the inner academy.”

As the life core of the Douluo Continent, the Golden Tree was half the reason Zhao Xuanzhen enrolled at Shrek Academy; the other half was to use Shrek’s favorable timing, terrain, and human resources to awaken the Eight Deceitful Gods.

Thanks to the Golden Tree, Shrek Academy’s terrain rivals the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent. If the Golden Tree allowed the Eight Deceitful Gods to temporarily reside within him and channeled some life energy to nourish him, Zhao Xuanzhen might even shatter the Divine Plate’s constraints, allowing both Eight Deceitful Gods to descend in their ultimate forms!

Yet last night, Zhao Xuanzhen waited eagerly—but the Golden Tree Spirit, that old rascal, never showed up. Now he had to approach it himself.

After circling Sea God Island, Zhao Xuanzhen used water to carry Na’er across the Sea God Lake, passed a vast expanse of inner academy buildings, and arrived before a small white building. At the entrance, a chubby boy trailed closely behind a high-pigtails blonde girl, pleading:

“Xinglan-jie, have you eaten breakfast? Want a bun?”

Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizi!

Ye Xinglan, ignoring Xu Lizi’s giant meat bun, stared blankly at the approaching pair, her gaze lingering long on Zhao Xuanzhen.

Na’er immediately went on alert, half her body shielding Zhao Xuanzhen—after all, this guy had the innate disposition of a soft-food saint, destined to attract female misfortune.

Beyond Leng Yaoju and the Bai sisters, no female creature was allowed near Zhao Xuanzhen!

Special note: Guard against Gu Yue!

Fortunately, Ye Xinglan said nothing, turning to enter the white building; Xu Lizi, with his short, chubby legs, followed obediently.

“Same teaching building—looks like classmates,” Zhao Xuanzhen deduced.

Sure enough, the classroom held four desks and chairs, labeled “Class Zero.”

“Shrek has Class Zero too…”

Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er grumbled; the East Sea Class Zero F4 had shattered—now Shrek’s Class Zero F4 made a dazzling debut.

The four sat according to the name tags on the desks: from left to right, Na’er, Zhao Xuanzhen, Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizi.

A figure pushed the door open—the homeroom teacher was another familiar face: Shen Yi, Shrek’s battle team instructor!

“Class begins,” Shen Yi smiled. “Though we’re not strangers, let me introduce myself.”

“My name is Shen Yi. I’ll be your homeroom teacher for Class Zero. Due to your uniqueness—two previously pre-selected inner academy students, plus the unprecedented dual-hundred-point exchange students—Shrek has formed a special class. The outer academy dean, the Crimson Dragon Douluo, assigned me as your homeroom teacher.”

“Xuanzhen and Na’er are new students—I’ll first explain basic student protocols. Every Shrek student has a student card, recording all personal data and storing academy contribution points.”

“Within the academy, contribution points can be used for anything—exchanging for cultivation resources, reserving teaching facility time… within legal limits, contribution points can accomplish anything.”

“Shrek Academy offers open education: half the morning for classes, the afternoon and evening are free time.”

Both nodded slightly. Leng Yaoju had agreed to their enrollment for two reasons: first, the Spirit Transmission Tower headquarters sat adjacent to Shrek Academy—easy to call for backup anytime.

Second, she knew Shrek’s teaching style: with only half a morning of classes, if Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er wished, they could instantly become day students!

“Now, class officially begins. The first lesson won’t cover cultivation—I’ll tell you about Shrek Academy’s glorious history.”

Shen Yi opened a thick black ancient book. “Twenty thousand years ago, the founding headmaster Flender established Shrek Academy. Led by Tang San’s ancestor, the Shrek Seven Monsters forged ahead through thorns and brambles, won the Soul Master Tournament championship, braved the mysterious Sea God Island, and eradicated the evil Spirit Hall, becoming heroes sung across the continent…”

“Ten thousand years ago, the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao won the tournament championship twice, infiltrated the Mingde Hall, repelled the iron-blooded invasion of the Dayue Empire, destroyed the Holy Spirit Cult, and preserved peace across the continent…”

Shen Yi spoke endlessly of Shrek Academy’s ten-thousand-year glory; Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizi listened, entranced—while Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er exchanged a glance, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.

Wow, the first lesson of the term is loyalty and righteousness!

Guyue and Naer will not offer themselves as sacrifices, and Naer will not take Yunming as her master; however, after seeing Naer’s talent, Yunming will attempt to draw her into becoming his disciple—but…

Naer: Loyalty!

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(End of Chapter)