Chapter 210

Outside the Sea God Pavilion, it was rare to see the area filled with people.

Altogether sixty-seven inner court disciples sat cross-legged quietly in front of the gate; sitting upright at the very front was a girl about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with black hair that fell all the way to her waist, a delicate face fair and flawless, with both hands except the thumbs, the remaining eight fingers interlocked, thumbs touching, quietly placed on her own calves as she sat cross-legged, her serene and gentle temperament unforgettable at first sight.

Behind her, the other sixty-six inner court disciples were all under thirty years old, sitting quietly in ten rows, each maintaining the same posture as hers.

Among them, Dai Yaoheng sat in the second row behind her, and people like Chen Zifeng, Ling Luochen, and Gongyang Mo also sat quietly behind him.

The girl sitting at the very front slowly opened her eyes, a pair of bright and wise black eyes revealing deep sorrow.

"Mu En, are you really leaving?" Zhang Lexuan wondered in her heart.

As the chief disciple of the inner court of Shilake Academy, she had far more contact with Mu En than the other inner court disciples present, and her feelings were naturally deeper.

It could even be said that without Mu En's help back then, she could never have accomplished her revenge, nor achieved her current level.

She truly did not want to accept this news, but the facts were before her eyes; today she could only see Mu En off on his final journey here.

Thinking of this, two lines of clear tears streamed down Zhang Lexuan's lovely face.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En sat on his usual long bench, already aged to an unsightly degree; if not for being very familiar with him, no one could imagine that this old man on his deathbed was one of the world's top experts, Dragon God Douluo Mu En.

Mu En slowly opened his eyes, looking at the people before him; first at Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, then at the other few of the Shi Lai Ke Seven Monsters, and finally at the numerous Senior Elders and four deans, with the longest time spent gazing at Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong.

Huo Yutong was already tear-streaked; to her, Mu En was the best elder after her mother's death, and now this figure who, in some sense, had replaced her mother was about to pass away, an enormous blow to her.

Tang Wulin was also full of sorrow, but he was still somewhat stronger than Huo Yutong; while holding back his tears, he tightly grasped Huo Yutong's hand, trying to give her some comfort.

Mu En smiled gently and said, "Children, don't cry; I should have died long ago, but the various medicines provided by the Academy extended my lifespan to this age. Being able to see you, these promising children, before I die, I can close my eyes in peace even if I die."

His voice was extremely gentle, as if trying to soothe everyone's grieving hearts, but the more he spoke, the more upset they became; even Tang Wulin could not hold back, two streams of tears flowed down his face, he barely bit his lip to keep from crying out loud.

At this moment, Bei Bei's mournful cry drew everyone's attention.

"Xuanzi, I'm sorry!"

Among the younger generation, aside from Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, everyone else suddenly looked shocked at Bei Bei; none of them had expected that Bei Bei and Mu En still had this relationship.

Bei Bei, as if not noticing others' gazes, sorrowfully said, "Sorry, Xuanzi, I shouldn't have been angry with you and left Haishen Dao; I know you treated me well, but I truly love Xiao Ya, I—I..."

He could not continue.

The conflict between him and Mu En back then was neither big nor small; the reason they hadn't reconciled for so long was simply that he couldn't let go of his pride.

But now, looking at his dying relative before him, Bei Bei finally couldn't hold back; warm tears streamed down, he felt immense regret, wishing he had reconciled with Xuanzi earlier.

Mu En's eyes lit up, and he said consolingly, "Bei Bei, you have finally grown up; in that case, Xuanzi will also give you a coming-of-age gift."

Having said that, he looked at the other few Shi Lai Ke Seven Monsters and earnestly said, "Children, can you grant me one request?"

They quickly lowered their heads.

"Elder Mu, please speak."

Mu En sighed, "You should also know that Bei Bei, Tang Wulin, and Huo Yutong all come from an ancient sect called the Tang Sect; this sect has been gradually declining since the collision of the Ri Yue Di Guo and the Douluo Continent, and recently only they remain; although the Academy has provided them a venue over the past two years, allowing them to develop somewhat, it's still not enough for a revival, so I hope you can join the Tang Sect and contribute to its revival—can you?"

Can.

They all said together.

As frequent visitors of the Sea God Pavilion, they often interacted with Mu En, and had long since come to like this kind elder from the bottom of their hearts.

"Thank you."

Mu En smiled, closed his eyes, rested a moment, then opened his eyes again to look at the others.

"Xuanzi."

"Elder Mu!"

Upon hearing Mu En's call, Xuanzi trembled as he approached his side.

Mu En revealed a helpless smile.

"You're already old; don't get so easily emotional. Xuanzi, your problem is obvious: you get too easily emotional, and you're unwilling to personally handle many matters; I hope that after I'm gone, you can rid yourself of this flaw."

"I understand, Elder Mu."

Xuanzi hurriedly said.

Looking at his pained expression, Mu En let out a somewhat vague sigh.

Hope he really understood.

Mu En said:

"After I'm gone, Xuanzi will take over as the next Sea God Pavilion Master, and Tang Wulin will become the heir to the Sea God Pavilion Master; does anyone have any objections?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

Xuanzi will succeed as Sea God Pavilion Master, which everyone expected; after Mu En's death, he, a rank ninety‑eight, is the strongest of Shilake Academy.

But Tang Wulin is only twelve years old this year, his cultivation is less than four rings; he actually directly surpassed Yan Shaozhe, Mu En's direct disciple, to become the heir to the next Sea God Pavilion Master—unprecedented in Shilake Academy's history.

At this moment, Mu En's dignity manifested; everyone lowered their heads and said respectfully:

"No objections."

If Mu En had proposed this while alive, they might have objected, but now Mu En is on his deathbed, and no one can bear to oppose him at this time.

Mu En relievedly let out a long breath; with his words, Tang Wulin's future position could be secured—as long as Shilake Academy is handed over to Tang Wulin, everything will surely develop for the better; this is the confidence Tang Wulin has given Mu En over these years through his actions.

After settling the successor matter, what remains to be discussed is the Academy's development.

Mu En glanced lightly at the several deans.

(End of chapter)