Kapitel 103: Chapter 103: Mu En's Curtain Call, Thunderstorm at Sea
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General Martial Arts Research Institute
Su Yu arrived at the institute, scanning his ID to enter.
"Director."
At just fourteen, Su Yu was still not yet fifteen, but he had already been appointed the director of the institute, despite not being present on the day it was officially established.
Jing Hongchen had worked hard to help Su Yu gain some influence in this regard.
A Level 6 Soul Engineer at the age of fourteen.
This had been the most recent news released to the outside world.
Su Yu's success in advancing to Level 7 Soul Engineer was known only to a few, not widely spread.
Being a Level 6 Soul Engineer at fourteen and leading a team of Level 5 Soul Engineers was more than enough for Su Yu.
He nodded at the researchers to continue their work before heading to his office.
On his desk lay the latest research on various martial arts techniques and their schematics.
Su Yu's actual Soul Engineer level had reached Level 7, and his understanding of energy manipulation had also advanced significantly.
The martial arts theories were his own contributions.
As he looked over these early-stage concepts, he picked out the flaws and set them aside.
"Meridian Circuit Diagrams?"
Su Yu exclaimed in surprise.
This was a project he had assigned earlier, where the research institute had compiled all the core formations and pathways of the human meridian system.
This was an invaluable resource for martial arts development, equivalent to a dictionary for learning a new language.
Though it wasn't the most comprehensive, having this diagram meant that further improvements and additions would be much easier.
Su Yu spent five days studying the meridian circuit diagram, methodically sorting through the pathways and absorbing them as much as possible.
His understanding of the "Clear" and "Bright" runes in his mind deepened over time.
Through continued research, his comprehension of the two magics grew more profound.
As the saying goes, to understand something, one must experience it deeply.
By practicing magic alongside runes, and constantly feeling his mind sharpen and his thoughts race, his grasp of both magics continued to improve.
Simultaneously, the two runes naturally evolved as well.
"In general, drawing runes isn't this simple," Elder Yi remarked, watching Su Yu's runes in his spiritual sea.
The principle of runes is to rearrange the patterns from the core formations into a stable structure.
In the process of perfecting runes, each stroke of the pattern should be made with extreme caution.
Furthermore, the patterns that need to be added might not even be ones Su Yu had previously encountered.
However, Su Yu's runes were continuously improving.
Even the "Condense" and "Gather" runes, which had been perfected for about six thousand years, continued to evolve.
"The art of runes aligns with the rules. I have a hunch that, once your runes reach a certain strength, they will be the key to a Soul Master's mastery over the power of the rules.
And with you, I've confirmed this hypothesis in advance.
Your talent is extraordinary; once you grasp it, you'll be able to use the connection between runes and the rules to reverse the power of the rules and refine the runes."
At this point, most of the runes in Su Yu's spiritual sea were no longer simply made up of soul engineer core formations.
Many of the patterns were subconsciously drawn by Su Yu himself.
Even these self-drawn patterns had helped greatly in his research on soul-guided tools.
The core formations of the tools were continuously refined by him.
Once he mastered the tool, applying it became much easier.
After finishing with the meridian circuit diagrams, Su Yu turned to perfecting his own martial arts techniques.
By now, his martial arts had shown significant effects. The efficiency of his soul force condensation and training had improved by about 20-30% compared to high-level meditation methods.
The institute had created human meridian models for the convenience of martial arts research, which sped up Su Yu's progress.
*Half a Month Later*
Su Yu's martial arts technique had been further perfected, and its effects had increased by another 20%.
"At this point, the technique is quite complete. I think it's time to give it a name."
Su Yu decided to call the technique Hunyuan Gong.
"Hunyuan Gong doesn't have any flashy effects, but it focuses on honing oneself. It's been perfected to the point where significant improvements are difficult to achieve now.
Next, I can think about creating other techniques."
After all, martial arts aren't limited to just one. Different soul force circulation paths represent different effects. As long as they don't conflict, they can be switched at any time.
Su Yu considered the direction for developing his next martial arts technique.
The institute had made revisions to the previous research, which was now on Su Yu's desk.
After reviewing it once more and fixing the minor issues, he set the general direction for the basic martial arts technique and left the institute.
"Finally, there's news about the Thunderstorm Prison Vine."
Su Yu was excited.
The research on bone patterns could be postponed. After absorbing the fifth and sixth soul rings, he could develop the bone pattern system later.
Su Yu made his way to the royal family's back mountains.
"That Zhao Dezhui has already been punished. He's now working in the royal family's forbidden area, making level 8 soul-guided tools for free. He won't be out for ten years," Su Yu said with satisfaction.
As for Zhao, who didn't like to show off his accomplishments, this punishment seemed fitting.
"You didn't want others to know you were a Soul Douluo and an 8th-level soul engineer? Well, let's see you work in the shadows."
"Master, is the news about the Thunderstorm Prison Vine true?" Su Yu asked.
Kong Deming frowned, asking again, "Are you sure you want to absorb the Thunderstorm Prison Vine?"
It wasn't something easy to absorb.
The test it would impose on a Soul Master was extremely high.
The plan to create a man-made Thunderous Hell Vine with a hundred thousand years of cultivation seemed too unreal to Kong Deming, no matter how he heard it.
"Master, don't worry, I am confident," Su Yu reassured him.
After bidding farewell to Kong Deming, Su Yu headed straight toward the outskirts of Sun-Moon.
Shrek Academy.
Sea God Pavilion.
"Old Mu, you..." The elders of the Sea God Pavilion gathered around the reclining chair, their faces filled with sorrow.
"Old Mu, it's my fault. I was too careless and didn't notice those evil soul masters back then." Xuanzi, having emerged from seclusion, looked at Old Mu's condition and felt guilty. He still hadn't fully recovered from his own injuries.
Old Mu, too, had suffered great harm from that day's conflict, causing his life force to leak away. Despite being sustained by the Golden Ancient Tree's healing energy for a long while, he had shown no improvement. Today, it was expected that Old Mu would finally depart.
"Xuanzi, there is no need for guilt. My life was never long, and I simply happened to encounter this incident. The siege of evil soul masters in Sun-Moon couldn't have been a last-minute decision. Prince Xu Tianjian wouldn't have attacked evil soul masters for no reason."
"You shouldn't blame yourself. Perhaps the Sun and Moon Empire had already sensed your presence, and it was done deliberately. As for the rumors circulating outside, the academy will clear them up, so don't get into arguments. Shrek Academy's reputation over the millennia is still intact. Don't let arguments lead to more conflict."
Old Mu's words grew more like a final farewell, the kind said when preparing for death.
"Don't let relations with the Star Luo Empire falter. Shao Zhe, you go personally to the imperial palace to explain things there. Lin'er's whereabouts remain unknown, and she must have been killed by the Sun and Moon Empire. Take care. As for Dai Huabin, during the previous Soul Battle Tournament, when Xuanzi's team encountered the evil soul masters and suffered an accident, the academy must compensate him."
"The Sea God Pavilion has a 70,000-year-old Diamond Battle Tiger's soul bone. It is highly compatible with Huabin, so give it to him. After I am gone, Xuanzi will temporarily lead the Sea God Pavilion. Xuanzi, for everything, consult Shao Zhe first."
"Also, Shao Zhe, soul-guided devices are essential for the development of soul masters. Don't suppress the soul engineering system any longer. Increase its development. You must find a way to rescue Duo Duo and his disciples from the Sun-Moon Hall of the Sun and Moon Empire. But don't act recklessly. Be careful in your actions."
"In the future, when inner academy disciples carry out missions, pay attention to discovering potential talents and provide them with soul-guided devices. Begin by introducing the use of soul-guided devices in the inner academy. Shrek cannot afford to lose the next Soul Battle Tournament."
"Lastly, Beibei, you must accept my legacy well."
None of the people present interrupted Old Mu's words.
As he finished speaking, Old Mu peacefully closed his eyes. His body radiated a brilliant light, and a Holy Light Dragon emerged from within him. His soul seemed to take refuge within the Holy Light Dragon.
The fading Holy Light Dragon, once set to dissipate, was enveloped by the Golden Ancient Tree's light and merged into the tree that formed the Sea God Pavilion.
A dragon's roar echoed through Shrek Academy.
The academy's students, who were meditating, felt their soul power accelerate. The natural energy around them surged into their bodies, converting into soul power.
Even those training on the athletic field felt a sense of lightness, their injuries healing, and a calming aura surrounded them, lifting their spirits.
"Old Mu!" The Sea God Pavilion was filled with sorrow.
In the Heavenly Soul Empire, at an unknown location.
Haotian Sect.
"Erming, you must not act rashly. Your mission this time is simply to stay in Shrek for a while. Do not engage in any fighting."
"Do not fight! Understood?"
"Big Brother, don't worry." The powerful man with a fierce aura slapped his chest, making a guarantee.
On the southern coast of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Su Yu floated in midair, checking his position before flying south. He activated his first and second soul skills to maintain his peak state.
The ocean was filled with countless dangers.
Due to some past experience, Su Yu had developed a deep respect for the sea.
However, the Thunderous Hell Vine, with a 10,000-year cultivation, would cause a thunder pool to form when it matured. If found on the mainland, it would be considered a catastrophe. The moment it was discovered, it would be swiftly eradicated.
The information Su Yu had received indicated that the Thunderous Hell Vine was located on a small island over a hundred kilometers south along the coastline.
Flying over the ocean was slow, and he had to constantly adjust for various extreme environmental conditions while double-checking his direction.
Fortunately, the Sun and Moon Empire had a relatively complete oceanic mapping system, so he was able to use the nearby islands as reference points.
Still, it took Su Yu half a month to reach his destination.
"What a 50,000-year Thunderous Hell Vine!"
Su Yu gazed at the small island enveloped in lightning, his eyes glinting with excitement.
He flew closer, observing the situation within the thunder pool.
Through the haze, a towering purple-black vine came into view, surrounded by crackling electric arcs. The lightning gathered around it, as if it were the center of a storm.
"It's on the verge of exploding. In ten years at most, this Thunderous Hell Vine will explode!" Su Yu felt the terrifying explosive energy and couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. The fluctuations were so intense that they made his heart race.
Despite this, the Thunderous Hell Vine kept absorbing and expelling thunder.
Innately intelligent, these 10,000-year Thunderous Hell Vines were no less clever than humans. Yet, in the face of death, they never gave up on fighting for survival.
They didn't retreat. The frantic instincts deep within their blood only urged them to push their limits, battling for a final chance.
Su Yu summoned his soul power to form a protective shield around himself. His intense life force surged, and he dove into the thunder pool.
The lightning within the thunder pool wasn't completely destructive, at least not to Su Yu's level. Thanks to his experience in Longyu, where he endured the Dragon Cloud baptism, his resistance to elemental energy had increased significantly.
Although his affinity and resistance to lightning energy were still weak, the combination of his vitality and soul power protection allowed him to move freely within the thunder pool.
"Thunderous Hell Vine, with 59,000 years of cultivation, I believe you are nearing your limit." Su Yu's mental energy broadcasted his thoughts to the vine.
He was confident that the Thunderous Hell Vine could understand him.
In his intermediate battle armor form, Su Yu's soul power was top-tier among Soul Saints, and the Thunderous Hell Vine couldn't ignore him. A true Soul Saint was capable of hunting 50,000-year soul beasts.
The Thunderous Hell Vine was an anomaly, immensely destructive, but still worthy of attention.
"Human, leave immediately!" The Thunderous Hell Vine's voice echoed.
"I have no ill intentions."
Su Yu smiled internally, thinking, "I just feel you're about to die. I'm here to offer you an opportunity."
The Thunderous Hell Vine did not respond, but since it didn't attack, Su Yu continued, "My soul power has just reached a breakthrough, and I need a soul ring."
The surrounding lightning became furious, crackling wildly as if an explosive attack could occur at any moment.
"Your soul ring is a good fit for me, but your age is too low," Su Yu muttered, sensing the explosive soul power emanating from the vine.
"Human, you're courting death!" The vine growled.
"Joking?" Su Yu was met with a challenge.
"Wait, let me finish speaking. Why are you so hot-tempered?" Su Yu joked, but didn't hold back his attack.
The Thunderous Hell Vine, unlike the Blue Silver Emperor, wouldn't be swayed by mere words. He could only persuade it through sheer force.
His battle armor shone brightly, and one by one, his soul rings appeared, pulsating with power.
The strong light radiated from him, and a massive burst of soul power exploded from within.
The fourth soul ring sparkled with silver sword runes, and a long sword materialized in his hand.
With a flash of sword energy, the surrounding lightning storm was pushed back.
"Grass Sword Technique!" Su Yu's mental energy resonated as the "sword" rune shone in his sea of consciousness.
His soul power flowed into the Divine Slashing Sword, drawing on the surrounding natural energy. The lightning was absorbed by the sword, which then condensed into a world-shaking strike.
"Slash!"
(End of Chapter)
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein