Upon hearing Mu En's voice, Zhu Ziyang abandoned his plan to return to his sea of consciousness for now and decided to wait until he was back at the outer court. After all, Electrolux's soul resided within his spiritual sea—it wasn't going anywhere.
The roots of the Golden Tree were connected to the Sea God Pavilion. As soon as Zhu Ziyang stepped through the tree's tunnel, he entered the Pavilion and met with Mu En.
Sensing his arrival, Mu En—lounging on a wooden chair—lifted his head and opened his eyes slightly to look at Zhu Ziyang. The moment he saw him, he broke into a pleased smile and said:
"Very good, very good! Spiritual power at the Tangible Yet Formless level, and soul power at level 38. Good child, you've really surprised this old man."
"You flatter me, Teacher," Zhu Ziyang replied politely, then smiled. "Heh, I didn't expect the breakthrough to happen so smoothly either."
"That's fate smiling on you," Mu En said with a sigh, then added with a smile, "Alright, you've been in seclusion for over a month. Go see Nannan. That girl's been asking about you nearly every day—I've almost become your personal messenger."
"She really came that often?" Zhu Ziyang was surprised, then laughed. "Heh, I'll go back to the outer court now, Teacher."
"Alright," Mu En nodded. "Take three days to rest. Then come see me."
"Yes, Teacher." Zhu Ziyang didn't press him for details—he didn't need to. He gave a respectful reply and turned to leave.
As soon as he exited the Sea God Pavilion and descended the Golden Tree, he saw Jiang Nannan.
She was standing in front of a wooden cabin, chatting and laughing with a gentle woman in her early twenties. The two of them seemed very close.
That woman was Zhang Lexuan—the top student of the inner court, and the youngest Soul Sage in Shrek Academy history. It was said she was on the verge of breaking through to Soul Douluo. Zhu Ziyang had met her a few times after becoming Mu En's disciple. They weren't close—just acquaintances with little contact.
Zhu Ziyang was a bit puzzled. It had only been a month, and Jiang Nannan had already become so friendly with Zhang Lexuan? That seemed a bit... too fast. Is it really that easy for girls to become friends?
"Nannan," he called.
"Huh?" Hearing someone call her, Jiang Nannan instinctively turned around. When she saw it was her beloved big brother, she jumped with excitement. Her crimson eyes sparkled with joy.
"Brother!"
She ran to him and threw herself into his arms. Zhu Ziyang wrapped his arms around her slim waist, holding her as she radiated joy and affection.
Nearby, Zhang Lexuan smiled at the sight of their embrace. Yet, in her mind, an image of a smiling boy flashed—a memory that warmed her heart, but also brought a faint sense of sorrow.
"Lexuan-jie, I'm heading back to the outer court with my brother! I'll come visit you again soon!" Jiang Nannan cheerfully waved goodbye.
"Alright," Zhang Lexuan replied with a graceful smile.
Zhu Ziyang nodded to her as well, then walked away with Jiang Nannan nestled at his side.
As they walked, he finally asked, "Nannan, how did you become so close with Zhang Lexuan?"
"Hehe, it's nothing special," Jiang Nannan giggled. "At first, we just greeted each other in passing. But one day, she came up to me and said she felt I was familiar. I said I felt the same. It confused us both—until I accidentally learned her martial spirit is Moonlight! That's when it all made sense."
"What?! Moon martial spirit?!" Zhu Ziyang was shocked.
Now he understood how Zhang Lexuan could have become a Soul Sage in her early twenties.
She had a moon martial spirit!
The Moon Martial Spirit—a super martial spirit endowed with the power of the moon, pure Yin and gentle in nature—was a pinnacle martial spirit in the Yin attribute category. While not an "extreme" element, it was on par with extreme spirits. The spirit allowed its wielder to harness moonlight for cultivation and combat, offering tremendous advantages.
Zhu Ziyang had never expected Zhang Lexuan to possess a moon martial spirit. According to what he knew, such spirits were part of the Sun and Moon Continent's heritage, not native to the Douluo Continent. This raised a troubling question:
Could Zhang Lexuan be a descendant of the Sun and Moon Empire's royal family?
Historical records stated that the Sun, Moon, and Purple Radiance Extinguishing Dragon were the three super martial spirits of the Sun and Moon royal lineage. The empire was named for the Sun and Moon because its rulers inherited these spirits.
Today, only the Sun Martial Spirit remained in the imperial line. The Moon had reportedly vanished centuries ago, and the Purple Radiance Extinguishing Dragon hadn't appeared for decades. The current emperor's spirit was Sun.
That meant Zhang Lexuan might very well be a lost heir of the Sun and Moon Empire.
It was no wonder the empire remained under Xu family rule—with martial spirits like those, the nobility had no hope of rebellion. Anyone with such spirits was destined to become a Titled Douluo, making the imperial family's foundation unimaginably strong.
By comparison, the Star Crown and the ancient White Tiger of the Star Luo Empire, the Swan Spirit of the Heaven Dou and Dou Ling Empires, and the Snow Lotus of the Heavenly Soul Empire paled in comparison.
"Brother! Brother!" Jiang Nannan pouted, tugging his arm. "Were you even listening to me?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" Zhu Ziyang snapped out of his thoughts. "I was just shocked to hear Lexuan has a moon spirit."
"Right? I was stunned too!" Jiang Nannan agreed. "I didn't even know there was a moon martial spirit on the continent. Do you think a Sun Martial Spirit exists too?"
She spoke half-jokingly, not knowing how right she was.
Zhu Ziyang smiled. "Funny you mention it. The current emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire actually has the Sun Martial Spirit."
"No way! I was just kidding!" Her jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief.
Zhu Ziyang chuckled, pinched her soft cheek, and said, "Well, don't be too surprised—we're at the lake now."
"Oh—right!" She composed herself and quickly latched onto his arm as they boarded the ferry.
Back in the outer court, Zhu Ziyang said, "The reason you and Zhang Lexuan felt that connection is probably due to your martial spirits. Your Lunar Jade Rabbit and her Moon Spirit are incredibly compatible. Being close to her will benefit your spirit."
"Brother, don't say it like that," Jiang Nannan smiled. "Even if her martial spirit wasn't moon-based, I'd still want to be friends with her. She's so gentle and kind."
"Alright, alright, I'm the one being petty," Zhu Ziyang sighed, ruffling her silvery hair.
"Not at all. I know you're just looking out for me," she giggled, snuggling his arm again.
"By the way, Brother—while you were in seclusion, did Yu-ge know about it? Did anything happen in class?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Hmm, let me think…" Jiang Nannan tilted her head. "The day after you started seclusion, Dean Yan notified Yu-ge. He was so happy—he couldn't stop smiling all day!"
"As for class… Beibei broke through to level 29, then got a Soul Ascension Pill from home. He reached level 30 and went to hunt for his third ring a few days ago."
"Really?" Zhu Ziyang wasn't surprised. Beibei had talent and a strong family background. But now he was curious—what was Beibei's relationship to Zhang Lexuan? Beibei was clearly from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Lexuan's moon spirit suggested Sun and Moon royal blood. They didn't seem like siblings at all…
Interesting.
"Oh, and Xiaoya reached level 27," Jiang Nannan added.
"What about you?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Hehe, I was saving that for last," she laughed. "Teacher and Senior Sister taught me so much this month, I barely had time to cultivate. I'm still level 34—hehe."
Of course, she didn't mention that it was really because she missed Zhu Ziyang so much, she couldn't focus on training at all.