21: Chapter 21 Using Chaos as a Guide to Harmonize the Five Elements

"With this token, you may freely enter or leave any restricted area of the Sea Gods Pavilion and mobilize all academy resources except those requiring the Pavilion Master's personal authorization."

"Su Chen, accept the token."

Mu En's voice rang out once more.

Su Chen took a deep breath and extended both hands, solemnly accepting this badge of extraordinary significance.

The Holy Son Token felt slightly cool in his hand, with a smooth and warm texture.

As he gripped the Holy Son Token, the solemn and dignified atmosphere in the hall instantly dissipated, replaced by a touch of ease and warmth.

"Cough, Su Chen."

A playful smile hung on the face of Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Martial Soul Department.

"When I see you from now on, will I, the Dean, have to bow first and address you as 'Your Highness the Holy Son'?"

Hearing this, Su Chen quickly waved his hands, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Dean Yan, please don't tease me. You are an elder; just calling me Xiao Chen is fine."

"That won't do!"

A sonorous voice suddenly cut in.

Qian Duoduo, the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department—a muscular giant standing 2.2 meters tall—stepped in front of Su Chen in a few strides.

"The Holy Son is the Holy Son; the rules cannot be disregarded! Uh... Holy Son, those ideas you mentioned before for improving spirit tools were simply a stroke of genius!"

"Do you have time? Come sit with us at the Soul Tool Department. I'll show you our prized treasures; I guarantee it'll be an eye-opener!"

Qian Duoduo looked incredibly enthusiastic, as if he couldn't wait to abduct Su Chen back to the Soul Tool Department right then and there.

Yan Shaozhe curled his lip to the side, just about to say something.

However, a withered hand lightly rested on the back of Qian Duoduo's collar.

Despite the light movement, Qian Duoduo's mountain-like physique instantly froze, unable to move an inch.

Mu En's slightly raspy voice drifted over.

"Qian Duoduo, you old rascal, trying to abduct my disciple right in front of me? Do you think I'm invisible?!"

"I... I'm just eager to nurture talent." Qian Duoduo shrunk his neck, his momentum instantly weakening.

"Hahaha..."

A burst of laughter erupted in the hall.

After a moment, the laughter subsided.

The brilliant blue light on the dome of the Council Chamber also receded slowly like a tide, returning to its previous ancient and solemn state.

Everyone began to depart in an orderly fashion.

Mu En beckoned to Su Chen, signaling for him to follow.

Su Chen followed closely behind Mu En, passing through the side door of the Sea Gods Pavilion and stepping into a quiet garden hidden in the night.

The night was deep.

Bright moonlight filtered through the layers of plane tree leaves, casting dappled silver spots on the small path paved with bluestone.

The surroundings were very quiet, with only the intermittent chirping of insects occasionally breaking the silence.

Mu En slowly sat down by the stone table.

He raised his hand and gave it a gentle wave.

A heavy golden Soul Power barrier instantly enveloped the entire garden.

All sounds from the outside world, including the insect chirps, were completely cut off.

Mu En's fingertips lightly tapped the cold stone surface, his gaze like torches as it fell directly on Su Chen.

"When you entered the Shrek Outer Court half a year ago, your Soul Power had just passed rank forty."

"Now, you are already a rank forty-eight Soul Ancestor."

"Such speed... even Ancestor Tang San back then had never achieved this at the same stage."

He paused slightly, a hint of inquiry entering his tone.

"Although the Chaos Thunder Dragon Martial Soul is a top-tier beast Spirit, normal cultivation could never have such heaven-defying efficiency."

"Inside your body, there seems to be a power even more special than the Spirit itself."

The moment his voice fell.

Mu En's originally cloudy eyes suddenly lit up with a faint golden halo.

It was a sign of the condensation of ultimate Soul Power.

His gaze seemed to turn into two physical swords, wanting to see through Su Chen from the inside out.

"Buzz—"

Su Chen felt the surrounding air instantly solidify, and an indescribable pressure squeezed in from all directions.

This pressure didn't harm him, but it felt as if it wanted to see through his very soul!

Oh no!

The old man is trying to dig up my secrets!

Su Chen's heart skipped a beat.

The Chaos Qi in his body seemed to be stimulated, surging violently and instantly intertwining with the Chaos Thunder Dragon Martial Soul.

A faint phantom of dragon scales flashed across the surface of his status panel.

That majestic pressure caused Su Chen to subconsciously straighten his back.

Lie?

How could he lie?

Under the nose of the strongest person on the continent, any lie would appear pale and ridiculous.

Moreover, he was the grandfather who had raised him.

Countless thoughts flashed through Su Chen's mind before finally settling into calm.

Rather than hiding it, it was better to...

Lay his cards on the table and stop pretending.

Su Chen took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Teacher, you are right."

"I do indeed have a secret."

"The foundation of my Chaos Thunder Dragon Martial Soul is actually Chaos Qi."

"Just a short while ago, I was fortunate enough to realize something, which I call 'Chaos as the Lead, Harmonizing the Five Elements'."

Su Chen explained very straightforwardly.

"Simply put, it uses my own Chaos Qi to draw in the spiritual energy of the five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—from heaven and earth."

"Then, it converts this spiritual energy into Soul Power that is most suitable for my Spirit to absorb."

"This way, less Soul Power is wasted during cultivation, and the Soul Power itself is more pure and complete. That's why the speed of advancement is a bit faster than normal."

To add credibility, Su Chen extended a finger.

"Buzz—!"

A wisp of purple-black Soul Power condensed at his fingertip.

Looking closely, one could see that inside this small clump of Soul Power, there were actually five extremely fine filaments of light.

Red, yellow, blue, green, and gold.

The five filaments of light circled and intertwined like swimming fish, endlessly regenerating.

Between them, even smaller electric arcs flickered with a "crackle," perfectly echoing the attributes of his Chaos Thunder Dragon Martial Soul.

Mu En's gaze was instantly drawn to that peculiar wisp of Soul Power.

For a time, the entire garden became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

After a long while.

"So that's how it is..."

Mu En nodded slowly, a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Using Chaos as the source and the five elements as a supplement."

"This cultivation method has already surpassed ordinary understanding. Being able to combine it with your own Spirit is indeed an immense stroke of luck."

Mu En's tone softened completely.

He waved his hand, signaling Su Chen to sit on the stone bench opposite him.

"The path of cultivation has its own opportunities for everyone. Although I am your teacher, I will not pry too much into your core methods."

"You only need to remember to stay true to your original intentions and protect the academy well in the future; that is enough."

Su Chen nodded solemnly: "Rest assured, Teacher, Shrek is my home."

Mu En nodded with satisfaction, and then his expression suddenly became grave.

"By the way, there is a matter concerning the safety of Shrek, and even more so, the safety of the entire continent."

"As the holy son of the sea gods pavilion, you must know."

Su Chen's heart skipped a beat.

The old man's tone shifted too quickly.

One second it was a warm heart-to-heart between grandfather and grandson, and the next, it escalated to the safety of the continent.

This plot... it's starting to get that certain vibe."