Chapter 528: Mu Ye

Zhen Hua broke into a sharp grin. “Looks like someone wants me dead!” 

The Chef lowered his head in thought, hand cupping his chin. “They’re powerful too. The assassin was able to draw on their own blood essence to strengthen their soul power. I can’t even guess what their martial soul was. It’s strange. Really strange.” 

“Could they be an evil soul master?” Tang Wulin asked, breaking his silence.

“An evil soul master?” Zhen Hua, the Chef, and Zhanggong Yan crossed eyes the moment they blurted these words simultaneously. 

“Hmm. Maybe,” the Chef continued. “If it’s an evil soul master, then that would explain everything. They’ve become active in recent years, launching a whole slew of terrorist attacks across the continent. I can’t believe they would target you, Zhen Hua, when they are under heavy scrutiny by the Federation. That they dare to must point to someone powerful pulling the strings for them in the shadows.”

“I think I might have a clue,” Zhanggong Yan said. “That Ning Fengzhi guy had a particularly chilling aura. There was definitely something off about him.”

Zhen Hua’s smile spread wide, a predatory grin. “Excellent! An evil soul master! I haven’t fought an evil soul master before.” He turned to the Chef. “You can speak with Wulin about the previous matter now. I need to handle this assassination attempt first.” 

The Chef looked him straight in the eye before he nodded. Turning to Tang Wulin, he said, “Come with me to the dining hall. Just you.”

“Okay.” Tang Wulin sent Gu Yue an apologetic glance, sure to take in her answering smile prior to going off on his way. 

He was filled with anticipation for this private meeting now that he had caught a glimpse of the Chef’s true power. This was a man that stood at the summit! A Titled Douluo with a godly red-grade mecha! His strength could earn him a position as an elder in Sea God’s Pavilion. 

Upon returning to Zhen Hua’s private dining hall, the Chef exhaled, expelling soul power that formed a thin green barrier around them.

Tang Wulin looked at the membrane curiously. It were as if they were in a gigantic bubble. Is this a high-level soul power technique? 

“Uncle, I still don’t know how to address you.” Tang Wulin cautiously said.

“My name is Mu Ye. You can just call me Uncle Ye,” Mu Ye said with a chuckle.

“Yes, Uncle Ye!” And with that, Tang Wulin brought his charms, flashing the sweet smile that had won over so many elders. 

“You’re probably wondering why I wanted to speak to you privately. Well, what I’m about to say is something I’ve considered for a long time and only decided on recently. I’ll cut to the chase. I want you to inherit my legacy. More specifically, I want you to inherit the legacy of my sect.” 

For a split second, Tang Wulin stood speechless. He coughed. “Uncle Ye, what do you mean?” 

Tang Wulin already had three teachers for blacksmithing, four if he counted his uncle-master, Zhen Hua. For cultivation, there were Wu Zhangkong and Zhuo Shi. Now he was being hunted by another teacher. 

Mu Yu let out a sigh. “I was hesitating in the beginning since you’re a Shrek student. In a sense, my sect has always been rivals with Shrek Academy. It’s just that as the years went by, my sect declined and can’t compare with Shrek anymore. I’ve heard from Zhen Hua that you’re a member of the Tang Sect too. Correct?”

“Yes.” Tang Wulin nodded.

“Are you willing to leave the Tang Sect? If my assumptions are correct, you should still be an outer disciple. Leaving shouldn’t have too many penalties.” 

Tang Wulin’s eyes went wide. His immediately shook his head. “No. I can’t. The Tang Sect is too beneficial for my cultivation. The cultivation method I’m using right now is from them. I can’t leave.”

Mu Ye furrowed his brows. “Don’t worry. The Body Sect’s cultivation methods are just as good as the Tang Sect’s. I’m actually the master of the Body Sect. As long as you study under me, you’ll definitely learn things even more useful than from the Tang Sect. We might not be as large as them, but we value our members far more. Our best secret arts can rival those of the Tang Sect.”

Tang Wulin shook his head again. “I’m sorry, Uncle Ye. I can’t agree to that. I like the Tang Sect and it’s where I belong. No matter what, I will never betray them. Besides, I’m already a member of the Battle Hall.” Since the moment he joined the Tang Sect, he had only benefited. He had gained far more than he had given back. It was unthinkable for him to leave now. 

Mu Ye grabbed Tang Wulin by the shoulders, his arms two blurs during the motion. “You entered the Battle Hall? Shit. That’s a bit troublesome. Well, whatever. As long as you say you want to leave, I’ll personally visit the Tang Sect and pay them back for all the benefits you received.” 

Tang Wulin raised his chin, staring straight into Mu Ye’s eyes. “Uncle Ye, why are you so set on me?” 

“Because your talents are suitable for the Body Sect’s secret arts. A lot of people think that the martial soul is the most important for body cultivation methods, but it isn’t. Bloodlines is the correct answer. If you don’t have powerful blood essence, you can’t truly cultivate your body. Most people don’t know this, but each generation of our sect masters didn’t actually have a particularly powerful martial soul. It was their blood essence that was remarkable.

“I noticed the first time I laid eyes on you how blessed you were. Your blood essence is extraordinarily powerful, far more powerful than those of common soul masters. Even my blood essence wasn’t as strong as yours at your age. But I hesitated when I found out you were from Shrek.

“When I returned to the Body Sect, I thought things over. I quickly realized that there’s likely no one as suitable for inheriting the Body Sect’s legacy in this world as you. That’s all that matters. I believe using many different methods will produce a complementary result. For example, Shrek Academy is just a school. Once you graduate, it’s only natural that you leave and accomplish things in the world. As for the Tang Sect, I’m willing to pay whatever it takes to have them accept your withdrawal.” 

Tang Wulin could hardly believe what he was hearing. “So, your Body Sect focuses on cultivating blood essence?”

“You got it,” Mu Ye said, lifting his chin up “In terms of cultivating the body, there’s no one in the world who can compare with our techniques and methods!” 

Tang Wulin narrowed his eyes, placing a hand on his chin. After a moment, he shook his head once more. “I’m sorry, Uncle Ye. I really can’t agree to this. There’s room for discussion regarding Shrek, but I absolutely refuse to betray the Tang Sect. I’ve gained so much from the Tang Sect and I truly like it. I’ve been listening to stories about the Tang Sect since I was a child. Becoming a member was a dream come true. Thank you for your kindness, but sorry.” 

“Stories of the Tang Sect, huh? You never heard any legends of the Body Sect?” Mu Ye growled.

“I-I-I…” Tang Wulin tried to answer, but he had no words. He had never heard of the Body Sect until now! 

Despair crept into Mu Ye’s face. Just how far have we declined? We used to stand at the peak. All of our sect masters were Hyper Douluos, and a few were even Demigod Limit Douluos. Shrek Academy has only grown stronger with time while we’ve fallen to ruin. And I still haven’t broken through to being a Hyper Douluo yet! 

“Uncle Ye, are you okay?” Tang Wulin asked, concerned about Mu Ye’s paling expression. 

“Get out!” Mu Ye snarled. With a wave of his hand, the bubble of soul power around them dissipated and he disappeared in a flash of light. 

Tang Wulin stumbled backward a few steps from the sudden wave of energy. When he raised his head, he was alone in the dining hall.