Facing this group of big figures who could make the continent tremble with a stomp of their feet.
Zhang Lexuan was also a bit nervous; after all, this was her first time officially attending a Sea Gods Pavilion Meeting.
In this meeting, there was not a single person whose cultivation was lower than that of a Titled Douluo.
She organized her thoughts and began her report in a crisp and steady voice.
"Elder Mu, Elder Xuan, Elders, and Deans."
"For this mission, I led the team, accompanied by Inner Court Disciples Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Xi Xi, as well as Outer Court Core Disciples Caelus, Gu Yuena, Ye Guyi, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan."
"The initial objective of the mission was to track down and eliminate the Nirvana Corpses that had escaped from our hands."
She started with the routine part of the mission first.
"According to the intelligence provided by the Supervisory Group, we tracked them all the way to Dragon City on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire. In Dragon City, we received assistance from two local forces, the Heavenly Dragon Gate and the Earth Dragon Gate."
"After investigation, we finally determined the hiding place of the Nirvana Corpses and successfully eliminated them all."
At this point, she paused slightly.
The expressions of the Elders of the Sea Gods Pavilion did not change.
Just a few Nirvana Corpses weren't worth their concern.
Xuan Zi didn't even lift an eyelid; he just pulled a new chicken leg out of his storage spirit tool and continued to feast.
He seemed completely indifferent to the content of the meeting.
"Hurry up and get to the point, girl Lexuan."
Xuan Zi mumbled while gnawing on the chicken leg.
"This old man's time is very precious. I don't have time to listen to your stories about minor skirmishes. Elder Mu called us all here in the middle of the night; it definitely wasn't for this trivial matter."
Zhang Lexuan also noticed the reaction of the Elders, which was basically the same as Xuan Zi's. She knew that these routine battle reports simply wouldn't catch the Dharma Eye of these big figures.
She shifted her tone and continued:
"During the mission, the performance of several Outer Court Core Disciples exceeded expectations. They demonstrated combat intelligence and psychological resilience beyond their years. It has been proven that the Academy's policy of having Inner Court Disciples lead Outer Court Core Disciples on low-intensity missions is completely correct. It plays an irreplaceable role in promoting their growth."
These words served as a small summary and an affirmation of the Academy's decision.
Yan Shaozhe nodded with satisfaction.
He was the one who proposed this policy, so he was naturally happy to receive positive feedback.
After reporting this, Zhang Lexuan paused again.
Her beautiful eyes swept over everyone present, and her expression changed from the previous formulaic report to one of extreme seriousness and solemnity.
The atmosphere of the entire Sea Gods Pavilion quietly changed at this moment.
Even Xuan Zi, who had been buried in his chicken, stopped his movements, looked up, and glanced at Zhang Lexuan with his eyes that seemed cloudy but were actually flashing with brilliance.
'Oh? Is the main show starting?'
Mu En's eyelids, which were as wrinkled as withered tree bark, also moved slightly.
"Next, I will report... some unexpected circumstances that occurred during this mission."
Zhang Lexuan's voice lowered several degrees.
"As well as some of my personal investigations and speculations. These matters are of great importance."
Yan Shaozhe signaled for her to continue.
"After the mission ended, Outer Court Disciple Caelus's Soul Power reached level forty due to insights gained during battle. In accordance with Academy regulations, I decided to take him to the Extreme North Land to obtain his fourth spirit ring."
Hearing this, the several Deans present all showed looks of interest.
"Level forty? How old is that kid? Twelve or thirteen?"
Qian Duoduo, the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, asked in surprise.
"Not yet twelve," Zhang Lexuan replied.
"A Spirit Ancestor under twelve years old..."
A flash of astonishment also crossed Xian Liner's eyes.
"This talent is very rare even in our Shrek Academy."
A smug smile appeared on Yan Shaozhe's face, but he didn't speak.
Caelus was a student of their Martial Soul Department and one of the prospects he favored most.
"It is indeed an astonishing talent."
An Elder spoke calmly.
"But that's not the point. Continue, girl Lexuan. What was the result of going to the Extreme North Land to obtain a spirit ring?"
"The result..."
Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath and served up an appetizer.
"Caelus's fourth spirit ring is an Ice Prison Ape-Crocodile spirit ring with an age exceeding ten thousand years."
"What?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked.
Qian Duoduo and Xian Liner's eyes widened at the same time.
"A ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring? Lexuan, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Qian Duoduo asked in disbelief.
There were iron laws regarding the age limit for a Soul Master's absorption of spirit rings.
The limit for the first spirit ring was around four hundred years, the second around seven hundred years, the third around one thousand seven hundred years, and the theoretical limit for the fourth spirit ring was around five thousand years.
Some exceptionally gifted Soul Masters with powerful physiques might be able to slightly exceed this limit and absorb a six or seven-thousand-year ring.
But ten thousand years?
That was not just a simple matter of exceeding the limit.
"I am sure."
Zhang Lexuan's tone was solemn.
"Not bad. With this talent, absorbing a ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring makes him no worse than Elder Mu."
Xuan Zi wiped the corner of his mouth and looked at the Dragon God Douluo Mu En, because Mu En's fourth spirit ring was also ten thousand years old.
But who was Mu En? A level ninety-nine Limit Douluo with the Radiant Holy Dragon soul. For Caelus to be compared to him was enough to shock the Sea Gods Pavilion Elders; after all, it meant Caelus also possessed the potential of a Limit Douluo.
Although everyone was shocked by this news, they weren't yet losing their composure.
After all, in the history of Shrek Academy, there had been more than one such Heaven-Defying precedent.
For another to appear now, while incredible, was not entirely unacceptable.
'Fourth ring, ten thousand years...'
The light in Yan Shaozhe's eyes exploded.
'This child's talent is even more terrifying than I imagined. It seems the training plan for him needs to be re-evaluated.'
However, they didn't know that this appetizer was only the beginning.
The main course, which would truly overturn their understanding and cause even these powerhouses standing at the peak of the continent to lose their composure, was still to come.
Zhang Lexuan looked at everyone's shocked expressions and gave a bitter smile in her heart.
'If it were only this, why would I have needed to trouble Elder Mu to convene a Sea Gods Pavilion Meeting?'
Her voice became low and solemn once again.
"After obtaining the spirit ring, we intended to return immediately. However, on the way back, we accidentally... were swept into a chaos that we shouldn't have come into contact with."
"And then, we encountered a dying... Vicious Beast."
As soon as the words 'Vicious Beast' came out, the air in the entire Sea Gods Pavilion seemed to freeze.
Everyone's pupils shrank violently in this instant.
Xuan Zi's hand stopped mid-air, Yan Shaozhe straightened his back, and even Mu En, who had been resting with his eyes closed, had his long white eyelashes tremble slightly.
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