Chapter 45: The Path of Limits

"This little fellow..."

From a distance, Mu En, lying on his reclining chair, noticed Ning Wuque's gaze directed at him, and he was also observing the boy out of the corner of his eye.

However, a closer look made Mu En's eyes widen slightly and brighten up.

Within his field of vision, Ning Wuque was in absolute harmony with his own martial soul, as if he were the martial soul itself, and the martial soul was him!

The Path of Extremity!

This phrase popped into Mu En's mind. He could not comprehend at all why Ning Wuque, at such a tender age, could grasp one of the essential keys to the stage of a Limit Douluo.

As one of the few surviving Limit Douluos in the world, Mu En had his own unique understanding of the Path of Extremity. The two most crucial points were the thorough execution of one's own willpower and achieving a hundred percent compatibility with one's martial soul!

And Ning Wuque, at merely eleven, almost twelve years old, had already started treading upon one of these two paths.

No, wait, not just the martial soul.

Mu En's gaze towards Ning Wuque was no longer a sidelong glance, but a serious and formal assessment. As a powerhouse proficient in the path of willpower, he possessed a unique ultimate technique called "The Monarch Descends upon the World," which was the tangible manifestation of willpower.

He clearly perceived the intent and the will within Ning Wuque!

His intent was as unyielding and indestructible as steel, his solid foundation as steady as a rock, yet radiating a sense of explosive madness and crimson frenzy from the inside out.

His will was like a solitary sail in a stormy lake; even as waves surged from all directions, it remained unshakable, allowing him to stand tall at all times amidst mortal peril.

Contradictory! Extremely contradictory!

Clearly as secure as a rock, yet ready to detonate at the slightest touch like fireworks, and this was the path he had chosen to walk by his own volition!

"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan..."

He muttered to himself, then quietly withdrew his gaze.

It was a pity, though. No matter what, Ning Wuque would never become a member of Shrek Academy. The will within him was already too strong to be easily shaken; he was a complete and independent individual.

...

Meanwhile, unaware that he had received such exceptionally high praise from Mu En, Ning Wuque walked forward alone after the battle between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong concluded.

"Are you alright, Yuhao? What is this, having a dispute with your roommate?"

"Ah, it's fine, Big Brother Wuque. I'm okay."

"Alright, as long as you're fine. Familiarize yourself with the academy by yourself over the next couple of days. Later on, we'll find a secluded spot to talk."

Reaching out to pat Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, Ning Wuque said in a calm tone:

"The body is the foundation of growth. Your physical fitness is far too poor. You have good culinary skills; take this money. When you have free time, you can set up a small stall outside to sell snacks or grilled fish. Don't refuse; you can just pay me back later. By the way, most students in Shrek aren't short on money. With your skills, you can sell a single fish for three silver soul coins. Of course, the specifics are up to you."

With that, Ning Wuque pulled twenty gold soul coins from his storage soul guide and slipped them into Huo Yuhao's pocket, then waved his hand and walked toward Ning Tian and Wu Feng not far away.

Left in place were Huo Yuhao, who reached a hand into his pocket in astonishment, and...

Some curious powder-blue-haired "young man" who had walked over.

"You two know each other?"

"Yes. But why should I tell you? You have zero manners."

"Darn it, you just wait for me, adult!"

Ignoring the bickering behind him, the surrounding students who had stayed to watch the spectacle also chose to disperse now that the fight was over.

Soon, Ning Wuque reunited with Ning Tian and Wu Feng. He nodded toward Ning Tian, indicating that he had finished all the tasks he needed to do.

Under Ning Tian's lead, the trio headed back toward the direction of the dormitory buildings. Passing by Mu En, who was resting under the shade of a tree, she wanted to stop and greet him, but after a brief hesitation, she decided to walk straight past.

"Could you wait a moment?"

Mu En called out to the three of them. Although in his judgment, Ning Wuque had almost zero chance of joining Shrek Academy, he still felt a sliver of curiosity.

Stopping in her tracks, Ning Tian turned around to look at the old man whom Ning Wuque had deemed "interesting," and asked:

"Hello, elder. Is there anything we can help you with?"

"No, no need. I just wanted to ask, how did you manage to integrate yourself so completely with your martial soul? Might I satisfy this old man's curiosity?"

Mu En shook his head in response to Ning Tian, then shifted his gaze to Ning Wuque to ask his question.

In response, Ning Wuque had no intention of hiding anything. He hadn't expected this Limit Douluo, whose life was nearing its end, to see through this, but coming from Mu En, he figured he wouldn't just take his knowledge for nothing, so he replied:

"For the sake of my cultivation, after entering a state of deep meditation once, I actively established a connection with my martial soul."

"Deep meditation?"

"Yes."

Ning Wuque didn't explain how he achieved deep meditation; sharing a method didn't mean revealing every detail. It was enough for Mu En to know that he had done so proactively.

Across from him, Mu En looked at Ning Wuque with a playful glint in his eyes, then pulled a piece of animal skin scroll from his sleeve, tossed it casually to Ning Wuque, and smiled:

"Hahaha, this is something I figured out when I was young. Consider it a token of gratitude for satisfying this old man's curiosity.

"As for the dormitory buildings, males are not permitted to go up to the floors of the female dormitories, not even to help move things."

"Thank you, Grandpa. I understand."

Catching the animal skin scroll tossed by Mu En, Ning Wuque first bowed in gratitude, then nodded to show he understood the rules.

And so, this minor interlude came to an end as the three resumed their walk toward the dormitory area.

They still needed to go and change into their school uniforms, which would officially mark them as members of the outer court of Shrek Academy and grant them access to certain areas restricted to non-students.

For instance, the Soul Combat Arena, which Ning Wuque was most interested in—that place promised to be an excellent training ground.

"Let's go, Wuque. Accompany me to pick up my lodging."

Having changed into his school uniform, Ning Wuque was already waiting at the entrance of the dormitory building. He had deliberately chosen a larger size for his uniform to conceal the six sets of compulsory training weights he wore on his body.

Looking up, he saw Ning Tian and Wu Feng approaching, both having changed into white, short-skirt-style school uniforms.

Ning Tian looked fine; with her good temperament, she looked good in anything.

But Wu Feng was having a frustrating time, complaining as she approached:

"These bulging soul guide training weights look so ugly! They look terrible whether worn inside or outside. Why do first-years have to wear uniforms anyway? Why can't we choose freely like the senior students?"

"If they look ugly, why didn't you pick a larger size to cover them up? Dummy!"

Chuckling, Ning Wuque mocked Wu Feng. Fortunately, he hadn't gone out of his way to remind her; this silly girl had indeed chosen a uniform that fit her snugly.

The compulsory training weights directly created unsightly bulges beneath the fabric, making her look rather comical.

"Ugh—! You clearly did it on purpose by not reminding me!"

"Alright, alright. Tomorrow I'll accompany you to buy another set in a larger size. For now, let's go get your accommodation sorted out, or else you'll be forced to sleep in the standard dorms tonight."

"Ah? Then we'd better hurry. There's no way I'm staying in those living conditions!"