Chapter 29: Greedy?

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In Xu Yuan's hands, each of the five elements could already be manipulated with precision, as if they were extensions of his own limbs.

Metal element—even a single wisp of pure metallic energy exuded an aura of sharpness.

Wood element—bursting with vitality, it could rapidly sprout tree branches to bind and restrain.

Water element—spiraling streams gathered continuously, unbroken and fluid.

Fire element—intensely hot and explosive, brimming with destructive power.

Earth element—a thick wall of earth formed instantly at the stroke of his brush, evoking a sense of solid security.

Under Xu Yuan's brush, the five elements could transform into various shapes in an instant. Thanks to his spiritual power and his deep exploration of the essence of these elements, their unique traits were brought out to their fullest.

It wasn't just about changes in form—their inherent properties had also been meticulously developed by Xu Yuan.

With a flick of his brush, the five elements converged, swirling around the tip of the pen and coalescing.

The five elements lined up in sequence.

The cycle of mutual generation!

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—the five elements didn't fully merge but formed a structure based on their mutual generation, creating a unified whole.

Under the circulation of the five elements, no extraordinary phenomenon manifested, yet Cai Yue'er clapped her hands in approval.

"Not bad. The mutual generation of the five elements—you've actually reached this level."

Xu Yuan dispersed the five elements in front of him and didn't continue the demonstration.

He hadn't yet refined this technique into a concrete combat soul skill.

"Besides elemental control, do you have any other specialties?"

Cai Yue'er had already witnessed Xu Yuan's spear techniques earlier, but compared to his spear skills, she was more impressed by his mastery over the elements.

After all, during the intense battle against the three-thousand-year Earth Demon Rhino, Xu Yuan had only used his spear technique for the final desperate strike that killed the rhino.

That spear strike was undoubtedly a finishing move.

But that was all it was. If Xu Yuan utilized the mutual generation of the five elements well, he could develop an equally powerful—or even more devastating—finishing move.

The Tianyuan Brush transformed into the Tianyuan Spear.

Xu Yuan's entire demeanor changed.

Though Cai Yue'er hadn't felt it through the screen earlier, this time she sensed it clearly.

"Spear momentum?"

Was this innate to his martial soul?

She delved deeper, sensing something extraordinary. Her expression shifted.

And there was also…

"Spear intent."

At just seven years old, he had already grasped spear intent.

The Five-Element Spear Technique unleashed its strongest attack—five elements combined, their forces erupting simultaneously. With the burst of spear intent, Xu Yuan's spear pierced through the void at this moment.

"Full marks." Cai Yue'er gave her evaluation.

The other two teachers naturally awarded full marks as well.

Xu Yuan successfully obtained his fourth perfect score.

"Your martial soul is exceptional, with two forms. In spear form, it carries spear momentum, while in brush form, it seems to resonate with the elements of heaven and earth. You have two paths—I still recommend choosing one and sticking to it firmly, rather than trying to grasp too much."

Greed leads to indigestion.

However, Xu Yuan didn't share this view.

Still, he saw no need to argue with Elder Cai.

This Elder Cai was notoriously eccentric.

Although Xu Yuan knew from the original story's later developments that her initial harsh treatment of Tang Wulin and others was part of a plan devised with Zuo Shi—they were simply playing the "bad cop"—there was no denying that her temperament was indeed peculiar.

An old woman who'd stayed single her entire life…

Fortunately, Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when Elder Cai didn't propose taking him as a disciple due to his talent in elemental control.

Xu Yuan suspected it was because his uncle had already spoken to Zuo Shi in advance.

"The next trial tests your secondary professions." Wang Hao led Xu Yuan into the next room, where Cai Yue'er was already seated on the judging panel.

"Do you have a choice for your secondary profession? If not, it doesn't matter. You're only seven years old. I can personally ensure that scoring zero on this test won't affect your admission to the Inner Court." Cai Yue'er spoke indifferently.

Rules were rigid, but people were flexible.

Moreover, the rules themselves were established by the Sea God Pavilion. As one of its elders, she indeed had the authority to make such decisions.

"My secondary professions are… quite numerous."

"Quite numerous?" Cai Yue'er didn't immediately understand.

"I've studied mecha design, mecha manufacturing, and mecha repair. I've also learned forging and auxiliary forging methods." Xu Yuan explained his situation.

Wang Hao stared at Xu Yuan as if he'd seen a ghost.

Cai Yue'er frowned, looking at Xu Yuan.

"Greed leads to indigestion. Your martial soul already has two forms. Though you didn't object earlier when I advised you, I can sense that you're still determined to pursue both paths. That's fine—it's your innate martial soul, and there are even dual-soul martial masters who cultivate two martial souls. Your situation is understandable."

Her tone grew stern.

"But cultivating two forms of a martial soul is already difficult enough, especially when one focuses on elemental control and the other on spear techniques, both of which require dedicated effort. In this situation, are you really going to choose four secondary professions?"

"Xu Yuan, your talent is undeniable, but you need to understand that there are many geniuses in this world. Even so, most choose only one secondary profession. By choosing four, aren't you being overly arrogant toward others?"

Faced with Elder Cai's advice, Xu Yuan first bowed deeply in gratitude.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Cai. However, I still wish to give it a try. To me, mecha design, manufacturing, and repair feel like a single cohesive profession. While the theoretical learning may seem complex, I'm confident in my ability to absorb it. As for practical experience, I don't need to train separately for each. A single set of practical experiences can validate all three professions simultaneously, and the processes complement each other, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of them."

This wasn't just blind confidence on Xu Yuan's part; it was backed by the achievements he had already attained, giving him a solid foundation.

"Oh? What level are you at in these three secondary professions?"

"Level two." Xu Yuan replied calmly.

Level two!

Cai Yue'er's pupils contracted.

This level wasn't high—in fact, it could be considered the lowest among Shrek Academy students—but Xu Yuan had only been training for a year.

How long had he been studying?

Don't forget, Xu Yuan also had to cultivate his soul power, practice spear techniques, and refine his elemental control.

Opening her mouth as if to say something, Cai Yue'er realized she had nothing further to critique about Xu Yuan's choice of secondary professions. She closed her mouth again.

"Show us, then."

In front of Xu Yuan were four rows of sixteen workstations, representing the four testing positions for the four secondary professions.

Xu Yuan glanced over the first few stations and walked up to a workstation for mecha design.

Mecha design, level two assessment—it was essentially a test of solving problems.

Questions tested knowledge of mecha structural theory, array combinations, and the design of array effects.

Xu Yuan answered quickly.

The questions were randomly generated, with mostly fixed answers. In moments, his results were generated.

Perfect score.

A perfect score on the test proved that Xu Yuan had mastered the theoretical aspects of mecha design at level two and below flawlessly.

Cai Yue'er's gaze flickered slightly.

Perfect score!

She steadied herself and gestured for Xu Yuan to continue.

Xu Yuan moved on to the second workstation for mecha manufacturing.

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