He had only been gone a few days—how could Seagod Island end up like this?If not for the presence of the Golden Tree, Xuanzi would've thought he'd gone to the wrong place.
"Could it be… someone dared attack Shrek Academy? Outrageous!"
After a brief moment of shock, Xuanzi's figure flashed toward the only building still standing—the Seagod Pavilion. He was desperate to find out what had happened in his absence.
With a burst of light, he strode into the pavilion's council hall—only to find it completely empty.
A bad feeling surged in his heart. His face darkened, anxiety rising within him.What surprised him even more was that Elder Mu should have already sensed his return—yet there wasn't a single sound or sign of him.
He quickly arrived at Elder Mu's quarters and knocked on the door.
"Elder Mu, I've returned."
"Come in."
Mu En's voice was low and hoarse. Compared to before, it carried a heaviness and age-worn weariness that made it sound almost weak.
Xuanzi pushed open the door impatiently—and froze. His eyes widened, lips trembling.
"Elder Mu… what—what happened to you?"
Mu En was lying quietly in a recliner. His complexion was ashen, his eyes dull. His already-white hair had now turned a faint grey—not from rejuvenation, but because he was nearing death.
Xuanzi, as a Level 98 Title Douluo, understood what that meant.Such drastic decay of vitality could only mean one thing: Elder Mu's life force was slipping away—fast.
Mu En's eyes flickered faintly as he looked at Xuanzi, his voice calm but feeble.
"Sit down first, Xuanzi."
Xuanzi hurriedly sat beside him, still in disbelief.
"That's impossible! When I left, your condition was stable. How could your life force drain so quickly?"
"Who was it? Who did this to you—to Shrek? I'll take revenge right now! I swear they'll pay in blood!"
As he spoke, Xuanzi's anger flared, and he stood abruptly.
"Don't be reckless. Listen to me first."
Mu En shook his head slowly, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. He sighed deeply.
"It's all my fault… I was tricked—by Long Xiaoyao."
"Long Xiaoyao?!"
At that name, Xuanzi instantly calmed down, as if doused with cold water.He quietly sat back down, listening seriously, not daring to speak of revenge anymore.
He still remembered all too clearly how badly Long Xiaoyao had beaten him last time—he couldn't even take care of himself afterward.He might be brash, but he wasn't stupid.If he went looking for Long Xiaoyao again, he might not come back at all.
"But that can't be right, Elder Mu. You and Long Xiaoyao are equals in strength—and this is Shrek's territory. How could he possibly…"
"Xuanzi, let me finish."
Mu En lifted a wrinkled, trembling hand and continued.
"Long Xiaoyao didn't attack Shrek himself. He merely lured me away. The one who destroyed Seagod Island wasn't him."
A flash of regret crossed Mu En's eyes. He never imagined that the man he thought he understood so well would deceive him in the exact same way he had once deceived him.
Two days after Xuanzi had left for the Star Dou Forest, Long Xiaoyao suddenly appeared at Shrek Academy.Mu En thought he had come seeking revenge, but Long Xiaoyao said he only wanted to talk—to clear up old misunderstandings.
Since they were in Shrek territory, Mu En didn't believe Long Xiaoyao would dare cause trouble.Besides, after tricking him last time, Mu En did feel a slight pang of guilt.
Resolving their differences would be ideal; and even if not, he wouldn't lose anything by meeting him.
So—Mu En went.
"Then who was it?" Xuanzi asked, frowning. "Could it be that old poison freak from the Ontology Sect seeking revenge?"
He wracked his brain but couldn't imagine anyone else capable of turning the impregnable Shrek Academy into this ruin.They were supposed to be the number one academy on the continent!
"No—it was a group of evil soul masters."
Mu En's expression grew grave.
"Evil soul masters? Those weaklings? Elder Mu, just describe them and I'll wipe them out right now!"
Xuanzi stood up again, brimming with confidence.Everyone knew—he was the natural nemesis of evil soul masters. No one understood them better than he did.
"Besides," he growled, "what were Lin Huiqun and the others doing? How could they let a bunch of evil soul masters wreak havoc on Seagod Island?"
The elders of the Seagod Pavilion were all Title Douluo—some even Super Douluo.How could they possibly have allowed this?
"Ah… that's exactly what worries me," Mu En sighed. "This attack was far beyond ordinary evil soul masters. There were thirteen in total—seven of them were Title Douluo level."
"Among those seven, three reached the level of Super Douluo, and the strongest one… had reached Level 98—stronger than even you."
"Level 98?! Stronger than me?!"
Xuanzi's face darkened immediately.
As far as he knew, among Level 98s there were only himself and that undying poison freak. Even if he couldn't beat that guy, he still stood at the top.Now a new evil soul master stronger than him had appeared?That stung.
"So what, I'm just the Level 98 gatekeeper now?"
He sat back down, silent and frustrated.
…He couldn't win.
Still, deep inside him, the desire for power grew stronger.A flicker of ashen grey flashed across his eyes. The craving for soul beast flesh and blood burned hotter within him.
During his time in the Star Dou Forest, he had discovered the true nature of his Gluttonous Divine Ox martial soul—it was meant to devour.
His experiments had shown that soul beast flesh was far more nourishing than chicken—and it greatly boosted his strength.
But what he didn't realize was that the more he consumed, the darker his soul power became—from earthy yellow to murky black.And the intoxicating rush of power was slowly turning into an addiction.
"Those evil soul masters," Mu En continued bitterly, "didn't even follow martial honor. As soon as they appeared, they launched a barrage of soul-guided cannonfire—an indiscriminate carpet bombing of Seagod Island."
"When Lin Huiqun and the others tried to counterattack, the enemy fired a Level Nine fixed soul-guided shell right at them!"
Mu En's tone grew agitated, his face reddening with emotion.
Such overwhelming suppression—that was something Shrek Academy had always done to others.Never before had anyone dared do it to them.
(End of Chapter)