Chapter 200: The Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult Arrives!
After merging his soul with the Golden Ancient Tree, Mu En could feel the condition of the tree in his soul form, more directly than ever. But the moment he fully merged, Mu En sensed something was terribly wrong.
At the very bottom of the Golden Ancient Tree, where the aura of light should have been strongest, there was now an overwhelming presence of pure, evil dark energy.
That place... was where he had put Xuanzi to sew. It's ruined, the reform failed, and it's turned evil!
"Kekekeke..." A sinister, chilling laughter echoed, freezing one's heart.
That voice... it was Xuanzi's!
Mu En's face turned pale. Having known Xuanzi for nearly two hundred years, he recognized the voice instantly. But knowing it was Xuanzi's voice was what made it truly dreadful.
How had Xuanzi, an old soul from the Holy Spirit Cult, managed to produce such a genuine soul clan laugh?
"Xuanzi?!" Mu En's soul manifested at the lowest level of the Golden Ancient Tree, staring at Xuanzi's back.
The once cozy and warm base of the Golden Tree was now filled with a cold and dark atmosphere. The thick roots that used to surround the chamber had mostly snapped, and those that hadn't were nearly withered.
Seeing this, Mu En's eyes reddened.
The Golden Ancient Tree was the foundation of Shrek Academy, a sacred relic of millennia. Even when the Sea God Pavilion was constructed, the ancestors of Shrek did no harm to the Golden Tree. But Xuanzi had nearly uprooted it.
How could Mu En, who viewed Shrek as a lifelong faith, not be furious?
He had been worrying about Shrek's millennia-old legacy outside, leaving Xuanzi here to reflect and sew, only for him to uproot the foundation of the Golden Tree?
A pig for a teammate, truly!
Mu En was so angry he almost lost his soul.
Inside the Golden Tree, Ah Yin, undergoing a soul possession, was also having a hard time. Xuanzi's actions had almost killed both her and the Golden Ancient Tree.
Worse still, once the Golden Tree realized what Xuanzi was up to, it helped him, pretending to be undamaged on the outside but actually using a scorched earth strategy to transfer all its power to Xuanzi.
Though the Golden Tree lacked complete sentience, it sensed Ah Yin's malice towards it. Without Tang San's help, it couldn't oppose Ah Yin on its own.
At this moment, Xuanzi was like a savior to it.
The Golden Tree, the life source of the Douluo Star, could resurrect even after death, but if Ah Yin took over its life source status, she would become the new source. Resurrection would mean Ah Yin's resurrection, not its own.
Faced with a slow death, the Golden Tree's nascent consciousness chose to self-destruct, preserving its life source status while taking Ah Yin with it.
Whatever, after resurrection, I'm still the life source! As for you, you're really dead!
The soul possession process was a battle of souls, and once a soul died, not even Tang San could resurrect it.
Ah Yin was near despair.
The Golden Tree couldn't deal with Ah Yin, but that didn't mean it had no countermeasures. For example, Xuanzi right now, if it decided to give all its source energy to Xuanzi, Ah Yin was powerless to stop it.
Root after root, brimming with life source, was presented to Xuanzi.
Xuanzi, not one to refuse, crunched through the roots as if they were cucumbers.
Meanwhile, the resentment in Xuanzi's heart continued to grow. With the substantial help of the life source, Xuanzi's Gluttonous Bull soul awoke completely within him, turning into a true Gluttonous Soul.
His devouring attributes were maxed out by the Golden Tree, transforming his soul power into the same extreme darkness as Di Tian's.
"What have you done?!" Mu En, heartbroken, stared at Xuanzi, his voice filled with pain. "The Golden Tree is the root of Shrek! How could you destroy it like this?"
"Kekekeke... The root of Shrek, what does that have to do with me?" Xuanzi slowly turned around, his face grotesquely twisted, his eyes completely abyssal black, even the whites of his eyes darkened.
Dark energy swirled in his eyes, as if burning with black flames.
"I just want to become stronger! I, Xuanzi, am destined to be the strongest in Douluo Continent. The likes of Du Busi and Di Tian are merely nutrients for me!" Xuanzi laughed maniacally, spreading his arms as if to embrace the heavens and the earth.
Yes, both arms.
The power of the Golden Tree's source was immense, not only transforming his Gluttonous Soul but also regenerating his arm, previously severed by Du Busi.
Even...
"You've broken through the limit!" Mu En's eyes widened in shock and anger.
"Hahaha! Yes, I've surpassed level ninety-nine, now possessing dual soul cores of yin and yang, the ultimate powerhouse!" Xuanzi grinned, his smile more twisted and hideous than ever, bits of Golden Tree root stuck between his teeth.
"When I was crippled, not only did you not help me recover, but you also locked me up here, underground. My contributions to Shrek seem like a joke now. Well, don't blame me for being heartless then!"
"Kekekeke..."
"You dare!" Mu En's soul flared up with endless light, attempting to use the Golden Tree's power to suppress Xuanzi.
But...
The Golden Tree promptly cut off Mu En's access to its power, viewing Xuanzi as its savior. How could it allow Mu En to use its power against its savior?
Thus, the light that had just appeared around Mu En flickered out like a bulb running out of power, looking utterly ridiculous.
"Golden Tree... why would you do this?" Mu En looked up at the Golden Tree, his voice filled with grief and despair.
Shrek... is finished!
"Mu En, I should thank you for this gift. Without you, I wouldn't have the power I have now." Xuanzi's eyes gradually turned blood-red, making his already twisted face even more terrifying.
"Let you become a part of my power, and watch as I completely destroy this heartless academy!"
"Delusional! Even if it costs me my life, I won't let you run wild!" Mu En lowered his head, his expression resolute.
Let me, with this broken body, light the last torch for Shrek!
"What are you trying to do?" Xuanzi's expression changed, wary of Mu En. He knew Mu En's strength well and believed that if Mu En claimed to have a countermeasure, he did.
Mu En said nothing. Xuanzi, now transformed, no longer deserved his words.
Transparent flames suddenly ignited on Mu En's soul. He began to burn his own soul, aiming to launch one final attack on Xuanzi.
"So that's it, a desperate fight?" Xuanzi grinned, unconcerned, his aura rising.
But Mu En's intent wasn't to attack; it was to suppress.
Before Xuanzi could react, Mu En's soul was completely ignited, turning into a golden cage that trapped Xuanzi inside.
(End of Chapter 200)