Chapter 106: Mu En Explodes with Rage
"So you mean to say, at the auction held by the Star Luo Royal Family, a Dragon Pill appeared, but you didn't have enough money to buy it, so you harbored the crooked idea of killing and stealing?" Mu En's eyes slowly filled with rising anger.
Xuan Zi guiltily nodded his head.
"And not only did you fail to steal the Dragon Pill, but you were also dragged by Du Bi Si's grandson until Du Qianjue arrived, and then you were severely injured by Du Qianjue and even had an arm chopped off?" Mu En's voice grew louder and louder.
At this moment, Xuan Zi wished he could just disappear into the ground.
"And the most important thing is, you caused this mess yourself, didn't fix it, and now you want me to produce a Dragon Pill to appease the Body Sect's anger?" Mu En's words seemed to be squeezed out through gritted teeth.
He was furious, wishing he could just slap this utterly useless person to death right now.
"But I have no other choice, Elder Mu..."
Being stared down by Mu En, Xuan Zi's voice grew quieter and quieter. Eventually, he didn't dare to speak at all and just stood there limply in front of Mu En, waiting for him to unleash his towering rage.
Honestly, Mu En had never been this speechless in his life. How long has it been since the competition started? And already Xuan Zi had completely collapsed his composure twice. Remembering how Xuan Zi had come back the first time, glad that nothing major had happened and completely disregarding the life of a soul guidance department student, Mu En felt a vein throb on his forehead.
So the students from the soul guidance department aren't Shrek Academy students, huh? What exactly are you trying to say, Xuan Zi?
Just before leaving, he even tried to bring Ma Xiaotao, who was suffering from evil fire, to compete, claiming it was to preserve Shrek's millennia of glory and not lose the championship of the continental advanced soul master academy competition.
What, are you rushing Ma Xiaotao into becoming an evil soul master even faster?
Are you some high elder from the Spirit Hall?
To prevent Xuan Zi from causing another mess at Shrek Academy, Mu En quickly sent this troublemaker away to escort the team competing in Star Luo City.
And just a few days later? Less than half a month.
He left with a radiant face full of spirit and returned as a one-armed, haggard Yang Guo.
And he even brought trouble from the Body Sect to Shrek, with Du Qianjue poised to arrive at Shrek Academy after the competition.
Thinking about the Dragon Pill he'd have to part with, Mu En's heart ached.
After he had broken through to the Ultimate Douluo with the help of the Dragon Pill, most of the pill's malevolent energy had dissipated. Along with decades of cultivation with the mighty soul power of an Ultimate Douluo, this Dragon Pill had become a peerless treasure.
Initially, Mu En had planned to use the Dragon Pill to help his descendant, Beibei, potentially breaking through his own limits in the future. Even if Mu En were to pass away, Shrek Academy would still have someone capable of carrying on its legacy.
But this precious treasure, which could potentially nurture a future pillar of Shrek, was squandered by Xuan Zi's foolishness.
Mu En did not faint on the spot or slap Xuan Zi to death, which was already a testament to his well-cultivated temperament.
"Are you sure Du Qianjue has already broken through to the Ultimate Douluo level?" Mu En asked with a dark face, his aura fluctuating uncertainly.
Damn it, Xuan Zi's foolishness had even disrupted the flow of his soul power!
"Sure, otherwise I wouldn't have been defeated so miserably by him," Xuan Zi felt wronged.
Who knew what kind of miraculous luck Du Qianjue had to break through to the Ultimate level without anyone knowing?
Mu En nodded, took a deep breath, and stabilized the turbulent soul power within him.
"You go down first. Head back to Sea God Island and let Xiao Zhuang treat you. Go to the lowest level of the Golden Tree for seclusion. Hand over all your storage soul devices and do not leave the bottom level without my order!"
"What?" Xuan Zi was shocked.
"Elder Mu... I understand putting me under house arrest, but you can't keep my storage soul device..."
Before Xuan Zi could finish speaking, he was met with Mu En's death glare and quickly handed over his storage soul device, his face turning red.
"Get out and reflect on yourself," Mu En said emotionlessly as he took Xuan Zi's storage soul device.
Watching Xuan Zi's retreating figure, Mu En sighed with a complex expression. He had really broken his back for Shrek Academy.
Thinking of his lifetime of reputation, how could he have nurtured such a troublesome figure?
"Shao Zhe, come see me."
In the Shrek Academy's Dean's office, Yan Shaozhe, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, teacher."
Yan Shaozhe's figure flashed, disappearing from his original position and appearing in front of Mu En.
"Teacher, what do you need me for?" Yan Shaozhe asked softly.
Mu En did not open his eyes, took a wooden box made from the trunk of a Golden Tree out of his soul device, and handed it to Yan Shaozhe.
"Take a trip to Star Luo City, give this to the leader of the Body Sect, Du Qianjue, and tell him that what Xuan Zi did was wrong, and I, Mu En, am here to make amends," Mu En said calmly.
Yan Shaozhe took the wooden box with both hands, his mind full of questions.
"Xuan Elder's matter? What happened to him?" Yan Shaozhe was puzzled.
Wasn't he secretly protecting Shrek's team competing in this year's competition in Star Luo City? How did he end up in a conflict with the Body Sect, requiring the teacher to give up a treasure as an apology?
As the Dean of Shrek Academy, Yan Shaozhe naturally knew the material of the wooden box; he could recognize the rich power of light from the Golden Tree even with his eyes closed. Using such a precious material for the box, it was clear without opening it that the treasure inside was not simple.
But Yan Shaozhe wouldn't open it on his own.
Mu En sighed again, feeling too embarrassed to reveal the whole story, but he feared that Yan Shaozhe, confused, might say something wrong and worsen the relationship between the Body Sect and Shrek.
Reluctantly, he briefly explained the situation to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe's face stiffened, unable to understand Xuan Zi's thought process.
How many years of cerebral thrombosis does it take to come up with such actions?
"Du Qianjue has already broken through the limit; you must be extremely cautious on your trip to Star Luo City, and do not provoke Du Qianjue further," Mu En advised.
"The Sun-Moon Empire's ambitions are becoming more evident, and at this critical juncture, Shrek and the Body Sect absolutely cannot afford to go to war."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, teacher, I understand," Yan Shaozhe said respectfully, regardless of how many internal complaints he had. As a ninety-six-level Super Douluo, he didn't have much say in front of Du Qianjue, who had already broken through to the ninety-nine-level Ultimate Douluo.
"Then go," Mu En closed his eyes again and basked in the sun.
Just now, Xuan Zi's actions had destabilized his cultivation, causing the malevolent energy inside him to flare up again, and he needed to suppress it quickly.
Yan Shaozhe said no more, stored the wooden box in his soul device, and turned into a stream of light, leaving Shrek Academy.
Mu En was utterly helpless.
How could he willingly hand over the Dragon Pill in his possession? But only he knew his own affairs; his life was like a candle in the wind.
According to the current rate of his life force's depletion, he could only last another two or three years at most.
Whether it was against Du Qianjue who had broken through the Ultimate level or not, at most he could forcibly kill him using the power of the Golden Tree, then Mu En himself would also die from the exhaustion of his life force after the battle.
If it came to Du Qianjue, who had broken through the limit, just a little delay by Du Qianjue would make Mu En unable to hold on.
Rather than wait for Du Qianjue to come knocking, it was better to send the Dragon Pill over directly.
One, it showed Mu En's sincerity, indicating that Shrek had no intentions of going against the Body Sect.
Two, if Du Qianjue came to their door and Shrek couldn't handle it, it would be a massive loss of face...
If Du Qianjue really made a scene and Shrek couldn't handle it, the reputation of the continent's number one academy would truly be in name only.
His last few years of life should not be wasted on such meaningless matters.
Now that Xuan Zi was done for, after Mu En's death, there wouldn't be many left who could carry on Shrek's mantle...
A bitter taste arose in Mu En's heart.
It must be said, Mu En was indeed the most clear-headed person in Shrek; there was probably no one else in Shrek who could elevate their perspective to Mu En's level. His insight was terrifying.
This was also why Du Qianjue stopped Du Qianjue from killing Xuan Zi.
To ruin Xuan Zi, chop off his arm, but even if Mu En was furious, he wouldn't tear his face off with the Body Sect, especially since Xuan Zi was at fault in the first place.
Mu En understood this, or else, with Du Qianjue's temperament, Xuan Zi would definitely not have survived.
This indicates that someone in the Body Sect doesn't want to fall out with Shrek...
Who could it be?
Mu En fell into thought, eventually focusing on a name that Xuan Zi had mentioned in passing.
Due to being suppressed by a younger generation like Du Qianjue, Xuan Zi was somewhat reluctant to mention Du Qianjue's name. Thus, when discussing the incident with Mu En, he briefly mentioned that he tried to steal the Dragon Pill from Du Qianjue, but was held back until Du Qianjue arrived.
So how did he hold back Xuan Zi?
Xuan Zi, this useless soul, was a ninety-eight-level Super Douluo after all. According to Xuan Zi, Du Qianjue was Du Bi Si's grandson and a competitor in this Soul Master competition.
Since he was a competitor, he couldn't be more than twenty years old.
Could it be him pulling the strings behind the scenes?
Mu En's long-dormant curiosity was piqued by Du Qianjue.
He was quite eager to meet this young man named Du Qianjue.
"After the competition ends, I'll find a time to see if there's a chance to meet him," Mu En sighed leisurely, setting aside these troublesome thoughts.
Without Huo Yuhao in the original, there were too few young talents from Shrek that Mu En could take seriously.
Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, Beibei...
Just these three, and even Ma Xiaotao still needed to resolve her evil fire issues to take on Shrek's responsibilities. But to be reborn from fire, how difficult was that?
Mu En, having been agitated by Xuan Zi for the first time, fell into a rare bout of confusion about Shrek's future.
Meanwhile, in Star Luo City, at the Star Emperor Hotel...
Du Qianjue, who had taken a stroll, actually encountered people from Shrek on the street.
Not just the reserve team, but also five from the regular team were there.
Seeing their healthy complexions and robust auras, it seemed their injuries had already healed. Compared to the original story, this world's Shrek was much easier to deal with.
Dai Yueheng and his group had actually recovered in the previous round and had participated in the competition, successfully entering the top sixteen.
The incident where the entire reserve team was injured, as in the original, did not occur.
To celebrate the strong recovery of the regular team and their advancement into the top sixteen, both the regular and reserve teams of Shrek had come out together for a stroll.
When Du Qianjue spotted the group from Shrek, they also noticed him.
Primarily because he was too conspicuous, standing at 1.88 meters tall, dressed in a luxurious pure black tiger skin coat embroidered with a golden tiger.
The first to notice Du Qianjue was Dai Yueheng.
It wasn't that Dai Yueheng's cultivation was particularly high, but Du Qianjue's tiger skin coat was made from the hide of a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
As a soul beast with a divine-grade bloodline, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was on a completely different level from the inheritance spirit of the White Tiger family, the Evil Eye White Tiger.
Even a coat made from such a hide gave Dai Yueheng a sense of being suppressed by his spirit, an oppression that stemmed from the bloodline, irrelevant to strength.
"Du Qianjue?" The pressure in Dai Yueheng's heart suddenly intensified.
Shrek had discussed countless strategies, and without doubt, all involved one formidable enemy—this competition's strongest contender, Du Qianjue.
Whether or not they had faced the team from Dai Ao Academy, they had all felt Du Qianjue's terrifying suppression on the arena.
It was an absolute crush, an unsolvable crush.
Every meeting at Shrek about Du Qianjue always ended with the same conclusion.
Inevitable defeat.
No one could stop Du Qianjue; even seven against one could only briefly hold him off (overestimating themselves).
Not to mention that Du Qianjue also had teammates, including the Soul Emperor level captain of the Dai Ao Academy team, Wei Feng, who also pressured them significantly.
Plus, there were three members who had never appeared.
For the first time in a competition, Dai Ao Academy brought them more pressure than the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy.
"You are Du Qianjue from the Dai Ao Academy team, right? Hello, I am the captain of the Shrek representative team, Dai Yueheng." Seeing that Du Qianjue had noticed him, Dai Yueheng did not shy away and walked forward to extend his hand.
"Hello, I am Du Qianjue." Du Qianjue smiled and shook hands with Dai Yueheng.
One does not slap a smiling face. Besides, fights should happen on the arena. Being constantly sullen would only make others think poorly of him.
Du Qianjue naturally would not make such a low-level mistake.
To annoy Shrek, he would also secretly mess with them a few times, occasionally stabbing them in the back, but he couldn't openly cause trouble.
"Hating Shrek, disliking Shrek, understanding Shrek.
Eventually becoming Shrek!"
"Would you like to join us for a stroll? Do you have any interest in teaming up?" Dai Yueheng smiled as he invited.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure to accompany the geniuses of Shrek Academy," Du Qianjue's smile remained unchanged.
Alright, inviting me to walk with you, huh? Playing it this way, huh?
Then don't blame me for stirring up some trouble for you!
The two returned to the group of people from Shrek Academy, and everyone turned their gaze towards them.
They had speculated that Dai Yueheng might invite Du Qianjue to join them, but they hadn't expected Du Qianjue to actually agree.
"Dai Boss, pretty smooth, actually inviting him over," Chen Zifeng whispered to Dai Yueheng.
"I'm not some ferocious beast; a normal conversation is all, no need to make me out to be something special," Du Qianjue's hearing was extremely sharp, and he heard every word Chen Zifeng said.
Chen Zifeng awkwardly smiled and nodded apologetically.
"Hello, do you remember me? We met briefly in the Star Dou Forest not long ago." No one from the reserve team dared to come forward, so Huo Yuhao had to step up and greet Du Qianjue.
"My name is Huo Yuhao."
"Hello, I remember you. You were obtaining soul rings with a teacher from Shrek back then, right?" Du Qianjue kindly smiled.
"Back then, you hadn't even obtained your second soul ring, but now you've already reached the rank of Soul Honor. This talent truly lives up to Shrek Academy's reputation for producing monsters."
Hearing Du Qianjue's words, Huo Yuhao blushed slightly, unaccustomed to such praise.
Being praised by others usually didn't affect Huo Yuhao much, but being complimented by Du Qianjue, who was acknowledged as the strongest in this competition, was somewhat exciting for the inexperienced Huo Yuhao.
"No, no, how can I be considered a monster compared to you?" Huo Yuhao quickly waved his hand.
Seeing Du Qianjue's friendly demeanor, everyone else's guard and wariness relaxed.
"Are you really a Soul Sage?" the little girl Xiao Xiao approached, blinking her big eyes curiously.
Du Qianjue was momentarily surprised by a soft, cute voice; looking around, he saw a little girl with green side ponytails looking up at him.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't see you there." Du Qianjue touched his nose and smiled awkwardly, "But yes, I have indeed reached the level of a Soul Sage, level seventy-seven."
Xiao Xiao's puffed cheeks turned into a look of astonishment.
"Wow, are you even human? You're not much older than us, right?" Wang Dong exclaimed somewhat dramatically.
"Watch what you're saying." Huo Yuhao subtly tugged at Wang Dong's sleeve.
Wang Dong realized that his shock had made him say something potentially offensive.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, I was just too shocked," Wang Dong coughed and bowed slightly to apologize to Du Qianjue.
Du Qianjue was taken aback and quickly dodged.
Good heavens, how could he dare to accept such a gesture?
[You dare! A mere mortal daring to accept a courtesy from the daughter of a god, you are seeking death!]
"It's fine, I don't mind. After all, having this level at my age is indeed not very normal," Du Qianjue spread his hands.
Beibei and Xu Sanshi exchanged glances, both remaining silent.
After interacting with Du Qianjue up close, the brothers realized that Du Qianjue was at most about their age, yet he was already a Soul Sage, while they had just broken through to the Soul Ancestor stage not long ago.
A feeling of defeat rose in their hearts.
Jiang Nannan, somewhat socially anxious (strike that), reserved, stood to the side without speaking, just quietly eating skewers in her hand.
However, the discreet glances she occasionally sent towards Du Qianjue also showed her great interest in him.
Oscar didn't speak; his huge figure, even taller than Du Qianjue, stood on the outskirts of the group, smiling honestly and watching Du Qianjue interact with everyone.
But deep in his honest gaze was full of envy and jealousy.
"If only I had such talent and strength, the day of my revenge wouldn't be far off..."
Du Qianjue quickly became well-acquainted with the group from Shrek. Having read the original story, he had a general understanding of the characters of these people from Shrek, and getting to know them was easier than ever.
When they asked him some harmless questions, Du Qianjue also provided answers.
But if the question involved more personal matters, Du Qianjue would just smile and skillfully change the subject.
However, it took less than half an hour for little Xiao Xiao to look at Du Qianjue with stars in her eyes.
Little girls are so easy to deceive...
The others also grew closer to Du Qianjue, even Beibei and Xu Sanshi occasionally joined the conversation.
The regular team members were somewhat helpless because they found that Du Qianjue got along even better with the reserve team.
In the end, the person who invited Du Qianjue, Dai Yueheng, was the one who spoke the least.
"Is there really someone whose entire body is a spirit?" Xiao Xiao remarked with some amazement.
Beibei and Xu Sanshi tensed up and almost rushed to cover Xiao Xiao's mouth, while the regular team also involuntarily looked over.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
The rest of the reserve team looked bewildered.
Xiao Xiao was even more startled, almost thinking she had said something wrong, her innocent big eyes blinking.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Beibei and Xu Sanshi almost cried; little girl, do you really not know the rules of the Body Sect?
Isn't this just blatantly sending Huo Yuhao to the Body Sect?
Du Qianjue almost laughed out loud.
No way, no way, you guys really think I would take Huo Yuhao into the Body Sect?
Is he even worthy?
(End of Chapter)