Chapter 205: The Destruction of Shrek
"You… you actually devoured the Golden Tree?" Elder Song stared at Xuan Zi with eyes full of disbelief, her voice tinged with intense anger.
How could you dare?
That was the foundation of Shrek!
"Oh? You noticed, huh?" Xuan Zi replied nonchalantly.
Although he never intended to hide it, Elder Song's quick realization that he had devoured the Golden Tree still managed to surprise him slightly.
"The foundation of Shrek?" Xuan Zi repeated the phrase deliberately, pausing between each word.
Seeing Xuan Zi act this way made Elder Song even angrier.
She yelled at Xuan Zi, "Don't you know it's the academy's foundation? Do you realize how much the academy helped you to reach Level 98? And yet, for your own selfish desires, you've consumed the Golden Tree to the point of withering?"
"Are you still one of Shrek's people? Do you want to destroy Shrek's legacy in one fell swoop?"
The others silently watched the confrontation between Elder Song and Xuan Zi.
It wasn't that they didn't want to speak; they all regarded Shrek as their home and were pillars of the academy. But since Elder Song was the only one among them who matched Xuan Zi in seniority, it wasn't their place to interrupt while she was speaking.
Still, they glared at Xuan Zi with eyes full of confusion and anger.
"The legacy of Shrek? What does that have to do with me! I just want to be the strongest, so strong that I can do whatever I want!" Xuan Zi laughed uproariously, and a terrifying, fierce phantom of Taotie appeared behind him.
It had a wolf-like body, a large mouth on its head, four eyes under its armpits, a body covered in thick fur, and claws sharp as knives.
Though Taotie is named among the auspicious beasts, the one behind Xuan Zi radiated nothing peaceful or calm; its four underarm eyes were filled with greed and a craving to devour.
With his martial spirit unleashed, Xuan Zi's aura became even colder and more sinister, and within this eerie aura, a disturbing scent of blood emerged.
"An evil soul master…" led by Elder Song, the faces of the Sea God Pavilion elders darkened instantly.
They had all progressed from being inner court students and had taken on missions from the Shrek Enforcement Team, pursuing evil soul masters across the continent.
Xuan Zi had even been the leader of the contemporary Shrek Enforcement Team. Logically, after Mu En's fall, he should have taken over again.
They had all dealt with evil soul masters before.
They were familiar with the aura of evil soul masters.
But now, this aura was emanating from Xuan Zi.
How ironic that Xuan Zi, a former high-level figure at Shrek Academy and the deputy leader of the Shrek Enforcement Team, had turned into the type of evil soul master he once loathed.
"I should have realized, the only thing that could change you so drastically was falling into evil…" Elder Song said bitterly, her eyes gradually filling with a killing intent.
"If that's the case… members of the Sea God Pavilion, heed my command!"
"Lin Huiqun, heed my command!"
"Yan Shaozhe, heed my command!"
"Cai Meier, heed my command!"
"Gong Changlong, heed my command!"
…
Under Elder Song's command, led by Lin Huiqun, numerous Sea God Pavilion elders unleashed their true martial spirit forms, and powerful auras surged into the sky.
"Today, I, as the acting leader of the Sea God Pavilion, ask all of you for Shrek Academy!"
"Clean! Our! House!" Elder Song cried out in a mournful tone, transforming into a streak of blue light and charging at Xuan Zi.
"Yes!"
Even though Xuan Zi had made many contributions to Shrek Academy, even though he had lived there for nearly two hundred years, even though he was one of the oldest elders of the academy.
But now, not only had he devoured the foundational Golden Tree of Shrek Academy, but he had also become an evil soul master.
From any perspective, they could not overlook the Xuan Zi before them.
"Cleaning house, huh?" Xuan Zi chuckled darkly.
Cleaning house…?
It seems that Shrek Academy no longer needs to exist…
…
The battle raged fiercely.
With the help of the Golden Tree, Xuan Zi now possessed not only the pure Taotie martial spirit but also fully awakened the Taotie bloodline. Regardless of whether this spirit was inherently evil, its power was undeniable.
Not to mention that Xuan Zi had achieved the pinnacle of Title Douluo at Level 99, and none of his soul rings were under a hundred thousand years.
Though there were many Sea God Pavilion elders, even combined, they were no match for Xuan Zi…
In this battle, one of the peak conflicts of the continent, the Sea God Pavilion elders were utterly overwhelmed by Xuan Zi.
The terrifying devouring power of Taotie meant that most of their attacks on Xuan Zi were almost entirely consumed, except for pure physical and spiritual attacks; ordinary soul force attacks were utterly ineffective.
On the other hand, Xuan Zi's attacks were so powerful that each strike could split mountains and severely injure anyone it hit, who would then be devoured by Xuan Zi, turning them into nourishment for his strength.
Elder Song, watching her fellow Sea God Pavilion elders die one by one, becoming nourishment for Xuan Zi, shed a tear of blood.
Shrek… is finished!
These Sea God Pavilion elders could only die under Xuan Zi's hands, not to mention the lower-level students. Nearly two-thirds of Shrek City was destroyed by the aftershocks of their battle.
The students who were still at Shrek Academy were almost entirely killed by the terrifying aftershocks…
"What in the world happened?" Huo Yuhao stared in horror at Xuan Zi, who was killing left and right, his shock almost indescribable.
He was now a fifth-year outer court student, having just broken through to become a Soul Ancestor at Level 41. Although his cultivation level was decent, entering the inner court was practically impossible.
Wang Dong'er had already entered the inner court; her cultivation was even close to that of a Soul Emperor, and the gap between her and Huo Yuhao was widening, their relationship growing more distant.
Now, they were almost strangers to each other.
And Xuan Zi was particularly fortunate this time, because Wang Dong'er had just taken on a mission for the Shrek Enforcement Team and was out on assignment.
Otherwise, if Wang Dong'er had been at Shrek Academy, just the aftershocks of this battle would have triggered the divine consciousness of Tang San within her, giving Tang San the perfect excuse to descend from the heavens forcibly.
Facing Tang San's mechanical descent, Xuan Zi would have had no choice but to die on the spot, devoid of his current glory.
"This is the power I want! If I had this power, not just a White Tiger Duke's estate, even if the entire Star Luo Empire opposed me, what of it?!" Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed a crimson red, his aura gradually distorting.
Power… I need power!!!
In the sky, Xuan Zi impaled Yan Shaozhe, holding his still-beating heart, and without caring whether it was still spattering blood, swallowed it whole.
Yan Shaozhe, his face pale, his eyes gradually dimming, was not wasted by Xuan Zi either; his body was tossed into the maw of the phantom Taotie behind him.
"Shaozhe!"
"Yan Shaozhe!!"
Cai Meier and Xian Lin'er watched helplessly as Yan Shaozhe was brutally killed, tears streaming down their faces.
"Ah ah ah…!!" The two women went mad with grief, recklessly attacking Xuan Zi.
Xuan Zi snickered, his right hand forming a claw as he reached for the faster Xian Lin'er, seemingly intending to have a heartfelt talk and deepen their interaction.
Qian Duoduo, an onlooker, his face drastically changed as he sensed the murderous intent hidden in Xuan Zi's move. Without an accident, Xian Lin'er was bound to die.
At this moment, the intense anger and resentment in Huo Yuhao caught Xuan Zi's attention, because these emotions, reminiscent of those he had felt when he was stitching in the depths of the Golden Tree, also appeared in him.
Most importantly, this anger and resentment weren't directed at him.
"Hmm? Interesting…" Xuan Zi was briefly distracted, focusing his attention on the person releasing these emotions.
"Hmm? It's this kid!" Xuan Zi was slightly surprised, a hint of interest arising in his heart.
Indeed… quite interesting!
But because of his momentary distraction, his hand reaching for Xian Lin'er was blocked by a burly body.
Blood splattered.
Xian Lin'er stood in the air, dazed as warm blood sprayed onto her face, the person blocking for her was someone who had always followed her, yet she had never once turned to look back at him…
Qian Duoduo.
"Pfft… cough, cough…" Qian Duoduo coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his life force rapidly fading.
"Lin'er… quick… run…"
Qian Duoduo struggled to turn around, his rugged face showing a gentle smile that didn't match his appearance, his eyes, gradually losing their light, filled with love as he gazed at her.
Even though…