Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion
In a quiet chamber, Xuan Zi was meditating. Since losing an arm to Bear Lord, his strength had plummeted. From that day on, he trained tirelessly every day. Even Mu En had said that his essence had been damaged, and without recovering that piece of his soul bone, it would be nearly impossible for him to return to his former strength. But Xuan Zi never gave up. Only someone who has experienced a significant decline in power can truly understand his determination.
The difference between level 98 and level 94 might seem like only four levels, but the gap is as vast as a chasm. At level 98, Xuan Zi was one of the world's top powerhouses. At level 94, even within Shrek Academy, there were others stronger than him. Having grown accustomed to his once-mighty strength, the sudden drop was a blow he could not accept. Thus, every night, away from prying eyes, Xuan Zi secretly pushed himself, yearning to recover even a fraction of his power. Even regaining level 95 would be a substantial improvement over level 94.
Level 94 is considered an ordinary Titled Douluo, but level 95 qualifies as a Super Douluo—a vast difference in power. Mu En understood Xuan Zi's obsession and did not stop him, allowing him to persist in his efforts. But today was different. Xuan Zi, still meditating as usual, found his mind wandering repeatedly. Scenes of losing his arm to Bear Lord kept resurfacing in his thoughts. Bear Lord was undoubtedly the one Xuan Zi hated most, the one who had brought him down from the pedestal.
As his emotions surged, Xuan Zi's body occasionally trembled. A smoldering rage welled up inside him, amplifying his feelings further. Sweat dripped from his forehead as even his soul core quaked. His soul power ran rampant within him, completely out of control. Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from Xuan Zi. Earthy-yellow light radiated from him but quickly faltered as visible streaks of dark red energy surged from his body. A ferocious and violent aura shot skyward.
The Sea God Pavilion blazed with golden light, and Mu En, who had been lounging lazily in his chair, turned pale. Yan Shaozhe, busy with administrative tasks, also felt the disturbance and abruptly stood up. "Something's wrong!"
In a flash, Yan Shaozhe arrived at Xuan Zi's door. As he opened it, a fist came flying toward him. Caught off guard, Yan Shaozhe barely had time to shield himself with soul power before the punch landed squarely on his face, sending him flying.
A figure burst through the door, pouncing toward Yan Shaozhe. As Yan Shaozhe steadied himself, he saw the disheveled figure radiating dark red energy, with bloodshot eyes filled with madness and ferocity. "Bear Lord, you deserve to die!"
"Bear Lord, I'll kill you!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Xuan Zi roared as he lunged at Yan Shaozhe, his hands brimming with terrifying energy. Yan Shaozhe was stunned. How had Xuan Zi ended up like this? Golden light flickered as Yan Shaozhe activated his soul power, attempting to subdue Xuan Zi and uncover the cause of his madness. To his shock, not only did he fail, but Xuan Zi slapped him hard across the face, sending him flying again.
"This… this can't be!"
Yan Shaozhe stared in disbelief. Wasn't Xuan Zi only at level 94? How could he dominate like this? Even if Yan Shaozhe hadn't gone all out, the disparity was inexplicable. Regaining his composure, Yan Shaozhe counterattacked with full force. A loud boom shook the entire Sea God Pavilion as soul power clashed. Once again, Yan Shaozhe was sent flying. This time, he was forced to face reality—Xuan Zi's strength now exceeded his own.
As Xuan Zi charged again, an uneasy feeling crept into Yan Shaozhe's heart. He instinctively stepped back, but Xuan Zi relentlessly pursued him. At that moment, brilliant golden light erupted, and an ethereal figure materialized, gradually becoming tangible. Endless golden radiance enveloped Xuan Zi, pinning him in place. It was Mu En.
"Teacher!"
Yan Shaozhe exclaimed in relief.
"What's happened to Elder Xuan?"
Mu En frowned deeply, his expression grim.
"Xuan Zi has succumbed to spirit deviation."
"Spirit deviation?!"
Yan Shaozhe was shocked. Elder Xuan had fallen into such a state? "This isn't just a simple case of spirit deviation," Mu En explained gravely.
"He inadvertently triggered his Godly Taotie Bull bloodline the wrong way. While the Godly Taotie Bull is powerful, it is also ferocious and violent. Improper activation can easily lead down a dark path. If we don't stop him, he may fall into depravity as an evil soul master."
"What?!"
Yan Shaozhe paled. The idea that Elder Xuan might turn evil soul master was unthinkable.
"What should we do, Teacher?" he asked anxiously.
"We must first subdue him and then expel the evil energy from his body," Mu En replied.
"Although this incident was triggered incorrectly, it has inadvertently strengthened his Godly Taotie Bull bloodline. If we can purge the evil energy, Xuan Zi might break through and become a Super Douluo once again."
Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe brightened.
"Really? That's great news!"
Mu En was about to respond when a powerful surge of dark red energy erupted from Xuan Zi, breaking free of the golden restraints and soaring into the sky.
"Not good!"
Mu En's expression darkened as he flashed outside the Sea God Pavilion. Xuan Zi, now unleashed, radiated a crimson aura that darkened the heavens. The entirety of Shrek Academy was engulfed in the oppressive red light, as if hell itself had descended. Yan Shaozhe followed quickly. Above Sea God Island, the battle had already begun.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Xuan Zi, wreathed in dark red energy, had fully transformed his Godly Taotie Bull martial soul. The once earthy-yellow glow had turned crimson, with blood-red horns sharp and menacing. His original nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—had been tainted dark red, with his 100,000-year soul ring entirely crimson. A sinister and dangerous aura blanketed the skies. Xuan Zi unleashed his soul skill, launching a frenzied attack toward Mu En.
"Roar!"
A platinum dragon's shadow spiraled and soared in the sky, radiating dazzling light. Nine soul rings—two yellow, one purple, three black, and three red—shone brilliantly. A golden pillar of light erupted skyward with Mu En at its center, piercing the dark crimson sky and illuminating the entire Sea God Pavilion.
Golden dragon scales began to grow on Mu En's body, quickly covering him entirely. Mu En raised his arms to his sides, and the intense golden light shifted successively through crimson gold, orange-gold, golden yellow, green gold, cyan gold, blue gold, and violet gold. The moment the violet gold transformed into platinum, Mu En transformed into a massive, radiant white dragon. The white dragon ascended, its enormous body coiling around Xuan Zi. Its brilliant light suppressed him with overwhelming power.
Xuan Zi struggled desperately, the dark crimson light around him growing deeper. In a flash, he transformed into a massive, blood-red creature dozens of meters long. The dark crimson Godly Taotie Bull exuded an aura of extreme danger, slowly pushing back the enormous body of the platinum dragon.
At this critical moment, a towering tree's shadow emerged above the Sea God Pavilion, radiating golden light. The golden light illuminated the entire Shrek City, intensifying the brilliance of the white dragon. Golden rings of light emanated from the dragon's body, encircling the dark crimson bull one by one. Each golden ring acted like an unyielding seal, forcibly binding the dark crimson bull. As the golden rings merged into it, the crimson glow of the bull dissipated, revealing Xuan Zi's figure. The golden light rings seeped into Xuan Zi's body, finally suppressing the dark crimson glow around him.
"Roar!"
With everything settled, the white dragon wrapped Xuan Zi's body in golden light and retreated into the Sea God Pavilion.
...
Sea God Pavilion, Top Floor.
Golden light enveloped Xuan Zi, with intricate golden runes sealing his body. He lay peacefully on a wooden bed, though a dark crimson mark at his brow stood out sharply.
"Elder Mu, how is Elder Xuan's condition?"
A group of elders surrounded Xuan Zi—these were the core members of the Sea God Pavilion, the academy's deepest reserves. The one asking the question was Elder Song, a Super Douluo at rank 97, second only to Mu En and Xuan Zi.
"The situation is dire," Mu En replied gravely.
"In his state of inner turmoil, Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull Bloodline has been wrongly activated, granting it immense strength. Currently, Xuan Zi has reached the peak of rank 97. If further provoked, he could potentially break through to rank 98. But that would be the 98th rank of an evil soul master. If Xuan Zi truly breaks through, he will fall completely into darkness."
"While we managed to pull him back from the brink, the situation remains critical. Although the Golden Ancient Tree's light element is suppressing the bloodline, it is only a temporary solution. Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull Bloodline is of too high a quality—stronger than even my Light Holy Dragon. Because of its superior quality, it is even more difficult to deal with."
"Our only course of action is to suppress the bloodline first before we can think about removing the evil energy. But suppressing the Godly Taotie Bull Bloodline is easier said than done. Unless we find another existence of equal bloodline rank to suppress it, the task is near impossible."
Mu En shook his head, his expression heavy. The Godly Taotie Bull Bloodline was among the highest quality bloodlines, and finding a match for it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"If Xu Sanshi could awaken the Black Tortoise Bloodline, there might be hope for a match. But that kid's cultivation is worlds apart from Xuan Zi's. To resolve this, we would need someone who is at least a Super Douluo. Even if the bloodline is strong enough, without sufficient power, it will be entirely ineffective."
Mu En's words left the room in silence. Finding a strong bloodline user to assist? It was no easier than a miracle. Super Douluos were rare enough, and those with extraordinary bloodlines even rarer. If even Mu En's Light Holy Dragon was insufficient, who else could suffice? The atmosphere turned somber.
"Teacher, what should we do about Elder Xuan?"
Yan Shaozhe asked.
"For now, we must continue suppressing him with light energy while we think of a solution," Mu En replied, sighing.
"This past year has been a series of misfortunes for Shrek Academy. Elder Xuan lost an arm, disciples perished, and our efforts to heal Ma Xiaotao failed, costing us a Dragon Pill. Now, Elder Xuan's Godly Taotie Bull Bloodline has been wrongly activated, pushing him to the brink of corruption. Trouble after trouble... It seems our luck has truly run dry."
"Ma Xiaotao's evil fire remains unresolved, and now Elder Xuan faces a similar crisis. Our Shrek Academy seems to be facing disaster after disaster," Yan Shaozhe lamented bitterly.
"Enough," Mu En said firmly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Lamenting won't help. What's done is done. Our current priority is to find a powerful bloodline user to resolve Elder Xuan's predicament. Soon, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Battle Tournament will begin. This time, we cannot afford to lose. We must win, and we must win decisively."
Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe and instructed, "You will lead the team for this tournament. Bring back the championship at all costs."
Mu En had never cared much about winning in the past, but with disaster looming over Shrek Academy, maintaining their reputation was crucial. Winning the tournament would project strength and give them breathing space. Once Elder Xuan's issue was resolved or the new generation of pillars matured, all problems could be solved. When that time came, Shrek Academy would remain the number one academy on the continent.