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Su Yu was utterly confused.
The Supreme Elder's remark had merely been a joke.
So how is it that this mysterious figure, Xuan Zi, really showed up at the scene of the Sun Moon Empire's encirclement of the Evil Soul Masters?
Moreover, it seems that a conflict has already erupted.
"Xuan Zi!"
"Shrek Academy is actually colluding with the Evil Soul Masters!"
Jing Hongchen's shocked voice faintly echoed through the air.
Xuan Zi's face turned ashen.
"You're talking nonsense!"
I'm just here to keep an eye out, providing covert support to Qian Duoduo and the others!
When did the Evil Soul Masters manage to get so close to the hotel I'm staying at?
Xuan Zi cursed himself for being careless and not noticing earlier.
Now it seems there's no way to clear my name, not even if I jumped into the Yellow River.
"Hmph, don't waste your breath!"
Jing Hongchen wasn't interested in considering whether Xuan Zi was innocent or not.
Whether guilty or not, this was a perfect opportunity.
Xuan Zi had entered Sun-Moon, right into the heart of the Sun Moon Empire's large-scale operation against the Evil Soul Masters, appearing in the area where the Evil Soul Masters were located.
Wasn't that a perfect reason to eliminate him?
In the sky above Sun-Moon, Xuan Zi summoned his martial soul, revealing the massive Taotie Divine Bull. Its soul power radiated, spreading across the entire city.
Jing Hongchen snorted coldly and immediately transformed into a living artillery.
True Frog Form!
Soul engineer devices emerged from his metallic body and quickly assembled.
Boom!
A cannon fired.
The shell collided with the enormous Taotie Divine Bull in midair.
Boom!
Xuan Zi felt a tremendous force pushing him backward, his figure rapidly retreating in midair.
Fortunately, he wasn't severely injured.
After the cannon blast, Xuan Zi, who had been hovering near the bustling city center, had already been pushed into a more secluded area.
Jing Hongchen's soul engineer devices quickly transformed.
This time, they didn't extend outward.
Instead, he took out several soul engineer cannons from his storage soul device, integrating them into his metallic shield.
Jing Hongchen's preparations took time, but he was aided by two other level 90 soul engineers who launched attacks to buy him some precious seconds.
Boom boom boom!
Five level 90 soul engineer cannons were equipped to his form, and Jing Hongchen unleashed his full power.
These weren't fixed soul engineer cannons, but more versatile level 90 ones, capable of delivering the full might of a Super Douluo's attack with the support of his soul power.
The five cannons, personally crafted by Jing Hongchen, could also link together, and their combined power was enhanced by his martial soul's synergy.
As the five cannons fired simultaneously, Xuan Zi felt the overwhelming sense of imminent danger.
"Roar!"
The Taotie Divine Bull let out a deafening roar.
Across six parts of its body—its arms, legs, spine, and brain—light flashed.
Its external soul rings also blinked in rapid succession.
Bright yellow light clusters gathered and condensed at various points around the divine bull, converging in front of the massive beast.
Boom!
An earth-shattering explosion followed.
Inside Sun-Moon's inner city, as Xuan Zi made his appearance and battle ensued, the stone slabs on the city wall around him began to crack and fall.
Soul engineer cannons emerged from within the wall.
The terrifying surge of energy gathered, creating explosive shockwaves that sent chills down everyone's spine.
Three terrifying energy beams were fired.
After the terrifying explosion caused by the collision of the five combined level 90 soul engineer shells from Jing Hongchen, Xuan Zi's figure was sent flying out of the center of the blast.
The Taotie Divine Bull was severely damaged—its horns were broken, its limbs were crippled to varying degrees, and it was covered in burn marks.
Immediately, Xuan Zi fled toward the outskirts of Sun-Moon.
However, the three energy beams quickly caught up with him.
"No!"
Xuan Zi turned to look back, a chill running through his heart.
"Ah, Xuan Zi, go ahead."
A hoarse, ancient voice reverberated through the air, and the space trembled as an elderly figure with a hunched back appeared behind Xuan Zi.
The old man stood there, as if one with the heavens and the earth.
Behind him, the phantom of a Holy Dragon appeared.
The energies of heaven and earth rapidly gathered, and the power of the world was mobilized.
Boom!
The three energy beams were scattered by a single punch, and the energy surged outward.
After the strike, Mu En did not press the attack.
The aura of Mingdu's inner city gave him a sense of foreboding. After blocking the current round of attacks, he chose to retreat.
"Hmph, Shrek's boldness is really something!"
Jing Hongchen sneered.
Within Sun-Moon, a new round of even fiercer attacks erupted, as more energy beams were fired.
Let Xuan Zi escape?
Then this old man won't leave here unscathed!
Jing Hongchen noticed that after Mu En's powerful strike, his aura was indeed stronger, but there was also a distinct sense of exhaustion.
It was as if he was burning the last of his strength.
"This Xu Tianran may be pretentious, but he still inadvertently helped," Jing Hongchen mused.
The Sun Moon Empire had seized this opportunity, forcing Mu En to reveal himself. To ensure Xuan Zi could escape, Mu En had to endure at least three rounds of soul engineer bombardments.
Three full rounds of energy beams were fired in Sun-Moon.
Mu En, now fully displaying his martial soul's true form, activated his seventh, eighth, and ninth red soul rings, which gleamed with blood-red light.
He erupted with his full power, blocking the final round of energy beams, but his aura clearly began to wane.
The light of the Holy Dragon dimmed significantly.
Prince Xu Tianran consulted with the Sun Moon Emperor, and then three level 90 soul engineers, equipped with level 90 fixed soul engineer shells, were dispatched as part of the Royal Soul Engineer Corps for a long-range pursuit.
That night, Jing Hongchen returned to Sun-Moon Hall.
He didn't accompany the Royal Soul Engineer Corps on the pursuit.
The likelihood of capturing the enemy was low, but sending such a large force was necessary to confirm that Mu En would not stay within the Sun Moon Empire.
"Hmph, now that Shrek's two top experts have arrived, it seems Shrek is up to no good," Jing Hongchen remarked.
He immediately gave the order to detain Qian Duo duo and Fan Yu.
All of their equipment was confiscated, and their soul power was restricted by soul engineer devices, locking them in cells near Qian Bu Duo.
After the battle, the casualties in Mingdu were quickly tallied.
The Evil Soul Masters had fought desperately but hadn't caused any widespread slaughter.
Xu Tianran had been well-prepared, even setting up a barrier-like soul engineer formation in advance to trap all the Evil Soul Masters.
The battle between Xuan Zi and Mu En had been quickly shifted to the outskirts, with only widespread building collapses as the main damage, and no irreplaceable losses.
As for the outcome…
Neither Xuan Zi nor Mu En had died.
That was the most superficial report.
Xuan Zi was severely injured and would need at least a year and a half to recover.
As for Mu En, his condition was far worse.
The weak life force he had exuded before the battle seemed to have been completely drained, and it seemed like death was not far off.
For several days, Jing Hongchen was in high spirits.
With two of Shrek's strongest forces severely weakened, it wouldn't be long before the Sun Moon Empire found the right moment to launch a war and unify the continent!
After the action against the Evil Soul Masters, Su Yu spent another two days completing the "Speed" and "Protection" rune structures he had planned.
"Brother Su, it seems Senior Xuan Ziwen has some free time."
Huo Yuhao brought good news as well.
(End of Chapter)