Mu En—he had been renowned across the continent over two centuries ago. Now over 250 years old, he bore the title of Dragon God Douluo. Although outsiders believed that Shrek Academy's strongest was Elder Xuan, the Glutton Douluo, it was, in fact, the Dragon God Douluo Mu En who held that honor.
Only Xiao Yan knew that the old man guarding the dormitory entrance was actually the academy's foremost powerhouse.
In Mu En's usually gentle gaze, a rare cold glint appeared as he spoke sternly, "Today's Sea God Pavilion meeting is adjourned. Unless there's further business, you're all dismissed. Especially you, Xuanzi—don't stir up any more trouble for me."
Elder Xuan appeared flustered, feeling his pride slighted. "But Mu Lao, what if this man is a threat to the academy…"
"There is no 'what if.'" Mu En waved a hand, visibly annoyed. "Even if he were a threat, don't we still have me here at the academy? I already told you, if he really had malicious intent, you wouldn't be standing here alive."
"If you keep arguing, I'll teach you a lesson myself, in honor of our departed master."
Elder Xuan gulped, unwilling to press further.
…
Meanwhile, outside Shrek City, in a secluded valley, a waterfall cascaded down, crashing against rocks and filling the air with a thunderous roar that echoed across the valley.
A flash of white light appeared, and the ethereal form of Yao Lao materialized in front of Xiao Yan. Yao Lao extended his hand. "Brat, hand me your Heavy Xuan Ruler."
Without hesitation, Xiao Yan handed over the massive ruler. Although its weight would typically burden anyone else, in Yao Lao's grip, it barely caused his ethereal hand to tremble.
"Xiao Yan, I'll now demonstrate a ground-level battle technique. Watch carefully and memorize it well." Yao Lao's expression was solemn as he raised the enormous black ruler.
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes, Master! I'll make sure to learn it thoroughly!"
Yao Lao smiled faintly, then floated up until he hovered nearly a hundred meters above the ground, pausing only once he had reached the right position. He gazed toward the silver dragon-like waterfall cascading down, exhaling slowly.
Moments later, an overwhelming aura erupted from Yao Lao, making the entire valley tremble.
"Flame-Splitting Tsunami Ruler!"
With a low shout, Yao Lao raised the black ruler high. A fiery red hue suddenly enveloped the ruler's blade, distorting the surrounding air with intense heat.
With a swift movement, Yao Lao's foot tapped lightly in midair, spinning his body a full 180 degrees before swinging the ruler toward the waterfall. A massive red arc shot forth from the ruler's tip.
"Boom!"
The valley echoed with a thunderous explosion as countless water jets shot up from the lake's surface, propelled by the force of the attack.
The red arc, like a streak of lightning, tore across the lake, sending waves surging dozens of meters high before slamming into the waterfall. The powerful water flow was abruptly severed, and the impact left a massive gash—nearly ten meters long and three meters wide—in the rock behind the waterfall.
Xiao Yan rubbed his eyes in disbelief, exclaiming, "Master, this… this is a ground-level technique?"
Yao Lao chuckled, planting the Heavy Xuan Ruler firmly in front of Xiao Yan. He pointed a bony finger to Xiao Yan's forehead, imparting a torrent of information.
"Flame-Splitting Tsunami Ruler, a low-grade ground technique. Mastered fully, it can cleave mountains and part waves."
"Brat, stay here under the waterfall to practice the technique. Aim to cut the flowing water at least a hundred times each day—this will help you wield the technique more effectively."
…
Two hours later, Xiao Yan finally returned to Shrek Academy. The four-team semifinals had already begun, and the square was packed with students, their collective chatter forming a deafening buzz that filled the air.
Just as Xiao Yan entered the academy grounds, he heard the proctor's voice echoing, "Team One versus Team Seven. Step forward and introduce yourselves!"
On stage, a small, slender boy with pink-blue hair stepped forward with a cold gleam in his eyes. "Team One, Wang Dong."
Beside him, his teammates followed suit:
"Team One, Xiao Xiao."
"Team One, Huang Jia San Gui (Huang's Third Ghost)."
From Team Seven, two familiar voices responded in unison:
"Team Seven, Lan Luoluo."
"Team Seven, Lan Susu."
As these voices sounded, the square grew quieter. All eyes turned to Team Seven's side—where was Xiao Yan? Had he forfeited?
A cold sweat formed on Wang Yan's brow as he scanned the crowd, feeling unease rise. "Where is Xiao Yan?" he wondered to himself.
On stage, Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu exchanged nervous glances, worry evident in their eyes.
The proctor called out, "Counting down from ten. If Team Seven's members aren't all present by then, they forfeit by default. Ten… nine… eight…"
Huang Jia San Gui snickered coldly. "Xiao Yan, that coward. I knew he'd be too scared to show up. If he dares step on this stage, I'll cripple him!"
The moment his voice fell, a sharp, piercing sound cut through the air from the direction of the square's entrance, drawing everyone's gaze.
A black figure shot down from the sky, slamming heavily into the center of the square. The impact cracked the stone floor beneath him, sending dust billowing in all directions.
"You were saying something about crippling me?"
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