The Tournament Ends, Chi Yuan Appears

Unlike the other Divine Keys, Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment, the most powerful destructive Divine Key of them all, had always been Ling Mo's primary weapon in his previous life. Perhaps that was why his Stigmata bore the pattern of a flaming greatsword.

The moment he gripped Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment and infused it with Honkai Energy, Ling Mo distinctly felt the Stigmata on his back begin to burn. But none of that mattered. Right now, he only wanted to vent properly.

"Heavenly Fire." Flames erupted along the blade as an immense pressure surged from Ling Mo's body. Honkai Energy poured into it continuously, and the light of the Stigmata on his back grew brighter and brighter. After several breaths, his aura reached its peak.

"Unsheathe!" Ling Mo raised the Skyfire Greatsword high. The fiery light coiling around it exploded, and immense flames instantly filled the entire arena. In just an instant, the defensive Soul Tool barrier below the stage was destroyed by the explosive impact and searing heat of Heavenly Fire. The terrifying flames that broke through the obstruction swept toward the entire Soul Dueling Arena, but Ling Mo did not care about any of that now. There was only one thing he needed to do—swing his sword.

A month later, within Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, Ling Mo was immersed in a sea of golden light. The hood of his cloak had been removed, and numerous purple patterns now spread across his originally delicate, beautiful face. This was a symptom of excessive Honkai Energy usage.

During the finals of the All Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, repeatedly using Honkai Energy to forcibly unleash Divine Keys had pushed his body to its limit. He lost consciousness after swinging the Skyfire Greatsword. The successfully unleashed destructive Divine Key possessed immense power. If Ling Mo had not passed out at the time, he would have seen more than twenty severely injured Soul Douluo, as well as the two Titled Douluo, Heavenly Fiend Douluo and the White Tiger Duke, all wounded while resisting Heavenly Fire. It had been an astonishing achievement.

In the second match of the 2-2-3 formation afterward, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were not affected by Ling Mo. Just as in the original story, they defeated the Xiaomeng siblings. After winning the championship, the Shrek group hurriedly returned to the academy with the heavily injured Ling Mo, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan. Jiang Nannan's injuries were lighter than those of the other two, and she barely recovered during the journey back. As they were about to reach the academy, Xu Sanshi awoke from his coma. However, the injuries caused by overtaxing his origin to use the Power of the Black Tortoise were difficult to heal, and he had yet to regain the ability to move.

After returning to the academy, Xuan Zi rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing Ling Mo unconscious and gravely injured, he immediately brought him to the Sea God Pavilion for treatment. During the treatment process, the pavilion's elders could all sense an unheard-of energy damaging his body. Yet the Soul Power used for healing would strangely vanish in the end. Although that mysterious energy was continuously disappearing, everyone understood that it was not because the treatment was working. Rather, the pattern on Ling Mo's back was continuously absorbing it.

With treatment proving ineffective and the elders helpless, they could only allow Ling Mo to slowly recuperate within the Sea God Pavilion.

Finally, in the second month after the tournament ended, Ling Mo awakened. Learning that Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao were cultivating in seclusion within the Sea God Pavilion, Ling Mo went to visit Ma Xiaotao. After understanding her condition, he informed Xuan Zi that he had a way to solve Ma Xiaotao's problem.

Ling Mo's method was simple: attach a fourth Soul Ring to his Herrscher Martial Soul, then use Herrscher of Flames mode to control the rampaging dark flames within Ma Xiaotao's body. In his previous life, he had possessed the core of the Herrscher of Flames. He knew clearly that, given the tyranny of the Herrscher Authority of Flames, even if Ling Mo could not fully wield Herrscher Authority now, dealing with dark Phoenix Flame that had not truly reached the Ultimate level would be effortless.

Considering Ling Mo's Ultimate Ice attribute, Xuan Zi believed that Ling Mo might truly be able to do it and readily agreed. Ling Mo soon set off for his destination—the Star Dou Great Forest.

Another month passed in the blink of an eye. Xiao Xiao had already finished her secluded cultivation, but Ling Mo, who had gone out to seek a Soul Ring, had still not returned. Afraid that Ling Mo had suffered some mishap in the Star Dou Great Forest, Xuan Zi could no longer restrain himself shortly after Xiao Xiao emerged from seclusion and went to search for Ling Mo there. Unfortunately, three days later, only Xuan Zi returned. There was no sign of Ling Mo.

As everyone worried about Ling Mo's whereabouts and Ma Xiaotao's condition, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong emerged from seclusion together a month after Xuan Zi's return. Afterward, the two learned of everything that had happened over the past nearly three months. Other than worrying about Ling Mo and the others, they could only blame themselves for being powerless.

After Mu En made arrangements for them, the two returned to their classes in the outer academy. They wanted to inform Wang Yan of Mu En's arrangements, only to happen upon a match between Class One and Class Two. As the class monitors of Class One's control and assault departments respectively, they naturally could not stand idly by. Together with Xiao Xiao, who had returned to class early, they joined this confrontation between the two classes.

Having gone through the All Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the three remained utterly calm when facing Class Two's Soul Elders and Soul Grandmasters. They felt no pressure at all, and the result was obvious: Class One won. Although Dai Huabin had improved considerably during the more than four months the three had been away, his progress was extremely limited compared to the transformation Huo Yuhao's group had undergone through the tournament's trials and the complete integration brought by three months of secluded cultivation.

Class One was exceptionally jubilant after their victory, but as everyone chatted, a voice rang throughout Shrek Academy.

"Xuan Zi, get out here for this old man."

The voice was calm yet strange. At the same time they heard it, everyone felt an oppressive might descend upon them, pressing down so heavily that they could barely breathe. It carried the feeling of an approaching storm.

Since Ling Mo's disappearance, Xuan Zi's emotions had remained unstable. Had Mu En not spoken to comfort him, he would likely have already been searching the entire continent for Ling Mo.

Naturally, Xuan Zi also heard that voice spreading across Shrek Academy. The provocation within it immediately caused the already anxious Xuan Zi to erupt. He swiftly appeared above the academy.

Upon seeing that the visitor was Du Busi, the sect master of the Body Sect, he immediately shouted, "Your Body Sect is becoming more and more audacious. Not only did you attack our academy's students in Star Luo City before, but now you even dare to bring people here to invade my Shrek? Do you think Shrek Academy has no one left?"

Du Busi was also a lawless man. How could he endure Xuan Zi's rebuke? Before the two had even exchanged many words, they began fighting. It had to be said that although Du Busi was arrogant, he had the strength to support that arrogance. When the people below the academy saw Du Busi's Soul Rings, they all drew sharp breaths. Behind Du Busi's dark green figure floated nine Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red! He had a full three hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings, while Xuan Zi had only one.

Though the terrifying pressure generated by their battle had been deliberately restrained, it was still as shocking as though the heavens were collapsing. However, Xuan Zi and Du Busi were close in cultivation, while Xuan Zi was clearly one ring inferior. If the two had not lacked the intent to fight to the death, Xuan Zi might not have been defeated, but he would likely have fallen into a disadvantage.

Indeed, although the two peak Douluo had not reached the Limit level, the destruction they could cause was no small matter even when controlled. Just as the pressure from their battle was about to spread into Shrek Academy, a golden halo expanded from the Sea God Pavilion. There was no need to say who had acted—it was naturally Mu En.

The halo spread at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, Shrek Academy was enveloped in golden light. At that moment, Mu En's phantom also appeared beside Xuan Zi, who had already stopped fighting. Sensing the oppressive aura emanating from the phantom, Du Busi knew that his plan to take Huo Yuhao away today would likely fail. When he clearly saw the phantom's face, he recognized Mu En's identity and immediately wished to retreat.

Du Busi said to Mu En, "Though I am no match for you, it will not be so easy for you to kill me either. The green mountains remain, and the rivers will flow on. Body Sect members, retreat!" As soon as his words fell, more than twenty Body Sect experts, including Du Busi, rapidly fled into the distance. In the blink of an eye, they had vanished without a trace.

After the Body Sect members departed, the golden light covering Shrek Academy gradually withdrew and finally disappeared into the Sea God Pavilion.

After the golden light receded, Mu En's phantom did not leave. Instead, he said, "Since the two of you have come, why not reveal yourselves?"

His gentle voice carried a thread of golden light as it spread in every direction. Soon, a somewhat plump figure appeared within the halo. The Soul Tool he had been using to conceal his figure and aura lost its effect beneath the golden light. Once discovered, the man was not embarrassed. He calmly cupped his hands toward Mu En and said, "Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen greets Senior Dragon God."

Mu En ignored Jing Hongchen. His attention was fixed on someone else.

It was a woman. Unlike Jing Hongchen, who had been forced to reveal himself, the golden light was clearly blocked by something when it approached her. But that alone would not have drawn Mu En's attention. What concerned him was that the woman's aura was profound and deeply restrained. The faint pressure radiating from her body far surpassed his current self. Mu En even suspected that he might still fall short of her even if he had not been injured and were at his peak.

As Mu En observed the woman, she caught a thread of golden light before her and slowly said, "Very interesting energy. It carries an intense aura of light, mixed with a pride that rules over all beneath heaven. Unfortunately, it has already grown old and feeble. Its momentum has weakened."

The woman's voice was not gentle like water. Instead, it was soft yet filled with the weight of time. Her calm tone sounded like that of a senior evaluating a junior. If those unaware of the truth learned that someone had spoken of a ninety-ninth-level Limit Douluo standing at the continent's peak in such a manner, they would certainly ridicule that person's ignorance and naivety. Yet reality was not so.

Seeing Mu En's grave expression, Xuan Zi and Jing Hongchen naturally could not underestimate this unfamiliar woman. The scene froze for a time.

However, the stalemate did not last long. Mu En finally said, "I am Dragon God Douluo Mu En. May I ask how I should address you?" As he spoke, he cupped his hands toward the woman in salute.

"Dragon God Douluo?" The woman slowly shook her head. With indifferent casualness, she replied, "Just call me Chi Yuan."