Mu En: Follow This Old Man to Star Dou Great Forest and Demand an Explanation

Meanwhile, in Shrek City ten thousand years later, night had quietly blanketed the land.

Outside the dormitory area of Shrek Academy's outer courtyard, moonlight filtered through sparse branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground.

An antique rattan chair stood quietly there, with an elderly man reclining upon it. His beard and hair were snow-white, and deep wrinkles covered his face, etched with the marks of time like old tree bark. The plain long robe he wore made him seem even thinner.

He was Shrek Academy's pillar of support, Limit Douluo Mu En.

At that moment, Mu En's eyes were half-closed and his breathing long and steady. He appeared to be asleep, yet an almost imperceptible pressure lingered around him. It was the ultimate power tempered by the years, making even the surrounding air seem to congeal.

"Elder Mu."

A low voice sounded outside the courtyard, breaking the stillness. Yan Shaozhe, dressed in a white robe, slowly walked in. He stood tall and handsome, but his face bore an undisguised gravity. When he reached the rattan chair, he bowed slightly. His voice was extremely low, yet carried a weight that made one's heart tremble.

Mu En's eyelids twitched. He did not open his eyes immediately, merely giving a soft snort in response.

Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and spoke with difficulty, every word seeming to squeeze out through clenched teeth. "Something... happened in Star Dou Great Forest. Tang Ya has... fallen. Bei Bei... is missing, as though he had never existed in this world."

"Swish!"

Before his words had even faded, Mu En abruptly opened his eyes!

Those formerly clouded eyes now shone with astonishing brightness, like two swords suddenly drawn from their sheaths. Their icy light shot straight at Yan Shaozhe, and the shock and fury churning within them nearly became tangible.

His hunched body sprang up from the rattan chair. Though his back remained bent, he exuded a terrifying presence. His previously calm face twisted with rage, his wrinkles bunching together and making him appear even more ferocious.

"What did you say?!"

Mu En's voice was hoarse like a broken gong, trembling with disbelief. Tang Ya was Bei Bei's beloved, and also a child he had watched grow up. As for Bei Bei... he was Mu En's only remaining relative in this world, his sole great-grandson!

Yet what had he just heard? Tang Ya had fallen, and Bei Bei had vanished?

"Has Tang Ya's body... been found? What about Bei Bei?" Mu En stared fixedly at Yan Shaozhe, gripping the armrests of the rattan chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Deep finger marks had actually been crushed into the hard rosewood armrests.

Yan Shaozhe lowered his eyes, his voice filled with bitterness. "Not long ago, we noticed that they had been in Star Dou Great Forest far longer than expected. Realizing something was wrong, we immediately sent people to search for them. In the end... we found only Tang Ya's remains at the edge of the core region. It looked as though... as though her Spirit Soul had been instantly shattered. As for Bei Bei, we searched that entire area and found no trace of him. It was as if... as if he had disappeared into thin air."

Mu En staggered. Had he not caught himself on the rattan chair, he would nearly have collapsed on the spot. His chest rose and fell violently, and his eyes instantly filled with blood, like bloodshot red agates.

No one knew Bei Bei's temperament better than he did. The boy seemed gentle, but he was frighteningly stubborn, especially when it came to Tang Ya. He had always guarded her fiercely. If danger had struck, given Bei Bei's nature, he would certainly have stood in front of Tang Ya. Even if someone had to die, Bei Bei should have been the first to suffer harm. Yet now... Tang Ya had fallen, while Bei Bei was missing?

There could only be one explanation—Bei Bei was likely already beyond saving, perhaps not even leaving behind a body!

A bone-chilling cold rose from Mu En's heart and swiftly spread through every limb and bone. He had lived for over a hundred years and witnessed countless separations of life and death. His heart had long been forged into iron and stone. But Bei Bei alone was the softest attachment in his heart. Now, that attachment might have been severed in such a brutal manner?

"Who did this?!"

Mu En's voice was as low as though it came from the depths of hell, carrying a chilling killing intent beneath its hoarseness. The air itself seemed frozen by his fury, and even the moonlight took on a trace of coldness.

Yan Shaozhe shook his head, his expression grave. "We do not know yet. But... Bei Bei possesses the Bright Holy Dragon Spirit. Though he had yet to fully consolidate his strength, his talent was extraordinary. He had been the unquestionable choice for the next Dragon God Douluo, with limitless potential ahead of him. The soul beasts of Star Dou Great Forest have always been fiercely protective of their own. Could it be... that they believed Bei Bei posed a threat to them, so they struck first?"

The soul beasts of Star Dou Great Forest, especially those ancient monsters that had lived for more than ten thousand years, were all immensely powerful and had always harbored hostility toward Human Soul Masters. Bei Bei's talent truly might have made them wary. It was not impossible.

Mu En suddenly turned his head and looked toward the pitch-black distance beyond the academy—the direction of Star Dou Great Forest. A nearly crazed savagery flashed through his eyes, as though he wished to tear that darkness apart.

"Star Dou Great Forest..."

He ground out those words through clenched teeth. The Soul Power around him began to surge uncontrollably, and the ground beneath them faintly trembled. "Good. Very good! Anyone who dares touch one of my people, Mu En, will pay the price, even if they are soul beasts!"

He drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart. His voice regained a measure of icy calm, but it carried an unquestionable command. "Go. Send the order. Have every elder of the academy gather here immediately!"

"Yes!" Yan Shaozhe did not dare delay. He turned and hurried away, his white figure quickly vanishing into the night.

The place fell silent once more, leaving only Mu En's heavy breathing. With his back to the dormitory area, he continued looking toward Star Dou Great Forest. His bent back cast a long shadow under the moonlight, like an ancient blade about to leave its sheath, brimming with astonishing power.

In less than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, several figures appeared in the courtyard like ghosts.

At the front was an old man dressed in fitted black clothes. His features were resolute and his gaze sharp. It was Xuan Zi. Behind him came a white-haired old woman, a beautiful woman, and several steady-looking men and women. Without exception, all of them radiated the powerful aura of Titled Douluo. They were Shrek Academy's elders.

These supreme experts, who were rarely seen in ordinary times, all wore grave expressions. Clearly, they had already learned part of the news from Yan Shaozhe.

Xuan Zi stepped forward, his gaze falling on Mu En. "Elder Mu, what happened? Why summon all of us?"

Mu En did not turn around and continued staring into the distance. Yan Shaozhe explained in a low voice from the side, "Bei Bei and Tang Ya met with misfortune in Star Dou Great Forest. Tang Ya has already fallen, and Bei Bei is missing. I fear... he may be beyond saving. Elder Mu suspects that the soul beasts of Star Dou Great Forest are responsible."

"What?!"

Xuan Zi and the others' expressions changed drastically, their eyes filled with incredulous shock.

They all knew what Bei Bei meant to Mu En. Elder Mu had lived a lonely life, and Bei Bei was his only bloodline, an important bond that gave him reason to live. Now that something had happened to Bei Bei, it was no wonder Elder Mu was so enraged that he had summoned every elder—he was truly prepared to act!

A female elder in a green robe could not help but speak. "The soul beasts of Star Dou Great Forest are far too bold! They knew Bei Bei was Elder Mu's great-grandson, yet they still dared to kill him?"

"Whoever it is, anyone who dares touch a member of Shrek must pay the price!" Another old man snorted angrily, blazing Soul Power erupting around him.

Xuan Zi drew a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. Looking at Mu En's back, he asked solemnly, "Elder Mu, what do we do next?"

Mu En slowly turned around. There was not the slightest ripple on his aged face, only glacial coldness. His gaze swept over every elder present. His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly in everyone's ears.

"What do we do?"

"Bring your weapons and follow me to Star Dou Great Forest—"

"Demand an explanation!"

Those final words exploded through the courtyard like thunder, carrying resolute killing intent as they shot into the heavens.

Under the moonlight, Mu En's hunched body seemed to straighten slightly. In his bloodshot eyes was reflected the direction of Star Dou Great Forest, along with a towering storm that was about to erupt.

The elders of Shrek Academy exchanged glances, seeing the same determination in one another's eyes. No further words were needed. Their figures moved, and they closely followed behind Mu En as they rushed toward the academy's gates.

One powerful aura after another tore through the night sky, converging in the direction of Star Dou Great Forest.

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