Dragon God Douluo's Gaze

Deathly silence.

Absolute Deathly Silence.

Xiao Hongchen knelt on one knee, his Dark Gold scales shattering inch by inch. He stared fixedly at Ji Juechen. Those eyes once filled with pride and mockery now held nothing but endless confusion and defeat.

He had lost.

Lost completely, without the slightest suspense.

As the entire audience reeled from this earth-shattering scene, no one noticed a nearly imperceptible ripple spreading through the distant skies above the Sun Moon Empire.

A figure appeared soundlessly, ghostlike. He was broad-shouldered, his aura restrained. As his eyes opened and closed, a golden dragon phantom seemed to flash within them. He was the master of Shrek Academy's Sea God's Pavilion, the Limit Douluo known as the Dragon God—Muen!

He had been in seclusion, attempting to break through to a higher realm, when an extremely faint yet incomparably pure fluctuation of god-class aura—one that seemed not to belong to this world—had startled him. It vanished in an instant, its source pointing directly toward the Sun Moon Empire.

"A fluctuation from a God-class Soul Ring? Impossible... On this continent, aside from those few, who else could draw the gaze of the gods?"

Muen hovered above the clouds, his divine sense sweeping over the land below like a tide before instantly locking onto Ji Juechen on the Soul Fighting Platform. When he saw Ji Juechen's utterly ordinary Soul Ring configuration, along with that inconceivable strike from moments ago, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion.

"An interesting little fellow..."

On the Soul Fighting Platform, Jing Hongchen's fevered voice continued.

"...Your sword, your Spiritual Power, should not be wasted on trash from these academies! You should go to a greater stage! On the battlefield, your sword can cut through armies by the thousands; your mind can cow enemy Soul Emperors! You will become the sharpest blade, a blade that determines the course of war... a Killing Machine!"

"Killing Machine..." Ji Juechen turned the words over in his mind, his brow tightening slightly. He craved battle, craved duels against the strong, but the word "killing" instinctively repelled him.

"This is not killing. It is glory!" Jing Hongchen's voice was deeply seductive. "Join us, and the Sun Moon Empire will provide you with every resource you need, allowing you to become a true peak powerhouse!"

Just as Jing Hongchen's words were about to plant a seed in Ji Juechen's heart, an indescribably terrifying pressure descended from the heavens without warning!

This pressure was on an entirely different level from Xiao Hongchen's Soul Sage pressure or Jing Hongchen's Spiritual Power pressure!

It was absolute suppression born of the very level of one's existence! It was as though an ancient dragon that had slumbered for ten thousand years had opened its eyes at this very moment. Its mere presence made the entire world tremble!

The fevered smile on Jing Hongchen's face froze instantly. His face turned deathly pale as he felt himself reduced to an ant, liable to be crushed into dust by this pressure at any moment. The Rank 9 Soul Tool shield behind him groaned under the unbearable strain, instantly becoming covered in cracks!

Everyone present, students and teachers alike, dropped to their knees with thud after thud, without even the courage to raise their heads. Only the metal framework of the Soul Fighting Platform let out agonized groans.

Under this world-destroying pressure, Ji Juechen merely swayed. He felt pressure unlike anything before, yet it seemed to pass through his body and strike straight at the depths of his soul, as if probing for something.

[ Ding! Detected emotions of "probing" and "scrutiny." Source: unknown. Obtained Sword Intent Points x points! ]

A vast flood of Sword Intent Points poured in. Ji Juechen pushed Clear Sword Heart to its limit and forcibly steadied himself beneath the pressure.

"Hm?" Genuine surprise flashed through Muen's eyes in midair.

"A four-ring brat who can remain standing beneath my Dragon Might... He really is no ordinary fellow!"

He withdrew most of his pressure and slowly descended from the clouds, revealing his broad and imposing figure.

"P-Pavilion Master!" Jing Hongchen recognized him, his voice trembling with fear. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that a single student could bring the master of Shrek's Sea God's Pavilion here in person!

Muen ignored him, merely fixing Ji Juechen with eyes that seemed capable of seeing through all things. "Boy, what was that strike of yours just now?"

Ji Juechen raised his head and met the gaze of this supreme powerhouse of the continent, his expression still calm. "My sword."

"Your sword?" Muen raised a brow. "Your sword drew upon power that does not belong to this world. Tell me, where did your Soul Rings come from?"

God-class Soul Rings! The instant those words were spoken, Jing Hongchen's breathing stopped, and an even more feverish greed erupted in his eyes!

Ji Juechen fell silent. This was his secret, and his trump card.

Seeing that he was unwilling to speak, Muen did not press him. He merely said flatly, "No matter what secrets you possess, from today onward, you have been specially admitted to Shrek Academy. Come with me. There, you will find the answers you seek, as well as the... true powerhouses you seek."

"You!" Jing Hongchen was shocked and furious, yet he did not dare argue.

Muen glanced at him and snorted coldly. "Jing Hongchen, put away that nonsense about war machines. This child belongs to Shrek. If you still want your precious grandson to remain a genius, do not entertain thoughts you should not."

A threat! A blatant threat!

Jing Hongchen's face flushed liver-red, but before the absolute strength of a Limit Douluo, he could only swallow all his fury and resentment.

Ji Juechen glanced at Jing Hongchen's shifting expression, then at Muen's deep, ocean-like eyes, and made his choice.

He sheathed his sword, gave Muen a slight nod, then turned and walked away.

From beginning to end, he never looked at Jing Hongchen again.

That utter disregard made Jing Hongchen's fists crack within his sleeves.

"Shrek... Limit Douluo... God-class Soul Rings..." he muttered, madness and calculation gleaming in his eyes. "I would like to see whether your 'Ultimate Soldier' is stronger, or the 'Artificial God' forged through the power of my entire nation!"

He took out a strangely shaped Soul Guiding Communicator and issued an icy command:

"Activate the 'Red Lotus' plan. Target: Ji Juechen. Before he participates in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament, keep sending 'powerhouses' to 'challenge' him! I will drive him into a corner and make him understand that only the Sun Moon Empire can give him the battles he desires!"

As Ji Juechen passed Jing Ziyan, his steps paused briefly. He uttered two words: "I'm leaving."

Jing Ziyan hurried after him. Looking at Ji Juechen's profile, she asked softly, "Do you... really want to become the kind of person he described?"

Ji Juechen did not turn back. He merely replied flatly:

"I only want to become stronger. Then cut every string that wants to control me."

His voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve. Behind him, beyond his sight, Dragon God Douluo Muen's thoughtful gaze remained fixed on him.