"Mu En, I have failed the Academy!"
"Please punish me!!"
On the third floor of Sea God Pavilion, under Mu En's gaze and with Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er, his two juniors, looking on,
Xuan Zi wept bitterly, his attitude as sincere as could be.
He appeared to be truly repentant, but if students from Xuan Zi's generation had seen this scene, they certainly would not have believed it.
That was because Xuan Zi had always been like this. After making a mistake, he would admit it with a good attitude, yet he never changed despite repeated admonitions.
It was only because he was now a Level 98 Super Douluo, had become a Sea God's Pavilion Elder, and no longer participated in teaching that the students held a rather favorable image of him as a powerful expert.
In truth, after spending enough time around him, that initial impression would be completely shattered.
Alas... Mu En felt deeply helpless.
It was precisely because he knew Xuan Zi's personality so well that Mu En understood his promises were no different from a joke.
But there was no helping it. Shrek Academy needed Xuan Zi now.
Especially after Mu En departed, only Xuan Zi, at level ninety-eight, would be able to take charge and stabilize Shrek Academy.
At that thought, when Mu En discreetly glanced at his eldest disciple, Yan Shaozhe, his gaze naturally carried the frustration of disappointment.
If this disciple had been more capable, instead of remaining stuck at level ninety-five and steadily advancing, Mu En would not have had to resort to this.
These thoughts flashed through Mu En's mind like lightning, after which he began comforting Xuan Zi again.
[I never expected the little ones of the Reserve Team, led by Xiao Zhuang, to actually win the Soul Fighting Tournament. Unfortunately, Xiaotao was provoked into mutation by the Sword of Judgment and had a high chance of becoming an Evil Soul Master.]
[After the little ones who participated in the Soul Fighting Tournament returned to the Academy, they were given their due rewards and granted the title and honor of becoming the new generation of Shrek Seven Devils.]
[Yet before one wave had settled within the Academy, another rose.]
[First, the Body Sect Master, Du Busi, brought people in an attempt to forcibly take away Huo Yuhao, who possessed a Body Martial Soul.]
[What followed was Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen's attempt to reclaim the Sword of Judgment. Taking this opportunity, I also gave him a warning. The future of Soul Tools may be promising, but power at the pinnacle of Soul Masters is enough to sweep aside everything.]
[Moreover, only powerful Soul Masters can bring the might of even stronger Soul Tools to its fullest extent. Thus, even if the profession of Soul Master is replaced, it will merely appear in an entirely new form.]
[At the same time, to ensure the personal safety of Shrek Academy students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, I proposed having Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen come to Shrek Academy as exchange students.]
[In the end, it was decided that on this day two years later, Jing Hongchen would bring people to Shrek Academy, while Xuan Zi would send people to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy at the same time. This would include Shao Zhuang and Huo Yuhao.]
[Then, on the fifth day after Xuan Zi led Huo Yuhao and the others to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain soul rings, Evil Soul Masters attacked Shrek Academy. The other Sea God's Pavilion Elders and I had no choice but to go out and meet the enemy.
[There were eleven Evil Soul Masters in this ambush, four of whom were Titled Douluo above level ninety.]
[The thing I feared most had finally happened. Over the past century, Evil Soul Masters had appeared rarely, and their cultivation had been weak, but I had always felt something was wrong. I never expected the Evil Soul Masters to truly grow powerful and form an organization of their own.]
[I gave everything I had, even at the cost of my life force, and slew six enemies, including one Titled Douluo. If not for the presence among them of someone above level ninety-five, who held me back, I would have been able to leave none of the Evil Soul Masters alive.]
[Although Shrek Academy suffered no casualties after the great battle, Xiaotao escaped during it. If her ultimate Black Evil Flame fell into the hands of an Evil Soul Master organization, it would be a disaster for the entire continent!]
[I knew that after this battle, with my life force once again depleted, my end was near. Shrek Academy was about to lose me, its Limit Douluo guardian. As the Academy holding the foremost position on the continent, Shrek Academy would surely face many challenges in the future.]
[But fortunately, I met Shao Zhuang. This child is kind and steady, exceptionally gifted, and possesses the natural bearing of a leader. Given time, once he matures, he will surely lead Shrek Academy to glory once more!]
[Therefore, before my death, I designated Xiao Zhuang as the next-generation successor to the position of Sea God Pavilion Master. No one is permitted to change this. I also made entirely new revisions to many of Shrek Academy's directions for development.]
[At my death, I gave Shrek Academy one final gift. I scattered my incomparably dense Light Aura, cleansing the bodies of every member of Shrek, purging impurities, and compressing their Soul Power to make it even more condensed.]
[So that I could continue protecting Shrek Academy, I forcibly left my Soul Power and a portion of my soul within the Golden Tree.
[This was so that I could use that remaining power to continue doing what I could, shielding Shrek Academy from wind and rain.]
[Of course, I also hoped that one day, I might personally witness the disciple I valued most ascend to godhood. If that truly happened, I would have no regrets.]
Seeing this, some of Shrek Academy's elders had long since been moved to tears.
Mu En's passing was undoubtedly an incomparably tremendous blow to Shrek Academy.
While he was alive, he had been a pillar that held the sea steady, guarding everything and providing them with direction.
"Teacher!"
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er spoke in unison.
As his disciples, how could they not be heartbroken upon seeing their teacher pass away?
"Damn Evil Soul Masters!!" Xuan Zi's reaction was even more direct.
After grief came boundless fury.
They had actually launched a surprise attack while he was away leading students to obtain soul rings.
He wished he could tear those damned Evil Soul Masters to pieces.
Seeing the state of the three of them, Mu En was moved, yet he had also become somewhat indifferent to everything.
He slowly said, "Birth, aging, illness, and death are simply part of the natural order..."
At the same time, within the Evil Forest of the Sun Moon Empire, at the Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters.
"Damn it!!"
The Holy Spirit Cult Master, Zhong Liwu, looked grimly at the Evil Soul Master operation displayed on the Heavenly Curtain. Naturally, he knew it was the work of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Evil Soul Masters, who had been weak for so many years, had suddenly produced so many powerful experts. Even a fool could understand that something was amiss behind this.
If the Holy Spirit Cult surfaced now, it would inevitably draw the condemnation of the entire continent.
Although the Holy Spirit Cult had accumulated immense strength over the years, it was still unable to stand against the entire continent at this stage.
If such a situation truly arose, Xu Tianran, that pragmatic fellow, would certainly abandon their cooperation without hesitation.
After all, they still lacked the ability to launch a full-scale assault on the original Douluo Continent.
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