The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest were in complete disarray.
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi hovered in midair, bathed in holy golden light, like a god who had descended into the mortal world.
He did not attack at once. A faint, almost imperceptible flicker passed through his indifferent eyes.
He spoke slowly, his voice vast and imposing.
"Why have you allied yourself with evil?"
"As a Shrek elder and the Taotie Douluo, when evil appeared, you not only refused to join forces with me to suppress it, but even attacked me."
"Tell me, what exactly were you thinking?"
"Ha... Haha... Hahahaha!"
Supporting himself on his grievously wounded body, Original Xuan Zi staggered to his feet. His hair hung loose, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he looked like a madman.
He lifted his head and fixed his bloodshot eyes on Righteous Qi Xuan Zi above him. His laughter brimmed with self-mockery and fury.
"What was I thinking?"
"Why should I have to explain myself to a fake like you?!"
He abruptly pointed at Righteous Qi Xuan Zi, then gestured toward the direction where Evil Qi Xuan Zi had vanished and roared,
"You two are both monsters who should never have existed in this world! One is a hypocrite who pretends to be virtuous, and the other is a complete lunatic! What gives you the right to wear my face and swagger around like this?"
"I am Xuan Zi! The one and only Taotie Douluo! You... should all disappear!"
After hearing this, Righteous Qi Xuan Zi fell silent.
A thoughtful look actually appeared on his placid face.
A moment later, he slowly nodded.
"I understand."
"Your very existence is an imperfection. Your heart is filled with irritability, greed, and disregard for rules. These impurities led you to make the wrong choice when faced with matters of right and wrong, and even made you an accomplice to evil."
"If that is so..."
The last trace of fluctuation vanished from Righteous Qi Xuan Zi's eyes, replaced by utter indifference and resolve.
"I will purify you completely and return you to your purest origin. From now on, I will bear the name of Xuan Zi and protect this continent."
As soon as he finished speaking, golden light blazed behind him!
An incredibly solid, sacred golden Taotie Phantom appeared. It was no longer merely a manifestation of Soul Power. It seemed as though a true Divine Beast had descended, radiating a terrifying pressure that could purify and cleanse everything!
Golden Taotie Avatar!
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi raised his hand, and a Sword of Judgment formed in his grasp, crafted from pure light. He aimed it at Original Xuan Zi below, who was already powerless to resist.
He intended to completely purify this "imperfect" original!
"Stop!"
At that critical moment, an old yet dignified shout rang out like rolling thunder, exploding across the sky!
A figure appeared without warning between Righteous Qi Xuan Zi and Original Xuan Zi.
It was Mu En!
Mu En did not spare the Xuan Zi on the ground a glance. His deep eyes fixed intently on Righteous Qi Xuan Zi and the sacred golden Taotie behind him.
"Stop."
Mu En's voice was calm, but the pressure it carried was terrifying.
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi looked at Mu En, who had suddenly appeared, and furrowed his brow. He could sense a power in the other man that was strong enough to rival his own, perhaps even... faintly surpass it.
But he did not back down. He merely replied indifferently,
"This man is a heretic. I must purify him."
"Impudent!"
A cold glint flashed in Mu En's eyes. He wasted no more words.
"Reign Over the World!"
This was Mu En's Self-Created Soul Skill, combining spiritual and physical attacks.
"Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Rend!"
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi's expression changed. The Sword of Judgment in his hand instantly swung to meet the attack.
"Boom—!!!"
A deafeningly muffled crash rang out.
The Sword of Judgment shattered piece by piece, dissolving into a shower of light.
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi's body jolted violently, and he flew back a hundred meters before barely managing to steady himself. The golden light on the arm that held his sword flickered erratically, showing that he had suffered a heavy loss in that clash.
His gaze as he looked at Mu En finally turned solemn.
Was the gap between them really this great?
Righteous Qi Xuan Zi met Mu En's gaze in silence for a moment. He knew that with the Sea God Pavilion Master here, he would not be able to purify that imperfect version of himself today.
He was no match for Mu En.
He took a long look at Mu En's grave expression, then glanced at Original Xuan Zi on the ground, who was glaring furiously at him.
In the end, he said nothing. His figure blurred, transforming into a streak of golden light as he shot off into the distance, in the opposite direction from Evil Qi Xuan Zi.
Only after that sacred aura had vanished completely did Mu En slowly turn around and look at the battered Xuan Zi behind him.
"Xuan Zi, what exactly happened?"
"Mu... Elder Mu..."
At the sight of Mu En, Xuan Zi's resentment and fury instantly turned into a flood of grievance and frustration. Gritting his teeth, he recounted everything that had happened, including how Huo Hao had actually dared to refuse him.
If Huo Hao hadn't restrained him for a fraction of a second, he would have caught them. Then there would have been no need to jump into that strange little river.
He also told Mu En, one by one, about the outrageous things those two Xuan Zis had done to him. They were absolutely inhuman! And now, both Righteous Qi Xuan Zi and Evil Qi Xuan Zi had escaped.
Not far away, Bei Bei had just returned. Listening to the whole story, he felt a splitting headache.
He pressed a hand to his forehead, his mind in complete disarray.
Three Huo Yuh aos could coexist peacefully.
So why had things turned into a fight to the death as soon as Old Xuan got involved?
What was this supposed to be?!
And now, one Xuan Zi who represented absolute righteousness and another who represented absolute evil had simply left.
With their Super Douluo strength and their extreme, obsessive personalities, it was easy to imagine how their appearance would throw the future of Douluo Continent into chaos.
After hearing Xuan Zi's account, Mu En fell silent for a long while.
His deep gaze eventually settled on the seemingly ordinary little river nearby, which now seemed inexplicably strange.
Beneath the sunlight, the river flowed quietly, its surface rippling with light. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Bei Bei."
Mu En spoke without warning.
"Great-grandfather."
Bei Bei hurried forward.
Mu En kept his gaze fixed on the river and asked slowly,
"You mean that anyone who jumps into this river will become three?"
"Y-yes. That's what happened to Huo Yuhao, and to Old Xuan as well."
Bei Bei hesitated, but still gave a definite answer.
"Three..."
Mu En murmured, his eyes glinting with thought.
One original, one extreme aspect of light, and one extreme aspect of darkness?
Interesting.
He suddenly held out his hand, and a completely black Soul Bone appeared in it, radiating a metallic fluctuation.
It was a torso bone, and a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone at that.
Then, under the astonished gazes of Bei Bei and Xuan Zi, he casually tossed the extraordinarily precious Soul Bone into the still river.
"Plop."
The Soul Bone hit the water, barely making a ripple before disappearing beneath the surface.
Before you continue