"Pfft—"
Xuan Zi spat out a mouthful of river water and collapsed onto the cold stone bank like a dead dog, gasping for breath.
His lungs burned as if they'd been pierced by countless steel needles.
"Damn Yan Shaozhe... You heartless bastard..."
Coughing violently, Xuan Zi cursed Yan Shaozhe's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.
He'd left Xuan Zi alone in that hellhole to face the Scarlet King, then made a quick getaway with the others!
And he called himself the face of Shrek Academy? How could he abandon an old man who'd shed blood and suffered injuries for the academy?
Xuan Zi struggled to get up, but his wheelchair was nowhere to be seen.
He was like a puddle of mud, sprawled on the ground in a sorry state, drenched and ragged. There wasn't a shred of the Taotie Douluo's imposing presence left.
"Where... am I?"
Xuan Zi shook his groggy head and forced open his eyes, swollen from the river water.
The air was thick with a nauseating smell of blood.
An eerie silence surrounded him, broken only by the sound of some unknown liquid dripping.
"Drip... drip..."
A chill rose in Xuan Zi's heart for no reason. His back prickled, as if some terrifying Ferocious Beast had its eyes on him.
Instinctively, he lifted his head and looked ahead.
At the sight, Xuan Zi's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
A short distance away, several figures in black robes knelt in an open space.
They trembled all over, pressing their foreheads to the ground, not daring to breathe. They were clearly terrified of something.
And right in front of them...
Xuan Zi's gaze slowly traveled upward.
A handsome man with short silver hair and deep purple eyes wore armor forged from the bones of an unknown creature and black iron. His terrifying aura was suffocating. Someone was gripping him by the throat with one hand.
That man was definitely a Titled Douluo!
He might even have been a little stronger than Xuan Zi at his full strength!
Yet now, this powerhouse dangled in the air, half-dead, like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered, held by the throat in one hand.
"This..."
Xuan Zi was completely stunned.
But the person holding him...
Why did he look so familiar?
Just then, the man flicked his wrist and casually tossed the captive aside like a piece of trash.
Then he slowly turned around.
The instant Xuan Zi saw his face, a deafening boom rang through his mind. He froze in place, as if struck by lightning.
That face...
He'd know it even reduced to ashes!
"Mu... Mu Xuan?!"
Wasn't this the Mu Xuan who'd emerged from that damned Small River?
Where had he been swept off to?
The surroundings were utterly unfamiliar, gloomy, and terrifying. This wasn't the Star Dou Great Forest.
As Xuan Zi tried to make sense of it, Mu Xuan's deep purple eyes swept over him.
Their gazes met.
Hum—
In that instant, Xuan Zi felt as if he'd fallen into an ice pit. The blood in his veins froze.
The shadow of death engulfed him.
He couldn't move!
He couldn't move at all!
Xuan Zi wanted to run, to cry for help, but his body was like it had been hit by a paralysis spell. It wouldn't obey him.
Mu Xuan gave him a casual glance, then beckoned with his right hand.
Whoosh—
An irresistible force pulled Xuan Zi forward. The next moment, he was airborne, flying uncontrollably toward Mu Xuan.
Thud!
Xuan Zi hit the ground hard, landing right at Mu Xuan's feet.
Mu Xuan looked down at him.
There wasn't a ripple in his eyes, as if he were looking at an ant he could crush at any moment.
"Work for me, or die."
His voice was calm, entirely devoid of emotion.
He didn't ask why Xuan Zi was here or how he'd gotten there.
There was no need.
To the strong, a weakling's origins didn't matter. What mattered was whether he had any use.
Lying on the ground, Xuan Zi heard the words and felt a surge of humiliation.
Work for Mu Xuan?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Xuan Zi might have been greedy and sometimes unreliable, but Shrek's blood ran through his veins!
He was the Taotie Douluo! A Sea God Pavilion Elder!
How could he ever bow to darkness?
"Not a chance!"
Gritting his teeth and fighting his fear, Xuan Zi forced the words out.
"I was born a man of Shrek, and I'll die a ghost of Shrek! I'm not afraid of death! You want me to betray the academy and its honor? Dream on!"
At that moment, Xuan Zi felt his image grow immeasurably grand.
For the glory of Shrek Academy, for justice, he would rather die than yield!
However.
Crack—
The next instant, an indescribably terrifying pressure bore down on him.
Xuan Zi felt as if he were trapped between two mountains. Every bone in his body groaned under the strain.
"Argh—!"
A piercing scream burst from Xuan Zi's mouth.
Pfft—
He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of him.
His face turned as pale as paper, and his aura weakened to the brink.
He was going to die!
He really was going to die!
Mu Xuan had no intention of wasting words with him. His deep purple eyes remained impassive.
"I'll give you one more chance."
His voice was still calm, but now it carried a chilling murderous intent.
Mu Xuan glanced at the black-clad men kneeling nearby, then turned his gaze back to Xuan Zi.
The cripple might have broken legs, but he was still Level 98. He was stronger than these useless lackeys.
But that was all.
If he refused again, Mu Xuan would simply crush him.
Feeling Mu Xuan's undisguised killing intent, Xuan Zi's earlier defiance crumpled like a punctured balloon.
Fear took over once more.
As long as the green hills remained, there'd be no shortage of firewood!
If he died here, everything would be over!
Besides...
If Mu Xuan was hiding here, he must be plotting some earth-shattering conspiracy!
And judging by the situation, this force was definitely not to be underestimated.
If he didn't get this information out, if he didn't warn Shrek Academy of this enormous threat, wouldn't the Douluo Continent be doomed?
That's right!
He wasn't afraid of dying!
He was enduring humiliation for the sake of a greater cause! Infiltrating the enemy to gather intelligence!
It was for the future of all humanity, for peace on the Douluo Continent!
With that thought, Xuan Zi's guilt vanished, replaced by a sense of duty he called "bearing humiliation for the greater good."
"I... I accept..."
Xuan Zi lowered his head and spoke weakly.
Mu Xuan said nothing. Instead, he directly released his Martial Soul.
Roar—
A low dragon's roar sounded, filled with darkness and evil.
A pair of enormous black dragon wings suddenly spread behind Mu Xuan, blotting out the sky.
Then Mu Xuan reached out and pulled one of the kneeling black-robed men into his grasp.
"Ah! Spare me, Master! Please, spare me!"
The black-robed man screamed in agony, but before Mu Xuan, he was powerless to fight back.
A cloud of black mist surged from Mu Xuan's palm and instantly engulfed the man.
In a matter of seconds, the black-robed man melted into a pool of blood. Not even a scrap of bone remained.
Mu Xuan devoured all of his life essence.
Xuan Zi watched in shock and fear. What kind of power was this?
While he was still reeling, Mu Xuan's enormous black wings suddenly swept around and enveloped him.
The next moment, an immense surge of life energy flowed into Xuan Zi's body.
It felt like rain after a long drought.
Xuan Zi felt warmth spread through him. The bones that had just been crushed mended at incredible speed, and the injuries to his internal organs rapidly healed.
What shocked him most was...
His legs!
His thighs, severed long ago and completely numb, now tingled!
Then bone grew, and flesh was restored!
Just a few breaths later, the black wings opened again.
Xuan Zi stared in disbelief. He was... standing?
He moved his legs. The feeling of his feet planted firmly on the ground almost brought him to tears.
He'd recovered!
He was completely healed!
Not even the slightest aftereffect remained!
After the shock came boundless resentment and anger.
Mu Xuan was definitely weaker than Radiant Mu En. If Mu Xuan could do this, how could Radiant Mu En not?
He must have been able to do it too!
So why hadn't he helped Xuan Zi?
Why had he watched Xuan Zi become a cripple and suffer humiliation?
"Hypocrite!"
Xuan Zi seethed with anger at Radiant Mu En. That man wasn't his junior granduncle at all!
He wouldn't even save one of his own!
"From this day forward, you are a member of the Holy Spirit Cult."
Mu Xuan looked at Xuan Zi, now restored to health, and spoke calmly.
"The Holy Spirit Cult?"
Xuan Zi's heart tightened.
So this organization was called the Holy Spirit Cult.
He respectfully lowered his head, hiding the coldness in his eyes.
"Yes."
But inwardly, Xuan Zi sneered.
So what if he'd healed his injuries?
Did he really think Xuan Zi would serve him sincerely?
He was a Sea God Pavilion Elder of Shrek Academy!
Just wait, Mu Xuan.
Once he'd figured out their situation and found a chance to get the information out...
He would bring Shrek's army, a true force of justice, and raze this place to the ground!
He would wipe out this damned Holy Spirit Cult once and for all!
For the Douluo Continent! For Shrek!
Before you continue