[Douluo II Period]
Shrek Academy.
The golden Sky Screen stretching across the sky gradually disappeared, but the gloom hanging over the plaza showed no sign of lifting.
With Qiangu Wangyan's banishment, the hidden measures he had laid in place could no longer be suppressed.
Dramatic changes began to take place in the people present.
"No, don't!"
The shell of Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise of Profound Darkness Martial Soul glimmered with an eerie black light.
A frigid yin energy relentlessly eroded his meridians, leaving his face deathly pale as his body shook violently.
The female student whose Martial Soul was the Soul-Devouring Withered Vine.
The vines in her hands began to glow with an eerie red hue, as though they had come alive, leaving streaks of crimson welts on her skin.
Their troubles were only the beginning.
A chorus of screams and groans rose from the ranks of students.
"My Martial Soul... I can't control my Iron Arm Bear Martial Soul!"
A burly young man clutched his right arm, his face filled with terror.
"Help! Poisonous spikes have grown on my Blue Silver Grass!"
"Get out of the way! I can't control my Soul Power!"
"Ah! It hurts!"
Panic spread rapidly through the thousands of students like an epidemic.
Qiangu Wangyan had taught at Shrek for many years. Nearly every Outer Court student, along with quite a few Inner Court students, had received his "guidance" at one point or another.
No one knew how many wicked seeds he had planted during those sessions of "guidance"!
"Quick!"
"Get them under control!"
Yan Shaozhe roared and charged forward first. His Radiant Phoenix Martial Soul blazed brightly as he quickly subdued several students whose Soul Power had gone berserk.
Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and the other elders also sprang into action, working to maintain order.
Even so, the panic continued to spread.
No one knew how many people Qiangu Wangyan's hidden measures had affected, let alone how this power would eventually erupt or what consequences it would bring.
"Why... why is this happening..."
In the midst of the chaos, no one was more devastated than Han Ruoruo.
She collapsed to the ground, staring blankly ahead, her tears long since exhausted.
At last, she understood everything.
From beginning to end, she had merely been a carefully chosen "sacrifice."
That man, Wang Yan—the man for whom she had once felt the faint stirrings of affection—had wanted from the very start to use her as a stepping stone to awaken the true spirit of his Martial Soul!
The crushing gap between what she had believed and the truth shattered her defenses completely.
Xuanzi, Yan Shaozhe, and the other Sea God Pavilion Elders watched the apocalyptic scene before them, their faces ashen, yet unable to do anything.
Just as the panic and despair reached their peak,
a vast, majestic, and sacred dragon's roar suddenly resounded through heaven and earth!
It carried boundless radiance and righteous power, instantly dispelling the gloom that had enveloped the plaza.
Like the first rays of morning sunlight, it shone into every heart!
Everyone felt the restlessness within them subside.
The power eroding their Martial Souls seemed to have met its natural enemy, vanishing in an instant by more than half!
An old, gentle voice rang clearly in everyone's ears:
"Calm down, children."
Almost instinctively, everyone looked up toward the Sea God Pavilion.
An elderly man with a hunched figure and a head of white hair and beard was slowly wheeled out, seated in a wheelchair.
He looked so ordinary, like nothing more than a frail old man nearing the end of his life.
Yet the moment he appeared, the light elements throughout the world seemed to leap for joy!
The phantom of an enormous, sacred, and majestic Radiant Sacred Dragon flickered into view behind him.
Its dragon might was like a prison, looking down upon all living beings!
"Elder Mu!"
When Xuanzi and the others saw the old man, they all bowed in greeting.
The master of the Sea God Pavilion, the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En!
The true pillar of Shrek Academy had finally appeared!
Mu En's gaze slowly swept across the crowd. His cloudy old eyes were full of kindness and compassion.
"Immediately organize all healing-, support-, and research-type Soul Masters to conduct a thorough examination of every student who may have been tampered with!"
His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority.
"Yes!"
Xian Lin'er and the others immediately acknowledged the order. They began gathering personnel, soothing the students, and isolating those whose Martial Souls had mutated so they could receive emergency treatment.
With Mu En at the helm, the chaotic scene began to settle into order.
Xuanzi hurried to Mu En's side, his expression grave as he lowered his voice.
"Elder Mu... about what happened this time..."
He trailed off.
But Mu En seemed to know what he wanted to say.
"Shrek's ten-thousand-year legacy won't collapse because of one clown!"
Mu En's tone was resolute.
"But this time, we've been hit hard..."
Xuanzi's voice was low.
"Rumors outside will likely spread like wildfire. Shrek's enrollment rate could plummet, and we might even..."
"Even be branded a 'breeding ground for Evil Soul Masters,' is that it?"
Mu En calmly finished for him.
He fell silent for a moment. The students' frightened faces in the plaza, along with the Sky Screen still lingering overhead, were reflected in his aged eyes.
After a long while, he spoke slowly. His voice was soft, yet carried the weight of a stone striking the ground.
"Convey my order."
"Effective today, Shrek Academy is going into lockdown!"
"All students and teachers may enter, but no one may leave!"
"Announce to the outside world that the academy will conduct an internal purge lasting three months!"
"We must eradicate every hidden threat posed by Evil Soul Masters!"
"Let our actions put all doubts to rest!"
Xuanzi's heart shuddered. Then he nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Mu En's decision was undoubtedly a drastic measure.
With swift and decisive action, he would show the entire continent how determined Shrek Academy was to handle the situation!
Even if it meant suffering enormous losses, they would do it!
Elsewhere, in the Outer Court's work-study student dormitory,
the room was small and shabby, but unlike the tense atmosphere in the plaza, it was peaceful and quiet.
Ji Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed. Before him, his Mirror Martial Soul clearly reflected the scene of Mu En ordering the academy into lockdown.
"Mu En... made his move after all."
A faint smile curved Ji Xuan's lips. Everything had gone exactly as he had predicted.
Just then, the system's cold notification rang in his mind.
[First Sky Screen reveal completed perfectly!] [This reveal successfully exposed the hypocrite "Qiangu Wangyan," causing a massive stir across both Douluo I and Dou Er. The emotional energy collected far exceeded expectations!] [Overall evaluation: Perfect!] [Beginning reward distribution...] Here it comes! Ji Xuan's spirits lifted. [Reward One: Rebuild Your Foundation!] [The host's foundation is impure, and his Innate Soul Power is only Level Three. Rebuilding now...] [Rebuilding...] [Rebuilding complete! The host's Innate Soul Power has been raised to—Innate Full Soul Power!] Boom! A warm, surging torrent of energy appeared inside Ji Xuan from nowhere, rushing wildly through his limbs and bones, transforming his meridians and dantian! The Soul Power that had felt slightly sluggish during cultivation now flowed freely! Every cell in his body seemed to be cheering! [With the host's foundation restored, Soul Power Level increased!] [Soul Power Level 13... 14... 15...] The bottleneck in his Soul Power was easily broken through. In the end, his level soared all the way to twenty, where it settled firmly! Soul Grandmaster!
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