The silver moon hung in the sky like a bright mirror, its cool, watery light spilling over the land as stars glittered all around it.
Hundreds of miles from Xu Lanqing and the others, a Bone Dragon King a hundred zhang long hovered high in the air. Two green flames flickered in its eye sockets, and its whole body radiated an aura of decay and death.
Ten figures stood atop the Bone Dragon King's back. They were members of the Holy Spirit Cult, traveling together, but now they had been stopped here and did not dare make a move.
The Holy Spirit Cult's leader, Zhongli Wu, stared fixedly at the person blocking their way. "Who are you, sir? We have no grudge against you. Why are you blocking our path?"
He was an ordinary-looking old man, not particularly tall, and seemed to be nearing the end of his days. He wore gray cloth robes, and the wrinkles on his face looked deep enough to trap more than a dozen flies at once.
What shocked Zhongli Wu was that he couldn't sense even a trace of Soul Power leaking from the old man. That alone showed how terrifyingly powerful his opponent was.
"Heh. No grudge? You're Evil Soul Masters. Everyone has the right to kill you!
"I never thought I'd run into a band of outcasts from the Soul Master World while visiting the Sun Moon Empire. I'd wondered why Evil Soul Masters had become so scarce in recent years. So you'd all banded together and hidden away in the Sun Moon Empire.
"If you've reached this level, your hands must be stained with blood. Every Evil Soul Master is an enemy of the entire continent. Why do you think I'm blocking your way?"
"Besides, my son and daughter-in-law were both killed by Evil Soul Masters. Today, I'll rid the continent of this menace and wipe you out, before I let you escape and bring disaster to the people."
Mu En looked at the Evil Soul Masters, his heart heavy. His greatest fear had come true: they had finally grown powerful enough to threaten the world.
All ten Evil Soul Masters before him were Titled Douluo. Five were Level 95 Super Douluo, and their leader was even Level 98. It was hard not to wonder whether they had even more powerful Evil Soul Masters among them.
The shock in his eyes had given way to an unmistakable killing intent. Since he'd encountered them, he wouldn't let them leave unchallenged.
"Hahaha! Big words! Let's see how you plan to rid the continent of us!"
Zhongli Wu laughed in anger. Although he couldn't gauge the old man's strength, he had nine Evil Soul Master Titled Douluo beside him. He considered himself a match for anyone. Even a Limit Douluo would have a hard time against them here today. Of course, he still remained very cautious.
"Attack together!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the nine Evil Soul Masters activated their Martial Souls. Their powerful Soul Power affected the heavens and earth, painting the night sky in a riot of colors. Titled Douluo were powerful enough to summon celestial phenomena through their individual strength alone.
Five of them charged straight at Mu En, while two concealed themselves and circled around the edges of the battlefield. The remaining two stayed farther away, preparing powerful Soul Skills.
Zhongli Wu stayed atop the Bone Dragon King, watching with a dark gaze.
Mu En watched them calmly. In the next instant, nine Soul Rings appeared behind him: two yellow, one purple, three black, and three red. His Seventh Soul Ring blazed.
Facing them, Mu En went straight to his Martial Soul Avatar and gave the fight everything he had.
"Roar—"
Golden light burst from his hunched body, and a soaring dragon's roar rang out, mighty and clear. The golden radiance flared, blasting the five attackers closest to him away.
A Golden Sacred Dragon hundreds of zhang long coiled through the sky, as if a god had descended.
Zhongli Wu's eyes widened, and his previously steady breathing faltered. He blurted out, "Bright Sacred Dragon?! You're the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En?!"
He was a peerless powerhouse on the continent, renowned alongside the two Limit Douluo of their cult.
To be honest, Zhongli Wu was a little frightened. There was only one level between Level 98 and Level 99, but the difference was like heaven and earth. And Mu En had a Bright Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, which countered Evil Soul Masters.
He glanced at the Evil Soul Masters around him, then steadied his gaze and regained his confidence. He was proud himself. He couldn't let the other man scare him off.
"Hmph. I'd like to see how much strength the Dragon God Douluo, who once shook the continent, still has!"
At Zhongli Wu's thought, the Bone Dragon King beneath him beat its bony wings. Fierce flames and nimble wind elements gathered from every direction. The multicolored sky was quickly replaced by endless swathes of blue and red. He'd been building up power from the very beginning.
Mu En ignored him. He unleashed his First and Third Soul Skills: Bright Dragon Claw and Bright Sacred Dragon Transformation. His aura surged, and his Soul Skill enlarged his already savage dragon claw. It slammed into the Level 95 Scorpion Tiger Douluo nearest to him.
With a tiger's head and paws, a scorpion's body and tail, the Scorpion Tiger Douluo stood more than ten meters tall. Mu En's claw covered him completely. His Ninth Soul Ring flashed, and his aura swelled as his body grew to nearly a hundred meters.
Scorpion Tiger Demon Transformation!
"Roar—"
Eighth Soul Skill, Dragon God Deterrence!
Mu En threw back his head and roared. Rings of golden ripples spread from his dragon head, leaving everyone momentarily dazed. The two who had concealed themselves were forced out of hiding by the roar, while the two a thousand meters away, in the middle of forming their Soul Skills, were interrupted and struck by backlash. They coughed up blood, their auras weakened. Even Zhongli Wu was affected, stumbling in place.
The golden dragon claw struck the Scorpion Tiger Douluo like lightning. Unparalleled force crashed down, knocking him into a mountain hundreds of meters high below. The mountain shattered with a thunderous crash, and the earth shook.
The Scorpion Tiger Douluo had reverted to human form. His clothes were in tatters, his body drenched in blood, and he had fallen unconscious. One blow had gravely wounded him!
Mu En looked at the barely breathing Scorpion Tiger Douluo. A trace of regret flashed through his eyes, but he couldn't afford to follow up with another attack.
The Evil Soul Masters who had recovered stared at him in terror. They swallowed hard and exchanged glances, not daring to attack again for the moment.
The Holy Spirit Cult did have Limit Douluo, but they'd never fought one and didn't know the difference in strength. Now, in a fight to the death, they understood the terror of being at the mercy of a Limit Douluo.
In the blink of an eye, a Super Douluo had been gravely wounded, and two Titled Douluo had been put out of action for the time being.
"What are you afraid of? Keep attacking! There are so many of us—we still have a chance if we stick together. If we run, we'll only die faster!"
Zhongli Wu roared. His voice, infused with spiritual power, seemed to give them courage. They surged forward to surround Mu En once more.
A sea of flames stretched around Zhongli Wu, with towering blue tornadoes swirling above it. Gradually, wind and fire began to merge. He no longer seemed like an Evil Soul Master at all, but the master of the elements of wind and fire.
Three enormous Martial Soul Avatars closed in on Mu En. They cautiously harried him, afraid he would find an opening. All they had to do was buy their leader time to build up power.
Mu En glanced at Zhongli Wu. His accumulating Soul Skill looked terrifying, but the Soul Power within it was scattered. Mu En could tell at a glance that Zhongli Wu hadn't mastered it himself; he could only unleash it with the Bone Dragon King's help.
Mu En turned his attention back to the three enemies before him. All were Level 95 Super Douluo. In front of him was an Evil Phoenix, pitch-black from head to toe, its spread wings wreathed in black flames. It was the Evil Phoenix Douluo, Feng Ling.
To his left was a gigantic green skull—nothing but a head, with green soul fire flickering in its eye sockets. It was the Skeleton Douluo, Gu Ling.
Behind him was nothing but a profound darkness. It was the Dark Douluo, Wu Yun. All three were considerably stronger than ordinary Super Douluo.
Zhongli Wu was Level 98, and with these Evil Soul Masters supporting him, killing him would be incredibly difficult. Mu En could only take them one at a time. Even if Zhongli Wu gravely wounded him, he had to do his best to keep these Evil Soul Masters here for good.
His remaining life was short. If he could kill a few more Evil Soul Masters in his final moments, that would be one last contribution to the continent.
Ninth Soul Skill, Dragon God Domain!
Ninth Soul Skill, Dragon God Descent!
Mu En narrowed his eyes. His dragon body grew once more, reaching a thousand zhang, though it wasn't as solid as before.
Golden light spread rapidly from his body, covering dozens of miles in every direction. A sacred, radiant aura filled the world.
The Evil Soul Masters' overwhelming evil aura was instantly suppressed. To their shock, they realized that their strength had been greatly diminished.
Wu Yun was hit especially hard. The others had been weakened by perhaps twenty or thirty percent, but his Martial Soul controlled the element of darkness. Darkness and light countered each other, and his Martial Soul wasn't of the ultimate darkness attribute, so its quality was suppressed. On top of that, there was a huge difference in their Soul Power. He couldn't bring even half his strength to bear. It was like having nowhere to exert his power.
Beneath the thousand-zhang dragon, the three nearby figures, each a hundred zhang tall, looked like dwarfs beside a giant.
Fifth Soul Skill, Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Tear!
Mu En thrust out his dragon claw and swung it at the strongest of them, the Evil Phoenix Douluo. With the amplification of his Seventh and Ninth Soul Skills, the blow became terrifyingly powerful.
Not a trace of Soul Power leaked from the claw. Pure golden light took the place of its scales.
"Shriek—"
A sharp phoenix cry rang out. Feng Ling beat her wings, unleashing a torrent of black flames.
Eighth Soul Skill, Evil Phoenix Black Flame!
The dragon claw pierced straight through the black flames and slammed into the Evil Phoenix's chest, leaving five ghastly wounds deep enough to expose bone. But the black flames also engulfed the dragon's scales, scorching them black and causing them to fall away. Even the ultimate light couldn't dispel the flames at once.
The Evil Phoenix cried out in pain, and black blood scattered through the air. She crashed to the ground, leaving a huge, semicircular crater.
Mu En was about to press his advantage when the Skeleton Douluo completed his Ninth Soul Skill.
Ten Thousand Bones Devouring Heart!
Countless pale bone claws appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around Mu En and restricting his movements. One especially cold, green claw shot straight for his heart.
At the same time, the Dark Douluo finished charging his attack. Boundless darkness formed into a swarm of black ghostly faces that pounced on Mu En's dragon body, trying to devour him.
Mu En's expression was disdainful, his face full of pride.
Ultimate golden light gathered, built to a crescendo, and erupted.
Dragon Emperor Shocking Domain Boundary!
In that instant, it was as if heaven had descended. Blinding golden light filled everything in sight, and golden orbs appeared in the sky, shifting and transforming.
Dragon heads, dragon bodies, dragon wings, dragon claws, dragon tails. One Bright Sacred Dragon after another, each a hundred zhang long, soared through the sky.
Myriad dragons bowed in worship, every head turned toward Mu En. Their roars shook the heavens and earth.
"Roar—"
Mu En lifted his dragon head high. The next moment, every Golden Sacred Dragon charged toward him.
The Skeleton Douluo and Dark Douluo were horrified. They tried to retreat, but Mu En wasn't about to give them the chance.
Both dragon claws unleashed Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Tear, gripping their bodies tightly. Black smoke poured from his claws, accompanied by their screams.
"Even if we die, we'll make you pay!"
Green and black flames ignited around them as they burned their life force and struggled desperately. Even the Soul Skills they had unleashed earlier surged in power, frantically gnawing at Mu En's body.
Mu En ignored them and tightened his grip.
When the first Bright Sacred Dragon slammed into them, the flames of life within the Skeleton Douluo and Dark Douluo flickered. Countless more Bright Sacred Dragons followed close behind.
Mu En was now like a golden sun, illuminating the world as bright as day. Under the sacred golden light, every demon and monster turned to ash, their souls purified.
This move combined Mu En's spiritual power, Soul Power, Soul Skills, and combat techniques as one. Only by fusing all four perfectly could it unleash such power. It killed not only the Skeleton Douluo and Dark Douluo, but also the two Titled Douluo who had been hiding nearby.
Watching what had just happened, Zhongli Wu felt his heart bleed. Titled Douluo were strategic assets, yet he had lost four in a single fight, including two Super Douluo. The Holy Spirit Cult had spent untold effort and time raising them.
"Die! You'll pay for all of this with your life!"
The wind and fire had finished merging. Driving the Bone Dragon King, Zhongli Wu charged furiously at Mu En. A tornado of blue and red wind and fire raged before him, the flames gaining strength from the wind and the wind from the flames. It held the power to destroy the heavens and earth.
Zhongli Wu had chosen his moment perfectly. He'd seized on the brief weakness Mu En had shown after unleashing his full power. Strike while he's down.
Two purple, five black, and two red Soul Rings appeared—a set far beyond the ideal ratio. Zhongli Wu activated his Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar, yet his appearance remained mostly unchanged. His body grew to about three meters tall. He was small beside Mu En, but an endless aura of death surrounded him. His Martial Soul was the Death God Demon Puppet.
Eighth Soul Skill, Death God Scythe!
Ninth Soul Skill, Death God Harvest!
Zhongli Wu gripped the Death God Scythe in his right hand. Its black handle was long, and its curved blade gleamed with a chilling white light.
He swung his right hand fiercely. The Death God Scythe instantly grew many times larger, tearing through space. Its deep-black blade and the tornado of wind and fire below attacked Mu En together.
The Bright Sacred Dragon Mu En had become shrank back to several hundred zhang. Its golden scales were dull and covered in wounds left by the four Super Douluo. It looked dreadful, but none of the injuries were fatal.
He calmly watched the attacks descend toward him. The next moment, his Eighth Soul Ring flashed.
Sacred Light Protection!
He intended to withstand the attack head-on.
Golden light spilled from his scales once more, but it was no longer as dazzling or solid as before. He'd spent far too much of his strength in the previous attack.
The tornado of wind and fire burned and sliced at him without restraint, clinging to him like a bone-deep parasite. The black blade's light split his scales and flesh before finally stopping at his bones.
A tragic dragon's roar echoed through the sky. The Bright Sacred Dragon thrashed desperately, its scales broken and golden blood pouring out.
"Hahaha! The Dragon God Douluo is nothing special after all. Today, I'll slay you, you dragon!"
Zhongli Wu laughed wildly. Once Mu En was dead, Shrek would have lost half its strength. Without a Limit Douluo to guard it, wouldn't it be theirs to manipulate? Seen that way, today's losses were acceptable.
As he watched the Bright Sacred Dragon's struggles grow weaker and weaker, a thought suddenly came to him.
If he devoured the Bright Sacred Dragon, then with its quality and Mu En's cultivation, he could definitely break through his bottleneck and become a Limit Douluo.
That was right. He could increase his strength and evolve his Martial Soul by devouring all kinds of Soul Beasts and Soul Masters. His Death God Demon Puppet had evolved through constant devouring until its quality surpassed even his mother's Blood Soul Demon Puppet.
Once the thought appeared, he couldn't drive it away.
He licked his lips, excitement and greed rising in his eyes.
Still, he cautiously watched the Bright Sacred Dragon. It was on its last breath, with huge patches of scales fallen away. Its entire body looked charred, and its skin was marked with cuts.
His prey had to be alive for him to devour it. Only after making sure there was no problem did he cautiously approach.
Even when Zhongli Wu laid his hand on the dragon's body, it showed no reaction.
"Hahahaha!!!"
"Once I become a Limit Douluo, the world will belong to my Holy Spirit Cult. No one will be able to stop our rise!"
"Evil Soul Masters are the masters of the world!"
Zhongli Wu could already picture how intoxicating his future would be.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
The Bright Sacred Dragon's closed eyes snapped open. It opened its jaws wide and spat out a golden Dragon Pill.
Zhongli Wu's laughing face froze. A vast energy, as boundless as the ocean, surged like crashing waves. An indescribable terror washed over him. He was horrified to discover that space had been immobilized. He couldn't even summon enough Soul Power to self-destruct.
Mu En returned to human form. Strangely, his body seemed somewhat translucent. It wasn't his physical body, but a unique external incarnation he had cultivated.
His figure flickered, and he was already several miles away. He stretched out his hand and curled his fingers into a fist.
The next moment, the Dragon Pill shone with brilliant light. A dragon-shaped apparition, filled with a violent aura, burst out and charged at Zhongli Wu with unparalleled force.
"No—!"
Zhongli Wu's desperate scream was swallowed by the dragon apparition. The apparition clamped its jaws around him and shot straight into the sky.
"Boom—"
Brilliant golden light bloomed in the sky, like the rising sun. The shockwaves scattered the clouds and parted the veil of night. Golden and moonlight shone together as the stars glittered, creating a breathtaking sight.
The leader of a generation of the Holy Spirit Cult had fallen.
Mu En recalled the Dragon Pill and merged it back into his body. He hadn't managed to completely erase the violent energy inside it even after a century of nurturing, yet today he had finally done so. Was this his reward for ridding the world of evil?
It was a shame that four had escaped. He looked around. At some point, the Evil Phoenix Douluo, the Scorpion Tiger Douluo, and the Bone Dragon King had been carried away by the two remaining Titled Douluo.
He was already at the end of his strength; there was no way he could chase them. His already short remaining lifespan had dwindled even further.
The war between the Sun Moon Empire and the Eastern Three Kingdoms had grown increasingly intense. He had come to the Sun Moon Empire to investigate its true strength, but he hadn't expected to sense, deep within Mingde Hall, a Soul Tool capable of threatening even his life. Now he had unexpectedly run into an organized group of Evil Soul Masters as well.
Troubled times were upon them. War would break out on all fronts sooner or later. What would Shrek do then?
Mu En's eyes filled with worry. He sighed. "Sigh..."
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