Heh heh heh

Originally, You Jie had planned to leave Shrek Academy early to accompany Zhang Lexuan to the old Zhang family estate to pay respects at their graves.

However, Zhang Lexuan knew that You Jie still had matters to attend to at the Soul Tool Department, so she told him to join her once he had finished his work there.

You Jie had already followed Zhang Lexuan there once before, so even without anyone to guide him, he could find his way without issue.

Along the way, he excitedly pushed the Duel Runner to a considerable speed, but because he had installed a noise-reduction core array into the soul tool engine, You Jie did not create the effect of a "ghost fire" bike tearing through the streets.

No wonder the entire 5DS is practically built on Turbo Duels; the feeling of a Turbo Duel is truly different...

However, with my current driving skills, I still need to practice for a while longer before I can reach the level required for a proper Turbo Duel. Otherwise, even if I have a massive advantage, I'll end up crashing for some inexplicable reason.

When You Jie arrived near the former Zhang estate, he came to a stop, retracted the Duel Runner back into his storage soul tool, and thought with a lingering sense of excitement.

Normally, he should have immediately summarized the problems that appeared in this prototype to prepare for the next iteration, but You Jie had more important things to do next.

"Not bad. I didn't expect this soul tool of yours to be so fast; you managed to get here in less than a day."

Mu En's figure suddenly appeared beside You Jie, his gaze still lingering with interest on You Jie's Duel Runner.

"The road conditions were mostly good, so I was able to push the speed... By the way, Mystic Ancestor, where is Sister Lexuan now? What exactly happened to the Zhang family back then?

"Last year you were still using excuses to brush me off, but surely you can tell me now?"

You Jie knew that Mu En had always kept him and his clone protecting himself and Zhang Lexuan respectively, which was why he asked.

Perhaps it was because Zhang Lexuan's strength was now sufficient to handle things on her own, but she had to perform many tasks every time she visited the graves, far more tedious than the ancestor worship You Jie remembered.

You Jie didn't know if this was the etiquette and rules of the Heaven Dou Empire's nobility, or if it was...

Furthermore, regarding the incident where Zhang Lexuan was saved by Mu En, Mu En had always remained tight-lipped.

You Jie naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to ask Zhang Lexuan and make her relive such a terrifying experience, so if Mu En wouldn't say, he had no way of finding out.

"Lexuan is still busy; you can go help her once you arrive. As for what happened back then... sigh, it still has to do with the Evil Soul Masters."

Mu En sighed, walking alongside You Jie as he recounted the events of that year.

In short, a Shrek Academy inspection team led by Yan Shaozhe was hunting down several Evil Soul Master Soul Douluos at the time.

However, Yan Shaozhe and his team made a mistake during the mission, allowing one of them to escape using a special technique.

That Soul Douluo, seeking revenge and also to complete another contract he had received, chose to target several noble families in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Mu En only realized the gravity of the situation after receiving a personal report from Yan Shaozhe. He immediately set out, but he was still a step too late; the Zhang family had already been nearly wiped out.

...To be able to keep his seat as the Dean of the Martial Soul Department after such a massive failure, isn't the fact that the academy is strong on the outside but weak on the inside a bit too obvious?

You Jie complained in his heart.

The extent of Shrek Academy's personnel shortage was beyond imagination; otherwise, Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe would have been severely punished long ago. How could they still be allowed to wander around Shrek Academy so leisurely?

Not long after, they arrived at a reasonably well-maintained cemetery, which was the final resting place for the members of the Zhang family.

Just as You Jie was preparing to go help Zhang Lexuan, he suddenly felt a slight burning sensation on his arm, and at the same time, a sense of crisis welled up in his heart.

"Tell me, Mystic Ancestor, are you certain you cleared out all those Evil Soul Masters for Dean Yan back then?"

You Jie immediately prepared for combat and asked.

"The targets on the contract were all killed, but it seems the other side has people backing them as well..."

Mu En waved his hand, and You Jie was gently pushed to Zhang Lexuan's side. At the same time, Mu En stood in front of them, his spiritual power already locked onto a target in the distance.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect that a little girl from the Zhang family actually survived. A Moon Martial Soul? Excellent, the hope for my Hellhound to evolve has grown even greater..."

As a strange, eerie laughter echoed around them, a freak hidden under a black robe, his body wreathed in black mist, appeared in their field of vision.

You Jie looked at Mu En with some surprise, but then he realized something.

Mu En's aura was not fully unleashed at this moment. In the eyes of that guy who kept cackling, he looked like nothing more than a Title Douluo who had just crossed the threshold.

If You Jie's judgment was correct, this guy emitting the "hehehe" laughter had to be an Evil Soul Master Title Douluo, which was why he could make such a declaration with such confidence.

Presumably, he was some kind of patron or elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, and Mu En not attacking immediately was likely to determine if there was anyone else behind this guy.

Then, a flash of golden light streaked by. The Evil Soul Master who had been cackling just a moment ago was now being gripped by the throat by a golden humanoid figure and lifted into the air with one hand.

His soul rings appeared for only a split second before being suppressed by a more powerful force, and his body could only flail in the air, making some futile attempts at resistance.

I just stood up, and he was taken out in one move... Is this the gap between a healthy Mu En and a crippled Mu En?

Seeing the abruptly silenced laughter, You Jie realized the truth.

Crippled Mu En: Led a group of Sea God Pavilion elders on home turf to fight a few weak Evil Soul Masters, only managed to leave one alive, and even let Ma Xiaotao escape.

Healthy Mu En: Instantly kills an Evil Soul Master Title Douluo, leaving the opponent with no power to fight back.

"Watch closely, this is my Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Slash!"

Mu En spoke suddenly, and the golden figure slowly raised his left hand, the light on it becoming even more blinding.

Following that, the hand struck the Evil Soul Master eighteen times in rapid succession across his entire body, controlling the power perfectly so that You Jie and Zhang Lexuan could see the entire process clearly.

Afterward, the Evil Soul Master stopped struggling, his entire body trembling like a sieve, and the spots where Mu En had struck seemed to glow from the inside out.

Those rays of light gradually spread across the Evil Soul Master's body, eventually connecting into a vast web.

The cold, sinister aura on him had vanished, replaced by the fresh scent of bedding that had been exposed to the sun for a long time.

Then, the Evil Soul Master's body turned into a pile of ash, accumulating at the feet of the golden figure.