Xuan Zi's Death

Xuan Zi took a deep breath and suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

He had lived for so many years. What kind of scene had he not witnessed?

Yet at this moment, he truly felt somewhat panicked.

It was not that he feared death, but that he feared dying without understanding why.

"Dean Shen, Offering Elder Qian, what... do you mean by this?"

Xuan Zi hunched over, his face bearing that signature foolish grin, but the sharpness in his eyes exposed his true emotions.

Shen Zhou leaped down from the withered tree, landed on the official road, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Elder Xuan, let's speak plainly.

You came to Martial Soul Academy tonight ostensibly to investigate, but in truth, you were here to test us.

And after testing us, you thought you could simply leave?"

"This old man does not understand what Dean Shen means."

Xuan Zi chuckled. "This old man merely came to take a look. I meant no harm."

"No harm?"

Shen Zhou sneered. "That palm strike of yours was 'no harm'?"

Xuan Zi's smile stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.

"This old man already said it. I merely wished to test Dean Shen's strength.

Dean Shen's strength is formidable. This old man admires you."

"After admiring it, how were you going to report back to Mu En?"

Shen Zhou stared into his eyes. "Tell him that Martial Soul Academy has a Limit Douluo, several Titled Douluo, the Spirit Pagoda, and ancient formations—and then what?

Suggest that Mu En gather the Sea God Pavilion elders and come wipe us out?"

Xuan Zi's pupils constricted slightly.

"Dean Shen must be joking."

"I am not joking."

Shen Zhou's voice turned cold. "Elder Xuan, you wave the banner of 'maintaining continental stability,' yet what you do is eliminate dissidents.

Did you think I could not see through you?"

Xuan Zi's smile vanished completely.

He straightened up. His hunched figure became erect, his cloudy old eyes turned clear and sharp, and a terrifying aura spread from his body.

The pressure of a Level 98 Super Douluo weighed down on everyone like a mountain. The weeds on both sides of the official road were flattened against the ground, while several withered trees creaked as though they might snap at any moment.

"Dean Shen, this old man respects you as a true man and does not wish to make things difficult for you."

Xuan Zi's voice was low and forceful. "But if you insist on opposing Shrek, this old man does not mind showing you what true strength is."

Shen Zhou looked at him and smiled.

"Elder Xuan, have you misunderstood something?"

"What?"

"It is not us opposing Shrek. It is you opposing my Martial Soul Academy."

Shen Zhou raised his right hand, and the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear appeared out of thin air in his palm. Nine Soul Rings rose beneath his feet: one yellow, two purple, four black, and two red.

The radiance of the two red Soul Rings dyed the entire wilderness blood-red.

"And besides, you are not qualified."

Xuan Zi stared fixedly at those two red Soul Rings, his throat tightening.

Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings—two of them.

In all his years, he had never seen such a terrifying configuration.

"Xiaotao."

Xuan Zi spoke quietly.

"Elder Xuan?"

Ma Xiaotao's voice trembled slightly.

"Take them and leave.

Go, quickly."

"Elder Xuan—"

"Go!"

Xuan Zi abruptly turned around and shoved Ma Xiaotao backward. At the same time, he unleashed his Martial Soul—the Godly Taotie Bull.

An enormous phantom of a divine bull appeared behind him. Its entire body was pitch-black, its eyes blazed like torches, and it radiated a terrifying aura capable of devouring everything.

Nine Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—circled his body. Though they did not match Qian Daoliu's configuration, they were enough to make any opponent wary.

Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth, grabbed Dai Yueheng, and ran backward.

The four Inspection Group members followed close behind, their faces deathly pale as they scrambled away in panic.

Shen Zhou did not spare them a glance. His gaze remained fixed on Xuan Zi.

"White Emperor."

"Here!"

Er Ha sprang forward from behind.

"Stop those youngsters. Do not let them escape."

"Going all out!"

Er Ha kicked off with all four legs, his silver-white form chasing after Ma Xiaotao and the others like lightning.

Xuan Zi's expression changed. Just as he wanted to stop him, Qian Daoliu had already blocked his path.

"Your opponent is me."

Qian Daoliu's voice was as calm as still water. The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul erupted at full strength, and golden light illuminated several hundred meters around them as brightly as day.

The golden figure reflected in Xuan Zi's pupils, and his heart sank to the bottom.

He knew he was no match for Qian Daoliu.

The gap between Level 98 and Level 99 could not be bridged by willpower.

Moreover, Qian Daoliu had already touched the threshold of Level 100, a height Xuan Zi could never reach even if he exhausted his entire life.

But he could not retreat.

If he retreated, Ma Xiaotao and those children were finished.

"Qian Daoliu!"

Xuan Zi roared. The Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul erupted at full force, all nine Soul Rings lighting up at once. His eighth Soul Ring flashed—Taotie Devour!

A huge black vortex condensed before him. A terrifying suction force came from within it, dragging everything around it inward.

The scattered stones, weeds, soil, even the air itself were sucked inside and vanished into the depths of the vortex.

Qian Daoliu did not move in the slightest.

Golden light radiated from his body, isolating that suction force outside.

He raised his right hand, and the Angel Holy Sword condensed in his palm. The red Soul Ring among his nine Soul Rings—the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring elevated through the Spirit Pagoda—suddenly lit up.

"Angel Judgment."

Qian Daoliu's voice was not loud, yet it sounded like the verdict of a god.

The golden holy sword descended. Wherever its sword light passed, even the void was split apart.

Before the golden sword light, the black vortex was like paper. It was torn apart in an instant.

The sword light did not lose momentum and slashed toward Xuan Zi.

Xuan Zi's pupils abruptly shrank as he dodged with all his strength.

The golden sword light grazed his left shoulder, taking away a large piece of flesh.

He let out a muffled groan and staggered. His left arm hung limply at his side, blood dripping from his fingertips.

"So strong..."

Xuan Zi gritted his teeth and looked up at Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu gave him no chance to catch his breath.

The Six-Winged Angel's wings flapped, and his body turned into a streak of golden light. He appeared before Xuan Zi in an instant, sweeping the Angel Holy Sword horizontally.

Xuan Zi barely raised his right arm to block it, and the Godly Taotie Bull phantom shielded him from the front.

**Crack—**the sound of bones breaking.

Xuan Zi's right arm twisted at an unnatural angle. His entire body flew backward, rolling dozens of meters across the ground before crashing into a withered tree and finally stopping.

The withered tree snapped in response, splinters scattering everywhere.

Xuan Zi lay amid the wreckage, gasping heavily.

A large chunk of flesh had been cut from his left shoulder, his right arm was broken, and not a single part of his body remained uninjured.

Blood soaked his gray cloth robe and gathered into a small pool beneath him.

Qian Daoliu walked up to him and looked down at him from above.

"Any last words?"

Qian Daoliu's voice remained calm. There was no anger, no hatred, only a detached calmness like judgment.

Xuan Zi raised his head, pulling his lips into an ugly smile.

"This old man... this old man has lived for more than a hundred years. It is enough."

He coughed several times and spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm.

"But this old man wants to know... who exactly are you?

Has Spirit Hall... truly returned?"

Qian Daoliu fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Spirit Hall never truly left.

It merely continued to exist on this continent in another way."

A complicated expression flashed through Xuan Zi's eyes.

"Mu En... will avenge me."

"Mu En?"

Qian Daoliu shook his head. "He will not.

He is a smart man. He knows what should be done and what should not."