The battle on Shrek Academy's side had reached a life-or-death juncture.
Mu En knew his own situation clearly. Though he possessed the Radiant Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, he was ultimately still a notch below the Beast God, Di Tian. Even if he exhausted his last shred of fortune and forcibly self-destructed, he would likely only be able to severely wound the Black Dragon Emperor. He simply could not stop him from destroying Shrek.
Since victory by force was impossible, only one desperate measure remained.
His gaze swept to the side and landed on Xuan Zi. Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul carried the bloodline of Taotie, one of the Dragon God's nine sons! In terms of rank, it was an existence capable of standing on equal footing with Di Tian.
"Fall back!"
Mu En shouted in a low voice, shaking the dragon spear in his hand and sweeping out a curtain of light.
Di Tian struck with a claw as well. The black dragon claw tore through the sky, and the two terrifying forces collided, unleashing violent shockwaves that forced both men at the center of the battlefield back dozens of steps.
After steadying himself, Di Tian stood with his hands behind his back, his golden pupils filled with disdain. He sneered. "Mu En, you've grown old at last. In your prime, perhaps you could have made me wary. But now, what do you have to stop me?"
Mu En straightened his back. There was not the slightest trace of fear on his aged face; instead, a flash of resolve appeared. "Whether I'm old or not is none of your concern. And whether I can stop you isn't for you to decide."
Before his words had faded, Mu En abruptly turned and shouted sternly at Xuan Zi in the distance, "Xuan Zi! Come here!"
That furious shout carried Mu En's vast spiritual power, instantly piercing through the chaos of the battlefield.
In an instant, everyone who had been fighting seemed to have been frozen in place. Whether Shrek's Soul Masters or the Soul Beast army, all stopped moving and looked over in uncertainty.
Yan Shaozhe frowned deeply, at a loss. "What is Elder Mu trying to do?"
Hearing the call, Xuan Zi flashed forward and instantly appeared at Mu En's side, his expression grave. "Elder Mu!"
Without wasting a word, Mu En's hand shot out and landed on Xuan Zi's shoulder. From his palm, immense Radiant Sacred Dragon Soul Power surged into Xuan Zi's body like a bursting river.
"I'll pass my lifelong Soul Power to you. Immediately use everything you have to awaken the Taotie bloodline within you! Whether Shrek can be saved depends on this one gamble!"
Xuan Zi's heart jolted, and he instantly understood Mu En's intentions. Mu En intended to use his entire cultivation as a catalyst to forcibly awaken the strongest bloodline sleeping within him!
"Yes, Elder Mu!"
A sharp light burst from Xuan Zi's eyes. He no longer hesitated and immediately guided that immense Soul Power through his limbs and bones.
Boom—!
As the Soul Power entered his body, it was as though a volcano dormant for ten thousand years had been ignited. An unprecedentedly terrifying aura erupted from Xuan Zi, and the originally heavy earthy-yellow light around him now revealed traces of noble dark gold.
It was a call from ancient times.
Roar—!
A desolate yet tyrannical roar seemed to cross time and space before exploding between heaven and earth.
Behind Xuan Zi, the phantom of an incomparably massive Godly Taotie Bull slowly emerged. Unlike before, it was no longer illusory; it exuded an almost tangible pressure. Its enormous maw opened as though it could devour heaven and earth alike.
The people of Shrek stared at the phantom of the divine beast, and hope instantly ignited in their eyes. They all understood Elder Mu's intentions—he intended to use the bloodline of the true Taotie god to confront the Beast God, Di Tian!
At the same time, Di Tian's expression changed in the distance.
He stared fixedly at that Taotie phantom. The disdain on his face instantly collapsed, replaced by extreme shock and the rage that followed.
"This is... Uncle Taotie's aura?!"
Di Tian bristled all over, and his roar shook the heavens. "Good! Good! Good! You dare defile the Dragon Clan's most noble bloodline! Humans, you are courting death!"
The moment Di Tian's words fell, the awakening of Xuan Zi's bloodline was finally complete.
Rumble—
A suppression of rank originating from the depths of the soul instantly swept across the battlefield. The Godly Taotie Bull phantom stared at Di Tian with lightning-like eyes.
Though Xuan Zi's cultivation was inferior to Di Tian's, the pressure of his bloodline actually faintly overwhelmed Di Tian's!
After all, Taotie was one of the Nine Dragon Kings. In terms of bloodline seniority, he stood a full rank above Di Tian, the "Black Dragon" who served as a vassal of the Dragon God!
This was the pressure of an ancestor, the absolute crushing force of bloodline!
Cheers had just erupted from atop Shrek City's walls.
Yan Shaozhe stared at the towering figure in the distance, his eyes filled with incredulous horror. Elder Xuan had actually suppressed Di Tian? That was the foremost of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, the peerless Soul Beast hailed as the Beast Emperor!
Beside him, the barrel of the Class 8 Soul Tool in Qian Duoduo's hand was still faintly hot. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and a relieved smile rose on his lips. "Is it over? That old dragon finally..."
Before he could finish, it was as though an invisible hand had clutched everyone's throats.
The once-noisy city walls fell deathly silent.
In the distance, Di Tian, who had been suppressed, slowly turned around. There was no sign of the collapse they had expected beneath his feet. Instead, an ancient, obscure black disk condensed there. The Black Dragon Sword, symbolizing the Black Dragon King's supreme authority, was not pointed at an enemy, but respectfully embedded in the disk.
Then, a sight that stopped everyone present from breathing appeared.
Di Tian bent his knee.
The dragon eyes that had once terrified countless experts lost their arrogance, leaving only devotion. He slowly knelt, both knees touching the ground. He was not facing Shrek, but bowing solemnly toward the depths of the Star Dou Forest's core.
"This..."
The folding fan in Yan Shaozhe's hand nearly slipped free, and his eyes almost bulged from their sockets. "There's actually an existence in the Star Dou Forest capable of making Di Tian kneel!"
The moment that bow was made, heaven and earth changed color!
Rumble—!
Deep within the distant Star Dou Forest, an incomparably dazzling pillar of white light shot into the sky without warning. It instantly pierced the clouds, crossed space, and struck directly into Di Tian's body with perfect precision!
That was no ordinary light. It was the legendary Colorless Realm Divine Power, a gift from the supreme Silver Dragon King!
Roar—!!!
Di Tian threw back his head and roared, his body trembling violently within the white light. The next instant, all darkness faded away. His originally golden vertical pupils transformed under the influx of that power into pure, sacred white eyes!
At that moment, Di Tian no longer possessed even a trace of ferocity. In its place was a divinity and majesty that made heaven and earth tremble.
Atop the city wall, Xuan Zi felt as though his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer.
The Taotie bloodline within him, which had been boiling from the fierce battle, now seemed to have encountered its true king. It trembled violently and shrank back, faintly giving rise to an uncontrollable urge to submit!
That was suppression originating from the core of life, the absolute crushing force of bloodline rank!
"What kind of pressure is this? It can actually make my Taotie wish to worship!"
Xuan Zi's face turned deathly pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Looking at the utterly transformed Beast Emperor, a deep sense of helplessness rose within him.
Even Taotie had no will to fight.
This battle was over!
Mu En beside him naturally fared no better. The Radiant Sacred Dragon within him trembled, as though his Martial Soul would shatter and flee at any moment.
"The Radiant Sacred Dragon within me actually wants to run away. What kind of pressure is this?"
At that moment, the question in his mind was the same as Xuan Zi's. They could not comprehend what kind of power this was.
Even the Sacred Dragon had no will to fight.
This battle was over!
----------------------I'm also writing this according to the anime adaptation. I think this works better.
Before you continue