Shrek? The Continent's Number One Blight!

Yan Shaozhe's eyes immediately turned bloodshot at Du Busi's provocative words, and he panted like a bull:

"Du Busi! You are slandering Shrek! You are making an enemy of Shrek!"

Du Busi's expression abruptly turned cold, and he completely lost his patience:

"I am slandering Shrek. I do look down on Shrek. So what!"

"Who the hell do you think you are? Even if Xuan Zi came, he wouldn't dare speak to me like that."

The terrifying pressure of rank ninety-eight erupted without warning, forcing Yan Shaozhe's back to bend on the spot.

Yan Jingchuan was speechless. He seriously suspected Yan Shaozhe had drunk too much. He actually dared to spout nonsense at Du Busi despite the gap between rank ninety-five and rank ninety-eight.

Shrek's brainwashing really was something else.

After rank ninety, every single rank was worlds apart. Of course, Tang Hao—the Sound-System Douluo who seemed to have cheated with the original Asura God's powers—was an exception.

Having regained a little of his senses, Yan Shaozhe still wanted to say something, but Du Busi had already become thoroughly fed up.

His entire body began to swell. His short frame rapidly stretched taller, and in the blink of an eye, he became a three-meter-tall, green-haired giant packed with bulging muscles.

Du Busi teleported before Yan Shaozhe and drove a fist straight into his face.

With a boom accompanied by the crisp crack of breaking bones, Yan Shaozhe was sent flying backward on his back without even leaving an afterimage.

Du Busi clapped his hands twice, then spat on the ground.

Yan Jingchuan's lips twitched. Though this was somewhat unexpected, it seemed the issue of Shrek's pursuers had been temporarily resolved.

That did not mean the matter was over. On the contrary, after humiliating Shrek like this, given Shrek's vindictive nature, Yan Jingchuan would inevitably face a continent-wide manhunt from Shrek.

As Yan Jingchuan pondered this, Du Busi lifted him with one hand.

"Hm? Senior, you..."

"Let's go. I'll find you your first soul ring."

Du Busi's noticeably rougher voice left Yan Jingchuan stunned. He had thought Du Busi was merely saying that to disgust Yan Shaozhe.

"What kind of expression is that? Did you think I was just talking?"

Du Busi was immediately displeased by Yan Jingchuan's reaction.

"Uh... no, no! Senior Du's great name resounds throughout the Soul Master world. Naturally, you keep your word and act on your promises!"

Yan Jingchuan promptly chose the wiser course.

"Mm~"

Highly pleased, Du Busi carried Yan Jingchuan into the sky and sped straight toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The speed of a peak Hyper Douluo was truly terrifying. Before long, they saw the dense Star Dou Great Forest.

Looking down at the forest below, Yan Jingchuan felt deeply conflicted.

Just two days ago, he had crossed mountains and rivers, taking a huge detour to reach Heaven Dou City. He had not expected to be back here today.

The two descended into the forest. Du Busi did not venture too deeply, since he was still on the Star Dou Great Forest's blacklist.

A few years ago, the Noumenon Sect had ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest, killing many Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and three Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. This had triggered a beast tide, and the ferocious beasts of the core region probably wanted nothing more than to flay Du Busi alive.

Fortunately, they were only looking for a hundred-year soul beast for his first soul ring. However, finding a dark-attributed soul beast or a draconic soul beast suitable for the Dark Sacred Dragon would likely take some effort.

"Kid, tell me what exactly happened between you and Shrek. How did you make that Yan Shaozhe hate you so much?"

As Du Busi released his immense spiritual power to search for soul beasts, he casually chatted with Yan Jingchuan.

He did not doubt Yan Jingchuan's relationship with Shrek. Yan Shaozhe's killing intent could not have been faked, but Du Busi had not figured out some of the details.

"I awakened an evil martial soul, and they wanted to cripple me."

Yan Jingchuan appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he raised his guard, afraid he might reveal something he should not.

Du Busi, who was walking ahead, turned back and gave him a deep look.

Afraid Du Busi would notice something strange and start digging into the matter, Yan Jingchuan decided to seize the initiative, control the conversation's pace, and shift his attention:

"Senior, you have a grudge against Mu En, the master of Sea God Pavilion, don't you?"

The moment this question came out, Du Busi stopped dead and fixed Yan Jingchuan with an intense stare:

"Who told you that?"

It was no wonder Du Busi was suspicious. After all, that matter had happened a long time ago.

"No one. I merely heard about it."

Du Busi frowned. Before he could ask anything else, Yan Jingchuan continued:

"Senior, I can tell you that you still have a chance for revenge. Mu En is still alive."

The five words, "Mu En is still alive," struck Du Busi's heart like a bolt of thunder.

His pupils shook, and the aura around his body nearly spiraled out of control:

"How is that possible! How is that possible?!"

Du Busi's huge hands clamped down on Yan Jingchuan's shoulders like iron pincers:

"He was poisoned by my elder brother's life-bound venom! How could he possibly still be alive!"

Pain shot through Yan Jingchuan's shoulders beneath Du Busi's grip, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Suddenly realizing he had lost control, Du Busi released Yan Jingchuan, but he still pressed on:

"Are you really certain Mu En is alive? Can you confirm that it was Mu En?"

As Yan Jingchuan rubbed his shoulders, his mind remained perfectly clear. The plan had succeeded; Du Busi's attention had been successfully diverted.

At this point in time, Du Busi had never imagined Mu En was still alive. The greatest knot in his heart was his elder brother's death, so nothing was better than using Mu En's existence to draw away Du Busi's attention.

"I am certain it was Mu En—the Bright Sacred Dragon of the Black-and-White Sacred Dragons. He really did not die, though he does not have many years left to live."

After the shock came overwhelming joy. Du Busi finally had a chance to avenge his elder brother.

Worried that Du Busi would rush to Shrek right now and fight Mu En to the death, Yan Jingchuan hurriedly doused him with cold water:

"Senior, do not be too optimistic. Mu En is now a rank ninety-nine Limit Douluo!"

After Yan Jingchuan explained Mu En's situation in detail, Du Busi's expression gradually darkened.

After a long while, Du Busi let out a deep sigh, then stared at Yan Jingchuan with blazing eyes:

"Good! Good! Excellent! As long as he is alive, I have a chance. So what if he is a Limit Douluo? I can break through to that level too. When that day comes, I will make him accompany my elder brother in death!"

After steadying his emotions, Du Busi solemnly declared:

"Yan Jingchuan, right? Kid, for telling me about Mu En, I owe you one!"

"If you ever need anything in the future, just speak. So long as it does not harm the Noumenon Sect's interests, I will definitely help you!"

Yan Jingchuan showed a delighted expression. He had not expected to gain Du Busi's friendship as an unexpected reward:

"Thank you, Senior..."

Their relationship had suddenly grown much closer, and Yan Jingchuan felt far more at ease.

Their mutual probing gradually turned into genuine conversation.

"Kid Yan, what do you think of Shrek today?"

Yan Jingchuan pondered slightly, thinking of Tang San, then of the elders of Sea God Pavilion, as well as Shrek's absurd school mottos and rules over the past ten thousand years.

"Shrek? Nothing more than the continent's number one blight!"

Upon hearing this, Du Busi was stunned for quite a while. He had never expected Yan Jingchuan to say something like that:

"You do not resent them simply because Shrek targeted you, do you?"

Yan Jingchuan smiled and spread his hands:

"Senior Du, there is no personal bias in my assessment. These are all objective facts."

Du Busi became interested:

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind the countless sects across the continent. Just consider the three great empires. Shrek is merely an academy, yet it stands independent of the three empires, possesses a city of its own, and collects taxes independently."

"For such a colossal entity, which imperial family among the great empires does not support it openly while fearing it secretly? Deep down, they probably hope for Shrek's downfall more than anyone else."

Listening to Yan Jingchuan's views, Du Busi silently nodded to himself. He had not expected someone so young to see through these matters.

While agreeing inwardly, he also regretted that Yan Jingchuan did not possess a body martial soul.

The two wandered through the Star Dou Great Forest for two days, yet found nothing.

It was not until near noon on the third day that Du Busi finally discovered something.