Shrek in Flames

Although Mu En had phrased it as a request, his words left no room for negotiation.

With his strength temporarily restored to its peak and bolstered by the Golden Tree's power, Mu En was unquestionably the strongest human on the entire Douluo Continent at that moment.

Facing Mu En in this state, Du Busi felt his heart tighten high in the sky. His Spiritual Power and instincts told him clearly that the current Mu En was far, far stronger than the old man who had needed a wheelchair before.

In fact, he was dangerous enough that the slightest misstep could cost Du Busi his life.

Du Busi's expression turned grave. In a low voice, he asked, "Mu En, can your remaining vitality really sustain you in this state?"

Mu En said calmly, "More than enough to maintain it for a while. At the very least, I have enough time to deal with you."

Du Busi pondered for a moment. He understood that if he fought Mu En to the death now, there could only be one outcome: he would die, and Mu En would live. At most, he could force Mu En to expend so much vitality that he died of old age. As for taking the million people of Shrek City down with him, he probably could no longer manage it.

That meant he could no longer threaten Mu En with the lives of Shrek City's million residents to force him to hand over Chen An.

Although Du Busi was arrogant, conceited, and reckless, he was certainly no fool. Once he realized he had no means of threatening Mu En, he immediately decided to change strategies.

Du Busi thought to himself, That old bastard Mu En is burning through a considerable amount of vitality to force himself to remain at his peak. All things considered, I've already come out ahead.

Even if I can't bring Chen An back to the Body Sect this time, once Mu En dies of old age, won't Shrek Academy be mine to squeeze as I please with only Xuan Zi left? Taking Chen An away then will be child's play.

By that reckoning, if I keep fighting this old ghost Mu En, who doesn't have long to live, I'll be the one losing out.

I've still got fifty years left. Trading my life for someone with only a few years remaining would be a crushing loss.

Having weighed the gains and losses, Du Busi immediately agreed to Mu En's request.

The two peak experts would refrain from fighting, leaving the experts under their command to decide who would take Chen An.

Seeing Du Busi agree, Mu En nodded. He was confident that he could finish Du Busi off while also preventing his final counterattack from destroying Shrek City.

But the price would be far too steep and might exhaust his vitality entirely. No matter how powerful he had been at his peak, he was old now, after all.

Mu En still wanted a few years to put his affairs in order and train Chen An as his successor.

He had also considered the possibility that Du Busi would attack Shrek Academy again after his death to seize Chen An.

Mu En had already decided to merge his soul into the Golden Tree after he died, thereby gaining complete control over its power. If Du Busi dared come, he would show him just how terrifying the Golden Tree's true demigod power was!

Soon, Du Busi and Mu En stood side by side, watching Shrek Academy from high in the sky.

As Mu En's golden eyes took in the academy's current state, his heart ached terribly.

Shrek Academy had been caught in the fighting of dozens of Titled Douluos.

Vast swathes of vegetation had been destroyed, along with all the statues in Shrek Square depicting the Golden Iron Triangle who had founded Shrek Academy and the original Shrek Seven Devils.

The teaching buildings, Soul Fighting Arena, assessment grounds, dormitories, faculty offices, and other structures had all cracked apart as well.

But that was not the worst of it. The real issue was the casualties.

Some teachers and students hiding in shelters and basements had done everything they could to remain concealed, yet the shock waves of Titled Douluo-level battles had still reached them, leaving them dead or wounded.

The Inner Court teachers, elders, and Sea God Pavilion Elders who had blocked the Body Sect's experts had also suffered heavy casualties.

Two Titled Douluo elders alone had fallen, while as many as seven or eight Soul Douluo-level Inner Court teachers had died.

His disciple Yan Shaozhe had even been blasted apart by a Body Sect Super Douluo whose martial soul was his heart, using his body martial soul's second awakening. If not for the Nirvana soul skill unique to his phoenix martial soul bringing him back to life, he would likely have succumbed to his grievous injuries.

Besides Yan Shaozhe, Mei'er was badly injured as well, her arm broken. The others had also suffered injuries to varying degrees.

Only Xuan Zi, with his thick hide and tough flesh, remained uninjured. He had even gained the upper hand against Jinpeng, though victory was still a long way off.

While Mu En grieved over Shrek Academy's casualties,

Du Busi beside him was so distressed that he nearly stamped his feet.

Du Busi had spared no expense on this attempt to bring Chen An back from Shrek Academy to the Body Sect.

He had deployed ten Titled Douluo elders and sixteen Soul Douluo-level deacons.

Every one of them had mastered a Silver-Tier Body Martial Soul Second Awakening. Du Busi had not even brought any Soul Douluos with bronze-tier body martial soul second awakenings.

He had brought the very cream of the Body Sect's elite.

Every one of these Body Sect elders and disciples with a Silver-Tier Body Martial Soul Second Awakening stood out among those of the same rank.

Their combat strength was so formidable that their Soul Douluos could fight Titled Douluos, their Titled Douluos could grapple with Super Douluos, and their Super Douluos could battle even higher-ranked Super Douluos.

Precisely because they were so powerful, every death left Du Busi aching for a long while.

Du Busi counted them up. In this short stretch of time, the Body Sect elders and disciples he had brought had suffered grievous losses. Of the ten elders alone, one had died and three had been injured.

Of the sixteen Soul Douluo disciples, four had fallen and seven or eight had been wounded.

Such losses cut straight to his heart. People with body martial souls were already rare, and those whose second awakenings reached the silver tier were geniuses among geniuses. Sometimes an entire year would pass without encountering even one, making them extremely difficult to replace.

Mu En and Du Busi exchanged a glance, each seeing the anguish in the other's eyes.

In an instant, they understood each other's intentions.

They would watch the battle, but whenever their followers' lives were in danger, they would intervene to save them. Anyone rescued, however, could not return to the fight.

Once they had agreed, Mu En and Du Busi kept their eyes on the battlefield, occasionally reaching in to pluck someone out.

As they watched, Mu En and Du Busi intervened to protect their followers.

Seeing Mu En rescue people noticeably more often than he did, Du Busi smiled smugly. "Mu En, it seems that at the same rank, your Shrek Academy's people are far inferior to my Body Sect's!"

Mu En said calmly, "Body martial souls enjoy nature's special favor. Those with silver-tier second awakenings can scarcely find an equal at the same rank and can even fight across cultivation realms.

"Most soul masters truly cannot hope to catch even a glimpse of the backs of those with such talent. But Busi, don't forget that there are only so many body martial soul masters. In terms of the number of experts, Shrek Academy has at least twice as many as your Body Sect."

Du Busi snorted. "Quality matters more than quantity in disciples. What good are greater numbers? If they can't win, they still can't win!"

Mu En said in a low voice, "Can't win? Busi, take a good look. Your Body Sect elder is about to be defeated by my Sea God Pavilion Elder."

As he spoke, Mu En raised his hand and pointed toward Elder Song, who had transformed into an Azure Shadow Divine Eagle over Sea God Island.

By now, the experts of Shrek Academy and the Body Sect were fighting so savagely that they were practically beating human brains into dog brains.

On one side were the Body Sect experts, trying to locate Chen An and take him away. On the other were Shrek Academy's experts, intercepting them at every turn to prevent his abduction.

Amid this clash between invaders and defenders, Du Weiming, a rank ninety-four Body Sect elder whose martial soul was his brain, was the only Body Sect member to break through the successive lines of interception and reach Sea God Island.

Du Weiming had been ready to knock Chen An unconscious and bring him back to the Body Sect, only for the rank ninety-seven Elder Song, the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle, to spring out midway and beat him until he was utterly miserable.

Du Weiming's eyes were bloodshot, and he gasped heavily. Sweat soaked his white clothes, and he looked utterly exhausted.

To contend with the rank ninety-seven Elder Song, Du Weiming had thrown everything he had into the fight.

But the gap in their cultivation was simply too great. Rank ninety-four and rank ninety-seven might have been only three small ranks apart, but the difference in soul power between them was like heaven and earth.

Even unleashing his strength to the utmost, Du Weiming could only fight Elder Song to a draw. As time passed, his soul power was completely depleted, leaving him like a fish on Elder Song's chopping block, helpless before her blade.

Just as Elder Song was about to pierce Du Weiming's head with her sharp eagle talons, Du Busi intervened and saved him.

Chen An, who had run far away to avoid being caught in the fighting, watched this unfold, then looked up at Mu En and Du Busi, who had stopped fighting in the sky.

He could not help thinking, It looks like Shrek Academy won this time.

Meanwhile, high in the sky.

Mu En said calmly to Du Busi, "You and I agreed to let only the experts under our command determine who would take Chen An.

"Now, all your Body Sect experts have been intercepted by Shrek Academy's teachers, elders, and senior elders. You have lost this contest. Chen An will belong to Shrek Academy.

"Busi, I trust you won't go back on your word."

Veins bulged on Du Busi's forehead. After a long moment, he took a deep breath. "Mu En, you're impressive. You're ruthless. This round is yours. I made the wager, and I'll accept the loss.

"But an honest man does nothing in the shadows, so let me tell you this: my Body Sect will not give up on that child, Chen An.

"You should know that at our age, we stopped caring much about life and death long ago. What truly matters is nothing more than our Sect's legacy.

"And my Body Sect still has no one to carry on that legacy."

Mu En raised an eyebrow. "Isn't your Body Sect's seed of inheritance with you? With so many followers and disciples, can you really not choose a single person to inherit it?"

Du Busi snorted. "Do you think just anyone can inherit the seed of inheritance? Only someone whose body martial soul second awakening has reached the gold tier can inherit it!

"Mu En, as long as you remain alive, I won't come to Shrek Academy. But once you're dead, I will bring the Body Sect's followers and disciples to your doors again!"

Mu En gave Du Busi a cold look, though he had never expected him to give up so easily.

Soon, at Mu En and Du Busi's orders, the experts of Shrek Academy and the Body Sect all stopped fighting.

Du Busi declared loudly, "Mu En, the green mountains remain unchanged, and the clear waters flow on. May we never meet again! The next time we see each other will be underground! Hahahahaha!"

Amid his booming laughter, a dark green pillar of light shot skyward from Du Busi's body.

Then Du Busi waved his hand in the air. "Everyone of the Body Sect, withdraw!"

At Du Busi's command, all the Body Sect experts followed him. More than twenty figures rapidly vanished into the distance through the sky.

Before leaving, Du Busi took a long look at Chen An on Sea God Island and smiled at him. "Before long, I'll come to bring you back to the Body Sect! Wait patiently."

At the Sea God Pavilion.

Xuan Zi, Lin Huiqun, Yan Shaozhe, and the other Sea God Pavilion Elders watched Du Busi and his people depart, then addressed Mu En beside them.

"Elder Mu, Du Busi inflicted such enormous losses on Shrek Academy this time. Two Titled Douluos died, not to mention all those students and teachers. Are we really just letting them get away?"

Mu En watched the departing figures of Du Busi and the other Body Sect experts and let out a heavy breath.

As that breath left him, his upright body instantly returned to its former stoop, and he sank back into his reclining chair.

Not only had he become stooped again, but half of his graying hair had now turned a lifeless ash-gray.

Even his imposing golden pupils had dimmed.

Clearly, this fierce battle with Du Busi had taken another enormous toll on Mu En's already scant vitality.

Mu En turned toward Xuan Zi and the others.

"Du Busi is extremely powerful. Although I could have made him stay, I would have paid a tremendous price as well.

"I have lost a considerable amount of vitality this time. I must enter seclusion in the secret chamber beneath the Golden Tree for a while to stabilize it.

"During that time, Xuan Zi, you will preside over the Sea God Pavilion meetings. Little Song and Huiqun, you two will assist him.

"Shaozhe, you and Lin'er will take care of Shrek Academy's administration."

Once Mu En had finished making arrangements, everyone went their separate ways.

Yan Shaozhe supported Cai Mei'er as they went to find Elder Zhuang, a Healing System Titled Douluo, to treat her injuries. Under his treatment, Cai Mei'er's arm was saved, though she would need several months of rest.

After returning home.

Yan Shaozhe looked at his wife Cai Mei'er's arm, his heart aching terribly.

At the same time, Chen An's figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

For a moment, he could not help thinking that this Body Sect invasion had severely depleted his teacher's vitality and killed two Titled Douluos. Mei'er had even broken an arm and nearly been left disabled.

Many of the academy's teachers and students had died in the shock waves of the fighting.

Shrek Academy had not suffered such losses in a hundred years.

Was it truly worth paying such a steep price for Chen An?

Moreover, Chen An's martial soul was a body martial soul. Once Shrek Academy raised him into a powerful expert, would he turn around and join the Body Sect?