Xuan Zi: How Am I Supposed to Explain This to Mu En!

The soul core in Elder Song's dantian spun at high speed. Her normally gentle eyes turned sharp as blades, and her Level 97 soul power stirred the Heaven and Earth Origin Energy into a frenzy, whipping up gust after gust of fierce wind.

She glared viciously at Yun Chen, her killing intent driving the temperature down to freezing.

Chen An was a peerless genius whom Mu En valued highly. Shrek Academy had paid an enormous price to protect him from the Body Sect. If anything happened to him, anyone could imagine how Mu En would feel when he emerged from seclusion.

However, although her earlier sweep of Spiritual Power had found no trace of Chen An, it had found no corpse either. That eased Elder Song's mind somewhat.

Elder Song said grimly, "Yun Chen, hand Chen An over. I can promise that we'll let bygones be bygones and allow you to leave Shrek Academy!"

Yun Chen sneered. "What an old hag. You don't even bother rehearsing your lies. I haven't seen Chen An! You people at Shrek Academy hid him yourselves. How am I supposed to hand him over?"

Elder Song flew into a rage at those words. In her eyes, Chen An was a child who had been attending class all along. If his sudden disappearance wasn't Yun Chen's doing, could the child have sprouted wings and flown away?

"Scoundrel! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, and you still dare argue! Out of consideration for the pain of losing your son, I had no wish to hold this against you. Yet you dared injure an elder of Shrek Academy and abduct Chen An. You've brought death upon yourself!"

Ever since his only son's death, Yun Chen had grown increasingly unhinged. He threw back his head and laughed. "Hahahaha! I've broken through to Super Douluo! Who under heaven can kill me?"

With that, the scarlet soul ring on Yun Chen's body shone again, and his Heavenly Tyrant Domain unfolded. Bolstered by his Unity of Heaven and Man realm, its power became even more astonishing.

Within the Heavenly Tyrant Domain, every enemy's strength would be weakened to varying degrees. The stronger the enemy, the smaller the reduction, but it would never fall below ten percent.

Moreover, the Heavenly Tyrant Domain could suppress an enemy's speed and make flight difficult.

It was precisely this Heavenly Tyrant Domain that had allowed Yun Chen to escape time and again from the Super Douluos who coveted his Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

After becoming a Super Douluo, Yun Chen had become even more convinced that the vast world held nowhere he could not go, and no one could stop him from leaving.

That was why he had dared storm into Shrek Academy to avenge his son.

Yun Chen scanned his surroundings. Finding no sign of Chen An, he promptly tore off the building's entire roof and flew into the air above Sea God Island, preparing to leave.

He had originally intended to abduct Chen An and use him against the Body Sect. But since Shrek Academy's people had hidden the boy, he had no intention of lingering.

Yet Yun Chen had forgotten one thing: after he had wreaked such havoc and caused such an enormous incident, how could Shrek Academy's experts possibly let him leave?

Seeing Yun Chen about to fly away, Elder Song shouted furiously, "Scoundrel! Trying to run? Stay right there!"

Elder Song immediately flew into the air, intending to catch up and stop him.

But domain skills deserved their reputation as some of the strongest soul skills. Even Elder Song, with her Level 97 soul power, suffered their suppression, and her speed was drastically reduced.

Under the Heavenly Tyrant Domain's suppression, Elder Song was no faster than Yun Chen.

If even Elder Song, the fastest person in Shrek Academy, was affected to this extent, catching Yun Chen would be harder still for everyone else.

Anxiety surged through Elder Song. Azure light blazed around her, and several black soul rings flashed simultaneously.

The Azure Shadow Divine Eagle she had transformed into gleamed in midair. With a flash of azure light, its body took on an emerald luster.

Now, the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle no longer looked like an eagle at all, but rather a work of art carved from jade.

As its radiance burst forth, the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle's speed soared, allowing her to catch Yun Chen directly.

Seeing Elder Song coming after him, Yun Chen immediately engaged her in a fierce battle above Sea God Island.

Yun Chen roared, "Old hag! You dare stand in my way? I'll kill you today!"

Yun Chen showed no fear of Elder Song's pursuit. With a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, and a domain-type soul skill at his command, he dared fight even a Level 97 Super Douluo!

Ninth soul skill, Heaven-Splitting Spear!

Hundred Thousand Year Right Arm Bone soul skill, Universe Toss!

The azure-blue Heavenly Tyrant Domain spread across the sky above Sea God Island, as though another canopy had appeared overhead.

The Heavenly Tyrant Spear martial soul in Yun Chen's hand erupted with brilliant platinum light, while his right arm turned blood-red.

The razor-sharp spear tip tore pitch-black fissures through space. Its overwhelming aura expelled all the air within a thousand meters, creating a vacuum.

Yun Chen had yet to strike, but his might was already this immense. Once that spear thrust out, it would surely shatter stone and startle heaven.

Elder Song refused to yield. As a dignified Level 97 Super Douluo, how could she fear a head-on clash with someone at Level 95?

She immediately unleashed her strongest soul skill and met him head-on.

In the next breath, both struck at once. The spear's radiance collided with the enormous emerald eagle.

A heaven-shaking explosion thundered through the skies!

Vast soul power scattered wildly. Ripples spread through the atmosphere, the clouds overhead were churned into nothingness, and even the brilliant golden sunlight twisted. Heaven and earth dimmed.

When the explosion ended, its shock waves had blasted Yun Chen and Elder Song over a thousand meters away in opposite directions.

Yun Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Looking at the disheveled Elder Song, he laughed twice and immediately prepared to leave.

Just then, a deafening voice rang out beside Yun Chen's ear.

"Brat! You dare run wild at Shrek Academy? You must be tired of living!"

An enormous monster over thirty meters long appeared in the sky above Sea God Island, with a sheep's body, tiger's teeth, human claws, and bull's horns.

It was none other than the Taotie Douluo, Xuan Zi, whose cultivation stood at Peak Level 98.

In truth, very little time had passed since Yun Chen began wreaking havoc at Shrek Academy and stormed onto Sea God Island. He had exchanged only a handful of moves with Elder Song.

Still, that was no excuse for Xuan Zi's late arrival. He had arrived late because he had drunk a great deal earlier and was sleeping soundly.

The only reason he had awakened before Yun Chen escaped was that Yun Chen and Elder Song's battle had caused far too much commotion.

After the battle woke him, Xuan Zi swept the area with his Spiritual Power and immediately realized something was terribly wrong. He hurried to act, intending to kill the intruder fighting Little Song.

The moment Xuan Zi acted, heaven and earth changed color. A dense pillar of ocher energy shot upward, piercing the clouds, and the once azure-blue sky instantly turned yellow.

Terrifying soul power, vast as the sea and towering as a mountain, spilled outward, sending a chill down Yun Chen's back and making his heart tremble.

An expert who had forged his own path, Yun Chen had previously wandered the Douluo Three Kingdoms to hone himself, searching for ruins left behind by his predecessors.

The strongest Titled Douluos among the royal families of the Douluo Three Kingdoms were only Level 97. Thus, Yun Chen had never dealt with a Peak Level 98 Super Douluo.

He had originally believed that, since they were all Super Douluos, the difference could not be too great. Even if he could not win, he could surely escape.

Today, however, he discovered that he had been a frog at the bottom of a well.

Xuan Zi's formidable aura shocked a measure of clarity back into Yun Chen's mind, dispelling some of his madness.

To escape, he even burned his own life force and essence without hesitation.

In an instant, Yun Chen's speed increased twofold. He became a streak of platinum light, setting off a series of sonic booms through the air.

Xuan Zi snorted. He might not match the agility-type Little Song in movement speed, but why would he need to give chase?

The Godly Taotie Bull that Xuan Zi had become opened its enormous, bloodthirsty maw toward Yun Chen, and an ocher vortex gathered within.

As Yun Chen fled at full speed, he felt an unparalleled suction pulling at him from behind. Even the air became as heavy as a mountain. His speed plummeted, and his body began moving backward against his will.

Seeing the intruder slow down, Shrek Academy's many experts immediately surrounded Yun Chen and attacked.

For a time, the sky above Sea God Island resembled a fireworks display. Dazzling, multicolored soul skills of every kind bombarded Yun Chen relentlessly.

Yun Chen's strength undoubtedly placed him among the very best Level 95 Super Douluos, but however formidable he was, he remained only a Level 95 Super Douluo.

With Peak Level 98 Xuan Zi overseeing the battle, the combined assault of Shrek Academy's experts left Yun Chen covered in wounds in less than a minute. His chest had caved in, and one arm had been severed.

Above Sea God Island.

Yun Chen gripped the Heavenly Tyrant Spear with his remaining arm. Blood flowed from the split web of his hand, staining the spear's shaft and tip crimson.

He panted violently, bloody foam seeping from the corner of his mouth. His breathing came in short, ragged bursts, like a broken bellows leaking air.

Yun Chen looked around at the dozen or so Titled Douluos and Super Douluos surrounding him. He knew there was no escaping this calamity.

Since becoming a Super Douluo, he had grown arrogant, believing the world's experts amounted to little. Today, he had taken a crushing fall.

Elder Song looked at Yun Chen and said gravely, "Even now, you refuse to tell us where Chen An is? As long as you tell us where he is and hand him over, Shrek Academy can still spare your life."

Looking at Elder Song, Yun Chen could not help chuckling. Then his chuckle became loud laughter, until tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.

They had already asked this question countless times during the battle, and he had answered it several times.

Each time, he had answered truthfully: he had never seen Chen An and did not know where he was. But these people from Shrek Academy refused to believe him, convinced that he was merely being stubborn.

Since none of them believed him, he could no longer be bothered to explain.

Seeing Yun Chen laughing, Elder Song frowned. "What are you laughing at? Do you think Shrek Academy wouldn't dare kill you?"

Throwing caution to the wind, Yun Chen said smugly, "Of course I know you people at Shrek Academy dare kill me.

"I'll tell you the truth. I've already sent that little brat Chen An away with a spatial soul skill. You'll never see him again in this lifetime. Even if you do, all you'll see is his corpse!

"Hahaha! Hahaha!"

At those words, Xuan Zi's eyes turned red with fury, and he panted like a bull.

Before entering seclusion, Mu En had entrusted him with overseeing the Sea God Pavilion. Yet he had lost Chen An, that precious treasure, and now the boy's fate was unknown. When Mu En emerged, how was he supposed to explain this?

"You beast! You're courting death!"

The enraged Xuan Zi reached out with his enormous hand and tore off Yun Chen's only remaining arm. White splinters of bone and crimson blood spurted from the stump.

Xuan Zi clamped a hand around Yun Chen's neck. "Talk! Tell me! If you won't, I'll tear off both your remaining legs!"

The agony of having his arm torn off made Yun Chen turn deathly pale. The suffocation that followed flushed his face red and turned his lips purple.

Yun Chen said nothing. He merely grinned.

He understood that, unless he handed Chen An over, Shrek Academy's people would never spare him.

But the crucial point was that Chen An truly was not in his hands. He had no idea where the boy was. Even if he wanted to hand him over, he could not.

To avoid being tortured, Yun Chen detonated his soul core without hesitation.

Within his dantian, his previously stable soul core was instantly triggered by his soul power.

A Super Douluo's self-detonation would be no less powerful than a Level 9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell.

Ding!!!

It was as though a miniature sun was forming inside Yun Chen's dantian.

The next second, radiant light engulfed the sky above Sea God Island.

Shrek Academy's outer court.

Looking across Sea God Lake, Qian Renxue watched the radiant light dye the entire sky above Sea God Island platinum, astonishment written across her face.

"Th-this... did an expert self-detonate? With an explosion that powerful, it couldn't have been an ordinary Titled Douluo, could it?"

Just as Qian Renxue was wondering what had happened at Shrek Academy this time.

Electrolux spoke from within her Sea of Consciousness. "Xiao Xue, while Shrek Academy is in chaos, I suggest you leave. Shrek Academy isn't suited to you."

Qian Renxue asked through her thoughts, "Why?"

Electrolux said, "Your Six-Winged Angel martial soul was never meant to grow in a greenhouse. Your battlefield should be the entire continent.

"Only by continually cutting away evil and killing evil soul masters can you quickly grow stronger.

"At Shrek Academy, you undoubtedly won't have such opportunities in the short term. Nor should your martial soul be exposed to its people.

"Secondly, if you want to seek out talent and rebuild Spirit Hall, Shrek Academy is by no means your ideal source of recruits.

"From what I've observed, those admitted to Shrek Academy are either wealthy or noble. There are hardly any commoner soul masters.

"They monopolize society's paths to advancement, along with all manner of important resources and knowledge, making it difficult for soul masters of ordinary birth to progress or compete with them.

"Rebuilding Spirit Hall will inevitably harm the interests of these powerful elites. They won't support you.

"So, when seeking companions, you should look among the common people. Find those fortunate enough to undergo martial soul mutation and awaken innate soul power.

"They are the ones who can truly support your rebuilding of Spirit Hall and will be willing to fight for it."

Electrolux continued, "I don't know what made you decide to join Shrek Academy, but I must give you this warning so you don't take a needless detour."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue sank into deep thought.

Could the plan she had drawn up before really have been that terrible?