Black Clouds Bore Down on the City

"Everyone, allow me to introduce Zhang Lexuan, the successor who will inherit Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion after skipping a generation..."

Mu En spoke with a beaming smile.

"Tsk, a Titled Douluo in her twenties!" Du Busi looked Zhang Lexuan up and down in astonishment, nodding slightly as he sighed. "With such talent, barring any accidents, she's almost certain to become a Limit Douluo. The day she surpasses Xuan Zi and me probably isn't far off, either."

"What a pity about that boy back then..."

Du Busi shook his head, leaving the latter half of his words unspoken.

He had already fallen into the ranks of Evil Soul Masters, joining those filthy rats. Now he was wreaking havoc across the continent, and they had come to Shrek Academy precisely because of him-to wage war once more and eradicate the Holy Spirit Cult completely...

Come to think of it, his Body Sect had once invited that boy to join. Looking back now, being rejected had been a blessing instead.

"Zhang Lexuan?"

A tall, beautiful young woman stepped out from beside Du Busi. Her long, shapely legs were particularly eye-catching. Still dressed in a plain blue-green dress, she wore a somewhat complicated expression.

"Wei Ling'er."

The woman extended her slender hand, and Zhang Lexuan politely shook it.

After so many years apart, the surroundings remained, but the people had changed.

The little snot-nosed girl she had overlooked back then, who had followed closely behind that figure, had already grown into someone even she had to look up to.

Even though she had now reached the Soul Saint realm and become one of the Body Sect's most outstanding third-generation disciples, she still could not reach her heights.

"By the way, where's Shaozhe?" Mu En asked Zhang Lexuan with a smile.

"Dean Yan..." Zhang Lexuan gently pressed her red lips together, looking somewhat hesitant.

Mu En's heart abruptly lurched, a bad premonition rising within him.

"At noon today, Lu Cheng sent me a note by carrier pigeon, asking me to go to Sunset Forest. But Dean Yan happened to notice the note. He was afraid Lu Cheng would harm me, so he went there himself. He still hasn't returned..." Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath and spoke after all.

"..."

Mu En's pupils abruptly contracted.

From beginning to end, he had never treated that boy as an ant he could crush at will. He had always maintained a measure of caution.

Thus, he instantly caught a hint that something was wrong.

"Lu Cheng?!"

At those words, Du Busi's expression instantly turned grave as well.

"Mu En, should I go to Sunset Forest myself and take a look?"

But before Mu En could reply, plumes of gray-black miasma suddenly rose in the direction of Shrek City, pressing slowly toward Shrek Academy like black clouds.

At the same time, countless black-robed figures shot up from Shrek City. They no longer concealed their Evil Soul Master auras in the slightest, brazenly exposing themselves before everyone's eyes.

"Kekekeke..."

The terrifying auras of over twenty Titled Douluos made both Mu En's and Du Busi's expressions change completely.

The two black-robed figures at the front, whose presence was especially profound and even carried a trace of the pressure of Limit Douluo powerhouses, sent repeated tremors through the hearts of every expert present.

Evil Soul Masters. Limit Douluos. And there were two of them.

After all, although nearly half or more of the original continent's top experts had gathered here, among them was only one Mu En, who already had one foot in the grave. Beyond him were Du Busi and Xuan Zi, two Level 98 Super Douluos.

"Dragon Emperor Long Xiaoyao. To think that after all these years, you've become the Holy Spirit Cult's lackey too, helping a tyrant perpetrate his atrocities." Du Busi coldly surveyed the tall black-robed figure at the front and snorted.

"..."

Long Xiaoyao glanced at him without saying much, then turned toward Mu En in the distance, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes.

Although he had no intention of destroying Shrek, under Ye Xishui's threats and inducements, he had no choice but to stand here and attack those who had once been his juniors.

Long Xiaoyao remained silent and impassive, while Ye Xishui beside him was equally calm.

The Holy Spirit Cult had already surrounded the entirety of Shrek Academy in ring upon ring. Not even a mosquito could escape to carry word.

Thus, they handed the initiative to the true instigator of this war...

Countless black-robed figures moved aside on both sides, leaving a path.

From within, a handsome young man in black robes slowly emerged. Countless black-robed figures fixed burning gazes upon him. The reverence and heartfelt fanaticism were plain to see, without any need for concealment.

"Sect Master Du of the Body Sect?"

Lu Cheng spoke in a clear, ringing voice.

A trace of a smile rested on his lips.

Vigorous and imposing, his black-robed figure stood proudly at the head of countless Evil Soul Masters. Yet his face was exceptionally handsome and incongruously, even eerily, young.

At Shrek Academy.

Countless inner court disciples, teachers and students, and even the leaders and younger disciples of numerous other factions all surveyed that figure with complicated gazes.

For no other reason than that anyone who had attended the Continental Soul Engineer Tournament back then could never forget that young man, wielding a scorching crimson longbow with the enormous phantom of a three-legged Golden Crow flashing behind him, wantonly crushing the Sun Moon Empire's team, whose reputation had been at its zenith.

No one could forget.

He was the towering mountain of this era, one that countless geniuses had attempted to cross, wave after wave, yet not one had ever surmounted.

He stood right there, yet even now, not a single member of the younger generation dared attempt to challenge him.

But such a person had joined the Holy Spirit Cult and become a notorious Evil Soul Master, wreaking havoc across the continent. Now he had brought countless Evil Soul Masters with him, seeking to catch all the righteous forces in a single net.

He stood on the side utterly opposed to theirs.

"What a pity..."

Du Busi transformed into a streak of dark green and soared into the sky above Shrek Academy.

He surveyed Lu Cheng with a complicated gaze.

"Such heaven-sent talent, yet you followed Long Xiaoyao's example and willingly fell into the ranks of Evil Soul Masters."

"How tragic. How lamentable."

"Why say such things, Sect Master Du? Once our Holy Spirit Cult completely eradicates Shrek Academy and becomes the greatest sect under heaven, perhaps you and I might even cooperate a little." Lu Cheng revealed a warm smile, his manner elegant and composed.

"Bullshit!" Du Busi spat lightly.

He gave a cold laugh.

"Though our Body Sect prizes acting without restraint, we have our own bottom line. Not every stray cat or dog can cooperate with our Body Sect. You'd best give up that idea now!"

"The same goes for our Star Luo Empire." A black-robed figure nodded slightly to Xu Jiawei, then rose into the air as well.

"And our Dou Ling Empire..."

One figure after another from the original continent likewise rose into the air.

Their eyes filled with anger, they coldly faced off against the Holy Spirit Cult's many experts.

"Lu Cheng, where's Shaozhe?"

Mu En spoke slowly. He tapped his long staff against the ground, and the entire Golden Ancient Tree radiated dazzling golden light, completely enveloping Shrek Academy below.

Then he moved into the air.

The white-haired old man's gaze was complicated as he stared fixedly into Lu Cheng's eyes.

By this moment.

Everything had long since broken completely away from what he had envisioned.

And the youth opposite him, wearing a gentle smile, had long since grown into someone even he could no longer fathom.

In this game of chess, the person moving the pieces had changed long ago.

Only... when had it begun?