Zhu Ziyang stepped out of the Sunset Forest and was immediately met by Xian Lin'er, who had come to bring him supplies.
"Senior Sister!" Zhu Ziyang called out.
"Ziyang, your seclusion is over?" Xian Lin'er's face showed a flash of surprise before it bloomed into a smile. "That's wonderful. Let's head back to the Academy—Teacher has been missing you."
"Alright!" Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile. "Senior Sister, has anything happened at the Academy in the past half-year?"
"Not much, really—no major incidents," Xian Lin'er said, though a flicker of something passed through her eyes, and her smile turned a bit forced. "The Academy has agreed to hold an exchange program with the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, with most of the participants coming from our Soul Tool Department.
"That girl Xiao Tao left the Academy after obtaining her soul spirit and has been traveling across the continent. Nan Nan comes by from time to time asking about you, and she's made quite a bit of progress these past six months. And also…"
She hesitated, then exhaled deeply. "Ziyang, you need to be prepared—Teacher… he doesn't have much time left."
"What? How could that be?" Zhu Ziyang's expression turned shocked and anxious. "Half a year ago he was still fine. How could he suddenly be near the end? Did Teacher fight with someone?"
"I don't know!" Xian Lin'er said, her face clouded with helplessness and sorrow. "He says it's because of an old injury flaring up. But how could an old wound suddenly act up for no reason? Mei'er, Duoduo, and I have asked him, and he refuses to tell us. Even when Huo Yuhao and the others tried to find out, they came back empty-handed.
"Ziyang, you're Teacher's most cherished disciple—you must figure out the truth!"
"Senior Sister, even if you didn't say so, I would," Zhu Ziyang replied, his mood heavy. He now wanted nothing more than to rush back to Shrek Academy and see Mu En. A faint intuition told him Mu En's condition might be connected to him. "Let's go back to the Academy first. I want to see Teacher!"
"Alright!" Xian Lin'er nodded, grabbed his arm, and leapt into the air. In an instant, they became a streak of green light across the sky, vanishing from the Sunset Forest.
They soon arrived at Shrek Academy, descending directly onto Sea God Island beneath the Golden Ancient Tree.
Without pausing to rest, Zhu Ziyang went straight to the Sea God Pavilion. Pushing open the doors of the main hall, he saw Mu En.
The sight made him freeze. Even an ordinary person with no cultivation could see Mu En didn't have much time left. Zhu Ziyang remembered how Mu En had looked half a year ago—aged, yes, but still with a faint vitality, like any ordinary old man.
Now, however, a gloomy death aura clung to him—the mark of someone nearing the end. His face had grown stiff and wooden, his life's spark dimmed, as though he could turn to lifeless timber at any moment.
"Teacher, you…" Zhu Ziyang's voice trembled.
"Ziyang, you're back!" Mu En's face lit with relief. "It seems you've done well. Good, good, good!"
"Teacher, what happened to make you so much worse?" Zhu Ziyang hurried to his side, taking Mu En's hand—only to feel a chill, not of temperature but one that pierced straight to the soul: the cold of death itself.
"Heh, just a little accident," Mu En said with a smile. For reasons he could not reveal, he had told no one about what had happened, waiting instead for Zhu Ziyang. But now, seeing him, Mu En hesitated. He didn't know why that person wanted Zhu Ziyang dead, but he knew that man had been a god for millennia.
If that being truly wanted Ziyang dead, could Ziyang possibly escape?
Mu En's heart was in torment. He had never imagined that, at the end of his life, he would face something that shattered the beliefs he had held for a lifetime.
"Teacher, what kind of accident was it?" Zhu Ziyang asked sharply, having caught the flicker of pain in Mu En's eyes. "Was it Dragon Douluo Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui?"
"Haha! Don't jump to conclusions—it wasn't them," Mu En said, forcing a smile. "I can still hold on for another year or so. In that time, Ziyang, tell me your plans, and I'll do my best to pave the way for you."
"You really won't tell me?" Zhu Ziyang asked, helpless and worried.
"Sigh… If you want to know, wait a bit longer. Before I die, I'll tell you everything," Mu En promised.
"…Fine," Zhu Ziyang said with resignation. "Then let me think about what I want to say."
"No rush," Mu En said warmly.
After a moment, Zhu Ziyang looked up. "Teacher, do you think the continent is better unified or divided?"
"Unified, of course!" Mu En answered without hesitation. This was common sense among soul masters—only a unified Douluo Continent could truly foster their growth. Just like ten thousand years ago, when Spirit Hall, though only a unified soul master alliance, had brought about an explosive increase in soul master numbers.
That ideal of unifying the continent had taken root in the soul master world ten millennia ago and was now ingrained in every major organization. In the past, Spirit Hall had come closest to unification, only to fail due to the selfishness of its Pope. The strongest contenders had allowed two empires to stand side by side, squandering the chance.
Now, the continent was divided among four nations, each dreaming of unification. But all believed only their own empire should succeed, making peaceful unification impossible—only overwhelming force could achieve it.
"Then, Teacher, of Star Luo, Heaven Dou, Dou Ling, and Sun Moon, which has the best chance to unify the continent?"
"Heh, much as I hate to admit it, the Sun Moon Empire," Mu En said with a wry smile. "Although their unification would not suit Shrek's interests, if any of the other three empires unified the land, would they leave us alone?"
"Exactly, Teacher," Zhu Ziyang said with a grin. "If the Sun Moon Empire is most likely to succeed, why oppose them? We could use them to sweep away the old powers of the continent—that would benefit us, wouldn't it?"
"It seems you've found a way to protect Shrek's interests during unification," Mu En said with a sigh. "Go on—tell me your plan."
"Teacher, look at this." Zhu Ziyang produced a jade seal carved with a moon and a beautiful woman.
"This is…" Mu En narrowed his eyes. The object felt familiar, as though he had seen it somewhere before.
"This is the Moon Emperor's Seal," Zhu Ziyang said.
"So that's it!" Mu En said, realization dawning. "How did you get this? It's the symbol of the Sun Moon royal family's authority!"
"I bought it at an auction at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion," Zhu Ziyang said.
"An auction?" Mu En paused, then nodded in understanding. "I see. It seems the Moon Line of the royal family has truly fallen—selling even this! How ironic."
"Moon Line?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Yes—a clan of defeated royals hiding in the Moon South Archipelago. They once asked Shrek for help to overthrow the Sun Line emperor, but I refused. Without even the Sun Moon royal family's core martial soul, they dared dream of such a thing? If they could win the nobles' recognition, the Empire wouldn't deserve to be our number-one enemy."
"I see," Zhu Ziyang said with a knowing smile. "Teacher, what if we gave them a direct heir of the Moon Line?"
"You mean…" Mu En's eyes lit up instantly. "That girl, Le Xuan?"
"Mhm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded. "Haven't you ever wondered about her origins? A Moon martial soul—something never seen in our original Douluo Continent?"
"I actually investigated before," Mu En admitted. "Her family did have ties to the Sun Moon Empire. But with only her left, and she being just eleven or twelve at the time, the trail went cold. If you intend for her to pose as a direct heir of the Moon Line… that could work.
"But we'll need her consent first."
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