In the following months, the six members of the Shrek main team, led by Old Song and Cai Meier, launched successive attacks, eliminating several Evil Soul Master teams. The individuals gradually became familiar with each other, and their coordination grew more tacit.
Seeing her teammates' increasing coordination, Ma Xiaotao, who had been recuperating in the Inner Courtyard, finally couldn't sit still. Disregarding Yan Shaozhe's advice, she forcibly returned to the team. Ma Xiaotao's return made the Shrek main team complete and significantly boosted their combat power, but it also greatly increased Zhu Ziyang's workload.
Because whenever Ma Xiaotao used her Spirit, the evil fire within her would rage fiercely, accumulating at an alarming rate. If Ma Xiaotao's battle duration exceeded half an hour, she would inevitably fall into an uncontrolled state, at which point Zhu Ziyang would need to exert all his effort to help her suppress the evil fire. Since Ma Xiaotao was always unconscious and controlled by instinct during these times, some actions would occur that greatly embarrassed Zhu Ziyang, always teetering on the edge of 'accidental discharge.' Then, after Ma Xiaotao recovered, she would unknowingly display her charm, causing Zhu Ziyang to be constantly on edge during this period.
At the same time, Jiang Nannan gradually became displeased with Ma Xiaotao. The girl was not an idiot, nor was she blind; Ma Xiaotao's actions, in her eyes, were an attempt to seduce her Yang-ge.
Zhu Ziyang was very helpless about this. Perhaps the only good news was that his mastery and application of Ultimate Ice were almost catching up to Ultimate Light. After all, Ma Xiaotao's evil fire was almost on par with Ultimate Fire, and each suppression was a test and a refinement for Ultimate Ice. With enough repetitions, Ultimate Ice, which had previously lacked opportunities for training, reached its current level.
This could barely be considered a blessing in disguise.
Time flew by, and it was another midsummer.
Within Shrek Academy, a golden light shot out from the Sea God Pavilion, heading straight for the Star Dou Great Forest. This scene was witnessed by several elders, who all showed surprised expressions. They were all too familiar with the identity of that golden light.
Dragon God Douluo, Mu En!
They couldn't help but speculate what could have alarmed Mu En enough to act personally. Was it another incident like two years ago? That didn't seem right; there were no Spirit hunting operations recently.
So, what could have alarmed Mu En?
The reason was very simple: his disciple, Zhu Ziyang, had once again broken a Shrek Academy record.
Fourteen years old, Spirit King!
Indeed, Zhu Ziyang's spirit power had reached level 50, just like two years ago, breaking through within one or two months after his birthday. Mu En was extremely pleased, even letting out a rare burst of laughter when he heard the news. A fourteen-year-old Spirit King was not unheard of in the history of the continent; Mu En knew of one such case, a member of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family. However, that Sun Moon Empire royal member achieved the Spirit King realm at fourteen solely through the accumulation of heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and elixirs, which was a World of difference from Zhu Ziyang, who reached Spirit King through his own talent and cultivation!
If before, Mu En had some hesitation about directly naming Zhu Ziyang as his successor, after today, his concerns completely vanished. According to the cultivation speed Zhu Ziyang had displayed, he might even see him become a Spirit Saint before his own Death.
Therefore, upon learning of Zhu Ziyang's breakthrough, Mu En said nothing and personally took Zhu Ziyang to the Star Dou Great Forest to search for his fifth spirit ring. For a Spirit Master, the fifth spirit ring's importance was second only to the seventh and ninth spirit rings. He wouldn't trust anyone else with it!
"Ziyang, have you thought about what kind of Spirit Beast you want for your fifth spirit ring?" The master and disciple landed on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest Core Area. Mu En asked with a smiling face, his old voice filled with affection.
"Mm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, then slowly spoke, "Teacher, for my fifth spirit ring, I want to absorb one with the Death Attribute."
"Oh? Why?" Mu En's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this, but he didn't immediately refute, instead asking curiously.
"Teacher, as you know, my Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe possesses both Ultimate Light and Death Attributes. Among my first four spirit rings, only the first is a Death Attribute, and the other three are Light Attributes. If the fifth spirit ring is also a Light Attribute, it might lose balance," Zhu Ziyang had already prepared his reason, saying, "I need to maintain the balance between the two attributes, so I need to absorb a Death Attribute fifth spirit ring."
Zhu Ziyang's reason was true, but incomplete. He did need to absorb a Death Attribute spirit ring to maintain the balance between Ultimate Light and Death Attributes, but a more important goal was to completely facilitate the fusion of the two attributes by absorbing a Death Attribute spirit ring! This was Electrolux's suggestion.
"Is that so? Then I'll listen to you." Electrolux pondered for a moment, finding no issue with Zhu Ziyang's words, and readily agreed, saying, "If you wanted a Light Attribute spirit ring, we might have had to work a bit harder; but if you want a Death Attribute spirit ring, that's too easy. Teacher, I happen to know of a Spirit Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest that possesses the Death Attribute."
"Really? That's great!" Zhu Ziyang was immediately overjoyed.
"Come, Teacher will take you to absorb your spirit ring!" Mu En smiled, grabbed Zhu Ziyang's arm, and rapidly darted towards the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. His speed was incredibly fast, not slowing down at all despite entering the interior of the Star Dou Great Forest. Was this the composure of a Limit Douluo?
The surrounding scenery changed rapidly. Zhu Ziyang paid it no mind, immersed in his own World. He wondered what kind of Death Attribute Spirit Beast Mu En was talking about. He quickly recalled possible Death Attribute Spirit Beasts that could appear in the Star Dou Great Forest. Inadvertently looking up, he noticed Mu En was actually walking back!
Before he could ask why, Mu En had already stopped on a giant tree, his gaze curiously fixed on a giant canine Spirit Beast leisurely strolling not far away.
That canine Spirit Beast was two meters tall and five meters long, covered in black fur. Its chest, shoulders, and neck were covered in pale bone armor. Its fierce and menacing head was topped with a pair of curved yet sharp white bone horns. Its two eyes glowed like flames, and its upper and lower four sharp fangs exuded a nearly solidified bloody scent. Its tail hung vertically downwards, with a skull-shaped mane at the end.
Although Mu En didn't recognize this canine Spirit Beast, it didn't prevent him from feeling the dense Death aura emanating from this unfamiliar fierce dog, as well as its cultivation of up to seventy thousand years.
"Ziyang, do you recognize this Spirit Beast? Do you want it?" Mu En asked Zhu Ziyang's opinion. He could feel the powerfulness of the fierce dog before him. If Zhu Ziyang could absorb it, it would surely provide him with considerable help.
Zhu Ziyang didn't recognize this Spirit Beast, but Electrolux in his mind did, strongly urging him to take it and telling him the origin of this canine Spirit Beast. Zhu Ziyang listened to Electrolux's narration while answering Mu En's question: "Teacher, I'll take this Hellhound!"
"Hellhound?" Mu En was surprised, not expecting his disciple to recognize this unfamiliar Spirit Beast. It seemed that all those books in his room weren't read in vain.
"Yes, that's right, it's a Hellhound. It's said to be a powerful creature living in the underworld, a guardian of the gates of hell, possessing the purest Death Attribute, a definite super Spirit Beast. Legend has it that adult Hellhounds can easily swallow a city, and are synonymous with Death!" Zhu Ziyang relayed Electrolux's words, feeling very surprised!
"So that's how it is!" Mu En was a little surprised, not expecting to casually glimpse a legendary Spirit Beast. This made him believe even more that Zhu Ziyang was the protagonist of the coming Age of Great Strife. He looked at the Hellhound, his gaze gradually sharpening, and said, "Then I can't let you live. Be a stepping stone for my disciple!"
After speaking, he instructed Zhu Ziyang to stay on the tree and not move. Then, his figure flickered, instantly appearing behind the Hellhound. A hand like a withered tree instantly transformed into a huge dragon claw, and as the Hellhound turned its head, he slammed it into the mud with one palm. Its two horns on its head shattered with a crash, and blood stained its head.
A Limit Douluo's strike, the outcome was known in one blow!
Mu En, carrying the half-dead Hellhound, returned to Zhu Ziyang's side and said, "Let's go, we'll absorb the spirit ring in the outer area of the forest."
"Okay, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang nodded repeatedly.
The two quickly disappeared from the area.