Zhu Ziyang's idea was to seize the opportunity of integrating his sixth spirit ring to condense his first Spirit Core in one go.
He hoped to first condense his first Spirit Core, which would be a mental Spirit Core, in his upper Dantian.
Only then could he ensure an invincible position when condensing subsequent Spirit Cores.
The first Spirit Core is of paramount importance, and naturally, the difficulty of condensing it is also the greatest.
As the saying goes, all beginnings are hard, and that is absolutely true.
According to his initial plan, his sixth spirit ring should have been chosen from a 100,000-Year Soul Beast with a mental attribute, preferably one that could produce a Hundred-Thousand-Year Skull Bone.
A Spirit Beast that is both mental and possesses Light Attribute or Death Attribute suitable for the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe, and is guaranteed to produce a head Spirit Bone, and also one that could be found—surprisingly, there was indeed one, and it was very famous.
The Evil Eye Tyrant!
The Evil Eye Tyrant, a unique Spirit Beast of the Sun Moon Continent, is a mental-type Spirit Beast.
Because its entire body consists only of a head, the Spirit Bone it produces will inevitably be a head Spirit Bone.
The Evil Eye Tyrant clan is numerous, and individuals within it are completely different.
Besides being purely mental-type, some individuals also possess other attributes, such as fire-attribute Evil Eye Tyrants, known as Fire Evil Tyrants, and ice-attribute Evil Eye Tyrants, known as Ice Evil Tyrants.
Unfortunately, the Evil Eye Tyrant clan cannot possess the Light Attribute, otherwise Zhu Ziyang would not have settled for a Death Attribute Evil Eye Tyrant, the Death Evil Tyrant.
In the Evil Eye Forest of the Sun Moon Empire, there existed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Evil Tyrant, rumored to be one of the sons of the Evil Eye Tyrant Lord.
If Mu En hadn't given Zhu Ziyang a better option, that Death Evil Tyrant would certainly have met a grim fate.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon is a true dragon possessing both mental and Light Attribute.
Whether in terms of bloodline strength or mental strength, it is in no way inferior to the powerful Evil Eye Tyrant, a Spirit Beast that was also on Zhu Ziyang's list.
However, due to its extreme rarity and elusive traces, Zhu Ziyang had previously excluded it.
He never expected that Mu En had actually discovered one, and it just so happened to have over a hundred thousand years of cultivation—this was simply divine will!
Like the Evil Eye Tyrant, the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon is also a Spirit Beast that will inevitably produce a head Spirit Bone, which is why Zhu Ziyang unhesitatingly abandoned the Death Evil Tyrant and chose it.
—
The next day, Mu En took Zhu Ziyang and left Shrek Academy.
Accompanying them was Xuan Zi.
Their destination was inside a large mountain within the Douling Empire.
It was a very desolate rocky mountain, over five thousand meters high.
Mu En had traveled through this area in his youth, and it was then that he discovered the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon.
If Mu En at that time hadn't needed to absorb a spirit ring, this Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon would absolutely not have fallen to Zhu Ziyang.
"Ziyang, the number of Spirit Beasts in this rocky mountain is not large, but almost all of them possess dragon bloodline, and there are even quite a few sub-dragons.
Do you know why?" Mu En suddenly asked, a deep smile on his face.
"I don't know." Zhu Ziyang didn't know the purpose of Mu En suddenly asking this question, but he truly didn't know, so he answered directly.
"Hahaha, the reason is very simple.
There is an ancient ruin on this mountain, and within the ruin are a large number of dragon skeletons.
The essence of these skeletons has sunk into this sudden area, which is why all the Spirit Beasts on this mountain are dragon-type Spirit Beasts," Mu En said with a laugh.
"Including that Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon, it's highly possible that it appeared here because of that ruin."
"Teacher, how did you know there was an ancient ruin here?" Zhu Ziyang listened to Mu En's words, a puzzled expression on his face, and asked.
"Because I accidentally entered that ruin when I was young!" Mu En smiled and said, "And I was very lucky to find a Dragon Core!"
"A Dragon Core!" Zhu Ziyang was stunned upon hearing this, his heart filled with surprise, and he exclaimed.
A Dragon Core, like the Snow Empress's Snow Core and the Ice Empress's Ice Core, is the life essence of a true dragon, containing most of its cultivation and energy from its lifetime.
Zhu Ziyang was very surprised, never expecting Mu En to have such an encounter.
"That's right, and it was the Dragon Core of a Light Attribute white dragon!" Mu En's face showed a hint of regret as he said, "The strength of that Light Attribute white dragon would definitely not have been weaker than mine at my peak.
Even after many years of Death, its corpse was still surrounded by terrifying and domineering dragon might and aura."
"Doesn't that mean that white dragon's cultivation was at least five hundred thousand years?" Zhu Ziyang analyzed, sighing inwardly, "Indeed, those who can become Limit Douluo all have a certain amount of luck."
"Hahaha, that's right." Mu En showed a regretful smile and said, "Unfortunately, the energy of that Dragon Core was too overbearing and violent.
It was impossible for a human body to absorb it directly.
After I obtained it, I could only carry it with me and cultivate by relying on its aura and the energy it released.
The Dragon Core played an indispensable role in my ability to condense my second Spirit Core and break through to the Limit Douluo realm!
I originally thought that I could temper its violent hostility by nurturing it with my Light Holy Dragon Spirit, and then absorb it.
However, plans couldn't keep up with changes.
After the battle with Du Bisi, I was severely injured, but I also faced an important meeting, so I absorbed that Dragon Core.
At that time, I had been nurturing that Dragon Core for nearly a hundred years, and I thought that the hostility within it had been cleared by me, but I still underestimated the Dragon Core formed by the entire life essence of a true dragon.
The Dragon Core's energy had indeed become much gentler, but for me, who was severely injured at the time, it was still too overbearing!
The Dragon Core's energy raged within my body, which resulted in me, who had not originally suffered damage to my foundation, being severely injured again.
My foundation was damaged, and that's how I ended up in my current state!
Alas, greed harms people!"
Zhu Ziyang was very surprised, never expecting Mu En to have such an experience.
It was truly both made and broken by the Dragon Core!
"In the end, I had to give up the Dragon Core's energy and suppress it with all my might." Mu En said with a wry smile, "It's ironic that as I'm nearing my end, this Dragon Core has finally become gentle, gentle enough that even someone without a dragon-type Spirit can absorb it.
But for me, it's no longer of any use.
If it had been a hundred years earlier, I could have completely used the energy of this Dragon Core to touch that realm and achieve transcendence!
Unfortunately, time cannot be reversed!
This can also be considered fate playing tricks on people!
I originally planned to leave this Dragon Core to Bei Bei, after all, he is my descendant, and his talent is no worse than mine back then.
This Dragon Core would be enough to allow him to become a Limit Douluo!
However, your appearance changed my decision!
No one is more suitable to absorb this Dragon Core than you.
I hope this Dragon Core can help you, and ideally, assist you in taking the step towards transcendence!"
"Teacher, I..." Zhu Ziyang was stunned after hearing Mu En's words.
When Mu En mentioned the Dragon Core, Zhu Ziyang had a premonition of his intentions, but when he heard Mu En say that he planned to leave the Dragon Core to him, a trace of emotion couldn't help but arise in his heart.
"Don't worry, this is what you deserve!" Mu En said with a calm smile, "I only hope that you can reach the realm achieved by the Original Shrek Seven Devils ten thousand years ago, and lead Shrek Academy to a higher peak!
It's been ten thousand years, Shrek Academy has existed for too long, and some people are already restless.
Ziyang, do you understand your importance?"
"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang nodded.
Not to mention the Shrek Academy that Zhu Ziyang would reform after taking charge of the Sea God Pavilion in the future, just the current Shrek Academy was already on the edge of a seemingly calm but actually coveted cliff.
All forces were waiting, waiting for Mu En, Xuan Zi, and Lin Huiqun, these three old fellows, to die, and then they would join the feast of carving up Shrek Academy!
"Hehe, Ziyang, you don't need to feel too much pressure now," Mu En saw the solemn expression on Zhu Ziyang's face and smiled, saying, "This old man can still live for a few years, and even if I die, there are still Xuan Zi and Elder Lin.
They can at least protect you for fifty years!
Fifty years is enough time for you to grow!
Those people in the shadows, wanting to play the trick of 'borrowing a hen to lay eggs' and 'a cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest', do they not know that the ancestors of our Shrek Academy are the true masters?"
Mu En's final words were filled with killing intent and coldness.
If Shrek Academy was infiltrating the nobles of various Empires, how could the nobles of various Empires not be infiltrating Shrek Academy?
A sacred land and academic center of the Spirit Master's world like Shrek Academy, it's indeed most reassuring to keep it in one's own hands!
Xuan Zi's appearance interrupted the conversation between the master and disciple.
Xuan Zi was dragging a huge purple dragon in his hand.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon was actually being dragged by Gluttony Douluo Xuan Zi like a dead dog!