Chapter 120: Shrek's Kindness Can Never Be Repaid! Body Sect Attacks!
"Lin Xuan?" Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. After thinking for a while, she replied truthfully,
"His talent is extremely high, the strongest I have ever seen in my life. As for his character, in my opinion, I can't find any faults with it."
Recalling all the scenes of her time spent with Lin Xuan, an appreciative smile appeared on Zhang Lexuan's face. In her eyes, Lin Xuan was practically like a saint.
"Whether treating friends or classmates, he is perfect. If I had to name a single flaw, it might be that he's too popular," Zhang Lexuan joked.
"Yes, he is very perfect, but..." Mu En's eyelids twitched. "Is his perfection truly real?"
"Wh... what do you mean?" Zhang Lexuan hesitated. She understood Mu En's implication but didn't dare to be certain.
Mu En shook his head, sighed, and spoke slowly, "No gold is pure, and no man is perfect. This so-called perfection means either the person is truly a saint, or... it is a facade."
"This..." Zhang Lexuan panicked. Wait, is this something I should be hearing?
"Then, Elder Mu, do you mean... Lin Xuan has secrets we don't know about? Or even ill intentions?"
"That is not it."
"Ah?" Zhang Lexuan was bewildered. Not it? Then what did he mean?
Mu En continued, "My meaning is that Lin Xuan is hiding things from us. The reason for this is likely because he doesn't trust us. Perhaps this stems from his childhood."
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She had been scared to death just now. If Lin Xuan really had a problem, the blow to the academy would be even greater than Xuan Zi's decline in cultivation realm.
After all, if something happened to Lin Xuan, the academy would truly face a dead end with no one left to step up.
"True sincerity means not deceiving others externally and not deceiving one's heart internally," Mu En said slowly.
"Lin Xuan has achieved not deceiving his heart; he always clearly knows why he does what he does. As for deceiving others, the greater reason stems from our own issues."
Zhang Lexuan was stunned. A lack of trust? She recalled Lin Xuan's composure on the field, his gentle politeness toward everyone, and his decisiveness whenever he struck...
Would such a person not trust them? But on second thought, she fell silent.
Yan Shaozhe's schemes, Xuan Zi's dereliction of duty, the academy letting him down time and again... if it were her, she would probably have built a wall in her heart as well.
"So, Elder Mu, your meaning is..."
Regarding Zhang Lexuan's question, Mu En changed the subject and sighed wistfully, "I am saying these things not just for you to hear, but for myself as well."
"Lin Xuan has not achieved true sincerity, but then again, have I?"
"Elder Mu... you..." Zhang Lexuan was nervous, not knowing what Mu En meant by suddenly saying this.
Mu En didn't look at her. His gaze fell upon the golden ancient tree, upon the circulating golden halo, and upon the shadows he had protected for a hundred years.
"Lexuan, do you still remember what requirement I set when you first begged me to avenge your family?"
"I remember." Zhang Lexuan became increasingly confused. How could she forget the matter of becoming Bei Bei's child bride in exchange for Elder Mu's help in avenging her family? How could Elder Mu himself forget?
"It is good that you remember. After I said those words, I woke up with a start, realizing that making you swear such an oath when you were barely ten years old was far too shameless. It was no different from destroying your life." Mu En's voice was low, filled with regret.
He had wanted to say these words for a long time. He knew what he did back then was wrong, but over the years, he had been deceiving himself, constantly telling himself it was Zhang Lexuan's own decision.
But now, his days were numbered, and he had come to terms with many things. Since there was a mistake, he would admit it; having admitted it, he would find a way to fix it.
But upon hearing these words, Zhang Lexuan suddenly knelt on the ground, looked up at Mu En with teary eyes, and spoke in a choked but stubborn voice,
"Elder Mu, it was all of my own free will! Your kindness to me is something Lexuan can never finish repaying in this lifetime!"
Mu En looked at the child kneeling before him—no, she was a grown woman now—and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.
Never finish repaying? Did she intend to use her entire life to repay him? Just because he had acted back then to help her avenge the extermination of her clan?
Mu En took a deep breath, his aged hands trembling slightly, and said in a heavy voice,
"Enough."
Zhang Lexuan was stunned.
"My mind is made up." Mu En closed his eyes and then opened them again. His cloudy old eyes were now filled with nothing but clarity.
"From this day forward, there is no longer any oath between you and Bei Bei."
"Elder Mu..."
"Listen to me finish."
Mu En interrupted her, his aged voice echoing slowly in the empty hall.
"If you insist on repaying the debt, if you insist on dedicating your life to Shrek..." He paused. "Then I will entrust you with one thing."
Zhang Lexuan was slightly taken aback.
Mu En's gaze still rested on the deep underground, as if he could penetrate layers of earth to see the youth currently cultivating.
"That child hides himself too deeply."
He spoke slowly, his tone complex, "He has talent, character, and a sense of responsibility, but he does not trust us."
Mu En lowered his head, looking at Zhang Lexuan, and continued,
"This is not his fault; it is because we have not done well enough."
Zhang Lexuan fell silent.
"I hope..." Mu En paused, "that you can make him reveal his true heart and become someone he is willing to trust."
He said word by word, "The future of Shrek, I leave to the two of you."
Zhang Lexuan knelt there in a daze, tears sliding down silently. She looked into Mu En's cloudy eyes, seeing the solemnity and the entrustment on that aged face.
After a long time, she gave a heavy nod.
"Elder Mu, rest assured. Lexuan has taken it to heart."
Mu En looked at her, then slowly closed his eyes. The halo of the golden ancient tree fell quietly, enveloping his figure in a warm golden light.
But that gold could not hide the increasingly heavy aura of death upon him.
"Silly child, silly child..." His voice was very soft, so soft it was almost inaudible. "In the end, you still haven't lived a single day for yourself..."
Zhang Lexuan knelt there, her vision blurred by tears. She heard him, but didn't know how to answer.
...
On the shore of Sea God Island.
A breeze brushed over the lake, bringing shimmering ripples. Ma Xiaotao stood on the shore with her arms crossed, her pink eyes staring intently at the towering golden ancient tree in the heart of the lake.
"It's been almost a month since he went in. Why hasn't he come out yet?" she murmured in a low voice, her brow furrowed.
Beside her, Ling Luochen's lips curled into a faint arc upon hearing this.
"What? Do you miss him?"
Ma Xiaotao turned her head sharply, glaring at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Ling Luochen maintained her cold demeanor, but her icy blue eyes clearly held a trace of a faint smile.
"Nothing much. I just see you running here every day and asked out of curiosity."
Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red. "I... I'm just concerned about a classmate!"
"Oh." Ling Luochen nodded. "So it's just concern for a classmate..."
Ma Xiaotao's anger flared up instantly. She had already heard from her teacher, Yan Shaozhe, that something was going on between Ling Luochen and Lin Xuan.
Yan Shaozhe hadn't explained exactly what was going on, but his hesitant expression had said it all.
"Ling Luochen!" Ma Xiaotao stepped forward aggressively. "Make it clear to me, what exactly is going on between you and Lin Xuan?!"
Ling Luochen looked at her, her expression still indifferent.
"What do you mean 'what's going on'? Don't go throwing around baseless accusations. You need evidence to speak. Do you have evidence?"
"I..."
"Besides," Ling Luochen interrupted her, her tone still cold but carrying a hint of provocation,
"In what capacity are you saying this? Do you have a relationship with Lin Xuan?"
Ma Xiaotao was stunned. Did she have a relationship with Lin Xuan?
It seemed... she really didn't.
Although she had been proactive and had tried hard, Lin Xuan had always remained aloof, never giving her a clear response.
"I..." Ma Xiaotao's face turned beet red, both ashamed and angry. "Ling Luochen! You—"
However, before she could finish, an extremely terrifying Soul Power fluctuation suddenly surged from the direction of Shrek City!
BOOM—!!!
The fluctuation was so intense it was as if some giant beast had awakened in the distance. Even the waters of Sea God Lake shook, sending out layers of ripples!
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen's expressions changed simultaneously, and they snapped their heads toward Shrek City.
In the next instant, several streaks of light soared into the sky from Sea God Island!
One of them was Zhang Lexuan!
She hovered in mid-air with a solemn expression. Her gaze swept over Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen below, and she barked,
"A powerful enemy is attacking the academy! Inner Court Disciples, return to the depths of Sea God Island immediately! Do not leave without orders!"
Before her voice had even faded, she had already turned into a streak of light, racing toward Shrek City.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
A powerful enemy attacking? Was this a joke?! This was Shrek!
In the Outer Court, Ning Tian and Wu Feng were sitting on a stone bench in the garden, chatting.
"How long do you think Lin Xuan's cultivation will take this time?" Wu Feng rested her chin on her hand, looking curious.
Ning Tian shook her head and was about to speak when a terrifying Soul Power fluctuation suddenly came from outside the city!
The two of them shuddered and looked up toward the city outskirts.
In the direction of Shrek City, the previously clear sky was suddenly covered by massive clouds of dark vapor! The clouds were as black as ink, churning and rolling, almost obscuring half the sky!
Thunder roared within them, with constant booming sounds as purple lightning snaked wildly through the cloud layers, illuminating the entire sky!
The dark clouds weighed down on the city, threatening to crush it.
Just then, a deafening roar exploded from within the dark clouds!
"Xuan Zi, get the hell out here!!!"
The voice was like a thunderclap, instantly spreading throughout Shrek City! Countless citizens in the city looked up, shocked and suspicious.
This was Shrek City! This was the location of Shrek Academy!
Someone actually dared to act so brazenly here?! Did they have a death wish?
Before the voice had even settled, dozens of light pillars suddenly rose from the churning dark clouds!
Those pillars were of various colors—emerald green, crimson, azure, brilliant gold... each pillar emitted a terrifying Soul Power fluctuation, intertwining to paint the entire sky in a riot of colors!
Among them, a dark green light pillar was particularly thick and terrifying!
The pillar shot into the sky, emitting an aura that was nothing short of horrific! Just looking at it from afar gave people a suffocating sense of pressure!
The next moment, from within that thick emerald green light pillar, a foot stepped out.
It was a tall, elderly man.
Long, dark green hair was draped behind him, but what looked somewhat comical was that he was balding; he only had hair on his temples and the back of his head, while the top was bare and reflected the sunlight.
His complexion was as ruddy as a baby's, and his skin was so smooth one couldn't tell his age. The only thing that showed his years were his dark green eyes that had seen many vicissitudes.
Two yellow, two purple, two black, three red... nine Soul Rings shone with dazzling brilliance beneath his feet!
When this elder appeared, eleven other figures followed closely behind! Eleven elders stepped through the void, and beneath each of them, nine Soul Rings were also slowly pulsing!
Furthermore, among these eleven Titled Douluo, the vast majority of their ninth Soul Rings were the crimson hundred-thousand-year level!
Twelve Titled Douluo!
Such a scene left the citizens within Shrek City completely dumbfounded.
Since when did the world's greatest treasure, the hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, become so common?
And that wasn't all. From the remaining twenty or thirty light pillars, figures also emerged one after another. Looking at their Soul Ring configurations, the lowest among them were Soul Douluo!
Twelve Titled Douluo, twenty to thirty Soul Douluo.
This lineup, which could be considered heaven-defying, was just floating there in the sky outside Shrek City!
From the direction of Shrek Academy, dozens of light streaks also suddenly soared into the air!
The person in the lead was a white-haired old woman. Azure Soul Power circulated around her, and her aura was majestic. It was the Azure Shadow Douluo, Elder Song!
Behind her followed more than thirty Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo-level experts, facing off against the dozens of light pillars opposite them!
Elder Song hovered in mid-air, glaring at the balding elder opposite her, and shouted sternly,
"Du Busi! This is Shrek Academy! It is not a place where you can run wild! If you do not retreat immediately, our side will consider this move by the Body Sect as an act of war against Shrek!"
Hearing this, Du Busi showed no fear; instead, he burst into loud laughter. The laughter was extremely arrogant, causing the surrounding dark clouds to churn and roll.
"Why is it you, old woman?" He looked Elder Song up and down with a look of disdain. "Where is that old fellow Xuan Zi? Why isn't he coming out to see me?"
He paused, the arrogant smile on his face growing wider. "What? Could it be that after being beaten by the Fallen Heaven Douluo, he couldn't pull through..."
"And died?"
On Sea God Island, beneath the golden ancient tree.
Xuan Zi was lying on his side on the grass, holding a wine flask and gulping it down. He had been lying like this for a month.
Thinking of nothing, doing nothing, just drinking, drinking, and drinking.
But the moment Du Busi's word "died" reached his ears,
CRACK!
The wine flask in his hand shattered! Wine splashed everywhere, soaking him, but Xuan Zi was completely oblivious.
In those cloudy old eyes, a startling light suddenly erupted!
In the next instant, he turned into an earthy yellow streak of light and soared into the sky!
Outside Shrek City, Xuan Zi's figure suddenly appeared beside Elder Song. He hovered in mid-air, staring intently at Du Busi opposite him, the fire of anger in his eyes almost turning physical!
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