As soon as Mu En spoke, the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, and the temperature plummeted to freezing point.
The so-called Shrek Whip Punishment naturally meant not using spirit power for protection, nor releasing one's Spirit, and enduring a hundred lashes at the limit of one's Physical Body...
And such pain was immense.
Therefore, at this moment, after hearing Mu En's words, a flash of deep fear flickered in Xuan Zi's eyes.
It was not just fear of physical pain, but also a shudder at the shame of being punished in public.
He, the dignified Taotie Douluo and a Sea Gods Pavilion Elder, was actually to be whipped in public like a child who had made a mistake?
But did he dare to object?
He did not dare.
Looking into Mu En's eyes, which were as calm as an ancient well yet seemed capable of piercing the Soul, Xuan Zi knew that this was the last lifeline Mu En was offering him.
If he did not endure this physical suffering, he feared there would be no place for him, Xuan Zi, in the Sea Gods Pavilion in the future.
"Yes... Xuan Zi accepts the punishment!"
Xuan Zi gritted his teeth, his voice as raspy as sandpaper rubbing together.
He slowly straightened his upper body, his hands trembling as he unfastened his robe, revealing a broad but somewhat slack back. Then, he pressed both hands against the ground, gripping the hard wooden floor of the Sea Gods Pavilion tightly, prepared to endure the thunderous wrath.
"Disperse your protective spirit power," Mu En's voice sounded indifferent.
Xuan Zi took a deep breath and dispersed the spirit power circulating within his body as instructed.
At this moment, apart from his slightly stronger Physical Body, he was no different from an ordinary old man.
Mu En raised his withered finger and made a gentle grasping motion toward the Void Realm.
Buzz—
The dense light elements within the Sea Gods Pavilion instantly converged, transforming into a long whip that emitted a faint golden glow yet carried a heart-palpitatingly sharp aura.
"This first lash is to punish you for being headstrong and self-opinionated, and for underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly!"
Snap!
The golden light whip left an afterimage in the air as it struck Xuan Zi's back fiercely.
There was no sound of light elements exploding as imagined, only the extremely dull sound of flesh tearing.
"Ugh—!!"
Xuan Zi suddenly threw his head back and let out a shrill scream.
On his previously intact back, a bloody gash deep enough to see the bone appeared instantly, with flesh turned outward and blood dripping.
Without spirit power protection, his sense of pain was infinitely magnified; it wasn't just physical pain, but a piercing burning sensation that shot straight to his skull from the wound.
Ma Xiaotao and the others present were so frightened their faces turned pale, and their whole bodies trembled.
They had never seen Elder Xuan in such a wretched and miserable state; that single scream made their scalps tingle.
However, Mu En did not stop.
"This second lash is to punish you for improper command, which burdened the students!"
Snap!
Another fierce lash fell, accurately striking right next to the first wound.
"Ah—!!" Xuan Zi convulsed in pain, his fingers clawing deep grooves into the hard floor, his nails cracking and blood seeping out.
"This third lash is to punish you because, as a teacher and elder, you not only failed to protect your Disciples but instead brought them shame!"
Snap!
"This fourth lash..."
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The dull sounds of whipping, accompanied by Xuan Zi's increasingly miserable wails, echoed through the deathly silent Sea Gods Pavilion, lingering for a long time.
Mu En remained expressionless, every swing of the whip steady and powerful, without the slightest hint of leniency.
Fifty lashes...
Eighty lashes...
A hundred lashes!
When the final crack of the whip fell, the golden light whip slowly dissipated.
By this time, Xuan Zi had collapsed on the ground, his back a bloody mess with no intact skin left, and blood stained a large area of the floor beneath him.
He gasped for air in large gulps, his body twitching uncontrollably; he didn't even have the strength to scream anymore, only able to let out pained groans.
"The hundred lashes are finished."
Mu En withdrew his hand, his tone still calm. "Go, go to the Wall-Facing Cliff. Unless the Sea Gods Pavilion orders otherwise, you are not to step out for a year."
Xuan Zi moved his fingers with difficulty and struggled several times before barely managing to crawl up from the ground. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even stand steadily; every movement felt like being cut by a thousand knives.
But he did not dare to have the slightest complaint.
"Thank... thank you, Elder Mu... for your teaching..."
Xuan Zi gave a weak salute, then clutching his bloody back, he stumbled toward the main doors.
With every step, he left a bloody footprint on the ground, a shocking sight to behold.
Until Xuan Zi's figure completely disappeared outside the doors, the hall remained in a deathly silence.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others knelt on the ground, their bodies shaking like sieves.
Too ruthless.
Even Elder Xuan, a Super Douluo, was punished like this, even having his flesh mangled in public; what kind of punishment would they, who had directly lost the competition, receive?
Would their Spirits be abolished? Or would they be expelled from Shrek?
Fear, like an invisible giant hand, gripped their hearts tightly.
Ma Xiaotao kept her head down, cold sweat dripping from her chin onto the floor, mixing with the blood Xuan Zi had left behind, appearing exceptionally jarring.
She didn't even dare to breathe, for fear of attracting Mu En's attention.
However, the expected thunderous wrath did not descend.
"All of you, get up."
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