Chapter 83: I Will Never Return to Shrek
"In that case, this old man has no choice but to offend you."
Following Du Busi's unyielding declaration, Elder Mu let out a long, heavy sigh. The sound carried a deep, bone-weary helplessness, echoing through the canyon like the twilight toll of an ancient bell.
As his voice faded, the old man's withered, frail body began to tremble. Bones cracked and popped. His perpetually hunched back, bent by years of hidden injuries, straightened in a terrifying instant.
A brilliant, blinding golden radiance erupted from his frail frame, illuminating the darkened canyon. Beneath his feet, nine soul rings rose in a rhythmic, alternating sequence, their colors dazzling the eye. The absolute, suffocating pressure of a Level 99 Limit Douluo crashed down, instantly locking the surrounding space into a stagnant void.
Seeing this apocalyptic display of power, Du Busi did not retreat a single step. Instead, the battle intent burning within his eyes flared into an absolute inferno.
"Then let us test that! This old man happens to want to experience the legendary methods of the Dragon God Douluo today!"
Emerald-green soul power surged from Du Busi's body, roaring outward like a tidal wave crashing against a cliff. His skin rapidly shifted, hardening and crystallizing until it took on the luster of dark, translucent jade.
The two supreme powerhouses, standing at the absolute apex of the Douluo Continent, completed their Martial Soul Possessions in the exact same breath.
High above, golden divine light and emerald-green gloom collided with catastrophic force. The impact shattered the clouds, stirring up violent ripples of energy that tore jagged fissures through the very fabric of space.
Without a second of hesitation, both sides unleashed their first exchange.
Elder Mu thrust his palm forward. The resulting winds were as heavy as falling mountains, each strike carrying the blinding, absolute aura of holy judgment.
In stark contrast, Du Busi relied entirely on the overbearing, tyrannical strength of his physical body. He met the divine force head-on, his fists punching straight through the golden light. Every time his knuckles connected with the holy energy, the surrounding space violently shuddered.
Inside the courtyard deep within the Body Sect, the atmosphere was pulled taut like a bowstring.
Long Aotian, Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, and Gu Tong stood in a tight defensive circle around Liu Yuan.
The sheer scale of the commotion outside was terrifying. Even filtered through several layers of heavy defensive arrays, the leaking pressure of a Limit Douluo caused the surrounding disciples to grit their teeth, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
"Junior Brother, do you really intend to go out there right now?" Long Aotian shifted his weight, stepping directly into Liu Yuan's path. His usually confident face was set in grim, solemn lines.
To Long Aotian, the situation at the mountain gate had already spiraled far beyond a simple negotiation. The supreme leaders of two colossal factions were trading lethal blows. For Liu Yuan to step into that crossfire was nothing short of suicidal.
Liu Yuan simply looked toward the distant sky, watching the golden and green shockwaves continuously tear the heavens apart. A cold, absolute calm flickered within his Double Pupils.
"After all, this entire matter started because of me." Liu Yuan's voice was even, yet it carried a weight that commanded the courtyard. "Both Elder Mu and Elder Xuan have come. The situation has escalated to the breaking point. If we do not make things absolutely clear right now, this skirmish will inevitably evolve into an all-out blood war between our two great sects."
He paused, adjusting his sleeves. "Shrek is no pushover. While our Body Sect fears no one, throwing away lives in a meaningless, head-on collision would be an unacceptable loss for our foundation."
Chen Lu stepped forward, his face pale with anxiety. "But Senior Brother Liu Yuan, those people from Shrek have completely lost their minds! I am afraid that the moment they realize peace is impossible, they will simply drop all pretense and forcefully abduct you!"
Liu Yuan shook his head, his expression unchanging. "This incident has already caught the attention of the entire continent. Even the royal family's shadow guards are watching this mountain right now."
"Unless Shrek truly intends to completely shred the glorious reputation they have spent ten thousand years building, they will not dare to commit a shameless kidnapping in front of the entire world. In short, I must attend this meeting."
Having made his decision, Liu Yuan stepped past Long Aotian and walked toward the mountain gate.
Before he could take a third step, a soft hand firmly gripped his wrist.
He turned to see Vina. The young woman, who usually stood quietly by his side, had stepped forward. Her gentle demeanor had vanished entirely, replaced by the cold, unyielding majesty unique to the direct bloodline of the royal family.
"I am going with you," Vina stated, her eyes locking onto his.
"I am the Princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Where I stand, the royal family stands." She lifted her chin, her voice ringing with absolute certainty. "With me present, Shrek will be forced to weigh the catastrophic consequences of offending the entire Heavenly Soul Empire before they dare to speak or act against you."
Looking at Vina's fierce, protective gaze, a rare trace of warmth brushed past Liu Yuan's usually pragmatic heart. He offered a faint nod. "Alright. We go together."
A moment later, Liu Yuan and Vina emerged side by side onto the high platform overlooking the Body Sect's mountain gate. Below them, the apocalyptic clash of golden and green energy had reached a boiling point.
"Master! Elder Mu! Cease this fight!"
Amplified by his soul power, Liu Yuan's voice cut through the roaring shockwaves like a crack of thunder, ringing clearly in the ears of every powerhouse present.
The two figures colliding in mid-air froze for a fraction of a second. With a mutual surge of force, they repelled each other, flying backward to land steadily on the shattered earth.
The moment Du Busi's boots hit the ground, he whipped his head around, his jade-green features twisting in shock. "Liu Yuan, why the hell did you come out here? Didn't I order all of you to stay in the rear?"
Across the cratered ground, Elder Mu also withdrew his Martial Soul. The blinding golden light faded, and his deep, ancient eyes instantly locked onto the youth standing on the platform.
Elder Mu studied the boy intensely. Despite his young age, Liu Yuan's face betrayed not a single trace of panic, even after witnessing a death match between two peak existences. That absolute composure in the face of annihilation, paired with those deep Double Pupils shining with cold, calculating reason, forced Elder Mu to sigh in quiet admiration.
The Dragon God Douluo could guarantee it—if this youth were willing to return to Shrek, with just a fraction of proper guidance, he would absolutely dominate the new generation. Given time, he might even surpass Elder Mu himself and recreate the ultimate glory of the Sea God Pavilion.
"Some matters must be resolved by my own hand," Liu Yuan said, his voice carrying down the steps. He descended the stone stairs slowly, his gaze sweeping past the kneeling, humiliated figure of Elder Xuan without a second glance, until he stood directly before Elder Mu.
"Since Elder Mu is so insistent on seeing me, I have come. If you have something to say, you may say it now."
Elder Mu exhaled a long, heavy breath of turbid air. He looked at the boy, slowly lowered his wooden cane, and, to the shock of everyone present, bowed slightly toward the youth.
"Child, this old man first represents Shrek Academy in expressing our deepest, most sincere apologies to you." Elder Mu's voice was hoarse, heavy with genuine regret.
"I have already severely punished Elder Xuan for his grievous mistakes. But I know that cannot erase the harm the Academy inflicted upon you, nor can it wash away our shameful failure in our duty toward the orphan of a martyr."
Liu Yuan listened in absolute silence. His face remained a mask of flawless indifference, offering no reaction to the apology of a Limit Douluo.
Seeing that Liu Yuan did not immediately turn away in disgust, a desperate glimmer of hope ignited in Elder Mu's chest. Grasping at this chance, the old man hardened his resolve and laid out an offer of unmatched, world-shaking magnitude.
"Liu Yuan, this old man knows that empty apologies cannot mend the past."
"Therefore, I have come today bearing absolute sincerity."
"If you are willing to give Shrek a chance to make amends and return to the Academy, this old man will publicly swear an oath right here and now: from this day forward, you shall be the sole, official successor of the Sea God Pavilion!"
Elder Mu took a step forward, his eyes burning with urgency. "You may enter the Academy's deepest treasury and select any hundred-thousand-year Spiritual-type soul bone you desire., I will personally take you as my sole direct disciple. I will exhaust every last drop of my remaining lifespan to guide your cultivation."
"And that is not all. When you break through to the Title Douluo realm in the future, the Academy guarantees to hunt down and gather a complete, six-piece set of hundred-thousand-year soul bones exclusively for you. We will pour out every ounce of Shrek's ten-thousand-year foundation to forge you into the absolute strongest Limit Douluo on this continent!"
The moment those words echoed across the mountain gate, a dead silence fell, followed instantly by a massive uproar.
Standing nearby, Elder Chen's face twisted into an ugly grimace, his breathing growing ragged.
The sheer, terrifying volume of resources Elder Mu just promised was enough to make even the Body Sect's elders feel a cold sweat of shock. Elder Chen immediately stepped forward, ready to fiercely object, but a massive green hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Trust Liu Yuan," Du Busi whispered. His voice was steady, but the veins bulging on his tightly clenched fists betrayed his intense anxiety.
Liu Yuan stood perfectly still, quietly waiting for the echoes of Elder Mu's grand promises to fade into the wind.
He did not interrupt. His breathing did not quicken. His Double Pupils did not flash with even a sliver of greed or temptation.
Elder Mu stared at the boy, his weathered face practically begging for a positive response. The old man's desperate thirst for this peerless genius was laid bare for all to see.
Finally, Liu Yuan opened his mouth.
"Elder Mu, I thank you for your high regard, and I thank Shrek for being willing to bleed such a heavy price." Liu Yuan offered a polite, measured bow, yet his tone carried a glacial distance that pushed the old man a thousand miles away.
"But if everything you have done today is simply an attempt to buy my return, then I can only inform you, with regret, that I refuse."
Elder Mu's hopeful expression shattered, freezing into a mask of devastation. "Child... do you truly hate the Academy this much? If it is because the sight of Elder Xuan angers you, this old man can..."
"No, Elder Mu. I do not hate Shrek." Liu Yuan slowly raised his head, his Double Pupils locking directly onto the Limit Douluo's ancient eyes.
"Hatred requires an emotional bond."
"For me, the exact second I was expelled, the thread of fate connecting me to Shrek was permanently severed."
Liu Yuan's voice remained calm, devoid of anger, which only made his words cut deeper. "The resources and supreme status you just offered are indeed incredibly tempting. But those exact same things, the Body Sect can also provide. And they offer them with far purer intentions."
He raised a hand, gesturing first to Vina standing firmly at his back, and then to the furious, fiercely protective Body Sect disciples gathered on the platform.
"Here, I do not just possess the ultimate environment for my cultivation. I have a partner who trusts me with her life, and fellow disciples who are entirely willing to wage a bloody war against a Limit Douluo just to keep me safe."
Liu Yuan's gaze sharpened, piercing through Elder Mu's remaining dignity. "At Shrek, I was nothing more than a 'defective product'—a piece of trash to be discarded the moment my value came into question. But here, at the Body Sect, I am their family. I am their future Sect Master."
"Elder Mu, tell me. Why would I ever throw away absolute loyalty and genuine bonds, just to crawl back to a place that once kicked me into the dirt?"
Liu Yuan held the old man's devastated gaze for a long, heavy moment before delivering his final verdict.
"I have received your apology. But please, pack up Shrek's 'sincerity' and take it back with you. I am doing exceptionally well now, and I do not need Shrek Academy to save me."
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