Chapter 134: Heading to the Star Dou Great Forest, Elder Xuan and Huo Yuhao Reconcile
The air inside the main hall turned heavy, settling like lead over the gathered disciples following Du Busi's absolute declaration.
Long Aotian, Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, and the other core members exchanged silent, wide-eyed glances. The initial shock freezing their features had yet to completely fade. However, as they mentally chewed over their sect master's explanation, the concept they initially dismissed as sheer absurdity slowly morphed into a state of numb, breathless acceptance.
"Is that actually possible..." Chen Lu muttered, his voice barely rising above a whisper as he stared at the stone floor.
Yet, Du Busi's logic held no flaws.
When Liu Yuan broke through to the Soul Ancestor realm and absorbed his fourth soul ring, he had already shattered conventional limits by taking in a forty-five-thousand-year ring. Now, after two grueling months of closed-door cultivation, Liu Yuan's soul power had not merely surged to Rank 50. More crucially, he had integrated the Gold of Life into his very being. This supreme treasure possessed an endless well of vitality, constantly reshaping his meridians and fortifying his flesh from the inside out.
In the established understanding of the Soul Master world, the two greatest executioners of anyone attempting to absorb a high-level soul ring were physical collapse and mental destruction.
But Liu Yuan stood entirely outside the world of ordinary men. The Gold of Life anchored his physical vessel, rendering his internal organs and bones virtually indestructible. Meanwhile, the primordial mental pressure generated by his Double Pupils formed an impenetrable fortress around his spiritual sea. Logically speaking, the impossible chasm that usually prevented a Rank 50 Soul King from absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring simply did not exist for him.
Even knowing the facts, visualizing the outcome caused a violent storm to churn within their chests.
A fifth soul ring glowing with the blood-red light of a hundred thousand years?
Such a terrifying concept placed across the entire ten-thousand-year history of the Douluo Continent was entirely unmatched. It was a singular existence.
Even the most brilliant, heaven-defying predecessors recorded in ancient texts only dared to brush against the absolute peak of the ten-thousand-year category during their Soul King stage.
Yet Liu Yuan was aiming for the bloody crimson peak.
"If Senior Brother Liu Yuan truly succeeds, his resulting surge in strength will completely shatter any conventional logic we use to measure combat power." Wang Yanfeng took a deep, ragged breath, his gaze burning with a fierce, hungry light.
"The sheer destructive force of a soul skill derived from a hundred-thousand-year soul ring represents a fundamental evolution in life level., a beast of that caliber will absolutely yield a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone. With the dual amplification of a red ring and a red bone... I cannot even begin to fathom the heights Senior Brother's combat power will reach."
Around him, the other disciples nodded, their breathing growing heavy.
Days ago, a shadow of apprehension had loomed over them regarding the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. They knew Shrek Academy would inevitably launch a deranged, desperate counterattack to reclaim their lost dignity. But now, witnessing Liu Yuan's monstrous, unreasonable progression speed, the burning anticipation deep in their bones entirely incinerated their previous worries.
Du Busi swept his gaze across the hall. Seeing the blazing fighting spirit etched into the faces of his disciples, a satisfied, savage grin stretched across his face.
He turned his attention back to Liu Yuan. The old monster's eyes burned with absolute dominance and an unyielding, tyrannical will.
"Since our target is set, we will not waste another breath standing around." Du Busi waved his massive hand, the sheer force of the gesture causing the air in the hall to crackle.
"Liu Yuan, follow me. We set off for the Star Dou Great Forest immediately. This time, whoever dares to block our path dies. Even if that old lizard Di Tian throws a tantrum, I will rip that spatial-attribute beast out of his forest and hand it to you!"
Liu Yuan offered a calm, measured nod to his fellow disciples. He turned to his master, his expression entirely devoid of fear, only reflecting a cold, pragmatic focus. "Understood. Let us depart."
The master and disciple did not bother alerting the rest of the sect's forces. Their bodies blurred, transforming into two piercing streaks of light. Under the reverent, awe-struck gazes of Long Aotian and the others, they tore through the dense canopy of clouds and mist shrouding the Body Sect, carving a direct path toward the absolute core of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Liu Yuan had officially commenced the next brutal phase of his ascent to the pinnacle.
Thousands of miles away, a suffocating silence gripped the interior of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy.
The atmosphere inside the ancient wooden structure lacked the sharp, murderous edge that had defined Elder Xuan's trial a few days prior, but a thick, lingering gloom had settled into the very grain of the floorboards.
Today, an event unfolded within the pavilion that the old elders had not entirely anticipated, yet recognized as a grim necessity.
Elder Mu, the supreme master of Shrek and the Dragon God Douluo, had summoned two specific individuals to the meeting hall beneath the sprawling branches of the Golden Tree. One was Elder Xuan, whose aura remained weak and erratic following his severe punishment. The other was Huo Yuhao, a young boy currently drowning in a quagmire of confusion and self-doubt.
Elder Mu sat at the head of the long wooden table. The faint, flickering glow of the soul power lamps cast long shadows across his face, making his silver hair appear dull and lifeless.
He slowly lowered his gaze to the two figures standing below him. One was his junior nephew, a man he had fought alongside for decades. The other was his personal disciple, the vessel carrying his highest hopes for the future. Yet, as the two stood side by side, a chilling, unspoken estrangement radiated between them. They did not look at each other.
Elder Mu saw through the cracks perfectly. After enduring the humiliating, crushing defeat at Star Luo City and the agonizingly cold reception upon their return, a massive fissure of doubt had opened in Huo Yuhao's heart regarding Elder Xuan's competence as a leader. Conversely, Elder Xuan carried the suffocating weight of his dereliction of duty. Stripped of his pride and drowning in humiliation, the old man compensated by adopting a pathologically strict, awkward demeanor whenever he faced the surviving students.
This silent discord between general and soldier, this bleeding rift between senior and junior, acted as a lethal poison slowly killing the remnants of Shrek's foundation.
Elder Mu let out a dry, rattling cough. His aged voice echoed through the empty pavilion, carrying a deliberate gentleness meant to soothe the raw nerves of the two standing before him.
"I know that during this recent journey, due to a series of unexpected disasters and the cruel twists of fate, both of you carry heavy burdens and deep grievances in your hearts."
Elder Mu slowly opened his eyes. His cloudy, ancient gaze shifted deliberately between Elder Xuan's hunched shoulders and Huo Yuhao's tense jaw.
"But... you must engrave this into your bones. Shrek has never belonged to any single individual. One of you stands as the most outstanding core student of our academy in this era, carrying the absolute hope of our future upon your shoulders."
He shifted his gaze to the older man. "The other is the most vital elder remaining in the Sea God Pavilion, the central pillar keeping the very skeleton of this academy from collapsing. There is no obstacle we cannot overcome, and there is absolutely no conflict worth tearing ourselves apart over during such a critical juncture."
Elder Mu paused, allowing the silence to stretch. When he spoke again, his tone carried a heavy, almost pleading weight. "Today, I am stepping forward to bridge this divide. Regardless of the ugliness that transpired in Star Luo City or the bitter silence of the return journey, those events belong to the past. For the sake of my old face, give Shrek a chance to breathe. Regroup. Reconcile."
Hearing the supreme Limit Douluo lower his pride to essentially beg for their unity caused a subtle shift in the rigid postures of both Elder Xuan and Huo Yuhao.
In truth, beneath their layers of pride and doubt, both desperately wanted to mend the rift. They had simply lacked a sturdy enough stepping stone to cross the divide without losing face.
For Huo Yuhao, the memory of Star Luo Plaza remained burned into his retinas. He had witnessed Liu Yuan standing like a god, his Double Pupils suppressing everything in his path with unrivaled, tyrannical might. That image fed a ravenous, clawing hunger for power deep within the boy's chest. He craved strength more than he needed to breathe.
And the most direct path to that strength remained firmly rooted in Shrek Academy. It remained in the hands of Elder Xuan, a man who still wielded the most terrifying combat power below the world of a Limit Douluo. Huo Yuhao needed the academy's vast resources, and more, he desperately needed Elder Xuan's absolute protection and support when hunting for his future soul rings.
As for Elder Xuan, the military order Elder Mu had carved into his soul—to win the championship in five years—hung over his neck like a rusted guillotine.
The old man knew the grim reality. By the time the next tournament arrived, Ma Xiaotao and the current main force would exceed the age limit. His only lifeline, his sole chance at reversing Shrek's doomed trajectory, rested entirely on Huo Yuhao. This boy possessed Ultimate attributes and Twin Martial Souls. Without Huo Yuhao's absolute loyalty and cooperation, defeating a monstrous prodigy like Liu Yuan in five years was nothing but a fool's dream.
"Elder Mu... it was my mind that grew muddled. I failed, and I allowed the children to suffer the consequences." Elder Xuan broke the silence first. His hoarse voice scraped against the quiet room, carrying a heavy, genuine trace of regret.
He turned his head, finally looking directly at Huo Yuhao. The lingering gloom in the old man's eyes receded, temporarily replaced by the warm, protective kindness of a senior elder.
"Yuhao, I swear this to you now. There will never be such a catastrophic negligence on my part ever again. The entire future of Shrek rests on the shoulders of you children."
Seeing the old man lower his head, Huo Yuhao immediately stepped forward, bowing deeply in a formal salute. His voice rang out with practiced sincerity. "Elder Xuan, your words are far too heavy. I have never held any blame toward you. I only hate my own weakness. I hate that my strength is insufficient to share the burden of the academy's struggles. From this day forward, I will cultivate with everything I have. I will never disappoint your expectations, nor the expectations of my Teacher."
Watching the old man and the young boy clasp hands, bridging the chasm between them beneath the dim light, the deep wrinkles on Elder Mu's tense face finally softened. He let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.
"Good. Very good." Elder Mu nodded slowly, his eyes reflecting a glimmer of returning hope. "Since the rift is closed, channel every drop of your energy into the path ahead. What Shrek needs now is not just harmony. We need absolute strength."
Standing beneath the ancient branches of the Golden Tree, under the silent witness of the Sea God Pavilion's legacy, Huo Yuhao and Elder Xuan forged a binding oath.
"In the next Soul Master Tournament, we will crush the Body Sect. We will tear down Liu Yuan in front of the entire continent!" Elder Xuan's voice dropped into a low, morbidly persistent growl, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
"We will rip back every shred of glory that belongs to Shrek, and we will force those who dared to mock us to choke on their words!"
Huo Yuhao stood rigid, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. The imposing, suffocating phantom of Liu Yuan gazing down at him with those terrifying Double Pupils flashed violently through his mind. In the next second, that phantom was encased in a layer of absolute, freezing determination.
"I will sacrifice everything for the glory of Shrek!"
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