Chapter 199: The Fall of the Holy Dragon

Chapter 199: The Fall of the Holy Dragon

At Shrek Academy today, a large crowd knelt solemnly in front of the Sea God Hall, each face marred by grief. They were all inner court students of Shrek Academy. Everyone who could return had done so, whether they had been away on inspection missions or on leave, provided they weren't unavoidably detained elsewhere.

Leading them was Zhang Lexuan.

Facing the doors of the Sea God Hall, her usually serene face bore an unmistakable sadness. Beside her, Bei Bei knelt silently, his eyes red as tears streamed down uncontrollably. For Mu En could hold on no longer.

After struggling for decades with a spine fatally damaged by the "Du bisi," and daily tormented by the toxic aura of his Dragon Pill, he was now spent.

Jing Hongchen never visited Shrek Academy and thus didn't know about Ma Xiaotao, a ticking time bomb who could turn into an evil soul master at any moment. Without his whistleblowing, the Holy Spirit Cult would not have attacked Shrek Academy.

In the original story, it was precisely the battle with Holy Spirit Cult that drained Mu En's life force, leading to his premature demise. However, even without Holy Spirit Cult's assault in this narrative, Mu En could only have held on until today.

Inside the Sea God Hall, around the grand conference table where only the elders of the Sea God Pavilion, the pillars of Shrek Academy, were seated. But today, they were about to lose one of their most crucial pillars.

The elders' faces were filled with sorrow as they silently watched Mu En, who sat in a wheelchair at the head of the table.

"Do not mourn for me," Mu En said with a smile, shaking his head. "Life has its end, and I have lived over two hundred years. You should be happy for me."

Mu En was at peace with his fate; death was no great ordeal. However, his only regret was the millennia-old legacy of Shrek Academy.

"The future of Shrek is now in your hands."

"Shaowei, push me outside." The setting sun marked the twilight of Mu En's life, and the heavy scent of death had penetrated his soul. He knew his time was short, and there were arrangements to be made.

"Yes." Yan Shaowei approached and gently pushed Mu En's wheelchair towards the entrance of the Sea God Hall.

"Master!"

"Master!"

As the inner court students saw Mu En appear, they all bowed respectfully.

Only two voices differed.

"Old Mu."

"Ancestor."

These were from Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei.

"Rise, everyone," Mu En's voice was soft but reached every ear.

Yet, no one stood; they remained kneeling, their expressions still filled with sorrow.

"Ah, my foolish children..." Mu En chuckled, albeit with a hint of satisfaction. His lifelong dedication to Shrek had not been in vain.

"Do not mourn for me. You are young and should live brightly, looking forward to the future. Shrek is honored to have such lovely children."

"Ancestor... please don't die..." Bei Bei cried out, collapsing in front of Mu En. His parents, also members of the Shrek Inspection Team, had died chasing evil soul masters when he was very young.

Mu En had only Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei, his closest kin. His insistence on Bei Bei marrying Zhang Lexuan was partly because Bei Bei was so alone—a child without parental love, hiding behind a facade of gentleness and warmth.

Now, as he faced the end, the last of his kin was leaving too.

Tang Ya was missing, and Bei Bei, already fragile, broke down completely upon hearing of Mu En's imminent demise.

"Ah..." Mu En sighed deeply, his gaze tender as he stroked Bei Bei's head. "Child, your path is not the same as mine. I believe your future will shine brighter than mine. Now, let this old ancestor do one last thing for you."

"No... don't!" Bei Bei widened his eyes in shock, but the bright soul force that appeared in Mu En's hand swiftly put him to sleep.

A powerful surge of the Holy Dragon's essence was extracted from Mu En and infused into Bei Bei. As Bei Bei lay unconscious on the ground, a soft golden halo appeared around him, with faint traces of golden lightning—signs of his unique soul, the Bright Blue Tyrant Dragon King, a hybrid of the Holy Light Dragon and the Blue Tyrant Dragon.

This soul was difficult to define in terms of strength.

What Mu En did was to stabilize Bei Bei's soul, making it easier for him to walk his path in the future. It was his final gift to his descendant.

"Lexuan, take him away," Mu En instructed Zhang Lexuan, who wiped her tears, picked up Bei Bei, and although she didn't go far, lingered nearby.

"Shaowei," Mu En's tone hardened as he addressed Yan Shaowei.

"Teacher," Yan Shaowei knelt respectfully before him.

"Although you've changed a lot since our last discussion, it's not enough. I've told you before, you lack the grandeur necessary for the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult. I've given you ten years to find your path. In ten years, come to the lowest floor of the Sea God Hall to face a challenge I've set. If you pass, you can continue as the head of the Spirit Section until Lexuan reaches the level of a Titled Douluo. After that, she will take over as the head of the Sea God Pavilion until she advances to Super Douluo, and you can retire to the Sea God Hall."

"If you fail, resign immediately and hand everything over to Lexuan, and join the Sea God Hall as a foundation."

"Teacher, I understand," Yan Shaowei had no objections. He knew his character flaws and had been adjusting, striving for higher levels. But progress had been minimal, and he had been stuck at level 97 for years.

"Teacher, I can't bear to lose you..." Mei'er, nearly a hundred years old, cried like a little girl.

Xianlin'er wasn't doing much better, sobbing into Qian DuoDuo's shoulder.

"Mei'er, you're gentle. Keep an eye on Shaowei for me when I'm gone, make sure he stays on track," Mu En patted Mei'er's head with a smile.

"Alright, everyone stand up," Yan Shaowei helped Mei'er to her feet and moved to stand beside Qian DuoDuo and Xianlin'er.

"Time waits for no one. Lin'er, DuoDuo," Mu En addressed Qian DuoDuo and Xianlin'er.

"Master Mu!" Xianlin'er knelt before him, clutching his hands as tears streamed down her face.

"Soul devices will rise inevitably; it's the wheel of the era, unstoppable by anyone, including us at Shrek. This area needs your and DuoDuo's efforts."

"Yes, Master Mu, Lin'er and I will do our best," Qian DuoDuo, a tough man, cried without any pretense.

For their generation, Mu En had been a constant presence as they grew up. His departure was like the sky falling.

"I understand, Master Mu, please rest..." Xianlin'er wept uncontrollably.

Mu En shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his complexion gradually returning to a healthy glow.

"I, Mu En, as the current head of the Sea God Pavilion, issue one last command: after me, every head of the Sea God Pavilion must fully support the development of soul devices at Shrek, with no obstructions."

"Yes! We will follow the Pavilion Head's command!"

Mu En smiled contentedly, stood up from the wheelchair, and miraculously, not only did his spine recover, but he also began to look younger.

Soon, Mu En returned to his youthful appearance, vigorous and handsome.

"Ancestors of Shrek, Mu En is coming!" He laughed heartily, leaped into the air, and transformed into a Holy Light Dragon almost half the size of Sea God Island.

As the dragon, Mu En gazed towards the Star Dou Great Forest, opened his mouth, and let out a majestic dragon's roar.

With that, the Holy Light Dragon shattered into countless particles of light, showering down upon the entire Sea God Island. The plants bathed in the light seemed to brighten and sway gently in the wind.

"Quick, sit down and cultivate, don't waste Master Mu's final gift!" Yan Shaowei, holding back his sorrow, called to the kneeling disciples as he gazed at the falling golden rain and a golden figure.

That golden figure smiled slightly, flew to the ancient gold tree, and merged with it.

Mu En of Shrek had fallen.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, at the Lake of Life, Di Tian's massive black dragon head emerged from the lake, his golden eyes fixed on Shrek, where a challenging dragon's roar had just sounded.

"Di Tian, Shrek dares to provoke us like this; they must be taught a lesson!" By the lakeside, a bear spirit, rarely seen by Du QianJue, roared angrily, his face filled with rage.

Bi Ji and the King of All Beasts, along with other fierce beasts, gathered at this moment, almost assembling en masse.

Di Tian glanced at the bear spirit and snorted coldly.

"Now is not the time!"

"How much longer do we wait?" the bear spirit asked impatiently.

"Watch your tone, Bear Spirit!" Di Tian's authoritative eyes bore into the bear spirit, his aura rising gradually.

The bear spirit paused, a flicker of unease in his eyes, but he quieted down.

"I've said it's not time to wage war on humans!" Di Tian's eyes narrowed, his mind flashing with another human's image, contemplative.

According to Du QianJue´s plan, he would handle Shrek himself, no need for these beasts to intervene.

"Dragon God Douluo? Claiming the name of the Dragon God, if it weren't for the Lord's prohibition against too much conflict with humans, do you think you would have lived to see today?" Di Tian sneered, returning to the depths of the Lake of Life.

The other beasts looked at each other, each returning to their territories.

Meanwhile, Mu En, having merged his soul with the ancient gold tree, sensed something amiss. Why was there such a strong dark aura?

A sinister, evil laughter echoed, and Mu En's face changed dramatically at the sound.

(End of Chapter 199)