Zhu Ziyang's plan was clear—he intended to take advantage of the opportunity presented by fusing with his sixth soul ring to condense his first soul core in one go. He aimed to form it in his upper dantian first—his spiritual core—to ensure a solid foundation for his future cores and a position of invincibility.
The first soul core was of paramount importance—and, naturally, the most difficult to form. As the saying goes, "Well begun is half done," but beginning was always the hardest part.
Initially, Zhu Ziyang had planned to seek out a 100,000-year-old spiritual-type soul beast that would ideally also produce a head soul bone. He needed one that not only had mental attributes but also aligned with either light or death properties to complement his Requiem Deathscythe martial soul.
A very specific list of criteria—yet there existed a species that matched: the Evil-Eyed Tyrant!
The Evil-Eyed Tyrant, a soul beast native to the Sun Moon Continent, was known for its potent spiritual power. Since its body consisted almost entirely of a massive head, it always produced a head bone. Additionally, some individuals of the species also developed secondary attributes, such as fire or ice—resulting in variants like the Flame Evil Tyrant or Ice Evil Tyrant.
Unfortunately, none of them possessed light attributes. That's why Zhu Ziyang had settled on a rarer sub-species: the Death Evil Tyrant—which carried the death attribute.
In the Evil-Eye Forest of the Sun Moon Empire, there was known to be at least one 100,000-year-old Death Evil Tyrant—rumored to be a descendant of the Evil Tyrant King himself. Had Mu En not offered a better alternative, that beast would have certainly become Zhu Ziyang's target.
The alternative? The Illusory Sky Amethyst Dragon—a true dragon species with both spiritual and light attributes. In terms of bloodline strength and mental power, it was every bit as powerful as the Evil-Eyed Tyrant. It had been on Zhu Ziyang's original list but was dismissed due to its rarity and near-mythical elusiveness.
Who would've guessed that Mu En had found one, and that it had already surpassed 100,000 years in cultivation?
Moreover, like the Evil-Eyed Tyrant, the Amethyst Dragon was guaranteed to produce a head soul bone.
It was fate.
Zhu Ziyang had immediately chosen the Illusory Sky Amethyst Dragon without hesitation.
The next day, Mu En took Zhu Ziyang out of Shrek Academy. Joining them was the ever-intimidating Xuanzi, the Gluttonous Douluo.
Their destination lay deep in the mountains of the Dou Ling Empire. The specific mountain they approached was barren and rocky, towering over 5,000 meters high. Mu En had explored the area in his youth and had encountered the Illusory Sky Amethyst Dragon there. If he hadn't already passed the point of needing a soul ring, the dragon would've never lived long enough to see Zhu Ziyang.
"Ziyang," Mu En said with a chuckle as they climbed, "this mountain doesn't have many soul beasts, but almost all of them possess dragon bloodlines. Some are even lesser dragon species. Do you know why?"
Zhu Ziyang shook his head. "No, Teacher."
"Hahaha, the reason's simple," Mu En said. "There's an ancient ruin hidden within this mountain. Inside, there are countless dragon bones. The essence from those remains has seeped into the land, enriching the soul beasts that dwell here. That's why so many dragon-type beasts are drawn to this place. It's also likely the reason why the Illusory Sky Amethyst Dragon appeared here."
Zhu Ziyang blinked in surprise. "Teacher, how do you know about this ruin?"
"Because I stumbled into it myself in my younger days," Mu En replied with a smile. "And I was lucky enough to find a Dragon Pill while I was there."
"Dragon Pill?!" Zhu Ziyang froze, eyes wide in shock. A Dragon Pill, like Snow Empress's Snow Pearl or Ice Empress's Ice Pearl, was the crystallized life essence of a true dragon—a treasure holding the majority of its lifetime's cultivation and power. He hadn't expected Mu En to possess something so rare.
"Yes, and it came from a light-attribute white dragon," Mu En said, his voice tinged with regret. "That dragon's power was at least equal to mine at my peak. Even after death, its corpse still radiated overwhelming pressure and dominance."
"That must mean it had at least 500,000 years of cultivation, right?" Zhu Ziyang guessed.
"Exactly," Mu En said, laughing with a touch of sadness. "Unfortunately, the Dragon Pill was far too volatile. A human body couldn't absorb it directly. I carried it with me for years, using its aura and leaked energy to aid my cultivation.
"It's thanks to that pill that I managed to condense my second soul core and break through to Limit Douluo. My original plan was to slowly temper the Dragon Pill with my Light Saint Dragon martial soul, wearing down its violent nature before absorbing it."
He sighed. "But life doesn't always go as planned. After being badly wounded in a battle with Poison Death, I was forced to absorb the pill prematurely. I thought it had been tamed after a hundred years of tempering… but I underestimated the wrath of a true dragon's life essence.
"I survived, but my body was left ruined—my origin damaged. That's why I'm in the state I am today. All because of greed."
Zhu Ziyang listened with awe. He hadn't expected Mu En to have such a backstory. Truly, the Dragon Pill had been both his fortune and his downfall.
"In the end, I had to suppress the Dragon Pill's energy completely," Mu En continued. "Ironically, it's now so gentle that even someone without a dragon-type martial soul could absorb it. But it's too late for me.
"If I had absorbed it a hundred years later, I could've reached beyond the Limit Douluo stage—true transcendence. But… time waits for no one."
He smiled bitterly. "Originally, I intended to give it to Beibei, my descendant. His talent isn't inferior to mine, and the Dragon Pill could've helped him become a Limit Douluo.
"But then you came along. And there's no one more suitable than you. I hope this Dragon Pill can help you take the first step toward transcendence."
"Teacher, I…" Zhu Ziyang was speechless. He had suspected this might be Mu En's intention, but hearing it confirmed still shook him deeply.
"You don't need to feel guilty," Mu En said with a peaceful smile. "This is your rightful reward. All I ask… is that you one day reach the realm once touched by the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, and lead the academy to an even greater peak.
"It's been 10,000 years. Shrek Academy has stood tall for so long, but cracks are forming. Some forces can no longer suppress their ambition. Ziyang, do you understand your importance now?"
"I do," Zhu Ziyang said, his voice solemn.
Even now, Shrek Academy appeared calm on the surface—but it was already standing on the edge of a cliff. Countless factions were just waiting for the old monsters—Mu En, Xuanzi, and Lin Huiqun—to pass away. Then the feast to carve up Shrek would begin.
"Haha, don't worry too much," Mu En chuckled. "This old man still has a few years left. And even after I'm gone, Xuanzi and Elder Lin will still be around. They can protect you for at least fifty years. That's more than enough time for you to grow."
A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes. "Those people in the shadows think they can leech off our academy like parasites, waiting to seize control? Do they forget that the founder of Shrek Academy was the greatest powerhouse of his era?"
Shrek Academy had always kept close tabs on the aristocracies of the various empires—and vice versa. Only by keeping the academy in the hands of those who truly cared for it could its legacy be protected.
At that moment, Xuanzi arrived—dragging behind him a massive purple dragon.
It was the Illusory Sky Amethyst Dragon, now bound and unconscious, like a captured beast awaiting judgment.