Shrek Academy's healing-type Spirit Masters arrived with astonishing speed.
Several emerald-green beams of light shot out from deep within the academy, descending instantly at the main entrance.
At their head was one of the elders of Sea God's Pavilion—Elder Zhuang.
The moment Elder Zhuang saw Elder Xuan lying on the ground, shock flickered across his usually calm face.
It was a horrific sight.
Elder Xuan's back was almost completely scorched black, the wounds so deep that bone was visible. Even worse, a terrifying dark energy continued to erode his flesh, preventing the injuries from closing.
If not for Elder Xuan's profound cultivation foundation, an ordinary Titled Douluo would have long since perished from the massive loss of vitality.
"Hurry! Carry him inside—begin treatment immediately!"
Elder Zhuang wasted no time. He slammed the Life Staff in his hand against the ground, and rings of emerald light spread out, quickly enveloping Elder Xuan and temporarily stabilizing his condition.
Under the shocked and anxious gazes of teachers and students alike, several Inner Court instructors carefully lifted Elder Xuan and rushed him toward the Tree of Life within Sea God's Pavilion for intensive treatment.
As for Ma Xiaotao—
Watching Elder Xuan being carried away, the tension in her body finally eased slightly, but the heaviness in her eyes did not fade in the slightest.
With Elder Xuan unconscious and his condition uncertain, she was now the only witness to everything that had happened.
That meant she had to report the entire course of events from their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest to Shrek Academy's highest leadership—without missing a single detail.
Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, straightened her disheveled clothes, and headed toward Sea God's Pavilion.
---
Sea God's Pavilion — Main Hall
Soft golden light filled the vast hall, yet the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
Seated around the long conference table were the elders of Sea God's Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo… every one of them wore a solemn expression.
At the head of the table sat an elderly man with a slightly stooped figure, leaning quietly against a recliner.
Dragon God Douluo—Mu En.
All eyes fell upon Ma Xiaotao as she entered the hall.
They simply could not understand how someone as powerful as Elder Xuan—a Rank 98 Super Douluo—could have ended up in such a disastrous state.
"Xiaotao, tell us," Mu En said slowly, his clouded eyes opening as he looked at her.
"What exactly happened? How did Elder Xuan sustain injuries this severe?"
With a heavy thud, Ma Xiaotao knelt on the ground. Her eyes reddened as she spoke.
"Elder Mu, esteemed elders… this is how it happened…"
She then recounted the entire journey to the Star Dou Great Forest in painstaking detail.
From their initial entry into the Mixed Zone to hunt a spirit ring, to Elder Xuan mentioning the mysterious Divine Beast that had once appeared near Shrek City.
Then their decision to investigate out of curiosity—only to find that the target had vanished, leaving behind the four corpses of Wind Hunting Demon Apes.
And finally… the most fatal moment of all—the misunderstanding.
"…At that time, an eighty-thousand-year Flame Demon Lion dropped a right leg soul bone. Elder Xuan told me to store it away. But just as we arrived at the scene, Di Tian and the others appeared…"
"The four Spirit Beast corpses were right there at our feet, and the soul bone from the freshly slain Spirit Beast was still hanging at my waist…"
As her words fell, the expressions of the elders grew complicated.
Yan Shaozhe twitched at the corner of his mouth and rubbed his forehead.
This…
The elders of Sea God's Pavilion were filled with helplessness.
Elder Xuan truly had appalling luck.
Had he arrived even a few minutes earlier—or later—he would have avoided this calamity entirely. Instead, he walked straight into it at the worst possible moment.
Just then, Mu En, who had remained silent the entire time, let out a soft cough.
"Ahem."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Mu En spoke slowly, his voice calm.
"This time… he did well."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone froze.
Beaten to this extent—and it was still considered "doing well"?
But soon, Yan Shaozhe and the others understood.
The "Zhang Lexuan incident" from years ago had always been a thorn in Elder Xuan's heart—and Mu En's greatest dissatisfaction with him.
Back then, it was Elder Xuan's negligence that led to tragedy.
But this time, faced with certain death, faced with the pursuit of the continent's strongest ferocious beast—Di Tian—Elder Xuan did not abandon Ma Xiaotao to escape on his own.
He used his own body to withstand Xiong Jun's attack.
He blocked Di Tian's dragon breath with his back.
He even burned his own origin vitality without hesitation—just to ensure Ma Xiaotao returned safely, without so much as a scratch.
As a team-leading instructor, Elder Xuan had handed in a perfect answer this time.
The price was heavy—but he protected Shrek Academy's future.
"It seems… he has finally learned what responsibility truly means," Mu En sighed softly, a trace of relief in his tone.
He then looked at Ma Xiaotao, who was still kneeling on the ground, his voice gentler.
"Alright, Xiaotao. Get up."
"This incident was an accident. It has nothing to do with you, and you don't need to blame yourself for what happened to Elder Xuan."
"He is an Inner Court elder of Sea God's Pavilion. Protecting students is his duty. The academy will spare no expense to heal his injuries."
Though Mu En's voice was soft, every word struck directly at Ma Xiaotao's heart.
"What you need to do now is not drown in guilt."
"Rest well. Cultivate diligently. Prepare yourself for the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament—that will be your main task from now on."
Ma Xiaotao's body trembled violently at his words.
She raised her head and wiped the tears from her face.
Within her fiery phoenix-like eyes, the confusion and fear were gone—replaced by unwavering determination and resolve.
"Yes! Elder Mu!"
She kowtowed heavily before standing up, her voice firm and clear.
"I understand!"
---
After leaving Sea God's Pavilion, Ma Xiaotao stood by Sea God Lake, staring at the shimmering surface as her fists clenched tightly.
"That's right… my most important task now is the Soul Master Tournament."
In her mind, the image of Elder Xuan being blasted apart by Di Tian to protect her replayed again and again.
That kindness was as heavy as Mount Tai.
"Since Elder Xuan paid such a price for me, I must cultivate harder, help my teammates grow stronger, and ensure a one-hundred-percent chance of winning the championship!"
"No matter who the opponents are. No matter how strong they are."
"I will crush them completely!"
"Only then can I repay Elder Xuan's kindness!"
A scorching aura of flame erupted from Ma Xiaotao as she turned and strode toward the Inner Court's cultivation chambers, her back straight and resolute.
---
Meanwhile, on Liu Yuan's side—
He had no idea that Elder Xuan had been beaten to the brink of paralysis because of him and was currently lying unconscious in Sea God's Pavilion.
After traveling at full speed, Liu Yuan successfully returned to the Sun Moon Imperial Capital and made his way back to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The long-lost campus atmosphere washed over him, bringing an unexpected sense of comfort.
His first stop was to report to Hall Master Jing Hongchen.
Upon seeing Liu Yuan return safely, Jing Hongchen was overjoyed. After asking a few simple questions, he let Liu Yuan handle his own affairs, only reminding him that with the tournament approaching, he must not slack off in his cultivation.
Leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Liu Yuan stretched lazily.
"It's about time I went to check on my teammates."
"I haven't seen them for a month. I wonder if they've been slacking off."
After confirming the direction, his figure flashed, and he headed straight toward the academy's exclusive soul tool trial grounds.
---
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy — Trial Ground No. 1
This was the dedicated training ground for the academy's main team—the ones representing its highest combat strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thunderous roar of powerful soul tool cannons and the clash of Spirit Abilities gradually faded.
The members of the Sun Moon Team had just finished an intense round of sparring.
Though everyone was drenched in sweat and some were panting heavily, their expressions were full of excitement and confidence.
Over the past month, through self-imposed, devilish special training, their strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.
As captain, Ma Rulong was wiping down a massive Rank 6 soul cannon, his face brimming with energy.
"Haha! Everyone's been working hard lately. Our strength has improved tremendously across the board."
He glanced around at his teammates—Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Mi Jia, Xiao Xiafeng…
Their auras were far more refined than they had been a month ago.
The progress of the Hongchen siblings in particular was astonishing.
"Judging by the time, the one-month deadline is almost up," Ma Rulong said, clenching his fist as anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
"The captain should be back soon."
Though they admitted they were inferior to Liu Yuan, as top geniuses of the Sun Moon Empire, pride still burned deep in their bones.
"Everyone, take a short break, then keep cultivating," Ma Rulong said firmly.
"When the captain returns, we have to show him the results of our progress!"
"Exactly!" Xiao Hongchen lifted his chin smugly, tapping his folding fan against his palm.
"This time, we're going to shock Brother Liu Yuan and let him know our growth speed isn't slow either!"
Lin Xi giggled. "That's right! We'll give the captain a real surprise!"
The entire training ground buzzed with enthusiasm, everyone eager to show off—as if they could already see Liu Yuan's stunned expression.
However—
Just as they were immersed in those bright fantasies, a teasing yet extremely familiar voice drifted lazily from the shadows at the entrance.
"Oh? Really?"
Everyone froze and turned their heads in unison.
Under the sunlight, a tall, slender figure walked in at an unhurried pace.
Liu Yuan had his hands in his pockets, a faintly mocking smile on his lips as his gaze swept across the group, finally settling on Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen.
"So," he said lightly,
"you've all grown bold, huh?"
He strolled forward, sensing the stronger auras coming from them, and nodded in satisfaction.
Yet the battle intent in his eyes only burned brighter.
Want to shock him?
Interesting.
Perfect timing—he had just acquired a new ability and was itching to test its real combat potential.
Liu Yuan twisted his neck, producing a crisp crack, then crooked his finger at the stunned group.
"I've improved too. My hands are itching."
"So… do you want to spar with me?"