Chapter 154 Breakthrough Failure! Xuanzi Suffers Severe Injury!
Inside the office, the once sacred and peaceful aura of light had now transformed into a death knell.
Xuanzi sat cross-legged in the center of the floor, his whole body like an inflated balloon, his exposed skin a nearly transparent purplish-red color, and thick blue veins writhing wildly on his body like earthworms.
The gluttonous divine bull soul power within his body was originally as thick as a mountain, but it was shattered into pieces by the violent light dragon energy.
"Damn it... Get out! All of you, get out!"
Xuanzi roared inwardly, trying to mobilize all his soul power to forcibly seal his middle dantian, hoping to expel the out-of-control dragon pill energy from his pores.
However, the Bright Dragon Pill contains the purest essence of Mu En before his death. The energy level is extremely high. Once it enters the body and causes rejection, it cannot be expelled by brute force.
"puff--!"
Xuanzi suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which contained specks of dark golden light and made a hissing sound as it fell onto the wooden floor.
His meridians were on the verge of collapse, and every inch of his bones was groaning under the unbearable burden.
"No... I cannot die here... I must become a Limit Douluo... I must take my revenge..."
Xuanzi opened his eyes with difficulty; his eyeballs were bloodshot, and his vision had become blurry.
He felt that the "black hole" formed by the convergence of soul power in his lower abdomen had expanded to its limit.
Finally, that fragile balance was completely shattered.
"boom--!"
A muffled yet destructive explosion resounded like a thunderclap in the Poseidon Pavilion office.
That wasn't a physical explosion, but rather an energy shockwave generated by soul power going out of control under high pressure.
Xuanzi let out a shrill scream as the shockwave sent him flying, crashing heavily into the iron bookshelf behind him.
The originally sturdy, specially made bookshelf collapsed under the impact, burying Xuanzi with countless precious books.
Large gulps of blood flowed down his lips, and a large section of Xuanzi's chest caved in, as his ribs were broken from the inside out by the rampaging soul power.
He collapsed in the ruins, his body convulsing. His once powerful level 98 aura had now weakened to the extreme, and he didn't even have the strength to stand up.
"How could this be... how could this happen..."
Xuanzi stared blankly at the ceiling, panting heavily, each breath carrying a strong smell of blood.
He felt the shattered meridians within his body and was filled with extreme regret.
"I was careless... Could that old bastard Mu En have left a hidden trick in the Dragon Pill? Impossible... That's the essence of his life... Could it really be that my Gluttonous Divine Ox Martial Soul is unable to bear such extreme light?"
He originally thought it was a stroke of good fortune, but he never expected it would send him straight to the brink of death.
This dramatic fall from the peak to the bottom dealt an unprecedented blow to his proud heart.
The huge commotion that Xuanzi had just caused was like thunder in the silent Sea God Pavilion.
The elders who were discussing matters or in seclusion in other rooms of the Sea God Pavilion all noticed the anomaly at that moment.
The aura of level ninety-eight, which burst forth and then vanished in an instant, sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"What's going on? This aura... is Elder Xuan's?" Yan Shaozhe suddenly stood up, his face pale.
"That direction leads to Elder Xuan's office! Could it have been attacked?" Xian Lin'er rushed out from the other side, her eyes full of doubt.
"Impossible. The Sea God Pavilion is heavily guarded. Who could sneak in silently and attack a level 98 Super Douluo? Could it be that Elder Xuan has encountered a problem in his cultivation?"
"Quick! Go check it out! This level of energy fluctuation definitely means something big has happened!"
The elders disregarded their status and each used their movement techniques to transform into streaks of light, rushing to the scene at top speed.
When everyone burst through Xuanzi's office door, the horrific scene before them made them all gasp in shock.
The entire office was in a mess. The valuable mahogany furniture was shattered into wood chips, and Xuanzi lay like a dead dog among the wreckage of the bookshelves, covered in blood, his breath so weak that he seemed about to die at any moment.
"Elder Xuan!"
Yan Shaozhe exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to help Xuanzi up. The sensation he felt when he touched Xuanzi made him shudder – Xuanzi's body was frighteningly hot, and the soul power within him was surging around haphazardly like a tangled mess.
"How could he be injured like this? What exactly happened?" The elders gathered around, their faces filled with shock.
"Quickly! Get Elder Zhuang here! Also, mobilize the best medical soul masters, hurry!"
The Sea God Pavilion was in complete chaos.
Before long, Shrek Academy's top medical soul master arrived in haste, escorted by several elders.
After a flurry of intensive investigation and initial treatment, the medical soul master wiped the cold sweat from his brow and shook his head at the crowd.
"Elders, Elder Xuan's injuries are very strange. His meridians are severely broken, his internal organs have suffered serious shock injuries, and most importantly, his martial spirit seems to have been impacted by some high-level power."
The medical soul master lowered his voice and added solemnly, "The initial treatment can only stabilize his injuries. This time the injury is too severe. It will probably take three to five months for Elder Xuan to fully recover his cultivation. During this time, he won't even be able to fight."
Upon hearing this, the elders' faces turned extremely grim.
Shrek Academy is already in a weak position. If Xuanzi, the only pillar of the academy, falls for a few more months, the consequences would be unimaginable if hostile forces came knocking.
Yan Shaozhe looked at Xuanzi, who had regained a little clarity, and couldn't help but frown and ask:
"Elder Xuan, what happened to you? How could you be so badly injured inside the Sea God Pavilion?"
Xuanzi leaned against the soft cushion, her eyes moving slightly.
Seeing the concerned yet puzzled looks in the eyes of the elders around him, his heart skipped a beat. He absolutely dared not tell these people the truth.
If they find out that he embezzled the Bright Dragon Pill that Mu En left for Liu Yuan, and even failed to break through due to greed, then his position as acting pavilion master would probably be over in an instant, and his reputation would be completely ruined.
Thinking of this, Xuanzi endured the excruciating pain in his chest, deliberately revealing a desolate and tragic expression, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Gentlemen... I have failed Elder Mu and Shrek Academy."
As he spoke, he coughed violently a few times, coughing up a pool of blood. The sight of him in such a terrible state terrified the elders.
"I...I was just trying to forcefully break through to the level 99 Limit Douluo realm."
Xuanzi raised his head, his eyes revealing a resolute determination to face death. He lowered his voice, his tone sounding righteous and awe-inspiring:
"With Elder Mu gone, Shrek Academy no longer has an absolute powerhouse to oversee it."
"I see this and I'm anxious! As the most senior member of Shrek Academy and the one closest to that level, if I don't step up, what if that Poisonous Undying from the Body Sect comes to kill us, or the Sun Moon Empire launches a war? Who will protect this millennia-old foundation?"
"I know that pushing the limits is extremely dangerous, and I should have proceeded cautiously."
"But the situation is urgent! I'd rather risk exploding and dying than not fight for a future for Shrek Academy."
"Unfortunately... I was still just a hair's breadth short, and all my efforts were in vain, resulting in a backlash from my cultivation level."
Xuanzi's words were sincere and heartfelt, even carrying a touch of tragic grandeur, like a hero facing his end.
The elders around listened with utmost respect.
They had initially suspected that Xuanzi was up to some shady dealings, but after hearing what Xuanzi said, they suddenly felt that Xuanzi was a loyal and devoted son of Shrek Academy, willing to risk his life for the future of the academy.
"Elder Xuan...you, you're so confused!" Yan Shaozhe's eyes were slightly red, and his voice was full of emotion.
"Although Elder Mu is gone, we still have all of us. How can you gamble with your life? If something happens to you, Shrek Academy will truly collapse!"
"Yes, Elder Xuan, we appreciate your kindness. Now you can focus on recovering and leave the academy's affairs to us."
"Elder Xuan truly deserves to be called the pillar of Shrek Academy. We are all ashamed of our courage to sacrifice ourselves for others."
The elders offered words of comfort, their words filled with recognition and respect for Xuanzi.
In their view, Xuanzi became like this for the sake of the academy.
Finally, after telling Xuanzi to get some rest, the elders left the room with heavy expressions.
As the door closed, the room fell silent once more.
Xuanzi lay on the bed, feeling the concerned atmosphere around him fade away. He let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense expression instantly relaxed.
"Phew... I finally managed to get away with it."
Xuanzi's lips curled into a smug smile. Although his body was in excruciating pain, seeing those old guys being completely outmaneuvered by him gave him a strange sense of intellectual superiority.
"Those fools at Shrek Academy are really easy to fool. As long as I establish my image as a 'hero,' no one will suspect me of the disappearance of the dragon pill anymore. Once I recover, I'll figure out a way to slowly plot against them."
Just as Xuanzi was immersed in his smug thoughts, a figure was walking briskly towards the entrance of the Sea God Pavilion.
(End of chapter)