Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King - [DD2]: 54

The separation of a soul bone is never a small matter.

There was something else he hadn’t said: from now on, Xuan Zi would no longer be able to break through.

Unless he could retrieve that soul bone and reattach his severed arm, it would be nearly impossible for him to make any further progress in this lifetime.

Mu En was deeply distressed. Xuan Zi was the successor he had chosen—the next Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion—because Xuan Zi was the only one in Shrek Academy with the potential to break through to level 99.

The power of the Taotie bloodline within Xuan Zi’s martial soul was also incomparably strong.

But now, with this incident, all of Mu En’s plans had gone up in smoke.

Who, then, would bear the heavy responsibilities of Shrek Academy? Elder Lin or Elder Song? They were already at their limits, and reaching level 98 in their lifetimes would be a challenge.

Yan Shaozhe?

Mu En knew his disciple well.

Yan Shaozhe had talent, but his personality had flaws. He might be able to reach level 98, but becoming an Ultimate Douluo would be difficult.

As for the others? They were even further behind Yan Shaozhe.

Could it be that the mighty Shrek Academy would face a gap in succession? Although Mu En was still around, how many more years could he hold out?

A trace of worry flashed through Mu En’s heart.

Why did Xuan Zi have to get into trouble at this exact moment?

Should he make a trip to the Star Dou Forest himself to try and retrieve Xuan Zi’s soul bone? Those soul beasts probably wouldn’t care about the soul bone.

Moreover, the soul bone had been absorbed many years ago and wasn’t particularly rare or precious.

Maybe he could still find it.

Mu En’s idea wasn’t wrong, but what he didn’t know was that Bear Lord had already taken Xuanzi’s soul bone.

Even if he went, it would be a wasted trip.

“Xuan Zi, prepare for treatment. We’ll restore as much as we can.”

“I will go to the Star Dou Forest for you and try to retrieve that soul bone.”

Mu En comforted him softly.

“Thank you, Old Mu!”

Xuan Zi’s eyes lit up. Mu En was personally going to help him retrieve the soul bone? He felt hopeful again!

That damned Bear Lord—once he recovered and broke through to level 99, he would settle the score.

He would let Bear Lord experience what it felt like to lose an arm.

With a wave of Mu En’s hand, the entire Sea God Pavilion suddenly lit up.

Endless golden light, rich with the power of life, enveloped Xuan Zi.

The healing began!

…

It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day that Zhang Lexuan finally returned to Shrek Academy.

She had only been away for a few days, but for some reason, when she returned, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

The sense of belonging she once had had quietly disappeared.

Was it because Xuan Zi and the others hadn’t waited for her and had retreated instead? Or was it something else?

Zhang Lexuan wasn’t sure, but she felt disheartened, and the familiar warmth was gone.

Shaking her head, she tried to dispel her complex emotions.

Not knowing where Su Yu was, she had to stay a while longer.

Wherever Su Yu was, that was home. If Su Yu wasn’t there, it didn’t matter where she was.

Thinking this, Zhang Lexuan felt much more at ease.

She entered Shrek Academy and headed directly to Sea God Island.

…

“Senior Sister is back!”

“Senior Sister is back!”

Wu Ming jumped up and down in excitement, and the other inner courtyard students, who had once thought Zhang Lexuan had sacrificed herself, were overjoyed.

Zhang Lexuan was well-liked in the inner courtyard.

She had a gentle personality, unparalleled beauty, extraordinary talent, and a kind heart.

Both male and female students respected her.

The female students admired her, and even fiery-tempered ones like Wu Ming and Ma Xiaotao were impressed by their Senior Sister, Zhang Lexuan.

As for the male students, many saw Zhang Lexuan as the goddess of their dreams.

But Zhang Lexuan never paid them any attention.

To them, she was like an unattainable, ethereal beauty.

“Senior Sister!”

Wu Ming threw herself into Zhang Lexuan’s arms, and the usually strong and composed girl even shed a few tears.

Zhang Lexuan gently patted Wu Ming’s head and smiled.

“Ming’er, don’t cry. I’m back.”

“Senior Sister, I knew you’d be okay! It’s all Elder Xuan’s fault. He insisted on taking us back.”

“Ming’er, don’t say that.”

A gentle rebuke cut off Wu Ming’s words. Han Ruoruo took a few steps forward, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of joy.

“Welcome back, Lexuan!”

Seeing that Zhang Lexuan was safe, Han Ruoruo was genuinely happy.

“Mm!”

Zhang Lexuan nodded with a smile.

Although Han Ruoruo had only said a few words, Zhang Lexuan understood what she meant.

It was Xuan Zi who had insisted on taking them away, not that they had abandoned her.

This brought Zhang Lexuan some comfort.

People are emotional beings, and if Wu Ming and the others hadn’t waited for her, she would have felt disappointed.

But now, seeing that her sisters still cared about her, that was enough.

“By the way, Lexuan, the Dean is looking for you,” Han Ruoruo said after exchanging pleasantries.

“Got it!”

Zhang Lexuan nodded and walked inside.

Yan Shaozhe had been waiting inside for a while. When Zhang Lexuan arrived, he turned around with a gentle smile.

“Lexuan, congratulations on returning safely.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

“Elder Xuan took them away early because time was tight. It wasn’t that they meant to abandon you, so don’t take it to heart,” Yan Shaozhe explained.

He didn’t want Zhang Lexuan to develop any negative feelings toward the Academy because of this incident.

After all, Zhang Lexuan was currently the most talented student in the inner courtyard.

“Lexuan understands,” she replied calmly.

“I’m glad you do.”

Yan Shaozhe smiled sincerely.

As expected, Lexuan was a good child.

He took the opportunity to show some concern.

“Lexuan, you haven’t obtained your eighth soul ring yet, have you?”

“When the time comes, I will personally take you to hunt for a soul ring and make sure you get the best one.”

Yan Shaozhe casually dangled the promise, hoping to put Zhang Lexuan at ease.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Dean, but I’ve already obtained my eighth soul ring. There’s no need to trouble you,” Zhang Lexuan said flatly.

“Oh, you’ve already obtained your eighth soul ring?”

“Lexuan, you didn’t just randomly find some soul beast, did you? You’ve been reckless!”

Yan Shaozhe was first taken aback, then looked at Zhang Lexuan with disappointment and frustration, hardly able to believe it.

“Lexuan, why were you in such a rush? You should have waited for the Academy to help you hunt for one.”

“If you just randomly chose a soul ring, aren’t you wasting your potential?”

“Don’t you understand that?”

Yan Shaozhe lectured, feeling heartbroken over Zhang Lexuan’s decision to find her soul ring on her own.

After a while, he finally stopped.

“Lexuan, what kind of soul beast did you use for your eighth soul ring?”

At this point, all he could hope for was that Zhang Lexuan’s eighth soul ring wasn’t too bad.

Sigh, given her strength, it would have been difficult for her to obtain a truly great soul ring.

This child was still too impulsive!

Had he been the one to take Zhang Lexuan, he could have at least found her a soul ring of 80,000 years or more.

But Zhang Lexuan had gone alone—what kind of soul ring could she have found?

It probably didn’t exceed 50,000 years, right?

Sigh, this child knows how to make people worry, Yan Shaozhe thought in frustration.

Zhang Lexuan pursed her lips and said, “My eighth soul ring is from a 100,000-year Moon Spirit Emperor.”

“Oh, a 100,000-year Moon Spirit Empe…”

Yan Shaozhe mumbled absentmindedly, but halfway through, he realized something was wrong.

“Lexuan, what did you just say your eighth soul ring was?”

Yan Shaozhe stared closely at Zhang Lexuan, his tone urgent.

Zhang Lexuan repeated, “Dean, my eighth soul ring came from a 100,000-year soul beast, the Moon Spirit Emperor.”

Zhang Lexuan’s voice was soft, but Yan Shaozhe felt as if he’d been struck by a thunderbolt. It was like a hundred slaps landed on his face, each one loud and clear. To think he had just criticized Zhang Lexuan for so long—when in the end, he was the fool?

Yan Shaozhe’s expression darkened. He quickly asked, “Lexuan, how did you manage to get a 100,000-year Moon Spirit Emperor soul ring? That’s a 100,000-year soul beast!”

Yan Shaozhe could hardly believe it. Such a powerful soul beast could only be hunted by a Super Douluo.

Zhang Lexuan said nothing. Instead, she released her martial soul. A bright moon appeared above her head, and her soul rings radiated brilliantly: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, and red—eight rings in total. The most notable was the blood-red 100,000-year soul ring, exuding an undeniable pressure.

That aura left no doubt in Yan Shaozhe’s mind—this was a genuine 100,000-year soul ring. There was no mistake! Zhang Lexuan’s eighth soul ring was indeed a 100,000-year ring.

“Lexuan, how did you manage this?”

Yan Shaozhe asked again.

Zhang Lexuan’s lips parted slightly as she calmly explained, “It was a stroke of luck. When I broke through the encirclement of the Bloodmend Serpents, I accidentally wandered into a valley. There, I encountered a 100,000-year-old Moon Spirit Emperor that was nearing the end of its life. I noticed it didn’t seem capable of attacking, so I approached it slowly. In the end, it became my soul ring.”

Yan Shaozhe: (⊙_⊙)

Is that even possible?

She just happened to stumble upon a 100,000-year-old Moon Spirit Emperor at the end of its life. Are you sure this is real?

Why don’t I ever have that kind of luck?

“And how did you manage to endure it? That’s a 100,000-year soul ring. Even for you, it shouldn’t have been easy,” Yan Shaozhe asked.

Zhang Lexuan looked slightly puzzled.

“I found it strange too. When I absorbed the soul ring, I didn’t encounter much resistance. It felt like I just absorbed it naturally.”

Yan Shaozhe: ?????????????

Are you serious?

Zhang Lexuan’s words made Yan Shaozhe question reality for a moment. Did he hear wrong? But the eight soul rings in front of him were clear as day—this wasn’t an illusion.

After thinking for a while, Yan Shaozhe decided to let the matter rest for now.

“Lexuan, after absorbing the 100,000-year soul ring, what level are you currently at?”

Yan Shaozhe asked again.

“I’m currently at level 84, Soul Douluo,” Zhang Lexuan answered without hesitation.

“Level 84? How is that possible? Even with a 100,000-year soul ring, it shouldn’t… Oh, right, you must also have a 100,000-year soul bone.”

Yan Shaozhe went from disbelief to realization, his face changing as if performing a series of theatrical expressions.

Looking at Zhang Lexuan, his eyes gleamed. No matter how she had obtained the 100,000-year soul ring, she had it now. After receiving the heavy news of both student deaths and Elder Xuan’s injury, Yan Shaozhe finally had something to be happy about. At last, there was some good news.

“Lexuan, well done! You truly deserve to be our inner courtyard’s Senior Sister. You should go rest now. You’ve been through a lot on this trip, and you deserve a good break. In a few days, I’ll personally request that the elders allow you to train in the Sea God Pavilion.”

Yan Shaozhe’s attitude became unprecedentedly warm. A 100,000-year eighth soul ring—this was the mark of true talent. Even he hadn’t achieved that back in his day. Zhang Lexuan’s future was limitless, and she was worth cultivating.

“Yes, Dean!”

Zhang Lexuan bowed, put away her martial soul, and turned to leave.

Yan Shaozhe, watching her depart, swiftly headed for the Sea God Pavilion. He couldn’t wait to share this good news with the elders and lift their spirits.

…

Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan returned to her dormitory, closed the door, climbed into bed, and leaned against the wall. She bent her knees slightly, hugging her legs, her chin resting on her knees, her eyes filled with confusion. Suddenly, a deep sense of loneliness washed over her.

Just now, Yan Shaozhe’s abrupt change in attitude and everything he did—it left her feeling a bit disgusted. The way he had been so dismissive before, only to fawn over her afterward—it was all so typical.

She had once thought that Shrek Academy was a wonderful place. After all, it had been renowned on the continent for nearly 10,000 years. She had even led the Shrek Academy team to sweep through the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and win the Soul Master Tournament, defending Shrek Academy’s honor.

But now, she suddenly felt different.

Su Yu had often told her to use her heart to see each person and each event for what they truly were, and not to let herself be misled by people’s words. Back then, she had dismissed his words, thinking he was just a child pretending to be wise. But now, looking back, perhaps he had been trying to subtly awaken her. Yes, he was always so mature, so smart, even though he was only eleven years old.

Thinking of Su Yu, Zhang Lexuan’s lips curled into a small smile. Though Su Yu was young, he was truly gentle.

“Xiao Yu, where are you now? Sister Xuan misses you.”

Zhang Lexuan whispered, her soft voice echoing quietly in the silent dormitory.

…

Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe couldn’t wait to tell the elders of the Sea God Pavilion about Zhang Lexuan’s acquisition of a 100,000-year eighth soul ring.

As expected, the elders reacted with shock and surprise.

“A 100,000-year eighth soul ring… Lexuan is even more extraordinary than we thought,” Xian Lin’er smiled with genuine joy. Zhang Lexuan’s talent was truly stunning.

“A 100,000-year eighth soul ring also means she must have a 100,000-year soul bone. That’s no small boost for a soul master,” Elder Lin chimed in.

Amid Shrek Academy’s sorrow, Zhang Lexuan’s news had undoubtedly lifted some of the gloom.

“Indeed, a 100,000-year soul ring is the most precious treasure in the world of soul masters, not to mention a 100,000-year soul bone,” Elder Song laughed heartily. Having such an outstanding student in the inner courtyard was certainly something to be happy about.