CHAPTER 113: Moon En’s Decision

Chapter 113: Moon En's Decision

"Teacher, you…"

"Mr. Mu…"

Hearing that Moon En planned to personally seek out Xiao Qiang, Elder Xuan, Yan Shaozhe, and the other Sea God Pavilion elders were all visibly shocked.

"Teacher, Xiao Qiang is only a five-ring Soul King. There's no need for you to act personally," Yan Shaozhe said after a moment of stunned silence.

Moon En turned toward him with calm eyes. "Shaozhe, don't underestimate him. Yes, he's currently only a five-ring Soul King, but he's also a Soul King capable of defeating a six-ring Soul Emperor. If he hadn't absorbed the Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone and died this time, tell me—would anyone in Shrek be able to stand against him five years from now?"

He took a deep breath and continued, his tone steady but solemn. "If Shrek loses once, it could be considered an unfortunate accident. But what if we lose again? Can Shrek afford a second defeat? The truth is, the quality of our teaching isn't vastly superior to that of other high-level soul master academies. What keeps us at the top is our ability to gather and refine the most talented individuals from among many geniuses. That's what made Shrek the number one academy on the continent."

"With that title, we attract even more geniuses—an unending cycle of excellence. Why do you think the two soul masters with ultimate martial spirits chose Shrek? It's because we have always maintained the top position on the continent."

"But if we lose to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy twice in a row… will we still be the number one soul master academy? And if not, how will we continue to gather talent? Will we start snatching geniuses from other academies?"

Yan Shaozhe grew anxious. "Teacher, we still have the school motto: 'Those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre.' As long as the academy continues to define exams as trials of troublemaking, others will naturally want to join us to prove themselves. There's no need for you to step in. Your body can't handle releasing its full power outside the Sea God Pavilion!"

Moon En gently patted Yan Shaozhe's head. "Good child, I know you're worried about me… but I must go."

He looked out into the distance and said, "Using so-called troublemakers to suppress geniuses from other factions can solidify our standing for a time, but that's not enough. Shrek cannot rely solely on provoking others to maintain its legacy. We must also raise talents strong enough to truly stand alone and contribute to the Douluo continent."

"With the threat of the Sun Moon Empire looming, the Three Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent will turn a blind eye to our more aggressive methods, perhaps even support them. But if we only cause trouble without cultivating real power, Shrek will become a tumor in their eyes. Even with the Sun Moon Empire pressing them, they will not hesitate to get rid of us."

"Shrek can fail once, but not twice—especially not consecutively."

"As for my body…" He chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I'm already at Rank 99. Against a junior, I won't need to exert myself. I'll only use a trace of soul power. It won't harm me—unless someone can force me to fight seriously."

He looked up with a distant gaze. "A few years ago, I visited Mingde Hall. Not even Jing Hongchen sensed my presence. Do you think Xiao Qiang could always be under his protection?"

"Even if Jing Hongchen was at his side day and night, it wouldn't matter. I'm not targeting Jing Hongchen—I'm targeting Xiao Qiang."

Moon En's tone grew softer as he looked toward the future. "And Le Xuan is Shrek's future pillar. I must go to the Sun Moon Empire. Only if I remain alive can I continue to protect Shrek. In a few more years, my role will be over… and I'll return to the Tree of Life to join the ancestors."

"Teacher!"

"Old Mu!"

The Sea God Pavilion elders were overwhelmed with grief. Elder Xuan even slapped himself in the face, filled with self-blame and anguish.

They deeply regretted their helplessness. To think that an elder with one foot in the grave had to rise again for Shrek… Yet there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"Don't cry," Moon En said, voice firm yet gentle. "Everyone dies eventually. I'm not going to seek death—just making a trip to the Sun Moon Empire. I'll be fine."

Elder Xuan fell to his knees with a thud. "Mu Lao, this is my fault! It's because I failed in my duties that you're being forced to act against a junior! This ruins your name!"

Moon En smiled faintly. "Don't say that. Compared to Shrek's glory, what does my personal reputation mean? If my name must be blackened for ten thousand years to keep Shrek alive for ten thousand more, then I, Moon En, am more than willing."

Many elders began to weep openly. Moon En allowed them their sorrow, standing silently until the moment passed. Then he looked around and spoke again.

"All right, that's enough. Guard Shrek well while I'm away. If anything happens, wait until I return. Trust me—I will return safely."

He said no more. Leaning on a cane, Moon En turned and began walking toward the direction of the Sun Moon Empire.

But each step he took spanned a distance no normal old man could cross.

As they watched his fading figure, the members of the Sea God Pavilion were silent, their hearts weighed with sorrow. Once the mighty Dragon God Douluo, Moon En now walked the final arc of his journey—but even in twilight, he continued to burn with the last light of his soul, for Shrek.

Had he left behind any final words, the elders might have broken down completely.

Elder Xuan rose slowly. "Mu Lao has only gone to handle a matter. He'll be back soon. With his strength, no one in this world can take his life. So don't worry—nothing will happen. We'll talk more when he returns."

As the second-strongest figure in Shrek, Elder Xuan forced himself to remain composed, calming the others. Once they were steady, he silently withdrew to drink alone, failing to notice anything unusual in Shrek City following Moon En's departure.

In the Ming Territory of the Sun Moon Empire.

Due to concerns about unforeseen dangers, the students and staff of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy returned almost non-stop. They hadn't even had time to fuse their soul bones.

Once they crossed the border into the Sun Moon Empire, the group finally rested and began distributing the soul bones awarded by the Star Luo Empire.

Xiao Qiang, who had shown no interest in these ten-thousand-year soul bones, suddenly froze when he laid eyes on a particular one—the left arm bone of the Ice Jade Scorpion.

"…Isn't this the one from the auction?" he muttered. "How did it end up here?"