CHAPTER 258: The Truth About Elder Xuan and the Tragedy of Long Aotian

Chapter 258: The Truth About Elder Xuan and the Tragedy of Long Aotian

  Du Bu Si couldn't believe what he was hearing from Yan Shaozhe. If a level 98 Title Douluo failed to protect his team in the dangerous Star Dou Great Forest, that was already troubling. But what truly defied reason was that a soul king with only five rings could escape the grasp of someone at the peak of Super Douluo.

  A level 98 expert's spiritual and physical pressure alone was enough to crush most soul kings. It should have been a one-sided suppression. But not only had the five-ringed evil soul master escaped, he had also killed several of Shrek's most promising students under Elder Xuan's supposed protection.

  "You mean to tell me a five-ringed soul king managed to run away from someone like Xuan Zi? Unless he's the secret head of the evil soul masters and deliberately let the kid go, I can't imagine how that happened!" Du Bu Si's tone was sharp with disbelief and frustration.

  "Pavilion Master, Elder Xuan isn't the supreme elder of the evil soul masters," Yan Shaozhe replied with a bitter smile. "He's just… a little unreliable."

  "A little?" Du Bu Si's head throbbed. "A level 98 Super Douluo lets a soul king without even a ten-thousand-year soul ring escape after killing students, and that's a little?"

  Yan Shaozhe could only smile helplessly. "Elder Xuan… sometimes drinks too much. And when he drinks, his actions become… questionable."

  Du Bu Si's face darkened. "Everyone makes mistakes. But not every time. There's no way Ao Tian and the others would just coincidentally run into one of Elder Xuan's 'episodes,' right?"

  Yan Shaozhe hesitated, then fell silent. His expression spoke volumes.

  "…What else has he done?" Du Bu Si asked, his tone low and dangerous.

  "Well… Elder Xuan has led soul ring hunting expeditions three times in total," Yan Shaozhe began reluctantly. "One time resulted in the death of Feng Yao, captain of the Shrek Seven Devils after Zhang Lexuan. He was already level 74 at just 25 years old, but he and his entire team perished. Only Huo Yuhao was rescued by Elder Xuan."

  Du Bu Si's eyes narrowed.

  "The second time… was a team of soul masters going for their third and fourth rings. Over a dozen people went. Only a teacher and four students returned. The rest, including talents like Ning Tian, Lan Susu, and Lan Luoluo, didn't survive."

  "…And the third?"

  Yan Shaozhe's expression twisted with shame. "During a period when Master Mu had temporarily left the Sea God Pavilion, a group of Evil Soul Master Titled Douluos infiltrated Shrek Academy. They kidnapped Ma Xiaotao, Wu Ming, and Han Ruoruo. Elder Xuan was drunk at the time… and arrived after they'd already escaped."

  "What?" Du Bu Si's voice boomed. "And you people let this man keep his position?!"

  "I… Master Mu insisted on keeping him. And after Zhang Lexuan, the only intact survivor from one of those incidents, knelt and begged Elder Xuan to stay… well…"

  "That's enough! I should've known this kind of farce was only possible in Shrek!" Du Bu Si exploded. "Body Sect might be domineering, but we'd never be this negligent! Call all Body Sect Soul Douluos and Titled Douluos! Send word to all Sea God Pavilion elders! Head for the Star Dou Great Forest immediately!"

  His instincts screamed that Long Aotian and the students were in mortal danger. Without a second's delay, Du Bu Si led the charge himself, flying straight toward the forest while sending out emergency spiritual transmissions to every capable fighter in Shrek and the Body Sect.

  —

  Meanwhile, in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest…

  "You're quite talented for a human. But you're still just a soul saint. Compared to me, you're nothing."

  A deep, growling voice echoed from the maw of a monstrous 100,000-year Crystal Bear. As it casually gnawed on Long Aotian's severed left arm, the beast's bloodthirsty gaze held a mocking glint.

  Long Aotian stood—barely. His left arm was gone, his right arm hung uselessly by his side, and his left leg had been shattered entirely. His abdomen was torn open, his internal organs damaged. Only the miraculous defense of his skin martial spirit had prevented his guts from spilling out, shielding his vital organs as a last line of defense.

  Still, he remained standing. Not because he had the strength, but because behind him, others still stood—Vina, and the students of the Body Sect who looked to him as their leader. He was the only one among them who, after the second awakening of his martial spirit, had reached strength nearly equal to an eight-ring Soul Douluo.

  But even then, against a 100,000-year soul beast with the power of a human-level 93 or 94 Title Douluo, Long Aotian's efforts were tragically insufficient.

  "I'm sorry, Vina. I don't think I can protect you anymore…"

  "Aotian! Don't say that! There's still hope!"

  "No… I've reached my limit. Run. I'll hold it off for as long as I can."

  The Crystal Bear chuckled darkly. "You think I'll let you run? What do you take me for?"

  Sensing their intent to flee, the beast shed its false laziness and attacked in earnest. In less than thirty seconds, Long Aotian was torn apart. His head was bitten clean off and devoured by the Crystal Bear.

  "NOOOOOO!!!" Vina's scream pierced the air like a banshee's wail. Her soul skill, Banshee's Howl, activated at full power, far surpassing its usual limits. But the difference in strength between her and the bear was insurmountable. No matter how intense her grief or how fierce her scream, it barely registered as noise to the soul beast.

  "What an annoying voice," the Crystal Bear grumbled, raising a paw to end her suffering.

  Just as the claw began to fall, a flash of blue lightning surged forward.

  "Thinking Fist — Thoughts Pouring Out Like a Spring!"

  Beibei stepped forward at last, his body charged with electric light. His fist roared with both grief and fury as it smashed toward the Crystal Bear in a desperate attempt to buy the others time.