Douluo Continent: I, an evil soul master, work nine-to-five in the Tang Sect.

Chapter 69 Sea God Pavilion!

"What a promising 'Holy Son'! Even if an ordinary Soul Master is tainted by a little bit of the aura of death, he will be devoured by this aura and go mad, turning into a madman who can't even maintain his sanity."

"But you little rascal, despite carrying such a strong aura of death, you're not only completely unaffected, but you can also freely contain that aura. That's quite interesting..."

Looking at Luo Chen, who was being protected behind Xuanzi, Long Xiaoyao's ruddy face, which didn't look like that of a man who was hundreds of years old, showed a hint of surprise and astonishment, but more than that, he admired him.

Having served in the Holy Spirit Cult for several years, he had seen countless evil soul masters, whom everyone wanted to kill. Although each of them possessed exceptionally strong talent in cultivation and their strength was so terrifying that ordinary soul masters could not resist them.

However, under the influence of such evil martial souls, one after another, the genius evil soul masters who should have been outstanding suffered some irreversible damage to their intelligence, becoming extremely crazy and bloodthirsty!

This happened when he was enhancing his evil martial soul. He was affected by the aura of death or darkness, which turned him into this inhuman and ghostly state, much like a walking corpse!

However, Luo Chen, who possessed an outstanding temperament, was clearly not among them. Although Long Xiaoyao sensed an extremely strong aura of death emanating from him, an aura of death that even moved him, was so pure and holy.

Unlike other evil spirit masters, he wasn't covered in the resentment left by endless killings, which was what truly concerned Long Xiaoyao.

"Little guy, how about joining the Holy Spirit Cult? I see that your martial soul possesses such a pure and sacred aura of death. Only the Holy Spirit Cult can truly carry forward your martial soul. Shrek Academy can't do that."

Ignoring Xuanzi, who was already unleashing his full power, Long Xiaoyao spoke gently to Luo Chen behind him.

However, before Luo Chen could respond, Xuan Zi frowned and replied in a harsh and unquestionable tone:

"Don't even dream about it. With me here, even if you, the Dark Holy Dragon, were to come in person, so what? Since this student is a member of Shrek Academy, you can forget about taking him away!"

"The mighty Dark Holy Dragon, once a legend in the world of Soul Masters, has actually joined such a filthy and depraved organization as the Holy Spirit Cult. What a disgrace!"

Facing Long Xiaoyao, who had already reached the level of a ninety-ninth-level Limit Douluo and whose seniority was far greater than his own, Xuanzi showed no regard for Long Xiaoyao's feelings and directly rebuked him.

However, Long Xiaoyao, upon hearing these words, did not become angry as Xuanzi and Luochen had expected. Instead, he laughed a few times, his laughter revealing a hint of helplessness.

"Joining the Holy Spirit Cult is a disgrace? I don't think so. Everyone walks their own path. Shrek Academy may seem glamorous, but in reality, it's no different from the Holy Spirit Cult."

"Fine, I won't bother with this. You're not worthy. I'll give you three seconds to hand over the child behind you, and I'll let it go. Otherwise, today will be the day you, the Gluttonous Douluo, fall!"

Although Long Xiaoyao said this, his gaze was fixed on Luo Chen, who was being protected behind Xuanzi and remained silent, as if he did not take Xuanzi seriously at all.

"Hmph, if you want me to train my own students, you might as well just kill me. I won't make the same mistake twice!"

As Xuanzi spoke, the space above his head began to tremble slightly. Then, as his seventh soul ring suddenly flashed, a phantom with overwhelming power appeared.

Upon closer inspection, it was a monster about fifty meters long, with a body similar to a sheep, but possessing tiger teeth and human claws, and a pair of huge bull horns on its head, exuding an extremely terrifying aura!

"This is the Taotie Divine Ox? I didn't expect you, Xuanzi, to have already comprehended your Martial Soul True Form. But if you think you can force me to retreat with just the Martial Soul True Form unleashed by this divine beast bloodline Martial Soul, you're still a long way off."

Looking at the terrifying phantom that appeared above Xuanzi's head, its form becoming increasingly clear and gradually solidifying, Long Xiaoyao couldn't help but let out a look of admiration, though he remained calm.

Clearly, in Long Xiaoyao's eyes, the Martial Soul True Body released by Xuanzi, who had a cultivation level of ninety-eight, was extremely powerful, but it was far from being something that could make him take seriously.

Just then, Luo Chen seemed to have made up his mind and spoke to Long Xiaoyao in front of him:

"Senior, I am already a member of both the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy. The Tang Sect has given me a new identity, and Shrek Academy has provided me with a stable life. As for joining the Holy Spirit Cult... I'm afraid I cannot comply!"

"Oh? That's quite something. A demonic soul master who, instead of joining the Holy Spirit Cult, has become a disciple of the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy. That's truly unheard of."

Upon hearing Luo Chen's words, Long Xiaoyao was initially taken aback, seemingly not expecting the other party to be a member of the Tang Clan. He couldn't help but chuckle, but he still didn't want to give up so easily, and couldn't help but speak up again to persuade him:

"Little one, with such a martial soul, you will surely be rejected by the continent in the future. Only my Holy Spirit Cult is your home. I can make you a promise: as long as you join the Holy Spirit Cult, you will be my Holy Son, and becoming a Limit Douluo in the future will be no problem!"

This wasn't just something Long Xiaoyao said offhand. With his centuries of experience and accumulated knowledge, plus the energy of the Holy Spirit Cult, it would be extremely easy for him to help a Soul Master condense their own Soul Core and become a Limit Douluo!

Luo Chen hadn't expected that Long Xiaoyao would make such a promise in order to get him to join the Holy Spirit Cult. Not only would joining the Holy Spirit Cult guarantee him becoming a disciple and receiving all the resources of the cult, but he would also be guaranteed to become a Limit Douluo in the future!

It must be said that if it were Luo Chen who had not yet awakened his martial soul, such a promise would indeed have tempted him. However, now that Luo Chen has already awakened his own martial soul, such a condition that would drive everyone crazy is not so attractive.

"I apologize, senior, but I have no intention of joining the Holy Spirit Cult. You once said something very insightful: 'Everyone walks their own path.' I want to walk my own path now, and that path is the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy!"

Despite Long Xiaoyao's repeated offers, Luo Chen refused.

Although the Holy Spirit Cult is indeed very large, with three level 99 Limit Douluo presiding over it and several elders at the level of nine-ring Title Douluo, it is nothing compared to the background of Tang Sect and Shrek Academy.

Furthermore, if Long Xiaoyao offered the condition of becoming a god, Luo Chen might consider it. But if it was just a level 99 Limit Douluo who wouldn't even live to be a thousand years old, then it wouldn't be very attractive to Luo Chen.

With his mysterious origins and unimaginably powerful martial soul, Luo Chen is confident that he can create a godhood or even a god realm if he can absorb enough life force, let alone a mere Limit Douluo!

"Is that so? What a pity. Such a powerful talent cannot be used by my Holy Spirit Cult. Very well, then you shall perish here with Xuanzi!"

As Long Xiaoyao spoke, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

However, in the next moment, a gentle yet authoritative voice suddenly rang out:

"Since Xuanzi can't do anything to you, what about me?"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, not only Xuanzi, who was about to unleash his full power, but also Luo Chen, who was deep in thought behind him, revealed a hint of surprise in their eyes. Both of them recognized who the owner of the voice was.

It was none other than Mu En, the Dragon God Douluo, who, like Long Xiaoyao, possessed the cultivation level of a level 99 Limit Douluo and mastered the skill of the Sea God's Light, making him worthy of being called the strongest Soul Master in the world today!

After this sound rang out, a body of light constructed purely of light energy also quietly appeared at this moment. Although he could not see the appearance of this figure, Luo Chen could recognize that this was the external avatar that Mu En had gathered!

However, even more surprised than Xuanzi and Luochen was Long Xiaoyao, who stood in front of them, seemingly frozen in shock.

"Such a powerful and sacred force of light... it truly is you, old friend!"

As Long Xiaoyao spoke, the terrifying fluctuation of soul power that had just appeared on his body also subsided, and his attention was focused entirely on the body of light in front of him.

"Since that battle, decades have passed. Brother Long, you are still as carefree as ever."

Under the power of Mu En's body, everything around seemed to be frozen in time. Xuan Zi, who had already released his Martial Soul True Body, and Luo Chen behind him were both sent dozens of miles away by the power he projected.

However, Long Xiaoyao didn't care about these things. Looking at his old friend whom he hadn't seen for many years, his eyes revealed a somewhat complicated meaning.

"Yes, time waits for no one. I never imagined that our reunion would be like this. It's truly astonishing. However, although your power is still so unfathomable, what's wrong with the aura emanating from you...?"

As Long Xiaoyao spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he had sensed something from the external avatar that Mu En had conjured in front of him.

"Indeed, my time is almost up. This world is not what it used to be. Ten thousand years ago, a Soul Master who reached the peak of level 99 could be called a peerless Douluo, and his lifespan was at least three thousand years."

"But nowadays, even Limit Douluo like you and me, who have reached the peak, only live for a little over three hundred years. If we cannot achieve godhood and ascend to the God Realm, we will eventually perish under the erosion of time and turn into a pile of yellow earth."

Faced with Long Xiaoyao's doubts, Mu En did not hide anything and told him the truth.

Now, they are both well past the three-hundred-year mark. An ordinary Limit Douluo would have already perished in the mortal world, but their cultivation has progressed extremely far in the Limit Realm, and they are not far from the demigod realm.

However, due to the limitations of the plane, without the assistance of something extraordinary, even the most talented Soul Master cannot break through to the demigod realm. Only spiritual power can transcend this realm and reach the demigod realm, which can also be called the Divine Origin Realm.

With his lifespan nearing its end, even though Mu En's cultivation has reached its peak, if he cannot break through, he can only eke out another three to five years at the three-hundred-year limit.

Faced with Mu En's frank words, Long Xiaoyao fell silent. It wasn't that he couldn't accept the passing of his close friend by the power of time, but rather that he hadn't expected that their reunion would be their last.

However, compared to Long Xiaoyao, Mu En was very open-minded. No matter how extraordinary a genius's talent is, there will eventually be a day when they fall. Even gods are like this, let alone him.

"Brother Long, for my sake, please don't make things difficult for Xuanzi and that little guy. At least give me some face while I'm still here."

"……good."

No one knows what the two aged holy dragons exchanged during their reunion after decades, but at this moment, Luo Chen and Xuan Zi have both returned to Shrek Academy.

……

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

"Kid, we've arrived. You should be grateful that Elder Mu took a liking to you and even specially asked me to bring you to the Sea God Pavilion. This is the core area of ​​our Shrek Academy. Even the little geniuses in the inner courtyard can't get here."

After using his extreme speed to travel from the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest to the Sea God Island in the center of the Sea God Lake, Xuanzi gently put Luo Chen, whose figure was enveloped in golden soul power, down. Then, Xuanzi cheerfully spoke to Luo Chen.

Luo Chen, who had just set foot on the land of Seagod Island, had the same unexpected expression as Xuan Zi.

In Xuanzi's view, it was an honor to be able to allow a student who had just joined Shrek Academy and had not yet made any achievements or made any progress to enter the Sea God Pavilion!

After all, the Sea God Pavilion is where Shrek Academy's true core leaders recuperate and cultivate. Any major events that could affect the academy's future are also discussed here. Those qualified to enter here are at least at the level of Title Douluo!

Therefore, it is truly unheard of for Luo Chen, an outer court disciple with only a three-ring cultivation level who has not even passed the freshman assessment, to be able to enter the Sea God Pavilion!

However, Xuanzi may have misunderstood. The reason why Luo Chen was surprised at this moment was not because of this, but because of the unusually rich life force that filled the Seagod Island!

The life force gathered on this Seagod Island is several times stronger than what Luo Chen felt in the Star Dou Great Forest. Not long after arriving here, Luo Chen clearly felt that his soul power cultivation had increased significantly again!

Before Luo Chen could say anything, a strong surge of soul power suddenly rose from his body, causing Xuan Zi beside him to be stunned for a moment, his eyes filled with surprise.

"You... broke through again?"

(End of this chapter)