The Peerless Tang Sect: Heavenly Heart Douluo

Chapter 74 The Joke of the Sea God Pavilion (5000-word chapter)

At that moment, following the mental illusion, Huo Yuhao unleashed a mental shock of the Spirit Abyss Realm directly into the Death God Messenger's mental sea. The Death God Messenger let out a miserable scream and then fell into a coma, unable to rise again.

The twelve corpse slaves around him had bloodshot eyes while the Grim Reaper was unconscious, and their resentment could no longer be suppressed. They began to rush towards Huo Yuhao madly.

Huo Yuhao pointed forward, and the Divine Purification Technique erupted once more. The resentment of the twelve corpses was completely dispelled. Without the driving force of resentment, they collapsed to the ground with a thud, and the souls trapped within them broke free from their bodies, about to be liberated.

Just then, Huo Yuhao cast a reverse summoning array through his spiritual avatar in the undead demiplane.

At the same time, under the control of necromancy, the souls in the corpses were directly pulled into the undead demiplane, and Huo Yuhao threw the unconscious Death Messenger directly in as well. At this moment, a loud noise came from the collapsing ground next to them.

Using realistic mimicry, Huo Yuhao pretended to have exhausted his soul power and mental energy, and collapsed to the ground.

Before long, the ground was broken open, and Xuanzi flashed to Huo Yuhao's side. The Death Messenger disappeared, and pure light remained in the area. There were twelve corpses lying on the ground, while Huo Yuhao lay to the side.

Xuanzi originally thought that Huo Yuhao was likely to be in grave danger, but with his cultivation level, he didn't need to make contact. He could sense that Huo Yuhao's vital signs were very stable, except for the overexertion of his soul power and excessive consumption of his mental energy.

"Yuhao, what exactly happened here? Where is that evil spirit master?" Xuanzi asked hurriedly.

Huo Yuhao feigned weakness and replied, "After that guy grabbed me, he wanted these corpse slaves to cover his retreat and take me away as a hostage. But I used my soul skill to influence his twelve corpse slaves to make them his target. He didn't dare to waste time and ran away after sustaining some injuries."

"Because I controlled too many targets, my soul skill quickly became ineffective. Then these corpse slaves attacked me. I forcibly activated the power of my second martial soul and purified all the resentment in their bodies before they collapsed. However, I am temporarily unable to use the abilities of my second martial soul."

Xuanzi hesitated for a moment, then said resentfully, "This guy is lucky. Let's go back first. Xiao Tao and the others are also seriously injured, so we don't have time to chase after him."

Xuanzi led Huo Yuhao and quickly crawled back into the cave he had forcibly dug earlier. They soon returned to the cave where the Death Hand bandits were located, where the smell of blood became even stronger.

The severely injured students of the inner court had been gathered together. Apart from the deceased Yao Haoxuan, Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were in slightly better condition, suffering only internal injuries, bleeding from their mouths and noses, and were still conscious. The others were in very bad condition.

Dai Yueheng's meridians were severed by the explosion, and the poisonous blood seeped into his lungs and internal organs, putting him in imminent danger.

Xixi was covered in blood and gore, and was also severely affected by the corpse poison.

Chen Zifeng lost an arm and a leg in the explosion, and there wasn't a single good piece of flesh left on his body.

Gongyang Mo's entire chest was blown open, and he lost an arm, with his internal organs exposed.

Among the outer disciples, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were the most seriously injured; their condition was only slightly better than Xi Xi's.

These people are now in a coma. Because of the corpse poison, Wang Yan and the others dare not bandage them directly. They can only use pills to maintain their vital signs for the time being. However, as the corpse poison continues to erode, this situation cannot be maintained for long.

Seeing this scene, Xuanzi was overcome with grief. If Huo Yuhao hadn't been captured earlier, he could have used the divine purification effect of his second martial soul to clear most of the corpse poison from their bodies, buying time for subsequent treatment.

However, Huo Yuhao is currently unable to use his second martial soul in the short term due to the forced activation of his second martial soul, and Xuanzi, confident in his strength, did not bring his teacher, who is skilled in healing, on this trip.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda also has the effect of detoxification, it is not a martial soul that specializes in healing, and Ning Tian only has the cultivation of the third ring, so it is of no use.

"Yuhao." When she saw Xuanzi carrying Huo Yuhao back, Wang Dong'er was the first to rush over, her heart filled with the joy of having him back.

Because he was usually busy with other plans, Huo Yuhao would take risks to leave a deep impression on Wang Dong'er in order to maintain the stability of her relationship with Huo Yuhao.

After all, there are still some things left behind by Tang San in the Clear Sky Sect, and only through Wang Dong'er can Huo Yuhao find a way to contact them, while also numbing Tang San's subsequent observation results.

"I'm fine," Huo Yuhao said, feigning weakness. Wang Dong'er hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face, her voice no longer suppressed, but clear and bright.

As Xuanzi learned about the current situation of the inner court disciples from Wang Yan, his expression grew increasingly grim, and he then spoke.

"I will take them back to Shrek Academy immediately. Wang Yan, you take them back to the military camp and wait for Xiao Tao and Luo Chen's injuries to stabilize before heading to Xingluo City to participate in the competition."

"I'll take the other six back to the academy for treatment immediately. There's no time to lose, let's get moving."

Xuan Laozi waved his large hands toward the six unconscious people on the ground, and a dense white soul power enveloped them, protecting them completely.

Xuanzi took a deep breath, looked at the five people from the outer courtyard, and said in a deep voice: "The responsibility for this sudden change lies entirely with me. I'm afraid there's no time to temporarily recruit new team members from the academy to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament."

"Only you two can step up and hold on until Xiao Tao and the other two recover from their injuries. The honor of the academy rests on your shoulders, children."

"Victory and honor belong to you; defeat and shame belong to me alone."

The students from the outer courtyard were all stunned. Did they really think they could participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament and carry the glory of Shrek Academy? At this moment, Huo Yuhao pretended to be unable to hold on and fell asleep.

Unlike the other disciples who didn't quite grasp the seriousness of the situation, Ning Tian felt a bit dry in her mouth upon hearing this. As the young sect master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, she had been affected by Shrek Academy's brainwashing, but not by much. What on earth was going on?

Is this something that can be covered up with just a few words? If Shrek Academy really loses the championship that it has monopolized for many years, no matter how you explain it, the participating team members will definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame, and their future reputation will be ruined.

A day later, everyone returned to the military camp to recuperate, while at Shrek Academy...

Xuanzi, with his disheveled hair, remained true to his usual style, sitting on the steps and chugging wine. Footsteps sounded behind him, and an old man dressed in white approached.

"How is the situation?"

The old man in white stood respectfully behind Xuanzi and said, "The situation has stabilized. It was corpse poison, but fortunately it was just this one type of toxin."

"Xixi, Beibei, and Xu Sanshi are all fine now. The treatment was timely, but the toxins caused them serious injuries and they need to rest for a long time."

"The Soul Guidance Department has examined Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo's bodies and can make prosthetics for them without any problem. While their mobility will be somewhat affected, it shouldn't significantly impact their current strength. However, due to the physical limitations, there will be further..."

"But Dai Yueheng," the old man said after a moment of silence, "his injuries were the most severe of all. He was already beyond saving when he was brought here, and now... alas."

At this moment, Yan Shaozhe walked in from outside the courtyard.

"Elder Xuan, the Sea God Pavilion meeting you proposed is ready. You…"

"Let's go." Xuanzi stood up and walked outside, looking somewhat forlorn.

Yan Shaozhe followed behind Xuanzi, sighing inwardly. The Sea God Pavilion meetings hadn't been held this frequently in many years.

"Elder Xuan, this incident can't be blamed on you, so don't blame yourself too much," Yan Shaozhe advised in a low voice.

Xuanzi didn't speak, he just shook his head.

Sea God Pavilion.

The atmosphere was much more tense than at the last Poseidon Pavilion meeting. Moon, seated at the head of the table, remained reclining in his chair, his face obscured.

At the bottom of the table on either side are Xuanzi and another elder surnamed Lin, while the four deans and vice deans of the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department still occupy the last seats.

Mu En's voice rang out, "Speak, Xuanzi, what is the purpose of your proposal to convene the Sea God Pavilion meeting?"

Xuanzi nodded, slowly stood up, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone already knows about this incident. This is not the first time a problem has occurred when I was leading the team."

"As the leader, I have an unshirkable responsibility. Therefore, I have decided to resign from my position as the vice-captain of the Shrek Academy's Supervisory Committee and withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion, becoming a mere idle person in the academy."

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. They knew that although the inner court disciples had indeed suffered heavy casualties this time, Xuanzi was one of Shrek Academy's top combatants, second only to Mu En in strength.

You have to understand that a genius who hasn't grown up is just a genius, but Xuanzi is a genuine top-tier fighter on the continent. Moreover, as a Super Douluo, even if he hasn't taken that step, he can at least intimidate various forces on the continent and ensure that the academy remains standing for another hundred years.

Yan Shaozhe was shocked and said, "Elder Xuan, how can this be? No one can guarantee that something won't go wrong. Besides, the responsibility this time is not entirely yours. Xiao Tao and the others' carelessness also plays a big part."

"In addition, that evil soul master's ability is special. With the strength of a soul king, he actually unleashed a full-force attack at the level of a soul saint."

"This only proves that the destructive power of his ability is directly related to the number of corpses. Elder Xuan, you are one of the pillars of the academy; the academy cannot do without you!"

Elder Xuan sighed and declined, saying, "Shao Zhe, please don't say anymore. Actually, I wanted to resign after that mistake in the Star Dou Great Forest. But Le Xuan knelt there for so long, and I couldn't bear to hurt that child's feelings any further, so I stayed..."

"But this time it resulted in two deaths and seven serious injuries. If I had stayed by their side the whole time, would this have happened?"

"My martial soul dictates that I am not suitable for the position of vice-captain of the Shrek Academy Inspection Team. Moreover, they are supposed to represent the academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Now that such a huge blunder has occurred, the academy's glory as the continent's number one may be interrupted, and this responsibility can only be borne by me."

Xian Lin'er also spoke up, "Elder Xuan, please stay. Although your Martial Soul, the Gluttonous Divine Ox, requires you to eat for extended periods, it doesn't affect your abilities!"

"Your contributions to the academy over the years are evident to all. We are all saddened by the deaths and injuries of the inner academy disciples, but we cannot let these small incidents stop us from continuing our work. If you were to leave, that would be the greatest loss to the academy."

Xuanzi shook his head: "Even Huo Yuhao was captured by that evil soul master this time. If Huo Yuhao hadn't seized the opportunity to force the evil soul master to retreat, he probably would have been killed by me as well."

"How can I possibly remain in the Sea God Pavilion after such a grave mistake? You don't need to persuade me anymore; my mind is made up. Yao Haoxuan's family is quite powerful, and Dai Yueheng of the White Tiger lineage has passed away. I still need to make a trip to their family to ease their grief. Farewell, everyone."

As he spoke, he stood up, turned around, and made a move to walk outside.

"Come back." Mu En's calm yet authoritative voice rang out, causing Xuan Zi, who had already started walking, to abruptly stop.

"Elder Mu, I really have no face to stay any longer." Xuanzi said, his back to the crowd, his body trembling slightly.

"I told you to come back, didn't you hear me?" Moon's tone became even more forceful.

Although extremely unwilling, Xuanzi eventually turned around and sat back down. Even the others, sensing the anger in Mu En's tone, unconsciously sat up straight. They all remained silent, trembling with fear.

Looking at Xuanzi Mu'en, Mu'en was almost unable to control his anger. More than two hundred years had passed, and Xuanzi was still the same, acting without any regard for the consequences and showing no sense of responsibility.

If Shrek Academy weren't facing a talent shortage, and besides him and Xuanzi, there were no other near-limit-level experts who could suppress the treacherous thoughts in the hearts of other countries, he would never have kept Xuanzi alive.

He said in a deep voice, "You're over two hundred years old, how can you still be so impulsive? If everyone were like you, deserting after making a mistake, then Shrek Academy wouldn't be able to continue operating. You're really not suitable to be the vice-captain of the Shrek Supervisory Group anymore; stay in the inner courtyard and let me teach the students."

Xuanzi became anxious. "Elder Mu, please let me go. I'm really heartbroken, and I don't know how to face these children."

Mu En said calmly, "You can leave if you want, but you have to find a woman to marry and pass on your martial spirit through your bloodline, then I'll let you go."

Upon hearing this, the other elders understood Mu En's implication and realized that this was Mu En giving Xuanzi a way out. They all pretended to have strange expressions and laughed.

The slightly somber atmosphere in the Sea God Pavilion was completely swept away and filled with joy.

Yes, what power would be willing to give up a level 98 Super Douluo?

Even if this Super Douluo acts absurdly, is mindless, and has made countless mistakes, as long as he doesn't cross the line, in this world, strength is the only true measure of success.

Moreover, given Xuanzi's age, there is still a considerable probability that he will break through to become a Limit Douluo, at which point he can still suppress all heretical enemies for Shrek Academy.

Mu En then said, "Alright, Lin'er, all the inner court disciples will have to come to you to have at least one flying soul tool and one defensive soul tool custom-made. Anyone who objects will have to leave the academy."

"Then comes the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament." Mu En frowned slightly. At this time, most of the disciples in the inner academy were out carrying out inspection missions. Moreover, since the last Dragon City incident, the appearance of evil soul masters seemed to have become much more frequent.

Moreover, due to the Dragon City incident, the reputation of the Shrek Academy Inspection Team has suffered a significant blow. If another unexpected event occurs in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, the reputation that Shrek Academy has accumulated over ten thousand years will be affected in an unprecedented way.

It might even be seen by the Sun Moon Empire or other interested parties as a sign that Shrek Academy is on the verge of decline.

Therefore, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament must not be allowed to develop freely. However, as things stand, it is too late to select disciples from the inner academy. The most outstanding disciples from the outer academy are only at the fourth-ring level, and there is only one disciple, He Caitou, from the Soul Guidance Department.

After a long pause, Mu En finally spoke, "Here's what we'll do. Since Dai Yueheng of the White Tiger lineage is dead, Xuanzi, go and take He Caitou, Dai Huabin, and Zhu Lu from the outer courtyard to Xingluo City."

"Although the two of them are only at the Soul Master level, they possess the Martial Soul Fusion Skill Evil Eye White Tiger, and it can also be considered as giving the White Tiger Duke's Mansion an explanation. As for the final result, tell the White Tiger Duke that Shrek Academy will take full responsibility and will not harm their reputation."

Xuanzi nodded and left the Sea God Pavilion. The others followed suit, each going their own way. Mu En gazed in the direction of Star Luo City, silently thinking, "Since you are favored by the Sea God, I hope you can create a miracle in this competition."

Star City.

Upon seeing the city wall, which was hundreds of meters high and hundreds of meters thick, Huo Yuhao's lips twitched slightly. Who on earth designed this thing? Passing through the city gate was like walking through a tunnel.

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament was held in Star Luo Square in front of the Star Luo City Imperial City.

Not far to the east of Xingluo Square, there is a seven-story Xinghuang Hotel, which is specially set aside by the Xingluo royal family to receive contestants from advanced soul master academies or soul master instructor academies from various countries.

As the top academy on the continent, Shrek Academy's participating team members were accommodated in luxurious rooms on the top floor. Each person had their own bedroom and a dedicated conference room.

At this moment, all ten team members, along with their teacher Wang Yan, were sitting in the conference room for a pre-competition mobilization meeting.

They arrived in Star Luo City yesterday, which is considered quite late among the participating academies. However, as the defending champion and the number one academy on the continent, in the eyes of others, this was simply due to Shrek Academy's pride.

Wang Yan sat in the head seat, with Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, whose faces were still pale, on his left. Both of them had suffered internal injuries. Although they had received medical treatment and recuperated, traveling by flying soul tool had only aggravated their original injuries.

He will need at least another half month to recover before he can even begin to play, and it will be very difficult for him to go all out in this competition.

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(End of this chapter)