Peerless Douluo: Blood of the Black King Nidhogg!

Chapter 133 There Will Be Successors (5K)

Shrek Academy, Poseidon Pavilion.

Hearing the crisp sound coming from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, Mu En's expression grew increasingly solemn. For half an hour, the Star Dou Great Forest had been emanating a terrifying pressure that made him tremble with fear.

Coupled with the aura that was even more powerful than his own and the thunderous dragon roar, he was almost certain that the commotion was caused by Di Tian.

If those sounds hadn't suddenly stopped and disappeared just as he was about to set off, he would have rushed into the Star Dou Great Forest to bring Zhang Lexuan and Mo Yuan back.

Now, all Mu En can do is hope that Mo Yuan and the others will return safely.

"Sigh, I hope Di Tian still has some sense and doesn't do anything irreversible, otherwise I'll risk my old bones to get an explanation."

"Elder Mu! Mo Yuan and Le Xuan are back! They are all safe and sound!"

Xuanzi's joyful voice came from outside the Sea God Pavilion. Upon hearing this, Mu En was also delighted, and the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.

Soon the gates of the Sea God Pavilion were pushed open, and all the elders and the group that had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest entered.

Mu En carefully examined Zhang Lexuan, 'Mo Yuan', and Han Ruoruo, and smiled with satisfaction after confirming that none of them were injured.

Of course, joy did not cloud the old man's mind. Almost immediately, he noticed that apart from 'Mo Yuan' whose expression was relatively calm, the expressions of the others were more or less strange.

There was lingering fear, joy, but more than anything, there was solemnity and entanglement. Moreover, Old Song and the others' gazes kept falling on Zhang Lexuan, who looked worried.

Upon seeing this, Moon's eyelids twitched slightly, and he immediately had a bad feeling, but he remained calm and smiled as he waved for everyone to sit down at the conference table.

"Good, good, it's good that you're back safe and sound. Please have a seat."

"It's Teacher Mu."

After everyone was seated, Mu En did not speak first. After the other elders inquired about his well-being, he tapped the armrest and began to preside over the meeting.

"Yunzhi, tell me in detail what happened to you in the Star Dou Great Forest. Remember, the whole thing. Don't leave out any details."

"Yes, Mr. Mu."

Old Song hesitated for a moment, then stood up and glanced at Zhang Lexuan sitting below before recounting the entire journey through the Star Dou Great Forest.

From leaving the academy, to the unexpected encounter with the Crimson King and the auspicious beast Three-Eyed Golden Lion, to the auspicious beast's request to keep Mo Yuan and her words, and the arrival of the four ferocious beasts including Di Tian and their attitudes.

Finally, just as the two sides were about to start a battle, Ye Xuan descended from the sky to save them, and Zhang Lexuan noticed Ye Xuan's abnormal reaction.

He recounted everything in great detail, leaving nothing out.

It's not that Elder Song intentionally wanted to harm Zhang Lexuan; it's just that this matter was too big, so big that even she, a level 97 Super Douluo, was shocked, and there was simply no way to hide it.

On the way back, Old Song often sighed that this short experience of just over a day was more exciting than her entire life.

Mu En and the other elders, including Xuanzi, were increasingly alarmed as they listened to Elder Song's account. First, they encountered an auspicious beast that determined the fate of the soul beast race, and then a sudden change occurred: the world's strongest being, Di Tian, ​​disregarded the consequences and insisted on keeping Mo Yuan.

Then there's the story of the evil spirit master Ye Xuan saving the day, and the relationship between Zhang Lexuan, the senior sister of the inner court and the next candidate for successor of the Sea God Pavilion, and Ye Xuan.

Such an experience would seem absurd even to Xuanzi, let alone Mu En. If it were written into a book and published, it would probably be criticized by the public as unreasonable.

"That's all there is to it. After that, we originally planned to stay and watch the battle between Di Tian and Ye Xuan, but even I couldn't withstand their pressure and was afraid of being affected, so we had to leave the Star Dou Great Forest."

After Old Song finished speaking, he sat back down in his seat, and the entire Sea God Pavilion fell into a deathly silence. The sheer volume of information that had been poured into the room in such a short time left not only Xuanzi and the others, but even Han Ruoruo and Ma Xiaotao were still somewhat dazed.

Moon closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, his dry, bark-like fingers gently tapping the armrest. He sorted through all the information in his mind, and finally, he picked out three key points.

First, who exactly is the person that Rui Shou and Di Tian are looking for? After all, even just the guess that Mo Yuan is that person is enough to make Di Tian go to war with Shrek Academy at all costs. This shows that the person they are looking for is probably no less important to the soul beast race than Rui Shou.

However, he did not believe that Mo Yuan was the person Di Tian was looking for, for the same reason that Elder Song had thought at the time.

Second, the relationship between Zhang Lexuan and Ye Xuan is the easiest to figure out; we can ask them later.

Third, the outcome of the battle between Ye Xuan and Di Tian is the most important thing, and it is something that must be clarified.

"Le Xuan."

Mu En opened his eyes and looked at Zhang Lexuan, who was sitting below with her head bowed, and said softly.
"Tell me about your relationship with Ye Xuan. But don't be nervous, child. Just say what you need to say. We'll understand if you're having any difficulties."

"Yes……"

All eyes immediately turned to Zhang Lexuan, who had stood up, their curiosity and gossip evident in their expressions.

Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath, her eyes, which were originally full of worry, instantly turned firm. She looked at Mu En, who was staring at her, and slowly recounted the events that happened in the far north half a year ago.

Aside from the more private matters of applying medicine and breaking the seal, Zhang Lexuan shared everything else without reservation, including Ye Xuan's extremely detailed answers to her questions about the 'Three Questions of the Evil Soul Master'.

Half an hour later, Zhang Lexuan finished recounting her brief experience and sat back down in her chair.

Moon didn't speak, but closed his eyes again. His chest heaving slightly indicated that he was not calm at the moment.

However, while the other elders and Han Ruoruo were still immersed in that forbidden experience, Xuanzi, who had been beaten to death by Ye Xuan, couldn't hold back any longer.

He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and angrily rebuked them.
"This is utterly outrageous! What does Ye Xuan, a mere evil soul master, know about evil soul masters? He even used that Marquis of the Sharp Sword and the Bone Douluo, the ancestor of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, as examples. It's laughable! He's just trying to whitewash himself!"

"Le Xuan, you too, all he did was save your life, I understand you're grateful to him, but how could you fall for him?! Isn't this ridiculous?"

"Old Glutton, you're wrong about that. What do you mean by 'I only saved your life'? Is life so cheap in your mouth?" Elder Zhuang, a healing-type Douluo, couldn't help but retort.

“You’ve almost died once yourself, so you should know how precious life is. Anyway, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what Le Xuan is doing.”

"You!" Xuanzi's expression froze. Just as he was about to refute, he heard the other elders agree with Elder Zhuang's point of view.

"Lao Zhuang is right. It's understandable for a young girl to be in love. You're just a rough man, Lao Taotie, what do you know?"

"Seconded."

"Elder Xuan, it's not that I don't support you, it's just that... sigh."

Xuanzi was dumbfounded when he saw that Yan Shaozhe did not support him, but he quickly realized what these people were thinking.

Isn't it just because they're wary of Ye Xuan's strength? And considering that Ye Xuan's actions were most likely for Zhang Lexuan's sake, Ye Xuan must have some connection with Shrek Academy. Besides, apart from himself, Shrek Academy basically has no grudges against Ye Xuan.

It would be better to take this matter seriously and leave it at that, just mentioning it briefly.

Upon further reflection, a major problem emerges: if Ye Xuan dies after fighting Di Tian, ​​it will have no impact on Shrek Academy; on the contrary, it will eliminate a potential threat.

But what if Ye Xuan survives? Just from the aura he exuded, you could tell that Di Tian used at least 80% of his power, if not his full strength.

With that kind of strength, even Mu En probably wouldn't be confident of escaping unscathed right now, but if Ye Xuan survives...

The thought of it is terrifying. "Xuanzi, sit down."

After a long silence, Mu En spoke calmly. Xuan Zi, who was already in a difficult situation, snorted and sat back down.

At this moment, everyone looked at the old man, because no matter what they said, it was useless; only what Moon said mattered.

"I know what you're thinking. You're just afraid of Ye Xuan's strength and want to win him over through Le Xuan's relationship, aren't you? Am I right?" Mu En's tone was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

The elders, their thoughts exposed in a single sentence, all lowered their heads, not daring to look at Mu En and Zhang Lexuan.

The disappointment in Moon's eyes deepened. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh and said slowly,
"Sigh, I don't want to lecture you anymore now. Let's stick to the facts. Was the real point in Le Xuan's words about their relationship? No, the real point was the three questions Ye Xuan raised."

"Think about it carefully. Is there any problem with what Ye Xuan said? Does having an evil martial soul mean you're an evil soul master? Let me ask you, if one of your descendants has a child whose martial soul mutates and develops an evil attribute, what would you do?"

Mu En raised his hand and pointed at Yan Shaozhe, who was looking down as if he wanted to hide under the table. "Shaozhe, you answer this. Your disciple Xiao Tao fits the question quite well. Do you think Xiao Tao is an evil soul master? If Xiao Tao's mind is corrupted by evil fire, what would you do?"

Yan Shaozhe was stunned. How could he answer this? If he answered no, he would be contradicting himself. But if he answered yes, according to their own self-proclaimed standard, he should have killed his disciple Ma Xiaotao. Either way, he would be wrong.

A single-minded approach has now become blocked at both ends.

Seeing Yan Shaozhe's reaction, Mu En was not disappointed or angry; instead, he smiled.

"See, doesn't your reaction prove that Ye Xuan is right?"

"Now I ask all of you, if we set aside those rigid yet privilege-laden standards, do you still think Ye Xuan is an evil soul master?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately showed shock. This was something we could discuss! If we answered carelessly, it could shake the foundation of the Supervisory Committee, and even the entire Shrek Academy!

The same was true of Mo Yuan, who was impersonated by Electrolux, but he only felt amazement.

Looking at the frail old man opposite him, this supreme expert from another dimension felt admiration for the second person besides Mo Yuan for the first time.

After all, he was the only one present who could see what Moon was trying to do.

Everyone remained silent for a long time. Moon didn't urge them either, but just quietly looked at everyone in front of him. After a few minutes, several young hands were raised.

It was Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Ma Xiaotao, and 'Mo Yuan'—five people in total. The reasons they raised their hands likely included various factors, such as gratitude for being saved or their friendship with Zhang Lexuan.
However, it cannot be denied that, looking at all the known things Ye Xuan has done, he has never harmed a single civilian.

The only ones killed were Star Fan Douluo and Sharp Sword Marquis's Mansion. They didn't comment on that, since no one knew if there were any unknown grudges or secrets between the two sides.

"You lot actually think Ye Xuan isn't an evil soul master?! Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten that Ye Xuan almost killed me?" Xuanzi asked, his anger turning into a mocking laugh.

However, the only response he received was a pair of eyes looking at him like he was an idiot, as if to say: If I remember correctly, you were the one who attacked first, and Ye Xuan couldn't even fight back?

If Ye Xuan were an evil soul master, that would be one thing, but judging from Mu En's current state, he's likely going to exonerate Ye Xuan. If that's the case, it seems like the whole thing was still Ye Xuan's fault.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Xuanzi, still furious, finally came to his senses, his face turning red and white in turns, like a chameleon.

"Alright, even if Ye Xuan isn't an evil soul master, Xuanzi wasn't wrong to attack Ye Xuan back then for the sake of the continent's stability." Mu En spoke up in time to help Xuanzi out of the predicament. With a way out, Xuanzi didn't insist on his own ideas anymore. He snorted and sat back down in his chair with his arms crossed.

After this little incident, several more hands were raised; they belonged to Yan Shaozhe and Old Song.

In fact, Yan Shaozhe really didn't want to agree with Mu En's views, since it would be tantamount to negating all of his previous ideas.

But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that even if he agreed that Ye Xuan was not an evil soul master, what difference would it make?

As long as I'm a positive figure representing justice, I don't care who the evil spirit master is or how they're defined.

With Yan Shaozhe and Elder Song taking the lead, the other elders also raised their hands one after another, and even Xuanzi reluctantly raised his hand in the end.

Moon smiled and nodded at the scene before him, then slowly stood up. But just when everyone thought it was all over, Moon's next words sent shockwaves through everyone except Electrolux.

"Since everyone believes that Ye Xuan is not an evil soul master, it means that our definition and treatment of evil soul masters have been wrong from the beginning."

"Old Mu, what you're saying isn't quite right!"

“Yes, Elder Mu! How could we have made a mistake?! Hasn’t it always been like this all these years? How can we deny the rules set by our predecessors?”

Yan Shaozhe instinctively wanted to refute, and the other elders reacted similarly, but were forced back by Mu En's gaze the next moment.

Moon tapped the conference table, the crisp sound clearly audible throughout the Sea God Pavilion. His calm yet resolute gaze swept over everyone present before he began to speak.
"Are all the things our ancestors said and did right? Think about it carefully. Over the years, how many good children have been forced to go astray because of their martial spirits?"
Yes, a large portion of the evil spirit masters were never good people to begin with, and killing them is one thing, but ask yourselves honestly, weren't there any wrongful killings among them? Put yourselves in their shoes; how would you feel if you were in their shoes?

"Let me give you an example. You all know about my relationship with Zhang Peng, the Scorpion Tiger Douluo. Even I misjudged him. Doesn't this prove that there's a problem with the definition of an evil soul master?"

"Since we've made a mistake, shouldn't we correct it? Even if it's just to save face, we can correct it secretly."

Everyone fell silent. Some were unconvinced but dared not refute, so they remained silent. Others were genuinely reflecting on the issue. As for Electrox, his admiration for Moon grew even stronger.

Mu En continued, "Now, as the current head of the Sea God Pavilion, I hereby announce the establishment of an adjudication team. This team is not for eradicating evil soul masters, but specifically for searching for children who have awakened evil martial souls and bringing them back to the academy for education, in order to curb the development of evil soul masters at its source!"

"Furthermore, the definition of evil spirit masters should be revised. Evil spirit masters with a clear record of evil deeds should be killed without exception! Otherwise, they need to be observed. Everything should be judged by their actions, not their intentions. After all, ask yourselves, who doesn't have evil thoughts in their hearts?"

If Mu En's words were to spread from the Sea God Pavilion, they would surely cause quite a stir on the Douluo Continent. It should be noted that Shrek Academy's current status is due to its strength, but even more so to the Shrek Inspection Team's enormous achievements in eliminating evil soul masters and maintaining the stability of the continent.

However, after so many years, Moon said they made a mistake, which is almost no different from uprooting Shrek. If they are not careful, they will suffer an irreversible fate.

"No, Elder Mu! Wouldn't doing this imply that we were wrong before?!" Elder Song stood up and retorted.

"Yes, you are right, and Ye Xuan's question is also correct. We and all of us have not done well enough in the matter of evil soul masters, but this has always been the case."

Mu En sneered, left his seat, and walked towards the exit of the Sea God Pavilion, saying as he went,

"Since ancient times? Is that always true?"

"My martial soul is the Holy Dragon of Light. If you don't know it, that's fine, but if you know it and still don't correct your mistakes, wouldn't that be a disgrace to my martial soul?"

Yan Shaozhe stood up and tried to refute Mu En in a more tactful way, attempting to persuade him to retract his decision.

“Teacher, you’re right. We do have problems with evil spirit masters that need to be corrected, but this would undoubtedly involve a huge amount of work. Not to mention how many years it would take to completely reverse the situation, even the current state of affairs is questionable, let alone your current physical condition…”

Yan Shaozhe didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he was going to say: "You're already so old, you won't live much longer, and it's still unknown whether your successors will change as you have."

If that's the case, why waste time doing it?
Upon hearing this, Mu En stopped in front of the Sea God Pavilion and turned around. He did not look at Yan Shaozhe and the elders of the Sea God Pavilion, but quietly stared at the young faces of Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and 'Mo Yuan'.

A gentle smile appeared on his aged, withered face, and his kind eyes resembled those of an ordinary old man caring for his descendants. He spoke softly,

"No matter how difficult the road is, someone has to take the first step, right?"

"As for Shao Zhe's statement that you younger generations will not continue this work after I am gone, I can only offer you and everyone here five words."

"There will always be someone who can come after you."

(End of this chapter)