Chapter 562: Chapter 562: Moral Coercion – Part 2
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Though Yan Shaozhe had been scolded by Mu En countless times before, this was the first time he had seen such a grave and serious expression on Mu En's face. He instantly realized the gravity of the situation.
Mu En furrowed his brows deeply and asked the fat official, "Explain carefully to me—what is this about the Sun Moon Empire deploying four Limit forces?"
In this world where gods did not descend, Limit Douluos represented the pinnacle of soul master strength. The number of Limit forces in each era was always limited.
Even Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui, who were considered Mu En's peers, were still uncertain in Mu En's eyes whether they could truly break through to become unparalleled Douluos.
After all, Mu En believed that becoming an Limit Douluo required three things: innate talent, rare opportunities, and deep foundational cultivation. Without the backing of Shrek Academy and the accumulated heritage of his own lineage, even Mu En himself might not have broken through to become a Limit Douluo. How much more so for others on the continent with shallower roots?
The existence of someone like Ye Wen already astonished Mu En. Now, the Sun Moon Empire suddenly claiming to have four Limit Douluos? What kind of international joke was this?
Instinctively, Mu En thought the official was lying.
This era was far from the advanced communications of ten thousand years into the future. In terms of intelligence gathering, Shrek Academy simply couldn't match the empires of the Douluo Continent.
When the Tian Hun Empire's front erupted into battle, news reached the Star Luo Empire almost immediately. This caused the Star Luo Empire, which had initially considered borrowing troops from the Tian Hun Empire, to abandon the idea. After all, the Tian Hun Empire was already struggling to survive against two Limit Douluos—how could they spare any help?
Upon learning that the two Limit Douluos attacking the Tian Hun Empire were evil soul masters from the Holy Spirit Sect—and even former acquaintances of Mu En—he fell silent. Considering the natural talents of his two old friends, combined with the unorthodox methods of evil soul masters, it was indeed possible for them to forcibly break through to become Limit Douluos.
Still, Mu En was astonished. He never expected that a small empire like Tian Hun could field two Limit Douluos—and neither of them was Ye Wen.
However…
"Such impressive moves by the Tian Xing Douluo," Mu En remarked with a sigh. "Not only did he help Du Busi break through the Level 98 bottleneck, but he also brought back Xiao Ding, the long-lost Heavenly Cauldron Douluo who vanished during the Beast Tide War."
But now, Mu En felt more pressure than ever.
He never imagined that after suppressing the Douluo Continent for so many years with his unparalleled strength, he would become a laughingstock. Right under his nose, so many Limit Douluos had emerged. If he were to die, the situation for Shrek Academy would become even more perilous.
After all, Shrek prided itself on justice and had spent years targeting evil soul masters. But now, two Limit evil soul masters had surfaced in the Sun Moon Empire. It didn't take a genius to figure out that these evil soul masters had used the Sun Moon Empire as their base. If the enemy won the war, Shrek would be finished.
There was no way around it—they had to act.
This was no longer about competing for glory on the Douluo Continent; it was a matter of life and death for Shrek Academy.
The fat official, who had just finished explaining the intelligence, wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Mu En with pitiful eyes.
"Lord Dragon God, please hurry and depart. Otherwise, the Star Luo Empire will soon collapse under the pressure."
With words spoken to this extent, Mu En could only sigh and reluctantly agree.
But inwardly, Mu En felt slightly relieved.
After all, facing two self-proclaimed Level 10 soul mentors from the Sun Moon Empire, no matter how strong they claimed to be, Mu En believed they couldn't surpass him. After all, their power relied on external tools.
However, if he were to face his two old friends, even Mu En would have to weigh the risks carefully. Evil soul masters who broke through using unorthodox methods weren't necessarily weaker than traditionally trained soul masters—in fact, their combat prowess often far exceeded that of ordinary soul masters.
As the saying went, "Goin dark makes you three times stronger."
The reason evil soul masters were suppressed was that their breakthroughs inevitably came at the cost of countless lives. For empires that relied on the masses to maintain their rule, this wasn't a good thing, so they were naturally targeted.
But just as Mu En was about to agree, he suddenly stopped and recalled something the fat official had said earlier. With a puzzled expression, he asked,
"You mentioned that the Tian Xing Academy is assisting the Tian Hun Empire. What about the Tian Xing Douluo, Mu En?"
On the surface, the official appeared timid and obsequious, but inwardly, he was filled with disdain.
As a loyal official of the Star Luo Empire, this fat official knew all too well how Shrek Academy had meddled unnecessarily in imperial affairs before the rise of Tian Xing Academy, sometimes even disrupting the empire's operations. Now, they were praising Tian Xing Academy instead.
But outwardly, the fat official responded respectfully,
"Tian Xing Academy is a neutral force and merely an academy. According to agreements between the major empires, such entities cannot be forced onto the battlefield.
Thus, Lord Dragon God, please hurry and depart. Only you can save the Star Luo Empire now."
Hearing this, the high-ranking members of Shrek Academy present wore expressions as if they had swallowed bitter flies.
What a joke! Both institutions were top academies, yet Tian Xing Academy's Limit forces could stay idle while they were forced to fight on the battlefield. What kind of logic was this?
But thinking of Shrek's self-proclaimed image as upholders of justice, the leaders had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Promoting righteousness and intervening in matters of justice—it wasn't shameful.
In a corner of the reception room, a handsome young man watched this scene with a heavy expression.
This was Bei Bei. Sensing that he would soon go to battle, Mu En wanted to entrust some matters to his beloved grandson beforehand and had summoned Bei Bei.
Watching this scene, Bei Bei—who had been thoroughly disciplined by Tang Ya and personally mentored by Mu En for a long time in both cultivation and strategy—had begun to shed his love-struck mindset. He thought of the former glory of the Tang Sect.
They had dedicated everything to the continent, but if their strength proved insufficient after such sacrifices, Shrek might follow in the Tang Sect's tragic footsteps.
At the thought of this possibility, Bei Bei felt his breath grow short. Yet, sensing his mere Soul Emperor-level cultivation, he sank into a deep sense of helplessness.
Among ordinary people, a Soul Emperor might be considered a top-tier expert, but on the Douluo Continent, he was nothing more than a slightly bigger fish in a vast sea.
"I understand," Mu En said calmly. "Let me handle a few matters, and I'll set out."
The other high-ranking members hesitated to speak—they knew they couldn't interfere in this matter. They had only come along to see if there were any unforeseen developments.
Alas, the glory of Shrek had become Mu En's shackles, and he had no choice but to step forward.
At this moment, Bei Bei stepped forward, looking at his great-grandfather Mu En with hesitation.
Mu En gently patted Bei Bei's head.
"You've grown up, my child. From now on, our family will depend on you." With a loving tone, Mu En gradually infused a warm, radiant energy into Bei Bei's body.
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