At this moment…
Inside Yan Shaozhe's office at the Sea God's Pavilion, the atmosphere had shifted completely—from relaxed and casual to heavy and suffocating.
Suddenly, a gentle yet supremely majestic voice echoed directly within the minds of the two men, as if transcending space itself to speak to their souls.
"Xuan Zi, Shaozhe."
Both men trembled.
They immediately straightened and bowed toward the deepest part of the Sea God's Pavilion.
"Elder Mu!"
This voice belonged to the guardian of Shrek Academy—the Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, a Level 99 Limit Douluo—
Mu En.
Clearly, the earth-shattering phenomenon from moments ago had alarmed even him.
Mu En's voice carried rare seriousness.
"Did you feel that aura just now?"
"I did," Xuan Zi replied in a low voice. "It was a terrifying power unlike anything I've ever encountered. Its pressure far exceeds that of a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast. It may already rival a Vicious Beast… or perhaps something even stronger."
Mu En fell silent for a moment.
When he spoke again, his tone was firm and commanding.
"Even I cannot identify its origin."
"But since it appeared near Shrek, we cannot ignore it."
"Xuan Zi. Shaozhe."
"Investigate immediately."
"Use all available means to determine the source of that power. No matter the cost—bring back accurate intelligence."
"Go."
"Yes, Elder Mu!"
Neither dared hesitate.
With Mu En personally issuing the order, the importance of this matter had reached the highest level.
The two exchanged a glance.
In each other's eyes, they saw both gravity—
And a trace of excitement.
A crisis… perhaps.
But also an opportunity.
Without another word, their figures blurred into streaks of light and shot toward the Sunset River at full speed.
---
Meanwhile—
At the bank of the Sunset River.
Liu Yuan stood beneath the fading emerald sky, watching as the turbulent currents gradually dissipated.
The power surging through his body after synchronizing with Mega Rayquaza left him exhilarated.
"Too strong…"
His eyes gleamed with awe and excitement.
He had known Mega Rayquaza was powerful—
But only now did he truly understand how overwhelming that power was.
Simply by appearing, its ability—Delta Stream—had rewritten the weather, forming a sky-wide barrier that enveloped all of Shrek City.
"And within that range… my own strength is amplified as well…"
"Isn't this basically a superior Domain?"
His heart raced.
On the Douluo Continent, Domains were abilities coveted even by top experts.
Yet his martial soul—
From the very beginning—
Possessed something far beyond that.
And that was only its ability.
The raw power within that dragon, strong enough to distort space itself, filled him with an unprecedented sense of security.
"Xuan Zi… Shrek…"
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
What once seemed like an insurmountable gap—
No longer felt so distant.
He took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself.
The commotion he had caused was far too great.
There was no way Shrek's top experts hadn't noticed.
Right now, he only had power—but no spirit abilities.
Charging recklessly would be suicide.
"Stay low. Don't get arrogant," he reminded himself.
With a thought—
The colossal Mega Rayquaza in the sky dissolved into emerald-gold light and returned to his body.
The emerald sky faded.
The world returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
Without lingering, Liu Yuan turned to leave.
But now—
The desire for power burned brighter than ever.
"System," he called eagerly, "what's the next check-in location?"
[Ding! New check-in mission released.]
[Location: Star Dou Great Forest.]
[Requirement: Stay for three days.]
[Reward: God-Bestowed Spirit Ring (Rayquaza Exclusive) ×1. Skill will be randomly drawn from Rayquaza's Origin skill pool.]
"A god-bestowed spirit ring… and a random skill!"
His eyes lit up.
What he lacked most right now—
Were spirit abilities.
Without them, even the strongest martial soul was incomplete.
And this reward?
It solved everything.
"Rayquaza's Origin skills… Dragon Ascent? Dragon Pulse? Extreme Speed?"
Excitement surged within him.
Each skill represented immense power.
The Star Dou Great Forest—
The most dangerous Spirit Beast habitat on the continent—
Would be his next destination.
Without hesitation, Liu Yuan adjusted his pack and set off at full speed.
---
Not long after he left—
Two figures appeared at the riverbank like ghosts.
Xuan Zi.
Yan Shaozhe.
The moment they arrived, their expressions changed.
Residual energy still lingered in the air.
"Such power…"
Yan Shaozhe crouched, pressing his hand against the ground.
"The Laws of Space… Wind… and something else… something higher. I can't even name it."
"This energy is too pure. Too overwhelming."
Xuan Zi remained silent.
He closed his eyes.
His immense spiritual power spread outward like a web, scanning every trace of aura.
Moments later, he opened them—
Disappointment flashing across his face.
"We're too late. It's gone."
They expanded their search for miles.
Nothing.
It was as if that existence had appeared from nowhere—
And vanished just as suddenly.
Leaving behind only fear.
"Damn it!" Yan Shaozhe struck a nearby rock in frustration.
Just as they were about to continue—
Xuan Zi noticed a nearby commoner staring in shock.
In an instant, he appeared before him.
"Don't be afraid," Xuan Zi said, forcing a calm tone. "We are teachers from Shrek Academy. Did you see anything unusual just now?"
The man trembled but nodded.
"I saw it! A huge dragon in the sky!"
"It was green… glowing gold… bigger than a mountain!"
"When it appeared, the sky changed! I was so scared I couldn't even stand…"
"But then… it suddenly disappeared!"
"Disappeared?" Yan Shaozhe frowned. "Did it fly away?"
"No… it just vanished. Like it was never there!"
Vanished into thin air.
The two exchanged a grave look.
Such an existence—
And it could disappear instantly?
"Did you see anyone else nearby?" Xuan Zi asked.
The man thought for a moment, then suddenly said:
"Oh! Yes! After the dragon disappeared, I saw a young man leaving that direction."
"He looked about fourteen or fifteen… short red hair… tall… around 1.8 meters… quite handsome…"
As Yan Shaozhe listened, it felt vaguely familiar—but he didn't dwell on it.
But Xuan Zi—
Froze.
Fourteen or fifteen.
Short red hair.
Tall.
That description—
Matched perfectly.
Liu Yuan.
The very student he had expelled just hours ago.
Time.
Location.
Appearance.
Everything aligned.
A shocking thought surged uncontrollably in his mind.
Could it be…
That terrifying existence…
Is connected to Liu Yuan?