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The Sea God Pavilion was a place of legend, but right now, it was a place of pure chaos. The air was thick with fear. The elders who had just been talking and agreeing with each other were now pale. Their bodies shook with terror.
Some of them turned their heads toward Mu En, hoping for help. But Mu En did not look at them. He closed his eyes and slowly turned his wheelchair away. He faced the wall, leaving his back to everyone else in the room. He was the strongest, but he was choosing not to step in.
Xuan Zi could not take it anymore. His eyes were bright red and filled with tears. He breathed heavily like a wild ox. He let out a loud, angry roar that shook the room. The phantom of his Martial Soul, the Taotie Divine Ox, appeared behind him. It looked powerful and scary, ready to jump at Poison Undying. But Poison Undying did not look worried at all.
With a quick motion, Poison Undying moved his hand. It was a simple backhand slap. He did not even use a Spirit Ability. He just used his raw power. His strike was full of Qi, blood power, spirit power, and his own strong will. The slap hit Xuan Zi hard. The sound was loud and crisp. Xuan Zi flew through the air like a broken doll and crashed into the wall. He coughed up a lot of blood and fell to the floor.
Get out of here. I will deal with you later, Poison Undying said coldly. He didn't even look at the man he had just sent flying. Instead, his cold eyes moved across the group of scared elders. He looked at them like a predator looking at prey. Tell me, who was the first person to speak just now?
The elders were terrified. They were supposed to be the leaders of Shrek Academy, but their dignity was gone. They didn't care about unity or honor anymore. They only cared about staying alive. They started pointing at each other and shouting. It's him! No, it was her! They shifted the blame as fast as they could. It was a pathetic and ugly sight to see.
Zhang Lexuan stood to the side and watched this happen. she didn't say a word. She just watched the leaders of her academy fall apart. It was a strange situation. How easy is it for a Peak Super Douluo who is almost at rank ninety-nine to deal with people like this? Most of these elders weren't even Titled Douluo yet. To Poison Undying, it was no different than stepping on a small bug.
Poison Undying didn't wait long. He quickly found his next target. It was the elder who had first tried to help Xuan Zi. That elder was so scared he looked like he might faint. He turned around and tried to run away. But he couldn't move. Poison Undying's aura was too heavy. It locked him in place like a heavy chain. He was forced into a corner, trapped.
No! You can't kill me! the elder screamed. He was hysterical and wasn't thinking clearly. You said only one person was responsible for the trouble with your Merchant Association! You already killed one! Why do you want to kill me too? That should be enough!
Poison Undying smiled, but it wasn't a kind look. It was full of mockery. Oh? So that's how you think? You're saying the lives of Shrek students don't matter as much as my people? You think it's okay if they die? Or are you just saying that you don't care if the students die as long as you get to live?
The elder couldn't answer. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Poison Undying didn't want to hear any more excuses. He stepped forward and grabbed the elder's head. He held it as easily as if he were holding a small chick. This time, he didn't do it fast. He applied pressure slowly, bit by bit. He wanted the man to feel it. He began to crush the man's skull.
The elder's screams filled the Sea God Pavilion. They were loud and painful, but no one moved to help him. They were too afraid. Then, there was a loud crack. The screaming stopped. Another body without a head fell to the floor.
The smell of blood in the room was now very strong. It was sickening. The remaining elders were as quiet as cicadas in the winter. They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. They just stared at the floor, hoping they wouldn't be next.
Poison Undying used his spirit power to shake the blood off his hands. He looked clean again, but he still looked like a monster to them. He started walking toward Xuan Zi. Xuan Zi was still on the ground, dazed and hurting from the first slap.
For Mu En's sake, I won't kill you today, Poison Undying said. His voice started out calm, but then it got much louder and angrier. However, even if you stay alive, you cannot escape your punishment!
He reached down and grabbed Xuan Zi by the neck. He lifted him up like a heavy sack of trash and then slammed him back down onto the hard ground. Before Xuan Zi could even groan, Poison Undying's fist came down. It was a heavy, powerful blow fueled by his incredible physical strength. He hit Xuan Zi right in the face. Then he did it again. And again. It sounded like a machine driving poles into the earth.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of the punches echoed through the silent hall. Every hit was followed by the sound of breaking bones and Xuan Zi's muffled groans of pain. Xuan Zi tried to fight back. He tried to summon his spirit power to use his Martial Soul True Body. But as soon as the golden light started to form, Poison Undying broke it with a casual strike. He wouldn't even let Xuan Zi defend himself.
Xuan Zi was being treated like a human punching bag. Poison Undying knew exactly how hard to hit. He used just enough force to cause maximum pain and damage without actually killing him. He wanted him to suffer. This went on for a long time. For thirty minutes, the only sound in the Pavilion was the sound of the beating.
Finally, Poison Undying stopped. He took a deep breath. He looked down at Xuan Zi. The man didn't even look human anymore. His face was swollen and bloody. He looked like a dead dog. Throughout the whole beating, Mu En had never turned around. He stayed in his wheelchair, silent and still. The other elders were white as ghosts. None of them had moved a muscle to help.
Poison Undying picked up the broken body of Xuan Zi. He looked at Mu En's back and spoke. Mu En, I'm taking him with me. I'm going to make him kneel. He is going to kowtow and apologize to the families of the two students who died. Then he will apologize to every single injured student, one by one. Once he has finished his apology, I will bring him back to you in a few days.
Mu En finally opened his eyes. He still didn't turn his chair around. He spoke in a very quiet, faint voice. He must not die.
Don't worry, he won't die, Poison Undying replied with a grin. He stepped toward a ripple in the air. A spatial crack opened up. Carrying Xuan Zi like a piece of luggage, he stepped through it and vanished.
The Sea God Pavilion was empty of enemies now, but the heavy smell of blood remained. It was very quiet. After a long time, Mu En slowly turned his wheelchair. He faced the elders again. His eyes were cloudy, but they were also very sharp. He looked at every single elder who was still alive. He could see how shaken they were.
Then, he began to speak. His voice was calm, like he had thought about this for a long time. Now, I have something to tell all of you.
Everyone looked at him. They were waiting to hear what he would say after such a disaster. But Mu En didn't look at the elders. He looked at Zhang Lexuan. She was still standing there, looking calm and steady, even after everything that had happened.
Lexuan, come here, Mu En said.
Zhang Lexuan paused for a second. Then she walked over and stood by his side. Mu En looked at the hall one more time. He spoke clearly so everyone could hear. I am announcing today that Zhang Lexuan will be the next leader of the Sea God Pavilion. She is now the preparatory Pavilion Master.
He stopped for a moment to let the words sink in. His voice became firm. Starting right now, she will have my authority. She will manage everything in the academy, both big and small. As soon as she becomes a Titled Douluo, she will officially take my place as the Pavilion Master. Now, tell me. Who agrees? Who disagrees?
Everyone was shocked. Even Zhang Lexuan looked surprised. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. But the smart ones realized what was happening. Shrek Academy was changing. Mu En was making a big move.
Far away, inside the Merchant Association's headquarters, Kong Mingan was watching things unfold. He sighed and shook his head in admiration. Mu En is very smart and very decisive, he thought.
Mu En had planned this well. He had hurt Yan Shaozhe himself to protect him. If he hadn't done it, Poison Undying might have killed Yan Shaozhe. By doing it himself, he kept his student alive and showed everyone he was still the boss.
Then, he let Poison Undying beat up Xuan Zi. This showed the elders that there were enemies outside who were very strong. It forced them to stay united because they were afraid.
Kong Mingan also suspected that the two elders who died were not accidents. Mu En probably gave Poison Undying a hint. Those elders were likely corrupt or causing problems. Having an outsider kill them meant Mu En didn't have to deal with the internal drama of firing them. It was a clean way to get rid of the trash.
And finally, he put Zhang Lexuan in charge. The Hundred Thousand Year spirit ring from the Moon-Eating Silver Wolf King was perfect for her. With that ring and the Spirit Bone, her potential was even higher now. When she reached rank ninety and got another high-level ring, she would easily become a rank ninety-eight Douluo.
She was a much better leader for the future than Xuan Zi could ever be. Mu En knew he didn't have much time left to live. He was going to use his last days to make sure Zhang Lexuan was ready.
Kong Mingan looked out the window. Mu En's plan was the best way to save Shrek Academy from its own mistakes. But there was still one thing he wondered about. He wondered what Zhang Lexuan really thought about all of this.