Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.
Inside the golden tree at the center of Sea God Island, which seemed to support the very heavens and earth.
At this moment, the dense aura of life and power of light had nearly condensed into a physical liquid. Golden mist swirled, exuding a sacred and inviolable majesty.
Yet now, a heart-palpitatingly terrifying fluctuation permeated the golden tree.
This fluctuation did not come from the golden tree itself, but from a young man sitting cross-legged within the core space of the golden tree.
The young man appeared to be only about twenty years old, with a face as handsome as jade, sword-like eyebrows, and eyes like stars.
His eyes were tightly shut, and he was surrounded by layers of profound and intricate golden halos.
He was the current pillar of Shrek Academy, the Master of the Sea Gods Pavilion, Xuan Zi.
At this moment, Xuan Zi was undertaking an attempt significant enough to shake the entire Douluo universe.
The divine power within him was like a vast abyss or a deep sea, frantically battering against an invisible, intangible, yet very real barrier.
He had long since attained godhood and, without the assistance of a system, had created the "God of Order" divinity, with his cultivation reaching the realm of a God King!
In this plane, he was already an invincible existence.
But he was not satisfied.
"Break for me...!"
Xuan Zi let out a low shout in his heart as his divine sense transformed into a sharp sword, attempting to pierce the heavens and touch that legendary realm above the God Kings of the God Realm.
The golden tree trembled violently, and the waters surrounding Sea God Island boiled at that moment, as if in fear of this heaven-defying will.
However, just as that aura reached its peak and was about to touch the barrier, an invisible force of law descended from the void, forcibly suppressing his divine power.
A long time passed.
All the phenomena receded like the tide, and the terrifying pressure dissipated into nothingness.
Xuan Zi slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, it seemed as if countless stars were born and destroyed within them before finally returning to tranquility.
He exhaled a breath of turbid air helplessly; the breath actually transformed into a white stream that lingered for a long time.
"In the end, I'm still just a bit short..."
Xuan Zi shook his head slightly, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.
Although he was exceptionally gifted and had been in this world for two hundred and forty years, he had managed to overcome the flaws of his Taotie Martial Soul without the help of a "system." Through extreme development of his Spirit and insights into the laws of heaven and earth, he had forced his way onto the throne of a God King.
But when he touched the realm above a God King, he still felt an unprecedented resistance.
Currently, his strength was enough to stand on equal footing with the five Enforcement God Kings of the God Realm, and he might even be slightly superior in terms of pure combat power. However, taking that step further beyond those five God Kings to become a God Emperor always seemed to be just one step away.
"Forget it, haste makes waste."
Xuan Zi adjusted his mindset, regaining his calm and composed demeanor.
It was at the very moment he withdrew his aura that several figures outside the golden tree, who had been waiting for a long time, finally dared to step cautiously into this space.
The leading elder was stooped, but his eyes were bright and piercing. He was the previous Master of the Sea Gods Pavilion, the "Dragon God Douluo," Mu En.
Behind him, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Liner, Qian Duoduo, and the other Shrek Elders filed in, their faces filled with awe and concern.
"Xuan Zi..." Mu En looked at the incredibly handsome young man before him, his eyes full of emotion.
Although he was Xuan Zi's senior in terms of generation, their realms were now worlds apart.
"Did you succeed?" Mu En's voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of hope.
Xuan Zi turned around and shook his head gently. "No."
"That realm is even more difficult than I imagined. I'm always just one step away, as if I'm still missing some kind of opportunity."
Hearing this, although the elders were somewhat disappointed, they quickly stepped forward to offer comfort.
"Elder Xuan, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself," Yan Shaozhe said respectfully, quickly taking a step forward.
"Achieving the rank of God King at just over two hundred years old is unprecedented and likely will never be repeated in the history of the Douluo Continent."
"Even the Sea God Tang San back then relied on a god's inheritance to become a god. But you relied entirely on yourself! Breaking through to a higher realm is only a matter of time."
"Indeed, Elder Xuan," Xian Liner added, her gaze full of admiration. "You are already a living legend; there's no need to be so hard on yourself."
Xuan Zi smiled slightly and waved his hand. "Alright, enough with the flattery. How has the academy been while I was in seclusion?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe's face immediately lit up with uncontrollable joy as he reported excitedly, "Elder Xuan, there has been a succession of good news! During your seclusion, ten more students from the Inner Court successfully broke through the level ninety bottleneck and were promoted to Titled Douluo!"
"Ten Titled Douluo?"
Xuan Zi nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. It seems that after my reforms, Shrek Academy has finally gotten completely on the right track."
After Yan Shaozhe and the others withdrew, Xuan Zi stood alone by the window of the golden tree, gazing at the shimmering Sea God Lake in the distance. His thoughts gradually drifted back to over two hundred and forty years ago.
It was a dark and stormy night when he transmigrated into this world.
When he learned that he had transmigrated as Xuan Zi from "The Unrivaled Tang Sect," he was devastated.
Would he also become that Xuan Zi who was ridiculed by countless readers as the "Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult"?
"Never!"
At that time, Xuan Zi swore a solemn oath in his heart: I will absolutely not become that foul "Drumstick Douluo"!
He wanted to change everything!
Thus, he began to cultivate like a madman.
Using his foreknowledge as a transmigrator, he did not allow the gluttonous flaw of the "Gluttonous Godly Ox" Spirit to persist as it did in the original story. Instead, through extreme self-discipline and special cultivation methods, he transformed "Devouring" into "Order."
He was no longer that slovenly old fat man; instead, he became a Titled Douluo in his twenties and, with extreme self-discipline, maintained his appearance as a handsome young man.
He had not only changed himself but also changed Shrek.
In the original work, Shrek, though known as the number one on the continent, was internally filled with stagnation, decay, and arrogance.
Phrases like "those who don't dare to cause trouble are mediocre" were simply fallacies that misled students!
After Xuan Zi took power, he carried out sweeping reforms.
He established a strict "Order," abolished the so-called "monster privileges," and emphasized both moral character and strength.
He no longer allowed students to risk their lives in meaningless adventures but instead established a scientific practical combat system.
He even broke Shrek's prejudice against spirit tools and vigorously developed Soul Tool Technology, putting Shrek far ahead of the Sun Moon Empire in technology as well... The current Shrek was no longer an academy that merely rested on its laurels and reputation, but a true holy land for Spirit Masters that benefited the entire continent.
"Two hundred and forty years..." Xuan Zi looked at his hands and murmured to himself.
"I created the 'God of Order' divinity and became a God King. In fact, I could have ascended to the God Realm long ago."
But he didn't.
After becoming a god, a Deity can still stay in the lower realm for a period of time. Although there are limits, for someone at the God King level like him, staying for a few more centuries was not a problem.
He chose to stay because he was not at ease.
He wanted to use this final time to completely transform Shrek and put it on the right track!
In these past few decades, under his guidance, Shrek had already produced over a dozen second-class and Third-class Gods!
This was simply a miracle!
"I'll wait another few decades," Xuan Zi decided in his heart.
"Once the Shrek children have fully grown up and the next generation can stand on their own, I can finally go to the God Realm to enjoy the scenery with peace of mind."
Just as Xuan Zi was immersed in his memories of the past and plans for the future, a sudden change occurred!
"BOOM—!!!"
An indescribable, grand sound exploded without warning in the hearts of all living beings across the Douluo Continent.
Immediately afterward, the previously clear sky suddenly underwent a dramatic change.
Above the firmament, endless light converged, slowly pulling open a massive heavenly screen that blotted out the sun!
"What's happening? An enemy attack?!"
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Liner, and the others turned pale with fright. They instantly released their Spirits and rushed out of the golden tree, looking at the sky with terrified expressions.
This power was too vast—so vast that even these Super Douluo felt as insignificant as ants.
"Don't panic."
A steady voice rang out, and with a flash of his silhouette, Xuan Zi appeared in the air above everyone.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze like torches, staring intently at the giant screen in the sky.
Then, he saw characters appearing one by one upon that heavenly screen.
[The heavenly screen manifests. Having detected the existence of parallel worlds, a dual-Douluo comparison will now be conducted.]
[Detailed information has been transmitted to the audience's minds. The subjects for comparison will be selected shortly.]
As the words appeared, a massive stream of information instantly flooded into everyone's minds.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Mu En's eyes flashed with shock. "Parallel worlds? Besides our Douluo Continent, there is actually another identical world?"
Yan Shaozhe was also dumbfounded. "Another Shrek? Another us? This is simply inconceivable! I wonder what that world's Shrek is like? Could it be stronger than ours?"
The students and teachers of Shrek, and even the Spirit Masters and commoners across the entire continent, were now filled with intense curiosity.
What kind of lives were their counterparts in the other world living? Was the other world's Shrek as glorious as this one?
However, Xuan Zi, suspended in mid-air, had an extremely peculiar expression on his face.
"Parallel worlds..."
The corner of Xuan Zi's mouth twitched slightly, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart.
As a transmigrator, he naturally understood what this meant.
If this was the world he had changed, then the so-called "parallel world" would be the one from the original story... the original Douluo Continent that he hadn't changed?
At the thought of the conduct of Shrek Academy in the original work, Xuan Zi's gaze became filled with disdain and contempt.
Everyone is curious about the Shrek over there?
Heh, what's there to be curious about?
The Shrek over there is simply rotten to the core!
It's a brainwashing organization full of double standards, hypocrisy, and arrogance, acting under the banner of "for the peace of the continent" while being overbearing and misleading its students!
The Xuan Zi over there is a waste who only knows how to drink and eat chicken legs; the Mu En over there is a pushover who only knows how to smooth things over; the teaching philosophy there is backward and stubborn... "If they're really going to compare that world's Shrek with the current Shrek..." Xuan Zi couldn't help but sneer inwardly, "that would be an insult to my two hundred years of hard work, and an even more public execution for that world's Shrek."
However, the heavenly screen did not give Xuan Zi much time for complaints.
In the next second, the massive light screen vibrated, the golden text dissipated, and was replaced by two giant titles of completely different colors stretching across the horizon!
[Selection of comparison subjects complete!]
[Left Screen: Black World—Original Shrek Academy (The authentic Shrek)]
[Right Screen: White World—New Order Shrek Academy (Shrek under the transformation of the God King realm expert Xuan Zi)]
[To allow all living beings on the continent to more intuitively perceive the gap between the two Shrek Academies, this comparison will select "Shrek Freshman" Huo Yuhao as the primary perspective!]
[Through the different experiences of Huo Yuhao in both worlds, a comprehensive and deep comparison of Shrek Academy will be conducted!]