In the underground world beneath the Sea God Pavilion.
A gentle aura of light and a dense breath of life surrounded Zhu Ziyang's body. The serene atmosphere tempered his spirit, allowing him to immerse himself in an unprecedented state of clarity. All his thoughts became vividly distinct and deeply profound, and his mind flowed freely without obstruction.
He had been meditating here in this underground world for a full month. A month ago, his Monarch Over The World cultivation had reached a bottleneck, and Elder Mu had directed him to this place to search for his own path. According to Elder Mu, to truly master Monarch Over The World, one had to find their own Dao—understand what they truly wanted—only then could they form their own unique aura and power, a Monarch Over The World that belonged solely to them.
It was the first time Zhu Ziyang had a chance to truly sort through everything he possessed.
All his soul skills, all his abilities, all his powers—they had been refined and clarified during this month of meditation.
And gradually, his path began to emerge.
The mysterious and unknown Great Light Mantra? The Stillness Fate Ending Scythe, infused with ultimate light and death energy? The Heavenly Frost Holy Dragon, with ultimate ice and Dragon King bloodline? The power of fate inherited from two divine beasts? The necromancy passed down by Electrolux? Or perhaps that equally mysterious Dimensional Library?
These were all powers Zhu Ziyang now held. But among them, the one that had always been his true foundation—was just one.
His thoughts had never been so clear. The Great Light Mantra pushed aside all other abilities and stood before him, announcing its dominance.
He realized, he had found the final answer.
The Great Light Mantra—this mysterious cultivation technique—was his true path.
His path was the righteous brilliance of light, the blazing sun at high noon, a force that stood above all beings, that showed mercy to the world, that cleansed heaven and earth, and brought peace through judgment. It was the true will of a sovereign over all life.
This was his Monarch Over The World.
——
In the main hall of the Sea God Pavilion, Elder Mu lay leisurely in a wooden chair, slowly fanning himself.
Suddenly, his murky eyes opened wide. Joy and relief flashed across his face as he muttered, "How humbling… So this is the path you've chosen? Good child!"
Footsteps echoed from afar. A figure entered the hall and walked up to Elder Mu, respectfully greeting, "Teacher!"
It was Zhu Ziyang. A month of deep meditation had given his temperament a calm composure. A faint smile lingered naturally on his face.
"Excellent! You've fully mastered Monarch Over The World in just a year and a half. You've exceeded all my expectations!" Elder Mu's heart was full of satisfaction, and a constant smile remained on his aged face. "Even your four senior brothers and sisters don't compare to you. The future of Shrek depends on you now!"
"Teacher, I'll take up the responsibility." Zhu Ziyang clearly voiced his commitment for the first time, his smile unwavering.
"Hahaha! Good! You've truly matured!" Elder Mu laughed. "Go get some rest for the night, and tomorrow take Nannan out for a bit of fun. I won't delay your holiday anymore!"
"I understand, Teacher," Zhu Ziyang replied, then turned and left the Sea God Pavilion.
Outside his dormitory, Jiang Nannan was playing with Xingcai. When she saw Zhu Ziyang, she exclaimed in delight, "Brother, you're out of seclusion!"
"Yes." Zhu Ziyang walked up to her, gently ruffled her hair, and patted Xingcai on the head. "Is class in the outer courtyard over? Why are you here already?"
"Come on, the outer courtyard's been on break for half a month already. Brother, don't tell me you got so deep into cultivation that you forgot?" Jiang Nannan's pretty face showed a hint of exasperation.
"Ah, right! It's vacation time already." Zhu Ziyang suddenly came to his senses. He had entered seclusion after Jiang Nannan's birthday—it had been more than a month. No wonder Elder Mu had mentioned not delaying his break earlier. He gave a wry smile.
"Brother, are we going home this year?" Jiang Nannan asked.
"Let's skip going back this year. I'll take you to a great place!" Zhu Ziyang thought for a moment, and a name popped into his mind. After calculating the risks, he decided it was feasible.
"What place?" Jiang Nannan looked curious.
"I'm not telling you yet. You'll know once we get there." Zhu Ziyang smiled mysteriously.
The place he had in mind was none other than the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
After integrating all his abilities during seclusion, his strength had surged, and his confidence had grown. His current soul power was Rank 45, but his true combat strength far surpassed that. With Monarch Over The World and necromancy combined, even facing ordinary Soul Kings was easy for him, and even Soul Emperors wouldn't be able to corner him.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan had also reached the Soul Ancestor realm, and after absorbing her fourth ring, her soul power had broken through to Rank 41. Her Lunar Jade Rabbit's innate talent made her especially suited to finding herb-rich places like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
So why had Zhu Ziyang suddenly decided to look for it?
The reason was simple—he had stumbled upon a book in the Dimensional Library, titled Secrets of Ice and Fire. The book detailed the origin of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
It claimed that beneath the well were buried the corpses of two of the Nine Dragon Kings—the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King. These two were god-level beings, and even in death, their bones continued to emit immense energy. That energy seeped into the surrounding land over time, eventually forming the blessed land known as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Zhu Ziyang couldn't tell if the legend was true, but he couldn't resist the allure of the Ice Dragon King's remains. His Heavenly Frost Holy Dragon Martial Soul carried some Ice Dragon King bloodline. If he could obtain even one bone, the benefits would be unimaginable. Even if he didn't find the remains, the herbs and treasures alone were more than enough to make the journey worthwhile.
So he decided to set off in search of it.
But he wouldn't go alone. He planned to find help. There was someone in Shrek Academy who would definitely want to find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—even more so than Zhu Ziyang himself.
That person was none other than Yan Shaozhe, who had just ended his own seclusion and become a Rank 96 Title Douluo.
This past year, Ma Xiaotao's evil fire problem had worsened. Every time it flared up, Zhu Ziyang had to use his ultimate ice to suppress it. But the more he suppressed it, the stronger it came back the next time. This temporary solution wasn't enough, and Yan Shaozhe had aged visibly from worry. He had even banned Ma Xiaotao from continuing cultivation.
If Yan Shaozhe knew the location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he would rush there without hesitation, to search for the legendary Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and cure Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul flaw.
So, the next morning, when Zhu Ziyang found Yan Shaozhe and explained his plan, the elder agreed without the slightest hesitation.
And so, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier took Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan, left Shrek Academy, and hurried toward Sunset Forest.
Outside Sunset Forest, two men and two women descended from the sky.
"Junior Brother, are you sure the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is really inside Sunset Forest?" Yan Shaozhe looked at the dense miasma covering the forest and couldn't help but ask with some doubt.
"Senior Brother, I can't be certain, but you've probably heard that Sunset Forest used to be a spirit beast habitat, not a miasma forest," Zhu Ziyang replied.
"I have heard that." Yan Shaozhe nodded thoughtfully. Then a theory formed in his mind. "You're saying someone deliberately transformed this place into a miasma forest?"
"That's likely the case," Zhu Ziyang said.
"To transform such a large forest… it can't be the work of a single person!" The more Yan Shaozhe thought about it, the more suspicious he became. "This must be the work of some powerful faction. Their goal is likely to prevent outsiders from entering. There must be something hidden within!"
"Very likely the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!" Zhu Ziyang added.
"Exactly! It must be! Only something like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is worth this much effort to conceal!" Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up. He was already itching to charge inside.
Cai Meier and Jiang Nannan exchanged helpless glances as they watched the two men getting excited in sync.
(End of Chapter)
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