Chapter 266: The Golden Tree's Upgrade Completed, Ah Yin Appears
At that moment, a message resonated from the Golden Tree.
"The Golden Tree has communicated," Mu En said solemnly. "It asks us to focus on eliminating the creatures emerging from the rift. As for the rift itself—it will handle that personally."
Everyone present exhaled in relief at his words.
"The Golden Tree is still finishing its evolution. During this critical time, we must wipe out every last one of these strange creatures and prevent them from attacking our students," Mu En ordered with grave authority.
"We cannot allow any damage to Shrek Academy."
"Understood!"
All around, the elders and soul masters unleashed their full power, hurling themselves into battle against the endless tide of invading monsters.
As time passed, the clash grew fiercer.
The pitch-black spatial fissure resembled a ravenous maw, endlessly vomiting out wave after wave of abyssal beings.
Their forms varied—some covered in scales that shimmered with a sickly violet hue, claws gleaming with faint ghostly light; others appeared as formless shadows, sliding like living tar through the air.
Everything they touched corroded away, and the battlefield reeked of rot and blood.
"Shaa!"
Mu En's Light Holy Dragon martial soul soared through the air. Every sweep of its radiant breath purified swaths of abyssal creatures, reducing them to curls of dissipating black mist.
Yet his face remained grim, sweat dripping from his temples as his breathing grew labored.
"This isn't working—they're too many!"
He tore through a hulking monster with the dragon's claws and shouted, "Xuan Zi! What about your side? Can you locate the rift's core?"
Xuan Zi's Gluttonous Bull martial soul flared with black light, forcing the creatures around him back.
His brows knitted tightly. "I tried—but the spatial fluctuations are too chaotic! There's no way to stabilize the core!"
"Worse still, their energy is rising fast. Something stronger is coming through!"
Just then, Mu En felt a wave of killing aura so intense that even his soul trembled.
"Everyone fall back!" he roared.
His Light Holy Dragon projection expanded, fusing fully with his body. A colossal dragon of sacred light erupted forward to meet the incoming threat.
"Holy Light Dragon—Purge the Evil!"
At that very instant, the Golden Tree shuddered violently.
A deep humming filled the air.
The once-gentle golden glow blazing from its trunk intensified until it became blinding. Countless radiant veins lit up along its bark, flowing like living energy.
Its leaves quivered, rustling like the whisper of an ancient hymn.
An immense divine pressure overflowed from within, sweeping across all of Shrek Academy in a heartbeat.
"This aura…"
Mu En froze mid-motion, awe washing over his face.
"It's finishing its evolution…" Xuan Zi whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Before anyone could respond, a massive golden flower bud blossomed at the top of the Golden Tree. Within seconds, it opened fully, revealing dazzling golden filaments within its heart.
A flood of light burst forth—ten thousand rays of sacred gold engulfed the world like a tidal wave.
The radiance was gentle yet overwhelming, holy yet absolute.
Every abyssal creature it touched melted away instantly, vanishing without even a cry, as though snow under sunlight.
The golden torrent didn't stop. It spread with sentient precision, tracing every black fissure that marred the air.
Under its brilliance, the twisted spatial waves began to calm.
One by one, the rifts closed, shrinking and healing until the last shimmer of darkness vanished completely.
Moments later, there was nothing left.
The Sea God Lake's surroundings lay in ruin, but peace had returned—the only remnants were the faint, fading stench of decay.
Slowly, the light receded, withdrawing back into the Golden Tree.
"Thank the heavens," Mu En breathed. "Had it been any later, Shrek Academy would have suffered catastrophic losses."
He and Xuan Zi exchanged a look, both reading relief—and awe—in each other's eyes.
Together with the Pavilion elders, they approached the Golden Tree reverently and bowed deeply.
Mu En spoke first, his voice filled with respect. "Lord Golden Tree, thank you for saving us. But… what were those creatures? Why did they suddenly attack Shrek Academy?"
Xuan Zi stepped forward as well. "Yes, Great Tree—where did that rift lead? Will this threat return?"
The Golden Tree remained still for a moment, the runes along its trunk flickering softly.
Then a warm, ancient voice echoed in all their minds. It was a voice they knew—it came from the spirit within the tree.
Ah Yin had awakened.
"Those fissures came from the Abyssal Plane."
"The Abyssal Plane?"
Mu En and the others stiffened. None of them had ever heard the name before.
Before the rise of the Star Auction Pavilion, they had believed only the Douluo Continent and the God Realm existed.
But as their understanding expanded, they had learned that other realms lay beyond.
Could this Abyssal Plane be one of those nearby worlds?
Why had it targeted them—and the Golden Tree?
Ah Yin's voice continued, steady but grave. "The Abyssal Plane survives by devouring the origin energy of other worlds. This attack was drawn here by my evolution."
"When the Golden Tree evolves, it stirs the very foundation of the Douluo Plane's source power. That fluctuation was sensed by the Abyss, and its hunger drove it to invade."
Xuan Zi frowned deeply. "Then… in a sense, the disaster came because of the upgrade?"
"Not entirely," Ah Yin replied gently. "Even without my evolution, the Douluo Plane's origin has grown stronger with time. Eventually, it would have drawn the Abyss's attention regardless. My upgrade merely hastened that moment."
Her tone hardened. "You must be vigilant. The Abyssal Plane will not retreat so easily. What we repelled today was only a test."
"They will come again—stronger, in far greater numbers. You must unite the continent's powers and prepare for what is to come."
Mu En bowed deeply, his voice firm. "Please rest assured, Great Tree. We will defend the Douluo Continent with all our strength."
(END CHAPTER)
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