Chapter 31: The Profane

Three days ago.

A gentle breeze rippled across the surface of the Sea God Lake, sending waves rolling toward the shore and causing the flowers and grass to sway. Along the lakeside path, students passed by from time to time, their voices filled with laughter and joy.

A student who had been studying hard for six years stood on tiptoe, peering toward the center of the lake. His eyes burned with an irrepressible longing as he gazed at the small island and the towering, golden tree upon it, though his expression eventually faded into a sigh of melancholy.

Just as he reluctantly turned to leave, a powerful gust of wind suddenly swept through, drawing cries of surprise from the surrounding students. Puzzled, he turned back, his pupils contracting in shock.

The Sea God Lake was surging with turbulent waves. A pale blue radiance shimmered like a phantasm, and the Golden Ancient Tree at the heart of the island erupted with brilliant golden light.

The student’s mind went blank. He scoured his memory of every historical text he had ever read, yet he could find no description of such an event.

At that moment, figures pulsating with immense soul power rose from the Sea God Island, their deep, resonant voices echoing throughout the entire academy.

"All students, return to your dormitories! You are forbidden from leaving until further notice!"

"What... what is happening?"

Some students cried out in alarm, but even the elders of the Sea God Pavilion were just as bewildered.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion on the island, the elders arrived with grave expressions. They looked toward the old man at the head of the long table and asked, "Pavilion Master, what has happened? Why have the Sea God Lake and the Golden Ancient Tree undergone such a transformation?"

Mu En, the Pavilion Master and a legend of the continent who had walked the world for four hundred years, remained silent. Under the increasingly tense gazes of the elders, he spoke slowly.

"Just a moment ago, our Great Ancestor sent down a divine oracle."

"What?! The Great Ancestor! A divine oracle!"

The elders exclaimed in unison, their faces etched with disbelief. They never expected that these disturbances were caused by the ancestors who had long since ascended to the God Realm and vanished into silence.

Suddenly, the expressions of the elders shifted restlessly, their inner thoughts churning like the violent waves on the lake.

Time buries all things. If not for the enduring legends of the Seven Gods, the remaining battlefields of the Three Gods’ War, the ruins of the Spirit Hall, and the continued existence of Shrek Academy, the world would likely have dismissed them all as mere ethereal myths.

After their shock subsided slightly, Yan Shaozhe asked in a deep voice, "Teacher, what does the oracle say?"

With that question, everyone's gaze locked onto Mu En. Regardless of the circumstances, this was the only divine oracle in ten thousand years; everyone longed to know what message it carried.

Mu En silently produced a parchment scroll. Everyone present could feel the energy fluctuations emanating from it—a power far beyond that of a Limit Douluo—accompanied by a profound, oceanic weight. They understood immediately which ancestor had sent it.

They no longer doubted the authenticity of the oracle.

Under the tense gazes of the elders, Mu En opened the scroll. As the first to read its contents, his pupils paused briefly before he laid it in the center of the long table.

"Read it for yourselves."

Though they were puzzled as to why Mu En would not read it aloud, they were eager to see the only divine oracle in ten thousand years. They leaned in, and eventually, Yan Shaozhe read aloud: "Proceed to Dou Ling with haste. Eradicate the blasphemer, and destroy the root of chaos."

Seeing these brief words, the group looked at one another, seeing the same confusion reflected in their colleagues' eyes.

Yan Shaozhe pondered for a long time, unable to fathom who the "blasphemer" could be. What kind of blasphemous act could someone commit to warrant a divine oracle from the ancestors? And what was this "root of chaos"?

The oracle contained only fifteen characters. There was no description of the blasphemer or the root of chaos, only the location: the Dou Ling Empire. It was baffling why the message lacked detail; perhaps there was some unspeakable reason for the brevity.

As the others wondered, Mu En spoke: "You have all seen the contents of the oracle. Xuanzi, you shall make a trip to the Dou Ling Empire. While you are there, bring back Xiao Tao and the others."

"What? Elder Mu, is Xuanzi to go alone?"

An elder asked in surprise, clearly puzzled by the arrangement.

"I cannot move easily in my current state, and you all have your own duties within the academy. Shaozhe and Duoduo must also remain to calm the panicked students of the inner and outer courts. At present, only Xuanzi is idling about, and his strength is the greatest among you. He is the most suitable choice."

"Cough, cough... cough!" Xuanzi broke into a violent fit of coughing, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Elder Mu, I am not 'idling about.' I am diligently observing the students' progress each day and providing guidance where appropriate."

"However, since you have praised me so, I shall go."

The other elders said nothing more. Mu En’s reasoning was, after all, impeccable. At the moment, only Xuanzi was free to head to the Dou Ling Empire.

After the discussion, Xuanzi did not even pause to prepare; he set off immediately for the Dou Ling Empire.

Returning to the present, after hearing Elder Xuan’s recount, Ma Xiaotao was filled with bewilderment and confusion.

She had spent this entire time in the Dou Ling Empire inciting a struggle over faith. With the Sea God Ancestor sending an oracle at such a time, it was hard for her not to suspect it had something to do with her actions.

"Set your mind at ease. The Great Sea God Ancestor is magnanimous and will not concern himself with you," Xuanzi said, sensing her tension.

"However, you have been in the Dou Ling Empire recently. Do you have any clues regarding this 'blasphemer' or the 'root of chaos'?"

"The blasphemer... the root of chaos..."

Ma Xiaotao murmured to herself. Suddenly, a beautiful figure flashed through her mind, and her eyes lit up.

Seeing her reaction, Xuanzi felt a surge of joy; he had not expected to find a lead so soon after arriving.

Ma Xiaotao said, "I know nothing of the root of chaos, but I do have a guess regarding the blasphemer."

She then relayed to Xuanzi everything that had been happening in the Dou Ling Empire recently, focusing on the person she believed to be the culprit: the Imperial Advisor, the Alchemist.

After listening, Xuanzi pondered in silence before saying slowly, "Replacing the statues of the Sea God and installing a mysterious God of Abundance in the position of high priest, followed shortly by the Star Luo Empire launching an invasion and slaughtering three cities... If the blasphemer and the root of chaos point to the same entity, then based on your description, he is the most likely candidate."

"Perhaps you should investigate further, Elder Xuan? After all, my theory is only a theory," Ma Xiaotao said hesitantly.

"No need. We shall start with this mysterious Imperial Advisor. He is the only lead we have. Besides, I have a premonition—the blasphemer is almost certainly him," Elder Xuan said firmly.

Never underestimate the intuition of a powerful cultivator. While such intuition may seem ethereal, it often proves to be the key to victory.