Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 94 Former Sect Master
Faced with Yin Chen's blunt criticism, Nan Qiuqiu was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear. Her face, which was only slightly red, turned as red as a ripe apple.

She stomped her foot and made a big face at Nan Shuishui, both embarrassed and annoyed.

"I hate my mom the most."

She didn't care about anything else, turned around and rushed off the stage, her figure gradually disappearing into the distance.

Only a single sentence, tinged with stubbornness and resentment yet imbued with determination, lingered in the training ground:
"I...I'm going to cultivate."

Watching her daughter's retreating figure as if fleeing, Nan Shuishui's face showed a helpless smile, but her beautiful eyes were filled with more relief and anticipation.

'This child has finally been spurred on and knows he needs to strive for improvement.'

she thought to herself.

In the past, no matter how much she urged him, Nan Qiuqiu, relying on his talent and status as the young master of the Earth Dragon Gate, was always somewhat lazy and preferred to play with his friends.

Today, being so cleanly and decisively defeated by her peers in front of everyone, especially Yin Chen's overwhelming strength and control, undoubtedly taught her a profound lesson.

If this sense of frustration and resentment can be transformed into motivation, it will be far more effective than a thousand lectures from her.

Nan Shuishui withdrew her gaze and smiled apologetically at Ma Xiaotao, Yin Chen, and the others: "My daughter is naughty, please forgive her."

Ma Xiaotao waved her hand, completely unconcerned:

"Master Nanmen is too kind. It's normal for a child to be like this."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Ma Xiaotao took her leave again.

This time, Nan Shuishui did not try to stop them, and personally escorted everyone to the door.

Leaving the Earth Dragon Gate's base, Ma Xiaotao was in high spirits and patted Yin Chen on the shoulder:

"Well done, you didn't let Shrek down. Your self-created soul skill is very interesting. From now on, Sister Tao will protect you at the academy."

Ling Luochen also glanced at Yin Chen, though he didn't say anything, his approval was obvious.

Yin Chen simply smiled modestly and said nothing more.

As she watched Yin Chen and the others disappear around the street corner, the gentle and polite smile on Nan Shuishui's face vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.

Without hesitation, she turned around and strode back to the Earth Dragon Gate, ignoring the respectful bows of the disciples along the way, and headed straight for the deepest part of the sect.

After passing through several heavily guarded courtyards and corridors, she came to an inconspicuous stone wall.

A unique wisp of annihilating soul power gathered at his fingertips and pressed it into a hidden groove in the stone wall.

The stone wall slid open silently, revealing a deep, downward staircase behind it.

This is the forbidden area of ​​the Earth Dragon Sect, the sect leader's secret cultivation chamber. No one except her—including the sect elders and her most beloved daughter Nan Qiuqiu—is allowed to enter without permission.

The interior of the secret chamber was quite spacious, with soul-guiding lamps embedded in the walls that emitted a soft white light, but the air was filled with a faint, deathly atmosphere that was completely out of place with the vibrant Earth Dragon Gate.

What's even more striking is that in a corner of the secret room, the corpses of several soul beasts are casually piled up.

Without exception, these corpses were all extremely desiccated, as if all life had been drained away, leaving only skin covering bones. In the center of this secret chamber, an old woman sat cross-legged.

She also had long pink hair, but it was dry and sparse. Her face was covered with wrinkles and she looked old. Only her eyes, which occasionally opened and closed, revealed a kind of majesty and depth similar to Nan Shuishui's, as well as a longing for life that was hard to completely hide.

"Mother."

Nan Shuishui walked up to the old woman, her tone filled with undisguised complexity and worry.

“The Shrek Academy people are here. They’re here to track down the Nirvana Corpse, not to come directly for you. But I hope you won’t go out during this time. I’ll find a way to get you enough soul beasts.”

If any disciples of the Earth Dragon Gate were here, they would be terrified to death upon hearing Nan Shuishui's address to this old woman.

Because Nan Shui Shui's mother, the former leader of the Earth Dragon Gate, Nancy, had already publicly announced her demise many years ago.

"Shui Shui..."

The old woman, Nancy, slowly raised her head, looking at her daughter who now possessed a mature and composed demeanor, her eyes revealing both relief and a hint of guilt.

"You've worked hard all these years. The Earth Dragon Gate has developed very well under your leadership, even better than when I was alive. I'm very relieved."

"Mother, what do you mean by that?"

Nan Shuishui's expression suddenly changed, and the ominous premonition in her heart grew stronger.

“Shui Shui, you should know very well that my continued presence here will do nothing but harm to the Earth Dragon Gate.”

Nancy's voice was hoarse but calm.

"That old fellow Yu Chonglou is incredibly perceptive; he probably already sensed something, didn't he?"

She sighed and continued:
"Although you did a good job, constantly nourishing me with the life force of soul beasts so that I didn't harm the living people of Dragon City, and you also cleaned up those low-level 'corpses' I brought with me when I was resurrected, the Heavenly Dragon Sect has been dealing with us for too long, and their control over Dragon City is far beyond our imagination. The anomalies in the city cannot be hidden from them. Moreover... when I was resurrected, I was not in my right mind and even fought with you, which caused quite a stir..."

Nancy looked at her daughter's face, which had turned deathly pale, and said with a bitter smile:
"Although you covered it up afterward by claiming that the sect's secret experiment went out of control, it will be very difficult to completely deceive that old monster Yu Chonglou, who may have already stepped into the Super Douluo realm. The Heavenly Dragon Sect has not taken any action so far, simply because of the generations-long friendship between the two families and the fact that our Earthly Dragon Sect has always adhered to its bottom line and has never harmed the people of Dragon City. But this tolerance is not unlimited."

"Mother."

Nan Shuishui's voice trembled slightly and carried a hint of sternness.

"Have you been hiding something from me? There have indeed been some mysterious Nirvana Corpses in Dragon City recently, and I've noticed it too, but I never imagined... that it would be related to you."

"I didn't bring them here."

Nancy shook her head, a deep light flashing in her cloudy eyes.

"But this far north is about to undergo a tremendous change. Shui Shui, my instincts and my thirst for life are becoming increasingly difficult to suppress."

“I am like a festering sore that could burst at any moment. If I stay here, I will only drag the entire Earth Dragon Gate into an abyss of no return. Once my existence is exposed, the Earth Dragon Gate will be immediately identified as an evil soul master sect that colludes with evil spirits and feeds the dead. At that time, not to mention Shrek Academy, even the Heavenly Dragon Gate will be the first to turn its sword against us.”

Her tone became resolute:

"So, I should have left long ago, and their recruitment is exactly what I wanted. Perhaps... in another way, I can still protect the Earth Dragon Gate."

(End of this chapter)