Just then, a sharp, piercing howl echoed from the depths of the cave:
"Hehehehe, time to hit the quota!"
"What a bunch of favored sons of heaven from Shrek, daring to oppose me, the Death Messenger! You will all die and become my corpse slaves!"
[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network for entertainment, super smooth]
Upon hearing this voice, those bandits were not excited; instead, they rapidly retreated, their faces filled with despair.
"Be careful!" Someone shouted.
In a flash of lightning and flint, the corpses and scattered pieces of flesh, either incomplete or whole, on the ground began to swell at a speed almost too fast to observe, enveloped in a faint red glow.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..."
Violent roars erupted one after another inside the cave, and terrifying explosions scattered flesh and blood everywhere within the cavern.
The first two teams, upon detecting the warning signs, reacted differently based on instinct and subconsciousness.
However, the seven Inner Court disciples, who were in the midst of intense fighting and had killed a large number of enemies, were not so lucky.
The bones, muscles, and blood vessels of the corpses all became weapons after the explosion.
The stronger the deceased's vitality, the greater the power of the resulting explosion.
Especially the three Soul Kings whose bodies were blown into pieces by the bombardment of various long-range Spirit Abilities; when they detonated, it felt like the earth was shaking.
In terms of sheer power, the entire explosion was comparable to a full-strength attack from a Soul Saint!
The explosion gradually subsided after lasting for nearly ten seconds.
The moment the explosion occurred, Xuanzi, who was sitting outside the cave enjoying his Tang Sect craft beer, paused slightly.
Immediately, he turned furious and transformed into a streak of light, drilling into the cave.
"Hehehehe, how do you like my Corpse Burst?"
"No matter how strong you are, you will surely die before my chain Corpse Bursts. If the explosion doesn't kill you, the poison will!"
The entire cave was now permeated with a thick smell of blood, along with a dense dampness; almost everyone was covered in a layer of blood plasma.
The liquids produced by the explosion turned out to be highly corrosive, like strong acid.
From the cave ceiling to the walls, the sound of corrosion, "hiss, hiss," constantly echoed.
As soon as Xuanzi rushed into the cave, an internal organ fragment, blasted from the depths, flew toward him, about to splatter on his face!
He looked at the students wailing everywhere as if unaware, howling in a rage!
"Why! Why is this happening again under my watch!"
His voice was so loud it even drowned out the cries of the many students who were wailing.
With no time to vent further, he first assessed the situation on site.
Yao Haoxuan's body volume was the largest, and he sustained the strongest explosive force.
Where he originally stood, the surroundings were a mixture of liquefied flesh and blood, and only two thick legs remained on the ground amidst numerous cries of pain.
His upper body had clearly vanished.
Although Gongyang Mo was a genius Auxiliary Type Spirit Master, he had little ability to protect himself against a Spirit Ability with such a short pre-activation time.
Moreover, since Dai Huabin's White Tiger Fierce Light Wave had exploded on the corpse fragments beneath his feet, the trauma he suffered was particularly severe!
His limbs were shattered, white bone exposed, and his entire body was twisted on the ground like a broken sack, spurting blood like a column.
It looked like he had more air leaving than entering.
Although Xi Xi's lightning attribute gave her extremely fast reaction speed, she ultimately lacked the near-precognitive danger awareness of Mental Detection.
She had already been blown aside and was screaming continuously under the erosion of the potent poison.
Chen Zifeng's right leg was gone.
There were large, pitted holes in his chest and abdomen, smoke was still rising from his body, and he had fallen unconscious.
Ling Luochen, due to her position farther back and because she was condensing a chilling current before the incident, decisively encased herself in ice when she sensed something was wrong.
She was currently leaning against half a pillar of ice, spitting up large mouthfuls of blood.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng lay on either side, their breaths weak and listless, large patches of purple toxic gas emanating from their bodies, clearly severely injured.
Back in the Star Dou Great Forest,
The scene where Zhang Lexuan and the other Inner Court geniuses were chewed up by the hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, leaving only a pile of mangled limbs and a few survivors, overlapped with the scene before him.
Xuanzi covered his face, preventing tears of grief from falling.
After confirming the situation of the main team, he then looked towards the reserve team.
The seven members of the reserve team were only cleaning up the battlefield, so although there were many surrounding corpses, their cultivation levels before death were generally not high.
Except for Tang Yin, who was stepping on one corpse, the others were not that close to the bodies.
At the time of the incident, the others quickly dove toward areas with fewer corpses and released various defensive Spirit Abilities and triggered Soul Tool shields.
Only Beibei stepped forward, activating all his Spirit Ring Spirit Abilities to shield the team members behind him from part of the shockwave coming from the main team's direction.
Under the impact, blood was already flowing from his seven orifices, and he could barely stand.
Except for Beibei, the others were not significantly affected.
Tang Yin possessed the life-and-death combat experience from ten thousand years ago.
The moment he sensed something was wrong with his Purple Demon Eye, he did not panic; instead, he calmed down.
The Mystic Jade Hand and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, exclusive to the first generation leader of the Tang Sect, flashed into afterimages.
With great skill and boldness, he threw the corpse beneath his feet, which had just begun to swell, away.
Then, relying on the boost from the Eight Spider Lances and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Tracks, he rapidly dove into the level four Soul Tool shield that He Caitou was about to trigger.
Dai Huabin, provoked by Tang Yin and Zhou Yi, had already entered the cave.
Just as he was about to throw himself down, a reddened corpse was thrown onto his head, seemingly by someone.
Damn it!
His White Tiger Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation had not fully activated when the corpse exploded with a bang.
Dai Huabin coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, looked around, trying to see who threw the corpse.
Wang Yan's situation was also not very good. Although he was a veteran Spirit Emperor,
At the moment of the explosion, his position was exactly between the main team and the reserve team.
Although the time was short, it did not affect his decision to do his best to block the shockwave for the reserve team members behind him.
So, his clothes were tattered, his entire body was infected by the corpse poison, and his expression was listless.
Xuanzi stared blankly downwards, trembling as he picked up the Tang Sect craft beer.
Wang Shengjia, outside the cave, had managed to block the residual shockwave for the students from the other spectating teams.
Then he cautiously poked his head out and looked into the cave.
Good heavens, even under the protection of a level ninety-eight Super Douluo, it could still be this tragic?
Recalling Xuanzi's glorious past achievement of escorting Zhang Lexuan and her group when they were hunting Soul Beasts,
And the extremely mysterious High Priest of the Holy Church, who had not shown his face for decades.
Wang Shengjia conceived an incredible thought.
Could it be...
Just then, the remains of Yao Haoxuan, which had been blown down to just two legs and a few larger pieces of flesh, swelled up again.
Wang Shengjia's pupils immediately contracted. With no time to think, he made the decision that would least expose him.
He shouted: "Be careful!"
Xuanzi was startled; the grief in his heart momentarily overwhelmed him, causing him to react half a beat too slow.
However, it was precisely this half-beat, under Wang Shengjia's watch, that the explosive power of Yao Haoxuan's remains swallowed Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng instantly.
Xuanzi reached out and grabbed fiercely; arriving after the fact, a mass of solid white light enveloped each point of explosion, compressing it into a sphere.
With another powerful squeeze, the purplish-red light of the explosion was instantly extinguished.
Now, those two couldn't be saved; they had become two piles of rotten flesh.
"Damn Evil Soul Master, you killed two more!" Xuanzi's eyes split with rage. He reached out again, grabbing fiercely toward the depths of the cave:
"Die for me!"
The figure Xuanzi snatched out of the cave from thin air was a person completely shrouded in a black robe.
This person was very thin, but his face could not be seen.
One could only see the five Spirit Rings on his body—three yellow and two purple—shining brightly.
Xuanzi flicked his finger, and the figure with five shining Spirit Rings was instantly struck as if by a giant hammer.
But a bizarre scene occurred at that moment: the fifth purple Spirit Ring on his body suddenly flashed, and the entire person turned into a wisp of smoke.
He did not run away directly but darted lightning-fast toward Beibei.
At that moment, where Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng had been lying, there were only two piles of rotten flesh that had begun to swell again.
This time, Xuanzi did not wait for Wang Shengjia's reminder.
A sweep of white light stabilized the expanding corpses next to Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng—the corpses of Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng.
Because of this, Xuanzi's attempt to rescue Beibei was slightly delayed.
His palm only managed to grasp the stone slab that had flipped up again.
The Evil Soul Master had already disappeared into the secret passage with Beibei.
Everything happened before the dumbfounded eyes of Wang Shengjia.
Xuanzi's reaction just now confirmed his suspicion once more.
The dignified elder of the Sea God Pavilion needed to be reminded by him, a mere Spirit Emperor, and still required half a beat to react!
Coupled with his previous deliberate delay under the pretext of drinking,
If this wasn't an undercover agent, what was he?
Xuanzi might even be the legendary, mysterious High Priest!
Wang Shengjia swallowed hard.
The High Priest is playing a grand game.
After being undercover in Shrek for many years, his first move managed to cripple the Shrek Seven Devils when they were on the verge of fully maturing.
This time, his move strangled the current generation of Shrek Seven Devils in their infancy.
This efficiency was far superior to the large numbers of Evil Soul Masters who attacked and killed Shrek students and teachers outside?
Truly worthy of the High Priest, a masterstroke!
Although he didn't manage to wipe out the next generation of Shrek as well, it was likely done to avoid exposing himself.
That was understandable.
Wang Shengjia was shocked by Xuanzi's plotting, yet also somewhat curious about what the High Priest's next move would be if he got through this safely.
Would he instigate a beast tide around Shrek City so that the people of our Holy Church could devour the vengeful souls?
Wang Shengjia suppressed his unrealistic fantasies and glanced at the secret passage.
Cousin, you achieved such a record by coordinating with the High Priest, relying on your Soul King strength. Impressive!
Trading your own life for the lives and futures of so many geniuses.
If that Shrek Inner Court student hadn't killed Liang Mao Gong years ago, leading to our family's downfall,
Would you and I have ended up here today?
I wonder if the High Priest will spare you.
Sigh!
For the sake of the High Priest's safety, perhaps it's better if you die.
Wang Shengjia shook his head, and leading the reserve team members and Zhou Yi, he began to treat the injuries of those who were still alive.
Elder Xuan's messy hair had completely turned brownish-yellow.
Two yellow, two purple, four black, one red—nine Spirit Rings instantly rose up, shining with dazzling brilliance.
He suddenly turned his head to look at the remaining bandits.
Instantly, an unparalleled, terrifying aura surged forth like a massive tidal wave, and in a flash, the bandits exploded one after another, just like overinflated balloons.
But this time, it wasn't corpse explosion; it was a real person exploding.
He stomped his right foot fiercely on the ground, and immediately, a giant deep pit suddenly burst open.
His majestic body bent down, and his pair of fan-sized hands began digging with astonishing speed. In just the span of a few breaths, his entire person sank into the ground and disappeared.
The thick, foul stench flooded into Beibei's nose and mouth, compounding his already terrible condition.
The chilling sensation from the corpse poison felt as if countless venomous snakes were drilling into his body, making it difficult for him to mobilize the meager Soul Power remaining within him.
He was unable to mount any resistance.
Beibei chuckled bitterly in his heart.
Xiaoya, am I going to die?
Actually, I noticed some time ago that the way you look at Tang Yin is quite similar to how you look at me.
If I die like this, will you no longer have to struggle with your feelings?
Even if I survive, this kind of injury will probably render me ordinary.
The Tang Sect can flourish under the hands of Tang Yin and you.
Beibei then thought of Mu En, feeling a deep sense of apology.
Ancestor Xuan, Beibei might not be able to fulfill your expectations.
But I have no regrets. If I hadn't gone to block that powerful shockwave, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao behind me definitely wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed.
I just didn't expect that this damned Evil Soul Master could still abduct me even with Elder Xuan already inside the cave.
Beibei also thought of Zhang Lexuan, who had taken care of him as he grew up...
The Death Messenger slapped Beibei, knocking him unconscious, and then sped away through the secret passage while holding him captive.
While rushing madly, his palm continuously struck the walls, detonating the dried corpse bombs he had placed along the tunnel walls.
His ability to lead the Death Hand Bandit Group to roam freely in the Mingdou Mountain Range wasn't just due to his Evil Soul Master skills.
More importantly, he was meticulous in his planning.
However, the opponent he provoked this time indeed possessed strength beyond the ordinary.
"This time, I've run into big trouble. That fellow's aura is definitely that of an expert among the Titled Douluo."
"Wang Shengjia wrote that secret letter with only two characters; what's wrong with writing a bit more?"
"It's a good thing I came prepared."
The front suddenly opened up; the Death Messenger had brought Beibei out of the tunnel.
Right at the exit of this tunnel, twelve figures stood quietly.
Upon seeing the Death Messenger emerge from the tunnel, the twelve people, who seemed not even to be breathing, immediately knelt on one knee, respectfully saluting the Death Messenger.
"Rise, my Corpse Slaves. You will remain here to cover my retreat."
"When that old man emerges, you will explode."
"Each of you was at least a Soul King in life, each possessing a unique skill. Your combined explosion will definitely be comparable to several Soul Saints and Spirit Douluo attacking together."
As the Death Messenger spoke, he took out the Level Five Vengeful Soul New Energy Flying Soul Guidance Device, specially supplied to the Holy Martial Soul Cult, which he had just exchanged for a large amount of contribution points.
After filling it with a large number of vengeful souls, the Death Messenger glanced back at the secret passage, which was constantly rumbling and slightly trembling.
"Looking at that old man behind me acting like a madman, the person in my hand must be quite important?"
"Indeed. A young genius who achieved Spirit Ancestor status before even turning fifteen. I wonder which family's dragon descendant he is."
"This makes things easier."
The Death Messenger didn't slow down in the slightest, directly carrying Beibei into the air and soaring away.
Amidst the tragic howls of the vengeful souls, the initial speed was actually comparable to a Level Seven Flying Soul Guidance Device!
Only a few breaths later.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
Twelve earth-shattering roars sounded around the tunnel exit.
Immediately following, a figure charged out of the massive dust cloud and landed powerfully.
It was Elder Xuan's majestic body. As soon as he landed, he used his powerful perception to locate the direction the Death Messenger had fled.
Not long after Elder Xuan started flying, he noticed a broadcasting Soul Guidance Device on the ground that was continuously looping its message.
He had intended to fly right past it, but he sensed Beibei's aura on this Soul Guidance Device.
What kind of trick is this?
Elder Xuan's expression turned cold, and with one hand, terrifying suction erupted.
He pulled the Soul Guidance Device into his palm, inspected it, and found a trace of bloodstain bearing a faint Light attribute Soul Power on the device.
The broadcasting Soul Guidance Device was still playing:
"Old thing, how about we play a game?"
"Go find it. The next broadcasting Soul Guidance Device will tell you the rules of the game!"
After that, it began looping.
Elder Xuan violently crushed the broadcasting Soul Guidance Device, his eyes bloodshot, panting heavily.
Damn Evil Soul Master, resorting to such insidious tricks!
Why should I follow his rhythm? If I catch him, I can not only rescue the person but also eliminate him.
I don't believe he actually dares to kill Beibei!
As a result, after flying not far, he encountered another broadcasting Soul Guidance Device. Elder Xuan patiently picked it up while flying and listened.
"I have placed dozens of these broadcasting Soul Guidance Devices within a radius of several dozen miles."
"One of them is near the hostage I abducted."
"I will place a timed Level Seven Pre-loaded Martial Soul Cannon Shell next to him, which will explode when the time is up."
"A Level Seven Pre-loaded Martial Soul Cannon Shell exploding on a severely injured Spirit Ancestor."
"Jie jie jie, wouldn't that leave him bruised and battered? Guess what time I set?"
"Hurry up and go find the next broadcasting Soul Guidance Device."
"I left more clues there."
"A reminder: crushing the broadcasting Soul Guidance Device also counts as time passing."
Damn it!
Elder Xuan's expression changed drastically. After struggling briefly, he was forced to follow the Death Messenger's pace.
Although a few breaths wouldn't allow the Death Messenger to fly too far or make too many arrangements.
If the person abducted had been an ordinary student, he might have pretended not to hear and headed straight for the mastermind to grind him to dust.
But Beibei was Mu En, the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion's fourth-generation sole successor, the only heir of the Golden Holy Dragon in this era!
Elder Xuan dared not gamble. Thus, enveloped in intense yellow light, a low muffled sound spread through the air.
As the yellow light spread out in its utmost brilliance, he had transformed into a different appearance.
A monster with a sheep's body, eyes under its armpits, tiger teeth, human claws, and a pair of huge ox horns appeared out of thin air.
Its body length exceeded fifty meters, emitting intense yellow light. The nine Spirit Rings transformed into halos hovering up and down between the pair of giant horns, which extended over five meters apart.
One of the Spirit Rings lit up, and a circle of yellow ripples immediately spread out for several miles centered on the monster.
More than twenty miles away, the Death Messenger removed the Level Five Vengeful Soul New Energy Flying Soul Guidance Device from his back; its core array had already melted.
He glanced at the yellow ripple spreading across the distant horizon.
Feeling the terrifying Soul Power fluctuation within it, and listening to the ineffable roars that echoed across the sky.
"It was fortunate that I didn't follow my temper and kill that genius."
"Instead, I casually tossed him halfway and planted a curse on him. I expect those arrangements will buy me quite a bit of time."
"Otherwise, even if I jumped into the underground dark river, without enough time to follow the tributaries to hide."
"That terrifying old man could probably turn over the shallow dark rivers on the surface."
"This time, I actually managed to kill four of the Shrek Seven Devils right under the nose of such a powerhouse."
"And then I toyed with him until he was dizzy, and finally retreated unscathed."
"Logically, this shouldn't happen; it feels too unreal."
"But—who cares!"
"How satisfying, how satisfying!"
The Death Messenger stripped off all his clothes and put them into his storage ring.
He dove headfirst into the surface lake formed by the outflow of the dark river and swam towards the underground dark river below...
On the other side, the mighty Elder Xuan finally found the dying Beibei in an inconspicuous crevice in the rocks.
But there was neither a broadcasting Soul Guidance Device nor the so-called Level Seven Pre-loaded Martial Soul Cannon Shell beside him.
"Despicable!"
Elder Xuan let out a mournful roar. He had actually been tricked twice by a mere Evil Soul Master at the Soul King level!
His roar in the state of Martial Soul Soul Manifestation pierced the sky, causing the ground to shake for dozens of miles around.
The Death Messenger, who had already entered the main current of the dark river and was swimming upstream, thought to himself: If I really had a Level Seven Pre-loaded Martial Soul Cannon Shell, I would have annihilated the Shrek Seven Devils in the cave long ago, you old fool.
The next day, Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.
Lying semi-reclined on the lounge chair were the four deans of the Spirit Master Department and the Soul Guidance Department on either side of Mu En.
Lin Lao, Elder Zhuang, and Xuanzi sat on opposite sides of the long table.
Mu En's voice, devoid of discernible emotion, rang out:
"Tell me, besides the sacrifices of Chen Zifeng, Xi Xi, Yao Haoxuan, and Gongyang Mo, what is the injury status of the other students?"
Yan Shaozhe respectfully reported:
"Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen of the main team all suffered severe internal injuries and are afflicted by corpse poison."
"In the reserve team, everyone except Beibei is fine, with no major issues."
"How is your disciple, Tang Yin?" Mu En asked first.
"At the moment of the explosion, Tang Yin drilled into He Caitou's Soul Guidance Device shield and emerged unscathed."
Mu En nodded, offering no further comment.
"What about the spectator team?"
"The members of the spectator team, except for Dai Huabin who recklessly charged forward and sustained serious injuries, are safe and sound under the care of the accompanying teacher, Wang Shengjia."
"What about Beibei?"
Mu En's light tone made it impossible to discern his attitude.
But who present didn't know that Beibei was his direct descendant four generations removed?
Asking about Beibei last was precisely Mu En's greatest concern.
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and said:
"At the moment of the explosion, Beibei exhausted his strength after blocking the main shockwave for the lower-grade disciples behind him."
Hearing the first part, a faint smile appeared on Mu En's face.
Good boy, he didn't disgrace the Dragon God Douluo.
He showed some of the traits of a Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Soul holder.
Yan Shaozhe continued:
"After Beibei was abducted by the Death Messenger, the evil poison entered his body, causing severe internal injuries. He has now been sent to Star Luo City."
"We have already sent a letter requesting the Medical Immortal Douluo to intervene, both to treat him and to check on the other team members."
"But the Star Luo royal family claims the Medical Immortal Douluo has gone traveling the world and cannot be contacted."
"Why don't we invite Elder Zhuang to go? With Elder Zhuang's intervention, I believe they can recover quickly, which won't significantly affect this year's competition."
Elder Zhuang, a Level 93 Healing-type Titled Douluo.
He was the strongest healing expert among the Shrek Academy higher-ups.
Elder Zhuang frowned: "This happened suddenly, and Elder Mu's current recuperation phase this year is at its most critical stage..."
Yan Shaozhe suddenly clapped his hands in realization:
"I heard that Beibei and the current Tang Sect Master, Tang Ya, have a good relationship."
"If we could find the legendary Love-sick Heartbroken Red, wouldn't that be...?"
"I have my own arrangements," Mu En waved his hand, signaling to skip that topic.
Seeing this, Xuanzi stood up and said in a deep voice: "As the leader of the team, I am fully responsible."
"Therefore, I have decided to resign from the position of Vice Commander of the Shrek Supervisory Group and withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion, remaining only as a mere elder in the Academy."
This announcement shocked everyone present.
Yan Shaozhe quickly tried to persuade him:
"Elder Xuan, mistakes can happen in matters like this. You are one of the pillars of the Academy; the Academy cannot be without you!"
Xuanzi sighed: "Shao Zhe, don't say any more."
"After the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast incident, I had already planned to resign. It was only because that girl Lexuan knelt and refused to rise that I couldn't bear to hurt that child's heart further, so I stayed."
Mu En slowly closed his eyes. The scene Xuanzi described had happened right before his eyes.
Although Zhang Lexuan was young at the time, how could she still hold any affection for Xuanzi, who had placed them all in mortal danger after a life-or-death trial?
Mu En understood her thoughts very well.
She was afraid that he, Beibei, and the remaining three companions would be marginalized in the future, forcing her to navigate worldly affairs.
After all, Zhang Lexuan truly had no background, only the status of Beibei's child bride.
This status, which was once a joke, could be taken away at any time by that little girl from the Tang Sect.
Mu En, being old, couldn't protect her and Beibei for much longer.
It would take at least several decades for her and Beibei to grow up; during this time, wouldn't Xuanzi have the final say?
Whether it was the rampant Evil Soul Masters now, the derelict Xuanzi, or Zhang Lexuan's compromise earlier.
The root cause pointed back to Mu En:
His lifespan was running out.
If his lifespan were long enough, he could slowly deal with the old matters of the Evil Soul Masters.
Why would Zhang Lexuan need to compromise like this, letting the sudden disaster pass quietly?
Xuanzi abused his Martial Soul's characteristics to neglect his duties and then threatened to withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion?
See if the Dragon God Douluo would just drag Xuanzi out and whip him.
Just as everyone's gaze focused on Mu En, waiting for him to pronounce judgment on Xuanzi's proposed resignation...
Mu En suddenly smiled:
"It seems I can't die yet. If I die, who knows what this Shrek will become."
"Xuanzi, you are not allowed to leave the Sea God Pavilion!"
Xuanzi's body trembled as he sat back down. Although he was already a Level 98 Super Douluo, just a hair's breadth away from the Limit Douluo realm,
He amounted to nothing before his junior martial uncle, Mu En.
Mu En pondered for a moment:
"Self-blame is less effective than cultivating more and better supervisors. Lin'er."
"Here!" Xian Lin'er quickly stood up and responded respectfully.
Mu En said in a deep voice: "Today, I make the final decision. After the Sea God Pavilion meeting concludes, all Inner Court disciples must go to you to have Soul Guidance Devices custom-made."
His voice paused, and he added:
"Even for the team currently in Star Luo City, any member capable of using the Invincible Barrier must be equipped with at least one."
"Those whose cultivation is insufficient to use it must at least be equipped with three same-level trigger-type Soul Guidance Device shields at all times."
"Anyone who objects again will leave the Academy."
"Yes." A hint of joy immediately appeared on Xian Lin'er's face.
Yan Shaozhe looked at Mu En's imposing expression and dared not say anything more about this decree. But he still had one matter to request:
"What about the participating team for this competition?"
Mu En made another decisive ruling:
"As for this competition's participating team, the main team is short four people, right? Then let Beibei, Xu Sanshi, He Caitou, and Jiang Nannan take their places in order."
"Furthermore, select Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng from the spectator team into the reserve team."
"The rest are left to their own devices."
"Ah?" The elders were all startled. Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but say: "Teacher, this concerns the Academy's honor..."
Mu En overruled the objections and made the decision not to provide support for extra students.
Soon after, the elders and deans all left the Sea God Pavilion.
...
Outer Court, a certain female dormitory.
Tang Ya sat in the dormitory, staring blankly out the window, her face slightly pale.
"I wonder how Tang Yin and the others are doing."
"Sister Lexuan said that the Inner Court disciples suffered heavy losses on this mission: four died in battle, and the other three were all injured."
"No, Tang Yin is their only hope for rising up. I must go and confirm his condition personally!"
After convincing herself, Tang Ya immediately began preparing to depart.
Outside the Golden Tree, Zhang Lexuan waited anxiously.
"Lexuan, why are you still waiting here?"
A kind, aged voice came from behind her. Zhang Lexuan turned around and saw Mu En!
"Elder Mu, how is Beibei?"
"Let's take a walk around this Golden Tree," Mu En said, leaning on his cane and gesturing for Zhang Lexuan to follow.
Seeing Zhang Lexuan quickly conceal her nervous and worried expression and come to support him,
Mu En did not refuse, nor did he answer. Instead, he spoke to himself:
"Lexuan, do you know why I didn't stop Shao Zhe from accepting Tang Yin as a disciple?"
Zhang Lexuan replied:
"I saw that Tang Yin's External Soul Bone was incomparably strange, possessing the ability to devour life force and Soul Power to nourish itself."
"I suspect it's not the legendary Eight Spider Lances of Ancestor Tang San, but rather an Evil Soul..."
Mu En said calmly: "Ancestor Tang San's Eight Spider Lances only differ from it in strength."
Seeing Zhang Lexuan choked into silence, Mu En sighed:
"Xuanzi is short-sighted and lazy; Shao Zhe has a narrow mind. Neither has the potential to reach the pinnacle of Spirit Masters."
"Originally, I intended to protect you and Beibei as you grew while my life naturally reached its end."
"But the appearance of Tang Yin made me feel... it was too coincidental."
Mu En shook his head and repeatedly sighed: "Too coincidental, a coincidence that cannot be explained."
Zhang Lexuan felt she completely failed to understand what Mu En was saying.
But Mu En had no intention of explaining clearly at that moment, only saying:
"Lexuan, don't worry about Beibei's situation. His injuries are indeed not light."
"But I have used divination to calculate the whereabouts of the Medical Immortal Douluo and have already sent someone to invite her."
"With the contemporary number one healing-type Spirit Master intervening, Beibei's injuries will heal quickly."
"She will also treat the other few students then. As for the so-called Ten Thousand Year Glory, that depends on them now."
"Ah?" Zhang Lexuan's eyes reddened, looking as if she was about to cry:
"Elder Mu, the more you use your divination to target specific people, events, or high-level cultivators, the more it depletes your lifespan."
Mu En smiled faintly: "If I didn't adhere to the old ways, I wouldn't die so easily."
"Lexuan, why don't you go to Star Luo City to check on Beibei?"
Zhang Lexuan replied: "I heard Tang Ya is already preparing to leave."
Having figured out many things, Mu En decided to personally resolve the misunderstanding caused by a careless remark long ago.
He shook his head and smiled:
"Foolish child, the child bride title was just a joke. Beibei has always seen you as an older sister. Let it go."
"Since you are his sister, what's wrong with a sister looking out for her brother?
Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Today, the faculty cafeteria was booked by Jing Hongchen to host a send-off banquet for this year's academy representative team.
The hall was illuminated by light blue Soul Guidance Device lamps, and long tables were covered with silver-patterned beast hide.
Platters held sashimi of deep-sea Soul Beasts and brewed pulp of thousand-year spirit fruits, filling the long tables.
Ice sculptures of Soul Beasts shone with a cold luster, interspersed with gold and silver tableware; every delicacy was rare outside the Empire.
The main team and reserve members, who were conducting their final pre-competition drills, converged here after tidying up in their dormitories.
They arrived one after another.
In addition, there were also some invited students and teachers from the academy gathered in small circles; every one of these individuals possessed outstanding talent and deep backgrounds.
Huo Yuhao looked around curiously, watching the representative team seniors who had arrived before him after changing out of their school uniforms.
He noticed that they looked somewhat unfamiliar.
Lin Xi wore a simple yet elegant white shirt paired with dark trousers; his cleanly cut short hair framed a handsome and gentle face, while an expensive Soul Guidance Device bracelet on his left wrist highlighted his noble bearing.
Ma Rulong, who was originally muscular like a coiled dragon, was dressed in a sharp black formal suit, his short hair neatly combed.
Xiao Hongchen's attire was even more flamboyant, wearing a long white tailcoat that made his figure stand tall like a pine tree.
He wore a blue crystal brooch on his lapel, exuding a hint of unrestrained arrogance as he held a cup of wine and conversed cheerfully with Lin Xi and Ma Rulong.
Did it need to be this formal? It wasn't a victory celebration.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, then looked down at himself:
Washed-out eight-tenths length trousers, with the school uniform undershirt on top.
He was less presentable than the waiters nearby.
Damn it, they're all ganging up on me! Not a single person reminded me!
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to walk towards the three of them speechlessly, a group of enthusiastic and bold senior female students blocked his path.
"Wow! You look way more handsome than your official portrait for the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament in 'soul tool master genius'!"
"Little Yuhao, that hateful Disciplinary Inspection Team guarded your dorm for over a month! Do you know how I spent that month?"
"Yuhao, my family has assets worth hundreds of millions; if you marry into my family, it will all be yours!"
"Consider marrying into my Tulip Earl's Mansion? My dad only has me, a daughter. When he dies, he can pass the title to you!"
"My dad is a Duke! Get in line, get in line!"
"You all step aside! If Yuhao agrees, my dad says he can die tomorrow!"
The people conversing around them all looked over with smiles on their faces.
Logically speaking, these noble young ladies with extraordinary status and talent had at least seen, if not dined with, such delicacies.
Ordinary pretty boys truly couldn't capture their attention, so why were they receiving such fervent adoration?
But Huo Yuhao was different.
Ever since he broke the record on the Second-rank list last semester, he had begun to stand out in the academy.
Later, with the promotion from 'soul tool master genius,' his fame soared.
Even later, he, a second-year student, was going to compete in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament!
It was worth noting that although the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy was consistently second in the tournament rankings, that was only because they lacked as many top-tier experts among the students.
The academy had plenty of age-appropriate Fourth-Rank Soul Engineers!
Yet, despite this, the reserve team still chose him, a Second-rank Soul Tool Master.
The Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy was a subordinate academy of Mingde Hall, giving it an even higher status than the Royal Academies of other Empires.
This situation had attracted the attention of countless people both inside and outside the academy.
Once Huo Yuhao entered the reserve team, it meant he was destined to enter the vision of the Empire's high-ranking officials.
The specific combat methods and tactics within the team might be concealable, but the key strategic elements were hard to hide completely.
The outrageous strategic status vaguely rumored about Huo Yuhao further corroborated his talent and potential.
Therefore, even if some people guessed he was already favored by some academy higher-up, they still wanted to test the sharpness of their own hoes!
So, these senior girls' offers of marriage and title transfer were not idle talk.
If he dared to agree, certain great dukes, lacking heirs, would genuinely dare to announce their deaths tomorrow!
Huo Yuhao was still retreating under the aggressive, passionate offensive of the senior girls when he suddenly felt the surroundings quiet down, causing even the senior girls' actions to pause.
Huo Yuhao followed the gazes of the surrounding people toward the main entrance.
He saw Meng Hongchen walking toward him, holding a moon-white, gold-inlaid long dress. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, her skin like snow, and her features exquisitely beautiful.
Every smile and frown from her was captivating, like an exiled immortal under the moon or a luminous pearl in the mortal world.
The moment she appeared, the heavily made-up senior girls surrounding Huo Yuhao acted as if she didn't exist, scattering unconsciously out of self-consciousness.
Meng Hongchen walked in front of Huo Yuhao, her red lips slightly upturned, and she extended her hand:
"Junior Brother, come with me!"
"Huh? Oh!" Huo Yuhao hesitated for a moment before extending his hand.
Meng Hongchen's voice was not quiet, and since there were no ordinary people present, everyone heard her clearly.
Precisely because they heard clearly, everyone present was deeply shaken internally.
Junior Brother?!
Meng Hongchen and Huo Yuhao were from the same sect?
It was confirmed that a Hall Master had intervened!
Some people sighed, some felt it was expected, while others felt regret and jealousy.
Especially the group of girls who had been crowding Huo Yuhao earlier; watching Meng Hongchen lead their target away, they all pounded their chests and stamped their feet.
But none of this affected Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen as they left the venue.
"Senior Sister, what is it? You're dressed so formally; aren't you here for the send-off banquet?"
"The send-off banquet? Its greater purpose is actually a mingling party for the single members of the representative team," Meng Hongchen asked, confused.
"If I were attending that darn send-off banquet, why would I waste time dressing up?"
"Yuhao, you don't know that today is your thirteenth birthday?"
Thirteenth birthday!
Huo Yuhao startled, took a deep breath, and his eyes turned slightly red.
After his mother passed away, he hadn't celebrated a single birthday.
From the day he stepped out of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he had poured all his effort into improving his strength and avenging his mother.
Entering the Star Dou Great Forest alone and directly, attempting to register at Shrek Academy without a recommendation letter, integrating the Ice Empress in the far north...
He hadn't truly relaxed for a single day in his heart, so naturally, he hadn't thought about things like birthdays.
Through several months of getting along, Meng Hongchen had also learned about Huo Yuhao's background from Jing Hongchen.
She held Huo Yuhao's hand and said softly:
"We'll be here for you from now on; you are not alone."
As she spoke, the two arrived in front of a private room. Xiao Hongchen and Feng Tingting, who had arrived earlier, opened the doors on the left and right sides.
Inside the room stood Jing Hongchen, Feng Yu, and Feng Bujue, all looking at him with smiles.
"Teacher, you're here too?" Huo Yuhao was surprised. "Didn't the project have quite a big problem a couple of days ago?"
Jing Hongchen smiled. "No matter how busy I am, I still have time to come out for a meal."
"Your birthday was calculated based on the bone age data from your physique test, with extremely minimal error."
"I attend Little Meng and Xiao Xiao's birthdays every year; you are no exception."
Huo Yuhao was deeply moved.
Jing Hongchen said Huo Yuhao was putting too much pressure on himself, but the one putting the most pressure on himself was Jing Hongchen.
When this man got into research, he often went several days without sleep.
Huo Yuhao clearly knew how much Jing Hongchen valued the giant humanoid Soul Guidance Device project.
During previous breakthroughs, he often went days or even weeks without closing his eyes, refusing to rest until the critical hurdle was overcome.
He didn't have time to handle academy affairs, let alone eat.
Jing Hongchen joked, "If I don't show my face and state my position, I don't know how those guys outside will try to poach you."
"You will always be my teacher!" Huo Yuhao replied solemnly, then looked at Feng Bujue:
"Brother Bujue, not hiding from me this time?"
Feng Bujue chuckled. "Wasn't I afraid of disturbing you?"
"Good kid, when I brought you into the academy, I never expected you to mix into this year's reserve team in just a few months."
"I thought it would take until the next cycle."
Huo Yuhao asked, "Is that Barrier-Breaking Pill still exerting its effect after you advanced to Soul King?"
"That's a pill meant for others to break through to Spirit Douluo and make their final sprint!" Feng Bujue gave a thumbs-up.
"I'm already level fifty-three now; I expect it can support me in making a run for level seventy."
In the Sea of Consciousness, the Ice Empress watched all this with envy:
"Although the lifespan of humans is short, their emotions are much richer."
"I cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years in the far north, but in terms of friends and emotional bonds, I'm not even as good as this thirteen-year-old boy, Yuhao."
The Skydream Iceworm chuckled:
"Bingbing, short-lived species are like that. Like candlelight—they burn out and are gone, not as good as radiating light."
"If you feel emotionally barren, don't you still have me?"
"I can fill your emotional void!"
"Scram!" The Ice Empress sneered. "Based on you?"
The leader of this time's Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy delegation was Elder Ma and another Rank 8 Soul Engineer.
Feng Yu participated in this expedition as a logistics teacher.
The group traveled across half the Sun-Moon Empire using an Eighth Rank flying Soul Guidance Device. After arriving at the border and submitting their documents, they were led eastward by a border official who had been waiting for a long time.
Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City.
Star Luo City was undoubtedly the largest city in the Empire, as well as the political, cultural, and economic center of the Star Luo Empire. It held the title of the Undying Imperial Capital.
The city walls were a hundred meters high and a hundred meters thick, completely constructed of hard rock.
The city covered an area of over one thousand square kilometers, extending for more than a hundred li both vertically and horizontally.
Looking down from high above, it resembled three 'mouth' characters nested within each other, from the outside in: the Outer City, the Inner City, and the Imperial City.
The main venue for this competition was the Star Luo Plaza, located in front of the Imperial City.
The border official led the group to land in the Inner City and head toward the Star Emperor Grand Hotel on the east side next to the Star Luo Plaza.
As they passed Star Luo Plaza, Huo Yuhao finally grasped how massive the plaza was, capable of accommodating three to forty thousand spectators.
It took ten minutes to walk from west to east!
Xiao Hongchen quietly asked Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, have you never been here before?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. How could his mother have brought him to a place like this when they lived a hard life in the servant quarters of the Dukes Mansion?
As soon as the group arrived at the Star Emperor Grand Hotel, they saw a slightly overweight man wearing silver-rimmed glasses rushing over with an old woman.
One of the leaders, an Rank 8 Soul Engineer, was an elderly man with a straight nose, square mouth, dignified features, and a face the color of ripe dates.
His broad shoulders gave a feeling of immense solidity. He said in a deep voice:
"The foremost healing-type Spirit Master of the current era, Vice Hall Master of the Star Luo Worship Hall, Medical Immortal Douluo Wang Xian'er?"
The foremost healing-type Spirit Master? At least a Titled Douluo level expert, right? Huo Yuhao looked over, only to find that the two had already walked into the Star Emperor Grand Hotel and gone upstairs.
He asked doubtfully, "Doesn't this hotel only host the participating teams for this competition?"
"Could someone on a participating team be injured? And who could invite such an expert?"
Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen exchanged a look and said, "After we finish registering, we'll go gather some intelligence!"
The group quickly finished registering and found the luxurious Prime Minister Suite on the top floor, with single rooms for everyone.
Since there was nothing scheduled for the registration day, the leader told everyone to adjust their condition on their own.
Meng Hongchen, who had been paying close attention to Huo Yuhao, followed him as soon as she saw him come downstairs.
"Senior Sister Meng, you..." Huo Yuhao hesitated.
"I'll accompany you!"
Meng Hongchen was a girl after all, and was more sentimental and sensitive about certain matters.
She knew that Huo Yuhao had been raised arduously by his mother since childhood, and she roughly understood the cause of his mother's death.
Therefore, as soon as registration was complete, while Xiao Hongchen and the others went out to gather intelligence, she chose to stay by Huo Yuhao's side.
Because she guessed what Huo Yuhao's first action in Star Luo City would be:
To pay respects to his deceased mother.
Looking at Meng Hongchen's serious expression, Huo Yuhao found himself unable to refuse.
...
Around the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, there was a burial ground used by the servants.
Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen stopped before a grave that didn't even have a tombstone.
He reached out to stroke the grave, which was only piled up with small stones. These stone slabs were ones he had cried while moving over by himself when he was little.
He shook his head, first lit three sticks of incense, carefully arranged the offerings he had bought along the way, and then kowtowed three times.
"Mother, your little Yuhao has returned to see you."
Huo Yuhao's eyes held reminiscence mixed with a certain warmth:
"Your little Yuhao has been doing very well since you left."
"First, I had a fortuitous encounter in the Star Dou Great Forest, and then I traveled all the way to Shrek City."
"Although I didn't join Shrek Academy as you wished, I don't regret it."
"Because if I had joined Shrek Academy, I wouldn't have met the people and experienced the things that followed."
"In Shrek City, I gained the appreciation of a kind big brother, thus stepping into the world of Soul Engineers..."
Huo Yuhao leaned against the grave, speaking intermittently with a smile.
Meng Hongchen looked at him with gentle eyes, feeling as if she were getting to know him anew.
Suddenly, the smile on Huo Yuhao's face vanished instantly, and his gaze turned sharp.
This change startled Meng Hongchen, and she quickly asked, "Yuhao, what's wrong?"
Huo Yuhao realized she was still beside him, rubbed his brow, and said:
"Senior Sister Meng, I discovered something strange. I'll tell you after I figure it out."
In his Sea of Consciousness, Huo Yuhao's spiritual body looked tensely at Electrolux and asked:
"Elder Yi, what did you just say?"
Electrolux's aged voice sounded: "The remnant soul in your mother's grave is being stripped from this world by a power of an extremely high level, through the manipulation of fate."
Huo Yuhao was greatly alarmed: "How high is the level specifically?"
Electrolux said calmly: "I'm afraid it touches upon the level of a God."
"What does manipulating fate mean?"
"It means the person who acted has likely locked onto your destiny and is targeting your deceased relative."
"So, the person acting behind the scenes is the same one who caused my chance encounter with Wang Dong before?"
"Precisely so."
"Elder Yi, is there any way to interrupt this process?"
"This is precisely what I am good at."
Huo Yuhao's tense mood eased slightly, and he said sincerely:
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Elder Yi."
Electrolux looked towards the Skydream Iceworm: "Big Worm, my Mental Power isn't enough. Open your Mental Power seal a bit and lend me some power."
The Skydream Iceworm nodded solemnly.
From Meng Hongchen's perspective, Huo Yuhao's expression shifted constantly before finally slowly stabilizing. Then he closed his eyes.
It must be something very important, right? Meng Hongchen waited quietly.
Within the range of the simulation's cover.
Huo Yuhao pinched his brow. Suddenly, his pupils turned gray—a gray devoid of any color.
It was a gray filled with the aura of death!
"Huo Yuhao" extended his right hand, and a massive amount of gray Mental Power frantically condensed into several complex and profound runes.
The runes merged into the grave, and a moment later, they brought out a faint phantom.
The phantom vaguely resembled a human figure with closed eyes—it was the remnant soul of Huo Yun'er!
The runes, serving as the foundation, gently guided the remnant soul into Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Huo Yuhao, the Skydream Iceworm, and the Ice Empress surrounded Electrolux, whose divine sense had faded considerably.
Electrolux explained:
"Yuhao, in my current state, borrowing Big Worm's power, I can only do this much."
"The state of your mother's remnant soul now is extremely fragile; it will gradually decline over a span of about three to five years."
"Without extremely rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures or power at the level of a deity, its dissipation will likely be inevitable."
"But if such things exist, perhaps your mother still has a slim chance of revival."
A chance for revival?
Huo Yuhao's heart trembled. He took a deep breath, firmly engraving every word Electrolux spoke into his mind.
Then he looked at Electrolux's transparent divine sense and asked: "Elder Yi, your condition doesn't seem good either?"
Electrolux said nonchalantly: "In your Sea of Consciousness, I have benefited greatly."
"My previous help wasn't as much as Big Worm and Little Scorpion, so consider this effort paying the rent."
Huo Yuhao said awkwardly: "Elder Yi, how could I possibly charge you any rent? Also, is there anything I can do for you?"
Electrolux replied: "Just keep an eye out for heavenly materials and earthly treasures beneficial to the soul. If you truly encounter any, I will remind you."