Gu You gave the pack of great white sharks a wicked smile.
"Come on in."
As he spoke, a beam of light burst forth from the center of his forehead. The light carried a suction force so strong that even the seawater was drawn into it.
The Demon Soul Great White Sharks struggled violently, but one after another, drained of strength, they were pulled into Gu You's spiritual sea—regardless of cultivation.
"Not bad at all."
With that, Gu You reappeared on deck, stretched lazily, and happily went back to sleep.
Near dawn, while Gu You was in the midst of a sweet dream, a thunderous boom shook the ship violently.
"Ah!"
He tumbled straight out of bed, smacking his head on the floor.
So fast for revenge?
Rubbing his forehead, Gu You steadied himself with soul power.
Boom! Another deafening blast followed, the ship trembling fiercely.
In an instant, Gu You flickered onto the deck.
The once deep-blue sea had somehow turned a dark purple. In the distance, a massive water pillar—dozens of meters wide—erupted from the ocean, slamming against the ship's soul-guide shield, sending ripples and tremors through it.
At that moment, a figure descended from the sky, landing on the balcony—it was Sect Master Muye of the Ontology Sect.
From the two ships, several figures soared into the air, standing suspended above.
Five people in all, each emanating a formidable aura. Among them was Cai Yue'er.
Another figure materialized in front of Muye—Wu Zhangkong.
Muye pointed to his clothes. "Chef."
A cold gleam flashed in Wu Zhangkong's eyes as an icy aura surged toward Muye.
Muye merely smiled faintly, not even releasing his own aura, letting Wu Zhangkong's chill engulf him without the slightest reaction—as if unaffected entirely.
Wu Zhangkong glanced at him, saying nothing. First, the threat at hand had to be resolved.
Out at sea, another enormous water pillar surged toward the ship.
A red-haired elder snorted coldly and flashed forward, meeting it head-on. His right hand struck the void, a blaze of scarlet light bursting forth to collide with the pillar.
The water column shattered, though the red-haired elder also staggered back with a muffled grunt.
At the same time, a terrifying will surged from the ocean depths:
"Humans, you trespass upon our territory and slay my kin. Hand over the culprit, or be buried here with your ships."
It was not a voice, but pure spiritual intent. Yet everyone aboard, even within the protective barrier, heard it with piercing clarity.
Slowly, a colossal figure surfaced. Its silver-white back rose like an island, a shark fin towering like a blade radiating razor-sharp menace. Not far from it, an even larger form emerged—dark purple, stretching several hundred meters long.
As the two appeared, their overwhelming auras spread. In the surrounding sea, more terrifying presences surfaced.
Demon Soul Great White Sharks. Deep Sea Devil Whales. Combined, their numbers easily exceeded a thousand. Their oppressive energy blanketed the ocean.
Cai Yue'er's voice rang cold and steady:
"We are merely passing through. We did not slay your kin. If you refuse to yield, do not blame us for being merciless. Do you really think two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts can block our way? Humans have never lacked those in need of such soul rings."
Her words instantly enraged both the Demon Soul Great White Shark King and the Deep Sea Devil Whale King.
The rift between humans and soul beasts had long since become irreconcilable. Land-based soul beasts teetered on the edge of extinction, and with Spirit Pagoda's artificial spirits maturing, the space for soul beasts to survive shrank further. Few sea beasts dared approach the mainland; only the deep sea remained their last haven.
Though Shrek Academy always upheld coexistence, Cai Yue'er's domineering nature left no room for compromise. Even if someone aboard had slain a sea beast, there was no way she would yield to their threats.
Roar! A low, furious bellow shook the waves. Another massive water pillar blasted forth, this time aimed straight at Cai Yue'er.
She snorted coldly, pointing to the sky.
At once, the heavens dimmed. A silver moon materialized in the void, pouring down silvery light to clash with the onrushing torrent. The boom shook sea and sky as the pillar collapsed, the silver moon remaining suspended.
From Cai Yue'er's body burst a suffocating aura, vast and terrible.
Even the human experts hovering in the air beside her felt their hearts quake.
Super Douluo.
The aura radiating from Cai Yue'er was unmistakably that of a Super Douluo—and this without even summoning her battle armor. No wonder she had spoken with such confidence.
Nine soul rings flared to life around her—three purple, three black, three red.
The once-clear sky darkened, yet the silver moon shone all the brighter. Suspended above the sea, Cai Yue'er seemed the very core of heaven and earth itself.
The Star Luo delegation members, watching, were secretly shaken. Was this the true power of Shrek Academy's strongest? No wonder they were hailed as the gathering place of the continent's mightiest.
The two beast kings hesitated under her might. But then, the purple sea deepened to near-black as countless vortices formed, surging toward the ships.
The sea beasts had chosen battle.
Cai Yue'er's gaze sharpened. She stepped into the void, instantly appearing above the Whale King and Shark King. Under the silver moon's glow, countless silver motes condensed around her body.
The other four human experts, each a Titled Douluo or Three-Word Battle Armor Master, released their own armors and powers.
But Cai Yue'er's transformation outshone them all. Her silver hair turned to glossy black, her once-aged face tightened to youthful beauty. In moments, she became a stunning woman of peerless grace, clad in radiant silver battle armor.
"Last chance. Leave now," she declared, voice echoing with cold majesty.
"She's mine," rumbled the Deep Sea Whale King.
(To be continued)