"Senior Brother! Xu Sanshi! Jiang Nannan!" Huo Yuhao, resigned to risking everything and letting the Ice Emperor take over—even if it damaged his body—suddenly sensed familiar auras and looked up, joy lighting his eyes.
Wang Dong, finally relaxing, dropped from the sky with Huo Yuhao, both exhausted.
Xu Sanshi reacted fast, summoning the Black Tortoise Shield—its ancient glow and phantom turtle and snake heads spitting black light to envelop the pair, teleporting them safely beside him.
"You two okay? What happened?" Xu Sanshi shielded them, eyeing Black Fourteen and White Thirteen warily.
"We don't know. We'd just left the city when Yuhao sensed an ambush—the target was clearly us," Wang Dong said, frustrated.
Huo Yuhao's eyes darkened with hatred. He knew he had no enemies outside the Academy, but inside, Dai Huabin and Wu Feng disliked him. Wu Feng, however, was restrained by Ning Tian, who wouldn't allow such an act.
That left Dai Huabin, who had the resources to hire two Soul Emperors and four Soul Kings to kill him.
He could sense that all six assassins' killing intent was locked on him, not Wang Dong.
"How dare you attack Shrek Academy disciples outside the city!" Bei Bei's aura surged—two yellow, two purple soul rings flashing, blue lightning crackling around him.
"The Academy's experts will arrive soon—you won't escape!" Jiang Nannan warned, her clear voice both a threat and a hint: leave now, or it'll be too late.
"Kill him before we go!" White Thirteen wiped blood from her mouth, her sixth soul ring blazing.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Mist Realm—River of the Yellow Springs!"
A thick fog erupted from her, blanketing the area for hundreds of meters.
Within the mist, Jiang Nannan and the others' senses dulled, vision blurred, hearing muffled. The fog became countless invisible blades slashing from all sides.
Jiang Nannan and Bei Bei were forced onto the defensive—against a Soul Emperor's sixth skill, even elite Soul Ancestors like them struggled under the pressure.
"Black Tortoise's Power!" Xu Sanshi shielded Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, summoning a water vortex to draw in the mist and expose their enemies.
"Die!" At that moment, Black Fourteen emerged from Wang Dong's shadow, eight black spider legs sprouting from his back, his fifth soul ring glowing. His Spider Blade extended to three meters, radiating lethal sharpness.
His martial soul was the Devouring Shadow Demon Spider; his first soul skill, Shadow Stealth, let him traverse shadows freely; his fifth, Spider Berserk, boosted all attributes and empowered the blades.
He and White Thirteen had acted in perfect sync—he now struck at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao's backs.
The blade's chill paralyzed Wang Dong.
At that instant, blue-gold light flashed in Wang Dong's eyes, as if some sleeping power would awaken.
"Wang Dong!" Sensing danger, Huo Yuhao acted on instinct, pushing Wang Dong aside and trying to dodge.
But Black Fourteen's strike was too fast, slicing through the air and passing Wang Dong by.
"Ahhhh!" A scream of agony pierced the night, drawing everyone's gaze.
"Yuhao!" Wang Dong shouted in horror, looking at the fallen Huo Yuhao.
As the mist cleared in the moonlight, everyone saw Huo Yuhao's lower body drenched in blood, pooling on the ground.
Black Fourteen stared at his blood-stained blade, surprised—he'd meant to wound Wang Dong, who'd been pushed aside, but Huo Yuhao's unexpected move had put his own body in the path.
For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence, only Huo Yuhao's anguished screams echoing in the night.
"Yuhao—you bastards!" Bei Bei snapped from his shock, rage erupting like a volcano.
Golden light blazed, his blue lightning turning gold—a sacred, awe-inspiring dragon roar as a golden lightning dragon charged at Black Fourteen.
Black Fourteen sneered—these Shrek disciples never played by the rules. A mere Soul Ancestor could unleash such power?
But he wasn't weak—his spider blades crossed, slashing at the dragon.
A black cross-shaped blade ripped through the air, colliding with the golden dragon.
Boom—a thunderous explosion, golden lightning erupting, tearing the ground with force.
PS: What the-! Yuhao become Eunuch?
P2: Read atleast 65 advanced chapters at p@treon .com/AbsoluteCode