The Blood Slaughter Evil Souls fighting in the forest were actually made from ordinary humans and beasts, or soul masters and soul beasts with weaker strength.
Not a single one had the soul level of a Soul King!
With just a certain infusion of blood fiend energy, they could possess strong enough combat abilities and could be mass-produced.
This greatly enhanced the power of the Blood Slaughter Bead.
Moreover, if a Blood Slaughter Evil Soul was killed, its soul essence would return to the Blood Slaughter Bead, nourishing and improving its quality.
As long as a Blood Slaughter Evil Soul army could be cultivated, Grand Eunuch Gao's strength could steadily rise.
If the entire army was destroyed, Grand Eunuch Gao could grow even stronger.
As for Zhou Yi, after gaining Huo Yuhao's approval, she was turned into the strongest Blood Slaughter Evil Soul that Grand Eunuch Gao had ever crafted—also the only one made using a Soul Emperor's soul.
Grand Eunuch Gao: "Zhou Yi's soul carries Hao-ge's aura. Need I say more about its composition? Since Hao-ge is using it, it must be the best!"
Huo Yuhao: "Don't ask. If you must know—it's a fire-attribute cultivation accelerator."
Originally, Huo Yuhao hadn't sent Zhou Yi's soul into the Ghost Banner Martial Soul to convert her into a ghost. Instead, he let her remain dormant in soul form.
After being handed to Grand Eunuch Gao for nurturing, Zhou Yi was quickly elevated to Title Douluo-level combat strength, and miraculously, she retained her sanity and memory.
However, due to the influence of blood fiend energy, her personality had twisted. Her love and preferences changed.
Of course, ordinary Blood Slaughter Evil Souls could be mass-produced, but one like Zhou Yi—a Title-level Blood Slaughter Evil Soul—couldn't be replicated anytime soon.
At this moment, Grand Eunuch Gao handed a soul to Huo Yuhao—it was precisely Fan Yu's soul.
Fan Yu's soul was in a deep sleep, and judging by his expression, he clearly wasn't having sweet dreams.
Huo Yuhao didn't intend to wake Fan Yu and instead directly sent him into the Hao Emperor Banner's first layer, reuniting him with He Caitou and his disciples.
Fan Yu's talent wasn't bad. He simply had little hope of becoming a Level 9 Soul Engineer, but he certainly had the potential to become a Title Douluo. In fact, if he hadn't spent time studying soul tools, he might have reached that level sooner.
And after Zhou Yi's death—no longer burdened by love—his cultivation speed increased.
With some nurturing, even Fan Yu's soul could become a Title Douluo-level soul.
Then, Huo Yuhao pulled out the letters exchanged between Zhou Yi and Fan Yu during their relationship, found in Zhou Yi's soul tool storage.
Sighing, he allowed the letters to burn and scatter to ashes in the wind.
"Another popular love story from the Douluo Continent. An imperfect tale fading away in the wind is somehow even more poignant."
"Hehehe~"
Huo Yuhao laughed gleefully.
Zhou Yi also laughed happily.
The forest was ablaze with Zhou Yi's crimson flames. She fought furiously with Xian Liner, reckless of death or injury. Surprisingly, she even suppressed Xian Liner for a time.
Seeing someone she had long hated—once a high and mighty figure of Shrek Academy—being forced back by her, how could Zhou Yi not feel delighted?
Unlike the Hao Emperor Banner, the Blood Slaughter Evil Souls created by the Blood Slaughter Bead didn't retain Martial Soul powers.
To allow Zhou Yi to retain her Martial Soul, Grand Eunuch Gao had put in a great deal of effort and used many methods.
The result was impressive.
Fueled by blood fiend energy, Zhou Yi's Red Dragon Martial Soul evolved into a Blood Slaughter Red Dragon. Its flame transformed into a Blood Fiend Flame, becoming her life-bound Dragon Flame, greatly enhanced in both destructiveness and blood energy effects.
This gave Zhou Yi immensely improved combat power.
Within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's team, Wu Feng kept glancing at Zhou Yi, drawing the attention of Ning Tian and Nanmen Yuner.
"What is it, Feng?" Ning Tian asked, puzzled.
"Young Master, I feel that Zhou Yi's Martial Soul is somewhat similar to mine. It seems to have the same origin, but it evolved in a different direction," Wu Feng explained honestly.
It was this resonance between Martial Souls that made Wu Feng pay attention to Zhou Yi.
"I remember Zhou Yi's Martial Soul was also a Red Dragon," Nanmen Yuner added while fighting.
Indeed, both Wu Feng and Zhou Yi possessed Red Dragon Martial Souls.
But when it came to cultivation talent, they weren't comparable. Before dying, Zhou Yi had only reached the sixties, while Wu Feng already had the potential to become a Title Douluo.
Same Red Dragon Martial Soul—one evolved into a Red Dragon King, the other mutated into a Blood Slaughter Red Dragon. Like ultimate evolution versus a failed mutation.
"Anyway, forget all that. Let's just get out of here first," Ning Tian decided.
As for Shrek Academy's problems—they could deal with them. The priority was escaping.
The other factions felt the same.
Looking down from above, it was clear: everyone else was distancing themselves from Shrek Academy's team, trying to break out in different directions.
In the sky, Zhou Yi had already flown up and was battling Xian Liner.
Due to Zhou Yi's fearless, reckless fighting style, Xian Liner became cautious—but she wasn't one to take it lying down.
The title of "Martial God Douluo" wasn't earned easily!
"Out of pity, I held back. But since you're so unrepentant, don't blame me now."
"Eighth Soul Skill—Azure Flame Pierces the Heavens!"
With a Dragon Spear in hand, Xian Liner's entire figure transformed into a fire dragon wrapped in azure flames, the spear tip forming the dragon's head. She lunged ferociously toward Zhou Yi to obliterate her.
Zhou Yi sneered, "Think I'm afraid of you?"
Her ninth crimson soul ring flared, and a ferocious, devil-like draconic soul emerged from the ring and merged into her body.
Suddenly, demonic wings sprouted from her back. The wings expanded, and with a powerful flap, she struck at the incoming Xian Liner.
"Ninth Dragon Soul Skill—Demonic Wyvern Wing Strike!"
The wings clashed with Xian Liner's assault. Both were evenly matched and knocked back in opposite directions.
Behind Huo Yuhao, Grand Eunuch Gao explained Zhou Yi's soul skill to him.
"After her transformation, her Martial Soul mutated. The original soul skills vanished, so I found nine dragon souls and merged them into her body, converting parts of their power into new soul skills."
"Too bad true dragons are rare. I only found nine sub-dragon souls. The strongest was a 60,000-year-old Demonic Wyvern."
Even Huo Yuhao couldn't help but praise Grand Eunuch Gao's ingenuity.
Grand Eunuch Gao was really starting to act like a true cultivator—knowing not to cling to outdated methods, and starting to develop "hardcore" techniques.
At that moment, the battlefield in the forest shifted once again.
Xian Liner, knocked back, suddenly shouted in anger. The scattered azure flames gathered back around her as she once more unleashed Dragon Descends Upon the World.
"Azure Flame Engulfment, Sovereign of the World!"
"Azure Flame Body Enhancement—Activate!"
This was clearly a combination of soul skill and combat technique.
The power of the Eighth Soul Skill combined with the effect of Dragon Descends Upon the World caused Xian Liner's aura to surge again.
But instead of going after Zhou Yi, she turned and launched a powerful strike at the Blood Slaughter Evil Souls behind her, blasting open a path.
"Go!" Xian Liner commanded lowly.
On the ground below—
Cai Meier and Zhang Lexuan had long been prepared. They protected the rest of Shrek Academy's members and quickly withdrew through the opening Xian Liner had created.
In the air, Xian Liner had already noticed the movements of the various factions. She couldn't stop them, but she wouldn't let Shrek's people stay and fight to the death either.
During the battle, Cai Meier and Xian Liner had exchanged just a few glances to coordinate their plan.
This was the result.
This was likely the tacit understanding of true rivals.As Shrek Academy's team broke through the encirclement, the other forces' teams also began to exert their efforts and quickly escaped the siege one after another.
In the end, aside from the 70% who were buried underground, the remaining 30% were not heavily slaughtered by the Blood Slaughter Fiends.
More than 200 people managed to escape.
However, compared to the size of the original force, only these few remained. The casualties were devastating.
It was clear that the Blood Slaughter Fiends were strong enough to deal with most ordinary armies but had little effectiveness against elite squads.
Ultimately, the lack of top-tier combat power was evident.
Huo Yuhao didn't value the Blood Slaughter Fiend Legion much—after all, they were more suited for general warfare and couldn't help him against the God King Tang San.
He also ordered Eunuch Gao to stop the Fiends from pursuing the escapees. They had already failed to encircle them—if they split up to chase, they would only be picked off instead.
Zhou Yi could only helplessly watch as the Shrek team escaped into the distance, the red murderous glow in her eyes flickering constantly. In the end, she returned to Huo Yuhao and Eunuch Gao, respectfully kneeling before them.
Restored to her normal appearance, Zhou Yi, now clad in a red dress and exuding an eerie charm, possessed an enchantingly seductive aura. Her intellect and ability might be questionable, but her beauty was undoubtedly top-tier.
Moreover, her body formed by the aura of blood slaughter was nearly indistinguishable from real flesh—her skin pale and smooth, even more flawless than when she was alive.
"Although we didn't keep them all here, we've successfully scattered them. They can't escape as originally planned."
"As for the ones buried underground, I'll leave them to you, Eunuch Gao. Zhou Yi is coming with me. I still need her to spur on the Shrek team~"
"As for the rest, we'll see if the Holy Spirit Cult can catch them."
Huo Yuhao had no intention of eradicating them all. Besides, some of his own people were among the survivors.
Eunuch Gao bowed with a beaming smile. "Rest assured, Brother Hao. I'll take care of those people properly."
There was already a well-established "pipeline" for dealing with captives.
"You handle it, I trust you." Huo Yuhao nodded, not saying more. Then he left, riding Zhou Yi.
No matter how ferocious Zhou Yi was, she was merely a plaything to Huo Yuhao.
Of course, Huo Yuhao didn't perversely ride on her neck. Instead, Zhou Yi transformed into her Blood Slaughter Red Dragon form, like a true Martial Soul Avatar, over ten meters long.
This was Zhou Yi's fifth dragon soul technique—the Sticky-Scaled Dragon Beast form.
The Sticky-Scaled Dragon Beast is a sub-dragon species, a rare soul beast unique to the Sun-Moon Continent. They always live among other sub-dragon species. Though they have no natural scales, their skin secretes a special adhesive fluid.
They disguise themselves by sticking the shed scales of other dragon species onto their own bodies, mimicking and blending in with other dragon types.
Their aura and appearance become nearly indistinguishable—almost flawless camouflage.
It's even said that some have successfully disguised themselves as true dragons.
However, that's essentially their only ability—mimicking the appearance of other dragon soul beasts.
In the wild, the Sticky-Scaled Dragon Beast isn't strong, which is why it relies on disguise to survive.
Yet as a soul ring, it is exceptionally powerful. This is because it grants only one soul skill: "False Form Becomes Real", allowing the soul master to transform into the form of their martial soul.
In simple terms, it's a low-tier Martial Soul Avatar.
It doesn't enhance soul skill power, but it does boost the physical capabilities of the transformed state—and its effect stacks with a true Martial Soul Avatar. Most importantly, it doesn't have the drawbacks that come with Martial Soul Avatars.
Before reaching the seventh ring, being able to enter an Avatar-like state provides a huge power boost. Even upon becoming a Titled Douluo, this soul skill remains useful.
The special dragon soul rings on Zhou Yi, condensed from dragon souls, inherit the best abilities of the dragons they came from. Combined with her power, she naturally obtained this skill.
When the seventh dragon soul technique is not a Martial Soul Avatar, this technique can replace its function.
Eunuch Gao had slaughtered numerous dragon soul beast habitats before finally finding this Sticky-Scaled Dragon Beast.
Meanwhile…
The battle between Nan Shuishui and Zhongli Wu was nearing its end.
Normally, battles between Super Douluo last far longer—especially with soul cores accelerating soul power recovery.
But Nan Shuishui never intended to defeat Zhongli Wu. Her goal was merely to cover the retreat of the main force, and if the battle continued, she would inevitably lose.
Her Jade Dragon Clone had already expended all its energy and shattered. Now she faced both Zhongli Wu and the Bone Dragon King alone.
Even with her Absorbing Jade Technique and Transferring Jade Technique, Nan Shuishui was still outnumbered and outmatched.
"It's time to withdraw." Nan Shuishui's gaze sharpened, her eyes glowing a faint pink.
The next instant, two beams of pink light shot from her eyes toward Zhongli Wu.
Huo Yuhao had shared parts of the cultivation method of his Holy Eyes with her, allowing Nan Shuishui to refine her eyes using her annihilation attribute, resulting in the Annihilation Beams.
The attack was silent, lightning-fast, and aimed right at Zhongli Wu's heart.
Caught off guard by this unfamiliar attack, Zhongli Wu was hit before he could react.
Fortunately, his strength and alertness saved him—he managed to avoid a direct hit to the heart, and the beams struck his left arm instead.
The intense pain made him cry out. Looking over, he saw two pinhole-like wounds in his arm with no blood flowing out.
Everything inside had been annihilated. The residual annihilation energy was spreading through flesh and bone, causing searing pain.
Zhongli Wu hurriedly used his soul power to forcibly expel the lingering force. If it spread further, his entire arm would be crippled.
Wounds from annihilation power were not something ordinary healing techniques could cure.
If the attack had hit his heart, his life would have truly been in danger.
Just as he prepared to retaliate and make Nan Shuishui pay, he saw her resisting the Bone Dragon King's attacks, her body glowing with jade light.
Amidst the jade radiance, she formed a hand seal and transformed into a beam of jade light, shooting off into the distance—disappearing from Zhongli Wu's sight.
Zhongli Wu was stunned, then realized bitterly that he couldn't catch her.
"Damn it!!!"
He roared to the sky in rage, powerless.
Nan Shuishui had escaped successfully.
Her technique was called Jade-Body Flight. In essence, it turned her body to jade, boosting its durability for high-speed travel. It was used for fleeing or rushing long distances. The downside: in jade form, she couldn't finely control her flight.
The remaining retreating forces scattered and fled.
This time, only the closely allied groups acted together—there was no more mass regrouping.
After narrowly escaping the encirclement, the Star Luo Empire's team hid deep in the mountains to rest and recover.
Xu Jiujiu took a sip of water, her expression grim, scanning the people around her.
Their group included members from the Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy, the Zhu clan of Star Luo, and teams from two other academies.
There were only a few dozen left—but even so, they had the highest number of survivors among the three empires.
"Your Highness, please don't worry. If enemies come after us again, we will cover your escape. We only hope that you can safely lead our academy's children back to the Empire."
A representative from one of the academies noticed Xu Jiujiu's dark expression, thinking she feared pursuit by evil soul masters. He spoke solemnly, ready to sacrifice himself.
The young students' eyes reddened with emotion.
Only then did Xu Jiujiu return to her senses and understand the misunderstanding. She quickly hid her somber expression and smiled gently, reassuring them: "Don't worry. Even if the enemy comes again, we are not defenseless. Grandma Man Yi will protect us."
Man Yi also stepped forward and said, "If the enemy comes, I will be the first to cover the rear."
Unlike the others, Xu Jiujiu and Man Yi knew there was still the powerful Zhu family hidden within their ranks.
Once emotions calmed down, Xu Jiujiu continued, "What I'm worried about is not our retreat. I grieve for the comrades we've lost."
The Star Luo Empire's people fell silent.
They had escaped, yes—but many of their geniuses and powerful warriors had perished underground, likely without hope of survival.
Xu Jiujiu went on, "I keep thinking—how did the enemy know about our tunnel route? And how did they prepare an ambush in advance at the exit?"
Everyone looked at each other, expressions changing as they realized something.
"Your Highness, are you suggesting… there was a spy?" someone asked tentatively.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense again.
Xu Jiujiu nodded seriously. "I'm afraid so. I suspect the mole was among the soul engineers responsible for digging the tunnels. Only they knew the real route."
"This…"
No one spoke.
After all, even among the soul engineers who built the tunnels, there were some from the Star Luo Empire.
The soul engineers who had escaped with them looked visibly uncomfortable.
One of them stepped forward to explain, but Xu Jiujiu spoke first. "Of course, I'm not accusing our own people. My suspicion lies with those engineers recruited from the Sun Moon Empire."
The recent Soul Engineer Tournament had showcased the strength of soul engineers, and many factions had offered generous terms to recruit engineers from the Sun Moon Empire.
To avoid complications, most of the newly recruited Sun Moon engineers were sent back to their factions early—but a few had remained and escaped with the main force.
"It seems we'll need to investigate those newly recruited engineers carefully once we return to the Empire," Xu Jiujiu said with a sigh.
The Star Luo Empire had also recruited a considerable number of engineers from the Sun Moon Empire, sending them back ahead of time.
Hopefully, there weren't too many spies among them—if they had already infiltrated and gone to ground, rooting them out would be difficult.
But now wasn't the time for grief or anger. The top priority was getting the survivors safely back to the Star Luo Empire.
As the leader of the group, Xu Jiujiu could not collapse.
She stood up, scanned the group again, and said solemnly, "Everyone, it's time we continued our retreat."
"However, the three escape routes we previously planned have likely been compromised. We'll have to create a new one ourselves. The road ahead will be full of danger—but I promise, as long as I live, I will bring everyone safely back to the Empire."
"Princess Jiujiu, we believe in you! Please lead us!" someone stood and said.
One after another, everyone rose, their eyes filled with hope as they looked at Xu Jiujiu.
She smiled.
Morale was back.
"Good. Then please trust me and follow closely behind!"
They chose to head south. As long as they got close to the Star Luo Empire's border, they would be safe.
Zhu Lu watched silently as Xu Jiujiu rallied the troops, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"No doubt about it—Xu Jiujiu is truly capable. Worthy of being the Empire's most powerful princess."
"But the more competent she is, the more valuable she becomes to us."
Not only did the Star Luo Empire create a new retreat route—others who escaped did the same.
Those who continued along the original routes, however, were ambushed midway by evil soul masters.
Indeed, there had been moles in the main force. The three original retreat paths had been exposed long ago.
The Heaven Soul Empire's team—consisting of Dio Academy, Zhengtian Academy, and the Heaven Soul Bai clan—chose to head north, skirting the edge of the Extreme North to return to the Heaven Soul Empire.
After traveling for a while, they surprisingly encountered the Body Sect's team in a northern town.
It turned out the Body Sect had planned to travel north all along, hoping to gain experience near the Extreme North.
When the Heaven Soul Empire invited them earlier, the Body Sect had explained their route and even offered to escort them for a while, given their longstanding alliance.
But the Heaven Soul representatives declined, wanting to maintain relations with Shrek Academy.
Ironically, fate had brought them together again—only now, the Heaven Soul side had suffered great losses among their young soul masters.
The Heaven Soul team could only cry inwardly.
"Don't worry! With us Body Sect folks around, even if Zhongli Wu shows up personally, I'll beat the crap out of him!" one elder from the Body Sect proclaimed.
But the Heaven Soul people couldn't laugh—they had lost too much.
Yu Mengdi of Zhengtian Academy glanced back in the direction of Mingdu, her eyes burning with killing intent.
"Evil soul masters… Sun Moon Empire… Once I grow strong enough, I'll show you the true power of the Six-Winged Angel! I'll burn all you monsters to ash!"
Then her gaze turned sorrowful.
"Yuhao… I hope you escaped safely. I'm sorry—I was too weak to help you."
The Bai clan from Heaven Soul Empire behaved normally, as if they had narrowly escaped like the rest.
But in truth, they knew much more about Huo Yuhao's plan—and that their route ahead would be completely safe.
In the Body Sect's team, Long Aotian glanced at the Bai family, the only one who saw through their act.
"A family backed by Huo Yuhao, with zero casualties… Heh. This whole mess might be part of his plan too. With his skill and ambition, allying with the Sun Moon Empire or even the Holy Spirit Cult isn't out of the question."
Long Aotian was convinced—this situation had Huo Yuhao's fingerprints all over it.
"When something inexplicable happens, and you don't know who's behind it—just assume it's Huo Yuhao's plan, and you won't be wrong!"
"But then again… what's it got to do with me~?"
The remaining forces of the Dou Ling Empire were mostly composed of sect members.
In the team were representatives from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Earth Dragon Gate, the Dou Ling Sea Clan, Tu Xijun leading the Dou Ling Royal Academy, and another academy team from the Dou Ling Empire.
Tu Xijun had no interest in leading. On the contrary, she was more concerned about Huo Yuhao. Taylor loyally stayed by her side.
Nan Qiuqiu was worried about her mother.
So it fell to Ning Tian to step forward, unite the various faction representatives, and discuss possible retreat routes.
Since the Dou Ling Empire did not share a border with the Sun Moon Empire, heading south or north made little difference. The real question was: which direction was safer?
"No, Young Sect Master Ning, we have a third option!" said Hai Yunrui of the Sea Clan, stepping forward with a new suggestion that drew everyone's attention.
"Please share, Young Clan Leader Hai," Ning Tian asked sincerely.
"That is—by sea!" Hai Yunrui smiled. "The ocean is the realm of us sea spirit masters. If we can successfully set out to sea, our Sea Clan guarantees your safe return to the Dou Ling Empire."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"How likely is success?" Ning Tian followed up.
"My sister and I have a fusion technique that allows us to receive the Sea God's blessing during sea travel," Hai Yunrui revealed a secret.
"Sea God's blessing?" The others were shocked.
Some began to speculate—could the Sea God she referred to be that legendary figure from ten thousand years ago? Even more surprising was that such a legacy still existed among sea spirit masters.
Could there be more hidden Sea God inheritances?
Ning Tian decisively declared,
"Good! Then we head west, toward the Sun Moon Empire's western port. With the funds I carry, acquiring a seaworthy vessel won't be an issue."
"If we make it back safely to the Dou Ling Empire, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will handsomely reward the Sea Clan!"
Hai Yunrui responded modestly,
"We are all from the Dou Ling Empire, united in spirit. No need for formalities."
Everyone present admired them both—not just as young leaders of major factions, but also for their poise and thoughtfulness.
Ning Tian and Hai Yunrui exchanged a look and smiled.
Sisters, at heart.
As for the so-called Sea God's blessing of the Sea Clan, it was actually a means left behind by Huo Yuhao. While the protection did indeed channel the Sea God's power, the core was a small snow lotus.
And so, among the three nations—Star Luo, Heaven Soul, and Dou Ling—each of Huo Yuhao's forces now had a defined evacuation route.
As for factions still left within the Sun Moon Empire? They either didn't have Huo Yuhao's people in them, or the ones left behind weren't aligned with him.
Those not aligned with Huo Yuhao had little chance of escape.
And unless the other three nations felt serious losses, they might assume the Sun Moon Empire hadn't sharpened its sword yet.
If this escalation provoked a counterattack and broader conflict—so be it. In fact, that's ideal.
How can the greatness of a world-saving hero be demonstrated, if the continent doesn't descend into chaos and hardship?
The bigger the storm, the pricier the fish~
Huo Yuhao personally monitored the Shrek Academy team.
Their escape route paralleled that of the Heaven Soul Empire—northward, then circling around through the Extreme North. After all, Shrek Academy was located within Heaven Soul territory.
But due to the Body Sect sheltering Heaven Soul Empire's people, Shrek's route diverged from theirs, so the two sides didn't meet.
Moreover, it would be more accurate to say Shrek's retreat wasn't planned, but rather, forced by Huo Yuhao.
Shrek's team merely had to flee north, but Huo Yuhao had to consider a great many factors.
Under his command, Zhou Yi trailed the team from behind, launching intermittent attacks, forcing them to constantly change direction and avoid lingering in one place too long.
As a result, Shrek Academy was retreating in total disarray.
Of course, Zhou Yi alone couldn't pressure them to this extent.
So Huo Yuhao summoned from the Hao Emperor Banner eight elders of the Holy Spirit Cult:
Elder Tianwu (Nan Gongwan)
Elder Mask
Elder Abomination
Elder Myriad Souls
Elder Nether Lightning
Elder Sleeper (Nightmare)
Elder Evil Soul
Elder Corpse Demon
Together with Zhou Yi, nine Titled Douluo-level fighters launched a relentless pursuit of the Shrek team.
"Pressure breeds growth. I'm doing this for my family's sake~"
Huo Yuhao said, justifying his "tough love."
Though the elders could move during the day, sunlight still weakened them, so their numbers compensated for diminished strength.
Only now did Huo Yuhao realize: he had unknowingly gathered eight of the Holy Spirit Cult's elders.
Elder Tianwu was Nan Gongwan, the first to join his side.
Elder Mask and Elder Abomination had perished while chasing the Death Envoy with Zhongli Wu and Xu Tianran, dying from corpse explosions.
The other five were killed during the Mingde Hall raid, slain by Huo Yuhao's clone, including the Nightmare Elder, who had once discovered Tang Ya.
Elder Evil Soul and Elder Corpse Demon were artificially created by Zhongli Wu to replace the fallen Mask and Abomination elders. This was his way of accounting to the elder council without sacrificing his own interests—though the two "new" elders were wiped out almost immediately.
Huo Yuhao was particularly intrigued by Elder Myriad Souls, whose martial soul was the Myriad Soul Banner.
After acquiring his soul, Huo Yuhao studied it and found it similar—but not identical—to the Ghost Banner martial soul. The overlap in abilities was significant, making it a potential tool worth cultivating.
"According to my intel, only the mysterious Grand Elder and Elder Nether Shadow remain from the Holy Spirit Cult.
Maybe I should collect them all and complete the elder set."
"Among the cult's enforcers, I already have Weird Bird and Skull. That leaves ten others, led by Long Xiaoyao. Still collectible."
"Then there's the Cult Master Zhongli Wu, Deputy Feng Ling, and Supreme Elder Ye Xishui...
If I gather them too, wouldn't I basically become the new headquarters of the Holy Spirit Cult?"
"Not a bad idea."
While thinking, Huo Yuhao continued directing the undead elders to harass the Shrek team.
Unlike Zhou Yi, these elders—turned into fierce wraiths after death—lacked clear consciousness and needed Huo Yuhao's command to act.
Under the pressure of nine Titled Douluo, Shrek Academy's team had indeed grown significantly.
For instance, Wang Dong had broken through to Rank 63 under the strain of repeated battles. But she couldn't feel happy at all.
"These evil soul masters aren't launching a full assault—they're trying to wear us down," said Hua Yao, expression grim.
"I suspect... they intend to capture us alive."
Everyone's face darkened.
Better to die than be taken alive!
"Outside Mingdu, for 800 li, all are Haozi's little brothers~
When the dead rise with the wind, ghostly aura shrouds the earth~
With no parents, no law, they do evil under heaven's shelter~…"
Huo Yuhao softly sang an eerie children's song to the egg in his arms for early education while keeping an eye on the distant battlefield.
Though it was afternoon, the sky was as dark as night—ghostly energy blocked the light, chilling the air and dimming the world.
As dusk approached, the ghosts' combat strength steadily increased.
Zhou Yi, accompanied by three elders from the Holy Spirit Sect, had surrounded the Shrek Academy team. Their ghostly forms were now solid and humanlike, except for their blood-red eyes—proof they were no longer of the living.
They hadn't launched a full assault because Huo Yuhao didn't aim to wipe out the Shrek Academy team. The staged attacks only reinforced the team's belief that the evil soul masters meant to wear them down and capture them alive.
Now surrounded, the Shrek team fought desperately to break out of the encirclement.
Cai Meier and Xian Lin'er guarded the flanks. Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luocheng, Wu Ming, and Hua Yao held the rear. At the front, Zhang Lexuan led the charge.
Through repeated battles, the team had discovered Zhang Lexuan's lunar power was particularly effective against ghosts.
In truth, it wasn't her Moonlight ability itself, but the power within her soul core that countered the spirits. Her soul core wasn't ordinary—it contained the Seed of the Bright King. Zhang Lexuan had long feared this seed as a hidden threat, but in the current crisis, she had no choice but to draw upon its strength.
Silver patterns lit up on her body as she activated the soul pattern power: Silver Light Phantom Dance. Enveloped in shimmering silver light, Zhang Lexuan seemed divine.
This boosted her combat power dramatically.
"Ninth Soul Skill: Moonlight Meteor!"
Empowered by the amplified state, she unleashed her 100,000-year soul skill effortlessly. Silver moonlight burst from the crescent behind her, coalescing into a radiant meteor that streaked toward the enemy with a long, blazing tail.
The elder blocking the path—a powerful ghostly being—was blasted away with a single strike, unable to resist.
This elder's martial soul, Carved Vengeful Spirit, allowed him to assault his enemy's soul in close combat. He was a power-type Titled Douluo. Still, he couldn't withstand a single blow from Zhang Lexuan.
His withered frame hinted at his weakness in defense.
"Go!" Zhang Lexuan shouted downward.
The core team immediately surged forward. With Huo Yuhao absent, Wang Dong had taken command.
Xu Sanshi, once a contender for leadership, had lost everyone's trust. No one believed he could be relied upon in a crisis—especially regarding Jiang Nannan's safety. There were no extra forces available to protect her.
Understanding this, Xu Sanshi voiced no complaints and stayed close, guarding the others.
"Charge with me!" Wang Dong called, his Goddess of Light Butterfly martial soul shining brightly, driving away the darkness. Its warm glow gave courage to all around him.
He had become the team's beacon, lighting the path forward with newfound resolve.
Hardship had changed them all. Pain had become the catalyst for growth.
Zhang Lexuan, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Meier knew: If these children made it back alive, they would be destined for greatness.
Behind the core team followed the reserve team and other stragglers—soul engineers from the academy and wandering cultivators from other factions.
These outsiders had lost their own groups and now followed Shrek to survive.
The seven girls of the reserve team remained close to the ice coffin, unwavering in their duty.
A black-robed figure stayed silently nearby as well.
Seeing the Shrek team about to escape, Zhou Yi furiously launched an attack at Xian Lin'er. The two had fought repeatedly, with Xian Lin'er always intercepting Zhou Yi.
It wasn't that Zhou Yi was weak—Xian Lin'er was growing stronger with every battle, inching closer to the Super Douluo rank.
Cai Meier wasn't so fortunate. Though her martial soul countered evil soul masters, the prolonged fighting had exhausted her. She was barely hanging on.
Her opponent, Elder Corpse Demon, wielded the Ghoul martial soul and specialized in defense. His soul form towered at three meters, combining strength and durability.
Cai Meier couldn't defeat him, but he also couldn't catch her—she relied on her speed to prolong the battle.
To the rear, Elder Mask fought Ma Xiaotao and her companions.
Surprisingly, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luocheng, Wu Ming, and Hua Yao together could fend off a Titled Douluo. Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng had both gained strength through Huo Yuhao's blessings, nearing peak elemental attributes.
With Wu Ming's Golden Crow and Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix of Rebirth, both with strong fire attributes, they were highly effective against the ghostly foes.
As Shrek finally broke through and fled into the distance, Zhou Yi screamed in fury.
But Huo Yuhao only smiled, gazing toward the horizon.
At the edge of his vision, a misty mountain range appeared. Bathed in golden fortune energy, a mysterious valley lay half-hidden within—shrouded in fog and divine presence.
"Ahead lies the Road—to the Qiankun Valley of Love and Fate!"
The Evil Emperor beside him whispered, "Brother Hao, this is where I once acquired that thing. Please be extremely careful."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. He already understood exactly what lay ahead.
"My doppelgänger… and the daughter of the God King… Let's see what Tang God-King will do next. Keh keh keh keh…"
What was once a forbidden zone he dared not enter…
Now, he finally had the power to challenge it.
…
In the Western Mountains, northwest of Mingdu, the terrain was beautiful—but for those in the know, it was anything but ordinary.
After circling back to the Mingdu region, the Shrek team had been driven into the mountain range. Fleeing blindly, they had no idea where they were. Only after hiding deep in the mountains did they catch a moment's rest.
"The evil soul masters don't seem to have followed. We've found no signs of danger nearby," reported the scouting agility-type soul masters.
"Don't let your guard down. Nightfall enhances their power. We must be extra cautious," Xian Lin'er warned. "We'll take turns on night watch. Everyone else should rest and recover."
No one objected. They all nodded in agreement.
Too afraid to light fires, they quietly ate dried rations and drank water. Many leaned against trees, quickly drifting into exhausted sleep.
Xian Lin'er took the first watch, gazing at the ink-black sky with a sigh.
She silently prayed,
"Sea God above, please let us return safely. At least… let the children survive."