Passing through the area of the cyan pillar, the three of them forged a deeper bond and clearly gained more confidence—they felt more capable of facing the challenges ahead together.
Next came the penultimate trial—the blue pillar.
"The Trial of Desire, huh? I wonder if the Divine King Tang has the guts to do a full-nude livestream. Not that Brother Hao would care either way..."
Then, upon entering the blue pillar's range, the three—Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao—were again teleported into individual illusions to undergo their trials.
Within each illusion, they encountered an unimaginably beautiful goddess, surrounded by blooming flowers, noble and resplendent.
"I am the Goddess of Love. Your talent and quality have passed my trial. You are eligible to inherit my divine seat!"
"Pull out the Sword of Love, and you shall begin the inheritance. Surpass your limits, become a god! You may also redeem your companions and leave safely!"
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Damn, is this the anime version?
Still, the desire for power does count as a kind of desire.
To pass this trial, the correct answer is obviously...
"But I refuse!"
LOL. The divine weapon of the Goddess of Love isn't the Sword of Love at all!
Now, whether Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao can resist this temptation... who knows?
Outside the screen, others were watching the descent of the Goddess of Love and her offer to the trio.
They were initially shocked, but soon noticed something odd.
"Why would the Goddess of Love offer the inheritance to all three of them? Does she want all three to inherit it together? No... this is likely a false trial," Hua Yao observed.
Cai Meier also noticed something, "Perhaps the real trial here is temptation. Let's hope they don't make the wrong choice."
On screen:
Huo Yuhao was the first to reject the Goddess.
"Divine inheritance? You can't fool me!"
"A mere illusion thinks it can shake my will? Break!"
Upon his rejection, the beautiful goddess turned hideous and monstrous. The flowers turned into venomous beasts and serpents, lunging at Huo Yuhao.
But Huo Yuhao didn't flinch. He summoned his Frost Centipede Dragon Spear and charged at the monstrous goddess.
The two clashed fiercely, evenly matched.
Elsewhere, Wang Dong also gave her answer.
"Yuhao is more worthy of the inheritance than I am. If I were to steal it by exploiting him, I could never agree to it."
The goddess again turned into a monster and attacked with a swarm of beasts. Wang Dong immediately responded, discovering that she could use her spirit power within the illusion. Without hesitation, she activated her Radiant Butterfly Goddess martial soul and fought back.
Lastly, Xiao Xiao.
She hesitated.
She considered: if she accepted the inheritance, she could get everyone—including Yuhao and Wang Dong—out of this dangerous place.
But she still had doubts.
"Can I give the inheritance to someone else? I think Yuhao is more suitable than me."
"Not only is he better than me, he's even better than Wang Dong. I made it this far thanks to his help."
"You claimed he wasn't worthy of your divine seat, but I believe he treats every emotion seriously. Please, give him a chance!"
But instead of a reply, the goddess too transformed into a monster and attacked.
Xiao Xiao was shocked but instinctively used her twin tool spirits, finding the spirit sealing was lifted. She unleashed her unique technique to wield both tool spirits at once—a technique Wang Dong couldn't use due to their soul types.
Outside the illusion, Huo Yuhao was puzzled—not by the trial itself, but by the fact that the Goddess of Love's true power in the Valley of Love's Trial had somehow awakened.
"Could it be that someone truly compatible with her inheritance has appeared? But who?"
He pulled out Moon Intent, one half of the Goddess's divine weapon, which shimmered with silver moonlight.
Inside the illusion:
Though Xiao Xiao didn't explicitly say it, her willingness to give up godhood for Yuhao triggered a dormant mechanism of the Goddess of Love.
But the power that should have been reserved for Xiao Xiao was forcibly divided into three parts, granted to Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.
As this divine power surged into them, the illusions shattered.
Huo Yuhao felt divine energy flooding into his Variant Frost Centipede, rapidly boosting its strength.
To avoid suspicion, he began to fake a cultivation session.
"From last time's reward, I should've broken past level 80. My eighth spirit ring, a divine-gifted ring, was probably over 100,000 years."
"This time, I'm not quite at level 90, but close to 85."
"I'll pretend that's my current level."
Meanwhile, the Frost Centipede genuinely absorbed a huge amount of divine energy—its strength now nearing 300,000 years. If other spirit beasts knew, they'd probably cry tears of envy right out of their snouts.
After some time, Huo Yuhao awoke—only to realize they were already atop the purple pillar.
"The purple trial is already over? Must've been the battle inside the illusion—or maybe the reward counted as the trial."
"Heh. Tang Old Dog, you're done for, aren't you?"
Looking around, he saw Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao on the platform of the purple pillar, meditating and absorbing the divine energy.
Both had broken through to level 70, and were receiving divine-gifted spirit rings. The rings' age limits were pushing past their normal limits—clearly, their physiques had improved as well.
Wang Dong's spirit ring settled at 80,000 years,
Xiao Xiao's at 70,000 years.
Far beyond what any regular Soul Sage could absorb.
Afterward, the two slowly opened their eyes in confusion.
"You're awake? Don't worry—we're safe now. Looks like we passed the punishment. We can go home," Yuhao said with a smile.
"Really? That's great!"
The three of them didn't hesitate and chose to leave together.
Three glowing bubbles emerged, enveloping them and lifting them from the bottom of the lake.
Clearly, they weren't allowed to linger in the Valley of Love's Trial any longer—no more milking rewards.
Outside the trial, Yuhao was still surprised.
"Wait, it's really over? Tang Old Dog... seriously done for?"
"Still, there's the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the Clear Sky Sect. I'm sure Divine King Tang still has more tricks up his sleeve."
"But when he finds out that the one he's been targeting is just a stand-in... what face will he make~?"
Just imagine—it's like raising a dog thinking it's your destined Howling Heavenly Dog, only to find out it's just a random stray mutt you invested all your resources into.
What would his face look like?
"Let the Divine King train his dog all he wants. Brother Hao is outta here!"
As for the Frost Centipede, once Yuhao makes it big, there's a lotus throne in his Buddha Kingdom waiting for it.
It'll even earn karmic merit for helping him transcend tribulations.
As for the memories he lost—like those involving Ma Xiaotao and the others—it didn't matter to Huo Yuhao.
Tools are meant to be used. Who cares if they have feelings?
What kind of proper evil cultivator falls in love with their cauldron?
How ridiculous~
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao were teleported out from beneath the lake. When they reappeared, they were already back on the shore of the Sun Moon Lake.
"That's great! We're finally out!" Wang Dong said excitedly.
"Now we just wait for the others to return," Xiao Xiao added with a joyful smile.
Huo Yuhao was also smiling.
Just then, a voice sounded behind the three of them:
"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, thank goodness, you're out too... Wait a second, who's the person next to you?"
The three of them turned around in unison and saw Xian Lin'er and the others who had exited earlier. However, they looked at Huo Yuhao with confusion, as if they didn't recognize him at all.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged puzzled glances and turned to Huo Yuhao—only to find the same unfamiliar look in his eyes as he gazed at Xian Lin'er and the others.
"Who are you?" Huo Yuhao asked, confused.
In an instant, the smiles disappeared from Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's faces. A sense of dread crept over them.
"What exactly happened down there at the bottom of the lake?"
…
The trials beneath the lake were still ongoing.
As more and more people completed the test and left, fewer and fewer remained.
Next up was Jiang Nannan.
"Question one: Do you have someone you love?"
The mysterious voice asked.
Xu Sanshi stared nervously at Jiang Nannan standing on the platform.
Jiang Nannan's expression was blank. She remained silent for a while, then just before time ran out, she slowly said,
"No."
Xu Sanshi's face froze, the light in his eyes gradually dimming. There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died.
Jiang Nannan closed her eyes, as if awaiting death.
But what descended was not death—it was divine power from the Goddess of Love!
BOOM—
Outside Sun Moon Lake.
A pink pillar of light burst from the lake, piercing the heavens. Golden and silver glows intertwined and spiraled up around it.
"What is that?"
Everyone by the lake stopped what they were doing and looked toward the strange phenomenon in shock and growing caution.
When the light pillar disappeared, so did the Sun Moon Lake—or more accurately, the entire Valley of Love's Trial vanished.
Everyone found themselves in an unremarkable forest.
"We've left the valley?" Cao Jinxuan murmured, unable to tell if it was joy or something else.
Those who had been trapped underground, like Cai Meier and others, also returned safely. But all their gazes converged on one person—Jiang Nannan.
She didn't look much different from before. The only change was the golden and silver heart-shaped emblem that had appeared on her forehead.
Clearly, it was some kind of divine mark.
Jiang Nannan still had her eyes closed, as if in deep understanding. No one dared disturb her.
Even Xu Sanshi, looking utterly defeated, sat off to the side, like he had lost his youthful spirit.
Beibei, clad in a black robe, came over and sat next to Xu Sanshi, wanting to comfort him but only able to sigh in the end.
The former Twin Stars of the Outer Court—both now entangled in love's pain.
"Cai Meier, what happened earlier? Why can't I remember anything?" Xian Lin'er asked sharply.
Cai Meier looked at her with a complicated expression, struggling with what to say.
"What's with that look?" Xian Lin'er asked, clearly annoyed.
Finally, Cai Meier sighed.
"In any case, that's not what's important. What matters is Jiang Nannan—she may have received the inheritance of a divine position!"
"What?!" Xian Lin'er's face changed dramatically.
At last, under everyone's watchful gaze, Jiang Nannan slowly opened her eyes. Golden and silver lights flickered in her pupils before fading away.
"Nannan, how do you feel? Any discomfort?" Cai Meier quickly stepped forward, full of concern.
Jiang Nannan smiled.
"Thank you for your concern, Headmistress. I'm fine."
"Then... did you—?" Cai Meier probed gently.
"That's right! I've received the assessment for the position of the Goddess of Love!" Jiang Nannan said with an excited smile.
A divine inheritance!
Everyone was stunned.
Shock, envy, disbelief—it was all there.
No one expected a real divine inheritance to appear, and for it to go to Jiang Nannan, no less.
It was also thanks to Jiang Nannan's inheritance that the rest could be released.
Everyone came forward to congratulate her. Jiang Nannan responded with a warm smile.
Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier exchanged a look. Both realized that Shrek Academy now had another heir for its future.
Even if Huo Yuhao failed to break through to Rank 100, they now had Jiang Nannan as a divine successor. Shrek was safe.
Throughout all this, Jiang Nannan didn't even glance at Xu Sanshi, deepening his despair.
Beibei patted Xu Sanshi on the shoulder, then looked over at Huo Yuhao—who was also smiling and congratulating Jiang Nannan—but sighed again in his heart.
Far away, Huo Yuhao stared at the retreating blue aura of fate, eyes full of disdain.
"The Goddess of Love's inheritance reacted to me, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. So they rushed to pass it on early. Heh... how amusing."
Even without seeing it himself, Huo Yuhao could guess most of what the God-King Tang San had orchestrated behind the scenes.
Clearly, Tang San had long planned divine positions for Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
As for Xiao Xiao—she could never receive a divine position. Only that way could she remain in the mortal world and no longer be a "third party" between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
Passing on the Goddess of Love's position early was likely to prevent Xiao Xiao from inheriting it—despite the fact that it suited her more.
In short, Jiang Nannan was never the right candidate for the position.
She lacked talent. She lacked true love. Aside from her appearance, she had nothing on the others. Even Huo Yuhao hadn't considered her for furnace cultivation.
Even if she had obtained the inheritance, it was still unknown whether she could pass the divine test.
"But things are different now. A divine successor can't be left to waste," Huo Yuhao muttered, withdrawing his gaze.
Then, he snapped his fingers and summoned Zhou Yi.
"Alright. Our game can continue now~"
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Zhou Yi's face as she led a group of Spirit Pagoda elders charging into the mountains.
…
After a brief exchange of information, everyone now understood each other's situation.
Cai Meier and the others learned that Huo Yuhao and Xian Lin'er's group had all lost their memories of one another—and with them, their love.
They were now like strangers.
Many looked at Huo Yuhao with sympathy.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were deeply affected, knowing that Huo Yuhao had made this sacrifice to save them.
Finally, with Xian Lin'er unaware, Cai Meier issued a gag order to everyone else.
This matter would be discussed back at the academy. For now, silence was essential to avoid unnecessary complications.
More importantly—they had to leave immediately.
"We've stayed here too long. That explosion just now might attract enemies. We have to move quickly," Cai Meier warned the group with a grave tone.
Xian Lin'er nodded in agreement.
Just then, dark clouds began to gather in the sky, blocking out the light.
Cold wind swept through the forest.
Both Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier turned pale.
"Damn it! The evil soul masters are here!" Xian Lin'er shouted angrily.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Cai Meier commanded urgently.
In the next second, a voice filled with hatred echoed across the forest:
"People of Shrek Academy—DIE!"
The Bloodslaughter Crimson Dragon attacks!
The Evil Soul Masters struck again.
The people of Shrek Academy rose to meet them.
This time, it was different from before. Although many had died in the earlier battles, those who remained had grown stronger. Most importantly, Huo Yuhao, a powerful force, had returned.
Even though the Huo Yuhao in the team was only a minor variant Frost Centipede clone, his strength was still equivalent to about one-tenth or one-eighth of the real Huo Yuhao's power.
His combat capabilities were no less than that of a regular Super Douluo.
However, this time, the Evil Soul Masters launched an all-out attack.
Zhou Yi led eight Elder-level Evil Soul Masters, and their combined strength was formidable.
Zhou Yi once again engaged in a fierce battle with Xian Lin'er.
Cai Mei'er fought one of the elders.
Huo Yuhao fought three elders by himself.
Zhang Lexuan led the remaining team members against the other four Evil Soul Master elders. Bei Bei also joined the fray, using his Ultimate Evil attribute to suppress the strength of the four elders, greatly reducing the pressure on Zhang Lexuan and the others.
The team fought while retreating, not intending to fight to the death.
They were wary of further enemy reinforcements.
And their concern was not unfounded — in Mingdu, Xu Tianchen had already relayed the Shrek Academy team's whereabouts to the Holy Spirit Cult.
Everything was part of a calculated plan.
In the mountains, with the strong additions of Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei — two Ultimate-attribute soul masters — Zhou Yi and her team's ability to block Shrek Academy was significantly diminished.
Most crucially, Xian Lin'er had become stronger too.
Her ninth soul ring had successfully evolved into a 100,000-year ring, and she had also gained an external soul bone in the form of a dragon tail.
Xian Lin'er was stunned by her own transformation.
"Where did this come from? Could it be related to that divine trial in the valley earlier? Maybe it has something to do with the memories I lost... But for now, defeating Zhou Yi is more important!"
"Let's try this ninth soul skill—"
"Ninth Soul Skill: Dragonflame Aria!"
The new 100,000-year ninth soul ring still only granted one skill, but its power was now at the 100,000-year level — much more formidable.
A wild gale surged forth. The Azure Flame of the Azure Flame Dragon filled the air, forming six blue dragon shadows with golden glows, swirling within a tornado.
The six dragons attacked Zhou Yi from all six directions — front, back, left, right, above, and below — sealing off all avenues of escape.
"This is a 100,000-year soul skill? The same skill only summoned four dragons before. Now there are six! The enemy has nowhere to hide!" Xian Lin'er exclaimed in delight.
Indeed, Zhou Yi had no way to dodge.
So, she chose to clash head-on with Xian Lin'er.
"Fifth Dragon Soul Skill: Sticky Scaled Dragon Beast Form!"
"Eighth Dragon Soul Skill: Explosive Flame Dragon's Brilliant Blaze!"
Zhou Yi transformed into her Bloodslaughter Crimson Dragon form, unleashing black dragon flames in all directions to counter the six dragon shadows.
The Explosive Flame Dragon was said to be a hybrid of a Hellfire Dragon and a Fire Dragon, possessing the most violent flames among sub-dragons, imbued with evil destructive power.
Its signature flame ability had been inherited by the dragon soul ring as a soul skill.
Zhou Yi's Brilliant Blaze was like turning herself into a living bomb — immensely powerful.
It looked like a miniature sun exploding.
The six blue dragon shadows clashed with the flames, but surprisingly, they couldn't break through Zhou Yi's blaze — both sides canceled each other out.
A 100,000-year soul skill was actually neutralized by a ten-thousand-year one?
This caused Xian Lin'er to frown slightly.
Her face was pale — her soul power significantly depleted after using such a powerful soul skill, especially since it hadn't even finished off her opponent.
In a prolonged fight, she risked exposing weaknesses.
When the flames subsided and the wind died down, she saw Zhou Yi's state and finally exhaled in relief.
Xian Lin'er had indeed used up a lot of energy — but Zhou Yi had spent even more. She had reverted to human form, her body faint and almost translucent.
This showed how much of her blood fiend energy had been consumed.
But Zhou Yi wasn't human — she didn't get tired the way humans did. As long as her blood fiend energy wasn't completely drained, she could keep fighting.
In the instant Xian Lin'er relaxed, Zhou Yi found an opening. Her seventh soul ring lit up.
"Seventh Dragon Soul Skill: Lightning Raptor's Blitz!"
The Lightning Raptor was a sub-dragon with lightning attributes — unable to fly, but incredibly fast, running like thunder.
This speed was inherited as part of the soul skill.
Scarlet lightning erupted around Zhou Yi, and in a flash, she was in front of Xian Lin'er.
"Not good!" Xian Lin'er exclaimed, hastily raising her dragon lance.
But Zhou Yi had already seen through some of Xian Lin'er's moves and didn't bother dodging her attack.
Squelch!
The dragon lance pierced through Zhou Yi's abdomen, but she didn't stop. The lance passed right through her, staining it with blood.
Zhou Yi used the moment to close the gap, then thrust her right hand — now a dragon claw — at Xian Lin'er's chest.
"First Dragon Soul Skill: Tyrant Dragon's Claw!"
The Tyrant Dragon was a power-type sub-dragon, with claws as its most lethal weapon.
Xian Lin'er's pupils shrank — she was enveloped by the aura of death.
Zhou Yi sneered, ready to tear out her heart and bathe in her blood.
But with a loud bang, Xian Lin'er was sent flying. The dragon claw hadn't completely pierced her defenses or ripped out her heart.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao — who was battling elsewhere — suddenly groaned, clutching his chest in pain.
What the clone felt, the real Huo Yuhao felt too. But to Huo Yuhao, this kind of heart-wrenching pain was negligible.
"The damage transferred to me? No — it's being shared! It's the effect of that dragon tail soul bone!" Huo Yuhao quickly assessed the situation.
As expected of a soul bone gifted by the Goddess of Love — it truly knew how to bind two people.
Xian Lin'er climbed up, shocked that she'd survived. Sensing the earlier effect, she confirmed it was from the external soul bone.
"This soul bone reduces damage too? It's perfect for me!"
Clearly, she hadn't realized that the damage wasn't reduced — it was shared between her and Huo Yuhao.
Furious, Xian Lin'er locked her eyes on Zhou Yi. She would now repay that ambush!
"Zhou Yi — die!"
Despite her injuries, Xian Lin'er resumed fierce battle with Zhou Yi, who also fought back tooth and claw, trading injury for injury.
In this brutal fight, Xian Lin'er slowly stepped over the threshold toward Rank 95.
But this came at a cost for Huo Yuhao.
His clone began to falter, making repeated mistakes — from dominating the three elders, he was now getting overwhelmed.
The others didn't just stand by.
While Xian Lin'er, Huo Yuhao, and Cai Mei'er held off the Evil Soul Masters, Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei led the others in retreat, fighting as they moved.
"Dean Xian, you've really done a number on me~ Looks like we'll have to play something even wilder next time to make up for this pain," Huo Yuhao's main body muttered, looking off into the distance.
Far away, a glow of fate shimmered — new characters were arriving.
Among them was an overwhelming aura of evil, clearly the reinforcements of the Evil Soul Masters.
And at the forefront of the group was a phoenix radiating sinister energy.
"A Dark Phoenix? Looks like we've found a new phoenix bloodline source," Huo Yuhao thought with excitement.
After intervening in the selection of the inheritor of the Goddess of Love's divine position, Tang San (God King Tang) likely left early out of concern that his actions would draw the attention of the Divine Realm.
After all, the appearance of a divine inheritance causes quite a stir, and the Divine Realm would inevitably detect it, potentially attracting the scrutiny of other God Kings.
If they were to catch Tang San meddling, he wouldn't be able to explain himself easily—after all, he would be seen as openly defying the rules of the Divine Realm.
Otherwise, if Tang San had still been paying attention to the Douluo Continent, he would have noticed that the soul bones rewarded during the Goddess of Love's trial were far from ordinary.
Not just Xian Lin'er's external soul bone, but all the soul bones obtained by others had special linking effects.
That is to say, the abilities and effects of these soul bones were connected to Huo Yuhao. The binding wasn't limited to the bones—it extended to their souls!
Ultimately, separated by a world and affected by changes in the plot, Tang San could no longer act with impunity as in the original story, nor could he arrange everything flawlessly.
Scheming against a destiny-blessed Hao-ge (Huo Yuhao) is not the same as scheming against a rising Huo Yuhao. The two are worlds apart.
The awakening and appearance of the Goddess of Love's divine inheritance were naturally tied to Huo Yuhao's destiny. Wherever Huo Yuhao went, fortuitous opportunities would follow.
Hao-ge could forgo them, but those opportunities must appear.
That's the value of destiny!
Now that Tang San had left, it was time for Huo Yuhao to take center stage.
Xian Lin'er, having brushed the threshold of a breakthrough, became increasingly fervent, and her battle with Zhou Yi intensified.
Zhou Yi, with her blood-fiend energy steadily depleted, began to struggle against Xian Lin'er. Yet her ferocity remained undiminished—she fought on fearlessly, completely ignoring her injuries.
Meanwhile, the Frost Centipede clone (a minor variant) pretended to be influenced by the soul bone's link, gradually appearing to fall into a disadvantageous position. Even so, it managed to hold off three opponents, retreating while fighting.
Cai Mei'er and an opposing elder were similarly matched—neither could gain the upper hand.
It was clear that Xian Lin'er had a significant edge over Cai Mei'er in terms of strength. Even without her breakthrough, Xian Lin'er's original combat power surpassed Cai Mei'er's.
As for Zhang Lexuan, under the help of Bei Bei and others, she led the rest of the team in a strategic retreat.
But just as Shrek Academy's group was preparing to escape, reinforcements from the evil soul masters arrived.
Leading them was the deputy leader of the Holy Spirit Cult and wife of Zhong Liwu: Evil Phoenix Douluo, Feng Ling!
Feng Ling hadn't come alone—behind her were over a dozen elite fighters.
Among them were the Nether Elder, who had failed to intercept the main group earlier and had returned reluctantly, and the three Zhong Li brothers.
All the other evil soul masters present were at least Soul Douluo level.
They were the core elite forces of the Holy Spirit Cult.
They had departed from Mingdu after receiving intelligence from Xu Tianchen about the movements of the Shrek Academy team.
Zhong Liwu himself did not come, due to the serious depletion of his strength from the previous day's battle with Nan Shuishui and the need for the Bone Dragon King to recuperate.
At least on the surface, he was not present.
The reason Feng Ling and her team could pinpoint the Shrek Academy's location was because of the commotion caused during Jiang Nannan's divine trial, which drew their attention and led them here.
Flying high in the sky, Feng Ling used her sharp eyes to survey the battlefield in the mountains. She immediately recognized Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er, the deans of Shrek Academy.
As for the ghostly figures—remnants of the Holy Spirit Cult elders' souls—Feng Ling only saw shadows and didn't think much of it.
Who would have thought the spirits of deceased Holy Spirit elders had been enslaved?
"We've found the Shrek team," Feng Ling announced to her followers.
"Excellent! This time, we can't let them escape again!" the Nether Elder said, joining Feng Ling in the sky.
His failure to intercept them the previous day still rankled him.
The Nether Elder didn't have Feng Ling's keen vision, so he didn't recognize Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er. But he did see the heavy ghost aura and became suspicious.
"If I'm not mistaken, it seems there are evil soul masters fighting ahead?" he said in surprise.
Feng Ling narrowed her eyes. "Could it be related to the Sun-Moon Emperor? Or perhaps the White Lotus Sect founded by the Death Envoy?"
"Hmph, wasn't the White Lotus Sect supported by the Sun-Moon Emperor all along? Otherwise, it would've been wiped out ages ago!" the Nether Elder snorted.
"Nether Elder, keep such thoughts to yourself. Don't speak of them openly. It's not good for you, me, or the Holy Spirit Cult," Feng Ling warned.
The Holy Spirit Cult weren't fools—nor was the world blind.
Xu Tianchen used the campaign against the Holy Spirit Cult to eliminate his rival royal brothers and consolidate power, eventually taking the throne.
As an Ultimate Douluo, Xu Tianchen didn't send forces to destroy the White Lotus Sect and instead allowed it to persist.
Everyone could see what was going on.
But you could say Xu Tianchen used evil soul masters—you just couldn't say he supported the White Lotus Sect.
"I understand. Still, regardless of who those evil soul masters are, today, the Shrek team must be destroyed!" The Nether Elder bared his teeth, his martial soul—the Nether Sword—already in hand.
On the Douluo Continent, there was no such thing as an evil soul master who didn't hate Shrek Academy.
There might not be personal vendettas, but hating Shrek was always justified.
"Don't rush in yet. Let them fight it out first," Feng Ling said, stopping the Nether Elder.
"Fair enough," he nodded. Her plan suited him well.
While the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman reaps the reward.
But just as the fisherman was poised to act, unexpected reinforcements arrived on Shrek Academy's side!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Seven fixed-mounted soul-guided cannon shells flew in from the distance, targeting the ghostly phantoms chasing the Shrek team.
Feng Ling was the first to sense the cannon shells' approach. Her expression changed. "Reinforcements?"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Seven consecutive explosions struck the region filled with ghost phantoms, engulfing them in destruction.
Shrek Academy's retreating team was also affected—but they were only knocked back, not caught in the blasts.
The ghosts of the Holy Spirit Cult elders—along with Zhou Yi—were the ones who took the brunt of the attacks.
"What's going on? Who's helping us?" Hua Yao exclaimed in surprise.
She didn't believe it was mere luck that they hadn't been hit.
Clearly, someone was aiding them!
Just then, a powerful burst of soul power erupted on the battlefield.
Everyone turned to look—and saw that the one releasing the burst was Xian Lin'er.
Amid her intense battle with Zhou Yi, Xian Lin'er had finally broken through in combat.
Such mid-battle breakthroughs are rare—only soul masters who've built up enough energy and await a trigger can achieve them.
Xian Lin'er had now officially stepped into the ranks of Super Douluo!
Her sudden breakthrough caused her strength to surge. Zhou Yi, who had been barely holding on, was now utterly outmatched.
"Zhou Yi, die!"
Xian Lin'er's voice was icy. Her dragon spear swept down like a raging dragon, unleashing gales that engulfed Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi let out a blood-curdling scream, her body shredded like a thousand cuts. Blood sprayed violently as her entire form was consumed by blue flames.
She was completely incinerated and vanished without a trace.
Zhou Yi's elimination allowed Xian Lin'er to breathe a sigh of relief. Although she had successfully broken through, it had consumed a great deal of her soul power. Being able to eliminate Zhou Yi swiftly meant she could conserve more energy to escort the team.
There was still quite a distance to go before they could escape from the Sun Moon Empire.
After her breakthrough, Xian Lin'er came to her senses and swept her dragon spear, effortlessly summoning several dragon shadows wreathed in blue flames. These forced back the evil soul masters entangling Huo Yuhao and Cai Mei'er, giving them a chance to disengage.
"So this is the power of a Super Douluo? The control over power is far more intuitive—effortless strength. Even casual attacks are much stronger than those of an ordinary Title Douluo."
Xian Lin'er reflected, marveling at the power of a Super Douluo.
With an additional Super Douluo in their ranks, their chances of escaping safely had significantly increased.
Soon after, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Huo Yuhao returned to the group.
The smoke from the fixed soul cannon shells had cleared, and the four ghostly elders of the Holy Spirit Sect were nowhere to be seen. Only four others, who had not been caught in the blast, remained lurking like wolves eyeing their prey.
"Someone helped us. We don't know who, but we can't waste this opportunity. Retreat quickly!"
Cai Mei'er decisively gave the order.
No one objected.
The team quickly fled into the distance.
The remaining four ghost elders from the Holy Spirit Sect found it difficult to stop the Shrek Academy team and could only chase after them like hyenas.
If Shrek's group hadn't been in such a hurry to escape, they could've eliminated those four spirits without issue, albeit with some time.
Even while escaping, the threat posed by the four ghostly elders was minimal to Shrek's team.
"Chase them! We can't let them escape!"
Feng Ling issued the order to pursue.
The various factions, especially the Shrek Academy team, were integral to the Holy Spirit Sect's deal with the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
Though they didn't know who had helped Shrek's team, a few fixed soul cannon shells weren't enough to make Feng Ling flinch.
After the pursuit began—
Eunuch Gao finally appeared, summoning the heavily damaged Zhou Yi's ghost from underground and sending it back to the Blood Slaughter Orb for healing.
Zhou Yi, specially cultivated, wasn't so easy to destroy—but this injury would take months to recover from unless she received a large infusion of blood fiend energy.
As for the other four ghost elders, they had already returned to Huo Yuhao, merging back into the Hao Banner.
Huo Yuhao and Eunuch Gao trailed behind, continuing to observe the plan unfold.
The Holy Spirit Sect was targeting Shrek Academy's group—but Huo Yuhao had his sights set on the Holy Spirit Sect.
As the Shrek team escaped the mountain range, a few figures appeared, blocking their path. The two leading figures were not strangers.
"Xiao Hongchen! Meng Hongchen!"
Huo Yuhao recognized them and stepped forward to confront them.
"Are you here to stop us too?"
"If we were, we wouldn't have fired those fixed soul cannon shells earlier,"
Xiao Hongchen replied coldly.
"That was you?"
Huo Yuhao was surprised.
Meng Hongchen tossed out a storage soul tool and said,
"This contains fifty flight-type soul tools. They'll help you fly faster. Get them equipped—your enemies will catch up soon."
Huo Yuhao caught it and asked, puzzled,
"Why are you helping us?"
"Isn't it obvious? We're helping you leave the Sun Moon Empire. All the soul engineers with us are loyal members of our family. With me and my sister escorting you, you'll leave safely,"
Xiao Hongchen said impatiently, annoyed by Huo Yuhao's hesitation.
"I believe you."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
He handed the storage soul tool to Zhang Lexuan, who distributed the flight-type soul tools.
With fewer than thirty members left in the team, there were still spares.
Without further words, both groups equipped the tools and took to the skies, fleeing again.
These flight tools were far superior to the ones they had previously used.
The ghostly elders chasing behind were once again left in the dust, forced to watch helplessly as their prey escaped.
Once some distance had been created, Xian Lin'er turned to speak.
"Why are you helping us? Be clear—we Shrek people repay our debts, but if it involves compromising the academy's interests, we won't agree."
Xiao Hongchen snorted but still replied,
"We only have one request—take my sister, Meng Hongchen, back to Shrek Academy. That's also my grandfather Jing Hongchen's wish."
"Why?"
Cai Mei'er asked.
Everyone was confused.
Given the Hongchen siblings' current status in the Sun Moon Empire, their futures looked bright. Why risk everything just to go to Shrek?
Xiao Hongchen's face darkened, clearly annoyed by the continued questioning—even by a Super Douluo and a Title Douluo.
But after a moment, he composed himself and straightened up.
It was Meng Hongchen who finally spoke. Her expression was sorrowful as she sighed and explained,
"You might not know yet—but today, a decree was issued from the palace. His Majesty the Emperor is appointing the Holy Spirit Sect's Blue Silver Saintess, Tang Ya, as the Left Prime Minister. My grandfather confirmed it—it's real."
"What?!"
Everyone's expression changed dramatically.
Beibei clenched his fists under his cloak, equally shocked. He couldn't understand how Tang Ya had managed this.
In the Douluo Continent's four great empires, the structure of government was very similar. Positions like Left and Right Prime Ministers were extremely important—one handled internal affairs and appointments, the other handled military and foreign affairs.
To appoint a Evil Soul Master as Left Prime Minister?
Everyone wanted to scream at the Sun Moon Emperor:
Do you really think having power means you can do whatever you want?
"That's not all. My grandfather also learned that His Majesty and the Holy Spirit Sect have deeper collaborations,"
Xiao Hongchen added grimly.
Cai Mei'er's expression changed as if recalling something, her eyes widened slightly.
"I remember our intelligence said the Holy Spirit Sect had two Limit Douluo-level Dark Soul Masters. Are you saying… it's them who forced this?"
This intel, naturally, came from Beibei after he switched sides.
If those two Limit Douluo had pressured the Emperor, it might be understandable. But if there were three working together, then the entire continent was truly in danger.
Among the three other kingdoms, only Xuanzi and Du Busi were Limit Douluo-level powers. Two versus three—odds weren't good.
"We're not sure. But Grandfather said great upheaval may be coming to the Sun Moon Empire. Even the Hongchen family might not be spared."
"To prepare, he decided to help you secretly, in exchange for Meng's chance to take refuge at Shrek,"
Xiao Hongchen said, his expression grim.
"If our family falls, at least our bloodline can survive."
Xiao Hongchen looked despondent. Meng Hongchen's eyes turned red, lips trembling.
Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er now understood.
A nation ruled by Dark Soul Masters held no future. The Hongchen family was seeking a lifeline.
But before they could speak further—
A phoenix cry echoed once more. A new figure blocked their path.
"So, the Hongchen family has betrayed us? Then stay here—with the people from Shrek Academy!"