The story of the Douling Empire progressed smoothly to its conclusion, all according to Huo Yuhao's plan.
Lingdou City was massacred, which provoked an invasion from the zombie army.
After the two Beast King Legions clashed with the zombies, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seized the opportunity. Together with the remaining forces of the Nanmen Family, Hai Family, and Tu Family, they paid a heavy price to successfully halt the Beast King Legions' advance.
Huo Yuhao then forcefully infiltrated the two legions, intimidating them single-handedly, which ultimately led to their temporary retreat from the Douling Empire.
This gave the Douling Empire a much-needed chance to breathe.
A country cannot go a day without a ruler.
The shattered Douling Empire urgently needed a new order.
The first and most crucial step was to select a new emperor.
With the support of Ning Tian, the new leader of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Princess Xuehui—the last remaining bloodline of the Douling royal family—ascended the throne, becoming the second female emperor in the history of the Douluo Continent.
The first was Bibi Dong of the former Spirit Empire.
However, Princess Xuehui, only twelve years old, set a new record for the youngest monarch.
Or rather, she should now be called Empress Xuehui!
At the age of twelve, Empress Xuehui ascended the throne and established the new capital in Tianling City.
The original Lingdou City had been overtaken by the zombie army. In fact, it had become a breeding ground for the Death God Envoy to cultivate the terrifying Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie. Once that creature emerged, the Douluo Continent would witness true horror.
Within the Douling Empire, no one opposed Empress Xuehui's succession—because anyone who would have opposed had already been dealt with.
That's not to say all opposing forces were wiped out. Some fled, but those who remained were obedient and had potential for development.
Soon after, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was granted the status of Protector Sect of the Empire by Empress Xuehui.
Tu Xijun was appointed as the Grand Chancellor. Unlike Ning Tian, Tu Xijun didn't have to oppose her father, as Tu Wenbin had made the right choice.
Tu Wenbin also chose to step down and retreat into the background, taking on a different role.
The Hai Family began gathering Sea Soul Masters to build a new navy for the Douling Empire.
Nanmen Yuner, young mistress of the Nanmen Family, was appointed Grand General of the Empire.
Nanmen Yuzhi, newly promoted to Titled Douluo, became the new National Protector Douluo.
Wu Feng and Taylor also took on important positions.
All the other sects and families that contributed were rewarded, leading to a complete reshuffling of the Douling Empire's power structure.
Many believed that Nanmen Yuzhi's title as National Protector Douluo was merely ceremonial. In their eyes, she was just a standard Titled Douluo who had broken through during the war—far from being a Super Douluo. Thus, her appointment drew some ridicule.
But there was little choice.
All the Douling Empire's Super Douluos had perished in the Battle of Lingdou City, along with over ten Titled Douluos.
Now, fewer than five Titled Douluos remained in the empire, and Nanmen Yuzhi was among the strongest.
Internally, the zombie army was the only remaining threat.
Externally, the two other empires saw an opportunity. While still fending off the threat from the Sun-Moon Empire, they began testing the waters in Douling.
They used the excuse that "a female emperor violates ancient traditions" to probe the Douling Empire's strength. But to their surprise, the empire—despite seeming broken—was more unified than ever before.
The Heaven Soul and Star Luo Empires attempted to win over sects and families within Douling, assuming Empress Xuehui was merely a puppet.
Instead, their envoys were killed, and the families not only refused to defect but also exposed enemy spies, rooting them out one by one.
Now, the Douling Empire was like a solid iron wall—impossible to crack.
Many sighed: if the empire had shown such unity earlier, the Beast King Legions might never have destroyed it or slaughtered the capital.
The Sun-Moon Empire no longer attacked Douling, which brought some relief—though others were disappointed.
Some were eager to see the new Douling Empire clash again with the Beast King Legions—to see if the outcome would be different this time.
The one thing that frustrated Huo Yuhao was that the Douling Xie Family took advantage of the chaos and escaped. While Huo Yuhao was dealing with internal matters, the Xie Family patriarch managed to flee the palace.
When the Beast King Legions reached their estate, the Xie Family was already gone. Their heritage vanished. Clearly, this had been premeditated.
Later searches revealed that beneath the Xie estate was a secret passage leading to the mountains outside Lingdou City. At the very bottom of the estate was a hidden chamber clearly used for storage, but it had already been emptied.
Ning Tian mobilized the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to search for the Xie Family's whereabouts, but it proved fruitless. The last clue was that they had fled into the mountains between the Heaven Soul and Douling Empires—then vanished completely.
The original story contained no mention of the Xie Family, nor any records of them. And in the future, there was no known inheritance of their martial spirits.
But considering that the Douling Empire had been massacred in the original timeline, few would care about the Xie Family. Their martial spirits might not have been passed down—or might have mutated.
To Huo Yuhao, the Xie Family felt like a mysterious clan guarding some hidden secret. They cared nothing for fame or fortune—only their sacred mission.
Perhaps even obscurity itself was their goal.
But the investigation of the Xie Family would have to be left to others. Huo Yuhao simply didn't have the time.
Aside from that, one other surprising development occurred: Xu Tiancheng began pressuring Shrek Academy.
The Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy had intervened to intimidate the Beast King Legions, which was tantamount to interfering in foreign affairs.
Yes, the Sun-Moon Empire committed atrocities first.
But setting that aside—was Shrek Academy without fault?
So, the Sun-Moon Empire sent an envoy to "question" the Sea God Pavilion. Of course, it couldn't be too direct, but their hostility was clear.
The Sun-Moon Empire's delegation passed through the Star Luo Empire.
Originally, Star Luo didn't want to allow it, but the Sun-Moon Empire deployed its Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion to the border—a clear threat.
In the end, Star Luo had to swallow its pride.
The Sun-Moon delegation moved about the Star Luo Empire openly, ignoring the disdain of its soul masters—almost as if begging to be killed.
They may as well have stuck "troublemaker" signs on their foreheads.
Though Star Luo didn't officially escort them, it still handled many issues behind the scenes.
With this diplomatic bombshell on their hands, Star Luo gladly threw the problem to Shrek Academy.
After much drama, the Sun-Moon delegation finally arrived at Shrek Academy—after a two-week journey.
Shrek Academy hadn't even begun to hold the Sun Moon Empire accountable, yet the empire had already sent an envoy—and they came with ill intentions.
This provoked Shrek Academy's fury.
So naturally, Shrek Academy paid the envoy no mind.
They went about their business as usual.
They dispatched Zhang Lexuan and other members of the Inspection Corps to the Douling Empire to help clear out the zombie legion and hunt down the Death God Envoy.
Even the Elders themselves took action, investigating the movements of other Beast King legions to prevent another catastrophe like what befell the Douling Empire.
When the Sun Moon Empire's envoy arrived at Shrek Academy, not a single person came to greet them. They were blocked at the gate by guards, and even after being reported, they had to wait until dusk to be allowed in to meet with the academy's so-called upper echelon.
But those "high-level" figures were nothing more than department heads like Du Weilin. Not even a vice-dean bothered to show. The conversation was dismissive and perfunctory, and the envoy was ultimately housed in the most casual manner.
Shrek Academy's disdain and dominance were on full display.
Because they had the confidence to back it up.
They wouldn't hesitate to go to war with the Sun Moon Empire if needed.
Even the soldiers assigned to escort the envoy were furious.
Yet the four representatives of the envoy remained calm, as if they had anticipated everything.
These four were hand-picked by Xu Tianchen himself. Their talents included:
Reading people,
Diplomatic manipulation,
Dark psychology,
The secrets of human nature…
Okay, those were just codenames. Their real identities were:
Thomas, martial soul: Man-Eating Tree. Capable of sensing biological states and deducing target individuals' conditions.
Chamberlain, martial soul: Wrist (his literal arm). A domineering personality and seasoned diplomat.
Sabrina, martial soul: Dark Element. She can sense malice in others.
Hawkins, martial soul: Psychic Force. An abstract martial soul with little combat capability, but excellent for sensing and influencing the emotions and mental states of sentient beings.
Of the four, only Chamberlain had originally been a diplomat. Xu Tianchen went to great lengths to gather the other three:
Thomas and Sabrina were once holy servants of a Holy Spirit sect branch.
Hawkins had been a professional con artist in the criminal underworld. Had Xu Tianchen not pulled him out, he'd still be rotting in prison—or worse, turned into a research specimen.
Their individual combat abilities weren't impressive—just Soul King level, and most of them had advanced through drug-assisted cultivation.
But together, they formed a formidable diplomatic team. Even the best negotiators of the Sun Moon Empire couldn't match their combined force.
After a trial run back in the empire, they were deployed to Shrek Academy.
Their true mission wasn't to gain any concessions—it was merely to distract Shrek Academy.
Even if they achieved nothing, just playing the role of a decoy was enough.
Xu Tianchen's real goal was to annoy Shrek Academy.
And if the envoy ended up in trouble? Even better—then the Sun Moon Empire would have a justified reason to escalate into war.
All four were loyal to Xu Tianchen to the bone, completely brainwashed, and unafraid of sacrifice.
When Huo Yuhao received the news, he was still in the Douling Empire. He had originally planned to return to the Sea God's Pavilion, but the Elders informed him that it wasn't necessary—for now.
The envoy from the Sun Moon Empire had arrived. If the Pavilion Master (Huo Yuhao) returned now, it might make it seem like Shrek Academy was afraid of the Sun Moon Empire.
So staying away and ignoring the envoy was the best course of action.
It just so happened that he could team up with Zhang Lexuan and the others to deal with the zombie legion.
His plan to return and continue refining the Golden Ancient Tree had to be temporarily shelved.
But there was still much to gain in the Douling Empire.
After the catastrophe, many opportunities had become ownerless. All Huo Yuhao needed to do was pick and choose as he aided the battle against the zombie legion.
Especially the scattered fortune energy—all of it became nourishment for him.
The zombie legion wasn't easy to deal with. On the surface, it looked like Shrek Academy had sent a powerful team, but realistically, the Inspection Corps alone couldn't completely eliminate the threat.
And as the mastermind behind the scenes, Huo Yuhao wouldn't allow the zombie legion to be destroyed so easily either.
Most of the zombies were soul zombies nurtured by the Death God Envoy. They had high combat power—at minimum, the physical strength of a Soul Sage. Combined with remnants of their soul master powers, they could fight enemies one rank above themselves.
There were even Titled Douluo-level combatants, possibly even Super Douluo.
Naturally, the legion also included ordinary zombies who had been infected and turned. Without the conditions to become Emperor-level Thunder Soul Zombies, these zombies mostly existed as cannon fodder—but even they had the strength of a Grand Soul Master.
Regular people died only to become disposable.
Sometimes, that fated outcome felt like a hand pressing against your throat, suffocating and inescapable.
Right now, members of the Inspection Corps were beginning to feel that same pressure.
Initially, it was just Huo Yuhao and the five women including Ma Xiaotao holding back the zombie horde. The strain was intense—they couldn't stop the spread and often had to retreat.
The Douling Empire could only rely on remnants of their military to guard against mass expansion. They had no strength to counterattack.
Their current policy was: as long as the zombie legion stays within Lingdou City, we won't intervene.
But the Inspection Corps didn't have that luxury.
Once Zhang Lexuan arrived with reinforcements, Huo Yuhao's group could finally try to go on the offensive. Ordinary zombies were manageable, but the soul zombies were another story—extremely hard to kill and dangerous.
Even after days of hard fighting, they had yet to find a single trace of Death God Envoy. They couldn't even get close to Lingdou City.
Frustration began to mount.
But their duty kept them from giving up. They continued to press on, because every zombie destroyed meant one less threat. Dripping water can eventually wear down stone—they believed they would ultimately win.
Until this day.
Hua Yao and Wu Ming were out with Huo Yuhao, exterminating a group of zombies when they found two powerful soul zombies among them.
After wiping out the fodder, they engaged the stronger targets. But these two soul zombies had the physical strength of Titled Douluo, making them extremely difficult to destroy.
Then, Hua Yao got a clear look at one of their faces—and froze in place, eyes wide with disbelief.
Because that face belonged to a once-inner court disciple of Shrek Academy...
And the man she had once secretly loved.
Do you still remember those two male students from the inner court who tried to take down the Death God Envoy when he was building his zombie army in the Star Luo Empire?
They were Gu Fan, Hua Yao's love interest in the original story, and Chu Qingtian, Wu Ming's romantic partner.
The four of them had once formed a team together and remained on good terms, still occasionally teaming up for missions.
Chu Qingtian had feelings for Wu Ming, but Wu Ming didn't deeply love him. They were more than friends, but not quite lovers. Wu Ming felt anger and sadness at his death, but not heartbreak.
Gu Fan and Hua Yao were different. They had a mutual, unspoken love for each other and were just waiting for the right opportunity to express it. Both had planned to confess their feelings at the next Sea God Fate event. But before that could happen, Gu Fan tragically died on his way back to the academy—his body never found.
The blow to Hua Yao was devastating. Filled with regret, she even had thoughts of dying alongside him.
Thankfully, Wu Ming stayed by her side, helping her let go of those dangerous thoughts, though her heart still burned with hatred.
Now, revenge is the only thing keeping Hua Yao fighting and growing stronger.
She's willing to pay any price to become stronger, constantly pushing herself in training and frequently seeking out ways to enhance her power in the library.
If not for her strong moral compass, her obsession might have led her down the path of an evil soul master.
Wu Ming not only accompanied her but also watched over her to make sure she didn't cross that line.
When it came to hunting zombies, Hua Yao was the most intense and aggressive—because Gu Fan had been killed by zombies.
What they never expected was that during a mission to eliminate a zombie squad, they would see Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian again.
But they were no longer the same.
Both had been turned into zombies.
They were now enemies.
Students of Shrek Academy's inner court are elite. Even though Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian were only Soul Emperors, their potential was extraordinary.
Naturally, their bodies wouldn't be wasted.
Though more resources and time were needed, the Death God Envoy cultivated them into even stronger soul zombies.
Now, both possess physical strength rivaling that of a Titled Douluo.
Even their martial souls had been partially retained.
Gu Fan's martial soul was the Azure Sky Blade, a top-tier water-attribute assault-type weapon soul, giving him control over water.
After becoming a soul zombie, this power fused into his arms, turning them into razor-sharp blades filled with a disgusting, body-corrupting toxic fluid.
Chu Qingtian's martial soul was the Lightning Crazy Leopard, a top-tier speed-type beast soul with lightning attributes. While not good at offensive lightning attacks, it greatly boosted his speed—he had ranked among the top in the inner court for that.
As a soul zombie, his martial soul merged into his body, giving him leopard-like features and enhanced speed. Combined with his zombie body's durability, he was even more threatening.
During a mission led by Huo Yuhao, accompanied by Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, Wu Ming, Xiao Xiao, and the newly joined Meng Hongchen—seven in total—they encountered a zombie squad.
Hua Yao immediately spotted Gu Fan among the zombies.
"That's Gu Fan. Even if he's become a zombie, I'd recognize him anywhere," she said mournfully.
Wu Ming needed several looks before recognizing Chu Qingtian by Gu Fan's side.
Chu Qingtian's transformation was far more drastic.
"You're kidding, right? That's Chu Qingtian?!"
Wu Ming's mood flipped to fury.
"Damn it! How could he? How dare he?! Using people from Shrek Academy to make zombies?! Damn him! He deserves to die!"
"Death God Envoy, you're unforgivable!"
It was no secret that the Death God Envoy controlled the zombies and was behind the zombie army.
After all, he had openly led his soul zombies in an assault on Shrek Academy. If Shrek hadn't figured out his methods by now, its reputation would be a joke.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, also recognizing Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian, were filled with rage, wanting to tear the Death God Envoy apart.
Xiao Xiao and Meng Hongchen shared their fury.
All the other zombies were quickly dealt with—only Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian remained.
It wasn't that Huo Yuhao couldn't destroy them, but their identities made it hard for him to strike the final blow.
So he chose to freeze them with his Ultimate Ice and bring them back to the Inspection Corps' base for judgment.
After Zhang Lexuan led the Inspection Corps to the Dou Ling Empire, they took over a town near Lingdou City as their base.
The Inspection Corps wasn't made up only of inner court students; it also included Shrek Academy's backbone forces. Over 50 came, all at least Soul Emperor-level.
Among the Titled Douluo were Huo Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and two others.
Shrek's Titled Douluo weren't limited to the main cast—some held key positions or managed industries, like Gong Changlong.
Even Wang Yan showed up, likely due to Han Ruoruo's presence.
At this point, it wasn't wrong to say the Inspection Corps and the zombie army were at war.
Of course, the Dou Ling Empire didn't sit idle.
Though it lacked the strength to retake Lingdou City, it still provided the corps with intel and supplies, along with a stationed military unit for support.
This army, composed of regular soldiers, wasn't effective against zombies, but could handle logistics or small zombie groups.
Why not more help? Because the Dou Ling Empire had no reinforcements left.
When Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian were brought to the town, the entire Inspection Corps was shaken.
Some were angry, some mournful, others simply sighed…
Undoubtedly, this was a direct challenge to Shrek Academy and a blow to morale. But it also ignited fury in many.
Among them, Xu Sanshi told Cao Jinxuan and his squad:
"If I ever get infected or can't escape, destroy my body. I don't want to become something that disgusting—or worse, turn my claws on my own comrades."
The others were moved and all solemnly agreed, voicing similar thoughts.
They didn't fear death—but feared becoming zombies afterward.
The Inspection Corps had come to understand corpse poison well—it turned living beings into zombies.
After arriving, they formed multiple teams to attack the zombie forces from different directions.
Xu Sanshi was part of a seven-man squad made up of inner court students.
Huo Yuhao's squad also had seven members—his original team, plus Meng Hongchen.
At that moment, a stir swept through the Corps.
Zhang Lexuan had arrived, flanked by four maids.
She managed the town, oversaw missions, and sometimes joined battles—she was busy and exhausted.
But when she heard about Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian, she dropped everything and rushed over.
After seeing their zombie forms, she sighed—knowing they were beyond saving. Understanding Gu Fan's bond with Hua Yao, she left the decision to her.
Should they stay frozen—or be destroyed?
Hua Yao had been silent on the way back, but upon hearing Xu Sanshi and the others speak, she quickly made up her mind.
"I don't want them to exist in such an ugly form. It's an insult to who they were. I want their bodies destroyed!"
Wu Ming nodded beside her. "I support Yaoyao's decision!"
Death God Envoy: Where are my precious zombie babies?
Promising Soul Zombies -2
In the end, Wu Ming personally acted, using the True Flames of the Golden Crow to burn the bodies of Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian to ashes.
Soul zombies, after all, are still within the category of zombies. Unless under special circumstances, they naturally fear lightning and fire. On the Douluo Continent, they are also countered by light attributes and divine powers.
Huo Yuhao didn't say much.
Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian, if nurtured properly, had the potential to become Super Douluo-level combat forces—but that was their ceiling. Their potential went only so far.
While it was possible to forcefully raise their combat level to that of Limit Douluo by pouring in massive resources, the cost-effectiveness wouldn't be worth it, and they certainly couldn't go any further.
Unless they, like the Douling Emperor, were stacked with outrageous buffs.
Still, the loss of the soul zombies could be compensated for in other ways.
"Anyway, Wu Ming and Hua Yao, you both owe me two Super Douluos~" Huo Yuhao murmured to himself.
In truth, Huo Yuhao wasn't particularly concerned about the loss of the zombie army. Besides, Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian weren't the only soul zombies to fall—others at Titled Douluo level had already been eliminated, some even by Huo Yuhao himself.
After all, soul zombies weren't invincible. Ordinary zombies couldn't stop the power of the Inspection Squad.
Now, the zombie army's purpose was to stall the Inspection Squad and buy time for the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie's transformation.
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie had immense potential and could possibly break through to the god level. Huo Yuhao was already considering whether to let one of the mid-level or upper-level corpses inhabit its body.
He was very tempted!
Originally, Huo Yuhao planned to have the middle and upper zombies possess targets with strong martial soul bloodlines. Even if their talent wasn't great, they could still be reconditioned using secret techniques in the future.
But the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie's attributes were too enticing. Even if its martial soul bloodline wasn't exceptionally strong, it was far from a weakness.
So Huo Yuhao decided to wait and see if the Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie could complete its transformation. If it succeeded, then it would be the chosen vessel.
Considering Douluo Continent's circumstances, whether the transformation could succeed was still unknown.
Human soul masters had no issues progressing, but non-human entities had to account for heavenly tribulations.
The Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie was no longer considered human—whether it would be judged as a soul beast was still uncertain.
...
The Inspection Squad's mission continued.
Huo Yuhao led his team to keep hunting small groups of zombies, training the other members.
Compared to other teams, Huo Yuhao's team was of high quality.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng had both reached level 80 after the Goddess of Love's trials and had received divine-granted 100,000-year eighth soul rings.
When they absorbed their divine rings, they both already had more than four soul bones, all of high age, so they had no problem absorbing a 100,000-year divine ring.
Hua Yao and Wu Ming were still Soul Saints but not far from reaching Soul Douluo.
Xiao Xiao was also at the Soul Saint level but still had some distance from the Soul Douluo realm.
The latest addition, Meng Hongchen, had a slightly higher soul power level than Xiao Xiao.
At level 70, she was strong enough to lead her own team, yet she stayed with Huo Yuhao, clearly to receive his guidance.
With Huo Yuhao's current abilities, he was fully capable of instructing the others in cultivation—especially in combat skills and techniques.
Shrek Academy needed more powerful individuals to handle the upcoming chaos across the continent—just in case.
Therefore, disciples with talent and higher strength received special instruction.
And Huo Yuhao was chosen to be their mentor.
To even qualify for Huo Yuhao's guidance, level 70 was just the minimum threshold.
Still, it was unclear whether the elders were choosing him solely for his teaching ability—or something more.
Due to the loss of Gu Fan and Chu Qingtian, both Wu Ming and Hua Yao were in low spirits, with Wu Ming becoming unusually silent.
Thankfully, this didn't affect their effectiveness in zombie elimination missions.
But fate can be fickle—like a sausage stuffed within another sausage.
"Look what I've found. A wild Sea God Pavilion Master—worth six times the identity of other Pavilion members."
A hoarse voice with a mocking tone echoed in the ears of every team member.
Everyone instantly became alert and scanned their surroundings—but found no enemies.
Only Huo Yuhao looked up to the sky. There, a zombie dragon soared, and atop its head stood a black-robed figure—none other than the Death God Envoy!
As the Death God Envoy descended, thick black death energy engulfed the sky, blotting out the sun—turning day into night in an instant.
And with the arrival of darkness, countless zombies began crawling out from underground—some directly beneath their feet.
The squad quickly activated soul tools or spirit-attached themselves and flew into the air.
Huo Yuhao snorted coldly and released Ultimate Ice below, freezing large portions of the ground and sealing the zombies still emerging from the earth.
Soon, the area was surrounded by dense numbers of zombies—trapping Huo Yuhao's team in the middle of frozen ground.
Above them hovered the Death God Envoy on his zombie dragon—clearly a carefully laid trap.
Among everyone, the angriest were Wu Ming and Hua Yao. Hua Yao couldn't suppress her fury and charged at the Death God Envoy without hesitation.
"Yao Yao! No!" Wu Ming's expression changed as she rushed after her.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng followed closely behind.
Meng Hongchen and Xiao Xiao exchanged glances—one used a soul tool, and the other summoned her spirit to provide long-range support.
The six women fought with impeccable coordination and fierce attacks—but the sheer gap in power made their resistance seem like moths flying into flames.
The zombie dragon exhaled a blast of breath—a Titled Douluo-level attack—that slowed their assault.
Only through the combined efforts of Ma Xiaotao and Wu Ming, unleashing their fire elements together, could they barely block the dragon's casual breath.
Hua Yao gradually regained her senses—realizing she had acted rashly. But with no turning back, she decisively activated her seventh soul ring.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Lotus True Body!"
The Lotus True Body emerged, radiating a soft glow that dispelled the surrounding death energy—bringing relief to everyone in its radius.
Ling Luocheng also acted.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Elemental Ice True Body!"
"Eighth Soul Skill: Extreme Cold Ice Curtain!"
Ice elements filled the sky, creating a dome that rivaled the death energy in intensity.
Although only an eight-ring soul master, Ling Luocheng's explosive power now rivaled that of a Titled Douluo.
That was the power of a 100,000-year divine-granted soul ring!
While it didn't increase soul power and only granted one skill, it was perfectly suited to the soul master.
Under the Ice Curtain, ice became the ruler of heaven and earth.
Huo Yuhao glanced at his palm—even his Ultimate Ice was affected, becoming more active.
And they weren't done yet.
After blocking the zombie dragon's breath, Wu Ming and Ma Xiaotao exchanged glances and simultaneously activated their martial soul true bodies:
"Seventh Soul Skill: Phoenix True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill: Golden Crow True Body!"
The martial soul true body battle had begun!
Hua Yao: "Three, two, one—team fight!"
The four true forms of martial souls surrounded and attacked the Death God Envoy and the Zombie Dragon. In the rear, Xiaoxiao played the Nine Phoenix Arrival Flute, while the Trinity Soul-Suppressing Cauldron loomed menacingly. Meng Hongchen's soul-guided cannon never stopped firing, leaving noticeable damage on the Zombie Dragon.
At this moment, relying solely on the power of the six women, it seemed they could actually stand toe-to-toe with the Death God Envoy and the Zombie Dragon.
This unexpected parity was mainly due to the ice element unleashed by Ling Luochen's martial soul, which counteracted the death aura emanating from the Death God Envoy.
The amplification granted by a 100,000-year soul ring was evident—it could even allow a Soul Douluo to erupt with power rivaling a Title Douluo.
But it was just an eruption.
Eruption didn't mean sustainability.
Death God Envoy sneered.
If it were just the Zombie Dragon, there was indeed a chance it could be slain here. But the Zombie Dragon still carried him on its back.
As soul power surged around him, six black and three red—nine soul rings—appeared around the Death God Envoy.
He, too, was a soul zombie—currently the most perfect and powerful one!
Besides the strength of his zombie body, his martial soul had been enhanced, and the quality of his soul rings had been further improved through secret arts.
At this moment, the power he displayed had already reached the realm of a Super Douluo!
A surge of death aura burst from his body, completely suppressing Ling Luochen's ice element.
Simultaneously, corpse aura erupted from his body and fused with the death aura, covering a vast area like a domain.
This fusion created an effect akin to a domain. Though not a true one, it was just as terrifying: any living being that entered this area would be corroded by death and corpse energy, their strength weakened, and they even risked being turned into corpse puppets.
Before the six women could react, the Death God Envoy activated his ninth soul ring.
"Ninth Soul Skill — Death's Touch!"
"Watch out for that move! The academy has records of it!" Huo Yuhao urgently warned.
The girls immediately understood.
The last time the Death God Envoy invaded Shrek Academy, he caused tremendous damage—but in doing so, he also revealed much about his abilities.
Death aura and corpse aura twisted and merged, forming countless tendrils that lashed toward the six women, like demonic hands from hell, trying to drag them into an abyss.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's warning, they managed to regroup and defend in time. Ling Luochen summoned a dome of ice around them to resist the encroaching tendrils from every direction.
However, the ice element was being rapidly consumed—this was only a temporary solution.
But it was enough.
Because Huo Yuhao had already charged into the icy barrier.
The next second, a dazzling ice-blue pillar of light shot into the sky—a clear sign of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
As the pillar rose, the power of Ultimate Ice fully blossomed, dispelling the death and corpse aura. In the blink of an eye, the world became an icebound realm.
This was Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen's Martial Soul Fusion Skill:
Frozen World!
Its power was terrifying.
"What is this power? The strongest among you should only be ordinary Title Douluos—how can you unleash such strength?!" Death God Envoy cried out in shock.
Even his black robe was covered in frost and frozen into ice crystals.
The Zombie Dragon was completely frozen into a statue, crashing to the ground with a thud, buried beneath the snow.
The surrounding zombie horde was also frozen solid, losing all combat ability.
Only Ma Xiaotao and the others were spared—thanks to Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen's careful control—but even so, they shivered from the cold.
"So cold," Wu Ming said with a shiver. "But there's no way Death God Envoy can escape this time."
"This temperature is really unfriendly for fire-type soul masters," Ma Xiaotao agreed, though she wasn't really complaining.
Huo Yuhao had fusion skills with both her and Ling Luochen, but among them, Frozen World was the most powerful.
Because this fusion skill allowed the full might of his Ultimate Ice to transcend its limits.
According to Xuanzi, this soul fusion skill could rival even an Extreme Douluo.
Xiaoxiao and Meng Hongchen were both in awe.
"Every time I see that fusion skill, I'm amazed," Xiaoxiao said. "So jealous—I wish I had one with Yuhao too."
"..." Meng Hongchen nodded silently.
As a fellow ice-element soul master, she deeply felt the overwhelming strength of the fusion technique.
Only Hua Yao stood quietly, expressionless, gazing blankly at the icy sky. Slowly, her eyes dimmed and a flicker of sorrow flashed through them.
She wanted revenge—but she had dragged her friends into danger, only to have Huo Yuhao save them all.
"I really am too weak... I can't do anything at all!"
The appearance of Death God Envoy, and her failed revenge, had deeply shaken Hua Yao.
Only Wu Ming, who knew her best, noticed this. But she didn't know how to comfort her—so she simply pulled Hua Yao into a protective hug.
The girls remained protected within the icy sphere.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen were already locked in battle with Death God Envoy.
Death God Envoy's black robe shattered, revealing a body no longer human—a red-haired, beast-like creature. More disturbingly, his once-stiff joints were now flexible and bendable.
He had become a Hairy Zombie—a terrifyingly powerful kind of zombie.
But in the face of the fusion skill Frozen World, all he could do was defend or flee.
Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen had already become one with the blizzard. As their power surged, deadly hailstones rained from the sky, each one carrying the might of a ten-thousand-year soul skill. They cratered the ground and smashed frozen zombies to pieces—including the Zombie Dragon.
Death God Envoy roared, his ninth soul ring lighting up again.
"Ninth Soul Skill — Breath of Death!"
He opened his mouth and spewed thick black mist composed of corpse and death energy. This corrosive mist devoured the hailstones.
But it was only a stalling tactic.
Next, the Death God Envoy raised his hand and unleashed a self-created soul skill.
"Corpse Explosion!"
Every zombie on the ground—intact or shattered—began to swell unnaturally. Even Ultimate Ice couldn't keep them frozen.
Then, to everyone's horror, three seconds later, an ear-shattering series of explosions shook the land.
The earth trembled like a dragon rolling beneath it. The shockwaves extended far—reaching even the town where the monitoring team was stationed.
Zhang Lexuan, who was overseeing the town, immediately rushed out with several other experts toward the epicenter of the tremor.