With this, the members of the Inspection Team from the Douling Empire were completely cut off from the outside world.
The Inspection Team wasn't destroyed, but it was besieged by a vast army of zombies, losing all ability to communicate with the outside.
The deaths of two elders dealt a heavy blow to the team's morale, and the only reason they hadn't fallen into chaos was due to their overall high quality and discipline.
Fortunately, the zombie army didn't launch an assault, only surrounding without attacking, allowing the team to survive.
Still, everyone in the Inspection Team lived in constant fear, under the looming threat of death. All they could do was wait for Zhang Lexuan to recover her strength and attempt a breakout.
As for Huo Yuhao, his attitude was: "Since the Inspection Team went out, there's no need for them to return. Besides, their involvement in what comes next would only complicate things."
Sea God's Pavilion
Jiang Nannan eventually approached Huo Yuhao, asking to train a Martial Soul Fusion Technique with him.
"Huh? Is that really possible?" Huo Yuhao looked hesitant.
"If you can form Fusion Techniques with so many other senior sisters, then why not me too?" Jiang Nannan said with confidence.
"Nannan-jie, what makes you so sure?"
Jiang Nannan blushed but insisted, "Don't overthink it. Just try it with me first."
And so, the two pressed their palms together and began with the first step—soul power fusion.
Unsurprisingly, they failed. Their soul powers simply couldn't blend.
This left Jiang Nannan a bit disappointed, but she didn't give up. From then on, she visited Huo Yuhao daily to try again—more punctual than a clock-in at work.
Huo Yuhao didn't mind. During their time training together, the bond between them grew stronger.
In fact, there was a special reason why Jiang Nannan couldn't fuse soul power with him.
It wasn't just with Huo Yuhao—anyone who hadn't earned Jiang Nannan's full recognition couldn't fuse soul power with her.
This was the result of the Love God Trial.
Perhaps the elders' earlier speculations weren't wrong. The key to developing a Fusion Technique didn't lie in the other person, but in Jiang Nannan herself.
During their joint training, Huo Yuhao also tried subtle techniques to influence her thoughts and emotions. However, he hadn't expected that the Love God Trial had left behind divine protection that blocked his interference.
If it weren't for Huo Yuhao's superior control and ability to pull back quickly, Jiang Nannan might have noticed something.
This discovery intrigued Huo Yuhao, but he didn't press further. He wasn't in a rush.
The days that followed were peaceful and leisurely for Huo Yuhao. Each day he either refined the Golden Ancient Tree or meditated on his own power. Occasionally, he'd visit his close brother Bei Bei. And with Jiang Nannan, a beauty, constantly at his side, it was truly a tranquil and blissful time.
Of course, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er often came to visit as well. With Qian Duoduo still unconscious, Xian Lin'er had grown increasingly unrestrained, while Cai Mei'er, not wanting to be outdone, had become noticeably bolder. Often, it was she who crossed the line first.
Then, just when life seemed calm, a new piece of news arrived at Shrek Academy, shattering Huo Yuhao's peace.
The news came from the Heaven Soul Empire.
Sea God's Pavilion quickly convened a small meeting.
"The Heaven Soul Empire was attacked by the evil soul master Compassionate Demon, resulting in the deaths of numerous princes. The Heaven Soul Emperor, overcome with grief and rage, suffered a fatal heart attack.
After discussions among the imperial family and court officials, it was decided that Princess Wei Na would succeed the throne and become the next Soul-Heaven Empress!"
As Elder Lin finished reading the message, everyone in Sea God's Pavilion exchanged confused looks.
A female emperor? Again?
Because of the shock of yet another empress ascending, everyone momentarily overlooked the far more sinister news—the reappearance of Compassionate Demon.
"Wei Na is ascending the throne? With what credentials?" Xian Lin'er blurted out.
The Douling royal family had no suitable successor. The Star Luo royal family had long been overthrown. But now Wei Na? Was her ascension also illegitimate?
After all, with only the emperor and princes dead, how could the other royals with succession rights willingly hand the throne to Wei Na?
"Lin'er!" Elder Song chided Xian Lin'er, urging her to show respect. "She's about to become an empress. Don't be disrespectful."
Elder Lin continued with an explanation:
"Wei Na was able to become empress due to the support of the Body Sect. According to Shrek Academy's intelligence network, she has joined the Body Sect and become a disciple of Du Busi.
If she ascends the throne, the Body Sect may align with the Heaven Soul Empire, with Du Busi acting as its guardian deity."
This revelation only raised more questions than answers.
"Du Busi accepted her as a disciple? Could it be… is Wei Na a twin martial soul user? Does she have a body-type martial soul?" Cai Mei'er exclaimed.
That seemed like the most plausible reason.
Given how exclusive the Body Sect was, if she weren't a body-type soul master, she wouldn't have even gotten in—princess or not. Even emperors were turned away without hesitation.
Only if Wei Na possessed a second, body-type martial soul would this all make sense.
Apparently, Wei Na's identity as a disciple of the Body Sect had been well-hidden from Shrek Academy, and they certainly hadn't known she was a twin-soul master.
Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, and the elders all instinctively looked toward Huo Yuhao—only to find his eyes clear and expression blank.
They suddenly remembered—Huo Yuhao's memories of Wei Na had been erased. So now, he truly knew nothing.
Yet once, he and Wei Na had been partners for a Martial Soul Fusion Technique. To function properly, such a partnership required deep trust and no secrets. That likely meant the old Huo Yuhao had helped her hide the truth.
Considering what he had learned from Elder Mu about the conduct of a gentleman, it wouldn't be out of character for him to do so.
Now that Huo Yuhao was head of the Sea God's Pavilion, and the past was the past, no one could reproach him for it anymore.
So, everyone quietly averted their gaze.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and acted confused.
"With the Body Sect's support, everything makes sense," Yan Shaozhe said, changing the topic. "Ahem, the Heaven Soul Empire is on guard against the Sun-Moon Empire and desperately needs allies.
If they can gain the Body Sect's help, then Wei Na's rise to empress is understandable."
"And… the Body Sect likely wants to use the Heaven Soul Empire to reemerge on the world stage. This is a mutual decision. We have no grounds to interfere."
Yan Shaozhe was still recovering from his injuries and occasionally coughed while speaking.
Cai Mei'er gently patted his back each time, looking every bit the devoted wife. Even Yan Shaozhe himself believed this appearance.
But probably only Huo Yuhao, Xian Lin'er, and Han Ruoruo far away in the Douling Empire knew the kind of contrast Cai Mei'er showed behind closed doors.
"Indeed, Shaozhe makes a good point," Elder Lin nodded.
"What we really need to discuss is how to deal with the future Heaven Soul Empire and the reappearance of Compassionate Demon."
The Heaven Soul Empire and Body Sect were enjoying their honeymoon period—but Shrek Academy had always been at odds with the Body Sect.
And Compassionate Demon had once murdered Shrek's Inner Court students. That was a debt that had to be repaid.
In the end, during the Sea God Pavilion meeting, although the elders had differing opinions, they all essentially meant the same thing: We can't do anything, so we'll remain neutral and quietly stay beautiful on our own.
Meeting adjourned!
Huo Yuhao returned to his room and brewed himself a cup of tea using tender leaves from the Golden Ancient Tree, savoring it with satisfaction.
The matter of the Heavenly Soul Empire was, of course, related to him.
But without him lifting a finger, the Earth Dragon sect and the Body Sect had already helped him carry out his plan.
All those princes had been dealt with personally by Nan Shuishui.
As for the Heavenly Soul Emperor, he had actually died from poisoning.
In the Heavenly Soul Empire, the strongest poison spirit master was none other than Du Bushi (Undying Poison), right?
To this end, Du Bushi came out of seclusion to specially concoct a unique poison, which he handed over to Long Aotian. Long Aotian then passed it to Nan Shuishui, who gave it to Yu Mengdi, and finally it reached Xing Nian Ci.
A perfect chain of outsourcing.
Fortunately, the poison was delivered intact.
Du Bushi couldn't be bothered to administer the poison himself, Long Aotian wasn't cunning enough to do it, and Nan Shuishui didn't get the chance—thankfully Yu Mengdi found a suitable person for the job.
As the royal physician, Xing Nian Ci naturally had easy access to the Emperor and could administer the poison. Even during the "autopsy," she personally erased all the remaining clues.
And just like that, Wei Na, who had successfully completed a second awakening of her Body Martial Soul within the Body Sect and had advanced to Soul Douluo level while striving toward Titled Douluo, was dumbfounded to find herself kicked out of the sect—to return home and inherit the throne.
Of course, Wei Na was no obedient girl. Even though she had lost her memories of Huo Yuhao, he had left behind influences in her mind that subtly affected her thinking.
And without emotional attachment, Wei Na had become the most ruthless and cold-blooded empress of all.
After ascending the throne, Wei Na sought absolute power—she wanted to surpass all former emperors.
Currently, she was preparing to clean out the harem and royal clan, eliminating those who dared point fingers at her.
Right then, Yu Mengdi and Nan Shuishui approached her, offering cooperation and help in "transporting personnel."
As for the corpses of the Heavenly Soul Emperor and his princes, they were naturally disposed of in secret. The Emperor's corpse, in particular, was sent to the Corpse God, becoming his seventh soul ring:
The Zombie Soul Ring of the Heavenly Soul Emperor.
His martial soul had been a rare one: Frost—which granted the Corpse God the power to control snow and ice, and even influence weather phenomena.
The Heavenly Soul and Douling royal families were both branches from the original Tian Dou royal family. However, apart from the Swan Martial Soul, the Douling royals hadn't inherited the main line. The Heavenly Soul royals had inherited the legitimate legacy and much of the Tian Dou Empire's resources—but not its martial soul.
The martial souls passed down in the Heavenly Soul royal family weren't a specific single type, but rather a category known as the Weather Martial Souls.
There were six types: Wind, Cloud, Mist, Rain, Snow, and Frost.
They weren't classified as tool or elemental martial souls because, beyond projecting their elemental powers, they could actually affect the weather.
These weather-type martial souls gave the Heavenly Soul royal family significant strength and played a major role in governing the empire.
In the original story, Mo Yunfei and Mu Xue, who had gone on a soul hunt with Wei Na, had the martial souls of Cloud and Snow, both being of royal lineage.
Wei Na's Snow Lotus Martial Soul was a mutated fusion of her parents' martial souls.
Her Brain Martial Soul, however, was purely awakened by chance, since Body Martial Souls are not inheritable—though twins can sometimes awaken identical ones.
Even when descendants inherit the same body location for their martial soul, mutations are common.
Still, the descendants of those with awakened Body Martial Souls are indeed more likely to awaken one themselves.
Of course, martial soul and abilities aside, the most important part of this seventh soul ring was that it came with the power of a True Martial Soul Avatar—and the Corpse God's avatar was the Imperial Avatar.
With the power of three imperial zombies fused into it, the Corpse God's Imperial Avatar was immensely powerful—so much so that it gave off the illusion of being the true earthly emperor, invincible and unshakable.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a bit of regret that the former Sun-Moon Emperor had been "kindly and filially" dealt with by Xu Tiancheng and his son. If they'd had four emperors, the Corpse God's avatar might have reached another level.
But what truly mattered for the Imperial Avatar wasn't how many emperors' corpses it incorporated—it was how much Dragon Qi it could draw upon.
And currently, the amount of Dragon Qi gathered by the Corpse God already far surpassed the three empresses, second only to Xu Tiancheng.
Quite an impressive feat.
…
At present, all four great empires had fallen under Huo Yuhao's control—he was practically the true master of the Douluo Continent.
"Practically" because some places still resisted, such as the ocean, the soul beast forests, and Shrek Academy.
Even so, the continent's fortune had undergone another dramatic change.
When Wei Na fully stabilized her reign—
A tremor shook the golden field of fortune above Huo Yuhao's head, cracking it open, and a figure emerged—another Huo Yuhao, glowing completely in gold, a being entirely made from fortune!
This golden Huo Yuhao stood with the Douluo Continent's map beneath his feet, absorbed into the golden fortune field. Above his head floated auspicious clouds, displaying various phenomena. Upon closer inspection, they were projections of the martial souls of his key subordinates:
—The Sun Martial Soul of the Corpse God's assistant
—The Imperial Zombie Martial Soul of the Corpse God himself
—The Star Crown Martial Soul of Xu Jiujiu
—The Snow Lotus Martial Soul of Wei Na
—The Swan Martial Soul of Xue hui
—The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul of Ning Tian
Together, they were shepherding the world for Huo Yuhao!
When Huo Yuhao saw this golden version of himself, understanding dawned:
"Human Dao Fortune? Fortune Gold Body?!"
He'd heard of the Merit Gold Body before—but this Fortune Gold Body, what was it? And what was Human Dao Fortune?
The Merit Gold Body, also mockingly referred to as the "Moral Coercion Gold Body," could only be formed by those of great virtue and was a reward from the Heavenly Dao.
Anyone who attacked a Merit Gold Body would suffer karmic backlash, and killing such a person would incur massive karmic debt and likely provoke future Heavenly Dao retaliation.
It was far more terrifying than any reflective armor.
Moreover, virtue could be used to cultivate, allowing one to reach unimaginable realms.
But Huo Yuhao didn't have that. The Douluo Continent's world will didn't even issue such rewards.
However, as for the Fortune Gold Body, Huo Yuhao experimented with it and found that it functioned much like a stand-in clone.
It could serve as an external avatar, help him cultivate, and even had better talent than his original body, with a high likelihood of entering enlightenment states.
But that was just its basic ability.
Its true core power was: Everlasting Blessing.
This meant Huo Yuhao no longer needed any external items or powers to stabilize his fortune—it could no longer be stolen or influenced, rendering him immune to all evils and brimming with endless fortune.
From now on, even if he just sat at home, opportunities would come knocking.
Most importantly, the range of this fortune didn't only include Douluo Continent—but everywhere his fortune could reach!
In cultivation, few truly gained enlightenment—and even fewer succeeded in proving their path.
What most lacked was precisely fortune.
While fortune could be observed through certain methods, blessing or luck couldn't. All that could be known was—more fortune usually meant deeper blessings.
And many people, unaware, would act in ways that unknowingly eroded their own blessings.
The effect of Everlasting Blessing was that Huo Yuhao no longer had to worry about losing his luck—even if he massacred the entire Douluo Continent, it wouldn't matter.
As for Human Dao Fortune, it referred to the type of fortune Huo Yuhao possessed—it came mainly from living beings, and so was called Human Dao Fortune.
"Human" here didn't just mean humans—but all intelligent lifeforms with a 'personality', including soul beasts and sentient zombies.
In the end, Huo Yuhao's gaze landed on the golden Douluo Continent map beneath the golden clone's feet.
There were still a few blackened regions on the map.
Not very pleasant to look at~
Next Day
The Four Great Empires have officially declared an alliance!
Although there had been rumors beforehand, it wasn't until the Four Great Empires formally announced their union that the world's powers were shaken to the core. The announcement came without any preceding negotiations—it was a finalized result presented directly to the public.
Some of the slower factions were especially dumbfounded.
Wasn't the Sun-Moon Empire still at war with the other three not long ago?
How did they suddenly join forces?
Is this right? Is it reasonable? Does it make sense?
Clearly, something's fishy.
Some suspected that the Four Empires had long been in secret contact, and this so-called union had been premeditated. Others speculated that some special reason must have driven the sudden alliance.
After all, even the mighty Sea God Pavilion had once failed to achieve peace between the Sun-Moon Empire and the other three.
If something is abnormal, there's always a reason!
However, what puzzled everyone even more was the action taken by the Four Empires following their alliance.
Instead of quelling internal dissent or deepening their diplomatic ties, the Four Empires began—strangely in sync—dispatching troops to the soul beast forests within their territories.
There are two kinds of soul beast forests:
One, the ones where soul beasts are raised in captivity under human management;
Two, the untamed wilds—natural habitats where soul beasts live free from human interference.
Compared to ten thousand years ago, soul beast forests on the Douluo Continent have drastically diminished. Especially the domesticated ones meant for common soul masters—without the support of forces like the former Spirit Hall, they've either withered away or been taken over by private powers.
Only major powers now have the strength and resources to claim and maintain such forests.
The empires have also built small-scale soul beast forests for the benefit of civilian soul masters, but these are limited in size and soul beast variety.
As these domestic soul beast forests declined, more soul masters began venturing into the wild for soul rings.
With the evolution of soul master cultivation systems and the emergence of soul cores, the number of high-level soul masters has grown rapidly.
To acquire ideal soul rings, these advanced soul masters continue to explore deeper into large wild soul beast forests.
Consequently, human soul masters have penetrated further into soul beast territory than ever before, discovering more rare and powerful species.
Back then, humanity believed the Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape were the strongest beings in the Star Dou Great Forest—both being hundred-thousand-year soul beasts and regarded as its rulers.
But later, soul masters discovered they were merely gatekeepers. Above them existed even more terrifying "fierce beasts."
There were more hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest than one could count on both hands.
It was only because humanity was too weak before that they never uncovered the truth.
Naturally, increased human activity brought more conflict with soul beasts. Over the past ten millennia, the frequency and scale of beast tide attacks have only intensified.
Many factions were confused by the Four Empires' actions.
Aren't they afraid of triggering another beast tide?
The answer was simple: they're not afraid.
Because the Star Dou Great Forest was excluded from these operations.
And the powerful fierce beasts outside of Star Dou had already been "harvested" by Huo Yuhao.
Even if any slipped through the net, the current strength of the Four Empires was more than enough to deal with them.
Moreover, the Four Empires weren't aiming to exterminate the soul beasts.
Their goal was to explore the forests and plant flags in their cores.
These flags were personally crafted by Huo Yuhao from the branches of the Golden Ancient Tree and served as formation flags.
Behind the backs of the Sea God Pavilion elders, Huo Yuhao had been playing around quite a bit with the Golden Ancient Tree. By now, not only had the tree taken on his image, but it was also nearly worn out from all his "tinkering."
Fortunately, the Golden Ancient Tree had strong vitality and could still endure Yuhao's abuse.
The purpose of all this?
To complete the map beneath the Golden Body of Destiny—filling in the darkened regions of Douluo Continent.
As long as a flag was planted at the center of a soul beast forest, Yuhao could remotely tether it to his Destiny Map, bringing that region under his dominion.
Any who opposed this were silenced under an iron fist.
Wherever trouble arose within the Four Empires, at least one Limit Douluo-level combatant would step in to root it out.
The Sun-Moon Empire had Xu Tianchen.
The Heavenly Soul Empire had Du Busi.
The Dou Spirit Empire had the Corpse God.
And while the Star Luo Empire had no Limit Douluo, when the elders of the Zhu Clan acted together, even a typical Limit Douluo wouldn't stand a chance.
During these operations, several "survivors" were discovered—one of which turned out to be a hidden 300,000-year fierce beast.
That beast slaughtered the soul master team attempting to plant the flag.
The next day, Du Busi personally captured it alive and brought it back to the Body Sect—saving it for Long Aotian's ninth soul ring.
Why?
Because the beast was found near the border of the Heavenly Soul and Dou Spirit Empires—closer to the Heavenly Soul side.
The appearance of such a beast was merely one of many unexpected incidents.
In addition to fierce beasts, the campaign also triggered a wealth of opportunities—ancient ruins, rare minerals, powerful inheritances…
Some were monopolized by the Four Empires; others were distributed to loyal vassal families.
Naturally, many greedy factions wanted to get involved and grab a slice of the pie—some even dared to challenge the empires for a share.
At this point, the royal families of the Four Empires would step in to cordially introduce these factions to their most benevolent, pure-hearted Lord.
The last to submit—the royal family of the Heavenly Soul Empire—had already been fully vetted by Huo Yuhao.
Those willing to join would first memorize the doctrine, and through its teachings be subtly brainwashed.
Those unwilling to join could still "contribute"—by becoming talents to strengthen the Hao Emperor Banner.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Each day, Huo Yuhao could visibly see the dark areas of the Destiny Map shrinking, and his own fortune growing ever stronger.
It wasn't just soul beast forests—many soul master families and forces were being absorbed into the momentum of this era, consolidating power within the Four Empires.
Flags were even planted within numerous soul master clans.
Only a few hidden clans—such as the Clear Sky Sect—remained untouched.
By now, Huo Yuhao had even developed a fuzzy sensory connection to many aspects of the Douluo Continent.
Through the Destiny Map, he could perceive disasters, unrest, and the birth of new powerhouses across the land.
To say the Four Great Empires were completely under his control—would not be an exaggeration.
But that raises the question—
With all these changes in the Four Empires, how has Shrek Academy responded?
The answer:
They wanted to act—but couldn't.
Because the Sea God Pavilion had finally realized that they'd lost contact with the Surveillance Team. This caused serious alarm within the Pavilion.
If the entire team had been wiped out, then Shrek Academy would soon face a major decline.
With Xuan Zi, their strongest warrior, absent, the Pavilion elders assembled a team to investigate the Dou Spirit Empire.
Huo Yuhao, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er stayed behind to guard the Pavilion and the Academy.
They also ordered all external forces to withdraw and hunkered down to wait for the elders and the surveillance team to return.
At the same time, two elders went north to search for Xuan Zi and bring him back to support the Academy.
"Please rest assured, elders," said Huo Yuhao, "Shrek Academy is in my hands. Nothing will go wrong."
Huo Yuhao was currently contemplating a plot to have the Four Great Empires launch a joint assault on Shrek Academy.
Wouldn't that be even more thrilling than the Seven Sects besieging Bright Summit?
As for a reason to go to war—weren't there countless to choose from?
He didn't even need to fabricate one. Simply stating the truth of what Shrek Academy had done over the years was more than enough to justify an all-out attack.
Huo Yuhao had even finished writing the war declaration—only for an unexpected event to completely derail his plans.
Zhongli Wu had actually taken the initiative to approach Xu Tianchen. Not only was he no longer avoiding him, but he also brought with him Ye Xishui's Blood Soul Clone and Long Xiaoyao.
Clearly, the Holy Spirit Cult was no longer willing to sit idle.
—
Sun Moon Imperial Palace – The Emperor's Bedchamber
Xu Tianchen lounged on his bed with an air of decadent abandon, five scantily clad beauties attending to him, the image of a depraved monarch.
Each of the five women was in the prime of her youth, with varied charms and beauty that rivaled even Jiang Nannan. They hailed from both the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
Three of the women were from the Star Luo Empire and had once served as generals in its military. One of them had even reached the level of a seven-ring Soul Sage—on par with Shrek's inner court elites.
Now, however, all five—those from Star Luo and those from Sun Moon—had become mere playthings for Xu Tianchen. Their gazes toward him were filled with deep attachment and barely concealed desire.
It was obvious that Xu Tianchen had fully "tamed" them.
This, too, was a special ability of the White Lotus Sect Sect. Xu Tianchen possessed the power to stir up the desires of others and subtly manipulate them through those desires.
In this state, he met with the three visitors without the slightest air of formality, acting as though he didn't care about them at all.
Yet the trio didn't mind. They all understood what kind of person Xu Tianchen was. If he ever greeted them with formal courtesy, then they'd be uncomfortable.
As for the scantily clad women, aside from Ye Xishui casting a curious glance or two, Zhongli Wu and Long Xiaoyao remained perfectly composed, clearly not the kind to be swayed by beauty.
Xu Tianchen glanced at the trio once and saw through their conditions instantly.
Ye Xishui, as before, had only come through her Blood Soul Clone, but based on the level of fate energy surrounding it, her injuries seemed to have mostly healed.
The same appeared true for Long Xiaoyao.
The most surprising was Zhongli Wu—his cultivation had broken through to Rank 99, making him an Ultimate Douluo!
It was earlier than Xu Tianchen had expected, and somewhat puzzling. Based on Zhongli Wu's talent, reaching Ultimate Douluo so quickly should have been nearly impossible, even with enormous resources.
Xu Tianchen had originally planned to secretly aid Zhongli Wu, but now it seemed that wasn't necessary.
Still, Zhongli Wu's independent breakthrough was worth investigating.
Xu Tianchen noticed a dragon-shaped aura in Zhongli Wu's fate energy, which piqued his interest even more.
"What brings you all here?" Xu Tianchen asked casually.
Though the four were all Ultimate Douluos, the other three still showed him proper respect.
Zhongli Wu didn't beat around the bush and stated directly, "The Holy Spirit Cult requests His Majesty to launch an attack on Shrek Academy."
"What?!" Xu Tianchen pulled two of the beauties into his arms and raised his voice. "Don't you know that Huo Yuhao, the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, is a noble personally appointed by me?"
Zhongli Wu remained calm. "According to our intelligence, Xuan Zi is currently absent from the Sea God's Pavilion. The Shrek Academy supervisory team is trapped in the Douling Empire. Most of the Pavilion Elders have also gone there for the rescue."
"At this moment, the strongest person left in Shrek Academy is Huo Yuhao, who is no match for an Ultimate Douluo. As for the other Super Douluos in the Pavilion—very few remain."
"In other words, this is the moment when Shrek is at its weakest."
Xu Tianchen raised an eyebrow. The Holy Spirit Cult truly had their intelligence work nailed down.
On paper, this was indeed the case.
However...
"Even if we destroy Shrek City and raze the Sea God's Pavilion, as long as the Pavilion Elders return with the supervisory team, the Academy could still be rebuilt."
"If we strike against Shrek, we might provoke the other three empires into uniting against us. The Shrek Summoning Order could resurface."
So said Xu Tianchen.
But Long Xiaoyao suddenly spoke. "Is Your Majesty truly worried about a joint response from the other three empires? Or… do those empires even stand with Shrek anymore?"
They weren't fools. The recent succession of rulers across all four empires—how could that be mere coincidence?
If it wasn't the work of someone behind the scenes, then it meant the new leaders of the four empires were colluding.
Their joint operation against the soul beast habitats had already revealed their coordination and mutual understanding.
"Besides, even if Shrek is rebuilt, we can just destroy it again," Ye Xishui said with a smile. "With four Ultimate Douluos, even Shrek Academy is helpless."
Xu Tianchen finally laughed. "Seems like you've come well-prepared. If I continue to refuse, would you make a move right here to prevent the plan from leaking?"
The palace suddenly grew tense. The five beauties all turned their eyes toward the trio at once, like puppets pulled by a single string—eerily synchronized.
But Zhongli Wu defused the tension with a light chuckle.
"Your Majesty jests. How would we dare?"
"The Holy Spirit Cult belongs to the Sun Moon Empire. We only seek to contribute toward Your Majesty's great endeavor to unify the continent."
"Hahahaha—" Xu Tianchen burst into laughter. "Now that's what I like to hear."
"Go back and prepare. I'll act when the time comes. Let's see whether four Ultimate Douluos can truly destroy Shrek Academy. Is destiny with me—or with Shrek?"
The three clearly understood: Xu Tianchen wouldn't be sending his troops. It would be up to the four of them.
Still, their goal was achieved.
"As Your Majesty commands! Allow us to congratulate you in advance on unifying the continent! May our Sun Moon Empire last ten thousand generations!" Zhongli Wu flattered him again.
Then, the trio departed.
—
After leaving the Sun Moon Imperial Palace, Zhongli Wu turned to Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao. "Thank you, Grand Elder and Chief Offering, for joining me today."
Ye Xishui replied calmly, "We're only fulfilling our duty to the Holy Spirit Cult. But don't forget the promise you made to me."
Clearly, Zhongli Wu had paid a price to enlist the help of Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao.
Zhongli Wu nodded solemnly.
Then he took his leave. He still had final preparations to make—failure was not an option.
This time, Shrek must be destroyed.
—
Once he was gone, Long Xiaoyao let out a quiet sigh.
"Xiaoyao, you're reluctant to attack Shrek Academy, aren't you?" Ye Xishui asked.
Long Xiaoyao nodded. "That was the place Mu En once protected."
If anyone understood Mu En, it was Long Xiaoyao. But if anyone understood Long Xiaoyao, it was Ye Xishui—and neither man had ever truly understood Ye Xishui.
Her Blood Soul Clone shifted, transforming into her true appearance. She gently took Long Xiaoyao's rough hand in her delicate fingers and began to speak softly.
"Though Tang Ya became my disciple, all she seeks is revenge. She can't be relied on. Now that Mu En is gone… then do it for me. So that our future can last long and forever—I need your strength."
Long Xiaoyao stared dazedly at Ye Xishui's face, raising his hand as if to touch her cheek, but in the end, he pulled it back, as though afraid to offend her.
Then he looked up at the sky and sighed. "Yes… Mu En is gone."
Truthfully, Long Xiaoyao had no great love for Shrek Academy. It was only for Mu En's sake that he had spared them again and again.
But in front of Ye Xishui, even Mu En's memory had to take a step back.
After Long Xiaoyao made up his mind, he began to focus on the plans ahead.
"After destroying Shrek, can the three of us really take down Xu Tianchen?" Long Xiaoyao asked, concerned.
"Hehe." Ye Xeshui let out a soft laugh. "Zhongli Wu seems confident enough. Let them fight it out—we just need to lend a little help. No matter who wins or loses, it'll make no difference to us."
Indeed, Ye Xeshui's condition for backing Zhongli Wu was clear: after the destruction of Shrek Academy, they would join forces to eliminate Xu Tianchen!
Zhongli Wu had mysteriously vanished for some time, so much so that even Ye Xeshui didn't know where he had gone. But when he reappeared, he had already broken through to the level of Ultimate Douluo—and returned with an unprecedented confidence.
Soon after, Zhongli Wu invited Ye Xeshui and Long Xiaoyao to help persuade Xu Tianchen to join them in attacking Shrek Academy.
Although Ye Xeshui didn't understand why Zhongli Wu was so hell-bent on attacking Shrek, she could clearly see that there was profit to be made from this.
She proposed targeting Xu Tianchen not only to test Zhongli Wu's depth, but also because she was plotting to seize whatever divine inheritance Xu Tianchen might possess.
What surprised her was that Zhongli Wu agreed to the proposal with surprising confidence.
That made her truly start looking forward to it.
As long as Xu Tianchen could be taken down—dead or alive—Ye Xeshui had ways to make him spill the secrets of the divine inheritance.
Having reached the pinnacle of the mortal world, Ye Xeshui had long sensed the existence of a realm beyond Rank 100. But she had been stuck with no way forward.
Upon hearing of the divine inheritance, her heart stirred. If she could become a god, she would gain eternal life—and she and Long Xiaoyao could finally shed their mortal chains, abandon the past, and become an immortal couple envied by all.
As for Zhongli Wu, although he was her son, he was born from her being forced by the former Holy Spirit Sect leader Zhongli Laogui. While Ye Xeshui didn't hate his existence, she certainly didn't care much about him either.
In fact, Ye Xeshui felt more attachment toward the child she had with Long Xiaoyao, the one who had disappeared long ago, than she did toward Zhongli Wu.
And of course, that child couldn't compare to Long Xiaoyao himself.
Even if the alliance with Zhongli Wu failed to eliminate Xu Tianchen and obtain the divine inheritance, taking Zhongli Wu's corpse and interrogating the fortune he gained during his disappearance might still be worthwhile.
The opportunity that allowed Zhongli Wu to break through to Ultimate Douluo and gave him the confidence to challenge Xu Tianchen was certainly not ordinary—it might well be another divine inheritance!
What Ye Xeshui hoped for most was that she and Long Xiaoyao could reap all the benefits once Xu Tianchen and Zhongli Wu had clashed—seizing both of their fortunes.
That would give her much more certainty about ascending to godhood!
Ye Xeshui continued, "We also shouldn't underestimate our 'Emperor.' Those five women at his side today—you two might not have noticed, but I saw it clearly. Each one of them has the strength of a Soul Douluo."
"If even his playthings are that powerful, it means that the strength hidden at that emperor's side may be greater than we imagined. We must be extremely cautious and make thorough preparations."
Long Xiaoyao nodded, but he still replied resolutely, "Xeshui, don't worry. Whatever you want, I'll help you get it."
Ye Xeshui looked at Long Xiaoyao, touched, and said softly, "Xiaoyao, don't take unnecessary risks. None of those things mean more to me than you."
"Xeshui…"
…
Xu Tianchen withdrew his spiritual sense. He wasn't interested in the late-in-life romance between that elderly couple.
But he could sense that, fueled by her love for Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xeshui's mental state was extremely stable—there were no signs of psychosis.
That said, he was indeed rather interested in Ye Xeshui herself—who still radiated a mature charm.
"When they finally attack Shrek Academy, Ye Xeshui's true body should appear, right?" Xu Tianchen mused with anticipation. Yet he had a nagging concern: what if his original self fought him over her? And he couldn't win against the original… that would be frustrating.
As a corpse of Huo Yuhao, Xu Tianchen hadn't inherited Huo Yuhao's full power, but he had synchronized with his spiritual realm.
So, through his spiritual sense, Xu Tianchen had clearly heard the supposedly secret conversation between Ye Xeshui and Long Xiaoyao.
"Planning to target me? Perfect—I was thinking the same!" Xu Tianchen smiled with delight.
"But Ye Xeshui did notice the five furnaces I've been cultivating… she has sharp eyes. Too bad her vision is still a little shallow."
Everyone thought Xu Tianchen was a hedonist, always surrounded by women.
But the five women who appeared today were different.
Each of them had been personally and meticulously cultivated by Xu Tianchen as a furnace.
He had given each of them the Sacred Divine Snow Cigar of Creation and raised them to Soul Douluo level. They weren't far from becoming Titled Douluos. More importantly, their soul power was steady and solid, with no signs of burning their lifespans for strength. On the contrary, their potential was still growing.
These five women not only had extraordinary beauty and figures, but also awakened twin martial souls, each possessing the following elemental affinities: Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Darkness.
Perfectly corresponding to five of the seven Elemental Gods.
Adding Xu Tianchen himself made six.
The last of the seven—the God of Space—had yet to find a suitable candidate.
Yes, these five women were the key pieces in Xu Tianchen's plan to claim the thrones of the Seven Elemental Gods.
The God of Fire was likely watching his divine trial closely.
Xu Tianchen didn't believe that, once these ideal inheritors appeared, the other Elemental Gods would remain indifferent.
The Water God's inheritance was bound to be passed down.
The Seven Elemental Gods were always close-knit—united in will and action.
The Water God and the Light God were both female deities and close friends, while the God of Darkness was the Light God's husband.
If Xu Tianchen could get the Water and Fire Gods' attention, he might also draw in the Light and Darkness Gods.
That would leave only the Gods of Wind, Earth, and Space—and they likely wouldn't be left behind.
Of course, even if he couldn't claim all the divine thrones, getting as many as possible would still be a huge gain.
Besides, the Elemental Gods were close allies of Tang Old Dog, and one of his major sources of power. If Xu Tianchen could take control of them, he'd severely weaken Tang's support.
Even just taking over one divine position would prevent the Elemental Gods from executing their most powerful ability—the Divine Punishment Formation of Elemental Descent—rendering them nearly harmless.
Xu Tianchen didn't believe Tang Old Dog could dictate the inheritance of the Elemental Gods. But if he could… then props to him.
If all else failed, Xu Tianchen would one day storm the Divine Realm and seize a divine seat for himself.
…
"Four Ultimate Douluos attacking Shrek?"
Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Somehow, he felt the script wasn't quite dramatic enough.
"What if I throw in Compassionate Demon and the Corpse God, and let the Evil Soul Masters wipe out Shrek… wouldn't that make it even more tragic?"
"I wonder—if that really happened, would Tang Old Dog regret not establishing a replacement for the Slaughter City when he had the chance… or regret not killing all the Evil Soul Masters back in the day?"
With a casual stroke, Huo Yuhao finalized the last edit of the "script."
Just then, someone knocked on his door—it was Jiang Nannan, come to practice a martial soul fusion technique.
Although they hadn't had any results yet, Jiang Nannan remained persistent.
And Huo Yuhao was happy to go along with it.