After eliminating Du Weilin, Tang Ya paid no attention to the other staff members of the Outer Court. She left Feng Ling and Zhang Peng to slaughter them while she herself headed toward the Sea God Pavilion.
The Sea God Pavilion was a place she had never been qualified to enter in the past. But now, with her own strength, she would storm into it!
Blood paved the red carpet, and screams were the ceremonial salutes!
As Tang Ya passed the main square, she glanced at the statues of the original Seven Monsters of Shrek. Her gaze swept over Tang San, with a complex glint flashing in her eyes, which eventually turned cold.
"What a pity that filthy woman Ma Xiaotao isn't at Shrek. Otherwise, I could have finally taken my revenge today."
Just as Tang Ya thought nothing would go wrong—
A golden light descended from the heavens, shielding the remaining Outer Court personnel. No matter how fiercely Feng Ling and Zhang Peng attacked, they couldn't break through the golden defense.
Tang Ya looked up and saw the swaying silhouette of a golden ancient tree above. She realized—it was Huo Yuhao who was protecting the Outer Court people.
"All Outer Court members, retreat to Sea God Island for shelter. I will protect you!"
Huo Yuhao's voice rang in everyone's ears.
This rekindled hope in the hearts of those who had been in despair. Without hesitation, under the golden protection, they quickly fled toward Sea God Island.
As for the Outer Court students, they had already escaped there earlier.
Originally, the Outer Court faculty thought they could resist the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult with their strength. But they hadn't expected that the cult would send out two Super Douluo right away, making it impossible for them to resist.
Had they known earlier, they wouldn't have even thought of staying behind to fight.
Now that they had the chance to flee, none of them intended to remain behind.
Huo Yuhao would never allow the Outer Court to be massacred. After all, many people from the Outer Court were his cauldrons for the Hao Alliance.
It was only when his cauldrons were nearly killed that Huo Yuhao intervened just in time. As for Du Weilin and the others who died—well, they were just unlucky.
"Hmph, let's go to Sea God Island too. I want to see how long Huo Yuhao thinks he can protect everyone alone," Tang Ya said darkly.
As for her feelings toward Huo Yuhao? Only hatred remained.
Love?
Tang Ya had long abandoned that useless emotion.
After she agreed to Ye Xishui's conditions and gave herself to "Xu Tiancheng" she knew that all the beauty and love from the past were gone for good. She could never again be stained by even a hint of it.
She had become the type of woman she once despised the most—using her body and charms to gain strength and power.
But in truth, every time she "gave herself," it had been to Huo Yuhao—just in a different identity and appearance.
Only Juzi and Xu Tiancheng knew the truth.
After all, Juzi had often joined Tang Ya in three-ways with Huo Yuhao.
Juzi had once said that she felt Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya were playing some kind of fresh new game, and that she was more like just a part of their roleplay.
Sea God Island
At this moment, all the remaining members of the Inner and Outer Courts had gathered on Sea God Island, making it extremely crowded. Some people were even squeezed into the Sea God Pavilion itself.
A golden barrier enveloped the entire island, preventing enemies from entering even a hair's breadth.
The Holy Spirit Cult's elders and elite troops, who had previously attacked to this point, could only stare helplessly at the golden shield in front of them, sighing as they looked at the Shrek members within.
The Second Worshipper had already tested it. Even a full-powered attack from a Super Douluo couldn't shake the golden barrier in the slightest.
Previously, the barrier had covered all of Shrek City and had still resisted Super Douluo attacks. Now that it had shrunk to cover only Sea God Island, its defense would only be stronger.
Tang Ya, Feng Ling, and Zhang Peng had also arrived. They, too, could only hover above Sea God Lake, staring helplessly at the island.
They could only watch as the remaining faculty from the Outer Court escaped into the island under golden protection.
"There's no way to break through this golden shield?" Tang Ya asked the Second Worshipper, her face dark.
The Second Worshipper glanced at her and, considering her identity, still explained:
"We are not the Chief Worshipper."
Tang Ya: "..."
Translation: Unless you're an Ultimate Douluo, you're not getting through!
"I don't believe he can protect them forever. Attack! Wear down his strength!" Tang Ya ordered.
The Worshippers didn't move, but the elite Holy Spirit Cult troops began bombarding the golden barrier with soul tools and martial spirit attacks.
"This golden shield must be the power of the Golden Ancient Tree. Wearing it down will weaken its enhancement effect on Shrek's side. It'll help the Cult Leader," Feng Ling mused, and ordered her forces to intensify the assault.
Soon, the people on Sea God Island saw that the Holy Spirit Cult had pulled out a large number of Level-6 Fixed Soul Ammunition Cannons, stacking them around the perimeter of the island. It looked like they planned to blow the whole island sky-high.
The Shrek crowd collectively gasped.
Seriously—where did they get so many Level-6 fixed soul cannons?!
This much firepower could flatten a whole mountain!
Could even the Golden Ancient Tree's power hold against such an explosion?
"Sea God, please protect your descendants…"
Someone started praying.
"Stop this madness!"
A sharp voice rang out from Sea God Island, trying to stop the Holy Spirit Cult.
Tang Ya raised an eyebrow, finding the voice familiar. She looked up and saw a familiar golden figure walking out from the crowd—it was Jiang Nannan.
"Xiao Ya, is that really you? Why have you become like this?" Jiang Nannan asked painfully, tears in her eyes.
For once, Tang Ya fell silent and calm.
Having lost love, she now cared even more for the friendships of her past.
Jiang Nannan was one of the few people she still cared about—her only real friend.
Not only had they been roommates, but Jiang Nannan had never looked down on Tang Ya for her lack of talent. And, like Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan had grown up poor, so she could empathize deeply with her hardships. They were true soul sisters.
"Nannan, leave Sea God Island. I'll spare your life," Tang Ya said.
That was her biggest concession.
Feng Ling cast a glance at Tang Ya and said coldly, "She's your friend?"
Tang Ya didn't flinch and answered calmly, "She was my roommate. Born with full soul power, and her martial soul is the same as the Sea God's wife from ten thousand years ago. She's worth grooming."
"I see," Feng Ling smiled faintly and said no more.
But Jiang Nannan firmly rejected her:
"Impossible! Shrek saved me. I'll never betray Shrek, and I'll never become an evil soul master!"
"Tang Ya, if you don't stop, I'll personally bring you back to your senses!"
"Tang Ya—let's have a Soul Duel. Just the two of us. One-on-one. No one else interferes!"
Huo Yuhao, who had been silently observing, was speechless:
"Seriously? A Soul Duel now? Classic Douluo Continent."
Tang Ya laughed, "Fine. I want to see how much you've improved over the years. But if you want to duel me, you'll have to pay a price. If you lose, you'll become a member of the Holy Spirit Cult from now on."
"And if you lose?" Jiang Nannan countered. "Will you retreat with your people?"
"Of course not," Tang Ya sneered. "Though I don't believe I'll lose—but if I do, I'll spare ten people. You can take them and leave Shrek City. I promise no one will harm you."
"Deal!"
Jiang Nannan accepted the wager without hesitation.
Saving even ten people was worthwhile—and it was a good start. Who knew, maybe they'd eventually find a way to save everyone?
But a discordant voice rang out:
"She gets to live no matter what—what if she runs away in the chaos?"
Some people didn't know Jiang Nannan well and judged her harshly, assuming the worst.
In the face of life and death, even though Jiang Nannan was a great beauty, a senior student of the Inner Court, and a disciple of a Sea God Pavilion Elder, that still didn't earn full trust from everyone.
The main issue was her "get-out-of-death-free card"—it made her feel distant, untouchable.
Moreover, there were many Outer Court students on Sea God Island at the moment, not all of them Shrek loyalists. Trust in Shrek was far from unanimous.
This one statement stirred up fierce arguments.
Some trusted Jiang Nannan. Others didn't. Still others objected to the Soul Duel entirely, or wanted more spots to survive.
In the face of death, all facets of human nature were laid bare.
It almost turned into a fight.
Outside Sea God Island, members of the Holy Spirit Cult watched with interest and mockery.
These were Shrek students? Supposed elite among elites? Champions of justice?
They looked more like cowards scrambling to survive.
No different from them, the Evil Soul Masters.
"Enough!" came Huo Yuhao's voice, instantly silencing the chaos. His tone was stern. "I trust Jiang Nannan."
Jiang Nannan was no longer that timid little girl from years past. She looked up at the Golden Ancient Tree and spoke loudly, "Yuhao, place your power at my heart. If I betray Shrek, detonate it and kill me!"
The crowd fell silent.
The Shrek students' expressions changed—what had been suspicion turned into admiration. Those who had doubted her now averted their eyes, ashamed.
Most Shrek students had decent moral standards—they still knew shame.
And no one was stupid. With the Pavilion Master himself expressing faith, any further doubt would be disrespecting his authority.
What if they got kicked off Sea God Island?
Even some Holy Spirit Cult members began to admire Jiang Nannan.
"This girl's interesting. If she joins us, she could enter the Hall of Offerings. I'd take her as a disciple," said the Second Worshipper.
Feng Ling was about to respond.
Tang Ya quickly interjected with a smile, "Her martial soul isn't inherently evil. She would indeed be well-suited for the Hall of Offerings. Then let me congratulate you in advance on gaining such a fine disciple, Second Worshipper."
"Heh." The Second Worshipper gave her a glance, clearly seeing through her little schemes. Still, he humored her. "No need for congratulations just yet. Let's see if the Holy Maiden can win me a disciple."
"Then watch carefully," Tang Ya said with a smile.
At Jiang Nannan's firm insistence, Huo Yuhao finally placed his power at her heart.
"Sister Nannan, since you insist, I'll do it—for everyone's peace of mind." His voice softened. "But if things go too far, retreat to Sea God Island. I can protect you."
"Thank you, Yuhao." Jiang Nannan felt warmth in her chest—was it the Golden Ancient Tree's power or his caring words?
That one line—"I can protect you"—was worth more than years of sweet talk from Xu Sanshi.
Suddenly, Jiang Nannan felt something unfamiliar toward Huo Yuhao—a feeling of safety, a quickening heartbeat.
Tang Ya, however, was feeling annoyed.
Huo Yuhao's voice rang out again, this time directed at the Holy Spirit Cult:
"Evil Soul Masters, I doubt you dare step foot on Sea God Island. Shall we hold the battle over Sea God Lake instead?"
"Hah! I think it's you who's afraid of letting us onto Sea God Island!" Feng Ling sneered. "And since it's your duel, we'll set the rules!"
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Huo Yuhao replied coldly. As he spoke, golden light spread outward, covering the stockpiled fixed soul-guided shells—he now had them all under control.
Feng Ling's face twisted. She knew they could no longer use them as leverage. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Fine. We'll follow the current Sea God Pavilion Master's arrangements."
"Heh~" Huo Yuhao scoffed. Then, with a low shout: "Congeal!"
A second later, a wave of icy energy surged. A blue beam shot from the Golden Ancient Tree into the Sea God Lake, which began freezing rapidly before everyone's eyes.
The Holy Spirit Cult elites were visibly shocked.
"This is... the Ultimate Ice? The strength of the current Pavilion Master?" the Second Worshipper muttered in awe, eyes filled with caution.
He had underestimated Huo Yuhao, assuming the young man was overrated.
But to freeze the entire Sea God Lake in one move—that was terrifying. He wasn't even sure he could withstand such power.
And let's not forget—Huo Yuhao was simultaneously holding the Pavilion's defenses, controlling the soul-guided cannons, and supporting Yan Shaozhe and others in battle against Zhongli Wu's trio.
"Is this exaggerated? Is the Golden Ancient Tree really that powerful? Or... is Huo Yuhao, the Ultimate Martial Soul Title Douluo, just this strong?" the Second Elder silently pondered.
At that moment, Jiang Nannan stepped out from the Pavilion's protective barrier and onto the frozen lake, facing Tang Ya directly.
Because of Huo Yuhao's overwhelming show of strength, the Holy Spirit Cult didn't dare interfere. They gave the two women space.
Tang Ya landed across from Jiang Nannan using her flying soul device.
The two stood face to face.
A tense, killing aura filled the air.
No one announced the start of the duel. The next second—they moved.
Tang Ya raised her hand, summoning her Dark Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Seven black and one red soul ring—an outrageous configuration—appeared around her.
The tendrils writhed like a living monster, converging into a twisted beast that lunged at Jiang Nannan.
But Jiang Nannan had already charged forward.
As she ran, she employed combat techniques she'd learned from training with Huo Yuhao.
Only as she neared did she activate her martial soul: Soft Bone Rabbit. Two yellow, two purple, three black, one red—also eight soul rings.
By the time her soul was fully activated, she was just ten meters from Tang Ya—within striking range.
But the dark tendrils struck first, engulfing her like a beast, seemingly consuming her entirely.
Then—flash—Jiang Nannan appeared behind Tang Ya in an instant, leg swinging ruthlessly at her head.
Third Soul Skill: Teleportation!
Bang!
Tang Ya's head exploded—but instead of blood, only shattered dark vines scattered.
It was a decoy! A body formed from her martial soul!
The tendrils even tried to wrap around Jiang Nannan's ankle.
But a burst of pink light flared from her body, shattering the vines instantly—the power of the Goddess of Love, protecting her from corruption.
Jiang Nannan landed and leapt back to create distance.
"That was close! Someone who didn't know your soul skills would've fallen for that for sure," Tang Ya said playfully.
She stepped out from the mass of vines like a queen among darkness.
As former roommates and close friends, Tang Ya knew Jiang Nannan's first three soul skills inside and out—and had prepared accordingly.
Tool Soul Masters had weaker bodies than Beast Soul Masters. If she hadn't been ready and took that kick to the head, she might never have stood back up.
Jiang Nannan didn't reply—she only stared seriously at Tang Ya.
The battle continued!
Although Tang Ya had trained extensively with Huo Yuhao, he didn't significantly boost her strength. Most of the time, his help focused on assisting Tang Ya in integrating the powers of Evil and Destruction, gradually molding her into the shape he desired.
As a result, Tang Ya was still only at the Soul Douluo level in terms of raw power.
However, she had once asked "Xu Tianchen" for the Demonic Heaven Codex, and after some thought, Huo Yuhao gave her a modified version of the technique.
Of course, the cultivation method had hidden safeguards and subtly influenced Tang Ya's thoughts. He didn't resort to full brainwashing because he found that Tang Ya's emotions and mental state were naturally well-suited to nurturing the Evil and Destruction attributes.
This innate talent was something others simply couldn't compare with.
As for her curiosity about why the Demonic Heaven Codex was so similar to the Tang Sect's inheritance, Huo Yuhao simply ignored her further inquiries.
During her battle against Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya refrained from using any soul skills familiar to Jiang Nannan—not even mentioning their names.
Instead, she employed techniques from the Demonic Heaven Codex. Tang Ya had to admit that in some aspects, the Codex was far more effective than the traditional Tang Sect arts.
This posed quite a challenge for Jiang Nannan, forcing her to proceed with great caution.
Still, Jiang Nannan quickly adjusted her combat strategy. After all, Tang Ya wasn't familiar with the new soul skills Jiang Nannan had acquired after they parted ways!
Moreover, Jiang Nannan's Hundred-thousand-year Sea Princess skull soul bone had enhanced her spiritual power. While not enough to grant her the capabilities of a true spiritual-type soul master, her enhanced perception helped with battlefield control and sensing danger.
In addition, after becoming Old Song's disciple, the Sea God's Pavilion equipped her with soul bones to help her pass the divine trials.
Now, Jiang Nannan's soul bone configuration was almost complete, with none of them being low-grade. This significantly boosted her physical capabilities.
Although she was an agility-type battle soul master, her strength and defense weren't far off from those of a power-type.
Especially when she kicked with those powerful long legs—even refined steel would dent.
Jiang Nannan launched another fierce assault, activating her sixth soul skill, Boneless Transformation, to enhance herself, then charged at Tang Ya. She intended to overwhelm her with speed and win through suppression.
Tang Ya naturally avoided a head-on clash. She used her Dark Blue Silver Grass to restrain Jiang Nannan, focusing on dodging and controlling instead. Her strategy was clearly to exhaust Jiang Nannan's strength.
Since neither had reached the Titled Douluo level nor formed a soul core, they couldn't recover soul power during battle.
Draining the opponent's soul power was a reliable path to victory.
What if you're a Soul Douluo?
Does that mean you have unlimited soul power?
Compared to low-level soul masters, sure, but to win, both had to rely on high-level soul skills—especially ten-thousand-year ones. The more powerful the skill, the greater the energy cost.
If they exchanged ten-thousand-year soul skills, they'd probably be drained after just a few moves, left in a weakened state.
Thus, both held their ultimate skills in reserve.
It all came down to who would make the first mistake and expose a weakness.
Interestingly, neither used soul tools, and Tang Ya didn't even use hidden weapons.
It was a pure contest of combat skills and personal power.
It was clear that Tang Ya was holding back—and trying to capture Jiang Nannan alive.
There has always been debate over which is stronger: beast-type or tool-type martial souls.
Generally accepted wisdom says:
Before the seventh ring, beast-type soul masters are stronger.
After the seventh ring, tool-type soul masters take the lead—assuming no elemental countering.
At this point in the fight, with Jiang Nannan chasing Tang Ya, it seemed to affirm that theory.
The shift in power dynamics typically came from the seventh soul skill: Martial Soul True Body.
Without it, tool-type soul masters needed much more training in weapon arts (spear, sword, whip, etc.) to bring out their martial soul's full potential.
Beast-type soul masters, however, could simply activate their martial soul and charge into battle.
Even martial arts like boxing were easier to learn for them.
But with Martial Soul True Body active, tool-type souls often became more resilient than beast-type ones, allowing soul masters to fully unleash their soul's power.
You can tell how solid a tool-type soul master's foundation is by how long they can fight without needing to activate their Martial Soul True Body.
Those with a strong foundation can fight effectively even without it.
But such experts are rare.
Dark Blue Silver Grass is a plant-based soul, thus classified as a tool-type. The fact that Tang Ya could remain undefeated without using her Martial Soul True Body and still wear down Jiang Nannan already showcased her excellence.
Indeed, in terms of personal strength, Tang Ya surpassed Jiang Nannan.
No amount of cultivation at Shrek Academy could match Tang Ya's life-and-death training within the Holy Spirit Church.
Moreover, her Dark Blue Silver Grass had evolved far beyond Jiang Nannan's Boneless Rabbit martial soul.
Infused with both Evil and Destruction attributes, it had risen to the level of a super martial soul.
If the fight continued this way, Jiang Nannan was bound to lose!
The average students on Sea God Island thought the battle was intense, with Jiang Nannan appearing to dominate as she chased Tang Ya—clearly the upper hand.
But to those with insight, it was evident that the tide had turned in Tang Ya's favor.
Members of the Holy Spirit Church began to smile.
"Congratulations, Second Brother. Looks like you're about to receive a fine disciple," Zhang Peng said with a flattering smile to the Second Worshipper.
This time, the Second Worshipper didn't play humble. He smiled as well and nodded. "The Holy Saint was considerate—she held back and didn't injure my future disciple."
Of course, he was also very satisfied with Jiang Nannan's performance. As expected from a Shrek Academy graduate—her foundation was solid.
As for whether Jiang Nannan would willingly become his disciple in the future?
No one was worried about that.
After all, the Holy Spirit Church had plenty of brainwashing methods!
Having trained under the Inspection Corps, Jiang Nannan quickly sensed something was off and realized she was actually the one falling behind.
She stopped chasing Tang Ya and took a step back, saying with emotion, "Xiao Ya, your strength is beyond what I expected. You must've gone through a lot these past years."
Tang Ya's eyes trembled. That one sentence of genuine concern nearly broke her composure—she could tell Jiang Nannan meant it.
"What, are you going to surrender?" Tang Ya forced a smile and asked.
Jiang Nannan shook her head seriously. "Sorry. For Shrek's sake, I can't surrender—and I won't lose!"
"I'm going all out now!"
Jiang Nannan's seventh soul ring began to glow.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Boneless Rabbit True Body!"
A massive boneless rabbit form—three meters tall—appeared on the icy battlefield and charged straight at Tang Ya.
Tang Ya's expression grew solemn. She knew Jiang Nannan was about to go all in.
To show her respect, Tang Ya's seventh soul ring also lit up.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Dark Blue Silver True Body!"
Countless Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ice, forming a giant tree—the Dark Blue Silver Grass Tree.
Huo Yuhao: This is my favorite part—girl fight time! This is exactly what I came for!
After activating her Martial Soul True Body, Tang Ya struck with full force. The power of her domain spread out from the Dark Blue Silver Tree.
Dark Blue Silver Domain!
Unlike the traditional Blue Silver Domain, the Dark Blue Silver Domain was far more dangerous.
However, similar to the original, it had one inherent ability and three additional skills.
The moment Jiang Nannan was engulfed by the domain, she felt her body become heavy. A suction force from within the domain not only dragged her movements and slowed her speed but also began draining her soul power.
This was the ability of the Dark Blue Silver Domain—Devour!
Blue Silver Grass, at the bottom of the food chain and preyed upon by others, evolved the ability of camouflage for survival.
However, the Dark Blue Silver Grass had become a predator. Its domain's power was optimized for large-scale predation, hence the derived ability: Devour.
Not only could this ability generate suction, trapping beings within the domain, it could forcibly drain their vitality and soul power.
Tang Ya ultimately couldn't bear to drain Jiang Nannan's life force.
"This is trouble. That's a domain. Only another domain can resist it. I wonder if Jiang Nannan has one too," a concerned teacher on Sea God Island remarked.
Within the domain, instead of retreating, Jiang Nannan charged straight at Tang Ya.
Tang Ya was surprised and immediately became wary—something was off.
As Jiang Nannan approached, her 100,000-year eighth soul ring on the Soft Bone Rabbit True Body began to glow fiercely.
In this soul duel, someone had finally unleashed a 100,000-year soul skill!
"Eighth Soul Skill: Mermaid's Bay!"
Water manifested beneath the Soft Bone Rabbit's True Body, covering the surroundings like a small bay.
Within this water-covered area, the strength of the Dark Blue Silver Domain was reduced by at least 70%.
Though Mermaid's Bay wasn't a domain-type soul skill, it had the embryonic form of one, weakening the effects of Tang Ya's domain.
Not only that, Mermaid's Bay tripled Jiang Nannan's speed and gave her full control over the seawater within the bay.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Song of Mermaid Speed!"
The eighth soul ring flashed again.
Jiang Nannan, heedless of soul power consumption, unleashed two 100,000-year soul skills in a row.
A shimmering mermaid figure appeared behind the Soft Bone Rabbit's True Body. Eyes closed, arms folded, it began to sing a beautiful tune. Musical notes wrapped around Jiang Nannan's limbs, causing her speed to surge explosively.
Since the domain reduced her speed, Jiang Nannan's plan was simple—weaken the domain and boost her own speed.
Now, her speed exceeded what it had been even before being slowed by the domain. She practically teleported in front of Tang Ya and launched an attack.
Unlike teleportation, her sheer speed allowed her to continuously launch visually undetectable strikes.
Rabbit Leaps Against Tree!
Caught off guard, Tang Ya took a direct hit. The Dark Blue Silver Tree shuddered violently, a deep crack forming along the trunk.
But soon, Dark Blue Silver Grass rapidly grew to patch the crack.
This repair cost Tang Ya considerable soul power—it was a repair to her Martial Soul True Body.
She finally reacted. The tree lashed out with wild branches, whipping in all directions like a storm of whips.
Since she couldn't match Jiang Nannan's speed, she attacked everywhere.
The Soft Bone Rabbit didn't retreat but endured the barrage, clashing with the tree head-on—a raw contest of speed and strength with no technique.
The tree didn't dodge—it couldn't. In Martial Soul True Body form, unless flying, it had no mobility.
However, its durability and offensive power were immense.
Fortunately, they weren't fighting on the ground. Otherwise, the tree could've drawn nutrients from the soil to replenish Tang Ya's energy.
Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice froze the Sea God Lake, denying the tree any nutrients. And it didn't dare absorb that extreme cold—it was highly incompatible with the tree.
Jiang Nannan's frenzied attacks were like a fish thrashing in a net—she might not escape, but she'd cause damage.
Sure enough, cracks began to spread across her Soft Bone Rabbit True Body—it was on the verge of shattering.
But the Dark Blue Silver Tree had also taken multiple hits and Tang Ya had consumed a large amount of soul power.
In the end, Tang Ya held the advantage.
The tree could still fight—but how many more hits could the rabbit endure?
"Nannan, admit defeat," Tang Ya advised. "You must be nearly out of soul power. If this keeps up, your loss will only be worse."
Jiang Nannan had indeed exhausted much of her soul power with her double soul skill burst and that relentless fight.
Even the seawater of Mermaid's Bay had diminished, allowing the domain's influence to creep back in.
But Jiang Nannan smiled:
"Xiao Ya, you're the one who's going to lose!"
"Huh?" Tang Ya was confused.
"Haven't you noticed? Look at yourself!" Jiang Nannan's voice came from within the rabbit form.
Tang Ya inspected the Dark Blue Silver Tree—and was shocked.
Its trunk and roots were frozen in many areas—not just on the surface, but deep inside.
"What?! I didn't notice any of this happening!" Tang Ya was stunned, suspecting Huo Yuhao had secretly intervened.
But Huo Yuhao had seen it all:
"It's the seawater. Jiang Nannan injected seawater into the tree. That's the advantage of controlling the field!"
While attacking, Jiang Nannan subtly infused seawater from Mermaid's Bay into the tree. With no soul power shielding it, the seawater succumbed to the Ultimate Ice and froze.
Tang Ya's Martial Soul True Body was essentially composed of countless Dark Blue Silver Grass strands woven into a tree.
That had its pros and cons.
Pros: Even if the tree was damaged, Tang Ya wouldn't be harmed. A bit of soul power could quickly regenerate it.
Cons: Tang Ya's awareness of damage within the tree was not as sharp as with a normal Martial Soul True Body.
As she reeled from the realization, Jiang Nannan made her move again—using her third soul skill, Teleport, appearing right behind Tang Ya.
This time, Tang Ya sensed it—but had no time to react.
Tang Ya: "Crap!"
Jiang Nannan (inwardly): "Got you!"
Distracting Tang Ya with talk about the damage was a setup—to break her focus.
As the saying goes: the prettier the woman, the more dangerous the lies.
At the same moment, Jiang Nannan activated the soul bone skill from the 100,000-year Sea Princess skull—Mermaid's Tear.
Its effect: removes all negative status effects. The Dark Blue Silver Domain counted as one, so she was now fully unburdened.
Unleashing all her remaining soul power and strength into her legs, she launched her ultimate strike.
"Xiao Ya, let me knock some sense into you!"
Previously, even weakened, Jiang Nannan had cracked the tree. Now, at full power and all-in, her attack's strength exceeded the limit of a Soul Douluo.
And the frozen tree lacked its usual toughness.
It was Tang Ya's own fault—holding back too much—that gave Jiang Nannan this chance.
But Huo Yuhao knew—this attack wouldn't defeat Tang Ya.
She wasn't that fragile.
Others didn't know this. So, just as Tang Ya fell into crisis, a phoenix cry rang out. An evil force struck toward Jiang Nannan.
Feng Ling had made her move!
But she had underestimated Tang Ya—and Huo Yuhao's attention to this duel.
At that moment, a flash of icy blue light shot from the Golden Ancient Tree, intercepting Feng Ling's evil strike and shielding Jiang Nannan.
It was the Mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul!
Huo Yuhao: Saving a damsel in distress never goes out of style! Thanks, Sister Feng Ling, for the great chance to win favor!
Just now, it seemed like Jiang Nannan made a miraculous comeback.
In reality, from Tang Ya's perspective, even if her Martial Soul True Form was destroyed, she still wouldn't have lost. The Dark Blue Silver Grass also possessed formidable vitality, which granted Tang Ya incredible resilience.
But others were unaware of this.
Or rather, because Tang Ya had stayed in Mingdu for too long, the top experts of the Holy Spirit Church lacked understanding of her abilities.
Tang Ya now seemed more like a member of the Sun Moon Empire than someone belonging to the Holy Spirit Church.
Huo Yuhao, however, knew very well. The impact that a Title Douluo with a life attribute like Juzi couldn't withstand, Tang Ya could often endure head-on — even taking on more challenging moves.
"Evil soul masters are truly despicable and untrustworthy!" Huo Yuhao's cold, mocking voice echoed in everyone's ears.
Immediately, the people on Shrek's side shared a common outrage, cursing the evil soul masters for their treachery.
Just as Jiang Nannan was about to win, Feng Ling suddenly struck from the shadows. If it hadn't been for Huo Yuhao stepping in to protect her, Jiang Nannan might've suffered serious injury — even death.
Actually, not just Shrek's members — even Tang Ya was furious. She immediately canceled her Martial Soul True Form, glared at Feng Ling, and coldly demanded, "Who told you to interfere?"
Did they really think she'd lose so easily?
Even without Feng Ling's intervention, Tang Ya had plenty of ways to win. But now, Feng Ling had cost her the chance to recruit Jiang Nannan into the Holy Spirit Church.
The Second Worshiper (Er Gongfeng) showed some regret but didn't say anything. Instead, he observed the confrontation between Tang Ya and Feng Ling with interest.
Seeing the Second Worshiper remain silent, the other Worshipers naturally had no reason to speak up either.
Feng Ling, unfazed by Tang Ya's questioning, sneered, "Saintess, I helped you out of goodwill, and not only are you ungrateful, but now you dare question me? I only acted because you were careless. Watch your tone."
In the past, Feng Ling respected Tang Ya as the Saintess, since both the Saintess and the Saint were revered symbols of the Holy Spirit Church.
Even though she never really understood why they were so important.
But since Zhongli Wu's return, he had told Feng Ling directly: The Holy Spirit Church was no longer their true goal.
Thus, Feng Ling no longer felt the need to respect the Saintess.
Tang Ya had now fallen from the status of a peer to a mere junior in Feng Ling's eyes.
If it weren't for Tang Ya being the disciple of Ye Xishui and the Left Prime Minister of the Sun Moon Empire, Feng Ling might've slapped her across the face already.
This shift in Feng Ling's attitude was recent.
Zhongli Wu had never genuinely respected the Saint or the Saintess — all his reverence was merely a facade. What he really cared about was how to control and use them.
Think cult leaders are the most devout believers?
No, actually — they're the most clear-headed. Because they understand that the cult is just a tool. Only by stepping outside the fanaticism can they control it from a higher perspective.
…
Tang Ya, boiling with anger and itching to fight Feng Ling, ultimately held herself back.
She calmed down. Seeing that none of the Worshipers spoke on her behalf, she realized she couldn't win a confrontation against Feng Ling.
But she would never thank Feng Ling.
Having chosen the political court of the Sun Moon Empire, Tang Ya's position within the Holy Spirit Church had become awkward. If not for Ye Xishui's protection, she might've already been expelled.
A Saintess expelled from the Holy Spirit Church — wouldn't that be something!
Feng Ling, ignoring Tang Ya, turned her eyes toward Jiang Nannan, who was shielded by her mutant Frost Centipede Martial Soul. "Since you've come out, don't even think about going back!"
With the Evil Phoenix Martial Soul possessing her, Feng Ling charged at Jiang Nannan — she had no intention of letting her go.
The Second Worshiper chuckled and added, "Vice Church Leader, try to capture her alive."
Whether Tang Ya or Feng Ling succeeded, Jiang Nannan would end up as his disciple either way.
Second Worshiper: You all might win, but I never lose!
"Nannan-jie, run! I'll hold her off!" Huo Yuhao's voice reached Jiang Nannan.
The Frost Centipede Martial Soul stood upright. Its centipede legs glinted like gangster knives, ready to slash at the incoming Feng Ling.
Yes — the one currently controlling the Frost Centipede Martial Soul was Sky Dream Iceworm.
Sky Dream Iceworm: "Here I go! Your boy is back — King of Comebacks! Watch me show off the fruits of my training!"
Frost Centipede Martial Soul: "I don't think this is how you're supposed to fight…"
Sky Dream Iceworm: "I don't care what you think. I only care what I think!"
The Frost Centipede ultimately gave face to Huo Yuhao and allowed Sky Dream Iceworm full control of its body, not attempting to take it back.
"Hmph! So this is the so-called detached Martial Soul? Without full possession, let's see how strong you really are!" Feng Ling sneered, launching a barrage of sinister gray flames.
The gray fire lit up the sky, dyeing the surroundings with an ominous hue. The intense pressure made even Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan feel suffocated.
This was the Evil Phoenix Flame — a devastating, unpurifiable energy unique to the Evil Phoenix Martial Soul. It couldn't be cleansed, only suppressed. It was even stronger than Ma Xiaotao's old Evil Fire.
However, what made it terrifying wasn't the fire element — it was the evil attribute.
The Evil Phoenix was a Martial Soul approaching the ultimate extreme of evil — comparable in quality to Ma Xiaotao's upgraded Phoenix of Rebirth.
But such terrifying flames were cleaved apart by a single slash of cold light.
Feng Ling's expression froze.
The blow had come from the centipede legs of the Frost Centipede Martial Soul — more accurately, from Sky Dream Iceworm.
Look closely, and you'd see starlit brilliance coating the legs — swirling with particles of light like a galactic vortex, dazzling and mesmerizing.
"Sky Dream Style One: Spiritual Galaxy Slash!"
After training under the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, a former deity of the spiritual path, Sky Dream Iceworm had mastered numerous techniques related to spiritual power — even developing his own nine-style secret arts.
Though he lacked natural talent, he compensated with the Realm of Wisdom and the Divine Tablet of Wisdom, which Huo Yuhao had entrusted to his companions.
Together, they amplified understanding and insight, accelerating mastery of even the most difficult techniques.
If Sky Dream Iceworm still struggled, Huo Yuhao would secretly use his own luck to nudge him forward — something he did only for Snow Lotus and Sky Dream Iceworm.
Sky Dream Style One: Spiritual Galaxy Slash.
The technique focused on materializing spiritual power into solid form — turning it into blades that could cut through anything.
The starlight and swirling particles on the centipede legs were the manifestation of condensed spiritual energy.
Even without relying on a physical medium, the blades could slash independently — compensating for the lack of claws or fangs in Sky Dream's form, though slightly less powerful.
Perhaps this was part of his obsession.
But the attack didn't end there.
Sky Dream Iceworm leapt into the air, controlling the Frost Centipede like a dancer. With each spin, countless Spiritual Galaxy Slashes detached and transformed into flying daggers, bombarding Feng Ling.
She had no time to think — only react.
A primal sense of danger forced her to retreat at full speed. Even so, starlight grazed her body, leaving bloody gashes.
Had she been a moment slower, she would've been butchered.
"How is this possible?!" Feng Ling gasped in shock.
She couldn't even block the Frost Centipede's attacks?
The flying daggers shattered her dream of invincibility.
Even Jiang Nannan, preparing to retreat to Sea God Island, was stunned.
You tell me to fall back, then hog all the glory for yourself?
Even the Worshipers couldn't stay calm anymore.
Bro — you're this strong, and you were hiding all along?