The Silver Dragon King and the Golden Dragon King were split from the Dragon God. Not only did they inherit the Dragon God's elemental powers and physical might, but also the Dragon God's legacy and partial memories.
Among these memories were naturally those concerning the Progenitor of Sub-Dragons.
This Progenitor was the companion sub-dragon of the Dragon God and the ancestral source of the Purple Radiance Sky-Exterminating Dragon bloodline. Its potential and strength even surpassed that of the Nine Great Dragon Kings.
But due to its excessive destructive power, it was eradicated by the Dragon God personally.
Now, the only remaining trace of it exists within the Sun and Moon Imperial Family's inherited Purple Radiance Sky-Exterminating Dragon bloodline. However, that is merely a diluted descendant and cannot trigger the Silver Dragon King's perception.
What the Silver Dragon King sensed earlier, however, was true power originating directly from the Progenitor's bloodline!
That was why the Silver Dragon King awakened and specifically ordered Bear Lord and the Red King to leave the core zone and search for the source.
Since the Progenitor and the Dragon God were inherently linked, discovering even a part of the Progenitor's legacy would greatly benefit the Silver Dragon King—especially for the future counterattack against the God Realm.
Unfortunately, Bear Lord and Red King arrived too late.
The Silver Dragon King understood that if it truly was the Progenitor—whom even the Dragon God feared—then Bear Lord and Red King might not be able to bring it back easily. So, she had placed a safeguard within both of them, just in case.
Unexpectedly, that safeguard was triggered. The Silver Dragon King's consciousness descended—but she could not find the Progenitor's trace.
Instead, she discovered the existence of the Ten Thousand Beast Banner.
As one of the primal roots of the soul beast race on the Douluo Continent, the Silver Dragon King immediately sensed the Ten Thousand Beast Banner's suppression effect on soul beasts.
Even though the banner was still in its embryonic stage, its suppressive power was already significant. A fierce beast like the Red King couldn't resist it, so it was even worse for those lesser soul beasts—it gave them no chance of escape.
"I could hear the soul beasts weeping within that little banner,"
the Silver Dragon King said solemnly as she stared at it,
then gave her command without hesitation:
"Bear Lord, Red King, destroy that banner. I will grant you power!"
Hearing this command, neither Bear Lord nor Red King dared hesitate. The power left in them by the Silver Dragon King was also activated, raising their strength to another level.
The Red King, of the fire element, had the dormant power within him converted into pure elemental fire, raising his flames to the level of Ultimate Fire.
Now at the strength equivalent of a 400,000-year-old beast, the originally 300,000-year-old Red King had all his wounds healed instantly.
Bear Lord, of the metal element, had long refined his power into Ultimate Gold. The Silver Dragon King used earth power, which nourishes metal, to enhance Bear Lord's strength further, even restoring his previous energy depletion.
With the Silver Dragon King's boost, their auras surged, and their combat strength intensified.
The Red King's six eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he lunged at Dai Hao, who had transformed into a Blood Marked White Tiger, intent on avenging his defeat.
Bear Lord also seized the chance to charge toward the Myriad Soul Douluo, unleashing his Dark Gold Terror Claws to tear apart the Ten Thousand Beast Banner.
Although the banner was strong enough to slam the Red King, it wasn't made to clash head-on with Bear Lord's might.
So, the Myriad Soul Douluo chose to retreat immediately.
"Trying to flee? Too late!"
Bear Lord sneered, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty joy.
Just then, a sharp voice echoed from within the mist:
"Too late? You two didn't leave when you had the chance.
Now, you won't be leaving at all."
"Blood Slaughter Domain!"
The white mist turned crimson red. Within this Blood Fog, Bear Lord and Red King's movements were slowed, restrained by a mysterious force.
However, Myriad Soul Douluo and Dai Hao were unaffected.
This momentary delay gave Myriad Soul Douluo the chance to dive into the mist and vanish.
Dai Hao once again pinned the Red King beneath him.
Dai Hao: "So what if you have Ultimate Fire?
Even with that, you can't defeat an Ultimate Douluo!"
Furious, Bear Lord released golden light, bursting through the Blood Slaughter Domain with his Ultimate Gold.
The Red King too expelled his Ultimate Fire, burning away the blood mist and freeing himself, kicking Dai Hao aside with a paw.
But truthfully, if Dai Hao hadn't been cautious of Ultimate Fire, the Red King's attacks still wouldn't have hurt him. Dai Hao allowed the escape, unwilling to get scorched.
If Bear Lord and Red King had a weakness, it was that neither had a domain.
Bear Lord had poured all his power into physical might, sacrificing a domain. He didn't need one—his Ultimate Gold was enough to rival it.
The Red King, however, simply hadn't reached the necessary level of strength or bloodline purity—his dragon blood was partial, unlike full-blooded dragons.
Even Zi Ji, who was weaker than the Red King, had long formed her own domain. So had Da Ming and Er Ming. The Red King was only superior due to age.
Luckily, the Red King's Ultimate Fire could still burn away the blood mist and offer partial resistance.
"Who's there?! Get out here and face me!"
Bear Lord shouted into the blood mist, furious.
The one who attacked, naturally, was Eunuch Gao.
He hadn't even shown himself yet and had already suppressed Bear Lord and the Red King.
Although both Gao and Dai Hao were Ultimate Douluos, they weren't the same. Gao was well-established and biding his time for further breakthroughs, while Dai Hao was a newcomer among Ultimate Douluos.
The gap in power was not merely double or triple—it was vast.
This time, Enhunch Gao didn't reply to Bear Lord.
Dai Hao crouched low, eyeing the Red King warily, held back by the searing Ultimate Fire.
Then, from the blood mist, a figure in a luxurious crimson robe strolled out casually—like someone out for a walk, unfazed by the battlefield.
His robe looked soaked in blood yet elegant and regal. Pale-faced, radiant-eyed, and sinister in demeanor—he was Enhunch Gao , the chief eunuch under Huo Yuhao.
Standing beside Dai Hao, he chuckled softly:
"Well, well, if it isn't the Duke.
Just a little fire got you all spooked?"
Though his words were polite, each syllable dripped with mockery.
The once master-servant relationship was now long gone; their status worlds apart.
Dai Hao didn't even dare growl back—he crouched obediently like a giant cat, enduring the jabs silently.
Finding it boring, Gao turned to look at Bear Lord and the Red King:
"A blind little bear and a mangy little dog
dare to act up in my domain?
I can't let that slide."
"Might as well use your hides—
a bear pelt coat for my lord,
and as for the dog's... too poor-quality. Forget it."
Nine blood-red soul rings flared around him, and an overwhelming blood aura surged into the domain, amplifying its power once more.
Gao :
"Yo yo yo, isn't this the Duke? Haven't seen you in years—
and now you're such a weakling?"
The Silver Dragon King could tell that Grand Eunuch Gao was no ordinary being.
"He doesn't seem alive. More like a soul… but possessing a physical body. He even has a martial soul, soul rings, and a domain. Could it be that a special artifact granted him such powers?"
"At the very least, it must be a semi-divine artifact!"
Though the Silver Dragon King wasn't entirely clear on the nature of artifact spirits, she had somewhat figured out part of Grand Eunuch Gao's truth.
Meanwhile, Bear King and Red King charged at Grand Eunuch Gao in fury—they were determined to tear this foul-mouthed man apart.
The Silver Dragon King intended to let them probe Gao's strength.
Besides, she had already used her powers to enhance Bear King and Red King. Currently, her own power was limited to awareness—she couldn't intervene directly in the battle. Aside from her perception, she was unable to help.
Normally, an Ultimate Douluo faced with the combined assault of Bear King and Red King would be forced into a serious battle.
But Grand Eunuch Gao was far from ordinary.
Huo Yuhao had ordered him to win quickly.
"Rise!"
With that single command, the Blood Slaughter Domain surged. Countless vengeful spirits burst from the ground like a tide of zombies, swarming toward Bear King and Red King.
Although the two could easily rip apart any single vengeful spirit, the endless wave overwhelmed their bodies in no time.
Worse still, the aura of blood fiendish energy constantly weakened them. At close range, this corruption grew even stronger.
At this moment, a thin crimson needle formed in Grand Eunuch Gao's hand.
Forged from condensed blood aura, this needle was nearly as powerful as a Grade Nine Soul Tool.
Gao aimed at Bear King's eye and flicked his finger—the needle shot forth like a streak of blood-red light.
"Bear King, dodge left!" the Silver Dragon King's voice rang in his ears.
Bear King reacted instantly, jerking his head aside—but it was still too late.
"ROAR!!"
A pained howl escaped Bear King's throat as a bloody gash split across his face. Blood fiendish energy clung to the wound and began invading his body.
His legendary defense had been pierced by a needle!
Had it struck his eye, the energy would've flooded into his mind, killing him instantly.
"Retreat. He is not someone you can fight. We must wait for Di Tian to return," the Silver Dragon King ordered.
Despite their fury and desire to fight, Bear King and Red King had no choice but to obey.
Fierce beasts don't retreat from injuries. In fact, they become more ferocious the more wounded they are. But if they realize they'll be killed, they'll still flee.
At present, Bear King and Red King still believed they could fight on—but the Silver Dragon King left no room for argument.
"I already told you, it's too late to run!" Gao sneered.
His soul power flared, cloaking him in a sphere of blood aura that expanded to three meters wide. When it burst, a blood-red sunflower blossomed in the wind.
Blood Slaughter Sunflower, manifest!
The flower trembled, raining sunflower seeds like artillery shells. Each one struck with soul tool-like force.
Bear King was battered heavily.
Red King, with weaker defense and strength, was nearly crippled—his hind leg almost blown off.
The Silver Dragon King realized Gao wouldn't let them escape. If this continued, they'd be in serious danger.
She looked toward Sea God Island.
"Over there… is that the Golden Ancient Tree?"
"Bear King, Red King—go find the Golden Ancient Tree. Join forces with the humans to break through. They need your help, too!" she commanded.
Bear King hesitated. "But…"
He still harbored resentment and didn't want to ally with humans.
Red King was worse off—he couldn't even speak. His ultimate flame was like a flickering candle against the rain of sunflower seeds.
The Silver Dragon King gave no further explanation.
Bear King only paused briefly before grabbing the severely battered Red King and charging toward the Golden Ancient Tree, enduring the explosive rain.
Meanwhile, the battle on Sea God Island was nearing its end.
Most of Shrek Academy's remaining teachers and students had vanished into the mist—dead or soon to be. Few strong ones remained.
Mu Jin, barely holding on after reaching the seventh ring, got distracted for a moment and was seized by a blood dragon, dragged into the mist.
"Hahaha! Mu Jin, I finally caught you!" came Zhou Yi's crazed laugh from the dragon's mouth.
"Zhou Yi?!" Mu Jin gasped, unable to speak further as the dragon's claws crushed her, dragging her consciousness into darkness.
Dai Yueheng, in white tiger form, slammed Xuan Ziwen to the ground, tore apart his soul tools, and finally bit off his head.
The Corpse God kicked him. "Leave his body intact! I need it for a zombie! Now stitch his head back on!"
Looking pitiful, Dai Yueheng turned back into a human, fetched needle and thread from somewhere, and began sewing Xuan Ziwen's head back onto his body.
Among the strong, only Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er remained, barely holding on with Huo Yuhao and the Golden Ancient Tree's support.
The number of survivors dropped rapidly.
In the end, only those three remained. Huo Yuhao shielded them with the Golden Ancient Tree's power. But they had stopped fighting—their eyes glazed, their minds cracking under the shock.
The once roaring battlefield was now eerily silent.
The Corpse God stood leisurely before them, shrouded in murderous aura, as if sightseeing around Sea God Island.
To Huo Yuhao, anyone from Shrek was fair game.
Of course, he didn't kill everyone.
Members of the Hao Alliance he had painstakingly nurtured were captured alive. The young women were dragged into the mist and detained.
Huo Yuhao would deal with them later.
The rest of Shrek—especially the men—were not so lucky.
But Brother Hao didn't waste anything. The bodies became zombies, the souls turned into bloodthirsty spirits. Nothing was left unused.
Even the spilled blood was completely licked away by the mist.
Shrek City was now cleaner than it had ever been. Not a trace of blood or death lingered.
Everyone had known they were doomed and fought to the last, hoping to take at least one enemy down with them.
But in reality, they didn't even get that chance.
Yan Shaozhe and the others didn't even get to sacrifice themselves.
So there was no one hiding in the Sea God Pavilion.
At present, only two people were left inside—Jiang Nannan and Qian Duoduo—both unconscious and unable to fight.
"Is my ten-thousand-year-old Shrek truly going to perish today?" Yan Shaozhe muttered.
They prayed to the Sea God—but no divine response came.
Now, the three of them sat silently before the Sea God Pavilion—not retreating inside, still holding onto their final shred of dignity.
Grand Eunuch Gao: Who among us isn't as radiant as a flower?
The fall of Shrek, and the next phase begins.
Corpse God stood just ten steps away from Yan Shaozhe and his two companions. He appeared calm and at ease, as if he had returned to his own home.
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Liner, and Cai Meier all glared at Corpse God with eyes like blades, seemingly wishing to tear him to pieces.
"Evil Soul Masters! Even if you destroy Shrek City and obliterate Sea God Island, the spirit of Shrek is indestructible! The honor of Shrek is undefeated! The faith of Shrek is unshakable!"
"Those Shrek disciples scattered across the three great empires will one day rise and wipe you out completely, rebuilding Shrek anew!" Yan Shaozhe forced the words out through clenched teeth.
As a man who hailed from Shrek, he had his own pride and resolve. Even in such a desperate situation, he would never kneel or beg for mercy.
This was one of the more admirable traits of Shrek. In the previous battles, none of Shrek's core members had flinched or begged, even knowing that leaving Huo Yuhao's protection meant quicker death—they still charged into battle. If they were to die, they'd take someone with them.
It was moving, indeed.
But it only moved those on Shrek's side. To Huo Yuhao, the honor, spirit, and faith of Shrek meant nothing.
True powerhouses are never swayed by the convictions of the weak. True strength is built upon an even greater will.
Though Huo Yuhao's journey seemed smooth on the surface, suppressing his nature and hiding his true self had always been its own kind of crucible.
To Corpse God, Yan Shaozhe's words were laughable.
"If there are still remnants of Shrek in the three great empires, then I'll destroy all three of them! And if you pin your hopes on the gods of the Divine Realm, know this—I'll ascend there myself one day and wipe out the source!" Corpse God said coldly.
"Arrogant!" Yan Shaozhe sneered.
He didn't believe Corpse God had that kind of power.
But Corpse God didn't intend to explain himself. He attacked, using the left hand merged into Huo Yuhao's skin—a gesture of seriousness.
Yan Shaozhe did not surrender. He joined forces with Xian Liner and Cai Meier to counter Corpse God's attack.
But it was futile. Their combined strike was as fragile as Shrek's collapsed walls—a pathetic display.
In his final moments, Yan Shaozhe turned to Xian Liner and Cai Meier, a peaceful smile on his face.
"Meier, thank you for being my wife. If there is a next life, I will never let you down."
"Liner, I know I wronged you. If there is another life, I'll do everything I can to make it up to you."
Cai Meier: "…"
Xian Liner: "…"
Once, they might have been moved by his words. But now, both women felt only deep embarrassment, averting their gazes in guilt.
Because they were the ones who had betrayed him.
Yan Shaozhe had no time to dwell on their reactions—Corpse God's strike was about to land.
Huo Yuhao activated the power of the Golden Ancient Tree just in time, barely blocking the fatal blow. But it was clear the Tree's power had been significantly drained.
Why? Because Bear Lord and Red King had just arrived, accompanied by the consciousness of the Silver Dragon King. If they did nothing, she might suspect something.
Huo Yuhao still didn't know the full extent of Silver Dragon King's strength. If she sensed danger and decided to risk it all by summoning the Divine Realm's gods, Huo Yuhao might meet an untimely end.
Besides, Huo Yuhao never intended to kill Yan Shaozhe, Xian Liner, or Cai Meier. If anything, he planned to capture and continue cultivating them.
Xian Liner and Cai Meier were hard-earned cultivation vessels.
Yan Shaozhe, with his phoenix bloodline, was a rare talent with untapped potential.
As the child of two Limit Douluos—who had not undergone any malicious mutations—Yan Shaozhe's potential was extraordinary. He simply hadn't worked hard enough in his youth or found the right opportunities.
Just as Bear Lord arrived, he saw Corpse God attacking the trio. Without hesitation, he threw down Red King and unleashed his Darkgolden Terrorclaw from afar.
Corpse God tilted his head slightly and casually released corpse energy as a shield, completely nullifying the incoming strike.
Bear Lord's pupils contracted in shock. He dared not advance.
Red King, who had been thrown aside, lay flat on the ground, tongue out, trying to catch his breath.
" Bear Lord? Red King?" Yan Shaozhe and his companions were stunned. They didn't expect them to appear—much less to help.
But from their current state, it seemed unlikely that even with their aid, they could defeat Corpse God.
The true deciding factor wasn't them—it was Huo Yuhao and the Silver Dragon King.
Silver Dragon King instantly realized that Huo Yuhao was channeling power from the Golden Ancient Tree. A thought sparked in her mind.
She knew about the Golden Ancient Tree—how rare and precious it was, even in the vast universe. If she could use it to heal her wounds, her recovery would be much faster.
In the past, Shrek's guardians kept her from acting. Even Di Tian couldn't seize the Tree without her intervention.
But now, with Shrek nearly destroyed, the Tree was within reach.
The Silver Dragon King knew she had made the right decision by coming here.
But first, she needed to use the Tree's power to get through the current crisis.
She sent Huo Yuhao a mental message:
"Human, I will teach you a way to use the Golden Ancient Tree to escape this situation. Whether you survive or not depends on your ability to comprehend it."
"Hm? Who are you? You're inside Bear Lord?" Huo Yuhao responded telepathically.
He had already guessed her identity. But through mental transmission, it felt more like text—no tone, no voice.
Silver Dragon King was surprised. She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao's spiritual power to be so high and his perception so sharp. Still, she didn't plan to reveal herself.
"Escape first, then we'll talk. Your enemy has already surpassed Rank 100. Time is short."
The next moment, a wealth of knowledge was transmitted into Huo Yuhao's mind.
Though this interaction seemed long, it happened instantaneously through mental communication.
The knowledge formed a special technique.
Huo Yuhao instantly understood it—and saw through its true nature.
"This is a sacrificial technique!"
"Sacrifice oneself to merge into an item, strengthening it. Over time, this creates a deep bond—eventually, the user becomes one with the item, turning into its nourishment."
"Heh. But the final result was vaguely described. The term 'sacrifice' wasn't used at all—only phrases about 'binding with an item.' The omission is clever."
"If Ling'er hadn't taught me similar techniques before, and if I didn't have the background knowledge, I might've taken longer to see through it. Even realizing the trick wouldn't mean I could easily undo it."
"What, trying to cheat me completely?"
"Silver Dragon King, you harbor ill intent toward me. You've already chosen your path to death!"
After teaching Huo Yuhao her technique, the Silver Dragon King sent a mental message to Bear Lord and Red King, instructing them to assist Yan Shaozhe's trio in stalling for time.
Bear Lord and Red King nodded and complied. They had no choice but to trust the Silver Dragon King.
Even together with Yan Shaozhe's group, they were easily crushed by the Corpse God, merely delaying their demise by a couple of minutes.
For the Silver Dragon King, if her true body were present or even a mental clone instead of just a wisp of consciousness, she would have entered the Golden Ancient Tree herself to control it and confront the Corpse God directly. She believed the human controlling the tree would make the right choice, as only she could ensure everyone's escape.
However, once the Golden Ancient Tree was brought to Star Dou Forest's core, the outcome would be the same—just a matter of sooner or later.
"The technique I taught that human isn't complex. With his strength, he should master it quickly. Let him sacrifice to the Golden Ancient Tree first, and I'll harvest a better-grown tree later," the Silver Dragon King mused, viewing Huo Yuhao and others much like Huo Yuhao viewed ordinary people: as resources.
Never having split her psyche, the Silver Dragon King—a god-dragon of countless years—bore the Dragon God's kind side, but her kindness was relative.
A purebred god-dragon showing goodwill to humans? Anyone thinking that must be out of their mind.
Even among kin, mutual help was rare, let alone across species.
In the brief moment of her contemplation, the Golden Ancient Tree erupted in dazzling golden light, its aura surging, breaking past the Limit Douluo realm and crossing into Level 100 and beyond!
The Silver Dragon King smiled. It worked.
"Pushing the Golden Ancient Tree to god-level in one go—how much power did that human sacrifice? How long can he hold out?"
"Having tasted power beyond Level 100, I doubt a mere human could resist using it again. As long as he keeps sacrificing, he'll inch closer to fully dedicating himself to the tree!"
"And the day I control the Golden Ancient Tree and swiftly recover my strength will draw nearer!"
This sacrifice method was superior to Shrek's inherited one.
Elder Lin's sacrifice was crude, one-time, with limited benefits for the tree.
But the Silver Dragon King's method involved continuous sacrifice, fully merging one's essence into the tree.
Huo Yuhao didn't use the sacrifice technique—or rather, he didn't need to. He'd already fully refined the Golden Ancient Tree. By infusing some of his power, the tree strengthened.
It was like a brute-force brick-flying tactic—more power, stronger artifact.
A towering golden beam burst from the Golden Ancient Tree, piercing the sky and cutting through the mist.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his luck concealment.
This consumed some luck, but for him, it was a drop in the bucket. The harvest of Shrek Academy's luck yielded a hundredfold return.
Spending one portion of luck to gain at least a hundred—now that's fair.
That was just the luck harvest.
For a powerhouse like Huo Yuhao, every move was either a big win or a massive win.
The Corpse God was blasted off Sea God Island by the golden light.
Then, Sea God Island trembled.
To everyone's shock, the Golden Ancient Tree uprooted itself, carrying clumps of soil, and soared into the sky, taking Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, Bear Lord, and Red King with it.
Instead of fighting, it turned to flee.
"Get back here!" the Corpse God roared, seemingly furious, slamming a palm at the tree. Huo Yuhao, controlling its flight, could only use the tree's trunk to block.
The strike caused an accident—the tree "dropped loot."
Cracks split Sea God Pavilion, and two figures, along with various items, fell out.
It was the unconscious Jiang Nannan and Qian Duoduo.
"No!" Yan Shaozhe and the others gasped, rushing to save them.
Oddly, all three instinctively went for Jiang Nannan, leaving Qian Duoduo ignored.
Qian Duoduo: *Oh, come on~*
Xian Lin'er reacted, turning to save Qian Duoduo.
But the Corpse God's palm morphed into a toxic claw, corroding the tree's soul power defenses, piercing the golden light, and grabbing for those inside, heedless of damage.
Xian Lin'er: "Duoduo!"
Bear Lord: "Red King!"
The Corpse God's swipe snatched the unconscious Qian Duoduo and the gravely injured Red King, then retreated decisively.
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Bear Lord, shocked and anxious, moved to rescue them, pausing the tree's escape.
But the Silver Dragon King's icy voice rang in their ears. "Go!"
"Return now, and you'll miss your only chance to escape! With you alive, it's not a total loss!"
In the end, Huo Yuhao piloted the Golden Ancient Tree, carrying the four humans and one soul beast, fleeing tearfully toward Star Dou Forest.
Red King, watching the tree vanish, let out a mournful whimper, filled with despair.
To his surprise, he was merely tossed to the ground, his head intact.
The Corpse God laughed.
Two figures appeared beside him: Eunuch Gao and Xu Qiudi.
Eunuch Gao trailed a step behind.
Xu Qiudi, unaware of the Corpse God's true identity, stood level with him, given their comparable strength.
The Corpse God didn't comment.
Eunuch Gao stayed silent, his amused glance at Xu Qiudi irking her, though she held her tongue due to his proximity to the Corpse God.
Once master and servant, now peers.
Xu Qiudi, uninterested in petty games, had stayed out of sight, letting Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng act.
Watching the Golden Ancient Tree escape, Xu Qiudi frowned. "They got away? Was that part of *his* plan?"
Though unaware the Corpse God was Huo Yuhao, she knew he followed Huo Yuhao's orders.
She suspected this was Huo Yuhao's scheme.
"Naturally," the Corpse God replied.
"As of today, Shrek and Sea God Pavilion are effectively destroyed. Henceforth, the continent will have no Shrek or Sea God Pavilion—only Shrek remnants."
Xu Qiudi: "You crushed Shrek and Sea God Pavilion. Aren't you worried about backlash from the three empires?"
Corpse God: "That won't happen."
Xu Qiudi pressed, "How many factions do you control? What's your goal?"
"I'll tell you then. The four empires are under our thumb, leaving only Star Dou Forest. And everyone on the continent will know the Holy Spirit Cult destroyed Shrek!"
Xu Qiudi's pupils shrank.
Red King's six dog eyes widened.
The Corpse God continued, "As for our goal… just cultivation resources."
He shifted focus, looming over Red King. "Now, it's harvest time!"
Myriad Souls Douluo emerged from the mist, aiming his Myriad Beasts Banner at Red King—the final ingredient for refining it was here.
Of course, the Holy Spirit Cult's members wouldn't escape either…
To pin the blame on them, the culprits had to be silenced forever~
That's how you make the blame stick!
Corpse God: Only those who frame you know how innocent you are!
The Red King seemed to have seen something he shouldn't have.
As a result, he became the final ingredient in refining the Myriad Beast Banner.
However, they didn't linger long in Shrek City and quickly moved to a remote forest.
There, Corpse God personally took action. He refined the Red King, using his flesh, bones, soul, and soul power as materials to forge the core of the Myriad Beast Banner.
Then, he merged it with the Myriad Soul Douluo and his martial soul.
Xu Qiudi and Eunuch Gao watched from the side. Eunuch Gao had already grown accustomed to such mystical methods, but Xu Qiudi, witnessing it for the first time, couldn't hide her shock.
"This is the Myriad Beast Banner you spoke of? Is this still a martial soul?" Xu Qiudi couldn't help but ask curiously.
Eunuch Gao smiled slightly. "Strictly speaking, it's a magical artifact. Crafted through special means and refined into an 'instrument,' it possesses much greater power. Your White Tiger Duke's Mansion, and my Blood Slaughter Pearl—those count as magical artifacts too."
"How amazing. What does the Myriad Beast Banner do?" Xu Qiudi asked.
"It's used to suppress soul beasts!" Eunuch Gao replied. This wasn't a secret and didn't need to be hidden.
"Are you going to attack soul beasts next?"
Eunuch Gao only smiled in response.
Xu Qiudi was inwardly amazed at the abilities and methods possessed by Huo Yuhao and his companions. At the same time, she felt increasing resentment. She hated that Huo Yuhao had obtained such powers while she had nothing. Who knew when she would get her chance at revenge?
The refining of the Myriad Beast Banner didn't take long since only the final fusion step remained.
Once all of the Red King's essence had been absorbed into the banner, it was finally completed.
It transformed from a martial soul into a tangible artifact.
A bone-crafted pole, with a crimson banner surface upon which numerous soul beasts were depicted. At the very center was the image of a three-headed Crimson Demon Mastiff, resembling a hellhound guarding the gates of the underworld.
If one listened closely, they could faintly hear the howling of dogs from within the banner.
Corpse God chuckled. "The Myriad Beast Banner… is complete!"
The banner floated up, and the figure of Myriad Soul Douluo appeared—no, he should now be called the Soul Collector.
His appearance had drastically changed. His face was obscured beneath a blood-red black robe, and in his hands, he held the Myriad Beast Banner, radiating a mysterious and eerie aura.
The Soul Collector was not the spirit of the banner, but rather its bearer—like a sword servant.
While he could wield part of its power, true control over the Myriad Beast Banner remained with Huo Yuhao, its rightful master.
As for the spirit of the artifact, it was the Red King—more specifically, the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff, now serving as the main soul.
With a thunderous howl, the mastiff leaped from the banner, now even larger and more fearsome in presence, nearing 400,000 years of cultivation.
The power of the Myriad Beast Banner also empowered the mastiff, pushing its strength even further. With continued development and the absorption of more beast souls, it wouldn't be long before it truly reached that four-hundred-thousand-year mark.
Despite retaining the Red King's memories, the mastiff bared its fangs at everyone nearby.
But after locking eyes with the Corpse God, the three heads bowed simultaneously, lying down obediently like a loyal hound.
Corpse God patted the mastiff's heads with a smile.
"Your innate Hellfire has lost the enhancement from the Silver Dragon King, and is now just below the ultimate flame level."
"Don't worry, I'll soon help you upgrade your Hellfire to true ultimateflame level—perhaps even awaken more of your true dragon bloodline."
While the dragon bloodline wouldn't turn the mastiff into a dragon, it would make it far more powerful.
It might even help it awaken its own domain.
The domain of the former Myriad Soul Banner had been absorbed into the mastiff's body, but no new domain had emerged—clearly, it was in a fusion state, awaiting the proper trigger for a new awakening.
"The number of beast souls in the Myriad Beast Banner is still too few, which is why all its powers haven't awakened yet. But that's fine. There will be more soul beasts, and the Myriad Beast Banner will only grow stronger!"
After the banner was completed…
Eunuch Gao and Xu Qiudi also departed, returning to the Blood Slaughter Pearl and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion to digest their gains.
While this harvest didn't bring a qualitative leap in their strength, it still made them significantly more powerful.
At their level, growth no longer came from simple accumulation.
Meanwhile, the Corpse God began to sort through his own gains from Shrek City.
Ordinary and high-quality zombies were left nearby in slumber to continue cultivating.
Three freshly transformed zombies, however, were kept close—Shi Xing, Qian Duoduo, and Beast Blood Douluo.
Beast Blood Douluo's corpse had been fished from the lake—still fresh.
Qian Duoduo had been turned into a zombie while unconscious. His soul was bound, and his body reanimated through zombie power.
For him, this could be considered a… gentle ending.
"My spirit rings are made by refining zombies. They're both my source of power and my combat strength. If they never change, they'll eventually hold me back."
"Maybe the fusion ring technique can give me new breakthroughs."
The Corpse God wanted to try fusing his existing rings with other zombies to create higher-quality spirit rings.
God-level powerhouses might not care much for spirit ring skills, but for the Corpse God, these rings were crucial to his unique powers. He didn't want them to become obsolete.
If he couldn't use gods' corpses as rings, he would just elevate the zombies themselves to god-level instead!
…
Meanwhile, the rest weren't idle either.
The escaping Shrek group—Huo Yuhao, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Jiang Nannan—escaped with the Golden Ancient Tree and Bear Lord to the core of the Star Dou Forest.
When the soul beasts saw Bear Lord wounded, the Red King missing, and powerful human soul masters arriving, they instantly panicked, thinking humans were attacking.
Fortunately, the Silver Dragon King spoke in time—otherwise, Bi Ji would've called for reinforcements.
"They are refugees now. I have decided to protect them," said the Silver Dragon King.
It was a pretext, of course.
Her true goal was to wait until Huo Yuhao completely sacrifices himself to the Golden Ancient Tree, then seize it.
If she acted too early, Huo Yuhao might go down with the tree in a mutual destruction ploy. That would not only ruin her plans, but also expose her presence—and she might not get the Golden Tree intact.
The soul beasts didn't understand her reasoning but eventually agreed—
Because now, they had a new enemy: the Corpse God.
Bear Lord wanted revenge. The Red King couldn't die for nothing.
The Silver Dragon King also saw another opportunity—use Huo Yuhao's hatred to destroy the Myriad Beast Banner.
That banner posed too much of a threat to soul beasts.
And she could tell—it was a growing power. It had to be destroyed before it grew any further.
Teaming up with Huo Yuhao and his people was the best option for now.
Huo Yuhao and the others had never seen the Silver Dragon King's true form. She kept her identity hidden and let the soul beasts introduce her simply as their superior—their master.
This left Yan Shaozhe and the others both shocked and grateful. They developed a strong sense of respect and appreciation for the Silver Dragon King's protection.
Yan Shaozhe: "The Silver Dragon King is truly a sincere beast!"