Star Dou Great Forest – Core Region.
This place belonged to the ferocious soul beasts.
But now, the soul beasts weren't doing so well.
Many had died, others were injured.
The remaining soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest were:
Beast God, Di Tian, who had gone to the North Sea with Xuanzi and had yet to return. In truth, they had been trapped there by the Princess of the Rakshasa Sea.
Bi Ji, whose true form was the Emerald Swan. She was injured by Huo Yuhao during the battle against Shrek. Her injuries left hidden complications that were difficult to heal. There was a tragic elegance to her—like a healer unable to cure herself.
Ten Thousand Demon King, the only ferocious beast that remained unscathed.
Bear Lord, who was injured during the battle in Shrek City and was currently in recovery.
There had once been Red King and Zi Ji as well. However, Red King died in the recent incident, while Zi Ji had vanished long ago. The beasts speculated she had met a grim fate—possibly at the hands of evil soul masters.
There was also a beast ranked tenth among the ferocious ones, known only as Yaoling. Though technically part of the Star Dou Great Forest, it never resided in the core region and hadn't shown itself in ages. The other soul beasts didn't even know if Yaoling was still alive.
During the era of Peerless Tang Sect, Yaoling had only ever been mentioned in passing. It never appeared. After millennia, its spot had been taken by other beasts, and no further news followed.
Apart from the soul beasts, Jin Qiu'er was the only other resident in the core area.
Huo Yuhao and the others had been entrusted to the care of the soul beasts by the Silver Dragon King.
Before she entered another deep slumber, the Silver Dragon King had issued new instructions: all beast kings of the forest should move into the core region to live and cultivate.
This was partly for their own protection.
She had a premonition—those wielding the Ten Thousand Beast Banner would eventually strike at the Star Dou Forest. When that time came, the beast kings would be in grave danger.
Only soul beasts who could grow into beast kings represented the future of their race.
Thus, the core zone began to bustle with activity once again.
Huo Yuhao's group, along with many beast kings, began living and cultivating in the core zone.
Of course, the beast kings still remained wary of them. So, Huo Yuhao's group kept to the area around Lake of Life, minimizing interaction with the beasts to avoid misunderstandings. All communication went through Bi Ji, who remained relatively friendly, despite Huo Yuhao having once injured her.
The core zone's cultivation environment was superb—surpassing even that of Sea God Island.
The natural surroundings were beautiful, the environment helped align their spiritual energy with nature, and the area was rich in both elemental energy and life force.
Especially Lake of Life—at the bottom lay condensed Essence of Living Gold. Even the Golden Tortoise, who had once risked diving into the lake, only managed to bite off a tiny piece. Compared to the Star Dou Forest's long years of accumulation, it was but a drop in the ocean.
The sheer life energy emanating from the Essence of Living Gold was enough to benefit beast kings immensely. Wounds on Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Jiang Nannan were healing rapidly.
No one dwelled on the fall of Shrek City. Everyone was focused on recovery. Only by regaining strength quickly could they leave to find the Elders and other members of the Oversight Committee in the Dou Ling Empire.
Only united could they hope for revenge.
As for Huo Yuhao, he remained silent and caused no trouble. Citing the need to recover, he planted the Golden Ancient Tree at the edge of the Lake of Life and hid inside it—seeing no one.
It was almost like he was shutting himself off from the world.
In the distance, a figure with pink-blue hair stood watching the lake, her gaze fixed on the golden tree.
It was Jin Qiu'er.
Since fully awakening after returning to the core zone, Jin Qiu'er's hair had gradually changed, now fully pink-blue.
The new color gave her a softer femininity, trading some of her previous regal aura for gentle beauty.
She even began to feel—maybe it was just her imagination—that her aura and hair now resembled her old friend Wang Dong more and more.
Maybe if she changed her name, she and Wang Dong could pass for siblings.
Though she had heard of Shrek's destruction and felt some discomfort, it wasn't enough to cause deep grief.
Her concern lay more with Huo Yuhao—because of their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, he held special significance for her.
Still, for various reasons, she hadn't approached Huo Yuhao or the others directly.
"Auspicious Beast, give them some time. They've just been through a catastrophe—they need peace."
— Bi Ji, appearing behind Jin Qiu'er.
Bi Ji had sensed the killing intent still lingering around Yan Shaozhe and the others. Given Jin Qiu'er's connection to Shrek, she feared conflict might break out if she appeared.
Jin Qiu'er nodded and said,
"Sister Bi Ji, I'll go rest. I'll leave them in your care."
Bi Ji sighed but nodded as well.
Though Jin Qiu'er was awake, she still fell into regular periods of sleep. After examination by the Silver Dragon King, it was confirmed to be a soul-related issue.
So far, her condition could only be alleviated—not cured. Worse, it seemed to be deteriorating, with her sleep cycles growing longer.
As Jin Qiu'er left, she suddenly turned and said to Bi Ji:
"Sister Bi Ji, I heard a saying in the human world—'Whoever tied the bell must untie it.'
Maybe… you should let Huo Yuhao help with your internal injury. He's also a healer."
Bi Ji froze for a moment, then instinctively held her chest—where her pain resided.
She smiled faintly and nodded.
"Alright. I'll go find him."
Jin Qiu'er left.
Bi Ji fell into deep thought.
And the core zone, once again, returned to tranquility.
But the outside world… was far from peaceful.
"Emperor of the Sun and Moon, do you really plan to wipe us out?!"
"We can surrender! We can serve the Sun and Moon Empire with loyalty!"
Wu Yun and Zhang Peng looked up in terror at the blazing sun overhead, pleading frantically.
Around them were the other Saint Spirit Hall Elders—but the rest were already lying on the ground, clearly no longer capable of fighting.
They had escaped Shrek—but not Xu Tiancheng.
What they hadn't expected was that Xu Tiancheng would personally come for them.
Against his overwhelming strength, even a group of Titled Douluo combined were no more than powerless mortals.
Xu Tiancheng floated in midair, looking down at the frightened Holy Spirit Cult people with a smile:
"Don't worry, I only want your bodies… and your lives.
But in the future, I promise to give you all a great fortune!"
"You bastard! I'd rather self-destruct than let you succeed—!"
Wu Yun made a move to self-destruct.
But with a wave of Xu Tiancheng's hand, countless blood bats appeared from nowhere and swarmed the area.
They instantly disrupted Wu Yun's attempt and subdued all the survivors.
This was the power of his Fourth Martial Soul – Blood-Sucking Bat King. A top-tier spirit across the continent—but for Xu Tiancheng, it was his weakest power.
"Rest assured. I never break my promises."
"Next up… Zhongli Wu, Ye Xishui, and Long Xiaoyao."
"Ah, and almost forgot—Feng Ling. Can't leave her out."
Xu Tiancheng: If I chase you… and catch you… I'll 'hehehe' you~
In the previous battle—
Long Xiaoyao had been severely wounded by the martial soul fusion technique of Huo Yuhao and Jiang Nannan, forcing him to flee.
Ye Xishui abandoned everything and retreated alongside Long Xiaoyao.
Zhongli Wu was also compelled to abandon his plans and withdrew with Feng Ling.
Tang Ya departed with the other elites of the Holy Spirit Cult.
The worshippers, led by Zhang Peng and Wuyun, also chose to retreat.
In other words, the Holy Spirit Cult's forces scattered into multiple groups:
Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling formed one team.
Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui another.
The worshippers became a third group.
Tang Ya and the Holy Spirit elite formed the last.
Beibei went after Tang Ya.
Now, the entire group of worshippers had been captured by Xu Tianchen.
He then turned to pursue Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao.
However, the speed at which those two Limit Douluos fled exceeded Xu Tianchen's expectations.
They escaped directly out of the Heavenly Soul Empire's borders and fled to the sea, disappearing without a trace.
This made Xu Tianchen realize that the reason they couldn't locate Ye Xishui's true body earlier was probably because she had been hiding in the sea all along.
Their decisive escape to the sea revealed they had long been wary of Xu Tianchen taking advantage of their weakness. Truly, the older, the wiser.
Unfortunately for them, Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling were not taken along.
Perhaps they were meant to be bait—or expendable pawns.
Fortunately, while Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao escaped, Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling failed to do so, since they retreated toward the Sun Moon Empire.
Xu Tianchen caught up to them, blocking their path with a devilish smile.
"Where are you two going?" Xu Tianchen asked, smiling.
"Your Majesty," Zhongli Wu said respectfully, cupping his hands, "we're returning to the Holy Spirit Cult. We hope Your Majesty will grant us passage."
"Hahaha," Xu Tianchen laughed loudly, then offered, "The Holy Spirit Cult has done a great service to the Sun Moon Empire by destroying Shrek. Why not come to the palace as honored guests? I promise you high ranks and generous rewards."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's kindness," Zhongli Wu replied, "but unfortunately, the Holy Spirit Cult failed to destroy Shrek, so we do not dare take credit."
"No, Shrek has already been destroyed. That was your Holy Spirit Cult's doing!" Xu Tianchen declared confidently.
Zhongli Wu's pupils contracted sharply. He immediately sensed something was off.
His thoughts swirled in an instant:
"Shrek… actually destroyed? Who did it? Could it have been Xu Tianchen's hidden hand? And now he wants to pin it on the Holy Spirit Cult? But how could he possibly have that power? Unless… he has other powerful allies? Could it be the strong individuals from the Hall of Worship?"
If the Holy Spirit Cult had indeed destroyed Shrek Academy and achieved their goal, Zhongli Wu wouldn't have minded being smeared with infamy.
But now, having failed and still being made a scapegoat? That he could neither accept nor tolerate.
"Your Majesty, has Shrek really been destroyed?" Zhongli Wu asked in a deep voice.
"Yes~"
"Was it your doing?"
"No~"
"Then who was it? And the Golden Ancient Tree—who possesses it now? Could it have fallen into Your Majesty's hands?" Zhongli Wu asked bluntly, clearly probing.
Xu Tianchen laughed and replied, "Your real target in attacking Shrek… was the Golden Ancient Tree? Why do you need it? It's of no use to evil soul masters. Or… is it related to the legacy you received from the Ancestor of Subdragons?"
Zhongli Wu's pupils shrank again. He blurted out, "How do you know about that?!"
"Did you not know that the descendant of the Ancestor of Subdragons… is the Purple Radiance Heaven-Destroying Dragon?" Xu Tianchen said seriously, his smile vanishing. Then he extended his hand.
"Hand over the legacy of the Ancestor of Subdragons, and I'll spare your life!"
"Attack!"
Zhongli Wu gave a low shout and activated his martial soul without hesitation.
There was no need for further games. Both sides were devils in disguise—no need to keep up appearances.
Indeed, Zhongli Wu's true goal was the Golden Ancient Tree.
Upon hearing that Shrek had been destroyed and that the tree might have changed hands, he couldn't stay calm.
But regardless of whose hands the tree had fallen into, as long as he could take down Xu Tianchen, he might learn its whereabouts.
Moreover, he might use the power of the Purple Radiance Heaven-Destroying Dragon to better comprehend the legacy of the Ancestor of Subdragons.
As for the power gap—Zhongli Wu didn't think it was too wide.
He believed he still had a chance.
In his view, Xu Tianchen had only recently reached the rank of Limit Douluo and had cultivated for just over thirty years. How deep could his foundation be?
Even if Xu had some fortuitous encounters or divine inheritances granting him powerful techniques, the experience gap might still allow Zhongli Wu to prevail.
Plus, he had the Bone Dragon King—a combat force equivalent to a Limit Douluo.
Two against one. The advantage was his!
As for Feng Ling—she lacked the power to intervene directly, but could be a reserve force just in case.
Thus, Zhongli Wu decisively launched his attack.
Even if he couldn't win, he could still escape.
Xu Tianchen smiled—it was exactly what he'd hoped for.
"To deal with you, I'll use this martial soul."
Fourth Martial Soul: Bloodsucking Bat King!
"Bloodsucking Bat King, Possess!"
Boom—
Blood-red soul power burst from Xu Tianchen's body. A pair of bat wings spread from his back. His canine teeth elongated past his lips. His eyes turned crimson, and his skin paled, looking even more demonic.
Nine blood-red god-bestowed soul rings emerged in succession—all of them hundred-thousand-year soul rings.
The blood-colored soul power blocked Zhongli Wu's sneak attack. Zhongli Wu hadn't expected a one-hit victory anyway.
But when he saw Xu Tianchen's martial soul, his expression changed.
"You're not Xu Tianchen?!"
On the Douluo Continent, martial souls were more reliable than ID cards.
Zhongli Wu suspected either Xu Tianchen had been possessed, or someone was masquerading as him.
"Why don't you test it yourself and find out?" Xu Tianchen replied with a smirk.
He dove down like a giant bat, aiming to kill Zhongli Wu.
Zhongli Wu snorted coldly, remaining cautious.
Even though the martial soul was different, the Limit Douluo-level soul power fluctuation was real.
Suddenly, the space beside him shattered, and the Bone Dragon King roared as it charged at Xu Tianchen.
In close combat, the Bone Dragon King engaged directly while Zhongli Wu cast soul skills in tandem—an effective and powerful combination.
Against soul masters of the same level, they were hard to beat. Even stronger foes would find them formidable.
Unfortunately, their opponent was Xu Tianchen.
And even though he used his weakest martial soul, Zhongli Wu was no match.
The Bloodsucking Bat King, though a top-tier martial soul, was still Xu Tianchen's weakest.
Its soul rings were just ordinary god-bestowed types—hundred-thousand-year rings were its cap.
Xu Tianchen raised a clawed hand and struck directly, meeting the Bone Dragon King head-on like an egg smashing into a rock.
And yet, the next second—
The Bone Dragon King was sent flying by Xu Tianchen.
The cultivation essence of the Shadow Claw had been absorbed by the Demonic God Arm Crossbow, elevating it to a semi-divine weapon. It had become Xu Tiancheng's third martial soul and a personal core artifact.
However, traces of the Shadow Claw's influence did not disappear.
For instance, Xu Tiancheng's hand strength far exceeded that of others at his level, even surpassing soul masters who had fused hand-type soul bones.
Had the Bone Dragon King not possessed strength at the Limit Douluo level and inherited the power of the Ancestor of Sub-Dragons, Xu Tiancheng's single claw strike could have shattered its skeletal frame.
Even now, although the Bone Dragon King managed to block the blow, it was still sent flying by Xu Tiancheng's attack.
This shocked Zhongli Wu deeply.
He knew very well how powerful the Bone Dragon King was. For Xu Tiancheng to send it flying so easily spoke volumes about the terrifying strength of his physical body.
"But the Bone Dragon King's true power doesn't lie in its body," Zhongli Wu muttered, "it's in its control of elemental forces!"
"Bone Dragon King, unleash your wind-fire element power!"
As his command fell, the airborne Bone Dragon King regained its posture, gazed down at Xu Tiancheng, and began accumulating wind and fire elemental energy in its mouth.
A Bone Dragon King that required no warm-up was the one truly comparable to a ferocious beast in power.
Xu Tiancheng, however, showed no fear, nor did he dodge. He activated the power of the soul bone in his right arm.
Dark demonic energy surged from within the soul bone, wrapping around Xu Tiancheng's body. His originally blood-red soul power transformed into a deep black-red hue, exuding a dangerous, sinister aura.
This was the Right Arm Bone of the 100,000-Year Infernal Demon Dragon, carrying a soul bone ability: Demonization!
Demonization was a strength-enhancing soul skill that boosted both attack power and soul force by 50%, while also improving his overall physical attributes.
In the next second, Xu Tiancheng transformed into a streak of black-red light and charged toward the Bone Dragon King, like a giant blood-colored bat.
The Bone Dragon King spat out a concentrated burst of wind and fire element energy, directly striking Xu Tiancheng.
But astonishingly, the blood-colored bat tore through the elemental blast and pushed forward, reaching the Bone Dragon King before exploding into countless smaller blood-colored bats.
These mini blood bats clung to the Bone Dragon King, rapidly draining its soul power.
Naturally, Zhongli Wu would not sit by and let the Bone Dragon King be suppressed. He activated one of the ten-thousand-year soul rings on his Death Demon Puppet, summoning a massive death scythe into his hand and swung it in a sweeping arc.
Eighth Soul Skill: Death Scythe!
The swirling strike shredded the swarm of blood-colored bats into a mist of blood, scattering them in a rain of gore.
In no time, both Zhongli Wu and the Bone Dragon King were engulfed in a blood mist. Most of the bats had been destroyed.
Yet Xu Tiancheng still did not reappear.
This unsettled Zhongli Wu.
Then, seemingly from both near and far, Xu Tiancheng's voice echoed in Zhongli Wu's ears:
"Bloodburst Art!"
To be fair, the Death God Envoy was truly talented. The Corpse Explosion Technique he had developed was both potent and intricately cast.
Xu Tiancheng had studied it and created a variation—Bloodburst Art.
Bloodburst Art worked in synergy with the earlier Mini Blood Bats, forming a combo technique.
The bats would first absorb the enemy's soul power. Once destroyed, they'd dissolve into a soul power-infused blood mist.
By igniting the energy within the mist, Xu Tiancheng could launch a surprise attack, the power of which depended on how much energy the bats had absorbed.
In essence, he was using the enemy's own strength against them.
Though it hadn't been long, the large number of blood bats had already drained a great deal of energy from the Bone Dragon King, leaving it visibly weakened and sluggish.
Now, with Bloodburst Art, all the energy absorbed was detonated—effectively like setting off multiple Grade-9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells at close range.
Any average Title Douluo would've been obliterated. Even a Super Douluo would suffer grievous injuries.
Zhongli Wu was no exception. Blood trickled from his lips—he was clearly wounded internally.
That he wasn't injured worse was thanks to the Bone Dragon King shielding him at the last moment.
But the cost was significant—Bone Dragon King's combat ability took a severe hit. If it couldn't recover, its strength might even regress.
"What a pity," Xu Tiancheng sighed, as if lamenting he hadn't managed to kill Zhongli Wu outright.
When Zhongli Wu looked toward the voice, he saw Xu Tiancheng holding the unconscious Feng Ling in one hand.
Capturing her had been effortless.
Zhongli Wu's gaze turned cold. He now clearly sensed the gap in strength between himself and Xu Tiancheng.
He and the Bone Dragon King had suffered consecutive wounds, while Xu Tiancheng remained calm and unscathed, having only expended some soul power.
Without a word, Zhongli Wu turned to flee with the Bone Dragon King.
Losing Feng Ling was unfortunate, but compared to his own life, it was a small price.
"Trying to flee now? Too late."
One by one, versions of Xu Tiancheng emerged from the void, surrounding Zhongli Wu and the Bone Dragon King in the blink of an eye.
"Clones?" Zhongli Wu's step faltered, his tone grave.
But after only a moment's hesitation, he struck one of the clones. He refused to believe these copies were as strong as the original. All he needed was to break through a single gap to escape.
However, these clones were not meant for combat.
Instead, they surrounded Zhongli Wu in a ring, forming the nodes of a formation. As he drew near one, a bloody light enveloped him.
Soon, both he and the Bone Dragon King were trapped within a crimson canopy, caught like fish in a barrel.
The clones had merely acted as anchors for the formation.
Outside the blood-colored veil, Xu Tiancheng hovered in the air, watching as if he could see everything inside.
"The Vampire Bat King is an evolved form of the Vampire Bat, retaining the same ability to drain blood and life force. But unlike its lesser counterpart, it also possesses wide-range absorption of soul power and any force beneficial to itself."
"This blood veil… is the coffin I've prepared for you."
Inside, Zhongli Wu and the Bone Dragon King tried numerous methods to escape, but to their despair, they found themselves completely sealed. Worse, their soul power and stamina were rapidly being drained.
"Damn it! Even if I die, I won't let you succeed!" Zhongli Wu shouted, preparing to self-detonate to deny Xu Tiancheng any benefit.
But in his weakened state, even that was beyond his reach.
Crimson light seeped into his mind. As if hypnotized, his eyelids drooped, and consciousness faded.
The Bone Dragon King was forcibly returned to its summoning space.
Outside, the blood-colored veil collapsed inward, finally condensing into a crimson coffin, inside which lay the sleeping Zhongli Wu, sealed away.
Xu Tiancheng grinned triumphantly.
"Got him~"
After killing the corpse of Xu Tiancheng, he looked at the stunningly beautiful Feng Ling in his hand and couldn't help but feel a tinge of desire.
After all, in the original story, Feng Ling was also a woman who could charm Huo Yuhao. Her figure was absolutely dazzling, and that was even when Huo Yuhao had long since pledged his love to Tang Wutong.
Of course, in the original work, Huo Yuhao was only momentarily distracted—there was never any real betrayal or shift in affection.
But it must be said, whether it was Ye Yushui or Feng Ling, both were women of exceptionally high quality—not only breathtakingly beautiful but also possessing rare cultivation and talent.
Compared to them, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er paled in comparison.
One could only say—no wonder they were handpicked by Shrek.
Any woman who could become the cinnabar mole in the hearts of Mu En and Yan Shaozhe was definitely no ordinary person.
However, just as Xu Tiancheng was about to indulge himself, a command from Huo Yuhao forced him to give up any thoughts of laying a hand on Feng Ling.
Though Xu Tiancheng had his own consciousness, he could not disobey Huo Yuhao's orders.
Unless Huo Yuhao's command was vague, giving him a loophole to exploit—but even then, Xu Tiancheng would never intentionally harm Huo Yuhao.
After all, his fate was tied to Huo Yuhao's. If he died, it would only cost Huo Yuhao some cultivation power, or perhaps even reduce future setbacks in Huo Yuhao's path.
But if Huo Yuhao were to die, Xu Tiancheng would truly become a wandering spirit—his future cut off completely.
Huo Yuhao had long set his sights on Feng Ling, because she was an exceptional vessel for the Phoenix bloodline. He couldn't let Xu Tiancheng ruin her.
Among all the Phoenix-blooded vessels Huo Yuhao had encountered so far, the Phoenix bloodline within Feng Ling was by far the most concentrated.
This was partly due to Feng Ling's superior strength, but also because her cultivation method involved devouring other Phoenix-blooded beings to enhance and purify her own Phoenix bloodline and raise her cultivation level.
Were it not for the limitation of insufficient Phoenix blood, Feng Ling's cultivation could easily rival that of Zhongli Wu.
In other words, if the Phoenix bloodline were sufficiently abundant, even a breakthrough to Ultimate Douluo might not be out of reach for her.
Huo Yuhao's own Phoenix bloodline came mainly from personally cultivating and absorbing it from his cauldrons—Ma Xiaotao, Yu Manwu, Nanmen Yuner, and others.
His method was to strengthen the bloodline before absorbing it.
Through dual cultivation, he would integrate the power of the blood-seed into the cauldron's body, transforming it into a purer Phoenix bloodline, and then absorb it during the dual cultivation process.
This back-and-forth process came with significant losses.
Fortunately, it was effective. Both Huo Yuhao and the cauldrons benefited.
Nowadays, the Phoenix bloodline in Ma Xiaotao and the others had also grown stronger, improving the quality of their martial souls.
Although Huo Yuhao's Phoenix bloodline had reached the standard for condensing a bloodline soul ring, it still wasn't enough—not yet on par with the White Tiger, Heavenly Dragon, or Xuanwu bloodlines.
The meager supply from a few cauldrons couldn't possibly compare to the familial devotion from the White Tiger Duke's mansion, the Xuanming Sect, or the entire dragon clan.
Huo Yuhao didn't tolerate weaknesses—because a weakness would inevitably become a fatal flaw.
So the Phoenix bloodline must be enhanced!
Feng Ling could serve as a new cauldron for the Phoenix bloodline. With her help, and a bit of simple cultivation, Huo Yuhao's Phoenix blood concentration could quickly catch up with the other three bloodlines.
Moreover, the Phoenix bloodline on Douluo Continent was not to be underestimated.
Like the Dragon Clan's bloodline, it too had a root origin—once on par with the Dragon God—a Divine King-level existence: the Phoenix God.
This Phoenix God was not the same as Ma Hongjun's second-rank god title.
According to the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, the Phoenix God once competed with the Dragon God. After being defeated and gravely wounded, it fell, and its divine position shattered.
Even true phoenixes became rare across the universe.
The current second-rank Phoenix God position in the Divine Realm may very well be the main inheritance of the original Phoenix God's divine seat.
If Huo Yuhao could obtain that divine position in the future, he might have the chance to restore the might and majesty of the Phoenix God—a true Divine King.
In fact, other powerful divine beast bloodlines like Xuanwu and Behemoth also had divine-level, even Divine King-level inheritances in the universe.
However, compared to the Dragon God, these other inheritances were still much weaker.
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent had shared with Huo Yuhao that, in addition to Xuanwu and Behemoth, the universe's strongest bloodlines included the Celestial Fox, the Peacock, and the White Tiger, among others.
These bloodlines also existed on Douluo Continent.
This meant that the bloodlines of soul beasts and soul masters on Douluo Continent did not come solely from the Dragon Clan.
If Huo Yuhao could collect enough of these corresponding bloodlines, he would have many paths to choose from when he eventually ventured into the universe.
The key is—choosing his future path.
By using these bloodlines to comprehend their associated laws, Huo Yuhao's future cultivation path would become much smoother.
There's no denying it—bloodline is hugely important in the path of cultivation!
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent understood that Huo Yuhao's foundation wasn't in his martial soul, nor even in his cultivation base—it was in his ever-growing variety of bloodlines.
He was walking a path of transforming his own bloodline, overturning his original roots.
In the language of cultivators, it was about defying the innate and transforming one's foundation.
If one possessed a powerful bloodline inheritance, then no matter what cultivation system they practiced, their path would be smoother—and reaching the peak would be much easier.
Diverse bloodlines didn't necessarily mean impure or weak!
Even if problems arose, with Huo Yuhao's capabilities, he could always strip out unwanted bloodlines.
His terrifying luck and unique destiny served as insurance on his cultivation path.
While his talent might seem unrivaled on Douluo Continent, in the vast universe, it was far from being considered top-tier.
Because his bloodline wasn't pure!
That's right—not only Huo Yuhao, but all humans and soul beasts on Douluo Continent were mutated beings of impure blood.
The soul beasts of Douluo may have evolved naturally through the plane's own development, but they were also influenced by a True Dragon's fall during the process. This influence led to the formation of today's soul beast species and soul masters.
To be precise, because a True Dragon once perished on Douluo Continent, its blood and aura affected both soul beasts and soul masters, leading to successive mutations—and that's how martial souls came to be.
The Silver Dragon King's claim of being the lord and creator of all soul beasts wasn't inaccurate.
Created by dragons, restricted by dragons.
Dragon blood gave many soul beasts and soul masters a path to cultivation and increased their potential.
But it also locked them onto the path set by the Dragon God, making it harder to break through to godhood—and subjected them to control by the Divine Realm.
If in the future Huo Yuhao could integrate various powerful bloodlines into his body, allowing them to coexist and flourish, the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent could only describe the outcome in two words—Invincible!
Even without acquiring more bloodlines, with just the Heavenly Dragon, Xuanwu, White Tiger, and Phoenix bloodlines, he would already possess the power to slaughter the current Divine Realm.
The only thing he lacked was time to cultivate.
And unfortunately, time was the one thing Huo Yuhao lacked the most.
So it was impossible for him to go into seclusion and cultivate with single-minded focus.
After spending a few days in the core region of the Great Star Dou Forest, Huo Yuhao knew it was time to proceed to the next phase of his plan.
With the four empires under his control and Shrek completely destroyed, humanity was no longer an issue.
The next targets:
The ocean, and the soul beasts' final sanctuary—the Great Star Dou Forest!
On the day of Shrek's destruction, no one outside of those directly involved had yet realized what had happened.
The day after Shrek's destruction—
Xu Tianchen brought Zhongli Wu back to the Sun Moon Empire.
Feng Ling was handed over to Xu Qiudi for supervision.
The Corpse God received all offerings from the Holy Spirit Cult and began making progress on fusing soul rings.
Huo Yuhao was still secluded deep within the core area of the Great Star Dou Forest.
Bei Bei continued his pursuit of Tang Ya.
But finally—someone discovered that Shrek had been destroyed!
Foreign merchants who came intending to do business in Shrek City were shocked to find it had become a ghost town.
Not just the city—Shrek Academy itself had become ruins. Sea God Island was shattered, the Golden Ancient Tree had vanished.
The city was nothing but wreckage, everything within stripped bare. Aside from crumbling walls, there wasn't even a single copper soul coin left. There were no bloodstains, no signs of life.
Even the statues of the original Shrek Seven Devils were destroyed. Tang San's statue, in particular, had been deliberately shoved headfirst into a toilet.
Even bugs seemed to fear the place, skirting around Shrek City. Birds refused to fly overhead.
Shrek City had been emptied out by Xu Qiudi and the eunuch Gao, who commanded a horde of vengeful spirits. They even used the Five Ghost Transport technique, with Huo Yuhao's forces assisting.
They ensured no resource was missed.
Brother Hao was always the type to lick even a single grain of rice clean, let alone waste the resources of an entire city.
Even blood spilled on the ground was collected—it must not be wasted.
After multiple confirmations, the entire continent was forced to accept a shocking reality—Shrek City had truly fallen.
But the bigger question remained: Where were all the people from Shrek?
Where had the city's population gone? Where were the teachers and students? Where were the Sea God Pavilion's powerhouses?
On the second day, the news reached the other four empires and many factions. At first, many thought it was a joke. But when their agents arrived to investigate, they all returned with the same verdict—it was real.
Shock spread from the common folk to the powerful sects, and finally to the imperial courts of the four empires.
On the third day after Shrek's fall, the Holy Spirit Cult publicly took responsibility for its destruction.
They also announced that their leader, Zhongli Wu, had broken through to Limit Douluo, and that they had two other Limit Douluo: Grand Elder Ye Xeshui and Chief Worshipper Long Xiaoyao.
That made three Limit Douluo in the Holy Spirit Cult.
Following this, the Cult made a proclamation to the entire continent:
All evil soul masters must come to the Sun Moon Empire and join the Holy Spirit Cult.
Any empire that tries to interfere will be considered an enemy of the Cult.
By the fourth day, the proclamation had spread across the entire continent.
Many powerful Soul Douluo-level cultivators acted as couriers to deliver the message.
The four empires even resorted to wartime communication methods and used high-cost soul tools to speed up the dissemination.
Yes—the four empires were secretly aiding in spreading the message.
Because if you just said the Holy Spirit Cult destroyed Shrek, no one would believe it. But if you said three Limit Douluo were behind it—that seemed plausible.
The total annihilation of everyone fit with the evil soul masters' notorious methods.
Instantly, the Cult provoked the fury of the entire continent—but no one dared speak out.
Because they were all afraid of those three Limit Douluo showing up at their doorsteps.
Everyone was now waiting to see how the four empires would respond.
Bei Bei rushed back to Shrek City overnight after hearing the news, only to find a pile of ruins.
Devastated, he let out an anguished roar, fully transforming into an Evil Dragon, and flew off into the sky.
Many spies who had come to scout the city witnessed this and reported back to their factions.
This drew sighs from many factions.
Meanwhile, investigations began into who Ye Yushui and Long Xiaoyao really were.
How had the Holy Spirit Cult suddenly gained two more Limit Douluo?
Eventually, someone uncovered their backgrounds.
It turned out they had both been close friends with Mu En in the past—Ye Xeshui was his former fiancée, and Long Xiaoyao was his sworn brother.
This revelation caused many factions to react with a mix of confusion and unease.
So, by the Holy Spirit Cult's own account, Mu En's old flame and his sworn brother had led the evil soul masters to destroy Shrek City, Shrek Academy, and the Sea God Pavilion?
That's dark comedy right there.
So chilling it made people's spines tingle.
People began to wonder: just what kind of people had Mu En surrounded himself with?
Soon, the four empires jointly issued a statement:
As long as evil soul masters don't commit slaughter in cities, they will not be pursued.
At the same time, they began secret communications with other factions to thoroughly investigate the Holy Spirit Cult.
They even sent spies to infiltrate the Cult.
Results came in quickly. Several individuals were highlighted and entered the radar of faction leaders:
Grand Elder Ye Xeshui – Mu En's former fiancée.
Chief Worshipper Long Xiaoyao – Mu En's sworn brother, possibly Ye Xeshui's husband.
Cult Leader Zhongli Wu – son of the former leader, suspected to be Ye Xeshui's son.
Deputy Leader Feng Ling – Zhongli Wu's wife, former Shrek Academy member, ex-girlfriend of Yan Shaozhe.
Holy Maiden Tang Ya – former Shrek Academy student, ex-girlfriend of Mu En's descendant, Bei Bei.
Former Holy Son Bei Bei – Mu En's descendant, Tang Ya's ex-boyfriend.
When this list was made public, many factions were left speechless.
How was it that all the Holy Spirit Cult's upper echelon had deep ties to Shrek Academy?
Suddenly, Shrek didn't seem so innocent anymore.
This tangled mess even resembled some of the most corrupt noble families.
Still, regardless of internal relationships, the Holy Spirit Cult had become a continental threat. The four empires and various powers began forming a secret alliance.
Many Shrek-affiliated individuals burned with hatred, eager to fight—but constrained by the Cult's power, they could only endure.
Only by uniting and accumulating more strength could they resist the Cult.
Otherwise, the future of the continent would become a pasture for evil soul masters, putting everyone's lives at risk.
The evil soul masters must be exterminated—there's no room for compromise.
Just not yet.
At this time, someone finally remembered there was still a Sea God Pavilion monitoring team stationed in the Douling Empire.
Thus, many factions decided to send experts to rescue the Sea God Pavilion's team.
At the very least, they needed to recover some Pavilion members to serve as leadership symbols—only with the Pavilion at the helm could the factions unite effectively.
Previously, many factions had viewed the Sea God Pavilion and Shrek's power as too overbearing.
But now that Shrek had fallen, they needed the Pavilion as a unifying banner.
After all, while Shrek had been destroyed, its spirit of legacy remained.
There were still many strong soul masters with Shrek roots across the continent, willing to gather around the Pavilion's flag.
It also made things easier to—
Harvest in bulk.
And so, two major movements began to sweep the continent:
Evil soul masters journeyed west, heading for the Sun Moon Empire to join the Holy Spirit Cult.
Soul master elites journeyed east, forming rescue teams from the four empires to save the Sea God Pavilion team in the Douling Empire.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, through his external clones, finally learned what had happened outside—
And he knew, at last—
It was time to emerge.