The fall of Clear Sky City took no more than the time of two cups of tea. Not a single soul survived within its walls. Six elders of Titled Douluo rank perished in the slaughter.
Clear Sky Fortress was devastated as well. Except for Grand Elder Tang Cheng, everyone else was wiped out. The loss of resources and treasures was incalculable.
Cain didn't just destroy it—she also conveniently packed up many of Clear Sky Fortress's treasures and brought them back with her.
Among those treasures was the rare Cold Ice Marrow Jade Bed. While the rest might not have matched its value, anything kept in Clear Sky Fortress wasn't ordinary. Every item there was a precious treasure.
Between what was taken and what was destroyed, Ho Yuhao ended up harvesting at least ninety percent of what the Clear Sky Sect had accumulated over millennia.
Still, the remaining ten percent wasn't insignificant—and among it lay their most valuable asset:
The seven disks used to summon the projection of the Sea God.
After Tang Ming finished assimilating the power from his forced awakening, his first action was to seal off Clear Sky Fortress. Then, he contacted the remaining sect members in Blue Silver Town, recalled all disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, and sent word to the two Sect Masters.
The news of Clear Sky Sect's downfall hadn't yet spread. It hadn't reached Shrek, nor alerted the rest of the continent.
For Wang Dong'er's safety, Niu Tian personally escorted her and ultimately chose to stay for the time being.
Ho Yuhao led his team back to the ruins of Shrek. When the Shrek people beheld the ruins, another wave of sorrow engulfed them.
Ho Yuhao stood and declared,
"Everyone, now is not the time for mourning. As long as we live, Shrek still exists! On the ruins of the old Shrek, we shall rebuild anew. For the sake of peace and justice across the continent, we cannot fall here!"
His words deeply moved everyone present.
Under Ho Yuhao's leadership, the survivors began clearing the ruins and constructing temporary shelters.
Fortunately, Shrek City's ruins hadn't been completely overrun. The Heavenly Soul Empire had stationed troops there, driving out any would-be treasure hunters.
Of course, those scavengers found nothing—not even a single copper soul coin.
If they had returned to find people looting the rubble—desecrating Shrek's legacy—it would have been a devastating provocation.
They would have killed.
Ho Yuhao didn't want to provoke Shrek's people, not because he was afraid, but because it was unnecessary.
Moreover, giving Shrek a common enemy would only strengthen their unity—which would make splitting them apart much harder.
Yes, that's right. Schism.
Not long after Ho Yuhao and the others returned to Shrek's ruins, numerous factions began sending representatives to contact the Inspection Corps.
They had two goals:
To assess Shrek's current condition.
To retrieve their disciples who had joined the Inspection Corps.
Many of these disciples had died in battle.
Those factions had no choice but to depart in grief.
Yet some still had survivors. And for those survivors, the factions were nearly unanimous in their response:
Get them out of Shrek—by any means necessary.
Everyone could see that Shrek was no longer what it once was. In the coming war against the Holy Spirit Sect, Shrek would be at the forefront—and most likely the first to fall.
More critically, if Shrek lost, and their descendants were part of its forces, they would be hunted down.
They might fight alongside Shrek against the Holy Spirit Sect—but not as Shrek.
Any sect or clan that had survived till now was no fool. Every move they made accounted for both success and failure—and they always had a fallback to ensure their bloodline's continuation.
Even someone like Wang Yan, a largely disregarded branch member of his family, received a recall order.
Wang Yan hailed from the Qianggu Clan, inheritors of the Dragon-Coiling Rod martial soul. The Qianggu Clan was a reclusive family that had once had deep ties with Shrek during its golden age.
Naturally, they had suffered losses when Shrek fell—including the death of a Titled Douluo.
The person sent to retrieve Wang Yan was none other than his father—a Titled Douluo known as Qianglong (Mighty Dragon).
Inside Shrek's temporary headquarters...
Ho Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan, and Han Ruoruo personally received Qianglong Douluo.
"Yan'er, come home. This is the family's decision. The Qianggu Clan will provide Shrek with sufficient aid for its rebuilding. Your fiancée may come as well. Once you're married, the clan will provide her with resources to help her reach the Super Douluo level,"
Qianglong Douluo said—right in front of everyone, not even bothering to lower his voice.
Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo's expressions immediately darkened.
Qianglong Douluo's tone reeked of condescension, as though he were charitably throwing them scraps. His real aim was clear: sever ties with Shrek and recruit Han Ruoruo, a powerful Titled Douluo, into the Qianggu Clan.
Wang Yan wasn't stupid. He instantly understood the clan's stance. His expression grew stormy, but he still showed his backbone:
"Father, I can't return with you. My beloved is still here, and I will rebuild Shrek with Ruoruo!"
Qianglong Douluo's face showed no emotion. He merely said calmly:
"Regardless, you must come home. The Qianggu Clan has already paid dearly to protect Shrek. A Titled Douluo died here for your sake."
Wang Yan tried to argue further.
But Han Ruoruo abruptly stood up and calmly stated:
"Wang Yan, go with Qianglong Douluo. I cannot leave Shrek—I am Shrek's inheritor.
Consider it a betrayal on my part, if you must."
Then she closed her eyes. Because it was a betrayal.
"Ruoruo, please don't say that—I'll convince my father!" Wang Yan pleaded anxiously.
Seeing Han Ruoruo's resolute stance, Ho Yuhao also turned to Qianglong Douluo and stated coldly:
"Take back the aid your clan brought, too. Don't let the Holy Spirit Sect get the wrong idea.
Shrek may have fallen, but we're not beggars."
The words were biting. Even Qianglong Douluo, who had remained stoic until now, finally looked enraged.
But before he could speak, an overwhelming force crashed down on him. In the next instant, he was blasted out of the temporary base.
Qianglong Douluo tumbled across the ground, rolling twice before he looked up—stunned.
He hadn't expected Ho Yuhao, a mere twenty-year-old Sea God Pavilion Master, to possess such terrifying power.
Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, he dared not retaliate.
Ho Yuhao ignored him. He turned to Wang Yan and smiled faintly:
"Teacher Wang Yan, sometimes we all have to make a choice—go to where we truly belong.
You don't just carry your own future—you carry the Qianggu Clan's future, too."
"Yuhao—no, Pavilion Master—I'll sever ties with the clan!" Wang Yan said urgently.
"But the Holy Spirit Sect won't see it that way. Sometimes... all they need is an excuse. Isn't that right?"
Ho Yuhao replied calmly.
Wang Yan opened his mouth, but said nothing. In the end, he stood there in defeat—tears streaming down his face.
"Teacher Wang Yan, thank you for your dedication to Shrek. If Shrek still has a future, it will always welcome your return."
Huo Yuhao gave Wang Yan a final assurance.
The fault lay with the Qian Gu Clan—not with Wang Yan.
Wang Yan no longer had the face to meet Huo Yuhao's gaze. He cast one last look at Han Ruoruo, only to see her close her eyes and turn her head away.
Devastated by blow after blow, Wang Yan cried out in anguish,
"Justice and evil alike are no match for self-interest! Hahaha…"
He burst into laughter and fled like a madman. Just like that, he left Shrek without even checking on Qianglong Douluo—as if this wild flight was the only way to vent his sorrow.
A belief he had held for a lifetime had been betrayed by his kin. In the end, he lost both his life's work and the one he loved.
Qianglong Douluo had already risen to his feet. He glared at Huo Yuhao and said in a low voice,
"Palace Master Huo, as your elder, let me offer a word of advice—this continent isn't just about fighting and killing. There's also the matter of interpersonal relationships! Shrek only rose to power back then because it had support from many forces."
Huo Yuhao tilted his head slightly and sneered at him.
"Then let me tell you: on this continent, true strength has never come from status or background, but from the power of the soul master! The reason why those forces helped Shrek grow in the past wasn't because Shrek could teach seven deities—it was because the seven deities belonged to Shrek!"
"Get lost!"
Qianglong Douluo's pupils shrank, but in the end, he turned and left, never looking back.
Huo Yuhao's expression remained calm.
He already knew the location of the Qian Gu Clan's base. The only reason he hadn't moved against them yet was that their inherited martial soul held little value for him, and they didn't have any truly outstanding talents.
The current Qian Gu Clan was little different from other reclusive families—its only distinction being a few extra Titled Douluo due to a complete inheritance.
Their real rise would come in the future, after they gained control of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
However, Huo Yuhao suddenly had a thought:
"A good man like Teacher Wang Yan was disregarded by his family due to lack of talent and strength. Now he's lost everything because of them. Could his clansmen help him regain his footing?"
If he gave Wang Yan some support, perhaps with his intellect and wisdom, Wang Yan could bring Huo Yuhao a surprise in return.
Nighttime.
In a room within Shrek's temporary base—
Han Ruoruo vented all her daytime frustration on Huo Yuhao.
Zhang Lexuan stayed beside her in support.
After letting it all out, Han Ruoruo collapsed softly on the bed—but her face now wore a truly heartfelt smile.
At last, the knot in her heart had completely unraveled.
But it had come at a price.
"Without the Qian Gu Clan's resources, our rebuilding efforts will slow down significantly. And more than a dozen people have already been taken back by their families or sects."
Zhang Lexuan sat to the side and summarized the current situation.
Huo Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan, and Han Ruoruo had actually gathered to discuss Shrek's future plans. Letting Han Ruoruo vent was just a minor incident in the process.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's soul barrier, no one outside could sense what had taken place in the room.
During this time, every power that came to Shrek brought resources as a gesture of sympathy—or, more accurately, as a "ransom."
Aside from Qianglong Douluo, the representatives of other factions were quite respectful. Huo Yuhao didn't stop them from taking their disciples home.
Not everyone wanted to leave, but given the pros and cons, many had no choice.
Of course, some truly did want to go.
After all, being trapped in the Ten Thousand Corpses Array had left a permanent trauma for many.
Few on the Douluo Continent cultivate inner willpower.
When struck by setbacks, it's common for people to flee—or never recover.
That said, not all factions had cut ties with Shrek completely. Some—like Xiao Xiao's family—allowed their members to stay at Shrek.
But no faction openly voiced full support for Shrek anymore.
When they returned, Shrek still had nearly fifty people.
Now, in less than half a month, only around thirty remained.
"It's fine. The road ahead will be extremely dangerous.
They've already done more than enough for Shrek. From now on, let us bear the burden ourselves," Huo Yuhao said with a sigh.
"Yuhao…"
Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo were touched by his gentleness.
They leaned closer to him, hoping he'd continue "digging" into them.
But Huo Yuhao showed restraint.
Instead, he turned his attention to their health.
"How are your injuries?"
Though they'd escaped the Ten Thousand Corpses Array, both women still bore wounds.
"I've mostly recovered. With your help, I'm ready to fight again," Zhang Lexuan said softly.
"Me too," Han Ruoruo nodded.
Cultivating with Huo Yuhao also helped them regain their strength.
"Good. Once you two are fully healed, we'll lead the others out to hunt spirit beasts.
Only by quickly improving our power can we face the challenges ahead," Huo Yuhao said seriously.
Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo both nodded sensibly.
But peace didn't last long.
Soon after, Niu Tian received word from the Clear Sky Sect and left in a hurry.
He said nothing about what had happened within the sect.
Before leaving, Niu Tian gave Huo Yuhao a solemn warning:
"No matter what, you must protect Wang Dong'er."
In his eyes, hiding Wang Dong'er away was safer than taking her back to the Clear Sky Sect.
Wang Dong'er didn't think much of Niu Tian's departure.
After all, he had always needed to guard the sect, and staying away this long was already a stretch.
As soon as Niu Tian left, Huo Yuhao summoned the three women from Rakshasa Realm.
After rewarding them, he reviewed their spoils.
The haul was substantial.
They had plundered many rare treasures from Clear Sky Fort. Even more unexpectedly, Bibi Dong had captured a number of female soul masters from the Clear Sky Sect—more than half of whom carried the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul.
Bibi Dong's intent was crystal clear:
She brought them back for Brother Hao's enjoyment.
To humiliate the Clear Sky Sect was also to take revenge on Tang.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao took them into his divine kingdom—converting them one by one into loyal believers of Brother Hao.
Once everyone had sufficiently recovered, Huo Yuhao and Han Ruoruo led a team to the Great Star Dou Forest to hunt for spirit rings.
Zhang Lexuan remained behind to guard the temporary base.
This time, many members needed spirit rings.
But Huo Yuhao didn't wander aimlessly.
He headed straight for the forest's core area—seeking out Bi Ji.
"I know there are many soul beasts who, due to injury or other reasons, are at the end of their lifespan. If you know of any suitable ones, please recommend them to me, so I can help my friends grow."
"I will never forget this favor. I once made you a promise, and I'll give everything I have to fulfill it."
"If I fail, then I'm willing to become nourishment for the Great Star Dou Forest—so that the next generation of soul beasts may thrive!"
Huo Yuhao's request completely floored Bi Ji.
This was the kind of pledge where you trade your life up front—so much so that she didn't even dare agree right away.
Star Dou Forest, Core Zone, near the Lake of Life.
Just as Bi Ji was hesitating, clearly inclined to reject Huo Yuhao, Jin Qiu'er appeared.
"Aunt Bi Ji, we can agree to his request. Right now, we share a common enemy with him. Helping them is also helping ourselves. This is an investment in the future of the soul beast race."
"Besides, we only need to find soul beasts whose life span is nearing its end. There are plenty of such beasts in the Star Dou Forest."
As a soul beast who had studied at Shrek, Jin Qiu'er had a broader perspective. She could view the situation from the human side as well.
"I understand." Bi Ji nodded.
Bi Ji was more inclined to accept the decision of the auspicious beast. She left without bothering further with Jin Qiu'er and Huo Yuhao.
Perhaps Bi Ji wanted to give Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er some time alone.
Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er locked eyes in silence, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
It felt just like an uncomfortable reunion with an ex—one where the breakup had been unpleasant, and now, facing each other again, neither knew what to say.
Eventually, it was Huo Yuhao who broke the silence. "Thank you. I'll remember this. Don't worry—I never go back on my word."
Jin Qiu'er hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How are the others at the Academy?"
"…" Huo Yuhao paused before answering, "There are only about thirty people left at the Academy now."
"What about Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong... the others?"
"They're all fine. Actually, Wang Dong is now called Wang Dong'er—she's a girl."
"I see…"
The two of them chatted like strangers awkwardly making small talk.
"Can you tell me what exactly happened to Shrek?" Jin Qiu'er asked.
Huo Yuhao countered, "Do you still care that much about Shrek?"
Jin Qiu'er shook her head. "I'm just curious. After all, any enemy capable of bringing such a disaster upon Shrek won't be simple. Knowing more about them will help us prepare. Let's sit down and talk."
What Jin Qiu'er truly cared about were the "friends" she once had. Whether those people still regarded her as a friend was uncertain, but she clearly valued those bonds.
"Alright," Huo Yuhao agreed.
They both sat down, and Huo Yuhao began explaining Shrek's ordeal to her.
It was basically what the outside world already knew—
Three Limit Douluo from the Holy Spirit Cult attacked Shrek. The Shrek Group and Elders were trapped by a horde of undead. The Four Great Empires joined forces to rescue them. They encountered the Corpse God, fought him, and forced him to retreat. In the end, the surviving Shrek members returned to the ruins of Shrek City, waiting for the day to strike back.
Finally, Bi Ji returned with good news—she had found all the suitable soul beasts and brought them back.
Seeing Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er talking smoothly, Bi Ji was pleased. She secretly nodded, feeling that the tension between them had eased.
After that, everything went smoothly. Huo Yuhao brought Shrek's people, and Bi Ji brought the soul beasts. They began pairing everyone with suitable soul rings.
However, as the high-level soul beasts turned into soul rings, a trace of sorrow appeared in Bi Ji's eyes, and she let out a quiet sigh.
"Because of several secret hunts by evil soul masters and the previous beast tide, the number of high-level soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest has greatly diminished. Even the Red King and Zi Ji met with misfortune. I only hope that our soul beast race doesn't fall into an even worse state."
These words fell into the ears of Huo Yuhao beside her, as if she had said them for him to hear.
Huo Yuhao looked at Bi Ji and said solemnly, "Soul beasts and humans are both lives of the Douluo Continent. We should live in harmony and build the continent together. I believe that in the future, humans and soul beasts can shake hands in peace and walk toward a brighter future together!"
Bi Ji gazed at the serious-looking Huo Yuhao. For some reason, she felt touched. She hadn't expected someone so young to bear such a burden with such courage.
And she didn't dislike it.
North Sea
After some time, Titan finally discovered an anomaly in the North Sea and found an area surrounded by a water barrier.
Then, Titan unleashed his domain, blasting the water curtain and successfully tearing it apart.
As the barrier shattered, two figures burst out at once, looking around warily.
They were none other than Xuan Zi and Di Tian!
However, the two were in very different conditions. Di Tian looked mostly unharmed, but Xuan Zi was withered, his hair and beard white, muscles shrunken—a man on the verge of death.
Already nearing the end of his life, being trapped this long had been nothing short of torture for Xuan Zi.
He hadn't perished only because his heart remained tied to Shrek.
The two of them had been trapped by the Rakshasa Sea Princess, who had used the sea's power to imprison them.
But by the time the barrier collapsed, she was nowhere to be seen.
She had already sensed Titan's presence and fled early. Her strength alone was no match for Titan.
Xuan Zi and Di Tian turned their gazes to Titan.
Di Tian instantly recognized him, his expression dark. "You're that little monkey who guarded the gate back then? Didn't you sacrifice yourself for the humans? How are you still alive?"
Titan clearly knew of Di Tian as well. He snorted coldly, "That's none of your business. But I'm now the Second Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect—not one of your Star Dou soul beasts!"
Just mentioning this made Titan angry.
Back in the day, if the beasts of the core zone had paid more attention, Rou (Xiao Wu's mother) wouldn't have died, Xiao Wu wouldn't have been in danger, and they wouldn't have needed to sacrifice themselves to Tang San.
But those fierce beasts in the core area didn't even show up. They didn't care!
Rou had saved and raised Niu Tian and Titan. Xiao Wu was the one both brothers secretly loved. Even if something had happened to them, they wouldn't have held a grudge like they did when it came to her.
Di Tian was unfazed by Titan's words and simply snorted, "You were too weak—too entangled with humans!"
In truth, in this new era, the fierce beasts of the core zone had started paying more attention to the Star Dou soul beasts, especially the high-level ones and the Beast Kings.
It was like realizing to turn only after crashing into a wall.
Xuan Zi ignored the tension between Di Tian and Titan. When he heard Titan was now Clear Sky's Second Sect Master, he quickly asked, "Are you truly the Second Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect? Then… do you know what's happened to Shrek?"
At that, Titan didn't know how to respond and could only say, "Well, you'll see when you get back. I haven't been to Shrek myself… so, yeah."
He hadn't been to Shrek and didn't know its current condition—so technically, he wasn't lying.
Still, Xuan Zi had a bad feeling. He no longer cared about tracking down the Rakshasa Sea Princess. His heart raced with urgency—he only wanted to return to Shrek and find out what had happened.
Di Tian and Xuan Zi returned quickly.
What they didn't notice was that, not long after they left, the once-silent North Sea began to boil once again.
By now, Huo Yuhao's demonic descendants had already spread beyond the borders of the North Sea.
Titan did not return with Di Tian and Xuan Zi. On the way back, he encountered disciples from the Clear Sky Sect who had come looking for him. Upon hearing that Clear Sky City had been destroyed, he was shocked and departed in a hurry to return to the sect.
When Xuan Zi returned to Shrek City and saw it reduced to ruins, his eyes widened, blood vessels in his eyes bulging. His throat filled with bitterness, and he let out a hoarse, furious roar:
"Who?! Who dared lay a hand on Shrek?! Who did this?!"
The oppressive force he released without restraint, along with his roar, instantly alerted Huo Yuhao and the others who had just returned from soul hunting.
When they saw Xuan Zi, everyone burst into tears and rushed toward him.
Xuan Zi flashed in front of Huo Yuhao, glaring as he demanded:
"Yuhao, is this how you protect Shrek?! Where are the others? Where are Old Lin, Old Zhuang, Old Song? And Yan Shaozhe, Xian Liner, Cai Meier—get them out here! Answer me! What exactly did you protect?!"
But the only response Xuan Zi received was a long, sorrowful silence.
It was Zhang Lexuan who finally stepped forward, trying to calm Xuan Zi's fury as she softly said:
"Elder Xuan, this wasn't their fault. The enemy was simply too powerful."
"Too powerful? Who was it? That poison freak? The Sun-Moon Emperor?" Xuan Zi's eyes were wide with rage, still burning hot.
"It wasn't them," Huo Yuhao stepped forward and replied. "It was the Holy Spirit Cult. Three Limit Douluo appeared from their ranks. And there was one more—a powerhouse suspected of having broken through to the god level! Shrek fought to the end but was overpowered. Even the Bear King and Red King who came to help were defeated. The Bear King was gravely injured, and the Red King… fell."
Di Tian, who had been smugly watching the tragic state of Shrek from the sidelines, suddenly stopped smiling. His pupils turned into dragon eyes as he fixed a deadly glare on Huo Yuhao.
"You human—repeat what you just said, and make it very clear!"
Huo Yuhao had no choice but to briefly recount everything once more.
Inwardly, he sighed. He had told this story so many times recently, it was starting to wear thin.
Di Tian swept his icy gaze over Huo Yuhao and the others. With chilling finality, he said:
"You'd better not be lying. I'll go verify it myself."
With that, Di Tian vanished in a flash, headed straight for the core of the Great Star Dou Forest.
As for Xuan Zi, he was frozen in place. It wasn't that his rage had subsided—it was that he suddenly realized he had nowhere left to vent it.
With the little time he had left to live, he couldn't even make it to the Sun-Moon Empire, let alone fight Zhongli Wu.
Three Limit Douluo!
And one suspected god-level being!
Who could stand against such power? Only the ancestors from ten thousand years ago might have had the strength to fight back!
"Heaven has forsaken Shrek! Pfft—!" Xuan Zi cried out in despair, then spat out a mouthful of blood. The last breath sustaining him finally gave out. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"Elder Xuan!"
"Elder Xuan!!"
Everyone rushed forward in panic, and Huo Yuhao caught Xuan Zi in his arms.
The moment Huo Yuhao touched him, he knew—Xuan Zi's time had come.
He had been squeezed of all his value.
After breaking through to Limit Douluo, Xuan Zi had used the last of his life to nourish the bloodline within his body. While it hadn't reached its peak, it was the best he could do.
A full day and night passed.
Even after using many precious herbs, Xuan Zi barely clawed his way back from death's door—but he was already nearing his final limit. What defeated him wasn't exhaustion, but the end of his lifespan.
No soul master or soul beast could escape the inevitability of lifespan.
Even fierce beasts had life limits. If they couldn't strengthen their bloodline and grow in power, once their time was up, they too would return to dust.
But Xuan Zi was different: the essence and life force he lost didn't simply dissipate. It was absorbed by something within him—the pseudo-dragon pill Huo Yuhao had made long ago.
The pseudo-dragon pill hadn't just helped Xuan Zi break through; it was also Huo Yuhao's way of keeping control. Though the pill never betrayed Xuan Zi, it still retained some function, serving as a vessel to absorb his bloodline and origin.
Lying on the temporary bed, Xuan Zi opened his eyes. No longer clear, they were now clouded and dull. As he recalled the events he had heard before losing consciousness, grief overwhelmed him, and two turbid tears slid from his eyes.
"I have failed the ancestors…"
"Elder Xuan, you're awake?" Huo Yuhao's voice came from beside him.
Having been guarding the bedside, waiting to retrieve the pseudo-dragon pill, Huo Yuhao immediately noticed Xuan Zi waking and called out.
Behind him, the others saw Xuan Zi's frail, twilight state and began to cry in silence.
Xuan Zi looked toward Huo Yuhao with muddled eyes. His vision was so blurred he could no longer make out Huo Yuhao's face—only a faint, shimmering silhouette.
But that silhouette now seemed to radiate divine brilliance.
Perhaps it was a hallucination. Or perhaps, in the liminal space between life and death, he was seeing something ordinary people could not.
It made Xuan Zi suddenly regain a spark of clarity—because he saw hope.
"Shrek still has hope! It still has a future! We still have Yuhao! We still have Nannan! As long as they become gods, Shrek can rise again—just like ten thousand years ago!"
From somewhere within his spent body, Xuan Zi found a final surge of strength. He gripped Huo Yuhao's hand with one hand and slowly raised the other, forcing the pseudo-dragon orb from his body and passing it to Huo Yuhao.
Then, trembling, he said:
"Yuhao… Yuhao… Shrek… is in your hands… You must… make Shrek… glorious again…"
Huo Yuhao accepted the orb, giving a light nod—but said nothing.
Huo Yuhao: I nodded. That doesn't mean I agreed.
But Xuan Zi smiled.
And the next moment—he passed away.
There was still a smile on his face, as though he were full of hope for the future.
Behind Huo Yuhao, the others couldn't hold back any longer. They broke into sobs.
None of them noticed that with a subtle gesture of Huo Yuhao's finger, Xuan Zi's soul was drawn into the pseudo-dragon pill.
All that remained of Xuan Zi's body was skin and bone—a pitiful sight.
To die in bed—was that not an ironic end for someone whose decisions had led to the deaths of so many Shrek students?
So many innocent youths had died miserable deaths… while the old man who caused it all died peacefully in his sleep.
Then again, perhaps not entirely peacefully. His bloodline and soul now belonged to Huo Yuhao.
"A Limit Douluo's soul and bodily essence—now I have a vessel for the middle corpse split-off. Next, I just need to fuse the middle corpse with the pseudo-dragon pill, let it take form, and I can begin creating the second corpse split-off."
After Xuan Zi's passing, Shrek's situation didn't seem to worsen.
On the contrary, Di Tian's return brought about a closer cooperation between Shrek and the Great Star Dou Forest.
As the true leader of all the soul beasts, only Di Tian was qualified to lead the core-region beasts into a deeper alliance with Shrek.
Di Tian's willingness to strengthen this alliance was partly due to the persuasion of Bi Ji and Jin Qiu'er. The death of the Scarlet King had indeed enraged Di Tian, turning him against the Holy Spirit Cult. On the other hand, the Silver Dragon King had secretly instructed him to do so.
The Silver Dragon King had her eyes on the Golden Ancient Tree inside Huo Yuhao. By forging a closer relationship with Shrek, Di Tian could keep a close watch on Huo Yuhao. Once the sacrificial process for the Golden Ancient Tree was complete, he would seize it and return it to the forest's core.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao had already guessed all of this. But he said nothing.
After all, in this world, there are no absolute schemes—only whose strategies are superior. The Silver Dragon King's plan might well be a net she wove for herself.
This deeper collaboration with the Great Star Dou Forest was primarily reflected in the fact that Shrek's people could now enter the core region to cultivate, using its abundant natural and life forces to recover and grow stronger.
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Meier, and Jiang Nannan had already benefited from this.
They didn't disappoint—both Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier successfully broke through to the rank of Super Douluo.
Additionally, the soul beasts helped in the areas of soul rings and soul bones. Some soul beasts, whose lifespans had reached their limits, willingly offered their rings. The beasts also gave Shrek some soul bones they had collected over the years.
Over tens of thousands of years, many soul beasts in the forest had died naturally, and many soul bones had been left behind—including some that were 100,000 years old. These were collected and preserved by the stronger beasts.
Although soul beasts could absorb the energy from soul bones to increase their own strength, the bones would shatter after being drained.
But for powerful beasts, soul bones below 100,000 years weren't that useful—especially when they used to have Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, a living energy generator, in the past.
As such, several well-preserved bones remained in their collections—now gifted to Shrek.
Not everyone in Shrek had a full set of soul bones, and those collected by the beasts were of decent quality. This wave of support significantly strengthened Shrek's people.
With Shrek's development back on track, peace seemed to return to the continent.
The news of the Clear Sky Sect being attacked and the fall of Clear Sky City spread only within a small circle.
Naturally, the sect would never allow such a disgraceful event to be widely known.
As for their enemies, Niu Tian and Tai Tan would personally take action—they needed no help from other factions.
They had yet to find the successor of the Rakshasa God.
But Niu Tian and Tai Tan were in no rush. They were confident that a wicked god like the Rakshasa would eventually stir chaos. When that time came, they would join forces with the new High Priest of the Sea God Pavilion to destroy it and avenge their fallen sect members.
Of course, the truth was—the dead from the Clear Sky Sect had no souls left to be honored. They had either been devoured by Bibi Dong and Zi Ji, or sealed into the Hao Emperor Banner.
The four great empires had joined hands, opened trade routes, and deepened cooperation. This ushered in a period of recovery and prosperity for the continent—economically and culturally.
More than that, cultivation techniques began to circulate secretly among the empires—thanks to Huo Yuhao's efforts—greatly strengthening the soul master class.
Many soul master clans became more powerful.
Those who had been stuck at bottlenecks for years or even decades managed to break through thanks to these techniques, improving their overall power.
But every gift came with a hidden price. Many of the cultivation techniques Huo Yuhao had spread were tampered with—similar to the [Wedding Dress Divine Technique].
If soul masters couldn't break through the traps Huo Yuhao had left behind, everything they cultivated would, in the end, be for his benefit.
As for where unrest still existed on the continent—
The Holy Spirit Cult was still recruiting evil soul masters, and many of them had gone to the Sun Moon Empire in pilgrimage.
Currently, the Holy Spirit Cult was being led by Tang Ya.
Somehow, after a single attack on Shrek, she had become the leader of the cult.
But Tang Ya knew clearly—Shrek's downfall must have had other causes. The Holy Spirit Cult had taken the blame unjustly.
Still, this undeserved blame drew many evil soul masters to their ranks, making the cult stronger. Tang Ya didn't know whether this was good or bad, so she didn't explain anything.
After all, no one would believe her.
The blame was sealed too tightly.
Then there was the northern region of the Douling Empire—firmly held by the Corpse God.
However, neither the Holy Spirit Cult nor the Corpse God's zombie army had yet clashed with the four great empires again.
But anyone with eyes could see—this was merely the calm before the storm.
The four empires and many other forces were all waiting—for the moment Huo Yuhao broke through!
Huo Yuhao certainly wouldn't let them down.
"I'm heading out to temper myself—to break through my limits and obtain the power to fight evil!" Huo Yuhao gathered Shrek's members and made this announcement.
"I'll go with you!" Wang Dong'er stepped up immediately.
"I can go too!" Xiao Xiao quickly followed.
The others were also eager to join.
But Huo Yuhao shook his head. "This time, I must go alone. I'm pushing myself to the limit—and it would be too dangerous for you."
How could he take others along? This trip was to deal with certain matters—bringing others would only make things harder to cover up.
Hearing his explanation, the others had no choice but to give up. They felt ashamed—Huo Yuhao had always protected them. Now that they wanted to accompany him, they realized they weren't strong enough to stand by his side.
Thus, after he left, everyone trained even harder.
Di Tian also learned of Huo Yuhao's departure. He didn't follow—he knew that for a mere training trip, Huo Yuhao's life shouldn't be at risk.
Still, just in case, Di Tian gave Huo Yuhao his reverse scale. Officially, it was to help Huo Yuhao—but in truth, it was a tracking marker. If anything happened to Huo Yuhao, Di Tian could use it to find the spot he fell and retrieve the Golden Ancient Tree.
After leaving the forest, Huo Yuhao deliberately erased all traces of his presence and secretly headed to a certain canyon.
According to intel, this canyon was isolated and filled with ferocious and rare soul beasts—its ecosystem even better than the Star Dou Forest's.
It had only been discovered when the four empires, helping Huo Yuhao, mapped out flags across the continent.
Once he reviewed the information and compared maps, Huo Yuhao had a strong suspicion about the canyon's true identity.
Upon arrival, he summoned Bibi Dong.
"Bibi Dong, take a look—do you recognize this place?"
Staring at the familiar landscape, Bibi Dong's expression gradually turned to shock. "This is… the Valley of Death?"
Huo Yuhao: "Year after year, I weave golden threads in bitterness, only to make a wedding dress for another."
Author Decision: I've decided to include the Valley of Death and the Maze Canyon as new resource points—partially borrowing from the anime's setting.