The ten top powerhouses joined the battlefield, instantly reversing the situation.
Kong Deming stood at the center. As the Guardian Douluo of the Sun Moon Empire, his strength was unfathomable.
In the past, although among the Guardian Douluo of the Four Empires he wasn't the one with the highest rank, he was definitely the strongest.
That was because he had the support of soul tools. More importantly, he was the only Tenth-Rank Soul Engineer on the entire continent at that time!
His life-bound soul tool was a genuine Rank Ten Soul Tool.
Only Ye Xishui could be considered half a step behind him; everyone else was far from comparable.
Of course, his lower soul power level was a thing of the past. After receiving Xu Tiancheng's guidance, Kong Deming not only gathered a full set of God-bestowed Soul Bones, but also successfully cultivated a second martial soul. He had already reached the level of Ultimate Duoluo—and not just an ordinary Ultimate Duoluo.
Even Titan had to take his strength seriously.
Kong Deming activated his life-bound soul tool, the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier.
The Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier was not only offense and defense in one, but also contained spatial power. It had group battle capabilities as well—able to guide, compress, and fuse the soul power of others.
From the center, Kong Deming protected those soul masters who were injured or drained of soul power, then used the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier as support, commanding the battlefield, trapping enemies, and executing precise strikes.
By relying on secret techniques, he activated both his twin martial souls simultaneously: one Silver Moon, one Golden Sun. Eighteen soul rings intertwined and flickered, unleashing soul skills one after another to support the battlefield.
Alongside them, all sorts of devastating soul tools were wielded by Kong Deming.
At this moment, Kong Deming had transformed into the most terrifying artillery battery on the battlefield.
One man's power suppressed half of the Holy Spirit Cult's experts, and he kept whittling down their numbers.
Naturally, some tried to ambush him. But beside Kong Deming stood Douluo Mo Ying and Douluo Qing Ci, guarding him.
Although they too used soul tools, when the Holy Spirit Cult's evil soul masters fought them, they were shocked to discover that the two were actually rare traditional soul masters of the Sun Moon Empire. Their combat strength was formidable, and they even mastered powerful combat skills.
Cai Meier and Xian Lin'er, left and right, wielding dragon lances, charged into battle. They rallied the scattered coalition forces and soon pierced through the Holy Spirit Cult's formation.
One wore dragon-scale battle armor, wreathed in golden flames, like a valkyrie of fire. The other held the Dragon-Soul Spear of Purging Evil, radiating golden light, standing atop a golden-armored dragon soul, like a proud dragon knight.
Whether in appearance or strength, both were dazzling focal points.
They displayed once again the elegance of Shrek Academy's twin flowers from decades past.
Back then, the two had disliked each other, yet now in battle, they faintly showed a tacit coordination—who knew when such synergy had been honed?
Huo Yuhao could only sigh—perhaps this was the kind of experience that comes from wielding the same type of spear.
"The deans are truly powerful!" Xie Huanyue exclaimed.
Cao Jinxuan nodded as well, eyes filled with yearning. "When will I ever be that strong?"
Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier rescued the trapped coalition forces, then turned to ask Xie Huanyue, Hua Yao, and Meng Hongchen:
"How goes your divine assessments?"
"Dean, mine is complete!"
"Same for me!"
"I've directly completed two trials!"
The three of them, whose divine assessments were all tied to fighting evil soul masters, had fulfilled their tests in the previous chaos, taking another step toward inheriting godhood.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan, the sole candidate of the Love God's inheritance, was also safely rescued.
Xiao Xiao, Han Ruoruo, and the others had stayed close to her the entire time, afraid that some dishonorable evil soul master might launch a sneak attack.
Yan Shaozhe, watching as the Shrek group reunited, couldn't help but feel his eyes redden, emotions surging.
"Teachers, everyone… can you see this from the heavens? Shrek still has a future!"
Nanmen Yuzhi, the Mad Lion Douluo, and the God of Battle Douluo, the three guardian deities of the empires, also rallied their own people and gathered by Kong Deming.
The evil soul masters were swiftly dealt with.
The scales of victory tilted once again toward the coalition.
Kong Deming's gaze swept across the battlefield. He could tell—the most troublesome members of the Holy Spirit Cult were their Consecrates.
But… those consecrates couldn't be touched.
Xu Tiancheng had warned him specifically.
Yet he also couldn't afford to make it look too obvious.
So Kong Deming's attacks against the consecrates were powerful in appearance but lacking in true killing intent. From the outside, it looked as if he was going all out.
The consecrates understood the situation too. While clashing with Kong Deming, they continued ambushing coalition powerhouses—especially those not from their own side—sparing none.
Elsewhere.
Beibei and Nan Shuishui joined forces, suppressing Tang Ya. To be precise, they had already broken through Tang Ya's defenses and were attempting to capture her alive. Tang Ya's resistance was feeble.
Titan, along with Juzi and Xu Sanshi, pressed down upon the Hundred-Legged Golden Centipede.
Xu Sanshi's eyes burned with the joy of vengeance soon to be realized. His attacks were merciless, holding nothing back.
Juzi, however, remained calm, reserving strength, her gaze quietly observing their surroundings.
She saw the soil already stained red with blood. A faint chill crept into her heart.
The Hundred-Legged Golden Centipede knew he stood no chance against Titan.
After all, he had never trained in the God Realm.
But that didn't mean he had no tricks left.
The Golden Centipede began to shake his head.
Titan frowned slightly. "Did we knock this bug senseless?"
"Who cares! Die! Pay for my sect's blood debt!" Xu Sanshi roared, unleashing his ninth soul skill.
His hundred-thousand-year ninth soul skill—
'Xuanwu's Furious Heaven-Shaking Strike!'
Boom!!!!
The heavens thundered, as if space itself cracked. The massive head of the Black Tortoise emerged, and the sky itself seemed dyed dark, no light to be seen. The tortoise opened its mouth, condensed an overwhelming surge of soul power, then blasted it forth as a beam.
The target: the Hundred-Legged Golden Centipede.
Just then, the centipede stopped shaking its head.
In an instant, a frenzied, demonic aura erupted from him. His presence completely changed, as though he had become someone else entirely.
As the Black Tortoise's Furious Strike descended, the centipede moved. Later but faster, he transformed into human form and extended one finger.
Heaven and earth's power seemed to recognize its master, instantly channeling into the centipede, aiding him in resisting the attack.
At that moment, it was no longer the centipede facing the strike—but heaven and earth itself!
Power collided, offsetting one another. The mighty hundred-thousand-year ninth soul skill, Xuanwu's Furious Heaven-Shaking Strike, was dissolved into nothingness.
Blocked and dispersed by the very power of heaven and earth.
Xu Sanshi's jaw dropped in shock, his roar cut short.
Juzi retreated a step, shielding Xu Sanshi and Titan behind her.
Titan's expression shifted drastically. He stared hard at the Golden Centipede, voice low and cold:
"What was that technique just now?"
The opponent who had fought him for so long suddenly felt utterly unfamiliar.
The Golden Centipede raised his head and smiled faintly. He pushed back his hood, revealing a demonic-looking man's face. With one hand, he slicked his hair into a slicked-back style.
"What technique?"
"Of course—it's a divine-level art… Possession of the Patriarch!"
"Like I'd ever tell you~"
Huo Yuhao's consciousness descended into the body of the Centipede King.
In his heart, he murmured:
"This farce has gone on long enough. Next comes…the finale."
Inside the sea of spirit, the Centipede King shouted:
"Ancestor, Ancestor, boundless in power!
Ancestor, Ancestor, unmatched beneath the heavens!
Ancestor, Ancestor, long life as vast as the sky!"
Huo Yuhao: "...Keep it low-key, don't shout. Careful, or you'll attract jealous dogs."
This exchange in the spiritual sea was unknown to the outside world.
From the outside, they only saw Cihang Yao casually shatter Xu Sanshi's attack, then take the initiative to strike.
"Little Gold, watch closely, and learn well."
Huo Yuhao decided to substitute in, giving the Centipede King a proper lesson-match.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao was like a kind elder teaching the younger generation how to pass through a game.
The Centipede King nodded repeatedly, not wanting to miss a single detail.
"Good courage!" Titan roared, charging straight at Huo Yuhao.
Earlier, Titan had used absolute strength and domain suppression to beat the Centipede King into the ground. He did not believe for a second that just because the Centipede King had "changed his hairstyle," he could suddenly overturn the heavens.
"Gravity Control Domain!"
Domain unleashed, gravity pressed down.
"Though only a domain can truly resist another domain, the body of a divine beast is not something a domain can easily suppress!"
"Today, your Ancestor will teach you a secret technique—one that will let you unleash the divine beast's full power!"
Huo Yuhao's voice resounded within the spiritual sea.
The Centipede King's eyes suddenly blazed with golden light. That golden brilliance spread, covering his entire body. At first glance it resembled his earlier Godlight Golden Body, but this time, it was different—it was the manifestation of bloodline power itself: a Combat Golden Body!
"Let will become the master of the body. Use intent to drive the power of your bloodline. Release spirit together with strength. This is—Divine Skill: Divine Advent!"
When divine might descends, who dares contend?
In essence, this was an evolved form of the "Sovereign's Descent."
It must be said, Mu En was indeed heaven's favored son. The technique he developed—Sovereign's Descent—was already a one-of-a-kind skill in the world. But when such a technique fell into the hands of a "cheat-holding" Huo Yuhao, it gained a far stronger evolved form.
A combat art remade by the God King—without doubt, a true divine skill!
And what's more, even mortals could learn it.
The Centipede King might not master it fully, but even learning a fraction—enough to wield Sovereign's Descent—would already elevate his strength to a higher tier.
Titan's domain suppressed Huo Yuhao only for an instant. In the next moment, empowered by Divine Advent, he broke free of the gravity control.
Not by weakening Titan's domain, but by drastically amplifying the Centipede King's own strength.
Boom!
Huo Yuhao and Titan clashed. In the contest of power, the Centipede King's strength actually surpassed Titan's, sending the latter flying, shooting across the sky.
But the cost—cracks split across the Centipede King's arm.
Huo Yuhao explained:
"The reason life cannot bring forth its full strength is largely because of the body's own protective mechanisms, limiting force to avoid injury."
"Divine Advent removes this limiter. It unleashes immense power, but at the cost of harming oneself."
"Still, for a divine beast's body, such injuries are well within bearable limits."
It was, essentially, like the Seven-Injury Fist—hurting oneself even as it hurts the enemy.
The cracks in the Centipede King's arm weren't from Titan's strike, but self-inflicted by unleashed force.
The Centipede King nodded thoughtfully. He seemed to have truly learned something. Being entrusted with such responsibility by Huo Yuhao was not only due to his bloodline, but also his talent and comprehension. And with such near hand-to-hand teaching, how could he not gain insight?
High in the air, Titan forcibly steadied himself, blood at the corner of his mouth, shock in his eyes. He had clearly been frightened by that blow. Looking at his own arm, the fist that clashed with Huo Yuhao's was nothing but mangled flesh, the muscles of his arm split and torn.
Such was the terror of a single strike!
"I underestimated you. Very well, then behold my true power!"
"Domain of Ten Thousand Beasts!"
Titan flew back at speed, unleashing his spiritual domain, merging it with his gravity domain. The two domains stacked together, cutting the surrounding space into a zone fully under Titan's control.
Gravity crushed from all directions, threatening to pulp the Centipede King and heavily limiting his movement.
The pressure within the domain skyrocketed!
Even Divine Advent no longer seemed enough.
Huo Yuhao calmly explained:
"When a spiritual domain fuses with one's innate domain, it can form a personal space fully under one's control."
"With your current spiritual power, you can begin attempting to comprehend a spiritual domain. If strong enough, it alone can control space."
"But don't rush. Unless one is extraordinarily gifted, comprehension of a spiritual domain takes a long time of insight and practice."
"So—I, your Ancestor, will teach you another move."
"Divine Advent removes the limiter, enhancing oneself, though at the cost of self-injury."
"There is another, similar method—squeezing out all power, borrowing from future weakness in exchange for strength now!"
"This is—Demonic Advent!"
And Divine Advent and Demonic Advent—could be unleashed together!
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists. Power surged over his body, bursting his clothes. His heart pounded wildly, pumping blood through every vein, forcibly squeezing out his life force.
Blue veins bulged across his forehead, his eyes bloodshot red, hair whipping in the storm of soul power.
The Centipede King now looked as if he had truly fallen into demonic possession!
"Hahhhh!"
Huo Yuhao threw a single punch into empty air.
The crushing gravity and spirit pressing down on him shattered under that one fist.
Titan's pupils shrank, alarm bells ringing in his heart. No more restraint—he instantly revealed his true body, the Titan Giant Ape.
The next instant, Huo Yuhao punched again, across the distance.
Black and gold soul power surged, wrapped around the fist-shadow, blasting toward the Titan Giant Ape.
The Titan Giant Ape also punched out, unleashing his ultimate soul skill—Titan Heaven-Breaking Strike!
The black soul power cannon and the black-gold energy pillar collided midair.
The clash exploded, sending Xu Sanshi—who had tried to rush in to help—flying, spitting three mouthfuls of blood just from the shockwaves.
"I blocked it!" Titan Giant Ape felt a flicker of relief—
But Huo Yuhao had already thrown another punch.
It was as though he needed no time to recover, though blood spurted from his arm, skin splitting, wounds exposing bone.
Yet nothing could stop that punch.
Titan's pupils shrank again. He felt the crisis of death!
Fortunately, at that moment, sea-blue divine light emerged from within him. The mark of the Seagod's Trident appeared on his brow.
Tang San had, after all, left the Titan Giant Ape a safeguard.
Even so, protected by Seagod's light, the Titan Giant Ape was blasted away by the punch, hurled across the sky until he vanished from sight.
And Douluo Star's cloud layer—was left with a clean middle part by that punch.
Douluo Star: I was terrified at the time.
Huo Yuhao's battle with Titan drew everyone's attention. When their clash finally ended, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Both sides had been shaken by that terrifying exchange!
The invincible Titan of the Clear Sky Sect had been sent flying by just three punches from the enemy? Hurled thousands of li away?
The first to react was actually Tang Ya, because she didn't dare lose focus—at this moment, she was being hunted down by two people stronger than herself.
Tang Ya cast a hateful glance at Bei Bei and Nan Shuishui, especially at Bei Bei. Then she decisively transformed into her Blue Silver Grass substitute and escaped, vanishing into the white mist that had silently appeared at some unknown point.
By the time Bei Bei and Nan Shuishui tried to intercept, it was already too late.
Nan Shuishui looked at Bei Bei, her eyes filled with an indescribable meaning. Once a prodigy of heaven, he had fallen to become an evil soul master; once a proud genius of Shrek, he had become the Holy Son of the Holy Spirit Sect. Once lovers, now mortal enemies.
And theirs was not the only case like this.
"Shrek truly never lacks for talent…"
Bei Bei didn't know what Nan Shuishui was thinking. He only sighed at letting Tang Ya slip away again.
Huo Yuhao also understood that the next stage of the plan was about to begin. It was time for him to leave.
"Xiao Jin, the rest is up to you. Remember the teachings of your ancestor."
"One last reminder—grit your teeth and endure!"
With that, Huo Yuhao withdrew his consciousness.
The Centipede King hadn't even realized what Huo Yuhao meant when suddenly, an excruciating pain surged through his body—as if every part of him were being ground into fragments. The agony pierced his very soul, almost causing his consciousness to collapse on the spot.
This was the backlash of unleashing both Divine Descent and Demonic Descent simultaneously.
One backlash alone was manageable. But both abilities together produced a side effect so terrible that even an Ultimate Douluo would experience pain beyond what life could bear.
Fortunately, the Centipede King was obedient. He clenched his jaw and endured without letting out a disgraceful scream.
But he could no longer remain airborne—he plummeted from the sky.
At that moment, a veil of mist swallowed him up, concealing his body. To onlookers, it appeared as though the Centipede King had withdrawn of his own accord, preserving Cihang Yao's dignity.
Meanwhile, the other consecrated ones also slipped into the white mist, leaving behind only the coalition forces and the remnants of the Holy Spirit Sect's evil soul masters.
Ju Zi's pupils shrank sharply—she sensed something amiss. She decisively retreated to Kong Deming's side but did not warn the others.
Because those who knew the truth had already taken their places beside Kong Deming—the safest spot.
Only then did the others begin to realize something was wrong.
At some point, white mist had risen around the battlefield, strange and ominous.
"Everyone be careful!" Yan Shaozhe quickly shouted to warn them all.
But it wasn't just the battlefield. The entire Jingyang Mountain Range was now engulfed in mist.
The Phoenix Douluo and the other "insiders" of the coalition retreated toward the perimeter according to the prearranged plan.
As for the soldiers and other soul masters they had brought with them—they were quietly abandoned.
Inside the mist—
Tang Ya, too, was swallowed. While she remained on guard, she suddenly found herself standing before the gates of a grand mansion.
Looking up, she saw five bold characters: "White Tiger Duke's Mansion."
Tang Ya's expression changed drastically.
The gates were wide open. A tall figure with a gentle smile was respectfully welcoming her.
"Junior Sister Tang Ya, welcome to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. I am the eldest son of the household, Dai Yueheng."
"Dai Yueheng!" Tang Ya stared, her pupils contracting. "You've been dead for years… No—that's not right. You're not alive at all!"
Dai Yueheng didn't mind in the slightest. Still smiling, he gestured for her to enter.
"Junior Sister Tang Ya, Mother invites you."
The more Tang Ya looked, the more unsettling she found him. But in the end, she pressed her lips together and stepped into the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
In only a short time, she realized she was trapped in a special space. There was no way out. Outside the mansion was only endless mist, and she could not sense a single ripple of Blue Silver Grass beyond the estate.
Led by Dai Yueheng, Tang Ya entered deeper into the mansion until they reached a beautiful garden courtyard.
Only the White Tiger Duke's Mansion possessed such resources—to build a vast, elegant garden within its grounds.
Along the way, Tang Ya discovered that everyone inside—from the White Tiger bloodline to the servants and maids—were all special kinds of lingering souls.
Recalling the rumors that the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion had vanished overnight, Tang Ya's unease deepened.
At the courtyard entrance, her expression changed once again—because guarding the gate was none other than Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke himself!
Hadn't he died long ago?
What in the world was going on here?
Dai Yueheng smiled. "Junior Sister Tang Ya, this is as far as I can take you."
Dai Hao nodded as well. "Sect Master Tang Ya, Madam is waiting for you inside the courtyard."
Tang Ya clenched her fists, but she chose to go meet the mistress of this place.
Inside the courtyard, past corridors and pavilions, Tang Ya finally saw the true master of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion seated in an elegant pavilion—the Duchess, Xu Qiudi!
Tang Ya stared at this Grand Elder in silence, as if waiting for an explanation.
She had once believed Xu Qiudi became an evil soul master to avenge the White Tiger Duke's Mansion after its destruction.
But now it seemed the truth was very different—perhaps Xu Qiudi had been the true culprit all along!
To slaughter the entire household and bind their souls—even most evil soul masters couldn't achieve that.
And the long-dead Dai Yueheng and Dai Hao standing here made it all but certain: Xu Qiudi had struck first.
What kind of ruthless person would harm her own flesh and blood, her own husband?
Tang Ya could only admit she was far inferior. Against the Xu Qiudi she had imagined, she was like a naïve child.
Xu Qiudi didn't care what Tang Ya thought. She had no intention of explaining anything. Explain what? How she provoked Huo Yuhao, how she was defiled by him, how she became what she was now?
"There's no need for such caution, Sect Master. I am only here to fulfill my promise." Xu Qiudi's red lips parted as she revealed her purpose.
"Promise?" Tang Ya frowned.
"Yes. The promise I made to you before—to pave the road ahead with the lives of both the coalition and the Holy Spirit Sect."
Xu Qiudi smiled, then raised her hand to point at the lake. The waters rippled, revealing the scene outside.
Tang Ya felt as though much time had passed since she entered the mansion. Yet the picture showed events almost identical to the moment she disappeared outside.
For within Xu Qiudi's domain, both time and space were twisted. Only when she actively connected to the outside world would the flow of time synchronize.
Just like now.
Tang Ya gazed down at the lake's surface.
There, above the Jingyang Mountain Range, stood a girl with bat-like wings, smiling bloodthirstily.
From her body, a domain spread outward, enveloping the entire mountain range. Bathed in blood, the Jingyang Mountains had become a colossal furnace.
An ominous purple light covered everything.
The Rakshasa Domain—the Prison of Rakshasa!
The Prison of Rakshasa was a miniature world constructed from Rakshasa divine power. Any target trapped within it would become prey for the Rakshasa God.
Cain's figure no longer concealed itself and appeared above everyone, instantly drawing all eyes toward her.
"It's the Grand Elder! That's the Grand Elder!" one elder recognized Cain and shouted in delight.
When the New Holy Spirit Sect was established, the three Grand Elders had revealed themselves once, a rare occasion. Only the high-level members of the Holy Spirit Sect recognized them.
Upon learning Cain was their own Grand Elder, the Holy Spirit Sect's evil soul masters were overjoyed, cheering loudly. In contrast, the coalition's faces all grew grave.
However, Cain did not respond to the cheers of the evil soul masters. One hand brushed her cheek, the other raised the Rakshasa Scythe, her face alight with excitement.
"Harvesting begins~"
Swish—
Cain swung the Rakshasa Scythe. A crescent-shaped purple slash shot forth, slicing through everyone in its path—friend and foe alike.
Those it touched exploded instantly, bodies bursting into a mist of blood.
In truth, because the Holy Spirit Sect had more numbers, most of the victims of that strike were their own.
Everyone froze in shock.
When Cain swung the scythe again, harvesting more lives, the evil soul masters finally realized—this wasn't an accident. Cain was trying to kill everyone!
"No! Grand Elder, I'm one of the Holy Spirit Sect too—we're on the same side!!"
"You can't do this! I've shed blood for the sect, I've earned merit for the sect!"
"Who dares kill me? Who can kill me?"
The next instant, another crescent slash swept past, silencing them forever.
Cain was a quiet girl. She disliked noise—only she was allowed to make noise.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!"
Her laughter rang out, wild and manic, brimming with the joyous madness of a farmer celebrating the harvest.
The battlefield was now drowned in a cruel fog of blood.
The coalition survivors scrambled for a way out.
"Everyone, channel your soul power into me! Only by uniting all our strength can we break free!" Kong Deming shouted, fully unleashing the Silver Moon Divine Barrier.
The soul masters nearby didn't hesitate, pouring their soul power into him.
Those scattered farther out rushed to join them. Yan Shaozhe and the Shrek Academy members entered the barrier's range as well.
Even evil soul masters joined in.
No one stopped them—at that moment, one more person's strength meant one more chance of survival.
But their gathering inevitably drew Cain's attention.
The timing was perfect.
Seeing that everyone he could take had entered, Kong Deming sealed the Silver Moon Divine Barrier, refusing anyone else in. At once he activated it with all their combined strength.
Just as Cain swung her scythe again, space rippled from the barrier, and whoosh—it vanished into another dimension, escaping the Prison of Rakshasa.
Her strike missed. But Cain didn't grow angry. She merely turned and continued harvesting the rest.
"No!!!"
The remaining souls wailed in despair, but it made no difference.
Not only those within the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters—across the entire Jingyang Mountain Range, every army trapped in the Rakshasa Domain was dragged into the Prison of Rakshasa, becoming Cain's prey.
Some tried to flee, only to discover escape was impossible.
The Rakshasa Domain was covered by the Barrier of Annihilation.
That barrier, another divine art of Rakshasa, was a transparent, formless, limitless shield forged of Rakshasa divine power. Weaker than the Prison of Rakshasa's confinement, but capable of spreading across vast regions.
Those trapped within could not escape and were constantly corroded by the Rakshasa's influence, their inner malice and filth magnified until they fell into utter madness.
Only a handful who had prepared beforehand managed to flee the Jingyang Range at the moment the domain first unfolded.
Looking back on the slaughtered mountains, the survivors seemed to still hear their comrades' despairing screams echoing in their ears. Some were shaken, but all had been mentally prepared.
"Death is not the end. In the divine kingdom, they shall reunite with us again," Fire Phoenix Douluo said to the others of the Sun Moon Empire.
The Sun Moon Empire's people nodded, soon calming down.
Though they had lost the Fire Phoenix Legion and three other Ten Directions Legions, their high-ranking officers and strongest elites had escaped. And they believed in the Emperor's promises.
Fire Phoenix Douluo said no more, and quickly led them back to the Empire.
"We must prepare for the next step. Soon, the Sun Moon Empire will truly become the overlord of the entire Douluo Continent!"
Inside the White Tiger Duke's mansion—
Xu Qiudi began her own scheme.
She drew upon the souls, life force, blood, and soul power of all those slain in Jingyang Mountain, channeling them through an array into pure "nutrients" for cultivation.
Tang Ya sat cross-legged at the center of the array, cultivating, absorbing the nutrients. Her soul power soared rapidly, pushing her closer and closer to the rank of Ultimate Douluo.
To Xu Qiudi's surprise, Tang Ya did not hesitate long before accepting this power.
For Tang Ya, caution alone could not save her from hidden plots. At this moment, she had no choice but to accept Xu Qiudi's "kindness."
At last, when all the fallen soul masters of Jingyang had been sacrificed, Tang Ya finally broke through—reaching Ultimate Douluo.
And yet, her body still brimmed with excess nutrients she had not fully digested.
Watching Tang Ya stabilize her strength, Xu Qiudi's smile twisted, no longer hiding her malice.
For this harvest, Tang Ya was the sweetest fruit.
She reversed the array beneath Tang Ya.
This array had been provided by Huo Yuhao. In normal mode, it sacrificed external power to empower the one inside. But in reverse, it sacrificed the one inside—a principle identical to the vast array Huo Yuhao had spread across the continent.
Tang Ya, focused inward, had no strength to resist.
When the array's power forced her into sacrifice, she finally realized something was wrong—but it was already too late.
Her eyes snapped open, blazing with fury, glaring at Xu Qiudi. Her lips moved, cursing foully.
But the pillar of sacrificial light isolated sound. Xu Qiudi heard nothing and smiled back sweetly.
Within the pillar, Tang Ya felt her life a tragedy. Never had she imagined it would end like this.
"So that's it. From beginning to end, I never had a choice… Tang Sect destroyed, my parents dead, expelled from the Academy, joining the Holy Spirit Sect, inheriting it, and now this sacrifice…"
"I was always just their pawn. Every gamble… never brought me anything good."
At last, Tang Ya closed her eyes. A single clear tear slid down her cheek.
At the end of her life, that tear was the only thing pure.
The sacrifice that was initiated with Tang Ya as the offering was naturally not for Xu Qiudi, since Xu Qiudi had already broken through level 100 long ago.
Therefore, the only one who could enjoy the fruits of Tang Ya's sacrifice was none other than Cain.
Xu Qiudi had already cultivated to the realm of an Extreme Douluo, but she was still missing a sacrificial offering to unlock the inheritance of the Rakshasa God's divine throne.
That target naturally fell on Tang Ya.
In truth, Xu Qiudi had not deceived Tang Ya. This indeed was a path she had shaped for her, even a path leading to godhood—but Tang Ya was merely a part of that path.
Boom—
The pillar of light from Tang Ya's sacrifice enveloped Cain. Cain closed her eyes, beginning to absorb Tang Ya's power, and then activated the inheritance of the Rakshasa God's divine throne!
The inheritance of the Rakshasa God that belonged to Cain did not require any trials. Or rather, when Huo Yuhao forged Cain's body, he had already helped her complete every trial.
A body crafted from Rakshasa Stalactite—without a doubt, Cain was the most fitting successor to the Rakshasa God's throne. In some sense, she was even more suited to it than the first Rakshasa God.
If the first Rakshasa God had created the Rakshasa divine throne, then Cain was the god created by the Rakshasa divine throne itself.
This was exactly like the connection between Snow Lotus and the Sea God's divine throne.
Thus, Cain was essentially an experimental product.
And so, Huo Yuhao paid very close attention to Cain's divine inheritance.
In the Divine Realm, the Rakshasa God's temple bloomed with purple divine light. That light pierced through time and space, linking directly to Cain.
Under its guidance, the Rakshasa God's divine throne found Cain and fused with her.
Bibi Dong stood before the statue in the temple. Watching the Rakshasa God's statue gradually resemble Cain, becoming lifelike, she could not help but feel complicated.
Though the divine throne of the Rakshasa God had long been stripped from her, seeing Cain fully complete its inheritance gave her a sense of defeat, as though her own treasure had been taken.
"Perhaps… back then, I really was wrong. Sigh…" Bibi Dong sighed softly.
She also knew her fate from here on would not change much. The best outcome awaiting her was to become one of Huo Yuhao's maids alongside Qian Renxue.
Bibi Dong understood well that, in Huo Yuhao's eyes, her worth and Qian Renxue's weren't even as great as that of the newly arrived Demon Empress.
The only reason Huo Yuhao had helped her and Qian Renxue rebuild their bodies and increase their strength was because, at the time, he still needed them as cauldrons.
His disdain for them ultimately stemmed from the fact that they had once been foolish losers.
No one can guarantee victory forever, but fools can never win at all.
The movement caused by the re-inheritance of the Rakshasa divine throne also drew the attention of the Divine Realm. Many gods were astonished—they had not expected that the Rakshasa God, who had been slain by the Sea God long ago, would gain a new successor.
But few were pleased by this news, for the Rakshasa God was not a benevolent deity.
The Shrek Seven Devils of old were especially furious.
Although the new Rakshasa God was no longer Bibi Dong, they still did not wish to see another Rakshasa God rise.
Tang San sat upon his divine seat, his gaze icy.
He had already sensed the presence of the Rakshasa God's successor long ago—for that successor had once slain members of the Clear Sky Sect.
After some thought, Tang San sent word to Tang Hao, ordering him to eliminate the Rakshasa God early.
A newly inherited Rakshasa God would have limited strength, and absolutely could not be a match for Tang Hao and Ah Yin as a pair.
In the Jingyang Mountain Range.
The purple pillar of inheritance light finally faded away.
Cain's figure reappeared—transformed. She now wore purple divine armor, wielded the Rakshasa Scythe, and behind her floated eight smaller scythes, making her look like a spider spirit.
A purple divine ring shimmered behind her, becoming her tenth soul ring.
Thus, the Rakshasa God, Cain—had arrived!
Cain felt the power of her breakthrough past level 100, smiled faintly, and swung the Rakshasa Scythe to open the passage to the Rakshasa Secret Realm. She stepped inside, returning to the Divine Realm.
She wanted to share this good news with Huo Yuhao immediately.
"This girl, not even waiting for me…"
Xu Qiudi muttered with some dissatisfaction in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
"And your part isn't even finished yet… looks like I'll have to handle it. Tch."
She pointed downward, and the lake in the courtyard rippled, revealing its true nature—a thick, viscous liquid glowing with eerie violet-green light.
It was not water, but a special concoction made from Rakshasa Stalactite and other rare treasures.
Within it were soaked the souls of many women—Tang Ya's soul among them.
Because the sacrifice had involved enough lives of sufficient quality, not all the souls had been fully consumed.
Following Huo Yuhao's principle of thrift and "making full use of everything," Xu Qiudi preserved the souls of all the female soul masters from the Fire Phoenix Legion, along with Tang Ya's soul and others of notable quality.
She then infused her power into the liquid, transforming the souls within into special corporeal soul-bodies.
During this transformation, each soul would also be branded—becoming controllable "soldiers."
This task should have been carried out together with Cain, but since she had gone, Xu Qiudi was left to do it alone, costing her more time.
One by one, the souls were transformed. Not only did their strength increase, but they now possessed bodies and new abilities.
As the transformations completed, the souls opened their eyes, regaining consciousness.
Most were the female soul masters of the Fire Phoenix Legion. When they awoke, they felt confusion for only a brief moment before quickly understanding their situation—and then, in unison, they offered thanks to their "Master."
That master, of course, was Huo Yuhao.
Xu Qiudi curled her lip. She was the one doing all the work—why should he get the gratitude?
There were some who didn't understand at first, but under the influence of the brand and with persuasion from the Fire Phoenix women, they too resigned themselves.
There were no diehards who refused, because the brand imprinted Huo Yuhao's will deep into their hearts.
The last to awaken, naturally, was the strongest—Tang Ya.
When Tang Ya came to, she first stared blankly, then looked at Xu Qiudi in disbelief, coldly asking:
"What… are you planning to do with us?"
"You shouldn't be asking that now. What you should ask is—what can you do for us?"
"As long as you perform well, in the future, you might even have the chance to become a god yourself."
Xu Qiudi smiled at her.
Tang Ya's expression flickered uncertainly, before finally she asked,
"Then… what do you want me to do?"
"Good." Xu Qiudi's smile deepened. She pointed to the newly revived souls.
"From this day forward, you will lead this legion. When the divine war comes, you will have your chance to shine."
"Divine war?" Tang Ya frowned, then asked, "Does this legion I'll lead have a name?"
Xu Qiudi thought briefly, then said aloud:
"From now on, you shall be—"
"The Rakshasa Forbidden Army!"
The great encirclement battle of the four empires against the Holy Spirit Cult ended in a way that none of the watching factions had anticipated.
The coalition forces suffered devastating losses, their armies completely annihilated. The Holy Spirit Cult was nearly wiped out as well—yet it was not truly a mutual destruction.
On the coalition side, only Kong Deming and a handful of high-ranking members managed to escape by forcefully crossing space. At least, that was what appeared on the surface.
The Holy Spirit Cult, meanwhile, harvested vast quantities of flesh and souls, and rumors spread that a divine inheritance had even emerged among them.
When scouts from the four empires once again reached the Jingyang Mountains, hoping to investigate the aftermath, they discovered only a desolate wasteland. The mountains had been reduced to barren stone, devoid of the slightest vitality, not even a blade of grass.
The Holy Spirit Cult had completely vanished, leaving behind not even the faintest trace of evil aura.
The continent once again sank into an eerie silence.
Better chaos and uproar than a silence like this—because when the continent grows quiet, it means someone is scheming!
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Meier and the others returned to Shrek Academy with the battered remnants of their students. This time, Shrek too had suffered casualties, though none of the absolute core members were lost.
But in today's Shrek, every fallen soul master was precious strength.
Although this loss weakened Shrek, it also pushed several of the divine inheritance candidates to complete one stage of their god trials, allowing them to advance to the next. They had taken another step closer to godhood.
The only comfort the people of Shrek could cling to was this hope of ascension.
As long as their disciples became gods, Shrek would rise again. Every sacrifice would be worth it.
Inside the meeting hall.
Yan Shaozhe gathered Shrek Academy's core members:
The four deans: Yan Shaozhe, Cai Meier, Xian Lin'er, and Meng Hongchen (inheritor of the Toad God).
Super Douluo: Zhang Lexuan.
Title Douluo: Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, and Hua Yao (inheritor of the Flower God).
Soul Douluo: Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and Xie Huan Yue (inheritor of the Elephant God).
Three additional figures sat in on the meeting:
Jin Qiu'er, representing the soul beasts.
Xu Sanshi (inheritor of the Xuanwu God) and Beibei, both having returned.
Xu Sanshi and Beibei were no longer counted as members of Shrek. They had split off to form the Dragon Martial Alliance, and now attended the meeting as Shrek's allies.
Given their present circumstances, maintaining some distance between themselves and Shrek was beneficial for both sides.
Yan Shaozhe opened the meeting:
"Although we've announced to the common people that the Holy Spirit Cult has been destroyed, we all know the truth. The truly terrifying figures of that cult have not been eliminated—in fact, they may have grown even stronger!"
"Not only did the new cult master Tang Ya escape, but a girl suspected to have inherited a divine position also appeared."
"Furthermore, those we feared most—Zhongli Wu, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui—never showed themselves. Neither did the Corpse God…"
Yan Shaozhe's expression grew heavier and heavier.
"I have a very bad feeling."
The others fell silent. They shared the same dread.
So many soldiers had perished, along with soul masters and powerful cultivators from both the coalition and the Holy Spirit Cult. All that life and blood was nourishment to make evil soul masters stronger.
And what sort of growth would that girl, the suspected god inheritor, achieve?
At this point, Beibei suddenly spoke:
"From my investigation, I suspect that Zhongli Wu, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui may already have met their end."
"What?!"
Everyone turned sharply toward him.
"Beibei, do you have proof?" Xian Lin'er asked urgently.
Beibei nodded. "While posing as the Saint Son, I lured and killed some of the cult's stronger members. From their mouths I learned that after the attack on Shrek Academy, Zhongli Wu, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui—along with their diehard followers—never appeared within the Holy Spirit Cult again."
"That is how Tang Ya was able to smoothly take the position of cult master. The new elders, worshipers, and Grand Elders were all brought in by her after she ascended, or trained under her leadership."
"The newer evil soul masters of the cult were drawn from across the continent, lured by the false news that Shrek had been destroyed."
"I even suspect that behind these new evil soul masters stands a far more terrifying force. For example, those worshipers and Grand Elders—they clearly share some connection."
Beibei revealed everything he knew, as well as his speculations.
Yet instead of easing hearts, his words only deepened everyone's gloom.
Because this suggested that behind it all might stand something even worse—
Perhaps even… an Evil Soul Master God.
At that moment, an aura swept over Shrek Academy—bold and unhidden.
Feeling it, everyone's faces lit with joy.
"Yuhao!"
"Little Brother Huo!"
"Has our junior returned?!"
Forgetting the meeting entirely, they rushed to the academy gates.
There they saw him—Huo Yuhao, stepping through the gates.
Dusty and travel-worn, lacking some of his usual immaculate poise, but his eyes shone brighter than ever. Combined with his unparalleled looks, a new depth and weight emanated from him.
And every gaze fell upon his forehead.
There, a trident mark gleamed.
All who had encountered divine inheritances instantly recognized it. Without doubt—it was the sign of a god's legacy.
Huo Yuhao had obtained a divine inheritance!
The joy of the crowd surged higher.
Yan Shaozhe hurried forward, seizing his hands in excitement. "Yuhao—you… you've received a divine inheritance?!"
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded firmly, without hiding a thing. "Yes. I went to the sea. After defeating Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui, who were hiding in its depths, the Sea God himself bestowed upon me a divine trial."
"You mean… you've gained the god position of our ancestor Tang San—the Sea God?!" Yan Shaozhe gasped.
"Only the trial. I haven't inherited the full godhood yet," Yuhao replied modestly.
But Yan Shaozhe's tears flowed freely as he lifted his face to the sky. "Teacher—did you see? Our ancestor has not abandoned us!"
"We shall inherit his will and bring peace back to the continent!"
To Shrek Academy, the Sea God carried unique meaning.
Huo Yuhao, however, bit back his true thoughts, grumbling inwardly: Come on… if you want to speak to the teacher, you should be speaking to me. He's not up there watching you!
Still, his return had brought more than the Sea God's trial. He had also restored their faith and given them a pillar to rally around.
From this day onward, Huo Yuhao was unquestionably Shrek Academy's leader.
Yet peace on the continent was short-lived.
One month later—
Emperor Xu Tiancheng of the Sun Moon Empire issued an imperial decree:
The Sun Moon Empire declares war upon the other three empires of Douluo Continent!
The goal was singular—
To unify the continent!
The Sun Moon Empire's army advanced with overwhelming momentum.
Because the Holy Spirit Cult had already been encircled in the Jingyang Mountains, leaving behind nothing but difficult terrain, there was no longer any true barrier to stop the Sun Moon Empire's army.
A month was enough time for the empire to scout several routes of advance.
Thus, on the very day war was declared, the Sun Moon Empire's forces crossed the Jingyang Mountains, entered the Star Luo Empire, and set up camp within the occupied zone.
The war between the two empires broke out in full.
Fortunately, the new Empress of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiuj i u, had long "predicted" the Sun Moon Empire's ambitions and had already stationed heavy troops on the border of the occupied territory.
When battle erupted, the Star Luo Empire barely held off the first wave of the Sun Moon Empire's assault, but the cost in blood was enormous.
This war was far beyond any prior skirmishes.
At the same time that the Sun Moon Empire clashed with the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Dou Ling Empire no longer sat back to watch. They dispatched armies and powerhouses to aid Star Luo while tightening control of their own borders.
Very quickly, the war escalated from a conflict between two empires into one engulfing the entire continent.
The battlefield became a grinding meat grinder.
Each day, huge numbers of soldiers and soul masters perished, bodies piling up, the earth stained red with blood.
Yet instead of resting, both sides continued to send wave after wave of troops and cultivators. Hatred deepened, and the war could no longer be stopped by normal means.
Huo Yuhao once again issued the Shrek Summons, gathering the powerhouses of the three empires to stand against the Sun Moon Empire.
And yet, even with the union of the Star Luo, Heaven Dou, and Dou Ling Empires, along with Shrek Academy, the leadership of this side was far from optimistic.
They all understood: what would truly decide the outcome was the seven gods of the Sun Moon Empire.
For now, the four nations stood in balance, but once those gods intervened, the scales would topple instantly.
Though no one knew why Xu Tiancheng hadn't acted, everyone realized—the Sun Moon Empire had not even fought seriously yet.
The crushing pressure weighed on all hearts.
This, too, was the pressure Huo Yuhao wanted to place upon the God King Tang San and the Silver Dragon King.
Like a piñata, once beaten hard enough, they would spill the sweet candy inside.
Sure enough, Tang San and the Silver Dragon King began to exert their strength. They accelerated the pace at which Shrek's chosen inheritors advanced through their godhood trials.
Meng Hongchen, Xu Sanshi, Hua Yao, and Xie Huanyue—all four began advancing much faster.
Their godhood trials even allowed outside assistance.
Even Huo Yuhao himself lent a hand.
Especially in the case of the weakest, Xie Huanyue: once he completed his God Trial, the rewards were extraordinary, propelling his level upward like a rocket.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan was summoned to the core of Star Dou Forest by the Silver Dragon King, who presented her with precious resources—including life gold from the Lake of Life—to boost her strength.
Now Jiang Nannan stood closest to divinity; once she reached level ninety, her inheritance could begin.
Huo Yuhao chose to remain at Shrek Academy, delaying his own Sea God Trial with the excuse that he couldn't leave the academy unguarded.
Thus, Shrek Academy had six confirmed godhood inheritors.
But in truth, it should have been seven!
Titan had once revealed that Wang Dong'er had also received the Butterfly God's inheritance trial and was undergoing her ordeal.
Yet ever since Titan had been blasted away by Huo Yuhao, he had never reappeared.
The Clear Sky Sect did not participate in this war.
Some of its disciples, however, roamed the continent searching for traces of the Rakshasa God's successor.
During his time at the academy, Huo Yuhao also observed several newly enrolled students.
And indeed, they were quite interesting.
Fei Lingyun was the simplest. He had genuinely come to study, trained diligently, and already reached the Soul Elder level.
Xiong Rui had no obvious goals, but his "Flying Bear Fate" spoke for itself; he could hardly remain ordinary.
Since war broke out, he had paid close attention to battlefield news. Huo Yuhao could sense his desire to participate.
Though not strong, as the young master of the Flying Bear Merchant Guild, Xiong Rui had considerable resources he could mobilize.
Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao didn't think highly of him—neither he nor the guild had the ability to influence a war. To be drawn in would only mean death.
Yu Lecheng was more intriguing. He bore the Sea God's power, and Huo Yuhao discovered that his martial soul was not a mere phantom serpent but the martial soul of a sea spirit master—one very similar to the illusory serpent of Seadragon Douluo.
Within Shrek Academy, Yu Lecheng often observed the godhood candidates in close combat, as well as Huo Yuhao himself—
Like a living surveillance device.
Still, though he was a sea spirit master, his combat power and cultivation on land had not fallen behind, thanks to the Sea God's power within him.
Huo Yuhao had already dispatched people to the Dou Ling Empire to investigate his background, suspecting a Sea God–worshiping family might stand behind him.
The Hai family of the Dou Ling Empire was also quietly investigating within the community of sea spirit masters.
Luoluo was even more interesting. Huo Yuhao was now certain she was a spy of the Holy Spirit Cult—
Specifically, one planted by Tang Ya without anyone else's knowledge.
When she first heard the cult had been annihilated, Luoluo displayed a strong emotional reaction.
But when Huo Yuhao later leaked word that Tang Ya had survived, she quickly regained her composure.
Moreover, Luoluo, with her cute appearance, had recently gotten close to Fei Lingyun.
Fei Lingyun was the most gifted among the new students, with the highest level as well. Luoluo's attentions almost certainly carried ulterior motives.
Finally, there was Ji Lanlan, who was also a spy—but from the Sun Moon Empire. Not one of Xu Tiancheng's, however.
She came from the old nobility.
These were families who, though they submitted to Xu Tiancheng after his rise, had gradually been pushed aside.
Unwilling to see their clans fade, they foresaw war with the other three nations and planted agents in Shrek under the guise of study.
If war never came, they would simply learn.
But if war did come, they would become valuable pawns.
After war broke out, Ji Lanlan received secret missives from her family through special soul tools.
But Shrek's indoctrination was formidable. Ji Lanlan truly began to develop feelings for the academy.
And since no one shunned her for her Sun Moon background—on the contrary, many went out of their way to protect her—she was deeply moved.
Thus Ji Lanlan became a wavering spy.
"All told, just five students: two spies, one human surveillance device, one ready to leave, and only one genuinely studying—yet even he is being targeted by a spy…"
"Shrek Academy really is flourishing, isn't it."
Watching their daily antics, Huo Yuhao found his appetite doubled.