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"Human, how dare you set your sights on the Auspicious Beast!"
The middle-aged man in luxurious robes, whose noble face radiated majesty, now had fury blazing uncontrollably in his eyes.
As the sovereign of this forest—
It had been a long, long time since he had been this enraged.
"Hand over the Auspicious Beast!"
Zhongli Wu: "…"
His mouth twitched.
"If I said the Auspicious Beast isn't with me, would you believe it?"
"Believe your mother!"
Di Tian roared in fury.
He struck out with a palm across the air.
Behind him, a colossal black dragon took form. Its claw, vast enough to blot out the sky, came crashing down.
"Puchi~!!!"
Zhongli Wu's figure shot backward like lightning, smashing through dozens of ancient trees in succession. Blood spurted from his mouth mid-air before his body plummeted with a thunderous crash, the rising dust obscuring his form.
Di Tian's pupils suddenly contracted.
With a wave of the dragon's claw, the dust was swept away. On the ground lay nothing but a deep, bottomless crater—Zhongli Wu's figure was gone.
"Damn it! He escaped!"
Di Tian gnashed his teeth.
Though the strike had severely injured his opponent, nearly costing him his life, the fact remained—an escape was still an escape. And that was a humiliation to Di Tian.
Turning back, the massive black dragon looming behind him also twisted its head. Its icy gaze fell upon the trembling black-robed figures.
"Kill them all!"
"Yes, Lord!"
From the ground, countless thick vines erupted, engulfing the group.
High above, a man clad in green robes, his expression sinister yet refined, lowered his head respectfully.
Di Tian then ordered, "Bear Lord, summon all soul beasts. Prepare to launch a beast tide against Shrek Academy!"
High in the air, the gray light pillar had already faded.
Electrolux retreated once more into the Sea of Spirit. But this time, the black mist surrounding him was noticeably thinner. After all, he was only a fragment of divine consciousness. Without a body to sustain it, his power could only dwindle bit by bit.
"Rest assured, Senior, I'll find the purest life force to restore you," Su Wen said solemnly.
"Hahahaha, I believe you, child… but I am far too tired. I'll need a long sleep…"
Electrolux's voice grew fainter and fainter until it faded completely. If Su Wen hadn't known the truth, he might have thought this powerful ally had perished.
"…"
Su Wen was silent for a long while.
Then he slapped his forehead and released the Auspicious Beast.
The little creature blinked in confusion as it appeared. It had just been frolicking happily in a jungle of hurricanes and was suddenly teleported away. It looked around blankly, as if its playtime had been cut short.
But then—
Its golden eyes shrank sharply when it saw Su Wen collapse to the ground. This guardian of hers... seemed to be a little bit dead.
"Hey, don't you dare die!"
The Auspicious Beast cried out anxiously.
Lowering itself, it nudged Su Wen's face.
But his left arm was stripped to bare bone, and his breath was as faint as a flickering candle.
"What do I do, what do I do… Right! Go find Bi Ji!"
With a panicked cry, the Auspicious Beast gently bit onto Su Wen's body, carefully holding him in its mouth. Then, with a powerful leap, it bounded off into the distance—in that mysterious space, its own injuries had once been healed.
Midway, it paused.
It turned its gaze back toward the border of the Star Dou Forest.
If it wanted to leave, this might be its only chance. But it resolutely turned back toward the "prison" that had confined it for millennia. It chose to trust Su Wen—whether or not Di Tian would ever truly let it go.
"Di Tian, what are you doing?!!"
Xuan Zi's furious voice rang out.
Staring at the entire forest boiling with unrest, his fists clenched tight, his eyes bloodshot. Su Wen's life or death was unknown, and now Di Tian was preparing to unleash a beast tide. The sudden, overwhelming crisis made his mind reel.
"Are you blind, fool?!"
Di Tian roared.
"I'm launching the beast tide! If the Auspicious Beast isn't returned, I'll destroy Shrek Academy today!"
The Auspicious Beast had vanished, and he had no intention of holding back.
Even after the Ten Thousand Demon King scoured the Star Dou Forest, no trace of the beast could be found.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
Xuan Zi was dumbstruck.
The Auspicious Beast went missing?
And what did that have to do with Shrek Academy?
Did they even have the guts to capture it?
"Di Tian, the Auspicious Beast's disappearance has nothing to do with Shrek! You can search us if you like—we absolutely did not hide it!" Xuan Zi gritted his teeth, forcing down his fury.
"Find the Auspicious Beast within three days. I am only giving you three days."
Di Tian snorted coldly.
Then turned and left.
He knew perfectly well Shrek wasn't involved.
But those other culprits had fled too fast. He was unfamiliar with the human world, so the simplest move was to shove the problem onto Shrek. If they couldn't return the Auspicious Beast, he'd smash Shrek. Heh—this trick had always worked before.
Yet soon after, Di Tian froze in disbelief.
Right beside the Lake of Life, the Auspicious Beast was alive and well, hopping about.
He stared blankly. "Huh?"
"A human saved me."
The Auspicious Beast pointed with its snout toward the boy lying beside Bi Ji, who was healing him. "If it weren't for him, I'd already be in the hands of those wicked humans."
"…"
Di Tian glanced at Su Wen, his expression strange.
"Him? He stopped them?"
Although he disdained humans, he had to admit—those enemies had real strength. After all, several had even managed to slip past him.
"It's true!"
The Auspicious Beast nodded seriously.
"You don't know him at all."
Di Tian felt a pang of frustration, as though the cabbage he had tended for ten thousand years was about to be eaten by a pig.
He turned his gaze silently back to the surface of the lake.
But… everything was fine.
The Auspicious Beast had returned safely, the Scarlet King hadn't died—everything was fine.
"Ugh…"
Su Wen felt as though his head had been struck by a heavy hammer. Groggily, he opened his eyes to see towering ancient trees and the crystal-blue waters of the lake, rich life energy wafting through the air.
"This place is… the Lake of Life?!!"
At first, Su Wen was confused. But when he saw the figures surrounding him, he instantly realized where he was.
Yet even facing the great beasts, he felt no fear.
After all, this was his goal from the very beginning.
The Auspicious Beast was never his fourth target; after all, the sacrifice was at noon, the beast tide arrived at night, and the person was gone by midnight… Naturally, the Emerald Swan was the true priority.
"You're awake!"
The Auspicious Beast crouched beside him. When it saw Su Wen slowly sit up, its golden eyes gleamed with joy.
"Mm. This is the Lake of Life?" Su Wen asked softly.
"That's right! This is the heart of the Star Dou Forest. Want me to show you around?" the Auspicious Beast asked excitedly.
"Cough, cough~"
Di Tian let out a pointed, unfriendly cough.
"Better not," Su Wen said, shaking his head. "After all, this is the core of the soul beast race. It wouldn't be appropriate for a human like me."
Di Tian gave a satisfied nod.
At least the boy had some sense.
With a calm tone, he said, "Human, in recognition of saving the Auspicious Beast and earning merit for the Star Dou Forest, I will grant you one wish. But don't ask for too much."
"Two." Su Wen raised two fingers.
(End of Chapter)