"Glug, glug—"
Blood kept pouring out. Holes riddled Cao Dezhi's body and he collapsed, his face white as a sheet—no hint of his usual composure left.
He choked on blood and could not speak, only made faint whimpers...
Yet, amidst this carnage, tens of thousands of civilians under the screens cheered madly.
"Sorry, one of the guys missed, Chief Cao. Guess we'll go for round two." The captain grinned, stepping "accidentally" onto Cao Dezhi's leg. Stripped of his soul power, Cao Dezhi was just like an ordinary man—his pain was unbearable.
"Hss..." Fury contorted Cao Dezhi's features.
Normally, a Soul Saint like this would be nothing to him; now he was being humiliated.
With blood flooding his throat, he couldn't even shout—left only with humiliation.
Down in the crowd.
"Monsters! Beasts!!" Zang Xin growled, eyes bloodshot, wishing he could tear everyone on stage to pieces.
Too painful.
This was like carving his heart.
Up on the platform.
Chen Nian watched with a slight smile.
He picked up his communicator, calmly saying, "Alright, finish it—one 'mistake' is enough, with this many people watching..."
"Yes, sir!"
Came the respectful reply.
The next moment, countless soul tool lasers fired—black beams covering Cao Dezhi's area. The acrid stench of burned flesh filled the air...
"No!!!"
Zang Xin clenched his fists, and only with the others restraining him did he keep from exposing himself, his eyes filled with utter despair.
"Where's Shrek? Contact Shrek Academy, now!"
He barked.
"We're on it, sir, don't worry…"
A Hall Master tried to reassure him.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy—
Seagod Pavilion.
"Cao Dezhi is dead," Yun Ming said abruptly.
"Tang Sect just contacted us, urging us," Feng Wuyu answered quietly.
"Good."
Within the Golden Tree, a gentle voice sounded.
"I'll collect his soul, let them rest easy..."
With that, the Golden Tree shone. Its roots surged like waves beneath the square, and delicate golden tendrils rushed toward where black smoke rose from the ground.
"Found it..."
A woman's soft voice.
The Pavilion felt a wave of relief. As long as they recovered the soul—even as a bargaining chip—they could control Tang Sect.
"Wait—something's wrong!"
Ah Yin's voice snapped.
"Something went wrong!"
"I was as concealed as I could be, but even then, he found me!"
"..."
No one knew how long passed. Amid confusion, anger, and shock, Ah Yin finally spoke up—her voice clearly weakened, as if she'd just been through a fierce battle.
"My golden threads were cut—he was severed, and I couldn't save him…"
Everyone: "..."
It's over!
Feng Wuyu's mouth twitched toward Yun Ming. "Should we hide this from Zang Xin, say his soul was collected but is too weak for now..."
Yun Ming sighed and looked at the Golden Tree.
"We have no other choice."
Ah Yin's tone was full of helplessness.
She'd done her utmost to be stealthy—who would've imagined...
Now, it looked like the enemy must be hiding somewhere in Shrek City, watching everything.
"No, this is bad!"
Ah Yin's voice rose and suddenly fell silent.
The elders at the Pavilion, anxious, didn't dare leave their safe zone, only waited for news from the Golden Tree.
A while later, Ah Yin's voice—now even feebler—spoke: "Cao Dezhi's soul has also been destroyed. Right in front of Zang Xin..."
The elders: "..."
It's truly over.
Their alliance with Tang Sect was finished.
Lingbing Square.
Countless soul tools filmed and broadcast the unprecedented scene: the battle for a soul even after death—Federation Net went wild.
First, Cao Dezhi was put to death.
Then, amidst the dispersing smoke, a shining golden root surged up from beneath the square, enveloped his soul, and tried to escape.
But at once, a rainbow beam shot down from the sky, severing the root.
The golden root struggled to drag Cao Dezhi's soul away, but couldn't—this divine energy was far too powerful. The rainbow cut the soul's head, reducing it to nothing.
In moments, the forums erupted with conspiracy theories.
"Monsters! Monsters!"
"Our Tang Sect will fight you to the death!"
"..."
Zang Xin wept in despair as his comrades dragged him away—his heart felt truly dead this time.
That last hope of resurrection was now obliterated—now his hatred was beyond limit.
"Hahaha, so satisfying..." Chen Nian clapped his hands with relish.
Clearly, this was a confrontation between true overlords—the secret struggle laid bare for all to see.
The outcome was clear. The Golden Tree was no match for the rainbow dragon god; the roots were soundly beaten.
When gods clashed, even souls weren't safe—unbelievable...
"Seems like Cao Dezhi expected his backers to save him, even as a soul. He thought he'd survive." Qiangu Dongfeng mused, curling his lips in a sly grin.
"No wonder he looked so calm—until his soul showed true terror at the end."
"Yeah, look at his expression—it's real anger, real fear of death. He died twice, in every sense."
"Utterly annihilated."
"Tang Sect's crowd must be absolutely furious, ha ha ha..." Chen Nian laughed with satisfaction.
"All right, it's late. Cao Dezhi is dead—I should go report back to the Senate. Our business in Shrek City has only begun. Master Qiangu, happy cooperation."
He'd been dispatched to Shrek City, nominally as Senate liaison, but really to oversee all Federation affairs here.
The two old foxes smiled and shook hands.
"By the way, where does that 'person' live?" Chen Nian asked.
"Right near the square, No. 107 on the most prosperous street..."
Because Gu Yue and Na'er went to school nearby, Su Wen hadn't bothered to hide his address.