Zhu Ziyang stepped out of the wooden house to find Tang Ya, Xue Weiwei, and Jing Ziyan angrily talking to Jiang Nannan. On the other side, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, He Caitou, and Ji Juechen sat in a row, looking dejected. Only Wang Dong'er stood alone, leaning against a tree, visibly grief-stricken and lost in thought.
When they saw Zhu Ziyang come out, everyone gathered around him, concern written on their faces. Wang Dong'er in particular was the most anxious. She asked, "Senior Brother, how's Xiao Xiao? Is she really beyond saving?"
"Hard to say." Zhu Ziyang looked deeply at her. He wasn't sure what role Wang Dong'er had played in this incident, so he answered vaguely.
Her expression collapsed into despair at his reply. The others also showed sadness and a hint of unease. Tang Ya gave Wang Dong'er a look, then said, "Everyone, let's disperse for now. We've all been on edge these past few days. We need rest. As for Xiao Xiao, we'll leave her to Yuhao."
"Right!" Beibei quickly added, "Let's all get some sleep. Maybe when we wake up, we'll have good news."
The Tang Sect members didn't understand what Beibei and Tang Ya were planning, but they were truly exhausted. These past couple of days had felt like a lifetime. They needed time to recover. Xu Sanshi and Xue Weiwei, Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan, and He Caitou all left one after another. Only Wang Dong'er stood motionless, staring at the wooden house.
Seeing this, Tang Ya walked over and took her hand. "Dong'er, go rest."
"Sister Ya, I really didn't mean to! Wuwuwu…" Wang Dong'er suddenly broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she spoke.
"I know, we all know!" Tang Ya pulled her into a hug. "It's not your fault… not your fault!"
"Ziyang, let's talk over there," Beibei said, leading him to the other side of the wooden house where they could speak freely.
"Tell me everything that happened," Zhu Ziyang asked.
Beibei took a moment before beginning, "It went like this…"
The Tang Sect team, under Xuanzi's protection, had no trouble leaving Mingdu. They planned to return to Shrek City the same way they came. However, while passing through the Sun Moon Mountain Range, they ran into trouble.
They were ambushed by a mysterious figure clad entirely in black robes. This individual was terrifyingly strong—Xuanzi was seriously injured in just two punches. He had to retreat while protecting everyone. The black-robed assailant didn't pursue too closely but drove them purposefully toward the Sun Moon Mountain Range.
Eventually, they were forced into a mysterious secret realm called Yin Yang Love Querying Valley.
That was where tragedy struck. The valley was said to be the place where the Goddess of Love had fallen, now transformed by her power into a sacred site to judge the hearts of lovers and the loveless alike.
Once inside, the Tang Sect team inevitably triggered the Goddess's trial. There were three trials: the first called True Heart, the second Risk, and the third… unknown, as they only made it through two.
The disaster occurred during the second trial. Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong'er were tested together. The Goddess of Love threatened Huo Yuhao's life, forcing Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er into a high-stakes challenge.
No one knows exactly what happened. But when it ended, Wang Dong'er returned alone, carrying Xiao Xiao's lifeless body, her face full of despair.
Seeing Xiao Xiao's condition, Huo Yuhao lost his mind. He snatched her body from Wang Dong'er and tried everything to save her, but it was useless.
At that moment, the valley itself began to tremble violently, bathed in pink light. A vague voice echoed: "…San, you are unworthy to judge love!"
Then they were expelled from the valley, reuniting with Xuanzi, who had never entered. Without further interference from the black-robed figure, they rushed back to Shrek Academy.
As for the trial itself, Wang Dong'er said she and Xiao Xiao were transported to a mountain peak, where the Goddess demanded they sacrifice their lives to save Huo Yuhao—and bless the other girl to spend a lifetime with him.
Both of them chose to end their lives without hesitation. Yet only Xiao Xiao died. Wang Dong'er survived. Perhaps the Goddess didn't believe Wang Dong'er's love for Huo Yuhao was genuine.
Whether her account was true or not, one thing was clear to all: Xiao Xiao's death was deeply connected to Wang Dong'er. No matter how much they wanted to trust her, none of them could entirely dismiss their doubts.
"I see." Zhu Ziyang nodded after hearing Beibei's account. But there was a strange look in his eyes. He was almost certain that this so-called Yin Yang Love Querying Valley was orchestrated by the Sea God, Tang San. The only question was—why use such a flawed plan to manipulate Huo Yuhao?
It was clear the Sea God wanted to pair Wang Dong'er with Huo Yuhao. But why isolate the two girls, and why capture Xiao Xiao's soul afterward? Was he deliberately setting Wang Dong'er up to fail? Or was there another move yet to be played?
It wasn't impossible. Considering they were ejected after only two trials, Zhu Ziyang was convinced the Sea God's scheme hadn't fully played out. Otherwise, it wouldn't have ended prematurely.
Which led to another theory: perhaps Yin Yang Love Querying Valley really did belong to the Goddess of Love, and Tang San had simply usurped it. His manipulation of love trials may have triggered a backlash from the Goddess's lingering divine power—thus foiling his plan.
Zhu Ziyang quickly pieced together the sequence of events. He was 90% sure of his theory. Why not 100%? Because one last detail was still missing: the identity of the black-robed man. He'd need to question Xuanzi further to confirm it.
After all, the Sea God's wife had two brothers. The Sky Azure Bull Python had already been killed and turned into a soul ring during the ambush. That left the Titan Giant Ape—it was unlikely he would just sit idly by.
"Ziyang, be honest with me… is Xiao Xiao really beyond saving?" Beibei asked gravely.
"Well," Zhu Ziyang glanced away, "That depends on whether Yuhao is lucky enough."
"What do you mean?" Beibei was stunned.
Zhu Ziyang smiled but said nothing. The truth was, reviving Xiao Xiao wasn't impossible. If Huo Yuhao could become a god, then whether her soul was shattered or captured by the Sea God, it wouldn't matter.
If the Sea God had taken her soul, things were actually simple. Once Huo Yuhao ascended to the Divine Realm and exposed the truth to the Divine Realm Committee, all the gods would know what happened. A god interfering with the mortal realm—especially capturing a mortal's soul—would be a massive scandal. The Committee, for the sake of its reputation, would force the Sea God to release her.
What? The Sea God is on the Committee himself? Precisely! That's why the other four members would be even more inclined to act. They might ignore shady acts done in secret, but once the matter becomes public, it's no longer just the Sea God's problem—it affects the entire Divine Realm's credibility. They'd have to act.
If her soul was instead shattered, that would be more troublesome. Huo Yuhao would have to painstakingly gather every fragment scattered across the human world, reconstruct her soul, and only then could she be revived.
Of the two scenarios, the first was clearly the easier.
Zhu Ziyang patted Beibei on the shoulder, then turned and left with Jiang Nannan. Xiao Xiao's case was sad, yes—but to Zhu Ziyang, it was at most a pity. His time and energy were valuable. He couldn't afford to dwell on it.
What mattered most now was convening a Tianyuan Pavilion meeting to prepare for the major events looming over the continent—and decide Shrek Academy's next move.
(End of Chapter)
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