"Well done."
Suddenly, the air froze. The white ape's deafening roars were cut short.
A cool droplet fell upon the tip of its nose.
Then another landed upon its face, its neck, its fur.
Dai Yueheng opened his eyes in dazed confusion.
A drizzle was falling.
High above, where only moments ago the skies had been bright and clear, black clouds now gathered. Within them, it was as if a colossal water dragon coiled and twisted among the mists.
Storm winds condensed in the heavens, rumbling like a symphony to accompany the rainfall—a low, wrathful murmur from the sky itself.
And there, draped in deep blue, a figure stood elegantly in midair.
A storm swirled around him, vast yet graceful, like the suspended Sword of Damocles—majestic and heavy with judgment, looming silently over all below.
As for the white ape, its pupils dilated in terror. Its massive body was trapped inside a gigantic suspended water droplet. Its limbs thrashed wildly, yet it was as powerless as a machine stripped of its core, its rage impotent.
Neuvillette stood straight and tall, his expression solemn.
With a light tap of his staff, ripples of pale blue spread outward, instantly covering the entire street.
"My injuries… they're gone!"
"My soul power—it's completely restored! Damn, even my hidden internal injuries are healed!!"
"Is that Senior Neuvillette?"
"Heavens, he's incredible! I've only heard stories about his legend; I never imagined seeing him in person."
The Inner Court students, upon seeing the blue figure above, finally released their pent-up breaths.
Neuvillette's name was enough—it symbolized terrifying power that none could rival.
With such a being present, what was there left to fear?
Dai Yueheng collapsed to the ground. Though his wounds were already mended by Neuvillette's rain, his spirit was utterly exhausted.
The pressure of bearing such responsibility, despite being little more than a slacker, weighed heavily on him. Yet somehow, he had endured.
What he did not know, however, was that Neuvillette had been watching from the shadows for some time, quietly waiting for the three peak-level evil Soul Masters to make their move.
But until now, Zhongli Wu had yet to act.
Expression calm but gaze unwavering, Neuvillette locked his attention on the three black-robed figures in the crowd. They stood out sharply, like blots of ink against water.
"What exactly are you scheming…"
He lowered his eyes briefly, then faced the gathered students, who looked up at him in awe and relief. His demeanor remained cool, detached.
The tip of his staff touched lightly once more.
The colossal ape within the water sphere suddenly grew frantic, its eyes wide with terror. It struggled desperately, but could not break free.
In the next instant, the sphere contracted.
An explosion of blood mist filled its confines—bones, viscera, everything was crushed into pulp beneath the terrifying pressure of water, before dissolving into a gentle drizzle that rained upon the earth.
The Inner Court students stared in reverence.
That ten-thousand-year evil soul beast, which even their combined might had barely restrained, was annihilated effortlessly by the man in blue above them.
As casually as one might crush an ant.
"How was that?"
Zhang Lexuan appeared at Neuvillette's side, now clad once again in her Shrek Academy uniform, her dignified beauty shining through.
Though she longed to personally tear apart the beast that had interrupted her, this was not the time for venting frustration.
The true concern was the evil Soul Masters.
Neuvillette lowered his gaze, his eyes locking across the distance with the leader hidden beneath a black cloak. His staff rested before him, his expression calm as still water.
"How intriguing…"
From beneath the robe, Zhongli Wu's lips curled into a smile.
It had been ages since he'd encountered such a formidable youth.
He—a ninety-eighth rank evil Soul Master—actually sensed danger from this young man.
How laughable.
Even someone of Xuan Zi's caliber rarely inspired such a feeling. But this boy…
Interesting. Truly interesting.
Zhongli Wu tilted his head back, his robe fluttering with the breeze, lips parting in amusement.
Slowly, his right hand extended outward.
In that instant—
Among the crowd, Huo Yuhao suddenly stiffened. A vast tide of evil soul power surged into his spiritual sea, as though guiding and awakening something within.
"What in the hell is this?!"
The Skydream Iceworm was the first to awaken, staring in shock at the black aura invading Yuhao's consciousness.
But before he could react, the dark energy erupted from Yuhao's body, soaring skyward.
As all eyes turned toward the boy in confusion—
From the spot where the ape had perished, its rancid, bloody aura stirred once more. The beast's lingering soul floated upward, coalescing.
And before anyone could move, it shot straight toward Yuhao.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's faces paled. They summoned their spirits immediately, moving to shield Yuhao, their stance rigid and defensive.
But then—an eerie scene unfolded.
The ape's soul did not attack.
Instead, its massive spirit body dropped to one knee before Yuhao, expression filled with guilt. Then, before the boy could even process it, the spirit transformed into a stream of black energy and plunged into his spiritual sea.
The world went silent.
Only Zhongli Wu's laughter rose above the rain, swelling louder and louder.
(End of Chapter)