Neuvillette's eyes remained calm as he gazed at the laughing Zhongli Wu amidst the crowd, before turning toward the young girl.
At that moment, the girl's face was filled with panic. What had just happened had shaken her to her core, leaving her frightened and at a loss.
"Yutong… you…"
Wang Dong's eyes widened, staring at her in disbelief.
The scene just now had all but pointed to the mastermind — none other than the person closest to him since entering Shrek Academy, the one he regarded as his best friend, Huo Yutong.
Though the truth seemed absurd, he could not deny the evidence before him.
Huo Yutong appeared to be the Holy Spirit Cult's hidden agent. The catastrophe caused by that ten-thousand-year soul beast within Shrek had all been her doing.
Xiao Xiao parted her red lips slightly, her beautiful eyes flickering with conflicted emotions as she looked at Yutong.
Only the night before, this same girl had gifted her with a strand of dragon whisker tea, something unimaginably precious, given freely without hesitation.
Yet the innocent, kind-hearted girl she had known now stood in stark contrast with the supposed traitor responsible for countless deaths.
"No—I'm not—!"
At last, Huo Yutong found her voice, her face turning pale as she tried to explain.
But her words were immediately drowned out by another Shrek student, clad in the same academy uniform, his eyes filled with hatred.
"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?!"
His rage was personal—during the White Ape's rampage, his girlfriend had been less fortunate than he. Before his eyes, she had been reduced to nothing but a cloud of blood.
Nobody remained.
"We are irreconcilable with the evil soul masters!"
"Kill her! Kill her!"
"No—death is far too lenient! For all the lives lost, for every drop of blood shed, she must suffer and despair before she dies!"
The crowd erupted in fury.
Those who had lost loved ones or barely escaped death themselves now focused their wrath on the girl branded as the "true culprit."
Zhongli Wu's lips curled upward in a victor's smile.
This had been his plan all along.
Redirect the blame, make the girl the scapegoat of the Holy Spirit Cult's machinations.
The grief-stricken, the survivors who had just witnessed death firsthand—whether she was innocent or not, it mattered little. They needed an outlet for their pain, their anger.
This was human nature.
Zhongli Wu turned his head, casting his gaze toward the magnificent, resplendent academy not far away.
A great and righteous name.
Yet beneath its gilded walls, how much darkness lay concealed?
"Join us," he murmured.
"In truth, what so-called 'evil soul masters' even exist in this world…?"
Neuvillette's expression remained composed.
Troublesome, yes, but still within expectations.
Zhongli Wu's plan was tight, flawless even, yet he had overlooked one thing—within the girl resided a presence "who held sun and moon, and plucked stars from the sky."
Compared to Electrolux, Zhongli Wu's methods were nothing but trifles.
The only concern was whether this man would, in desperation, attempt to seize the girl outright.
Right hand on his staff, left hand clasped behind his back, Neuvillette quietly stirred his soul power.
Facing a powerhouse of this level… this would be his first true confrontation.
And truthfully, he felt anticipation.
Meanwhile, from within the girl's body, a suffocating aura of darkness surged forth like an erupting spring—blood, coldness, shadow, death—all entwining around her.
It was as if the words "evil soul master" had been carved into her very skin.
If Shrek Academy failed to act, if they chose to protect her, then its reputation would inevitably be shaken.
This, too, was part of Zhongli Wu's scheme. His eyes remained fixed on Neuvillette, silently waiting for his judgment.
The girl shrank back under the weight of countless hateful, furious glares, shaking her head in terror.
She wasn't an evil soul master—so why was this happening?
"Don't panic, Yutong. This is someone's trap," came Tianmeng Iceworm's steady voice within her mind.
"Tianmeng, I…"
Her eyes widened as though a drowning soul had glimpsed salvation.
"You little thing—when it came to snatching benefits, you were the first to leap in. But the moment trouble arrives, you want to play dead?"
Tianmeng Iceworm shot a cold glance at the nearby gray sphere of light, snorting in irritation.
"Heh. Trifling ants aren't worth my attention."
Suddenly, the gray light quivered violently, and a deep, ancient voice resonated from within.
"Still, I owe this child a debt. To remain idle now would be unbecoming. Very well… allow me to show this junior what true darkness is."
In the next instant—
Just as the mob surged forward with righteous fury to tear the girl apart—
A pure, resplendent radiance burst from within her body.
The extremity of Light itself.
It was so sacred, so brilliant, that everyone present instinctively felt reverence and kinship.
Like a towering pillar, it pierced the heavens, churning the clouds as its overwhelming force spread across the skies.
"This aura… Ultimate Light."
Mu En opened his eyes, staring in astonishment at the radiant beam soaring into the sky, more dazzling than anything he had seen before.
Even his Light Dragon seemed dim in comparison.
"A student… of Shrek Academy?"
"Elder Mu."
A figure appeared beside him, face solemn.
"Neuvillette has informed me: an evil soul master appeared, orchestrating a disaster outside the academy, their target Huo Yutong. Reportedly, she possesses a hidden martial soul—one of duality, Light and Darkness."
Yan Shaozhe's eyes gleamed with fervor as he gazed upon the celestial beam.
"And this… this must be her Light side."
What neither of them knew, however, was that Neuvillette had concealed much, simplifying matters into mere notions of 'Light' and 'Dark.'
For in truth, Electrolux was once the Child of Light, wielding the three paths of Light, Darkness, and Necromancy.
Compared to him, Zhongli Wu's schemes were nothing but shallow tricks.
"Such a prodigy still exists…"
Mu En's ancient eyes narrowed slightly. With a wave of his hand, he issued his order.
"Inform Xuanzi. Have him go at once. Protect this child at all costs."
"Yes!"
As Yan Shaozhe's figure departed swiftly—
Mu En looked up toward the heavens, his voice low.
"Heaven bless Shrek…"
Once-bustling, the great commercial street now lay in ruins.
The crowd stared in stunned silence at the girl, her body radiating the essence of pure Light.
Many began to whisper:
Could this be the legendary, exceedingly rare Angel Martial Soul?
Yet doubt gnawed at them.
Good and evil cannot coexist—this was common sense.
And yet, just moments before, the girl had exuded nothing but the aura of an evil soul master. Now, she shone with Light so pure it defied belief.
How could this be?
(End of Chapter)