Sardias stood in a tense standoff with Dragon Duke Meng Shu and Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang across the air, their Soul Power clashing and stirring violent gusts above the canyon. Below, the chaotic battle between the black-clad figures, the various academies, and the Royal Knights continued unabated, the clamor of combat shaking the heavens. Yet, above the Shrek Academy area, a temporary vacuum of power seemed to form, drawing countless gazes filled with fear, concern, or curiosity.
"Peerless Dragon and Snake..." Sardias, the Golden Eagle, fixed his sharp hawk-like eyes on the Meng Shu couple, his voice icy. "I never expected you two old relics, who could have enjoyed a carefree life, to dare interfere in our affairs!"
"Your affairs?" Meng Shu's dragon staff struck the ground with a dull thud, a cold sneer appearing on his aged face. "Sardias, we are old acquaintances. I never thought that you, once a hero in your own right, would stoop to such despicable acts—hiding in shadows and ambushing juniors! Is being the Spirit Hall's lapdog so rewarding?"
These words were merciless, striking directly at Sardias's sore spot. His expression instantly darkened, murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "Old fool, you seek death!"
Before his words faded, the golden eagle wings behind him gave a fierce flap. His figure once again transformed into a streak of golden light, but this time he did not charge straight ahead. Instead, he flickered through the air like a ghost, leaving behind a series of afterimages that made his true position elusive. Simultaneously, countless sharp golden claw beams rained down like a storm, targeting not only Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang but also sweeping toward the Shrek Academy carriages below!
"Petty tricks!" Meng Shu snorted coldly, his dragon staff whirling into a blur of green shadows that shattered the incoming claw beams one by one. Chao Tianxiang swung her snake staff, releasing a pink poisonous mist that formed a barrier, weakening the claw beams' power. At the same time, the mist subtly eroded Soul Power and disturbed the mind, making Sardias quite wary.
The couple cooperated seamlessly, their offense and defense unified. Although slightly inferior in Soul Power level (Meng Shu had just entered the Soul Douluo rank, while Sardias was a veteran Soul Douluo), their years-honed combined attack technique and the insidious Snake Venom allowed them to hold their ground without falling behind. In fact, they seemed to have a tendency to entangle Sardias. After all, while Sardias possessed sharp speed and attacks, he found Meng Shu's steady defense and Chao Tianxiang's pervasive poisonous harassment quite troublesome, making it difficult to break through in a short time.
However, just as the three were locked in combat and the battle below remained deadlocked—
"Oh? So old friends are here as well. No wonder Sardias is having trouble."
A gentle, even somewhat effeminately amused male voice abruptly rang out in the canyon. The voice was not loud, yet it eerily pierced through the deafening battle cries and energy explosions, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present as if whispered right beside them.
Along with this voice, an indescribable, overwhelmingly rich and intense floral fragrance spread without warning! The scent was cloying, intoxicating—initially refreshing to the senses, but upon closer inhalation, it caused slight dizziness and seemed to hinder the flow of Soul Power within the body! Even more unsettling was that this floral fragrance seemed to permeate everywhere, instantly filling the entire canyon battlefield, even overpowering the scent of blood and dust!
The fierce battle on the battlefield actually came to a momentary standstill because of this sudden strange fragrance and voice! Many people instinctively sniffed, then their expressions changed slightly as they hurriedly held their breath and focused their minds, circulating their Soul Power to resist the peculiar power contained within the floral scent.
The moment Dragon Duke Meng Shu and Snake Lady Chao Tianxiang heard this voice and smelled this fragrance, their expressions drastically changed! Especially Meng Shu—his face, which had always been as steady as a mountain, revealed unconcealable shock and gravity for the first time! He abruptly retracted his dragon staff, shielding Chao Tianxiang in front of him. His aged, turbid eyes fixed tightly on a shadowy corner atop the canyon as he spoke in an extremely dry voice:
"Exquisite Velvet Sky-Piercing Chrysanthemum... It's you?! You actually came too!"
"Hehe, it's been many years, yet your demeanor remains as impressive as ever." Accompanied by a light chuckle, a white figure appeared as silently as a ghost on a protruding rock above the canyon.
The newcomer wore a luxurious white robe adorned with golden patterns. His appearance was handsome yet eerie, with skin paler than snow and silver hair that danced lightly in the wind. He stood with his hands behind his back, a gentle smile playing on his lips, but that smile did not reach his eyes. Instead, it filled his slender phoenix eyes with a chilling coldness and indifference. Most notably, faint golden specks of light drifted around him, emitting an aura that shared the same origin as the strange fragrance permeating the canyon, yet was far more refined and vast.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan!
Upon seeing this person appear, not only did Meng Shu and his wife turn pale with shock, but even Bone Douluo Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi, who were locked in fierce combat below, as well as Marco watching coldly from afar, instantly sharpened their gazes! The true mastermind had finally appeared! And it was actually this notorious Spirit Hall elder, renowned for his ruthlessness and formidable strength!
"My lord!" Upon seeing Yue Guan, Golden Eagle Douluo Sardias immediately withdrew his offensive, respectfully stepping aside with a trace of awe flashing in his eyes. Although he was also a Soul Douluo, he was no match for a Titled Douluo, especially a long-established powerhouse like Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Yue Guan merely gave a slight nod before turning his gaze to Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang, who were on high alert. His tone remained gentle yet carried an undeniable pressure: "Since I have shown myself, you should know what to do. For the sake of our past acquaintance, leave now, and I can pretend I never saw you."
His meaning was crystal clear—either leave, or die!
Meng Shu's face alternated between green and pale, his knuckles turning white from gripping the dragon staff with force. He was deeply aware of Yue Guan's terror—a genuine Titled Douluo whose strength far surpassed that of Sardias! Even if he and his wife joined forces, they might be able to hold their own against Sardias, but before Yue Guan, escaping would likely be impossible! Moreover, the other party represented the colossal entity that was the Spirit Hall!
A terrifying Imposing Aura, heavy as a mountain, mixed with an even more intense strange fragrance, suddenly descended, precisely enveloping Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang! In that instant, the two felt as if the surrounding air had solidified into a tangible substance, making breathing incredibly difficult. The circulation of their Soul Power became unprecedentedly sluggish, and even their Martial Souls seemed to be suppressed! The Imposing Aura of a Titled Douluo was truly terrifying!
Meng Shu grunted, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he staggered half a step back. Chao Tianxiang's face turned deathly pale, and the glow on her serpent staff dimmed noticeably. The Soul Power barrier they had jointly erected trembled precariously under this overwhelming Imposing Aura.
The gap in strength was simply too vast!
A flicker of pain and unwillingness flashed in Meng Shu's eyes. He glanced down at the Shrek group still struggling desperately in their perilous situation—especially Tang San, whose life hung in the balance inside the carriage—then looked at his pale-faced wife beside him. Ultimately, his expression settled into one of deep helplessness and dejection.
"Sir… we will remember today's events!" Meng Shu forced the words through gritted teeth before abruptly pulling Chao Tianxiang back and shouting in a low voice, "Let's go!"
Without another moment's hesitation, a brilliant cyan light erupted around him. His dragon staff tore through the air as he transformed into a streak of cyan light, carrying Chao Tianxiang with him as he shot toward the outskirts of the canyon at extreme speed. After a few flashes, they vanished beyond the horizon—having outright abandoned Shrek Academy and fled far away!
The legendary Dragon Serpent pair had been frightened into retreat by just a few words from Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan!
This scene drew sharp gasps from the countless witnesses below. Especially among the teachers and students from the kingdoms and duchies who had little understanding of the continent's top powerhouses, the shock was overwhelming. That elderly couple who had been able to contend with Golden Eagle Douluo had been scared into such a panicked escape by just a few words and an aura from this suddenly appearing man in white? Who exactly was this man in white? And how terrifying must his strength be?!
"A Titled Douluo… he must be a Titled Douluo!"
"It's over… this time it's truly over…"
Panic spread like a plague among the surviving academy teams. If even legendary experts like the Dragon Serpent pair fled at the mere sight of him, how could they—teachers and students whose highest cultivation barely reached Soul Emperor or Soul Saint—possibly contend with a Titled Douluo?
Yue Guan seemed utterly indifferent to the departure of the Meng Shu couple, as if he had merely brushed away two bothersome flies. He slowly withdrew his terrifying Imposing Aura, and his gaze swept once more over the chaotic battlefield below like a searchlight.
His eyes seemed to linger for an extremely brief moment on the direction of Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One—the area where Lu Zhou stood firm at the forefront, defended by the three major academies of Divine Wind, Blazing Fire, and Heavenly Water, maintaining a stable formation with minimal casualties. There, Marco's figure remained calmly positioned beside the carriage, as if indifferent to both the fierce battle around him and the appearance of the Titled Douluo.
Yue Guan's gaze swept over that black-clad figure, a faint, indescribable glint flashing in his narrow eyes—scrutiny, wariness, and a trace of… complex consideration. He seemed to be weighing something, but in the end, his gaze did not linger long, as if it were merely a casual glance.
Immediately after, his gaze locked onto its prey—cold and unyielding—fixing upon the most chaotic area below, where casualties were heaviest and where Shrek Academy remained under the watchful eyes of nearly a hundred black-clad attackers and Golden Eagle Sardias.
"Tang San…" Yue Guan's lips moved slightly, silently uttering the name. The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by an icy indifference and… a barely perceptible resolve to carry out his orders.
A far heavier and colder invisible pressure, like tangible leaden clouds, slowly yet irresistibly descended upon the area where the Shrek Academy members stood!
Flender, Zhao Wuji, Liu Erlong, as well as the barely holding-on Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and the others, instantly felt as if crushed by a towering mountain. Their breathing halted, their Soul Power circulation nearly froze, and even moving a finger became excruciatingly difficult! The faint hope that had risen with the appearance of Dragon Duke and Snake Lady was instantly swallowed by this boundless despair!
The killing intent of a Titled Douluo had already locked onto them!