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1“I’m the Hallmaster of the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall, Xuan Ziwen,” the middle-aged man said plainly.
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3“Xuan Ziwen?” When he heard the name, Shi Xing was shocked. “You made the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons?”
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5Xuan Ziwen shook his head and said, “No, I didn’t invent the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons, and I was not involved in their manufacture. However, I’m in charge of the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall. For the next fight, leave it to us.”
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7“We can hold them off for maybe two hours. This will give the troops more time to rest.”
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9Shi Xing finally listened to what he was saying. He replied doubtfully, “Are you saying that the Tang Sect will take over the entire defense of Shrek City?”
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11Xuan Ziwen’s mouth twitched as he replied, “Of course not! We don’t have enough men. I’m saying that we’ll take care of the southern city wall. We can definitely manage for two hours.”
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13As the City Defense Officer, Shi Xing had to be careful. “Are you serious? This is no joke. The soul beast army is huge. How many people does the Tang Sect have?”
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15Xuan Ziwen replied plainly, “The Soul Tool Hall of the Tang Sect has sixty-one members in total. Coupled with the three hundred people coming over from the Academy’s Soul Tool Department, we will have three hundred and sixty-one people. Leave it to us. If the city falls, we’ll die together. I won’t boast in front of you.”
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17While Xuan Ziwen only had eight rings, he showed no fear when talking to a nine-ringed Titled Douluo. He had been influential even in the Sun Moon Empire, much less now in Shrek City. His pride came from his abilities.
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19“Okay, let’s leave it to Teacher Xuan.” At this moment, another voice sounded. The Valkyrie Douluo, Xian Lin’er, walked over as she agreed to Xuan Ziwen’s suggestion.
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21As the Dean of Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department, no one knew how powerful Xuan Ziwen was more than Xian Lin’er. She was a Class 8 soul engineer too, but she could not even hold a candle to Xuan Ziwen’s brilliance. One could say that ever since Xuan Ziwen had joined the Tang Sect, both the Tang Sect’s research into soul tools and Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department had improved by leaps and bounds! Xuan Ziwen had brought countless brand-new theories with him, and also helped the Soul Tool Department establish an effective pedagogy. It could be said that he had saved the Soul Tool Department a hundred years of research and development.
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23Even the Valkyrie Douluo, a Transcendent Douluo, had to call Xuan Ziwen “Teacher”. While Xuan Ziwen did not want to admit it, he was already the Vice-Dean of Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department, and also the Executive Vice-Dean. After a period of familiarization, the Soul Tool Department had approved every single one of Xuan Ziwen’s proposals. Anyone who dared to block his proposals would face the wrath of the two Deans, Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo!
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25With Xian Lin’er’s words, Shi Xing felt more at ease. He nodded and said seriously, “It’s up to you, then.”
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27Xuan Ziwen nodded and turned to leave without saying anything else.
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29As Xuan Ziwen walked away, Shi Xing could not help but ask Xian Lin’er, “Dean Xian, is he capable?”
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31Xian Lin’er smiled and said, “How did you resist the soul beast army just now? Was it through the soul skills of your soul masters? No, it was through soul tools. While many of the soul tools were made by the Academy, most of them were also made by the blood and sweat of the Tang Sect. The few soul tools we used just now could be operated simply by soul masters. Soon, I want to show you the true power of the Soul Tool Department.
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33“In a one-on-one fight, a soul engineer will have a disadvantage against a soul master. However, on the battlefield, we soul engineers rule. Why do you think the Sun Moon Empire is so powerful? Their strength comes entirely from their absolute advantage in terms of soul tools.”
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39Chapter 398.1: The Terrifying Red Ray of Light
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42Shi Xing nodded. He was someone who’d graduated from the Martial Soul Department, and thus knew quite a bit about the rivalry between the two departments. During recent years, the Soul Tool Department had grown at an increasing rate, and had signs of surpassing the Martial Soul Department. On the other hand, the Martial Soul Department was slowing down somewhat. Even Dean Yan Shaoze, who had strong views against the use of soul tools, seemed to have relented slightly, transferring a large amount of the Academy’s resources to the Soul Tool Department.
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44At this moment, a low roar suddenly rang out in the distance. Right after that, countless beasts cried out in response.
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46Over two hours had passed since the light of dawn. Was the Great Star Dou Forest’s beast tide going to attack again?
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48The soul masters who were originally meditating opened their eyes with deathly pale expressions. Although they had resolute gazes, their eyes had a tinge of despair in them.
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50Shi Xing looked towards Xian Lin’er, who nodded back at him.
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52The fact that Shi Xing was chosen as the highest city defense officer was not only a testament to how calm he was, but also how decisive he was. The moment he made a decision, he immediately handed down his orders.
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54“All soul masters in the City Defense Army, head down to your bunkers and continue resting. All auxiliary troops, retreat fifty meters and rest on the city walls. Wait for further commands.”
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56The soldiers in the City Defense Army couldn’t help but look at each other after hearing Shi Xing’s command. They were at a loss for a brief period of time. The great beast tide was about to descend on them, but their commander was actually ordering them to rest. Just what sense did that make? Were they not able to hold the soul beasts back?
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58“I’ve already given my orders! Do you not understand?!” Shi Xing shouted angrily.
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60The job of a soldier was to listen to one’s superior. Although the City Defense Army didn’t quite understand the purpose behind their commander’s orders, the strict training they’d undergone every day made them move immediately. They quickly withdrew to the bunkers below the city walls. The auxiliary troops retreated as well, and quickly, the lack of soldiers on the city walls created a large gap.
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62Shi Xing, however, did not retreat. He was the City Defense Officer, and regardless of how much he trusted Xian Lin’er, he had to remain to ensure that the Tang Sect truly did have the capabilities to hold back the next assault. If anything were to go wrong, he could command his subordinates to provide aid as quickly as possible.
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64The army of soul beasts from the Great Star Dou Forest made their move. A large number of soul beasts started charging wildly, causing clouds of dust to rise in the distance. Amid the wild roars coming from that direction, a large number of soul beasts rushed towards Shrek City.
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66When Shi Xing was finally able to see the large charging army clearly, his expression changed instantly.
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68This time around, the Emerald Swan Bi Ji wasn’t the one leading the great army of soul beasts; another soul beast was tasked with that. This soul beast was an existence that resembled an enormous lion floating in the sky, but it had three large heads, and glowed with a scarlet-red light. It was this soul beast that had let out that roar earlier.
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70Of the Ten Great Savage Beasts, this was the eighth-ranked soul beast: the Three-Headed Scarletdevil Mastiff, the Scarlet King!
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72Bi Ji also had to rest. This was especially the case after she went all-out assisting the entire soul beast army, which had taxed her soul power greatly. After an entire day and night of fighting, the commander of the army of soul beasts had been swapped to the Scarlet King.
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74Shi Xing should’ve been slightly more relaxed due to the disappearance of Bi Ji, but the reason why his expression had changed earlier wasn’t because of the new commander of the soul beast army. Instead, it was because of the appearance of a dark cloud in the sky above the army; an army of flying-type soul beasts had revealed itself on the battlefield.
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76There were quite a few soul beasts who could fly. However, there were relatively few flying-type soul beasts in the Great Star Forest. This was because of the high chance of these soul beasts being shot down by ranged attacks if they flew above the forest. Because of that, flying-type soul beasts that didn’t live near the very edge of the forest, or were very powerful, would find it extremely difficult to live in the Great Star Dou Forest.
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78There weren’t that many flying-type soul beasts before them now, only a thousand or so. However, even a thousand soul beasts could form a black cloud in the air. There were various kinds of flying-type soul beasts within the cloud, and they flickered with different colors. There was no vanguard who led their charge. Instead, they all flew steadily forward together.
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80An attack consisting of both aerial and ground attacks would clearly be much more difficult to handle. The reason why the Great Star Dou Forest hadn’t used flying-type soul beasts before was because they were extremely precious. At this moment however, they’d mobilized their aerial troops to increase the intensity of their attack, for the sake of defeating Shrek City in one shot. Although this aerial army wasn’t the strongest they could muster, their ability to harass Shrek City would definitely affect their defensive capabilities greatly.
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82Without the Golden Tree protecting the city, the soul tool barriers surrounding Shrek City could only block a frontal attack, they weren’t able to guard against aerial attacks. The harassment the aerial army of soul beasts could thus bring could be imagined.
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84The soul beast flying in front of the aerial army was the one who had previously fought against Elder Song, the Six-Winged Deviltiger.
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86An aerial army led by a hundred-thousand-year soul beast couldn’t be underestimated. Moreover, the strength of the beast tide on the ground had at least doubled in strength. With Shi Xing’s eyesight, he was naturally able to tell that there were no longer any soul beasts that were weaker than a hundred years in the beast tide. The number of thousand and ten-thousand-year soul beasts had increased as well. The strong undulations of soul power coming from them made it seem as though Mount Tai was pressing down on them.
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88How are we going to fight this? Shi Xing was deep in thought. If he were the one commanding the Shrek City Defense Army, the only way he could deal with this would be to use a large number of stationary soul cannons to launch a simultaneous attack on both the aerial and ground-based armies. Only by launching an all-out attack that risked their lives would they have a chance of stopping this wave.
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90However, what would they do about the next wave if they did this? What could they do?
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92“Dean Xian, I’ll ask the soldiers to come back. Could you go and ask the elders to assist us? Otherwise, we won’t be able to defend against both the aerial and ground armies.”
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94Xian Lin’er glanced at Shi Xing and said, “Don’t just do things on your own. Trust the Tang Sect.”
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96“But…” Shi Xing was feeling somewhat anxious. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Tang Sect, but the beast tide in front of him and the previous two were completely different!
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98Just as he wanted to continue speaking, a series of sudden clangs caught his ear. Right after that, a number of huge creatures quickly rose from the area behind the walls, then quickly proceeded to the top of the city wall.
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100What is this? Shi Xing nearly choked on his words as he stared blankly at these monsters that were completely made of metal.
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102Right, these things could only be described as monsters. If one had to find a living creature resembling these things, only a porcupine would fit the bill. Only, did a porcupine have this large a head? Was there a porcupine that had a diameter of over two meters? Was it a hundred-thousand-year-one?
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104These enormous porcupines had eight metallic legs underneath their bellies. After they scaled the city walls, they rapidly moved forward.
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106Other than the metallic legs underneath their round bodies, there were various metal spikes protruding from them. There were conical-shaped ones, tube-shaped ones, and other spikes of various shapes. Every single porcupine had at least sixty of these protrusions. Amidst the sounds of clanging metal, they travelled forward quickly.
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108After a few breaths of time, around sixty of these metallic porcupines had scaled the city walls. Moreover, they quickly arranged themselves in a tidy manner.
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110Right after that, several hundred soldiers who were fully covered in metal began to quickly line up. There were a few of them who looked very young, but they were all able to move very quickly. Roughly five of them followed each single metallic porcupine as they lined up quickly.
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112Within a mere ten minutes, a total of sixty-one metallic porcupines were lined up in an orderly manner on top of the city walls, replacing the Shrek City Defense Army.
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114“Dean Xian, what are these?” Shi Xing couldn’t help but ask. He was extremely curious.
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116“These are All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts, ATSDF’s. I’m a bit ashamed to say this, but they were invented by the Sun Moon Empire. Teacher Xuan brought them over to Shrek, then remodelled them for us. He reduced their flexibility and removed various abilities, but was able to increase their offensive capabilities. Just watch.”
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118The things climbing up the city walls were All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts!
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120Unlike the original iteration of the All-Terrain Self-Driving Fort, the remodelled ones were slightly smaller. Furthermore, the materials used to construct them had been changed slightly. Instead of using rare metals, it used iron essence as its main material. Rare metals were simply too expensive. In Xuan Ziwen’s own words, using rare metals would be a waste of resources.
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122Using iron essence to construct an All-Terrain Self-Driving Fort resulted in its defenses being equivalent to that of a Class 3 or 4 soul barrier. This was already enough for Xuan Ziwen. Unlike the outer casing of the fort, which he decided to skimp on, Xuan Ziwen demanded perfection in its formation arrays. Every single internal component and formation array of the All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts had been created by students of Shrek Academy and disciples of the Tang Sect, who had all been taught by him. They would only be mounted in the Forts after he had personally checked them.
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124The outer casing of these sixty-one All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts were all created using Shrek Academy’s resources. They were originally meant to provide immediate assistance in any battles that Shrek Academy would fight in the future. However, nobody thought that they would first be used to defend the city!
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126Naturally, credit had to be given to Huo Yuhao, who had brought back a large amount of rare metals from the Sun Moon Empire. This was why they were able to create so many All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts in such a short period of time. Their outer shells were finished much earlier.
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128However, Shrek Academy was only able to perfect their weapons and formation arrays after obtaining those rare metals. After just over a month, they were able to assemble the first batch of Forts.
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130The Tang Sect hadn’t decided whether they would put them on the market yet. Shrek Academy had only ordered a hundred of them. Right now, they’d only completed sixty-one of the hundred, and thus hadn’t finished their order yet.
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132Every single All-Terrain Self-Driving Fort could fit three people in it, or even four if they were squeezed together. A hundred, in turn, could fit four hundred people. From the Academy’s point of view, these forts were quite good at both attacking and defending. Along with the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons, the All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts were projects that the Academy strongly supported.
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134At this moment, even Xian Lin’er wanted to see how powerful these Forts were. From her point of view, this was another way of fighting with larger soul Forts!
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140Chapter 398.2: The Terrifying Red Ray of Light
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143Xuan Ziwen’s cold voice rang out from one of the All-Terrain Forts, “All units, pay attention! All units, pay attention! Charge your main cannons! Target the enemy’s air force! Charging, start!”
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145After hearing Xuan Ziwen’s words, all of the All-Terrain Forts started moving. The disciples of the Tang Sect were controlling them, and they had been with Xuan Ziwen for a very long time. They didn’t just respect their Teacher Xuan, they were also very familiar with his temper! If anyone were to mess up any orders this teacher gave, they wouldn’t be let off with a simple scolding, they would be punished corporally, as well!
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147Because of that, their movements were extremely tidy. All of the All-Terrain Forts planted themselves on the ground, then lowered their metallic legs, causing them to remain just centimeters off of the ground. After that, their ball-shaped bodies leaned thirty degrees forward, before revealing enormous ring-shaped cannons that were around two feet long.
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149These cannons were somewhat strange. They didn’t protrude too much, and unlike the ’thorns’ on their main bodies, they were much, much smaller, only around a handspan long. However, the tips of the cannons started to look very unique as they started charging.
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151Rays of light started to form a pattern within the cannons. Quickly, hexagons made of light were assembled inside the cannons, and a dark red light started to surge within. Ripples immediately started to appear in the air surrounding the All-Terrain Forts. From this, it could be seen how terrifyingly hot the cannons were.
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153If Shi Xing were able to see the inner construction of the forts, he would’ve had a way different impression of how terrifyingly strong its main cannon was. A semicircle protruded from the roof of the All-Terrain Forts’s inner structure. This semicircle was around a foot long, and it practically covered the entirety of the All-Terrain Forts’s roof.
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155This cannon was a Class 6 soul tool! Moreover, it was a special one that Xuan Ziwen had personally modified!
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159The aerial soul beast army was also able to see these strange-looking creatures above Shrek City. The Six-Winged Deviltiger who stood at the very front of the army couldn’t help but feel somewhat weirded out. Just what are those metallic porcupines? Why are they lighting up? Could they be another human-made weapon?
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161However, it didn’t feel any sense of crisis. Out of all of the soul beasts present, it was the first hundred-thousand-year existence participating in this battle. As such, it naturally felt very confident in its abilities. A weapon made by humans could still be usable on ordinary soul beasts, but it was still far too weak to take on an existence such as itself. With it leading the charge, there wouldn’t be in too much danger unless a human Titled Douluo made a move.
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163And what if a Titled Douluo did make a move? There were a thousand of its little brothers next to it, all of which specialized in long-range attacks. If a human dared to soar into the air, he or she would have to taste the feeling of being shot at by all of them!
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165Human soul masters would never be able to beat soul beasts in sheer quantity. This was even truer when taking aerial troops into account. Shrek Academy was considered the area with the highest density of soul masters in the world. However, there were only around a hundred or so soul masters who were Soul Sages or stronger. Naturally, four-ringed soul masters and above could fly using the assistance of flying-type soul tools, but Shrek City had to face the entirety of the soul beast army! Who could spare enough strength to deal with the aerial soul beasts in front of them?!
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167The Six-Winged Deviltiger had a very simple order: distract the humans and attack them alongside the ground-based soul beasts!
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171Shi Xing’s gaze was fixed towards the outside of the city. The great soul beast army was getting increasingly closer, and they were now only five kilometers away from Shrek City. Once they got within a kilometer of the city, ten-thousand-year and hundred-thousand-year soul beasts would be able to reach the city using their long-range attacks. On the other hand, all of Shrek City’s soul masters had been sent away, and even soul barriers couldn’t be used! How would they defend against the soul beasts? Furthermore, the enemy’s aerial forces were getting closer and closer!…
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173If they didn’t ask for help now, there was a chance that they wouldn’t be able to in a bit!
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175“Dean Xian!” Shi Xing couldn’t help but cry out again.
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177Xian Lin’er acted as though nothing had happened as she said casually, “Don’t be impatient. Just watch. Even if something happens, aren’t we here?”
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179“Main cannon charging complete…”
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181“Main cannon charging complete!”
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183A somewhat young voice rang out, and quickly, sixty other voices followed, announcing the completion of their main cannons charging.
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185If anyone were to look in the direction of an All-Terrain Fort, they would discover that it had turned into a sea of red. However, one could faintly see a light gold hexagram in the middle of the sea of red.
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187Shi Xing could tell from the side that Xian Lin’er wasn’t worried at all. In any case, there was no use in him panicking alone!
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191Four kilometers. Three kilometers. The soul beast army’s long-range assault was about to start…
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193The larger and more powerful soul beasts within the tide had already begun to store up energy. Once they entered their effective attack range, a large number of long-range attacks would pour down on Shrek City.
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195Just at this moment, Xuan Ziwen’s indifferent voice rang out via his sound-amplifying soul tool, “Main cannons, fire together at my command. All together… fire!”
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197It seemed as though nothing in the world other than topics related to soul tools could pique Xuan Ziwen’s interest. He used an extreme disinterested voice as he announced the start of their attack.
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199A thin beam of red light that was completely unsynchronized from the main cannons surged into the sky. This beam looked way too weak, and it was only as thick as a thumb. If one didn’t carefully look out for it, they would not be able to notice its existence on this humongous battlefield.
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201This beam was launched from the enormous cannon that had created the golden hexagram. It didn’t travel for long; instead, it stopped in mid air. However, it was only about fifty meters away from the All-Terrain Fort that Xuan Ziwen controlled.
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203Immediately after the red light reached the peak of its path, a ball of light appeared in its place. This ball wasn’t too big, only around the size of a human head. Neither the humans nor soul beasts thought much of it. What could a red beam of light do?
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205However, sixty other thin beams of light shot out from every single All-Terrain Fort in the next instant, seemingly all at the same time. All of them seemed to be directed at the small red ball.
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207This ball quickly expanded, and within the blink of an eye, it was a meter wide…
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209Two kilometers. The great army of soul beasts was only two kilometers away from Shrek City’s walls. The distance at which they could launch their long-range attacks was getting closer and closer, and the aerial army led by the Six-Winged Deviltiger was approaching them at the same rate. For the sake of avoiding unnecessary losses, they in fact moved slower than the ground-based soul beasts. Once the fighting below started, they would start their harassment via aerial attacks.
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211Without any prior warning nor any loud noise, a red beam of light a meter thick shot out from the ball of light. Its target wasn’t the ground, but the air.
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213The red beam of light was rather obvious on the battlefield. Though it didn’t look powerful or dominating, the fact that it spanned the entire sky made it look breathtaking.
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215The soul beasts didn’t know how far human-made soul tools could reach, and neither did the soul masters in Shrek City.
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217Ordinarily, soul rays that could reach a distance of two hundred meters were considered rather good. Ordinary soul cannons could reach five hundred to a thousand meters. Different classes of soul tools had different ranges, but any soul tool that had a range exceeding a kilometer was at least Class 5. If one wanted a soul tool that could attack something five kilometers away, only a Class 7 soul tool could do the job.
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219Stationary soul tools generally had longer attack ranges, because the cannon shells they used could be equipped with devices that helped them fly longer, which would increase their attack range.
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221At this moment however, the bombardment Xuan Ziwen ordered exceeded everyone’s expectations. That powerful beam of red light was able to instantly cross over four kilometers, and was targeted at the massive number of soul beasts in the air.
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223Is that thing aimed at me? The first thing that came to the Six-Winged Deviltiger’s mind was disdain as it looked at the red light approaching it.
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225Are these humans braindead? What meaning is there in directly attacking a hundred-thousand-year powerhouse like me?
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227A ball of white light quickly formed a shield in front of it. The Six-Winged Deviltiger had three Elements, one of which was Light. The Element of Light had its strong points when it came to defense, and although the Six-Winged Deviltiger held its opponent’s attack in contempt, it was able to tell that the red beam of light was fire-based. Thus, using light to defend against it would have a rather decent effect.
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229It reacted quickly enough, and the red beam wasn’t quick enough to make it to the Six-Winged Deviltiger before it was able to complete its defense. By the time it reached the great soul beast, its defense had already been completed, and the red light and the white barrier collided with each other.
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231Even the soul beast in charge of leading the entire army of soul beasts, the Three-Headed Scarlet Devilmastiff, couldn’t help but curl his lips after looking at the humans’ seemingly feeble attempt to resist. What are they even trying to do with an attack of this level… What…?
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233Just as the feeling of disdain appeared in the Scarlet King’s heart, his eyes immediately widened in the next instant. What did he see? He saw an astonishing red light that instantly pierced through the sky.
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235The barrier of light that the Six-Winged Deviltiger had created instantly disappeared before the red beam of light. After that, its chest was directly pierced through!
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237Even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast wouldn’t be able to survive a meter-thick soul ray that pierced through its chest!
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239The Six-Winged Deviltiger only realized how terrifying that ray was after it hit him. All of the energy within this soul ray had been condensed into a single beam, and none of it had spilled out. This was why it had previously thought that the soul ray was no threat to it. Not only that, but the heat contained within this ray far exceeded its imagination. The terrifying attack power of this soul ray was simply too great, and the soul power protecting it only caused the red beam to pause for a moment before it pierced through the Savage Beast!
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245Chapter 398.3: The Terrifying Red Ray of Light
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248Regret? There was no longer any time for the Six-Winged Deviltiger to react, as it had lost all of its senses after the line of fire burned it to ashes. Its enormous body was vaporized in midair.
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250After passing through the Six-Winged Deviltiger, the beam of red light reached the rest of the aerial soul beast army. Since even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts couldn’t block the attack, how else would the other weaker soul beasts fare?
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252A line appeared in midair. The corpses of aerial soul beasts fell wherever this line passed through.
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254What was even more terrifying was that this beam of red light didn’t disappear after that attack. Instead, it paused roughly five kilometers from the red ball of light. After that, it made a sweeping motion, like an enormous sword cutting through the air.
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256It swept from left to right, then back to its original location.
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258However, this back and forth motion was like a giant eraser in the sky that completely wiped away an uncountable number of dots there.
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260Over two-thirds of the thousand-man strong aerial army of soul beasts were obliterated by this sweeping motion.
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262The army of soul beasts had been too confident in themselves. After all, did it matter how concentrated they were, considering they were being led by a hundred-thousand-year soul beast? However, that red beam of light had come too quickly. By the time it started sweeping through the sky, none of the soul beasts had even noticed it. The entire sequence of events went very smoothly, and the terrifying beam of light disappeared immediately afterwards.
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264Only the luckiest soul beasts managed to escape with their lives intact. However, they nonetheless began to fall from the sky.
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266It wasn’t because they were injured, but because of fear, an overwhelming sensation of terror. The terrifying red light that had obliterated their fellows instantly became a shadow hanging over their hearts.
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268All of this was simply too terrifying. Who would’ve thought that the proud flying soul beasts courageously advancing would lose over two-thirds of their forces to humanity’s first attack? None of the soul beasts who had touched the red beam of light had managed to avoid death, even the hundred-thousand-year soul beast who led the flock!
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270A power like this had already exceeded the realm of knowledge of the soul beasts there. Even a powerhouse like the Beast God Di Tian would have a certain process to go through before launching an attack like that. However, the humans were simply far, far too quick.
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272Shi Xing stood atop the city wall, his mouth agape. He felt extremely exuberant, and all of his worries seemed to fade away…
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274This, this was simply too overbearing! A red beam of light swept through the sky, and everything was silent afterwards. The few surviving soul beasts that had fallen from the sky started to turn tail and run away after landing. The depth of their terror destroyed their will to fight.
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276The great Beast Tide was only one kilometer away from Shrek City’s walls. However, they were able to see everything that had occurred in the sky. The soul beasts that were originally prepared to assault the city now looked like fools, and it seemed they had completely forgotten about their assault. There were simply no long-range attacks being fired at the city walls right now.
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278At this moment, Xuan Ziwen’s voice, an extremely unpleasant sound to the soul beasts, once again rang out from the sound-amplifying soul tool.
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280“All teams, fire at will. Carpet bomb them.”
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282Clang, clang, clang…
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284With a series of metallic clangs, the cannons on the hedgehog-like All-Terrain Soul Forts lined up. The topmost part of the soul forts’ main cannons slid shut, and the eight legs below them started to prop them up.
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286Moving a few steps forward, they were now just behind the battlements. All their cannons were pointed towards the Beast Tide, and in the next instant, a rain of light started to descend.
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288Countless soul light rays and soul cannons started to pour down like droplets of rain from Shrek City’s walls. The sixty-one All-Terrain Soul Forts were just like sixty-one killing machines as they poured down the firepower.
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290The three hundred soul engineers guarding the rear of the soul forts raised the metallic rods on their shoulders, then pushed them into an aperture on the side of the soul forts. They began pouring their soul power into the soul forts.
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292The morale of the Beast Tide was brought to its lowest the instant the aerial army was devastated. That strike was simply too terrifying. The blood-colored soul ring left behind by the Six-Winged Deviltiger, as well as the soul bone that a hundred-thousand year soul beast was bound to drop, were still floating in mid-air!
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294All of this was simply too sudden, too shocking. To Shrek, that single strike was stunning; to the soul beasts, however, it was a painting of death.
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296When the soul forts started launching their firepower, Shi Xing finally understood what was meant by a storm of carnage.
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298The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons were considered extremely powerful weapons on the battlefield. However, the All-Terrain Soul Forts had a wider range, the ability to continuously fire, and were more accurate.
299
300Several thousand rays of light were fired from the city walls towards the army of soul beasts. They began sweeping through the army immediately, just like the red beam that had swept through the sky earlier.
301
302A large majority of these soul rays were red in color.
303
304Trauma, oh the trauma!
305
306They were all red in color, but they didn’t have an overly strong appearance to them. However, who’d know if one of those rays was just as strong as the one from earlier?
307
308Although the soul beasts acted like they weren’t afraid of death, they weren’t truly unafraid to die! This was especially true for a useless sacrifice. Who’d be willing to die that way?
309
310The volley from the All-Terrain Soul Forts created a wall of death a kilometer away from Shrek City. Every single soul beast that dared to enter this range received a baptism of light rays. The number of casualties to the soul beast army immediately increased at a staggering rate.
311
312Without the Emerald Swan to heal them, the soul beasts could only watch as they were annihilated by the soul rays.
313
314Panic started to increase among the ranks of the soul beasts as their casualties increased. The ones in front had already started to turn tail in fear, but the ones behind them still continued to charge ahead.
315
316This was the first time since the start of the Beast Tide that chaos had occurred within the ranks of the soul beasts army. Soul beasts were savage by nature; if anyone blocked their path, they would chase them out of the way, or even kill them!
317
318The soul beast army started to devolve into a mess as a result of the fear and panic that now engulfed them. A large number of them started to attack and trample their fellows, making them lose their bearings instantly.
319
320The Three-headed Scarlet Devilmastiff let loose a series of wild roars, but how could he do anything about the situation? The deadly rays their opponents used were too terrifying, to the point where even though the soul beasts were terrified by his might, they still didn’t dare to charge ahead.
321
322Enraged, the Scarlet King started to fly forward with a group of powerhouses. He intended to rush forward and launch a frontal assault.
323
324However, the All-Terrain Soul Forts on the city walls bent down, revealing the enormous cannon on their heads. The center of the Soul Forts shot out small, unremarkable balls of red light.
325
326This time around, the rays of light felt entirely different from the first time. As though a glass of cold water had been poured over his head, the Scarlet King immediately came to his senses.
327
328Who would be willing to send themselves to their own deaths! Looking at the current situation, they’d only suffer even more casualties if they continued fighting. After calming down a bit, the Scarlet King let out another roar.
329
330Retreat!
331
332The great soul beast army had arrived quickly, but retreated even more quickly. Due to the chaos on the battlefield, they left behind a large number of corpses which flickered with the light of soul rings.
333
334Shi Xing’s mouth was still gaping. He didn’t know what to say.
335
336Xuan Ziwen had previously guaranteed to help stall the Beast Tide for two hours to allow the soldiers to get some rest. However, he was able to forcibly push back the Beast Tide instead!
337
338Was, was this the awesomeness of the Tang Sect? By only relying on three hundred and sixty-one people, and sixty-one All-Terrain Soul Forts, they were able to force back an army of soul beasts that numbered in the tens of thousands. A glorious result like that undoubtedly overshadowed that of the Shrek City Defense Army!
339
340However, Shi Xing only felt excitement. With the Tang Sect’s strength, what was there to fear from that army of soul beasts? This was especially the case the moment they started firing their main cannons. Since even ten-thousand year soul beasts couldn’t block them, who would dare to approach them? It seemed like there was hope of defending the city!
341
342“Go down and collect those soul rings.” Xuan Ziwen handed down another command. Right after that, the All-Terrain Soul Fort he controlled suddenly leapt off the city walls and soared into the sky. After that, a few jet holes and a pair of wings appeared on his seemingly cumbersome All-Terrain Soul Fort. With a surge of soul power, it actually flew him down to the battlefield.
343
344The other All-Terrain Soul Forts started moving as well. Though they didn’t have the capability to fly, their long legs allowed them to descend from the city walls like enormous spiders. Their eight sharp legs allowed them to secure a foothold on the sturdy city walls and descend quickly towards the soul beast corpses.
345
346“Dean Xian, what are they trying to do?” Shi Xing couldn’t help, but ask Xian Lin’er.
347
348Xian Lin’er’s expression shifted slightly, and she said helplessly, “They’re probably trying to not waste anything.”
349
350Right, they were trying to not waste anything. As Shi Xing looked on dumbstruck, a large number of soul rings started vanishing at a quick rate. It seemed like there was a mystical absorption force quickly absorbing the soul rings around them. Moreover, they were specially looking for purple and black soul rings, and were also ruffling through the corpses.
351
352Xuan Ziwen, who had risen into the air, had a clear objective: the hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone left behind by the Six-Winged Deviltiger! The instant he was within range, they immediately vanished.
353
354After that, the Hall Master of the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall turned his Soul Fort around and flew back to Shrek City.
355
356
357
358
359
360Chapter 399: The Treacherous Businessman, Xuan Ziwen?
361
362
363Xuan Ziwen, who was sitting inside a self-driving fort, was looking much better now. It was very difficult to estimate the price of a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Furthermore, this hundred-thousand-year soul ring was destroyed by his energy-piercing ion ray, which was equivalent to a natural death. Anyone could absorb this soul ring. It was invaluable!
364
365The Tang Sect had sacrificed a lot this time to deal with the beast wave. This thing was like a reward for them. It was good if the disciples were able to obtain some rewards.
366
367Only a few minutes passed before all the All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts returned on their own. They scaled the city walls with their long legs as if they were walking on flat ground. Shi Xing was wide-eyed in shock as he witnessed this.
368
369This is too strong. Not only is their offensive strength terrifying, but their adaptation to all types of terrain is, too…
370
371Shi Xing’s eyes turned slightly red. He suddenly turned around to look at Xian Lin’er before swallowing hard.
372
373Xian Lin’er composed herself. “Shi Xing, what do you want?”
374
375“Yes, Shi Xing. What do you want? Are you harboring any ideas about my wife?” The tall, burly, and bald Qian Duoduo had arrived at the top of the city wall, and quickly walked towards Xian Lin’er. He was nervous as he looked at Shi Xing.
376
377Shi Xing’s lips twisted a little and he thought to himself, Only you can handle this Martial Goddess. Of course he didn’t dare to say that out loud. “Dean Xian, Dean Qian, don’t misunderstand.”
378
379Qian Duoduo snapped, “Look at how red your face is! You look like you’re going to orgasm! How can I not misunderstand? Stand there and don’t move. Tell me whatever you need to.”
380
381Shi Xing almost spat blood out and snapped, “Don’t worry, I won’t snatch your wife from you! Deans, I want this All-Terrain Self-Driving Fort! No matter what it costs, the Shrek City Defense Army needs to be fully equipped! We’ll take whatever there is. It’s best if everyone has one! If that’s possible, we won’t be afraid of this Beast Wave, and I’d even dare to attack the Great Star Dou Forest itself!”
382
383Xian Lin’er was amused. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist it. However, I’m sorry to disappoint you. Do you think it’s easy to get ahold of something like this? You’ve already witnessed how strong it is. It’s costly to manufacture one of these. Overall, all the self-driving forts, apart from Teacher Xuan’s own Class 8 soul tool, are all Class 6 soul tools. They are defensively weak, but their offensive strength and mobility are extremely great. Their manufacturing cost is…”
384
385Shi Xing turned pale after Xian Lin’er muttered a number.
386
387“So expensive? However, this is really good stuff! It’s fine even if not everyone is equipped with one of it. Give me five hundred of them first.” Shi Xing grit his teeth as he spoke. After all, Shrek City’s Defense Army was in charge of protecting Shrek City. They couldn’t skimp on their equipment!
388
389A war was the best way to test whether they were well-equipped. What had happened earlier tempted Shi Xing to own one of these All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts.
390
391Xian Lin’er replied, “We don’t even have five hundred of them. We ordered one hundred from the Tang Sect. These are all that we have. Currently, the Tang Sect has manufactured sixty-one of them, and they’ve already used up a large amount of rare metals. We haven’t even paid them!”
392
393“They were the ones who paid for the rare metals. Furthermore, you’ve also seen how many stationary soul cannon shells the Tang Sect took out this time. Who knows how many of them will be left over once this war is over? Do you think the Academy has so much money to give them? Let’s not even talk about ordering another batch of these soul tools!”
394
395“This…” Shi Xing was a little depressed. Yes! The Tang Sect had sacrificed a lot. Even if they didn’t ask for any rewards, they should at least recoup the costs that they had incurred. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to survive, much less grow. This fight would also drain the Academy greatly. However, the All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts were simply too attractive to him. Instantly, the Time Douluo was stuck in a dilemma.
396
397At this point, Xuan Ziwen left his self-driving fort and came over in front of all of them.
398
399“Mission accomplished.” Xuan Ziwen said as he tossed and caught a red soul bone in his hands. This soul bone seemed to be an arm bone, but which arm it came from was unknown.
400
401Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo’s eyes turned red when they saw this soul bone. It was a hundred-thousand-year soul bone that carried two soul skills!
402
403A hundred-thousand-year soul ring and bone were considered the most valuable treasures in the world of soul masters right now. There wasn’t any way of putting a value on such a soul ring and soul bone.
404
405Xuan Ziwen looked at them and said, “If the Academy puts out a suitable price or is willing to exchange rare metals with a similar value for them, we won’t mind selling them.”
406
407The Tang Sect was the one who had provided all the resources and manpower in the earlier fight. Xuan Ziwen wasn’t going to give away this soul ring and soul bone. They definitely belonged to the Tang Sect.
408
409Xian Lin’er laughed bitterly. “Alright, Teacher Xuan. You can keep it. We can’t afford them. Let’s talk about the rest after we survive this beast wave.”
410
411“Hallmaster.” At this point, the disciples from the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall all exited their Self-Driving Forts and quickly gathered around Xuan Ziwen.
412
413Xian Lin’er saw that they were each holding some weird equipment that wasn’t very large.
414
415Xuan Ziwen smiled and said, “We collected some soul rings without any owners. Most of them are thousand-year or ten-thousand-year soul rings. I wonder if anyone from the Academy or the Shrek City Defense Army needs them.”
416
417“Soul rings without owners?” Shi Xing’s eyes opened wide again.
418
419Xuan Ziwen nodded and said, “The soul tools that are used to kill soul beasts can be specially processed to alter their internal structures, which removes the aura of a soul master and makes any soul rings produced ownerless. We used soul ring storage tools to keep them, and we can provide them to any soul master who wants to absorb them.”
420
421“Yes! I want all of them. We can negotiate the price.” Shi Xing was completely decisive. He immediately expressed his wish in front of Xuan Ziwen before Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo managed to do so.
422
423Yes! Of course he wanted all of them. They were all either thousand- or ten-thousand-year soul rings. He had witnessed how many of these soul rings the Tang Sect had collected earlier.
424
425Thousand-year soul rings were already considered very good for the outer courtyard disciples of Shrek Academy. Ten-thousand-year soul rings were even more valuable!
426
427The Academy didn’t have too high of a demand for these soul rings. After all, the students were encouraged to obtain their soul rings quickly when their cultivations reached a bottleneck during the semester.
428
429However, things weren’t that simple in the Shrek City Defense Army!
430
431There were more than three thousand soul masters in Shrek City’s Defense Army. Most of them had either graduated or were eliminated from Shrek Academy’s outer courtyard. They remained in the city and joined the Defense Army to earn some experience. Out of these three thousand soul masters, there were many whose cultivations had reached a bottleneck. They were all born in Shrek City, and they were quite proud. As their cultivation gradually grew, they weren’t too anxious to obtain soul rings. If there weren’t any suitable soul rings, they wouldn’t easily absorb one.
432
433However, Xuan Ziwen had collected countless soul rings this time, and they were even all either thousand or ten-thousand-year soul rings! They were considered great things by the soul masters of Shrek City’s Defense Army! Shi Xing wouldn’t be the one to foot the bill for all these soul rings, though.
434
435How expensive were Shrek Academy’s tuition fees? Those who were able to study in Shrek Academy were well-to-do. Many of them were even disciples of sects. Of course they had to pay for the soul rings if they wanted them.
436
437Xuan Ziwen nodded and said, “No problem. Later I’ll get my disciples to find out the number of soul rings that we’ve collected. After that, I’ll need you to send some people to differentiate between the types of soul rings that we have, which will make it more convenient for your soul masters to absorb them. As for the price of these soul rings, I’m sure Shrek Academy will offer us a reasonable amount. It’s fine even if your soul masters can’t pay up immediately. We just need to record their names in a register. I only have one request – I hope that the Academy can help us monitor the payments for these soul rings. We are also willing to exchange these soul rings for rare metals if you have them.”
438
439Profiteer!, Shi Xing cursed silently in his heart. Even Xian Lin’er couldn’t help but shake her head silently.
440
441Xuan Ziwen seemed like a generous person, but he wasn’t going to give any concessions. The Tang Sect had just forced a beast wave back. Under such circumstances, would Shrek Academy really dock the number of soul rings they’d collected? Definitely not! As for the prices of the soul rings, would Shrek Academy dare to quote the Tang Sect a low price? At least they had to be reasonable, and offer prices recognized by the world of soul masters. These prices were based on the standard set by those who specially led people out to hunt soul beasts for soul rings. They were definitely not low.
442
443Different soul rings were priced differently. It depended on how many soul rings they had collected.
444
445Money-wise, Xuan Ziwen passed the problem to Shrek Academy. Weren’t they trying to enhance the strength of the City Defense Army? If the soul masters paid for the soul rings on their own, they would find it very difficult to gather so much money at once. However, they just needed to sign a guarantee, and Shrek Academy would be their guarantor. If the money couldn’t be claimed in the end, the Tang Sect could just find Shrek Academy instead of Shrek City’s Defense Army.
446
447Was he really a soul engineer, and not a businessman?
448
449Xian Lin’er, Qian Duoduo and Shi Xing all had this thought in their mind. Even so, this was still a good thing for Shrek. After fusing with these soul rings, the strength of Shrek City’s Defense Army was bound to increase. At this critical moment, increasing one’s abilities would help one in his own survival!
450
451Their opinion of Xuan Ziwen might become even more drastic if they found out that the soul ring storage tools could only preserve the soul rings for a short period of time!
452
453However, no matter what, the beast wave had been pushed back temporarily.
454
455Xuan Ziwen allowed some of the Soul Tool Hall disciples to follow Shi Xing to calculate the number of soul rings that they had collected. He himself didn’t leave, but asked Xian Lin’er, “Dean Xian, what do you think about our All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts?”
456
457Xian Lin’er smiled and replied, “Of course they’re great! Didn’t you see how red the Time Douluo’s eyes were? That first cannon strike of yours played a very critical role. Otherwise, the carpet attacks might not have been able to stop the soul beasts from charging over, even though they are strong. Most importantly, they were frightened by your first attack.”
458
459Xuan Ziwen laughed bitterly. “Do you know what price we had to pay for that first cannon strike?” He intentionally lowered his voice as he spoke. While he was very immersed in his work on soul tools, he wasn’t a senseless person.
460
461Xian Lin’er quietly stepped forward and asked, “What do you mean?”
462
463Xuan Ziwen answered, “That strike was an energy-piercing ion ray that I invented. It causes high energy compression, and my Self-Driving Fort is the core of it. My Self-Driving Fort is actually a Class 8 energy-compression, auxiliary-type soul tool! The main cannons that the rest used are piercing cannons that have already been compressed. I used energy ions to integrate them before firing and performing short-term control.
464
465“I only developed this because I’m a Class 8 soul engineer who’s captivated by the strength of Class 9 soul tools. You also witnessed how strong it was; its destructive strength is even slightly stronger than most ordinary Class 9 soul tools. It’s even comparable to the Starsky Douluo’s Sunmoon Divine Needle. However, it can’t compare to the Sunmoon Divine Needle in terms of the effective range of its attack.”
466
467Xian Lin’er said, “It’s already very great! Are there any flaws?”
468
469Xuan Ziwen nodded and laughed bitterly, “Yes, its flaw is that it drains too much soul power. To compress and prevent the compressed soul power from exploding, more soul power has to be drained. That strike just now completely used up the soul power in one hundred and twenty Class 6 Sealed Milk Bottles. The soul rays that were fired to suppress the soul beasts on the ground were actually powered by the students from the Academy’s Soul Engineering Department and my disciples from the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall. They were only able to maintain their attack for fifteen minutes, which means that our attacks would have ended if the enemies didn’t retreat within fifteen minutes. We’ll need to change all of those Milk Bottles. Right now, we have less than two hundred Sealed Milk Bottles left, so we’ll only be able to last for another two hours.”
470
471Xian Lin’er was shocked after hearing Xuan Ziwen’s words. One attack used up all the soul power in a hundred and twenty Class 6 Sealed Milk Bottles? The total soul power in a hundred and twenty Class 6 Sealed Milk Bottles was even greater than the soul power an Ultimate Douluo had. While that attack was ferocious, it wasn’t as strong as an all-out strike by an Ultimate Douluo.
472
473Xuan Ziwen was telling her that the attack earlier couldn’t be replicated again. The price to pay was too great.
474
475After taking a deep breath, Xian Lin’er gazed deeply at Xuan Ziwen as she said, “Teacher Xuan, you’ve already done very well. With this deterrence, I believe it’ll be a lot longer before the next attack arrives.”
476
477Xuan Ziwen nodded and said, “I thought of that, too. Let’s recover our soul power as quickly as possible, and hope the beasts take a longer rest. This will give us time to charge our Sealed Milk Bottles.”
478
479“Hopefully!” Xian Lin’er laughed bitterly.
480
481
482
483
484
485Chapter 400.1: Bear Lord and Myriad Demon King
486
487
488The terrifying strike that had drained the soul power from a hundred and twenty Sealed Milk Bottles left a deep impression on the soul beast army.
489
490Not only was this attack extremely powerful and threatening, but it even caused the soul beast army to suffer heavy casualties. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast had lost his life, and several thousand soul beasts, including two-thirds of the the soul beast aerial army, were killed.
491
492After this defeat, some conflicts ensued between the soul beasts, which led to a temporary retreat of the beast wave. Shrek City was finally given a breather.
493
494The disciples from the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall and the students from Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department started to get busy with this time that they had been afforded. They quickly repaired the damaged soul tools. The soul masters were also given time to rest. Once they recovered their soul power, they would immediately start charging the Sealed Milk Bottles. Even Soul Douluo from the Academy were charging the Sealed Milk Bottles. On this battlefield, one’s individual strength was considered very insignificant unless one was at the level of Elder Xuan or Di Tian.
495
496The beast wave had lasted for a day and a half, but everyone in Shrek City knew that the earlier attack by the soul beast army was still just a probe. They hadn’t given their all yet, and were only weakening Shrek’s overall power. They were looking for the best opportunity to launch an all-out attack.
497
498The beast wave pulled back for six hours, which gave everyone enough time to rest and recharge. However, everyone in Shrek City started to turn serious after the soul beast army returned, ready to attack again, after those six hours.
499
500This time, the number of soul beasts was even greater. However, they didn’t deploy their aerial army like before, perhaps because their aerial army had been trounced earlier.
501
502Furthermore, the soul beasts didn’t charge blindly and wildly towards Shrek City this time. They scattered, and slowly inched closer to the city. It felt as if they were forming a huge pincer that was about to clip onto Shrek City.
503
504The soul beast army didn’t seem to be as dominant as before, but those who were sharp could tell that Shrek City was in trouble this time. It was because the soul beasts seemed to have forsaken their pride, and stopped charging directly to assault Shrek City from the front. The formation that they had adopted evidently signaled the fact that they wanted to encircle the city before attacking from all fronts!
505
506On the top of the city wall, emergency discussions were held, and all the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion ascended to the top of the city wall. After a brief discussion, they immediately acted.
507
508The southern side of the city had the strongest defense. However, the defense of the city had to adapt if there were any changes to the offensive focal point of the soul beast army.
509
510At such a time, the flexibility of the All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts was very important.
511
512The sixty-one All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts were spread out across the top of the city wall rapidly, and started to distribute themselves proportionally around the other three sides. As there were more Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons on the southern side, the defense over there should be able to hold off the soul beasts.
513
514However, the commanders of the soul beast army seemed to be smarter this time. Just as everyone in Shrek City expected, the soul beast army that comprised more than a hundred thousand soul beasts encircled Shrek City. However, they didn’t attack after encircling the city. They stopped around ten kilometers away from Shrek City, and they seemed to be resting.
515
516Only very powerful stationary soul cannon shells could reach ten kilometers away. However, there were many strong soul beasts in the soul beast army too, who were also adept at long-range attacks. It wouldn’t be too difficult for them to intercept the top-tier stationary soul cannons shells, since there wouldn’t be many of them, either.
517
518As a result, Shrek didn’t do anything, and the soul beast army didn’t move.
519
520However, the difference between them and the soul beast army was that the soul beast army could choose to attack at any time, but they couldn’t. They could only passively wait for the soul beasts to attack. Without sufficient troops, Shrek City was under great pressure from the soul beast army.
521
522No one knew when the soul beasts were going to attack. They could only wait and remain alert.
523
524Such a wait was torturous. Fortunately, what the soul masters needed now was rest.
525
526However, the soul beast army didn’t give them much more time. Outside the southern city wall, a jade-green figure opened her wings and rose into the sky. It was Bi Ji.
527
528After a few hours of rest and reorganization, she had already fully recovered. She opened her wings, and jade-green light shone brightly. Her jade-green feathers emitted bright light as they expanded. Very soon, her wings had extended more than a hundred meters in either direction.
529
530Her appearance also caused the soul beasts close to the southern city wall to roar in excitement. They all stood up from the ground and stared at Shrek City with fierce looks in their eyes.
531
532To the east of the city, another figure gradually rose into the sky. This figure had three heads, and scarlet-golden fur grew on its head. Each head of this figure resembled a lion’s, but they were even more ferocious. It was the Scarlet King, who was a Three-Headed Scarlet Devilmastiff.
533
534To the west of the city, yet another huge figure drifted in mid-air. In terms of aura, he appeared to be much stronger than the Scarlet King and Bi Ji. He was more than fifteen meters tall, and there was thick dark golden fur on his body. His arms were extremely long, as they drooped along the sides of his body. Even given the size of his body, his arms were still long enough to extend below his knees. This meant that his arms were more than ten meters long, and they were also extremely thick. His shoulders were the most exaggerated, swelling up like little mountains.
535
536To everyone from the Tang Sect, such a soul beast was very familiar. This was because there were two little fellows in the Tang Sect that were of the same species as this soul beast. It was just that the difference in their sizes was too great.
537
538Yes, this extremely large soul beast was a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, which was often recognized as an exterminator of forests and a destroyer in the world of soul masters. This bear was undoubtedly the ruler of all bears, the Bear Lord, who was ranked sixth among the Ten Great Savage Beasts.
539
540He had a four-hundred-seventy-thousand-year cultivation. It was appropriate to call him the number one bear in the history of the Douluo Continent!
541
542In terms of rank and cultivation, he wasn’t as strong as Bi Ji. However, the combination of Bi Ji and the Scarlet King wouldn’t even be comparable to him in terms of fighting strength.
543
544In fact, Di Tian was the only one in the Great Star Dou Forest who could tame the Bear Lord.
545
546The northern side of the city, which was the furthest from the Great Star Dou Forest, was also being surrounded by the soul beast army right now. In mid-air, there was also another figure.
547
548It was a human-shaped soul beast this time. He was aesthetically pleasing, like Bi Ji, and different from the Scarlet King and Bear Lord, who preferred to appear in their original forms.
549
550He adopted the appearance of a middle-aged man. He wasn’t particularly handsome, and his face was slightly pale. His eyes were a deep jade-green that could penetrate through one’s soul. A jade-green glow shone amidst this depth and serenity, but this glow was starkly different from the elegant jade-green that Bi Ji emitted.
551
552He wasn’t considered very large, but he was extremely slender. He was wearing a long, dark-green robe. It moved even without any wind, fluttering slightly to and fro. His hair was also dark-green, but it was a little too long. It was more than ten meters in length as it flowed behind his back.
553
554To be able to become a commander of the soul beast army, just like the other three savage beasts, he was naturally a savage beast himself.
555
556Five of the Ten Great Savage Beasts lived in the Great Star Dou Forest. Apart from Di Tian, Bi Ji, the Scarlet King and the Bear Lord, there was one more soul beast.
557
558It was the Myriad Demon King, a Demoneye Tree that was ranked fifth among the Ten Great Savage Beasts.
559
560According to the legends, the Myriad Demon King ruled over all the plant-type soul beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest.
561
562Compared to animal-type soul beasts, plant-type soul beasts found it more difficult to survive. They grew slower than animal-type soul beasts when they were young. Generally speaking, plant-type soul beasts had to reach a thousand-year cultivation before they could protect themselves, whereas animal-type soul beasts already possessed fighting strength at a ten-year cultivation.
563
564However, there were innately gifted plant-type soul beasts. When they grew, they were even scarier than animal-type soul beasts.
565
566The Myriad Demon King was an example. He was originally a Demoneye Tree that had grown at the edge of the forest. There was nothing special about his lineage. While Demoneye Trees were considered a rare species in the Great Star Dou Forest, they weren’t considered very strong, even if they cultivated into soul beasts. This was because they were considered spiritual-type and were most adept at using their tree eye to numb and control their opponents. After that, they would gradually use their corrosive sap to kill them. While their opponents rotted away, they would turn into nourishment for these Demoneye Trees.
567
568In terms of lethality, Demoneye Trees weren’t special among plant-type soul beasts.
569
570However, the Myriad Demon King was an anomaly. He was considered an anomaly because there were other types of plant-type soul beasts that grew around him. The Demoneye Trees’ survival rate was considered quite high among plant-type soul beasts, as they didn’t have any fruit that other soul beasts found extremely tempting. In addition, they even released a pungent smell. Generally speaking, it was not common for other soul beasts to take interest in them.
571
572But there were a few rare types of plants that had lived around the Myriad Demon King, which included Immortal Spirit Grass!
573
574
575
576
577
578Chapter 400.2: Bear Lord and Myriad Demon King
579
580
581Immortal Spirit Grass was naturally psychic. The moment they grew, they possessed intelligence that was similar to ordinary soul beasts. After some time, they would become stronger. At the same time, they were extremely nutritious, and were considered nourishment for both soul beasts and soul masters.
582
583It was just that the growth conditions needed for Immortal Spirit Grasses were very strict. Even in the Great Star Dou Forest, which was an excellent natural habitat for soul beasts, they rarely appeared. A thousand-year Immortal Spirit Grass was already considered a treasure.
584
585The greatest advantage the Myriad Demon King had over this Immortal Spirit Grass was that he was born ten thousand years earlier. He soon discovered that an Immortal Spiritual Grass had grown nearby. At that point in time, he already possessed his own intelligence. Furthermore, he had some abilities then, and could at least spread his scent over a larger area.
586
587As a result, the Myriad Demon King took great care of this Immortal Spirit Grass.
588
589No matter how gifted or intelligent Immortal Spirit Grass was, it was only like a piece of blank paper after it was born. Furthermore, Immortal Spirit Grass would only treat soul beasts and humans as enemies. It would never treat another plant like the Myriad Demon King as an enemy.
590
591The Myriad Demon King protected this Immortal Spirit Grass using his pungent smell until it grew to a thousand-year cultivation.
592
593At that point in time, this Immortal Spirit Grass already treated him as its best friend and even developed a heavy sense of reliance on him.
594
595After tolerating it for a thousand years, the Myriad Demon King finally made his move on this Immortal Spirit Grass.
596
597In fact, the Myriad Demon King didn’t know what the result would be after he devoured this Immortal Spirit Grass. He was just making a wild attempt because he was indignant. He didn’t want to remain at the edge of the Great Star Dou Forest for his entire life. He was very envious and jealous of those strong soul beasts. This was why he took a gamble to see what benefits he might possibly obtain from this Immortal Spirit Grass.
598
599This thousand-year Immortal Spirit Grass was ultimately unprepared against the Myriad Demon King, who had plotted this for centuries.
600
601Under the corrosion of the Myriad Demon King’s poison, it melted.
602
603The Myriad Demon King uprooted it completely and turned into fluid before smearing this fluid on his body. To him, he would have only wasted a thousand years, even if he failed. To a plant-type soul beast, a thousand years wasn’t considered a long time.
604
605From that point onwards, the Myriad Demon King entered an extremely long period of torment. While this Immortal Spirit Grass was dead, it carried a strong spirit of vengeance, which made it difficult for him to fuse with it.
606
607Normally, a Demoneye Tree and an Immortal Spirit Grass were two incompatible plant-type soul beasts. However, a miracle happened when this Immortal Spirit Grass’ vengeance and the Myriad Demon King’s persistence combined together. They started to fuse together in a very special way.
608
609While the fusion was slow, it managed to change many of the Myriad King’s innate abilities. As time passed, he was no longer purely a Demoneye Tree anymore. This evolution process continued for a hundred years.
610
611When the Myriad Demon King regained consciousness again, he discovered that he had become abnormally strong. He possessed the innate abilities of the most outstanding plant-type soul beast.
612
613The Myriad Demon King was extremely determined, having tolerated a hundred years of pain to complete the fusion. He didn’t venture deeper into the Great Star Dou Forest after the fusion. He continued to cultivate where he was born, and slowly devoured soul beasts of lower cultivations.
614
615The current Myriad Demon King was a result of his tolerance in the past. He had a five-hundred-thirty-thousand-year cultivation now and was ranked fifth among the Ten Great Savage Beasts. He was ranked lower than Bi Ji, but higher than the Bear Lord.
616
617Of the five Great Savage Beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest, the Myriad Demon King was probably the one that most wouldn’t want to face if they had to fight one of them if they understood all of their characters. He didn’t possess the power of Di Tian or the explosiveness of the Bear Lord, but he was as vicious as a venomous snake, and even possessed a forbearance that was superior to most ordinary soul beasts. He was definitely a terrifying enemy.
618
619After Di Tian discovered his existence, he wanted to forcefully keep him within the Slaughtering Grounds so that he could monitor the Myriad Demon King. This was because the Myriad Demon King already ruled over the soul beasts in more than one-third of the Peripheral Region of the Great Star Dou Forest. With his help, the plant-type soul beasts were able to develop rapidly.
620
621Di Tian didn’t kill him out of fear. Plants were considered the last line of defense for the Great Star Dou Forest. The Myriad Demon King ruled over most of the plant-type soul beasts, which made him extremely important to the Great Star Dou Forest. Even Di Tian didn’t dare to kill him! Di Tian even believed that his existence was more important than Bi Ji’s.
622
623Right now, there weren’t any plant-type soul beasts in the soul beast army underneath the Myriad Demon King at the northern side of Shrek City. This was also a requirement that Di Tian had for him before this war started. All the plant-type soul beasts that he commanded were not allowed to be part of this beast wave. The reason was very simple: they were needed to offer an escape route for the Great Star Dou Forest! If this beast wave failed and the soul beasts suffered heavy losses, the plant-type soul beasts that the Myriad Demon King controlled could at least protect the soul beast army as they retreated back into the forest.
624
625An Emerald Swan, a Demoneye Tree, a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, and a Three-Headed Scarlet Devilmastiff. Right now, four of the Great Savage Beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest had appeared on this battlefield.
626
627These four Savage Beasts surrounded Shrek City, which meant that this war between the soul beasts and Shrek Academy was about to enter its climax.
628
629Shrek City was waiting for reinforcements, and the five Great Savage Beasts naturally knew it. Shrek Academy was simply too important. If Shrek City was overrun, there would be one less force to restrain the soul beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest. The three empires in the Douluo Continent wouldn’t be willing to see something like that happen. It was totally necessary to send reinforcements to aid Shrek Academy.
630
631Shrek City was stalling for time, while the soul beasts were naturally fighting for time. If they managed to breach Shrek City and destroy Shrek Academy before the reinforcements arrived, whatever reinforcements arrived after that would be meaningless and insignificant.
632
633As a result, these four Savage Beasts decided to launch an assault against Shrek City even after the heavy losses they had suffered earlier. Of course, this didn’t mean that they would participate in the fight directly. Instead, they were going to hold the fort in four different directions, and the intensity of their offense would vary.
634
635The soul beasts were targeting the overstretched manpower of Shrek City’s Defense Army. Even if they had to forsake their pride, they had to seize this opportunity to destroy Shrek City. This showed how determined they were. They wanted to welcome Di Tian back with a huge victory.
636
637The Bear Lord unleashed a shocking and furious roar. He was at the western side of the city, and it was his side that made the first move. The terrifying beast wave started to surge forward like a tidal wave. The commanders at each of the other sides also gave the order to attack. Shrek City was now being attacked from all sides, and it seemed as if a tsunami was sweeping toward the city from all directions.
638
639This was the true strength of this beast wave. When they attacked all-out, they managed to fully tap into their absolute numerical advantage.
640
641All of the elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion had gathered at the top of the city wall by now. They and the inner courtyard disciples were distributed along sections of the city wall. The All-Terrain Self-Driving Forts and Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons were also ready to be used.
642
643The Time Douluo Shi Xing quickly rose into the sky, and his voice echoed as he used a powerful sound-amplifying soul tool.
644
645“Warriors of Shrek City, teachers and students of Shrek Academy, I am the City Defense Officer, Shi Xing. The soul beast army is coming for us. This is a fight that we can’t back away from. The result of failure will be death. It’s not just us that will be dead; all the civilians in Shrek City will also be dead along with us. For Shrek’s glory, and for ourselves, I implore all of you to bring forth your greatest courage and strength to fight!”
646
647He shouted the last few words in fury.
648
649“Long live Shrek! Long live Shrek! Long live Shrek!”
650
651“Glory to Shrek! Glory to Shrek! Glory to Shrek!”
652
653“Let’s fight for Shrek’s glory!”
654
655They were burning with passion now. At this moment, everyone from Shrek, regardless of whether they were a soldier, a student, a teacher, or an elder, whether they came from the inner or outer courtyard, all came together as one. They only had one goal: force the beast wave back. It was the only way that they could ensure their survival.
656
657Shrek’s strength was finally unleashed at this moment. Under Shi Xing’s orders, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons fired.
658
659Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
660
661A piercing sound echoed as streaks of dazzling light shot above the city wall. These streaks of lights were scattered in all directions. Even with Bi Ji’s abilities, she couldn’t cover them all.
662
663This time, the cannon shells seemed to be larger than before. They didn’t just cover a region that spanned a five-kilometer radius with the city wall at the center. Rather, they were targeted toward further distances. Every streak of dazzling light left a resplendent plume behind it as it moved in the air.
664
665The stationary cannon shells that came from the Tang Sect were finally being fired!
666
667Stationary soul cannon shells weren’t just strong. They were also able to cover long distances and drained the cannons the least. They wouldn’t cause the cannons to overheat, as they were propelled forward using their own strength. They also didn’t exhaust too much soul power.
668
669The stationary soul cannon shells were used first, for fear that the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons wouldn’t be able to be fired if they overheated.
670
671
672
673
674
675Chapter 400.3: Bear Lord and Myriad Demon King
676
677
678The Tang Sect had provided around two thousand stationary soul cannon shells. Shrek Academy also had several hundred stationary soul cannon shells of different classes. More than five hundred shells were fired in this first round, since there were many Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons available.
679
680If their monetary value was measured, it would take a long time to count the number of zeroes in the number generated.
681
682The Soul Tool Department’s Dean Xian Lin’er, Vice-Dean Qian Duoduo, and Xuan Ziwen from the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall contorted their faces in reluctance after this first round. Even if they won this war, they would need to save up for a long time before they could obtain so many stationary soul cannon shells again!
683
684The soul beasts were a little surprised by the range of the humans’ attack. However, the shells were fired into the distance. The soul beasts that were charging in front towards the city wall weren’t affected. Very soon, the soul beast army was already beneath the wall.
685
686The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons were fired once again. This time, their strength was unleashed. As a large number of cannon shells rained down, explosive bombs started to engulf and strike the charging soul beasts.
687
688At this moment, the booms generated from the detonation of the first round of shells had just echoed in the air.
689
690Around one-third of the five hundred shells were intercepted. The remaining two-thirds managed to detonate successfully. The tragic screams of soul beasts could be heard amid the terrifying booms caused by the explosions. While some of these shells were intercepted, their explosive strength was still superior to the regular explosive bombs of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons.
691
692As a Class 7 stationary soul cannon shell landed among the soul beasts, the space in the entire region affected by the subsequent explosion completely collapsed. A black halo started to spread, and only stopped when it reached a diameter of three hundred meters. Then, this black region started to distort tremendously, and countless bolts of lightning surrounded this region. An airflow filled with a destructive aura started to spread.
693
694The name of this Class 7 stationary soul cannon shell was Lightning of Hell. Its terrifying destructive power instantly took the lives of thousands of soul beasts.
695
696While the rest of the Class 4, 5 and 6 stationary soul cannon shells were weaker, each of them still managed to hurt and kill many soul beasts.
697
698Very soon, Shi Xing discovered that the Tang Sect’s stationary soul cannon shells were much stronger than the shells produced by the Academy. There were practically no Class 4 shell and hardly any Class 5 shells. Most of them were either Class 6 or Class 7. The explosion of every shell managed to affect a large region. They were extremely lethal, and he was struck breathless as he watched the explosions unfold.
699
700As the defenses of the other three sides of the city were weaker, they were reinforced with more stationary soul cannon shells.
701
702Right now, the four Savage Beasts were all astonished as they watched the various cannon shells exploding. They hadn’t expected humans to possess such terrifying weapons. Ordinary soul beasts were unable to resist such weapons!
703
704After the first wave of stationary shells exploded, more than fifteen thousand soul beasts were either hurt or killed. Most of them were dead; there were very few injured soul beasts. The number of soul beasts that became casualties after this attack was much greater than the losses the soul beasts had suffered after the earlier confrontations.
705
706The four Savage Beasts started to get depressed. All of them had different characters, which naturally meant that their reactions were different. Compared to the Bear Lord’s irritation, the Myriad Demon King’s gloominess and the Scarlet King’s fury, Bi Ji was feeling cold in her heart right now.
707
708Humans actually possess such terrifying weapons? Since when did this happen?
709
710Shrek City is probably the most difficult city to attack among all the human cities, but it’s still only one of the many cities around! How many of these weapons are present in the three human empires? Are the soul beasts from the Great Star Dou Forest capable of resisting these weapons with their flesh and blood, and eventually attaining victory?
711
712Perhaps it might not be difficult to annihilate Shrek City. However, it’s going to be extremely difficult to annihilate the entire human race!
713
714The losses they had suffered from attacking Shrek City thus far had exceeded their earlier estimations. However, it was impossible for them to stop halfway. There was no way they could retreat anymore.
715
716“Emerald Swans, start healing with all your abilities,” Bi Ji spoke in a strange voice. Following her words, jade-green figures started to quickly rise into the sky not far away from her.
717
718They were swans that were covered by bright jade-green light. After they rose into the sky, they immediately flew in all four directions. Each of them released a gentle, jade-green light from their bodies, and they started to heal the soul beasts that were injured by the explosions.
719
720They were from the same species as Bi Ji. All these years, she had been protecting and nurturing them to become the healing team of the Great Star Dou Forest.
721
722Emerald Swans lacked defensive strength, and there were only a hundred of them. They weren’t supposed to appear on a battlefield, as the Forest couldn’t afford to lose any of them. However, Bi Ji had no choice but to summon them, given the great number of casualties right now. She couldn’t possibly heal all the soul beasts by herself!
723
724The only good news for the soul beast army was that the frontline soul beasts had already charged their way to Shrek City’s wall now.
725
726Countless long-range attacks were targeted towards the top of the walls right now, as if they were meteor showers.
727
728All the soul masters did their best to activate their protective soul barriers to defend against the long-range attacks. However, the four Savage Beasts were determined this time. The soul beasts that were charging in front were thousand-year soul beasts, and they were led by a large number of ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Hundred year soul beasts weren’t even allowed to join the frontline.
729
730This managed to greatly increase the soul beasts’ defensive and offensive strength, and the destructiveness of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons fell greatly. ten-thousand-year soul beasts still found it fine to resist the attacks of explosive bombs. If a large number of ten-thousand-year soul beasts defended together, they would greatly reduce the lethality of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons, while the thousand-year soul beasts behind the ten-thousand-year soul beasts unleashed relentless long-range attacks towards Shrek City.
731
732They weren’t just attacking the top of the city walls; they were also attacking the city walls.
733
734Tremendous booms echoed as different colors of light waves and soul power undulations could be seen encircling Shrek City.
735
736The fight had reached an intense stage right from the start.
737
738“Dean Xian.” Shi Xing immediately turned to look at Xian Lin’er after unleashing his Spacetime Turbulence.
739
740Xian Lin’er gritted her teeth, and her cheek muscles trembled a little. After this, she shouted, “Fire all the stationary soul cannon shells. Don’t hold any back!”
741
742The soul beasts’ attack was too ferocious. The ten thousand and thousand-year soul beasts on their frontline placed immense pressure on Shrek City.
743
744Under such a circumstance, she couldn’t place any sentimental attachment on the cannon shells anymore, and had to use them all!
745
746Stationary cannon shells were fired towards the distance once again, and they scattered in different directions to stall the reserves of the soul beast army from following the frontline soul beasts.
747
748The sixty-one self-driving forts were also thrown into the fight, and they were resisting the attacks of the soul beasts on the other three sides of the city wall.
749
750Everyone from the Tang Sect was now at the southern city wall. Without a doubt, this was the side of the city that faced the greatest pressure. While the attacks being launched against the other three sides of the city were also very strong, the greatest number of ten-thousand-year soul beasts were charging towards the south side of Shrek City.
751
752Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, Xiao Xiao, Ji Juechen, Jing Ziyan, Na Na, Mo Xuan and the others were all waiting as they adopted a strict formation.
753
754Mo Xuan had entered the battlefield under the protection of an elder from the Sea God’s Pavilion. He was given priority access to Sealed Milk Bottles, as he was needed to offer all-around auxiliary support on the battlefield. With him around, the overall fighting strength of the soul masters could be raised by twenty percent!
755
756Not far from everyone from the Tang Sect were a few familiar faces: Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Xie Huanyue, Cao Jinxuan, Zhou Sichen and the Lan sisters. They were also all ready to fight.
757
758After all, there was a limit to how long their soul tools could last. Once the Sealed Milk Bottles were drained, a brutal close-contact war was bound to ensue.
759
760The elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion and the teachers from Shrek Academy were facing the strongest soul beasts. There were even more of those ten-thousand-year and thousand-year soul beasts that relied on the strongest soul beasts from the Great Star Dou Forest to protect them.
761
762Bei Bei turned around and said to his teammates, “Later, we’ll have to stick together as we fight. Brother Ji, you’ll take the front. Sanshi and I will protect your sides.”
763
764Ji Juechen nodded and held his Judgment Sword as he walked to Bei Bei’s side. Right now, he was extremely excited. To him, a war was like a fight, and his fighting will had long been infused in his blood.
765
766Bei Bei then said to the rest, “Nannan, Ziyan, the two of you will be supporting and coordinating at the sides. Na Na, you’ll coordinate from the back while Xiao Xiao will be the main controller behind Brother Ji. Caitou, you’ll be watching and managing the situation from behind Xiao Xiao.”
767
768“What about us, Eldest senior?” Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi started to approach him from beside Nan Shuishui.
769
770Bei Bei didn’t task them with anything. This was because of their lack of chemistry with everyone else from the Tang Sect. At this critical moment, they couldn’t affect their team unity.
771
772“Elder Nan Shuishui, you, Qiuqiu, and Gu Yi will be our backup. Our formation can’t be too large, we’ll run the risk of encountering too many soul beasts at once. If Ji Juechen isn’t able to hold out in front, I’ll need you to replace him, Elder Nan Shuishui! Guyi and Qiuqiu, this is the same for the two of you! You must constantly monitor our situation. Once someone has been drained too much or is injured, the two of you will be replacements.”
773
774Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi were displeased that they weren’t immediately sent onto the battlefield. Just as they were about to debate it, they were pulled back by Nan Shuishui.
775
776Nan Shuishui nodded at Bei Bei and said, “No problem. Let’s follow the sect leader’s instructions.”
777
778Bei Bei took in a deep breath and revealed a lost look on his face. Little junior, when are you returning? It would be great if we had you around…
779
780
781
782
783
784Chapter 401.1: The Savage Beasts Enter Battle
785
786
787He wasn’t the only one with this thought in mind. Whether it was the Tang Sect or Shrek’s Seven Monsters, everyone was used to fighting with Huo Yuhao as the main control-type soul master. His Spiritual Detection shared with everyone in battle was the most important guarantee for everyone’s survival. However, nobody knew where Huo Yuhao was, and he was nowhere to be seen even until now.
788
789Bei Bei rubbed his fists forcefully, and a determined look appeared in his eyes. He lowered his voice and said, “Whether or not this beast wave has anything to do with Yuhao, he will always be a part of the Tang Sect, and he will always be the most important part. I will use our sect’s strength to protect him no matter what the cost may be. I hope you guys can understand.”
790
791Xu Sanshi said lazily, “Why are you saying all that? Do you think any of us will object? The new generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters are one, and the Tang Sect is one. One man’s glory is everyone’s glory. Furthermore, Yuhao’s role in the beast wave was lighting the fuse, at most.”
792
793Bei Bei scanned everyone’s faces, and could tell that nobody had any intention to object. He heaved a sigh of relief inside. Wasn’t he also carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders?
794
795Deafening booms echoed out once more as stationary soul cannon shells began to show their fearsome powers explosively. Different beams of light glowed one after another, and large masses of soul beasts perished with each instance.
796
797The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons were still firing crazily from the top of the city wall. The other soul tools and shock bombs that Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect had provided were being unleashed onto the battlefield without any reservation at all.
798
799However, the soul beasts were forging ahead, and still drawing closer and closer to Shrek City. The smell of smoke from guns permeated the air, but the wild stench spreading from those soul beasts was even more penetrating.
800
801Right at this moment, the four Savage Beasts who were hovering in midair finally made their move. Except for the Emerald Swan, who was moving forward slowly, the other three Savage Beasts were flying towards the top of Shrek’s city wall with lightning speed. They weren’t the only ones moving; every Savage Beast had twenty to thirty soul beasts of many different kinds following behind them and moving along with them. There was no exception, and all of those soul beasts possessed the ability to fly.
802
803They were able to follow the Savage Beasts into battle, and this meant their strengths were worthy. Ferocious shadows gradually appeared one after another in the sky, and they were all soul beasts who had at least fifty thousand years of cultivation. Some of them had more than a hundred thousand years of cultivation.
804
805This group was the true main force of the soul beast army; the main force that could determine the outcome of this battle.
806
807The frightening force of the stationary soul cannon shells had unsettled these four Savage Beasts. They discussed with each other via their own special communication methods unique only to them, and they decided to attack with full force.
808
809The deaths of normal soul beasts didn’t really affect the Great Star Dou Forest, but if too many soul beasts died, the forest would still be shaken to its very roots. In the end, top-tier soul beasts were once low-tier soul beasts, and which soul beast didn’t need an ascension process to become a powerful individual? Would the Great Star Dou Forest still have a future if too many low-tier soul beasts perished?
810
811Therefore, even though they knew very well that Shrek City wasn’t sufficiently spent or exhausted, they had no other choice but to activate their main force that could truly determine the outcome of battle. They had to send out their truly mighty beasts!
812
813Everyone from Shrek City was as solemn as could be as they watched the large masses of powerful soul beasts flying toward them in the sky.
814
815Of the four different sides, the Emerald Swan flew behind everyone else toward the southern city wall, and over thirty mighty soul beasts flew in front of her. There were seven or eight soul beasts who had at least a hundred thousand years of cultivation, and there were more hundred thousand year soul beasts in this group than the other three sides. The Emerald Swan was a Savage Beast, but her direct fighting strength wasn’t that strong. In terms of her auxiliary powers and her healing abilities, however, not a single human could match her might. With her around, these formidable soul beasts’ fighting strengths undoubtedly doubled! Nobody was willing to start a fight like this, but did Shrek City have a choice?
816
817There were relatively few hundred-thousand-year soul beasts on the other three sides, but they were charging toward the city with the Savage Beasts who were more adept at fighting.
818
819The Savage Beast who was charging at the fastest pace was the king of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears, the Savage Beast who was known for his violent and fierce temperament: the Bear Lord!
820
821The Bear Lord’s tremendous frame and aura alone gave everyone in Shrek City a feeling as if a mountain was bearing down upon them. Among the defenders on this side, two members of the Sea God’s Pavilion rose up to meet this Savage Beast: the Valkyrie Douluo, Xian Lin’er, and her husband, the Vice-Dean of Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department, Qian Duoduo.
822
823The Bear Lord’s body was simply too massive. Even though he could rely on his formidable cultivation to soar through the sky, he still looked a little clumsy.
824
825The Bear Lord had four hundred and seventy thousand years of cultivation, and that meant he was more powerful than the Ice Empress even when she was at her peak condition. The standards of the Bear Lord’s soul power was close to that of a Rank 97 Titled Douluo. Furthermore, he was a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear! A Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear with four hundred and seventy thousand years of cultivation possessed such formidable direct fighting strength that a typical Ultimate Douluo wouldn’t be confident of defeating him. The Bear Lord was an overbearing presence in the Great Star Dou Forest that nobody dared to disturb.
826
827Xian Lin’er stood on the battlement calmly. The long-range attacks that those soul beasts beneath her fired were immediately sliced into pieces by a formless power when they reached within a hundred meters of her. Their attacks vanished into thin air, and could no longer cause any damage.
828
829Xian Lin’er arrived on the western side of the city after she decided to use all the stationary soul cannon shells, her goal being to challenge the Bear Lord.
830
831Initially, this task didn’t fall to her. She was giving herself more pressure.
832
833Ever since she broke through Rank 95 and became a Transcendent Douluo, she felt that raising her soul power even further was unbelievably difficult, and she finally understood why Yan Shaozhe spent so many years after reaching Rank 95 to ascend another rank. Yan Shaozhe had only recently reached Rank 96, and he was lauded as the number-one prodigy of their generation!
834
835Reality proved that Shrek Academy had never lacked talent, but even talented and gifted individuals would have exhausted all their talent by the time they became Transcendent Douluo.
836
837Every further step after Rank 95 was incredibly challenging, but every rank also meant an immense increase in strength at the same time. Xian Lin’er had once asked Elder Xuan how she could go even further. Elder Xuan told her that humans were like receptacles, and only sufficiently strong pressure could give them enough push and motivation to ignite their potential.
838
839How many people could give Xian Lin’er this pressure in the world today? With Shrek Academy’s environment and surroundings and her status, they would never allow her to take this risk!
840
841However, Shrek no longer had a way out in their current circumstances. The soaring Valkyrie was already full of boundless belligerence and fighting intent. Therefore, she found the Bear Lord, who possessed the strongest frontal fighting strength amongst the four Savage Beasts, and who was also the king of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears.
842
843Qian Duoduo didn’t stand on the top of the city wall like Xian Lin’er did. He quietly stood at a position further back on the city wall, but a layer of formidable soul power undulations permeated his surroundings.
844
845Qian Duoduo’s cultivation rank was lower than Xian Lin’er’s. He had been stuck at Rank 94 for quite some time. Furthermore, he could feel that he would never break through this threshold and ascend to Rank 95 through his entire lifetime, if he didn’t run into some miraculous encounter.
846
847Therefore, he channeled more of his time and energy into researching soul tools. Ever since Xuan Ziwen had arrived, Qian Duoduo had lowered his attitude, and he had long become a frequent guest of the Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall. He seemed to have found a direction to break through from Class 8 to Class 9 in recent days. In the end, he was a true Titled Douluo, and he wasn’t like the Sun Moon Empire’s Class 9 soul engineers, who became Titled Douluo through various cheap methods. Qian Duoduo’s solid soul power rank meant there were many things he could do when he became a Class 9 soul engineer.
848
849There was a row of metal barrels of many different colors planted on the ground in front of him at this moment. There were seven in total, and they were all of varying lengths, thickness, and colors, while every single one seemed to have their own unique characteristics. He was just standing calmly behind these seven barrels as he silently watched Xian Lin’er, who was standing on the battlements. His face was as calm as ever, and there were many other people standing on top of the city wall on this side. This group included seven teachers from the inner courtyard, and another elder from the Sea God’s Pavilion, along with some students from the inner courtyard.
850
851Wu Ming, whose martial soul was a Golden Crow, was part of this group, along with the boyfriend that she had walked away with from the Sea God’s Fate, Chu Qingtian. More accurately put, Chu Qingtian was her husband now.
852
853Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian stood shoulder to shoulder. Chu Qingtian seemed a little melancholic, but Wu Ming’s eyes were filled with excitement, as if there were flames dancing in her eyes. She was one of the Demon Ladies from Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard, and she had always possessed a thirst for battle.
854
855Wu Ming hugged Chu Qingtian across the shoulders and whispered, “Relax a little, don’t be so nervous. Haven’t we been cultivating hard so that we can fight? A big occasion like this isn’t something that we can encounter at any time.”
856
857Chu Qingtian laughed bitterly and said, “I would rather never face a big occasion such as this for my entire life!”
858
859Wu Ming patted him on his back and said, “Don’t worry. I will do my best to protect you later on.”
860
861Chu Qingtian rolled his eyes and said, “Please, I’m the one who should be saying that, right?”
862
863Wu Ming giggled and said, “Who will protect who isn’t determined by gender, it’s determined by fighting strength.”
864
865“…”
866
867The soul beasts flying through the sky had arrived as the two of them exchanged words.
868
869The Bear Lord was within one kilometer from Shrek City, and Xian Lin’er shouted as she applied strength through the tips of her toes, and soared into the sky like an arrow.
870
871The sky was the battlefield for powerful individuals at their level.
872
873Two beams of red light emerged from the Bear Lord’s eyes, and he could clearly feel intense provocation from Xian Lin’er. This human female’s soul power undulations were inferior to his own, but she possessed a unique quality that attracted his attention.
874
875
876
877
878
879Chapter 401.2: The Savage Beasts Enter Battle
880
881
882The Bear Lord roared furiously into the sky as he stretched out his arms, and his massive frame shook as he rose through the air. That wasn’t all; his frame was already humongous, but he became even larger as he gradually raised his arms into the air. Frighteningly long Darkgolden Terrorclaws sprang out, and streaks of black light that resembled cracks in the sky appeared around his sharp talons. He hadn’t sliced out with his sharp claws yet, but his claws’ aura alone tore through the air.
883
884Scorching green flames erupted from Xian Lin’er’s body. She was growing taller, and became more than five meters tall in the blink of an eye, even as green armor appeared on her body.
885
886Her armor covered her entire body like scales as two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings rose from beneath her feet. Her enlarged version seemed to make her younger, as if she were a young girl who was in her twenties, and she had an aura full of belligerence and valor.
887
888Her current form was the true appearance of the soaring Valkyrie. Xian Lin’er’s martial soul was the Greenflame Dragon, and even though her body was releasing green flames, her martial soul’s Element was wind. Those flames were produced after wind-type energies were swiftly converted and compressed, and possessed immense disintegrating properties.
889
890The Greenflame Dragon was considered a species of flying dragon, and her formidable martial soul was on the same level as the Ruby Dragon that Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu had inherited within the Earthdragon Sect. The Ruby Dragon’s Element was Annihilation, and that Element directly obliterated everything, while the Greenflame Dragon’s disintegrating qualities were more focused on slicing and dispersing.
891
892The Greenflame Dragon was theoretically considered a direct descendant of the Golden Dragon, and even the spear in Xian Lin’er’s hands came from her martial soul at birth, similar to the Golden Dragon Spear.
893
894The Valkyrie would never wait on the battlefield. The Bear Lord was becoming larger as he rose into the sky towards her, and Xian Lin’er’s eyes sparkled with intense green light at the same time as she spun around in the air and plummeted downwards. She moved like a green shooting star as she plunged towards the king of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears.
895
896Green flames seemed to seep out of her eyes as she soared through the sky, and she arrived above the Bear Lord in a flash of green light.
897
898The Bear Lord made his move, and he made a move that was strength personified: he swung his enormous arms in front of him and clawed out with his palms facing out.
899
900Terrifying dark golden hues tainted the sky in the next moment. Just what kind of claws were they? Every single talon transformed into a horrifying dark golden blade that was more than a hundred meters long, and his massive Darkgolden Terrorclaws seemed as if they were about to tear the heavens apart. This petrifying sight immediately shook the soldiers who were on Shrek City’s western wall.
901
902The air was completely torn apart wherever these ten sharp talons crossed, and howls could be faintly heard from those torn spaces; one could see faint dots of starlight amid the eerie darkness.
903
904This was the might of a Savage Beast! Even strong individuals like Di Tian and the Evileye Tyrant King were unwilling to take a swipe from the Bear Lord’s Darkgolden Terrorclaws head-on. The Bear Lord was the true king of destruction!
905
906However, something completely unexpected happened. The Valkyrie chose to meet force with force against the Darkgolden Terrorclaws that not even the Beast God himself was willing to meet head-on!
907
908Yes, she chose to meet force with force!
909
910A beam of golden light suddenly shot out from the top of Shrek’s city wall and instantly landed on her green flames. In that instant, the green flames that were descending from the sky were layered and protected by a blurry layer of golden light.
911
912Hazy mist surrounded all that golden light, and everything seemed a little unreal in that instant.
913
914The Bear Lord’s terrifying Darkgolden Terrorclaws swiped across her in a flash. A strange scene occurred when his claws touched that golden light. The bear’s sharp claws skidded away, and the hazy golden light immediately became surreal and illusory in that moment. The green flames’ downward swoop seemed to pause momentarily, as if they had been layered with grease, and they slipped through the cracks between all that dark golden light.
915
916However, the Darkgolden Terrorclaws were simply too destructive. Even though the golden light was filled with spatial power, all that golden light was still torn to pieces as the green flames slipped past his claws.
917
918But that wasn’t important. What was important was that the Valkyrie had achieved her goal.
919
920She slipped through the bear’s deadly claws, and indignant dragon roars echoed throughout the entire battlefield. The green flames became conical, and they went straight for the space between the Bear Lord’s eyebrows.
921
922She broke through just like that.
923
924Back on top of the city wall, Qian Duoduo stared closely at the battle in the sky, and gradually lowered a golden cannon in his hands.
925
926That was Light of Spatial Protection, a Class 8 soul tool.
927
928This soul tool was known amongst Class 8 soul tools as The Unbreakable Fortress, and was a stronger version of the Invincible Barrier. This soul tool allowed the user to temporarily enter another dimension when taking a hit, but even so, the Bear Lord’s Darkgolden Terrorclaws still managed to tear through space itself, which meant hiding in another dimension couldn’t entirely evade his attack. It wasn’t hard to imagine how frightening the Bear Lord’s attacking strength was. That was just pure offensive strength!
929
930However, their plan was successful in the end. They had been married for many years, and Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin’er’s chemistry and teamwork was so good that they were almost the same person.
931
932They were very clear that in terms of strength, they were no match for the Bear Lord even if they teamed up. They could only make use of the Bear Lord’s unfamiliarity and lack of understanding toward soul tools at the start of the battle to catch him by surprise so that they would have a chance to strike.
933
934That was the reason why they had come up with such a fighting strategy, and Xian Lin’er chose to meet force with force when everyone thought she would avoid the bear’s sharp claws.
935
936The Bear Lord’s frame was too massive, and his excessively large body meant he wasn’t very agile. After he grew bigger, the bear was a hundred meters tall, while Xian Lin’er moved with incredible speed. The Bear Lord’s arms had just swung through the air when the conical green flames reached the center of his eyebrows, and he didn’t have a chance to respond.
937
938However, the Bear Lord chose a response that surprised every onlooker.
939
940He didn’t even attempt to dodge this attack. His dark golden eyes flickered with blood-red colors, and were filled with disdain and indifference as he lowered his head, usign his forehead to clash against the conical green flames.
941
942That was an all-out attack from Xian Lin’er, a Rank 95 Transcendent Douluo, who was known as the Valkyrie! Even though she didn’t use her strongest soul skill because she desired speed, could the Bear Lord’s body just forcefully clash against her formidable attack that possessed disintegrating qualities?
943
944BAM!
945
946Green flames scattered in all directions in the sky, and Xian Lin’er’s figurereappeared in the sky as she spiraled through the air. The tremendous impact rendered her unable to control her own body, and she channeled soul power continuously to stabilize herself as she flew backwards rapidly.
947
948And the Bear Lord? He simply arched his large head backwards, and several strands of dark golden fur drifted down from his forehead. He used the back of his paws and rubbed his forehead before he howled furiously. It seemed like all he took was a little pain, and he didn’t suffer any real injuries at all.
949
950The soul masters watching from the top of the city wall were astounded when they saw this. Nothing happened to the Bear Lord when he clashed forcefully with an attack from a Transcendent Douluo? He didn’t even shed a single drop of blood. That was simply too unbelievable! Were the Bear Lord’s defenses that fierce and formidable?
951
952Yes, the bear’s defenses were indeed that strong.
953
954Xian Lin’er felt this the most because she was the one who had attacked him. When her Greenflame Spear stabbed into the Bear Lord’s forehead, she felt as if she had actually clashed with a shooting star. Terrifying strength instantly sent her hurtling through the air, and her right arm that was holding onto her Greenflame Spear was all sore and numb.
955
956One could only understand whether the opponent was strong or weak in an actual encounter.
957
958Not a single beast wasn’t worthy of their reputation, and the Bear Lord lived up to his name as number five of the Ten Great Savage Beasts! There was no question that he possessed the strongest offensive capabilities among today’s four Savage Beasts.
959
960The Bear Lord’s muscular chest bulged as he swung his arms outward. His thick arms stretched out at his side, and he howled furiously as he suddenly raised his Darkgolden Terrorclaws high into the sky. All his fur began to shine with intense golden light, and in that moment, he sparkled and shone like a sun.
961
962His roars were extremely thick and dense, and they resonated through the heavens like dull thunderclaps. His roars shook the soul masters and soldiers standing on the city wall beneath him until they felt dizzy, while the soul beasts that were attacking the city became exceptionally excited. Their attacking momentum became fiercer than before, and the soul tools on top of the city wall seemed like they couldn’t hold those soul beasts back any longer.
963
964Xian Lin’er’s expression instantly became serious and solemn. She had the strongest feelings about the Bear Lord because she was facing him directly. She couldn’t really withstand the Bear Lord’s frightening pressure, which resembled that of a mountain, even with her cultivation rank, and the green dragon scales on the surface of her body rippled continuously to dispel that pressure.
965
966Is the Bear Lord using his signature move from the get-go? What kind of fighting style is this?
967
968Xian Lin’er didn’t dare to neglect her opponent. The Bear Lord was stronger than she had predicted, and she grit her teeth as she raised her Greenflame Spear high into the air. The green flames on her body flourished at the same time, and waves of dragon roars could be heard. Her seventh soul ring glowed as she instantly transformed into a giant green dragon and circled in midair. She unleashed layers of green flame again and again, and these flames formed a colossal green dragon head in front of her as she stared at the Bear Lord opposite her in the distance.
969
970Qian Duoduo didn’t idle around, either. Xian Lin’er was evidently unable to stop the Bear Lord by herself, and he tapped the ground with the tip of his foot as he swiftly flew out from the city. This time, he didn’t carry his soul tools. Nine soul rings glimmered on his body, and his seventh soul ring sparkled as black light gradually cocooned his body while he rose into the sky. He transformed into an enormous shield, and swiftly rose to Xian Lin’er’s side.
971
972This shield was squarish, and there were black dragon patterns on its surface. A Black Dragon seemed to shimmer on the shield’s surface, but the dragon’s eyes weren’t golden like that of the Beast God, but red instead. The shield’s surface seemed to be inlaid with two red gems.
973
974This was Qian Duoduo’s martial soul, the Black Dragon Shield!
975
976Back in the day, Qian Duoduo, Cai Mei’er, Xian Lin’er, and Yan Shaozhe were known as Shrek’s golden generation because their martial souls were all powerful, and they possessed formidable strength. Yan Shaozhe was the strongest among them, and Xian Lin’er came next, and Cai Mei’er after her. Qian Duoduo was weakest one, but he was a defense-type soul master, and his defensive capabilities were the most outstanding among them. This was also the most important reason why he chose to become a soul engineer in the end. There was a part of his past that was very regrettable, and he craved offensive power.
977
978
979
980
981
982Chapter 401.3: The Savage Beasts Enter Battle
983
984
985Faced with a powerful enemy, Qian Duoduo finally chose to fight using his own martial soul. He was willing to become Xian Lin’er’s shield.
986
987Xian Lin’er, who was in her Greenflame Dragon form, glanced at Qian Duoduo beside her. Faint light flickered in her eyes as she lowered her voice and growled, “Be careful, old Qian.”
988
989“Don’t worry.” His Black Dragon Shield’s dragon mouth opened and closed.
990
991The Bear Lord made his move at this moment. The thick and dense golden light on its body suddenly all concentrated toward his twin claws, and his initially dark golden claws instantly became brilliantly golden. Streaks of light that resembled waves flowed on the surface of his razor-sharp claws, eventually stopping at the edge of his claws.
992
993“Go to hell, the both of you!” the Bear Lord shouted ferociously as he slashed his sharp claws towards Xian Lin’er, as if he were cutting open heaven and earth.
994
995A terrifying scene appeared. Ten razor-sharp golden blades that were at least a thousand meters long appeared on his Darkgolden Terrorclaws, and ten enormous gashes were instantly torn open in the sky as the bear’s frightening claws slashed toward Xian Lin’er.
996
997The Bear Lord was furious, and the consequences were serious.
998
999Xian Lin’er’s spear did injure him. Even though his wounds weren’t serious, the Bear Lord was irascible and had a terrible temper. He had dominated the Great Star Dou Forest for so many years, and it had been a long time since he was last hurt. His fight had just begun, and his opponent had already injured him! That was incredibly humiliating to him. He was one of the most arrogant kinds of soul beasts, and he didn’t give face to anyone except for Di Tian. Everyone feared him in the Great Star Dou Forest.
1000
1001The Bear Lord was hurt when he had just started his fight today. It infuriated him!
1002
1003The attack that he was unleashing at the moment wasn’t one of his innate abilities. Instead, he had managed to grow it over time, and by relying on his formidable strength. This was similar to a human soul master’s self-invented fighting technique, yet this attack was even stronger than those self-invented fighting techniques, because the Bear Lord was raising his Darkgolden Terrorclaw’s destructive power to its strongest possible level.
1004
1005The Bear Lord’s giant thousand-meter claws actually tore open the sky. Those deep and hideous gashes produced enormous vacuum forces, and Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin’er were being forcefully sucked towards them. They hurriedly channeled their soul power, and only then could they barely stabilize themselves.
1006
1007The green dragon head that had condensed in front of Xian Lin’er before this flew forward uncontrollably. Xian Lin’er hadn’t expected the Bear Lord’s attack to have such effects, and she had no time to control her dragon head further. She gritted her teeth and activated all her soul power to propel that green dragon head further.
1008
1009Dragon roars echoed throughout the sky as the Greenflame Dragon’s head rose through the air. Tremendous disintegrating powers tainted the sky with bluish-green hues, and everything seemed exceptionally gorgeous.
1010
1011It was a pity that this gorgeousness didn’t last for very long. When those frightening thousand meter-long claws tore through the sky, the bluish-green colors were swiftly consumed by the space that had been slashed open. Xian Lin’er’s green dragon head was almost instantly torn into a million pieces.
1012
1013The Bear Lord had coined this attack his Skytear Claw. He had once attempted to challenge Di Tian’s authority, and had relied on this attack to severely wound Di Tian. Of course, Di Tian taught him a very, very painful lesson afterwards because of this very fact. Di Tian treasured the Bear Lord’s strength, so he didn’t kill him for this affront. Otherwise, the Bear Lord would have become Di Tian’s food a long time ago.
1014
1015The Bear Lord’s Skytear Claw only paused momentarily in the air when Xian Lin’er’s Greenflame dragon head blocked it. Its intense golden light dimmed momentarily before it continued slashing down towards Xian Lin’er.
1016
1017Xian Lin’er growled as bluish-green light circles glowed on her Greenflame Dragon form one after another, and surged out continuously. The Bear Lord’s razor-sharp claws had arrived, and these light circles forcefully blocked those claws.
1018
1019However, the light circles didn’t last for long. The Bear Lord’s Skytear Claw cut through and shattered those light circles one after another, like a hot knife cutting through butter, and his sharp claws were coming closer and closer to Xian Lin’er.
1020
1021The green lights on Xian Lin’er’s body became stronger, and the green flames burning on her body caused the air around her to twist and contort. But even so, she still couldn’t stop those sharp claws from descending upon her.
1022
1023Xian Lin’er understood in this moment that she was wrong from the start, and her choice to meet the Bear Lord’s force with force was her gravest mistake. The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear was most adept at breaking through defenses, and his offensive capabilities were just far too strong. She didn’t stand a single chance meeting force with force, and she should have chosen hit-and-run tactics. Perhaps then she would have been able to hold the Bear Lord down for a longer time.
1024
1025Unfortunately, understanding everything now was far too late. The Bear Lord’s claws tore open the sky, and those deep gashes in the sky possessed immense suction force. The reason why this attack was terrifying was because his opponent would know that the Bear Lord’s Skytear Claw possessed frightening attacking strength, but the deep gashes in the torn space would pull his opponent in, so his opponent had no choice but to meet force with force.
1026
1027Am I going to die just like this?
1028
1029Right at this moment, Xian Lin’er suddenly felt her entire body lighten, and the pressure in front of her abruptly disappeared. She could see a huge patch of black in front of her.
1030
1031An enormous black shield blocked for her, and the Bear Lord’s sharp claws slashed against this shield with ear-piercing slicing sounds.
1032
1033Black Dragons circled around the shield, and waves of dragon roars sounded like laments as nine soul rings sparkled continuously. They released soul skills one after another in an attempt to block the terrifying sharp claws, but the shield itself was quivering violently. Xian Lin’er was behind this shield, but she could clearly see cracks starting to appear one after another.
1034
1035“No!” Xian Lin’er shouted at the top of her voice, and bolted forward in a flash so that she could continue blocking those Darkgolden Terrorclaws.
1036
1037However, a ray of black light shot out from behind the shield and cocooned her. Black light burst out from the shield immediately afterwards.
1038
1039Vigorous booms rang out continuously as the Bear Lord’s Skytear Claw finally erupted into golden dots that dissipated into the sky, and the deep gashes in the sky closed up at the same time.
1040
1041Black light descended from the sky, and plummeted to the top of Shrek City’s western wall.
1042
1043Everything happened too quickly, to the point where Shrek Academy’s various powerful individuals were too late to reinforce Xian Lin’er even if they wanted to. They could only watch everything unfurl before their very eyes.
1044
1045The Bear Lord’s radiance was conspicuously dimmer than before after he unleashed his Skytear Claw. His chest heaved up and down as he panted faintly. Even with his four hundred and seventy thousand years of cultivation, he still had to take a breather after using all his strength in one attack.
1046
1047A green beam of light surged into the sky above Shrek City and blocked the Bear Lord. It was Elder Song, who had a furious look on her face.
1048
1049Elder Song hadn’t participated directly in the fighting. Instead, she had coordinated with everyone and supported them from one side so that she could respond to any emergencies or dangers that might occur on any front.
1050
1051Xian Lin’er hadn’t expected the Bear Lord to use his signature move from the get-go, and Elder Song didn’t see that coming either. She was originally focused on another side of the city. From her perspective, with her daughter and her daughter’s husband teaming up against the Bear Lord, they would be able to hold him back even if they couldn’t defeat him. Who would have thought that the Bear Lord wouldn’t follow conventional behaviour and unleash his Skytear Claw at the start of the fight?
1052
1053Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo had already clashed with the Bear Lord’s Skytear Claw by the time Elder Song realized what was going on.
1054
1055Elder Song instantly transformed into a green beam and rocketed towards the Bear Lord, using her martial soul true body, her Greenshadow Godly Hawk.
1056
1057The truth was that Elder Song’s abilities were the best counter to the Bear Lord. She could best evade the Bear Lord’s destructiveness with her speed.
1058
1059—
1060
1061Back at the top of the city wall…
1062
1063The black light struck the city wall and revealed its original form…Qian Duoduo.
1064
1065Both he and Xian Lin’er were back in their human form at this point. Xian Lin’er was in his embrace, but Qian Duoduo’s tall and strong body was full of cuts and gashes that wove across his entire frame. Flesh and skin rolled and folded, and glaring white bones were revealed on many parts of his body, as if he were a man made of blood.
1066
1067“Wah…” A mouthful of blood spurted from Qian Duoduo’s mouth onto Xian Lin’er’s body. His muscular frame swayed as he forced himself to put Xian Lin’er on the ground before he crumpled down next to her.
1068
1069“Duoduo.” Xian Lin’er hugged him tightly, and her eyes were filled with tears.
1070
1071Of course she knew what Qian Duoduo had just done. In order to block the Bear Lord’s attack, Qian Duoduo chose to detonate his Black Dragon Shield. He had relied on the formidable offensive strength that a Titled Douluo could produce by detonating his martial soul to dispel the Bear Lord’s frightening Skytear Claw.
1072
1073However, Qian Duoduo was severely injured because of that. Was detonating one’s martial soul that easy? Martial souls were a part of any human on the Douluo Continent, and the stronger one’s martial soul was, the more intimate its fusion was with one’s body. To say that one’s martial soul was the most important part of one’s body for Titled Douluo couldn’t possibly be wrong.
1074
1075Qian Duoduo didn’t just detonate his own martial soul, as he had to take the rest of Skytear Claw’s remaining force as well.
1076
1077Fresh blood fountained from Qian Duoduo’s mouth. His pupils were already starting to grow slack and disorganized, but his face was strangely full of smiles.
1078
1079“Duoduo, how are you? Duoduo?” Xian Lin’er wasn’t good at healing at all, and she didn’t know how to help him. “Why are you so foolish? Why did you take the brunt of everything by yourself? You…”
1080
1081Xian Lin’er was sobbing uncontrollably at this point.
1082
1083“Lin… Er. Heh… heh. I’ve always… wanted… to call you… that. Except… I never… dared to… on normal days. But… at a time… like this… I dare… Because, if I don’t… call you that now… I may never… get the chance again…” Qian Duoduo’s voice was quivering, but he tried his best to steady his voice. Blood continued flowing from his mouth as he spoke, and even his nose and ears were bleeding profusely. The Bear Lord’s attack wasn’t just razor-sharp, it also possessed immense vibratory force!
1084
1085Right at this moment, a shadow swiftly flew over to Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo and landed right next to them. He pressed his hand down on Qian Duoduo as countless verdant bluish-green vines surged out from his hands and quickly attached themselves to Qian Duoduo’s body. Nine soul rings emerged from beneath his feet and circled around his body. His first, fourth, and sixth soul rings glowed first as gentle bluish-green light flowed continuously into Qian Duoduo.
1086
1087This man who came forward in time to treat Qian Duoduo was the only elder of the Sea God’s Pavilion who was adept with healing and treatment: Elder Zhuang, who was an auxiliary-type Titled Douluo.
1088
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093Chapter 402.1: Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er
1094
1095
1096He was the one who had helped to stabilize Huo Yuhao’s injuries along with Elder Xuan when Huo Yuhao returned after plucking a Yearning Heartbroken Grass.
1097
1098On the battlefield, he also became the busiest person, moving to treat whoever was injured.
1099
1100As Qian Duoduo suffered a critical injury, he naturally rushed over as quickly as possible.
1101
1102When Xian Lin’er saw Elder Zhuang, it was as if she had seen a life-saving straw. “Elder Zhuang, save him, quick, save him! How’s Duoduo?”
1103
1104Elder Zhuang looked very gloomy and gently shook his head. “Difficult!”
1105
1106When Xian Lin’er heard that, her tears started to flow uncontrollably once again. If even Elder Zhuang, who was the most adept at healing in Shrek Academy, claimed that saving Qian Duoduo was difficult, more than half of Qian Duoduo’s life was already gone!
1107
1108“Duoduo, you can’t die. You, how can you die? You are so strong! You’ll be able to survive. You’ll be able to, right? Tell me. Tell me that you’ll be able to survive.” Xian Lin’er grabbed onto Qian Duoduo’s hand tightly, and her voice was hoarse from all the crying.
1109
1110Qian Duoduo coughed twice and spat out two foamy mouthfuls of blood. He looked slightly better after being treated by Elder Zhuang.
1111
1112At this point, two other figures rushed over. They were Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei’er, the two deans of the Martial Soul Department.
1113
1114They were shocked when they saw Qian Duoduo, and they also noticed the situation on the west side of the city. Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo were both struck down by the Bear Lord’s all-out attack. As they didn’t know how the two of them were faring, they naturally rushed over to check out the situation immediately.
1115
1116“Old Qian, how are you?” Yan Shaozhe squatted down on the other side of Qian Duoduo.
1117
1118Qian Duoduo chortled, “I’m… fine. It’s… pretty good like this. The two of you… came at the right time. I’ve some things… to say since I’ve some… time left.”
1119
1120Xian Lin’er’s eyes were filled with tears as she said, “Duoduo, stop talking. Focus, and let Elder Zhuang treat you properly. You mustn’t die. You…”
1121
1122Elder Zhuang seemed to have used up a lot of soul power as he treated Qian Duoduo, and Qian Duoduo’s voice slowly became smoother. He laughed bitterly. “Although my cultivation can’t compare to the two of you, do you really think I don’t know my own condition? Let me finish talking.”
1123
1124Xian Lin’er was sobbing as she said, “You, you can say anything you want…”
1125
1126Qian Duoduo’s gaze turned gentler as he looked at her. “Lin’er, I like you very much. It’s true. From the day I entered the Academy, I’ve always liked you. However, you should know that I’m not good enough for you. You’re so pretty, and you capture everyone’s attention. I can only hide my liking for you deep in my heart, and I can only watch you from afar. Even so, I’m already very satisfied.”
1127
1128Xian Lin’er was in a daze as she looked at Qian Duoduo. Her face turned slightly pale. Although they had been married for years, Qian Duoduo had never said anything like this to her before.
1129
1130Qian Duoduo had a reminiscent look in his eyes, “Then, I could see you every day in the Academy, and it was the greatest blessing for me. However, this blessing soon faded away. As I silently observed you, I discovered that you’d already developed a liking for someone else. You liked Yan Shaozhe. Both of you are assault-type soul masters. He’s handsome, talented, and has a strong martial soul. There were so many students in our class that had a crush on him then!”
1131
1132Yan Shaozhe’s face turned red as he heard this, and he twisted his head to look at Cai Mei’er. Cai Mei’er acted like she didn’t hear anything and only smiled slightly at him to hint that she didn’t mind.
1133
1134“Yes, Shaozhe is much more outstanding than me and is better than me in all aspects. At that point in time, I became slightly jealous. I was jealous that he was able to capture your heart. To surpass him, I gave my all in the hopes of catching up to him. However, a nightmare happened to me. After a temporary, preliminary selection by the Academy, we were about to be placed in different classes. As a defense-type soul master, I couldn’t possibly be in the same class as you. I really hated myself then for being a defense-type soul master. I really wished I was also an assault-type or a control-type soul master! In that way, I could continue to see you every day.
1135
1136“The rules of the Academy couldn’t be changed, and I was eventually separated from you. After I went to another class, I thought to myself that I had to give my all. Even if I couldn’t obtain your love, I had to defeat Shaozhe. At least in terms of abilities, I had to be better than him.
1137
1138“I cultivated tirelessly every day. Once classes were over, I would always quietly walk past the front of your class. If I was lucky, I could take a glance at you, which left me very happy.
1139
1140“However, a bigger nightmare occurred. After some time, I heard some of your classmates mention that you were dating him and that the two of you had become a couple. It was a huge blow to me then. I was extremely upset for a couple of days. I really wanted to charge in front of you and tell you that I liked you. However, I was never courageous enough. When I looked in the mirror and saw myself, I only felt inferior.
1141
1142“Do you still remember? During the first internal competition of the Academy, I finally had the chance to defeat Shaozhe. I faced him during the semifinals. I fought extremely hard for that fight, and we fought for two hours until our soul power was drained.”
1143
1144“I still lost in the end, though. However, I was surprised when all the teachers believed that I was unyielding, and was willing to fight. They believed that I had great potential, and started to nurture me.
1145
1146“After that, I made my way into the inner courtyard and became a disciple there. I finally had more time to see you. However, I was extremely tormented every time I saw you because he was always with you. Shaozhe’s talent was indeed too great. I kept on chasing after him, but I wasn’t able to catch him. Every time we fought, I always lost. I started to believe that there was something called ’talent’ in this world. After he became Elder Mu’s disciple, he managed to widen the gap between us. I knew then that, perhaps, I wouldn’t be able to surpass him in this life.”
1147
1148Yan Shaozhe sighed as he silently listened to Qian Duoduo’s words. He said, “Duoduo, do you know? I was also giving my all at that point in time because you were chasing me too hard. I had no choice to place all my focus on my cultivation and studies to prevent being surpassed by you. In fact, you’d already succeeded then. As I was too focused on these two things, I spent very little time with Lin’er.”
1149
1150Qian Duoduo chortled and said, “Is that so? That’s great, then.”
1151
1152If it were any other time, Yan Shaozhe might have turned sarcastic. However, Qian Duoduo was extremely pale right now, and his life aura was getting weaker and weaker. Even though they hadn’t shared a harmonious relationship in all these years because of Xian Lin’er, Yan Shaozhe couldn’t say anything harsh to Qian Duoduo at this point.
1153
1154Qian Duoduo twisted his head to look at Yan Shaozhe, and the gentleness in his eyes turned into fury, “If it were me, I wouldn’t have left Lin’er for even a minute. I would have protected and taken care of her forever? What about you? You are a scoundrel that only knows how to hurt her. You said that you cultivated tirelessly because I was hot on your heels, but why did you have so much time to flirt with other girls? Why did you hurt Lin’er? Even so, she stayed true and continued to love you deeply. Do you know that?”
1155
1156Yan Shaozhe was half-red and half-pale. When he looked at Qian Duoduo, who was getting weaker and weaker, he wasn’t able to muster a reply. In fact, Qian Duoduo wasn’t wrong.
1157
1158Cai Mei’er walked to Xian Lin’er’s side and gently patted her shoulder. After this, she turned around and left. She didn’t care about Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin’er’s past. However, she was one of the girls that Yan Shaozhe had flirted with. In addition, she was the victor out of all the girls. She wasn’t willing to listen any further. Furthermore, they belonged to the same golden generation. Seeing that Qian Duoduo was on the verge of death, she couldn’t control herself.
1159
1160Qian Duoduo glared at Yan Shaozhe, and his face started turning red. It seemed as if he had regained some vitality due to his fury, “You hurt Lin’er time and time again, but she forgave you time and time again! It was only when she saw you getting intimate with other women that she decided enough was enough and left you.”
1161
1162Yan Shaozhe lowered his head in pain. “Yes, I wasn’t resilient enough. However, I realized my mistake after Lin’er left me. I searched everywhere for her, but I didn’t manage to find her. I only wanted another chance. It was only after losing her that I realized how much I loved her. However, she had already become your wife after she returned. Do you know how much pain I felt then?”
1163
1164“You deserve it!” Xian Lin’er suddenly lifted her head and shouted at Yan Shaozhe.
1165
1166Yan Shaozhe seemed to have lost all his energy, and his head drooped.
1167
1168“Lin’er is right. You deserve it! After she returned, did you persist? You chose to be a coward and quickly got together with Mei’er before marrying her. Have you ever admitted your mistake to Lin’er? Did you try to seek her forgiveness? No, you didn’t. You are a coward!” Qian Duoduo’s voice was trembling right now and he started to speak choppily, “Yan Shaozhe, let me tell you something. My marriage with Lin’er was actually a result of her desire to make you infuriated. Nothing has ever happened between us. Even after being married for years, we’ve remained clean until now. Lin’er is still a virgin. It’s because she loves you that she couldn’t handle the pain you brought to her, and thought of such a method to test your love for her. What about you? What did you give her in return? Your gift to her was your marriage to Mei’er!”
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174Chapter 402.2: Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er
1175
1176
1177“What, what did you say?” Yan Shaozhe opened his eyes wide and grabbed the front of Qian Duoduo’s shirt. There was an unbelievable look in his eyes.
1178
1179Bang! Xian Lin’er slashed her palm towards Yan Shaozhe and roared furiously, “Don’t touch him! If you dare touch him, I’ll fight it out with you!”
1180
1181Yan Shaozhe struck a battlement after he was hit by Xian Lin’er. Given his cultivation, he shouldn’t be in such a sorry state as he fell to the ground. However, he seemed as if he had lost his soul right now.
1182
1183Xian Lin’er was holding onto Qian Duoduo’s shoulder with one hand and letting him rest on her body. She used her other hand to hold his hand and sobbed as she asked, “Why are you telling him all this? What’s the point?”
1184
1185Qian Duoduo suddenly turned pale, and a wave of weakness caused him to even be unable to lift his eyelids. He slowly shut them, and his voice also became weaker. “Because… I won’t have the time… to say… it if I don’t… say it… right now. You… suffered so much… for him… in your heart… all these years. How… can he… not learn it? Lin’er… get together… with him… if… you still love him. I never, ever… thought of… stopping you. All these years, we were only… a couple in name… but we aren’t a true couple. You’ve always… remained pure. In fact… I’ve always wanted to… muster the courage to ask you… whether you even like me a little. However, I’ve… never dared to. I’m afraid that… I won’t be able to see you… every day anymore. It’s true… did you know that? All these years, I was… most afraid that… you’d suddenly… end… this marriage. Although it’s… not… really a true… marriage… I was still very comforted by it… in my heart. I’m… going soon. Lin’er, take good… care of yourself. I’ve… never… had the courage……to say anything, but I… finally… have it… now. I love… you. I really… love… you… more than… myself.”
1186
1187After he finished speaking, his body trembled slightly, and he leaned his head in Xian Lin’er’s embrace before he stopped breathing.
1188
1189“Duoduo, Duoduo…” Lin’er exclaimed anxiously. However, Qian Duoduo didn’t react to her at all.
1190
1191“Duoduo, you’re so silly. Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier? You… why are you so silly? Why did I fall in love with that scoundrel? I’ve already lost all hope for him in my heart. I know how well you treat me. It’s just that I’ve been unable to cross the barrier in my heart. We were both too silly. I made you wait for so many years because I was too reserved. Duoduo, I’m sorry…
1192
1193“Duoduo, will you wake up? I’ll answer your question now. You also belong in my heart. I don’t know if this is love, but humans have feelings. You’ve been with me for years, and taken meticulous care of me. How could I not know this? I’m also a person with a heart. My heart has already been quietly reformed by you. It’s just that I’ve been unwilling to admit it. I don’t know if that feeling is love, but I really can’t do without you. I can’t leave you. Duoduo, don’t die. Wake up. As long as you wake up, I’ll be your real wife. I’ll accompany you forever. Duoduo…”
1194
1195Xian Lin’er was weeping, and Yan Shaozhe was in a daze as he sat where he was. There was a depressed look on his face. He silently lowered his head and didn’t even dare to look at Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo. In terms of relationships, he was a complete failure.
1196
1197As he slowly stood up, Yan Shaozhe walked up to Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin’er. He muttered, “Old Qian, you’ve won. I’ve won in terms of abilities. However, you’ve won in terms of relationships. In that regard, I’ve lost to you utterly. You used your persistence to trounce me completely. You’re right. I don’t deserve Lin’er’s love, and I don’t deserve to be with her. Old Qian, I admire you.”
1198
1199As he spoke, he bent his waist and bowed respectfully at a ninety-degree angle.
1200
1201“Cough cough.” At this moment, unfriendly coughs suddenly sounded.
1202
1203Elder Zhuang stood up and walked to Xian Lin’er’s side. He patted her shoulder and said, “Alright, stop crying. Send Duoduo back to rest.”
1204
1205“What?” Xian Lin’er was stunned, and lifted her head to look at Elder Zhuang.
1206
1207Elder Zhuang acted as if nothing had happened, and said, “He’s lost too much blood and even detonated his martial soul. He’s hurt badly, and can’t drain too much energy. This is why I’ll have to let him sleep for a while. I’ll feed him some medicine when he returns. Given his physical condition, I’m sure he’ll be fine in around ten days’ time.”
1208
1209“Ah?” Xian Lin’er blinked. There were still tears in her eyes. However, she was completely in a daze. This turn of events was simply too sudden.
1210
1211Xian Lin’er was in slight disbelief, and her lips were shaking as she asked, “You, didn’t you say just now that…?”
1212
1213Elder Zhuang smiled and replied, “You were too frantic because you were too concerned about him. Although he has fainted and his pulse is weak, he’s not gone! I said that it was more difficult to treat him given his critical injuries. I didn’t say they were untreatable. Alright, quickly, send him back. The soul beasts are attacking the city with even greater intensity. I’m going to treat the others. Come back to fight too, and be careful not to be careless again.”
1214
1215After he finished speaking, Elder Zhuang drifted into the air and disappeared……
1216
1217After watching Elder Xuan disappear, Xian Lin’er took a look at Qian Duoduo again. She sensed his body more carefully, and saw that it was true that Qian Duoduo wasn’t dead, although his breathing was weak. She stopped crying, but her face turned slightly red.
1218
1219Earlier, everyone around could clearly hear her confession. She wasn’t even able to preserve her greatest secret anymore! However, it was truly wonderful that Qian Duoduo wasn’t dead!
1220
1221Xian Lin’er didn’t dare to look at the others around her, and she carried Qian Duoduo into the air and disappeared towards Shrek Academy.
1222
1223Elder Zhuang drifted to another place where there were other injured people. He wore a smile on his face. As he treated the wounded, he muttered to himself, “These two kids were really worrisome. Duoduo, you really owe me a huge favor! Haha!”
1224
1225—
1226
1227Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo’s relationship finally bore fruit after a life-and-death situation. However, Shrek City was in a disastrous situation right now.
1228
1229Qian Duoduo was critically injured at the western side of the city, and Xian Lin’er had no choice but to temporarily leave the battlefield. Although the Greenshadow Douluo Elder Song managed to pester the Bear Lord using the speed of her Greenshadow Godly Hawk, the Bear Lord’s terrifying offensive and defensive strength were simply too dominant. Elder Song found it very difficult to hold him off.
1230
1231The eastern side of the city was in slightly better condition. The Scarlet King’s abilities were slightly inferior, and he was resisted by a Rank 96 elder. The attack of the soul beasts from the east side was also not very ferocious.
1232
1233However, the northern and southern sides were getting into more and more trouble.
1234
1235The southern side was where the soul beast army’s main attack was concentrated. Under the leadership of Bi Ji and her immense healing abilities, the soul beasts weren’t afraid of death. Soul tools weren’t able to completely suppress them anymore. While the explosions of stationary soul cannon shells managed to cause huge losses to the soul beast army, they also strengthened the resolve of the soul beasts. There were already soul beasts that were charging up towards the top of the city wall and starting to engage in close-combat. The students from Shrek Academy were also slowly finding themselves in melee.
1236
1237Things were equally bad at the northern side of the city. The Myriad Demon King couldn’t compare to the Bear Lord in terms of offensive strength, whose abilities could completely curbed his own. However, the Myriad Demon King was much more effective on a battlefield then the Bear Lord.
1238
1239If the Bear Lord was like an assault-type soul master, then the Myriad Demon King was like a control-type soul master.
1240
1241The Myriad Demon King continuously unleashed countless vines from his body and swept them towards the top of the northern city wall. Although there were elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion who tried to stop him, he was simply too strong, and also very sly. He kept moving around, and the two elders that were attacking him were helpless against him. Given that the soul beast army was approaching from beneath the city wall, they didn’t dare to venture too far away. They could only keep on slashing the Myriad Demon King’s vines.
1242
1243Even so, more than half of the large soul tools used to defend the city were destroyed by the Myriad Demon King. Furthermore, the vines also became ladders for the soul beasts to climb up the city wall. The northern city wall was in a critical situation. There were more soul beasts charging up towards the top there than on any other side. More and more of the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion had no choice but to proceed towards the northern city wall to hold the fort.
1244
1245—
1246
1247Southern city wall…
1248
1249The Tang Sect was slowly being integrated into the battle. Ji Juechen was standing in front, and he held his Judgment Sword in both hands.
1250
1251A lion-shaped, ten-thousand-year soul beast charged up towards the city wall and roared furiously into the sky. He shook the ordinary soldiers off-balance with his roar.
1252
1253Ji Juechen pointed his Judgment Sword at him, and a sharp streak of sword light shot out. It transformed into a longsword that slashed toward this lion.
1254
1255However, this lion was very cunning. After sensing the sharp sword intent, it turned around and jumped off the city wall. It was undoubtedly the best way of dodging.
1256
1257However, the strike of a Thunderous Dragon Claw came down diagonally and blocked its path. A huge cauldron also fell from the sky.
1258
1259It was struck with paralysis and shock, causing it to freeze in mid-air. A black light shone, and its head was chopped off.
1260
1261A huge lizard suddenly leapt up from the bottom of the city wall towards the Tang Sect’s formation. It was charging at Jiang Nannan.
1262
1263Xu Sanshi pulled Jiang Nannan and shifted their positions before his Xuanwu Shield was unleashed. A boom rang out from his shield.
1264
1265
1266
1267
1268
1269Chapter 402.3: Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er
1270
1271
1272While the huge lizard had charged with ferocious momentum, it was now unable to move even an inch closer, blocked by the Xuanwu Shield. Xu Sanshi pulled Jiang Nannan with his left hand while he unleashed his shield with his right hand. Jiang Nannan exploited the momentum of his pull to flip her body up before she did a handstand on his head. After this, she bent her waist as if she had no bones in her body. Her toes touched the top of the soul beast’s neck.
1273
1274Her second soul ring lit up, and a strange yellow glow spread from her legs. After this, Jiang Nannan started to spin rapidly, using her body as a pivot.
1275
1276Jiang Nannan’s second soul skill was called Gravity Control. She wasn’t just controlling her opponent, she was also controlling herself.
1277
1278The huge lizard’s head was slammed against the wall. Jiang Nannan exerted force with her toes, and directly crushed the central nerves of this thousand-year lizard. Its body started contorting, and it was unable to crawl forward anymore.
1279
1280Nan Shuishui, Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi followed the members of the Tang Sect, ready to reinforce them if needed. Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi were still fine. They fully understood the abilities of everyone from the Tang Sect, but this was the first time Nan Shuishui had witnessed them in action.
1281
1282She was very impressed with all these young people who possessed six-ringed and even seven-ringed cultivations. Not only did they possess the best combination of soul rings, but each of them had specialized in something. When they unleashed their soul skills, they were extremely strong, and their control was even more frightening. They didn’t waste a single drop of their soul power, and were always able to defeat their enemies with the simplest method.
1283
1284Ji Juechen was still the most lethal among everyone. When he slashed his Judgement Sword, thousand-year soul beasts were completely unable to resist his strength. Wherever his sword light passed, all the soul beasts that attempted to climb the city wall were killed. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts were only able to resist him slightly before they were overwhelmed. While the movements of his sword were very simple, he was definitely not inferior to an eight-ringed Soul Douluo in terms of lethality.
1285
1286More and more soul beasts were charging up towards the top of the city walls. As physical combat started to break out, Shrek Academy fully demonstrated its strength. Every teacher and student possessed great fighting strength!
1287
1288Furthermore, they shared great chemistry with one another. The assault-type, agility-type, defense-type, auxiliary-type and control-type soul masters coordinated very well with one another. They suffered very few casualties as they managed to fight off the assault of the soul beasts.
1289
1290The soul rings that the Tang Sect had obtained under the leadership of Xuan Ziwen earlier played a very important role right now. Many of the Shrek City Defense Army’s soul masters were strengthened because of those soul rings, and the overall abilities of the army had greatly increased as a result.
1291
1292All the stationary soul cannon shells had been fired, and the soul beast army had suffered great casualties. From the air, it was clear that the soul beast army was no longer dense; there were empty spaces in many parts of the army.
1293
1294Bi Ji had already given her best. However, she was helpless, since many of the stationary soul cannon shells weren’t fired in her direction.
1295
1296Soul tools were still very effective even though the battle had now begun to be fought through physical means. Over the past few years, Shrek Academy had started to value the use of soul tools by soul masters. In the Martial Soul Department, there were even special classes designed to instruct soul masters on the use of soul tools.
1297
1298They weren’t just taught how to use long-range soul tools, but also taught how to operate close-combat soul tools. Along with the help of the Self-Driving Forts, Shrek Academy was able to hold off the onslaught of the soul beasts, even though they were under great pressure.
1299
1300Different sparks could be seen in the sky and on the ground. The sky was the battlefield of the strong soul masters and soul beasts. From the elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion to the inner and outer courtyard teachers, those that had seven rings or more mainly fought in the sky. Their opponents were soul beasts with cultivations of fifty-thousand-years or more.
1301
1302Soul masters fought based on their intelligence, abilities, and the help of soul tools. While there were more wounded soul masters, very few of them died. Once someone was injured, he was immediately replaced while he sought medical attention. After being treated, he would be sent out to fight once again.
1303
1304The amount of medicine that Shrek Academy had stored could rival that of an empire. It was the result of ten thousand years of accumulation!
1305
1306Time passed, second after second, as the battle became more and more brutal. The soul beast’s aerial army became even more determined. Even after paying such a huge price, they still weren’t willing to retreat.
1307
1308—
1309
1310Two hours passed. Four hours passed…
1311
1312More and more casualties started to appear on Shrek City’s walls. The carcasses of soul beasts started to pile up, and various colors of soul rings started to appear. Some of them were extremely valuable.
1313
1314Shrek was on the verge of collapse, but what about the soul beasts? From Bi Ji’s pale face, it was evident that the soul beast army had suffered great losses as well.
1315
1316As this was an all-out attack, the soul beasts that were charging in front were either thousand-year or ten-thousand-year soul beasts. However, these powerful soul beasts were greatly drained right now. The hundred-year soul beasts that followed behind them were obviously lacking in terms of abilities. Bi Ji knew that the Great Star Dou Forest would have to bear heavy losses even if they won this battle. Although there hadn’t yet been any great losses to their higher-end combat strength, they would lose too many hundred, thousand, and ten-thousand-year soul beasts. If they were struck by the stationary soul cannon shells, they were completely wiped out.
1317
1318The two thousand stationary soul cannon shells had wiped out a third of the soul beast army. It would take centuries to replenish this number of soul beasts!
1319
1320However, there was no way out of this war right now. The eyes of all the soul beasts had turned bloodshot by now. It was too difficult to retreat. Only the blood of Shrek City could wash away this hatred of theirs!
1321
1322Up in the sky, Di Tian was still restrained by Elder Xuan and Elder Mu. At times lights flashed in the sky, showing that Di Tian was struggling.
1323
1324Six hours of the afternoon had passed!
1325
1326—
1327
1328Night descended once again. Shrek City was shaking, and looked like it could collapse at any time. However, it managed to persist for another hour even as it shook. It seemed like there were some special force protecting it that prevented it from collapsing completely.
1329
1330This special force was called faith. It was a faith in Shrek, and a faith to protect Shrek’s glory.
1331
1332It had only been two days since the beast wave appeared. However, Shrek City was brought to its knees in just those two days.
1333
1334A hundred years ago, Shrek Academy’s soul tool development hadn’t reached its current state when the last beast wave appeared. However, Shrek Academy had the Body Sect’s help then, which had enabled them to survive until reinforcements arrived. Furthermore, Bi Ji wasn’t present then, so that beast wave was naturally not as strong.
1335
1336Two days. It had only been two days! Even if the reinforcements came at top speed, they couldn’t arrive so quickly.
1337
1338Even though Shrek was already proud of how they had been performing, as they made the soul beasts who were lying on the flat ground outside the city and on top of the city wall pay a painful price, was Shrek City still going to walk the path of destruction?
1339
1340The lights of their soul tools had practically disappeared. Almost all the soul tools used to defend the city had been destroyed. The Self-Driving Forts had also retreated into the city due to a lack of Sealed Milk Bottles to power them. The soul engineers driving them drained their own soul power to bring these Self-Driving Forts back into the city.
1341
1342At the eastern side of the city, Elder Song and Xian Lin’er fought the Bear Lord, but they were continuously being forced back. At the southern city wall, the fighting was already spread across the top of the city wall.
1343
1344The soul masters were exhausted. Against such a large number of soul beasts, their soul power was continuously drained even though they had the upper hand and kept on killing soul beasts.
1345
1346Everyone knew that the collapse of Shrek City could happen at anytime. Once one side of the city fell, a chain reaction would begin. All of them grit their teeth and persisted. Even though they knew they were going to die, they didn’t want the collapse of Shrek City to start from their side.
1347
1348“Boom!” A deafening boom echoed across all of Shrek City. Even those who were busy fighting couldn’t help but turn their attention towards the origin of that deafening boom.
1349
1350It came from the eastern city wall.
1351
1352Elder Song’s speed was slowing down as time passed, and as a result of her age. She didn’t manage to dodge one attack, and was struck to the top of the eastern city wall by the Bear Lord’s Darkgolden Terrorclaw.
1353
1354Suddenly, a huge, irregular hole that was around twenty meters wide appeared in the city wall.
1355
1356Doomed! The soldiers defending the eastern city wall turned extremely dismal. They were already in such a dire situation. If the city wall was damaged, they would lose the only thing they could depend on. Was the final breach going to occur here?
1357
1358The Bear Lord roared excitedly. The soul beasts outside the eastern side of Shrek City risked everything and charged towards this huge hole.
1359
1360Shrek City’s soldiers were too fatigued. Even though they knew they had to give their all to plug this hole, they didn’t have the energy to even move their legs. Their soul power had been completely drained. While they really wanted to cover this hole, they were completely helpless right now.
1361
1362Were they really doomed?
1363
1364At this critical moment, a beam of gentle golden light suddenly spread out from within Shrek City, coming from the direction of Shrek Academy.
1365
1366That beam of golden light spread very quickly. In an instant, it reached all the way to the city walls.
1367
1368All the humans felt warmth as they were immersed in this golden light. They felt an indescribable comfort, and their energy and soul power started to quickly recover. All the soul beasts were also pushed off from the city walls by a strong force.
1369
1370Surprised cheers sounded from all four sides of the city walls at the same time. Even the stronger soul masters from Shrek quickly retreated to the region covered by the beam of golden light.
1371
1372Even when the Bear Lord, Myriad Demon King, and Scarlet King attacked with all their might, they weren’t able to shake this beam of golden light. Right now, the entirety of Shrek City seemed to have been engulfed by an Invincible Barrier.
1373
1374While the soldiers and soul masters were cheering, the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion weren’t delighted. Only they knew where that force came from.
1375
1376It was the strength of the Golden Tree! This strength was the ultimate strength that the ancestors of Shrek had left behind to protect Shrek after they fused with the Golden Tree. It could only be tapped into in the direst of situations!
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382Chapter 403.1: Army of Spirits
1383
1384
1385Elder Mu had used the powers of the Golden Tree once before to support him and Elder Xuan in restraining Di Tian. At this time, the Golden Tree’s powers were used once more to protect the entire city and to help Shrek City’s warriors recover. The amount of energy that this endeavor consumed from the Golden Tree was astounding!
1386
1387The battle wasn’t over, and the soul beast army remained just outside the city. They were still charging against the wall as if they felt no exhaustion, and the Golden Tree’s energies were being continuously spent. This also meant that Elder Mu and Elder Xuan were drawing less energy from the Golden Tree on their side, and this also meant they would seal Di Tian for a shorter period of time. It was a desperate method to solve their problems at hand without any consideration for the consequences, a solution that they could only turn to when they had no other choice!
1388
1389Elder Song hovered in midair and felt her soul power regenerating as she gazed into the sky and muttered, “If the Golden Tree is used like that one more time, we may no longer be able to maintain that seal in the sky.”
1390
1391Unleashing the Golden Tree’s energies directly affected the seal in the sky. The light ripples in the sky were now visibly stronger than before, as if Di Tian’s struggles had become much more intense.
1392
1393This protection would only allow Shrek’s warriors to last for another two to four more hours. But what about afterwards?
1394
1395Shrek Academy’s senior individuals were contemplating this problem, and were almost hopeless.
1396
1397Suddenly, the Valkyrie Douluo, Xian Lin’er pointed to a certain direction and asked, “Mum, look – what’s that?”
1398
1399She was pointing towards the northwest. She was high in the sky, so she could see clearly, and even though the night was dark, the dark green light that shone faintly from that direction were unnaturally obvious and glaring. Those dark green hues were tinged with dark red and white, and seemed very drifty and fleeting as they moved towards Shrek City.
1400
1401These dots were still quite sparse and dispersed in the beginning, but they swiftly grew in number within her field of vision. They became dense and compact as they tromped towards Shrek City, and even though they weren’t moving very quickly, they were definitely moving towards Shrek City.
1402
1403“What are those things? Are they our reinforcements?” Elder Song focused her attention towards those lights. The night was dark, and those lights were still quite a distance away, so she couldn’t see very clearly.
1404
1405Xian Lin’er forced a laugh and replied, “My only wish is that those things aren’t reinforcements for the soul beast army.”
1406
1407The army of soul beasts didn’t seem to sense the arrival of those unwelcome guests, because the golden light that suddenly emerged from Shrek City caused quite a disturbance among them. The Bear Lord, the Myriad Demon King, the Scarlet King, and the other powerful soul beasts were attacking that golden light with every ounce of their strength.
1408
1409There were quite a few of them now, and it didn’t take long before many different colors dotted the horizon densely in the distance.
1410
1411Xian Lin’er swiftly descended back into the city. She retrieved a telescopic soul tool and then gazed towards the northwest again, and her face quickly became ghastly pale.
1412
1413“What are those things? Tell me. What can be worse than total annihilation of Shrek City?” Elder Song laughed bitterly as she spoke.
1414
1415Xian Lin’er was momentarily stunned. “I can see skeletons, jiangshi, headless horsemen, and many different strange and peculiar creatures. They seem like…”
1416
1417“The Holy Ghost Church?” Elder Song was also taken aback. If the Holy Ghost Church interfered at a time like this, they were definitely not here to aid Shrek City. Shrek City was currently besieged by a great army of soul beasts, and the Holy Ghost Church would have only one goal if they were here: they wanted to reap unfair gains from this battle!
1418
1419There were a spectacular number of soul beasts who had perished on the battlefield, and quite a number of Shrek City’s soldiers were also dead. Those spirits and corpses had always been what the Holy Ghost Church liked best.
1420
1421“That’s not right! If they were here to reap unfair benefits, they wouldn’t have appeared so quickly. They would have waited until both sides suffered heavy losses before making a move so that they could maximize their profits and gains. Furthermore, they would have to defeat this powerful beast tide. The Holy Ghost Church can’t be that stupid. Can it be that they’re unafraid of the beast tide attacking them?” Xian Lin’er was full of doubts and confusion.
1422
1423Elder Song’s expression was solemn as she said, “Unless the Holy Ghost Church has something to do with this beast tide from the Great Star Dou Forest…perhaps this has been their arrangement from the start.”
1424
1425Xian Lin’er snapped around at her mother and said, “Mum, your speculation is too frightening. However, the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts should hate the Holy Ghost Church more than they hate us. How can those soul beasts work together with them?”
1426
1427Elder Song heaved a sigh and said, “It doesn’t matter whether my guess is frightening or not. The only thing we can do is resign ourselves to fate.”
1428
1429The Golden Tree’s golden light dome was becoming increasingly weaker, and Shrek’s soul masters had recovered to about fifty percent of their physical energy and their soul power. They had another shot in this battle, but could they really see the light at the end of the tunnel?
1430
1431Right at this moment, the soul beast army finally discovered the masses of unwelcome guests that were coming from the northwest. Shrek Academy’s powerful individuals who were hovering and watching in midair heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the soul beasts’ reaction.
1432
1433A pack of soul beasts separated from the back of the great army outside the western and northern city walls and charged towards those unwelcome guests. Apparently, those unwelcome guests seemed ferocious and unfriendly to them as well.
1434
1435Elder Song suddenly raised her voice and hollered in the sky, “Our reinforcements are here! Hold on, everyone. Victory is in sight!” Her voice was very loud, and sound waves resonated throughout every corner of Shrek City.
1436
1437She soared through the sky as she spoke, transformed into a Greenshadow Godly Hawk once more, and flew towards the Bear Lord.
1438
1439Elderly people had the most experience and the most wisdom. Temporarily disregarding the fact that Elder Song was the strongest individual in Shrek City’s camp for now, her calm response during a crucial moment to utilize these unwelcome guests so that she could galvanize Shrek’s warriors created very important effects.
1440
1441At this point, Shrek City’s warriors were all fatigued and exhausted. The Golden Tree could only help them recover part of their physical strength and soul power, but it couldn’t take away their fatigue and their exhausted minds. What else was better to boost morale other than reinforcements?
1442
1443Reinforcements meant hope, the hope to survive!
1444
1445The Golden Tree’s protection quietly dissipated, and the battle erupted once more after that temporary pause. Shrek’s soul masters had managed to recover part of their strength via the Golden Tree’s powers, and they seemed like they had been injected with steroids as their morale flourished. The coordination and teamwork that they seemed to have lost due to their fatigue and exhaustion seemed to return, and the soldiers managed to suppress the soul beasts to the point where they couldn’t charge onto the top of the city wall.
1446
1447This was the fighting strength that morale brought; word of reinforcements had reignited the flames in everyone’s hearts!
1448
1449The pack of soul beasts who had separated from the army clashed with the strange mass of unwelcome guests in the distance. Both parties started to fight, but they were quite a distance away, and nothing much could be clearly seen. However, everyone could see beams of light glowing here and there, and the soul beasts were clearly unleashing various soul skills to fight those unwelcome guests.
1450
1451The flickering lights that came from those unwelcome guests in the distance were quickly extinguished, but they seemed like the beast tide when they attacked the city, there were just so many of them! It didn’t take long before the pack of soul beasts were overrun, and the mass of unwelcome guests began to pick up the pace as they charged towards Shrek City.
1452
1453Xian Lin’er helped her mother fight back soul beasts while she monitored those unwelcome guests in the distance. Reinforcements? Are they really reinforcements? How can those spectral creatures be reinforcements for Shrek City? But they are clearly fighting the army of soul beasts. How else can these forces be explained other than that they are reinforcements?
1454
1455Furious howls could be heard continuously from within the soul beast army. Orders came down from the higher-ranked soul beasts, and the army didn’t separate any more forces to fight those unwelcome guests. They continued to attack Shrek City arrogantly with everything they had.
1456
1457The enormous army of spectral creatures were coming closer and closer, and they quickly arrived near the edge of the soul beast army.
1458
1459Fortunately, the night was dark, and Shrek City’s soldiers couldn’t see anything at all as they fought on the city wall, they could only see dots of light. Under such circumstances, nobody could tell who was here to reinforce them and where they came from. However, everyone had a lot of faith and trust in Elder Song’s words, and they also believed her because they were craving reinforcements to arrive too much in their hearts.
1460
1461The spectral army began to launch an offensive. Their point of entry was very coincidental: they charged in from a position between the western and northern fronts at the start of the battle. The soul beasts on these two fronts were led respectively by the Myriad Demon King and the Scarlet King, and they would definitely fight back if they were attacked. However, they were currently besieging the city with their full strength, and they didn’t have much coordination between them. This external force had actually forced its way deep into those soul beasts’ ranks.
1462
1463The soul beasts at the back of the army were relatively weaker, most of them being ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts. The spectral army charged through the army of soul beasts like a hot knife through butter.
1464
1465—
1466
1467At this moment, there were nine large pitch-black gates located about twenty kilometers northwest of Shrek City that nobody could see, and these gates were spurting out spectral creatures continuously.
1468
1469There were skeletons, liches, and frightening headless horsemen among these spectral creatures. Occasionally, there would be enormous creatures like abominations that possessed frightening fighting strength, but there were no creatures stronger than those entities.
1470
1471There was a tremendous scarlet-gold vertical eye positioned in the sky in the center of and behind those nine gates, the eye flickering with eerie and chilly light.
1472
1473This vertical eye’s pupil was entirely white like snow, and deathly grey colors filled the space around it. There were streaks of scarlet-gold colors with sun patterns around those grey hues.
1474
1475This vertical eye emanated intense spiritual undulations. Muffled incantations could be heard as those scarlet-gold lights transformed into patterns that connected those nine gates together so that they could be opened continuously.
1476
1477Eye of the Asura, a martial soul true body.
1478
1479Yes, Huo Yuhao was here. He had returned when Shrek City needed reinforcements most.
1480
1481He had arrived before evening, but he didn’t rush towards Shrek City as soon as he reached it.
1482
1483He could clearly see what was happening to Shrek City high up in the sky from a distance. Huo Yuhao wasn’t hasty and impulsive when he witnessed that terrifying beast tide, and he didn’t head down to assist Shrek City despite his roiling emotions.
1484
1485He was very clear that even though he had become a Soul Sage, and he was far stronger than typical Soul Sages, he was still by himself after all. Could he deal with that tremendous army of soul beasts by himself? He couldn’t, and he would have a very slim chance of charging inside Shrek City and meeting up with his companions, and doing so wouldn’t help the situation. Killing several soul beasts from the outside wouldn’t solve Shrek City’s problems at all, so he had to think of other ways to resolve Shrek City’s dire situation.
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491Chapter 403.2: Army of Spirits
1492
1493
1494Therefore, he began to prepare after studying the situation carefully… preparing for necromancy.
1495
1496Huo Yuhao was very clear that using necromancy and summoning spectral creatures to the Douluo Continent were the abilities of an evil soul master in everyone’s eyes. However, he couldn’t be bothered with his reputation at a time like this, and helping Shrek out of their siege was more important than anything else in the world.
1497
1498He began his necromantic spells. He relied on his formidable spiritual power and unleashed one of the strongest necromantic spells that the Calamity Necromancer Electrolux had left on his spiritual imprints: Spectral Calamity!
1499
1500He couldn’t unleash the full strength of Spectral Calamity because he wasn’t strong enough, so he could only summon those relatively weaker spectral creatures. Under such circumstances, they were the limit he could reach with his current strength.
1501
1502Those large black gates opened one after another and connected to the demiplane Electrolux had left behind for him. Huo Yuhao began to control and command those spectral creatures when they appeared, one after another.
1503
1504He didn’t mobilize his spectral army as soon as they appeared. The spectral army needed time to accumulate, and when the day was still bright, he was afraid that his spectral army would cause chaos and panic in Shrek City when they appeared on the battlefield. Therefore, he waited until nightfall and the sky was completely dark, so nobody could clearly see the flatlands from a distance. Only then did Huo Yuhao command the spectral army that the Spectral Calamity had summoned towards Shrek City.
1505
1506Huo Yuhao had transformed into the Eye of the Asura, and he had released as much spiritual power as he could. He relied on the demiplane that Electrolux had left behind for him to summon a great many spectral creatures within a short period of time.
1507
1508Huo Yuhao understood that his spectral army would be no match for this beast tide because he couldn’t summon any top-tier spectral creatures. However, what he had to do now was buy time for Shrek, and he had to delay and hurt the soul beast army as much as possible! Only then could he create an opportunity for Shrek to survive. This method was a lot more meaningful and practical than just throwing himself onto the battlefield.
1509
1510Just as Huo Yuhao had predicted, his spectral army appeared at the most opportune time because of his meticulous calculations. This army of reinforcements came very suddenly but at the right time! Huo Yuhao managed to galvanize and reinvigorate Shrek City’s morale. Furthermore, as luck would have it, he had mobilized his spectral army right when the Golden Tree was healing Shrek City’s warriors. Shrek City’s dire situation was instantly greatly ameliorated.
1511
1512—
1513
1514Over on the eastern front, the city wall had been broken through, but earth-type soul masters swiftly repaired it. The battle was still at its peak.
1515
1516Huo Yuhao chose to charge in from the northwest because he had discovered that Bi Ji was too adept with healing on the southern front. Even though he didn’t know she was the Emerald Swan, who was ranked number four amongst the Ten Great Savage Beasts, he was unwilling to face an adversary like that. His spectral creatures weren’t afraid of death, and his most important task was to deal as much damage to the soul beast army as possible. Huo Yuhao’s spectral army would achieve a far smaller effect if he attacked on Bi Ji’s front.
1517
1518Huo Yuhao’s strange spectral army burst onto the battlefield, most of them were skeletal soldiers and jiangshi, who were low-tier undead. However, even though they were considered low-tier, they were still strong; two or three such undead stacked together had fighting strength comparable to a ten-year soul beast. Other undead, like those headless horsemen and abominations, were considered especially ferocious in battle. Furthermore, these undead were far less afraid of death than even soul beasts, and they didn’t know what pain and fear were. All they cared about was attacking manically.
1519
1520Under such circumstances, the situation was gradually developing towards one that was beneficial for Shrek City.
1521
1522Huo Yuhao’s spectral army was rapidly spent, but the undead creatures spawned continuously from behind. At this moment, the entire spectral army had charged onto the battlefield, and seemed endless as they charged madly towards the northwestern front.
1523
1524The Scarlet King and the Myriad Demon King had realized where the problem was at this point, but they still had to deal with the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion!
1525
1526Every single elder from the Sea God’s Pavilion was a veteran of battle; their age had given them a multitude of experience, and made them quite resilient. Even though they could see what their reinforcements consisted of from the sky, it didn’t matter why these unwelcome guests were here right now; the enemy of their enemy was their friend. Currently, the army of soul beasts was the greatest threat to Shrek City. Therefore, they tried their best to preoccupy and restrain those powerful soul beasts so that they couldn’t direct the soul beast army, and so that they wouldn’t participate in the battle against the undead creatures.
1527
1528—
1529
1530The Eye of the Asura quivered and finally descended from the sky, landing on the ground as it reverted to Huo Yuhao’s original figure.
1531
1532The black gates closed up one after another, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was almost completely spent. He had no choice but to stop the Spectral Calamity.
1533
1534Huo Yuhao still felt a little afraid as he stared at the immense army of undead. He knew that his body couldn’t keep up with his current spiritual power. If he used this necromantic spell as a Titled Douluo, he would probably be more frightening than any evil soul master, as he would possess an army of undead that was truly endless.
1535
1536If he could have powerful undead like liches and bone dragons, he could directly convert living beings into undead after death, and he would possess the strength to fight against powerful opponents.
1537
1538This thought disappeared as soon as it appeared in Huo Yuhao’s mind. The pursuit of strength and greatness made him momentarily excited, but he broke out in a cold sweat in the next moment, because he remembered something that Electrolux had told him before.
1539
1540Electrolux had told him that he couldn’t rely on this powerful ability to control undead. Otherwise, disaster and bloodshed would befall the Continent if Huo Yuhao lost control of his undead army! That was very much something that he did not want to see!
1541
1542Huo Yuhao crossed his legs and sat down. He turned his sight inwards and withdrew his soul rings into his body. After his last rose-gold and red soul ring entered his body, he became entirely transparent, before he disappeared into the air, just like that.
1543
1544Concrete-material spiritual power allowed his million-year soul ring from the Skydream Iceworm to evolve once more. Imitation had become part of his innate abilities, and even though his spiritual power was almost entirely spent, Imitation would still naturally protect him.
1545
1546Huo Yuhao could not be thinking about how much damage his undead army could do to the army of soul beasts. His top priority at the moment was to recover his spiritual power as quickly as possible so that he could continue working hard to defend Shrek City.
1547
1548—
1549
1550Bi Ji could see what was happening on the northwestern front, but she couldn’t leave her own side behind because they needed her protection. Intel passed from soul beast to soul beast and eventually to her, and she quickly found out the details about what was happening. The Emerald Swan’s elegant face became ghastly pale.
1551
1552Where did this army of undead come from? Are they controlled by humans? If so, how frightening is that?
1553
1554She felt her heart ache as she watched soul beasts die one after another. Their losses had far exceeded their previous estimations.
1555
1556The Beast God Di Tian knew that Shrek would be hard to deal with. Therefore, he had personally engaged in battle as soon as possible so that he could take out Shrek’s most ferocious fighting strength as quickly as possible.
1557
1558Soul beasts weren’t entirely shut off from the world. At the very least, they knew about Elder Mu’s death.
1559
1560However, Shrek’s hidden strength still exceeded their judgment. Elder Mu’s spirit was still around, and he had teamed up with Elder Xuan to seal Di Tian away. This had rendered the army of soul beasts leaderless, and they could only fight independently in terms of commandeering their fellow soul beasts.
1561
1562That wasn’t all. Those stationary soul cannon shells fired from Shrek City brought unimaginable pain and damage to the army of soul beasts. Many soul beasts, even top-tier soul beasts, didn’t know what was going on before they were turned into dust.
1563
1564Several thousand stationary soul cannon shells! These shells had caused more damage and injuries to the soul beasts than the frontline combat.
1565
1566More than a million soul beasts resided in the Great Star Dou Forest, but most of them were between ten to one hundred years old, while some couldn’t even be considered soul beasts.
1567
1568This time, even though the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts had swarmed out, they had only mobilized about four hundred thousand soul beasts. Among them had been more than three hundred thousand soul beasts who had between ten to one hundred years of cultivation.
1569
1570But now? How many soul beasts were left? There were less than two hundred thousand soul beasts remaining, which meant more than forty percent of the soul beast army had perished on the battlefield.
1571
1572They were only assaulting a single human city! Shrek City wasn’t considered a large-scale city, like the various empires’ capital cities, but it had already caused so much damage to the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts. More than a hundred thousand of the soul beasts who had perished died from those stationary soul cannon shells.
1573
1574At this moment, the flatlands all around Shrek City were strewn with the carcasses of soul beasts. Some soul rings had been extinguished due to time, but new soul rings drifted out from other soul beasts who had just died.
1575
1576So what if they emerged victorious in this battle? Could they still charge into the human world like they had imagined at the start so that they could weaken humans as much as possible?
1577
1578It was no longer possible!
1579
1580Bi Ji was clear that even if they won this battle, the soul beasts wouldn’t gain much from this victory. After all, there wasn’t much in the human world that soul beasts desired. The soul beasts were only fighting for their survival.
1581
1582But what were they going to do after this battle? Were they to continue fighting? Unless they didn’t want the Great Star Dou Forest to survive, continuing to fight would only lead to their own death and destruction.
1583
1584Di Tian was powerful, but he couldn’t fight against the entire world by himself! Shrek Academy had their ways to restrict him, but did the other empires in the Douluo Continent not have similar methods? Therefore, even if the soul beasts could annihilate Shrek City, the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts could only retreat back into the forest!
1585
1586This beast tide had become meaningless after their losses amounted to more than forty percent of their total forces. They didn’t weaken the humans! Instead, the humans dealt a heavy blow to the strength accumulated over ten thousand years by the Great Star Dou Forest!
1587
1588What do I do? What should I do?
1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594Chapter 403.3: Army of Spirits
1595
1596
1597Bi Ji was lost. She could only command her kinsmen as she unleashed healing soul skills one after another so that she could save as many of her compatriots’ lives as possible.
1598
1599The undead army was still fighting. Their battle against the soul beasts was like the soul beasts’ battle against Shrek City’s warriors; the army of undead suffered massive losses, and ten undead had to die to kill one soul beast. But so what?
1600
1601Huo Yuhao had relied on his formidable spiritual power and the demiplane that the Calamity Necromancer Electrolux had left behind for him, and summoned a hundred thousand low-tier undead creatures.
1602
1603If these undead clashed with the army of soul beasts in a frontal battlefield, those undead would be rapidly overrun.
1604
1605However, the soul beast army had been fighting for two days and two nights, while the top-tier soul beasts were currently preoccupied in battles with Shrek Academy’s elites on the other side. Under such circumstances, what could the other soul beasts do? A hundred thousand undead charging through their ranks and the disturbance they caused was enough to affect the tide of battle.
1606
1607Furthermore, even though those undead didn’t know how to cooperate, injuries didn’t really affect their fighting strength. Their point of entry was excellent, and the army of soul beasts on the western and northern fronts descended into chaos. Their assault on Shrek City was now conspicuously weaker than before.
1608
1609Reinforcements…reinforcements were here! Shrek’s warriors on the city walls didn’t know that an army of undead was their reinforcements, but the soul beasts’ slowing charge reinvigorated their spirits. The soul beasts who had climbed to the top of these two sides were forced back down, and some soul masters who were no longer preoccupied took this temporary break to recover their soul power.
1610
1611A furious and deafening roar echoed high up in the sky. Golden-yellow clouds rolled in the sky, and an enormous figure could be faintly seen struggling in the clouds.
1612
1613Di Tian couldn’t participate in the battle below, but his formidable strength meant he still had a connection to the army of soul beasts, and he could still feel their situation. He had discovered that things were going wrong, and he redoubled his efforts to break through the Taotie Seal that Elder Xuan and Elder Mu were using together to hold him down.
1614
1615The army of undead began to dwindle in number, and new ones no longer charged in from the distance. There were fewer and fewer undead, but the army of soul beasts that they were attacking was also dwindling!
1616
1617Time continued to pass as the soul beasts attacking on the northern and western fronts had their fighting strength greatly weakened.
1618
1619Boom, boom, boom…
1620
1621Black lighting detonated throughout the glowing clouds high up in the sky. Cracks began to appear in the sky; Di Tian was finally about to break out from his seal!
1622
1623Elder Mu and Elder Xuan had restrained Di Tian for three days with the Golden Tree’s support. However, the Golden Tree had consumed a lot of energy when it had healed the city’s soldiers, and when it forcibly repelled the soul beasts which were flooding in. Furthermore, Di Tian could feel the dire situation that his kinsmen were in, and he couldn’t be bothered with his own injuries as he tried to break out of the seal at any cost. The seal was about to crumble!
1624
1625The soul beasts were galvanized a little when they heard Di Tian’s roar.
1626
1627The Emerald Swan communicated with the other three Savage Beasts across the battlefield, and finally gave the order to temporarily retreat.
1628
1629—
1630
1631The swarming beast tide gradually retreated, but they circled around Shrek City to the northwest as they retreated.
1632
1633They would have to resolve the problems behind them if they wanted to exert any pressure in front of them. Even though they didn’t know where the army of undead had come from, these things were far too irritating. Their assault on Shrek City could stop for now, but they had to exterminate these unwelcome guests, no matter what!
1634
1635What happened afterwards proved the gap between the undead army and the soul beast army. When the army of soul beasts from all four fronts surrounded them, it didn’t take more than fifteen minutes for them to overrun the army of undead, until there wasn’t a single unliving creature left. Even now, not many people could see who their reinforcements were from the top of Shrek City’s walls.
1636
1637—
1638
1639The soul beasts had retreated, but they didn’t move too far away. They began to eat the carcasses of the soul beasts that had died to replenish themselves.
1640
1641The four Savage Beasts finally rendezvoused with one another. They didn’t speak at all, and their faces looked as black as could be. They had lost this battle, and the immense losses they had sustained were heavy blows to the Great Star Dou Forest’s vitality. This was especially true since the Auspicious Emperor Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, had passed away.
1642
1643They were all waiting for Di Tian to break out of his seal. Only the Beast God could make the final decision about whether they should attack or retreat.
1644
1645—
1646
1647The top of Shrek’s city walls were wretched and in tatters.
1648
1649In the same moment that the army of soul beasts retreated, everyone slumped to the ground on the city walls. This included soldiers, soul masters, and even Shrek Academy’s students and teachers from the inner courtyard.
1650
1651They had been locked in bitter combat for a day and a night, and they had consumed far too much energy in both mind and body.
1652
1653At this moment, there was hardly anyone who could still stand on Shrek’s city walls.
1654
1655The boost to morale brought about by the arrival of reinforcements vanished with the soul beasts’ retreat, and only surging exhaustion and fatigue were left behind.
1656
1657The four Savage Beasts didn’t know this, but if they had continued with another assault at this moment, they would probably have achieved impressive results!
1658
1659Everyone from the Tang Sect was also slumped limply on the ground. This group included Nan Shuishui, Nan Qiuqiu, and Ye Guyi. Everyone’s clothes were stained with the blood of soul beasts.
1660
1661Reality proved that the battle strategies that Bei Bei had arranged were very sensible. They relied on their mutual chemistry and how close they were to each other to maintain themselves as one body even in the toughest of times.
1662
1663Nan Shuishui was a Soul Douluo, and in addition to Ye Guyi and Nan Qiuqiu, the three of them became effective reinforcements. Even though everyone was injured, everyone managed to survive.
1664
1665Ji Juechen became the most brilliant celebrity on the southern city wall after this battle. He had killed countless soul beasts with his Judgement Sword, and there were many warriors and soul masters from Shrek’s city defense army who were hollering, “Sword God!”
1666
1667At this moment, their Sword God couldn’t keep himself together anymore, and he panted heavily as he leaned against the battlement. However, not a single tinge of exhaustion could be seen in his eyes, there was only excitement.
1668
1669Yes, he had managed to achieve a better understanding of swordplay through this battle, and had achieved some breakthroughs with his own strength.
1670
1671Ever since he got together with Jing Ziyan, many new things had been added to his life. This time, he had relied on this continuous battle and danger to infuse these new elements into his sword intent. For him, doing so was more important than raising his soul power.
1672
1673Bei Bei was also panting in similar fashion, but there was a look of anxiety on his face as he stared into the sky. Shrek’s perils hadn’t been completely resolved.
1674
1675“Look, what’s that?” Xu Sanshi suddenly raised his hand forcibly and pointed into the sky.
1676
1677Everyone followed the direction his finger was pointing, and could see a shadow soaring through the air in the distance. This shadow came straight for Shrek City, and descended to the city wall. A trail of green flames flickering with strange images followed behind this shadow.
1678
1679The green flames were the mark of Shrek. It also meant that this person, who was flying back from a distance, was friendly!
1680
1681“Reinforcements?” Everyone’s eyes sparkled when they thought about Elder Song’s exclamation from before. Shrek’s city walls were swimming with victims who were wounded and exhausted, but the soul beasts had suffered far, far heavier losses than Shrek did. Quite a few soul masters had perished in battle, but there were a lot more who had survived.
1682
1683The Tang Sect’s members quivered when they felt a wave of peculiar spiritual undulations, and the shadow that was flying through the air landed beside them.
1684
1685The night was dark, but this shadow carried Shrek’s green signal, so his soaring figure was glaringly clear. This person quickly descended from the sky and landed on top of the city wall. Furthermore, he landed amid the Tang Sect’s members.
1686
1687“Yuhao!” Everyone from the Tang Sect was mired in extreme exhaustion at this moment, but they couldn’t help but exclaim in pleasant surprise when they saw him.
1688
1689Yes! Wasn’t that Huo Yuhao who was descending from the sky?
1690
1691Huo Yuhao had recovered his spiritual power and sensed the changes in Shrek City at the same time. He had managed to escape from under the Evileye Tyrant King’s nose, so it wasn’t hard to imagine how strong his spiritual power was.
1692
1693When he discovered that the army of soul beasts had temporarily retreated, he flew to Shrek City without hesitation. Of course, he took a long detour to avoid the soul beasts that were concentrated on the northwestern front, and arrived on the southern side of the city. He used Spiritual Detection and quickly found his buddies.
1694
1695“Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, third senior brother…I’m back.” Tears welled up in Huo Yuhao’s eyes when he saw his buddies strewn all over the ground. However, he didn’t sob out loud. Instead, he swiftly released his spiritual power to check on everyone’s wounds.
1696
1697He heaved a sigh of relief when he was sure that everyone was more or less fine, and sat down beside Bei Bei.
1698
1699Bei Bei stared at Huo Yuhao and forced a laugh as he said, “You’re back after all, Yuhao. You’ve really caused quite a disaster this time!”
1700
1701Huo Yuhao forced a laugh too and said, “I know, and I’m sorry. Eldest senior brother, I…”
1702
1703Xu Sanshi said, “That’s enough, Bei Bei. How can you blame Yuhao for this disaster? He didn’t know that Qiu’er was the Three-Eyed Golden Lion! Are you saying that our Yuhao was supposed to die instead?”
1704
1705Bei Bei turned towards Huo Yuhao and sighed faintly. “You shouldn’t have come back.”
1706
1707Huo Yuhao gazed back at Bei Bei and said, “I had to come back, eldest senior brother.”
1708
1709Bei Bei glared at him. “The beast tide is still here. Haven’t you considered that you’ll create a spark for Shrek and the Tang Sect?”
1710
1711Huo Yuhao looked up at the gash in the sky that was becoming larger and larger. “Is that Elder Xuan sealing away Di Tian? This beast tide should be ending soon.”
1712
1713Excitement flowed in Bei Bei’s eyes. He shook his head and said, “No, Elder Xuan isn’t the only one. Our ancestor is also there.”
1714
1715“Ancestor?” Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned before he recovered. His eyes sparkled as he asked, “You… you’re saying, our teacher is there, too?”
1716
1717Huo Yuhao’s emotions rippled, and everyone from the Tang Sect around him instantly felt a wave of flourishing spiritual pressure radiate from his body, shaking everyone’s hearts.
1718
1719Bei Bei exclaimed in astonishment, “Yuhao, your spiritual power…!”
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725Chapter 404.1: The Berserk Beast God
1726
1727
1728Huo Yuhao couldn’t care about anything else and quickly rushed over in front of Bei Bei before squatting down. “Eldest senior, did you mention earlier that teacher sealed the Beast God Di Tian?”
1729
1730Bei Bei nodded and answered, “Yes! Although my great-grandfather has already passed away, he sealed his spirit in the Golden Tree. When the beast wave started, and Di Tian attacked, Elder Xuan wasn’t able to handle him on his own, and my great-grandfather used the power of the Golden Tree to seal Di Tian along with Elder Xuan!”
1731
1732“Teacher!” Huo Yuhao peered into the sky and the emotions that he had been suppressing finally burst out. His tears flowed, and he knelt down as he continued staring up into the sky.
1733
1734At this point, a deafening boom echoed across the sky. Following this, a huge golden figure separated itself from the sky before descending towards Shrek City. The entire sky instantly turned dark, and an indescribable, yet terrifying aura descended from the sky.
1735
1736Di Tian had finally broken the seal! Furious dragon roars resonated across the sky, and patches of purple burned in the sky around him.
1737
1738That golden figure that had separated itself from the sky turned back into its human form. It was Elder Xuan, and the projection of Elder Mu subtly surfaced beside him. However, he was much, much weaker than before. He also seemed very pale, and there were fresh bloodstains around his lips.
1739
1740Sealing the Golden Eyes Black Dragon King, whose cultivation exceeded eight hundred thousand years, had over-stimulated his blood, and Elder Xuan was also greatly drained in the process.
1741
1742Just like Di Tian could sense what was happening in the outside world, Elder Mu and Elder Xuan could do the same, too. Even they didn’t expect that Shrek City could hold on without reinforcements, given the ferocious beast wave. They had also inflicted many casualties on the Great Star Dou Forest’s side.
1743
1744More than forty percent of the soul beast army had been killed! This was an extremely heavy blow to the forest!
1745
1746While Elder Mu and Elder Xuan were very proud of Shrek’s fighting strength, they didn’t think this was a good thing. This situation virtually compelled Di Tian and the Great Star Dou Forest to wipe out Shrek completely. Even if the soul beasts had to retreat, they wouldn’t be willing to spare Shrek after the immense losses that Shrek had inflicted on them.
1747
1748Di Tian was so furious that he was close to going berserk. There was no point in saying anything else at this moment.
1749
1750While the soul beast armies on the northern and western sides were greatly fatigued, the Beast God’s mighty aura was finally felt again, and they distributed themselves once again under the command of the four Savage Beasts. The soul beast army on the western side displayed an attacking formation and was waiting for Di Tian’s order.
1751
1752At this point, spots of light started to appear in the distance. These spots were very attention-catching, though there weren’t many of them. At least, there weren’t more than the spectral army Huo Yuhao had summoned. However, they managed to fly over rapidly even as they faced Di Tian’s immense suppression.
1753
1754This was especially true for a green spot that was flying in the front. It was like a shooting star. Furthermore, it expanded in size as it charged forward. Slowly, it turned into a huge, green fireball. Even against Di Tian’s suppression, it still continued to burst forward.
1755
1756“Di Tian, you have to see whether I agree if you want to destroy Shrek! Let’s fight again after a hundred years!” a vigorous voice called out, resonating across the entire sky, and a huge patch of green light instantly filled the sky. Di Tian’s immense suppression was forcefully resisted just like that.
1757
1758After hearing this voice, Elder Xuan’s tense face relaxed a little. Reinforcements had finally arrived. He was both very disgusted and irked by the owner of that voice. However, it sounded extremely cordial to him right now.
1759
1760How many people were there in the Douluo Continent that could resist the Beast God’s suppression on his own? The owner of that voice was none other than the sect leader of the Body Sect, the Body Douluo Du Busi!
1761
1762Yes, the Body Sect had arrived as reinforcements!
1763
1764Whether it was Elder Xuan, Elder Mi, or the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion, no one had expected the Body Sect to be the first to arrive as reinforcements.
1765
1766Shrek Academy and the Body Sect didn’t share a harmonious relationship. The fight between Elder Mu and Du Busi’s brother was a painful and tragic memory for both parties. Elder Mu’s back was bent out of shape following that fight, and he eventually passed away from his condition, while Du Busi’s brother died early.
1767
1768While this hatred between both parties wasn’t unforgettable, it was still deeply remembered.
1769
1770However, Du Busi actually arrived just when Shrek Academy needed help the most. It hadn’t even been two days! Even if news was passed down to them immediately, and they set off immediately, they might not have been so quick.
1771
1772Du Busi’s cultivation was slightly superior to Elder Xuan’s, and he was already an Ultimate Douluo. Even though he had just become an Ultimate Douluo, and his abilities were weaker than the Darkness Holy Dragon and the Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao, he was still one of the strongest soul masters in the world right now.
1773
1774Even though Di Tian, who was already hurt after breaking the seal, could still defeat him, he wouldn’t be able to do it quickly. With Du Busi’s presence, Di Tian was going to be kept busy, and there was no better news than this.
1775
1776“Du Busi, it’s you again! Since you’re courting death, I’ll fulfill your wish!” Di Tian’s furious roar echoed across the entire sky. The dark night sky suddenly turned purple. Even the green that Du Busi released couldn’t conceal this purple glow. All of Shrek City and the carcasses of soul beasts outside the city were dyed purple.
1777
1778Huge purplish bubbles started to descend from the sky, each of them with a diameter of more than ten meters. They released thick purplish fog, and these bubbles engulfed the entire surface area of Shrek City together.
1779
1780Outside Shrek City, the soul beast army led by the four Savage Beasts quickly retreated. The soul beasts quieted down and ceased their furious roars. Every soul beast from the soul beast army seemed to have its mouth sealed, and didn’t dare to utter any sound.
1781
1782Du Busi had just arrived. He initially thought that he could scare Di Tian slightly along with the rest of the strong soul masters from Shrek. He hadn’t expected the Beast God to make a move immediately.
1783
1784He didn’t understand why Di Tian was so furious, either.
1785
1786When Di Tian was sealed earlier, he could only sense that the soul beast army had suffered heavy losses, but he couldn’t completely tell what the extent of those losses was. Earlier, he had immediately used his spiritual sense to scan the entire area. When he saw the devastation and discovered that more than forty percent of his army had been killed, he was infuriated!
1787
1788Just like Elder Xuan and Elder Mu believed, this fight couldn’t be reversed anymore. Even if the beast wave retreated, this blood vengeance still had to be avenged!
1789
1790Di Tian was naturally aware of Du Busi’s abilities. However, he was already extremely furious. No matter who came, he would still take action. He was willing to sacrifice everything to destroy Shrek!
1791
1792Du Busi wore a serious look on his face. As he moved, he transformed into a hundred-meter tall giant in the air. Intense green lights shone from his body. Amidst these green lights, there was a subtle golden glow. From the looks of it, this giant was like a serious and solemn godly statue.
1793
1794He didn’t dare to hold back against a strong opponent like Di Tian. The moment he appeared, he immediately activated the second awakening of his Body Soul.
1795
1796He unleashed his terrifying fighting strength and mimicked a lifting action. Streaks of green light were released from his body as they attacked the purplish bubbles in the sky. Every streak of green light managed to accurately locate a purplish bubble. Similarly, the streaks of green light engulfed the entire place.
1797
1798Green and purple were clearly separated. However, Di Tian’s purplish bubbles seemed to overwhelm the green lights unleashed by Du Busi.
1799
1800It was Di Tian’s Black Dragon Annihilation, which was also his strongest area attack. He rarely used this soul skill. Every time he used this soul skill, he would lose some of his longevity. Even though he had already lived for more than eight hundred thousand years, his regard for his own life was still greater than other Savage Beasts. Right now, he used this soul skill because he was furious. This showed the extent of his hatred.
1801
1802Du Busi’s green lights weren’t weak, either. They were called Banquet of Death and were his eighth soul skill. Every streak of green light was filled with poison, and it was one of his strongest area attacks.
1803
1804Green against purple, Banquet of Death against Black Dragon Annihilation. Both parties clashed at this moment.
1805
1806The purplish bubbles were unexpectedly weak. They burst immediately after contacting the green lights. However, the purplish bubbles transformed into countless, smaller bubbles after bursting, and descended at an even quicker speed. It was as if the bubbles were raining down.
1807
1808The green lights also transformed after contacting the purplish bubbles. They turned into green whirlpools, and their corrosive strength instantly spread out.
1809
1810Many small purplish bubbles were devoured by these green whirlpools, but the whirlpools were also quickly destroyed after devouring the bubbles.
1811
1812This was a clash of strength. There wasn’t any flashiness in it.
1813
1814The green lights and whirlpools were eventually all put out by the purplish bubbles. There was still one-third of the initial purplish bubbles remaining, and they continued to descend from the sky towards Shrek City.
1815
1816Streaks of light were released from Shrek City to resist these purplish bubbles. They were the work of the Titled Douluo from Shrek Academy.
1817
1818However, the purplish bubbles were too strong and domineering. Tremendous booms started to echo from every corner of Shrek City.
1819
1820Groans started to sound from all directions. The purplish bubbles managed to hurt six to seven Titled Douluo to varying degrees, and drained their power.
1821
1822This was the strength of Di Tian, the Golden Eyes Black Dragon King, and Beast God!
1823
1824In mid-air, Du Busi also appeared extremely dismal as he suffered the greatest impact. He groaned and picked himself up before charging towards Di Tian. He now stood before the Beast God!
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830Chapter 404.2: The Berserk Beast God
1831
1832
1833At this point, the reinforcements arrived. The strongest soul masters from the Body Sect were flying in front. All of them had at least seven rings, and there were even eight Titled Douluo among them. It was practically the entire strength of the Body Sect. This help that they were offering was extremely critical!
1834
1835Furthermore, it wasn’t just the Body Sect that had arrived. There were more than a hundred soul masters behind them, and they all had at least six rings. Among them, five were even Titled Douluo!
1836
1837This meant that there were thirteen Titled Douluo in this wave of reinforcements. In addition, all these soul masters were top-tier soul masters!
1838
1839After they arrived in Shrek City, they quickly dispersed to the four walls.
1840
1841All the Titled Douluo rose into the sky and watched as the Body Douluo fought the Beast God.
1842
1843One of the Titled Douluos arrived in front of Elder Xuan. “Elder Xuan, I hope we’re not too late.”
1844
1845Elder Xuan recognized this person. He was the Golden Body Douluo from the Body Sect, and his martial soul was his trunk. His cultivation was extremely high; he was a Rank 96 Transcendent Douluo. In the Body Sect, he was only inferior to Body Douluo Du Busi!
1846
1847“Old Jin, all of you came just in time. If you were any later, we wouldn’t have been able to hold them off anymore. We really owe you a big favor!” Elder Xuan laughed heartily.
1848
1849The Golden Douluo Jin Peng replied, “Alright, if you really want to talk about favors, you don’t owe us anything. Do you think we came here willingly? To be honest, our sects aren’t close enough for us to do this.”
1850
1851Elder Xuan was stunned, but admitted, “That’s true. This is why I was surprised to see all of you. This…”
1852
1853Jin Peng said, “Shrek Academy performed a good deed by saving everyone from the Heavenly Soul Empire who was captured during the Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament. Those who were captured were all young talents of our empire. We have to return this favor. It was that kid called Huo Yuhao from your Academy who came to our capital to seek help. He left immediately after leaving that information.
1854
1855“However, those who were rescued recognized him as the one who brought people to Sunrise City to carry out the rescue mission. As a result, the sect leader was summoned by His Majesty. After a brief discussion, we quickly rushed over. As time was tight, we sent our best people first. There will be more reinforcements arriving at a later point. Our troops are at the border and they can’t make it over, but we still have a thousand soul masters who have been deployed.”
1856
1857Yuhao, it was Yuhao? Elder Xuan was delighted when he heard that Huo Yuhao was the one who had sought help for them. This meant that Huo Yuhao was still alive! This was great news, and the reinforcements even arrived just in time! With the Body Sect and the Heavenly Soul Empire’s help, Shrek would be able to last for another few days even if the soul beast army attacked Shrek City with all its might. Furthermore, could the soul beasts from the Great Star Dou Forest bear such huge losses?
1858
1859Jin Peng continued speaking, “The Star Luo and the Dou Ling Empires should receive your SOS soon. Their reinforcements will arrive in at most two days. What’s going on with the Great Star Dou Forest? Why is there another beast wave? Regardless we’ll take it that we’ve returned the favor after this.”
1860
1861Elder Xuan naturally didn’t stand on ceremony right now. He nodded and replied, “Alright. Thanks a lot.”
1862
1863This was karma! Shrek Academy had done its best to save the hostages from the three empires, and now they were repaying Shrek’s favor. No wonder the Body Sect was here, they came here because of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Right now, the Body Sect was the sect in charge of protecting the Heavenly Soul Empire, and they shared a close relationship with the imperial family.
1864
1865Of course, the Heavenly Soul Empire’s timely help to Shrek Academy was also an attempt for them to get into the good books of Shrek Academy. To some extent, Shrek Academy was located in the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territory, and most of its students also came from the Heavenly Soul Empire. Many of the students that left Shrek took up senior positions in the Heavenly Soul Empire. The imperial family of the empire deciding to send help to Shrek Academy was undoubtedly a way of expressing their goodwill, and an attempt to pull Shrek Academy to their side. They were killing two birds with one stone.
1866
1867The most important thing was that Huo Yuhao managed to deliver the information in time. He had evidently guessed that there would be some kind of reaction by the Great Star Dou Forest. However, if the beast wave didn’t arrive…
1868
1869Elder Xuan sighed in his heart. It would have been a story of the boy who cried wolf. Of course, that would still have been better than this. At most, they would have continued as enemies with the Body Sect.
1870
1871“Is Di Tian crazy?” Elder Mu’s voice suddenly sounded beside Elder Xuan.
1872
1873Elder Xuan quickly lifted his head and look into the sky.
1874
1875Di Tian’s body with burning with deep purplish flames. He acted like he wanted to pierce the skies with every attack, and Du Busi was forced to retreat. It seemed like Du Busi couldn’t hold on anymore. Di Tian’s majestic aura was extremely overwhelming.
1876
1877Elder Xuan’s voice cracked as he asked, “Is he, is he burning his own life energy?”
1878
1879Elder Mu replied, “No, he should be exhausting all his powers. He has evidently discovered our reinforcements, and is planning to use his strength to turn the situation around! If Du Busi can’t handle it anymore, let’s replace him. We need to restrain Di Tian at all costs. We won’t have to be afraid of them in two days’ time when all our reinforcements arrive. The combination of all the elite soul masters and soldiers from the three empires should be enough to suppress all the soul beasts from the Great Star Dou Forest.”
1880
1881BAM!
1882
1883Before Elder Mu and Elder Xuan could rise into the sky, an explosive boom sounded above them.
1884
1885Du Busi was struck from the sky. His body was flashing with bolts of purple lightning, and he spat out blood. Di Tian had several wounds on his body, too. He was willing to be hurt in order to deal a heavy blow to Du Busi!
1886
1887“All of them have to die! We have to avenge the Emperor Beast and all the soul beasts! Even if I die here today, I must wipe all of them out!” Di Tian’s voice echoed across the entire city. He peered into the sky and roared furiously, while the purple flames on his body gradually turned purplish-gold.
1888
1889Elder Xuan and Elder Mu’s expressions changed. Given Di Tian’s eight-hundred-thousand-year cultivation, Shrek was bound to suffer heavy casualties even if the Body Sect was here to reinforce them. It might even be possible that the city would be destroyed, and everyone would be annihilated. After all, there were still a hundred thousand soul beasts outside the city!
1890
1891“Di Tian, don’t you dare. If you dare to destroy Shrek, I’ll stop the legacy of the Great Star Dou Forest from being passed down.” At this point, a strong spiritual intent was suddenly transmitted from Shrek City’s southern city wall.
1892
1893This spiritual intent immediately spread across the entire sky above Shrek City. All the Titled Douluo could hear it clearly, as could Di Tian.
1894
1895Following this, a figure that exuded golden light slowly drifted above the southern city wall. Behind him, a rose-gold projection slowly revealed itself. It had the appearance of the Emperor Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!
1896
1897“Yuhao?” Elder Mu and Elder Xuan exclaimed at the same time.
1898
1899The shining spiritual intent and the person who rose into the sky was indeed Huo Yuhao. Right now, seven of his soul rings glowed. They were white, purple, black, black, black, rose-gold, and red. Everyone was shocked by the weird colors of his soul rings.
1900
1901As he rose into the sky, several figures leapt up one after another and followed him. Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei’er, Xian Lin’er, and the rest protected him in the center.
1902
1903Among them, Xian Lin’er was the first to realize that Huo Yuhao had returned. Only she could guess that the undead army that had dealt a huge blow to the soul beast army and bought time for Shrek had something to do with him.
1904
1905Xian Lin’er was glaring furiously as she shouted, “Yuhao, don’t fool around! How can you intervene in this higher-end fight?”
1906
1907Huo Yuhao looked at her and took in a deep breath before saying, “Dean Xian, everything started because of me. I can’t watch as Shrek is obliterated! Believe me, I can resolve this.”
1908
1909“No!” Xian Lin’er shouted and reached out her hand to grab him.
1910
1911However, a strange halo suddenly spread from Huo Yuhao’s body. Xian Lin’er, Yan Shaozhe, and Cai Mei’er felt slightly dizzy as they were caught off-guard, and everything in front of their eyes turned white.
1912
1913Even though they were drained, Xian Lin’er and Yan Shaozhe were Transcendent Douluo! However, they momentarily lost their awareness.
1914
1915Huo Yuhao exploited this opportunity to increase his speed as he flew into the sky. The projection behind him also became more material.
1916
1917On his forehead, his Eye of Destiny opened, and immense spiritual undulations openly surged towards Di Tian. Rose-gold light started to burn on his body.
1918
1919Comparing the purplish-gold flames from Di Tian’s body to the light on Huo Yuhao’s body was like comparing a full moon to a firefly. However, the space around Huo Yuhao started to distort slightly when this little scarlet-gold light started to burn.
1920
1921In the distance, the silent soul beast army started to cry out in lamentation.
1922
1923The flames on Di Tian’s body suddenly froze, and he started at Huo Yuhao with his golden eyes. His furious roar turned into shock, “You, you are the one who made the Emperor Beast an Offering. It’s you!”
1924
1925Huo Yuhao raised his head and replied, “Yes, it’s me. Qiu’er sacrificed herself for me and turned into my sixth soul ring. I also fused her abilities as the Emperor Beast into myself. You should know that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion carries the entire destiny of the Great Star Dou Forest! While Qiu’er is dead, the legacy of the Emperor Beast is still here, with me. Her Eye of Destiny is also with me! If I die, this power of destiny will be completely destroyed, which means that the destiny of the Great Star Dou Forest will also be destroyed. You should know what kind of result that will bring.”
1926
1927“Ridiculous!” Di Tian roared and reached forward with his claws. A strong purplish-gold claw projection reached for Huo Yuhao.
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933Chapter 404.3: The Berserk Beast God
1934
1935
1936Elder Xuan, Elder Mu and the various elders from Shrek Academy charged towards the sky at the same time, trying to save him.
1937
1938However, Huo Yuhao suddenly shouted at this moment, “No one comes over!” A terrifying spiritual intent was suddenly unleashed from his body, and everyone felt their spirits shaking. Even though their cultivations were more powerful than his, they still couldn’t help but stop in the air.
1939
1940Di Tian’s attack was extremely quick. In an instant, his purplish-gold dragon claw had already landed on Huo Yuhao; he had captured Huo Yuhao!
1941
1942However, Huo Yuhao didn’t resist at all. There was a calm look on his face, as if he wasn’t bothered about this number one Savage Beast that was in front of him. He lifted his head and pushed his chest out. There was only a relieved and arrogant look on his face.
1943
1944As Di Tian’s purplish-gold dragon claws landed on Huo Yuhao’s body, a terrifying force was transmitted into his body, and the rose-gold flames were extinguished.
1945
1946This was Di Tian’s strength. Even the Emperor Beast Wang Qiu’er couldn’t do anything when Huo Yuhao ignited his spiritual sea. However, Di Tian managed to stop it easily.
1947
1948Yes, Huo Yuhao had ignited his own spiritual sea when he tried to break free from Xian Lin’er and Yan Shaozhe earlier. Otherwise, there was no way he could have scared off so many Titled Douluo with his Spiritual Blast no matter how strong his spiritual power was.
1949
1950Right now, his spiritual sea that was burning had been extinguished. As Di Tian retracted his claws, Huo Yuhao was also brought in front of him.
1951
1952Huo Yuhao wasn’t even half as tall as Di Tian’s golden eyes. He looked extremely small in front of Di Tian.
1953
1954“Bastard! You were the one who seduced the Emperor Beast and made her sacrifice herself as a Sacrifice for you. Do you not believe that I have countless ways to torture you and make your life worse than death?” The terrifying pressure that came from him caused the space around Huo Yuhao to start cracking. The immense suction force that came from Di Tian even threatened to pull Huo Yuhao’s spirit out. He started feeling intense pain throughout his entire body and spirit.
1955
1956However, Huo Yuhao had been through a lot of pain before. The pain that Di Tian inflicted on him couldn’t compare to the excruciating pain he had suffered when he fused with the Ice Empress. It also couldn’t compare to the pain he had suffered when he consumed the water from the Blazing Sunspring for Wang Dong’er. As for the pain that he felt in his spirit, how could it compare to the pain of watching Wang Dong’er enter a deep sleep, and seeing Wang Qiu’er sacrifice herself for him?
1957
1958Huo Yuhao was very calm. The intense pain he felt caused beads of perspiration to stream down his forehead. However, his face was still filled with arrogance as Di Tian grabbed hold of him. He didn’t cry out in pain, and he wasn’t going to beg for mercy. He just stared at Di Tian calmly. It was like the death that could come at any time meant nothing to him.
1959
1960Seeing Huo Yuhao willingly land in the hands of Di Tian, Elder Xuan was extremely infuriated, and shouted furiously into the sky, “Di Tian, I swear on my status as the Hallmaster of the Sea God’s Pavilion that I’ll completely wipe out all the soul beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest if you dare to harm him!”
1961
1962Yes, the beast wave might have come because of Huo Yuhao. However, how much had Huo Yuhao contributed to the Academy during these years?
1963
1964He had created Spirits, which had never existed before, and played a huge role in helping Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department thrive. He, Bei Bei, and the rest had established the Tang Sect, and helped the Academy achieve the highest glory in the previous two Continental Elite Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournaments. He was also an heir to the Sea God’s Pavilion, chosen personally by Elder Mu. He had an Ultimate martial soul, and was the pride of Shrek Academy.
1965
1966He had even led the Tang Sect to save almost all the hostages that had been imprisoned by the Sun Moon Empire. It was an accident that the Emperor Beast had sacrificed herself for him. This calamity that descended upon Shrek was just fate! Just as this calamity was about to be fully unleashed onto Shrek, he appeared once again, and was willing to sacrifice himself to overcome this calamity. How could Elder Xuan watch him die without doing anything?
1967
1968Di Tian coldly replied, “I never intended to let Shrek off! I’ll kill all of you! I’d really like to see how you plan to turn the entire Great Star Dou Forest into corpses.”
1969
1970“I can do it!” Huo Yuhao suddenly said coldly. Even under Di Tian’s pressure, he still tolerated the agonizing pain, and this spiritual intent was still accurately passed into Di Tian’s mind.
1971
1972“I have the legacy of the Emperor Beast’s Sacrifice. I now control the power of destiny that she once controlled. Perhaps I’m unable to defeat you or decide your fate. However, I can at least decide my own fate. I can end my own destiny with a thought, and die just like that.
1973
1974“When that happens, I’ll end the destiny of the Great Star Dou Forest too. Beast God, do you believe in destiny?” Huo Yuhao uttered that last sentence word by word. Every word that he said was filled with immense spiritual power.
1975
1976“Are you threatening me!?” Di Tian roared furiously.
1977
1978Huo Yuhao calmly replied, “You can say so. If Shrek is destroyed, the Great Star Dou Forest will follow it! As the Beast God, aren’t you going to think about your subjects?”
1979
1980Di Tian furiously said, “Shrek City has harmed my subjects for years! This blood feud can only be washed clean with human blood!”
1981
1982Huo Yuhao snapped, “All of you deserved it. If you hadn’t lead the soul beast army to attack us, you wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. However, you still have half of your subjects. The Great Star Dou Forest can still maintain its ecological balance. Let’s first ignore the fact that my death will end the destiny of the Great Star Dou Forest. Ask yourself, how many of the soul beasts outside the city right now will be able to survive after you destroy Shrek? Will the three empires in the Douluo Continent let all of you off? To them, the Great Star Dou Forest is a huge treasure vault. Even after you destroy Shrek, the forest will still have suffered great losses. The three empires will find it a fantastic opportunity to move on the forest.
1983
1984“The Great Star Dou Forest is doomed if Shrek is destroyed! You’ll still have hope if you retreat now.”
1985
1986Di Tian suddenly calmed down, and his golden eyes also deepened. He stopped roaring, and interacted with Huo Yuhao using his spiritual intent too.
1987
1988“Yes, you are right. Shrek’s destruction might catalyze the Great Star Dou Forest’s annihilation. However, are you sure humans won’t destroy us, even if we retreat now? You are wrong! They’ll still continue to target us! Humans are greedy! When there were only soul masters, a large number of soul rings were already required! Now that there are soul engineers, some of the ordinary soul masters that originally weren’t supposed to advance to higher tiers can also improve through some special methods! Even if the quality of the soul rings that they require are lower, they still have to kill soul beasts to obtain those soul rings!
1989
1990“Now that the Great Star Dou Forest has suffered greatly, we’ll be unable to protect ourselves in the future. As your soul tools become stronger, will there be room for the survival of soul beasts? While the Emperor Beast’s Sacrifice is one of the reasons we started this beast wave, it’s not the only reason! More importantly, we’ve found it necessary to stop your evolution before we become your slaves and are destroyed!”
1991
1992Huo Yuhao was shocked by Di Tian’s sudden composure. He no longer sounded as crazy as he was earlier… or perhaps he had actually never gone berserk at all.
1993
1994“Beast God, I have a question for you.” Huo Yuhao tried his best to keep calm. He was clear that Di Tian would be able to clearly sense any spiritual undulations from him no matter how slight they were.
1995
1996“Ask me,” Di Tian replied. However, Huo Yuhao could see a trace of loneliness in his huge golden eyes.
1997
1998Huo Yuhao asked, “You’re the king of all beasts, the protector of all soul beasts and the number one Savage Beast, as appraised by humans. However, you’ve got to admit that humans are much more intelligent than soul beasts. Am I right?”
1999
2000Di Tian replied, “Yes, you are right. Otherwise, humans wouldn’t have been able to evolve from their position as prey to what they are today in a short few tens of thousands of years. Even though I’m not willing to admit it, humans are indeed the rulers of the entire continent.”
2001
2002Huo Yuhao said, “Do you really think that humans didn’t realize the imbalance that was arising between humans and soul beasts as soul engineers became popular and the number of both soul masters and soul engineers increased? Perhaps most soul masters and soul engineers ignore this because of their own interests, but there are bound to be some with great foresight that have recognized this problem, right? After all, what good does it do for humans if soul beasts are destroyed? We’ll lose our source of soul rings. If there aren’t any soul masters in the future, this profession will forever be lost to history, right? That will be extremely harmful towards the development of both soul masters and soul engineers.”
2003
2004After remaining silent for a brief moment, Di Tian said, “So what? Are humans able to stop the greed of soul masters and soul engineers? And stop hunting and killing soul beasts?”
2005
2006Huo Yuhao replied, “I’ve no way of doing so.
2007
2008“Every living creature is greedy in his own way. No one is willing to give up an opportunity to become stronger. Your wish is that humans will stop pursuing soul rings, but that’s impossible. We can only settle a problem about interest using interest.”
2009
2010Di Tian was stunned, “Using interest? Are you saying that you have a way of settling this problem regarding soul rings?”
2011
2012Huo Yuhao replied, “I’m not certain, but we could give it a go. Can you relax your suppression of me? I won’t run. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have appeared. I’ve something to show you.”
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018Chapter 405.1: Convincing the Beast God
2019
2020
2021Seeing how sincere Huo Yuhao was, Di Tian slowly nodded, and relaxed his grip on Huo Yuhao. At the same time, he retracted some of the suppression that he had forced on Huo Yuhao.
2022
2023Huo Yuhao felt more relaxed at this point. Even though he had made a good start, he didn’t dare to slack off. He was clearly aware that the Beast God might erupt any time if he said or did anything wrong.
2024
2025Things were also very quiet down below. Elder Xuan, Elder Mu and the other strong individuals from Shrek were watching tensely. Di Tian’s sudden silence left them slightly weirded out, but they didn’t make any moves, seeing that the Beast God hadn’t killed Huo Yuhao yet.
2026
2027The Body Douluo Du Busi had already crawled back to his feet. He looked very miserable right now, not expecting the Beast God to be so strong. When Di Tian unleashed his full strength, Du Busi had felt that he was completely irresistible.
2028
2029The teachers from Shrek Academy were quickly organizing the students, while the Shrek City Defense Army meditated and rested. No one knew what was going to happen next, but every bit of soul power they recovered would earn Shrek an extra glimmer of hope.
2030
2031A streak of white light shone from Huo Yuhao’s Eye of Destiny. In the next moment, a petite figure appeared in front of Huo Yuhao.
2032
2033It was a young lady who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. Her dress was a spotless white as it swayed in the wind. Her genie-like deep blue eyes oozed a boundless, chilly intent, but there seemed to be a lack of quick-wittedness within them.
2034
2035“This is…” Even though Di Tian was experienced and knowledgeable, he was still stunned when he saw the Snow Lady. After all, she was released from Huo Yuhao’s eyes! Furthermore, he could tell that this wasn’t some sort of soul skill!
2036
2037Huo Yuhao’s martial soul had been switched. One red and four orange-gold soul rings slowly rose around him!
2038
2039As he looked at the different glows that came from his soul rings before looking at the Snow Lady in front of him again, Di Tian’s golden eyes revealed a confused look.
2040
2041“I am a different soul master. I possess twin martial souls, and this is my second martial soul, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.” Huo Yuhao could also make the Ice Empress and Skydream Iceworm appear, but he didn’t do so. When he had faced Di Tian earlier, he could sense the Skydream Iceworm’s hatred towards him. It was unforgettable! Undoubtedly, Di Tian was the mastermind who had forcefully tried to snatch the Skydream Iceworm’s million-year accumulation.
2042
2043As for the Ice Empress, Huo Yuhao wanted to hide her existence, because the Ice Empress was conscious. If he revealed anything suspicious, things might turn counter-productive.
2044
2045Di Tian nodded as he sensed the aura of Ultimate Ice coming from Huo Yuhao’s body, “It’s indeed the aura of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. You are indeed blessed by Ultimate Ice. Is this the Icesky Snow Lady? Can your soul ring produce a summoning-type soul skill?” After finishing this last sentence, he also became a little uncertain.
2046
2047Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “From the colors of my soul rings, you can tell that this isn’t a simple soul skill. Can’t you tell who she is?”
2048
2049With a thought from Huo Yuhao, the Snow Lady moved. She lifted her right hand, and a streak of deep-blue sword light shot out like a bolt of lightning towards Di Tian’s forehead.
2050
2051As the sinister chill approached, Di Tian’s eyes shone with golden light before the sword light was crushed. However, he immediately opened his eyes wide as he realized that it was a familiar chilly intent.
2052
2053“Is this, is this the Snow Empress’ Unparalleled Chill? You, you are the Icesky Snow Lady?” Di Tian couldn’t help but exclaim as he looked at the Snow Lady in front of him.
2054
2055The Snow Lady drifted in the air, but she didn’t move from her position. She naturally wouldn’t react to Di Tian’s question.
2056
2057Di Tian’s gaze quickly shifted to Huo Yuhao’s body, and it turned sharp. “How is this possible? Why is the Icesky Snow Lady in your body? What is the relationship between you? She seems to be unaware?”
2058
2059Huo Yuhao nodded gently. “The Snow Empress’ situation represents hope for the future between humans and soul beasts. I met her at…”
2060
2061Huo Yuhao started to recount how he had first encountered the Snow Empress’ embryo, and transformed the Snow Empress into a Spirit. He didn’t even conceal the truth about Electrolux’s existence. He even went so far as to talk about his spectral demiplane.
2062
2063It wasn’t easy to earn the Beast God’s trust. Huo Yuhao had no choice but to do this. Di Tian would have certainly sensed the presence of the undead army earlier. He needed to prove that everything he said was true beyond the shadow of a doubt. Without his spectral demiplane, he couldn’t have summoned an army of a hundred thousand undead, given that he was only a Soul Sage. He only hid the existence of the Ice Empress and Skydream Iceworm.
2064
2065Di Tian listened silently to Huo Yuhao’s story, but his emotions were undulating throughout. However, he hid them very well, and Huo Yuhao couldn’t tell anything from his emotions or the look in his eyes. What Huo Yuhao was certain about was that the Beast God heeded his words.
2066
2067“However, you still failed in the end. The Snow Empress lost her spirit and her awareness. How can this Spirit that you talk about be considered a success?”
2068
2069Huo Yuhao calmly replied, “Yes! You are right. I can’t guarantee that the conversion into a Spirit can be successful. However, how can we determine the success of this experiment just through one try? We can only ascertain the possibility of success with more attempts. However, at least we’ve found a new route that we can take!
2070
2071“The Snow Empress gave me four soul rings. I didn’t kill any soul beasts for these four soul rings. They were willingly offered to me by the Snow Empress. In addition, the existence of my Spirit is more beneficial to me than having soul rings. This is what I mean when I said that a problem of interest can only be resolved with interest.
2072
2073“If a soul master can obtain a Spirit, he won’t need a soul ring at that particular rank. In addition, it’s even more beneficial for him. Don’t you think he’ll agree to this arrangement?
2074
2075“At the same time, a Spirit can bring more than just one soul ring to a soul master, and it can even be controlled by a human and a soul beast together. A soul master might pursue a higher-tier soul ring, but what about soul engineers? Furthermore, if a top-tier soul beast is used to fuse with a soul master to create a Spirit, and this soul beast is compatible with me, why wouldn’t I be willing to obtain more soul rings from it? These are what we have been researching. It’s a pity that we can’t complete this research by ourselves. The reason is very simple: we find it very difficult to find soul beasts that are on the verge of death, and are willing to trust us!
2076
2077“To a certain extent, the Snow Empress’ Spirit failed because the Snow Empress’ embryo was stuck in a special situation, in which it was on the verge of exploding. At that time, it was already difficult for us to ensure that she wouldn’t die. However, I’m confident of succeeding if we establish a pact. This is why I hope to receive the help of soul beasts for my future research in this aspect. If you’re willing to personally find a few soul beasts who are in this state to fuse with a few of our human soul masters that have reached their bottlenecks, you can help to prolong the lives of those soul beasts. Even though they might only be able to survive for another hundred years by following a human soul master or soul engineer, they’ll at least be able to experience this world in a different way. Their lives can be extended for a slightly longer period of time, which should be better than just dying.
2078
2079“If this research is successful, soul masters will have more choices in the future. Every soul master can even wait until their soul power accumulates to a sufficient standard before fusing with a Spirit. I even hope that if Spirits can provide enough soul rings for us, we can let these Spirits leave these soul rings behind of their own accord. When soul masters and soul engineers need them at some stage, they can actively fuse with these soul rings. In this way, humans and soul beasts might not remain enemies in the future, but friends that rely on each other. I’d be satisfied if we could achieve such a result.”
2080
2081Huo Yuhao didn’t continue speaking. He knew that his ideals were slightly contradictory to those of both soul beasts and humans. The Beast God needed time to think and understand his intentions. He stopped talking and waited quietly. When he flew up from the southern city wall today, he had already disregarded his own life. No matter what others thought, he believed that he was the one who had brought this calamity to the Great Star Dou Forest. If he couldn’t stop this calamity, he was willing to die for Shrek.
2082
2083Huo Yuhao, who was much calmer than he had been in the past, had another thought. The greatest barrier to the research on Spirits was what he mentioned earlier; there weren’t enough dying soul beasts that were willing to cooperate. If he could convince the Beast God, it would be extremely beneficial to his research on Spirits!
2084
2085Di Tian remained silent for a while. After some time, he slowly lifted his head. “I’ve never heard of the things you’ve mentioned to me. I don’t know if you’re trying to trick me. However, I can tell you that I’ll risk everything to destroy Shrek City if you are lying to me. This time, we’ve indeed suffered great losses. However, Shrek City will no longer have the protection of the Golden Tree if there’s a next time. Are you willing to follow me into the Great Star Dou Forest to attempt your research? You need to prove your words with actions.”
2086
2087“I’m willing.” Huo Yuhao replied without any hesitation.
2088
2089Di Tian nodded and said, “Alright, then you shall follow me and remain in the Great Star Dou Forest. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion is dead, and you carry the destiny of the forest with you. From now on, if you remain in the forest and continue your research on Spirits, I’ll retract this beast wave right now!”
2090
2091
2092
2093
2094
2095Chapter 405.2: Convincing the Beast God
2096
2097
2098Huo Yuhao remained silent for a moment, then said, “Beast God, I’ll definitely continue my research into Spirits. However, I can’t always stay in the Great Star Dou Forest. There arestill many things that I have to do, and thus I can’t make that promise to you.”
2099
2100Di Tian’s aura suddenly became more dominant. “Do you think that I’m negotiating with you?”
2101
2102The look in Huo Yuhao’s eyes also turned sharp. “I’m not negotiating with you, either.”
2103
2104The two pairs of eyes that met were completely disproportionate. However, Huo Yuhao didn’t seem to lose to Di Tian in terms of aura. If the Beast God could maintain his cool, it meant that he was willing to think about the future of the Great Star Dou Forest. At least, he wouldn’t just kill Huo Yuhao outright. This was what Huo Yuhao was depending on right now.
2105
2106Di Tian said, “Follow me back to the forest first.”
2107
2108“Wait a minute.” Huo Yuhao suddenly said.
2109
2110“What else do you want to say?” The Beast God’s emotions seemed to be on the verge of ignition.
2111
2112Huo Yuhao answered, “I want to say a few words to my elders and seniors from Shrek Academy first. If you just take me away like this, I’m certain that the Academy will move on the forest when they recover their vitality. They might even invite all the strong individuals from the entire continent to target the forest. Do you really want to see that happening?”
2113
2114Di Tian was startled for a moment, then nodded slowly. “That makes sense, and you’re also qualified to do so. Alright, I’ll give you a few minutes. You can speak to them now.”
2115
2116As he spoke, he released Huo Yuhao.
2117
2118Huo Yuhao had no intention of absconding. In fact, trying to escape from the most terrifying soul beast in the world right now would be a stupid move.
2119
2120“Teacher!” Huo Yuhao shouted at the top of his voice and kneeled down in mid-air. He kowtowed towards Elder Mu.
2121
2122When he shouted the word ’teacher’, he was no longer as calm as before. Tears started to stream from his eyes.
2123
2124Elder Mu was also slightly shocked after hearing Huo Yuhao’s exclamation. “Yuhao, what’s wrong? Are you fine? Di Tian, let him off! Otherwise, I’ll destroy the entire Great Star Dou Forest!”
2125
2126Di Tian snorted coldly, but didn’t say anything.
2127
2128Huo Yuhao hurriedly said, “Teacher, don’t be rash. I’ve convinced the Beast God to retract his army and end this beast wave. This beast wave started because of me. I would like to say a few words to you and the various elders.”
2129
2130After Elder Mu, Elder Xuan and Elder Song heard his words, they were stunned. He has convinced the Beast God to retract his army? Di Tian went berserk earlier. Can he really be convinced with words?
2131
2132When they looked at the Golden Eyes Black Dragon King again, Di Tian was indeed much calmer than before. Even the purplish-gold flames on his body had disappeared.
2133
2134Huo Yuhao continued, saying loudly, “Teacher and elders, as we expected, the most important reason why this beast wave was started is because of the survival of soul beasts. I recounted the progress of our research into Spirits to the Beast God just now, and managed to convince him that I’ll produce results for him to see. In this world, we and soul beasts are all part of the food chain. It’s only by surviving together that we can maintain the ecological balance. This time, the Great Star Dou Forest has already suffered heavy casualties!
2135
2136“Please trust me and let me dispel this hatred between humans and soul beasts. At the same time, I also obtained permission from the Beast God to work with him to further our research of Spirits. If it succeeds, humans and soul beasts will no longer be enemies in the future, but partners!”
2137
2138All the elders and strong soul masters from the Body Sect couldn’t believe it. Huo Yuhao had actually managed to persuade the Beast God by himself? It was too unbelievable. The entire Body Sect was lost, including Du Busi. They were all thinking, What are Spirits?
2139
2140Elder Mu was a little doubtful as he replied, “Yuhao, you…”
2141
2142Huo Yuhao said with certainty again, “Teacher, don’t worry. I’ll do my best to complete this task for Shrek, and for peace between humans and soul beasts. I hope you can find some volunteers in the Academy that have reached their bottlenecks and need soul rings. I’ll lead them to carry out my experiment on Spirits in the future. Right now, I’ll follow Di Tian back into the Great Star Dou Forest. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine with Di Tian’s protection!”
2143
2144“No!” After hearing that Huo Yuhao was going to return to the Great Star Dou Forest with Di Tian, all the elders shouted in unison.
2145
2146Di Tian snorted coldly and said, “None of you have any say in this at all. His words have moved me today. On his account, I’ll temporarily withdraw my army. If his words are lies, hmph!”
2147
2148After he finished speaking, he grabbed Huo Yuhao tightly and beat his wings forcefully. As he exuded a majestic aura, he flew towards the direction of the Great Star Dou Forest. At the same time, he let out a deafening dragon roar.
2149
2150The soul beast army outside Shrek City started to move. Under the command of the four Savage Beasts, they left with the injured soul beasts, and tried their best to drag some of the soul beast carcasses with them as they retreated back into the Great Star Dou Forest.
2151
2152After seeing that the beast wave was retreating, the entire city descended into silence. After a brief moment, someone shouted, and cheers started to ring from all four sides.
2153
2154—
2155
2156The sky turned brighter, and the sun slowly rose in the east. The rays of sunlight that fell as dawn approached illuminated the large number of soul beast carcasses outside Shrek City. At the same time, they illuminated Shrek City, and shone on the fatigued yet excited faces of everyone in the city.
2157
2158Shrek had emerged victorious! They had relied on slightly more than ten thousand soldiers to resist the onslaught of a beast wave from the Great Star Dou Forest for two days and two nights.
2159
2160As the beast wave retreated, Shrek City was preserved. Shrek had won!
2161
2162More than one-third of the soldiers and twenty percent of the soul masters from Shrek had been killed in this battle, and almost everyone was hurt. In addition, all the soul tools defending the city had been destroyed, and all the stationary soul cannon shells had been used up.
2163
2164In spite of all this, Shrek had still managed to attain victory! This was a victory in a battle between humans and soul beasts. This was a victory that belonged to all of Shrek!
2165
2166Elder Mu stared in the direction the Golden Eyes Black Dragon King had left in. There was a lost look in his eyes.
2167
2168Elder Xuan respectfully asked, “Elder Mu, what should we do? Yuhao…”
2169
2170Elder Mu’s lost look slowly turned into a comforted one. “That kid didn’t disappoint me, he has really grown up. Let’s just follow his words. Let’s compensate the families of those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and quickly restore order in the city. At the same time, we’ll have to treat the wounded.
2171
2172“While the beast wave has retreated, this matter has only just begun. Let’s announce our research on Spirits to the soul masters of the Body Sect and Heavenly Soul Empire that came here to assist us, and ask for volunteers while we await news from Yuhao. This war might actually not be a bad thing. If Di Tian is willing to coordinate with us in our research, soul beasts and humans might actually become friends.”
2173
2174“Yes!” Elder Xuan acknowledged his words.
2175
2176Elder Mu took another look at Di Tian, who was slowing disappearing into the distance. Under the illumination of the sun, his elderly face was stained with an extra trace of gold, and he also wore a gentle smile on his face.
2177
2178A halo descended, and he returned to the Golden Tree once more.
2179
2180Du Busi had been standing beside Elder Xuan and Elder Mu throughout this exchange. Elder Mu didn’t conceal anything from him when he spoke to Elder Xuan earlier. Du Busi clearly heard everything that Elder Mu had said.
2181
2182Spirits? What exactly are Spirits? This secret regarding Spirits was actually able to drive that berserk Beast God to retreat. I’ve never been so curious about this Ultimate Douluo!
2183
2184Elder Xuan turned around and said to Du Busi, “Let’s go. Follow me to the Sea God’s Pavilion. I’ll tell you everything about Spirits.”
2185
2186Du Busi laughed and said, “Never did I expect that I’d be able to enter Shrek Academy in my entire life, under the condition that there’s no loser between the Body Sect and Shrek Academy. Interesting! Xuan Zi, that kid who was taken by Di Tian earlier must be the kid with his eyes as his body soul, am I right?”
2187
2188Elder Xuan nodded slightly.
2189
2190Du Busi twisted his lips. “I last saw him a few months ago, but he now has seven rings instead of five? Shrek Academy is indeed the number one Academy on the continent!”
2191
2192Elder Xuan laughed bitterly. “Alright, that’s enough. You can keep your sarcasm to yourself. He just came back today. When he left, he only had five rings. I don’t know why he suddenly has seven rings now.” He naturally wouldn’t reveal to Du Busi that Huo Yuhao’s enhancement was likely to be related to the Emperor Beast’s Sacrifice.
2193
2194Shrek City started to settle down again. This time, the Great Star Dou Forest’s vitality was greatly hurt along with Shrek Academy! However, Shrek Academy had managed to obtain huge rewards from this episode compared to the soul beasts.
2195
2196Not to even mention soul rings, the number of soul bones that were gathered after this battle exceeded the total number of soul bones that had been gathered in the entire history of Shrek.
2197
2198More than two hundred thousand soul beasts had been killed! Even if the possibility was only one out of a thousand, how many soul bones would still be produced? Moreover, soul bones were more likely to appear from ten-thousand-year soul beasts. The value of these soul bones and soul rings, as well as the soul beasts’ carcasses that weren’t dragged away, could more than make up for the Academy’s losses!
2199
2200A few days later, caravans started to stream out of Shrek City and proceed in different directions. They only had one mission: exchange whatever Shrek had obtained during the war for rare metals!
2201
2202Soul tools had played a very important role in this battle. Without the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy’s soul tools, as well as the Tang Sect’s stationary soul cannon shells from the Sun Moon Empire, Shrek would have fallen under the attack of the soul beast army even before the reinforcements arrived!
2203
2204
2205
2206
2207
2208Chapter 405.3: Convincing the Beast God
2209
2210
2211Within a few days, large numbers of reinforcements arrived in batches. The first to arrive were the soul masters from the three empires. When they learned that the soul beast army had retreated, they still remained in the city for a time. Suddenly, the entire city became extremely crowded.
2212
2213As Shrek Academy had suffered huge losses this time, they didn’t offer some of the rewards that they had obtained during this war to these soul masters that came. They weren’t being petty. They just needed a lot of resources in order to rebuild the city.
2214
2215However, these soul masters definitely didn’t come for nothing. Shrek Academy took this opportunity to share a very important research topic with them.
2216
2217Spirits!
2218
2219All information relating to Spirits, including Shrek Academy’s current research progress and even Huo Yuhao’s temporary agreement with the Beast God, was disseminated to all the soul masters that arrived. The soul masters from the Heavenly Soul, Star Luo, and Dou Ling Empires found out for the first time that there was something that could replace soul rings. Furthermore, this thing was even stronger than soul rings!
2220
2221Shrek Academy deliberately exaggerated the effect of Spirits. Although Shrek Academy didn’t have an example to prove their words, Huo Yuhao did reveal the Snow Lady during the Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament. Many of the soul masters who were here to reinforce Shrek competed in that tournament and were even saved from the Sun Moon Empire by Huo Yuhao. They naturally knew about the magical Snow Lady, especially when Huo Yuhao defeated the seven-ringed evil soul master Gu Long even though he only had five rings back then.
2222
2223Wasn’t it because of the combined strength of the Snow and Ice Empresses? This was all attributed to the strength of a Spirit!
2224
2225Suddenly, the word ‘Spirit’ became very popular across the entire continent. There was a new term in the world of soul masters. The only pity was that Shrek Academy didn’t publicly announce the incantations needed to fuse with a Spirit. They only mentioned that Shrek City would be designated as a pilot site for the conversion of Spirits, and it would serve all soul masters. At the same time, Shrek Academy also gathered soul masters that had reached bottlenecks in their cultivation among all the soul masters that arrived in Shrek City. There wasn’t any requirement, but there were only one hundred available slots. The chosen hundred participants didn’t need to pay for anything, but there wasn’t any guarantee that the fusion of Spirits would be successful. In addition, there was some element of risk involved.
2226
2227There was always bound to be risk involved. Among the thousands of soul masters that came, there were many who had reached bottlenecks in their cultivation.
2228
2229Eventually, fifty-six people signed up for this experiment that was risky, yet potentially groundbreaking. The remaining forty-four slots were filled by Shrek Academy.
2230
2231Among these hundred soul masters, the weakest had a three-ringed cultivation, while the strongest had an eight-ringed cultivation. Most tiers of soul masters were included in this experiment. These volunteers temporarily remained in Shrek City to wait for news from Huo Yuhao.
2232
2233Shrek Academy once again faced the entire world of soul masters on the Douluo Continent with an unselfish attitude. Of course, this was where they were clever. If their research succeeded, the existence of Spirits would be spread by word of mouth. This was also what Shrek Academy was trying to achieve!
2234
2235The benefit of Spirits was the future developments it would be able to support. It was only through letting all soul masters realize how good Spirits were that would be it possible for everyone to stop hunting and killing soul beasts. In exchange, humans and soul beasts could undergo a different form of fusion. This might also be the key to removing the hatred and conflict between soul masters and soul beasts.
2236
2237Shrek Academy was arranging everything in full swing.
2238
2239—
2240
2241As the battle ended, Huo Yuhao was also brought to the Slaughtering Grounds in the Great Star Dou Forest by the Beast God.
2242
2243Di Tian retracted his wings as he entered the Great Star Dou Forest. His body also quickly shrank in size. Very soon, he looked like a human once more. A streak of black light was released from his body and encircled Huo Yuhao, which helped him to fly.
2244
2245The two of them flew towards the Slaughtering Grounds together. They looked like brothers right now, instead of a human and a soul beast.
2246
2247There were millions of soul beasts living in the Great Star Dou Forest. However, Di Tian only led those with fighting strength out for the battle. However, his army had still comprised most of the fighting soul beasts in the forest.
2248
2249The losses they had incurred had greatly hurt the vitality of the Great Star Dou Forest!
2250
2251—
2252
2253Huo Yuhao finally arrived at the Slaughtering Grounds. Di Tian led Huo Yuhao past the thick canopy and slowly drifted down.
2254
2255Huo Yuhao was immersed in his thoughts earlier. However, he was jolted awake when the scenery around him suddenly changed. Following this, he was surprised when he looked around.
2256
2257The Slaughtering Grounds in the Great Star Dou Forest was recognized as one of the most terrifying places in the entire continent. No soul master dared to venture into this area. In other words, it was like a forbidden ground for humans.
2258
2259Huo Yuhao had always wondered what it was like in the Slaughtering Grounds of the Great Star Dou Forest. When he was younger, he had always imagined there to be all types of ferocious beasts here. However, what was it like in front of him now?
2260
2261He first saw a lake. Although it wasn’t very huge, considering that he could see the opposite side of it, it felt like the Sea God’s Lake.
2262
2263The surface of the lake was extremely smooth, and the dim-green water resembled the most beautiful piece of natural jade. It flashed with green lights that were filled with life. Around the lake were ancient trees that reached into the clouds. There was a slight layer of mist above the lake, and the moist air swept over to them by a light breeze, carrying the fragrance of plants along with it.
2264
2265There was a strong aura of life here. The life energy here was extremely prosperous, several times stronger here than in the outside world. There were also many natural elements, and they were even concentrated, not inferior to the Icefire Yin Yang Well that he had been to before.
2266
2267This place was like the source of all life. It was like all life in the Great Star Dou Forest was nurtured by this place. The principles of heaven and earth seemed to fill this place, and even the slightest sound threatened to destroy the peace and beauty of this place.
2268
2269Was this really the Slaughtering Grounds? To Huo Yuhao, this place was more like a paradise for all living creatures!
2270
2271The black air around him disappeared, and Di Tian stood quietly beside Huo Yuhao. “Do you sense it? Isn’t it beautiful?”
2272
2273Huo Yuhao replied without any hesitation, “It’s too beautiful. This is like a mortal paradise. It seems like this is where the goddess of nature lives.”
2274
2275Di Tian said, “Yes, this is a place that nurtures life. This lake that you are seeing contains the holiest Water of Life in the Great Star Dou Forest. This lake has existed for more than a million years. This is the lake that nurtures all life in the Great Star Dou Forest. It’s a miracle on its own. It gave the forest its own ecological balance over a million years. Initially, I…” He stopped when he reached that part. He revealed a sense of loss in his eyes, as well as an awed look.
2276
2277Huo Yuhao didn’t look at him. He was completely astonished by the beauty of the scenery that was in front of him.
2278
2279The Water of Life. Yes! That was only this name that could express the beauty of it!
2280
2281“I didn’t expect this! Who would have thought that the core region of the Slaughtering Grounds was actually so beautiful?”
2282
2283Di Tian said with a sense of loss, “This is the work of nature. It’s the source of life that nature offered to this world. I hope that everything you said today is true.”
2284
2285Huo Yuhao nodded, turned to Di Tian and said, “Soul beasts are a part of this world. Without soul beasts, there naturally wouldn’t be soul masters. I’m afraid such a beautiful place wouldn’t exist, either.”
2286
2287“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best. You should know that I’m wagering my life. Just like soul beasts, humans only have one life.”
2288
2289At this moment, a furious roar sounded, and a dark-golden figure flashed to their side in an instant. “Why, Di Tian, why?”
2290
2291This figure had adopted the human form of a muscular man. He was more than two meters tall, and his muscles were extremely well-developed. When he saw Huo Yuhao beside Di Tian, he lifted his hand, and terrifying, sharp, dark golden blades extended out. He clawed towards Huo Yuhao.
2292
2293Huo Yuhao stood in place without moving. He knew how insignificant he was here.
2294
2295Di Tian furrowed his brow. “Bear Lord, don’t cause trouble.” As he lifted his right hand, a black barrier appeared in front of Huo Yuhao. As a piercing scratching sound resonated, the Bear Lord’s attack was blocked.
2296
2297This muscular man was the human form of the Bear Lord!
2298
2299The Bear Lord glared furiously at Di Tian and said, “Di Tian, do you know how many of our brothers and sisters were killed? How many of our compatriots are dead? Those despicable humans were about to fall to us! Why did you give the order to retreat? Why?”
2300
2301Di Tian’s eyes suddenly brightened. He exuded a threatening might from his bright golden eyes. The sovereign-like suppression that came from him materialized into a layer of golden light that trapped the Bear Lord.
2302
2303The Bear Lord went silent. He was astonished. He unleashed a layer of his own dark golden light as he tried to resist Di Tian’s suppression.
2304
2305“Remember, I’ll have your palm for breakfast if you dare to talk to me in that tone again,” Di Tian said very slowly.
2306
2307The Bear Lord’s arrogance had evidently been restrained, and he lowered his head, “I’m sorry Di Tian. It’s just that too many of us were killed. I…”
2308
2309Di Tian also retracted his suppression. “I know that. Do you really think I’m not heartbroken? This time, the humans’ abilities were beyond my expectations! Furthermore, they had reinforcements! Have you even thought about how the three empires would react if we destroyed Shrek City at all costs? We’ve already been drained. If we continued, we’d have faced a catastrophe.”
2310
2311The Bear Lord was stunned. His intelligence was much weaker than his offensive strength. He was immediately stunned by Di Tian’s words.
2312
2313A few projections flashed past, and a few other soul beasts appeared in front of Di Tian. They were Bi Ji the Emerald Swan, the Myriad Demon King, and the Scarlet King!
2314
2315
2316
2317
2318
2319Chapter 406: His and Her Story
2320
2321
2322Huo Yuhao stood to one side as he took in the scene before him in awe. Five of the ten great Savage Beasts, feared by all soul masters, were present. The Beast God himself, who was ranked first among the ten great Savage Beasts, was here. Including the Icesky Snow Lady inside him, who was ranked third, and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, seven of the ten great Savage Beasts were present. It was an unprecedented gathering!
2323
2324The terror in his heart disappeared. He became unusually calm. While an experience like this was extremely dangerous, how could it not be exciting, too?
2325
2326The Myriad Demon King and the Scarlet King both had ugly expressions on their faces. Bi Ji’s head was lowered, and her face was pale. Sadness filled her beautiful eyes.
2327
2328“Take a seat,” said Di Tian plainly.
2329
2330The other four Savage Beasts looked at him. Upon hearing his words, they all sat down in front of him.
2331
2332Di Tian turned his head to look at Huo Yuhao and said, “You may sit, too. Repeat what you told me. Release the Snow Empress, too.”
2333
2334“Okay,” agreed Huo Yuhao, nodding. He sat down where he was, unleashed his Eye of Destiny, and released the Snow Empress. He repeated the words he had said to convince Di Tian, including the conversation he had had with him.
2335
2336“…War will only lead to destruction. Only by creating something of greater value can we resolve the problem at its root.”
2337
2338When she heard Huo Yuhao’s words, Bi Ji the Emerald Swan’s gaze became more focused. The Myriad Demon King appeared to be in deep thought. The Scarlet King and the Bear Lord, however, only understood a bit of it. The Scarlet King would furrow his brows occasionally, while the Bear Lord would look at Huo Yuhao fiercely. He seemed to be on the verge of attacking him at any moment.
2339
2340Huo Yuhao remained fearless as he spoke.
2341
2342Di Tian said, “You heard what he said? If what he says can be achieved, the situation of the entire continent will change. The Emperor Beast offered herself up for him, and hence, he inherited the Emperor Beast’s fortune. In other words, if he dies, the fortune of Star Dou will end.”
2343
2344Upon hearing Di Tian’s last sentence, the Scarlet King and the Beast Lord appeared to have understood. The most obvious indicator of their comprehension was the Bear Lord looking at Huo Yuhao differently. His gaze became much less severe. No matter how powerful he was, he would not risk his home!
2345
2346Bi Ji looked at Huo Yuhao. At such a close distance, her emerald-green eyes were moving. “What happened between you and the Emperor Beast? Why would the Emperor Beast offer herself up for you? Can you tell us about how you two met?”
2347
2348Huo Yuhao paused for a while, and a look of pain flashed across his eyes. In the past few days, to keep calm, he had tried not to think so much. He did not want to remind himself of Qiu’er’s death.
2349
2350Now, when this Emerald Swan asked him, he could not help but think about it. The five Savage Beasts looked at him. Undoubtedly, the other four Savage Beasts wanted to know the response to Bi Ji’s question, too.
2351
2352The Emperor Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, was the highest existence in the entire Great Star Dou Forest. Even Di Tian would not presume to be better than her! However, none of the five Savage Beasts could understand why would she willingly offer her life for a human.
2353
2354Huo Yuhao took in a deep breath, and said, “I met Qiu’er in the Great Star Dou Forest. At that time, I had gone to the forest to get soul rings. Elder Scarlet King, do you remember the first time we met the Emperor Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?”
2355
2356A look of shock crossed the Scarlet King’s face as he said, “Are you the one who wanted me to send soul beasts out in exchange for the Three-Eyed Golden Lion? At that time, the Taotie Douluo came with you, right?”
2357
2358Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “That’s right. That time, Elder Xuan brought Dong’er and me into the Great Star Dou Forest. Coincidentally, we met the Three-Eyed Golden Lion there. Elder Xuan captured her, and my forehead touched hers. A peculiar change happened between us. Our brains received each other’s memories. That was when my Eye of Destiny was activated, which greatly increased my spiritual-type abilities.
2359
2360“After I left the Great Star Dou Forest, the impact of this incident on me became more severe. While the memories of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion were in my mind, her memories were way too pure. They were just memories of her cultivating in the forest, and there weren’t many changes. Hence, I did not take a closer look at them. However, unlike me, she told me that that contact made her see how exciting the human world was. So she chose to take a human form and enter our human world.”
2361
2362When they heard him say this, the faces of the five Savage Beasts turned ugly, especially that of the Scarlet King. For a long period of time, he was in charge of looking after the Emperor Beast. However, none of them knew that the Emperor Beast had left.
2363
2364Huo Yuhao continued, “When she entered the human world, she followed my memories and transformed into the most beautiful person in my mind. Then, she entered my life…”
2365
2366He started to talk about the first time he had met Wang Qiu’er, as well as the ups and downs of his relationship with Dong’er. This time, he recounted his tale very carefully. Unknowingly, he became completely engrossed in his own memories. Qiu’er and Dong’er flashed past in his mind. All of his memories were crystal-clear.
2367
2368After the battle, the five Savage Beasts were angry and tired. However, as Huo Yuhao told them his story, they all calmed down. Even the ferocious Bear Lord gradually became engrossed in the story of Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong’er, and Wang Qiu’er.
2369
2370Huo Yuhao told his story passionately. At that moment, he bared his heart. When he talked about how Wang Dong’er chose suicide to save him in the Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley, which caused her to fall into a coma, the Emerald Swan could not help but exclaim as if she had personally experienced it. When he told them about how he had burned his Spiritual Sea to save Qiu’er, and how he was eventually revived by Qiu’er’s Sacrifice, the five Savage Beasts were all dumbstruck.
2371
2372Of the five Savage Beasts, even the weakest one, the Scarlet King, had lived on this world for two hundred and sixty thousand years. Naturally, they could tell that Huo Yuhao’s story was completely true. His spiritual power made this tragic love story feel even more real for them.
2373
2374When they first heard that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had sacrificed herself for a human, the five Savage Beasts all thought that she had been tricked. None of them had expected such a complex process.
2375
2376Was there deception in this process? All there was in this story was love, something which soul beasts found hard to fathom.
2377
2378Tears fell from Bi Ji’s eyes. The Scarlet King’s brows were furrowed. The Myriad Demon King appeared lost in thought, and the Bear Lord’s face brimmed with righteous anger. In the eyes of the Beast God, Di Tian, there was nothing but dejection. Despite their different expressions, they were all deeply engrossed in his tale.
2379
2380“Qiu’er, Qiu’er…” Huo Yuhao pursed his lips tightly, but they could not help but twitch. No matter what, Dong’er was still alive, and he could still think of her. However, Qiu’er was gone forever. Not even her corpse was left.
2381
2382A leaf, which was about as big as two palms, was delivered to him. On the leaf, one could see a glistening puddle of the Water of Life.
2383
2384Huo Yuhao turned his head. What he saw was Bi Ji’s tear-streaked face.
2385
2386“Thank you.” After he received the Water of Life, Huo Yuhao slowly drank it. A thick life energy filled his body, but it could not take away his pain.
2387
2388Di Tian sighed softly. His eyes were sorrowful. “I never expected the Emperor Beast to die like this.”
2389
2390Bi Ji lowered her head and said, “I don’t know why, but I think her choice was right. Even though she only had a short period of time, she experienced the most intense emotions.”
2391
2392The Bear Lord snorted and said, “Humans are complicated. Why don’t they just snatch someone to mate with?”
2393
2394The Myriad Demon King’s mouth twitched, and he said, “All you know is how to mate. Human emotions are far more complex.”
2395
2396The Bear Lord glared at him and said, “So what if I mate? Mating is natural. If I don’t mate, how can I ensure the continuity of my line and the entire Great Star Dou Forest?”
2397
2398The Myriad Demon King snorted. However, he could not risk offending him, and so, he said nothing more.
2399
2400The Scarlet King kept quiet. Compared to the other four Savage Beasts, his position was much lower.
2401
2402Di Tian said, “The Emperor Beast is dead. We can’t save her now. However, what do you think of this matter about Spirits?”
2403
2404The Myriad Demon King said, “It’s believable. At least, we have the example of the Snow Lady. However, will they lose their consciousness after they had been transformed into Spirits? Isn’t this the same as dying? Boy, how confident are you that we soul beasts can maintain our consciousness even after we have been turned into Spirits?”
2405
2406Huo Yuhao said, “I am about seventy percent sure. The Snow Empress’ situation was unique. When her powerful energy exploded, I would have been dead if not for my otherworldly teacher, who burned his own divine sense. In a normal Spirit Fusion between a soul beast and a human, this problem will not occur. Hence, I’m quite confident of success.”
2407
2408He was not boasting. The Snow Empress was not the only Spirit in his body. The Skyworm Icedream existed, too! He was fully conscious, and right now, he was cursing the five Savage Beasts furiously from inside his Spiritual Sea. However, Brother Skydream dared not show himself now. If he did, Huo Yuhao would be in serious trouble.
2409
2410Bi Ji said, “I feel that we can give it a shot. After this battle, many of us have been severely injured, beyond curing. All they can do is to wait for death. I’ve already ordered the Emerald Swans to gather them together and treat them. However, for many of them, they are inches away from death. They are the best candidate for this Spirit experimentation.”
2411
2412Di Tian nodded and said, “Alright, go ahead. Huo Yuhao, may you succeed.”
2413
2414Huo Yuhao wiped the tears from his face and nodded. He could sense the chill in Di Tian’s voice, and he understood the consequences of failure.
2415
2416However, this was the best possible time, for both humans and soul beasts. His spiritual power had increased by a lot, and he was confident.
2417
2418“Elder Bi Ji, before the process of Spirit Transformation begins, may I trouble you to convince the soul beasts that will be taking part in this ceremony? They are injured because of humans, and it’s likely that they are filled with hate for us humans. For Spirit Transformation to work, both parties need to be willing. If not, if either party is unwilling to do so, failure will ensue. You need to assure them so that there can be a possibility of success.
2419
2420“At the same time, I have one suggestion. Other than asking the soul beasts which have been severely injured in the war, can we ask soul beasts who are nearing the end of their lives, but did not participate in the war? Soul beasts are straightforward, and I fear they may not let go of their hatred so easily. On the other hand, for soul beasts who are naturally near death, I feel that they will be calmer. This is an experiment, and hence, we need to consider various factors.”
2421
2422Bi Ji looked at Di Tian. Di Tian nodded and said, “Yes, it’s fine. Do as he says.”
2423
2424“Scarlet King, send word to Shrek to bring their participants in this experiment to the edge of the Great Star Dou Forest.”
2425
2426The Bear Lord’s mouth twitched as he asked, “Will they dare to come?”
2427
2428Huo Yuhao looked at him seriously and said, “All cooperation is built on the sincerity of both sides. This beast wave brought death and destruction to both sides. If we can’t let go of this hatred, there’s no future for either of us.”
2429
2430Di Tian said coldly, “He’s right. When you head back, rein in all your subordinates. This matter concerns the future of Star Dou. If there are any slip-up, don’t blame me for being unforgiving. While I am still ten thousand years away from my Ninth Metamorphosis, don’t think you can do what you want and get away with it. Just try me!”
2431
2432As he said that, he looked intently at the Bear Lord. Despite the Bear Lord’s strength, he did not dare to lift his head.
2433
2434In the Great Star Dou Forest, other than Di Tian, the strongest being was the leader of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears. Right now, Di Tian was telling him not to act rashly!
2435
2436The Myriad Demon King looked at the Bear Lord from the corner of his eyes. He evidently did not respect him. In terms of fighting strength, he was weaker than the Bear Lord. However, he never once viewed him as a worthy foe. What use was a fellow with all brawn and no brain? Even if Di Tian died in his next Metamorphosis, the Great Star Dou Forest would not be controlled by the Bear Lord. The Myriad Demon King, Bi Ji, and the Scarlet King had all already agreed to this.
2437
2438Faced with Di Tian’s pressure, the Bear Lord could only lower his head. However, there was clear resentment in his eyes.
2439
2440Di Tian turned to Huo Yuhao and said, “Rest next to the Water of Life. The rest of you can return to your territories. Bi Ji, start the preparations.”
2441
2442“Yes,” Bi Ji agreed quickly.
2443
2444The four Savage Beasts all left. Di Tian looked at Huo Yuhao, and then, as if his entire body was weightless, floated toward the center of the lake made from the Water of Life. What shocked Huo Yuhao was that the moment his body reached the center of the lake, his body turned fainter and fainter, until it finally disappeared…
2445
2446
2447
2448
2449
2450Chapter 407.1: Conversation with the Beast God
2451
2452
2453Huo Yuhao crossed his legs and sat down by the lakeside. He retrieved some food from his storage-type soul tool and began to eat as images flashed by in his mind, one after another. His emotions wouldn’t calm down for a very long time.
2454
2455He didn’t know whether he could return after entering the Great Star Dou Forest this time, but there were some things he couldn’t leave behind. The thing he wanted to do most right now was visit the Clear Sky Sect and see Dong’er.
2456
2457His eyes became gentle and tender when he thought about Dong’er, but the thoughts in his heart became increasingly determined and resolute.
2458
2459He couldn’t stay here forever. Him being imprisoned here indefinitely was no different from death! But he couldn’t leave now, he had to complete his experiments with Spirits and resolve the conflict between Shrek City and the Great Star Dou Forest before he could leave. After that happened, he could leave with no worries at all.
2460
2461He had thought about many things on the road back, and had made a plan for his future.
2462
2463Huo Yuhao was clear that some people from the Academy had definitely seen his army of undead; that was an army of a hundred thousand undead! It was impossible that nobody saw it. Perhaps nobody was thinking about that for now, but what about when everyone calmed down? His buddies from the Tang Sect would know what was going on, and the Academy could guess as well.
2464
2465Summoning undead was an ability that belonged to evil soul masters! He had made that decision with no second thoughts because he had thought it was the right thing to do, but he also understood that summoning an army of undead as large as that meant that he could no longer hide his secret of having a third martial soul, which held his Necromancy!
2466
2467He wanted to leave some things behind for Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect before he left. Afterwards, he had so many other things to do! He wanted to look for Dong’er, and there was something else he had always wanted to do.
2468
2469His emotions and his state of mind were unstable, but his formidable spiritual power allowed him to plan carefully and rationally. He had his own plans on how he would leave this place, and just like he had said to the five Savage Beasts, there were only eternal benefits in this world. Under the pretext of having sufficient benefits, leaving this place wasn’t impossible.
2470
2471Huo Yuhao sat down with his legs crossed, and began channeling his soul power to aid his recovery. He had faced down five great Savage Beasts, and the pressure that he had to take from Di Tian above Shrek City before this had exhausted much of his energy. Even his body was a little hurt, but his formidable life energy meant these wounds didn’t cause him any real damage.
2472
2473Soul power circulated in his body as a rose-gold vertical eye gradually emerged behind his back. Light that resembled patterns of the sun shimmered around this vertical eye, and everything seemed very peculiar as gentle spiritual undulations expanded outward from Huo Yuhao’s body.
2474
2475The Water of Life not too far from him rippled faintly because of the spiritual undulations coming from his body. Huo Yuhao could feel that the strength from his Life Gold was very greedy, and it wanted to absorb the Water of Life’s life energy, but he forcibly suppressed it. Of course, he wanted to boost his own life energy, but this Water of Life was part of the Great Star Dou Forest’s core, and it contained immense life energy, far larger in volume than his Life Guardian Blade and his Life Gold. If he dared to absorb the Water of Life’s life energy at a time like this, he would be shaking the Great Star Dou Forest at its very roots! Di Tian would never let him get away with that if he did so!
2476
2477After Huo Yuhao had left the Evildemon Forest, he had hurriedly absorbed his seventh soul ring and immediately travelled to the Heavenly Soul Empire. He was smart enough not to inform the Body Sect directly. Instead, he went to look for the Heavenly Soul Empire’s royalty, Princess Wei Na, and returned to Shrek City as soon as possible after passing that information to her. He had used his full strength to unleash his necromantic spell and summoned his army of undead afterwards.
2478
2479Only now did he take the time to finally stop and catch his breath. At the same time, he felt the changes in his body after he became a Soul Sage.
2480
2481Huo Yuhao felt as if he were weak, like a lamb to the slaughter, when he was up against someone like Di Tian, who was stronger than even Ultimate Douluo. But he was calm now, and focused on sensing the transformations in his body. Only now could he see what had actually happened to him.
2482
2483The soul power flowing through his body had become a gentle purplish-gold color. He understood that his soul power hadn’t evolved by itself. Instead, his soul power had changed qualitatively after Qiu’er had offered herself to him.
2484
2485At the same time, Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that after he fused with Qiu’er’s strength after her Sacrifice, his physique had become many times stronger than before, especially in terms of strength. His strength had grown exponentially!
2486
2487Qiu’er was the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, and she was thick with blood descended from the Golden Dragon. Otherwise, she couldn’t have pretended that she possessed a Golden Dragon as her martial soul! Right now, her Golden Dragon’s strength had merged completely with Huo Yuhao’s soul power, and had become part of him. Compared to that, his soul power’s evolution was secondary, and the changes to his body had undoubtedly built a stable foundation for Huo Yuhao’s future progress.
2488
2489Soul power wasn’t the only thing restraining soul masters after they became Soul Douluo, their bodies were limiting factors, as well! Overly immense soul power demanded more and more from a soul master’s body. Therefore, many Soul Douluo repressed their soul power growth rate while they used all sorts of methods to train their physiques, and only when their bodies attained higher levels of strength did they dare to try and raise their soul power to another level.
2490
2491Once soul masters became Titled Douluo, they would be faced with such a situation at almost every rank of soul power. This also meant that towards the final stages of a soul master’s progress, a soul master’s body became one of the most important factors that limited their development.
2492
2493Huo Yuhao possessed immense life energy bestowed upon him by his Life Gold. That, in addition to the strength of the Golden Dragon that Wang Qiu’er had offered him, meant he wouldn’t have to be concerned about his body, at least before he became a Transcendent Douluo.
2494
2495There was no need to mention his spiritual power’s qualitative changes. He had relied on his fusion with Wang Qiu’er and even killed a hundred-thousand-year Evileye Tyrant. Even though his element’s crushing superiority had determined the outcome of battle, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was so frighteningly strong that it was also a substantial reason for his victory.
2496
2497He had absorbed two soul rings within a short period of time, and his strength had grown to the point where he had become one of the stronger individuals on the Continent. Furthermore, he could feel that as he became stronger, he had managed to consolidate and understand much more about his personal abilities during the three months he had spent in closed-door cultivation. Following the passage of time, these understandings would help him grow even faster.
2498
2499Dong’er was in a deep slumber, and Qiu’er had offered herself to him, and both incidents broke his heart. But he was a lot stronger than others of his age, and after Ultimate martial souls broke through seven rings, their initial limitations would swiftly disappear. His talents and his potential would be gradually revealed in the future.
2500
2501Huo Yuhao briefly sensed the transformations in his body before he slowly entered meditation. He was swiftly recovering his physical and mental strength amid the dense life energy released by the Water of Life.
2502
2503—
2504
2505One day passed before he woke up from his meditation. He opened his eyes, and felt invigorated and fully energetic. He took a deep breath, and thick life energy flooded in through his nose. He felt so comfortable that he almost moaned.
2506
2507Huo Yuhao began to understand why Di Tian could metamorphose eight times and become the king of the Savage Beasts with more than eight hundred thousand years of cultivation. Perhaps the Golden Eyes Black Dragon King hadn’t been alive for eight hundred thousand years, but he resided in a place where life energy was so dense, and he still had the Auspicious Emperor Beast and the Skydream Iceworm, among other external forces, amplifying him. It would be strange if he didn’t evolve.
2508
2509A faint fragrance wafted from in front of him. Huo Yuhao lowered his head subconsciously, and saw several green fruits stacked up in front of him.
2510
2511These are…
2512
2513These green fruits were spherical, and there were fine and compact golden dots on their surface. Thick aromas lingered around them, and they were very alluring.
2514
2515Huo Yuhao came from Shrek Academy, and he was very knowledgeable. He was momentarily astonished before he immediately identified these fruits.
2516
2517These were Goldenjade Fruits, considered very rare and exotic. Goldenjade Fruits were natural treasures that boosted a soul master’s physique and soul power. They were indeed treasures, as they were very beneficial and nutritious for soul masters.
2518
2519There was no doubt that Di Tian had ordered some soul beast to send these fruits to him.
2520
2521Huo Yuhao wasn’t courteous at all as he picked one up and gobbled it up in a few bites. The fruit wasn’t very delectable, its flesh was chewy, it oozed with juice, and it wasn’t sweet. Instead, it tasted bitter. But Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to waste even one bit of something this good, and he even ate the fruit’s outer skin.
2522
2523He wasn’t greedy for more, and stopped after ingesting one. The effects of a Goldenjade Fruit were very potent, and he wouldn’t be able to absorb more even if he ate them. One was enough for now.
2524
2525After a few moments, gentle and warm currents began to spread from his gut to every corner of his body. The soul power inside his dantian became a lot more lively, and Huo Yuhao didn’t have to activate it as they followed naturally and circulated along the path designated by his Mysterious Heaven Technique.
2526
2527Huo Yuhao had seven soul rings, and this Goldenjade Fruit’s boosting effects weren’t that impressive. However, the fruit was very nutritious, and adding in his meditation during the past day, his mind and body were instantly raised to their peak condition.
2528
2529Huo Yuhao took a step out as a layer of faint golden light glowed on him. He slowly punched out with his fist, and his body instantly became brilliantly golden. Spiritual power and soul power immediately fused together, and that rose-gold vertical eye naturally appeared behind him.
2530
2531He had simply concentrated for this punch, but Huo Yuhao discovered to his surprise that this fist’s strength was comparable to the force of his Fist of Remembrance. Golden light radiated and didn’t dissipate, as if a golden whirlpool was consuming everything within ten meters of his fist. The seamless fusion between soul power and spiritual power produced an all-new ability.
2532
2533Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of admiration inside. Just as teacher said back then, this is the feeling of a perfect Sovereign’s Descent, where spiritual power and soul power are seamlessly integrated!
2534
2535
2536
2537
2538
2539Chapter 407.2: Conversation with the Beast God
2540
2541
2542He didn’t stop as he continued to think. He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and the Tang Sect’s most basic fist techniques at the same time.
2543
2544His movements were very slow. He paused almost after every punch, and he focused on understanding and sensing the changes in his soul power and spiritual power. Huo Yuhao obtained better understandings of his own abilities after every movement.
2545
2546But he was very careful throughout the entire process. He relied on his formidable spiritual power to skillfully control his attacking force so that he didn’t hurt the plants around him.
2547
2548His movements slowly began to speed up, but the golden colors released from each punch became smaller and smaller. Initially, the golden colors stretched to more than ten meters, but they were gradually withdrawn to about seven to eight meters, and then to five to six meters. By the time his body became like an illusion moving at high speed, the radiance on his fists had vanished completely, and even the undulations from his soul power and spiritual power were gone.
2549
2550A shadow began to stretch out behind his back, but that shadow wasn’t his afterimage. Instead, it was the Goddess of Light.
2551
2552The Goddess of Light moved in the same way that he did. However, she was reflected from his body, so the two of them seemed like they were moving together, as if they were dancing on the lakeside.
2553
2554Huo Yuhao practiced this set of fist techniques for two hours. When he withdrew his fists and stood up straight, the Goddess of Light appeared right in front of him and didn’t dissipate as she did the exact same thing.
2555
2556Dense golden light gradually rose around Huo Yuhao and transformed into spirals above his head as they expanded out from him, one after another.
2557
2558—
2559
2560The past two hours had been very qualitatively transformative for Huo Yuhao. He had completely absorbed the Goldenjade Fruit’s effects, and he had used the past two hours to finally streamline and understand the changes to his body that his two new soul rings had brought about, truly grasping the strength of being a Soul Sage.
2561
2562“Impressive fist techniques,” a plain voice rang out, and Huo Yuhao snapped his head around and gazed into the distance. He was the only person by the lakeside before this, but there was someone else there at this moment. Wasn’t that the Beast God Di Tian, dressed in black?
2563
2564Di Tian was in his human form. He stared at Huo Yuhao, and his eyes flowed with faint approval.
2565
2566Huo Yuhao bowed subtly in his direction and said, “You flatter me. I’m like the light of a firefly in front of you, elder.”
2567
2568Di Tian smiled plainly. He seemed just like a warm elderly man at this moment as he said, “No, you are outstanding enough. You’re probably not even twenty years old, or a little older than twenty, at most. It’s no wonder the Auspicious Emperor Beast gave you her approval. You possess many special qualities that other humans don’t. You can still keep your composure in a dangerous place like this, and you can achieve one hundred percent concentration. You can already be considered very outstanding because of this.”
2569
2570Huo Yuhao said nothing. He didn’t know how to continue the Beast God’s conversation, and the set of fist techniques that he had just displayed just happened because he felt like it.
2571
2572“Training by yourself is so uninteresting. Why don’t I accompany you?” Di Tian’s next sentence rendered Huo Yuhao speechless with slack eyes and widened jaws.
2573
2574The Beast God had more than eight hundred thousand years of cultivation…did he really want to fight Huo Yuhao?
2575
2576“Elder, you…” Huo Yuhao stared lifelessly at Di Tian.
2577
2578Di Tian smiled faintly and said, “We’re just having a practice fight. Just try your best.”
2579
2580Di Tian made his move before his words finished registering in Huo Yuhao’s mind, and he didn’t give Yuhao time to think about it at all. He took a step forward, his hands were still behind his back as he charged toward Huo Yuhao.
2581
2582Huo Yuhao immediately felt a frightening and stifling pressure slam him in the face from the moment Di Tian made his move. That feeling resembled the same feeling he had felt in the Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley, when he was completely crushed by that projection. When he was crushed back then, his body had crumbled into dust, and nothing was left!
2583
2584However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t like he was back then. He didn’t use a single soul skill against Di Tian’s charge, because he didn’t have the time to activate his soul skills. He stood in place as he circled his hands before him with his palms facing out, and slowly pushed out.
2585
2586Di Tian was as fast as lighting, while Huo Yuhao felt like a doddering old man.
2587
2588However, because his movement was so slow, his palms pushed out at the same moment Di Tian arrived in front of him.
2589
2590In that moment, Di Tian discovered to his surprise that Huo Yuhao had become illusory to his senses, as if he had integrated with nature around him. Huo Yuhao’s life energy and even his fortune was one with nature.
2591
2592Bam!
2593
2594Huo Yuhao was sent hurtling backward, and landed on the floor after flying more than ten meters out. He stumbled as he hit the ground, and seemed like he was in disarray, but he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and dispelled the impact bit by bit.
2595
2596Di Tian stood where he was and didn’t pursue Huo Yuhao. He tilted his head at Huo Yuhao and said, “Now I believe that the Auspicious Emperor Beast has given all her destiny and fortune to you. It’s a pity that you’re not a soul beast, and you can’t bless the Great Star Dou Forest like she did.”
2597
2598Huo Yuhao stopped moving as well. Di Tian clearly hadn’t used his full strength, but even so, he had felt as if his spirit and his blood were about to be forced out of his body from the impact when Di Tian collided with him. It had felt like a mountain had crashed into him.
2599
2600“Thank you for showing mercy, elder,” Huo Yuhao said as he bowed towards Di Tian.
2601
2602Di Tian frowned and said, “You humans have so many formalities.”
2603
2604Huo Yuhao’s answer was neither haughty or humble. “This is human culture that we have inherited over the generations: filial piety, respect for one’s seniors, loyalty, politeness, honor and shame. Those things form the foundations of human culture.”
2605
2606Di Tian said plainly, “I don’t know about all that. However, we’re just starting. Try your best.” His body quivered as he spoke, and he charged towards Huo Yuhao once more. He moved a little faster this time.
2607
2608Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to be careless. He understood from his previous experience that the Golden Eyed Black Dragon King wouldn’t deal him a fatal blow, and his footwork changed subtly as he took two quick steps out and adjusted his position. His soul power circulated smoothly and at his whim within him, and a vertical eye flickered behind his back as he merged all the forces in his body once more. His eyes turned rose-gold in color, and compared to the previous round, he managed to enter his peak condition within a much shorter period of time this time around.
2609
2610Bam!
2611
2612They clashed again, and Huo Yuhao stumbled backwards. He was pushed more than ten steps backwards before he could regain his balance. However, his situation was a lot better compared to when he was sent hurtling backwards before.
2613
2614Di Tian’s eyes flowed with surprise, but he said nothing as he charged at Huo Yuhao once more in a flash.
2615
2616Huo Yuhao naturally didn’t dare to relax one bit. He was starting to readjust and harmonize himself when he was thrown backwards, and he made sure that his mind was calm so that everything in his body could come together as one. Huo Yuhao could feel that Di Tian’s strength was stronger in their second clash, but his own force had become a lot stronger as well. Therefore, his defense was a lot better than during their first collision. More importantly, that feeling where his spirit was almost shaken out of his body was gone, and his spiritual sea was unnaturally stable. A rose-gold vertical eye hovered above his spiritual sea.
2617
2618The Skydream Iceworm’s original body was hovering in his spiritual sea. His Golden Eyes were filled with anger, and dense spiritual power flooded out from him and integrated into Huo Yuhao’s spiritual sea.
2619
2620However, a bluish-green figure appeared in front of him at the same time. This figure raised her hand and knocked him on the head as she shook her head at him.
2621
2622The Skydream Iceworm seemed a little depressed as he stared at the charming yet dissatisfied face in front of him. He reluctantly stopped his actions and withdrew his spiritual undulations.
2623
2624Huo Yuhao could feel everything that was going on clearly, but he couldn’t be bothered with thinking about them. Something else happened when he clashed with Di Tian for the third time.
2625
2626Right before his palms pressed against Di Tian’s frame, his palms suddenly arched inwards as a gentle suction force appeared in his palms. Sucking Di Tian in with his current strength was probably futile, like an insect trying to move a tree, but Di Tian was momentarily startled when the gentle suction force appeared because he didn’t expect Huo Yuhao to do such a thing. Di Tian instinctively controlled his own power, and his forward impact naturally weakened a little.
2627
2628Bam!
2629
2630Huo Yuhao only took five steps back this time. Furthermore, his yielding hands suddenly pushed out as he stumbled backwards, and a sphere of light flew out and slammed into Di Tian, who was hot on his heels.
2631
2632Di Tian’s movements didn’t stop. However, this was the first time Huo Yuhao had retaliated!
2633
2634The golden light vanished into thin air in front of Di Tian. Huo Yuhao and Di Tian clashed once more, but Huo Yuhao was sent flying through the air because he was preoccupied with retaliation.
2635
2636Huo Yuhao felt his chest tighten, but he didn’t feel discouraged at all. He was very determined, and he had already gone through so many of life’s tribulations.
2637
2638Flying a distance through the air from the collision wasn’t all that bad. At least, he was able to put some distance between Di Tian and himself. A longing look flowed from his eyes, and he seemed to turn transparent all over when he withdrew his right fist.
2639
2640Wang Dong’er’s projection appeared quietly behind him. However, she seemed different from before – this time, Wang Dong’er’s projection was colorful, as if she had actually descended beside Huo Yuhao. She was smiling beautifully, and her charming eyes were tinged with bashfulness as her long and pinkish-blue hair draped over her shoulders. She twirled her hair with her fingers playfully, and there was even a subtle sassiness at the corner of her lips.
2641
2642Yes, this was the most beautiful Wang Dong’er in Huo Yuhao’s heart. Dong’er was behind him, and she was also in his heart.
2643
2644The Fist of Remembrance!
2645
2646Di Tian could have slammed into Huo Yuhao one more time before he could unleash his Fist of Remembrance, but Di Tian deliberately slowed down this time. He allowed Huo Yuhao to raise his fist’s aura to its highest possible level.
2647
2648Di Tian watched that longing in Huo Yuhao’s eyes and that dash of anxiety at the corner of his mouth, and then studied the enchanting and elegant young girl behind his back. Even the Golden Eyed Black Dragon King was full of admiration at the sight.
2649
2650Has this fellow raised human fighting techniques to such a high level? Not even many Transcendent Douluo can reach a level of integration and fusion like this, can they?
2651
2652
2653
2654
2655
2656Chapter 407.3: Conversation with the Beast God
2657
2658
2659Di Tian no longer held his hands behind his back anymore. He reached out with his left hand and opened his palm to block Huo Yuhao’s fist.
2660
2661He didn’t do so because his body wasn’t strong enough to take this punch. Rather, he did so out of respect.
2662
2663Not a single sound was produced in this clash. Di Tian’s smooth white palm grabbed Huo Yuhao’s fist, which was glistening golden.
2664
2665However, Di Tian’s expression changed drastically in the next moment, and he swiftly released the young man’s palm, as if he had grabbed hot charcoal. Huo Yuhao’s Fist of Remembrance reached in deep just like that and slammed against Di Tian’s chest.
2666
2667Golden light gathered, and there seemed to be a giant and formless hand with an iron grip on Di Tian’s body, such that he had no choice but to take a hit from this fist.
2668
2669The Beast God’s body quivered as dark golden light flickered once on his body. The space around him that had collapsed was instantly shattered, and he transformed into a dark golden ray and withdrew far into the distance. Huo Yuhao’s punch didn’t hit anything in the end.
2670
2671If a human or a soul beast had been watching this fight, they would probably have been so astonished that their eyeballs would have popped out.
2672
2673Who was Di Tian? He was the strongest Savage Beast in the entire Continent. He was the Beast God of the Great Star Dou Forest! Yet he was forced by a Soul Sage to the point where he had no choice but to evade his attack. If this was spread to the outside world, Huo Yuhao would become an instant celebrity.
2674
2675Di Tian waved his left hand and frightening soul power undulations appeared in midair. An enormous pitch-black dragon claw appeared out of nowhere and grasped Huo Yuhao, sealing all the soul power that he wanted to activate in the next moment. Di Tian forcibly pulled him out from his longing emotions.
2676
2677Huo Yuhao woke up completely as he sensed all that tremendous squeezing pressure around him. He gazed at Di Tian, and couldn’t help but feel a little dazed.
2678
2679Di Tian himself seemed a little dazed at this moment. His expression was a little pale, but his eyes flowed with a dash of tenderness. However, his expression swiftly returned to normal, and he didn’t seem very friendly when he looked at Huo Yuhao once more.
2680
2681“Your spiritual power is stronger than I had imagined. This strength isn’t something the Auspicious Beast has bestowed upon you! Concrete-material spiritual power!”
2682
2683Huo Yuhao was also a little dazed. He didn’t really understand why Di Tian was so afraid to interact with his Fist of Remembrance. With Di Tian’s strength, not even the Haodong Palm can hurt him even a little bit, let alone the Fist of Remembrance! But why is his expression so strange?
2684
2685Di Tian said plainly, “You can train by yourself. However, you’ll have to make the necessary preparations for what you have to do two days from now.” With that, Di Tian vanished into thin air beside the lake, just like that.
2686
2687Huo Yuhao didn’t move an inch as he watched Di Tian disappear, and he began to contemplate.
2688
2689What can it be that makes even the Beast God afraid? It can’t be the strength of my Fist of Remembrance. Even if my spiritual power were twice as strong, I couldn’t possibly hurt him. Since he’s not afraid of my attacking strength, then…
2690
2691Emotions!
2692
2693Yes, he’s afraid of the longing feelings within my Fist of Remembrance.
2694
2695My soul power is like an ant compared to the Beast God. However, the gap between our spiritual powers isn’t that great. When I’m longing for Dong’er, my spiritual power is raised to its highest possible level, to the point where I am unable to control it properly. This longing feeling is completely presented in my Fist of Remembrance, and it must be that emotion that affected the Beast God. It must be that emotion that triggered his memories, and everything that he misses so much, so that he evaded my fist in the end.
2696
2697Huo Yuhao was very intelligent. He understood the process after contemplating for just a short period of time. Who says soul beasts don’t have feelings? Seems like the Beast God has feelings and emotions deep in his heart!
2698
2699Huo Yuhao’s thoughts stopped here, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. His thoughts were full of wonderful goodness, as he thought about the joy of being together with Dong’er.
2700
2701The greatest reason why his Fist of Remembrance was so powerful was because he would be immersed in his emotions. Back then, he had used this strength to defeat two evil Soul Douluo, and this was the very reason why he could accomplish that feat.
2702
2703However, just as Xu Sanshi had said to him, he couldn’t rely on his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills in the future. Otherwise, once Wang Dong’er woke up and returned to his embrace, his cultivation would be greatly weakened. At the very least, his fighting strength would be greatly reduced.
2704
2705Di Tian was gone, but Huo Yuhao didn’t stop cultivating. He rarely had the opportunity to be in such a quiet place that was so rich with life energy at the same time, in addition to the Goldenjade Fruit’s nutrition. He seemed to have returned to the days when he had just entered Shrek Academy with Wang Dong’er, when he didn’t sleep or rest so that he could meditate more.
2706
2707Huo Yuhao discovered as he meditated that no matter what he did, Dong’er’s figure kept surfacing in his mind. He was in a bit of a daze. Yes! Ever since I left the Duke’s mansion, I’ve been together with Dong’er, and even though we’ve been separated from time to time, we were still thinking about each other and longing for each other. Don’t worry, Dong’er, I’ll definitely look for you when I settle some things!
2708
2709He became more immersed in his meditation as thoughts spun through his mind. He felt and sensed the fusion between his soul power and his spiritual power, and every soul skill that he had absorbed.
2710
2711Typical soul masters never had enough soul skills to use. They had to decide whether they needed control-type or assault-type soul skills when choosing soul rings, whether they needed soul skills for single targets or an area of effect. Questions like those always bugged them, but Huo Yuhao was in the opposite situation; he just had too many soul skills!
2712
2713He was born with twin martial souls, and this meant he innately had twice as many soul skills as normal soul masters did. Furthermore, he had two hundred-thousand-year soul rings among his many soul rings, and he had another rose-gold soul ring that belonged to Qiu’er, which was equivalent to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. He had another one million-year soul ring that gave him four soul skills, and he had several soul bones, as well!
2714
2715Huo Yuhao wasn’t afraid of not having enough soul skills. Instead, there were too many of too many different kinds, and he always had certain problems choosing which soul skills to use. This was also what Huo Yuhao had to iron out at the moment.
2716
2717His Three Ultimate Haodong Skills’ side effects were too great, so he had to use them as seldom as he could afford to in the future. Under such a situation, choosing soul skills and how he was going to fight became Huo Yuhao’s most important matter at the moment.
2718
2719Huo Yuhao didn’t want to add any soul rings to his second martial soul, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, at least for the moment, because there was no need for him to increase his number of soul rings. Obtaining more soul rings would boost his physique, but he didn’t have to worry about that after assimilating the Golden Dragon’s strength.
2720
2721He would rather work hard to improve his Spirit Eyes, and only when he became a Titled Douluo would he try his best to add higher-level soul rings to his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. From his perspective, not even ten-thousand-year soul rings meant much to him; only hundred-thousand-year soul rings could satisfy his needs.
2722
2723Huo Yuhao had no idea how many ranks above 70 his soul power was at the moment. After he absorbed his seventh soul ring, because that soul ring belonged to a hundred-thousand-year Evileye Tyrant, his soul power rose by quite a bit. He estimated his soul power to be at about Rank 72, more or less. He wasn’t even twenty years old, and yet his soul power was extraordinary. This also meant that if the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was happening right now, he would still be qualified to participate in the tournament. He was a Soul Sage with an Ultimate martial soul! He also had twin martial souls! He could probably easily sweep most teams by himself, or perhaps every single team!
2724
2725—
2726
2727Two days passed as he meditated. Even though time was very fleeting for soul masters and their cultivation, these two days had been very beneficial for Huo Yuhao. He was starting to find the path that belonged to him.
2728
2729Di Tian didn’t reappear over these past two days, but nobody knew if that was because his emotions had been stimulated by Huo Yuhao’s Fist of Remembrance.
2730
2731“Di Tian!” A respectful call rang out, and Huo Yuhao was jolted awake from his meditation. He noticed the Emerald Swan wasn’t far from where he was when he raised his head. He had no idea when she had arrived.
2732
2733She lives up to her name as one of the Ten Great Savage Beasts! I didn’t notice her even with the sensitivity of my spiritual power.
2734
2735Bi Ji was still relatively friendly towards Huo Yuhao, and she nodded subtly in his direction. Huo Yuhao hurriedly got to his feet and returned her greeting.
2736
2737A black shadow drifted in from the center of the Water of Life. Di Tian’s appearance hadn’t changed since they’d last met, and he asked plainly, “Is everything prepared?”
2738
2739Bi Ji nodded and said, “The people from Shrek have arrived. However, we have to hurry. I’m afraid our kinsmen won’t be able to control themselves.”
2740
2741“Alright, let’s go.” Di Tian waved his hand, and Huo Yuhao immediately felt the space around him go dark. He was already soaring through the sky when he regained his senses.
2742
2743Probably only these few Savage Beasts dared to fly across the Great Star Dou Forest, and only the Beast God dared to fly so outrageously.
2744
2745There was a patch of dark clouds beneath Di Tian’s feet. Bi Ji, Huo Yuhao, and he were standing on these dark clouds as they soared towards the edge of the forest. They seemed like they were moving very slowly, but they were actually flying at lightning speed.
2746
2747Huo Yuhao was a little worried when Bi Ji mentioned that she was afraid her kinsmen couldn’t control themselves. Huo Yuhao understood what that meant; the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts had just fought a violent battle against Shrek City, and both sides had suffered heavy losses. Under such circumstances, both parties definitely hated each other to the core.
2748
2749Shrek Academy’s people were over at the Great Star Dou Forest’s edge, and it was possible that the soul beasts there would attack the humans because they couldn’t control their impulses.
2750
2751Di Tian was flying far too quickly. At least, he was faster than any soul tool that Huo Yuhao could think of. The dark clouds began to descend while these random thoughts were still spinning his head as cursing sounds and the howls of soul beasts rang out one after another in his ear.
2752
2753A dull dragon roar echoed through the skies, and the sky darkened completely. The situation was a little messy a second ago, but it calmed down in the next moment.
2754
2755The dark clouds landed on the ground, and Di Tian appeared in front of the soul beasts with an ice-cold expression on his face. He turned around and faced the masses of soul beasts being led by the Bear Lord, the Myriad Demon King, and the Scarlet King.
2756
2757
2758
2759
2760
2761Chapter 408.1: Dragon King’s Claw
2762
2763
2764They were inside the Great Star Dou Forest’s Peripheral Region, and there were thousands of soul beasts in this place. Almost every soul beast that had at least a hundred-thousand-years of cultivation was concentrated here, and all of them were at least ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Most of these soul beasts had participated in the battle not long ago, and even those who hadn’t heard about the damage that the bitter and cruel fight with those humans brought to them. Almost every soul beast’s eyes were filled with hatred and violence.
2765
2766There were also many humans a thousand meters from them on the other side.
2767
2768Every single elder from Shrek Academy’s Sea God’s Pavilion was here. Other than them, the Body Sect’s leader, Du Busi, led the soul masters who were here to reinforce Shrek Academy. In addition to the Soul Sages that the three empires had deployed to reinforce Shrek, there were at least several hundred other people here. Furthermore, their individual fighting strengths were superior to the soul beasts. If the Beast God Di Tian was taken out of the picture, it would be hard to determine who would emerge victorious if both parties erupted into battle.
2769
2770Elder Xuan heaved a faint sigh of relief when he saw Huo Yuhao, who naturally arrived at the same time as Di Tian. Quite a few people from the Tang Sect were here, beside the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion.
2771
2772Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao were all here. Besides them, the Earthdragon Sect’s sect leader, Nan Shuishui was also here. Nan Qiuqiu and Ye Guyi were absent.
2773
2774Everybody became a little excited when they saw Huo Yuhao.
2775
2776Huo Yuhao signaled to his companions that everything was fine.
2777
2778“Di Tian, is this how you host your guests?” Elder Xuan’s voice travelled from far away, and every soul beast could hear him.
2779
2780Di Tian turned around and faced the humans. “At least for now, you are not guests in the Great Star Dou Forest. You are still our enemy.”
2781
2782Elder Xuan’s eyes grew focused. “Does that mean that you’re not sincere this time?”
2783
2784Di Tian answered coldly, “Sincerity depends on whether your experiment is successful. What’s the point of sincerity if your experiments are unsuccessful?”
2785
2786Elder Xuan said coldly, “Di Tian, don’t think we are afraid of you. There is an army of a hundred thousand soldiers gathered at Shrek City right now. We will follow you to the end if you wish to do battle.”
2787
2788Du Busi and Elder Xuan combined could restrain Di Tian, even if they couldn’t defeat him. The reinforcements who had arrived in Shrek City over the past three days were numerous enough to the point where they had the strength to meet the Great Star Dou Forest head-on.
2789
2790“Elder Di Tian, Elder Xuan, please calm down. The existence of Spirits is beneficial for both parties. May I conduct the experiment before we begin negotiations?”
2791
2792Huo Yuhao raised his voice and spoke as he walked over to Di Tian’s side.
2793
2794Elder Xuan’s expression warmed a little when he saw Huo Yuhao. The soul beasts had suffered severe losses during the war, but did Shrek Academy not suffer in similar fashion? Even though Shrek Academy’s losses were relatively smaller compared to their adversaries, Shrek Academy had lost the greatest number of people in this war across the last ten thousand years. There were already more than a thousand dead from this battle alone.
2795
2796Di Tian turned around towards Huo Yuhao and nodded as he waved towards Bi Ji.
2797
2798Bi Ji unleashed a crisp call as various powerful soul beasts instantly stood to one side, and a group of soul beasts gradually walked out.
2799
2800These soul beasts could only be described as frail and infirm. Those who were severely wounded walked in front, and some of these soul beasts were carried by other soul beasts as the Emerald Swan and her kin treated them. The soul beasts who were positioned at the back seemed very lackadaisical, and their soul power undulations were extremely weak. Evidently, their lives were about to end.
2801
2802Elder Xuan gestured to the humans, and the crowd separated as the volunteers stepped out.
2803
2804Huo Yuhao was surprised that not a single member from the Tang Sect appeared amongst these volunteers. Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao had recently broken through to Rank 60, but they had claimed their sixth soul rings before this. The Tang Sect’s other members hadn’t reached a bottleneck. Nan Qiuqiu was close, but she was still one step away.
2805
2806However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with these volunteers. He actually saw someone he was very familiar with amongst the volunteers…Dai Huabin!
2807
2808Dai Huabin’s soul power is at Rank 60 now? And he hasn’t obtained a soul ring?
2809
2810Not just Dai Huabin stepped out; Ning Tian and Wu Feng were also there, and Ning Tian was dressed like a man as he walked out while holding hands with Wu Feng. Wu Feng was no different from how she used to be, but her expression had become a lot gentler than before.
2811
2812Several other students from Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard had also volunteered. Huo Yuhao could name most of them, while the rest of the volunteers consisted of individuals from those who came to reinforce Shrek City. They greeted and gestured to Huo Yuhao in the distance in unison as they walked out.
2813
2814Huo Yuhao wasn’t very familiar with them, but he could vaguely guess that he had probably rescued most of these people from Sunrise City, and that was the reason why they recognized him.
2815
2816The soul beasts and soul masters who had volunteered stepped out from their respective camps and stood at the front.
2817
2818Huo Yuhao turned around and looked at Di Tian as he said calmly, “Elder Di Tian, please attach restrictions to me, but don’t hinder my circulation of soul power and spiritual power. You can give me poison if you like.”
2819
2820Di Tian was momentarily stunned, but he immediately understood what Huo Yuhao was trying to say. He answered plainly, “No need. Go.”
2821
2822He is worthy of being called the Beast God! Is he not afraid of me taking this opportunity to escape? Huo Yuhao couldn’t help but admire Di Tian as he stared at Di Tian’s calm expression. This was how the strongest individual in the world carried himself!
2823
2824Huo Yuhao didn’t say anything flattering, but bowed deeply in Di Tian’s direction before he turned around and strode towards the center of both parties.
2825
2826The Bear Lord frowned and said, “Di Tian, this fellow is very slippery. What if…”
2827
2828“Shut up!” Di Tian’s calm voice was full of unquestionable majesty.
2829
2830The Bear Lord closed his mouth and said nothing more. His eyes were full of fury and resentment, but he didn’t dare to talk back to Di Tian.
2831
2832Huo Yuhao walked to the center of both sides by himself and said, “Please send your respective representatives out.”
2833
2834A soul beast was delivered in front of Huo Yuhao from the soul beasts’ camp. This soul beast was in a truly terrible situation – it was a tiger, and Huo Yuhao could judge from its shape and size that it had at least ten thousand years of cultivation. However, half its body was no longer there, and if the Emerald Swans hadn’t been continually supporting his life with healing soul skills, this tiger would have died a long time ago.
2835
2836The one hundred human volunteers glanced at one another. They were a lot more anxious compared to the soul beasts, and nobody wanted to be the first brave volunteer to take this risk. In the end, nobody knew whether creating Spirits would be dangerous, and they would be a lot nearer to those soul beasts if they stepped forward. If the soul beasts attacked, they would take the brunt of their assault.
2837
2838At this moment, a cold voice declared, “Let me!”
2839
2840Someone strode out from the group of humans, and he widened his strides, arriving in front of Huo Yuhao with a few leaps.
2841
2842A complicated look flashed across Huo Yuhao’s eyes when he saw this person, because this person wasn’t anyone else but his half-brother. At the same time, this person was the one who had caused his mother’s death, and was also his enemy…Dai Huabin!
2843
2844Even though Dai Huabin’s mother was the real culprit, Dai Huabin had directly caused his mother harm. Dai Huabin had kicked Huo Yuhao’s mother when her body was already frail and weak. His mother’s condition had deteriorated from there, and she couldn’t be treated anymore afterwards. Huo Yuhao hated the Duke’s wife the most, but Dai Huabin was number two for sure.
2845
2846He had suppressed this hatred deep in his heart over the years. However, his hatred began to surface as he became stronger and stronger all the way until they were inside the Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley.
2847
2848Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin had attempted to rescue their father in the Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley, and had eventually saved the White Tiger Douluo, Dai Hao. Afterwards, Dai Huabin didn’t hesitate to ruin his own physical appearance for Zhu Lu, and Huo Yuhao had finally developed a thread of respect for Dai Huabin. However, respect was only respect in the end, and his hatred had never been dispelled.
2849
2850It wasn’t hard to imagine how Huo Yuhao was feeling as he stared at Dai Huabin.
2851
2852From Huo Yuhao’s perspective, this was a great opportunity to exact revenge! As long as he was willing, he could make an accident happen when Dai Huabin was assimilating with his Spirit, and Huo Yuhao could end his life, just like that!
2853
2854However, this thought only flashed once in Huo Yuhao’s head before he gave it up. He arrogantly told himself, One day, I will use my own identity to stride back into the Duke’s Mansion, and I will exact my revenge uprightly and frankly. Murdering him in the dark is shameful, and I can’t bring shame to my mother.
2855
2856With these thoughts in mind, Huo Yuhao swept away the dark shadow in his heart as he nodded in Dai Huabin’s direction.
2857
2858Dai Huabin looked at him with an expression that was far better than before. “You saved my father back then, and I haven’t been able to thank you. Perhaps, thanking you is a little late, but I will always remembered this favor. You will not be my enemy in the future.” He pointed at his heart as he spoke.
2859
2860Huo Yuhao felt his feelings ripple when he heard those words. He nodded and said, “Prepare yourself. After this, you have to be completely sincere and willing to fuse with the soul beast for it to become your Spirit. You can’t reject it in any form at all, because the process will fail otherwise. What I am about to use is an equality contract. If the fusion is successful, the soul beast will become your soul ring. I trust that you know how beneficial Spirits are, so I won’t explain any further.”
2861
2862“Alright, come.” Dai Huabin just stood there as he relaxed his body and unleashed his martial soul. Dense black and white fur began emerging from his body, and his frame became larger and burlier.
2863
2864Huo Yuhao turned towards the soul beast and said, “I know you can understand me. This process will be the same for you. If you want to live, and if you want to allow your life to continue, then you have to follow through with this experiment. Do you understand?”
2865
2866The tiger stared at Huo Yuhao with its remaining eye and slowly nodded its head.
2867
2868Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and said, “You two have to relax at the same time. Don’t reject me in any way, and I will guide you both to complete this fusion ritual.”
2869
2870Huo Yuhao released his Spirit Eyes as he spoke. More accurately put, his Spirit Eyes had transformed qualitatively into another existence after he fused with Wang Qiu’er; they were now the Eyes of the Asura!
2871
2872
2873
2874
2875
2876Chapter 408.2: Dragon King’s Claw
2877
2878
2879An enormous rose-gold vertical eye appeared behind Huo Yuhao’s back as seven soul rings – white, purple, black, black, black, rose-gold, and red – gradually emerged and rose up.
2880
2881A complicated expression flashed across Dai Huabin’s eyes when he saw Huo Yuhao’s seven soul rings. He sighed inside, Seems like I will never be able to catch up to him. Seven rings…he’s a Soul Sage now, and he’s a Soul Sage with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring! Even though he didn’t know what had happened to Huo Yuhao recently, Huo Yuhao’s exponential advancement dealt quite a blow to Dai Huabin.
2882
2883Huo Yuhao’s eyes shone with clear golden light as he gazed at the tiger. He reached over slowly with his spiritual power, and helped this soul beast condense its spiritual imprint and spiritual power before he helped adjust and regulate its blood so that it would be prepared for the contract. Huo Yuhao began to guide Dai Huabin only when he was done with the tiger.
2884
2885Something unexpected happened right at this moment. The tiger’s dim and lifeless single eye suddenly sparkled with fierce light as its crippled frame forcibly leapt off the ground, and it opened its mouth and bit down at Huo Yuhao. Eye-catching red light shone from its body at the same time; it was triggering its own soul power, and seemed like it was going to self-destruct!
2886
2887It wasn’t hard to imagine how powerful a ten-thousand-year soul beast’s self-destruction would be. Furthermore, he was right next to Huo Yuhao, and its intentions were very clear from his behavior. It wanted to hold Huo Yuhao down before it self-destructed, and then they would die together.
2888
2889Unfortunately, he was up against the Eye of the Asura. Huo Yuhao had already realized that something was wrong when his blood began to surge inside his body. Huo Yuhao’s seven soul rings switched to five, and his fourth soul ring glowed as brilliant orange-gold light sparkled. Huo Yuhao slapped out with his right hand with lightning speed, and he touched the tiger’s body gently before he pressed it down from midair just like that.
2890
2891The red light emanating from the soul beast was extinguished just like that. The tiger seemed like it had been frozen and plunked back on the ground, and it seemed to have been transformed into a statue. It didn’t move an inch at all.
2892
2893The Snow Empress’ Three Ultimate Techniques, Snowless Glacier!
2894
2895Before, Huo Yuhao had had to expend a lot of soul power and had to concentrate all his energy to unleash this attack. In this moment, Huo Yuhao used Snowless Glacier easily and casually, and everything seemed as smooth like rolling clouds and flowing water. He wasn’t hindered at all.
2896
2897“Bastard! He wants to take this chance to kill my kin.” The Bear Lord howled furiously as his body instantly enlarged, and he prepared to pounce at Huo Yuhao.
2898
2899Right at this moment, an incredibly dignified voice that was accompanied by terrifying soul power erupted from the Beast God.
2900
2901“Let me see who dares to move.” Di Tian soared into the air as he spoke, and he turned a half round in the sky and arrived in front of the Bear Lord. His eyes were entirely golden as he raised his right hand, and purplish-gold flames burned as Di Tian grabbed the Bear Lord’s Darkgolden Terrorclaw, which he was swinging at Huo Yuhao.
2902
2903The king of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears possessed almost unrivaled strength, and his claws were razor-sharp, but his claws couldn’t move a single inch in Di Tian’s iron-like grip.
2904
2905The Bear Lord howled, “Di Tian, you still want to protect that human at a time like this? He killed our kin!”
2906
2907Di Tian stared at him coldly and said, “You have challenged me time and time again, Bear Lord. Do you actually think that I don’t dare to kill you? Even if you want to challenge me, you should be smarter about it. Since you want to die, I will fulfill your wish.”
2908
2909The purplish-gold flames on Di Tian’s hand became stronger as he spoke. Similar purplish-gold flames began burning on his body at the same time, and he pressed the Bear Lord down from the sky just like that.
2910
2911The indignation in the Bear Lord’s eyes became fear. He had always been known for his strength, but in this moment, the strength that was coming from Di Tian’s single hand was so strong that the Bear Lord couldn’t resist him at all.
2912
2913Di Tian raised his other hand, which began to transform as he raised it up. His human hand became a dragon claw, dark as the night. However, that dragon claw looked like oblivion in the Bear Lord’s eyes as a trembling fear from deep within his heart surfaced. He could clearly feel that this dragon claw was a frightening existence that could take his life!
2914
2915This was the Dragon King’s Claw!
2916
2917The group of restless soul beasts all quieted down when Di Tian’s pitch-black dragon claw appeared. They laid down on the ground, prostrate, their bodies quivering. Even the Emerald Swan, the Three-Headed Scarlet Devilmastiff, and the Demoneye Tree went down on one knee.
2918
2919What was the Dragon King’s Claw? Legend had it that the Black Dragons were the Dragon God’s personal bodyguards. After the Dragon God separated into the Gold Dragon and Silver Dragon, the Black Dragons protected his two great avatars, and even the Ninth Dragon Prince didn’t dare to offend the Black Dragons for nothing. The reason for that was because the Dragon God had fondly recalled the Black Dragons’ loyalty, and he gave their leader the title of the Dragon King, and also taught the Dragon King’s Claw to the Black Dragons. Only the leaders of each generation of Black Dragons could inherit this supreme innate ability!
2920
2921The Dragon King’s Claw wasn’t that different from other powerful soul skills to humans. However, it was vastly different for soul beasts. The Dragon King’s Claw carried the Dragon God’s aura, and only the most powerful soul beast in the world could possess a skill like this. Once the Dragon King’s Claw was unleashed, every single soul beast that wasn’t similarly blessed by a God had to submit. Otherwise, they would perish, and disappear into oblivion in the face of the Dragon King’s Claw.
2922
2923Di Tian had never used his Dragon King’s Claw before today, not even against the Evileye Tyrant King. But at this moment, he unleashed his Dragon King’s Claw, which meant that he was representing the Dragon God, and he was representing the Black Dragons who had protected him. Whoever resisted him, without considering the frightening force that the Dragon King’s Claw had against soul beasts, would be challenging every single soul beast in the world that possessed dragon blood.
2924
2925All soul beasts that had even a thread of dragon blood were proud of that fact. Dragons had once ruled the Douluo Continent: there were sky dragons, there were earth dragons, and there were many species who were relatives of the dragon race. Not even the Dragon God himself could count how many different species of soul beasts possessed dragon blood.
2926
2927Therefore, not a single soul beast dared to resist the Dragon King’s Claw. The Bear Lord was scared shitless! He truly felt Di Tian’s intense killing intent!
2928
2929“Di Tian, no, Di Tian, I was wrong. Forgive me, Di Tian. I promise I will never challenge your authority again.” The Bear Lord wasn’t an idiot, after all. He had been alive for several hundred thousand years, so what was more important than his life?
2930
2931Di Tian muttered coldly, “This isn’t the first time. You’ve gone behind my back in the past, and I’ve been too lazy to fault you for all those little things. However, today’s matter concerns the Great Star Dou Forest’s future, and yet you dare to stir up trouble. Are you really treating me like I don’t exist?”
2932
2933Di Tian’s Dragon King’s Claw slashed down from the sky as he spoke, and went straight for the Bear Lord’s head.
2934
2935“Mercy, Di Tian!” Bi Ji couldn’t help but exclaim.
2936
2937Di Tian’s claw was going for the Bear Lord’s head, but he slanted his claw and struck the Bear Lord’s shoulder instead. The terrifying force of Di Tian’s Dragon King’s Claw was on full display.
2938
2939Back then, the Valkyrie Douluo Xian Lin’er had used her full strength, but had only chopped a few strands of hair from the Bear Lord’s forehead with her Greenflame Spear. However, the Bear Lord’s frame seemed like it was made from tofu in front of Di Tian’s Dragon King’s Claw, and Di Tian’s claw cut into his shoulder just like that.
2940
2941“Aargh –” A shrill and agonizing howl erupted from the Bear Lord’s mouth, and his muscular body began to tremble like a pendulum.
2942
2943Di Tian was right in front of the Bear Lord as he stared into his eyes, which were already full of fear. “This will be the last time. If there’s a next time, I will use your life to wash away my wrath.”
2944
2945He swung his left hand as he spoke, and the Bear Lord’s enormous frame was sent hurtling through the air like a cannon shell. The Bear Lord crashed through the Great Star Dou Forest, black lightning streaks flickering on his body as if they were about to tear his body apart completely as he flew through the sky. The Bear Lord continued to howl painfully as tough dark golden hair scattered in all directions in the air, and horrifying gashes appeared one after another on his body.
2946
2947The entire place was deathly quiet.
2948
2949Who would have thought that the Beast God, Di Tian would lash out against the Great Star Dou Forest’s second-strongest individual himself? Furthermore, he did so with such brutal force. Di Tian’s Dragon King’s Claw was so mighty that he suppressed the Bear Lord to the point that the Bear Lord couldn’t resist at all.
2950
2951Bi Ji, the Myriad Demon King, and the Scarlet King, along with all the soul beasts on scene, were all prostrate on the ground. Nobody dared to move a muscle.
2952
2953Di Tian turned around. His expression was ice-cold as he said plainly, “If anyone dares to go against my words, I will make his spirit burn in hell forever.”
2954
2955The soul beasts didn’t dare to make a sound. They were just lying there on the ground, quivering, and certain soul beasts who had relatively weaker minds even began to lose their bowels.
2956
2957On the other side in the human camp, Elder Xuan and Du Busi wore solemn expressions. Dragon King’s Claw… Di Tian possessed the Black Dragon’s strongest esoteric ability. They weren’t sure what would have happened if Di Tian had hysterically unleashed his full strength that day!
2958
2959Elder Xuan couldn’t help but admire Elder Mu even more. If Elder Mu hadn’t used the Golden Tree’s strength to trigger the Taotie’s powers in his body and forcefully imprison Di Tian, Shrek City would probably have been crushed to a pulp by the beast wave. Di Tian was a lot stronger than they had imagined!
2960
2961Huo Yuhao saw everything Di Tian did. He was now comparing the Beast God with other powerful individuals he had met before, and he realized that besides that teacher of his who came from another world, the Calamity Necromancer Electrolux, nobody was as powerful as the Beast God. Not even the Darkness Holy Dragon could compare to Di Tian. If Elder Mu were still alive and at his peak condition, he would probably only have a chance against the Beast God if he teamed up with the Darkness Holy Dragon.
2962
2963Huo Yuhao was sure that Di Tian wasn’t a demigod like Electrolux. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have to worry about the dangers of his next metamorphosis. Demigods possessed abilities that transcended this world…Of course, Huo Yuhao couldn’t tell what that level was like right now…
2964
2965
2966
2967
2968
2969Chapter 408.3: Dragon King’s Claw
2970
2971
2972“What happened wasn’t your fault – continue. You can choose any soul beast you want to cooperate with your experiment.” Di Tian turned to Huo Yuhao and spoke plainly, jolting Huo Yuhao awake from his fearful thoughts.
2973
2974Huo Yuhao nodded and glanced at Dai Huabin beside him. Dai Huabin’s reaction was drastically different from his. At this moment, the half-brother with whom he shared a father only had excitement in his eyes. Dai Huabin stared at Di Tian as if he were gazing upon his idol, a pure worship of strength.
2975
2976“Thank you for your trust.” Huo Yuhao bowed towards Di Tian before he walked towards the soul beasts who were representing the Great Star Dou Forest for the experiments.
2977
2978Di Tian had heavily injured the Bear Lord and was also telling Huo Yuhao through his actions how important these experiments were, and how much emphasis he placed on them. Huo Yuhao didn’t know what the Beast God would do if his experiments failed.
2979
2980There were many powerful individuals in the human camp, but from the strength that Di Tian had just displayed, he didn’t even consider these humans a challenge to him.
2981
2982Huo Yuhao didn’t take long to choose a soul beast. He picked another tiger, but he didn’t pick from those who were injured. Instead, he picked from the group whose lives were almost at an end due to old age. This tiger was another ten-thousand-year soul beast, and from its appearance, it had about twenty thousand years of cultivation. With Dai Huabin’s talent, this tiger was very appropriate for his sixth soul ring.
2983
2984Huo Yuhao brought this soul beast, whose movements were already a little sluggish, in front of Dai Huabin. This soul beast was a Black Tiger. Its entire body was pitch-black, and there was a white “King” etched onto its forehead. It was five meters long, and even though it was old and infirm, one could tell see its power when it was in its prime. Its skeleton was large, and its four paws were especially thick and wide.
2985
2986The Large-Palmed Black Tiger was a ferocious soul beast that was adept in melee. Tigers were typically highly regarded within the forest, but very few tigers could go further after reaching a hundred thousand years. It was because tigers were innately domineering and overbearing, and after breaking through a hundred thousand years, they were likely to threaten the ruler’s sovereignty. Di Tian didn’t have to make a move; the Bear Lord and the Myriad Demon King wouldn’t allow any tiger to break through two hundred thousand years.
2987
2988Huo Yuhao said to this Large-palmed Black Tiger, “I can sense that your life energy is about to be exhausted. If you complete your fusion with him, you will exist in another form. You will still be a king, and you can still accompany him into battle, and you will still be able to use your powers as a king. Are you willing to try?”
2989
2990This Large-Palmed Black Tiger’s life had several months more to it, at most. The truth was that it had almost died at the hands of other soul beasts before it came forward today, and Bi Ji’s kindness had saved it.
2991
2992Huo Yuhao chose soul beasts who were old and infirm because they hadn’t participated in the beast wave, which meant they didn’t harbor that much hatred against Shrek City’s soul masters.
2993
2994The tiger nodded slowly. Whether it was because of Di Tian’s forceful intimidation or because it wanted to prolong its life, this tiger had no reason to object.
2995
2996Huo Yuhao continued, “That’s good. In a moment, I will begin guiding your spiritual imprint to condense. You have to relax and cooperate with me so that I can fuse your innate abilities with your spiritual imprint. You have to do everything willingly, and only after that can I help you complete the contract.”
2997
2998The Large-palmed Black Tiger growled, and its spiritual undulations became a little excited. However, it was still relatively calm.
2999
3000Huo Yuhao turned to Dai Huabin and said, “Same goes for you. You have to accept this tiger from the bottom of your heart. The fusion after this will be a little painful, so you’ll have to hang on.”
3001
3002“Come!” Dai Huabin had always been one of Shrek Academy’s individuals who craved strength the most, and even though his tolerance for pain and suffering wasn’t as good as Huo Yuhao, he wasn’t that far off due to this desire to strengthen himself.
3003
3004Huo Yuhao reassured both parties before he stared at the Large-palmed Black Tiger, and the Eye of Destiny slowly opened on his forehead.
3005
3006He had to use his full strength so that he could ensure success!
3007
3008Spiritual power that wasn’t very intense, but gave others a sticky feeling, surged out from Huo Yuhao and encompassed both Dai Huabin and the tiger.
3009
3010Huo Yuhao’s soul rings, that had transcended ordinary circumstances, rose from beneath his feet and attracted the attention of every single human and soul beast there.
3011
3012A gentle golden light burst out from Huo Yuhao’s rose-gold Eye of Destiny and landed on the tiger’s forehead.
3013
3014The tiger quivered once before it just lay there.
3015
3016The tiger’s current physical situation meant there was no way it could release a burst of energy or use too much strength, but it was best at relaxing.
3017
3018Huo Yuhao’s formidable spiritual power wasn’t something it could fight against. His spiritual power went straight in smoothly, and Huo Yuhao quickly found its spiritual imprint and spiritual origin.
3019
3020Huo Yuhao wasn’t hasty, gradually releasing amiable will as he guided the tiger to control its own spiritual power at the same time.
3021
3022A faint golden layer of light began to emerge from the tiger’s body. Under Huo Yuhao’s guidance, its spiritual origin, its spiritual imprint, and part of its purest soul power began to gather with the mysterious power contained within its innate bloodline.
3023
3024This was a very long process. In the end, he was working on a soul beast that had more than twenty thousand years of cultivation. Furthermore, this was the first time that Huo Yuhao was carrying out a material experiment. He didn’t dare to be careless at all, and he did everything meticulously.
3025
3026Nobody knew more about Spirits than Huo Yuhao. Following the improvement of his spiritual power, Huo Yuhao gained an increasingly deeper understanding of the magic that Electrolux had left behind for him. Juxtaposed with the changes in his martial soul, his ability to control his spiritual power became stronger every time he underwent closed-door cultivation.
3027
3028Both parties watched Huo Yuhao’s actions nervously, and not a single human or soul beast dared to make a sound.
3029
3030They knew that if Huo Yuhao succeeded, he would make history on the Douluo Continent. He would have invented a formidable ability that could be popularized besides soul rings and soul bones!
3031
3032—
3033
3034Fifteen minutes later, the golden light on the tiger’s body became stronger, and everyone could see that golden light had begun to surge from its tail. Its body began to decay and darken wherever this golden light passed; its tail’s fur lost its shine first, and its hind legs went next. The golden light that was slowly shifting forward became increasingly brilliant.
3035
3036Finally, all that golden light concentrated on the tiger’s head and had become so intense that nobody could see its body anymore.
3037
3038Huo Yuhao raised his left hand as the golden light condensed into a staff that appeared in his grip, and deep and drawn-out incantations could be heard.
3039
3040Those incantations were very bright and clear, but nobody could understand what he was saying. The unfamiliar voice seemed to cause heaven and earth to tremble along with it.
3041
3042A golden hexagon began to take shape on the ground. This hexagon encompassed Huo Yuhao, Dai Huabin, and the Large-palmed Black Tiger.
3043
3044Huo Yuhao’s body slowly drifted into the air, the Eye of the Asura appeared behind his back as a vertical eye.
3045
3046His chanting became sharper and higher in pitch as his seventh soul ring glowed, and the vertical eye behind him burst with light as that light swallowed him entirely, and he transformed into the Eye of the Asura.
3047
3048Rose-gold sun patterns lit up several hundred meters around him, and intense spiritual undulations caused even the expressions of the Beast God, the Taotie Douluo Elder Xuan, and the Body Douluo Du Busi to change.
3049
3050Rose-gold streaks of light flickered one after another as Dai Huabin and the Large-palmed Black Tiger were pulled closer to one another.
3051
3052A beam descended on Dai Huabin’s head, and another pulled on the tiger. Under the effects of Huo Yuhao’s chants, they were finally pulled to within one foot of one another.
3053
3054Huo Yuhao’s will guided Dai Huabin, and Dai Huabin slowly raised his right hand and pressed it against the Large-palmed Black Tiger’s forehead. Dai Huabin began to chant something, as the tiger also began to make sounds that sounded like whimpering.
3055
3056The hexagon beneath them became brighter and brighter as strange glyphs rose up one after another. These glyphs circled around their bodies as gentle spiritual and soul power undulations orbited them at the same time.
3057
3058Di Tian, Elder Xuan, and the others who had seen many things and were very knowledgeable could clearly feel the peculiar transformations that were happening between Dai Huabin and that Large-Palmed Black Tiger.
3059
3060The process was similar to absorbing soul rings. Dai Huabin was actually absorbing something from the tiger, while the tiger’s life energy was continuously slipping away. However, its body was integrating into Dai Huabin’s body, creating something that wasn’t a soul ring.
3061
3062Both the humans the soul beasts could tell at this point that Huo Yuhao’s research into Spirits had its reason and rationality. Even though the process wasn’t yet complete, they knew that Huo Yuhao’s claims weren’t empty.
3063
3064The Eye of the Asura slowly rose into the sky and retreated as Huo Yuhao returned to human form and ended his martial soul true body.
3065
3066Huo Yuhao had already helped Dai Huabin and the tiger complete the necessary incantations. Now, he would have to wait and see if they could complete their fusion.
3067
3068Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and watched everything that was happening in the hexagon nervously. This was an equal contract, so approval from both parties for each other was more important than anything else. If either had any objections during this approval process, the ceremony would fail.
3069
3070At this moment, the benefit of Huo Yuhao choosing this old and infirm Large-Palmed Black Tiger began to show. The tiger was aging, and if it didn’t approve Dai Huabin and couldn’t become his Spirit, then the tiger would die for sure! These circumstances discreetly raised the tiger’s sincerity exponentially. Huo Yuhao couldn’t guess Dai Huabin’s mentality at this moment, so he could only resign things to fate.
3071
3072Seconds and minutes passed as the light inside the hexagon became increasingly strong, while the glyphs became increasingly numerous.
3073
3074Suddenly, all the glyphs paused in midair as the Large-palmed Black Tiger’s enormous frame slanted and collapsed inside the hexagon. It had lost every last bit of its life energy.
3075
3076The soul beasts that were prostrate on the ground, especially those who were about to be experimented on, all stood up in unison and stared at Dai Huabin. Fear and anger began to surface in their eyes.
3077
3078
3079
3080
3081
3082Chapter 409.1: Spirit Experimentation
3083
3084
3085However, at the very next moment, all of the symbols surged toward Dai Huabin like rivers emptying into an ocean. A black soul ring almost twice as big as a normal soul ring rose from underneath his feet. As it rose, his original five soul rings also became much darker.
3086
3087“Rawr!” A ferocious tiger’s roar rang out from Dai Huabin’s mouth.
3088
3089“Rawr!” Then, another excited tiger roar was heard!
3090
3091Dai Huabin’s new black soul ring glowed brightly. His entire body became illusory, and with that, a ray of black emerged from his chest and landed in front of him.
3092
3093Four huge tiger paws landed on the ground. Wasn’t that shadow that Large-Palmed Black Tiger? However, it was no longer near the end of its life. Instead, its body had become much stronger. Furthermore, its fur now glowed with a faint, golden light. Streaks of white tiger stripes appeared on its back, and the ‘King’ symbol on its forehead was much larger. While its body looked illusory and incorporeal, it was otherwise indistinguishable from before.
3094
3095“Rawr!” It roared excitedly once more. The Large-Palmed Black Tiger turned around, stood up, and placed its front paws on Dai Huabin’s shoulders.
3096
3097Dai Huabin laughed, “It worked!” As he said that, he grabbed the front two paws of the Large-palmed Black Tiger and lifted it up strongly. Its paws landed on his back, and then both human and tiger paused. After Dai Huabin unleashed his White Tiger, the fur between its black and white stripes turned black. He slapped forward with his right hand, and in mid-air, a huge black tiger paw appeared. It smashed down onto the ground, creating a crater a few meters deep in the shape of a tiger’s paw.
3098
3099The Large-palmed Black Tiger behind him lowered its head and charged. Dai Huabin and it were synchronized perfectly. He leaped into the air and landed firmly on his back. The four limbs of the Large-palmed Black Tiger brimmed with strength as it jumped up and down in the plains between the humans and the soul beasts. It was incredibly fast, and Dai Huabin laughed excitedly.
3100
3101“Spirit, it really is a Spirit!” After a momentary calm, the soul masters burst into discussion as excited voices rang out everywhere.
3102
3103The same thing happened on the soul beasts’ side. Instead of chattering, the many different types of soul beasts roared and grunted.
3104
3105The chill in Di Tian’s eyes disappeared, replaced with an unusual excitement.
3106
3107It had worked! The equal contract between Dai Huabin and this Large-palmed Black Tiger was successful. The Large-palmed Black Tiger was now his replacement for his sixth soul ring!
3108
3109Both humans and soul beasts could see the massive advantage a Spirit had over a soul ring. First of all, a Spirit could provide a soul skill just like a soul ring. Just now, Dai Huabin’s Black Tiger Spirit Palm was able to demonstrate the strength of a soul skill. Furthermore, a Spirit had consciousness! Right now, it carried Dai Huabin on its back and served as his steed. How majestic was that?! Furthermore, this Large-palmed Black Tiger could evidently fight as well. This was way superior to merely possessing a soul ring!
3110
3111“Wait a moment, I want to do an experiment,” Huo Yuhao said, as he sent spiritual intent out to Dai Huabin, who had already ridden away.
3112
3113Instantly, the Large-palmed Black Tiger turned around and returned to Huo Yuhao.
3114
3115The Large-palmed Black Tiger lowered its body, and Dai Huabin slid off it and stood in front of Huo Yuhao. Right now, his face was brimming with excitement. He had dared to take part in this experiment not because he trusted Huo Yuhao, but because he didn’t want to forgo any opportunity that could strengthen him. The first person to do anything would face risks, but Dai Huabin was smart. As the first person in line, Huo Yuhao would do his best to make sure that it went smoothly. Obviously, he was proven right!
3116
3117This Spirit, a Large-palmed Black Tiger, was much better than he had expected!
3118
3119Huo Yuhao turned to look at the soul beasts and said, “Elder Di Tian, please come forward.” Then, he looked at the human side and invited Elder Xuan forward as well They were the representatives from the two sides!
3120
3121Di Tian and Elder Xuan’s bodies shone, and in the next instant, they were standing next to Huo Yuhao.
3122
3123Huo Yuhao said to Di Tian, “Elder Di Tian, please verify that this Large-palmed Black Tiger has retained its original consciousness.”
3124
3125The body, or carcass, of this Large-palmed Black Tiger, still lay there. Next to Dai Huabin stood its Spirit.
3126
3127Di Tian nodded as he looked at the Large-palmed Black Tiger.
3128
3129With just one action, this twenty-thousand-year Large-palmed Black Tiger was able to demonstrate that it had retained its original consciousness to the Beast God. It crouched on the ground and it straightened its tail into the air, like a pug wagging its tail to endear itself to the Beast God.
3130
3131A deep growl emerged from the mouth of this Large-palmed Black Tiger. Huo Yuhao did not know what it said, but from its spiritual fluctuations, he could guess that it was talking to the Beast God.
3132
3133Di Tian listened for a while before nodding. Then, he lifted his right hand and placed it on Dai Huabin’s shoulder.
3134
3135Dai Huabin’s body trembled for a bit as he tried to resist, but how could he defy the powerful Beast God? Elder Xuan and Huo Yuhao did not intervene to stop Di Tian from placing his hand on Dai Huabin’s shoulder.
3136
3137Di Tian closed his eyes and sensed quietly. Dai Huabin felt his body going as still as a statue. There was no way for him to move.
3138
3139The Large-palmed Black Tiger next to him looked at him occasionally. Its excitement turned into fear, an innate fear of the Beast God.
3140
3141Elder Xuan looked at Huo Yuhao inquisitively, but Huo Yuhao just smiled and nodded at him. The moment the ceremony was completed, he was confident that it had succeeded.
3142
3143Di Tian did not probe for too long. He retracted his right hand, and the Beast God opened his eyes once more. He looked at Huo Yuhao, and his severe expression softened. He nodded at Yuhao and said, “You have made history.”
3144
3145These four simple words made Huo Yuhao feel as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He replied to Di Tian, “I’m just glad that I didn’t let you down.”
3146
3147Di Tian nodded and said, “Continue, let’s see what its success rate is like.”
3148
3149Huo Yuhao nodded earnestly.
3150
3151The success of a single experiment did not mean anything. If its success rate was only ten percent, then no matter how good a Spirit was, it would not be very effective. There would be no way for him to introduce it to the masses.
3152
3153Huo Yuhao turned to Dai Huabin and said, “Please go back.”
3154
3155Dai Huabin looked deep in his eyes and said, “Thank you, I owe you one.” With that, he leapt into the air, and his Large-palmed Black Tiger did the same, catching him in mid-air. Together, they turned into a bolt of black lightning as they quickly dashed back to the human’s side.
3156
3157Dai Huabin was not the only excited one! This Large-palmed Black Tiger was just as excited. It had reached the end of its life, but it managed to live again using another method. Furthermore, it was at the peak of its strength. While its life was interconnected with Dai Huabin’s, this fate was much better than death. By tying its fate with Dai Huabin, it could even experience the wonders of the human world.
3158
3159Dai Huabin’s success made both humans and soul beasts excited about the experiment. Even the soul beasts that were severely injured felt their hatred for humans decrease. After all, who did not want to live? One’s survival instinct was always stronger than the desire for revenge.
3160
3161—
3162
3163However, Huo Yuhao still did not choose an injured soul beast for his second experiment. Instead, he chose another old soul beast.
3164
3165From the humans, he chose an outer courtyard student of Shrek Academy again, whose soul power had just reached Rank 30.
3166
3167This fusion was exceptionally successful. This time, the entire contract ceremony took less than two hours to complete. A thick purple soul ring and a Purplejade Falcon became this student’s Spirit.
3168
3169While a Purplejade Falcon could not be ridden like a Large-palmed Black Tiger, the two of them shared a mental bond, which made the student jump around excitedly.
3170
3171The crowd was ignited by the two successes. The first thing to change was the emotions of the soul beasts. Their intense enmity dropped visibly, and the soul beasts which were in line now showed signs of anticipation.
3172
3173Huo Yuhao did not stop. He conducted experiments, one after another. His initial successes created a good foundation for his later trials. Not only did it make him more experienced, but he also earned the trust of both humans and soul beasts. As the two sides formed their contracts, it was less likely for any problems to occur.
3174
3175However, not all contracts were successful. Among the soul beasts, some of them still tried to resist the humans. After twenty rounds of experimentation, Huo Yuhao failed twice. One of the soul beasts died, as its body was too weak.
3176
3177However, this did not affect the overall results of the Spirit experimentation. A success rate of ninety percent answered many questions.
3178
3179Huo Yuhao’s vast spiritual power prevented fatigue from setting in. He continued his experimentations from dawn until night. In between, he rested twice. When night fell, all one hundred experiments were completed.
3180
3181Among them, eighty-six pairs were able to form their contracts successfully. Among the fourteen pairs that failed, six soul beasts died because they were too weak. The other soul beasts which lived were in pretty bad shape, too.
3182
3183Huo Yuhao did not end the experiment just like this. He helped the remaining eight soul beasts that survived form contracts again.
3184
3185This time, five succeeded and three died.
3186
3187In the end, the success rate stood at ninety-one percent. Ninety-one soul masters from Shrek Academy and the original three countries of the Douluo Continent now possessed their own Spirits.
3188
3189The experiment could be considered a success, and the results were better than expected. The soul masters with Spirits all released their Spirits to interact with them and deepen their bond. As the others looked at how excited they were, they could not help but admire them.
3190
3191
3192
3193
3194
3195Chapter 409.2: Spirit Experimentation
3196
3197
3198However, not everyone was happy. The unhappiest bunch were the Titled Douluo. Their soul rings were all complete, and they could never possess a Spirit. When they saw their juniors with their Spirits, how could they not be envious of them?
3199
3200While the experiment was successful, Huo Yuhao asked to remain with the soul beasts, standing distinctly apart from the soul masters.
3201
3202—
3203
3204The first day of the experiment was a huge success, but it was not the end. They still had to do a lot of statistical research, such as the situation of a fusion between a soul master and a Spirit, the amount of spirit power drained, and the number of soul rings that could be formed, among other things.
3205
3206The next question they wanted to investigate was how many Spirits a single human could fuse with.
3207
3208Then, they wanted to research if Huo Yuhao’s equal contract could be done by the soul masters themselves. If they wanted to perfect the Spirit System, there were many things for them to do.
3209
3210Of course, Huo Yuhao did not have to do all these things personally. Shrek Academy’s research in the area of martial souls was ranked first on the entire continent. The many elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion and teachers of the Academy had already started their research and data collection. Once soul masters could form equal contracts by themselves, there would be a lot less things for Huo Yuhao to do.
3211
3212Huo Yuhao’s hard work for the day had not been wasted. The most obvious change was that the enmity between the humans and the soul beasts was greatly reduced. They were no longer spoiling for a fight, and the Bear Lord had yet to reappear.
3213
3214The success of the Spirit experimentation helped to alleviate the unresolved conflict between humans and soul beasts. Even though further experiments were required, they had at least found a direction to work toward. Just like the Beast God Di Tian had said, Huo Yuhao had made history today!
3215
3216As he smiled faintly, Huo Yuhao finally closed his eyes tiredly, and started to meditate. While his spiritual power was strong enough, he was completely drained after today.
3217
3218Elder Xuan stood next to him to protect him while he rested. On the side of the soul beasts, the Myriad Demon King and the Scarlet King stood on either side of him, as well.
3219
3220In the eyes of both humans and soul beasts, Huo Yuhao’s position had been greatly elevated. He was the only one who could currently complete Spirit Contracts.
3221
3222The people who were the most excited were the soul masters who had already fused with their soul beasts. The signing of the equal contracts meant that they were the first batch of soul masters to possess Spirits. As of right now, a Spirit was much more useful than a soul ring. Even if they could only possess one Spirit, this would greatly increase their strength. Some of them even hoped that the subsequent experiments would fail so that they would be the only ones who possessed Spirits. Of course, such a perverted mindset was only shared by a few of them.
3223
3224—
3225
3226Many soul beasts spent the night in admiration and regret, particularly those who had reached a bottleneck. This sentiment was shared by the soul masters who lacked the courage to be the first batch of test subjects.
3227
3228The soul masters from Shrek Academy were in a better mood. After all, Huo Yuhao came from Shrek Academy. They believed that they still stood a chance to get a spirit in the future. However, the external soul masters of were dejected. They could not remain in Shrek City forever. The moment they left, they would never be able to experience a Spirit Fusion! Obviously, there would be truckloads of soul masters hoping Huo Yuhao could help them fuse with Spirits. He could barely manage the soul masters from Shrek Academy by himself!
3229
3230At this time, Shrek Academy demonstrated its magnanimity. The elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion indicated that the moment Shrek Academy achieved a breakthrough in Spirit research, they would attempt to spread it across the entire continent, and not keep it for themselves.
3231
3232The reinforcements all acknowledged this promise. They knew that Shrek Academy would never go back on its word. In the Douluo Continent, Shrek’s prestige and name were without equal. If they said they would do it, they would do it. If not, they would not even have shared the secret of Spirits with everyone in the first place.
3233
3234The vast majority of soul masters understood Shrek Academy’s mindset. After all, the conflict between soul masters and soul beasts had become increasingly aggravated. In the Douluo Continent, the habitats of all soul beasts, with the exception of the Great Star Dou Forest, had been shrinking for several thousand years, due to the increase in soul masters and soul engineers. In particular, the development of soul engineers affected even ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts. If this continued, what could humans do when they no longer had soul power? At that time, even the soul tools that required soul power would be useless, much less soul masters.
3235
3236The appearance of Spirits helped to mitigate this perennial conflict between humans and soul beasts. As long as they could be propagated, it would slow the reduction of soul beasts and give them time to reproduce. Of course, the formation of Spirits still needed soul beasts, and very few soul beasts were on the brink of death. Hence, Spirits could not completely resolve the conflict between human and soul beasts, but only mitigate it to a certain extent. However, this was a good start. With its Spirit research, perhaps Shrek Academy would even be able to obtain more breakthroughs. What if they found a better way to replace soul rings?
3237
3238Before the appearance of Spirits, many soul masters would have snorted at this notion. However, the moment Spirits appeared, these same soul masters were in awe. The situation became completely different. They became much more confident in Shrek!
3239
3240With the success of his research and experimentation on Spirits, Huo Yuhao was able to atone for his previous mistakes at Shrek Academy. Furthermore, the more radical elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion, such as Elder Song and Elder Xuan, did not even believe that this problem was Huo Yuhao’s fault.
3241
3242—
3243
3244The next morning, as the sky in the distance started to turn white, Huo Yuhao woke from his meditation and habitually unleashed his Purple Demon Eyes to start his cultivation.
3245
3246He then surveyed the bodies of the Spirits and soul masters, and asked them how they felt. Then, he personally inspected the level of coordination between each Spirit and soul master, as well as the degree of consciousness of each Spirit.
3247
3248After a whole day, he was able to gather a huge amount of data. At night, he invited a few human representatives, as well as the Savage Beasts who represented the soul beasts.
3249
3250“Everyone,” said Huo Yuhao, as he bowed to everyone present. After all, these characters were incredibly influential in the entire continent, particularly the Beast God Di Tian, who was probably the strongest being in the entire Douluo Continent.
3251
3252Di Tian nodded at Huo Yuhao. He was noticeably warmer than before.
3253
3254Huo Yuhao continued, “Elders, the success rate of the experiment yesterday is delightful. The success rate is above ninety percent, which indicates that my research has been successful. Today, I conducted even more research and further experiments, which show that the situation is optimistic. Right now, the soul masters and Spirits that have fused are very well-coordinated, particularly the soul masters whose martial souls share the same element as their Spirits. After their fusion, their strength has increased visibly, and their Spirits have remained conscious and aware. Two Spirits, however, were the exceptions. Earlier on, they both suffered massive brain damage, and in the fusion process, they lost their consciousness.”
3255
3256Di Tian nodded. He could accept some amount of failure. After all, this was just the beginning. With more experience, he believed that the process could be bettered.
3257
3258Huo Yuhao continued, “Other than these two soul beasts, the other Spirits are in good shape. They can fight according to their own will and can also assist their soul masters to a certain extent. Through my research, I have discovered that for hundred-year Spirits, they can only give their soul masters a single soul skill. This goes without saying. Furthermore, in the future, they can no longer give their soul masters any more soul skills. However, their demand for their soul masters’ spiritual power is the least, and this type of fusion is the most successful.
3259
3260“For thousand-year soul beasts, when they sign their equal contracts with their soul masters, they will need a longer time to fuse. They have higher emotional demands of one another. When the two sides fuse, I can help to coordinate the two sides to a certain extent. If not, the success rate will decrease significantly. Furthermore, these fusions demand more spiritual power from both soul master and soul beast. According to my current studies, it is difficult for a soul master to gain another Spirit after having fused with a thousand-year Spirit. Unless their mental cultivation is exceptional, it is not likely for them to experience a second successful fusion.”
3261
3262Huo Yuhao mentioned the downsides of Spirit Fusion of his own accord. Both Di Tian and Bi Ji nodded when they heard this. They were satisfied with him. His words were enough to demonstrate the sincerity of his experiment.
3263
3264Huo Yuhao continued, “When it comes to ten-thousand year soul beasts, it will be very hard for them to undergo a Spirit Fusion. I need to use a lot more of my spiritual power to control their emotions. This is because after a soul beast reaches the ten-thousand-year threshold, it will become sentient, and vastly more intelligent. Its emotions become harder to control.
3265
3266“Furthermore, their own spiritual power and strength will increase, and hence, their autonomy will make them reject the contract to a certain extent. When they sign their contracts with soul masters, both sides will require more spiritual power. Furthermore, the pain these soul masters must endure will be beyond the level a normal human can endure. Hence, in the process of completing this pact, the soul masters must demonstrate a very strong will.
3267
3268“However, I am certain that unless a soul master has a spiritual-type martial soul like me, it is impossible for a soul master to fuse a second time after he or she has fused with a ten-thousand year Spirit.”
3269
3270
3271
3272
3273
3274Chapter 409.3: Spirit Experimentation
3275
3276
3277“However, a thousand-year Spirit and a ten-thousand-year Spirit are obviously more useful than a hundred-year spirit. Through my conversation with the soul masters and the Spirits, I realized that a thousand-year Spirit with two soul skills can fuse with a soul master. However, after fusion, its first soul skill can fuse with its soul master, as well. In other words, the soul master can use another soul skill, exactly as if he had gained another soul ring. This soul skill can be used by the Spirit itself as part of its fighting skills. The other soul skill will be hidden in the Spirit’s body. If a soul master’s cultivation reaches the bottleneck of the next rank, the Spirit can unleash its soul skill to be the soul master’s next soul ring. The precondition is that the soul master must accept it.
3278
3279“From my perspective, it is highly likely that soul masters will accept it because their Spirit can only unleash the soul rings that it gives them. This will further strengthen his Spirit and compensate for the disparity between this soul ring and a higher-ranked one. At the same time, the higher the rank of that soul ring, the harder it will be to obtain it, and more difficult to find one that is suited for himself. Hence, why doesn’t he just use the soul skill the Spirit can give him? To many soul masters, this is not a hard choice.
3280
3281“When it comes to ten-thousand-year Spirits, they are even more useful for a soul master. First of all, the biggest benefit of a ten-thousand-year Spirit is that they are sentient. While it is harder to fuse with one, once completed, their intelligence will enable them to fuse their own fighting abilities with their soul master’s, greatly benefiting the latter. In a fight, the Spirit will be part of the soul master’s fighting abilities, and that’s without it even providing a soul skill.
3282
3283“A ten-thousand-year soul beast, according to its cultivation, can provide between three and four soul skills for its soul master, who has the option to choose. In comparison, a soul master can only depend on luck when fusing with a soul ring. Furthermore, when one obtains a ten-thousand-year Spirit when one already has six rings, one will choose the soul ring the Spirit brings along with it when they add a seventh ring. This will ensure that the soul skill will be implanted into the Spirit, giving the Spirit an additional ability. For soul masters, this is tantamount to obtaining a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
3284
3285“A soul master’s seventh soul skill is his Martial Soul True Body, which does not carry a soul skill with it. This is something that perplexes us soul masters, especially because of the benefits of a seventh soul ring. By giving the seventh soul skill to one’s Spirit, this problem will be eliminated. Even if a soul master cannot use the soul skill himself, it will still benefit him greatly! This is equivalent to having one extra soul skill, how great is that?”
3286
3287Huo Yuhao described it very clearly, and the humans and soul beasts who heard him all nodded. On the soul masters’ side, many eyes gleamed. These powerful soul masters were all thinking how their disciples’ fighting styles would change after they had obtained their Spirits.
3288
3289As the first batch of test subjects, they were already ahead of their time!
3290
3291Di Tian said, “These benefits are good. The problem now is, what’s the success rate of the soul masters forming these contracts themselves? If we can’t resolve this problem, no matter how good Spirits are, all they will bring to us soul beasts is more harm.”
3292
3293Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “I’ve considered this problem. What I can be sure of now is that if they try to fuse with hundred-year soul beasts, the success rate will be similar to mine. However, if they try it with thousand-year soul beasts or ten-thousand-year soul beasts, the success rate will drop visibly. However, this may not always be the case.
3294
3295“In signing a contract with a soul beast and completing the Spirit Transformation, a very important point is the spiritual power of the soul master involved. When the soul beast and the soul master are both willing, his spiritual power is extremely important. Hence, there’s one situation which is highly beneficial to the Spiritual Fusion process. Not only can it greatly increase one’s chance of success, but it will also benefit the soul master immensely.”
3296
3297“Oh, there’s such a way? What is it?” Du Busi the Body Douluo asked. From his tone right now, he did not treat Huo Yuhao as his junior, but instead as his equal.
3298
3299Huo Yuhao said, “The soul master has to delay obtaining his next soul ring. Let me give an example: when a four-ringed Soul Ancestor’s soul power reaches Rank 50 under normal circumstances, he will try and obtain another soul ring to become a five-ringed Soul King, right?”
3300
3301“When he obtains his soul ring, the most powerful one he can obtain is a ten-thousand-year soul ring. He can’t obtain one that is twenty thousand-years or more. I won’t go into details, but everyone’s following me, right?”
3302
3303The many powerful humans all nodded.
3304
3305Huo Yuhao said, “So what if he doesn’t try and fuse with his soul ring at this moment? What will happen? Ten thousand years ago, the Grandmaster of Shrek Academy told us in his research into the ten core forces of the soul master world that soul power will continually accumulate until the soul master has obtained his next soul ring, before it will burst out. In other words, if one continues cultivating, one’s soul power will continually increase, but it won’t reveal itself.
3306
3307“For many soul masters, they cannot bear such a delay. After all, by obtaining a soul ring, one’s soul power will increase tremendously, which is also accompanied by an improvement in the quality of the soul master’s strength. However, if a soul master does not obtain a soul ring at this moment and continues cultivating, he will not only improve his soul power, but also his spiritual power. For a normal soul master, his spiritual power will increase along with his soul power. The more he cultivates, the more he meditates, the stronger his spiritual power will be. If his soul power can be suppressed for a while, and he is given more time to improve, his spiritual power can fulfill the criteria easily when he fuses with his Spirit. At the same time, this kind of training will make a soul master more stable and resilient, traits which are important when it comes to Spiritual Fusion. The success rate will thus naturally increase. Even without me, the contract can be completed.
3308
3309“In an optimal situation, if a four-ringed soul master can increase his soul power to Rank 60 before obtaining a Spirit, I can guarantee that his success rate, even if it’s with a ten-thousand-year Spirit, will be more than eighty percent. Once it’s done, he can obtain two ten-thousand-year soul rings, which will allow his strength to increase massively.”
3310
3311Du Busi nodded non-stop. The conditions that Huo Yuhao were laying out could definitely be met. In his Body Sect, there were soul masters who cultivated like this. For some of the more anxious and gung-ho disciples, he would purposely deny them their soul rings so that they could improve their personality.
3312
3313Elder Xuan said, “Your contract seems very difficult. How long will it take to master?”
3314
3315Huo Yuhao said, “I’ve considered this, too. I believe that it’s not ideal for everyone to learn it. Once someone knows how to make a contract, a soul master will find it hard to resist the temptation of finding a Spirit. They will go and search for soul beasts, and the process of Spiritual Fusion is extremely difficult. Once it fails, the soul beast will be injured, and the soul master will not escape unscathed, either. It’s best for someone like me to facilitate the process as an outsider. This maximizes the success rate and prevents either side from getting hurt. Furthermore, the conductor will also be able to bear a portion of the pressure placed on the soul master. This will make the contract process a lot easier.”
3316
3317Elder Xuan frowned and said, “You are just one person. Will you help everyone?”
3318
3319Huo Yuhao said confidently, “Of course I can’t do it alone. However, I believe that there are some people who are competent enough.”
3320
3321This aroused Di Tian’s interest, and he asked Huo Yuhao, “What kind of people?”
3322
3323Huo Yuhao replied, “Soul masters with spiritual-type martial souls like me!
3324
3325“Normally, they will cultivate their spiritual power. The more powerful their spiritual power is, the stronger their martial soul be. Hence, in terms of spiritual power, even a three-ringed Soul Elder will be have greater spiritual power than a normal Soul Emperor. With spiritual-type soul masters as the middleman, the chance of success will naturally be higher. Furthermore, after they learn the contract process from me, it will increase their chances even more.
3326
3327“While there are not many soul masters with spiritual-type martial souls, they are still a significant portion of the population. However, there are only a few spiritual-type soul beasts, so it’s hard for them to become strong. If we can gather them, I’ll train them and guarantee that afterward, the success rate of a Spiritual Fusion mediated by them will reach seventy percent or more. The specific success rate will depend on the spiritual cultivation of the soul master. By then, I will have divided them by their cultivation. Those with more powerful spiritual power will help the higher-ranked Spirits and soul masters, and those with less powerful spiritual power will fuse the ten-year and hundred-year Spirits with lower-ranked soul masters. This will help to increase the chances of success.”
3328
3329“This makes sense,” agreed Du Busi promptly. “Yuhao’s words make sense. Xuan Zi and I share the same opinion. The contract is rather complicated, and not something that an ordinary soul master can master. Furthermore, as one makes the contract, it will drain one of their spiritual power. With a bunch of people dedicated to facilitating the contract process, the success rate will be higher. Those who possess spiritual-type martial souls are the best candidates.
3330
3331“Good idea! We can try it once we get back. I have some soul masters like the ones you’ve described in my Body Sect. Let me tell you now that the Body Sect will learn from Shrek Academy.”
3332
3333Huo Yuhao said nothing, but smiled faintly.
3334
3335Elder Xuan’s mouth twitched as he said, “Old Poison, you sure know to benefit yourself! Huo Yuhao is the only one who can administer the contract. You now plan on learning the skill for yourself!”
3336
3337
3338
3339
3340
3341Chapter 410.1: Spirit Pagoda
3342
3343
3344Du Busi laughed heartily and said, “Isn’t that great? We’ll be saving Yuhao the trouble of traveling everywhere. Shrek Academy has already guaranteed that they will publicize this contract.”
3345
3346Elder Xuan frowned and turned to Huo Yuhao.
3347
3348Huo Yuhao seemed to have expected this situation to appear a long time ago, and Du Busi wasn’t the only one to have such thoughts. The other powerful individuals from the various sects and academies were all very interested in his contract.
3349
3350Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and said, “You don’t have to worry, elders. I have a suggestion for that. First, we have to split the process into several steps. For the first step, everyone will have to send someone from your respective sects and academies who has at least three soul rings and is a spiritual-type soul master to Shrek Academy, so that we can conveniently train everyone together. Since Shrek Academy has promised to release the method of contracting Spirits to the public, we will not go back on our word.”
3351
3352Every powerful soul master’s face began to sparkle when he said those words. Their heads bobbed up and down, and their eyes were as friendly as could be as they stared at Huo Yuhao.
3353
3354Huo Yuhao said, “But…”
3355
3356Everyone’s eyes focused. They stared at him quietly; from their perspective, Huo Yuhao definitely had some conditions to fulfill. However, even if he proposed certain conditions in favor of Shrek Academy or for himself, everyone could only agree so that they could have contracts with Spirits. In the end, Spirits could be considered something that would change the course of history for the development of soul masters in the future! Whoever could be ahead of everyone could develop one step faster than everyone else. Who was willing to give that up?
3357
3358Huo Yuhao continued, “But we need to have rules. First, the contract between soul masters and soul beasts must be established on the foundations of mutual willingness. Our rationale for researching Spirits from the beginning wasn’t so that we could boost the strength of soul masters even further. Rather, we researched Spirits so that we could reduce the number of soul beasts we have to kill, and so that we can reduce the conflict between humans and soul beasts.
3359
3360“Both humans and soul beasts are a part of the Continent, and we are all part of the balance of life. Killing soul beasts excessively will move humans closer to our own extinction in the future. Therefore, I have to ask everyone to remember this point.”
3361
3362Everyone that Huo Yuhao was facing were powerful Titled Douluo, but Huo Yuhao wasn’t timid at all. His face was very solemn and serious when he said those words.
3363
3364The group of powerful individuals tilted their heads slightly. They were all substantially important people in the world of soul masters, and they were very clear about a future where the number of soul beasts in the Continent was greatly diminished, and where top-tier soul beasts were few and far between. Therefore, even though Huo Yuhao’s words seemed a little simple compared to the benefits that Spirits would bring, they were still moved by his words.
3365
3366Huo Yuhao continued, “Therefore, because of our original intentions, we cannot let the fusion of Spirits spread unchecked. All kinds of circumstances will arise if that happens, and Spirits will turn from a good thing into a bad one. Thus, I suggest that we establish an organization specifically for the fusion of Spirits and the contracts involved. This organization will help reconcile humans and soul beasts, and we will fix dates to execute fusions with Spirits.”
3367
3368“Form an organization? What kind of organization do you want to establish?” Du Busi asked doubtfully.
3369
3370Huo Yuhao answered, “This organization’s main function will be to supervise and take charge of the contract between soul beasts and soul masters. At the same time, only spiritual-type soul masters who belong to this organization can be taught the method of conducting this contract. These spiritual-type soul masters cannot withdraw once they join.”
3371
3372The group of Titled Douluo couldn’t help but draw a cold breath when they heard his words. They were all intelligent people, and they understood what kind of immense strength this organization that Huo Yuhao was suggesting they establish would possess when it was developed.
3373
3374The director who controlled all this would control all sources of Spirits! Everyone knew how practical Spirits were, and this was definitely the direction that soul masters would pursue in the future. Under such circumstances, if an organization controlled everything to do with Spirits, how great would their power over soul masters be?
3375
3376“This organization will belong to Shrek?” Du Busi spoke his doubts without hesitation. If this organization was in Shrek Academy’s hands, then Shrek Academy would no longer be the number-one academy in the world…they would skyrocket to become the number-one entity in the world!
3377
3378Huo Yuhao shook his head and smiled, “Don’t worry, elders. Shrek doesn’t have this ambition. This organization will belong to everyone, and it will be managed by everyone. My suggestion is for all three empires to choose several sects and academies who will send out their representatives, and Shrek Academy will also send out our representative, and we will come together to form a conference hall for this organization. Every decision that this organization has to make in the future will have to go through this conference hall. As for the rules after joining this conference hall, they will be up to you, elders, and the three empires to determine.”
3379
3380Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard his words.
3381
3382Elder Xuan smiled faintly, but he didn’t speak too much from the beginning to the end. This organization had been something that Huo Yuhao, Yan Shaozhe, and the others had considered when they first began their research on Spirits.
3383
3384If this organization wasn’t monitored and checked, its strength would spread unchecked. There were too many tricks and schemes that humans could use against soul beasts, and who could predict how this organization would change in the future? Therefore, certain regulations were necessary for executing the equal contracts. However, this wasn’t something that Shrek Academy could control on their own.
3385
3386If Shrek Academy was the only one controlling this organization, perhaps Shrek Academy’s strength would swell rapidly in the short term, but when that happened, they would become the entire Douluo Continent’s enemy. Shrek Academy’s strength would arouse the envy of others!
3387
3388Therefore, this organization could only belong to all three empires and Shrek Academy at the same time. The Academy seemed to be at a disadvantage in this agreement, but Shrek Academy only had their own city behind them, and their Academy was being lifted to the same status as the other three empires, so this was considered a success for the Academy. Furthermore, Shrek Academy was the one who had done all that research on spirits, so the three empires had nothing to say. They would feel they were taking advantage of Shrek Academy.
3389
3390Under such circumstances, nobody would object. Careful discussions and negotiations would have to take place in the future to determine how this organization would be monitored and managed.
3391
3392Di Tian had been listening quietly from one side this entire time, and a smile appeared on his face as Huo Yuhao finished his speech.
3393
3394Clap, clap, clap!
3395
3396Di Tian began to clap for Huo Yuhao. “Supervise…this word is great. I hope you humans can achieve that. I think Yuhao is right. Soul masters contracting Spirits by themselves is almost impossible, and no matter what, soul beasts will always be enemies to humans. Only those Spirits who have completed a contract with a soul master and fused into that person’s body will become your true companions and friends. However, how are you going to find suitable soul beasts? This task will be very challenging for you, and only us soul beasts can help you with that. If you guys can establish an effective organization, then I will send a representative from my side to join in as well.”
3397
3398The Titled Douluo’s eyes sparkled when they heard his words.
3399
3400Soul beasts entering the organization wasn’t a bad thing. Actually, it was great! This meant Di Tian had basically approved this experiment, and when Di Tian eventually sent someone to this organization, the Great Star Dou Forest would naturally assign those soul beasts that needed this Spirit fusion. This meant the fusion of Spirits would become a lot simpler.
3401
3402“Alright, let’s do it. The Body Sect supports this decision.” Du Busi contemplated momentarily before he suddenly slapped his thigh forcefully. He was the first to express his approval.
3403
3404Elder Xuan was sitting beside him. He twitched his mouth and said, “Even though I admire you giving your approval, can you not slap your thigh next time?”
3405
3406“How painful can it be if I slap myself?” Du Busi didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he seemed very proud, and Elder Xuan shook his head in exasperation.
3407
3408The other Titled Douluo deliberated for a moment before they also expressed their support, one after another.
3409
3410Of course, their support was not enough. This matter was very important, and still required support from the Douluo Continent’s three native empires before it could be rolled out officially.
3411
3412The appearance of Spirits had changed the Douluo Continent irreversibly. No matter what, this process couldn’t be completed so quickly. The incumbents were incredibly efficient for achieving an agreement like this within two days.
3413
3414Huo Yuhao exhaled deeply and quietly. He had finally managed to take this step, and all sorts of refinements and adjustments were coming, but his main task was to teach this contract to others and plan everything. He had to gradually withdraw from being the core of the research into Spirits.
3415
3416Elder Xuan looked at Huo Yuhao with a pleasant and satisfied look in his eyes. Ever since Huo Yuhao took the initiative to step forward and handle this matter with Spirits, he had been very reasonable, and he had handled everything very well in all aspects.
3417
3418However, a dark shadow flashed across Elder Xuan’s heart. Elder Song and Xian Lin’e had told him about the army of undead. He did have some understanding about this ability of Huo Yuhao’s, but this army of undead came from an evil soul master’s powers, after all! If Huo Yuhao was to take over as the Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion in the future, a blemish like this would cause great inner conflict within the Sea God’s Pavilion. In the end, evil soul masters had great difficulty controlling their state of mind.
3419
3420What was even more frightening was that Huo Yuhao was simply too talented and prodigious. If problems began to appear in his mentality when he became a Titled Douluo, disaster would follow. Such a disaster wouldn’t just include Shrek, but might also spell disaster for the entire Continent!
3421
3422Elder Xuan wasn’t the only one with this worry. Elder Song and Xian Lin’er shared the same concerns. However, they didn’t spread what they knew about the army of undead, and only the few of them knew about Huo Yuhao’s undead army within the Sea God’s Pavilion. In the end, the battle was very intense at that moment, and only those powerful individuals who were stationed on the northern and western fronts who were observing the soul beasts’ movements on the periphery could see this army of undead. However, only the three of them knew that this army had something to do with Huo Yuhao.
3423
3424
3425
3426
3427
3428Chapter 410.2: Spirit Pagoda
3429
3430
3431Elder Xuan no longer bothered with Du Busi. He turned to Huo Yuhao and said, “Yuhao, have you considered how you’re going to establish this organization? What will it be named?”
3432
3433Everyone was discussing things among themselves, but now their eyes returned to Huo Yuhao. After Huo Yuhao rescued those hostages at Sunrise City and with his discovery of Spirits, Huo Yuhao shared the same status as those powerful Titled Douluo. They understood that this creative and ingenious prodigy from Shrek Academy would undoubtedly become one of the strongest individuals on the Continent in the future.
3434
3435Establishing a supervisory body that was shared among the three empires and forming a conference hall of soul masters for decision-making was as generous as Shrek could be. The various powerful individuals wouldn’t say too much about how the organization was going to be established, what it was going to be named and whatnot because as the inventor of Spirits, Huo Yuhao had the most right to make these decisions.
3436
3437Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then answered, “The main purpose of this organization that we are going to establish is to focus on reducing the killing of soul beasts by humans and to gradually change the relationship between humans and soul beasts. Doing so will catalyze the completion of the equal contract between humans and soul beasts, and Spirits will be a way for soul beasts to transmit their spirits on. Why don’t we call this organization ‘Spirit’? My teacher, the one who taught me how to execute this contract, left another secret method to create a magic formation in the shape of a tower so that the process of transmitting spirits will become easier, and so that a soul master’s spiritual power can be more condensed. Therefore, our organization will be called… the Spirit Pagoda. How’s that?
3438
3439“I suggest that Shrek City construct the first Spirit Pagoda. At the same time, the Spirit Pagoda’s headquarters will be located in Shrek City. Shrek Academy is recognized by all three empires as a public place, so establishing the tower’s headquarters in Shrek City will be most appropriate. After the first Spirit Pagoda is completed successfully, the second batch of towers will be established within all three empires’ capital cities. These towers will serve as emblems for the organization, and they will also transmit spirits at the same time. My suggestion is for the third batch of towers to be established in cities that are relatively closer to soul beast habitats. This way, transmitting spirits will become a lot more convenient. As for how the organization will be established and what the rules will be, I’ll have to ask you and the Academy to decide that with the empires’ top officials.”
3440
3441The Spirit Pagoda was called a tower, but in reality, more of how it was named was because Huo Yuhao wanted to commemorate his teacher, the Calamity Necromancer Electrolux, who had passed away. Electrolux once said that one of the proudest things that he had done in his life was that he had once erected an eternal tower.
3442
3443Huo Yuhao had never seen that tower, but that tower was undoubtedly what his teacher liked most. He decided to name this new organization as a tower to commemorate him.
3444
3445Elder Xuan tilted his head as he listened to Huo Yuhao’s words. He was very satisfied with Huo Yuhao’s suggestions; the organization’s name wasn’t that big a deal, as it was just a label. What was more important was that Huo Yuhao had suggested that the Spirit Pagoda’s headquarters be located in Shrek City. This meant that forces from all over the world would deploy powerful individuals to be stationed at Shrek.
3446
3447At the same time, the second batch of Spirit Pagodas would come long after the first one was constructed, because the first tower had to train sufficient soul masters with spiritual-type martial souls so that they could expand their organization. After this period of time, Shrek City would undoubtedly wield absolute authority over anything with regards to transmitting spirits. If the Great Star Dou Forest cooperated with them, it wouldn’t take long for Shrek City and Shrek Academy’s status to rise by yet another level on the Continent.
3448
3449Huo Yuhao didn’t swallow the secret of Spirits by himself, yet he also helped the Academy develop rapidly. What he had done was the greatest benefit that the Academy could reap. That gloomy shadow in Elder Xuan’s heart because Huo Yuhao possessed necromantic abilities dampened a little. At least, from what he could see right now, everything about Huo Yuhao was still normal.
3450
3451Elder Xuan didn’t express his opinions directly. Instead, he turned to everyone else and asked them, “Does anyone have any objections to Yuhao’s suggestion?”
3452
3453This group included Du Busi, and these powerful individuals shook their heads and expressed that they had no objections and that they approved of Huo Yuhao’s suggestions.
3454
3455Shrek Academy had publicized the secret of Spirits, which was a very important one, to the outside world. They were also going to establish an organization that everyone could participate in. The most important issue had been resolved, and it would be extremely shameless if anyone still didn’t want to let Shrek Academy reap some benefits from this arrangement.
3456
3457Furthermore, Huo Yuhao was right. Shrek Academy had always been known for their independence, and they weren’t biased towards anyone. Establishing the tower’s headquarters in Shrek City was most appropriate, and even though Shrek City was inside the Heavenly Soul Empire, Shrek City was actually similarly distanced from all three capital cities.
3458
3459Huo Yuhao turned towards the Beast God Di Tian, and Di Tian tilted his head in his direction. Di Tian also approved of his suggestions.
3460
3461Huo Yuhao would have to continue with his experiments, and all kinds of sophisticated and strict research would have to come next so that he could base the abilities of Spirits on solid ground. Other than that, everyone would have to deal with the various and numerous administrative tasks needed to establish the Spirit Pagoda.
3462
3463—
3464
3465Those powerful individuals all returned to their respective empires. They brought their first batch of soul masters who possessed Spirits to their empire’s royal families to convince them. Everyone began to work on everything that had to do with establishing the Spirit Pagoda.
3466
3467Huo Yuhao spent most of the subsequent month on his experiments. Furthermore, experiments weren’t the only things he had to do; he also had to draw the Spirit Pagoda’s construction blueprints, and he had to record the spell for the equal contract and how to use it. This precious knowledge was sealed and stored inside the Sea God’s Pavilion.
3468
3469Nobody asked Huo Yuhao about his army of undead, and Huo Yuhao didn’t return to Shrek Academy. Di Tian requested he remained in the Great Star Dou Forest to continue his experiments, which also meant that he could let Shrek Academy’s people see him, but they couldn’t bring him back.
3470
3471Huo Yuhao didn’t object much to those requests, and he spent the subsequent month working hard at many different tasks.
3472
3473—
3474
3475Shrek City was also very busy. They had sustained heavy losses when the beast wave washed over them. Repairs required quite some time and a lot of materials and resources.
3476
3477Shrek’s merchants and businessmen began to work on all fronts. Furthermore, after those soul masters returned to their respective countries, it didn’t take long before the three empires sent diplomats to Shrek City to discuss matters regarding the construction of the Spirit Pagoda.
3478
3479Just as Huo Yuhao had predicted, not a single empire could resist the appearance of Spirits. The diplomats sent forth by those countries were here to negotiate and discuss how exactly the Spirit Pagoda was to be established, and how this organization was to be controlled.
3480
3481The incumbents underwent a long and drawn-out negotiation. Huo Yuhao didn’t even bother to ask about how the negotiations progressed, because these things were no longer important to him. He believed that everything would be fine with Shrek Academy at the helm.
3482
3483In the end, those spiritual-type soul masters that the Spirit Pagoda produced in the future would be called Spirit Masters, which would be considered a new and separate profession.
3484
3485The three empires dispatched representatives from their various sects and academies to become part of the Spirit Pagoda’s conference hall. Every empire had nine seats, and every member had to at least be a Soul Douluo.
3486
3487Every empire had to ensure at least three people who were members of the Spirit Pagoda’s conference hall were stationed in Shrek City.
3488
3489Besides these twenty-seven members, Shrek Academy would also choose nine people to become members. Their status was similar to that of an empire, as they participated in the Spirit Pagoda’s future development.
3490
3491All thirty-six members would control the entire Spirit Pagoda’s operation and development, while the headquarters would still be established in Shrek City. Huo Yuhao had discovered Spirits, so he was nominated as the hall’s thirty-seventh member. Furthermore, only he would be a member for life!
3492
3493The Spirit Pagoda would have to choose four Pagoda Masters – one main one and three deputies – to deal with daily administrative tasks and whatnot. Every ten years, the Pagoda’s members and its Pagoda Masters would be reelected, while no member could remain in office for more than two terms. Only those who were members before could participate in the election to become a Pagoda Master.
3494
3495—
3496
3497The Spirit Pagoda’s first conference hall meeting was carried out in the second month after Huo Yuhao’s successful experiment.
3498
3499Everyone nominated the Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion, Elder Xuan, as the first Pagoda Master. One Titled Douluo from each of the three empires who were of good moral standing and reputation were nominated as Vice-Pagoda Masters.
3500
3501Huo Yuhao was a lifetime member, and he was appointed as the honorary Pagoda Master. He didn’t participate directly in the Spirit Pagoda’s management, but his status within the organization was exceedingly high as, after all, Spirits and the Spirit Pagoda wouldn’t be around if not for him.
3502
3503At the same time, Shrek Academy fought hard to ensure Huo Yuhao become the only person who could participate independently in the election for the Pagoda Master in the future. In other words, he didn’t have to represent the four different parties in the election.
3504
3505The Spirit Pagoda’s various rules, regulations, and systems were being completed. After discussing things with the Great Star Dou Forest, the Spirit Pagoda wasn’t constructed within Shrek City in the end. Instead, it was located five kilometers outside of Shrek’s southern city wall.
3506
3507This meant the Spirit Pagoda would be open to humans and soul beasts at the same time.
3508
3509Within the Spirit Pagoda’s conference hall, besides its thirty-seven human members, the Great Star Dou Forest had its representatives as well. Di Tian personally led this group, and he was part of the conference hall, along with the Emerald Swan Bi Ji, the Demoneye Tree Myriad Demon King, the Bear Lord, and the Three-Headed Devilmastiff. Five Savage Beasts represented the soul beasts within the conference hall. One Savage Beast would be permanently assigned to the conference hall to participate in all sorts of discussions and administrative matters. Furthermore, the soul beasts’ representative would have a special status, and this representative would have veto power for the conference hall’s decisions. Of course, this veto power couldn’t come from just one of them – all five Savage Beasts had to make a decision before Di Tian could propose and use their veto power.
3510
3511The Spirit Pagoda’s power and authority seemed split up, but in reality, the Continent’s three native empires, Shrek City, and the Great Star Dou Forest all supported it. This meant that there was no other organization across the entire Continent that could compare to the Spirit Pagoda’s backing.
3512
3513The humans hustled, and the Great Star Dou Forest didn’t idle, either. Di Tian personally stepped out to communicate with several other soul beast habitats so that he could spread the situation about Spirits to these other habitats.
3514
3515
3516
3517
3518
3519Chapter 410.3: Spirit Pagoda
3520
3521
3522Huo Yuhao wasn’t worried about how far Di Tian could go. With the Great Star Dou Forest’s absolute status in the world of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent, convincing other soul beasts wasn’t difficult at all. Probably only the Extreme North, which was a place of bitter cold, was relatively more challenging, but soul masters rarely ventured there to obtain soul rings in the first place.
3523
3524Three months quickly passed from the start of Huo Yuhao’s first successful experiment, just like that.
3525
3526The Spirit Pagoda began operating on all fronts. The first batch of soul masters who possessed spiritual-type martial souls were selected by the three empires and sent to Shrek City afterwards. Huo Yuhao was in charge of teaching them how to conduct equal contracts.
3527
3528Shrek Academy’s soul masters were the first people to enjoy the benefits of Spirits. Huo Yuhao directed everything personally, and more and more students from Shrek Academy who reached bottlenecks gained their own Spirits.
3529
3530Over the past ten years, Shrek Academy had gone through two different stages of vigorous development, with both soul tools and Spirits, and Shrek City became increasingly powerful.
3531
3532Furthermore, the relationship between Shrek City and the Great Star Dou Forest was being mended because of these new Spirits, and Shrek City took this opportunity to rebuild and expand their city’s surface area. They also made some long-term plans.
3533
3534Shrek City would be considered an inner city, and they would expanded five kilometers out from its city walls. Five kilometers didn’t seem like much, but those five kilometers were extended from Shrek City’s original walls! Once these five kilometers were built up, Shrek City’s surface area would be equivalent to any large-scale city in the three empires.
3535
3536—
3537
3538The Sun Moon Empire’s behavior over these three months was relatively peaceful. Because of the Spirit Pagoda’s establishment, the Continent’s three native empires didn’t make a move against the Sun Moon Empire, and this allowed Xu Tianran to heave a sigh of relief, to his own astonishment. Time was also exceedingly important for the Sun Moon Empire. They had already spoiled their relationships with the other three empires, and a great war could happen at any time. The longer they could delay this war, the more time they had to prepare!
3539
3540—
3541
3542“Elder Di Tian.” Huo Yuhao was still in the Great Star Du Forest’s Slaughtering Grounds inside its Core Regions, and he called out while standing beside the Water of Life as he faced the clean and limpid lake water.
3543
3544Over the past three months, the Spirit Pagoda had begun to take shape thanks to his hard work and efforts. Furthermore, he was the most welcomed human being inside the Great Star Dou Forest. Just as how Wang Qiu’er was treated back then, the Scarlet King became his personal bodyguard. Huo Yuhao could proceed anywhere he wanted in the Great Star Dou Forest smoothly and unhindered. This place was considered a forbidden ground for humans, but this place was like his own back garden to him.
3545
3546“You’re here.” Di Tian’s voice rang out, and a black shadow quietly appeared in the middle of the lake. This black shadow arrived by the lakeshore in a few flashes.
3547
3548Di Tian had already handed everything that had to do with Spirits over to Bi Ji for her to manage. Over the past three months, Huo Yuhao had taught the first batch of Spirit Masters, while also helping multiple soul beasts who were near death to transmit their spirits at the same time. As of today, more than three hundred soul beats had been allowed to extend their lives. From the perspective of the soul masters that these soul beasts fused with, this fact was equivalent to avoiding killing over three hundred soul beasts. These soul masters would still choose Spirits to substitute soul rings in the future, and they would kill even fewer soul beasts.
3549
3550Of the five Savage Beasts, with the exception of the Bear Lord, who rarely showed himself, the other four Savage Beasts, including the Beast God, were very satisfied with everything that Huo Yuhao had done.
3551
3552Huo Yuhao bowed respectfully to Di Tian and said, “Elder Di Tian, the Spirit Pagoda’s foundations have been established. This is the first pagoda, so its scale will be relatively larger. Therefore, I reckon it will take at least one to two years to complete any follow-ups. There are forty-two soul masters in the first batch of Spirit Masters, and their cultivation ranks vary from four to eight soul rings. Under my guidance and my teaching, they are all able to conduct the contract on their own.”
3553
3554Di Tian nodded and said, “You humans are quite efficient. I’ve heard about these things from Bi Ji.” Bi Ji was currently the first Savage Beast to be permanently stationed in the Spirit Pagoda’s conference hall to represent all soul beasts.
3555
3556After the conference hall’s first meeting with the whole committee, there were over ten members who had been permanently stationed in Shrek City. Including the four Pagoda Masters, there were nine other members from the three empires, while Shrek Academy’s nine members were all members of the Sea God’s Pavilion at the same time. Naturally, they were around, but in Shrek City instead. As for Huo Yuhao, he had been living in the Great Star Dou Forest this entire time.
3557
3558He had been very busy over the past three months, but the Beast God had treated him well. He had provided Huo Yuhao with all sorts of fruits that were full of spiritual qi, and in addition to the fact that Huo Yuhao was transmitting spirits every day, his spiritual power became steadier and more consolidated, while his soul power was raised by another rank. He had used Shrek Academy’s soul power detectors to test himself, and discovered that his soul power was at Rank 73, which was a little lower than his original prediction. However, this fact also told Huo Yuhao that every subsequent soul power rank after Rank 70 was of great magnitude.
3559
3560Huo Yuhao estimated that, with his current cultivation speed, and if he didn’t encounter any special circumstances, opportunities, or epiphanies, he would become a Titled Douluo when he was around thirty years old. That would be an absolutely outstanding feat among humans!
3561
3562“You were looking for me. What do you want?” Di Tian asked Huo Yuhao.
3563
3564Huo Yuhao contemplated for a moment, then said, “Elder, I have been accountable to you with regards to Spirits. I wish to leave.”
3565
3566“Eh?” Di Tian’s aura instantly changed when he heard his words. His eyes suddenly became sharper, and he said, “What’s up? Is our Great Star Dou Forest not good enough for you? This place is full of spiritual qi, and so dense with life energy. This place is most suitable for you soul masters to cultivate. If you are willing to, you can even stay beside the Water of Life to cultivate. Your future is boundless.”
3567
3568Huo Yuhao raised his head and stared right into Di Tian’s eyes. “Then, how long do you plan to keep me here?”
3569
3570Di Tian was momentarily stunned.
3571
3572Huo Yuhao lowered his voice and said, “You should know, elder, that humans cultivate a lot faster than soul beasts. Otherwise, we couldn’t have dominated and conquered the entire continent within a few short tens of thousands of years. Yes, with my current strength, you can easily imprison me in the Great Star Dou Forest. However, I trust that you won’t restrict my cultivation, because that is the basis of my life in the end. Choosing death isn’t difficult for me, but if you allow me to continue cultivation, I will become a Titled Douluo in about ten years, give or take. I will take thirty years more at most to become a Transcendent Douluo, and with the abilities that I possess, not even you may be able to stop me once I become a Transcendent Douluo if I want to leave.
3573
3574“I am connected to the fortunes and fate of the entire Great Star Dou Forest, so you can’t kill me, and the most you can do is imprison me or seal me away. However, you should also understand my status in the human world. If you do that, the Academy will stop at nothing to turn the situation around, and the peaceful equilibrium that the humans have just established with your Great Star Dou Forest will change once more.”
3575
3576“Are you threatening me?” Di Tian muttered coldly. That enormous pressure that felt like a mountain to Huo Yuhao appeared once more and pressed down on him.
3577
3578Huo Yuhao forcibly resisted this pressure as he grit his teeth and said, “No, I’m not threatening you, I’m just stating facts. I will always be a friend to the Great Star Dou Forest, and I can even promise you that I will never kill a single soul beast in the Great Star Dou Forest ever again. However, there are still many things that I have to do, and I can’t stay here forever. If you insist on keeping me here, then I will choose death. Qiu’er has given the power of Destiny to me, and you can imprison me here so that I will never be able to leave this place, but not even you can stop me from severing my own fate and destiny. This means that nobody in this world can stop me if I choose to die.”
3579
3580Di Tian suddenly withdrew his pressure. He placed his hands behind his back and stared coldly at Huo Yuhao. “Where do you want to go? What do you wish to do?”
3581
3582Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “There’s something that I have to do, and there’s someone that I have to visit afterwards. And then, I have to fulfill a wish that I’ve always had.”
3583
3584Di Tian asked again, “And after you do all those things?”
3585
3586Huo Yuhao was a little taken aback. He shook his head and said, “I haven’t thought much about afterwards.”
3587
3588Di Tian said plainly, “Since that’s the case, then I only have one request; after you finish everything you have to do, you must return. You can choose to reside in Shrek City, the Spirit Pagoda, or the Great Star Dou Forest.”
3589
3590“Alright,” Huo Yuhao answered subconsciously, and his eyes filled with pleasant surprise in the next moment. “Are you saying that I can leave?”
3591
3592Di Tian was expressionless as he answered, “I know that I can’t keep you here, just like I couldn’t keep the Emperor Beast here back then. With your current strength, people will have a hard time trying to kill you. Here, take this.” Di Tian swung his hand as he spoke, and tossed something at Huo Yuhao.
3593
3594Huo Yuhao grabbed the item subconsciously. He looked down, and realized that Di Tian had given him something like a pendant.
3595
3596This pendant looked like a leaf, and it was about as big as an infant’s palm. It was black all over, and there were ridges on its surface. These ridges shone faintly with purple hues.
3597
3598There was a single black line strung around this pendant, which didn’t seem very thick, but was very tough.
3599
3600“Wear this on your neck. You’re not allowed to take it off. You can go now.” With that, Di Tian turned around and drifted across the lake’s surface.
3601
3602Huo Yuhao grasped the pendant, which felt faintly fresh and cool. He stared at Di Tian, who was slowly moving further away from him, and he instantly felt his mind and body relax. Waves of fatigue and exhaustion coursed over him as soon as he began to relax.
3603
3604He had toiled far too much over these past three months, which had been very tiring.
3605
3606Huo Yuhao hung the pendant around his neck. He wasn’t hasty to leave. Instead, he crossed his legs and sat down beside the Water of Life and started to meditate.
3607
3608Huo Yuhao entered meditation very quickly because his mind and body were relaxed. Flourishing soul power flowed through his body, and his immense spiritual power naturally rippled throughout his spiritual sea.
3609
3610
3611
3612
3613
3614Chapter 411.1: Black Dragon Reverse Scale
3615
3616
3617“Yuhao, Yuhao…” Huo Yuhao’s consciousness was dragged back into his own spiritual world as his name was called.
3618
3619“Brother Skydream, Ice Empress…” Huo Yuhao saw the Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress drifting above his spiritual sea in their human forms after he entered his spiritual sea.
3620
3621The Skydream Iceworm snorted and asked, “Do you know what Di Tian gave you?”
3622
3623Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. However, I can imagine that it’s for my own protection. After all, my safety concerns the entire destiny of the Great Star Dou Forest.”
3624
3625The Skydream Iceworm sighed and said, “Foolish kid. That thing is both beneficial and harmful to you!”
3626
3627Huo Yuhao was stunned, “It’s both beneficial and harmful? What do you mean?”
3628
3629The Ice Empress said, “Di Tian gave you his reverse scale.”
3630
3631“Reverse scale?” Huo Yuhao appeared to be thinking of something. “Dragons have a reverse scale, and they’ll be enraged and even go berserk if their reverse scale is touched. That scale?”
3632
3633The Ice Empress nodded and replied, “That’s right. However, we discovered it too late. You’ve already worn it. Haih…”
3634
3635Huo Yuhao asked, “What’s the problem if I wear his reverse scale?”
3636
3637The Skydream Iceworm sounded very furious. “Of course there’s a problem! It’s a huge problem, too! Dragons have a reverse scale. Whoever touches their reverse scale will incur their wrath, that is the truth! This piece of his reverse scale that he gave you can protect you. He forms a piece of reverse scale after a metamorphosis every hundred thousand years when he experiences Heaven’s Wrath. It contains his origin strength!
3638
3639“As for what kind of protection it can offer you, I’m really uncertain about that. However, it won’t be weak. But you need to recognize that his reverse scale contains a trace of Heaven’s Wrath. With this trace of Heaven’s Wrath, you won’t be able to obtain a Godly Seat.”
3640
3641“Godly Seat? What’s a Godly Seat?” Huo Yuhao asked in confusion.
3642
3643The Ice Empress replied, “We followed you in the hope that you’ll reach that realm one day and become a true god. It is only then that we will be able to separate ourselves from your body. Furthermore, if we follow you into the godly realm, it’ll be equivalent to us breaking the barriers of this world with your help. We will no longer be limited by our lifespans. Although the chance is very slim, we think that it is possible, given your current development and cultivation progress.
3644
3645“Obtaining a Godly Seat is the most important stepping stone to your ascension to the godly realm. We don’t know what the godly realm is like, but there have been legends about it. Among all of them, the legend about Godly Seats is the closest to the truth. In this world, humans are on the path towards the godly realm the moment they become a Titled Douluo. Soul beasts are far less fortunate. Even if we reach a million-year cultivation, we’ll still find it difficult to become a god. This is highly related to a Godly Seat.
3646
3647“There are various explanations for what a Godly Seat is. The explanation that we agree on the most with is that the godly realm can only harbor a limited number of gods. Every god has a seat that belongs to him. One can only become a god after obtaining a Godly Seat. This is why all living creatures have to find a seat that belongs to them in the godly realm if they want to become a god. One can then overcome the restrictions of the Douluo Continent through their connection with his seat and reach another level. Eventually, they can then ascend into the godly realm through their powers at that level.
3648
3649“This thing that Di Tian gave you basically acts as a barrier that prevents you from connecting to a Godly Seat.”
3650
3651Huo Yuhao was stunned, and asked, “Can’t I just take it off?”
3652
3653The Skydream Iceworm laughed coldly. “You can try to do so when you return. Unless you die, you won’t be able to take it off.”
3654
3655Huo Yuhao quickly calmed down. “Is there any other way that I can obtain a Godly Seat?”
3656
3657The Ice Empress said, “Yes. By killing Di Tian. Can you do that?
3658
3659“Another way is if your cultivation is beyond his. He is already at the limit of this world. You’ll be a god if you can surpass him. How will you be able to do so?
3660
3661“Also, the seal of Di Tian’s reverse scale can be removed if a true god descends and does it for you. You can obtain a Godly Seat if any of these three possibilities occur. Which one do you think will happen? No matter how talented you are, you’ll still need a hundred years before you can reach Di Tian’s level. However, you won’t be able to defeat him, given that he possesses the Dragon King’s Claw. Although Di Tian isn’t far from his ninth metamorphosis, this ’far away’ must be contextualized in the situation of a soul beast. Di Tian is currently suppressing his cultivation. Given his current aura, he’ll be fine even if he suppresses it for another ten thousand years. Can you survive for another ten thousand years? Once you die of natural causes, your power of destiny will dissipate from your body, but it won’t dissipate forever. As to what method he can use to accept this power of destiny, I am unsure. However, I believe there must be a way. This is why he wanted you to live near the Great Star Dou Forest after completing everything that you have to complete.”
3662
3663After hearing the Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress’ explanation, Huo Yuhao was completely shocked! Even though he knew that the conflict between soul beasts and humans was going to be very difficult to mediate, he didn’t expect it to be so dangerous. He had been forgoing his sleep and diet over the past few months because he wanted to complete as many Spirit Transmissions as possible between humans and soul beasts. He had been completely selfless. However, he was ‘gifted’ with such a reward!
3664
3665The Skydream Iceworm said, “It has always been rumored that a Godly Seat exists somewhere on the Douluo Continent. Did you forget how Shrek Academy’s collection records this? Your ancestor, Tang San, eventually became a god after he was recognized by a Godly Seat and passed the test upon discovering the Sea God’s Godly Seat. However, you are currently in a situation where you can’t advance any further even if you come across an opportunity. Di Tian used such a method to kill off any possibility of you becoming a god. While humans are sinister, soul beasts are… hehe…”
3666
3667The Ice Empress sighed and said, “To a certain extent, Di Tian isn’t wrong to do so. He is the king of soul beasts. He is only doing this for the Great Star Dou Forest’s legacy.”
3668
3669The Skydream Iceworm cursed, “What do you mean he isn’t wrong? We are all soul beasts. Things are going well on his side, but he still chose to turn around and diminish our hopes. Idiot, idiot!”
3670
3671“Brother Skydream, Ice Empress.” Huo Yuhao suddenly called. Hearing that his voice sounded a little weird, both of them couldn’t help but turn their attention towards him.
3672
3673Huo Yuhao drifted calmly above his spiritual sea. However, both the Ice Empress and Skydream Iceworm seemed to realize something different about him at this moment.
3674
3675He quietly remained where he was, but there was a towering feel about him. His eyes were shining brightly, and the look in his eyes was very determined and persistent.
3676
3677“Do the both of you believe me?” Huo Yuhao’s voice sounded a little weird as it echoed in his spiritual sea. Instantly, his surging spiritual sea instantly became calm and peaceful. It was so calm that there weren’t any ripples at all. It was like a still and sturdy surface.
3678
3679Both soul beasts were stunned, and subconsciously nodded.
3680
3681Huo Yuhao said, “Brother Skydream, if not for you, I wouldn’t be here today. My martial soul would have remain disabled. Even if I followed eldest senior and Teacher Xiao Ya to Shrek Academy, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything. I wouldn’t have been able to fuse with the Ice Empress. You gave me four strong soul rings and a second martial soul. All my achievements are a result of my fusion with you.
3682
3683“Ice Empress, it’s the same for you. Your recognition of me allowed me to possess Ultimate Ice, such that I was able to develop a goal and outline in the aspect of assault. The soul rings and soul bones that you gave me have saved me on many occasions. The two of you are my benefactors. Without you, Huo Yuhao wouldn’t exist today.
3684
3685“Since the two of you believe in me, let me make a promise to you right now, today. Give me thirty years. Within thirty years, I’ll do my best in my cultivation and attain powers that can rival the Beast God. I’ll challenge him then. I’ll use my own abilities to remove his Black Dragon reverse scale from my body. In the future, I might not be able to obtain a Godly Seat. However, I promise that I’ll do my best to search for one. I won’t give up even if there’s only a glimmer of hope. I’ll do my best to fulfil your wishes. Alright?”
3686
3687Huo Yuhao wasn’t very loud, but he spoke with vigor and determination. After hearing his words, the Ice Empress and Skydream Iceworm appeared much more at ease. They looked at each other, and the Skydream Iceworm took a deep breath before saying, “Yuhao, time isn’t a problem. Given your current condition, as well as the Auspicious Emperor Beast’s Sacrifice, you’ll at least be able to live for more than three hundred years. It’s too difficult for you to defeat the Beast God within thirty years. We won’t restrict your goal. It’s great as long as you have the determination to defeat him.”
3688
3689Huo Yuhao deeply said, “A man stays true to his word. Whatever I promise to do, I’ll do my best to carry it out.”
3690
3691The Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress nodded. “We’ll do our best to help you, too.”
3692
3693Huo Yuhao calmed down as he regained awareness of his actual body. After that, he surveyed the Black Dragon reverse scale around his neck through his spiritual power. However, the reverse scale was like a deep valley as it absorbed his spiritual power, even though there was only minimum contact between his spiritual power and the reverse scale. There wasn’t even any feedback. In addition, Huo Yuhao clearly discovered that this piece of reverse scale had completely stuck to the skin on his chest. It was as if it had become a part of his body.
3694
3695Fortunately, Brother Skydream and the Ice Empress warned me. Otherwise, I would have thought that Di Tian was being nice to me. Huo Yuhao didn’t blame Di Tian. Di Tian was only doing this for the future of the Great Star Dou Forest’s destiny. From the perspective of his interests, Di Tian’s actions were justified.
3696
3697However, he had a different opinion of Di Tian right now. Originally, he had developed respect for Di Tian after a hearty talk with him. However, he now had only the intention of maintaining a professional partnership with the Beast God.
3698
3699
3700
3701
3702
3703Chapter 411.2: Black Dragon Reverse Scale
3704
3705
3706Huo Yuhao silently left the Slaughtering Grounds after cultivating until the morning of the second day. The Three-Headed Scarlet Devilmastiff was already waiting for him. The Scarlet King escorted him as he left the Great Star Dou Forest and rushed towards Shrek Academy.
3707
3708As his cultivation increased, he was now able to fly using his soul power. However, using soul tools helped him to better conserve his soul power.
3709
3710After fifteen minutes, he reached Shrek City.
3711
3712From the sky, it was clear that the city was under busy re-construction. The original Shrek City had become a fortification, and the new city now expanded out from it. Far from the city, the Spirit Pagoda was already nearly complete. It was a huge tower! As the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda, Shrek Academy had spent a lot of effort to construct the tower. The tower was in a hexagonal shape, and covered more than a thousand square meters. According to the plan, the tower would be thirteen stories and two hundred meters high. It would be big enough to hold more than ten thousand people.
3713
3714This was all for the future development of the Spirit Pagoda. Currently, there weren’t even a hundred staff members at the Spirit Pagoda, and this number was unlikely to change in the short-term.
3715
3716Not far from the Spirit Pagoda was the new designated region of Shrek City. Right now, the outlines of the new city walls were already being constructed along the perimeter. As the scale was too large, the construction of the city walls wouldn’t be complete anytime soon, only an area was being sketched out right now. However, even so, it was possible to tell how grand the city would be.
3717
3718Hopefully Shrek City will become stronger and stronger in the future! Huo Yuhao revealed a smile on his face. At least my efforts have not been wasted over the past three months! If not for the fact that he had come to an agreement with the Great Star Dou Forest, how would Shrek City dare to carry out such a large expansion?
3719
3720During the last beast tide, the Tang Sect’s soul tools drew the most attention, especially those two thousand stationary soul cannon shells. Their value couldn’t be measured with money.
3721
3722After the beast tide ended, the Tang Sect was immediately promoted to a strategic partner of Shrek Academy after a decision was made during a conference of the Sea God’s Pavilion. In addition, both the Sect and the Academy worked closely with each other. It was no longer like it was in the past, where the Sect was sort of a subsidiary of the Academy. The Tang Sect’s position was recognized by the entire Academy for the first time.
3723
3724To thank the Tang Sect for their contribution during the beast tide, the Sea God’s Pavilion made an unprecedented decision: they offered the Sect a position in the Sea God’s Pavilion! This position naturally wasn’t offered to Huo Yuhao, since he was already a member of the Sea God’s Pavilion. Rather, it was given to the leader of the sect, Bei Bei.
3725
3726As of now, the Tang Sect had two members in the Sea God’s Pavilion!
3727
3728This wasn’t just beneficial in terms of reputation. Shrek Academy had already informed the Tang Sect that the Sect could pick a base of their own after Shrek City was rebuilt. This would allow the Tang Sect to expand their influence in Shrek City.
3729
3730By the time the Spirit Pagoda was fully constructed, the scale of Shrek City and the effect of the pagoda on its prosperity was going to be very great. In such a prosperous city, Shrek Academy was very generous in allowing the Tang Sect to choose a base of their own in the city. Furthermore, the Academy had already fully paid off the debt that they owed the Tang Sect. While they hadn’t paid for the two thousand stationary soul cannon shells, they gave the Tang Sect a form. After Xuan Ziwen received this form, he smiled very widely.
3731
3732There was an inventory list on this form, which included all sorts of rare metals. It comprised roughly fifty percent of all the rare metals that the three empires were willing to supply to the Academy.
3733
3734The benefits of Spirits for soul masters had been fully revealed after many experiments. Although Shrek Academy was very generous, they weren’t overly generous! Shrek City’s development required a large amount of money and resources.
3735
3736As a result, the Sea God’s Pavilion had already raised a few terms and conditions when they negotiated with the envoys of the three empires.
3737
3738Huo Yuhao had yet to impart the contract of equals. These terms and conditions were naturally regarded as stepping stones for spiritual-type soul masters from the various empires to join the Spirit Pagoda.
3739
3740Shrek Academy had indeed incurred huge losses resisting the beast tide. Furthermore, the three empires were also not affected at all, because Shrek Academy had resisted the beast tide for them. From the tragic state of the battlefield, it was obvious that Shrek Academy had utilized a lot of resources to fight. It was only right for the three empires to offer them some aid.
3741
3742In this way, both parties were happy. As the Tang Sect had made very special contributions, they were offered half of the rare metals. Teacher Xuan was finally pleased, given that he was extremely heartbroken after losing more than two thousand stationary cannon shells.
3743
3744Of course, the Academy did make a new request of the Sect, which was that they had to prioritize the supply of soul tools to equip Shrek City and the Shrek City Defense Army.
3745
3746Tapping into this opportunity, the Shrek City Defense Army started to expand for the first time in its history. It originally consisted of ten thousand people, but it was about to be expanded to fifty thousand. Among these fifty thousand people, thirty-five thousand ordinary soldiers would be recruited, and the remaining slots were to be filled up by recruiting soul masters and soul engineers.
3747
3748The City Defense Army had suffered huge losses during this battle and many were wounded. More than twenty-five hundred people lost their lives. Fortunately, the ratio of soul masters and soul engineers who had lost their lives was relatively low.
3749
3750This time, the City Defense Army recruited people from all over the continent. The news was being disseminated, and interested applicants would be screened in batches and recruited within the next six months.
3751
3752After the Shrek City Defense Army managed to fight off the beast tide, its reputation was greatly boosted. The minimum requirements needed to join the army were naturally raised. In addition, Shrek City treated its army very well. Many people started to arrive from different places to apply for a position in the City Defense Army.
3753
3754Spirits had also become very popular among the three empires in the Douluo Continent. Shrek City and Shrek Academy’s reputation improved greatly from all this talk about Spirits. The greatest pull factor for people wanting to join the City Defense Army was that they would be given priority to use the Spirit Pagoda.
3755
3756Just this benefit alone was able to draw many soul masters to apply to join the City Defense Army!
3757
3758Shrek Academy managed to greatly maximize their benefits because of this Spirits issue. The three empires didn’t know what to say about this.
3759
3760Not long ago, the Spirit Pagoda had announced that it could only cater to two hundred soul masters every month, as it had just been established. This number would increase in the future, but this was the best they could do now.
3761
3762On the one hand, it was because of the lack of soul beasts being supplied by the Great Star Dou Forest. On the other, the Spirit Transmission Masters had only just learned about contracts, and they weren’t very fluid with the process yet. They needed time to accumulate experience.
3763
3764Furthermore, the pagoda was still under construction. As a result, the Spirit Pagoda decided that there could only be this number of Spirit Transmissions every month at Huo Yuhao’s request. At the very least, this number wouldn’t increase until after the pagoda was fully constructed.
3765
3766At the same time, the Spirit Pagoda also disseminated another piece of information to reassure the Great Star Dou Forest. Huo Yuhao was the one who directly disseminated this information. It was very simple: it publicly announced Huo Yuhao’s earlier guess, and informed all soul masters that Spirits could give them more than one soul ring. As a result, one could obtain more soul rings if they suppressed their soul power.
3767
3768The point of this information was to make soul masters less anxious about obtaining soul rings, and to accumulate their abilities instead. In this way, they would be less inclined to hurt soul beasts.
3769
3770After these two pieces of information were disseminated, the existence of the Spirit Pagoda was quickly made known to the three empires of the Douluo Continent. There was a sudden rush of soul masters into Shrek City as a result of this news.
3771
3772Shrek Academy had yet to begin its recruitment of new students, but many sects had already sent their disciples over to participate in Shrek Academy’s tests. Those who were over the age limit applied to the Shrek City Defense Army.
3773
3774Their arrival caused Shrek City to become even more prosperous. Although it would take a long time to rebuild and develop the city, its bright future was evident from the people who had rushed over.
3775
3776Huo Yuhao made some calculations, and came to a conclusion: it would take at most three years for Shrek City to rebuild. Even though only a portion of the soul masters that applied to join the City Defense Army would be retained, the entire city was bound to experience great changes if the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy’s Soul Engineering Department were given three years. When the time came, Di Tian wouldn’t be able to threaten Shrek Academy anymore, even if he unleashed another beast tide.
3777
3778—
3779
3780As he was about to enter Shrek City’s airspace, Huo Yuhao descended from the sky. Although Shrek City didn’t have clear aerial restrictions like the three empires, no soul master or soul engineer would fly above Shrek City unless there was some kind of special situation, out of respect for Shrek.
3781
3782Huo Yuhao entered Shrek Academy from the east gate.
3783
3784Recently, he had become very reputable. When he entered the Academy, he was already recognized by the students. Before his juniors could come up to him, Huo Yuhao quickened his footsteps and hurried off. As he waved his hands to acknowledge them, he quickly rushed towards Sea God’s Lake. He moved forward above the water’s surface and reached the inner courtyard.
3785
3786As a member of the Sea God’s Pavilion, he could enter the pavilion freely, and this was what he did.
3787
3788He stopped in his tracks when he arrived in front of the Sea God’s Pavilion. When he saw the Golden Tree, which was glowing dimly, he kneeled down once again and kowtowed three times before walking into the Sea God’s Pavilion.
3789
3790“Yuhao? Di Tian was willing to let you out?” Elder Xuan was surprised. Very soon, a few elders in the Sea God’s Pavilion rushed down to the main hall.
3791
3792“Greetings, elders!” Huo Yuhao hailed them respectfully.
3793
3794Elder Xuan chortled and said, “You don’t have to stand on ceremony with us! Moreover, you are also a member of the Sea God’s Pavilion. How’s it going on Di Tian’s side? Why was he willing to let you out? Didn’t you say that you control the destiny of the entire Great Star Dou Forest? We were still discussing how we should go about saving you!”
3795
3796
3797
3798
3799
3800Chapter 411.3: Black Dragon Reverse Scale
3801
3802
3803Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “The Beast God can imprison me, but he cannot stop me from taking my own life. He can’t let me die, so naturally, he has no choice but to let me leave.” He didn’t talk about how Di Tian gave him the Black Dragon’s reverse scale. The conflict between Shrek and the Great Star Dou Forest was just starting to soften and settle down, and he didn’t want any new problems that could complicate things after he departed.
3804
3805“I knew you always had an idea. Everything’s fine, as long as you’re back! You’re already a Soul Sage, you should remain at the Sea God’s Pavilion and rest up. You’ve almost finished handling matters with the Spirit Pagoda, and I won’t let them disturb you if there are no special circumstances.”
3806
3807“Elder Xuan, can I speak to you in private? Sorry, elders.” Huo Yuhao bowed respectfully at the other elders once more.
3808
3809The elders smiled amicably before they nodded at him and left the two of them alone.
3810
3811Elder Xuan’s expression changed slightly as he sat down at the long table that the Sea God’s Pavilion used for meetings and conferences. He pointed at a chair nearby and gestured for Huo Yuhao to sit down as well.
3812
3813“Elder Xuan,” Huo Yuhao called out softly after he sat down.
3814
3815Elder Xuan smiled faintly and said, “If you intend to apologize to me, there’s no need for that. The beast wave can’t be entirely blamed on you. You’re a smart kid, so stop wasting time on an insignificant issue. The Auspicious Beast’s death was just a fuse, and even if this fuse wasn’t there, the Great Star Dou Forest would probably have made a move within a few years anyway. Therefore, you don’t have to blame yourself.
3816
3817“Furthermore, your experiments with Spirits have given the Academy and Shrek City unprecedented opportunities for development. I trust that it won’t take long for Shrek City to become one of the most famous cities on the Continent. Your contributions have been substantial! When that happens, we will be much more influential in the Continent, and we will be able to do so much more. This time, our main priority will be to expand the Academy and the Tang Sect, besides adding numbers to the city defense army. We will inject large amounts of manpower, resources, and money into the development of these projects. This will be a great positive force for the Tang Sect’s future development!”
3818
3819“Thank you.” Huo Yuhao lowered his head and continued, “But no matter what, if not for what happened between Qiu’er and me, the beast wave wouldn’t have come so early. If it had come after a few more years, and after our soul tools developed further, we wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. I am responsible for this. Furthermore, you should know that I summoned an undead army to attack the beast wave in order to save and reinforce Shrek City.”
3820
3821When he said these words, a layer of gentle spiritual undulations emanated from Huo Yuhao’s body and enveloped them both, blocking any sound from traveling out of it.
3822
3823Elder Xuan’s expression changed slightly. He hadn’t expect Huo Yuhao to take the initiative in discussing this issue.
3824
3825“Yuhao, I only hope that you understand one thing: no matter what, the Academy has unconditional trust in you. Don’t hold any burdens in your heart. Those circumstances were special, and you only did that in order to rescue the Academy, and you did that to target soul beasts.”
3826
3827Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “But that cannot change the fact that I possess an evil soul master’s abilities. However, Elder Xuan, I can promise you that these abilities that I possess are different from those of an evil soul master. I will never be affected by these abilities.”
3828
3829Elder Xuan stared deeply at Huo Yuhao. He was full of admiration inside, This child is just different!
3830
3831Huo Yuhao continued, “These abilities of mine don’t belong in the boundaries of our world. Therefore, they are not considered abilities of an evil soul master. Instead, these abilities come from another plane. These abilities, along with the contract of equals, were passed down to me by that teacher of mine whose divine sense remnants I unintentionally fused with."
3832
3833Huo Yuhao no longer hid anything as he detailed everything that had to do with the Calamity Necromancer, Electrolux. His explanation was much different from what he told the soul beasts. He detailed everything from when he first fused with Electrolux, to the end after Electrolux had given him multiple things. Huo Yuhao’s explanation was very thorough.
3834
3835Elder Xuan listened to his narration very intently, and surprised looks flashed across his face from time to time.
3836
3837“Because of my fusion with the Snow Empress’ Spirit, my teacher used the last of his power and left this world forever. He left behind that spectral demiplane and his Necromancy, but I will never use these powers unless I have no other choice. Furthermore, my teacher’s Necromancy utilizes the Element of light. Therefore, it doesn’t contain any other evil powers in itself.”
3838
3839Elder Xuan said, “Since that’s the case, then you don’t have to think about this anymore. I will keep your secret, and I will not leave any record about this in the Sea God’s Pavilion. Just as you’ve said, all you have to do is avoid using these powers in the future as much as possible.”
3840
3841Huo Yuhao exhaled deeply and smiled as he said, “I feel so much better after telling all the secrets hidden in my heart.”
3842
3843Elder Xuan patted him on the shoulder and said, “I know what you’re worried about, my child. The truth is, doubt has surfaced in my heart before, but my doubts disappeared since I returned to the Sea God’s Pavilion. Do you know why?”
3844
3845“Why?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
3846
3847Elder Xuan answered, “Because you have been chosen by Elder Mu.”
3848
3849Huo Yuhao eyes turned red when Elder Xuan mentioned Elder Mu. He pursed his lips, and he tried his best not to let any tears fall from his eyes.
3850
3851Elder Xuan smiled and said, “You’re a good child, and you’ve done enough for Shrek already. Do you know that Shaozhe came to me half a month ago and told me that he wanted to give up his opportunity to take over as the Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion, and he wanted to let you take over directly instead of letting you take over in the subsequent generation.”
3852
3853“What?” Huo Yuhao was astonished, and he hurriedly waved his hands in the air and said, “That’s not going to work! I’m still so young, how can I become Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion?”
3854
3855Elder Xuan smiled and said, “Don’t be hasty. Shaozhe’s suggestion is very reasonable. I worked together with Elder Mu and sealed Di Tian away, and even though he managed to break out in the end, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of a Titled Douluo’s strength after the experience. I will enter closed-door cultivation once these worldly and mundane affairs have been settled.”
3856
3857Huo Yuhao’s eyes lit up. “Elder Xuan, you have a chance to try and break through into that level?”
3858
3859Elder Xuan chuckled and said, “Yes! I can’t let Elder Mu’s painstaking efforts go to waste.”
3860
3861“That’s fantastic!” Huo Yuhao exclaimed excitedly.
3862
3863Huo Yuhao was naturally referring to the level of an Ultimate Douluo. Elder Xuan was a Rank 98 Transcendent Douluo, one step away from reaching humanity’s limit. Even though Ultimate Douluo had differences in strength, Shrek Academy would once again possess a powerful individual who was at the pinnacle of the Continent. This was great news for the Academy and for Shrek City.
3864
3865Elder Xuan smiled and said, “If I’m successful, and according to an Ultimate Douluo’s circumstances, I predict that I can live for another hundred years or more. I will not remain as the Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion for the rest of my life, but I should have no problem staying in this position for another several decades. When that happens, you’ll be all grown up. With your current prospects, you can definitely become a Titled Douluo within ten years, and you should have no problem becoming a Transcendent Douluo within twenty years. I will help you hold on for a little while more.
3866
3867“As for Shaozhe, he’s had some revelations and understandings because of the development of Spirits. He’s passed the Martial Soul Department’s reins over to Mei’er, and entered closed-door cultivation. He’s given up his position as successor to the Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion, and that’s equivalent to him letting go of the greatest burden in his heart. This is great news for him. Shaozhe is extremely talented, and I hope that he can achieve something after his closed-door cultivation.”
3868
3869“But, Elder Xuan, how can I become Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion? I…” Huo Yuhao said with some concern.
3870
3871Elder Xuan waved him away and said, “Why are you worrying about this now? I’m not asking you to take up this responsibility right away. You should work hard at improving yourself, and we can talk about who gets to succeed me as Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion in the future. Did you look for me to open your heart to me?”
3872
3873Huo Yuhao said, “I’m here to say goodbye.” A thread of grief flickered in his eyes when he said the last word of his sentence.
3874
3875“Goodbye? You’re leaving?” Elder Xuan was taken aback. Huo Yuhao had become a Soul Sage, and his spiritual power had improved exponentially, so he did have the ability to protect himself. However, he was far too important to Shrek Academy’s future. Elder Xuan didn’t want to let Huo Yuhao out of his sight if he could help it.
3876
3877Huo Yuhao nodded and continued, “There are some things I need to do. I might leave for a relatively long time this time around, so I’m coming here especially to bid farewell to you.”
3878
3879Elder Xuan lowered his voice and said, “If this is because you’ve summoned the undead army, then that is very unnecessary. I’ve said before that this matter ends here, and nobody will talk about this publicly. We will all keep your secret.”
3880
3881Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “No, I’m not doing this because of that. There are some things that I must do. Furthermore, I want to visit Dong’er and see if she’s awake.”
3882
3883Huo Yuhao’s emotions changed a little when he mentioned Dong’er. After Wang Qiu’er sacrificed herself for him back then, the first thing he wanted to do as quickly as possible was visit Dong’er! Dong’er had been in a coma for so long, and he didn’t know what circumstances she was in. One could say that the fact that Wang Dong’er was still alive, even though she was in deep slumber, was Huo Yuhao’s emotional support. There was nothing more important than Dong’er to him.
3884
3885Elder Xuan couldn’t help but nod when Huo Yuhao talked about Dong’er. Yes! I can’t just forbid him from visiting Dong’er.
3886
3887A smile appeared on his face. “I’m really getting old, and I can’t bear for you to leave. Furthermore, some things are bound to happen every time you leave, and I’m really afraid of hearing any more bad news that concern you.”
3888
3889Huo Yuhao scratched his head sheepishly and said, “Don’t worry, that won’t happen this time. I will be very careful about everything. After I visit Dong’er, I will bring her back if she’s awake, but if she’s still sleeping, I want to…”
3890
3891
3892
3893
3894
3895Credits
3896
3897
3898
3899
3900
3901Translator: Wuxiaworld
3902
3903
3904
3905
3906
3907Epub: Estevam / dotNOVEL