The story unfolds like this—
Inside the cavern, the four of them narrowly survived after a grueling battle where they barely managed to defeat two powerful adult Ice Soul Serpents.
But unexpectedly, hidden behind those two serpents was a hundred-thousand-year-old Serpent King!
The battle attracted the Serpent King's attention, and the four were targeted. In a desperate move to resist, Ling Luocheng unleashed her full power, barely managing to restrain the Serpent King for one second. However, the hidden weakness in her arm was exacerbated, causing it to be destroyed due to overuse.
Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao seized that single second. The two combined their strength, wounding the Serpent King and blowing up the underground cavern.
What no one expected—beneath the cavern, there was another space. The group fell into a deeper underground level, narrowly escaping the Serpent King's pursuit. There, they stumbled upon an ancient and long-abandoned laboratory, abandoned for reasons unknown.
What they discovered inside was shocking—
The lab contained human-beast fusion technology and half of a frozen hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Snow Demon corpse. Though the soul ring and soul bones had been removed, the remaining body, under the effects of ancient soul tools, was still fresh. Even more astonishing—many of the ancient soul tools still functioned!
The power of ancient technology was awe-inspiring.
To save Ling Luocheng, Huo Yuhao and the others risked removing the Titan Snow Demon's left arm and, with the help of soul tools, attached it to Ling Luocheng's body.
The experiment succeeded.
Before they could even celebrate, the Serpent King pursued them again, destroying the lab. The four had no choice but to flee once more.
Luckily, the lab had a tunnel connected to the outside world. As they escaped, Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao collapsed the tunnel entrance, sealing it behind them.
They narrowly escaped death.
However, with the destruction of the lab, the human-beast fusion technology was buried in the depths. The group could only vaguely remember fragments of it.
After all, none of them were experts.
If not for the experimental notes left in the lab, they wouldn't have successfully reattached the arm. Sadly, those notes were not recovered.
Even if they memorized parts of the content, without professional soul tools, the technology couldn't be replicated.
Though Ling Luocheng now had a new arm, no one could guarantee it wouldn't bring future problems.
Nor did anyone know what powers this new arm might hold.
…
Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luocheng, and Wei Na each completed their illusion trials and then fell into a coma.
With a snap of Huo Yuhao's fingers, three centipede legs crawled over and swallowed the women whole, carrying them along an underground river to escape.
"Deceiving the upper ranks of Shrek Academy with false memories—this might be the last time," Huo Yuhao sighed.
Now having broken through to the Zen Master level, Huo Yuhao no longer wanted to remain a mere student. He had gained the strength and confidence to move forward.
"That great one once said: 'A teacher for a day, a father for life.' My biological father is taken care of. Next is my teacher."
"Time to go."
"Since the narrative says this underground space is destroyed, let everything here be buried with it."
Soul power surged in his right leg.
His Tyrannosaurus rex right leg bone emitted a dark glow, radiating immense power.
Then Huo Yuhao stomped hard on the ground.
Hundred-thousand-year soul bone ability — Tyrant Shock!
BOOM——
A violent tremor erupted from deep within the cave, spreading through the entire cavern system.
Like an earthquake.
The ancient cave, formed over tens of thousands of years, began collapsing rapidly from the violent shaking. Disaster struck.
Countless soul beasts that once called this cave home tried to flee—but the collapse was too swift. Once the first section caved in, it triggered a chain reaction, causing the entire system to fall.
In the end, few survived. Countless soul beasts were buried in the caves they once lived in.
A scene of tragedy and death echoed through the cavern.
However, the destruction below had little effect on the surface. Some surface beasts sensed the tremors, but they weren't severe enough to raise alarm.
Moreover, the Star Dou Great Forest was already tense due to the wrath of the fierce beasts.
The collapse of the cave sealed its existence into history.
Deep underground—
Huo Yuhao's Ghost Banner Martial Soul rose, absorbing the souls of the deceased soul beasts, many of which were tens of thousands of years old. Only soul beasts over 50,000 years could withstand the damage, but even they were doomed.
The Ghost Banner released spirits through the rock walls to send off the stronger ones.
Roots pierced the earth and rock, stabbing into corpses to drain their essence.
It took a full hour before Huo Yuhao devoured everything he could.
Before leaving, he left behind two centipede leg clones to search for any hidden treasures among the ruins.
…
Using the river network, Huo Yuhao and his clones escaped the cave system.
Some parts of the river were blocked, but digging through was easier than tunneling upward.
The underground river connected to a vast network spanning the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
Huo Yuhao didn't exit within the forest, but followed the river north to the mountainous border between Dou Ling Empire and Tianhun Empire, surfacing in a remote lake.
Startling a soul beast that was drinking water.
The beast bared its fangs, showing aggression.
Huo Yuhao stared silently at the thousand-year soul beast.
A quarter-hour later—
Using local ingredients, Huo Yuhao and the group had a barbecue.
After reaching the surface, Ma Xiaotao and the others regained consciousness, unaware of anything unusual.
They were exhausted but relieved to be alive.
Ling Luocheng kept glancing at her new arm, a bit concerned.
As the ever-cheerful guy, Huo Yuhao comforted the three women, feeding both their mouths... upstairs and downstairs.
The next morning, with the sun rising—
The four emerged from their tent and began heading toward the mountains, planning to return to Shrek Academy, hoping the experts there could examine Ling Luocheng's condition.
Though this trip was filled with "twists and turns," their goals were mostly achieved.
Wei Na and Ling Luocheng both obtained suitable soul rings.
After studying through the night, Huo Yuhao realized the Titan Snow Demon arm was affecting Ling Luocheng, rapidly improving her constitution.
She could last longer and recover faster.
In less than a day, they returned to Shrek Academy without incident.
Yet, as they neared Shrek City, Huo Yuhao glanced back toward the Star Dou Forest and vaguely spotted a three-headed hellhound, eyeing the city with restless intent.
Huo Yuhao: "I stand before you now. How much do I resemble who I once was?"
(Mu En's death countdown begins!)
"So such a thing actually happened?"
Inside the Sea God Pavilion.
After listening to Huo Yuhao's account of the events, with Ma Xiaotao and Vina supplementing the details, Mu En sighed with mixed emotions. Their explanation was flawless and left no room for doubt.
Discovering ruins underground wasn't unusual. After all, surface ruins had long since been excavated. What was strange was the nature of the ruins they found.
Mu En looked at Huo Yuhao, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.
It felt like whenever someone accompanied Huo Yuhao on a trip, something unexpected always occurred.
The first time, Xuan Zi went with Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao and ended up missing for an entire year.
The second time, a Soul Douluo was sent to protect Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao while obtaining a spirit ring—and that Soul Douluo has still not been found to this day.
If participating in the Soul Master Tournament counted as a trip, well, that had issues too.
This time, Huo Yuhao took his three girlfriends to acquire spirit rings. It should've been foolproof, but they encountered a 100,000-year soul beast, and Ling Luochan ended up merging with the beast's arm.
At least everyone returned safely.
To survive being hunted by a 100,000-year soul beast was already a miracle in itself.
Although Mu En suspected there was something unusual about Huo Yuhao, he couldn't be certain, nor did he have direct evidence. After all, during the previous expedition to find a soul bone for Ling Luochan, Huo Yuhao had gone too, and nothing strange happened then.
"Perhaps those born extraordinary are destined to live turbulent lives."
"In any case, what matters is that you all returned safely," Mu En finally offered some reassurance.
Just then, Elder Zhuang burst into the room, visibly excited. Following him were Xuan Zi and Qian Duoduo, each wearing complex expressions. Xian Lin'er walked in last with Ling Luochan, both looking calm.
Ling Luochan sneaked a glance at Huo Yuhao and winked. He responded with a smile.
Xian Lin'er caught this and gave a small nod of approval—pure love, very commendable.
"Old Mu, it's a huge discovery! Absolutely unbelievable—" Elder Zhuang was so excited he couldn't find the right words to express himself.
Mu En sighed helplessly and asked calmly, "Zhuang, speak slowly. How is Luochan's condition?"
Soothed by Mu En's calm demeanor, Elder Zhuang gradually settled down and began to report on Ling Luochan's situation.
"Old Mu, Luochan's left arm shows no issues. In fact, it has brought her new strength—this could be a blessing in disguise!" Elder Zhuang still sounded excited.
When they learned of the condition with Ling Luochan's arm, Mu En immediately summoned Elder Zhuang—the most skilled medical expert at Shrek Academy—to examine her, with Xuan Zi, Qian Duoduo, and Xian Lin'er assisting.
Xuan Zi was the strongest, while Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er were well-versed in soul tool technology. According to Huo Yuhao's explanation, the fusion of Ling Luochan and the soul beast's arm had involved soul tool tech.
But the examination results were what shocked Elder Zhuang so much.
And apparently, it was good news.
"That arm has fused with Luochan almost perfectly—there's no rejection at all. On the contrary, it's actively enhancing her physique and attributes! Her body is continuously strengthening by the moment. Such a phenomenon—completely unheard of, unseen before—it's like..."
"A miracle!" Elder Zhuang finally found the word and nodded firmly, confident in his description.
Mu En's eyes flickered slightly, then he looked toward Xuan Zi. "Xuan Zi, what did you find?"
Xuan Zi took a bite of chicken leg before slowly responding, admiration in his eyes. "Based on Yuhao's account, the arm came from a 100,000-year Titan Snow Demon. I've fought the Titan Snow Demon King before, so I can confirm that. The Titan Snow Demon excels in raw strength—its arm alone far surpasses ordinary 100,000-year soul beasts, even stronger than many human Title Douluo."
"This arm doesn't just enhance Luochan's physique—it's also granted her part of the Titan Snow Demon's power. If she activates it, she can preliminarily use the Titan Snow Demon's soul skills. That's power completely opposite to her original martial soul!"
"And that's just her starting to explore the arm's hidden power."
"This is essentially equivalent to a soul master gaining a second martial soul—an incredibly powerful, strength-based martial soul at that! In the future, Luochan will have melee combat abilities rivaling that of high-tier assault-type battle soul masters at her level." Xuan Zi grew more excited as he spoke.
Because this was effectively an artificial second martial soul!
Even if she couldn't absorb spirit rings with it, the power of a 100,000-year soul beast—even at 20% or 30% utilization—was immensely beneficial.
It truly seemed like divine work.
Mu En's expression finally shifted slightly, showing a trace of shock.
He then turned to Qian Duoduo.
"Duoduo, Lin'er, what about you? Any findings?"
Qian Duoduo shook his head. "Sorry, Old Mu. We found nothing. With current soul tool technology, not even the Sun-Moon Empire could achieve this level of perfect fusion between a soul beast's limb and a human."
"And more importantly, there are no traces of surgical soul tool usage in Luochan's body. Fortunately, no hidden risks either," Xian Lin'er added.
Their words made one thing clear—this process was non-reproducible.
Fortunately, the enemy couldn't replicate it either.
While regrettable, it was also a relief.
"So this is ancient soul tool technology? It's achieved what only gods could..." Mu En thought to himself. Then, a chilling thought crossed his mind:
If ancient soul engineers had such techniques, why did they all disappear? Why did the legacy of soul tools get cut off?
"If that technology had survived, the Douluo Alliance would surely triumph over the Sun-Moon Empire."
Suddenly, Mu En had a terrifying theory:
Perhaps ancient soul engineers had touched upon taboo knowledge—something that provoked destruction by an even greater power.
And the only ones capable of annihilating soul engineers who rivaled gods... would be the gods themselves!
Only divine intervention could have so thoroughly erased ancient soul tool knowledge from the world.
Mu En quickly forced himself to drop the thought, unwilling to delve deeper.
Meanwhile, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er began questioning Huo Yuhao's group about the soul tool technology involved—but none of them could understand it.
Not a single one among them was a soul engineer, and the notes were written in ancient script. Their success in using the soul tools came from trial and error guided by diagrams.
There was a fair bit of luck involved.
They had wanted to bring back some artifacts, but the entire lab was destroyed by the 100,000-year soul beast.
This left Qian Duoduo pounding his chest in regret, wishing he could travel back in time to punch that beast in the face and save the lab.
Xian Lin'er only felt embarrassment.
Still, this inspired a bold idea in Qian Duoduo.
"Maybe... we could try researching this ourselves..." he proposed.
"Duoduo, you've crossed a line!" Mu En interrupted sternly. "This kind of experiment—merging humans with soul beasts—clearly treats people as test subjects. Before the technology is complete, how many lives would be sacrificed? How would this be any different from Evil Soul Masters?"
(Huo Yuhao: Dark arts—shocking the world!)
"So such a thing actually happened?"
Inside the Sea God Pavilion.
After listening to Huo Yuhao's account of the events, with Ma Xiaotao and Vina supplementing the details, Mu En sighed with mixed emotions. Their explanation was flawless and left no room for doubt.
Discovering ruins underground wasn't unusual. After all, surface ruins had long since been excavated. What was strange was the nature of the ruins they found.
Mu En looked at Huo Yuhao, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.
It felt like whenever someone accompanied Huo Yuhao on a trip, something unexpected always occurred.
The first time, Xuan Zi went with Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao and ended up missing for an entire year.
The second time, a Soul Douluo was sent to protect Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao while obtaining a spirit ring—and that Soul Douluo has still not been found to this day.
If participating in the Soul Master Tournament counted as a trip, well, that had issues too.
This time, Huo Yuhao took his three girlfriends to acquire spirit rings. It should've been foolproof, but they encountered a 100,000-year soul beast, and Ling Luochan ended up merging with the beast's arm.
At least everyone returned safely.
To survive being hunted by a 100,000-year soul beast was already a miracle in itself.
Although Mu En suspected there was something unusual about Huo Yuhao, he couldn't be certain, nor did he have direct evidence. After all, during the previous expedition to find a soul bone for Ling Luochan, Huo Yuhao had gone too, and nothing strange happened then.
"Perhaps those born extraordinary are destined to live turbulent lives."
"In any case, what matters is that you all returned safely," Mu En finally offered some reassurance.
Just then, Elder Zhuang burst into the room, visibly excited. Following him were Xuan Zi and Qian Duoduo, each wearing complex expressions. Xian Lin'er walked in last with Ling Luochan, both looking calm.
Ling Luochan sneaked a glance at Huo Yuhao and winked. He responded with a smile.
Xian Lin'er caught this and gave a small nod of approval—pure love, very commendable.
"Old Mu, it's a huge discovery! Absolutely unbelievable—" Elder Zhuang was so excited he couldn't find the right words to express himself.
Mu En sighed helplessly and asked calmly, "Zhuang, speak slowly. How is Luochan's condition?"
Soothed by Mu En's calm demeanor, Elder Zhuang gradually settled down and began to report on Ling Luochan's situation.
"Old Mu, Luochan's left arm shows no issues. In fact, it has brought her new strength—this could be a blessing in disguise!" Elder Zhuang still sounded excited.
When they learned of the condition with Ling Luochan's arm, Mu En immediately summoned Elder Zhuang—the most skilled medical expert at Shrek Academy—to examine her, with Xuan Zi, Qian Duoduo, and Xian Lin'er assisting.
Xuan Zi was the strongest, while Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er were well-versed in soul tool technology. According to Huo Yuhao's explanation, the fusion of Ling Luochan and the soul beast's arm had involved soul tool tech.
But the examination results were what shocked Elder Zhuang so much.
And apparently, it was good news.
"That arm has fused with Luochan almost perfectly—there's no rejection at all. On the contrary, it's actively enhancing her physique and attributes! Her body is continuously strengthening by the moment. Such a phenomenon—completely unheard of, unseen before—it's like..."
"A miracle!" Elder Zhuang finally found the word and nodded firmly, confident in his description.
Mu En's eyes flickered slightly, then he looked toward Xuan Zi. "Xuan Zi, what did you find?"
Xuan Zi took a bite of chicken leg before slowly responding, admiration in his eyes. "Based on Yuhao's account, the arm came from a 100,000-year Titan Snow Demon. I've fought the Titan Snow Demon King before, so I can confirm that. The Titan Snow Demon excels in raw strength—its arm alone far surpasses ordinary 100,000-year soul beasts, even stronger than many human Title Douluo."
"This arm doesn't just enhance Luochan's physique—it's also granted her part of the Titan Snow Demon's power. If she activates it, she can preliminarily use the Titan Snow Demon's soul skills. That's power completely opposite to her original martial soul!"
"And that's just her starting to explore the arm's hidden power."
"This is essentially equivalent to a soul master gaining a second martial soul—an incredibly powerful, strength-based martial soul at that! In the future, Luochan will have melee combat abilities rivaling that of high-tier assault-type battle soul masters at her level." Xuan Zi grew more excited as he spoke.
Because this was effectively an artificial second martial soul!
Even if she couldn't absorb spirit rings with it, the power of a 100,000-year soul beast—even at 20% or 30% utilization—was immensely beneficial.
It truly seemed like divine work.
Mu En's expression finally shifted slightly, showing a trace of shock.
He then turned to Qian Duoduo.
"Duoduo, Lin'er, what about you? Any findings?"
Qian Duoduo shook his head. "Sorry, Old Mu. We found nothing. With current soul tool technology, not even the Sun-Moon Empire could achieve this level of perfect fusion between a soul beast's limb and a human."
"And more importantly, there are no traces of surgical soul tool usage in Luochan's body. Fortunately, no hidden risks either," Xian Lin'er added.
Their words made one thing clear—this process was non-reproducible.
Fortunately, the enemy couldn't replicate it either.
While regrettable, it was also a relief.
"So this is ancient soul tool technology? It's achieved what only gods could..." Mu En thought to himself. Then, a chilling thought crossed his mind:
If ancient soul engineers had such techniques, why did they all disappear? Why did the legacy of soul tools get cut off?
"If that technology had survived, the Douluo Alliance would surely triumph over the Sun-Moon Empire."
Suddenly, Mu En had a terrifying theory:
Perhaps ancient soul engineers had touched upon taboo knowledge—something that provoked destruction by an even greater power.
And the only ones capable of annihilating soul engineers who rivaled gods... would be the gods themselves!
Only divine intervention could have so thoroughly erased ancient soul tool knowledge from the world.
Mu En quickly forced himself to drop the thought, unwilling to delve deeper.
Meanwhile, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er began questioning Huo Yuhao's group about the soul tool technology involved—but none of them could understand it.
Not a single one among them was a soul engineer, and the notes were written in ancient script. Their success in using the soul tools came from trial and error guided by diagrams.
There was a fair bit of luck involved.
They had wanted to bring back some artifacts, but the entire lab was destroyed by the 100,000-year soul beast.
This left Qian Duoduo pounding his chest in regret, wishing he could travel back in time to punch that beast in the face and save the lab.
Xian Lin'er only felt embarrassment.
Still, this inspired a bold idea in Qian Duoduo.
"Maybe... we could try researching this ourselves..." he proposed.
"Duoduo, you've crossed a line!" Mu En interrupted sternly. "This kind of experiment—merging humans with soul beasts—clearly treats people as test subjects. Before the technology is complete, how many lives would be sacrificed? How would this be any different from Evil Soul Masters?"
Huo Yuhao: Dark arts—shocking the world!
The appearance of the Red King at the edge of the Star Dou Forest gave the high-ranking officials of Shrek Academy an ominous feeling.
What they didn't expect was that even the ferocious beasts had a bad premonition.
Because the Red King wasn't just taking a stroll near the forest edge.
He was here to summon the Auspicious Beast back!
The Red King had secretly called out to Jin Qiu'er many times, hoping to bring her back to the Star Dou Forest before a conflict broke out between soul beasts and humans.
But he never received a response, nor did he see Jin Qiu'er leave Shrek Academy.
This filled the Red King with dread.
Something might have happened to Jin Qiu'er!
So, when Qian Duoduo entered the Star Dou Forest, the Red King decisively attacked, attempting to capture him and force information about Jin Qiu'er out of him.
Fortunately for Qian Duoduo, the Red King didn't go all out, allowing him to survive using the defensive power of his Black Dragon Shield. It also helped that Qian Duoduo had no intention of fighting—he ran the moment he saw the Red King. If he had chosen to fight, he might not have escaped alive.
In the end, the Red King learned nothing useful and had inadvertently alerted the enemy. He had no choice but to return immediately to the core of the forest and report everything to Di Tian.
Deep within the Star Dou Forest...
Numerous powerful soul beasts had gathered, each summoned here. The weakest among them were still 100,000-year Beast Kings. Yet, even these powerful beings dared only listen quietly without voicing their opinions.
Originally, they had gathered under Bi Ji's call after several Beast Kings had been hunted down in a single night. They were here to discuss how to respond and send a warning to humanity.
Truthfully, some of the Beast Kings weren't interested in revenge. They didn't even know the slain beasts well and were more concerned with taking over their now-vacant, resource-rich territories.
Securing such territory could be vital to surviving the upcoming 200,000-year tribulations.
However, the Red King brought news that changed everything—something had happened to the Auspicious Beast.
All thoughts of self-interest vanished. None dared speak. The air turned grave.
The situation was escalating.
At the center stood a tall, imposing man. His golden hair flowed freely, and his towering body exceeded three meters in height. His handsome, chiseled face radiated an overwhelming dominance. In his eyes flickered undisguised rage and bloodlust.
This was none other than Di Tian—the Beast God, the publicly acknowledged strongest being in the Star Dou Forest.
Upon hearing the Red King's report, Di Tian was nearly driven to kill him on the spot.
"Useless! You can't even handle such a minor task!" Di Tian scolded harshly.
The Red King didn't dare argue. He dropped to the ground, bowing deeply with all three of his canine heads.
The five-meter-tall, three-headed Scarlet Demon Dog now looked like a pitiful puppy.
"Di Tian, the Red King did his best. What matters now is rescuing the Auspicious Beast." A stunning woman in green softly spoke, her face laced with concern.
She was Bi Ji. Only she dared to calm Di Tian now.
The Red King shot her a grateful look.
Di Tian, suppressing his fury, growled, "I told you we shouldn't have let the Auspicious Beast enter the human world. And now this!"
Then another voice spoke—a deep, menacing growl from a gigantic Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, whose 15-meter-tall body looked like a small mountain. Thick dark-gold fur covered it, and its overly long arms drooped past its knees.
This was Xiong Jun, the sixth-ranked Ferocious Beast of the Star Dou Forest and its strongest bear-type beast.
Unyielding by nature, Xiong Jun spoke up without regard for Di Tian's authority.
"If humans dare harm the Auspicious Beast, then let's exterminate them all! You fear Shrek, but I don't!"
The Red King glared at Xiong Jun, but knowing he couldn't win a fight, he merely showed displeasure with a look.
Di Tian hasn't even spoken yet, and you're already barking?
Even Wan Yao Wang, who outranks you, hasn't said a word!
And your words make it sound like I was afraid—how insulting!
This time, Di Tian actually agreed with Xiong Jun for once.
"It's time humans remembered the might of soul beasts!"
Di Tian turned to face the direction of Shrek Academy.
"I can feel it—the Auspicious Beast is still in Shrek City. Then we shall launch a beast tide, break through Shrek City, and rescue her!"
Xiong Jun burst into wild laughter. "Just what I was hoping for! Hahaha—!"
"By the Beast God's will!" the Red King declared in agreement.
Other Beast Kings followed suit.
At Di Tian's command, the entire forest's core trembled. Beastly roars spread outward, shaking the very forest.
Countless soul beasts—some willing, some dragged in—joined the uprising.
The winds of the Star Dou Forest turned grim and murderous!
Only Bi Ji hesitated, wanting to speak, but held back. She knew war with Shrek would bring great loss to the soul beasts.
She didn't hate humans. She preferred peaceful negotiation.
But she also knew how vital the Auspicious Beast was to their kind. And she couldn't ignore the bloody deaths of the others.
So, in the end, Bi Ji did not object. She joined the tide of beasts, marching with Di Tian.
In fact, Bi Ji's influence among soul beasts was even stronger than Di Tian's.
Countless beasts had benefited from her care and were willing to follow her into battle.
Meanwhile, after noticing the Red King, Qian Duoduo reported the sighting. Mu En took it seriously and dispatched Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe to investigate.
Upon entering the Star Dou Forest, the two immediately felt its ominous atmosphere and saw hordes of charging soul beasts.
Their expressions darkened.
"This is bad—it's a beast tide!" Yan Shaozhe exclaimed. "Why would a beast tide break out?"
"It was started by the Ferocious Beasts!" Xuan Zi instantly concluded. His sharp gaze lit up with clarity. "We'll find the Red King and capture him! If he can't give us a good explanation, I'll gladly thin out the forest's predators!"
Both men clearly understood the beast tide's danger and aimed to stop or uncover its cause.
Soon, they found the Red King—
And also the Ferocious Beasts emerging from the forest's depths.
Seeing the full-scale mobilization, Yan Shaozhe was stunned.
Xuan Zi grew grave—this wasn't something they could resolve alone.
"This is bad!" Xuan Zi realized. "Shaozhe, I'll hold them off—go back and alert the Academy!"
"Grand Elder? You—"
"No time for talk! Go!"
Eyes reddening, Yan Shaozhe clenched his teeth and turned to flee.
"You want to run? Since you're here, let's start by killing you for fun."
A massive shadow loomed over them.
They looked up in horror.
Xiong Jun was descending upon them like a falling mountain, intent on crushing them to death!
( Di Tian: For the soul beast race—offer your heart! )
Among the four city walls of Shrek City, the southern wall facing the Star Dou Forest is the tallest and thickest. It stands at 15 zhang high (around 50 meters), 20 zhang thick (almost 70 meters), and over 5 kilometers wide, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of troops for battle.
Additionally, it is the wall with the most stationed guards and soul tool cannons.
However, the southern wall does not directly border the Star Dou Forest.
Between Shrek City and the forest lies a plain acting as a buffer zone. This open view allows guards on the wall to immediately spot any movements in the forest.
After Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe entered the Star Dou Forest, the City Lord's Mansion issued an alert. More troops were deployed to the wall, and everyone was on high alert.
Soul tool shields and cannons were ready for activation at any moment.
During this tense time, thick smoke began to rise from the forest, immediately signaling to the guards that something had gone wrong inside!
"Report to the City Lord at once! Everyone else, prepare for battle!"
shouted the guard captain.
But the soldiers didn't move. Instead, they all froze, terrified, eyes locked above the captain's head.
A massive shadow slowly loomed from behind, blocking the setting sun's rays, enveloping the captain in darkness. He instantly sensed that something was terribly wrong.
Along with the shadow came a terrifying aura and a bone-chilling cold.
Sweat slid down the captain's forehead as he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to turn around. His pupils shrank in shock.
Towering before him was a giant over a hundred meters tall, rising slowly beside the wall, gazing down at everything below.
In the sunset's glow, its elongated shadow stretched into Shrek City, sending waves of fear through its citizens.
The once bustling Shrek City suddenly fell into dead silence.
The mighty southern wall didn't even reach the giant's waist, and the oppressive aura it emitted made everyone tremble. The soldiers atop the wall struggled to even breathe under the pressure.
At that moment, everyone felt like ants inside a box, gazing up at a giant outside the box.
This colossal being was none other than the Titan Snow Demon King!
Some powerful individuals realized the threat and tried to act—but it was already too late.
Facing the thick wall, the Titan Snow Demon King clenched its massive fists, raised its arms, and then smashed down with twin hammer-like blows.
Under the overwhelming force, the soldiers couldn't even summon their martial spirits—they could only cry out in despair:
"No——!"
BOOM!!!
The fists crashed down.
A deafening explosion shook the earth and mountains.
All of Shrek City trembled violently.
Those who were previously frozen in fear now scrambled to flee.
The southern wall, struck directly, collapsed by more than half. The soldiers stationed there stood no chance—hundreds were instantly crushed, their blood mixing with the rubble.
Thousands more were injured or killed by the shockwave.
Nearby buildings were flattened.
In war, massive size often brings unmatched destructive power.
A Title Douluo's aura burst from the City Lord's Mansion.
Shrek Academy followed suit.
The attack had come so suddenly, and the Titan Snow Demon King appeared so mysteriously that Shrek Academy's powerhouses were only just reacting.
But it was already too late.
The once-mighty southern wall had been reduced to rubble, impossible to repair in the short term.
In other words, the southern defenses were completely broken!
At last, shocked voices rang out from the strong:
"Who is that?! What is that thing?!"
"A soul beast?! That tall?!"
"It's a fierce beast! It must be one of the legendary fierce beasts!"
"No matter what it is, daring to invade Shrek City means death!"
The Title Douluos of Shrek Academy charged toward the Titan Snow Demon King, but it was half a city away.
The Demon King didn't continue attacking. Instead, it turned and vanished just as strangely as it had arrived.
Its mission was complete.
The southern wall was broken.
And the beast tide from Star Dou Forest had already surged forth, rapidly spreading toward Shrek City.
Seeing this, the Title Douluos' expressions changed drastically. The Titan Snow Demon King was now the least of their concerns.
"This is bad! The beast tide is coming!"
"Sound the alarm!"
Thankfully, the beast tide alarm soul device on the southern wall had not been destroyed.
The surviving guards activated it.
A shrill alarm rang throughout Shrek City.
Students at Shrek Academy, still unaware, looked on in confusion.
But the teachers and senior staff instantly turned pale, dropping everything to rush to the plaza for the dean's instructions.
—
Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En wore a dark expression.
Even though he was in the Pavilion, he sensed the Titan Snow Demon King the moment it appeared.
But the attack came too fast, and the Demon King vanished too quickly. He had no time to intervene, resulting in this tragedy.
He saw the devastation at the southern wall with his own eyes, and now his heart was filled with fury.
How did the Titan Snow Demon King appear? How did it disappear?
But that wasn't the point anymore. The critical issue now was how to deal with the approaching beast tide!
"Shrek Academy, prepare for battle!"
Just a few words from Mu En, but they echoed through the entire Academy, and the gravity of the situation was immediately clear.
Qian Duoduo rushed into Mu En's room, anxious to report:
"Elder Mu, just now—"
"I know. Right now, dealing with the beast tide comes first. We'll talk about the rest later,"
Mu En said sternly.
Then asked, "Where's Huo Yuhao?"
"Yuhao… he went into the city to relax… That's bad—we need to bring him back immediately!"
Qian Duoduo said anxiously, turning to leave.
But Mu En called him back.
"Duoduo, no need to call them back. I believe in them,"
Mu En said calmly.
At this moment, Elder Zhuang and others arrived to await further orders.
Mu En gave out commands directly:
"Xuan Zi and Shaozhe aren't here. The defense of Shrek City is now your responsibility."
"Cai Mei'er, take the east wall. Xian Lin'er, handle the west wall. Qian Duoduo, you take the north wall."
"Xiao Song, Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Lin—you'll lead the inner court disciples to guard the southern wall!"
"If you find Yuhao and the others, send them to the southern wall too!"
The crowd grew solemn. Mu En was sending his disciples to the most dangerous front line, and that alone earned their deep respect.
Finally, Mu En's cloudy eyes turned sharp as he said firmly:
"Don't let a single soul beast enter Shrek City!"
"If another fierce beast appears—I'll take care of it myself!"
—
( Huo Yuhao: Tatakae! Ichimoku Tatakae! (Fight! Fight with all you've got!) )