Huo Yuhao did not leave the Great Star Dou Forest immediately.
Instead, he found a relatively hidden location in the Mixed Zone and began handling the three Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears within the body of the Mutant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul.
The process wasn't difficult.
Several tendrils extended from his eye sockets and pierced into the three bears' bodies, beginning to devour their bloodlines—mainly extracting the Behemoth lineage—and finally injecting it into the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear tattoo on Huo Yuhao's chest.
Faintly, he heard the joyful roar of the mother Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear in his ears.
This infusion of bloodline brought the mother bear's cultivation close to 20,000 years, significantly boosting her power.
The souls of the three bears were absorbed by Huo Yuhao and stored for later use in the Ghost Banner martial soul, which was still stationed beneath the southern city wall, continuing to absorb residual blood energy from the battlefield.
The reason he and the fierce beasts stopped at the Mixed Zone rather than venturing deeper into the forest was actually due to the range limit of controlling the Ghost Banner martial soul.
Otherwise, Huo Yuhao would have liked to delve deeper into the forest to investigate what exactly happened between Mu En and Di Tian.
Although he had sent out centipede leg clones to follow them, they were a bit too slow, and to avoid detection, they didn't dare get too close.
What remained were the shriveled corpses of the three bears.
Unexpectedly, they yielded three soul bones!
"Such a high drop rate? Or is it because of my luck?" Huo Yuhao was surprised, silently praising the "Soul Bone Bears."
The three soul bones were: a 2,000-year right palm external bone, a 5,000-year left arm bone, and a 9,000-year torso bone.
Though they were all of thousand-year level, each one was more valuable than a typical fifty-thousand-year bone. The most valuable was the right palm bone, despite its lower age, because as an external bone, it had tremendous potential for growth.
Huo Yuhao absorbed the right palm bone, which granted the soul skill Darkgolden Terror Claw. Though not particularly helpful to him, it allowed him to complete a set—right arm, right palm, and all five right fingers.
With a simple refinement, the soul bones of his right arm merged into one entity, just like his left arm's had.
With both arm bones now unified, Huo Yuhao's arm strength saw a significant boost.
Furthermore, once soul bones are merged, their soul skills also change. They can now be used in combination, enabling more versatile and powerful techniques.
Given Huo Yuhao's current cultivation and physique, absorbing and refining soul bones took only a few minutes—less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.
Meanwhile, the Mutant Ice Jade Centipede martial soul also completely refined the three bear corpses and the remaining two soul bones using its devouring technique.
Yes, Huo Yuhao had left those two bones for his martial soul.
Had he kept them, they would have only slightly enhanced the age of his other bones—and not enough to bring about a qualitative change. Also, the Behemoth bloodline within them wasn't very beneficial to him. The mother bear would continue to supply that bloodline indefinitely.
Thus, Huo Yuhao fed the soul bones to the Mutant Ice Jade Centipede , increasing its potential and giving him more reason to invest in its development.
By using the devouring technique, the martial soul perfectly inherited the powerful attack and defense of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears.
It gained two new abilities:
Darkgolden Centipede Legs: Each leg can unleash attacks comparable to the Darkgolden Terror Claw.
Darkgolden Defense: Greatly enhances its defense, rendering it immune to water and fire.
"Temporarily increasing my strength will help with what I need to do next," Huo Yuhao said, choosing to remain in the forest and wait patiently.
At last, a centipede leg clone returned with new information.
"Mu En has left the core area?" Huo Yuhao stood up, knowing it was time to act.
The moment he stepped forward, he reverted to the sunny, respectful young man who honored his teachers.
…
Mu En returned from the core area alone, worried about Shrek. He wasn't sure if the beast tide had truly ended, and his emotions were extremely conflicted.
"So Qiu'er is a divine beast? No wonder... no wonder..."
Actually, Mu En had long suspected that Jin Qiu'er had a mysterious identity, but he never imagined she was a soul beast.
Shrek Academy had conducted an investigation into her past but found nothing useful.
To Mu En, Jin Qiu'er was clearly different from Huo Yuhao. Shrek had initially failed to find information on Huo Yuhao because he came from a remote area—but they eventually verified his origins.
Jin Qiu'er was different. Her temperament, personality, and strength all pointed to a noble and unusual background.
The academy's failure to uncover any details led Mu En to believe that she hailed from a secluded clan or sect.
He took her in as a disciple partly because of her extreme elemental attribute, and partly because he hoped Shrek could build ties with the force behind her—ensuring a valuable ally for the academy even after his passing.
After all, a clan that could produce such a prodigy couldn't be weak.
More importantly, she showed no signs of being from the Sun Moon Empire, nor was she fond of soul tools. That assured Mu En she wasn't from the empire.
But Mu En never expected her to be a transformed soul beast, let alone a divine beast in disguise!
Indeed, she was noble. Indeed, the power behind her was strong. And indeed, she wasn't from the Sun Moon Empire.
But—she wasn't human.
When Di Tian revealed the imperial divine beast projection from her bloodline, Mu En's heart broke.
After that, Di Tian kept Mu En behind to question him about Qiu'er's coma. He had sensed something unusual about her too.
Once Mu En learned the truth about her being the Imperial Divine Beast, he also understood the forest's dependence on her and chose not to hide the details.
He didn't want the Great Star Dou Forest to go to war with Shrek.
Mu En also deeply regretted everything. Had he known her identity earlier, even at the cost of his own integrity, he would have done anything to prevent the beast tide.
He suspected that her coma might even be connected to the beast tide.
He told Di Tian the full story of the events before and after her collapse and added his own speculation:
"Jin Qiu'er may have been ambushed by a strong enemy from the Sun Moon Empire. According to the Healing Douluo, her soul is damaged."
Di Tian was skeptical but believed that Mu En wasn't lying—because they were both proud, powerful beings.
"I'll get to the bottom of this! You'd better not be lying. Mu En, you may leave," Di Tian said bluntly.
Mu En no longer had any thoughts of taking Qiu'er back.
He merely added, "The death of your Beast King has nothing to do with Shrek."
And then, Mu En left on his own.
Just as he was hurrying on his way, a voice called out to him—
"Teacher! Teacher, it's me—Yuhao! You're finally back! The beast tide is over!!"
Mu En stopped abruptly and looked up to see Huo Yuhao riding the Mutant Ice Jade Centipede flying toward him, his body still stained with blood from battle.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao looked overjoyed, almost in tears.
"Teacher, thank goodness, you're back!"
Looking at Huo Yuhao, Mu En's complicated feelings suddenly eased.
Yes—he still had Huo Yuhao.
"Qiu'er was fake, but Yuhao is real!"
Mu En looked at Huo Yuhao with a gaze full of warmth and kindness.
Huo Yuhao: Please die, teacher.
"Teacher!"
As the distance between the two sides closed, Huo Yuhao seemed to finally lose his strength to stay composed. Tears welled up in his eyes as he leaped from the back of the Frost Venom Wyrm Spirit and threw himself into Mu En's arms, hugging him tightly like a frightened young beast seeking comfort from an elder.
"Teacher, so many people from Shrek have died! And Senior Xuan… he burned away his own life force!"
In Mu En's arms, Huo Yuhao spoke in a low, choked voice, suppressing his grief as his body trembled continuously.
Mu En embraced Huo Yuhao with compassion and brought him gently to the ground. Once again, he was reminded that Huo Yuhao was still just a child.
Despite Huo Yuhao's remarkable performance on the battlefield — holding up the ice wall and bolstering Shrek's morale — he had still endured far too little of life's storms. Watching his close companions fall one after another, and seeing Xuan Zi burn his own lifespan, how could he remain unmoved? The pain must have been unimaginable.
Even though Huo Yuhao didn't explain everything in detail, Mu En could guess what had happened. Xuan Zi must have activated the gluttonous bloodline, sacrificing his life force to break free of his restraints and turn the tide of battle.
Xuan Zi must have paid a tremendous price.
Mu En couldn't help but sigh.
"I see… Xuan Zi burned his life away. In the end, he gave everything for Shrek."
At this moment, the resentment Mu En had once harbored against Xuan Zi for losing Bei Bei completely vanished.
Xuan Zi was ultimately a vital part of Shrek, someone who would give everything for it—a senior they could count on.
Feeling the sorrow in Huo Yuhao's embrace, Mu En sighed inwardly.
If Huo Yuhao is already this devastated over Xuan Zi's sacrifice, how will he bear the pain when I die in the future?
Mu En had already begun to consider his own death.
Because he knew that after unleashing his full strength this time, he wouldn't have much time left. He might not even get another chance to go all out.
But Mu En didn't remain silent. He asked the questions that weighed on his mind, "Yuhao, has the beast tide truly stopped? What's the situation in Shrek now? And why are you here?"
Huo Yuhao pulled away, wiped the tears from his eyes, and began to report the situation truthfully. He also described how he had "bravely" taken Bi Ji hostage and forced the beast tide to retreat.
When Mu En heard that the beast tide had completely ceased and that Shrek City hadn't fallen, he slowly released his Spirit Body Fusion and returned to his elderly appearance.
No — he appeared even older. The divine light once present in his eyes was gradually fading.
Because Huo Yuhao also told him of the great losses: Elder Song, Elder Zhuang, and the former city lord were all gravely injured.
And no one knew how much life Xuan Zi had burned away.
If Huo Yuhao hadn't intervened in the end, Shrek City would have surely fallen today.
This was a huge blow to Mu En.
How he had hoped that, in his final years, Shrek would remain vibrant and thriving. But now, signs of decline were beginning to show.
They didn't even know how much life Xuan Zi had left. If both he and Xuan Zi were to die soon, even without the threat of the Great Star Dou Forest, the internal strife among the Three Nations of Douluo and the ever-looming threat of the Sun-Moon Empire might plunge Shrek into chaos again.
Would Shrek be able to withstand such a blow?
Stricken by sadness and his weakening body, Mu En coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Teacher! Are you alright?" Huo Yuhao quickly supported Mu En, helping him sit on a nearby rock. He then raised his hand to inject light-type soul power into Mu En's body to heal him.
With the infusion of light soul power, Mu En's breathing grew steadier, his limbs warmed, and he regained some vitality. But he shook his head with a bitter smile. "Yuhao, it's nothing. I know my condition. I'm not injured."
His current state wasn't due to injuries — he was simply at the end of his lifespan. Even his control over his own body had become dull and unresponsive.
Tears welled in Huo Yuhao's eyes again. He bit his lip stubbornly and continued channeling healing soul power into Mu En.
Mu En smiled kindly, didn't stop him, and reached out to gently ruffle Huo Yuhao's hair. "Yuhao, we owe this one to you. With you here, I can rest easy about Shrek's future."
Yes, while Shrek might be facing signs of decline, they still had Huo Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen—these talented students.
Once they matured, Shrek would rise again.
"Teacher, how did your battle with Di Tian go?" Huo Yuhao suddenly asked.
Mu En didn't hesitate, just sighed and replied, "I couldn't defeat Di Tian. His strength exceeded my expectations. He also revealed a certain truth to me. Once I return, I'll disclose it to everyone. I'll also take responsibility for my mistakes."
Now, Mu En wanted to take full responsibility for the beast tide and the Jin Qiu'er incident to protect Huo Yuhao.
To silence public gossip.
He couldn't allow Huo Yuhao to be implicated by Jin Qiu'er. The similarities between them — both having ultimate attributes and becoming his disciples recently — could easily spark suspicion.
"Is Di Tian really that strong?" Huo Yuhao pressed, "Not even the technique you used to turn all of Shrek City gold could defeat him?"
"That was the Sea God's Light, not my own power. It was the power I borrowed from the Golden Ancient Tree. But Di Tian has techniques that rival the Sea God's Light, so I couldn't win." Mu En didn't hide anything and revealed this secret.
Huo Yuhao's face showed shock. "The Golden Ancient Tree has that kind of power? Can you still access it now? Maybe its power could heal you quickly?"
"Cough… I told you, my body isn't injured," Mu En said, shaking his head before gently tapping Huo Yuhao on the forehead. "Yuhao, you're overthinking it. I can't connect to the Golden Ancient Tree anymore after leaving Shrek City. Do you think it belongs to me?"
"Oh, so you can't access it anymore?"
A strange smile suddenly crept across Huo Yuhao's face.
While healing Mu En with light soul power, he had learned much about Mu En's current state—
Completely drained, lifespan nearly gone, deteriorating condition, internal injuries becoming unmanageable, and now unable to rely on the Golden Ancient Tree.
The time was just about right.
Most importantly—there were no outsiders present.
Mu En hadn't figured out what that smile meant when his expression suddenly changed. He grabbed Huo Yuhao's left arm and pulled it in front of him — only to see that Huo Yuhao was no longer channeling light soul power but Ultimate Poison!
A faint green glow coated Huo Yuhao's hand, radiating an ominous aura. Worse still, Mu En had been caught off guard and allowed the poison to enter his body. His face turned a ghastly shade of green.
Yet, Mu En forcibly suppressed the poison with his soul power. He looked at Huo Yuhao in shock and disbelief. "Yuhao, what are you doing?"
He didn't want to believe it — couldn't believe it — that Huo Yuhao would poison him!
He hoped it was some kind of poison-based treatment technique, and Huo Yuhao had just been rash without explaining clearly…
"What am I doing? You really are getting senile! I'm sending you to your death, of course!" Huo Yuhao grinned cruelly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and slammed it toward Mu En's heart.
At the same time, golden light burst from his body—
It was none other than Sovereign's Dominion, the proud battle skill Mu En had once taught him!
Mu En's pupils contracted. He never imagined that one day, his own student would use his signature technique to kill him!
Too close. Huo Yuhao's fist was about to land. But Mu En still had some strength left—he grabbed Huo Yuhao's right arm and blocked the blow.
Gripping both of Huo Yuhao's arms, Mu En glared at him and shouted in fury, "Who the hell are you?!"
Huo Yuhao: "Mu En, your end has come!"
Mu En must die today.
"Teacher, it's me, Huo Yuhao!"
Although Huo Yuhao's arms were restrained by Mu En, he still wore a bright smile, calm and unbothered. That sunny smile, however, sent a chill through Mu En's entire body.
Mu En's lips trembled. He couldn't believe that the boy before him was the same obedient, self-sacrificing disciple he had always known.
Then what of all his expectations? What of Shrek Academy's future? What of the path he had paved for Huo Yuhao?
Still, Mu En knew that no matter what, he had to subdue the boy in front of him to get answers.
But just as Mu En prepared to act, a sharp pain suddenly struck his chest. The soul power he had just gathered instantly dispersed.
Looking down, he saw a golden, gleaming fist striking his chest, shattering his soul power and suppressing his martial soul.
It was another right hand!
Although both of Huo Yuhao's hands were restrained, it turned out he had more than just two.
From his back, near the shoulder blades, a brand new pair of arms had sprouted!
"External soul bone?!" Mu En said with difficulty, his face grim as he instantly realized he had been completely outplayed.
That punch carried the full power of the Sovereign's Might strike Huo Yuhao had been preparing earlier.
Huo Yuhao's indomitable spiritual will overwhelmed Mu En's, instantly breaking his fighting spirit.
Huo Yuhao gave Mu En no chance to retaliate.
He had anticipated that his first strike would be blocked, so he had prepared to use his external soul bone in a surprise counterattack—and it succeeded.
According to the theory of relativity: if Mu En restrained Huo Yuhao's hands, wasn't Huo Yuhao also restraining Mu En's?
"Ugh!" Mu En coughed up blood. His aura immediately weakened, but he didn't collapse. Instead, he lifted his head, eyes locked on Huo Yuhao.
"Why?"
All he wanted now was to understand why all this had happened.
Then, he looked into a pair of heterochromatic eyes—one red, one blue—brimming with sovereign might and spiritual pressure.
"Those eyes!" Mu En's pupils shrank. He demanded, "What is your relationship with the White Tiger Duke's household?"
"So you noticed? Dai Hao is my biological father. Dai Huabin and Dai Yaoheng are my half-brothers," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile.
In that moment, Mu En understood everything.
He connected all the dots.
The identity Huo Yuhao had previously revealed was false! He was the son of Dai Hao! His real name was Dai Yuhao!
Shrek Academy had once investigated a boy named Yuhao at the White Tiger Duke's estate—seemingly a slave, but actually Duke Dai Hao's illegitimate child. He hadn't awakened the White Tiger martial soul but had instead awakened a pair of eyes. His innate soul power was only level one.
After the death of his mother, the boy mysteriously vanished—rumored to have been secretly executed by the duchess. Mu En had even lamented back then how misfortune had befallen the Duke's family and how merciless the duchess had been.
Now, that karma had come back to strike Mu En right in the forehead.
Huo Yuhao was Dai Yuhao! A twin martial soul holder. His eye-based martial soul was a variant of the White Tiger and extremely powerful. His second martial soul had an ultimate attribute.
The White Tiger Duke's estate had actually persecuted a genius like him?!
That duchess deserved to die!
But more importantly, it seemed like Huo Yuhao had chosen… the wrong path.
"The events during the Soul Master Tournament—Dai Yaoheng's death, Dai Huabin's humiliation, the disappearance of Dai Hao and Wang Xian'er—those were your doing too, weren't they?" Mu En asked, though his tone left no room for doubt.
"Who knows?"
Huo Yuhao didn't answer directly.
He had activated his Evil Eye not just to reveal his identity, but to empower himself with its Enhancement Eye ability.
In the brief moment of conversation, Huo Yuhao had fully activated his enhancements, and his aura climbed rapidly.
Frost Centipede Martial Soul: 7 soul rings
Evil Eye Martial Soul: 1 soul ring
Ghost Banner Martial Soul: 4 soul rings
Healing Angel Puppet Martial Soul: 2 soul rings
Total: 14 soul rings!
Evil Eye's Enhancement Eye activated.
True Body Phase: Right arm enhancement.
Right arm soul bone enhancement activated!
Then, two brilliant golden Blood Qi Soul Rings rose from beneath Huo Yuhao. These were soul ring types Mu En had never seen before. After absorbing many blood qi seeds, Huo Yuhao had already formed his second Blood Qi Soul Ring, and the third wasn't far off.
In his Sea of Spirit, the imagined White Tiger roared loudly.
The two Blood Qi Soul Rings, both derived from White Tiger bloodline, carried tremendous boost effects:
First Blood Qi Soul Skill: White Tiger Transformation
Effect: Boosts blood qi and physical attributes. Grants tiger's aura. Can partially or fully transform into a White Tiger.
Second Blood Qi Soul Skill: Tiger God Transformation
Effect: Further boosts blood qi and physical strength. Activates the White Tiger domain. Doubles current attack and defense stats.
Finally, Huo Yuhao activated the Sovereign's Might technique.
All power condensed in the external right arm bone on his shoulder blade.
Cracks formed along the external right arm—it couldn't compare to Huo Yuhao's own body refined through countless trials. But it was enough to throw one punch.
This time, the Sovereign's Might was not golden—it was infused with the will of Huo Yuhao's "Demonic Buddha Technique."
A fake golden Buddha's radiance blossomed behind Huo Yuhao, but the external soul bone was pitch-black, like an abyss, ominous and sinister.
In that moment, Huo Yuhao felt he had touched a higher realm.
"Teacher, let me send you off with the combat technique you taught me," Huo Yuhao whispered.
Then, he threw a punch.
This punch was half-divine!
Mu En's eyes widened. He forcefully awakened his Holy Light Dragon Martial Soul and also unleashed Sovereign's Might. His whole body glowed gold.
He had secretly been gathering power to counter Huo Yuhao.
"You damned beast, don't even think about it!" Mu En shouted with murderous intent.
He neither released Huo Yuhao nor fled. He chose a head-on collision, even at the cost of his life!
He had sensed the threat emanating from Huo Yuhao.
Regardless of the circumstances, Huo Yuhao was now betraying his teacher, his intentions blatantly malicious. That made him worse than an animal!
He could not allow Huo Yuhao to continue deceiving others!
The situation left Mu En no time to think. Eliminating Huo Yuhao, this dangerous threat, was the last thing he could do for Shrek Academy.
An old dragon still had its might.
Mu En: "Sovereign's Might!"
Huo Yuhao answered with his own twisted version:
"Demonic Dominion!"
The pitch-black light pierced Mu En's golden glow, shattering it like glass.
In the end, demon overpowered sovereign.
What could a quasi-god like Mu En use to block a half-divine blow?
The external soul bone on Huo Yuhao's shoulder completed its final task—then shattered completely. It would take massive energy and time to restore.
Mu En's eyes began to dull. He could feel his life force slipping away rapidly.
Strangely, he felt calm.
As if all his troubles—and life itself—had been shattered by Huo Yuhao's punch.
His hands, which had restrained Huo Yuhao, loosened.
But Huo Yuhao reversed it—he grabbed Mu En's hands.
As if the disciple didn't want to see his teacher go. Reaching out to keep him.
Then, Huo Yuhao's chest split open. Countless blood-red roots extended, crawling toward Mu En's body.
"Does it matter who I am? Teacher, you've been deluded."
"Your path has ended. Come, merge with me—let your disciple carry you to godhood."
Huo Yuhao: Teacher, ascend to godhood with your disciple!
Mu En's eyes were locked onto Huo Yuhao's, but they showed no trace of emotion—no anger, no fear, no surprise.
Only utter calm.
Because his spirit and will had already been completely shattered by the strike of Demonic Reign Over the World.
Sovereign Reign Over the World would leave a spiritual mark on its target. Once the target was defeated, their confidence would collapse as well. No matter when they faced the wielder again, they would feel a deep sense of inferiority, believing themselves no match.
But Demonic Reign Over the World was even more domineering. It could directly crush the target's spirit and will, allowing the user to do as they pleased with them. Though the spirit and will could recover over time, the memories of being enslaved would never fade.
In the end, roots crawled up Mu En's aged face. His vision was gradually swallowed by darkness, and he offered no resistance. Ultimately, he lost consciousness completely.
The Dragon God Douluo, met his end here!
Immediately, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged as the snow lotus's roots completely entwined Mu En, allowing him to smoothly inherit Mu En's legacy.
Mu En's benefits to Huo Yuhao came in five key aspects:
The strong karmic fate of a Shrek Sea God Pavilion Master.
The Holy Bright Dragon bloodline.
His soul and martial soul.
A dragon core not yet fully refined by Mu En.
The essence of his flesh and his complete set of soul bones.
With the power of Visualizing the White Tiger, Visualizing the Black Tortoise, and Visualizing the Heavenly Dragon Horse, Huo Yuhao pulled in all of Mu En's karmic fate, integrating it into his own, which surged tremendously.
At the same time, one of his fate stars silently changed.
His [Flying Dragon in the Sky!] fate star evolved, radiating brilliant golden light, and transformed into a new fate star: [Heavenly Dragon Descends!]
Simultaneously, the Holy Bright Dragon bloodline was absorbed and merged into Huo Yuhao's body.
The visualized Heavenly Dragon Horse neighed, galloping in his sea of spirit. Its form began to shift—from a horse into a white dragon.
But unlike the usual evolution path of Heavenly Dragon Horses, it did not grow wings. Instead, it transformed from horse to divine dragon!
This evolution wasn't due to ordinary bloodline growth, but because of the direction of his visualization technique. Absorbing the bloodline simply accelerated the development of the visualized form.
Clearly, Huo Yuhao's intent was for the visualized Heavenly Dragon Horse to become a Heavenly Dragon!
And it wasn't just the Holy Bright Dragon bloodline nourishing it; the dragon core also fueled its transformation.
The dragon core came from a white dragon, a sworn enemy of the black dragon race to which Ditian belonged, and carried a light attribute. It was a key factor in Mu En achieving Limit Douluo level.
It was also the reason for Mu En's crippled waist.
After a fierce battle with Du Bishou years ago, Mu En was seriously injured and attempted to recover quickly by absorbing the dragon core. However, he was hurt by the violent aura hidden within the core, leaving him unable to straighten his waist ever again.
Only Mu En had the power to gradually suppress and remove this violent aura. He had spent most of his life doing so, and by now, the aura was nearly eliminated.
Had things gone as expected, the dragon core would've eventually been passed down to Bei Bei, who also had the Holy Bright Dragon bloodline.
But "nearly gone" wasn't the same as "completely gone." Just as Huo Yuhao began absorbing it, the core's remaining violent aura surged forth, forming a blood-red dragon shadow that lunged at Huo Yuhao.
At that moment, the snow lotus suddenly released a holy light, enveloping Huo Yuhao and completely blocking the dragon core's violent aura.
Then, something within Huo Yuhao's body was drawn out by the violent aura—
The Evil God Spear!
The spear shot out from between Huo Yuhao's brows and, surprisingly, could attack the aura itself. It pinned the dragon shadow to the ground as though it were a physical dragon, and began devouring it, drawing anguished roars from the aura.
The Evil God Spear's power naturally countered this kind of force and quickly consumed it like a feast.
As a result, the dragon core was completely purified of its violent aura.
Now, what remained in the core was purely light-attribute power and bloodline energy of a dragon, which Huo Yuhao absorbed even faster.
With the dual boost of the Holy Bright Dragon bloodline and the purified dragon core, the visualized Heavenly Dragon Horse completed its dragon transformation, becoming a true dragon with a pure white, flawless body radiating light.
The visualization of the Heavenly Dragon Horse had evolved into the Heavenly Dragon!
Having been nurtured by Mu En and the dragon core's twin legacies, the newly born visualized Heavenly Dragon was on par with Huo Yuhao's current visualization of the White Tiger.
The Heavenly Dragon Horse, having evolved into a Heavenly Dragon, emerged from Huo Yuhao's spirit sea and soared through the sky. Though wingless, it flew effortlessly. Roaring dragon cries echoed out, shaking all directions, striking fear into countless soul beasts—many timid ones like the Soft Bone Rabbit died on the spot.
In the core region of the Star Dou Forest, where Ditian was already overwhelmed due to Jin Qiu'er and Bi Ji, his expression suddenly shifted toward Huo Yuhao's location. Zi Ji did the same.
They had both heard the dragon's cry, and their bloodlines told them the dragon that roared was of pure blood and immense potential.
"A pure-blood dragon has appeared in the Star Dou Forest? And it seems to have a light attribute," Ditian murmured.
Though light dragons and dark dragons were enemies, the issue wasn't serious. After all, they were both dragonkind and should stick together. Especially now, when the Star Dou Forest needed unity more than ever.
"Zi Ji, I can't leave right now. You go and bring that new companion to the core region," Ditian instructed.
Zi Ji nodded, returned to her dragon form, unfurled her wings, and flew toward the source of the dragon's cry.
…
The Heavenly Dragon—no longer just a Heavenly Dragon Horse—joyfully soared for a while, then descended and dived back into Huo Yuhao's body, returning to his spirit sea.
It still lacked a physical form and wasn't used to staying outside for long.
Inside the spirit sea:
The visualized White Tiger roared as if celebrating the birth of the Heavenly Dragon.
But the visualized Black Tortoise and the Golden Tortoise lay low, raising their heads to look at the "dragon-vs-tiger" spectacle above. A realization struck them—
They'd fallen behind!
Golden Tortoise: "When did we become the weakest?"
Black Tortoise: "Time to go take down the Xuanming Sect!"
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was dealing with Mu En's body and soul.
He set the soul aside for now. Mu En's soul was exceptionally strong—as a Limit Douluo, his soul had reached the threshold of demi-godhood, second only to Electrolux among all the souls Huo Yuhao possessed.
It came with the Holy Bright Dragon martial soul, soul power at level 99, and a soul ring configuration of two yellow, one purple, three black, and three red.
Mu En had three 100,000-year soul rings!
He was the most talented soul master of his generation. The likes of Long Xiaoyao, said to rival him, or Ye Yueshui, slightly behind him, could not truly compare.
Had Mu En not suffered so many setbacks, and hadn't been hurt by the violent aura in the dragon core, he might have become a demi-god or even a quasi-god.
As for becoming a full god, that would have depended on a higher being's will.
It was said Mu En was injured by the core's aura because he was in a hurry to recover and go find Ye Yueshui. His biggest emotional knot was also related to her.
So in the end, romance really does affect cultivation!
The wise don't fall in love.
"Rest easy, Master. Your disciple will avenge you!" Huo Yuhao murmured.
Mu En had little blood essence left. In the battle against Di Tian, he had nearly exhausted all of his life force.
Even if he returned to Shrek Academy, he wouldn't have many days left to live.
However, the soul bones Mu En left behind were extremely valuable.
As the roots retracted back into Huo Yuhao's body, Mu En completely vanished, leaving behind only six soul bones that floated before Huo Yuhao.
Five of them emitted powerful energy fluctuations.
They were all 100,000-year soul bones!
The remaining one wasn't far off either, around 80,000 years in quality.
In the original story, Mu En's soul bones were all absorbed into the Golden Ancient Tree, becoming nourishment for it.
But now, they had fallen into Huo Yuhao's hands.
Of Mu En's five 100,000-year soul bones, three came from his 100,000-year soul rings, as their energy signatures matched. The remaining two were inherited from his family lineage.
That's right — Mu En also had a family, known as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. In fact, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong's descendants later inherited that very title after ten thousand years.
Yu Xiaogang was the son of the clan leader, and Liu Erlong the daughter of an elder. It was natural for them to inherit the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon name.
Regardless of the legitimacy of their union, their bloodline was indeed pure.
But now, that branch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had only one survivor: Bei Bei. The Heavenly Dragon Sect of Tianlong City gradually reclaimed the clan's name.
As the most gifted disciple in the clan's history, Mu En naturally had access to all the clan's resources — including these ancient, high-grade soul bones, even 100,000-year ones.
Six soul bones in total. The five 100,000-year ones were:
Left Arm: Strength attribute
Torso: Light attribute
Head: Spiritual attribute
Left Leg: Fire attribute
Right Leg: Lightning attribute
The remaining 80,000-year soul bone was the Right Arm, also with the Light attribute.
The left arm, torso, and left leg bones were likely obtained by Mu En himself.
As for the rest, it's unclear whether they were inherited or gained by other means.
Huo Yuhao naturally intended to fuse these high-quality soul bones into his own.
He was particularly interested in the 100,000-year head soul bone, which could significantly enhance his own.
But now wasn't the time to fuse them just yet.
Standing in the forest, Huo Yuhao stretched and looked up at the sky, feeling cheerful.
Mu En's final trust in him right before death served as a reminder.
When everything seems to be going smoothly, it could mean a greater scheme is already underway.
And the one plotting against him might be that God King.
Soon, Huo Yuhao adjusted his mindset.
Due to the Destiny Fate Line, even that powerful being couldn't monitor him all the time. But once he returned to Shrek Academy, that might change. He had to stay vigilant and maintain his disguise.
Still, he had to return to Shrek. After all, he had a huge inheritance waiting for him.
And his most coveted prize — the Golden Ancient Tree — wasn't in his hands yet.
The Skydream Iceworm floated beside Huo Yuhao. He sighed at Mu En's death.
"Brother Hao, Mu En actually treated you pretty well. Should we tell him the truth and bring him into our faction?"
But Huo Yuhao just sneered, "He was kind only because I was valuable to him. Kindness is the most hypocritical gift. Only strength is real. Skydream, stop saying things that break our unity."
Huo Yuhao's words sealed Mu En's fate — his soul would never be restored, just like Nan Shushui.
"You really are something, Brother Hao," the Skydream Iceworm praised. No wonder Huo Yuhao was chosen as the Child of Destiny — he was made for greatness.
As for Mu En, Skydream was just casually mentioning him. He didn't really care — he wasn't emotionally attached.
Jin Qiu'er, on the other hand, might feel a bit sad. But she was still sealed inside the Ghost Banner Martial Soul, spending her days eating and drinking, not at all missing the Star Dou Forest.
Her only real concern was: When would the person occupying her body finally die?
Just as Huo Yuhao finished clearing the traces and planned to collect some local herbs in the Star Dou Forest for adding soul rings to his Healing Angel Puppet Martial Soul—
In the distance, a dragon shadow streaked across the sky, making Huo Yuhao stop in his tracks.
A long, majestic form, covered in purple-black scales, radiating a dangerous aura.
It was none other than Zi Ji, the Hell Demon Dragon King, ranked ninth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts!
Together with Di Tian, she was one of the Two Dragon Kings. Although not as strong as Di Tian, her bloodline was equally pure — a true pureblood dragon descended from the dragon race. That alone allowed her to overcome the heavenly tribulation and become a Ferocious Beast.
Given time, she would definitely become another Di Tian!
Currently, she was around 200,000 to 300,000 years in cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, Zi Ji arrived at Huo Yuhao's location and shifted into human form.
Her appearance made Huo Yuhao narrow his eyes as he observed her closely.
Zi Ji's human form was clad in purple-black scale armor, her figure tall and curvy. Her legs were long and slender, and her upper chest was exposed, revealing snowy skin and a deep cleavage. Her long purple-black hair flowed freely, swaying despite the still air.
Her face was both seductive and exotic, with deep purple pupils and bright violet lips. On her forehead rested a jet-black scale, pulsing with rippling violet light that flowed naturally around her head.
Huo Yuhao gazed at her.
Zi Ji instantly sensed him too — and frowned.
"You? You're still in the Star Dou Forest?" Zi Ji recognized him and immediately grew wary. "I sense my dragon clan's aura here. Where is our descendant?"
She had followed the aura of a pure-blooded dragon — but didn't see one now.
And with Huo Yuhao present…
A terrible premonition arose.
Could it be that the newborn dragon was already killed by Huo Yuhao?
However, Huo Yuhao just smiled.
"You're here, big sis?"
"I was just planning to grab some local goods and leave, and yet someone sent me such a big gift!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but applaud.
The mutated Frost Jade Centipede Martial Soul crawled out from behind Huo Yuhao, glaring at Zi Ji with hostility.
In the next second—
Frost Centipede Domain activated!
Extreme Ice and Extreme Poison instantly enveloped Zi Ji, freezing and poisoning her at the same time.
"You dare?!"
Zi Ji was shocked. She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to attack her so decisively — and effectively suppress her in an instant.
Though the mutated Frost Jade Centipede only had an eighty-level cultivation base—
Its true power was comparable to a 300,000-year Ferocious Beast. Its bloodline was only slightly inferior to Zi Ji's, and with Huo Yuhao backing it, it had the upper hand.
Huo Yuhao activated his Evil Eye Martial Soul, flew into the sky, and clenched his blackened right fist.
Leading with his ultimate move—
"Demon Descends Upon the World!"
"You dare strike at me? Since you're looking for death, I'll gladly oblige!"
Zi Ji was so enraged by Huo Yuhao that she let out a laugh.
A mere Soul Emperor—what kind of trash dares throw a punch at her?
Since he dared show hostility, he should be ready to die. Perfect time to kill this genius from Shrek—no need to wait another fifty years.
Huo Yuhao, who had once captured Bi Ji, was already on the hit list of the savage beasts.
Even though Zi Ji and Bi Ji weren't especially close, she too had the urge to act. After all, Huo Yuhao was the reason the beast tide failed—an utter humiliation for the ferocious beasts.
Others might live, but Huo Yuhao must die!
Now that an opportunity presented itself, Zi Ji wasn't going to let it slip.
A ball of dark purple light bloomed in Zi Ji's palm, expanding rapidly into a massive vortex.
The effects of the Frost Jade Centipede Domain attached to Zi Ji were instantly stripped away and devoured. It was as if a gap had opened in the domain itself, and neither the power of Ultimate Ice nor Ultimate Poison could approach her any longer.
Huo Yuhao's punch was suddenly pulled off course by a powerful attraction.
A deep dragon's roar echoed around Zi Ji.
"Devour Domain!"
This was Zi Ji's innate ability.
As one of the last true dragons, even though she was only around 200,000 years old, she had still managed to become one of the top ten fierce beasts—a testament to her strength. Without the advantage of the Extreme North, even the Titan Snow Demon King wouldn't be her match.
Xuan Zi had once displayed a field with devouring attributes, but it should have been more accurately called a Gluttonous Domain, where devouring was merely a trait attached to the earth element.
But Zi Ji's domain was a pure Devour Domain.
Her dark and water elements, though not at ultimate levels, had fused into a rare Yin-Water Attribute, giving her domain even more terrifying power—like a deep-sea whirlpool that would devour everything and leave no escape.
Just as Zi Ji expected, Huo Yuhao was pulled helplessly toward the center of the Devour Domain. If he were to fall in, not even a corpse would remain.
However, in the very moment Zi Ji thought she had won, Huo Yuhao's pupils suddenly turned blue-gold, and a divine radiance burst from his body.
Blue-Gold Eyes!
"Sea God: Devour!"
As a divine skill, the talent domain of a mere 200,000-year-old beast was easily broken.
This divine ability could remove abnormal states, and Zi Ji's Devour Domain counted as one.
Moreover, with the activation of the Blue-Gold Eyes, a divine pressure descended on Zi Ji from Huo Yuhao's gaze—making her body stiffen with fear.
This was the instinctive response of a lower lifeform being watched by a higher being.
"No!" Zi Ji was shocked.
She instantly realized Huo Yuhao was hiding something that could threaten her.
Escape!
Zi Ji made a snap decision, but just as she tried to regain control of her body to flee, it was already too late.
"Demonic World's Descent!"
A punch struck her forehead—right between the brows.
Though her tough dragon scales didn't shatter, they couldn't resist the will contained in that punch.
A strike powered by spirit and force surpassing an Ultimate Douluo—how could Zi Ji possibly withstand it?
In an instant, it was as if a second, ghostly image of Zi Ji was blasted out of her body. Her consciousness and spirit were utterly destroyed, and the light vanished from her eyes.
Huo Yuhao caught her falling body.
Now in his arms, Zi Ji was completely powerless—like a lifeless puppet—entirely under Huo Yuhao's control. Though hard to hold with just one hand, she posed no threat.
Inhale~~~
With her voluptuous body in his arms, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, savoring the sweet fragrance from Zi Ji.
"Still a virgin? Her essence remains?"
Dragons are often known for promiscuity, but not all of them fit that stereotype. The more noble a dragon, the more likely they were to remain chaste—not out of morality, but simply due to high standards.
Zi Ji, of noble lineage, would never easily offer herself. The only male she considered worthy was Di Tian—someone with higher status and equal or greater power.
Moreover, due to her incredible talent, it hadn't taken long to cultivate to 200,000 years. Her actual age was much younger.
Among the fierce beasts of Star Dou Forest, she was the youngest—often referred to as the "Dragon Clan's Rising Star."
Huo Yuhao wasn't about to waste this opportunity.
The essence from 200,000 years of cultivation was far more valuable than that of a Title Douluo.
His eyes turned into Destruction Eyes, releasing a wave of violet light that burst downward, spreading out in all directions and obliterating everything—destroying the battlefield and erasing the presence of Huo Yuhao, Mu En, and Zi Ji.
Even if powerful beings arrived later, they would only detect the destruction aura—not recognize Huo Yuhao's signature.
After wiping everything clean, Huo Yuhao disappeared with Zi Ji and the mutated Frost Jade Centipede spirit.
However, Huo Yuhao did not immediately take Zi Ji for himself.
Instead, he packed up and prepared to return to Shrek Academy. He had already lingered too long in the Star Dou Forest, and any further delay could raise suspicion.
With Zi Ji secured, there was no need to gather any more special resources—doing so might alert other fierce beasts. Now was not the time to provoke the being deep in the forest's core.
Take what you can and leave—that was the wise approach.
Besides, he still had to handle the matter with Mu En.
At the edge of the Star Dou Forest—
Huo Yuhao raised a clawed hand, channeling Light-attributed soul power, and summoned a Heavenly Dragon. He infused it with draconic essence, and after nearly draining his power, he condensed a pure-white energy orb resembling a dragon core.
Anyone could feel that the orb contained power far beyond a typical Super Douluo.
Huo Yuhao felt rare weakness after exhausting himself.
But he wasn't done.
He forced out a drop of heart's blood, golden in color—a sign of his body evolving to a higher level.
Upon close inspection, something was hidden in the blood—a dormant Snow Lotus seed.
The heart's blood wrapped around the seed and fused into the pure-white orb.
"This is basically a forgery," he said.
"From now on, you'll be called a Dragon Core!" Huo Yuhao smiled, gazing at the orb. It truly looked the part.
Just by sensing it, one could tell it contained near-perfect Light energy—a huge benefit for Light-attributed and Dragon-spirit soul masters.
Though a fake dragon core, it carried authentic dragon essence, and could be used without fear.
"Use it once, and no one will make a sound."
"Next..."
Huo Yuhao gazed in the direction of Shrek City.
The beast tide had finally ended.
Night passed.
The morning sun rose from the horizon, illuminating the land and bringing light to the world.
Only then did everyone seem to realize, belatedly, that they had survived.
The soul masters and defenders who had participated in the battle slowly came to their senses from numbness, weeping tears of joy. On the blood-soaked battlefield and around the crumbling city walls, some cheered with delight while others sobbed uncontrollably.
The South Wall had suffered the worst; fewer than one in ten defenders had survived.
Only a scant few hundred remained.
Corpses littered the ground, and blood had stained the soil red. The damage wrought by soul skills and soul tools was still vividly visible—gruesome and shocking. Not even carrion-feeding vultures dared to descend upon this battlefield.
Of the ten-thousand-strong Shrek army, fewer than four thousand now remained. Many of the City Lord's elite and top experts had also been killed or injured. The old City Lord had fallen into a coma, and Shi Xing was completely exhausted.
Elder Song, Elder Zhuang, Xuan Zi, and Yan Shaozhe were critically wounded and unconscious.
Currently, Elder Lin was mustering the last of his strength to oversee all of Shrek's affairs.
Thankfully, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er were assisting him, helping share the burden.
Cai Mei'er, concerned about Yan Shaozhe's condition, was tending to him, Elder Song, and the others.
Three of Shrek Academy's resident elders, all Super Douluo level, had survived. They had been stationed at the other three city walls, defending against the beast tide alongside Qian Duoduo, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er.
Each of those three city walls had encountered at least one Beast King. Without the help of the Super Douluo elders, Qian Duoduo and the others could not have held the lines.
Thus, each wall had been defended by two Titled Douluo. Fortunately, these elders had only expended immense amounts of energy and had not sustained life-threatening injuries. They were still able to act.
They were now stationed in Shrek City to maintain order in the aftermath of the great beast tide. A lockdown policy was enforced—no one was allowed in or out. This was to prevent news of Shrek's heavy losses from spreading quickly.
And to stop opportunists from taking advantage of Shrek Academy's moment of weakness.
Gong Changlong, who had stayed behind to protect the academy and its students—to preserve its legacy—was now reassigned to guard the three sealed Beast Kings, just in case.
Many instructors from both the inner and outer courtyards had also been injured or killed.
The sole silver lining: the inner court disciples who fought in the battle, while injured and drained, suffered no deaths or crippling injuries—largely thanks to Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo's care, as well as the exceptional efforts of Ma Xiaotao, Zhang Lexuan, and the Wei Na team.
Elder Lin decided to recall all inner court disciples currently out on missions, along with the two Super Douluo elders still away.
In total, Shrek Academy had eight Super Douluo elders. Besides Lin, Song, and Zhuang, five remained. Three of them had taken part in the battle, while the other two were out on a mission.
And what was that mission?
Investigating the disappearance of Wang Xian'er and others.
Although the original investigation team had been recalled, Shrek continued to pursue the matter secretly with powerful individuals.
After all, Wang Xian'er and her team were believed to have been killed by evil soul masters—too dangerous for normal inspectors to handle.
Wang Xian'er, Fragment Star Douluo, Dai Hao, and a thousand cavalry had all died without a trace. How could others stand a chance?
Thus, Mu En had personally sent two Super Douluo elders to investigate together.
If they had been present during the beast tide, the battle at the South Wall might not have been so tragic.
But there are no "ifs" in life.
Only once the two elders and the disciples returned would Shrek regain its strength and confidence to deter opportunistic forces.
Most importantly, they were still waiting for Mu En and Huo Yuhao to return.
Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er managed internal affairs while Elder Lin led efforts to handle the aftermath across all fronts.
They had to collect the bodies of soldiers and soul masters, allowing them to rest in peace, and also dispose of soul beast corpses to prevent disease outbreaks.
Though soul beast corpses were technically valuable resources—often hiding soul bones—Elder Lin felt no joy in this.
Too many defenders had died with no remains left.
Compared to Shrek's losses, what were the corpses of soul beasts?
Just then, a dragon's roar echoed from the direction of the Star Dou Forest. A pure-white dragon soared into the sky, cast a longing glance toward Shrek City, and then fell.
Golden light filled the sky, rippling outward in waves.
Shrek's top fighters were immediately drawn to this phenomenon. Elder Lin and others quickly flew into the sky, gazing toward the Star Dou Forest—and witnessed the scene.
"That's the Holy Light Dragon? It's Elder Mu!" Qian Duoduo exclaimed.
"Teacher!" Xian Lin'er stared at the dragon in shock, a foreboding feeling welling up in her heart.
Everyone else stood stunned.
Only Elder Lin seemed to realize something. His eyes widened in disbelief as he quickly called out, "Duoduo, Lin'er—follow me to find Elder Mu!"
Elder Mu had not returned to Shrek, yet he revealed his martial soul in the Star Dou Forest, without any sign of combat.
Could it be…?
In the forest's core, Di Tian heard the dragon's cry and saw the spreading golden light. He fell silent.
The Bear King, still licking its wounds, grew furious. "What's Mu En trying to do—taunting us again?"
Di Tian raised a hand to stop the beasts. "Mu En has… passed."
The beasts were stunned, then the Bear King let out a booming laugh, wild with delight.
Di Tian, however, remained solemn. He still needed to tend to Bi Ji and Jin Qiu'er. He was waiting for Zi Ji to return with the newborn dragon youth—the only fortunate event of the night.
…
In a peaceful, scenic spot on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest—
Elder Lin, Qian Duoduo, and Xian Lin'er followed the lingering trace of light-attributed soul power to this place and found Huo Yuhao kneeling in front of a stone tablet, silently weeping.
There was no sign of Mu En.
Only a glowing dragon core, imbued with light-element soul power, sat in front of the stone tablet, shining brightly.
The three descended quickly.
Elder Lin's heart tightened. He rushed forward to Huo Yuhao's side, eyes red, lips trembling. "Yuhao… where is your teacher?"
Huo Yuhao said nothing, simply lowering his head and weeping.
Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo stepped forward. As they rounded Huo Yuhao, they saw what the stone monument said.
It was a rough, newly carved piece of blue stone.
On it were engraved the words:
"Grave of My Honored Master, Dragon God Douluo Mu En!"
"Teacher?!" Xian Lin'er's eyes widened in disbelief. Overwhelmed with grief and exhaustion from the battle, she fainted on the spot.
"Lin'er!" Qian Duoduo caught her just in time.
After confirming she was unharmed, Qian Duoduo turned urgently to Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, what happened? Is this true? Elder Mu—he's really…?"
Choking with emotion, Huo Yuhao whispered:
"After his battle with Di Tian, Teacher… exhausted the last of his lifespan…"