"What does this have to do with Devil Island?" The girls were puzzled and voiced their questions.
"It's normal for you to have these doubts since you don't know Devil Island's origins," Jing Shaoyu said. "Over a thousand years ago, Devil Island didn't exist in the North Sea. It wasn't until an accident occurred that this archipelago formed in these waters."
The six of them stopped walking, with the five girls gathering around Jing Shaoyu, listening intently to his explanation.
"Legend has it that countless energy fragments fell from the sky. These fragments were called Devil Shards, and they formed the various islands of the Devil Archipelago," Jing Shaoyu explained. "The Devil Island we're heading to is the largest island in this sea—also the biggest Devil Shard."
"Devil Shards that fell from the sky?" The girls couldn't help but gape, their eyes flashing with disbelief.
"That's right, fallen from the sky," Jing Shaoyu nodded. "Based on the academy's years of research, one thing is certain: these energy condensates called Devil Shards descended from the legendary God Realm onto the Douluo Continent."
"Really?" Xu Xiaoyan said. "Wasn't the God Realm said to have disappeared? How could anything still fall from it to the Douluo Continent?"
"Exactly!" Lan Fozi also nodded repeatedly. "This is just too strange."
"According to the academy's research, the fall of these Devil Shards might have been caused by the God Realm's disappearance," Jing Shaoyu said. "Because these Devil Shards are composed of the Power of Destruction and Life Energy."
"Legend says there are five God Kings in the God Realm, with the Life God King and the Destruction God King being two of them. The destructive and life energies contained in the Devil Shards carry strong divine attributes, which is why the predecessors who first discovered them came to this conclusion."
"That's a reasonable conjecture," Ye Xinglan said. "So the Devil Island we're going to is actually an island constructed from the Power of Destruction?"
"Not just the Power of Destruction, but also Life Energy," Jing Shaoyu first nodded, then shook his head in explanation. "Around every Devil Shard imbued with the Power of Destruction, there exists dense Life Energy. These two opposing energies intertwine and interact, allowing the Devil Sea to find a sliver of stability amidst chaos. Otherwise, if the Power of Destruction in these waters erupted, it could destroy half the continent."
"If it's such a dangerous place, why would the Federation leave it unchecked?" Wu Siduo asked, puzzled.
"Who said they left it unchecked? Do you think the Northern Corps is stationed here just to guard against Soul Beasts from the extreme north?" Jing Shaoyu chuckled lightly. "From what I know, before the Devil Archipelago formed, the North Sea Fleet wasn't stationed in North Sea City."
"So that's how it is," the girls nodded in realization.
"Then our special training on Devil Island is actually part of a deal between the Federation and the academy?" Mo Hentian mused aloud.
"That's not quite the case. The reason we're going to Devil Island for special training is because Devil Island actually belongs to Shrek Academy," Jing Shaoyu explained. "The first people to discover the Devil Shards were the Shrek Seven Monsters of that era. They were also the first human Soul Masters to set foot on Devil Island, only to encounter the eruption of destructive energy. All seven were engulfed by the Power of Destruction."
"However, they were fortunate enough to survive. The dense Life Energy preserved their souls, making them the only living beings on Devil Island. They began calling themselves the Seven Old Devils of Devil Island, forever bound to live there."
"The Seven Old Devils of Devil Island?!" The girls were shocked. So the only incident in Shrek Academy's history where all Seven Monsters were wiped out was caused by Devil Island.
"Brother Shaoyu, does the special training on Devil Island mean we'll be trained by the Seven Old Devils?" Ye Xinglan asked.
"Yes," Jing Shaoyu replied. "The complete annihilation of the Shrek Seven Monsters caused massive shockwaves throughout the academy and the Federation at that time. That's when the North Sea Fleet relocated its base to North Sea City. While the Devil Archipelago nominally belongs to the Federation, the presence of the Seven Old Devils prevents any other Federation forces from entering these waters."
"As a result, the archipelago effectively belongs to Shrek Academy. The Seven Old Devils bar all forces except Shrek Academy from landing on the islands, and the academy only sends each generation of Shrek Seven Monsters to Devil Island to undergo their special training."
"So that white dolphin actually came from the Devil Archipelago?" Lan Fozi thought about the white dolphin and inquired.
"Correct," Jing Shaoyu nodded. "The Power of Destruction on its body confirms it. It was likely attracted by the Life Energy and tried to break through the Power of Destruction, only to be wounded by it."
"It paid for its greed with its life," Lan Fozi said sadly. "How tragic!"
"Let's keep moving forward," Jing Shaoyu said.
The group continued onward, heading toward the Devil Archipelago.
After an unknown amount of time, Jing Shaoyu detected a peculiar barrier ahead. It was formless and intangible—had his spiritual power not been strong enough, he might not have noticed it at all. The area inside the barrier appeared no different from the outside, but the seawater on either side gave Jing Shaoyu distinct sensations.
The fluctuations of Power of Destruction and Life Energy in the unknown waters beyond the barrier couldn't escape Jing Shaoyu's perception. He immediately understood that moving forward would take them into the Devil Sea.
He halted and said, "Let's go up. We'll cover the remaining distance on the surface."
He pulled Xu Xiaoyan and Mo Hentian upward toward the surface. Seeing this, Lan Fozi, Ye Xinglan, and Wu Siduo quickly followed.
When the six emerged from the depths onto the surface, they were immediately startled by the sight before them. The seawater ahead was pitch black, like ink, forming a stark contrast with the waters they were in.
Though the North Sea's waters were deep, they were still fundamentally blue. Yet the seawater before Jing Shaoyu and the others was an inky black, sharply divided from the deep blue waters, refusing to mix. From this black expanse, they all sensed a faint aura of death.
Deep within the blackened sea, several islands loomed faintly in the distance, all uniformly dark. The nearer ones still showed some protrusions and height, while the farther ones blended seamlessly with the inky waters, making it impossible to distinguish between island and sea.
"Is this the Devil Archipelago?" Xu Xiaoyan murmured. "How eerie!"
"Desolate and barren—this is the terror of the Power of Destruction," Wu Siduo remarked, her beautiful eyes flickering with an odd light.
"Come on, we'll walk across," Jing Shaoyu said, already standing atop the undulating waves as if they were solid ground. He reached out to pull each of the five girls up one by one.
They, too, stood effortlessly on the water's surface as if on land. The novelty of the experience brought delighted smiles to their faces. After all, they weren't using their Martial Souls or Soul Power—they were relying purely on their physical instincts to stay afloat. This deepened their understanding of Jing Shaoyu's abilities.
As they advanced toward the blackened sea, crossing the boundary between normal and darkened waters, they all sensed a slight distortion in the surrounding space. Their minds wavered momentarily—a fleeting sensation that would have gone unnoticed by anyone less extraordinary.
"What a strange feeling," Xu Xiaoyan muttered to herself.
"Does this mean we've entered the Devil Sea?" Wu Siduo asked, her expression puzzled. "Why can't I sense any Heaven and Earth Essence here?"
"Me neither!" Lan Fozi chimed in urgently. "We're in the middle of the ocean, yet I can't detect even a trace of water element. This is beyond bizarre!"
"Stay calm!" Jing Shaoyu commanded firmly. "The Power of Destruction here is so concentrated that it must have annihilated all Primordial Qi in this area. That's why we can't sense it."
"Doesn't that mean we can't replenish our Soul Power?" Ye Xinglan's eyes sharpened as she spoke gravely. "Once our reserves run out, we'll lose ninety percent of our combat strength."
"True, but there's no need to panic," Jing Shaoyu reassured them. "This sea is nearly lifeless—there won't be many situations requiring Soul Power. Let's reach Devil Island first. If we still can't sense Heaven and Earth Essence there, we'll figure something out."
"I suppose that's all we can do," Ye Xinglan, Wu Siduo, and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged glances before nodding reluctantly in agreement.
Once inside the Devil Sea, locating Devil Island became straightforward. The group strode swiftly across the water, observing the occasional small islands that dotted the area. Like the sea itself, these islands were pitch-black, exuding faint traces of destructive energy that discouraged any approach.
Soon, they spotted an island far larger than all the others combined. From a distance, it resembled a monstrous black beast crouching on the sea, delivering a striking and awe-inspiring visual impact.
As they drew closer, the island's terrain became clear—rolling black mountains and layered cliffs stretched endlessly into the horizon. But the blackness wasn't from the soil—it came from the plants covering the land.
Vast stretches of dark vegetation shrouded the entire island, creating an utterly unnatural sight.
Normally, black plants symbolize death, darkness, and desolation—and this island was no exception. As the group drew closer, they felt an increasing sense of oppression and dread, as if countless vengeful spirits lingered in the air, watching their every move.
"Ugh! This place is so creepy!" Xu Xiaoyan complained with a grimace.
The other girls nodded in agreement.
However, their pace didn't slow, and soon they stepped onto the large island—their destination, Devil Island!
Upon landing, everyone instinctively let out a sigh of relief. Though the surroundings remained unchanged, the solid ground beneath their feet provided a reassuring sense of stability. They began to carefully observe Devil Island.
Located at the northernmost tip of the continent, the island was mostly covered with alpine vegetation—primarily coniferous trees. The only difference from the outside world was their color; otherwise, they appeared no different.
The soil on the island was black—not the fertile kind, but a plain, lifeless black dirt devoid of nutrients or dense dark elements. It was as if someone had deliberately poured black dye over the island, staining both the land and its plants.
Strange—that was Jing Shaoyu's first impression of Devil Island.
"Shaoyu-ge, are we really going to stay in this awful place for half a year?" Xu Xiaoyan frowned, whispering, "I don't think I can last even half a month!"
"Xiaoyan, no negative talk!" Before Jing Shaoyu could respond, Ye Xinglan interjected sternly, "It's precisely this kind of environment that makes it special training! Besides, what we're seeing might just be the surface. There's definitely something here that can enhance our strength—otherwise, why would the academy send us here?"
"Xinglan makes a good point," Wu Siduo agreed, turning to Jing Shaoyu. "Shaoyu, what do we do next?"
"Of course, we find the owners of this place!" Jing Shaoyu smiled faintly. From the moment they stepped onto the island, he had sensed several hidden gazes observing them. Without a doubt, it was the Seven Old Devils.
"Oh, right!" Mo Hentian suddenly realized. "The class monitor mentioned before that Devil Island is home to seven old devils—former members of the Shrek Seven Monsters. Our special training must be related to them!"
"Alright, stand behind me. I'll make the Seven Old Devils show themselves." Jing Shaoyu calmly pulled the girls behind him, then stepped forward, facing the center of Devil Island. Taking a deep breath, he infused his voice with Soul Power and shouted:
"Seven esteemed seniors, this junior Jing Shaoyu, currently serving as the headmaster of Shrek Academy, humbly requests your presence!"
His voice, amplified by Soul Power, instantly echoed across the entire island. The Seven Old Devils heard it clearly—and they were stunned. According to their agreement with the academy, students were not supposed to be informed of their existence beforehand.
Yet these six newcomers not only knew about them but even demanded they reveal themselves—how bizarre! Especially when Jing Shaoyu claimed to be the current headmaster of Shrek Academy. Shocked beyond measure, they completely disregarded their usual protocols.
Knowing of their existence in advance and claiming to be the dean of Shrek Academy—these two facts combined made the Seven Old Devils worry about one thing: something had happened to the academy.
Thus, when Jing Shaoyu's voice echoed across Devil Island, eerie gusts of wind immediately swirled around them. In an instant, sand and stones flew through the air, obscuring everyone's vision and causing the girls to instinctively close their eyes—only Jing Shaoyu stared intently at the unnatural winds surrounding them.
The wind settled.
Seven elderly men of varying heights and builds encircled the six of them. Facing Jing Shaoyu was a comically shaped old man—small eyes, a large nose, a wide mouth, a long chin, and a slightly hunched posture—looking utterly ridiculous at first glance. Yet his demeanor forbade laughter, solemn and imposing, his aura deep and profound. Even someone with little experience could tell this old man was undoubtedly a powerhouse.
He was the former captain of the Shrek Seven Monsters and now the leader of the Seven Old Devils—the Greedy Old Devil!
"Greetings, esteemed seniors!" Jing Shaoyu immediately bowed and introduced himself upon seeing the seven elders. "This junior is Jing Shaoyu, the current captain of the Shrek Seven Monsters, dean of Shrek Academy, and master of the God of Battle Pavilion."
"You claim to be the dean of Shrek Academy? The master of the Sea God Pavilion?" The Greedy Old Devil glared at Jing Shaoyu with a sinister gaze, his voice hoarse. "You're merely a Soul Saint. If you're not lying, then something must have happened to the academy—am I right?"
"The academy was bombed by a twelfth-grade Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shell!" Xu Xiaoyan suddenly burst into tears behind Jing Shaoyu.
(End of Chapter)