Outside Shrek City.
Within the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Did you inform her?"
Atop an ancient green tree, Da Ming frowned at the brawny man beside him.
"I did…" Er Ming shrugged. "Bro, this is your fourth time asking. Why so anxious about meeting someone?"
"All of it's part of His grand design, planned over ten thousand years. Nothing's gone off-script…"
Only then did Da Ming relax slightly. "I don't know why, but ever since I decided to come, I've felt this weird foreboding… My eyelids keep twitching."
"Maybe you've been isolated too long. You stay holed up in your secret realm, of course you're jumpy," Er Ming grinned, clapping Da Ming's shoulder.
"…Maybe."
Da Ming sighed, "This plan is too important. With the divine realm cut off, any misstep means total ruin…"
"And we've no link to Shrek or Tang Sect anymore—we've isolated ourselves too long."
"Wait—"
Da Ming's tone sharpened.
Nearby, blue feathers ruffled, and a bird fluttered swiftly towards them.
"A massive black dragon—there's someone on its head! Its true dragon pressure is overwhelming. I couldn't see much else—they'll arrive any second…" The wind bird reported in human speech.
"They're here!" Er Ming was excited.
Hiding for thousands of years—finally, another mission.
"Di Tian…" Da Ming loosened up, wanting to run off for just a moment, his heart pounding, probably due to the Silver Dragon King's overwhelming pressure.
After all, only the Silver Dragon King could ride atop Di Tian's head.
"Everyone withdraw. Prepare to meet our guests."
He exhaled, signaling the wind bird to withdraw the ambush.
Recently, Da Ming and Er Ming had amassed some followers in the secret realm—even out here on Douluo Star, they retained plenty of Super Douluo support…
"Yes!"
The wind bird retreated.
Er Ming strained to see, eager for new action—he was desperate to check in on Sister Xiao Wu's son at Shrek.
Roar—!
A dragon's bellow echoed, pure pressure terrorizing every soul beast in the Star Dou Forest. In a blink, a black dragon covered the sky.
"Something's off…"
Da Ming's eyes shrank.
What an overwhelming pressure!
He'd met Di Tian before. The beast god had always seemed unattainable—but not this intimidating… Maybe 800,000-plus years in cultivation, tops.
How did he become a God Officer in a few thousand years…?
This nearly tangible dragon might was so strong it bent his waist.
Since taking the god seat and following Tang San, Da Ming's bloodline had evolved. The Silver Dragon King, as a primordial ancestor, was a special case, but Da Ming shouldn't have been this afraid.
"Traitors—you know your crimes?"
Di Tian's thunderous words almost made Da Ming faint.
What?!
Did Di Tian turn on them? Had the Silver Dragon King never forgiven them?
"In the past, we had no choice. Sister Xiao Wu's sacrifice persuaded us to serve Tang San. There were enemies at our backs—only offering ourselves gave a way out."
Da Ming forced himself not to raise his head, explaining humbly.
If we go by the plan, even your master—the Silver Dragon King—will be a Tang family daughter-in-law… Then, Di Tian, you'll be just another officer, maybe lower if she's in a mood—two slaps for you if she feels like it…
He'd guessed Di Tian got lucky recently, but ultimately, Di Tian was below the gods and not a principal threat.
"Oh? So I've wronged you all these years?"
A crisp female voice interrupted.
The Silver Dragon King!
Da Ming perked up.
"That's right!"
He nodded earnestly.
"Er Ming and I have been secretly gathering soul beast power for your recovery. The moment you awaken, we'll return to your army…"
"And offer me to Tang Wulin?"
Gu Yue suddenly cut in, her silver eyes frosty as she watched the two.
How obvious—so obvious she sensed something deeply wrong.
This continent is where the Goddess of Love fell.
Yet that power was beyond the gods. She clearly could have destroyed humanity, but instead, she found herself eager to live as a human at Shrek Academy.
Recently, she even met the Crimson Mother as a classmate!
Unbelievable.
Tang San, as a god-king, surely realized mysterious truths. The "dumb" Golden Dragon King hid inside Tang Wulin, trying to explode Tang San's son in revenge—but Tang San had surely engineered that, luring her in—it was a perfect trap.
The Golden Dragon King's origin was an irresistible draw for the Silver Dragon King.
Somehow, even after thousands of years, Tang Wulin was precisely teleported to Douluo, birthday and all, placed in her class upon her awakening…
Anyone could tell what Tang San was planning.
It was all to catch her—an airtight net.
Harnessing the power of the Love God; if Gu Yuena hadn't appeared, she might really have fallen for Tang Wulin, becoming part of the Tang family…
"What are you talking about…?" Da Ming was all nerves, his heart racing with cold sweat breaking out.
Exposed…
How was it possible?
How could their painstaking plan get caught?
As soon as Tang Wulin was mentioned, he knew bad things were coming…
If it was just mentioning Wulin, fine—it all matched the ancient plan, but "offered up"… that set off all kinds of alarm bells.
She knew their scheme—in fact, everything.
But—how could a dragon be this cunning?!
"Disgusting."
Gu Yue looked down coldly at the two, a creeping chill rising in her heart.
Schemed against, used up completely.
No wonder Gu Yuena was so disappointed.
She ought to beat them to death.
So that was the reason…
"No wonder you contacted me now. You want to harvest the fruit; to push me, step by step, toward Tang Wulin. You don't care for me, only for my Silver Dragon King bloodline—to bear a dragon god son for your Tang family?!"
Her tone grew icy cold, lowering the surrounding temperature instantly.
"No, that's not…"
Da Ming panicked, looking up in terror.
Nearby stood several others, looking them over.
Things were spinning out of all control.
"Understood now?" asked the white-robed man in the lead, smiling as he patted the Silver Dragon King—on the head?!
Who the hell was this guy?
Da Ming felt like he was losing his mind.
"Da Ming, the lie's exposed—why keep pretending? Hajiniu, you idiot…" Su Wen grinned. With his god seat backing, Da Ming had remarkable talent and bloodline—Tang San had clearly treated them well, but Su Wen had no intention to take them in—too dirty for a spirit ball.
"Since you've chosen to betray beasts, then go all out. Loyal to your master? Why bother pretending?"
"Traitor your ass! I've never betrayed the master!" Da Ming cursed, looking tearfully to Gu Yue. "Master—please don't be fooled! Er Ming and I have always been faithful!"
"Kill them, or… whatever. I don't want to hear their voices."
Hands in pockets, Gu Yue turned away, visibly downcast. She wasn't squeamish—she just didn't want to see them squirm.
"Mas—"
Pffft—
Da Ming tried to protest, but suddenly stiffened.
A nine-colored spear pierced his chest, sending him plummeting. In his haze, he glimpsed a blonde woman looking coldly at him.
"Dragon God Power…"
He coughed up blood, eyelids drooping. The spear in his body drained his energy—despair, fear, and helplessness all mingling.
"So… who is she?!" Gu Yue gawked at the newcomer, glancing hard at Su Wen.
"You can call me Jin Ling'er—or Big Sis. Even Gu Yuena has to call me that." Jin Ling'er pinched Gu Yue's soft cheek, calling back her spear from Da Ming's corpse.
"Jin Ling'er… Jin…" Gu Yue's eyes widened. "You're the Golden Dragon King's avatar?!"
"Mhm." Jin Ling'er smiled dazzlingly, standing obediently alongside Su Wen.
"So Gu Yuena… You—are you collecting girls or something?" Gu Yue shot a glare at Su Wen. "Don't tell me you want to catch me and Na'er in those spirit balls too?"
"You two are too weak, just taking up space." Su Wen smiled.
"…"
"Just being honest."
Su Wen shook his head, looking to Er Ming, who was trying to run but had been cut off by Gu Yuena.
"Originally, I wanted a chat—but now, forget it."
"Take some essence blood. Then kill him."
"Here…"
Su Wen held out a ball of dark red Titan essence blood, thick and potent, floating in front of Yuanen Yehui.
"Glup…"
After tonight's shocks, she was numb—but she still couldn't resist the pure Titan Giant Ape essence blood, refined right before her eyes by that usually gentle silver-haired "big sis."
Unreal…
She felt like a fish out of water—the weakest person here.
Judging by Gu Yue's words, her own origins were terrifying too.
"Absorb it," Su Wen smiled.
"Y-yes, Boss!" she replied anxiously.
Yuanen Yehui sat down and, after a deep breath, began absorbing the Titan Giant Ape's essence blood.
Gu Yue's bored voice drifted in. "So you went to all this trouble contacting Da Ming and Er Ming—just to get a few drops of blood for this girl?"
"Mhm."
Su Wen nodded.
It was for Yuanen Yehui—but not entirely. Early advancement to Titled Douluo meant he could summon the Hell Plane, pull in the suffering Yuanen tribe, and preempt trouble—those two would have become a nuisance later otherwise.
"…"
But in the girl's ears, it was overwhelming.
They'd killed a colossal Titan Giant Ape, cultivated for at least tens of thousands of years, for her? To help her evolve her martial soul and raise her talent?
She was moved—to tears.
For a "nobody" like her, doing her best just to be noticed, suddenly being cared for so much…
Even with eyes tightly closed, she couldn't stop the tears.
"Focus on refining."
A big hand settled on her shoulder, Su Wen's deep voice reassuring her.
"Yes, yes."
She nodded quickly.
Her usually lazy boss—so cool tonight!
Shrek Academy.
Sea God Pavilion.
Yun Ming watched as Su Wen, with a blank-faced but clearly shaken Yuanen Yehui behind him, walked in.
As if at home, Su Wen waved his hand, letting the golden ancient tree extend a branch to form a chair—completely at ease.
Yun Ming: "…"
This guy moves as if he's been here before… Or… is he actually based here?
"Headmaster Yun—you ought to give me an explanation, right?" Su Wen sat and studied him.
"What kind of explanation would you like?" Yun Ming forced a smile, stepping forward with a dry laugh.
"Her."
With a pained expression, Su Wen pointed at Yuanen Yehui.
"She's my carefully cultivated disciple—even my final disciple, really. And yet, you Shrek folks bullied her?"
"I'm here for an answer."
Gulp… Yun Ming swallowed, cursing inside. Damn, always at crisis time, the elders all run off, leaving me to deal with this!
Especially Feng Wuyu—lucky him, gone to Heaven Dou City for an academic exchange today…
"Then what kind of explanation does Mr. Su want?" he ventured.
"She's my darling. If she sheds one tear, I'll raze a city—so at least, your Shrek Academy should trade me your most precious treasure, right?"
"The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, then."
Yun Ming: ???
...