Evildemon Forest, Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters
A streak of blood-red light tore across the sky—and crashed violently to the ground!
Moments later—
"Hurry! Hurry!"
Figures swarmed out from the Holy Spirit Cult's main complex. As they rushed toward the impact site, soul guidance devices in their hands activated, instantly sealing off the area and masking all traces of energy. They quickly hoisted two gravely wounded bodies and carried them at top speed back to headquarters.
Healing Chamber, Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters
The spacious room housed the most advanced soul-guided healing apparatus in the entire Sun Moon Empire. Inside two capsule-like healing pods lay Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, barely clinging to life.
The pods sealed shut, bathing them in pulsating waves of restorative light.
But for injuries this severe, the treatment was little more than a drop in the ocean. Only when thin tubes snaked from within the pods and injected unknown fluids into their veins did their conditions seem to stabilize—even in unconsciousness.
"What in the world happened?!"
The healing chamber was soundproof—but that didn't stop Zhongli Wu, the Holy Spirit Cult's leader and Ye Xishui's son, from erupting in fury.
The ambush on the Shrek convoy—arranged at the Sun Moon Empire's request—was supposed to be effortless. According to their intelligence, the enemy's Limit Douluo-level protection would consist of, at most, two fighters, one of whom was the half-dead Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.
They'd even hoped to kill Mu En.
Yet the outcome?!
The Supreme Leader and Grand Worship had barely escaped using Blood Escape Technique, returning in such dire condition that even a Level 97 Super Douluo would have perished from similar wounds.
And worse—Feng Ling and Zhang Peng hadn't returned.
Given the circumstances, they were almost certainly dead.
One ambush—two critically wounded, two lost.
Yes. Knowing Shrek's principles, once someone became an evil soul master, especially a Super Douluo, there was no coming back alive.
But what baffled Zhongli Wu even more was this:
How could Shrek Academy—even with their full strength—possibly inflict such devastating injuries on his mother and Uncle Long?!
No matter how he looked at it, there was only one suspect.
"SHREK!"
Zhongli Wu's face turned livid, his eyes burning with unrestrained fury. Feng Ling wasn't just a top-tier Super Douluo—she was his wife and the Cult's Vice Leader.
"This debt… I will repay in blood!"
"It's not just Shrek!"
Suddenly, both healing pods hissed open.
Zhongli Wu immediately stifled his rage and rushed forward with the gathered Elders and Worships.
"Mother! Uncle Long! How are you?!"
How are they?
At the question, Ye Xishui's expression darkened instantly.
Setting aside the Blood Escape Technique—which, while costly, was the least of their worries—the real damage came from Di Tian's Dragon God Claw. Even with their strongest defenses combined, they'd lost half their lives in an instant. Long Xiaoyao, whose martial soul was the Dark Holy Dragon, suffered doubly: suppressed by both Di Tian's bloodline dominance and the claw's divine power. Di Tian's lingering energy within her now felt like a bone-deep curse, impossible to purge.
As for herself?
Mu En's seemingly ordinary strike had, in truth, condensed his very essence, vitality, and spiritual power into pure Light Origin energy. For an evil soul master like her, it was lethal.
In short—
They wouldn't recover for at least a year and a half.
Seeing Long Xiaoyao silent and his mother's face twisted in rage—as if ready to devour someone—Zhongli Wu realized he'd asked the wrong question. He swallowed hard and quickly shifted tactics.
"Mother… Uncle Long… who did this to you? The Sun Moon Empire said there'd be at most two Limit Douluos!"
"Hah—two Limit Douluos?" Ye Xishui let out a chilling laugh. "Does the Beast God Di Tian count as 'just a Limit Douluo' to you?"
"Beast God Di Tian?! Impossible!"
Ye Xishui's gaze cut sideways. "Do you think I'm lying?!"
"It's just… how could the mighty Beast God possibly ally with humans—especially Shrek, who's opposed soul beasts for ten thousand years?!"
"What's so impossible?" Her voice turned icy. "Aren't we already allied with two powerful entities ourselves? And it just clicked—I suspect the recent soul spirit intelligence from the former three Douluo nations is exactly how Shrek and Di Tian built their cooperation."
"But—"
Her tone suddenly shifted—sharp, venomous, radiating killing intent.
"I don't care what Star Dou Forest's stance is going forward. I'll turn it into a graveyard. And Di Tian's soul? It'll make perfect nourishment for my martial soul!"
"Xishui…"
Long Xiaoyao, silent until now, finally spoke—his furrowed brow clearly pleading with her to abandon this madness.
Turn Star Dou Forest into a wasteland?
Devour Di Tian's soul as nourishment?
Xishui—how can you even think such things?!
"Xiaoyao… you won't help me, then?" Ye Xishui's voice softened instantly. Her previous fury melted away, replaced by vulnerability—like a wronged, tearful woman standing before the man she loved.
"Sigh…"
All his inner turmoil collapsed into a single, heavy breath.
"Xishui… after that brief clash, you know Di Tian's strength. He's on a level far beyond us. Killing him is nearly impossible. And Star Dou Forest still houses nearly half of the Ten Great Sovereign Beasts, not to mention countless 100,000-year and 10,000-year soul beasts. How could it ever become a—"
"Xiaoyao! If you won't help, just say it outright!" Ye Xishui cut him off, her fragile facade vanishing in an instant.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help," Long Xiaoyao sighed helplessly, reiterating what should be obvious: they simply lacked the power to achieve her goal.
"We may be insufficient—but other soul beasts aren't."
A cold smile curled Ye Xishui's lips. "As partners, we've already fulfilled Demon Empress's request by helping her locate the ancient god's remains. It's only fair she returns the favor now."
"And then there's the Evil Emperor of the Evildemon Forest. I imagine he'd be quite eager to flatten Star Dou Forest and eliminate Di Tian. With them, we'd have four Limit Douluo-level fighters."
"By then, not only Star Dou Forest and Di Tian—but we'll crush Shrek Academy first, then deal with every other obstacle. Let's see who dares stand in the Holy Spirit Cult's way!"
Long Xiaoyao watched her descent into obsession, deeply troubled.
Zhongli Wu, too, felt uneasy—but for a different reason.
Four Limit Douluos… is that enough?
Mu En. Di Tian. And the Hao Tian Sect Masters.
Though intelligence labeled them as Limit Douluos, their true combat strength remained unknown.
Yet Di Tian had just fought two Limit Douluos alone.
"Three?" Ye Xishui smirked coldly, reading his thoughts. "Don't worry—Mu En won't live much longer."
Though Mu En's final strike had wounded her deeply, she'd felt it clearly: his life force was like a flickering candle flame—one breath away from extinction.
Zhongli Wu's eyes lit up with glee.
"The Dragon God Douluo is truly dying?!"
Ye Xishui glanced at Long Xiaoyao—still lost in thought—her smile turning even more sinister.
"Don't worry. News of his death… will reach us soon enough."
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