Yun Ming, Ya Li, Guan Yue, and Leng Yaozhu watched helplessly as the God-Slaying Soul Missile streaked directly toward Sea God Island, their expressions filled with powerlessness.
"What do we do now?" Leng Yaozhu asked faintly. "We can't just stand by and watch, can we?"
"The Soul Guidance Barrier and Guardian Array of Shrek Academy alone won't be enough to withstand the explosive force of this Soul Guidance Cannon Shell," Guan Yue said solemnly, his tone grave. "Senior Brother, it's best if we descend and reinforce the array together."
"Ming, A Yue is right," Ya Li whispered, her eyes brimming with worry.
"Mm." Yun Ming nodded painfully as he gazed at Sea God Island and the Golden Tree. "We have no other choice."
Yun Ming understood all too well that Guan Yue's suggestion was the safest course of action, but it was tantamount to abandoning Sea God Island and the Golden Tree entirely. Though he had entertained the idea before, taking action now made him realize just how agonizing the decision truly was.
This choice felt like a desecration and affront to the generations of sages who had built Shrek Academy. But with circumstances forcing his hand, he had no alternative. He couldn't prioritize the dead over the living—surely the past Pavilion Masters would understand his dilemma if they knew.
"We'll deactivate the Inner Academy's Energy Shield and channel all power to sustain the Outer Academy's array," Yun Ming swiftly commanded, his voice firm. "The four of us will each take charge of one core Array Core. The Guardian Array must not shatter!"
"At the same time, I'll try to contact Jin Lao and coordinate with it—both to assist us and ensure its own survival."
Leng Yaozhu and Guan Yue weren't entirely familiar with the "Jin Lao" Yun Ming mentioned, but they could deduce one thing: Jin Lao was the Golden Tree. Thus, they immediately nodded in agreement.
Yun Ming sighed, his eyes lingering on the Golden Tree standing tall at the heart of Shrek Academy. Guilt and sorrow flashed across his face. Though he had laid out the plan, unease still gnawed at him. He couldn't be certain whether Shrek Academy's Guardian Array could withstand the impact of a twelfth-ranked Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shell.
If the worst came to pass... he had already prepared his final contingency.
Yun Ming pressed a hand to his chest, a faint golden glimmer flickering in his eyes...
The four Limit Douluo descended into Shrek Academy's Outer Academy simultaneously, quickly regrouping with Cai Yue'er and the other Elders of the Sea God Pavilion.
"Wait—where's A Lai?" Leng Yaozhu suddenly cried out. In her haste to intercept the God-Slaying Soul Missile, she had completely forgotten about her younger sister. Her face paled in horror.
Before fear could fully take hold, Cai Yue'er rushed forward in alarm, urgently addressing Yun Ming and Ya Li: "Pavilion Master! Sister Ya Li! Shaoyu has been captured by Leng Yulai—she's taken him to Sea God Island!"
"What?!" Cai Yue'er's words sent shockwaves through Yun Ming, Ya Li, and Leng Yaozhu.
"How is this possible?" Leng Yaozhu exclaimed in terror. "Why would A Lai take A Yuan? No—I have to find them!"
Without another word, she disregarded her nearly depleted Soul Power and resolutely flew toward Sea God Island, vanishing into Sea God Lake in the blink of an eye. Her speed was so swift that Yun Ming, Ya Li, and Guan Yue were caught completely off guard.
"No—I have to find A Yu too!" Ya Li's eyes brimmed with panic as she immediately dashed toward the Inner Academy.
However, Yun Ming directly grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving forward.
Ya Li turned back, looking at Yun Ming with confusion. His expression was unusually calm, even carrying a hint of coldness as he shook his head and said, "Tian Feng alone is enough to find Shaoyu. You're needed more here."
"But—" Ya Li wanted to argue.
Yet Yun Ming had no intention of listening. He spoke firmly, "Ya Li, remember this—you are first and foremost the dean of Shrek Academy's Inner Academy, and only secondarily Jing Shaoyu's godmother. Your responsibility now is to protect more Shrek students, not just one person!"
Ya Li froze, staring blankly at Yun Ming. Beneath his calm and cold exterior, she could see an endless sorrow. Only then did she realize that every decision he made now was as agonizing as being pierced by a thousand arrows.
"That's right, Sister Ya Li," Cai Yue'er quickly chimed in, her tone urgent. "That bitch Leng Yulai not only kidnapped Shaoyu but also severely injured several other children. Their conditions are critical!"
"What exactly happened?" Yun Ming demanded coldly, his voice laced with skepticism. It was clear he was on the verge of losing his temper.
"This is how it went..." Cai Yue'er hastily recounted the events to Yun Ming and the others.
It turned out that while Jing Shaoyu and the other five were evacuating from the Inner Academy to the Outer Academy, Leng Yulai—who had been sealed in terms of both Soul Power and mobility—somehow broke free and launched an ambush. Caught off guard, all six were severely injured. By the time Cai Yue'er and the other Elders arrived, Jing Shaoyu had already been taken into the Inner Academy by Leng Yulai.
Yun Ming, Ya Li, and Guan Yue all showed helplessness, with Ya Li being the most vocal in her frustration. "What on earth was Leng Yaozhu doing?!"
But now was not the time for blame or accountability. With Jing Shaoyu kidnapped into the Inner Academy and the other members of the Shrek Seven Monsters critically injured, these urgent matters paled in comparison to the imminent threat of the already detonated God-Slaying Soul Missile.
"Hurry, reinforce the barrier immediately!" Yun Ming shouted anxiously before flashing to the Array Core closest to the explosion's epicenter. Drawing on his nearly depleted Soul Power, he activated his Sky Piercing Spear Martial Soul.
Guan Yue and Cai Yue'er sprang into action as well, while Ya Li rushed to the underground shelter where the students were gathered. There, she saw the unconscious and injured Xu Xiaoyan and the other four, as well as Na'er and Gu Yue, who had just returned from the Spirit Transfer Pagoda headquarters.
With no time for words, Ya Li immediately stabilized Xu Xiaoyan and the others before heading to the nearest Array Core to maintain the barrier.
She didn't notice the grim expressions on Gu Yue and Na'er's faces, nor did she see the two quietly slip away—let alone the identical silver glint flickering in their eyes as they left.
The sky above Shrek Academy was now dominated by a dazzling violet light, deep yet accompanied by an eerie, unsettling shriek—like a hellish horn summoning the arrival of demons. The Soul Guidance Barrier over the Outer Academy teetered precariously under the intensifying purple glow.
Facing the explosion head-on, Yun Ming's face was as pale as paper. Having exhausted every ounce of his energy, he watched as the Energy Shield before him was on the verge of shattering. Placing a hand over his chest, a golden light burst forth.
In an unnoticed corner, two identical figures stepped into the intense purple light. As their outlines blurred, the two figures seemed to merge into one. A hazy dragon soul broke through the swirling purple mist, its roar clear and resonant.
Yet, just as this was happening, at the very epicenter of the explosion—the core area of Shrek Academy where the Sea God Pavilion stood—a golden pillar of light pierced through the purple world created by the God-Slaying Soul Missile's detonation, shooting straight into the sky. The beam radiated powerful, surging energy, instantly creating a brief vacuum of energy at the heart of the explosion.
When Yun Ming saw that golden pillar, his expression stiffened, and joy surged in his heart. The motion he had been holding against his chest became even more decisive. He understood deeply that this was the only opportunity—there was no room for hesitation or doubt.
Thus, half of a runic symbol appeared in his hand. As light flickered in his eyes, the half-symbol immediately flew from his grasp, soaring into the Inner Academy and into the deep-purple shockwaves. Then, it began to deconstruct, releasing energy.
Yun Ming was dismantling his Divine Throne!
This incomplete Divine Throne was the fruit of Yun Ming's labor, yet he didn't so much as blink. In his view, since he could create the first one, he could certainly create a second!
The dismantling of the Divine Throne unleashed a massive torrent of energy. This torrent clashed against the destructive force of the God-Slaying Soul Missile, greatly alleviating the pressure on the Soul Guidance Barrier and allowing Yun Ming to finally exhale in relief.
The merged figure also saw the golden pillar. She froze, her eyes filled with confusion. Her hurried steps slowed, and her tense body visibly relaxed. She couldn't determine exactly what had happened, but the aura emanating from that golden beam felt achingly familiar.
"...How could this be?" she murmured, quickening her pace. A silver path appeared before her, tearing through the purple space in the blink of an eye as she vanished.
Time rewound to before the explosion.
When Jing Shaoyu awoke, he found himself lying on the floor of the Sea God Pavilion. Leng Yulai was crouched over him with a deranged grin, tearing at his clothes in an attempt to do something unspeakable. He snapped awake instantly.
"W-what are you doing?" he cried out, stalling her actions while trying to circulate his Soul Power.
"I heard you're Leng Yaozhu and Yun Ming's disciple?" Leng Yulai's expression remained crazed even as she noticed Shaoyu waking. She stared at him and laughed wildly, "Hahaha! That bitch kept saying she wouldn't compete with me, yet she even had a child with him! That whore!"
Leng Yulai's laughter grew increasingly manic, her words disjointed. Jing Shaoyu watched her with a strange expression, thinking to himself that she might have been driven to insanity by too much emotional trauma. Hmm, possible—the more obsessive a personality, the more extreme their reactions under stress, even to the point of mental breakdown.
Shaoyu stayed silent, afraid that saying the wrong thing might provoke her further—that would be disastrous.
Seeing his silence, Leng Yulai's face twisted into a complex mix of madness, fury, and triumph as she pressed herself against him. "...Heheh, Ming-ge, I finally... Ugh, Yun Ming! If I can't have you, no one else will either... Hmph! Since your teacher owes me, you'll pay in his place! Blame Yun Ming for this!"
Jing Shaoyu was almost certain that Leng Yulai was either insane or at least mentally unstable. Closing his eyes, he pondered ways to break free. Though Leng Yulai had sealed his Soul Power, she hadn't restrained his limbs—he just needed to wait for the right moment.
However, Leng Yulai's next actions forced him to tense up immediately.
"Stop! Don't take off my pants!" Jing Shaoyu panicked, desperately gripping Leng Yulai's hands. This woman had truly lost her mind!
Seeing his resistance, Leng Yulai's expression grew even more deranged, her eyes burning with fury. She shrieked, "How dare you reject me! How dare you! I'm so beautiful, so alluring—how could you refuse me! What does Leng Yaozhu have that I don't? What does Ya Li have that I don't?"
She was mistaking Jing Shaoyu for Yun Ming.
Completely consumed by madness, Leng Yulai bound Jing Shaoyu's body tightly. Under his humiliated gaze, she yanked his pants down, then shuddered violently—shattering her own clothes in an instant.
Her figure closely resembled Leng Yaozhu's—unsurprising, given they were sisters. But Jing Shaoyu had no mind to appreciate it. His heart was flooded with terror and urgency, both from Leng Yulai's insane actions and the increasingly piercing shrieks from outside.
Though he couldn't see what was happening, he could guess—the God-Slaying Soul Missile aimed at the Sea God Pavilion was about to detonate. He didn't want to die with this lunatic!
His struggles only seemed to excite Leng Yulai further. Her body flushed with an unnatural heat as she lunged at him.
"Yulai, stop!"
Just as Jing Shaoyu feared his innocence was lost, a burst of flames struck Leng Yulai, sending her flying. Then, a shocked, furious, and terrified Leng Yaozhu appeared inside the Sea God Pavilion.
"Teacher!" Jing Shaoyu cried out in relief.
"A Yuan, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Leng Yaozhu urgently checked him over, her voice laced with worry.
"Just minor injuries—nothing serious." Once freed, Jing Shaoyu hastily pulled up his pants. "Teacher, we need to leave now. It's too dangerous here."
"Right!" Leng Yaozhu nodded immediately, sparing no thought for what her sister had done to her disciple. With one hand, she summoned flames to lift the unconscious Leng Yulai, while the other gripped Jing Shaoyu, ready to flee the Sea God Pavilion.
But they were a step too late. The Level 12 Fixed Soul Guided Cannon Shell detonated.
Outside the Sea God Pavilion, everything turned purple—a nauseating, overwhelming violet that stained the sky and soaked the earth. The entire Sea God Island was dyed in it, from plants to buildings, from structures to the very air—all drowned in purple.
But the color was merely a facade. What truly horrified Jing Shaoyu was how everything outside the pavilion vanished without a trace within that terrifying violet. It was as if they had never existed—annihilated instantly, erased from the world without leaving a single remnant.
Jing Shaoyu and Leng Yaozhu's faces were filled with terror as they witnessed the devastating power of the God-Slaying Soul Missile firsthand.
Leng Yaozhu dropped Leng Yulai and immediately embraced Jing Shaoyu, turning her back toward the Sea God Pavilion's entrance. A pair of golden-red wings unfurled from her back, firmly enveloping both her and Jing Shaoyu—though she didn't forget Leng Yulai on the ground either.
Combining her Sky Phoenix Wings with her Demigod Soul Power was all Leng Yaozhu could manage at this moment.
Jing Shaoyu could clearly feel Leng Yaozhu's frantic heartbeat. If even a demigod powerhouse could be this tense and fearful, the name "God-Slaying Soul Missile" was certainly no exaggeration.
Through the gaps in the wings, Jing Shaoyu saw the Sea God Pavilion suddenly erupt with a dazzling golden radiance—the Golden Tree was saving itself.
A vibrant emerald light flashed in his eyes. Faced with such a dire situation, Jing Shaoyu refused to simply wait for death. A wisp of the Goddess of Life's God Power still lingered within him. Unleashing it might not fully counter the explosion's force, but it would at least ensure their survival.
An unparalleled surge of life energy instantly flooded the Sea God Pavilion's hall, swirling around Jing Shaoyu and Leng Yaozhu. This level of vitality had an intense catalytic effect on living beings, akin to fine wine. Both Jing Shaoyu and Leng Yaozhu's faces flushed crimson in an instant, as if intoxicated.
Leng Yaozhu even let out a soft moan, signaling her comfort as her depleted Soul Power surged anew, and even her life essence seemed strengthened.
Yet Jing Shaoyu was puzzled—this overwhelming life energy had little to do with him. He hadn't even activated the Goddess of Life's God Power yet.
A figure suddenly appeared before him. Leng Yaozhu, completely lost in the life energy, had unknowingly released him and now lay naturally on the ground. Jing Shaoyu stared at the figure in shock and exclaimed, "Jin Lao!"
Indeed, the figure that had abruptly manifested in the Sea God Pavilion was none other than the Golden Tree Spirit, Jin Lao. The dense life energy was his doing.
Jin Lao gazed at Jing Shaoyu with a kind smile. "It seems this was all fate! I thought I would die without purpose, yet here we meet again. Come, let me be the force that propels the new king to his throne!"
A brilliant golden light erupted from Jin Lao's body, so dazzling that Jing Shaoyu couldn't even process his words. Then, the golden radiance flickered and transformed into golden flames, completely engulfing Jin Lao.
A peculiar, immense energy burst forth, causing the golden flames to blaze violently. They ignited the Sea God Pavilion, then the Golden Tree beneath it. The roaring flames, under Jing Shaoyu's stunned gaze, soon reached him as well.
These flames were strange—they bore no searing heat, no scalding pain, only an indescribable warmth. The golden fire spread across Jing Shaoyu's entire body, burning away his clothes and completely healing the injuries he had sustained from Leng Yulai's ambush. His Soul Power, his Martial Soul, even his bloodline—all began to boil.
The golden flames spread from the Sea God Pavilion, setting the entire Golden Tree ablaze like a colossal torch. The golden fire released radiant beams, forming a pillar of light that pierced through the God-Slaying Soul Missile's purple vortex and soared into the heavens.