The colossal octopus lashed out with its eight enormous tentacles, and from its body erupted a dense surge of inky-black smoke that engulfed everything, blotting out all traces of its presence.
Hovering proudly in midair, Muye didn't pursue.
Below, the sea that moments ago had been teeming with life went still—the sea soul beasts that had been full of vigor suddenly dove into the depths, vanishing like a receding tide.
The black mist lingered for a long while before it finally began to fade. With a flick of his right hand, Muye's giant blade dissolved back into a red mecha, which easily tore open a rift in space and disappeared within. His body, too, returned to its original size. No one knew how he managed it, but his pristine white chef's uniform was once again upon him, spotless and perfect.
The ocean returned to its tranquil stillness, and a wave of cheers erupted from the two massive ships nearby.
Without a doubt, everyone's eyes had been fixed on Muye throughout the battle. Yet in the blink of an eye, his figure wavered—and vanished, as though melting into the void itself.
"Integrate them into my mind... they clearly could have cultivated faster, could have evolved greater bloodlines. I didn't really do anything wrong... Perhaps my only mistake was believing that soul beasts had no humanity."
Gu You murmured quietly to himself.
Sometimes, humans... are far less than beasts.
The crew's roll call concluded swiftly. Thanks to the protection of the great ships and the powerful experts aboard, only a few people had sustained light injuries; there were no deaths.Everyone was accounted for—except for one man.
The chef who had displayed godlike power earlier... had vanished.
As the ships resumed their voyage, a silver light flickered within one of the cabins—Muye's quarters. In the next moment, Cai Yue'er appeared inside, materializing from the glow.
At this moment, Cai Yue'er had once again reverted to her elderly form, her youthful beauty gone.
"You must be Muye, Sect Master of the Body Sect, correct?"Her narrow eyes glinted as she looked at him.
Muye smiled faintly. "That's right."At their level, there was no need for pretense.
"I didn't expect that the Sect Master of the Body Sect would finally achieve a four-word battle armor." Cai Yue'er praised sincerely. "You must be the only one who is both a four-word Battle Armor Master and a god-tier Mecha Master."
Muye's lips curved slightly. "What if I told you I'm not a four-word Battle Armor Master? Would you believe me?"
Cai Yue'er froze for a second, then smiled and shook her head."That's your secret. I have no interest in prying. However, I am curious—why did the Sect Master of the Body Sect decide to join our diplomatic mission to the Star Luo Continent?"
Muye's expression turned cold. "Does that concern you?"
Cai Yue'er's eyebrows arched—she wasn't someone of mild temper either.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense in an instant.
"Very well. Since we have nothing more to say, I'll take my leave. Sect Master Muye, I hope you conduct yourself with care."With a frosty tone, Cai Yue'er vanished in a flash of silver light.
Muye snorted softly, utterly unconcerned.Among the two continental delegations, there wasn't a single person who could threaten him.
Returning to her own quarters, Cai Yue'er frowned deeply.
If it had been anyone else, she would have already acted.The sudden appearance of such a top-tier powerhouse among the fleet—and with unclear intentions—was cause for great unease.
Even though the Body Sect hadn't clashed with Shrek Academy for many years, they certainly weren't on friendly terms either.
And though the Body Sect had long since declined, its reputation still carried weight.Its former sect masters had once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Master of the Sea God Pavilion.
But the truth was—she really couldn't do anything about Muye.In terms of combat strength, she simply couldn't match the master of a sect.Even within the Sea God Pavilion, there were only a handful who could overpower him.
She could only hope... he wasn't an enemy.
Cai Yue'er walked out onto her balcony.Raising her right hand, a small silver sphere appeared in her palm.With a flicker of silvery light, her ten fingers danced gracefully in the air like butterflies weaving threads.
In moments, strands of silver light intertwined to form a mysterious geometric array.
She gently pressed the silver sphere onto the glowing pattern—and with a flash, the orb vanished without a trace.
Far away—
When the dark coastline of the Star Luo Continent finally came into view,cheers broke out from everyone aboard the ships of Douluo Continent.
The people from Star Luo joined in too—after all, they were finally home.
From a distance, the beaches of Star Luo looked much like those of Douluo Continent.Even the architecture along the docks differed only slightly in style.
For the people of Shrek Academy, the grand welcoming ceremony was nothing more than a formality.
After the long voyage, the two diplomatic missions finally parted ways.The Star Luo delegation disbanded and went on leave,while the Douluo Continent delegation's journey was just beginning.
"This is our upcoming itinerary."Wu Zhangkong's cool voice addressed the group."Our first destination is the Star Luo Empire's capital—Star Luo City.We'll be participating in a series of exchange activities, mainly with the royal academy and other top institutions.There will also be some visits to special sites unique to the Star Luo Continent."
Under the Empire's arrangements, they rested one night in a seaside city,then boarded a soul-guided train bound directly for the capital, Star Luo City.
"Elder Cai, greetings."The Star Luo Empire's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sima Lanxiao, greeted her respectfully.
"Hello," Cai Yue'er replied indifferently.
Sima Lanxiao smiled."Elder Cai, we've just received word that a grand youth soul master tournament is being held in our capital.It happens that your first stop is also Star Luo City.The students you've brought from Shrek Academy are all outstanding representatives of the younger generation—I wonder if you might be interested in letting them participate?"
He continued persuasively,"In terms of age, they may be at a slight disadvantage,but this is the most prestigious and high-level youth competition on our entire continent.If your students were to join, it would greatly elevate the event's prestige and significance."
Cai Yue'er smiled faintly."We're only here for cultural exchange. A tournament isn't necessary."
Sima Lanxiao pressed on."Elder Cai, it won't be troublesome.With the abilities of Shrek's students, they can skip the preliminaries entirely and start directly from the elimination rounds.It won't take much time—and I assure you, their safety will be fully guaranteed."
Cai Yue'er gave him a sidelong glance."That's not what I'm worried about."
Sima Lanxiao blinked, then quickly caught her meaning.His eyes flickered slightly.
"I see… it seems Elder Cai has great confidence in her disciples."
Cai Yue'er smiled faintly—but said nothing more.
(End of Chapter)