"He's not even pretending anymore!"
Yun Ming's face was tinged with anger. Having no children of their own, he and Ya Li had long regarded Na'er as their own daughter. Yet now...
That little rascal Tang Luochuan had just whisked her away, fresh-faced and unbothered!
He knew that Na'er had once absorbed the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, and he was well aware of the qualifications required for such an absorption. Thus, he had no objections to their relationship.
But Tang Luochuan was truly going too far now—flaunting one girl on his left and another on his right. Wasn't this just too brazen?
"Ming, do you really approve of this?"
"Luochuan, Gu Yue, and even Na'er are still quite young. Is sending them to Devil Island really a good idea?"
Beside him, Ya Li was too preoccupied with worry to dwell on the scene before her.
She had never been to that place, but as a highly respected figure at Shrek Academy and the wife of the current strongest warrior, she was far from uninformed:
Devil Island was no paradise.
From her exchanges with Cai Yue'er and others, she had long learned that it was a place tainted by gods. The seven Ultimate Douluo who had once gone there had all been transformed.
From the righteous and heroic Shrek Seven Monsters, they had become twisted beings—neither human nor ghost—embodying Devouring, Lust, Nightmare, Ruin, Hatred, Sloth, and Greed...
Seven Old Demons in total!
Just hearing about them was unsettling enough, let alone the fact that the divine powers present there—Destruction and Life—were far from benevolent.
According to records left by the Tang Sect's ancestor, Tang San, though Destruction and Life were part of the Divine Realm Committee's five Great God Kings alongside him, they belonged to the opposing faction of evil.
Under their command were seven Original Sin Gods. Even without hearing more, it was clear they were seven vile and wicked deities. Luochuan and Gu Yue could at least watch out for each other, but Na'er...
Wouldn't that be like sending a lamb into a den of wolves?
"Ya Li, there's no need to worry too much."
"Generations of strong warriors have gone there before. At worst, they'll be left with some psychological scars, but nothing truly unexpected will happen. That much is certain."
Yun Ming shook his head with a light smile. For a thousand years, only the academy's top elites had undergone training on Devil Island, and not a single one had ever met with disaster.
Besides, he had already made preparations, notifying the seven Old Demons in advance to take special care of the three youngsters.
"And do you really think Luochuan doesn't have any trump cards?"
"As for your concerns about Gu Yue and Na'er, you might as well consider this: that brat will definitely protect those two girls with everything he has."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Tang Luochuan in the distance. He had always been a good judge of character. Perhaps Luochuan wasn't the most devoted or loyal person, but...
He would undoubtedly keep Gu Yue and Na'er safe.
After observing him for many days, Yun Ming had already confirmed that the Ultimate Douluo who frequently appeared within the academy—possessing peak-level strength—was none other than Luochuan's hidden guardian.
If even his protector was of that caliber, the trump cards Luochuan carried would only be stronger, not weaker.
"Besides..."
"For a genius like him, who's had everything go smoothly so far, encountering some real setbacks might actually be a good thing."
Yun Ming withdrew his dissatisfied gaze with a light snort. This guy wasn't even pretending anymore, openly embracing two girls at Shrek Academy. How unrestrained would he become in the future?
With such a temperament...
He deserved to be taught a lesson by those seven old fellows.
"But this brat... just wait until you break through to Titled Douluo..."
Though Yun Ming's expression remained stern, the anticipation in his eyes never wavered as he murmured to himself.
About eighty years ago, his sudden emergence had allowed him to fight to a draw with Chen Xinjie, the Vast Sea Douluo—the previous generation's strongest on the continent and over a century his senior.
And several decades from now...
He might very well be the one being defeated.
"No, perhaps it won't even take decades."
Yun Ming shook his head, his gaze firm. A thirteen-year-old Soul King... In just over a decade, the boy might already possess the potential to reach the Ultimate level.
And by then...
It would be his era.
Of course, Yun Ming had no intention of passively waiting to be beaten. While he still had the upper hand, he would make sure to thoroughly discipline the boy.
Hmph! As the world's strongest Ultimate Douluo, the being closest to that realm, surely he wouldn't be unable to handle a mere newly-advanced Titled Douluo!
"..."
That night.
Tang Luochuan, Gu Yue, and Na'er sat together with Tang Wulin and the others, discussing Yun Ming's arrangements regarding Devil Island.
"So, Brother... your trial is to stay on that place called Devil Island for two months?"
Tang Wulin wore a thoughtful expression as he listened, glancing at the three before him. The others nearby also fell into contemplation. Devil Island...
If even Shrek Academy called it "devil," then without a doubt, it must be a terrifying place—just the name alone sounded frightening!
"Exactly. We'll depart in two days," Tang Luochuan replied with a smile.
"But by then, won't it already be vacation time?" Xie Xie suddenly realized something. Their official break was only half a month away, yet their leader would still be undergoing the two-month trial—they wouldn't be able to leave together.
"Precisely."
"So if we haven't completed the trial by then, there's no need for you all to wait at Shrek for our return," Tang Luochuan said lightly with a chuckle.
"I see..."
The group nodded thoughtfully.
Among them, apart from Yuanen Yehui, Ye Xinglan, and Wu Siduo, no one else planned to stay at the academy. The first had nowhere else to go, the second had family at Shrek, and the third found returning home too troublesome...
"In that case..."
"We can still wait for you," Wu Siduo said with a smile.
"That's true too."
"..."
Meanwhile, at Devil Island in the Northern Sea.
This was a place known as one of the continent's forbidden zones. Once a small island rich in resources, it had transformed into its current desolate state due to a catastrophe a thousand years ago.
Even the seven supreme powerhouses of Shrek Academy, when they once came here, remained forever—taking the form of seven demons.
And at this very moment, at the island's very center...
With several dark flashes, the figures of seven individuals gathered here, all bearing aged visages—some even frighteningly so.
"Greed."
"What brings you to us?"
One of the black-robed elders asked, turning his gaze toward the coldest-faced old man before him.
"In two days, Shrek Academy will be sending people again. This time, they're being led by the strongest of this generation from Shrek Academy. He asked us to take care of them—not to leave too deep a shadow."
The man spoke. He was none other than the leader of the Seven Old Demons, the Greed Old Demon among the Seven Deadly Sins.
No one is free from greed. Through greed, one can attain greater power, and it was precisely because of this that his divine power was the strongest among them all.
Yet, due to his nature of greed, he showed little interest in such matters, appearing rather indifferent.
"More people are coming? Doesn't that mean we'll have some fun? And Shrek's top dog even asked us to go easy on them..."
Hearing this, the other six elders exchanged glances before bursting into eerie, cackling laughter, their aged faces wrinkling with amusement.
Had they not been told, they might have held back a little. But now that they were explicitly asked to "take care" of them, it was nothing short of distrust toward their methods.
Ah well...
In that case, they couldn't be blamed for what was to come!
And so, as the day of the trial approached, all six Old Demons—except for Greed Old Demon—were brimming with excitement.
"In that case..."
"Let the trials begin on the very first day."
Among them, the Nightmare Old Demon wore a sinister grin, as though this were the most delightful prospect in the world.
Each Old Demon possessed formidable mental abilities, and his specialty was nightmares. What he loved most was trapping others in their most primal, fear-induced nightmare illusions.
He, the Nightmare Old Demon, would surely gift the trial-takers an unforgettable, ultimate nightmare.
"Now, who to pick?"
"How about..."
"The most well-behaved child among them?"
The Nightmare Old Demon chuckled darkly, murmuring to himself.
(End of Chapter)