"Interesting."
Phantylia, disguised as Di Tian, murmured, his voice laced with the playfulness of a cat toying with a mouse.
"To dare to come alone—that courage is indeed commendable."
The gigantic dragon tail swayed gently, stirring the surrounding clouds.
A negotiation concerning the survival of Shrek City was about to unfold in the gloomy, high-altitude sky.
"You must be Yan Shaozhe!"
An icy, ruthless voice suddenly tore through the sky, like a sharp blade forged of cold ice, piercing the depths of everyone's soul.
The instant this voice sounded, everyone atop Shrek City involuntarily shivered, as if their throats were constricted, making even breathing incredibly difficult.
The City Defense soldiers' bodies trembled, and the Inner Court disciples subconsciously held their breath, their hair standing on end—this was the supreme prestige of the Beast God, Di Tian. His voice alone was enough to make all beings tremble.
The golden phoenix that Yan Shaozhe had transformed into abruptly paused in mid-air. The bright flames burning around him visibly dimmed several shades, like a flickering candle in the wind, seemingly about to be extinguished at any moment.
He clearly felt that the power contained within that voice far exceeded his cognitive scope. The gap between them was like the light of a firefly compared to a bright moon.
The inky black clouds began to churn violently, as if a world-destroying behemoth that had slept for eons was stretching its body within.
Occasionally, a few pitch-black scales, faintly reflecting a dark metallic sheen, flashed through the gaps in the clouds. Each scale was as large as a millstone, pulsating with a heart-palpitating dark energy.
Every time a scale was revealed, it brought a mountainous pressure upon Yan Shaozhe, causing his soul to tremble slightly.
"Yes, that would be me."
Yan Shaozhe forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, trying to keep his tone respectful.
"May I ask why the Beast God abruptly tore up a centuries-old pact and launched a Beast Tide of this scale?"
When under duress, one must bow one's head.
Currently, Shrek Academy was hollowed out of its high-end fighting power. Facing a Beast King like Di Tian, who stood at the continent's apex, their only chance of survival was to first show weakness.
He knew that if his words provoked the opponent, the negotiation would instantly break down, and Shrek City would immediately descend into a blood-and-fire hell.
"Why?"
The cold voice was suddenly stained with a hint of rage, as if resentment accumulated over countless years was erupting at this moment.
"Humans hunt Soul Beasts relentlessly. Over the years, the numbers of our Soul Beast race have continuously dwindled, and our survival territories have been encroached upon by you step by step—now, you ask me why?"
Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment.
He admitted that the conflict between humans and Soul Beasts was deeply rooted. Hunting Soul Beasts for Soul Rings was the very foundation of the Soul Master growth system.
But he also knew that this was absolutely not the real reason for Di Tian to launch the Beast Tide—if it were merely because of hunting, the Star Dou Great Forest would have erupted long ago, not waited until today.
He steadied himself and countered with a sincere tone.
"Your Excellency, regarding the issue of hunting Soul Beasts, we have been actively seeking solutions. Now that the Stigma System is widespread, Soul Masters no longer need to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings, and instead gain safer, more powerful Stigma blessings. In recent years, the number of human Soul Beast hunts has significantly decreased, and the Soul Beasts' living environment is gradually improving—this is absolutely not a reason for you to break the alliance."
Yan Shaozhe was not a fool.
He had also heard the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En, describe the nature of this Beast God, Di Tian, in detail. Given his calculating personality, he wouldn't risk an all-out war between the Soul Beast race and humanity by launching a Beast Tide, unless something earth-shattering had occurred.
"Please tell us the true reason, Your Excellency the Beast God."
Yan Shaozhe's voice carried the desperation of a final stand.
"Even if Shrek City cannot escape destruction today, please let us die with understanding."
Above the clouds, 'Di Tian' let out a deep, mocking sneer, his tone full of ridicule and contempt.
"Heh heh, to destroy you—what does that have to do with you?"
A simple sentence, yet it exploded like thunder in everyone's ears, carrying a heart-chilling indifference.
The delicate body of the Emerald Swan, Bi Ji, trembled violently. She twisted her head to look at the black dragon beside her in disbelief.
With her hundreds of thousands of years of understanding of Di Tian, although the Beast God was aloof and proud, he had always regarded the survival of the Soul Beast tribe as his highest mission. He would never utter such words, which completely disregard life and even carry a hint of mockery.
This is not the Di Tian she knows at all!
A deep doubt, like a vine, spread wildly in her heart.
"You...!"
The golden phoenix that Yan Shaozhe had transformed into shook all over, and towering anger and humiliation surged in his heart.
At the same time, his face instantly turned ashen white.
Di Tian's attitude was perfectly clear. He simply did not care about the reason, did not care about the consequences; he only wanted to destroy Shrek City.
There was no room for negotiation in this determination.
"Bastard! If you want to fight, then fight! We're not afraid of death!"
Di Tian's words, which disdained all life, were heard clearly not only by Yan Shaozhe but by everyone on the city wall.
Xian Lin'er's already fiery temper instantly ignited. She slammed her hand onto the battlements, and the hard obsidian shattered in response.
"There are no cowards in Shrek Academy!"
It wasn't just Xian Lin'er; all the soldiers and Soul Masters on the city wall showed indignation.
Di Tian's words essentially treated everyone in Shrek Academy as ants that could be crushed at will.
This blatant contempt, however, ignited the latent spirit and bloodlust in everyone's bones.
"We swear to live and die with Shrek!"
Someone was the first to shout this sentence, and immediately after, thousands of voices rang out simultaneously, converging into a deafening roar that shook the earth. The morale, which had been intimidated by Di Tian's pressure, rekindled at this moment.
"Your destruction is none of your concern."
This bone-chilling sentence was like a poisoned thorn, violently stabbing into the heart of every Shrek person, completely igniting the pride and fighting spirit buried deep within them.
Yan Shaozhe slowly reined in the bright flames burning around him, returning to his human form and floating in mid-air.
He no longer used the honorific "Your Excellency," his voice suppressing a boiling fury.
"Di Tian, do you truly wish for this? Although Shrek Academy is temporarily at a disadvantage, we are not a soft persimmon to be slaughtered at will. If you insist on war, even if you ultimately crush Shrek City, the Soul Beast tribe of the Star Dou Great Forest will undoubtedly pay a terrible price."
He still held onto a sliver of hope—he refused to believe that Di Tian would truly disregard the survival of the Soul Beast tribe and choose an outcome where both sides suffered heavy losses.
Based on his understanding of Di Tian, though the Beast God was powerful, he always prioritized the continuation of the Soul Beast race.
"Hmph!"
Di Tian let out a cold snort that shook the heavens. The churning clouds suddenly parted to both sides.
A gigantic black dragon head slowly emerged from the cloud sea. Its golden dragon eyes were like two scorching suns, emitting two condensed golden light beams that locked onto Yan Shaozhe.
The unreserved pressure swept over him like a tsunami. Yan Shaozhe grunted, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and he staggered backward over ten meters in the air before barely stabilizing himself.
"Get lost."
The golden dragon eyes were filled with icy indifference.
"Dare to speak another word, and you won't be going back."
Yan Shaozhe raised his head, looking at the sky-obscuring black dragon head. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by resolute battle intent.
He took a deep breath, instantly turning into a streak of light and returning to the city wall. His voice, like thunder, echoed across the entire battlefield.
"Everyone, listen to my command! Soul Cannons prepare to fire—Shrek Academy will fight to the death today, with no retreat!"
On the city wall, the deadly silence was instantly shattered.
Soldiers rapidly adjusted the angles of the Soul Cannons. The grinding of gears and the humming of energy charging intertwined into a single soundscape.
Soul Masters released their Soul Rings. The three colors of yellow, purple, and black converged on the city wall into a dazzling sea of light.
Despite facing the terrifying Beast God and tens of thousands of Soul Beasts, the eyes of every person in Shrek City burned with a flame of absolute resolve at this moment.
The great battle was imminent.
"Kill! Wash Shrek City in blood!"
The black dragon head fiercely pressed down on the clouds. The icy, ruthless voice, carrying irresistible majesty, echoed across the entire battlefield.
As this command fell, over a hundred thousand Soul Beasts roared toward the sky simultaneously—wolf howls, tiger roars, dragon cries, and beast bellows merged into a deafening sound wave that even the earth trembled before.
The next second, the auras erupting from all the Soul Beasts converged into a terrifying torrent. They stomped the ground, flapped their wings, and charged toward Shrek City with an overwhelming momentum.
Their dense figures were like a surging black tsunami, carrying dust and a bloody stench. Wherever they passed, grass and trees were snapped, and the earth cracked. A tangible cloud of despair descended upon Shrek City.
"BOOM—!!!"
The first to break the silence was the pre-charged Soul Cannon array on the south wall.
The muzzles of seventy-two heavy-duty Soul Cannons simultaneously glowed with scorching red light. Immediately after, a crimson energy torrent, like the breath of a giant dragon, emitted a sharp, tearing sound as it sliced through the air, roaring toward the Beast Tide several kilometers away with a deafening blast.
The energy beams, like divine judgment from the heavens, landed precisely in the Soul Beast ranks at the Beast Tide's vanguard.
A blinding fire instantly swallowed swaths of Soul Beasts. Agonizing screams mixed with the smell of scorched flesh drifted toward the city wall with the wind.
Soul Beasts directly hit by the energy torrent were instantly vaporized. Those fortunate enough to only be affected were scorched black and fell heavily, momentarily tearing an almost hundred-meter-wide gap in the Beast Tide's front.
But this gap existed for only an instant.
The Soul Beasts from the rear trampled over the scorched corpses of their comrades, their eyes flashing with a frenzied red light. They seemed oblivious to pain and death, knowing only to follow that icy command, charging toward the city wall relentlessly.
Their footsteps crushed the remains of their companions, grinding blood and shredded flesh into the soil, making the ground muddy and crimson.
"All Soul Masters, listen to the command! Release area-of-effect Soul Skills to suppress the Beast Tide's advance speed!"
Qian Duoduo stood on the command platform at the highest point of the city wall, holding a specialized Soul Tool megaphone inscribed with complex runes. His face was solemn, yet his voice was loud and powerful.
"First Soul Master Legion targets the left flank! Second Soul Master Legion suppresses the right flank! The central area is mine!"
As the Dean of the Soul Tool Department at Shrek Academy, he possessed profound expertise in coordinating Soul Tools and Soul Skills. This was his moment to manage the overall situation.
As the command was issued, three thousand Soul Masters on the city wall simultaneously unleashed their Soul Skills—various colored lights interwoven in mid-air into a gorgeous yet deadly light net.
Hailstorms, fire rain, lightning storms, and wind blades poured down like a deluge. The regular soldiers also operated various portable Soul Tools for coordinated fire.
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi