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"Zhong brothers, Devouring Ant." The moment Chou Zhiyi spoke softly, four figures abruptly appeared, kneeling before him.
These four were also evil soul masters, a core group personally assembled by Chou Zhiyi—his most trusted subordinates.
The Zhong brothers, with their Spirit Soul Puppet martial souls, were all Soul Emperors, with the eldest even reaching level 69.
Devouring Ant, true to his name, possessed the Ten Thousand Devouring Ant Emperor martial soul and was also a Soul Emperor.
"My lord..." the four said in unison.
"You four will oversee the eastern, southern, western, and northern sectors. Though this place is remote and lacks major figures, there are still many soul master families here. To prevent unexpected incidents, I need you four to monitor the situation."
Chou Zhiyi spoke cautiously, "If any old monsters emerge, notify me immediately. If you can't handle them, retreat first. Survival is the priority."
"Yes!"
"Go."
Whoosh!
The four figures vanished. These individuals were all promising talents among evil soul masters. The reason they remained loyal to Chou Zhiyi was precisely because of his caution, low profile, cunning nature, and the fact that he had never abandoned them. This massacre might also allow them to break through, potentially even reaching Soul Sage level.
This time, the four Soul Emperors were responsible for the scattered villages in the four directions, while Chou Zhiyi himself oversaw the less prosperous town beneath their feet.
Once midnight arrived, the slaughter would begin.
---
Bai Xu sat cross-legged on his bed, feeling a throbbing pain in his head. The fluctuations of fate were growing increasingly violent, even disturbing the consciousness of the plane, throwing it into chaos.
In a daze, Bai Xu found himself standing before that familiar red iron gate once more. The same familiar voice echoed in his ears. This time, he didn't hesitate—he pushed the door open, eager to see his parents.
But the moment he stepped inside, he froze. The courtyard from his memories didn't appear. Instead, he found himself in a desolate wasteland, where two solitary graves stood.
Bai Xu suddenly didn't know what to do. His outstretched hand hung stiffly in the air, and his lips, which had been about to call out, slowly closed.
At this moment, he felt more like an observer. His body no longer seemed his own, and though he didn't know how to react, he mechanically walked to the graves, knelt, and bowed. Just as he was about to speak, a knock came at his door.
Bai Xu remained in a daze, replaying the experience in his mind, murmuring, "That wasn't me..."
"Ugh!"
A sudden burst of pain forced a muffled groan from Bai Xu as he collapsed to the ground, his mind reeling. "Just approaching that place gave me a splitting headache—what's going on?"
"Bai Xu!"
A startled cry rang out as the door burst open. Na'er saw Bai Xu curled up on the floor, clutching his head, and rushed to help him up. "What's wrong with you?" she asked urgently.
Bai Xu continued to groan, his spirit unstable. In his dazed state, he caught glimpses of more fragmented images.
On Earth...
Bai Xu returned, his weathered face filled with melancholy. "I'm back... but everything has changed. The past is beyond reach..."
His arm stretched out, and though he knew the intention—to use his divine power to resurrect his loved ones, to see their faces again—in the end, he didn't act. Silently, he flew into the cosmos.
Na'er channeled her energy into Bai Xu, hoping to calm him. She could sense the turmoil in his heart, as though something had awakened that could shake his very core.
"I'm fine..."
A soft sigh escaped Bai Xu, and Na'er stopped her efforts. "What happened? Your mental state is in chaos—did something shake your resolve?"
Bai Xu remained silent. Though the pain had faded, he longed to see more.
What was that?
The future?
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Na'er said.
"It's my own problem. Only by finding that plane will I get answers. By the way, I heard you knocking earlier—was there something you needed?" Bai Xu asked.
"I wanted to..."
Before Na'er could finish, an explosion in the distance cut her off. Flames erupted from the eastern part of the town, accompanied by faint cries for help.
Bai Xu and Na'er rushed to the rooftop and saw the fire in the east. A sinister aura spread relentlessly, and scattered projectiles caused further explosions.
"Evil soul masters..." Na'er said grimly, then glanced at Bai Xu. Would he intervene?
Bai Xu's expression darkened. Suddenly, he snapped his head up, staring intently at the sky. The clouds shifted slightly, revealing a sliver of moonlight.
Beneath the moon stood a figure clad in black robes. The middle-aged man concealed his aura, as though standing above all living beings, looking down upon these pitiful mortals. His eyes met Bai Xu's, and he smirked disdainfully. "Interesting... you actually noticed me."
"High-level Soul Sage..." Bai Xu frowned.
Na'er gasped. "A Soul Sage-level evil soul master?"
"Mm, and a high-level one at that. I'm not sure if a mental shock will work on him. Let's go!" Bai Xu grabbed Na'er's arm and immediately fled toward the northwest.
"Such speed..." Chou Zhiyi's body exuded a ghostly aura, carrying the stench of death. In a few flashes, he intercepted Bai Xu and Na'er.
Bai Xu knew escaping today wouldn't be easy. He quickly transmitted a mental message: "Na'er, I'll hold him off. You run—head northwest and stop only when you're safe. Wait for me there."
"No, I'll fight with you—"
"You've only just reached Soul Ancestor level. Even with your innate gifts, you can't defeat him without unleashing your origin power. Right now, you'd only be a burden. I have escape methods—I'll be fine. Go!"
Na'er hesitated, then nodded.
"Discussing escape plans? Useless!" Chou Zhiyi sneered. A ghostly sword materialized in his hand, and seven spirit rings—purple, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared, their oppressive aura bearing down on Bai Xu and Na'er.
Bai Xu pulled out his Spirit Pagoda identification. "Bai Xu of the Star Luo Empire's Spirit Pagoda, returning home on leave. Do you evil soul masters want another imperial purge?"
Chou Zhiyi burst into laughter as though hearing the world's greatest joke. "Hahaha—you—"
Before he could finish, a violent mental shock tore into the depths of his spiritual sea. The searing pain sent him reeling, nearly causing him to plummet from the sky.
Seizing the opportunity, Na'er swiftly retreated behind him, spreading her dragon wings to flee at full speed.
"Trying to run?!" Chou Zhiyi gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as he endured the pain. He possessed not only a flight-type soul tool but also battle armor!
"Fourth Spirit Skill—Netherworld Death Aura!"
Waves of death energy transformed into sword beams, homing in on Na'er. Meanwhile, Chou Zhiyi fixed his glare on Bai Xu, vowing to carve him into pieces.
"As expected of a Spirit Pagoda prodigy—a Soul King's mental shock actually hurt me! Today, I'll harvest your death energy for cultivation!"
The Netherworld Sword slashed down. Bai Xu summoned his Genggold Sword to block.
Yet the clash sent him plummeting to the town below.
"My lord, he's level 79..." the plane's consciousness whispered.
"Level 79?!"
"Hmm? You blocked that?" Chou Zhiyi was puzzled. A mere Soul King should have been bisected in one strike—how could he withstand the pressure unscathed?
Bai Xu glanced at Na'er in the distance. Though pursued by ghostly sword beams, she retaliated with her Silver Dragon Spear, deflecting the attacks with practiced techniques. After exchanging a look with Bai Xu, she continued her retreat.
"You blocked my fourth spirit skill. Today is full of surprises—a remote backwater town actually harbors two Spirit Pagoda geniuses. Fine, I'll let her go to deliver the news. You—die!"
"First Spirit Skill—Netherworld Ghost Domain!"
"Fifth Spirit Skill—Netherworld Slash!"
Bai Xu's expression turned grave. He cycled through the five elements, manifesting the metal element externally to resist the ghost domain's deathly aura.
His sword energy intensified as he clashed with Chou Zhiyi.
Their violent collision lit up the night with blinding white light. Across the town, soul master families mobilized to resist the evil soul masters, and battles erupted everywhere. Fortunately, no additional evil soul masters arrived as reinforcements.
Boom!
Chou Zhiyi felt a momentary lapse in his consciousness, his head throbbing. When his vision cleared, a golden sword was already slashing toward his face. He dodged, but Bai Xu still managed to leave a bloody gash on his cheek.
"Brat, how is this possible? You can wield both a golden sword and mental shocks—you have twin martial souls!"
When Bai Xu used mental shocks, he enhanced them with spirit skills, revealing five spirit rings—purple, purple, purple, black, black—marking him as a five-ringed Soul King. Yet when he wielded the golden sword, no soul power was expended, as though he relied purely on physical strength.
Until now, Bai Xu had been unmatched among peers. Against Soul Kings, a single mental shock could obliterate their spiritual seas. Against Soul Emperors? He wasn't sure—he'd never tried.
But against a Soul Sage, it could only briefly distract them, inflicting minor mental agony.
"Not talking? Then die!"
Clang!
Their swords collided. Bai Xu was forced back ten steps, while Chou Zhiyi retreated only three.
In an instant, they clashed again. Though Bai Xu was at a disadvantage, he held his ground. Even a level 79 Soul Sage couldn't quickly overpower him.
"Interesting. This is the first time I've seen a Soul King who can fight like this. How about joining our Holy Church?" Chou Zhiyi seemed to be toying with him, though his gaze occasionally flicked toward the distant slaughter. The death energy was accumulating too slowly.
Bai Xu was merely an appetizer.
But in the next moment, Bai Xu seemed to reach a decision. He launched an offensive, his sword raised high—yet it carried no sharpness. As it descended, the blade dissolved into golden light, while a protective golden glow enveloped his body, his skin hardening into a deep brown.
His palm struck at Chou Zhiyi's battle armor.
"Ha! Fool!"
The Netherworld Sword slashed across Bai Xu's chest, splitting through his golden shield and the stone-like hardening of his skin, leaving a ten-centimeter gash.
But at the same time, Bai Xu's hand made contact with the battle armor—specifically, the right armguard.
Bai Xu staggered back, death energy coiling around his wound, sizzling as it corroded his flesh.
"The Netherworld Death Energy will keep eating away at you. Surrender now, and I might spare—ugh!"
Before Chou Zhiyi could finish, the death energy on Bai Xu's chest began to purify, his wound healing completely within ten seconds.
"Hah. Underestimating my abilities is a fatal mistake."
Bai Xu formed a sword gesture with his fingers, attempting to manipulate the battle armor. At level 79 and beyond, battle armor became an extension of the soul master's body—so Chou Zhiyi immediately sensed something wrong.
But in the next instant, another mental shock assaulted him, freezing him momentarily. He couldn't suppress the armor's rebellion in time.
In that split second, the battle armor morphed, starting from the right arm and spreading. Within a second, Chou Zhiyi's entire right arm turned to metal, losing all sensation.
Swoosh!
A sword flash followed. Without hesitation, Chou Zhiyi severed his own arm. He pulled out a communication soul tool and growled, "All four of you—return now."
Bai Xu's face darkened. Without another word, he turned and fled.
During their fight, their positions had shifted. Bai Xu now bolted northwest without looking back. He didn't know how many reinforcements Chou Zhiyi could summon—if four more Soul Sages arrived, Bai Xu might truly perish here.
Within half a minute, the four subordinates arrived, shocked and enraged to see their lord missing an arm.
"After him! Northwest direction—he's concealing his aura. Search thoroughly. Hunt him to the ends of the earth if you must!"
"Yes!"
Underground...
Bai Xu traveled via earth escape art, concealing his presence as he fled.
"Escaping underground should be safe..."
But suddenly, another splitting headache struck. This time, the vision was different—unrelated to his homeland.
He saw himself clad in white, standing in the cosmos.
Powerful figures from across the starfield approached. "Outer Demon! Our fates are not yours to control!"
Bai Xu snorted. "I stand at the Fifth Step. It's time to settle our debts."
A cosmic war erupted. The shockwaves of their battle annihilated galaxies. Bai Xu fought alone against countless foes until the edge of the universe, where even the laws of the cosmos were erased.
In the end, Bai Xu emerged victorious, his divine voice echoing across existence. Though his body was battered, his spirit burned bright. "Pity. Not a single one of you could kill me. From this day forth, this universe is mine to rule."
"Those who defy me—I will crush them all."
All living beings knelt in terror. Their fates no longer their own, now subject to the whims of an outer demon. Their powerlessness was absolute.
Back in the present...
Bai Xu emerged from the ground and collapsed, oblivious to the pursuing evil soul masters.
But a silver figure appeared, scooping him up and darting away. Na'er hadn't gone far—her concealment skills were formidable, and she'd been observing the battle from hiding.
Seeing Bai Xu falter, she rushed in to rescue him.
---
Star Luo Empire Capital.
The battle between Monster Academy and Shrek Academy's "True and False Monsters" had begun. However, Gu Yue didn't participate. Upon learning that the rewards included soul beast bones, her expression darkened. Despite Tang Wulin's pleas, despite this battle determining the selection of the new Shrek Seven, Gu Yue refused to fight.
Thus, she had more time to monitor Bai Xu's movements.
On the arena stage, Tang Wulin glanced back at Gu Yue, lost in thought. He felt an inexplicable connection to her, though its nature eluded him.
Then he turned to the opposing team. Princess Dai Yun'er grinned playfully, her beauty radiant as blooming flowers. Beside her stood Monster Academy's elite, led by Long Yue.
The team battle hadn't even started, yet the tension was palpable.
Dai Yun'er gave Tang Wulin a thumbs-up—then slowly turned it upside down.
But this time, without the fusion skill "Dragon God Transformation," could Shrek Academy still win?
Long Yue, hailed by the Star Luo Empire as a once-in-a-millennium genius, possessed unfathomable strength. Earlier, Tang Wulin had tested his power against Long Yue's—marking only the second time since awakening his Golden Dragon King bloodline that he'd been overpowered.
Of course, the vast disparity in their cultivation levels played a role.