Huo Yuhao was deeply disappointed.
He wanted to see rivers of blood!
But both Mu En and Di Tian wanted to negotiate. There was nothing he could do about that — he couldn't exactly go up and bash their heads together, could he? Fortunately, the beast souls he had collected so far were almost enough to further evolve the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
Still, Huo Yuhao had already begun marking the vicious beasts and Beast Kings present.
"Memorize their auras and luck fluctuations. Sooner or later, I'll shove them all into the Ghost Banner Martial Soul!" he thought to himself.
Absorbing the souls of all the Beast Kings and their kin gathered here would massively empower the Ghost Banner Martial Soul — a delicacy he absolutely couldn't miss.
Meanwhile, everyone else was focused on the conversation between Mu En and Di Tian.
Di Tian didn't start with Jin Qiu'er's incident. Instead, he used the deaths of four Beast Kings overnight as an entry point, making Mu En realize that this beast tide was triggered by humans.
It was humanity's fault!
This naturally made Mu En's stance less confident.
And that was indeed the truth.
When Mu En heard that all the ten-thousand-year soul beasts in three mountain ranges had been slaughtered, along with vast numbers of lesser beasts — including four Beast Kings — his heart sank. His first reaction was disbelief.
"Impossible!" Mu En flatly denied.
"I have no reason to lie," Di Tian replied calmly. He made no attempt to prove his claim, because now it was Mu En's turn to disprove it.
Di Tian's composure made Mu En waver internally.
He understood that Di Tian had no reason to lie — nor was he the type who would. He bore the pride of the strong.
But Mu En also understood something else — even if he could prove Di Tian was lying, it would be meaningless.
The soul beasts had already come to their doorstep. They clearly had demands. Did anyone really think this could all be settled with just a few words?
Argue logic and reason with soul beasts?
Dream on.
Shrek only managed to sign a peace agreement with the Great Star Dou Forest because Shrek Academy was powerful enough!
Mu En was certain that if he weren't here today — or if he showed any weakness — Di Tian would charge into Shrek City, massacre humans, and reduce the city to a footnote in history.
Everyone else had also heard the exchange between Mu En and Di Tian. Some were stunned, some in disbelief, while others glared furiously at Di Tian.
"This is slander!" Elder Lin bellowed.
"Exactly. How could anyone kill four Beast Kings in a single night? Not to mention massacring the ten-thousand-year soul beasts of three whole mountain ranges? What, were four quasi-Titled Douluo looking for soul rings at once? I haven't heard of any Titled Douluo-level twin martial soul users going ring hunting lately!" Elder Song was practically spitting with rage.
"Using such an absurd excuse to unleash a beast tide on Shrek City — soul beasts really are not to be trusted!" the old city lord added gravely.
He had defended Shrek City for most of his life. Now that it was being pushed to the brink by soul beasts, how could he not feel grief and fury?
He began to wonder: perhaps allowing soul beasts to roam free and signing peace accords wasn't the right path. Maybe the real solution was to imprison, cage, and domesticate them.
But he lacked the strength or means to do so.
Still, he believed that future generations would succeed.
For example, Huo Yuhao — who stood on the wall like a monstrous prodigy. He was only thirteen, and had taken immortal herbs. In the future, he would surely surpass Mu En.
By then, he might truly have the power to end the soul beast crisis.
Old Elder Zhuang, floating nearby, sighed and said helplessly,
"But we have no way to disprove it, do we?"
Ten-thousand-year rings could generally only be absorbed by Titled Douluo. Zhang Lexuan had been an exception, barely surviving after months of recovery. There was little chance of repeating that feat.
Only a Titled Douluo with twin martial souls might be able to absorb more — but even then, there was no way to hunt and absorb four ten-thousand-year soul rings in a single night!
Just finding and targeting those Beast Kings would take a lot of time.
But what the experts thought impossible, Huo Yuhao had already done.
Because that night, it wasn't just Huo Yuhao hunting. He had his army, and the ghosts within his Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
Most importantly, Huo Yuhao had full-map vision and used luck projections. He could precisely locate every ten-thousand- and thousand-year soul beast. The only ones who had a chance to escape were the ordinary beasts without luck projections.
His efficiency and speed were unmatched.
Even normal ten-thousand-year soul beasts stood no chance against Huo Yuhao. In head-on fights, they couldn't last even a quarter hour.
They didn't even have time to raise an alarm.
With his multi-domain abilities activated, the sounds of combat were completely muffled.
Against the later Beast Kings, he always struck from the shadows. He ambushed the weaker Cai Lin Butterfly King and killed her in an instant.
An ordinary Titled Douluo couldn't possibly absorb four ten-thousand-year rings in one night. But Huo Yuhao's Healing Angel Puppet Martial Soul had a quality of level 99 and special life attributes — absorbing four ten-thousand-year rings was easy for him.
Even so, Huo Yuhao still found it a bit slow.
What caught his attention was that Di Tian mentioned "four Beast Kings."
"Did Di Tian not count the Tyrannosaurus Rex? Don't tell me… he hasn't even noticed it's missing?" Huo Yuhao was speechless. "Tyrannosaurus, are you that low-profile?"
"Brother Hao, that old fogey Di Tian's always like this. I never needed him to take care of me anyway!" the Tyrannosaurus said, clearly familiar with Di Tian but not particularly respectful.
This time, Huo Yuhao guessed right.
The "four Beast Kings" Di Tian referred to were:
Windfury Ape King
Golden-Eyed Ant Emperor
Forest Deer King
Cai Lin Butterfly King
He didn't include the Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose territory was technically part of a fourth mountain range neighboring the Ant Emperor's. It often acted alone, refused to take orders, and had no tribe. If it didn't leave home, no one cared — most were even relieved. No one noticed it had vanished.
Besides, Huo Yuhao hadn't slaughtered the soul beasts of the Tyrannosaurus's home range.
Naturally, Di Tian overlooked it.
Even with the Tyrannosaurus absent, Di Tian wasn't suspicious. Given its unruly nature, it wouldn't be surprising no matter what it did.
If not for the Tyrannosaurus's rare dragon bloodline, Di Tian would've exterminated it long ago for its bad behavior.
But if Di Tian did find out the Tyrannosaurus had also been killed, he would be even angrier.
Because even if it was an annoying relative — as long as it wasn't an enemy — it was still kin, not something outsiders could touch.
Besides, the fact that five Beast Kings were concentrated in those few mountain ranges showed how rich in resources they were. No wonder other Beast Kings were tempted when they heard about the deaths.
...
Mu En fell silent for a moment, then denied Di Tian's claims.
"Di Tian, your words are pure nonsense. What you're describing is impossible for a normal soul master!"
No matter what, he couldn't lose the moral high ground — he needed public support.
By blaming the soul beasts and declaring this a frame-up, even if Shrek City fell, the academy could retreat and rally the three empires to avenge them against the Great Star Dou Forest.
Mu En was clear-headed. He knew Shrek Academy's true foundation wasn't the city or the school — it was the righteousness of humanity!
"You calling me a liar?" Di Tian erupted.
Although the auspicious beast was more important, the deaths of Beast Kings were still a provocation against the entire Great Star Dou Forest.
"Enough with the games. Di Tian, what do you really want? Just say it!" Mu En pushed for a direct confrontation.
If they kept stalling, it would be Shrek that fell first.
Huo Yuhao: Fight! Fight already!
Huo Yuhao understood now—Mu En's attitude was clear: they couldn't afford to fight, but they couldn't back down either. He wanted to negotiate. Ditian also wanted to negotiate, but without a trace of fear—he certainly didn't think he couldn't win.
The advantage lay entirely with Ditian. So what did he have to fear?
"Mu En, then we'll have to settle this with a fight!" Ditian sneered coldly.
This brief conversation confirmed something crucial for Ditian—Shrek Academy seemed unaware of Jin Qiu'er's true identity. Otherwise, Mu En wouldn't have remained indifferent.
This eased Ditian's worries and emboldened him further.
Of course, even so, Ditian didn't kill Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe—their lives were still valuable bargaining chips.
With a flick of his hand, Ditian hurled the captured Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe over to the Myriad Beast King.
"Myriad Beast King, watch over them. The rest of you ferocious beasts, follow me—attack Shrek City!" Ditian ordered coldly.
"Yes, boss!" the Myriad Beast King, in the form of a handsome man, responded without objection. He summoned tree branches to bind the two captives and suspended them high, as if mocking Shrek.
Yan Shaozhe remained unconscious, completely unaware.
Xuan Zi, on the other hand, was wide-eyed with rage. But Ditian's power sealed his abilities and silenced him—he couldn't speak, only struggle in vain. Gravely injured and missing an arm, he had already lost too much blood. His face was deathly pale. After a few weak struggles, dizziness overwhelmed him, stars danced before his eyes, and finally, he collapsed—too weak to move. But his inner fury surged on. His eyes turned crimson, and he bit his gums until they bled.
Under Ditian's command, the other ferocious beasts bared their fangs.
"Ditian, this should've been done long ago! Talking with humans gets you nowhere!" the Bear King snarled, charging straight toward the humans.
The Scarlet King and Purple Empress followed closely.
Behind them came several hundred-thousand-year soul beast kings, led by the Six-Winged Demon Tiger.
Bi Ji remained amidst the beast tide, commanding and supporting the soul beasts. Her green radiance rained down, flooding the beasts with power, stirring an urge for battle.
This power boost resembled the one Wang Qiu'er gave Dai Hao back then—infusions of intense life force triggered surges of strength.
Elder Song and the others rushed forward, activating their martial soul avatars to fight desperately against the ferocious beasts.
Only by using their martial soul avatars could they barely hold out against the soul beasts.
But Elder Song, the strongest among them, was struck by the Bear King on the first exchange, sent flying with a bloody cough.
Elder Zhuang quickly came to assist.
Elder Song stabilized himself swiftly, wiped the blood from his mouth, and charged the Bear King once more.
He wasn't the only one—Elder Lin, the old city lord, Shi Xing, and Xue Kuang also faced immense pressure against the soul beast kings led by the Scarlet King and Purple Empress.
Elder Zhuang was forced to go all-out supporting them, leaving the city guards and inner court disciples exposed without his protection.
Zhang Lexuan finally entered the fray, directly intercepting the Six-Winged Demon Tiger. But among all Soul Douluo in Shrek, only she possessed that level of power.
Even Han Ruoruo, also a Soul Douluo and inner court disciple, couldn't manage the same. That's why Zhang Lexuan held the title of inner court senior sister.
As Zhang Lexuan fought the demon tiger, Han Ruoruo took over command, leading disciples and city guards to resist the beast tide.
Let's not forget—alongside the ferocious beasts and beast kings came the main force of the beast tide. These were no mere cannon fodder.
—
In the skies above—
Mu En's gaze darkened, fixed on Ditian.
He realized the soul beasts now held murderous intent.
If they weren't made to fear consequences, their next step would be to breach the city.
Indeed, that was Ditian's plan. Jin Qiu'er's identity remaining secret gave him confidence. Rather than exchange hostages, Ditian decided he would personally storm Shrek City, rescue Jin Qiu'er himself—and ensure there were no unexpected complications.
And he would teach humanity a lesson.
To prevent them from recklessly entering the Great Star Dou Forest again to slaughter soul beasts.
Ditian opened with his signature move—Ten Thousand Dragon Flame!
He vanished. In the sky, time seemed to pause. Then, cracks of violet light ripped through the air. From those cracks, enormous dragon heads emerged—each identical to Ditian's own.
They opened their maws wide, unleashing waves of terrifying purple-black dragonfire straight at Mu En's hunched figure.
This single strike could annihilate an entire city.
Mu En knew—it was time to go all out.
Shrek could not continue this battle, but he could.
He had to strike with enough might to make Ditian fear him.
Brilliant golden light erupted from Mu En's body. His once-hunched figure straightened—no taller or broader than before, yet he now radiated an overwhelming majesty, towering like a mountain.
Mu En didn't summon his Holy Bright Dragon martial soul. At his level, it made no difference—his strength was already at its peak, with or without a spirit manifestation.
His aged voice echoed in Huo Yuhao's ears—filled with immense authority and warmth:
"Yuhao, watch closely. This is what it means to stand above all!"
Huo Yuhao looked up.
Mu En was about to sacrifice his dwindling lifespan to give Huo Yuhao an irreplaceable lesson in live combat!
His entire body gleamed with radiant gold—not soul power, but a fusion of spirit and flesh. He emanated unmatched dominance.
Sensing this aura, the other soul beasts froze in horror. Even their battles with the human Titled Douluos came to a pause.
In this moment, Mu En would show Huo Yuhao that ruling the world was not the end—it was the beginning.
Before the ten thousand black flames, Mu En stood like an unbreakable barrier.
Then he slowly raised his hand. It seemed slow, yet perfectly timed—positioned right in the path of the dragonfire.
His hand shimmered with countless fine golden dragon scales. Behind him, the massive projection of a Holy Bright Dragon appeared. His right arm crystallized into golden crystal—its scales blurred with brilliance.
A resounding dragon's roar erupted from within his body.
With a single palm strike, an unstoppable tidal wave of force erupted from Mu En, forming a colossal Holy Bright Dragon that charged into the inferno.
The name of the move echoed through the sky—
"Dragon Emperor's Evil-Slaying Rift!"
The black dragonfire shattered upon impact with the dragon-shaped palm force, then reversed course in fragments. The Holy Bright Dragon surged forward, smashing into the violet cracks high above and obliterating them—forcing the Ten Thousand Dragon Flame to a complete halt.
As the attack dissipated, Ditian reappeared in the sky, his brow furrowed, staring at Mu En. Clearly, the sheer presence of ruling the world had shaken him.
It wasn't enough to make him truly afraid—yet he needed time to clear the mental disruption.
This was the lesson Mu En wanted to pass to Huo Yuhao.
Standing above all wasn't the destination. There was always room to grow further. Only Beibei, currently missing, could truly inherit Mu En's legacy. Huo Yuhao had to find his own path, using his unique martial souls.
Golden light gleamed in Huo Yuhao's eyes—the Eye of Destiny had silently activated.
"So this is the Dragon Emperor's Evil-Slaying Rift from the original story…"
In the original novel, this technique was passed down to Beibei. But compared to Beibei's display back then, Mu En's version was as vast as the sky to the earth.
This move was built upon ruling the world, derived from the Holy Bright Dragon, capable of shattering all evil—and evolving with its user's cultivation. Mu En's version had reached a terrifying level.
Its principle was similar to the Bright Dragon Fist Mu En once taught Huo Yuhao, which later evolved into the Extreme Frost Centipede Fist.
Or one might say—the Bright Dragon Fist was a mini-youth version of the Dragon Emperor's Evil-Slaying Rift—just one percent of its full power.
And now—Huo Yuhao had mastered it too!
Was it hard?
For a soul master, yes—extremely.
But for a Zen master?
Now this was interesting.
The Eye of Destiny—worthy of trust.
"Di Tian, retreat now. If you take one more step forward, then I will ensure you never leave this place alive!" Mu En said in a low, heavy voice, laced with threat.
Still not completely free from the effects of Sovereign's Might, Di Tian looked at Mu En with wary eyes. He hadn't expected that the Mu En he had once suppressed could now stand at such a level.
Why was it that the closer to death one got, the stronger they became?
And judging by Mu En's tone, could it be that he still had a trump card?
Still, Di Tian had no intention of retreating.
He had his pride.
And more importantly, he had to rescue the Auspicious Beast!
"Mu En, do you really think you can defeat me? That last attack of yours—how many more times can you unleash it in your current state?" Di Tian said coldly, his aura climbing steadily, clearly preparing to strike again.
Mu En narrowed his eyes slightly. He was fully aware of his condition—he couldn't fight a prolonged battle against Di Tian. But for the sake of Shrek, even if he had to sacrifice his life, he would not waver.
Besides, he wasn't without options.
In the next instant, Di Tian made his move, charging straight at Mu En and choosing close-quarters combat.
Still affected by Sovereign's Might, Di Tian opted for a more cautious approach—engaging in a normal fight to buy time.
On one hand, it gave him a chance to shake off the lingering effects. On the other, it wore down Mu En's strength and lifespan.
After all, Di Tian wasn't the one dying—he had no reason to rush.
Mu En made no attempt to dodge and chose to face Di Tian head-on.
He knew this would be his final battle.
So he held nothing back, fighting with all his might. The fierce aura radiating from him even made Di Tian secretly uneasy.
This time, Di Tian was truly facing someone who didn't fear death!
"Radiant Holy Dragon, possess me!"
As the Holy Dragon Spirit possessed him, Mu En's appearance began to change. It was as if time itself had reversed. His aged form gradually returned to that of a young man.
His once-withered body became strong and well-defined. Muscles bulged against the loose robe, his white hair turned golden from the roots and cascaded down his shoulders. His wrinkled face transformed into one of youthful handsomeness. Only his eyes, filled with a maturity that seemed to pierce through time, betrayed his true age, clashing with his youthful physique.
Mu En raised his dragon-armored fists and collided with Di Tian's punch.
The impact produced a piercing, explosive sound.
BOOM—!
Unleashing his trump card immediately might have frightened Di Tian into retreat.
But Mu En now wanted to completely defeat Di Tian, to instill fear in the rest of the beasts of the Star Dou Forest!
Only then could he, even in death, buy Huo Yuhao enough time to grow. So that when the next beast tide came, Shrek would have the strength to deal with it.
Therefore, his trump card had to be saved for the decisive moment.
And he had to act fast—others wouldn't hold out for long, and neither would he.
The aerial battle intensified the beast tide war below.
Standing atop the city walls, Huo Yuhao took in the entire battlefield.
At this moment, the beast tide had split into four battlefronts.
At the highest altitude, Mu En and Di Tian were locked in a duel—neither had the upper hand for now.
Below them, Elder Lin and five other Title Douluo were battling fierce beasts and several Beast Kings in midair. Zhang Lexuan was fighting the Six-Winged Demon Tiger on the ground. The battle was intense. Though Elder Lin's side was at a disadvantage, they were still holding on.
On the ground, the battlefield was divided into two zones:
One where inner court disciples, along with Soul Sages and Soul Douluos, fought scattered high-level soul beasts.
The other was at the front of the city walls, where the defending troops engaged the main body of the beast tide.
Bi Ji remained at the rear of the beast tide, directing the high-level soul beasts and the others.
These two ground fronts were in much worse shape.
The human side was clearly at a disadvantage.
The soul beasts not only outnumbered them but were also reinforced by powerful elites—and Bi Ji's support from the rear.
That humanity hadn't been completely routed yet was thanks to two things:
Reinforcements had arrived from inside Shrek City—several hundred Soul Masters, all at least Soul Elders.
Shrek's Soul Tool artillery had been transported to the battlefield.
Shrek had pulled out all the stops—truckloads of Soul Cannons and fixed-mount Soul Cannon shells were delivered and unleashed by Soul Tool Department disciples to bombard the beast tide.
All the major forces within Shrek City also supported the southern wall—some sent Soul Masters, others sent Soul Tools.
And amidst the chaos, the safest place on the battlefield was ironically the very wall Huo Yuhao stood upon.
Ahead of him stood the defending troops, holding off the beast tide. Until they were completely overrun, the main force of soul beasts couldn't reach the wall.
Some soul beasts did attempt direct attacks on the wall—either by flight or tunneling.
However, when any of them approached, even those at the 50,000-year level, they were instantly wounded by the extreme cold.
Beasts below 50,000 years were frozen to death on the spot. Those above could hold out a bit longer, but the wall didn't just have the element of Ultimate Ice.
Huo Yuhao had also infused it with Ultimate Poison.
Even if they could endure the cold, they might not survive the poison.
Under this dual-element corrosion, even 100,000-year soul beasts didn't dare recklessly charge.
Shrek's forces weren't yet aware that Huo Yuhao had advanced to wield Ultimate Poison. Even if they did find out, he had a ready explanation:
Don't ask. The herb's potential was finally unlocked.
Then throw in a "Sea God bless us," and no one would question him.
Some soul beasts did manage to dig under the southern wall and enter Shrek City. Fortunately, the city had a final line of defense—reserve forces quickly eliminated the intruders before they could cause chaos.
Now, Huo Yuhao stood on the wall, gazing over the battlefield, plotting his next moves.
This beast tide presented him with two objectives:
Cause heavy casualties among both Soul Masters and soul beasts.
Greatly enhance his personal reputation.
As the battle reignited, Huo Yuhao felt a surge of joy—more soul energy and blood essence to harvest from both sides.
"Want to boost my reputation even more?" Huo Yuhao looked toward Bi Ji in the distance.
Holding the wall wasn't enough. He couldn't steal Mu En's MVP, but second place—he had to claim it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fixed-mount Soul Cannon shells exploded continuously. Each blast killed or wounded hundreds of soul beasts.
But more and more beasts continued to surge forward like a tide.
In front of the wall, the defensive formation was no longer as solid as before.
Despite reinforcements and Soul Cannon support, the defenders didn't feel relieved.
Because the beasts they now faced were far more powerful.
Top-tier soul beasts had begun to emerge in the tide!
These elite soul beasts often had combat power far beyond their years, and their abilities were usually exceptional.
This drastically increased the defenders' casualties.
The worst part: they had no terrain advantage to help them.
Yet none of the defenders showed fear or thought of retreat.
"Hold the line! Hold the line!"
"For the glory of Shrek!"
"Kill them! Slaughter all the soul beasts!"
Several soldiers raised massive Soul Tool shields to force back the charging soul beasts and establish a temporary defense zone.
But just then—a slashing attack tore through a shield, shattering it completely and slicing the unprepared soldiers behind it into several pieces.
Such a bloody and brutal sight immediately stunned many of the defenders.
The Soul Masters among them turned their eyes toward the source—and finally saw what had destroyed the shield.
Standing there were three Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears!
Three Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears appeared at once—an incredibly rare sight!
Fortunately, none of the three had reached the ten-thousand-year level.
The strongest was only nine thousand years old, the next was five thousand, and the weakest was a mere two thousand.
Yet even these sub-ten-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears possessed terrifying combat strength—enough to make even Soul Sages or Soul Douluo meet a bitter end.
A ten-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear could rival a typical hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Even below that threshold, these beasts could battle far beyond their level.
Their relatively low cultivation allowed them to slip through the ranks of the beast tide unnoticed by powerful defenders. That's how they made it all the way to the front lines unimpeded.
The defenders, without any high-level soul masters among them, could only face slaughter at the hands of these three terrorclaw bears.
This was the destructive force of top-tier soul beasts in the beast tide!
There weren't many such beasts, but their lethality was immense.
Many of the defenders were graduates of Shrek Academy's outer court. Their academic knowledge was solid, and they quickly recognized the identity and danger of these soul beasts.
Despair swept over them.
"Retreat! They're Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears!"
"Use fixed-installation soul-guided shells! Blast them!"
"My soul skill can't break their defense!"
Panic spread through the ranks.
The bears began their rampage.
Just then, the ground cracked open. A massive ice-blue centipede burst from underground and devoured the nine-thousand-year bear in one bite.
It was the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul, rising high into the air and glaring down at the two remaining terrorclaw bears. That single glare stunned them into silence. They halted their attacks and roared in fear, trying to intimidate the newcomer.
But naughty bears who don't behave… get eaten by the centipede~
"What kind of soul beast is that?" one defender cried in alarm at the sudden appearance of the centipede.
Luckily, someone quickly reacted and slapped the panicked soul master aside. "That's not a soul beast! It's a martial soul! A powerful one!"
As expected, six black soul rings rose around the centipede, confirming its nature as a martial soul.
The defenders' morale instantly surged.
"Leave these three Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears to me. Also, please bring me some fixed-installation soul-guided shells." A young voice rang from atop the giant centipede.
Only then did the defenders notice Huo Yuhao standing on its head.
From their angle, they hadn't seen him before.
"It's the hero who built the Ice Fortress Wall!" someone recognized Huo Yuhao based on his soul rings, shouting out his identity in joy.
Immediately, the defenders' gaze changed—now filled with admiration and reverence. They rushed to fulfill his request, bringing him fixed-installation soul-guided shells.
Huo Yuhao began dealing with the bears.
A ten-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear could match a hundred-thousand-year beast. But Huo Yuhao could already handle such beasts—these were nothing to him.
The nine-thousand-year bear was already in the belly of his Mutated Ice Jade Centipede . Escape or resistance was no longer possible.
He then turned his gaze to the two remaining bears—the five-thousand-year one and the two-thousand-year one.
Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears were rare. Their ages could often hint at their identities.
"This two-thousand-year one… could it be the one that produced an external soul bone in the original story? Doesn't matter. I'll just eat them all!"
The centipede opened its maw twice more and swallowed the remaining bears whole.
He didn't kill them outright—just trapped them in the belly of the martial soul, putting them to sleep with pseudo-Buddha light for later handling.
This meant he couldn't recall the martial soul for now, but it wasn't a big issue.
At that moment, the defenders brought Huo Yuhao over a dozen soul-guided shells—precious weapons entrusted to him because…
Huo Yuhao was the hero of the battlefield!
Jumping down from the centipede, Huo Yuhao slung the shells onto his back and turned toward the beast tide.
"Hero, where are you going?" a defender couldn't help but ask.
"I am Huo Yuhao, disciple of Dragon God Douluo Mu En. It is my duty to give more than anyone else." He delivered his classic introduction, then stared at the distant Bi Ji with solemn determination. "If we only defend, we'll be wiped out eventually. I will end this beast tide!"
"What?!"
The defenders were stunned.
"Even though I've consumed much of my soul power, I still have this body. If someone must die, let it be me first!" With resolute eyes, Huo Yuhao strode forward—never looking back—as he charged into the beast tide.
He took the centipede and fought with his body, carving a blood-soaked path through the tide.
The defenders were shaken, goosebumps rising across their skin. Something powerful stirred within them—
The strength of faith.
They wanted to follow the hero!
"Yeah! We still have our bodies!"
"If death is inevitable, let it begin with me!"
"Wait for me, Hero! I'm coming too!"
"The hero's name is Huo Yuhao!"
"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"
"Brothers! Follow Huo Yuhao into battle!!!"
The defenders' broken morale surged again—this time fueled by tragic glory. They each grabbed soul-guided shells and charged into the beast tide, determined to follow in Huo Yuhao's footsteps.
The beast tide was vast, and soon Huo Yuhao and the centipede vanished into its depths.
But the defenders did not stop. There was no fear in their eyes—only a golden glint.
They used soul tools if they had them. Soul skills if they could.
When all their power and weapons were exhausted, they used their bodies.
"For the honor of Shrek! Follow the hero Huo Yuhao!!"
One soul master, drained of soul power and bleeding from countless wounds, leapt into the tide—shielding a ten-thousand-year beast—and detonated the soul-guided shell strapped to his body.
BOOM!!!
The explosion consumed both him and the soul beast, leaving not even ashes. Dozens more beasts were caught in the blast.
Still, the defenders didn't stop.
"For the honor of Shrek! Follow the hero Huo Yuhao!!"
"For the honor of Shrek! Follow the hero Huo Yuhao!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
This tragic scene brought even the hardened inner court disciples of Shrek Academy to tears.
Some were openly crying.
They unleashed their full power, diving into madness.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Martial Soul True Body!"
Even those soul masters not affiliated with Shrek now understood—
This is the spirit of Shrek!
"Even if Shrek City falls today, Shrek shall remain glorious in defeat!" one powerful soul master said with conviction.
Shrek's all-out suicidal tactics sent waves of fear through the beast tide. Even ten-thousand-year soul beasts began retreating.
Bi Ji, who commanded the beasts, noticed immediately. Her heart trembled.
"This... this is what it means to be human?"
And yet, to Huo Yuhao, it still didn't feel tragic enough.
Night had fallen.
But the pitch-black sky was lit up by the brilliance of erupting soul power.
At the same time, the darkness of night became an advantage for some.
Take Zhang Lexuan, for instance—her martial soul showed even greater power in the darkness. Her Six-Winged Demon Tiger, whose full name was the Six-Winged Darkgold Tiger, carried golden bloodline within its body and was already a beast king known for overwhelming strength. Yet at this moment, it was firmly held at bay by Zhang Lexuan's Soul Douluo-level power, unable to move a step forward.
The Six-Winged Demon Tiger let out a furious roar.
And just then, Zhang Lexuan's reinforcements arrived.
"Senior Sister, we've come to help you!" Ma Xiaotao charged to the frontline with Ling Luochen and Wei Na in tow.
They had earlier withdrawn due to severe soul power depletion. Fortunately, they had found auxiliary-type soul masters from the inner courtyard to recover quickly. Once restored, they rushed back to the battlefield and went straight to support Zhang Lexuan.
Right now, Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen stood as top-tier elites, second only to Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo.
"Phoenix of Flame True Form!" Ma Xiaotao immediately activated her martial soul avatar, ready to unleash her full strength.
Ling Luochen poured all her soul power into her left arm, which now emanated a force that made even the Six-Winged Demon Tiger feel dread. It instinctively knew—if that arm struck, it would suffer a devastating blow!
Wei Na, meanwhile, was healing Zhang Lexuan. Her just-recovered soul power drained away like the tide, turning her complexion pale once more.
But in return, Zhang Lexuan's condition was restored, and her aura surged back to its peak.
"Wei Na, thank you. You should fall back to safety. Leave this to us," Zhang Lexuan said gently.
"Senior Sister, Sister Xiaotao, Sister Luochen—go get them!"
Wei Na didn't waste words. After a word of encouragement, she activated her defensive soul device with the remaining soul power and ran toward the auxiliary soul master group.
Zhang Lexuan, with Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, then encircled the Six-Winged Demon Tiger.
"Xiaotao, Luochen—fight with me!" Zhang Lexuan's voice turned icy.
The Six-Winged Demon Tiger tensed.
The fierce sacrifice of the defenders had ignited the potential of the Shrek inner court disciples. No longer caring for their own safety, their combat strength was rising once again.
Bi Ji, who controlled the beast tide, began to hesitate. The unstoppable momentum of the beast tide was breaking.
Bi Ji was too kind.
And a kind commander could never unleash the full ferocity of an army.
Mercy does not command troops!
But the human resurgence also showed something else: they couldn't hold on much longer. If the beast tide wasn't broken soon, once the humans became exhausted and casualties mounted, the city would fall.
Thus, the human side attacked even more fiercely.
The battles grew bloodier.
In the skies, powerful figures like Elder Song wanted to strike decisively—but reality held them back. They could only hang on.
Bi Ji was too busy commanding the beast tide. The Myriad Demon King was occupied with watching over Xuanzi and Yan Shaozhe, not joining the fight.
Yet even with just the Bear Lord, Elder Song and Elder Zhuang were forced to give their all.
Still, Elder Song could only use his speed to entangle the Bear Lord.
The Bear Lord was furious—it wanted to kill Elder Song, but Elder Song was slippery as an eel. Every time the Bear Lord tried to attack someone else, Elder Song would return to block him. Occasionally when Elder Song was injured, Elder Zhuang would heal him at any cost.
A battle of attrition.
Whoever gave out first would lose.
The Scarlet King and Purple Empress were also held down.
It took the combined effort of the old City Lord, Shi Xing, Xue Kuang, and Elder Lin—all Titled Douluo—to restrain them.
Shi Xing, a level-94 Titled Douluo and the main force, used time-based abilities to stall not just two beast kings, but also the Four-Horned Overlord Deer and the Five-Colored Dragon Ram.
His title "Time Magician" was well-earned—he was elite in crowd control.
But the price was steep. His face had turned pale, and his body trembled with fatigue. Still, he endured.
The old City Lord, Elder Lin, and Xue Kuang protected him up front, fending off beasts while shielding him.
Fierce fighting also raged on the other three sections of the wall. Qian Duoduo, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er all activated their martial soul avatars, leading the experts in resisting the incoming beast kings.
Defenders kept combining soul techniques or bombarding the enemy with soul cannon and fixed-launch soul cannon shells.
As savage as the battle on the ground was, all high-level combatants knew that the true outcome of the beast tide would be decided by the battle of the two figures in the highest skies.
In the night sky, Mu En and Di Tian had transformed into two dazzling orbs of gold and black—Holy Bright Dragon and Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King locked in a vicious, sky-shaking clash that now spanned the entire sky beyond the southern wall.
When they soared above Shrek City, its citizens felt like twin suns were about to fall from the heavens and destroy them.
Luckily, Mu En and Di Tian had no intention of fighting inside the city and passed overhead.
As their battle escalated, Di Tian gradually shed the effects of the "Dominating the World" mental suppression. A chilling light gleamed in his eyes.
"Mu En, your death is here!"
Suddenly, Di Tian's aura surged. He slowly raised his right arm, channeling all his overwhelming strength and the shadowy form of the Black Dragon King into it. It felt like a deep sea swallowing everything.
As he swung his arm over his head, a massive greatsword appeared in his grip.
The sword's hilt alone was three feet long, and the blade stretched eight feet. Its hilt resembled a black dragon, while the blade gleamed dark purple. As soon as it appeared, the sheer pressure of its sword intent tore a massive rift in the sky. Behind Di Tian, huge black halos swirled, like black holes eager to devour all.
Self-Created Secret Art—Black Dragon Sword!
A strike embodying his full might, infused with supreme sword intent and Di Tian's ultimate power—Ultimate Darkness!
But facing this attack, Mu En dissipated his Holy Bright Dragon avatar and smiled.
"Di Tian, look where you are."
Di Tian paused, holding the Black Dragon Sword as he looked down—only to realize in shock that they had unknowingly arrived above a small island. At its center stood a radiant golden ancient tree.
They were above Sea God Island!
That dazzling tree—none other than the Golden Ancient Tree!
Mu En had lured Di Tian to Sea God Island!
Seeing the Golden Ancient Tree, Di Tian's eyes first filled with surprise—then greed.
How could he not understand the tree's value?
If he brought the Golden Ancient Tree back, it could help his master recover quickly. Then his master could return to the God Realm and restore order!
His greed clouded his judgment.
And Mu En seized this moment to communicate with the tree—and activated his trump card.
That trump card lay within the tree's hidden power!
"Di Tian—this is where you die!"
"Light of the Sea God!"
Gentle golden light suddenly burst forth from the Golden Ancient Tree, spreading at a deceptively swift pace until it enveloped Mu En and Di Tian in an instant.
Di Tian's face paled. "Divine power!"
A miraculous scene followed—Di Tian's immense aura was completely suppressed within the golden glow. The oppressive force in the sky vanished. The Black Dragon Sword disintegrated into dust, as though eroded by time.
The soft golden light didn't just envelop Shrek Academy—it blanketed all of Shrek City. From afar, the entire city now gleamed like a Golden City!
The battlefield fell silent again. Every expert turned their eyes toward Shrek.
But Di Tian, bathed in golden light, felt only one thing—mortal danger!
The Golden Ancient Tree did have cultivation—it simply lacked consciousness. Its power needed someone else to activate.
But in terms of raw strength, it possessed demigod-level power, even stronger than Di Tian!
Mu En had used its power to activate a divine technique left behind by "that person"—a force of the Sea God hidden inside the tree.
The true might of Light of the Sea God depended on the user's strength.
While this still wasn't a true divine strike, Mu En believed it was enough—enough to kill Di Tian.
A hundred years ago, Di Tian suppressed Mu En.
A hundred years later, Mu En would slay Di Tian!
Faced with death, Di Tian tried to flee—but then his expression changed.
He had sensed something from within the Golden Ancient Tree—his reverse scale… and the aura of the Auspicious Beast!
The Auspicious Beast was inside the tree?
Then he had no choice but to fight!
Di Tian's gaze sharpened.
"Mu En, do you think you can kill me?!"
"Black Dragon Annihilation!"