Ding-dong~ The soul train you're on is about to arrive at Eastsea City station. Passengers disembarking, please get ready... Only two stops left till the final stop, Shrek Academy...
A sweet female voice chimed through the train's PA.
Gu Yuena sat on the train seat, curiously looking around.
Evidently, she never imagined that a thousand years later, the continent would develop to this degree.
Su Wen was quietly resting with his eyes closed beside the girl.
Soul trains were no surprise, but the whole soul technology network—and even video communications—seemed a bit wild. Today, under the Sun Moon Empire, soul technology had exploded into an era of miracles.
Of course, the rise of this tech owed much to the God Realm being swept up in a time-space storm.
With the God Realm gone, the Douluo Plane broke its limits: Limit Douluos were more easily born than ever, and with the help of "battle armor," their power could far exceed that of historical extremes...
But the downside was also clear: The Abyss invaded en masse, threatening near-species extinction on Douluo more than once. Of course, credit for surviving those crises belonged to the wisdom of God-King Tang.
In other words, it was an age of danger and opportunity.
As for Su Wen—without the shadow of God-King Tang above, he could finally move with ease.
After some simple information gathering, he determined the year. The Golden and Silver Dragon Kings had not yet revealed themselves; both were still suffering through their own "leveled-up" childhoods.
Ding-dong—
As the train rolled to a stop, the second-class car filled with a cheerful crowd. From the open door, a group of twelve- or thirteen-year-old boys and girls poured in, full of youthful energy. Their uniforms—white and blue—carried a distinct noble academy style.
One particularly handsome black-haired boy drew Su Wen and Gu Yuena's attention.
"Whoa... that aura..." Gu Yuena was startled.
"Golden Dragon King?!"
The natural conflict in their bloodline flickered murderously through her gemstone eyes—only to subside once she remembered she was now the Dragon God, no longer needing to devour the Golden Dragon King.
"Tang Wulin?"
Su Wen was just as surprised. In his early teens, Tang Wulin had clearly finished at Eastsea Intermediate Academy and was now heading for Shrek Academy—for one reason: to participate in the assessment and try to join Shrek.
With him were a girl and a boy—Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie—just as in the original timeline. Another companion, Wu Zhangkong, entered the car, promptly closing his eyes to rest.
But... where was Na'er?!
Even as the train rattled away, Su Wen saw no sign of her.
Could something have happened...?
He frowned.
He had planned to tour Shrek City first—home of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, Shrek Academy, Tang Sect, and other top forces—to meet the continent's elite.
But now...
He decided to look for Na'er first.
If he could meet her, fine. After all, Gu Yuena was his wife now...
Tang Wulin's face paled, beads of sweat dripping down his brow. He gasped, feeling as if some ancient beast had just fixed its gaze upon him.
"What's wrong, Wulin?" Xie Xie asked, giving him a concerned pat on the back.
"I'm... I'm fine..."
Tang Wulin's eyes darted toward Su Wen and Gu Yuena—the pair were so attractive that several girls from the compartment had already come by, blushing, to ask for Su Wen's soul communicator number. Even girls from Eastsea Academy, too.
As for the girl... her beauty was so ethereal, his heart seemed to skip a beat.
Her snow-white hair was tied up in a high ponytail, revealing a slender neck proud as a swan. Her jewel-bright, multi-hued eyes looked out the window listlessly, her chin propped on her hand, lips slightly pouting—she seemed upset about something.
Obviously, the pair were a couple.
But where had that suffocating, snake-like pressure come from? Was it from them?
"What's wrong, Wulin?" Wu Zhangkong opened his eyes, narrowing them as he glanced across.
"Nothing, it... it's nothing." Tang Wulin shook his head. Maybe it was just exhaustion from exam prep and forging lately—overdoing it till he hallucinated.
"As long as you're fine."
Wu Zhangkong followed his gaze—he had to admit, the couple's looks drew the eye.
"No soul power at all... are they too strong, or am I just too weak?" he thought.
On this continent, soul power is everything.
Without it, you're a complete waste. Yet these two gave off no aura he could sense, and he was a Soul King!
"Disciples from a major force, maybe?" He scanned the area, thinking if they really were, they'd probably have an even stronger protector hidden nearby.
"You're totally fascinated, huh," Xie Xie joked, waving a hand in front of Xu Xiaoyan.
"He's really handsome... So otherworldly. Guess Eastsea City is still too small." The cute, blue-haired girl admired Su Wen unabashedly.
"..."
"Sorry, I don't have a soul number," Su Wen turned down another woman with a radiant smile. She was tall and curvaceous, dressed in a black mini-skirt with smooth, pale legs and high heels—a mature lady with striking looks.
"No problem, little brother. I'm always available~" She winked, leaving her contact card on Su Wen's table and swaggered off.
"Ugh! Slut! Flirting with someone else's man right in public!" Gu Yuena muttered, biting her lip.
"She's got that stinky air about her. Gross."
"You're jealous, aren't you?" Su Wen sighed, eyeing the lady's shapely retreat.
That familiar, repulsive aura...
That was definitely an Evil Soul Master.
Unlike a thousand years ago, when the Holy Spirit Cult stayed hidden at first and only emerged in the later stages, the current era's Evil Soul Masters were much more blatant.
Running amok with chaos, murder, and arson.
"Just ran into a nemesis. I'm just in a bad mood, that's all," Gu Yuena grumbled, sipping her Eastsea specialty yogurt.
"Heh..."
Su Wen just shook his head.
Her jealousy was off the charts...
Clang—!!
Abruptly, the train shuddered violently, throwing the whole carriage into disarray. Screams echoed all around.
"Security Corps, to Car Seven immediately—Evil Soul Masters are launching a terrorist attack—"
A frantic announcement blared from the speakers.
Boom—
An explosion rocked the train outside.
"Ahhhh~~!"
All around them, girls—pale with fear—cowered in their boyfriends' arms.
Gu Yuena mimicked them, snuggling against Su Wen's neck and gripping him tight—playing the role of a helpless damsel.
"So fake..." Su Wen muttered.
"I'm scared, Su Wen~" Gu Yuena continued to act cutesy.
"..."
After a moment's silence, Su Wen patted her back, answering softly, "Don't worry. I'm here."
"Ugh~"
A voice of disdain came from the neighboring seat.
The man nearby looked like he'd just been force-fed dog food, unable to object.
"Come on, bro, relax. Every soul train has a Security Corps—at least four yellow-rank mecha pilots and one purple-rank pilot. The train's headquarters is at Shrek Academy, after all. The background support is solid."
"With these experts, even Evil Soul Masters have to run for their lives..."
The man said with ease.
"Thanks for letting us know."
Su Wen smiled warmly.
Gu Yuena, however, shot the man a vicious glare, then buried her head in Su Wen's chest, greedily inhaling his scent like an ostrich.
After a long pause, she whispered, "I want you again..."
"Didn't we just...?!" Su Wen's mouth twitched.
"Impossible! Let me rest."
"Then after we get to Shrek, let's get a room and do what we want." Gu Yuena counted on her fingers, eagerly calculating when they'd arrive.
The man across the aisle finally realized these two weren't the least bit worried—if anything, they were more at ease than he was, and even started flirting again. He closed his eyes, refusing to watch any longer.
"..."
"Teacher, should we—?" Tang Wulin was raring to go.
"Stay put!" Wu Zhangkong snapped, expression serious as he stood in the aisle, eyes deadlocked on the front.
They were in Car Nine, just two cars away from Car Seven.
With his power, he could barely sense a dangerous presence up ahead.
That Evil Soul Master aura...
He glanced at Su Wen. Figuring that, given their composure, at least one among them had to be a top expert's disciple, he considered teaming up—only to note the two seemed more interested in flirting than anything else. He quietly looked away, feeling awkward.
Boom! Smoke and flames rolled outside.
Sounds of epic battle got closer—louder and more intense.
"Something's wrong!"
Wu Zhangkong's eyes sharpened.
Three soul rings lit up beneath his feet.
A chill suffused the air around him.
Yellow, yellow, purple.
Mist Traces, Mist Frost.
He gripped his blue-ice long sword, swinging it down the aisle as he shouted, "Heavenly Frost Slash!"
"Jie jie jie, a Soul Emperor, huh! In the carriage!" A sinister voice shrieked.
Wu Zhangkong's sword cut a channel of deep blue ice, but from it spilled a putrid green mist—a black-robed figure flashed past.
The frost froze part of the gas, but some seeped toward the other passengers.
"Damn!"
Wu Zhangkong's eyes went cold.
If he couldn't win, they'd go after the weak!
He had to turn back, after all.
That poisonous mist—he might survive as a Soul Emperor, but Tang Wulin and the others couldn't.
As for everyone else, their lives were up to fate...
"Tch tch, after all these years you're still wrapped up in your black cloak, hiding in the sewer like a rat... afraid of the light!"
A mocking voice suddenly sounded.
Wu Zhangkong's eyes bulged.
When had this youth appeared behind him?!!
…