"That's... Yehui?!"
Secluded in a remote villa, a burly man ate instant noodles, staring in shock at the live broadcast—his attention was immediately grabbed by Yuanen Yehui's appearance.
"No… Yehui got stronger again?"
Judging by her combat strength on screen, she was at least at the 36th level of Soul Sovereign—not just a prodigy among regular families, but monstrous. Any normal parents would be wild with joy.
But for the Yuanen family...
It was only a lingering shadow.
He slurped his noodles, rose to his feet, and glanced at the black-and-white obituary hanging on the wall.
"Time to inform my father."
He vanished into the distance. (Note: Yuanen Yehui's second uncle. Her aunt was killed by a demon summoned by her mother.)
"Stop! Stop right now!!"
In the stands, Feng Wuyu roared.
But his voice was drowned out by the crowd's cheers, and Qiangu Dongfeng blocked his path—a formless barrier stopped him, impossible to break through without his full strength...
The gap in their strength was obvious.
"Qiangu Dongfeng, what's the meaning of this?"
"Nothing. The outcome is up to the referee. Why, as a mere spectator, are you trying to intervene?" Qiangu Dongfeng smiled.
"Besides, he hasn't even admitted defeat..."
He gestured to the badly beaten Tang Wulin below.
"You bastard!" Feng Wuyu's anger rose, flames beginning to emerge.
"Spirit Pagoda Academy's Gu Yue: victory!"
At last, the referee's voice sounded.
On the stage, Tang Wulin had long passed out. He was black and blue, a puddle of flesh on the floor—even the rare metals the stage was built with were now cracked, showing the intensity of Gu Yuena's fury.
Gu Yue patted her hands, a small, indescribable joy on her lips. She looked at Shrek's team with contempt. "Next!"
She'd held back, not beating him to death.
Still, with a few broken ribs, Tang Wulin would be bedridden for months, maybe a year.
"Spirit Pagoda Academy!"
"Spirit Pagoda Academy!"
"Beastmasters!"
"..."
Cheers broke out in the stands. With this second Beastmaster on stage, Beastmasters' reputation was set—powerful, peerless.
In the future, Spirit Pagoda Academy would likely replace Shrek as the continent's number one academy.
This match marked the start of a new era.
Countless factions started placing bets...
"Gulp—" Xu Xiaoyan shivered, looking at the smashed-up Tang Wulin. "With the captain like that, do we really have to go up against these unbeatable opponents?"
"Can we just surrender?" Xu Lizhi contemplated retreat.
Their captain was demolished.
And the cute, chilly, silver-haired girl was terrifyingly ruthless.
"No!"
"There's only death for Shrek, not fear!"
"For Shrek's glory, you can't back down!"
The team leader, red-eyed, yelled.
"If you give up now, all that Tang Wulin and the others did will mean nothing!"
"But..." Xie Xie hesitated.
This wasn't an exchange match anymore—they faced insurmountable force, not courage or wisdom, so why keep throwing themselves at the meat grinder?
But seeing their teacher's fury, Xie Xie sighed, "I'll go next. If I lose too… there's no point in the last two supports even stepping up."
"..."
"Twin martial spirits?" Gu Yue glanced with interest at Xie Xie.
He stifled the nausea in his chest, put away his twin daggers, bowed slightly. "Thank you for holding back. I surrender."
"I'm only targeting one person," Gu Yue replied, waving her hand as she glanced towards the stands.
"Any other Shrek contenders?"
"If not, it's best you go home. Too weak."
"..."
"Shrek Academy, we surrender!"
Finally, the leading teacher forced out the words, his gaze dripping with hatred for Gu Yue. For Shrek, surrendering was worse than death.
"Yehui! Come home!"
Outside the Spirit Pagoda Academy.
A burly elder stood, brows furrowed as he gazed at the stubborn teenage girl.
Had his son not seen Yehui in the broadcast days earlier, he'd have thought she was still quietly obedient at Shrek. He thought she was competing for Shrek, but one look at the uniform—
Damn, it was some unknown Spirit Pagoda Academy!!
He tolerated her leaving the clan before, hoping maybe Shrek offered her a way out. But now… the rate her soul power grew was far beyond his expectations.
He'd experienced the terror of the Fallen Angel.
If Yehui reached Title Douluo level again...
"I'm not going back!" Yuanen Yehui said stubbornly.
"Have you forgotten what happened before?!" Yuanen Zhentian finally roared.
"..."
The girl trembled, lowering her head, tears forming.
Silent.
"Old man, what's the big fuss?" Gu Yue stood in front of Yehui, big eyes glaring.
"Don't worry, Yehui. As long as you don't want to, no one can take you away today," Na'er affirmed beside her.
"Me too!" Even the Crimson Mother, deeply moved, stepped up.
"Thank you all..." Yehui pursed her lips, wiping away tears.
"I... won't go back!"
She believed her boss would know what to do.
After all, he was so strong.
Yehui stared resolutely at her grandfather, not budging an inch.
"Yehui, you've grown wings!" A rugged man behind the elder frowned. "Come home, give up your cultivation or scrap your martial spirit. This is for your own good."
"I won't!" Yehui gritted her teeth.
"Old man, this is Spirit Pagoda Academy—if you try to take Yehui by force, no way!" Gu Yue was just as tough.
"You snotty brats! Is this the quality Spirit Pagoda Academy produces?" Yuanen Zhentian's patience ran out, his face hardening. "No wonder you're from such a third-rate academy..."
Yuanen Yehui wanted to retort, but—if she guessed right—this "classmate" was probably a real dragon, tens of thousands of years old, far older than her grandfather.
But she couldn't expose Gu Yue's identity, so her expression only turned more awkward.
To Yuanen Zhentian and the man behind him, she only seemed ruder.
When did their granddaughter turn so wayward?
Yuanen Zhentian sighed, "I meant to talk nice, but since you don't understand respect, don't blame me for using force."
"..."
In the next moment.
Gu Yue and the others felt a crushing force pressing them down, knees buckling towards the ground.
"Old geezer, just you wait till he arrives!" Gu Yue's face reddened in rage.
The Crimson Mother was torn.
Should she kneel, or blow her cover...?
Forget it.
She sighed. These days, she'd found new happiness with these kids—her happiest, freest time since gaining sentience.
She got along well with Yehui.
She'd show her power—a little, just enough to scare this gorilla off.
The Crimson Mother drew in a breath, preparing to show her hand...
But in a flash, the gravity vanished.
The four barely managed not to fall on their faces.
"Who are you?"
Yuanen Zhentian was shaken to the core—he hadn't even noticed the pale hand on his shoulder or the smiling white-clad youth beside him.
"Hehe, I've been here for a while," Su Wen smiled.
"For a while..." Yuanen Zhentian twitched.
This wasn't normal—someone who could dissolve his gravity domain so easily was no ordinary person.
But so young—did he use some trick to maintain his appearance?
"You want to take Yehui?" Su Wen stood with him, looking at Yehui.
"Looks like you're aware of her martial spirit's traits..." Zhentian said gravely.
"Or, you're her pillar of support these days?"
"Exactly. I took her from Shrek because I didn't want her to die for nothing," Su Wen said.
"..."
Yuanen Zhentian's mind reeled.
So many hints in those words—this man, with his power, probably wasn't bluffing.
Staying at Shrek, 'dying for nothing'—
What did it mean?!
The Yuanen clan kept to themselves to avoid trouble. Now, he was dragged into yet another vortex.
Yuanen Zhentian breathed deeply, unwilling to dwell. He looked hard at Su Wen.
"If you know Yehui's martial spirit, you should stop her—if she lets that power out, it'll bring disaster to Shrek City. Our clan suffered enough, I don't want others dragged into blood and tears..."
"No point in arguing," Su Wen nodded quietly. "So, let's put it this way: If you can take three moves from me, you can take her home. If not, she stays with me."
"Alright."
After a brief silence, Yuanen Zhentian agreed.
"..."
The next second, he felt the world spinning.
"This is..." Yuanen Zhentian's pupils shrank.
A brand new world.
No—it felt like a separate plane.
Vast, incomprehensible, even he couldn't tell where this was.
"This is..."
Meanwhile, the Crimson Mother was shaking with fear.
She tried to escape but couldn't...
It was as if an invisible hand grabbed her, severing all outside senses.
Wait!
It felt like the day they entered the spirit world!
The Crimson Mother's lips parted, staring at Su Wen as the land changed with a wave, like he was a creator. Waves roared in her heart.
This feeling...
It felt just like her own "Crimson" plane, where she was the absolute ruler.
"Yes, those dozens of worlds are also his domain," Gu Yue smiled at her.
"Is... is that so?" Forced, the Crimson Mother looked at Su Wen.
This figure—nearly godlike—surely saw through her disguise already.
With her energy sealed, resistance was futile...
She was completely, totally screwed.
"Impressive skills."
Seeing Su Wen alter the world, Yuanen Zhentian started sweating.
How could he win?
Had he isolated himself from the world for so long that reality changed this much?
When did the Douluo plane produce a monster like this?
But, actually, the hints had been there.
The ease with which Su Wen broke his domain should have told him.
"Please."
"Not fighting me," Su Wen beamed.
"What do you mean?" Yuanen Zhentian frowned.
"Take three moves. From it." Su Wen gestured.
A shadow covered miles around. The sky darkened. Yuanen Zhentian looked up to see a massive beast gazing down.
"..."
That's...
"ROOOOAR!!"
Minutes later.
Looking at the flattened land and the deep pit nearby, Yuanen Yehui snapped out of her shock, calling her grandfather anxiously.
"Don't worry—I can still take a hit or two..."
A weak voice came from the pit.
Yuanen Zhentian floated up, missing half his teeth, battered and worn, with a helpless look as he gazed at his concerned granddaughter.
"I admit defeat."
It just took one swipe to destroy him.
It would have killed him if Su Wen hadn't held back.
Just commanding a vicious beast was enough to be so terrifying.
Such power was beyond any logic he knew.
Facing someone of this level, the so-called 'Abyss Plane' could be a mere plaything in his hands.
Hopefully, when those fools rush through their portal, they get their "gift" too.
Having figured this out, Zhentian sighed and stopped arguing.
"But, Yehui, your spirit..."
He frowned.
"It evolved." Yehui glanced at Su Wen, got his nod, and explained, "I got a drop of Titan Giant Ape's essence blood—Boss personally led me to get it."
"Titan Giant Ape, essence blood?"
Yuanen Zhentian froze.
All that, just for Yehui...
They had hunted a hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape for her?!!
...