In Caelus's perception, just that instant, above a clearing deep within the forest, an invisible, blood-colored magic array, seemingly woven from Karma threads, flashed into existence and then vanished.
A crimson drop of blood, imbued with the power of Karma, ignored the obstacles of space and matter, silently merging into the earth like a drop into water, disappearing from sight.
The entire process had no energy fluctuations; besides him, even powerful figures like Nebula Douluo Man Yi didn't detect what had just happened.
Caelus glanced at Xu Jiujiu, who was preparing to absorb a spirit ring, then at Man Yi, whose expression was normal, and his heart settled slightly.
Forget it, if it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, he can't avoid it.
Anyway, the Nirvana Corpse was harmless to him, and with Man Yi's strength as a ninety-third-level Titled Douluo, she wouldn't necessarily be afraid even if she encountered a powerful Nirvana Corpse.
He was just a weak one-ring Soul Master; worrying too much was useless.
Star Dou Great Forest, another side of the mixed zone.
A team with a formidable Aura was hunting a Soul Beast.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in white, with a refined yet dignified demeanor. He was none other than Yan Shaozhe, the head of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, a ninety-fifth-level Super Douluo—the Bright Phoenix Douluo.
He stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching the battle, clearly not intending to intervene.
Beside him stood two beautiful women with distinct temperaments.
One was Zhang Lexuan, with a gentle and serene demeanor and eyes like stars. At just eighteen years old, she had successfully obtained her seventh spirit ring, becoming a powerful Spirit Saint.
The other was Wu Ming, who was more lively and had a faint, scorching Aura around her. Nineteen years old, she had just obtained her sixth spirit ring, and her Martial Soul was the top-tier Beast Spirit, Golden Crow.
And protected in their center, fiercely battling the Soul Beast, was a red-haired girl.
She was exceptionally beautiful, with a fiery figure, and her body was engulfed in the scorching flames of the Evil Fire Phoenix, exuding an intimidating Aura.
This was Yan Shaozhe's Personal Disciple, Ma Xiaotao, who at just thirteen years old had already broken through to Spirit Ancestor.
Their target this time was a Lava Giant Lizard with a cultivation of around six thousand years.
This Soul Beast possessed astonishing defense, could spit lava, and had immense strength, making it one of the best fire-attribute Soul Beasts, perfectly suited as Ma Xiaotao's fourth spirit ring.
There were also several other inner courtyard Disciples providing support, all of whom had just broken through their Bottleneck and joined the team to obtain spirit rings.
With Ma Xiaotao's formidable Evil Fire Phoenix, coupled with Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming, two Spirit Saints and Spirit Emperors, providing support, dealing with this Lava Giant Lizard would take some effort but posed no great risk.
Yan Shaozhe personally led the team this time primarily because of the importance of the personnel—Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming, two of the contemporary Shrek Seven Devils, and his direct Disciple Ma Xiaotao, leaving no room for error.
In the arena, Ma Xiaotao let out a delicate cry, her third spirit ring shining. Phoenix Sky Soar, combined with the Evil Fire, sent the Lava Giant Lizard retreating repeatedly, leaving scorched marks on its tough scales.
Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, quite satisfied with his Disciple's performance.
However, just as everyone from Shrek Academy focused their attention on the intense battle, no one noticed that about tens of meters behind them, under an ancient giant tree that required several people to encircle, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
The ground there, at some unknown point, had become permeated with an extremely faint, yet spine-chilling, gray-black Death Qi.
The soil slightly bulged, as if something was slowly wriggling underground, attempting to break through the earth.
There were no Soul Power fluctuations, no life Aura, just like a forgotten piece of history, silently attempting to return to the world.
This Aura was out of place with the vibrant forest around it, carrying a sense of deathly stillness.
That was precisely the Nirvana Corpse, drawn by Castorice's myriad karma true blood, just locked by Karma and forcibly pulled back from the dust of history into reality.
And the place where this Nirvana Corpse died in its previous life happened to be near the Shrek Academy team.
The clamor of the Star Dou Great Forest seemed to be muted at this moment.
Yan Shaozhe, who had been standing with his hands behind his back and a composed expression, suddenly changed his face.
A sharp, eagle-like light burst forth from his deep eyes, and he abruptly turned towards the ancient tree behind them.
"What an evil Aura!"
His low voice carried an unprecedented wariness, and the Soul Power that was originally contained within his body erupted like a ignited volcano, though not openly, making the surrounding air feel viscous.
The Bright Phoenix Martial Soul had a natural sensitivity to darkness and evil, and the gray-black Death Qi he perceived at this moment was cold, deathly still, filled with hatred and greed for the living.
Its pure essence of "evil" and "death" caused his entire Soul Power to spontaneously boil, as if encountering a natural enemy.
Almost simultaneously, the ground beneath the ancient tree exploded.
"Boom!"
Dense, nauseating gray-black Death Qi erupted from the soil like a geyser, and a pale, bloodless hand, with skin tightly clinging to bone and sharp, bluish-black fingernails, suddenly emerged from underground, its five fingers like hooks, digging deeply into the mud.
In an instant, Ma Xiaotao and the Lava Giant Lizard, who were fiercely clashing, both froze.
The Lava Giant Lizard, relying on its Soul Beast instincts, felt an boundless fear originating from the very level of life.
Its violent vertical pupils instantly shrunk to pinpricks, its massive body trembled uncontrollably, even the lava it had condensed in its mouth extinguished, and its throat emitted an incomprehensible whimper mixed with fear and despair.
Its huge head turned rigidly towards the direction where the Death Qi erupted, and its four limbs instinctively shifted backward, wanting to escape.
Ma Xiaotao's pretty face also turned pale, and fine cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead.
The deathly stillness and evil Aura that assailed her were even more heart-pounding than the scorching frenzy brought on when her Evil Fire Phoenix lost control.
Her clenched fists trembled slightly; it wasn't due to physical exhaustion, but an instinctive shudder that living beings experience when facing death.
Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming, standing beside Yan Shaozhe, also turned pale with fright.
Zhang Lexuan's gentle face was filled with shock and solemnity, and she instinctively stepped forward half a pace, subtly shielding her younger schoolmates, whose cultivation was weaker, behind her.
Golden Golden Crow flames also ignited around Wu Ming. Her personality was lively, but at this moment, she couldn't smile. Her bright eyes were filled with vigilance, staring intently at the eerie hand.
The other few inner courtyard Disciples were even more on high alert, releasing their Martial Souls one after another, spirit ring lights illuminating consecutively, nervously watching the constantly heaving ground.
Just then, an invisible, distorted mental force fluctuation spread out from the hand like ripples.
"Ugh!"
Ma Xiaotao grunted, feeling a dizzy spell in her mind. Horrifying illusions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to appear before her eyes. Although they were dispelled by her mental force and Soul Power in just an instant, the cold, sticky feeling still left her with lingering fear.