Spirit Kite Douluo's body was violently slammed into the Star River Barrier below, like a broken sack. Her arms were grotesquely twisted, her chest was severely caved in, and Death Qi overflowed.
Yet, she actually used this terrifying impact force to smash fiercely into the Star River Barrier.
"Crack... Bang!"
The tough Star River Barrier was actually ripped open by her self-sacrificing collision, creating a gaping hole.
Starlight shattered, resembling a shower of light.
Man Yi grunted, clearly suffering some backlash from having her Spirit Ability broken.
"Pfft!"
Spirit Kite Douluo spat out a mouthful of dark red blood, thick with Death Qi. Her injuries looked terrifyingly severe.
But her undead characteristic activated once more. The dense Death Qi coiled around her wounds like a living thing, and her caved-in chest and twisted arms visibly wriggled back to normal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Don't leave!"
The Bright Phoenix, into which Yan Shaozhe had transformed, roared furiously, opening his mouth to shoot out a beam of golden fire condensed to the extreme, like a laser, aiming for the back of Spirit Kite Douluo's heart.
Spirit Kite Douluo did not turn her head. With a backhand sweep, a thick, heavy shield condensed from Death Qi instantly materialized.
"Hiss—!"
The golden fire beam easily pierced the Death Qi shield, but was consequently deflected, grazing Spirit Kite Douluo's shoulder. It charred a large part of her body black, even exposing the stark white bone.
But leveraging this impact force, her speed increased by another third. Like a bloody meteor trailing dense Death Qi and dark red blood droplets scattered along the way, she plunged headfirst into the deeper, darker thickets of the Star Dou Great Forest, vanishing from everyone's sensory range in an instant.
Yan Shaozhe dismissed his Martial Soul True Body, landing back on the ground with a grim expression. He looked at the direction where Spirit Kite Douluo vanished, then surveyed the messy battlefield, which looked as if it had been ravaged by a natural disaster, remaining silent for a long time.
Nebula Douluo Man Yi also came to his side, her aged face showing solemnity.
Two great Titled Douluo joining forces still allowed that resurrected undead entity to escape.
Her immortal body was simply too troublesome to deal with.
If it had been an ordinary Titled Douluo, she would have been utterly dead moments ago.
Xu Jiujiu, Caelus, and the others then cautiously approached from a distance. Looking at the scene of devastation, they were all profoundly shocked.
Caelus's heart was especially turbulent. Having witnessed the might of a Titled Douluo firsthand, his desire for power became stronger than ever before.
The dust settled. Smoke and lingering energy fluctuations permeated the air above the ravaged battlefield.
Caelus and Xu Jiujiu approached Nebula Douluo Man Yi at her signal.
Xu Jiujiu tidied her appearance, her face displaying the perfect amount of imperial princess decorum and a hint of respect for a powerhouse. She stepped forward and bowed slightly toward the solemn-faced Yan Shaozhe:
"Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire greets Dean Yan. The situation was urgent just now, and I was unable to perform the proper courtesies in time. I hope the Dean will not take offense."
Yan Shaozhe withdrew his gaze from the direction where Spirit Kite Douluo had vanished, letting it fall upon Xu Jiujiu. The solemnity on his face eased slightly. He nodded, his tone calm:
"So it is Your Highness the Princess. There is no need for excessive courtesy. Thank you, Your Excellency Nebula, for your assistance just now."
As the Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department and a Level 95 Super Douluo, his status was transcendent, but outwardly he maintained basic respect for the royal members of the great Empires.
After all, today's royal families were far superior to those ten thousand years ago; they possessed deep Foundations, and Titled Douluo-level Guest Elders and venerated figures were not uncommon.
However, this respect was limited to that extent.
One of the foundational principles upon which Shrek Academy was established was neutrality. Aside from collectively resisting the Sun Moon Empire, they would never easily get involved in inter-Empire disputes.
Therefore, he did not show excessive enthusiasm or intimacy, maintaining a perfectly balanced attitude.
Although Xu Jiujiu felt a trace of disappointment, she understood this was expected.
Being able to earn a favor from Yan Shaozhe was already a significant gain from this trip.
She said no more, only smiling as she replied: "Dean Yan is too kind. Fighting against such evil entities is simply my duty."
After the pleasantries, Yan Shaozhe's gaze inadvertently swept over Caelus, who was standing beside Xu Jiujiu.
With his eyesight, he naturally saw through Caelus's age and his freshly broken through Level 12 Soul Power at a glance.
To be a one-ring Soul Master at such a young age, with a stable Foundation, clearly indicated extraordinary talent.
'Another Little freak.'
Yan Shaozhe mused internally. Shrek Academy had no shortage of Geniuses. He only glanced twice and did not pay excessive attention.
Moreover, this young man clearly had a deep connection with the Star Luo Imperial Family. Naturally, he would not attempt any inappropriate act of poaching in front of Nebula Douluo, who had just assisted him.
Even if he did have intentions, it would be something to be assessed and approached privately later. After all, whether this young man was worth the corresponding cost for Shrek Academy to recruit was still an unknown.
Shrek's reputation was far more important than a Genius whose full value had not yet been completely displayed.
"I still need to handle follow-up matters and must return to the Academy as soon as possible, so I won't stay long."
Yan Shaozhe said to Man Yi and Xu Jiujiu, then turned to his students.
"Xiao Tao, go absorb that Lava Giant Lizard's spirit ring. We must depart immediately."
Ma Xiaotao acknowledged him and immediately walked toward the Lava Giant Lizard, which had long been paralyzed by the Titled Douluo's pressure and was now barely clinging to life from the residual combat energy. She cleanly ended its life and began drawing in the deep purple spirit ring.
Xu Jiujiu was also tactful, knowing the other party had urgent business, and took the opportunity to bid farewell:
"Since that is the case, we will not disturb you further, Dean Yan. We take our leave."
Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly.
Nebula Douluo Man Yi then led Xu Jiujiu and Caelus away. The three figures quickly disappeared behind the cover of the dense woods.
Only after confirming their departure did Wu Ming, who had been suppressing her curiosity and shock nearby, finally speak:
"Dean Yan, what exactly was that... that monster just now?"
Although Zhang Lexuan did not ask, her calm eyes were also filled with inquiry.
Yan Shaozhe looked at the future of the Academy standing before him, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice:
"I dare not jump to conclusions about what exactly it was, but I do have some theories... This matter is no small thing, and it is far beyond the scope of ordinary Evil Soul Masters causing trouble. You do not need to worry about it too much. Your current priority is to stabilize your cultivation and improve your strength."
His gaze swept over Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming, and his tone softened slightly:
"Especially Lexuan and Wu Ming. In a few months, it will be the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duels Tournament. At that time, you will be the main force of the Academy. With your current Spirit Saint cultivation, Lexuan, leading the team to defend the championship should be effortless. Do not let outside matters distract you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan nodded solemnly: "Yes, Dean. Lexuan understands."