Crimson Kite Arrives

The white exoskeleton unique to Honkai Beasts and the wild aura unique to soul beasts had fused together perfectly. If it were called a soul beast, no soul master could absorb it; if it were called a Honkai Beast, it lacked the physique a Honkai Beast should have. That blue-and-white coloration and the sense of metallic Honkai corruption were so faint that even Fu Hua had needed to be close to detect them.

Otherwise, they would not have been caught so off guard.

Even an attack carrying only a trace of Honkai Energy could be completely immunized only by a Valkyrie's armor. If someone like Zhao Wuji relied solely on Martial Soul Possession to forcefully endure the damage, it would lead to Honkai infection. Without a proper method of cleansing it, another Emperor-class Honkai Beast could be born.

That was why Fu Hua had stepped forward to shield Zhao Wuji first. In this world, only Fu Hua could contend against this soul beast carrying a minute amount of Honkai Energy, and only she need not fear its attacks.

"Damn it, Fu Hua—"

Zhao Wuji slammed his heavy fists into the ground. Violent tremors spread out, yet they still could not compare to the shock brought by this suspected Emperor-class Honkai soul beast.

Its enormous body resembled a hundred-meter mountain. Its massive frame radiated crushing pressure, while the sleek white metallic curves were beautiful yet lethally dangerous. Its unknown compound eyes looked down upon the tiny crowd below, and a single glance rendered Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others unable to move.

Two massive gauntlets covered its arms, one blue and one red. They were dazzling—and equally deadly.

"What... what kind of soul beast is this?" Zhao Wuji was aghast.

He had never seen such a soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest, much less one with an aura comparable to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. So that beam of light just now had been fired by it?

And Fu Hua, who had been swallowed by that beam... the outcome was obvious.

Zhao Wuji was furious, but even more enraged—furious at his own helplessness, enraged that he had failed to protect his students. Like Flender, he had an eccentric personality, but he was fiercely protective of his own.

You could provoke him, but if you hurt one of his students, right or wrong, he would beat you up first and ask questions later.

"Mubai, hurry! Take Tang San and the others away! I'll hold it back!" Zhao Wuji roared.

The aura of a level-seventy-six Soul Sage burst forth, helping Dai Mubai and the others resist the pressure of the Honkai soul beast.

Only then were they able to breathe again. Their hearts kept clenching as they stared at the colossal creature before them. Their bodies trembled and their steps felt heavy. They could move only because Zhao Wuji had blocked the soul beast's aura.

Dai Mubai's expression darkened. As the strongest member of the Shrek team, the thought of fleeing had arisen in his heart at this moment. He gritted his teeth fiercely, hoisted Oscar and Ning Rongrong onto his shoulders, and ran in the direction opposite Zhao Wuji.

Tang San and Ma Hongjun followed close behind. Zhu Zhuqing's figure flickered as she moved, following behind Dai Mubai. Xiao Wu turned back to look at the unfamiliar soul beast, her heart filled with worry.

"Go!" Zhao Wuji shouted.

Xiao Wu suddenly felt her waist tighten. A thick, dark Blue Silver Grass coiled around her waist and pulled her toward Tang San.

The Shrek group kept running. Along the road, they could still see the scars left by that beam of light. They stretched on for a hundred li before gradually fading away. Only then did Dai Mubai finally stop.

He set Oscar and Ning Rongrong down, then turned to look at Tang San and the others gradually catching up from behind.

His evil eyes were solemn, and his voice was heavy.

"Tang San, I'll leave them to you. Take them out of the Star Dou Great Forest as soon as possible. When I'm not around in the future, remember to keep Ma Hongjun in line."

There was relief and release in his evil eyes. He spoke to Tang San in a lighter tone.

Tang San fell silent. The rest of Shrek fell silent as well.

How could they fail to understand such obvious last words? A soul beast like that was simply not something they could fight in their current state. Going back would mean certain death.

Yet Dai Mubai still chose to return. No matter how harsh Zhao Wuji had been with them, he was still their teacher—the teacher who had spent three years with them. Dai Mubai could not watch him die for their sake.

"Boss Dai, I'm going with you too," Ma Hongjun hurriedly said.

"I'm going too," Oscar could not help but say.

"Don't be ridiculous. Teacher Zhao told me to get you out, not send you to your deaths. Hurry up and leave with Tang San. I'm the strongest one here right now. I can still help hold it off for a while. If you go, you'll just be cannon fodder."

"Boss Dai, I don't think I can listen to you this time," Tang San said calmly.

"Tang San, you're the calmest one here. Why are you acting like them too? No. No matter what, you have to listen to me this time."

"Boss Dai, even if you go back, you'll only be throwing your life away. Besides, we're a team. How could we just watch you go to your death? And Teacher Zhao too. No matter what, we go back together. That is what the Shrek team is."

Tang San's argument was sound, leaving Dai Mubai speechless. His evil eyes met Tang San's dark pupils, sparks colliding intensely between them. In the end, Dai Mubai was the first to yield.

A bitter expression appeared on his face. His evil eyes glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, filled with resolve.

Zhu Zhuqing was confused, not understanding why—until she realized something in an instant. Her figure flashed forward, but she was still one step too slow. Dai Mubai struck her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

Holding the girl in his arms, Dai Mubai looked at Ning Rongrong.

"You are the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You don't need to follow us to our deaths. I'm entrusting Zhu Zhuqing to you. Please take her away. If possible, it would be even better if you could let her join your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This is my final hope."

Ning Rongrong's expression was complicated. She accepted Zhu Zhuqing, opened her mouth, then closed it again, not knowing what to say. Go with them? She thought she still could not do it. Even after several days of training in the Star Dou Great Forest, she had not truly integrated into this team.

Fu Hua had been the reason she had been able to get along with them so harmoniously. But Fu Hua was gone now. Could she really get along with them afterward?

Dai Mubai was right. She was the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Once she returned to the sect, countless teams would want to recruit her.

But Ning Rongrong hesitated.

Even if countless powerful teams wished to recruit her, could she truly feel what friends were supposed to be like in such a team?

Tang San was right. She actually had very few friends—so few that she could count them on one hand. Within the sect, those disciples only called her the Little Witch. No one truly regarded her as a friend.

Grandpa Bone and Grandpa Sword would never allow petty people to approach her either.

Only after coming to Shrek had she personally experienced what friendship was. Tang San and Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar—even the cold Zhu Zhuqing could fit in with them so well. Only she had always lingered on the outside.

And Fu Hua, the only one connecting her to them, was gone now, taken by that hateful and powerful soul beast...

Guilt. Grief. She could feel such things too. She had also experienced the pain of losing a friend. At that moment, Ning Rongrong felt that she was finally real. Perhaps fitting in with them was not so difficult after all.

Pressing her lips tightly together, Ning Rongrong refused to answer Dai Mubai's request. She wanted to face it together with them too.

Because she, too, was a member of Shrek.

Relief washed over her. Yes! Why had she only understood such a simple question now?

This time, she used her stubbornness to tell Dai Mubai that she would not back down again.

Dai Mubai fell silent. Tang San fell silent. Everyone fell silent.

None of them had expected that this spoiled young miss could be so resolute, leaving them unable to refute her.

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, but she shook her head. Her meaning was clear: even if you knocked me unconscious, if you died, I would not live on alone.

Dai Mubai smiled.

"Ha! Honestly, what a bunch of disobedient juniors. You're making things very difficult for your big brother here!"

"Boss Dai, that damn Soul Beast did that to Fu Hua... No matter what, we have to avenge Fu Hua!" Ma Hongjun said fiercely.

"That's right! Even if we can't kill that Soul Beast, we have to make it suffer, because we are..."

"Shrek Eight Monsters!"

Everyone spoke in unison. Though their words were still youthful, they rang with force. They were a team, and they would never abandon any teammate. For Teacher Zhao, and for Fu Hua—so what if it was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?

They would still make sure it remembered them deeply.

"Good. We're the Shrek Eight Monsters. We can't let Fu Hua steal the spotlight all by herself."

"Boss Dai is mighty!"

"Let's go!"

The silent forest became lively. The moist air brimmed with hot-blooded fervor, and even the trees seemed to cheer for them, swaying in the wind. Something drifted through the air—a dazzling sight unlike any other.

Confusion filled Tang San's dark eyes.

That was...

A warm hand rested on Ning Rongrong's shoulder, bringing gentleness and safety. Someone's voice murmured by her ear, full of trust in her. Though the hand was not especially broad, it gave her endless reassurance.

"Please wait patiently. It won't be long. Everything will come to an end."

A calm, steady, gentle voice rang out. Everyone heard that familiar voice.

Feathers seemed to drift down from the sky, giving off a soft glow that shone into their hearts.

In the central region of the Star Dou Great Forest, at Shrek's campsite, everything was already in ruins. The roars of a giant beast, the howls of humans, and the surging energy had long since flattened the clearing.

The trees were charred black, and dirt flew everywhere. Zhao Wuji was in a wretched state, covered in wounds. Vein-like patterns spread across his face like a spiderweb, bulging beneath his skin.

Even his dark complexion seemed to be gradually turning pale, like a human who had lost too much blood. His movements slowly stiffened. If he had still possessed the strength to resist at the beginning, then now he was fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of others.

"Damn it, what kind of attack is this? It's actually eroding my body!"

His brown eyes had turned blood-red—the most primal color of blood. He was about to become zombified.

Yet in response to Zhao Wuji's question, the Honkai Soul Beast before him gave no answer at all. It continued roaring meaningless phrases.

With every roar, the two massive gauntlets on its arms stirred up a wave of either frost or lightning. Its enormous body crawled forward, charging at the tiny human figure.

"Damn it!"

After narrowly evading another attack from the Honkai Soul Beast, Zhao Wuji's expression grew increasingly grim.

The first time, his carelessness had led him to take the attack head-on, causing his body to become more and more rigid. After that, Zhao Wuji had learned his lesson and kept his distance, attacking from afar each time. Only then had the stiffening gradually stopped.

But as time passed, more and more parts of his body became unresponsive.

"Do I have to get away from this Soul Beast to avoid being affected?"

For once, Zhao Wuji began to think things through.

"I wonder how Mubai and the others are doing. Did they escape?"

For Zhao Wuji, holding out for one more minute meant one more minute of danger. But for Dai Mubai and the others, it meant one more minute of safety. For that alone, Zhao Wuji was unwilling to yield.

"Hmph! Damn Soul Beast, even if I can't kill you, I'll make you pay a heavy price for Fu Hua!"

Having resolved himself to die, Zhao Wuji no longer had any reservations. Soul Power surged within him as he prepared to self-destruct in exchange for more time.

His pale skin grew redder and redder. Even the patterns climbing over his face vanished without him noticing. This was his final strike—if he waited until he lost control, it would be too late for regret.

In the distance, a fiery-red figure rushed over at tremendous speed. Brilliant light bloomed behind her like a phoenix spreading its wings and soaring through the sky, several times faster than a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

In the blink of an eye, she neared the battlefield. Her crimson eyes were solemn, her expression dark, and an unhappy curve tugged at her lips as she drew her fist back to her waist.

In a low voice, she said, "Flying Ash Profound Spirit."

Feathers become a phoenix, crimson plumes become flame.

Scorching heat instantly ignited the space, locking time and space in place.

Whether Zhao Wuji or the Honkai Soul Beast, their movements were instantly frozen.

A phoenix cry pierced the heavens as it spread its wings and soared, yet it was a fatal blow to its enemy. A soul-scorching temperature erupted entirely from the ice-blue gauntlet on its left arm.

A burst of crackling sounds rang out.

Gauntlet shattered

The Honkai Soul Beast let out an unwilling howl before finally collapsing helplessly to the left.

Gauntlet destroyed. Attack Power reduced by 50%.

She launched Dust-Wiping Steps.

In a flash, she arrived behind Zhao Wuji. Using Dust-Wiping Steps again, she was already far beyond the Honkai Soul Beast's range.

The golden feather in her hand flashed. The Soul Power Zhao Wuji had gathered gradually settled, the pallor slowly fading from his skin as the patterns covering his face receded.

At that moment, Zhao Wuji looked as peaceful as a sleeping child.

After placing Zhao Wuji somewhere safe, Fu Hua raised her head and looked at the Honkai Soul Beast ahead.

—Aposh.

One of the twins of Honkai.

Her tightly pressed lips parted slightly. Her tone was cold, killing intent laid bare.

"Let's end this quickly."

The Crimson Kite Immortal enters the fray—

PS: Without Phoenix, I can only indulge in fantasies.

PS1: Take a guess at A-Fu's third soul skill? (It has something to do with this Aposh!)

PS2: I didn't pay attention to some of the data and reactions when fighting Aposh, so I calculated it as 50% on each side. If I remember anything else later, I'll add it in promptly.

PS3: Also, why can't my pig shoot beams of light?