The Soul Beast Clan's Counterattack Begins!

Xiao Wu sat up, her slightly messy hair clinging to her sweaty neck. A lingering blush still graced her pretty face, and her eyes held deepening confusion. "Brother, what's wrong? Why did we stop all of a sudden?"

She reached out to touch Tang San's cheek, but he instinctively dodged.

That fleeting distance tightened Xiao Wu's heart. She vaguely sensed something was wrong—Tang San had never looked at her with such an expression, a mixture of shock and panic, as if the sky had fallen.

"Xiao Qi..." Tang San's voice was hoarse, as if scraped by sandpaper. Each word weighed a ton. "Xiao Qi is gone."

"Xiao Qi?"

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment, then her face instantly turned deathly pale. She grabbed Tang San's arm, her fingertips turning white from the force. "What did you say? How could Xiao Qi be gone? Wasn't she training on the Douluo Continent? Are you mistaken?"

Tang Wutong was their most beloved daughter, Xiao Wu and Tang San's. Her nickname was Xiao Qi. Ever since their daughter went down to the mortal realm for training, Xiao Wu worried every day. If Tang San hadn't said the training would help Xiao Qi grow faster, she would never have let their child leave the God Realm even half a step.

"There's no mistake."

Tang San shook his head, his tone so heavy it felt crushing. "My bloodline connection with her is broken. Even the divine sense I left in her soul has completely lost contact. This situation... only has one possibility."

He didn't finish, but Xiao Wu already understood. It meant death, it meant eternal loss.

"No... impossible..."

Xiao Wu's voice began to tremble, her eyes instantly reddened. "Xiao Qi is so powerful, and she had your divine sense protecting her, how could she..."

Tang San took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He quickly put on his divine robe, his movements carrying an undeniable urgency. "I must go to the Douluo Continent to find out what happened."

Xiao Qi couldn't be in danger.

Not just because she was his and Xiao Wu's daughter, his treasure held close to his heart.

But more importantly, Xiao Qi was a crucial piece in his plan—the Child of Destiny on the Douluo Continent had already appeared, coupled with the reasons for luck in the Star Dou Great Forest. Otherwise, Tang Wutong would never have gone down to the mortal realm. He wanted to use this opportunity to win over the Child of Destiny and seize the luck of the Star Dou.

Therefore, for both emotional and practical reasons, he had to find Xiao Qi, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance.

"I'll go with you!" Xiao Wu quickly got out of bed, ready to get dressed.

"You stay in the God Realm."

Tang San placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes firm. "This place needs someone to hold the fort, and besides... I'm not sure what I'll encounter in the mortal realm. Bringing you would be inconvenient."

Xiao Wu bit her lip, knowing he was telling the truth. But the worry in her heart surged like a tide, making it hard to breathe. She looked at Tang San's resolute back and suddenly remembered something. She quickly called out, "Brother, shouldn't we inform the God of Destruction first?"

The God of Destruction was a colleague on the God Realm Committee. Although he was stubborn and often disagreed with Tang San, he doted on Xiao Qi exceptionally, even more than a real uncle. Xiao Qi also loved pestering the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life; their relationship was very close.

"Normally, he might not agree to someone leaving their post without permission, but this time is different. It concerns Xiao Qi, he might..."

Tang San paused, looked back at Xiao Wu, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, then nodded. "You're right. It's good to let him know. If I run into trouble on the Douluo Continent, the God Realm can provide support."

He turned and walked towards the hall, his blue-gold divine robe cutting a sharp arc in the morning light. His back was straight but carried a somberness that hinted at an approaching storm.

Xiao Wu stood where she was, watching his figure disappear into the clouds, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, praying silently.

Tang San didn't delay at all, heading straight for the God of Destruction's palace. The destructive aura outside the divine palace was still sharp, but it couldn't stop his anxious footsteps at this moment.

At the same time, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, at the Lake of Life.

The lake water was as green as jade, so calm that not a single ripple stirred, reflecting the towering ancient trees on the shore and the swirling mist. Di Tian floated in the center of the lake, his massive dragon claws gently brushing the water's surface, creating ripples.

Bi Ji stood on the shore, her voice soft yet carrying a hint of solemnity: "We've asked all the Soul Beasts over fifty thousand years old in the core area, and none of them admit to killing a human with the Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul. I've also used my life aura to scan the outer areas of the forest, and there are indeed no residual Soul Power traces of that martial soul."

Myriad Monster King played with a vine at his fingertips, a look of confusion on his effeminate face: "According to Mu En, that young man had a Soul Sage protecting him. To be able to deal with both of them without leaving a trace is something no ordinary Soul Beast could do. But our people really didn't make a move, could it be..."

"Could it be another force?" Xiong Jun interjected in a gruff voice, a hint of ferocity flashing in his crimson eyes, "Could it be those Evil Soul Masters from the Sacred Spirit Cult? They love doing these sneaky things the most."

Di Tian remained silent, his golden vertical pupils reflecting the shimmering light on the lake's surface, his thoughts racing.

Where did that young man go? He couldn't have just evaporated into thin air. Mu En insisted it was the Star Dou's doing, but after all the investigation, there wasn't even a shred of evidence. This conflict came and ended strangely, as if an invisible hand was pushing it from behind.

"It doesn't matter where he went anymore," Di Tian suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of icy laughter, "What matters is that Shrek Academy has been severely wounded."

Xiong Jun stepped forward, his claws digging deep gouges in the ground, "What do we do next? Just let it go? I haven't had enough of a fight yet!"

"No need to rush," Di Tian slowly turned around, his massive dragon head looking at the ferocious beasts, "Do one thing—release a message indirectly, saying that Shrek Academy suffered heavy losses this time, and three Elders have fallen."

Bi Ji's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of worry in her voice, "Wouldn't that be too obvious? Other forces might not believe it, after all, Shrek Academy's reputation is well-established."

"Whether they believe it or not isn't important," Di Tian waved his dragon claws, his golden pupils flashing with calculation, "What I want is not for them to believe it all, but to plant a seed of doubt. After the message is released, naturally, someone will be unable to resist probing and investigating."

He wanted to stir up troubled waters.

Shrek Academy was like a mountain, suffocating the other forces on the continent. Now that this mountain had a crack, those covetous forces would never let go of this opportunity. The Sun Moon Empire, the Sacred Spirit Cult, even other academies... they would inevitably make a move.

By then, Shrek Academy would be too preoccupied to deal with the Star Dou's troubles. And they, precisely, could take advantage of this gap to uncover the truth behind the young man's disappearance while accumulating strength.

"I understand."

Bi Ji nodded, the worry in her eyes dissipating, replaced by understanding, "I'll go arrange it now."

After saying that, everyone left one after another, leaving Di Tian alone.

He looked up at the sky, murmuring, "The Soul Beast Clan's counterattack has begun!"