[Dou Er Era]
Inside the Star Luo Empire's imperial palace.
Emperor Xu Jiawei was taken aback at first. Then he suddenly slapped the armrest of his throne and burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha! Good! This is wonderful!"
Facing the assembled court officials, he made no attempt to hide his schadenfreude:
"Shrek waves the banner of justice every day, letting its Inspection Group meddle in the affairs of our nations under the pretext of 'cracking down on Evil Soul Masters,' repeatedly violating our territorial sovereignty!"
"Now look at them—their own asses are covered in shit!"
"Their own home has been infiltrated by Evil Soul Masters to this extent, and they still have the nerve to call themselves the continent's protectors? It's utterly laughable!"
A general immediately chimed in:
"Your Majesty is wise! Shrek can barely protect itself now!"
"I say that so-called Inspection Group can be disbanded, too!"
"A bunch of people who can't even manage their own home—what right do they have to inspect the world?"
Xu Jiawei nodded in satisfaction, his eyes glinting:
"Convey my decree: starting today, within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, we will no longer recognize any of the Shrek Inspection Group's law-enforcement authority!"
"Anyone who dares trespass will be treated as an invader and executed without exception!"
The Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters.
Inside the shadowy great hall, the black-robed elders fell into an eerie silence.
"Do we... have someone that high-ranking infiltrating Shrek?"
An elder asked hoarsely.
"I've never heard of it... Someone capable of going this far would have to be the Cult Master, or perhaps one of the Supreme Elders..."
"But the Supreme Elders are all in seclusion..."
At that moment, the Cult Master Zhongli Wu, seated in the main chair, raised a hand, and the noisy discussion immediately stopped.
"He's a powerful figure who joined our cult long ago. Within the cult, he holds the honorary title of Supreme Elder."
Zhongli Wu's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"He communicates only with me, so it's perfectly normal that you haven't heard of him."
Hearing Zhongli Wu's explanation, one elder couldn't help lamenting:
"What a pity. He's been exposed by this Sky Screen—and far too soon."
"It doesn't matter."
Zhongli Wu's voice rang out. There was not a hint of panic in it; instead, it was full of delight.
"The seed has already been planted. What does it matter if he's been discovered?"
"Suspicion, fear, infighting... Shrek's show is only just beginning."
At those words, all the elders understood and burst into mocking laughter.
"Exactly! Shrek has been thoroughly humiliated this time!"
"Heh heh heh... Let's see how they can show their faces while hunting us down now!"
"Indeed. Watching the geniuses they raised turn, one by one, into 'Evil Soul Masters' who need to be purged—that'll be quite a sight..."
"Heh heh heh heh..."
Their chilling laughter echoed through the room, brimming with malice and anticipation.
At the Sun Moon Empire's Mingde Hall.
Hall Master Jing Hongchen watched the Sky Screen, his eyes glinting.
"Interesting. How interesting. Shrek looks like a flourishing tree, but it turns out the rot started at the roots."
Beside him, the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen wore equally contemptuous expressions.
"Grandpa, Shrek has lost all its good name now,"
Meng Hongchen said.
"Lost its good name? That's not all."
Jing Hongchen sneered.
"That Wang Yan is only the beginning. The mysterious mole is the real problem!"
"Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it'll take root in the hearts of all their higher-ups. What kind of unity can an academy have if its members can't even trust the comrades beside them?"
"Perhaps we won't even need a major battle."
"All we need to do is give it a gentle push, and this rotten fortress will collapse from within!"
The images on the Sky Screen did not stop, despite the uproar outside.
[Next, the second reason for his place on the list:] [Harboring Evil Intentions, Controlling Geniuses]
It replayed scene after scene of Qiangu Wangyan "teaching" his students.
This time, however, it was accompanied by his inner monologue.
First came the scene of Xu Sanshi training beneath the waterfall!
[Xu Sanshi, a Martial Soul called the Black Tortoise of Profound Darkness—what a promising young man.] [He thinks I'm helping him awaken the meager traces of ancient blood in his body? How laughably naive.] [The Soul Power circulation route I taught him has nothing to do with awakening any bloodline. It planted a Seed of the Abyss in the core of his Martial Soul!] [Every blow, every painful act of endurance, every so-called bloodline surge—all of it nourishes that seed with his own will.] [The day that seed sprouts, his Black Tortoise of Profound Darkness will fall completely and become a "Dark Black Tortoise" that knows only how to devour and destroy!] [Then he'll become the sturdiest shield in my hands—and a puppet I can control!] [And to his dying breath, he'll be grateful to me, his esteemed teacher!]
[Dou Er Era]
On the plaza, Xu Sanshi, who was standing beside Jiang Nannan, felt as if he'd been struck by lightning!
He suddenly looked down at his hands, his eyes instantly filling with boundless terror!
He could clearly feel an icy force deep within his Martial Soul—one he couldn't control!
Every time he'd thought his bloodline was growing stronger, that force had actually been growing!
He'd been pushing himself toward the abyss with his own hands all along!
"No... No!!"
Xu Sanshi let out a furious, unhinged roar.
The scene changed to the female student Wang Yan had saved.
[That female student with a Martial Soul called the "Withered Vine."] [I told her that there were no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.] [I guided her in evolving her Martial Soul into a "Soul-Devouring Withered Vine," capable of absorbing her enemies' Soul Power.] [That naive girl—does she really think I evolved her Martial Soul for her? That I turned her from a useless person into a genius?] [Soul-Devouring Withered Vine. What a beautiful name.] [But she doesn't know that once the vine has tasted Soul Power, ordinary nourishment will never satisfy it again.] [Before long, she'll need to devour life force to suppress her Martial Soul's backlash against her.] [When that happens, she'll have no choice.] [She'll have to drive her vines into a living person and drain away... all of their life force!] [She'll become a true Monster, an Evil Soul Master who devours her own companions to grow stronger.] [And it'll all be her own choice, won't it?]
[Dou Er Era]
"No!!"
The female student with the "Soul-Devouring Withered Vine" Martial Soul let out a piercing scream from the crowd.
She shook her head frantically, tears and snot smearing her face.
"I didn't! I'd never do that!"
She remembered the inexplicable cravings for flesh and blood that had sometimes risen in her heart during recent training—the hunger that had frightened even her.
So... it hadn't been her imagination!
Her Martial Soul had been urging her to "feed"!
Panic swept over her like a tide, drowning her in an instant.
All of Shrek Plaza descended into chaos.
The students who had once received Wang Yan's guidance turned ashen and frantically examined their bodies and Martial Souls, afraid that they, too, were test subjects.
Trust collapsed completely in that moment.
The seed of suspicion took root and sprouted in everyone's heart.
Huo Yuhao's body trembled slightly.
He looked at the suffering Xu Sanshi, the broken female student, and then at Qiangu Wangyan, bathed in golden light.
A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp.
"Then... what about me?"
Before you continue