The promotion tournament had ended.
But this wasn't a release from their troubles. It was the beginning of another nightmare.
On the official road to Spirit City, a vast procession of carriages wound along like a giant dragon. Fifteen qualifying teams, accompanied by hundreds of Royal Knights, made for an imposing sight.
Yet inside Shrek Academy's carriage, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
Tang San huddled in a corner, clutching his knees tightly. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes sunken, and the eyes that had once been so bright were now bloodshot, filled with the fear of a startled bird.
He didn't dare run.
Whenever he closed his eyes, the black-clad man's icy threat echoed in his ears.
"Go on, run. If you do, Holy Soul Village will become a sea of flames."
"Your drunkard of a father will be chopped into mincemeat."
The suffocating feeling of having a hand around his throat nearly drove Tang San to collapse. He could only stay with the group, a puppet on strings, inching toward the execution ground that demon had prepared for him.
"Xiao San, have something to eat."
Xiao Wu's eyes were red as she offered him a piece of dry rations. Seeing her once-spirited brother reduced to this, her heart was breaking.
"I'm not hungry."
Tang San shook his head, his voice hoarse. He raised his head and looked through a gap in the carriage window toward the front of the procession.
There was an incredibly luxurious carriage.
It was the personal carriage of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
That demon named Yu Tianyu was sitting inside, enjoying fine wine and delicacies, perhaps even laughing at Tang San's miserable state.
"Yu Tianyu..."
Tang San's nails dug deep into his palm. Blood seeped out, but he didn't notice.
"Just you wait. Once we reach Spirit City, once I see the Pope... No, even if it costs me my life, I'll take a bite out of you during the finals!"
Hatred was the only thing keeping him alive.
At the head of the procession, inside Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's carriage.
The carriage was as spacious as a small traveling palace. A carpet made from fine Soul Beast pelts covered the floor, and the air was suffused with a faint scent of dragon's blood incense.
Xue Qinghe sat in the main seat, still wearing his refined and elegant smile.
Opposite him, Yu Tianyu lounged lazily on a soft couch, idly turning a delicate jade cup in his hand. Huo Wu knelt beside him, obediently pouring his wine.
"Brother Tianyu."
Xue Qinghe smiled, his voice as smooth as jade. "Your performance along the way has truly opened my eyes. Even the Clear Sky Douluo of old probably couldn't match your remarkable talent."
"Your Highness flatters me."
Yu Tianyu took a sip of wine and looked at Xue Qinghe with amusement. "The Clear Sky Douluo? He's just a brute who knows how to swing a hammer. How could he compare to me?"
At these arrogant words, the corner of Xue Qinghe's eye twitched slightly, but he quickly concealed it.
"Haha, Brother Tianyu certainly has great ambitions."
Xue Qinghe set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, his tone turning more serious. "I wonder what you plan to do in the future, Brother Tianyu? The Heaven Dou Empire is eager to recruit talented people. If you're willing, I can promise you that the title of Prince Who Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with the Emperor will be yours."
It was an attempt to win him over.
An open and blatant attempt.
If an ordinary Spirit Master heard such a promise from the future emperor, they would probably have been so grateful they'd fall to their knees in worship.
But Yu Tianyu merely smiled.
He set down his wine cup and suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between himself and Xue Qinghe in an instant.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Xue Qinghe could even smell the faint trace of wine on Yu Tianyu's breath, along with the domineering aura that made the Martial Soul within her tremble.
"Your Highness."
Yu Tianyu's voice was low and magnetic. "The title of Prince Who Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with the Emperor? That kind of worldly power means nothing to me."
"And besides..."
Yu Tianyu's nose twitched lightly, as though he were sniffing at something.
"What kind of sachet are you wearing, Your Highness? The scent's been masked by the dragon's blood incense, but that faint, lingering fragrance... doesn't seem like something a man would wear."
Boom!
Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat.
Her pupils contracted, and the hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tight.
Had he found out?!
How was that possible? Her disguise was supported by the power of the Angel Spirit Bone. Even a Titled Douluo couldn't see through it. How could Yu Tianyu possibly have smelled the truth?
"Brother Tianyu must be joking."
Xue Qinghe forced herself to remain calm and leaned back, putting some distance between them. "I enjoy tending to flowers and plants in my spare time. It's only natural that I might pick up a little of their fragrance."
"Is that so?"
Yu Tianyu leaned back in his seat. He didn't expose her, but the amusement in his eyes only grew.
"Whether it's flowers and plants or a disguise..."
"Your Highness, how about we play a game?"
"What game?" Xue Qinghe asked warily.
"Let's bet on the champion of this tournament."
Yu Tianyu pointed outside the window. "If I win the championship and trample that so-called Golden Generation of Spirit Hall underfoot, you'll agree to grant me one favor."
"What favor?"
"You'll find out when the time comes. But don't worry. It'll definitely be something you can give me—and perhaps something you secretly long to give."
Yu Tianyu's words were suggestive and ambiguous.
Looking at the unfathomable young man before her, Xue Qinghe felt, for the first time, an overwhelming sense of helplessness. She couldn't control the situation.
This man was far too dangerous.
Yet his fatal allure stirred a desire to find out more in her, a woman who had spent years hidden behind a disguise.
"Fine."
As though in a trance, Xue Qinghe nodded. "I accept your bet."
Night fell.
The procession made camp on a broad plain.
Shrek Academy's camp was tucked away in the most remote corner. To avoid being mocked by the other academies, they had put up a tall screen of cloth around it.
At that moment, under Grandmaster's direction, the Shrek Seven Devils were engaged in a secret training session.
"Focus!"
Though Grandmaster kept his voice low, it was filled with excitement. "This is our only chance to turn things around! Once you master this, even Yu Tianyu won't be able to stop us!"
In the clearing.
Tang San stood at the front, with Dai Mubai, Tai Long, who was filling in as a substitute, Huang Yuan, and the other three lined up behind him.
"Seven-in-One Fusion Skill!"
Grandmaster waved his arms. "This isn't a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. It uses a special formation and a method of channeling Soul Power to concentrate the Soul Power of all seven of you into one person!"
"Right now, Tang San only has forty-two levels of Soul Power."
"But if he gathers the Soul Power of the other six, his burst of power will reach level seventy! That's the realm of a Spirit Saint!"
A Spirit Saint!
At those words, the light returned to Tang San's previously dull eyes.
A level-seventy Spirit Saint—that was a qualitative leap.
Most importantly, once he had level-seventy Soul Power, he could just barely unleash the true form of the Clear Sky Hammer: the Weapon Spirit Avatar!
"Help me!"
Tang San growled and raised both hands.
The six teammates behind him released their Martial Souls at the same time. Multicolored streams of Soul Power surged along the formation into Tang San, like countless rivers flowing into the sea.
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave erupted from Tang San.
The feeling of power intoxicated him. At that moment, he felt as if he could do anything.
"Clear Sky Hammer!"
Humm—
A pitch-black giant hammer appeared in his hand. As Soul Power poured into it, its hammerhead—which had originally been no bigger than a washbasin—expanded rapidly, growing to the size of a millstone. The patterns carved into it glowed with a dark golden light.
Power!
Power enough to destroy heaven and earth!
"We did it!"
Grandmaster trembled with excitement. "This is the power of the Weapon Spirit Avatar! Xiao San, with this, you'll surely be able to wipe away your humiliation in the finals!"
Tang San gripped the enormous hammer, brimming with explosive power, and felt the Soul Power surging through him.
At that moment, the humiliation, fear, and despair he'd felt before seemed to be swept away by this power.
He felt like he could do it again.
"Yu Tianyu..."
Tang San looked at the giant hammer in his hand, a ferocious smile tugging at his lips. "No matter how strong you are, can you withstand the Clear Sky Avatar with level-seventy Soul Power?"
"I'll trample you underfoot and make you taste what it's like to be a dog!"
Hope.
Overwhelming hope filled his chest once more.
This was the trump card Grandmaster had designed specifically to help him turn the tables.
But lost in their excitement, they didn't notice that someone was sitting on a tree branch just outside the camp.
Yu Tianyu sat in the treetop with an apple in his hand, watching the scene below as if he were watching monkeys perform.
"Seven-in-One? Weapon Spirit Avatar?"
"Crunch."
Yu Tianyu took a bite of the apple and chewed with relish.
"What touching dedication. It'd be a shame not to ruin all that hard work you put into rehearsing."
"Who?!"
Just as Tang San was lost in the thrill of his newfound power, a sudden chuckle rang through the camp.
"Clap, clap, clap."
With a scattered round of applause, a tall figure stepped out of the darkness.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
Clapping as he leisurely entered the clearing, Yu Tianyu said, "That's quite a big hammer. It looks pretty scary."
The moment Yu Tianyu appeared, the faces of everyone from Shrek changed.
Tang San had been brimming with confidence just moments earlier, but his hand holding the hammer suddenly trembled. The confidence he'd just gained wavered instinctively the moment he saw this man.
"Y-You... What are you doing here?!"
Dai Mubai shouted, trying to sound brave. "This is our camp! You're not welcome!"
"Don't be so tense."
Yu Tianyu casually tossed aside the apple core, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at Tang San with a smile.
"I was just passing by. I sensed a decent wave of Soul Power here, so I came to take a look."
"I didn't expect a pack of stray dogs like you to come up with something new."
"What, are you planning to use that against me?"
Exposed, Tang San's face turned red, then white.
But he glanced at the giant hammer in his hand and felt the surging power within him. Gradually, his fear gave way to anger.
I'm practically a Spirit Saint now!
I'm stronger than you!
"So what if I am?!"
Tang San stepped forward and pointed the giant hammer at Yu Tianyu, his voice cold. "Yu Tianyu, you've gone too far! Since you've come to us, let's settle this once and for all!"
"Xiao San! Don't!" Grandmaster cried out. It was too soon to reveal their trump card!
But Tang San wasn't listening anymore.
He yearned too desperately for victory, for a chance to wash away his humiliation.
"Everyone, hold on! Send me your Soul Power!"
Tang San roared. The six behind him instinctively increased the flow of their Soul Power.
"Chaotic Cloak—Clear Sky Avatar!!"
Tang San soared into the air. The giant hammer in his hands carried the force to split mountains and crush stone, wrapped in black lightning as it came crashing down on Yu Tianyu.
He held nothing back in this strike.
This strike was the pinnacle of his life so far!
Facing a blow powerful enough to kill a Soul Emperor instantly and severely injure a Spirit Saint, Yu Tianyu stood where he was, making no move to dodge.
He didn't even release his Martial Soul.
He simply raised one hand, slowly.
His right hand.
Fair, slender, and untouched by any glow of Soul Power, it looked as if he were reaching out to catch a falling leaf.
"Die!!!"
Tang San's eyes were bloodshot as he poured all his hatred into the blow.
Crash!!!
The giant hammer struck his palm.
A terrifying shockwave swept across the entire camp. The tents around them were ripped out of the ground, while Grandmaster and Flender were forced back several steps by the blast.
The air was thick with dust.
"Did we win?!" Oscar asked nervously.
Everyone stared intently at the center of the dust cloud.
Even a Titled Douluo couldn't have caught such a terrifying blow with their bare hands, could they?
And yet.
As the dust settled, a sight that shattered everyone's understanding of the world came into view.
Yu Tianyu was still standing where he had been. His feet hadn't even sunk into the dirt.
His right hand was raised above his head.
The enormous Clear Sky Hammer, carrying the force of a thousand tons, rested firmly in his seemingly fragile palm.
As if he were holding a ball of cotton.
It didn't budge an inch.
"Th-this is your full strength?"
Yu Tianyu tilted his head, looking at Tang San, who hung in midair with a frozen expression and a rigid body.
"Why was it so light? Had you not eaten?"
"N-no... impossible..."
Tang San's eyes widened until they seemed ready to pop out of their sockets.
This was a Seven-in-One Fusion Skill!
This was a blow approaching the Weapon Spirit Avatar!
Why?
Why could he catch it with one hand without even using his Martial Soul?
Was he even human?!
"Too weak."
Yu Tianyu sighed, a trace of boredom flashing in his eyes.
"Since you like that hammer so much, I'll help you fix it up."
As soon as he spoke,
Yu Tianyu's hand tightened sharply.
Crack!
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
Countless cracks appeared across the surface of the Clear Sky Hammer, said to be the strongest tool-type Martial Soul in the world.
"No!!!"
Tang San let out a shrill scream.
When a Martial Soul was damaged, its master suffered as well.
Pfft!
Tang San spat out a mouthful of blood. Like a kite with its strings cut, he plummeted from the air and slammed hard into the ground.
The giant Clear Sky Hammer shattered in Yu Tianyu's hand, breaking into countless black specks of light that faded into the air.
The Seven-in-One Fusion Skill was broken.
The other six Shrek members suffered the backlash too. One by one, they vomited blood and collapsed to the ground.
One move.
The whole team was wiped out.
Their so-called trump card, their so-called hope of turning the tables, was like a ridiculous bubble before Yu Tianyu's absolute strength—one poke was all it took to burst.
The camp fell deathly silent.
Only Tang San lay sprawled on the ground, his body convulsing violently. His eyes were vacant, and he kept murmuring, "Impossible... impossible..."
Yu Tianyu walked slowly up to Tang San and looked down at him.
"I hadn't planned to do anything, since this was just a warm-up for the finals."
"But you had to keep buzzing like a fly. What could I do?"
After saying that, Yu Tianyu didn't leave.
He crouched down and leaned close to Tang San's ear.
Tang San had completely lost the will to fight. He was like a piece of meat on a chopping board, at Yu Tianyu's mercy.
Yu Tianyu's gaze flicked toward Xiao Wu, who lay on the ground not far away. A faint, mocking smile played across his face.
Xiao Wu was clutching her chest, watching Yu Tianyu in terror. As a Soul Beast, her instincts were sharper than a human's. She could sense an aura about this man that made her soul tremble—the aura of an apex predator.
"Tang San."
Yu Tianyu's voice was soft. Only the two of them could hear him.
"You know, there's something I've always been curious about."
"That hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit by your side... I wonder how she'd taste roasted?"
Boom!!!
His words exploded in Tang San's mind like thunder from the heavens.
A thousand times more terrifying than the Clear Sky Hammer being crushed just moments ago!
Tang San jerked his head up, ignoring the excruciating pain in his body as he stared at Yu Tianyu, his eyes filled with abject terror.
H-he knew?!
How was that possible?!
Lovesick Heartbreak Red was clearly concealing Xiao Wu's aura. Even Titled Douluo couldn't detect it. How could he know?!
"Shh."
Yu Tianyu raised a finger to his lips, motioning for Tang San to be quiet.
"Don't get so worked up."
"I'm not planning to expose this little rabbit just yet."
"After all, she's the final feast I've prepared for you... at the finals."
"Just imagine."
Yu Tianyu's gaze turned as cruel as a demon's.
"Before the Pope Palace, with all the Titled Douluo watching."
"If you lose, this rabbit... will be skinned and dismembered, her Spirit Bone removed, and turned into someone else's Spirit Ring."
"And you'll have to watch helplessly, powerless to stop it."
"Isn't that a beautiful sight?"
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
Tang San broke down.
He wanted to lunge at Yu Tianyu and bite him to death, but he couldn't move. Terror and despair swept over him like a tide.
It wasn't just that he had been humiliated.
The demon had set his sights on Xiao Wu, the person he loved most!
And though Yu Tianyu knew the truth, he'd deliberately kept quiet, saving it for the end so he could deliver the most devastating blow.
It was a game of cat and mouse.
This wasn't just killing someone. It was destroying them from within!
"Enjoy the rest of your journey, my... toy."
Yu Tianyu patted Tang San's paper-white face, rose to his feet, and laughed as he walked away.
He left behind a scene of utter devastation.
And the members of Shrek, whose hearts were filled with endless darkness.
That night, Tang San didn't sleep.
He held the trembling Xiao Wu in his arms, and both of them had cried themselves dry.
Before this demon, they had no secrets, no dignity, and no means of fighting back.
The road to Spirit City had become a one-way path to hell.
Before you continue