Zhao Wuji Knocks His Knees!

"Seventh Soul Skill, Avatar of the Martial Soul!"

Accompanied by a violent, earth-shattering bear roar.

Under the augmentation of his seventh soul skill, Zhao Wuji's already massive frame began to undergo a world-shaking transformation.

His muscles swelled frantically, and his bones emitted sharp, cracking sounds.

In the blink of an eye.

A giant Vajra Bear, over five meters tall and covered in thick, dark-gold armor, stood abruptly within the ice pit.

Transformed into a giant bear, Zhao Wuji roared at the sky, his arms slamming violently against his sturdy chest.

The sound, like the beating of war drums, echoed through the night sky.

Those blood-red eyes, large as lanterns, locked onto Xue Tianyu in mid-air.

"Kid, you forced my hand!"

The giant bear spat out human speech, muffled yet deafening.

"To die beneath my Martial Soul Avatar, you can consider it a fitting end!"

With that, Zhao Wuji bent his knees sharply.

His massive body launched from the ground like a heavy missile, charging straight at Xue Tianyu in the air.

The giant bear paw tore through the air, carrying the momentum to destroy everything, and swiped down fiercely.

Watching the Vajra Bear pounce like Mount Tai collapsing upon him.

Xue Tianyu remained in mid-air, showing no sign of retreat.

On his handsome face, there was not even a flicker of emotion.

He looked like a god, high above, looking down upon an ant.

"Martial Soul Avatar?"

"Is this your final struggle?"

Xue Tianyu shook his head lightly, his eyes filled with endless disdain.

"Too weak."

He slowly extended his right hand.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year God-Bestowed Soul Ring, which had been hovering around him and emitting an eerie red glow, finally erupted with a terrifying power that made the heavens and earth change color!

The dark red light shrouded the entire area as if it were tangible.

The intricate ice-blue dragon patterns on the soul ring began to move frantically, as if they had come to life.

The absolute pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring poured out without reservation.

The surrounding space emitted cracking sounds under the strain of this power, unable to bear the weight.

The water vapor in the air instantly condensed into countless sharp ice shards, hovering around Xue Tianyu.

Zhao Wuji, who was pouncing toward Xue Tianyu in mid-air, suddenly stiffened.

He felt a threat of death that made his very soul tremble.

It was the primal power of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

An absolute gap that even his Martial Soul Avatar could not contend with!

But he was already in mid-air with no path of retreat.

He could only grit his teeth and pour every ounce of his soul power into his palms without reservation.

Xue Tianyu watched the giant bear paw closing in.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a chilling smile.

The dark red soul ring on his right arm contracted violently, all its power converging frantically into his palm.

That Ice Heaven Snow Lotus, which had been blooming quietly, was instantly stained with an eerie blood-red hue.

The Ultimate Ice and the God-Bestowed power merged perfectly.

A Dark Red Ice Lotus, radiating an aura of destruction, slowly took shape in his palm.

As the lotus petals trembled slightly, the space they passed through was frozen, leaving behind fine cracks.

"Since you like risking your life so much."

"Then use your life to consecrate my Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Skill."

Xue Tianyu held the Dark Red Ice Lotus, his deep eyes filled with chilling killing intent.

His sixth soul ring shone brilliantly, the dazzling red light illuminating the entire valley as if it were broad daylight.

The dark red light shrouded the entire area as if it were tangible.

The absolute pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring poured out without reservation.

The surrounding space emitted a cacophony of cracking sounds under the strain of this power, unable to bear the pressure.

The moisture in the air instantly condensed into countless peerlessly sharp ice needles, hovering around Xue Tianyu.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Red Lotus Extreme Abyss!"

Xue Tianyu pulled his five fingers together sharply, and the dark red ice lotus in his palm shot forth.

Carrying the power of a hundred-thousand-year God-Bestowed Soul Ring and the Ultimate Ice, the lotus expanded rapidly against the wind.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a giant blood-colored ice lotus over ten meters in diameter, hanging suspended in mid-air.

Zhao Wuji, in his transformed state as the Vajra Bear, had no time to change his tactics.

Those giant bear paws, possessing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, slammed solidly into the petals of the blood-colored ice lotus.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any violent surge of soul power.

Everything fell into a deathly silence the moment they touched.

Zhao Wuji felt a terrifying chill, one capable of freezing even his soul, pour madly into his meridians through his bear paws.

His pride and joy, the Avatar of his Martial Soul, was as fragile as a sheet of paper before that layer of dark red frost.

The thick, dark gold armor crumbled inch by inch, turning into countless ice shards that fell with a rustling sound.

"Ah--!"

A scream of extreme agony tore through the sky above the Sunset Forest.

Zhao Wuji's massive bear body began to convulse violently.

His arms were covered by the dark red layer of ice at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Flesh, bone, and even his surging soul power were forcibly crystallized by this overbearing, extreme force.

Xue Tianyu hovered in mid-air, looking down at the struggling, suffering Zhao Wuji from above.

He did not move a single finger, merely watching the trapped beast shrouded in the shadow of death.

The blood-colored ice lotus rotated slowly.

Each dark red petal, sharp as the finest divine weapon in the world, easily sliced through the ice layer on Zhao Wuji's arms.

"Crack!"

A hair-raising shattering sound exploded in the night.

The entire right arm of Zhao Wuji's Martial Soul Avatar was cleanly severed from the shoulder.

Not a drop of blood sprayed from the wound.

Because that boiling blood had long since turned into crimson ice shards under the assault of the extreme cold.

The giant bear arm slammed heavily into the ground, shattering into a pile of ice fragments on impact.

The intense pain caused Zhao Wuji to lose his reason.

His Seventh Soul Skill, the Martial Soul Avatar, could no longer be maintained; it shattered with a violent flash of light.

His massive body fell from the sky like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard into the massive ice crater from before.

The ground shook violently.

Zhao Wuji was buried deep in the ice, vomiting large mouthfuls of internal organ fragments mixed with ice shards.

His once-sturdy right arm was now empty, the wound covered in dark red ice crystals.

His left arm, though still attached, was completely frozen stiff, hanging at his side like a piece of dead wood.

This Immovable Wisdom King, who had rampaged through the soul master world for years, was now in a state of utter wretchedness, his eyes filled with shock and despair.

The ice crystal wings behind Xue Tianyu flapped gently as he drifted down to the edge of the ice crater.

His soles crunched against the broken ice, producing a crisp sound.

To Zhao Wuji's ears, this sound was more terrifying than the funeral bell of a reaper from hell.

"You said just now that you would kill me here, even if it cost you your life?"

Xue Tianyu condensed Frost Sword Qi in his hand once more, the tip of the blade pointing directly at Zhao Wuji at the bottom of the pit.

"Now that your life is nearly gone, how is it that you haven't even touched a corner of my clothes?"

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling like chaff in the wind.

It was not out of anger, but because the Ultimate Ice that had invaded his marrow was madly devouring his vitality.

The power of a hundred-thousand-year soul ring was simply not something a level 76 Soul Saint could contend with.

What's more, this was a lethal strike delivered by a God-Bestowed Soul Ring!

He would die!

If he continued to fight head-on today, he would absolutely die at the hands of this terrifying youth!

The instinct to survive overwhelmed the dignity of a Soul Saint in that moment.

Zhao Wuji bit his tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood.

He burned the last of his soul power without hesitation, not even sparing his own life potential.

His first and second soul rings detonated simultaneously.

A violent turbulence of soul power exploded in front of him, kicking up a thick cloud of ochre dust that instantly obscured his vision.

Leveraging the massive recoil generated by the ring detonation, Zhao Wuji kicked off the ground with a single leg.

Like a stray dog, he dragged his heavily wounded and broken body, plunging into the dense darkness of the Sunset Forest without once looking back.

Escape!

As long as he could make it back to Shrek Academy, as long as he could find Flender, he would survive!

Watching Zhao Wuji's retreating figure as he crashed through a dozen trees in his flight, Xue Tianyu was in no hurry to pursue.

He even casually dispersed the Frost Sword Qi in his hand.

The Ice Emperor landed lightly beside him from the treetops, her exquisite face full of mockery.

"Tsk tsk, and here I thought this big clumsy bear had some backbone."

"He cuts off his own arm the moment he can't win, burning his blood to flee—his running speed is faster than a rabbit's."

The Ice Emperor extended a slender, jade-like finger to toy with the emerald-green hair draped over her chest.

"Tianyu, are you just going to let him run? That doesn't fit your usual style of cutting weeds and eliminating the roots."

Xue Tianyu looked toward the blood-stained path Zhao Wuji had carved into the depths of the forest and chuckled.

"Run?"

"Having been struck by my Red Lotus Extreme Abyss, that extreme cold energy has already locked onto his heart meridian."

"He isn't burning soul power right now; he is accelerating the cold's assault on his heart."

Xue Tianyu began to walk, following the trail of blood on the ground at a leisurely pace.

"This Sunset Forest is desolate and uninhabited; it is the perfect place for his grave."

"A game of cat and mouse is only truly interesting if you let the mouse see a glimmer of self-deluded hope before crushing it with your own hands."

In the dense forest, Zhao Wuji rampaged like a mad bull.

Thorns sliced his cheeks, and branches tore at his tattered clothes.

Yet, he didn't even dare to stop and catch his breath.

Too terrifying!

That youth named Xue Tianyu was no human; he was a god of slaughter crawled out from the frozen depths of hell!

As he sprinted, Zhao Wuji desperately channeled his soul power to suppress the injuries within him.

But he discovered with despair that the dark red cold energy was like a maggot in the bone, creeping along his meridians toward his heart bit by bit.

Every breath felt like swallowing countless ice blades, slicing his chest with waves of searing pain.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Zhao Wuji cursed frantically in his heart.

Had he known this brat was a monster possessing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, he would never have accepted this assassination mission, even if it killed him.

This wasn't a mission to kill someone; it was clearly a suicide run!

Just as he thought he had put a safe distance between them, a cold, clear voice drifted through the entire forest like a phantom.

"Teacher Zhao, is this the survival rule taught by your Shrek Academy?"

"Turn and run when you can't win, not even daring to leave behind a parting threat."

"Where did that momentum from earlier, the one that sought to nip me in the bud, go?"

Xue Tianyu's voice was not loud, yet it pierced through the howling wind with absolute clarity, reaching Zhao Wuji's ears.

Zhao Wuji's scalp tingled violently, and he stumbled, nearly face-planting into the mud.

He looked back in terror.

Deep within the pitch-black forest, a point of ice-blue light was closing in at a terrifying speed.

Xue Tianyu's wings were unfurled behind him, and he skimmed the ground in low-altitude flight.

Wherever he passed, the towering trees and the undergrowth were instantly frozen into crystal-clear ice sculptures.

He looked like an emperor strolling through his own private garden, inspecting his prey.

"Brat, don't you go too far!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes were bloodshot as he roared hysterically while running.

"I am the Vice Dean of Shrek Academy!"

"If you dare to kill me today, Flender will never let you off!"

"Our Shrek Academy has a Titled Douluo backing us!"

At this life-or-death juncture, Zhao Wuji could only drag out every backer he could think of, attempting to make Xue Tianyu hesitate out of fear of collateral damage.

Hearing this unoriginal threat, the mockery in Xue Tianyu's eyes deepened.

He gave his wings a fierce flap, his speed surging once again.

His figure transformed into a streak of light, passing directly over Zhao Wuji's head and landing steadily on a giant boulder several dozen meters ahead.

Ice Emperor descended as well, standing at Xue Tianyu's side, her gaze fixed on the charging Zhao Wuji as if looking at a dead man.

The path ahead was cut off.

Zhao Wuji slammed on the brakes, the immense momentum carving two deep furrows into the ground.

He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently, his remaining arm clutching his severed right shoulder.

Xue Tianyu held his reconsolidated Frost Sword Qi inverted in one hand, the tip of the blade resting against the surface of the boulder.

"A Title Douluo backing you?"

"Are you trying to talk about Tang San's dead-beat father who spends his days hiding his head and showing his tail, Tang Hao?"

Xue Tianyu's tone was laced with profound disdain.

"You people from Shrek Academy are always the same."

"When you use your strength to bully others, you're full of talk about survival of the fittest and the law of the jungle."

"But the moment you kick an iron plate and realize you've become the weak one, you start pulling out your connections and background, trying to use someone else's name to save your own dog life."

Xue Tianyu stepped down from the boulder slowly; with every step he took, the surrounding temperature plummeted.

"Unfortunately, that routine doesn't work on me."

"Even if Tang Hao were standing right here today, you would still have to die."

Watching Xue Tianyu press forward step by step, the terror in Zhao Wuji's eyes finally reached its peak.

The frost energy within his body had erupted; his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and even moving a single step had become a luxury.

His blood had ceased to flow, and his heartbeat had slowed to an extreme crawl.

"No... you cannot kill me..."

Zhao Wuji collapsed to his knees with a thud, his once-ferocious face now etched with desperate pleading.

"I admit defeat! I'll kowtow and apologize!"

"As long as you spare my life, I guarantee that Shrek Academy will never trouble you again!"

"I'll be your beast of burden, I..."