Yu Xiaogang's Obsession

The quill in his hand slipped from his stiff fingers with a clatter, blooming into a jarring ink blot across the spread-out paper, which was densely packed with the names of soul beasts and analyses of their soul skills.

"A...all soul beasts... have disappeared?"

Yu Xiaogang's voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together, every word trembling with disbelief.

He jerked his head up, staring fixedly at Flender; those eyes, usually filled with a measure of melancholy and contemplation, were now brimming with a vast emptiness and a... near-collapsing panic.

"Flender... are... are you joking with me? This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He practically roared it out, his voice cracking from the sheer intensity of his shock.

"What kind of joke is this?! Soul beasts have existed for as long as the Douluo Continent has. Disappeared overnight? You're telling me all soul beasts, including those in the sea, have vanished into thin air? This is simply absurd!"

Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved violently, his complexion shifting rapidly from the deathly pallor of shock to a sickly, flushed red.

If soul beasts were gone, wouldn't the research theories he took such pride in—the very things that gave his life meaning—lose all their foundation?

What would he have left to guide the Shrek Seven Devils team that was about to be formed?

He had been waiting to mold the Shrek Seven Devils to prove his own worth!

If soul beasts were gone, it would be the most thorough negation of his life's work!

Watching Yu Xiaogang's near-breakdown, Flender let out a long sigh: "Xiaogang, I don't want to believe it either! But this has truly happened."

"Impossible... this is impossible..." Yu Xiaogang stumbled back a step, as if his bones had been pulled from his body, or as if his soul had been struck by an invisible, massive hammer; his gaze grew unfocused as he mindlessly repeated those words.

In his mind, the soul ring plans he had been meticulously calculating just moments ago flashed by:

Dai Mubai's fourth soul ring, originally planned to be a powerful attack-type tiger or lion soul beast...

Zhu Zhuqing's speed required a cat-type agility soul beast...

Oscar's third soul ring, for which he had expected a powerful support-type soul skill...

And most importantly, his disciple, Tang San!

Twin Martial Souls! He had already mapped out the optimal choices for the subsequent soul rings for the Blue Silver Grass, and had even begun conceptualizing the grand blueprint for adding soul rings to the Clear Sky Hammer in the future.

Behind this blueprint lay the need for many powerful soul beasts to provide those rings!

All of it!

In the face of those six words—"all soul beasts have disappeared"—it had instantly turned into... a complete and utter... joke!

Extreme shock, a sense of absurdity he could not accept, and the despair of his lifelong convictions collapsing in an instant surged like a violent tide against Yu Xiaogang's fragile heart and spirit.

"Pfft—!"

He felt a surge of metallic sweetness rush up his throat, and unable to suppress it any longer, he spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered in tiny droplets across the papers filled with soul beast names, like so many cruel periods.

"Xiaogang!" Flender was horrified, lunging forward to support the swaying Yu Xiaogang.

Snap.

Yu Xiaogang reached out and gripped Flender tightly, speaking in a hoarse voice: "Flender, go, take me to see—I need to see it with my own eyes!"

"Alright, I'll take you there right now!"

Flender nodded hurriedly.

Whoosh.

Flender activated his Avatar of the Martial Soul and quickly flew with Yu Xiaogang to the nearest habitat of soul beasts.

However, as far as the eye could see, there were only ordinary plants and animals; not a single soul beast could be found.

"No... this is impossible..."

"Flender, go to the next place and check!"

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and said.

And so...

"No... this is impossible, there must still be soul beasts!"

"Going to the next place..."

"No... this absolutely cannot be true..."

"Going to the next place..."

"Hahahaha..."

"They're gone, all gone..."

"All the soul beasts are gone, hahahaha..."

In the end, Yu Xiaogang seemed to have snapped, laughing maniacally toward the empty expanse of a soul beast forest.

"Xiaogang!"

Flender watched the deranged Yu Xiaogang with a pained heart, then quickly stepped forward to knock him unconscious so he could carry him back.

As for Yu Xiaogang's mental breakdown, Tang San, his direct disciple, was completely unaware.

He was currently immersed in the joy of having regained something he thought he had lost.

"Xiao Wu!"

"Thank goodness, you've finally returned!"

Tang San stepped forward and pulled Xiao Wu into a tight embrace, terrified that if he let go, she would vanish once again.

For the past two days, he had nearly hated himself to death for having lost Xiao Wu.

So much so that the fact that all the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest had disappeared had barely crossed his mind.

"Brother!"

Feeling the warmth of Tang San's embrace, Xiao Wu finally found a harbor for her soul, pulling herself out of the loss and helplessness she felt from being unable to find Daming and Erming.

"Phew~ It's good that she's back!"

"Tang San, Xiao Wu, we must return immediately!"

"With such a massive incident having occurred, we must inform the Dean and the others at once."

Seeing that Xiao Wu had returned, Zhao Wuji let out a heavy sigh of relief before speaking urgently.

He did not know, however, that during the two days they had spent searching for Xiao Wu, many others had already learned the news of the soul beasts' disappearance.

Furthermore, it was not just the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest that they had witnessed which had vanished.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Fengzhi, it has been confirmed. Whether on land or in the ocean, all soul beasts have completely vanished!"

"The soul beasts that have coexisted with us soul masters for tens of millions of years have gone extinct overnight."

Sword Douluo said to Ning Fengzhi.

"It is truly... hard to believe..."

Ning Fengzhi struggled to open his mouth, his tone filled with shock.

Although he had already mentally prepared himself for this outcome, hearing Sword Douluo confirm it still left him unable to suppress his horror.

"Indeed, how could this be?"

"How exactly did those soul beasts disappear?"

Bone Douluo also wore a look of shock, feeling as though this world was no longer the one he knew.

Could there really come a day when soul beasts collectively vanished?

"Since things have reached this point, we must consider how to handle the coming upheaval!"

"Once this news spreads, the soul master world will inevitably face unprecedented turmoil."

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down before speaking slowly.

As the Sect Master, he had to prepare for the chaos that would follow.

"Uncle Sword, please make a trip to Shrek Academy and bring Rongrong back!"

"Now that the soul beasts are extinct, there is no need for Rongrong to remain at Shrek Academy any longer!"

Ning Fengzhi's first response was to have Sword Douluo bring his daughter home.

"Understood, Sect Master!"

Sword Douluo acknowledged the order, immediately summoned his Seven Kill Sword, stepped onto it, and instantly flew away on his blade.

By the time Sword Douluo arrived at Shrek Academy, he happened to encounter Zhao Wuji leading the Shrek Seven Devils back.

"Wait... that is..."

Sword Douluo, who had been prepared to land immediately to retrieve Ning Rongrong, found his gaze quickly drawn to a young girl standing behind her.