Though she felt no pain, Long Yeyue could still tell that she was in grave danger. Instinctively, she gathered her Soul Power and tried to break through the dark restraints around her.
With her cultivation, if she hadn't been caught off guard and had her Martial Soul suppressed by bloodline, she could probably have broken the move in five minutes.
"She's about to recover. Fall back!" Di Tian sensed that his move was about to wear off and gave the order without hesitation. Then he slammed a dragon punch into the back of Long Yeyue's head, driving her headfirst into the mud.
At his command, Xiong Jun and Qiangu Qingfeng immediately retreated. Moving at the speed of Limit Douluo, they soon vanished from the battlefield.
After taking so many heavy blows, Long Yeyue would be lucky to escape with only serious injuries. Even with the Golden Ancient Tree nourishing and healing her, she'd need to spend at least half a year in bed. She shouldn't be able to cause trouble for a while.
The two beasts and one human, having finished their beating, all wore satisfied expressions.
Di Tian was pleased to have completed the task his master had given him. Xiong Jun, meanwhile, hadn't given a human powerhouse a proper thrashing in a long time, let alone a Limit Douluo from Shrek. It was no exaggeration to say his fists were still itching for more.
Qiangu Qingfeng had also finally vented his anger.
"Brother, that was quite a move. I'd wager there aren't many people on the entire continent who could withstand it."
Di Tian showed little reaction to Qiangu Qingfeng's compliment, merely giving a calm nod.
Xiong Jun glanced at Qiangu Qingfeng, then muttered to Di Tian, "Boss, what do we do about him?"
They might have thoroughly enjoyed teaming up to beat Long Yeyue, but Qiangu Qingfeng wasn't one of them. The Soul Beasts still needed to keep their actions secret.
Qiangu Qingfeng could also tell the two had something they didn't want to say and didn't wish to reveal their true identities.
"Please don't worry. I have no interest in your true identities. Until we meet again."
With that, he turned and left.
There were hidden dragons and crouching tigers on this continent. There was no need to make enemies over a passing curiosity.
Besides, judging by what had just happened, they seemed to have a deep grudge against Long Yeyue, too.
The enemy of an enemy was a friend.
Once Qiangu Qingfeng had left, Di Tian took Xiong Jun and departed as well. He needed to report back to his master, and he was looking forward to his next assignment.
How many years had it been since he'd gotten to do anything worthwhile? Today had been a good warm-up, a chance to get his limbs moving.
Di Tian was in high spirits. Ever since Huo Yuhao had defeated him ten thousand years ago, he'd stayed in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, guarding his sleeping master.
He'd barely fought in nearly ten thousand years. Some of his moves had started to feel rusty.
Everyone had left in a good mood, except for the person who'd been planted headfirst in the mud.
After Long Yeyue used her Soul Power to finally break through Di Tian's seal on her five senses, pain surged through her body like a tidal wave.
"Ah!!!"
Her scream of agony rang across the wilderness.
Long Yeyue struggled out of the mud. There wasn't a patch of skin on her body that hadn't been battered, and bruises covered her from head to toe. Seven or eight of her ribs were broken, too.
"Who did this? Who dared to ambush me!"
Fuming helplessly, she immediately released her mental power to search the surroundings.
But where were her attackers? Not a trace of them remained. They had even erased the Soul Power they'd left behind. She couldn't find the slightest clue.
The only things that could be considered clues were the pure darkness her Martial Soul had sensed and the pressure she'd felt from their bloodline.
But her Twin Sacred Dragons Martial Soul was already at the pinnacle of true dragons! The Sea God Pavilion Master ten thousand years ago and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family head twenty thousand years ago had both possessed this same top-tier Martial Soul.
She'd never had her bloodline suppressed head-on. In the past, she'd always been the one suppressing others.
Could another major figure have emerged among the Evil Soul Masters?
But Long Yeyue quickly rejected the idea.
If it had been the Holy Spirit Cult, which was locked in a fight to the death with Shrek Academy, she would have been killed countless times the moment she fell into their hands.
When her five senses had been sealed, she'd fought back, but her resistance had been crushed without mercy.
There were no more than a handful of people in the world who could pin her down and beat her senseless, yet Long Yeyue couldn't figure out who it had been.
The only reason they'd let her go had to be out of respect for Shrek Academy, which stood behind her...
A breeze swept across the wilderness, bringing a chill with it.
Long Yeyue stared at the empty surroundings as fear swelled within her.
Forget it. Staying alive was what mattered.
Who could guarantee that those people wouldn't suddenly change their minds, come back, and kill her to silence her?
Long Yeyue wiped the mud from her face, then pulled a black cloak from her Storage Soul Tool and covered her wounds.
She had to hurry back and receive treatment from the Golden Ancient Tree. She probably wouldn't be able to set foot outside the academy for the next six months.
"Just wait! Anyone who dares mess with Shrek Academy... Yun Ming will stand up for me!"
She roared into the empty wilderness, venting some of her grief and anger, then slunk back to Shrek Academy with her tail between her legs.
"Ah-choo!"
Qian Jue rubbed his nose. Why had he suddenly sneezed?
Could someone with his constitution even catch a cold?
As he walked back to his dorm, Qian Jue had the feeling that something good had happened today. He was in a great mood.
"Hehe, being on the captain's team is great. We even get a new dorm!"
Wang Jinxi followed close behind Qian Jue, grinning from ear to ear.
He'd just experienced firsthand how ridiculously much Qian Jue boosted dragon-attribute Soul Masters.
Without using a Soul Skill, just by relying on raw stats, Qian Jue could easily beat a close friend of comparable strength.
Then they'd run a comparison test. With the same Soul Skill, if Wang Jinxi could boost someone's power twofold, Zhang Yangzi could only manage a onefold increase. The difference was so great that they couldn't help wondering whether Qian Jue's Martial Soul was some kind of dragon-exclusive treasure.
"I'm glad you're happy, but could you please stop standing so close to me?"
Qian Jue shifted slightly to the side and took a step to his right, putting a little more distance between himself and Wang Jinxi and drawing closer to Gu Yue.
Watching Wang Jinxi fawn over him like a lovesick puppy, Gu Yue smiled scornfully.
A mere lesser dragon clan member, and he actually thought he could win Xiao Qian's heart?
Tang Wulin was snickering beside them, too. He knew he probably shouldn't, but he just couldn't hold it in.
Before they reached the villa, they spotted a black Soul Guidance car parked at the entrance.
As soon as Qian Jue and the others approached, the car door opened.
Xie Xie stepped out of the car wearing a little suit and sunglasses.
"Yo! Did you guys miss me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Yue raised a hand and sent an ice spike flying at him.
Xie Xie grinned and waved a hand. The ice spike was instantly sliced in two.
The next moment, his figure disappeared from everyone's sight.
Gu Yue tracked his movements with her eyes, but couldn't spot him.
Then—
Qian Jue's Coiling Dragon Staff swept across, easily blocking the Shadow Dragon Dagger aimed at Gu Yue.
After his attack failed, Xie Xie recalled his Martial Soul and spread his hands. "Captain, you're terrifying. I even used my Soul Bone Skill, and you still saw through me."
Xie Xie looked at Qian Jue. Facing the Coiling Dragon Staff, the feeling was even stronger than before.
That heartfelt sense of submission and reverence had deepened along with the dragon attribute of his Martial Soul.
"Welcome back."
Xie Xie clapped his hands, and a butler brought several boxes of delicious food down from the car.
"It's all from the First Grade Pavilion. My treat today—eat your fill!"
"Woohoo!"
Tang Wulin's favorite things were, first, Qian Jue; second, his mom, dad, and Na'er; and third, food.
Everyone headed toward the villa, but Gu Yue remained rooted to the spot.
Her breathing was quick, and her face was flushed.
"Haah, haah, haah..."
Gu Yue's mind kept replaying the moment Qian Jue had stepped in.
Hehe... My dear husband just protected me...
"Sister, hurry up and come back. Why are you just standing there?"
"C-coming."
Gu Yue wiped away her drool, her eyes fixed on Qian Jue's back.
Just how long could she hold back before she finally devoured Xiao Qian, body and soul?