Huo Yuhao had barely finished speaking.
A burly man was the first to step out through the spatial gate.
At the same time, he called back into the gate, "Yuhao, you're being way too cautious!"
"We've done this so many times! If they could've found us, they would've done it already!"
The speaker was none other than Xu Sanshi of Shrek Academy.
As he dodged Jiang Nannan's "physical torment," he called out to the members of the Shrek Soul Master Legion.
"Brothers, hurry up and come out!"
The Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion, the Soul Hall Soul Engineer Legion, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps all detected abnormal spatial fluctuations in East District 3.
At last, the spatial gate in East District 3 closed completely.
Kong Deming's icy command suddenly rang across the battlefield, followed at once by the earth-shaking roar of Soul Tools!
"Fire all Fixed Soul Cannon Shells!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The three Soul Engineer Legions had been poised for action for a long time. Dense volleys of Fixed Soul Cannon Shells, all seventh-tier or higher, shot from their barrels like a rain of meteors across the sky, pouring down on East District 3 as if they cost nothing.
Huo Yuhao's mind faltered. Before he could recover from the sudden turn of events, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Snow Empress, and Ice Empress had already grown instantly alert in his spiritual sea. Their urgent warnings rang out:
"Yuhao, this is bad! You've been ambushed!"
But the warning came too late. The high-tier Soul Cannon Shells blanketing the sky had already locked onto their targets, and destructive firepower engulfed the entire area in an instant.
The thunderous roar shattered the clouds. Countless high-tier Fixed Soul Cannon Shells crashed to the ground, their violent explosions piling atop one another. Flames swallowed all of East District 3 in an instant, and towering firelight surged into an endless sea of flame as rocks and scorching waves of heat flew in every direction.
Layer upon layer of spiritual barriers was torn apart by the bombardment. The spiritual camouflage Huo Yuhao had painstakingly laid down over a long period crumbled piece by piece, no longer able to conceal their whereabouts.
Huo Yuhao cried out in anguish, "No!"
Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, and the others still had Invincible Barriers. Their pale golden membranes withstood the violent impact, keeping them safe for the moment.
But the other Shrek team members had no Invincible Barriers to protect them. They couldn't possibly withstand the destructive bombardment. Their bodies melted away beneath the impact of the flames in an instant, without even a chance to cry out. They were reduced to fine dust, swept away by the scorching wind until not a trace remained.
And so, after a single volley, everyone else was dead—all except the younger generation of Shrek.
While Huo Yuhao and the others were still stunned, Beibei was the first to suggest, "Yuhao, open your Undead Demiplane! Let everyone hide inside again!"
Huo Yuhao had been about to do the same.
But Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the other Ferocious Beasts spoke to him coldly. "Yuhao, the enemy has clearly seen through the nature of your Undead Demiplane!"
"There's little point in summoning it again now!"
"Then what should we do?" Huo Yuhao demanded coldly, turning to the Ferocious Beasts.
The Ferocious Beasts fell silent. At last, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said icily, "Run!"
"Run as far as you can!"
While Huo Yuhao was still thinking, Kong Deming had already ordered the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion, the Soul Hall Soul Engineer Legion, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps to surround East District 3 and pick off the survivors.
He was among them, of course.
Kong Deming brought Ye Guyi, Qiangu Zhenyue, Qiangu Zhenxie, Jin Lin, Guang Yao, Luan Feng, and the others, surrounding Huo Yuhao's group on all sides.
"Huo Yuhao, you can't escape!"
"Surrender quietly. This old man is merciful enough to leave your corpse intact!"
But what awaited Kong Deming was—
A bone-chilling cold suddenly surged out of Huo Yuhao's body. Snow Empress forcibly took control of him, her ice-blue hair fluttering in the air. Without a word, she unleashed three ultimate attacks in an instant.
"Emperor Palm!"
"Emperor Sword!"
"Emperor's Cold Heaven!"
A pure white palm crashed down. The crystalline Emperor Sword slashed through the air, while the frigid domain of Emperor's Cold Heaven spread in an instant, sealing the entire encirclement in biting cold.
Ye Guyi and the others were caught off guard. They were about to be trapped completely within the frozen domain.
Seeing the attack lock onto its targets, Huo Yuhao felt a flicker of hope. But a brilliant golden light suddenly burst around Kong Deming, and an astonishing aura of Soul Tools erupted from within him.
The Soul Tool shimmered with the heavy radiance of laws. It could forcibly tear at the frigid domain and freeze the flow of energy. Golden light sealed the space for several miles in every direction. Snow Empress's icy assault grew sluggish and weakened layer by layer. The suppressive force of the laws unique to a tenth-tier Soul Tool washed over them, and even a high-tier Soul Skill was stopped dead only a few feet in front of Kong Deming.
The instant Kong Deming made his move, Huo Yuhao, under Snow Empress's control, exclaimed in shock, "He's reached the cultivation of a Limit Douluo!"
What hovered around Kong Deming, its light flowing in shimmering circles, was none other than his tenth-tier soul-bound Soul Tool, the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield. A layer of luminous silver light formed a perfect spherical barrier that completely enveloped him, its surface entwined with fine, ring-shaped Soul Tool patterns as moonlight-like radiance rippled across it.
It could ward off the erosion of domains and slow the flow of energy from incoming Soul Skills, directly suppressing the spread of Snow Empress's Emperor's Cold Heaven. It could also dissipate the force of Emperor Palm and Emperor Sword, granting it a defense governed by the laws themselves.
The moonlit patterns of the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield suddenly blazed bright. It unleashed the power of ultimate laws, instantly reflecting all three of Snow Empress's frigid ultimate techniques—Emperor Palm, Emperor Sword, and Emperor's Cold Heaven!
The fierce freezing assault reversed direction, carrying terrifying source power as it swept toward the people of Shrek.
Huo Yuhao, who was still unable to move, bore the brunt of it, followed closely by Xu Sanshi, He Caitou, and Beibei, who stood near the front.
At the critical moment, two graceful figures darted forward. Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Huo Yuhao. Wang Qiu'er chose to sacrifice herself, using Invincible Space to protect Huo Yuhao, while Wang Dong'er risked her own life to summon a certain being.
Jiang Nannan instantly activated her Invincible Close-Combat state and braced against the impact. Xu Sanshi unleashed his innate ultimate skill to stabilize their formation. Golden light surged around Beibei as he transformed into the towering Radiant Sacred Dragon, taking the blow head-on.
Only Xiao Xiao and He Caitou had no time to bring their defenses fully to bear. They faced the backlash of all three Emperor-level techniques head-on.
Their Soul Power foundations were too weak to withstand Snow Empress's source cold. Their bodies were swallowed in an instant by the piercing frost and violent force, and they died on the spot.
"Qiu'er, no!"
Wang Qiu'er's sacrifice enveloped Huo Yuhao in the power of laws. The space three inches in front of him seemed to have frozen still.
Even Wang Dong'er was repelled by that force, left to face Snow Empress's three ultimate techniques head-on.
"Dong'er!"
Only then did Huo Yuhao notice the danger Wang Dong'er was in. Just as he watched in helpless fury, unable to do anything—
A blue-gold figure shot out of Wang Dong'er's spiritual sea.
The blue-gold figure spread its spiritual power and immediately sensed Snow Empress's three incoming attacks.
The figure frowned slightly, though it was puzzled.
Even so, it forcibly took control of Wang Dong'er's body, drew on her Soul Power, and formed the Sea God Trident. It then unleashed the Soul Skill—Boundless Sea Tide.
Kong Deming, Ye Guyi, and the others could only watch as the blue-gold figure rescued Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and the others. They were powerless to move.
Just as fear filled Kong Deming's face—
The blue-gold figure tried to unleash another Soul Skill, intent on killing Kong Deming and the others.
At that critical moment—
Two terrifying auras, one green and one purple, came from the distant sky.
Two voices spoke in unison: "Asura! You've gone too far!"
Then two enormous hands, one purple and one green, reached for the blue-gold figure. It tried to dodge, but it couldn't resist the two forces. During its struggle, it could only shout to Huo Yuhao, "Huo Yuhao, go to the Clear Sky Sect! There you'll find—!"
"No!" Before the blue-gold figure could finish speaking—
The two great hands, green and purple, completely obliterated it.
Only then did Kong Deming and the others breathe a sigh of relief.
But in the next instant, their faces filled with anger.
They saw that Huo Yuhao had already finished receiving Wang Qiu'er's sacrifice.
He carried the falling Wang Dong'er in his arms and fled into the distance with Beibei, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, and the others.
As he left, he turned back and snarled at Kong Deming and the others, "Sun Moon Empire! One day, I'll make you regret this!"
Kong Deming and the others were still trapped by Boundless Sea Tide. All they could do was watch Huo Yuhao's group disappear into the horizon.
A few seconds later, Kong Deming, Ye Guyi, and the others finally broke free of Boundless Sea Tide's control.
Kong Deming's expression was dark, but he had already calmed down.
He gave his orders coolly. "The Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion will search the entire empire for Huo Yuhao and the others!"
"The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps will return to Ming Capital and guard it!"
"The Soul Hall Soul Engineer Legion will accompany the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps back to Ming Capital to rest and recover!"
Kong Deming knew that the mission had been a complete success. After all, they had eliminated the Shrek Soul Master Legion's fighting strength.
Three of the Shrek Seven Devils were dead, and three were injured.
The only regret was that Huo Yuhao had escaped.
After giving his orders—
Kong Deming left with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps and the Soul Hall Soul Engineer Legion.
The Fire Phoenix Douluo led the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion in pursuit of Huo Yuhao and the others.
All of this had happened five days earlier.
Five days later, Qian Daoliu was preparing to give up on Sunset Forest and head for the Far North or the Ice Sea when—
Bo Saixi teased him, "Qian Daoliu, you're about to become a father!"
"How come you're still so restless?"
"How about this? We'll search for another half a month. If we still find nothing, I'll go with you to the Ice Sea or the Far North to take a look!"
At that, Qian Daoliu's old face turned red.
"Xixi, you're the best!"
Just as Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi were getting affectionate—
Qian Daoliu's divine-level spiritual power suddenly sensed a familiar aura drawing near.
Before long, Bo Saixi sensed that familiar aura too.
"Tang Chen?"
Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.
Since Bo Saixi had been using the Soul Skill Breath of Life to conceal their auras, Tang Chen had not noticed them at first.
But Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi noticed not only Tang Chen but also several young people beside him.
Among them were Huo Yuhao, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and the others from Shrek, whom Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi had met before.
Seeing Tang Chen with Huo Yuhao and the others, Qian Daoliu immediately wanted to step out and demand an explanation from Tang Chen.
Bo Saixi stopped him. "Qian Daoliu, don't rush!"
"Let's watch and see."
"Everyone in Tang Chen's group looks anxious."
"Why don't we observe them from the shadows for a while?"
"If they're really up to no good, we can step in and stop them then!"
Seeing that Bo Saixi wasn't taking Tang Chen's side just because she had seen him, Qian Daoliu finally relaxed.
Following Bo Saixi's suggestion, he began quietly following Tang Chen and the others.
Qian Daoliu heard Tang Chen say to Huo Yuhao, "Huo Yuhao, you'd better pray the Immortal Herbs in this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well can save my precious great-granddaughter!"
"Otherwise, this old man will make you understand the weight of the towering Clear Sky Sect and its peerless War Soul Hammer!"
At those words, Huo Yuhao trembled uncontrollably.
Not long ago, he had followed the blue-gold figure's advice and gone to the Clear Sky Sect. Instead, he had been greeted by a furious beating from the sect's three Limit Douluos.
Only after Huo Yuhao brought up the blue-gold figure's exploits did the three of them finally temper their anger a little.
They then instructed him to go to Sunset Forest and find the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where he was to search for Immortal Herbs to treat the injured Wang Dong'er!
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu—
Couldn't help asking Bo Saixi curiously, "Xixi, what do you think the Immortal Herbs Tang Chen mentioned are?"
"They've got that fellow Tang Chen so fixated on them!"
Bo Saixi replied, "I don't know. But if they can treat Tang Chen's great-granddaughter,"
"they must be some kind of miraculous medicinal herb!"
Bo Saixi offered her guess to Qian Daoliu, though she wasn't sure.
"Qian Daoliu, there's no point guessing here!"
"Let's just follow Tang Chen and the others!"
Qian Daoliu smiled in understanding. "All right!"
Then Qian Daoliu continued tailing Tang Chen and the others.
Tang Chen led Huo Yuhao's group to a hurried stop deep in the mountains. The atmosphere there was eerie and dangerous.
Layers of hazy poisonous mist swirled overhead. Cold and warm currents entwined, making the poison mist turn hot and cold in waves. Even a touch left the skin tingling.
The surrounding plants were half withered and half flourishing, and spiritual energy mingled with strange poisonous fumes in the air.
Qian Daoliu, who had been following them in secret, sensed the danger of the place. He had no idea he was on the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Senior Tang, according to what the sect master said, this should be the place!"
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took the lead and stepped into the poisonous mist.
Tang Chen didn't doubt him and followed right behind.
A look of wonder flickered in Qian Daoliu's eyes as he watched from the shadows. He murmured in amazement, astonished that the unremarkable depths of Sunset Forest concealed such a strange secret realm, shrouded in poisonous mist and woven from interlocking yin and yang. It truly opened his eyes.
After waiting a while, Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi followed them in one after the other.
The moment he stepped into the heart of the secret realm, the sight before Qian Daoliu stunned him.
Two extreme currents, one cold and one hot, were sharply divided. One half of the pool was covered in dense ice mist, its chill piercing to the bone. The other half was a boiling hot spring, surging with waves of heat and billowing clouds of steam.
Immortal Herbs grew in profusion around the spiritual spring, their radiance shimmering through a haze as abundant spiritual energy poured out. The powers of ice and fire mingled and balanced one another, creating an unparalleled wonderland that left him wide-eyed with astonishment.
Qian Daoliu couldn't help exclaiming, "What rich heaven and earth energy!"
"Cultivating here could increase my cultivation tenfold!"
At the same time, Qian Daoliu quickly noticed how lush the vegetation here was.
Before long, he spotted several terrifying plant-type Soul Beasts and couldn't help exclaiming to Bo Saixi, "Xixi, those are all plant-type Soul Beasts over a hundred thousand years old!"
Before you continue