The Tide of the Times, Shrek's Decline Laid Bare

The massive Light Sacred Dragon stretched across the skies above Shrek City, driving away the darkness and bringing light.

Its golden wings spread fully open, shielding the academy's outer court and several of the city's most densely populated districts.

The second wave of soul tool shells struck its wings. Flames spread across the golden scales, and before the shockwaves had even faded, the third wave had already crossed the clouds.

The enemy had no intention of probing or showing mercy. Xu Tianran had given this operation his fullest support. They were merely soul tool shells; the empire did not care about such losses.

Sea God Pavilion, the outer court teaching district, the city's soul tool defensive positions, the student dormitories—all lay within the Holy Spirit Cult's range of attack.

Every round of bombardment had been calibrated in advance. Even several main roads the academy used to evacuate its students had been sealed off.

Mu En raised his dragon head. Golden soul power surged from the Golden Ancient Tree, flowing along his body and into his wings.

"Open!"

An aura of light spread outward, holding up dozens of shells falling toward the dormitory district.

One shell after another detonated high in the air. Scorching airwaves swept through the city, shattering countless windows and ripping rows of roof tiles into the sky.

Cries and wails quickly blended into one continuous chorus throughout the city.

Mu En did not lower his head. At this moment, he could not lower it. For every shell he failed to intercept, dozens more corpses would appear in the civilian districts below.

The fourth barrage came immediately afterward. Many scales on the Light Sacred Dragon's golden wings had already been damaged, and blood dripped continuously along its wing bones.

The life energy provided by the Golden Ancient Tree was repairing the wounds, but its healing speed was far behind the damage inflicted by the artillery fire.

Mu En had lived for centuries. He had witnessed wars between Ultimate Douluo and personally experienced the destruction of sects.

He had once believed that when a soul master cultivated to the ultimate level, one person alone could change an entire battlefield.

Today, the answer left behind by that old era was mercilessly rewritten by these countless soul tool cannons.

Among the soul masters controlling the artillery, there was not even a single Titled Douluo.

Yet once the soul tool positions formed an integrated system, with detection, targeting, energy supply, and synchronized volleys all linked together, even an Ultimate Douluo could be pinned down by the enemy.

They had never intended to kill him with artillery. They only wanted to nail him in the skies above Shrek City, leaving him unable to break free or offer aid.

And they had succeeded!

As several rounds of full-coverage soul tool bombardment came to an end, a massive phantom resembling a blood-red skull suddenly rose over the western side of Shrek City.

At the sight of that skull phantom, the Holy Spirit Cult members who had been waiting nearby made their move at once.

Countless evil soul masters disguised as mercenaries, merchants, and wandering soul masters stormed through the city gates.

The city defense troops were still dealing with the artillery fire overhead when several officers were killed by evil soul masters hidden among the crowd.

The defensive line that had only just been organized collapsed in an instant.

"Move according to the list!"

"Outer court first!"

"The dormitories and teaching district—don't let a single one escape!"

The evil soul masters split into several groups, avoiding Sea God Island where the inner court was located and charging straight toward the areas where young students gathered.

Another group flooded into the residential districts, setting homes ablaze and forcing the city-defending soul masters to split up and rescue civilians.

Yan Shaozhe flew out from Sea God Island, bright flames blazing from the phoenix wings behind him.

Just as he was about to rush toward the outer court, a mass of grayish-white mist blocked his path.

Within the mist, Masked Douluo wore a ghastly pale mask and carried the still-dripping head of a young student in his hand.

"Dean Yan, what are you in such a hurry for?"

Yan Shaozhe recognized it as the head of the city defense commander. The fury in his chest could no longer be suppressed.

"Get out of my way!"

Phoenix flames crashed down upon the gray mist as the two Titled Douluo clashed in midair.

Yan Shaozhe tried to go around him, but his opponent only defended without attacking. He would rather take a Phoenix Fireline head-on than let Yan Shaozhe pass.

Elsewhere, the moment Qian Duoduo rose into the air, Scorpion-Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng was already waiting in front of him.

"Dean Qian, it's been a long time!"

Zhang Peng still wore the same dead-fish expression. He showed no arrogance, merely standing quietly before Qian Duoduo and blocking his path.

"You think you can stop this old man?" Qian Duoduo released his martial soul, and nine soul rings rose one after another beneath his feet. "You're not qualified!"

Before they had even finished speaking, the two had already collided and begun fighting. Clearly, Qian Duoduo was no match for Zhang Peng and his Scorpion-Tiger martial soul.

Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier were likewise intercepted by Holy Spirit Cult consecrates.

Those evil soul master Titled Douluo were not obsessed with victory or defeat. Their sole focus was entangling their opponents.

Whenever Shrek's higher-ups tried to retreat, they launched fierce attacks. Whenever Shrek's higher-ups turned to fight them, they pulled away, giving it the feel of guerrilla warfare.

Their objective was far too obvious.

To stall!

Stall until the outer court fell, until the city descended completely into chaos.

In the outer court plaza, Beibei led the lower-year students toward the teaching buildings.

Several black-clad evil soul masters leaped over the surrounding wall. After one of them possessed his martial soul, his arms transformed into bone blades, and he lunged straight at the end of the group.

"Xu Sanshi, behind you!"

The Darkworld Turtle Shell Shield swept out sideways, smashing the man into the wall.

Before Xu Sanshi could crack a joke, a soul tool shell landed several hundred meters away, leaving his feet numb from the tremor.

"Have these people gone insane?"

"Less talk, hold the passage!" Beibei unleashed his Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex martial soul. "Wang Dong, take the freshmen inside. Yuhao, go with him!"

Huo Yuhao was doing his utmost to analyze the situation on the battlefield.

His spiritual detection spread through the area, and a vast amount of chaotic information flooded into his mind.

The evil soul masters were closing in on the dormitory district. The defensive line formed by the teachers had been split apart by artillery fire, and several upper-year students were trapped at the entrance to the soul fighting area.

Even worse, the enemy was extremely familiar with the academy's layout, undoubtedly putting them at an even greater disadvantage.

Huo Yuhao bit the tip of his tongue to keep himself awake.

"I suspect they obtained a map of the academy."

Without stopping his movements, Beibei shouted to Huo Yuhao beside him.

"Can you find their commander?"

"No. The spiritual fluctuations are too chaotic, and they have soul tools specifically designed to interfere with detection. They came well prepared!"

Wang Dong grabbed Huo Yuhao by the collar and dragged him toward the teaching building.

"Survive first, then worry about catching anyone. You're not even a Soul King yet, so don't treat yourself like Elder Mu."

That blunt reminder finally cleared Huo Yuhao's head somewhat.

On Sea God Island, Xuan Zi also sensed the disturbance in the city. Looking at the grievously wounded Light Sacred Dragon in the sky, he crushed the wine gourd in his hand and shot out from his confinement grounds.

He saw the flames rising from the outer court and the students fleeing in all directions. Instantly, rage overwhelmed him. His eyes turned bloodshot, his breath came out like a bull's, and he charged outward at once!

Last time, he had failed to protect the inner court disciples. Now the enemy had reached the academy gates. If he still sat by, then there would be no need for him to drink another drop for the rest of his life.

But just as Xuan Zi crossed the lake and entered the outer court's boundaries, two consecrates emerged from beneath the dark clouds.

Bone Flute Douluo raised the Bone Flute to his lips, and a piercing flute melody blanketed Sea God Island. Magnetic Force Douluo lifted his right hand, and every metal soul tool in the area was seized by a strange force.

"Gluttonous Douluo, please stay."

Xuan Zi wiped the wine from his face and glanced at the two men with disdain. Nine soul rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

"You two dare to block this old man? Come at me together and save me the trouble."