The enormous Light Sacred Dragon stretched across the sky above Shrek City, driving back the darkness and bringing light.
His golden wings spread wide, shielding the Academy's Outer Court and several of the city's most densely populated districts.
The second volley of Soul Cannon shells struck his wings. Sheets of flame spread across the golden scales, and before the shockwaves had faded, a third volley pierced the clouds.
The enemy had no intention of testing him or showing mercy. Xu Tianran had given this operation his fullest support. They were only Soul Cannon shells; the empire did not care about the expense.
The Sea God Pavilion, the Outer Court's teaching area, the city-defense Soul Tool emplacements, and the student dormitories all lay within the Holy Spirit Cult's target zone.
Every volley had been calibrated in advance. Even the main roads the Academy used to evacuate students had been sealed off.
Mu En raised his dragon head. Golden Soul Power surged from the Golden Ancient Tree and poured through his body into his wings.
"Open!"
Radiant energy spread outward, catching dozens of shells falling toward the dormitories.
The shells detonated one after another high overhead. Scorching waves swept across the city, shattering rows of windows and tearing roof tiles away in sheets.
Cries rose across the city and soon became one unbroken wail.
Mu En did not look down. He could not afford to. Every shell he failed to intercept meant dozens more corpses in the civilian districts below.
A fourth volley followed. Scales had been torn from several places on the Light Sacred Dragon's golden wings, and blood dripped steadily from the wing bones.
The life energy supplied by the Golden Ancient Tree was healing his wounds, but it could not keep pace with the damage from the bombardment.
Mu En had lived for centuries. He had seen wars between Ultimate Douluo and witnessed sects fall.
He had once believed that a Soul Master who cultivated to the limit could change an entire battlefield alone.
Today, countless Soul Cannons mercilessly rewrote that answer from a bygone era.
Not one of the Soul Masters directing the bombardment was even a Titled Douluo.
But when the Soul Tool emplacements worked as a system—detection, targeting, power supply, and coordinated volleys bound together—even an Ultimate Douluo could be pinned down.
The enemy had never intended to kill him with artillery. They only wanted to nail him to the sky above Shrek City, unable to break free or come to anyone's aid.
They had succeeded!
As the volleys of blanket bombardment ended, a gigantic phantom shaped like a blood-red skull rose over the western side of Shrek City.
At the sight of the skull, the Holy Spirit Cult members who had long been waiting nearby struck together.
Countless Evil Soul Masters disguised as mercenaries, merchants, and wandering Soul Masters stormed through the city gates.
While the city-defense troops were still dealing with the bombardment overhead, Evil Soul Masters hidden in the crowds killed several officers.
The defensive line they had only just assembled collapsed in an instant.
"Follow the list!"
"Head to the Outer Court first!"
"The dormitories and teaching area—don't let a single person escape!"
The Evil Soul Masters split into several groups. Avoiding Sea God Island, where the Inner Court stood, they rushed straight toward the young students.
Another group flooded into the residential districts and set houses ablaze, forcing the defending Soul Masters to divide their forces for rescue.
Yan Shaozhe flew out from Sea God Island, bright flames blazing along the phoenix wings behind him.
He was about to head for the Outer Court when a cloud of gray-white mist blocked his path.
Within the mist stood the Masked Douluo, a deathly pale mask on his face and the still-dripping head of a young student in his hand.
"Dean Yan, what's the hurry?"
Yan Shaozhe recognized it as the head of the city-defense commander. He could no longer contain the fury in his chest.
"Get out of my way!"
Phoenix Flame bore down on the gray mist, and the two Titled Douluo clashed in midair.
Yan Shaozhe tried to slip past, but his opponent focused solely on blocking him. He would rather take a Phoenix Fireline head-on than let Yan Shaozhe through.
Elsewhere, Qian Duoduo had barely taken to the air when Zhang Peng, the Scorpion-Tiger Douluo, blocked his way.
"Dean Qian, it's been a long time!"
Zhang Peng wore the same dead-eyed expression as ever. He showed no swagger, merely standing quietly before Qian Duoduo and barring his path.
"You think you can stop this old man?" Qian Duoduo released his Martial Soul, and nine Soul Rings rose one after another. "You're not qualified!"
Before they could say another word, they collided and began fighting. It was clear that Qian Duoduo was no match for Zhang Peng and his Scorpion Tiger Martial Soul.
Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er were intercepted by Holy Spirit Cult elders as well.
Those Evil Soul Master Titled Douluo were not concerned with winning. Their sole aim was to keep their opponents occupied.
When Shrek's leaders tried to withdraw, they attacked fiercely. When Shrek's leaders turned to fight, they pulled back, fighting almost like guerrillas.
Their objective could not have been clearer.
Stall!
Stall until the Outer Court fell. Stall until the entire city descended into chaos.
In the Outer Court plaza, Beibei led the younger students toward the teaching building.
Several black-clad Evil Soul Masters leaped over the wall. After activating Martial Soul Possession, one of them sprouted bone blades from his arms and lunged straight for the rear of the group.
"Xu Sanshi, behind you!"
The Darkworld Turtle Shell Shield slammed sideways into the attacker, smashing him into the wall.
Before Xu Sanshi could make a wisecrack, a Soul Cannon shell landed several hundred meters away. The blast left his feet tingling.
"Have these people gone mad?"
"Less talk. Hold the passage!" Beibei unleashed his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. "Wang Dong, get the new students inside. Huo Yuhao, go with her!"
Huo Yuhao was fully focused on analyzing the battlefield.
Spiritual Detection swept across the area, flooding his mind with chaotic information.
Evil Soul Masters were closing in on the dormitories. Artillery fire had split apart the teachers' defensive line, and several senior students were trapped at the entrance to the Soul Fighting Zone.
Worse, the enemy knew the Academy's layout intimately. That left them at an even greater disadvantage.
Huo Yuhao bit the tip of his tongue to keep himself clearheaded.
"I think they got hold of a map of the Academy."
Beibei kept fighting as he called to Huo Yuhao beside him.
"Can you find their commander?"
"No. The spiritual fluctuations are too chaotic, and they have Soul Tools designed to disrupt detection. They came well prepared!"
Wang Dong seized Huo Yuhao by the collar and dragged him toward the teaching building.
"Stay alive first. Then worry about who to catch. You aren't even a Soul King yet. Stop acting like you're Mu En."
That blunt reminder finally brought Huo Yuhao back to his senses.
On Sea God Island, Xuan Zi sensed the upheaval in the city. He looked up at the grievously wounded Light Sacred Dragon, crushed the wine gourd in his hand, and flew out of his place of confinement.
He saw the flames rising from the Outer Court and the students fleeing in every direction. Fury seized him. Eyes bloodshot and breathing like a bull, he charged out at once!
Last time, he had failed to protect the Inner Court disciples. Now the enemy had reached the Academy's gates. If he remained seated, he might as well never drink again for the rest of his life.
But just as Xuan Zi crossed the lake and entered the Outer Court, two elders appeared beneath the dark clouds.
The Bone Flute Douluo raised the Bone Flute to his lips, its piercing notes sweeping across Sea God Island. The Magnetic Force Douluo lifted his right hand, and a strange force tugged at every metal Soul Tool nearby.
"Taotie Douluo, please stay where you are."
Xuan Zi wiped wine from his face and gave them a disdainful glance. Nine Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.
"You two dare stand in this old man's way? Come at me together. Spare me the wasted time."
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