The divine radiance first covered Sea God Island, then spread across the entire Inner Court.
Several Soul Saints who had charged into the Inner Court did not even have time to scream before their bodies rapidly dissolved within the golden glow. The resentment and bloodlust accumulated inside them over many years were purified on the spot.
The Evil Soul Masters farther away fared no better.
Their skin cracked over large areas, their evil soul power spiraled out of control, and black mist poured from their seven orifices before being swiftly erased by the golden divine radiance.
A Soul Douluo-level Evil Soul Master turned and fled. He had barely rushed a hundred meters when divine radiance covered his back. His Martial Soul Avatar collapsed instantly, and he fell from the air.
After landing, he did not even dare look back. Dragging his broken body, he charged toward the outer city.
The Title Douluo-level worshippers could still barely resist, but none of them were willing to endure it head-on.
Masked Douluo emerged from the gray mist. More than half of his mask had cracked, and large scorched-black marks still covered his shoulder.
As he looked toward Sea God Island, the terror in his eyes was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
"Shrek actually hid something like this."
But Yan Shaozhe had been driven into a frenzy. How could he possibly let him leave? Phoenix flames swept through the long street, directly sealing Masked Douluo's retreat.
"You killed so many people from Shrek, and you still want to leave?"
Masked Douluo twisted aside to evade the flames, revealing half a pale, sinister face behind his shattered mask.
"Dean Yan, do you really think that with this thing protecting you, you've won today?"
He raised a hand and pointed around them. "Open your eyes and take a good look."
Yan Shaozhe's movements paused briefly, and he instinctively looked around.
The entire Shrek Academy—no, it could be said that the entire Shrek City—was littered with corpses. Collapsed buildings were still burning.
More than half of the Outer Court teachers and students had been killed or injured. The city defense forces had been completely scattered, and civilians' cries continued to ring out in the distance.
Even the Inner Court had been breached by Evil Soul Masters.
No matter how one looked at this battle, Shrek had already lost.
In that brief pause, Masked Douluo's body sank back into the gray mist, rapidly retreating toward the outer city along the ruins.
Elsewhere, Bone Flute Douluo and Magnetic Force Douluo also broke free from Xuan Zi at the same time.
Xuan Zi wanted to give chase, but violent tremors came from the direction of Sea God Pavilion.
He looked up to see golden divine radiance rising along the edge of Sea God Island, forming a semicircular barrier that enveloped the entire Inner Court.
Any Evil Soul Master who touched the barrier or remained within it would be directly purified.
Inside the barrier, injured students and teachers were nourished by life energy, and their injuries temporarily stabilized.
Outside the barrier, however, blood and wreckage still covered the ground.
"Bastards!"
Xuan Zi's eyes reddened as he smashed the ruined wall of a nearby building with one punch.
He desperately wanted to catch up and leave none of those Evil Soul Masters alive.
But he could not. Mu En had already burned away the last of his life force, and now he had forcibly activated Sea God's Light. He could collapse at any moment.
Yan Shaozhe was wounded as well, and the defensive lines of both the Inner and Outer Courts had been completely shattered.
If he left too, who would guard Shrek?
High in the sky, Long Wushang watched the retreating cultists with cold eyes.
The Holy Spirit Cult's ranks were in disarray. Some fled through breaches in the city walls, some slipped into underground passages, and several Soul Douluo led the remaining cultists toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Shrek's teachers tried to pursue them, but there were too many wounded in the city. They simply could not spare enough manpower.
Long Wushang extended his right hand, and the Original Sin Demon Puppet behind him unleashed its authority one final time.
The guards outside the city who had been blocking the retreat routes had only just regained their senses when greed and fear surged up from the depths of their hearts once more.
Gaps immediately appeared in their formation, and hundreds of Holy Spirit Cult members rushed through them.
But in the next instant, the golden divine radiance swept across the Outer Court as well.
The authority of Original Sin was completely dispersed, and many soul masters who had been fighting over supplies or even attacking their companions suddenly came to their senses.
They looked at the weapons in their hands, then at the companions lying at their feet, and all color swiftly drained from their faces.
Some threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground, clutching their heads.
Some turned to search for friends and family, only to find streets covered in blood.
Several students, upon regaining consciousness, immediately rushed toward the ruins of the teaching buildings. They dug through the bricks with their bare hands, searching for buried survivors.
Cries and wails filled the entire city.
Long Wushang had no interest in watching any longer. "Father, the reinforcements from the three nations are almost here."
Long Xiaoyao glanced toward the western horizon. Several Title Douluo auras were rapidly approaching, and their numbers were still increasing.
The support from the three nations had arrived late, but they had not remained entirely idle.
"Retreat into the Star Dou Great Forest immediately."
The Dark Sacred Dragon turned its massive body. Its wings swept up great swathes of dark clouds as it carried Long Wushang and Tang Ya out of the city.
Tang Ya was held in Long Wushang's arms, looking down at Shrek City as it gradually receded into the distance.
The Dark Sacred Dragon crossed the outer city, while the remaining Holy Spirit Cult forces rapidly gathered below.
They did not linger. They plunged directly into the Star Dou Great Forest, using its complex terrain to disperse and retreat.
In less than half an hour, the Evil Soul Masters besieging Shrek had retreated completely.
Within Shrek City, there were no cheers. Everyone only felt the relief and lingering terror of having survived a disaster.
Yan Shaozhe dragged his wounded body back to the Outer Court plaza, where all he saw were corpses spread across the ground.
Several surviving teachers were counting the students. Before they had even finished reading half the list, the person recording it stopped with reddened eyes.
Too many people were missing. Many could not even be found as corpses.
"Dean, the western city wall has fallen. More than eighty percent of the city defense forces have been killed or injured."
"Nine of the Outer Court's twelve teaching buildings have collapsed."
"Most Inner Court disciples are receiving treatment on Sea God Island. Fewer than half of those we can contact have responded."
Report after report arrived. Yan Shaozhe closed his eyes helplessly. When he opened them again, nothing remained on his face but endless exhaustion.
But he could not abandon his post now. He was the dean of Shrek Academy, and at such a critical moment, he needed to step forward and take command.
"Do not panic. Seal the city gates immediately and redeploy the defenses."
"All surviving disciples are to assist the medical teams and rescue people with everything they have."
"The city defense forces are to maintain order. Anyone who dares loot supplies amid the chaos is to be arrested on the spot."
He looked at the elders beside him, his voice hoarse. "Everyone, return to Sea God Pavilion with me."
Everyone understood what that meant. They passed through the golden barrier and hurried into the Inner Court.
Elder Zhuang was still treating Huo Yuhao. The roots of the Golden Ancient Tree wrapped around his limbs, chest, and abdomen, while pale golden life energy continuously repaired his wounds.
But there was not a trace of color in Huo Yuhao's face. His right hand remained twisted, and his gray-white eyes had yet to return to normal.
Yan Shaozhe took only one look before hurrying toward the underground stone chamber.
The stone door was already open. Mu En sat before the stone pillar, his right hand still pressed against the golden crystal. The life aura around him had weakened to the extreme. His once-straight back had bent again, and white hair hung over his chest.
"Teacher..."
Yan Shaozhe knelt at the entrance to the stone chamber.
Mu En slowly raised his head. He looked at the elders behind Yan Shaozhe, then past them all, toward the devastated Sea God Island.
His right hand slipped from the golden crystal, and the trident mark within the stone chamber dimmed along with it.
"Do not concern yourselves with me. Immediately send all disciples and teachers out to rescue every surviving student. All elders are to come to Sea God Pavilion at once. I have an announcement to make..."
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