A Gathering Storm

Heaven Dou City's bustling streets were as crowded as ever.

A man lowered the brim of his hat, the shadow it cast obscuring his gloomy face.

He did not walk quickly, yet in just a few steps, he passed through the congested crowd and slipped into an alleyway.

In a dark corner untouched by sunlight, the man asked hoarsely, "All cut off?"

It was impossible to tell whether anyone was in the shadows, but a broken voice answered, "Not a single one left."

The man's already sinister face twisted, making him look even more terrifying. Whenever stray sunlight spilled into the alley and lit up his face, a scar like a crawling insect could be seen running across his entire left eye—his left eye was empty!

"Any news?"

The shadows seemed to squirm, and the voice came again. "Do your job."

The man sneered, lowered his hat brim once more, and headed deeper into the alley.

Shrek Academy, Sea God Island.

"They left?" The six who had only just arrived at Shrek stared blankly at Yun Ming, who had suddenly appeared before them.

Yun Ming said, "Stay in Shrek City for the time being. Do not leave the city."

With that, he turned into a streak of light and left Sea God Island.

The six looked at one another, confusion flickering in all their eyes.

Yuanen frowned. "Maybe we should go to the Tang Sect and take a look."

The moment they arrived at the Tang Sect, the six realized something was wrong.

Given their strength, they had long since entered the Inner Hall. Yet when they reached their respective departments, they found that all the senior officers and operatives at the Tang Sect's Shrek headquarters were fully equipped and boarding combat vehicles in an orderly fashion.

Everything moved at incredible speed.

One vehicle after another roared out of the parking lot, soul-tool weaponry gleaming in the sunlight atop them.

Xie Xie looked utterly baffled. "What's going on? Who is the Tang Sect going to war with?"

Yue Zhengyu walked over to him. He had just made a soul communication call, and his expression was solemn. "My family says... the Federation is about to undergo a major upheaval."

Xu Xiaoyan asked, "They didn't reveal any details?"

Yue Zhengyu shook his head. "I haven't reached the family's core circle yet. Father wouldn't tell me such specifics."

Ye Xinglan voiced her guess. "Since the Pavilion Master told us to stay in the city, we shouldn't run around. If even the Pavilion Master has to personally take part, then this secret operation is clearly on a level we can't interfere with."

Xie Xie glanced at his terminal and raised a brow. "My teacher says he has a mission for us."

After returning from Star Luo, Xie Xie had formally become the disciple of Liang Xiaoyu, the master of the Agility Hall.

"He says..." Xie Xie's expression suddenly changed, and he lowered his voice. "We are to answer the Battle Soul Hall's emergency summons... and purge the evil soul masters within Shrek City!"

The others all showed a trace of surprise.

With Shrek Academy stationed in Shrek City, it could be said to be the place with the greatest number of Title Douluos on the entire continent. Even the Spirit Pagoda had to avoid its edge. The Holy Spirit Cult was nothing more than a pathetic clown barely clinging to life—how could it dare run wild in Shrek City!?

Thinking of Tang Wulin's disappearance and Yun Ming's hasty departure, all of their expressions darkened.

Xie Xie said, "Looks like we need to move immediately."

Ye Xinglan said quickly, "Lizi, Yue Zhengyu, and I will be one group. Xiaoyan, Xie Xie, Yuanen—you three will form another. We'll search the eastern and western districts directly."

Xie Xie nodded. "Bring your Tang Sect identity badges. Once we reach the designated locations, we'll meet up with the undercover Tang Sect members first."

The six split up.

Within Shrek City, a cheerful street vendor watched the three people purchasing goods from his stall. "What'll you have?"

The delicate, beautiful girl smiled. "Three candied hawthorn skewers!"

Yet the vendor's stall only sold sugar figurines.

The vendor's expression did not change in the slightest. He remained smiling warmly. "Sure thing. I'll make them fresh for you. Go on inside and have a seat. Ah... it's been a long time since I made candied hawthorn!"

He lit the fire, and the sugar melted across the work surface.

The three walked inside with smiles on their faces. The instant they entered the shop, a vortex faintly appeared, and they vanished straight into it.

"Click." The fire was extinguished.

Three crooked sugar figurines were stuck onto the stall.

If anyone passed by, they would discover—

The vendor's stall was filled with bizarrely ugly sugar figurines. Without exception, all their eyes were slanted toward the city center.

That was where Shrek Academy stood.

Heaven Dou City.

"Damn it... damn it!" The scar on the furious man's face looked especially vicious as his features twisted, as though it might come alive at any moment.

"Why did the Tang Sect react so quickly!?" he roared at the empty air.

A cold voice sounded. "You can't even handle something this trivial. What right do you have to shout here?"

The man's entire body flushed red, his chest heaving violently. "If the information you gave us hadn't been wrong, how could we possibly have made no progress even now!?"

The voice paused slightly, faint impatience in its tone. "Know your place. Who exactly is asking favors from whom?"

The voice said coldly, "It must be completed before today ends. If you fail to do it... heh."

The air rippled. No matter how the man cursed, that voice never sounded again.

Bang—

The man slammed his fist into the wall. It instantly cracked and seemed on the verge of collapse.

After venting his fury, he raised a hand to his ear. "Forget everything else! Act directly!"

The sky gradually darkened.

The streetlamps lit up one after another, their warm light illuminating the paths of pedestrians returning home.

Then, a scream suddenly rang out.

All the pedestrians instinctively turned around and saw a person engulfed in green flames, charging at the crowd with claws bared.

The pedestrians immediately panicked, and a riot was about to break out.

A vine burst from the ground, bound the green-flamed person tightly, then flung him straight into the sky.

The vine even high-fived a passerby with apparent interest before burrowing back underground.

The surrounding pedestrians stood frozen, as though they had just watched some sort of performance art.

They looked at one another. Then someone suddenly snorted with laughter, and soon everyone continued toward their destinations.

The same scene unfolded in corners throughout countless streets. Likewise, those people were tossed into the sky by elusive vines and whipped out of the city.

In a place unseen by the public, a massive halo enveloped all of Heaven Dou City. A faint blue radiance absorbed the life energy in the air, extending its domain.

At the center of the halo, someone sat cross-legged atop a blooming flower, as the origin energy of heaven and earth continuously flowed into his body.

He opened his eyes. With Divine Origin Realm spiritual power, he controlled the conditions of the entire city. Any disturbance in any corner could be answered in an instant.

It was Tang Wulin.

Within the range of the Blue Silver Domain was anywhere the Blue Silver Emperor could reach.

With him controlling the field, all he needed to do was wait and see who would expose themselves first.

Tang Wulin's eyes were icy. He raised a hand and pointed, and the space ahead suddenly collapsed, squeezing a person out.

Having been discovered, the newcomer was not angered. She looked at Tang Wulin with a sweet smile, her voice bright and lively. "So it's such a handsome little brother~ Looks like... I came to the right place!"