The interception and pursuit in Vast Sea City had merely been the beginning of a long, desperate ordeal.
Tang San and his group fled east in panic from the port at the continent's westernmost edge. They slept rough and ate whatever they could find, racing day and night, trying to make their way through coastal towns in search of a ship that could cross the sea and carry them to the legendary Sea God Island.
Yet throughout the entire journey, every stretch of coastline had been sealed off.
Whenever they reached a port, they were never greeted by the ship they hoped for, but by the icy blades and unyielding killing intent of Sea Soul Masters.
In just a few days, the entire vast coastline of Douluo Continent had completely changed.
No one knew when it had begun, but the hostility and rejection Sea Soul Masters held toward land Soul Masters had risen to an unprecedented peak.
All sea territories had been sealed, and every port was under full martial control.
To every Sea Soul Master, land Soul Masters were treacherous, greedy, and despicable. They would never permit a single land Soul Master to set foot in the sea, leaving no room whatsoever for compromise.
The sea blocked the road ahead, while pursuers closed in behind them.
Tang San's group had been driven into a corner and could only huddle in the desolate mountains and wilderness less than half a day's journey from Eastsea City.
The mountain wind was bleak, and the woods were deathly still. They did not even dare light a campfire, afraid that a wisp of smoke would expose their whereabouts and bring endless pursuit. A pile of dry branches lay quietly on the ground, but no one dared ignite it. Bone-deep cold was all that wrapped around them.
Days of fleeing, repeated battles and defeats, and the torment of never having enough to eat had utterly worn down their spirits.
"Third Brother, aren't you the future Sea God? Shouldn't they respect you?"
Ma Hongjun could not help asking. He had lost an entire circle of weight by now. His once round, full cheeks had sunk deeply inward, and none of his former plumpness remained.
"Who knows!" Tang San gritted his teeth and looked to the side.
Dai Mubai's old shoulder wound had been torn open several times from the strain, crimson blood soaking through his clothes. Zhu Zhuqing crouched before him, swiftly yet gently changing his bandages and wrapping the wound anew, her eyes filled with exhaustion and worry.
The entire group was listless, battered and bruised by their hopeless situation.
"Third Brother..." Ma Hongjun slumped to the ground, his voice hoarse and weak, thick with exhaustion and confusion. "When can we finally put out to sea? When can we reach Sea God Island?"
The woods fell silent. No one answered.
Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated slowly through his meridians, healing the hidden injuries left by days of flight, yet his expression was worse than that of anyone who was wounded.
He carried the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in his robes. It was the key to reaching Sea God Island and beginning the Sea God's Nine Trials.
But now, the sea was sealed off, and they could not take a single step into it.
If they could not go to sea, they could not reach Sea God Island.
If they could not reach Sea God Island, they could not begin the Divine Examination or inherit the Sea God's Divine Position.
Without ascending to godhood, he would never possess enough power to shake the Spirit Hall that dominated the continent.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong was still attempting the Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core. That stingy Rakshasa God had only given her affinity, so she could only focus on her second Martial Soul. Her sights were already set on the Far North.
Within the Heavenly Screen, Yin Hongye leaned against the armrest of the sofa, clearly knowing nothing about Tang San's current predicament.
Of course, even if he knew, so what?
He would not feel much about it. At most, he would probably say, "You're already like this, so how are you still not dead?"
Just then, Mu Hongchen pushed open the door and entered. He held a soul tool tablet in his hand, its screen casting light over his face. It was impossible to tell whether his expression was excitement or a headache.
"Found it. The Silver Dragon's Dragon Pill is in Shrek Academy."
Yin Hongye's hand paused as he turned a page. He clicked his tongue. "So it was there."
Qian Renxue was still puzzled. Wasn't the Dragon Pill something from legend? Even she had only read about it in ancient records.
Mu Hongchen tossed the tablet onto the table, sank into the chair opposite him, and rubbed his brow. "Shrek Academy must have placed it inside the Sea God Pavilion. The defenses there must be formidable."
"That place? Its security is on the same level as the Federation Laboratory. You can go in whenever you want!" Yin Hongye's voice was calm, completely unconcerned about the Sea God Pavilion's security.
The security of those two places was comparable to that of the Thirteenth District.
"Are those two even on the same level?" Mu Hongchen said speechlessly, quietly hacking into Shrek Academy's internal network.
Then he posted a large photo of Cai Yue'er getting slapped several times, along with a meme of Long Yeyue running away.
"They look about the same." Yin Hongye smiled. "But Na'er still has to obtain the Dragon Pill herself."
Qian Renxue, who had been sitting quietly nearby, frowned slightly and interjected at the right moment. "Obtain it herself? If she waits until she cultivates to Limit Douluo before retrieving the Dragon Pill, her origin will already be complete by then. Will this Dragon Pill still be of any use to her?"
"No rush." Yin Hongye smiled deeply, his tone carrying the composure of someone who saw through everything. "Do it yourself, and you'll have plenty to eat and wear. If that fails, just dig a tunnel and sneak in."
"When I was six, I was already earning bounties on my own. Na'er should be fine too."
Hearing that, Mu Hongchen added, "Exactly. I could support myself when I was eight too. Making money online is fast."
One sounded better as a bounty hunter, and the other sounded better as a cybersecurity programmer.
"Wait, aren't you both Federation citizens?" Qian Renxue could not help asking.
"What decent person works for someone else?" Yin Hongye said.
"Yeah. Rather than wronging yourself, it's better to make things difficult for others," Mu Hongchen replied.
Yin Hongye raised his eyes toward Shrek Academy and casually added to Qian Renxue, "You don't seriously think Shrek Academy and the Golden Ancient Tree are completely united, do you? You really can get in."
"Wait, you mean the Golden Ancient Tree has its own consciousness? Isn't it a soul beast?" Qian Renxue asked in surprise.
"That's right, it has its own consciousness. But it isn't a soul beast. Its trunk has been carved straight through by people. How much do you think it likes humans?" Yin Hongye truly could not understand it. No matter how kind it was, surely it was not kind to this extent.
If it were him, the moment all those old Shrek Academy elders entered the Sea God Pavilion, it would be no different from entering prison: they would go in, but never come out.
And they had even built it in a way that supposedly did not affect the tree's growth...
That so-called ingenious construction, which did not affect the tree's growth, might seem miraculous and masterful to outsiders, but to the ancient tree itself, it was nothing less than a prolonged torture of a thousand cuts.
Qian Renxue was quick-witted and immediately grasped the key point. Her expression turned solemn. "You mean the Golden Ancient Tree might even actively block Shrek Academy's own people from sensing things spiritually? Guarding against those within while secretly letting others through?"
"Not entirely." A teasing smile curled Yin Hongye's lips. His eyes were clear and perceptive, having long since seen through the truth. "If it wants to, no one can get in. So we just need to avoid Yun Ming."
"As long as we can enter the Golden Ancient Tree, that's enough. And by the way, there are quite a few good things beneath it. There are one hundred and eight rooms in total, containing environments suited to nearly every type of Martial Soul. Every inner court disciple gets one opportunity for Deep Meditation."
Yin Hongye smiled faintly. "An ordinary Soul Master might not experience Deep Meditation even once in their lifetime, yet Shrek Academy can provide it directly."
"Deep Meditation..." Qian Renxue was slightly moved upon hearing this. It was almost something one could only encounter by chance.
"Shrek Academy spent quite a bit of time gathering this stuff." Yin Hongye smiled faintly. "I remember that beneath Shrek Academy, there seems to be a place filled with dragon bones."
"Dragon bones?" Upon hearing this, Di Tian felt anger rise within him once more outside the Heavenly Screen.
"I remember they were called Dread Demon Dragons. They are Earth Dragon-type draconic subspecies. Their true combat strength is not particularly great, but they are a rare Dragon Clan with spiritual attributes." Yin Hongye's words remained casual, as though life and death meant little to him. "There are a total of one thousand and one Dread Demon Dragon skulls. Shrek Academy spent eight hundred years collecting them all. Apparently, they only collect skulls from naturally deceased ones."
"One thousand and one? The entire Dread Demon Dragon clan does not even have three thousand members, does it? The Dragon Clan already has great difficulty reproducing." Zi Ji spoke, proving just how difficult such a thing was.
Eight hundred years was an extremely unreasonable number.
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