Return to the Academy, Where Farewell Grief Fills the Eyes

The morning mist of the Star Dou Great Forest always carried a moist, tranquil freshness of grass and wood.

Millennia-old trees towered in layered ranks, their dense branches and leaves covering most of the sky. Fine strands of morning light slipped through gaps in the foliage, falling upon the forest floor blanketed in decaying leaves and scattering mottled flecks of light. The vast forest sea was peaceful and serene, save for the deepest core sanctuary, where the heavy pressure belonging to the Beast God and countless soul beasts lingered, isolated from the world and undisturbed.

Tang Wulin stood at the edge of the barrier surrounding the Star Dou outskirts, his fingertips lightly brushing the pale green soul power screen floating before him. His eyes churned with reluctance and melancholy.

In the end, he had made his decision.

He had remained in Star Dou for several months, helping Gu Yue Na stabilize the order of the soul beasts and soothe the countless creatures left uneasy by generations of conflict. Those days had been peaceful to the point of feeling unreal. There had been no strife or slaughter, no fate dragging him along—only the gentleness in the eyes of the one beside him and the lingering evening winds of the forest. It had been the most secure and comfortable period since he had crossed into this foreign world.

But he could not stay here forever.

Shrek Academy was the sacred ground of cultivation on this continent, a temple of faith in the hearts of countless soul masters, and the starting point of his path in this life. There were studies left unfinished, companions who had fought at his side, the turbulent schemes of this era, and countless hidden dangers and foreshadowed fates waiting for him to face and resolve personally.

He was a traveler through time and space, carrying the memories and perspective of ten thousand years in the future. He bore the bloodline of Golden Dragon Subdues the World and the duty of the Tang Sect's legacy. He absolutely could not lose himself in temporary peace and be trapped within one stretch of forest.

"Are you really leaving?"

A cool, ethereal female voice drifted through the forest breeze. It carried no obvious ripples of emotion, yet hid a faint tenderness that was difficult to detect.

Gu Yue Na slowly emerged from the depths of the thick fog. Her plain silver dress was spotless, and her waist-length silver hair drifted gently in the breeze. Her jade-like face seemed untouched by the mortal world, while her violet-gold vertical pupils were gentle and clear, yet concealed the supreme majesty to rule over all races. As the true sovereign of the Star Dou Great Forest, she had now completely stabilized the delicate balance between soul beasts and humans. All races submitted to her, order was firmly established, and within the vast Star Dou, only she could oversee the entire situation. No one could replace her.

She could not leave with him.

The divide between soul beasts and humans had endured for ten thousand years. Suspicion and slaughter had never truly disappeared. Star Dou was the soul beasts' final pure land and foundation. Once it was left without a leader, the stable situation would instantly collapse, and a new wave of war and conflict would immediately sweep across the continent.

Tang Wulin turned around and looked at the person he had longed for day and night. Warmth filled his heart, accompanied by heavy helplessness. He stepped forward, gently raised a hand, and carefully brushed away the tiny fallen leaves caught in her hair. His movements were incomparably tender.

"I have to go back."

His voice was low and gentle, carrying the certainty of his decision as well as endless reluctance. "Shrek is at the center of the storm. The Sun Moon Empire harbors wolfish ambitions, and undercurrents are surging across the continent. Too many things need someone to bear them, to stop them. If I stay in Star Dou, I can only protect myself. But I have seen the calamity of the future. I cannot stand by and watch."

The memories of ten thousand years were vivid in his mind. The horrific scenes of lives laid waste and lands shattered were something he would never forget. He knew the Sun Moon Empire's ambitions, knew of the flames of war that would engulf the continent, and knew the disasters Shrek would face. Therefore, he could not hide away and seek peace.

Gu Yue Na nodded slightly. Her clear eyes quietly gazed at him, light and shadow shifting within them, concealing affection and indulgence that spanned reincarnations. She had never tried to bind his steps. From beginning to end, she had let him pursue his own path, only silently waiting behind him.

"I will guard Star Dou and protect the peace of all soul beasts." Her soft voice was ethereal and melodious, every word clear. "You will return to the mortal world and set out upon your journey ahead. I cannot remain by your side, but my strength will always be yours to command. Should you encounter a desperate situation, if your thoughts reach me, I will answer your call."

The simple words weighed more than a thousand pounds.

Affection spanning time and space, love entangled in fate, had never been about staying together every day. It was about holding fast for each other and becoming each other's retreat.

Warmth rose in Tang Wulin's heart. He reached out and gently drew her into his arms. The girl's body was cool and soft, carrying the fresh scent of grass and wood unique to the Star Dou forest sea, calming all his restlessness and unease.

"When the continent is stable and the turmoil has passed, I will definitely come back for you." He made his promise softly beside her ear, his tone incomparably firm. "By then, there will be no conflict in this world, no wars for ten thousand years. We will never be separated again."

Gu Yue Na did not answer. She merely raised her hands and wrapped them around his waist, quietly resting her cheek against his chest as she listened to his steady heartbeat. Her violet-gold eyes lowered slightly, concealing the weathered burden of fate hidden within them.

She knew the road ahead was difficult. She knew their destinies were tangled in countless tribulations. She knew this promise would require them to cross innumerable trials of blood and fire before it could be fulfilled. But she was willing to wait, no matter how many years passed, no matter how the seas turned to fields.

After embracing for a moment, the morning wind scattered the thin mist. The daylight gradually brightened, and the moment of parting had arrived.

Tang Wulin slowly released her and earnestly gazed upon her features, etching that gentle image deeply into his heart. Then he took a slight step back and bowed with solemn respect.

"Gu Yue, take care."

As the words fell, he did not look back. He turned and shot into the air on spreading wings.

Brilliant golden dragon soul power erupted around him. Gilded light tore through the morning mist between the trees as his wings unfurled, carrying fierce winds while he sped toward the distant horizon. The phantom of a golden dragon flickered among the clouds, its low, distant roar gradually fading at the end of heaven and earth.

Gu Yue Na stood atop the forest barrier, quietly watching the direction in which he departed. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her solitary yet gentle figure did not move in the slightest for a long time.

Across a thousand miles of sky, he flew like lightning.

He traveled north, crossing countless mountains and rivers.

From the vibrant Star Dou Great Forest to the bustling human cities, the scenery of mountains and rivers shifted layer by layer, while the sights and sounds of mortal life unfolded one after another. As the distance closed, the undercurrents of chaos and the tense atmosphere became increasingly clear.

After several days of rapid travel, the towering outline of Shrek City finally appeared at the distant edge of the sky.

That sacred martial city, which had stood upon the continent for ten thousand years, possessed thick, weathered walls and towers that rose into the clouds. Its halls and pavilions stood in scattered rows, ancient trees reached toward the heavens, and from afar it still retained its solemn grandeur and righteous bearing. It carried the faith of countless soul masters and bore witness to the rise and fall of ages.

Yet from that distant view alone, Tang Wulin sharply sensed that the atmosphere throughout Shrek City was oppressive to the point of suffocation.

More than half of the energetic students who once filled the streets and alleys were gone. Teachers and students with grave expressions and hurried steps could be seen everywhere. The former noise and laughter had vanished, replaced by a heavy solemnity, with lingering hostility and grief faintly hanging in the air.

The journey to the Valley of Questioning Emotions had ultimately changed everyone completely.

Tang Wulin folded his dragon wings and slowly descended outside the main gates of Shrek Academy. The familiar bluestone path felt faintly cool beneath his feet, while the familiar air of the sect rushed toward him. After so long, he had finally set foot upon this familiar land once more.

As he entered the academy gates and walked onward, a stifled, dispirited atmosphere filled every corner.

The ancient trees lining the shaded paths remained lush, and the breeze made their leaves rustle. Yet this only made the entire academy seem more silent. The students who occasionally passed him all wore cold, solemn faces and tense eyes, their brows shadowed by gloom that could not be dispersed. There was none of their former youthful vigor or carefree spirit.

Tang Wulin's heart sank slightly.

He clearly remembered everything that had happened during this period.

The Valley of Questioning Emotions had been the cruelest trial of true feelings. There had been no victory or defeat, no fortuitous opportunity—only heart-rending farewells and pain.

Huo Yuhao had endured extreme torment, cut open his heart and drawn his blood, then used his heart's blood to water the Lovesick Heartbroken Red. He had survived a near-death ordeal, yet in the end, he still could not preserve a perfect ending. Wang Dong'er had suffered a fatal blow in the valley. Her divine soul had been damaged, her origin shattered, and she had fallen into a deep coma. Her life hung by a thread, and whether she would live or die remained unknown.

With no other choice, Huo Yuhao had endured pain that seemed to shatter him and personally sent the woman he loved back to the Haotian Sect to recuperate. He placed his hopes in the Haotian Sect's thousand-year foundation and secret arts, hoping they could preserve Wang Dong'er's last sliver of life until the chance of her awakening arrived.

He had personally sent away his light, his salvation, and the only love of his life.

And from the moment he sent Wang Dong'er away and returned alone to Shrek, the gentle, patient young Huo Yuhao who had once held kindness in his heart had completely died in the Valley of Questioning Emotions.

The one who survived was the Spirit Ice War God, tempered by suffering and burdened with ultimate hatred.

It was not only him. Everyone in the Second-Generation Shrek Seven Monsters had personally experienced sorrow and joy in the Valley of Questioning Emotions and seen through its cruelty. They had witnessed Huo Yuhao's unbearable agony, seen the despair of lovers separated despite being so close, and fully recognized the Sun Moon Empire's viciousness, depravity, and deceit.

All innocence and goodwill had been crushed. All youthful gentleness had been frozen over.

Their towering hatred for the Sun Moon Empire was like poisonous vines buried deep within their hearts, madly taking root and spreading, entwining their organs and carving itself into their bones and blood.

The current Second-Generation Seven Monsters all carried an air of hostility, each burdened by grief and indignation. Their eyes held only restraint and resolve, while their hearts were filled with bone-deep hatred for their enemies.

Passing through layers of shaded forest paths, he reached the core teaching district. From far away, Tang Wulin saw several familiar figures.

There was none of the usual noisy sparring and training on the empty martial arena. Only seven tall yet somber figures stood quietly in the breeze.

The Second-Generation Shrek Seven Monsters were all present, except for the butterfly goddess girl.

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and He Caitou stood apart around the area. Their auras were tense and restrained, and cold oppression and heaviness lingered around them. No one spoke. The atmosphere was so deathly silent that it made one's heart tremble.

And the figure at the very center was so lonely that it made one's heart quiver.

Huo Yuhao stood alone in the middle of the martial arena. His blue academy uniform was spotless, yet it only made him appear thinner and more solitary.

He simply stood there in silence. His back was straight as a pine, and his posture remained upright, but none of his former gentleness, warmth, or youthful clarity remained.

The breeze stirred his black hair and lightly fluttered his robes. He released not the slightest trace of soul power, yet an extreme desolation and deathly silence spread from him.

It was the despairing stillness of someone who had completely lost the light, the numb desolation of pain so extreme that there were no tears and no sound.

Tang Wulin slowly approached, his footsteps exceedingly light, afraid of disturbing this shattered and somber atmosphere.

He could clearly see Huo Yuhao's appearance at that moment.

The youth's face was pale to the point of near transparency, utterly bloodless. His features were deep and sharp, and the eyes that had once been gentle as water were now entirely black—hollow and barren, without the slightest gleam. They held no emotion, no ripples, only deep, deathly silence.

Those eyes that had once brimmed with tenderness, hidden endless starlight, and reflected only Wang Dong'er were now empty, like a frozen cold pool with not a trace of warmth left.

The ultimate torment of the Valley of Questioning Emotions, the pain of cutting open his heart, and the agony of separation had all been carved into his flesh and blood, woven into his very bearing.

He did not cry, roar, collapse, or sink into despair.

But it was precisely this extreme calm that was more heartbreaking and terrifying than any weeping or wailing.

Great sorrow shed no tears; great pain made no sound.

The deepest despair had never been a hysterical breakdown. It was a heart reduced to ashes after enduring countless tribulations, without another ripple remaining.

Tang Wulin stood quietly at a distance, a complicated ache rising in his heart.

Had he not experienced such feelings himself? He too had once been like Huo Yuhao. After Sea God's Fate, his beloved and his younger sister had left him the very next day. He had yearned to grow stronger, to find them again, to gain the power to protect her.

At that moment, the youth was so fragile that a gust of wind seemed capable of scattering him, yet he had forcibly endured the agony of a shattered heart, holding himself upright through sheer obsession.

He had just personally sent away his entire world.

From this day onward, there would no longer be a youth who was gentle for Dong'er, who compromised for Dong'er, whose eyes were filled only with her.

There was only Huo Yuhao, alone, carrying blood-deep vengeance, the pain of separation, and endless obsession as he walked through darkness and charged toward slaughter.

The martial arena was deathly silent. No one spoke.

Bei Bei stood to one side. The usually steady, gentle senior brother, who had always been the most protective of his own, now had his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes full of heartache and icy rage. He looked at his lonely junior brother, his heart bitter, yet had no way to comfort him. Every word seemed pale and powerless at this moment. No consolation could soothe the wound that tore through Huo Yuhao's heart and bones.

Xu Sanshi had shed his usual carefree demeanor. His face was cold and grim, hostility surging around him. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened and his joints cracked. The hatred in his eyes was on the verge of overflowing, his loathing for the Sun Moon Empire so intense it was nearly madness.

Jiang Nannan leaned beside him, her expression cold and somber, her features filled with pain and indignation. After enduring the Valley of Questioning Emotions' trial, she had long since shed her former timidity and become resilient and clear-minded. Looking at Huo Yuhao, who resembled a withered tree, she felt only endless sorrow and fury.

Xiao Xiao stood in the wind, her petite body slightly tense. Her clear eyes were now covered by gloom, with grievance and anger hidden within them. She was the youngest, yet she had also witnessed everyone's pain most clearly and seen the human tragedy born from the Sun Moon Empire's conspiracy.

He Caitou's burly body was slightly tense. His normally honest and gentle face was now completely cold, and his rough hands were tightly clenched into fists as he remained silent. Never skilled with words, he had turned every emotion into hatred settling deep in his heart—soundless, yet heavy.

Six people, six states of mind, yet they shared the same heaviness, the same hatred, and the same pain.

The Valley of Questioning Emotions had never tested love. It had tested the human heart.

It had torn apart everyone's innocence, crushed everyone's gentleness, and forced this group of spirited young men and women to see the world's cruelest schemes, most piercing farewells, and coldest hearts far too soon.

And the source of every tragedy, every pain, and every separation was the ambitious, unscrupulous Sun Moon Empire.

From then on, that hatred took root in their hearts and would never perish.

The breeze swept across the martial arena once more, lifting fine dust from the ground and passing over the seven cold, somber figures. The entire world seemed to sink into silent grief.

Finally, amid the deathly silence, Huo Yuhao, who had remained completely motionless, slowly raised his eyes.

His hollow gaze turned toward the distance, toward the direction of the Haotian Sect. For an instant, tenderness surfaced in his eyes, only to be completely swallowed by ultimate coldness and desolation.

His thin lips trembled as he spoke in a hoarse, dry whisper, nearly broken. His voice was so light that the wind nearly drowned it out, yet every word seemed to bleed.

"Dong'er... wait for me."

"I will sweep aside every obstacle and crush every conspiracy."

"When I return, I will protect your peace for a lifetime. There will be no more separation."

Every word was obsession, blood and tears, and an unchanging promise for this life.

As his words fell, he slowly lowered his eyes. The final trace of tenderness within them completely faded, replaced by piercing coldness, endless resolve, and towering hatred that could burn everything to ashes.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked toward the Far North, toward the Sun Moon Empire. A fierce killing intent surged within his black eyes.

From then on, gentleness would be sealed away, and all kindness withdrawn.

From this day forward, Spirit Ice entered the world only for slaughter, only for revenge, only for reunion.

Tang Wulin stood quietly at a distance, taking in the entire scene. Countless emotions churned within his heart.

He knew well that from this moment onward, the familiar Second-Generation Shrek Seven Monsters had completely transformed.

Gentleness had come to an end. Their sharp edges had emerged into the world.

A glorious bloody battle belonging to them, a conflict of grudges spanning the continent, had officially begun.

And his return had come just as this chaotic era began, just as all living beings suffered.

The road ahead was fraught with wind and rain, and the mountains and rivers were in turmoil. He would stand shoulder to shoulder with these youths who had grown through pain, face the storms of the troubled age together, and slay its enemies together.