A death trap, a heart reforged, a vow to destroy Shrek (bonus 4.5k chapter, please keep reading)

"Shrek, Bright Phoenix Douluo, you will pay for what you've done!"

At the boundary between the Bewildering Rift on Death Canyon's second level and the Forbidden Zone of Heaven and Earth on its third, the Dark Shadow Dragon, Yu Xiaoying, dragged his battered body forward in a frantic flight, boundless hatred filling his eyes.

Where his right dragon claw should have been, there was only an empty space streaming blood. He had lost an arm.

Yu Tianjun lay against the Dark Shadow Dragon's back, blood staining the corner of his mouth. His sharply defined black-and-white eyes alternately brightened and dimmed, a side effect of excessive Soul Power consumption.

The scales on his arms were extensively cracked, intact patches interspersed with ruined ones. Part of his chest had caved in. Not a trace remained of his usual devil-may-care smile, only icy bleakness.

With the Dark Qilin possessing his body and Evil God Wings sprouting from his back, Yu Tianjun frantically absorbed Heaven and Earth Essence to heal his injuries and replenish his Soul Power.

Beside him lay an unconscious figure: Bi Yangde, the newly advanced Death Spider Emperor Soul Saint. Two daggers were buried deep over his heart, purplish-red blood flowing steadily from the wounds.

Behind them, a Bright Phoenix surrounded by nine rings pursued them with wings spread. Only its right wing shone, however. Its keen phoenix eyes, which should have been majestic and noble beneath the radiance of light, were now scarlet and chilling.

It resembled a fallen demonic phoenix.

"Make Shrek pay? You aren't worthy," Yan Shaozhe said coldly.

Shi Xing and Mo Yun stood on the Bright Phoenix's dim left wing, supporting each other. Their eyes held horror and regret, but above all, a deep-seated killing intent.

They had been careless. The Heavenly Dragon Sect's young master possessed an Ultimate Darkness Martial Soul, a marvel unseen in a thousand years, and had bestowed that ultimate quality upon his companion.

The ultimate Dark Shadow Dragon had broken through a death trap the three of them had formed, one capable of surrounding and killing most Soul Douluos. Instead, it had gravely injured them and knocked them out of their Martial Soul Avatars.

Bi Yangde, who had tried to ambush Yu Tianjun with deadly poison, had suffered the worst. His Martial Soul had been shattered.

When that towering dark dragon breath descended, they had briefly thought they would follow their twelve junior schoolmates into death.

Fortunately, Dean Yan was not Xuan Zi.

The Bright Phoenix had descended, its flames of light approaching ultimate fire. It had fought the Shadow Dragon fiercely in its Martial Soul Avatar. As the Pavilion Master's prized disciple and a Super Douluo, Dean Yan had ultimately held the upper hand.

But it had been a miserable victory. Ultimate Darkness suppressed Dean Yan's light attribute. Both had traded injury for injury, nearly costing Dean Yan a wing.

The sight of Ultimate Darkness had also shocked Yan Shaozhe and filled him with regret. He had personally tried to persuade the other party to join Shrek, but there was no foundation of trust left between them. Battle was their only means of communication.

Unable to recruit him and having inadvertently forged a mortal feud instead, Yan Shaozhe's reason told him he had to kill him now. The greater his talent, the more imperative his death.

"We can't let them escape, or the consequences will be endless."

Her billowing purple hair was streaked with blood of unknown origin, and her chest was caved in. Mo Yun coughed repeatedly, her gaze as cold as a venomous spider's fixed on Yu Tianjun.

"Right. We absolutely can't spare him. Cough, cough!"

Shi Xing was in even worse condition than Mo Yun. The dantian beneath his lower abdomen had collapsed, and black flames burned fiercely within it. He struggled to resist them with his Soul Power.

Yu Xiaoying had not inflicted this injury. Yu Tianjun had.

This extraordinarily gifted Heavenly Dragon young master, whose background involved formidable powers, possessed a frightening array of advantages—and tremendous nerve.

The Dark Shadow Dragon had temporarily elevated itself to the ultimate level, but its foundations were still inferior to Yan Shaozhe's. Just as it was about to lose, Yu Tianjun used the Darkness Escape Technique, appeared behind Bi Yangde, and drove a dagger into his chest.

Bi Yangde instinctively released the Death Spider Emperor's Innate Domain, only for it to be crushed.

"You want to devour me? You're not strong enough."

His Innate Domain expanded, his Evil God Wings unfurled, and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Evil God Domain bloomed with them.

Yu Tianjun spoke coldly. His dual domains, Ultimate Darkness, and Qilin bloodline—the threefold force suppressed the shattered Death Spider Emperor as he unleashed a lethal strike through the Darkness Escape Technique.

Across a gap of three ranks, he ambushed a gravely wounded Soul Saint whose Martial Soul had been shattered.

Mo Yun and Shi Xing did not simply let Yu Tianjun kill Bi Yangde. Both struck.

But they, too, were arrows at the end of their flight, and Yu Tianjun's fourth Soul Ring lit up: Fallen God Transformation.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Evil God bloodline awakened, and his Qilin bloodline burned, vastly enhancing all of Yu Tianjun's attributes. Demonic might surged like waves.

His body took on the nature of an Evil God. For five seconds, he ignored all physical attacks below the divine level, while the effects of energy attacks were reduced by eighty percent.

His Evil God Wings released the Evil God Domain. Within its range, all time and space abilities ceased functioning for five seconds. Such was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's pride and tyranny.

For those five seconds, Yu Tianjun completely countered Shi Xing.

Yu Tianjun teleported within his domain and thrust two fingers forward. Dark demonic flames erupted, breaking through Shi Xing's Soul Power defenses, and a three-inch dark edge struck straight into his dantian.

He had learned this thrust from Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling. Its embryonic form had emerged during Deep Meditation, and Yu Yuanjue's guidance had refined it into a combat technique: Qilin Soul-Severing Thrust.

Shi Xing had called him an Evil Soul Master. If Yu Tianjun failed to oblige him, it would only make him seem petty.

The Qilin Soul-Severing Thrust pierced his dantian. The instant the demonic flames entered his body, they scattered like blossoms strewn by a celestial maiden, pouring into his limbs and every part of his frame.

"Aah!"

Shi Xing flew sideways, his body rigid, and crashed into the cliff with a bang. The agony of demonic flames scorching his body rapidly eroded his will.

The instant he was struck, his face twisted into a crazed grimace. The Ultimate Darkness Soul Power seemed alive, rampaging through his dantian like ten thousand swords piercing him. He could never return to what he had been.

The Human-Faced Spider Emperor was not countered by Yu Tianjun, but Mo Yun had already lost her fighting spirit. During those five seconds of immunity to physical attacks, Yu Tianjun struck her chest with his palm, sending her retreating and coughing blood.

Yu Tianjun teleported back beside Yu Xiaoying, raised Bi Yangde high, and shouted at Yan Shaozhe to unsettle him:

"Yan Shaozhe, Dean of Shrek, this is what becomes of your Inspection Corps students! What are you afraid of, chasing us down? Afraid the two great empires will surpass you and swallow you whole?"

The Bright Phoenix lost its composure, and the Dark Shadow Dragon seized the chance to counterattack. Yet its words remained merciless:

"Anyone who desecrates Shrek will face the cruelest punishment! You and the Heavenly Dragon Sect have only one fate: destruction!"

Yu Tianjun's gaze was bleak and cold. "For every person you kill from my Heavenly Dragon Sect, I'll kill ten from Shrek. Blood for blood, nothing more. Neither of us rests until the other dies, and it starts with him."

"You took my second uncle's arm. I'll make you watch me kill your student."

With that, Yu Tianjun drove the second dagger, a Level 6 melee Soul Tool, into Bi Yangde's heart.

A Soul Saint's constitution far surpassed that of an ordinary person, but after what Yu Tianjun had done to Bi Yangde, his chances of survival were slim.

"You beast!"

The Bright Phoenix attacked furiously. Yu Xiaoying responded steadily and actually began to stabilize the situation.

Immediately afterward, Yu Tianjun repeated the ploy, shouting that dark demonic flames were burning Shi Xing alive. If Yan Shaozhe did not save him, he would meet a miserable end.

Yan Shaozhe glanced over in distraction, and his eyes abruptly turned scarlet—pitch-black demonic flames had spread from Shi Xing's dantian across his entire body. His expression was agonized, and bestial howls squeezed from his throat.

Left with no choice, Yan Shaozhe could only disengage to rescue him. Shi Xing was an exceedingly rare time-and-space Soul Master, a future lord of Shrek City and Sea God's Pavilion Elder. He absolutely could not be abandoned.

But now it was the Dark Shadow Dragon's turn to seek an opening for a counterattack. In his fury, Yan Shaozhe unleashed a powerful combat technique inherited from Mu En and drove Yu Xiaoying back.

Yu Xiaoying retaliated with his sect's inherited combat technique and his eighth Soul Skill. He suffered grievous injuries himself, but his ultimate-enhanced Dragon Prison Shadow-Killing Array made the phoenix spill blood.

Yan Shaozhe then returned to save Shi Xing. As he infused him with light Soul Power, he discovered in horror that he could only contain the injury, not cure it, and nearly went mad with urgency.

That was only natural. Even the Sea God's Pavilion could not resolve Ma Xiaotao's phoenix evil fire. Although Yu Tianjun's level was low, its quality was unrivaled, far surpassing Ma Xiaotao's evil fire.

"No one in this world can heal wounds inflicted by Ultimate Darkness. There is someone in the Soul Beast Realm who can save him, though. I just don't know whether Dean Yan is willing to risk entering the Great Ferocious Land and meeting Beast God Di Tian for a genius with both time and space attributes."

"You regard ordinary people as ants and insects. Can you cast aside this future Super Douluo like a worn-out shoe, too? If you can abandon him, I'll truly have a little respect for you."

Yu Tianjun's voice tore through the air like a demonic sound, pouring into the ears of the three from Shrek.

Shi Xing's heart turned cold to its depths. How could he not know what Shrek was like?

Dean Yan's direct disciple had a less severe problem than his, greater potential, and a more distinguished status. The academy had never considered seeking Di Tian's help, only making its students pay the price. It had never even invited an ice-attribute Soul Douluo.

Would I have to bid farewell to the Title Douluo realm forever?

"Naturally evil young master of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, you were born an Evil Soul Master among Evil Soul Masters! I will burn you to ashes!"

A crazed scarlet color surfaced in Yan Shaozhe's eyes, while Mo Yun's face was full of relief at having survived the catastrophe.

At those words, contempt filled Yu Tianjun's eyes. He pointed at Yan Shaozhe and laughed aloud. "Since childhood, I've been unrivaled among my peers, looking down upon the heroes of the world. Yet when it comes to those words of yours, I, Yu Tianjun, can only admit my inferiority."

"Inner court disciples die because of your Inspection Corps every year. You've been slaughtering the Title Douluo Seeds of the Douluo Three Kingdoms all along, sending geniuses who haven't matured yet against enemies they can't handle."

"Shrek's elders, from Xuan Zi to you, Yan Shaozhe, have accomplished who knows how many things Evil Soul Masters could never achieve even in their dreams."

"Since entering the Soul Master World, I've treated others kindly and never taken a single life. You'd better hope I never encounter an Evil Soul Master. Otherwise, one day I'll lead ten thousand evil souls to rule over the world and trample your Shrek City into dust."

"You won't live to grow that strong. Die!"

Yan Shaozhe went completely mad. He activated his leg Soul Bone Skill, his Soul Core spun at a frenzied speed, and his combat strength rose to its absolute peak as he relentlessly pursued the Dark Shadow Dragon and Dark Qilin.

Whether those transformed phoenix eyes came from savage rage or a fear he refused to acknowledge was impossible to tell.

A Super Douluo was still a Super Douluo. Yan Shaozhe's Soul Core allowed him to recover rapidly after expending tremendous amounts of Soul Power and launch another fierce assault.

Yu Xiaoying had no Soul Core and lacked the endurance for a prolonged battle. His Soul Rings and Soul Bones were both inferior to Yan Shaozhe's, and he gradually lost ground in their head-on clashes.

Phoenix Flame erupted like a prairie fire, inevitably worsening the injuries of both Yu Xiaoying and the Yu Tianjun he was protecting.

Having vented enough of his anger, Yu Tianjun made a swift decision and urged Yu Xiaoying to fly deeper into Death Canyon. Only there would they have any hope of shaking off Yan Shaozhe.

Yu Xiaoying was an agility-attack Soul Master. With an attribute advantage and favorable terrain, he kept Yan Shaozhe behind him, but as time passed, the uncle and nephew's wounds grew increasingly severe.

Yu Tianjun stared straight into the abyss ahead. His vertical Qilin pupils could see through the darkness and discern many otherwise invisible things.

The environment here favored him greatly. The terrain was also part of the reason Yu Xiaoying could hold Yan Shaozhe off.

If Yu Tianjun himself had possessed seven-ring cultivation, he would have dared to try to keep Yan Shaozhe here forever.

His strength was insufficient now. Yu Tianjun's mind became clear as if freshly washed. Countless thoughts flashed through it, leaving only one—survive.

A death trap, a plunge into the canyon, and everything once concealed laid bare.

Shrek was deeply rooted in the Three Great Empires. From now on, none of them would have room for him. If he survived, he could only travel far away to Sun Moon.

Yan Shaozhe pursued them from behind. Even staking their lives, the uncle and nephew could at most gravely injure him. Hoping for rescuers to fall from the sky was unrealistic, and Shrek's influence was even greater outside. Their only option was to flee deeper into Death Canyon.

If they entered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's territory, they could bring a new combatant into the battle.

Between the Dark Shadow Dragon and the Bright Phoenix, surely the Bright Phoenix would be the greater eyesore.

Showers of phoenix fire swept in from behind, bombarding the air around the Dark Shadow Dragon. Yu Xiaoying let out a pained growl.

Yu Tianjun's brow furrowed repeatedly. He asked quietly, "Second Uncle, have you still not adapted to it?"

"I have, but I want to save it for a more important moment."

Yu Xiaoying managed a strained smile. A round metal plate rested against his chest. Soul Power mingled, activating one Soul Tool array after another as it flowed inside.

The metal plate was Red Dust Protection, the Level 9 Soul Tool Jing Hongchen had given him.

After encountering the three Inspection Corps members, Yu Tianjun had given it to Yu Xiaoying in case of an emergency.

"I have a feeling Yan Shaozhe will unleash one more killing strike. I need to wait until he uses that final attack, then dismiss my Martial Soul and let him think he's killed us. Only then can we escape his pursuit."

Yu Xiaoying spoke with difficulty. "When that happens, I'll need you to take me into the darkness. Do you have enough Soul Power to bring me along right now?"

Yu Tianjun shook his head. "No. I used ninety percent of my Soul Power on that thrust against Shi Xing."

Shi Xing controlled the elements of time and space. Unless they crippled him, the uncle and nephew had no chance of escaping alive.

"Then don't push yourself. Just keep yourself safe..."

"I have a way to recover!"

Yu Tianjun refused to abandon his second uncle. His gaze fell on Bi Yangde beside him, and in an instant, his eyes became resolute.

"I never thought I'd have to kill my first person this way."

The next instant, dark soul radiance of unprecedented strength erupted from Yu Tianjun's body. His Qilin Martial Soul appeared in midair. Space and darkness elements gathered between its coral-like horns, forming a black hole much like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's.

The black hole drew Bi Yangde in, lifting his body into the air and swallowing it. Yu Tianjun and the black hole vanished simultaneously.

Several breaths later, Yu Tianjun reappeared from the darkness, his injuries completely healed. Soul Power surged beneath his sleeves. Level forty-four.

The third innate ability of Ultimate Darkness: Ruinous Devour.

"Now it's enough."

Having risen another step in strength, Yu Tianjun held two Soul Bones in his hands and spoke quietly to Yu Xiaoying.

"A leg Soul Bone and an External Soul Bone—the Death Spider Emperor Eight Spider Lances. He was pretty well-off."

Looking at Yu Tianjun, Yu Xiaoying felt an indescribable ache. Yan Shaozhe had driven a child who treated others kindly into a desperate corner.

Then he saw the two Soul Bones, one of them an External Soul Bone, and could not help being startled.

"Your ability can separate an External Soul Bone?"

"He probably only just got it and hadn't fused with it deeply."

A cold curve lifted the corner of Yu Tianjun's mouth. "No wonder that woman coveted my Evil God Wings. Her junior schoolmate already had an External Soul Bone."

"Hahahaha! They tried to steal a chicken and lost their rice instead!"

Yu Xiaoying laughed heartily, crossed the boundary between yin and yang energies, and plunged into Death Canyon's Core Zone.

Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe's eyes nearly split with fury. Yu Tianjun devouring Bi Yangde right in front of him proved that he was the purest kind of Evil Soul Master. He had to spare no effort to snuff him out!

Beating his right wing, he charged forward like a rampaging boar and stormed into Death Canyon's Core Zone!

The fluctuations spread, awakening some of the Core Zone's overlords. A giant bird whose spread wings resembled the two primal forces flew out of a vibrant forest. An ancient, savage beast as towering as a mountain, motionless while sleeping, opened its indifferent eyes and extended its senses.

In an unnamed deep valley, a silver-haired old man abruptly stood up, doubt rising in his eyes as he looked toward the distant sky.

"A Bright Phoenix, a Super Douluo—is that Mu En's disciple? How could someone with that Martial Soul be filled with such vicious hostility?"