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Gu La stood on the battered coastline of Demon Island, watching Tang Wulin fight amidst the sea of Soul Beasts.
The Golden Dragon King's bloodline was tyrannical—unfazed by the erosion of Destruction energy, it instead absorbed both Destruction and Life energies, converting them into fuel for its own growth. The more he fought, the stronger he became.
Gu La stared silently, inwardly grumbling:
…Of course. The Chosen One operates on entirely different rules. I've been scraping every last drop of opportunity from Demon Island—and yet, fate itself finds some convoluted way to hand him another gift.
Fine. When I become a god, with true authority… I'll create my own "Chosen One." Let's see how this system actually works.
The Sea Soul Beasts showed no sign of retreating, despite their staggering losses. The thick scent of blood only fueled their primal ferocity.
Their eyes burned crimson. They charged without regard for life—using claws, bodies, and innate soul skills in suicidal assaults.
Far out at sea, the Beihai Fleet unleashed full firepower. Countless soul guidance device beams and shells tore through the night sky, pouring like a metallic storm into the densest clusters of Soul Beasts. Blood and shattered flesh erupted in endless crimson mists.
The four hundred-thousand-year-level beasts attempted to disrupt the fleet—but were pinned down by human Super Douluo, unable to break free.
Finally, after more than half their subordinates perished, the four great beasts—having absorbed sufficient scattered energy—let out a long, warning roar, and began slowly retreating into the deep ocean.
"Stop them!" Feng Wuyu roared, hurling torrents of flame like falling stars at the Devil Whale Shark—only for it to shrug off the attack with a thick ice shield and its monstrous hide.
The Super Douluo fought desperately to hold them back. But these beasts were colossal, their hides as thick as mountains. Conventional attacks barely scratched them.
And once they slipped into the deep sea, it was their absolute domain. No human Super Douluo dared to follow.
Feng Wuyu, a Fire user, was severely weakened in water. Han Tianyi specialized in mental illusions—effective for disruption, but not lethal.
In the end, they could only watch helplessly as the four great beasts, flanked by their remaining packs, vanished beneath the horizon.
Though they failed to kill the leaders, the harvest was still immense. The shoreline was littered with gravely wounded or dying Sea Soul Beasts—prime material for spirit souls.
Many parts of their bodies—whale gel, shark fins, energy-infused bones—were invaluable for cultivation, medicine, and soul guidance device crafting, enough to offset the cost of the soul guidance device ammunition expended.
Even more astonishing: during battlefield cleanup, they discovered thirteen thousand-year soul bones and five ten-thousand-year soul bones—extracted from the corpses of the frenzied, dead beasts.
It appeared to be a unique phenomenon: when Soul Beasts died in a state of energy overload, their essence fused with the lingering Life and Destruction energies, crystallizing into soul bones.
After joint verification by all five factions, they agreed on a distribution:
- The five ten-thousand-year soul bones would be divided—one per faction.
- Based on tournament rankings, Shrek Academy and the Spirit Pagoda would choose the two highest-quality bones first.
- The War God Hall, Federation, and Beihai Fleet would receive the remaining three—slightly lower in quality, but still immensely valuable.
All sides accepted the arrangement.
With the Sea Soul Beast threat temporarily neutralized, development of Demon Island resumed. The five factions departed, each carrying their share of spoils and resources.
Gu La did not wander again. He returned to Shrek City with the Spirit Pagoda delegation.
He had one purpose: to see Na'er.
Back in familiar Shrek City, Gu La realized—as a graduate—he could no longer freely enter the Inner Academy.
Tang Wulin volunteered to guide him. He also wanted to keep a close eye on Gu La—preventing him from "stealing" his sister.
He knew how popular Na'er had become in the academy: "The Spear Goddess" drew countless admirers. He wouldn't let his innocent little sister fall prey to this man.
They met at a quiet, elegant café in the Outer Academy.
Na'er waited alone in a secluded corner booth.
She couldn't afford to linger in public places—too many eyes, too much attention.
"Brother, Gu La. You're here." She smiled faintly, gesturing for them to sit. "What would you like? My treat."
Tang Wulin ordered a standard blend.
Gu La, unapologetically, pointed to the most expensive specialty coffee on the menu: "That one."
He didn't even like coffee. But if he had to pay, he'd pick the priciest—just to look at it.
Na'er nodded and ordered.
She sipped her own coffee quietly, outwardly calm—but internally, she used spiritual transmission to speak directly to Gu La:
"When will you help me break free from Gu Yue? Free me from the Silver Dragon King's control?"
Gu La lifted the expensive cup, feigning appreciation by inhaling its aroma. Simultaneously, he activated his Divine Appraisal Eye to examine Na'er's spiritual state—and glanced at the balance of his "Divine Beast Vouchers" in his consciousness, the resources he could use to replace Pokémon evolution materials.
There were enough. More than enough.
But he had no intention of helping her evolve for free—not yet.
Resources were reserved for his own needs. And he still hadn't found a safe, inconspicuous place to perform Soul evolution.
He replied via transmission:
"Helping you evolve requires rare materials. As a disciple of Atlas Douluo, your access in Shrek Academy should be high."
"Collect extremely precious resources—Light, Space, or Dragon-type metals, gems, or sacred artifacts. Once you have them, we may be able to initiate your evolution early."
Na'er bit her lower lip slightly.
She was indeed well-treated in Shrek. Yun Ming granted her nearly every request.
But if she needed resources even Gu La deemed "special", it would take considerable effort, influence, and merit. Still, this was for her own future. She couldn't ask Gu La to bear all the burden alone.
"I'll do my best to gather them," she transmitted back, voice firm.
Gu La gave a slight nod. "Don't rush. I've reached a mutual understanding with Gu Yue. She won't try to devour you—or Tang Wulin—for now. There will be other chances. Focus on your cultivation. Prepare quietly."
Hearing that Gu Yue had agreed to protect her and Tang Wulin, Na'er's eyes brightened with relief and gratitude.
Beside them, Tang Wulin watched their silent exchange—no words spoken, only fleeting glances. He couldn't hear a single syllable. His mind felt like it was being clawed by a cat.
He stared at their expressions: Gu La remained calm, expressionless. Na'er only occasionally frowned or nodded. No romantic tension. No flirtation.
He exhaled slowly. Slightly reassured.
He knew Xu Xiaoyan had a quiet crush on Gu La. He knew Gu Yue's attitude toward him was… unusual. He couldn't let his precious sister get tangled in this web.
The conversation was done. Neither had drunk more than a sip.
Gu La rose to leave.
But as he stood—
A calm, yet utterly authoritative voice echoed directly in his mind:
"Gu La. Come to the lakeside of Sea God Island tonight."
Gu La froze mid-step.
A faint, knowing smile curled on his lips.
Finally.
—
That night, Gu La followed Yun Ming to a secluded grove beyond Sea God Island.
Moonlight spilled like liquid silver over Yun Ming's tall, pine-like figure. His expression was serene—but his eyes, deep as an abyss, held burdens too heavy to name.
No pleasantries.
Yun Ming cut straight to the point, his gaze piercing.
"I've felt a great crisis approaching Shrek Academy more clearly than ever before."
"I've used every resource to investigate. But it's like trying to see a storm through fog. I find no source. Can you tell me the truth…? Divine being from another world."
His tone was grave. He had nowhere else to turn.
Gu La showed no surprise. Instead, he smiled—calm, assured, as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
"Of course I can, Atlas Douluo. That was the purpose of my prophecy."
He paused.
"But… are you prepared to pay the price?"
Yun Ming's gaze didn't waver. "What do you want?"
Gu La held up three fingers.
"First: a drop of your essence blood."
"Second: all your knowledge, experience, and insights into creating your own God Position."
"Third: I need you to unleash your three strongest attacks—fully, without restraint."
Yun Ming's pupils contracted sharply. His aura stiffened.
He hadn't expected Gu La to know about the crisis… but that he knew Yun Ming's deepest secret—that he was already creating a God Position, and had nearly completed the foundation—was staggering.
The last two demands were even more dangerous.
Essence blood was the core of a Super Douluo's existence. Losing even a single drop damages the soul's foundation. Recovery took decades.
More critically: many dark curses used blood as a medium. Handing it to a stranger claiming to be an "otherworldly god"? A gamble with death.
Recording his three ultimate attacks was equally perilous. It meant surrendering the precise patterns, energy signatures, and combat logic of his most powerful techniques. If Gu La turned hostile—or allied with Shrek's enemies—those recordings could become weapons against him… or the entire academy.
As a pillar of Shrek, every action carried the weight of the institution. He dared not be careless.
Yet that looming threat—the invisible, untraceable sword hanging over his head—forced him to weigh the cost.
The survival of Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year legacy… and the lives of its countless students…
…were more important than any single man.
Even him.
A long silence.
Then Yun Ming inhaled deeply. His gaze hardened into unbreakable resolve.
"I accept."
"Good." Gu La nodded. "Then find a suitable place. Let's begin with the third demand."
Their forms vanished.
A moment later, they stood in a desolate, uninhabited mountain range far from Shrek City.
Yun Ming said nothing. A flash of light—and in his hand appeared the ancient, dignified Atlas Spear.
Merely its natural aura seemed ready to tear space apart.
"First technique," Yun Ming said, voice low and solemn.
He raised the spear slowly. His Soul Power surged like a tidal wave, flooding into the weapon.
Two blacks. Four reds. Three orange-golds. Nine impossible soul rings flashed—then vanished into the spear.
All light in the sky seemed drawn into its tip.
A piercing, ultimate spear intent—capable of piercing heaven, annihilating all laws—erupted skyward.
No flashy name. Just a simple, direct thrust.
Yet within it lay Yun Ming's entire lifetime of understanding of the spear path—perfect fusion of power, speed, and will.
Where the spearhead passed, space twisted, groaning under unbearable strain. A thin, black fissure followed its path like a scar.
Gu La's expression turned serious. He formed a seal before his chest. The faint shadow of the Primordial Tree flashed behind him. The entrance to the Endless Forest demi-plane opened silently. A gentle, yet unyielding force locked onto the annihilating spear.
Hum—!
The torrent of energy surged like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, sucked into the semi-realm. It detonated in a barren corner of that isolated dimension, shaking the entire realm—but failing to damage its core.
Gu La closed the entrance. His face paled for an instant—then recovered.
He had recorded the full essence, structure, and resonance of that strike.
Yun Ming's eyes flickered with astonishment. The method Gu La used to absorb his attack… defied all known soul skill logic.
He adjusted his breath, raised the spear again.
"Second technique."
"Third technique."
The second was a sweeping arc—spear-light radiating like a fan, obliterating everything in its path.
The third was a piercing thrust—man and spear as one, becoming a streak of ultimate light, as if to pierce the heavens themselves.
Each technique was devastating. Each was perfectly recorded by Gu La using the Endless Forest demi-plane and a custom soul guidance device.
When the three were done, Yun Ming's breath came slightly heavier. The exertion had cost him.
Without hesitation, he forced out a single drop of essence blood—glowing like a crimson-gold gem, pulsing with immense energy and faint divine resonance—and sealed it in a jade vial, handing it to Gu La.
Then, he spoke.
Without reservation, he recounted everything: how he gathered faith, forged his will, communicated with the laws of heaven and earth, and began constructing the framework of his God Position.
When he finished, his aura was noticeably weaker—but his eyes remained sharp.
"Now," he said. "Tell me what you know."
Gu La accepted the vial. In his mind, Yun Ming's insights and the resonance of the three spear techniques echoed—his path forward now clearer than ever.
He looked at Yun Ming.
And spoke the words that would shake the continent:
"Shrek Academy's very existence has reached the breaking point of the Federation's tolerance."
"Led by the Spirit Pagoda's Grandmaster, Qiangu Dongfeng, in alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult, and with covert support from powerful factions within the Federation… they plan to fire two Level-12 Fixed soul guidance device Cannons at Shrek City."
Yun Ming's composure shattered.
His face—calm, unshakable for decades—paled. His eyes widened with disbelief.
"Level-12… Fixed Soul Guidance Device Cannons?!"
The legendary weapons—known as "God-Slaying Projectiles."
The pinnacle of human soul guidance device technology. The most powerful weapons ever created.
Only three had ever been successfully manufactured. Their construction cost astronomical resources. Success rates were near zero.
No one had ever seen their true power.
But every record described them as apocalyptic.
And now… two were aimed at Shrek?
Yun Ming's heart sank into ice.
He finally understood the source of the dread.
It wasn't a person. Not a clan.
It was the entire Federation machine… and the shadowy evil within it—woven into a net of annihilation.
Could he stop it?
No one knew the true power of a God-Slaying Cannon.
Even he—half-divine, wielding the Atlas Spear—had no certainty he could survive one, let alone two.
And even if he knew now… what could he do?
The conspiracy had been brewing for years. Its roots were entangled in every layer of the Federation. It could not be dismantled in time.
Unless…
He abandoned Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year legacy.
Led the core disciples into exile.
But could he?
Shrek's true strength was never its buildings, its students, its reputation.
It was the Sea God Island.
The Golden Ancient Tree.
The accumulated spiritual, cultural, and divine heritage of twenty thousand years.
But even those… could not shield against God-Slaying Cannons.
And the Golden Tree? It had already lost over half its energy…
Yun Ming's tall, proud figure trembled slightly under the moonlight.
His face was etched with a despair he had never known.
The sky over Shrek Academy… had darkened forever.
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