Inside the White Tiger command tent.
Dai Hao rubbed his stubble, mulling over what had just happened.
Suddenly, the tent flap lifted.
An elderly white-haired man entered, cupped his fists respectfully, and said, "Commander, the young master and the Shrek elites have already departed and entered the Mingdou Mountain Range. It looks like they're on a tight schedule."
"Registration for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament closes in two days," Dai Hao waved casually.
Elder Du looked enlightened and was about to withdraw, but Dai Hao stopped him. With evident interest he asked, "What do you think of that youth named Su Wen?"
"Su Wen?" Elder Du blinked. "You mean Young Master Su Wen? My impression of him… he's very steady—far more than one would expect at his age. Sitting there, he contrasted sharply with the young master's other classmates."
"And one more thing—he didn't touch a drop of alcohol from start to finish. Among the entire Shrek competition squad, only he…" Dai Hao stroked his beard, eyes narrowing slightly.
A normal teenager, with his toasts and flattery, would have been floating to the heavens. But not Su Wen.
"Oh? I didn't notice that," Elder Du said in surprise, shaking his head. In his view, not drinking at all likely just meant the boy wasn't interested in alcohol.
"But I do have a doubt. He's only a Soul Ancestor. Why do you value him so highly? You even set aside your status to personally toast him… You've only ever done that for His Majesty." Elder Du frowned.
Dai Hao smiled faintly and tossed Du Leisi a letter. Black words on white paper—and its contents made the latter's pupils widen.
"Escaped from an Evil Soul Master at the Titled Douluo realm?!"
"While being hunted by the Zhongli Three Ghosts, he counter-killed Zhongli Ren and crippled Zhongli Di…"
"The Zhongli Three Ghosts?!!"
Unlike top Holy Spirit Cult experts like Wu Yun, Zhang Peng, or Zhongli Wu who hide in the Sun–Moon Empire and rarely show up on the original continent, the Zhongli Three Ghosts are notorious across this land—so notorious that they overshadow those others.
They're known as "the strongest Evil Soul Masters."
The three act as one; even ordinary Titled Douluo avoid provoking them.
Perhaps their strength sits in an awkward niche—too much trouble for the truly strong to bother cleaning up, while the weak are helpless against them—thus the current state of affairs.
"He actually…" Du Leisi was visibly shaken.
You had to know—even the commander only squeezed into the Titled Douluo realm half a year ago! If he met the Zhongli Three Ghosts, he might not do any better than Su Wen did…
No wonder the commander is so cautious!
What a damn monster!
People can't be judged by appearances… Du Leisi thought inwardly.
"He handles matters with measured calm, and his talent is monstrous. No wonder he's the next-generation heir of the Sea God Pavilion," Dai Hao sighed to the sky.
"And this year's Academy Tournament—the championship is likely in Shrek's bag."
…
The group closed ranks.
They followed the path into the Mingdou Mountain Range. The forest was lush, cloaking the peaks in green. Even circling above with flying soul tools, it was hard to spot these bandits from above. The range stretched endlessly, making it extremely difficult to pinpoint the gang's positions. Even saturation bombing with area-of-effect soul tools would struggle to be effective.
In such conditions, to wipe out the bandits, the army would need to split into countless squads and search inch by inch, encircling and suppressing them. The White Tiger Duke naturally wasn't willing to mobilize on that scale for a bunch of bandits—what if the Sun–Moon Empire seized the chance to launch a surprise attack?
The Sun–Moon Empire thought the same.
Hence the bandits ran rampant—burning, killing, looting—still arrogant to this day.
Dusk fell.
"About three hundred able-bodied men, with roughly ten percent being soul masters. The strongest are Soul Kings. But from observation… there might be more than one Soul King," Wang Yan muttered as he flipped through a booklet.
"Mm."
Su Wen nodded.
"Teacher Wang Yan, once we locate the enemy, take the reserves and follow behind. I'll go up front with the main squad…"
"Alright!" Wang Yan said solemnly.
As time passed, Ma Xiaotao and the others sobered up a bit. They were Soul Emperors and Soul Kings—by circulating soul power they could force out some of the alcohol.
"Xiao Wen, which way do we go?" Ma Xiaotao stood behind Su Wen, arm around his neck, her ample curves pressing his head. Her red lips still carried a hint of wine.
"Sis Xiaotao, you're the captain," Su Wen sighed.
"You command. It's the same…" Ma Xiaotao chuckled.
"Fine, gather up!" Su Wen didn't refuse.
Everyone huddled around.
"This is a patch of Wenlan trees. Wenlan wood is cold-aspected and greatly aids Evil Soul Masters' cultivation. So if I'm not mistaken, they should be nearby… And the Wenlan heartwood is edible. If you find broken roots, return immediately."
"Oh-ho, nice~" Yao Haoxuan gaped. "Didn't think you were so learned."
Su Wen facepalmed, eyes flashing with undisguised disappointment.
Only now, during a real mission, did his filter for these "elites" shatter. To be blunt—they hunted Evil Soul Masters by brute-forcing with talent and power. Using their heads? What's that?
Is it their fault? Not entirely.
Shrek's inner court system is badly flawed. This isn't training elites; it's raising pigs!
Then sending batch after batch to the execution ground.
No wonder the casualty rate is so high. Throwing them into battle with no teaching—those who survive either rely on raw power or pure luck…
"Go search," Su Wen said evenly.
Wang Yan glanced at Su Wen in surprise.
This youth was different from all the inner court disciples. He bore no arrogance toward knowledge, unlike others who believed talent alone could crush everything… Ironically, he was the only one qualified to ignore knowledge.
So strange…
Jiang Nannan and Xixi were the fastest, darting out along the east and west to search the Wenlan grove inch by inch.
The rest dispersed.
A few minutes later—
"Over here!"
Bei Bei called out.
They regrouped. Su Wen saw a broken Wenlan trunk—its heartwood hollowed out…
"Use this as the center and search outward," Su Wen mused.
Sure enough, in less than half an hour—
They found the bandits' cave hideout.
"Impressive…" Even Chen Zifeng clicked his tongue.
In the original, Wang Yan earned the inner court disciples' approval with a little show. Su Wen made it even more convincing. They'd already respected him; now they were fully convinced.
"I thought inner court disciples would know this—after all, it's sixth-year textbook common sense…" Su Wen smiled lightly.
"Uh… hahaha, I always skipped 'common sense' classes—either that or I snuck off to sleep," Yao Haoxuan laughed awkwardly.
The inner court disciples looked at each other—no shame at all. In fact, a touch of bragging—our talent is strong enough; just crush with force. Why bother with 'tricks'?
"…"
Su Wen was speechless.
He waved his hand.
"The main squad goes in with me. Teacher Wang Yan, take the reserves… and follow behind." He hesitated—he'd planned to leave the reserves outside to avoid collateral damage. But after a moment, he decided to give the freshmen an early lesson.
"Alright, get changed!"
…
"Beasts!"
Ma Xiaotao charged in first. On either side hung flayed children or skewered women—scene after scene of horror. She gnashed her teeth in hatred.
The rest of the main squad were the same—righteous fury blazing, morale high.
Only Su Wen stayed silent.
He couldn't say he wasn't moved by the sight. But letting anger cloud your head and make you careless—falling into the enemy's trap—would be laughable…
"Kill!"
Without waiting for Su Wen to speak, Ma Xiaotao's body erupted in thick flames—the crimson Phoenix fire lit the cave, startling bandits into a panic.
The other starters followed suit.
Venting their rage, slaughtering the bandits.
…
Elsewhere.
Outside the cave.
Xuan Zi sipped his wine leisurely. "A cup after dinner—life of a god, hahahaha~"
Seeing Su Wen command in order, he withdrew his gaze, no longer worrying about what happened inside.
He didn't hold grudges. Toward Su Wen, he felt love and hate—after all, the kid's talent was terrifying, his temperament steady like Elder Mu. On the same side, he gave a sense of security.
"Too similar," Xuan Zi smacked his lips, sighing.
"Just like my junior-uncle in his youth. Give it time—once he grows up, this old man can finally be a hands-off shopkeeper, hahahaha~"
Then—
"Rumble!!!"
A horrific blast thundered through the ravine.
The earth shook.
"Argh!!!" Xuan Zi roared in grief and rage.
Under his lead, how did the team manage to run into trouble again and again and again and again?!
…
Inside the cave.
Su Wen's pupils shrank.
Even though the instant the Death Envoy cackled eerily, he took emergency measures—summoned the Ice Emperor to flash-freeze the surroundings to mitigate the blast, had Ling Luochen throw up ice armor, issued a warning, pre-cast the Azure Luan's group heal, even used the Gale's Reviving Wind—
The combined explosion of hundreds of corpses—including two Soul Kings and over forty soul masters—still shocked him.
In the cramped cave—
Blood and flesh flew. Corpse explosion doesn't care if the corpse is intact—bone, flesh, blood all detonate. Worse, the splattered corpse poison corrodes the body fiercely.
Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan took the brunt. Thanks to Su Wen's warning and stacked heals, they only spat blood with minor external injuries at first. But in the narrow cave, energy bounced around instead of dispersing. The first wave killed Mingdou soul masters, whose corpses triggered a second, even more terrible wave.
Their skin festered from corpse poison; their organs were injured—they passed out.
Xixi, a speed attacker with weak defense—even with soft armor and Su Wen's healing—almost had her organs shattered, her life hanging on Azure Luan's skill.
Ling Luochen was pulled into Su Wen's arms at the first blast. Beside Su Wen was Little Gold—the Golden Left Arm Bone took most of the hit—so she was almost unhurt.
Even so, the two waves left Little Gold's fur a mess—quite bedraggled…
"…"
All within Su Wen's expectations.
What he didn't expect—
Was Dai Yueheng. In the original, he was less injured, even recuperating in time to compete. Now a gaping wound pierced his waist and abdomen, bone-deep, sizzling with corpse poison. He lay unconscious—life or death unknown.
Terrible luck.
The first shockwave blew a Soul King's corpse near him—he happened to be in a corner with nowhere to dodge…
Ma Xiaotao fared better—slammed into the wall and knocked out, internal injuries severe but no corpse poison.
No one died.
But except for Ling Luochen, everyone was badly wounded.
Even the reserves were hit by the aftershock—superficial injuries only.
"Azure Luan!"
Su Wen called softly.
In the dark, cramped cave, a gem-like emerald light bloomed, pushing back the gloom.
The group heal fell on the six. The corpse poison slowly retreated—barely suppressed. With timely expert treatment later, they could avoid future hidden injuries—but for full recovery, they'd need someone like Elder Zhuang, a top-tier healer, to act…
"Roar!!!"
Xuan Zi bellowed and charged in. Seeing the carnage, he panted like a bull, eyes bloodshot.
Earthen-yellow soul power surged, a heavy, mountainous aura filling the cave.
"Who?!!"
"Who was it?!"
In the next instant, he spotted the skulking Death Envoy trying to slip away. Xuan Zi's palm opened, a powerful suction flared; eyes feral, he yanked the shadow hard.
"Beast, die!"
"Corpse slave!"
The Death Envoy panicked, but in crisis still summoned a corpse slave, hurling it toward the outer court disciples first. Its body swelled, about to explode.
Furious, Xuan Zi had to deal with the corpse slave first.
The Death Envoy turned into a wisp of purple smoke, squinting as he probed. He spotted Su Wen beside Ling Luochen, grinned, and lunged…
"Handing me a chance, are you…"
Su Wen smiled.
As the Death Envoy grabbed his collar, it felt like gripping a ten-thousand-ton boulder—immovable—nearly dislocating his shoulder.
"Not right!"
The Death Envoy jolted.
This was a tough nut. He tried to retreat.
Just then, a fair hand clamped atop his shoulder. The world spun—an over-the-shoulder slam hammered him forward in a crash.
"Gale!"
Su Wen's smile vanished.
"Roar!"
A white blur like wind appeared above the Death Envoy. Flowcloud Staff whirled and smashed down. Airstreams spilled sideways, pinning the Death Envoy beneath.
"Boom!"
The ground shook.
Su Wen arched a brow.
A faint, easily missed purple gleam slipped into a dark tunnel ahead.
Worthy of being the strongest Soul King in Douluo II!
His escape skills were superb.
He whispered a few words to the worried Ling Luochen, then flashed after him.
…
"Damn! What kind of monster is this?!" The Death Envoy fled for his life while cursing.
A swarm of Shrek Soul Kings and Emperors coming to round him up—fine, he laid a trap—let them slaughter while he hid, then detonate the corpses to wipe them out.
But after that, a Titled Douluo rushed in like a mad bull, trying to avenge them. He despised the "beat the kids, bring the old man" routine, but he could handle it.
He tried to grab a hostage and run—only to provoke a monster!
"That's a Soul Ancestor?! F—!"
He ran and swore.
The guy had a terrifying body—and could control a white ape. That white ape was clearly above Soul King!
Are today's youths all this absurd?
Luckily—
Twelve figures waited at the cave mouth.
"Cover my retreat!"
He gritted his teeth.
Those corpse slaves probably couldn't beat the youth—but he had no choice. He'd kicked a hornet's nest…
"Elder Yi."
Su Wen halted, seeing the twelve figures ahead, and spoke softly.
In the original, these could even stall Xuan Zi—meaning they were terrifying. If they all corpse-exploded, even Little Gold might not withstand it. This was why the Death Envoy must die—root and branch.
"Very well."
Electrolux replied mildly.
After taking control of Su Wen's body, he regarded the twelve grotesque corpse slaves with a sigh.
"True death magic centers on the soul, not the flesh. You've gone astray…"
Su Wen: "…"
"The soul is the core?" The Death Envoy froze.
He grew more and more excited. "You're right! I focused too much on bodies. Could corpse explosion fuse souls as well? I never considered this path. Can the soul be detonated? Yes! This must be an unprecedented road!"
"Elder Yi," Su Wen said helplessly.
"Ahem, habit," Electrolux coughed, embarrassed.
He pointed lightly at the twelve corpse slaves.
"Today, I will show you true necromancy."
Pain contorted their faces—phantom visages flickered across them.
"Today, I release your souls. Help me deal with him… then disperse on your own," Electrolux said softly.
"Ah!!!"
A terrified scream came from the distance—the Death Envoy's final cry.
…
Elsewhere.
All inner court disciples were present. Most were badly injured, but none were at death's door. Everyone could tell Su Wen had saved them. Without the Azure Luan's healing to resist the corpse poison, it would've seeped into their organs by now.
"Elder Xuan!"
Wang Yan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Xuan Zi.
"Only one member of the main squad can still fight! The rest are all severely injured! How are we supposed to face the tournament!!!"