Ju Hua Guan made a powerful entrance, stepping through the air. As he arrived, he activated his martial soul, and nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—appeared beneath him.
"Title… Title Douluo!" The Shrek team's faces paled. This effeminate, soft-spoken man was actually a Nine-Ring Douluo!
Seeing the nine soul rings exuding immense pressure, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others turned white as sheets, struggling to breathe under the intense weight.
Among them, only Ning Rongrong remained relatively composed. Growing up with two Super Douluo grandfathers, she was used to intense situations.
Xiao Wu, however, looked panicked, her body trembling slightly as she hid behind Tang San. Fear rose within her; she dreaded being noticed by Ju Douluo. Now that she was pregnant, her soul beast aura was difficult to suppress. If he discovered her identity, she would be cast into a pit of despair—not only would she lose the trust of Tang San and her friends, but she could also become a soul ring for the Soul Masters.
"Dragon and Serpent Duo, why aren't you scramming when you see me?" Ju Hua Guan sneered, gazing down at the two elderly figures.
Xiao Wu's reaction had already caught his attention. "Why does this girl's aura feel familiar?" Ju Hua Guan muttered to himself, but he couldn't figure out why. It felt… odd.
"Old man." Lady Snake Zhao Tianxiang looked gravely at her partner, tugging her granddaughter Meng Yiran by the hand and shaking her head at Elder Dragon.
The situation was now far more dangerous, and they had a granddaughter to care for. Risking their lives for Tang San wasn't worth it.
Elder Dragon Meng Shu sighed. With a Title Douluo present, he was powerless. As his wife had pointed out, their priority was their granddaughter, and Shrek Academy was not worth sacrificing themselves for.
Without hesitation, the Dragon and Serpent Duo turned and left with Meng Yiran, vanishing without a backward glance.
Meng Yiran looked at Elder Dragon in shock, having never seen him look this way before. She wanted to say something but was silenced by his glance, which forbade her from speaking.
Before she left, she looked apologetically at Tang San, then disappeared with her grandparents.
With their departure, the Shrek team's situation became even graver. Not only did they face a Soul Douluo, but now a Nine-Ring Title Douluo as well.
"What are you standing around for? Do you need me to handle this?" Ju Hua Guan's eyes swept toward the black-clad figures with impatience.
"Yes, sir!"
Lordeira directed a ruthless smile at the Shrek group, his gaze honing in on Tang San. Although he bore no personal grudge against this young man, Tang San belonged to the Clear Sky Clan. The deep enmity between the Clear Sky Clan and Spirit Hall was undeniable. The previous Pope Qian Xunji had died at Tang Hao's hands, creating a blood feud that could never be forgotten.
Tang San had exposed the Clear Sky Hammer, using the clan's direct inheritance technique—the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Method—leaving Shrek's group with no option but to resist. However, they soon found they couldn't move, as if bound by some invisible force.
Tang San's nose twitched, catching a whiff of a floral scent. Activating his Purple Demon Eye, he was startled to see the air thick with the fragrance of chrysanthemums, which was keeping them immobilized.
Lordeira transformed into an eagle-like creature, his golden soul power surging forward. Xiao Wu's body emitted a red glow, breaking through the golden aroma that bound them, freeing the Shrek group.
At the same time, the golden giant eagle swooped in, its talons flashing cold as it aimed for Tang San's head.
"Hold on!" Ju Hua Guan raised his hand, releasing a vast soul power that rippled in a dazzling array. Lordeira was immediately immobilized in midair.
With a bang, Lordeira was thrown back, blood seeping from his nose and mouth as he crashed into a wall twenty meters away. Coughing up blood, he felt as if his entire body was falling apart.
"My lord, you…" He wanted to curse, but dared not. Frustrated, he had to hold his tongue.
Ju Hua Guan ignored him and walked directly toward Tang San. His speed was astonishing, reaching the speed of sound, closing the distance in an instant.
However, Ju Hua Guan walked right past Tang San, his gaze fixed on a pink figure. His face showed shock, as if he had encountered something extraordinary.
In a lightning-fast move, he reached out for Xiao Wu. Even Tang San, standing nearby, didn't have time to react.
"The Aura of Lovesickness Heartbreak Red—so you have been recognized by the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red!" Ju Hua Guan's eyes lit up with excitement. His heart raced, his blood surged—he could hardly believe he was seeing the legendary plant here!
Xiao Wu tried to resist, but he was too powerful. With her wrists locked in his grip like an iron vise, Ju Hua Guan inhaled deeply, catching the unmistakable scent of Lovesickness Heartbreak Red.
"Young lady, you've truly been acknowledged by the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red!" he exclaimed, stunned. No wonder she had broken through his scent barrier.
Xiao Wu, closest to him, could clearly see Ju Hua Guan's trembling form—an intense reaction triggered by extreme excitement.
Everyone else dared not make a move, fearful for Xiao Wu's safety.
With his sister in danger, Tang San should have acted. But he froze, a look of self-doubt on his face.
Tang San knew more about the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red than anyone, so he understood that the red glow around Xiao Wu just now wasn't the plant's protective aura. It had reacted because Ju Hua Guan's floral scent had provoked the "king of all flowers" into action.
This meant Xiao Wu was no longer recognized by the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red.
Tang San's lips turned pale. He knew what this implied, yet he hoped he was wrong or that the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red itself had changed.
Ju Hua Guan's hand paused, his sharp nails less than an inch from Xiao Wu's neck. A mere twitch, and her life would be over.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong watched their friend in distress, too afraid to act.
"Senior Ju, could you spare her life?" A voice broke the tense silence.
Shrek's team turned in shock, their eyes widening as they looked toward Chen Xuan in the crowd.
Hearing this, Ju Douluo smiled, retracting his hand from Xiao Wu's neck. To everyone's astonishment, he had indeed let her go.
"Chen Xuan, I hadn't noticed you here." Ju Hua Guan's gaze turned playful, fixing on Chen Xuan.
Clearly, he had already sensed Chen Xuan's presence but had pretended not to.
Chen Xuan sighed as he stepped out of the crowd, reluctant to expose this connection.
Afterward, when the Shrek team learned that the attempt on their lives had come from Spirit Hall, Chen Xuan could already predict the fallout. The Shrek Seven would be bound to mistrust him, their suspicions and resentments toward him inevitably growing stronger.
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