"Boom!"
The black ruler smashed down mercilessly on Dai Huabin's head, his terrified eyes bulging as a crisp cracking sound echoed. His skull caved in deeply, his life fading away.
Yet Xiao Yan's fury was far from sated. His blood-red eyes glinted as he stabbed the Heavy Xuan Ruler into the ground beside him. He clenched his fists and, like a madman, punched Dai Huabin repeatedly.
"Dai Huabin, if it weren't for you, my mother would still be alive. It was because of you that people nearly beat her to death, leaving her bedridden and sick until the end."
"Die!"
With every punch, Xiao Yan's voice rang with rage. Under his relentless blows, Dai Huabin's ribcage shattered to pieces. Blood mixed with pieces of his organs spattered from his mouth, splattering all over Xiao Yan, leaving him covered in red.
"These years of humiliation… You'll pay for it all tonight."
For Xiao Yan, the only way to cleanse the deep hatred in his heart was through blood. Even if his mother could return, he'd choose to kill Dai Huabin without hesitation—some wounds simply can't be healed.
"This punch is for my mother…"
"And this one, for the years of suffering I endured."
His voice was cold and emotionless, echoing through the forest. Every blow brought the sickening sound of cracking bones. Dai Huabin's face twisted and deformed under Xiao Yan's assault, rendered unrecognizable.
Not far away, three figures were rapidly approaching through the forest, two men and one woman—Ma Xiaotao, Yan Shaozhe, and Elder Xuan. After seeing Dai Huabin's distress signal, Ma Xiaotao, who'd been following Xiao Yan, had arrived swiftly.
"Xiao Yan, Shrek Academy people are coming—run! He's already dead; one more hit and he'll be pulp…" Just as another powerful punch landed on Dai Huabin's broken chest, Yao Lao's voice sounded in Xiao Yan's mind.
With his immense soul perception, Yao Lao sensed three people closing in rapidly—two strong, one weaker, all exuding a hostile aura.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan stopped his assault and narrowed his eyes. "Teacher, if they try to hold me here, I'll need your help."
"Don't worry," Yao Lao assured him, his tone calm but resolute. "No one from Shrek Academy has the strength to detain you as long as I'm here."
Xiao Yan glanced one last time at Dai Huabin's mangled corpse before giving it a final kick. He summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler back to his hand and secured it on his back. Then he retrieved a large black cloak from his soul tool, wrapping it around himself to hide his face and slender frame.
As he concealed himself, a fiery figure streaked toward him like a comet, leaving a trail of afterimages. Ma Xiaotao had arrived.
Seeing Dai Huabin's mutilated body, Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened, and she froze. "Xiao Yan… is dead?"
"Did you kill him?" She glanced at the deformed corpse, then turned her fierce gaze on the black-clad figure in front of her.
"He deserved to die," Xiao Yan replied coldly.
"If he's dead, who am I supposed to ask about that ice soul master? Who will help me with this cursed fire inside me… You deserve to die too!" Ma Xiaotao shouted, and six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose around her. Violet flames erupted from her body, distorting the air around her.
It was clear Ma Xiaotao had mistaken the corpse for Xiao Yan. After all, Dai Huabin's face was unrecognizable, and Xiao Yan was hidden under his cloak.
"Second Soul Skill, Phoenix Bath!"
"Third Soul Skill, Phoenix Wings Ascension!"
Her second and third rings shone as golden-red flames surged around her like a geyser. With a powerful flap of her wings, she shot toward Xiao Yan.
"Teacher, lend me your strength!" Xiao Yan muttered.
In mid-air, golden light radiated from Ma Xiaotao's legs as fiery patterns flickered over her body. Flames burst from her feet, propelling her like a missile toward Xiao Yan.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Phoenix Piercing Clouds!"
Her fifth ring glowed, and a swirling violet flame gathered in her palm. She launched it toward Xiao Yan with a ferocious roar.
As the blazing attack approached, Xiao Yan's mind lit up with a sudden idea on how to strengthen his own flame. A smile crossed his lips as he calmly closed his eyes.
"Boom!"
The violet flame struck Xiao Yan with a resounding explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest.
"Not good, that's Ma Xiaotao! Elder Xuan, hurry!" Yan Shaozhe shouted, his face paling as he felt the surge of fiery energy nearby.
---
"Sixth Soul Skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
In the air, violet fireballs rained down like meteors, each one transforming into a flaming phoenix as it neared its target, accelerating with piercing cries toward Xiao Yan.
"Boom!"
The fireballs exploded as they struck, releasing waves of destructive energy that expanded rapidly, tearing through the forest.
"What is he doing?" Ma Xiaotao muttered, perplexed. The black-clad figure didn't resist her onslaught, raising a sense of unease in her.
As the violet flames spread, she noticed a shadow within the fire—a figure in black, untouched by the intense heat.
With her powerful soul power at level sixty-seven, even a Soul Douluo would struggle against her Phoenix Evil Fire. Yet there, amidst the flames, Xiao Yan appeared unscathed, absorbing the violet fire into himself.
He seemed like a black hole, devouring the flames with alarming speed. Above him, a massive vortex of fire had formed, with him at the center.
As the last traces of violet fire vanished, Xiao Yan's form re-emerged, covered in a thin layer of pale white flame.
"Not bad. This boosted my own flame. Just before I leave, and you send me a gift—how generous." Xiao Yan stretched, licking his lips with a smirk. Ma Xiaotao's violet eyes widened in shock and anger.
"What… what are you? You dared to devour my Phoenix Evil Fire?" she yelled. She had been tormented by that flame for years, and here he was, consuming it effortlessly.
"Xiao Yan, we must go! The two elders are closing in fast. If they catch up, we won't escape easily," Yao Lao warned.
Xiao Yan's eyes flashed coldly as he crouched, launching himself into the air with ghostly white wings that sprouted from his back, flying away from Shrek City.
"Trying to escape?" Ma Xiaotao shouted, ready to chase him when a flash of yellow and white light stopped her—Yan Shaozhe and Elder Xuan.
Staring down at Dai Huabin's broken body, Yan Shaozhe's face hardened. To be left in such a state meant there was a deep grudge. He frowned, noticing the green Shrek insignia still visible on Dai Huabin's chest, marking him as a Shrek Academy student.
Elder Xuan's face darkened. "Ma Xiaotao, what happened?"
Ma Xiaotao hesitated. "When I arrived, Xiao Yan was already dead. Whoever killed him went that way."
"What? Xiao Yan is dead?" Elder Xuan's voice wavered, but as he extended his soul perception, he paled. "No… no, it's not Xiao Yan. It's Dai Huabin!"
Yan Shaozhe was stunned. "Elder Xuan, did you say it's Dai Huabin lying there?"
"Yes," Elder Xuan replied gravely. "Dai Huabin, the White Tiger Duke's favored son, dead in Shrek Academy's territory. If this gets out, it could ruin our academy's reputation."
"We need to catch the true culprit, or Shrek Academy could find itself at odds with the White Tiger Duke's estate—or even the Star Luo Empire."
"Damn it! Who dares to kill one of our own?" Elder Xuan roared, his fury palpable. With two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red soul ring circling him, he activated his powerful Taotie Ox martial spirit and barked, "After him!"
---
Across the endless green forest, Xiao Yan streaked through the sky, a dark figure cutting through the air. Behind him, two streaks of light closed in fast.
Using his wings, Xiao Yan pushed forward, but a glance back revealed two figures gaining on him.
"You killed a Shrek Academy student and think you can escape?" Elder Xuan's voice boomed like thunder as he closed in.
"Teacher, they're catching up. What should I do?" Xiao Yan's voice trembled with urgency.
Yao Lao's tone turned serious. "At this rate, you'll be caught soon. If they get us, Shrek Academy reinforcements will arrive, and we won't escape."
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. "Teacher, I'll leave it to you. If they capture me, I'm done for."
"Trust me."
With a smirk, Yao Lao took control of Xiao Yan's body, unleashing a powerful soul force. Xiao Yan's speed dropped as he spun to face his pursuers.
The three of them now faced each other in the air.
"Who are you? Why did you kill a Shrek student?" Elder Xuan demanded, his eyes blazing.
"Why? Because he deserved to die!" Xiao Yan's voice was low, carrying a chilling impatience.
"Seeking death!" Elder Xuan roared, his anger erupting. His seventh soul ring glowed, and his disheveled hair turned a tawny brown. His muscles swelled at an astonishing speed, his size doubling in moments as a pair of spiraled horns grew from his head.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"
With a powerful shout, Elder Xuan's body was bathed in radiant yellow light, transforming him into a colossal figure—the mighty Taotie Divine Ox, his martial soul.
Without hesitation, Elder Xuan gritted his teeth and lunged forward, his massive form charging with his sharp horns aimed directly at Xiao Yan's chest.
"Courting death!"
Watching the Taotie Divine Ox barreling toward him, Xiao Yan, still cloaked in his black robe, let out a cold shout. He raised his hand, turning his palm into a knife-like edge. A sinister white flame ignited, climbing up his arm swiftly.
"It's you!?" Elder Xuan's face changed as he recognized the eerie white flames in the cloaked figure's hand.
"Boom!"
In the next second, the Taotie Divine Ox collided with the white flame blade. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as a tremendous pressure emanated from the point of impact, as if a towering mountain had descended upon the battlefield.
The force of the collision created a violent gust, blowing back the edge of Xiao Yan's hood, revealing part of his youthful face—enough for Elder Xuan to catch a glimpse. His body froze, eyes wide with shock and terror…
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