Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

Zhang Lexuan took a deep breath, stepped forward, clenched her fists at her sides, her nails digging slightly into her palms. She raised her face to meet Kong Tianxu's slightly surprised gaze, her beautiful face displaying an unprecedented resolve.

This time, she will not back down.

She reached out and firmly yet gently took Kong Tianxu's other hand. The implication in her gesture made even the pure and divine unicorn tilt its head slightly.

"I will stay too, to protect you!"

Ma Xiaotao was slightly surprised, but she simply gripped Kong Tianxu's hand even tighter.

"To live and die together."

Seeing the unwavering trust and determination in the two women's eyes, a warm feeling welled up in Kong Tianxu's heart. He took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "Alright! Then... let's live and die together!"

Without another word, he turned and solemnly walked toward the altar. He reached out his right hand toward the sacred and mysterious unicorn skeleton and gently touched the most dazzling star on the top of the jade-like skull.

The moment his fingertips touched it, the lustrous, jade-like star pill began to soften and flow as if it were alive, quickly transforming into a lifelike miniature unicorn phantom, no bigger than a palm.

At the same time, a blood-red soul ring, several times larger than an ordinary 100,000-year soul ring and wrapped with a blood-red soul ring that had split into countless dazzling and mysterious golden patterns, suddenly burst open behind the skeleton!

The crimson hue was as deep as an abyss, and the golden patterns were as dazzling as stars, radiating a vast and awe-inspiring energy that both thrilled and captivated.

Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao were dumbfounded, especially Zhang Lexuan, who herself had a 100,000-year soul ring, and Ma Xiaotao, who had never eaten pork but had seen pigs run.

Even disregarding its aura, its size alone far surpasses that of a normal 100,000-year soul ring, not to mention the unheard-of star-gold patterns on it.

The miniature unicorn phantom raised its head, and with its eyes formed from starlight, it took one last look at the pure white sacred domain that it had created and protected for ten thousand years, filled with deep longing and reluctance.

His gaze seemed to brush over every ray of flowing light, every inch of tranquil space, as if bidding a silent farewell.

The celestial horse named Yunze raised its head and let out a mournful cry, its sorrow piercing through the bone tower and reaching the dome. Outside, the mournful cries of the horned-scaled horses echoed like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down, the sound waves rolling as if the entire plane was grieving for it.

The unicorn let out a long, clear cry that resonated deep within the soul. Then, without any more hesitation, it turned around resolutely, taking with it the blood-gold 100,000-year soul ring that symbolized its life's cultivation and origin, and transformed into a torrent of pure starlight, gently and firmly flowing into Kong Tianxu's chest.

"Thank you."

A soft sigh, seemingly from eternity ago, resounded in his soul.

Like stars that have burned for countless millennia, this moment marks their final swan song. An indescribable surge of light, accompanied by pure and vast stellar power, erupted from Kong Tianxu's body, illuminating this pure white realm as if it were a sacred heaven.

Bright light shines forth!

……

The Douling Empire, the Starfall Grassland.

The magnificent scene of wind rustling through the grass and endless blue waves is gone. What lies before Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe is a shocking expanse of charred scars.

It was as if a god had used destruction as a hammer, leaving an unhealable and ugly mark on this ancient grassland.

Although that earth-shattering battle ended some time ago, its lingering traces are still glaring.

From the air, the terrain within a radius of dozens of miles has been completely changed. The once flat meadows have become undulating, and a large area has been completely empty.

Even high in the sky, Xian Lin'er could still clearly feel the thunder and power emanating from the ground below.

This land will need countless years of sedimentation and natural purification to slowly dissipate these rampant energies.

Before that, this place was destined to be barren and devoid of life. Even Soul Masters who set foot on it would be affected and eroded to varying degrees by the residual energy.

Xian Lin'er looked at Yan Shaozhe with a pale face, her voice trembling as she said:

"Shao Zhe, we've searched the surrounding area repeatedly for such energy aftershocks, but we haven't left any trace. I'm afraid Xiao Tao and the others really..."

Yan Shaozhe's body swayed violently, and a dizzying sensation suddenly struck him.

He had only just freed Ma Xiaotao from her evil fire, helping her rediscover herself and find a bright future. He, as her teacher, hadn't even had a chance to truly pave the way for her future when this happened so quickly, so cruelly.

In the end, Yan Shaozhe's strong resilience allowed him to stay upright. He suddenly closed his eyes, forcing his turbulent blood and almost overflowing emotions to calm down.

My fingernails dug deep into my palm, the stinging pain bringing a moment of clarity.

He is the dean of the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy and the designated successor of the Sea God Pavilion. At this moment, grief is of no use. He must calmly analyze the pros and cons of this matter and plan the next step for Shrek.

Forcing himself to calm down, Yan Shaozhe opened his eyes again. The bloodshot in his eyes had not faded, but his gaze had regained some of its sharpness.

"Lin'er, immediately and secretly contact our people in the Sun Moon Empire as quickly as possible. Bring Yuhao out."

Chapter 226 Condensing the First Soul Core

"But the Extreme Individual Soldier Project is not yet complete. Bringing Yuhao back now would be too costly, and all our previous efforts would be in vain..."

Xian Lin'er subconsciously retorted, this time not minding how Yan Shaozhe addressed her.

"What time is it? Still using a single hammer!" Yan Shaozhe cursed.

"After such an incident, the Sun Moon Empire will never let it go. Although we cannot yet confirm Kong Tianxu's true identity, Zihuang's destruction of the Heavenly Dragon Martial Soul must have a very close relationship with the Sun Moon Royal Family and a very deep background. Mingde Hall, and even the Royal Family, may be plunged into turmoil, and they may very well take their anger out on Yuhao, who is an exchange student."

"Moreover, now that Kong Tianxu is dead, Yuhao is still Shrek Academy's greatest hope and reliance for the future. We must not allow him to suffer any mishap. We must get him safely away from the center of the vortex before the Sun Moon Empire realizes it might detain him."

Yan Shaozhe paused, his gaze sweeping over the scorched earth below, and said meaningfully:

"As for the instigator of this incident, since they dared to deliberately attack my Shrek Inspection Team, then no matter which forces are involved, Shrek Academy will do everything in its power to thoroughly investigate and make them pay for their crimes in blood."

There is absolutely no room for maneuver!

He took a deep breath. "Let's go, Lin'er. Let's go back to the Sea God Pavilion first and report our investigation results and those of the Douling Garrison to Elder Xuan."

After Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, he didn't linger for a moment. He didn't even dare to look at the ravaged land beneath his feet. He transformed into a golden phoenix and shot off towards Shrek Academy.

For once, Xian Lin'er did not refute or question Yan Shaozhe's words. Before leaving, she glanced complicatedly in the direction Yan Shaozhe had gone, and then looked down at the ravaged land beneath her feet that bore witness to the horrific battle.

She seemed to sense something, her gaze freezing slightly on a spot in the scorched earth.

The marks there seem to be somewhat similar to the results of Yan Shaozhe's burning Phoenix Flame.

Xian Lin'er shook her head forcefully, forcibly banishing the absurd thought from her mind. Before she could ponder it further, a blue light flowed around her, and she too transformed into a sharp streak of light, disappearing into the horizon after Yan Shaozhe.

……

About fifteen minutes after Shrek and his group left, at the edge of the scorched earth, the space rippled slightly like water.

Three figures emerged slowly, as if stepping out of a painting.

Long Xiaoyao was still dressed in snow-white robes, his face as rosy as a baby's, his long white eyebrows drooping down his cheeks. His gaze was gentle, almost glued to Ye Xishui beside him, unable to look away for even a moment.

This Death God Douluo was unusually dressed not in red or black, but in a plain white dress matching Long Xiaoyao's, and her demeanor was completely different from usual. She exuded a soft and luminous golden aura, as holy as Ye Gu Yi who had unleashed the Holy Angel Martial Soul, making Long Xiaoyao unable to look away.

But the most surprising thing was Kong Deming. At this moment, without the aid of any soul tool, he steadily floated in front of the two Limit Douluos. His aura was harmonious and restrained, yet vast and boundless.

He was subtly on par with Long Ye and the other two, showing no signs of being at a disadvantage.

He interrupted Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui's oblivious, intimate gaze with a somewhat cloying tone, and spoke first: "Elder Ye, are you sure Xu'er is truly safe and sound right now?"

Ye Xishui gently shook her head, "I can't say for sure either. Ever since Tianxu told us that he fused with the power of the unicorn in the other dimension, the mental imprint has not sent any new information. It seems that he is in a state of deep meditation and his perception of the outside world may be temporarily closed."

"But judging from their mental connection, they should be in a relatively safe location right now, and Tianxu's mental fluctuations are constantly getting stronger."

Upon hearing this, a complex expression, a mixture of pride and helplessness, flashed across Kong Deming's eyes, and he sighed softly:

“Unicorn… Sigh, this child is indeed incredibly fortunate, even encountering a purebred unicorn, a rare occurrence that only exists in legends. But this is far too risky.”

Long Xiaoyao stroked his beard and chuckled, "Elder Kong, there's no need to worry. Since Tianxu has clearly stated that this is an opportunity bestowed by the gods, there is a divine will protecting us in the dark. Although the gods' tests are full of difficulties, they surely won't set a deadly trap."

He changed the subject, raising his white eyebrows slightly: "On the contrary, it is surprising that the Haotian Sect actually has a Limit Douluo in charge, and yet it is so shameless and unaware of past ties, brazenly attacking Tianxu and even the others from Shrek Academy."

"Hmph!" Kong Deming snorted angrily, his bright yellow robe sleeves fluttering even without wind. "They're nothing but a bunch of withered bones hiding in the deep mountains and forests, clinging to their remnants and clinging to their old ways. A thousand years ago, they were ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. With only one Soul Emperor and six Soul Kings, they dared to make a comeback under the so-called name of the number one sect in the world. And what was the result? In the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, they were defeated by a Soul King disciple from Shrek Academy who possessed the Ultimate Wind Martial Soul, who single-handedly defeated seven of them. They lost face and have since retreated into hiding, becoming a laughing stock in the Soul Master world."

"This time, they actually dared to mess with my grandson. They have some serious guts."

Long Xiaoyao continued with a touch of reminiscence, "Actually, when Haotian Sect closed its mountain back then, besides the humiliation and loss of face in the competition, there was another little-known secret."

"It is said that the then sect leader, a level 97 Super Douluo, fought fiercely with the Body Douluo, the sect leader of the Body Sect who had also reached level 97, for the title of the number one sect in the world. The two fought to the death. In the end, the Clear Sky Sect leader died on the spot, which completely laid the foundation for the Clear Sky Sect's thousand-year seclusion and the reform of the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition."

"Unexpectedly, after a thousand years of dormancy, this once number one sect in the world has secretly recovered such a grandeur and profound foundation. Even though the three of us joined forces to intercept them, we were still unable to capture them all. Although we held back a bit, the tens of thousands of years of heritage of these ancient sects are indeed not to be underestimated."

Long Xiaoyao sighed.

Then, he looked at Ye Xishui with a hint of doubt:

“However, Xi Shui, are we really not going to wipe out the remaining remnants of the Haotian Sect? Although that guy forcibly escaped our control through a strange golden light, he was severely injured by the three of us working together and is clearly at his limit. He was also marked by Elder Kong's soul tool. It would be worth it to chase after him and kill him even if we suffer some minor injuries. Otherwise, if an enemy Limit Douluo is not dead, the consequences will be endless.”

"Tianxu said that we should try our best to severely injure the Azure Dragon, but not kill it completely. He wants to use the power within it to deal with a... fish later?"

Ye Xishui paused for a moment, somewhat confused. The spiritual message that Kong Tianxu sent from the other dimension was too vague, and even she couldn't fully understand its meaning.

She continued, "Moreover, Xiaoyao, don't pursue a cornered enemy. Didn't you notice the terrifying power within him? Once he unleashes a suicidal attack, he might not even be able to escape my Phoenix Rebirth."

"Alright," Kong Deming waved his hand, interrupting the two's discussion, his eyes gleaming. "Since Xu'er's life is not in immediate danger, let's proceed according to his wishes for now. In any case, I've already planted a lot of good stuff inside that green-headed worm, which will definitely be enough to keep him busy. These people won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term."

Kong Deming sneered and took out a silver compass-shaped soul tool. Without injecting soul power, a perfectly round point of light appeared on the dashboard.

"As for what happens in the long run, I'll find out where his sect is, hehe."

He suddenly looked at the flashing lights on the dashboard.

"Oh? So you've finally found a trace. Then I'll have to trouble the Dragon Emperor and Elder Ye to keep a close watch here. After I finish tracking the Haotian Sect people, I need to go back to Mingdu to make sure those groups don't notice anything amiss."

After he finished speaking, the space around him distorted, and his figure, along with the soul tool in his hand, slowly faded away, eventually disappearing into the void.

Only a final, slightly helpless mutter lingered in the air:

"It would be so much easier to just use those ten level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells in my storage soul tool to flatten that damn Haotian Sect mountain. Tsk, I'll have to think about how to explain this to Tianzhen when I get back. That kid is always so secretive..."

……

"The two ants that attacked you appear to be human, but their soul essence is still that of soul beasts. It's just that Tang San abused his power and borrowed the power of two divine officials' essence to revive them in human bodies. However, once they break through to the true god level, they can revert to their beast forms. So even if you can do it, I don't recommend that you kill them prematurely. In Douluo Continent, you can absorb soul ring power by hunting soul beasts. With these two orbs of divine official essence, your progress in accumulating the steps to godhood will surely be much faster."

"Alright, my reminder has already broken the rules a bit. From now on, you'll have to walk the path on your own."

"However, the feeling of being unrestrained is not bad..."

The Fallen Star Plane, the Pure White Bone Tower.

Kong Tianxu calmed his mind and focused his spirit, but the voice of the God of Destruction did not reappear, as if it had truly dissipated.

He didn't let Ye Xishui and Kong Deming completely kill Niu Tian and his group. One reason was that he was wary of their willingness to fight to the death, but the reminder from the God of Destruction was another very important factor.

However, the main reason is not these two. Niu Tian and Titan are likely the only two god-level beings on the Douluo Continent besides the Silver Dragon King. Their existence is both a challenge and an opportunity for Kong Tianxu.

He was determined to acquire Di Tian's spirit ring, especially after discovering the ultimate light attribute of the unicorn spirit ring in front of him. However, he would eventually have to find someone to take the fall for the Silver Dragon King's wrath.

These two beasts are undoubtedly the best candidates. They are thick-skinned, stubborn, and have Tang Wutong under their control. There's no worry about them not being able to lead them to a head-on collision with the Silver Dragon King.

Of course, it is important to ensure that they do not cause trouble in the short term, so the balance must be left to Kong Deming.

Now, he needs to focus on the "feast" in front of him.