Xuanzi, you truly grow more pathetic with age.
Jing Hongchen sneered coldly.
To survive, Xuanzi had actually used a Shrek Academy student as a human shield.
But it made sense. An 85th-rank Soul Douluo—how could he possibly withstand Shadow Douluo Xue Chen's attack?
One had to know that Xue Chen had broken through to Title Douluo even earlier than Jing Hongchen, and was a true ninth-rank Soul Engineer.
What Jing Hongchen had not expected was that Xue Chen had pledged allegiance to Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon royal family.
"Elder Xuan, you…?"
Xian Lin'er was completely stunned.
Never had she imagined that Elder Xuan would drag Beibei in front of him to block a fatal blow.
Anyone with eyes could see that Shadow Douluo Xue Chen's attack had been aimed almost entirely at Elder Xuan.
These two ninth-rank Soul Engineers from the Sun Moon Empire had clearly come to assassinate him—especially now, when he was at his weakest.
"Elder Xuan, why did you kill Beibei?!"
Yan Shaozhe roared in fury.
Had he known things would turn out this way, he would have personally led the team.
If he had led them, perhaps Ma Xiaotao would not have died.
Before Mu En passed away, he had repeatedly warned him: never make an enemy of Tang Feng.
Yet in this tournament, Ma Xiaotao still died at Tang Feng's hands.
Worse still, she had been identified as an Evil Soul Master.
Tang Feng killing an Evil Soul Master did not violate tournament rules—if anything, Shrek Academy was the one who owed an explanation.
"I don't know what happened!"
"Beibei just suddenly flew into my hand!"
Xuanzi looked utterly aggrieved.
How could he possibly have dragged Beibei in as a shield?
He was once a 98th-rank Super Douluo—how could he lack that much judgment?
Even if he had taken Shadow Douluo's killing strike head-on, he would still have had a high chance of surviving.
And if he truly needed a shield, why Beibei?
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A fan suddenly flew out, dispersing the ghostly shadows in front of Jiang Nannan.
An elderly woman slowly emerged, pulling Jiang Nannan back behind her.
"Jing Hongchen. You came personally."
Man Yi shielded Jiang Nannan behind her.
Earlier that morning, Xu Jiujiu had learned that Jiang Nannan was being escorted away by Shrek Academy and ordered Man Yi to retrieve her.
The others from Shrek could leave—but Jiang Nannan had to remain in Star Luo City.
"You're from the Star Luo royal family."
Jing Hongchen's expression darkened slightly.
He hadn't expected someone from the Star Luo royal family to arrive so quickly.
Logically, with the Advanced Soul Master Tournament finals underway inside Star Luo City, reinforcements should not have come so fast.
"I act under the princess's orders. I am here only to escort Miss Jiang Nannan back to the Princess Manor."
Man Yi had no intention of joining the battle.
She was merely Xu Jiujiu's protector—not a Guardian Douluo of the Star Luo Empire.
Even if she refused to fight, it would not affect the overall situation.
This matter was not hers to manage. She obeyed only Xu Jiawei, Xu Jiujiu, and Tang Feng.
Those were Xu Jiawei's own words—whether she intervened or not was entirely permissible.
"Are the Star Luo royal family colluding with the Sun Moon Empire to wipe out everyone from Shrek Academy here?"
Xuanzi's face turned frighteningly grim.
If he were still at his peak, he would have crushed them all.
But now, at only Rank 85, he was nothing more than a hollow shell—unable to defeat even a single Title Douluo.
Only by returning to Shrek could he possibly recover his cultivation.
Yet after falling in rank twice, regaining Super Douluo status would be harder than ascending to the heavens.
"I act under the princess's command. If you have questions, confront His Majesty."
Man Yi remained unmoved.
Shrek Academy already bore enmity toward Tang Feng. Why would she help them?
She had watched Tang Feng grow up—had even sparred with him regularly.
"Young master is the son of White Tiger Duke Dai Hao. I beg you, sir, to save me!"
Dai Yueheng was drenched in blood, looking as though he had just been dragged from a pool of it.
Fortunately, his White Tiger martial soul possessed strong defensive power, sparing him from death, though he was gravely injured.
"Come here."
Xingyun Douluo pulled him over.
Though the Star Luo royal family and the White Tiger Duke's lineage competed secretly, outwardly, relations remained cordial.
Dai Hao was Xu Jiawei's sworn brother. Man Yi could not refuse to save Dai Yueheng.
Of course, had he not spoken up, and she failed to recognize the blood-soaked figure, that would have been another matter.
"Damn the Star Luo royal family!"
"Damn the Sun Moon royal family!"
Xuanzi's eyes burned coldly.
He had fallen from the clouds into the mud—anyone could now step on him.
One day, when he regained his strength, he would repay this humiliation.
"Hall Master Hongchen, today's disgrace will be remembered by Shrek Academy."
Yan Shaozhe trembled with rage.
He had reacted a moment too slowly, and many students had died.
Not only Beibei, Yao Haoxuan, and Xixi from the main team were also dead.
Gongyang Mo stood behind Dai Yueheng, barely escaping death.
Ling Luocheng was severely injured as well.
Only because Huo Yuhao injected the power of the Ice Bear into her had she barely withstood the ghostly assault.
As for the reserve team?
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had died together.
Jiang Nannan and the others were fortunate—the ghostly shadows did not strike them.
"Do you truly believe you still have the chance to return to Shrek Academy?"
Jing Hongchen smiled kindly.
They had prepared thoroughly to make Shrek pay the price.
A massive sphere of silver light rose into the air, illuminating the surroundings as it shot skyward.
When the silver mass stabilized overhead, a beam of silver light descended and landed before Jing Hongchen.
At the same time, he produced a pale golden orb and cast it into the silver glow.
The orb was a full meter in diameter. As it slowly ascended, it resembled a blazing sun, shining in harmony with the silver light above.
The two spheres rotated around a central axis, intertwining into a dual-colored orb of gold and silver.
"A ninth-rank Soul Tool!"
Yan Shaozhe cried out in shock.
He immediately stood in front of Elder Xuan, fearing the Sun Moon Divine Needle would instantly kill him.
Elder Xuan, now merely a Soul Douluo, could never withstand such an attack.
High above, the Sun Moon Divine Needle resembled a pair of celestial eyes gazing down upon all below.
As the Sun Moon Empire's most powerful ninth-rank Soul Tool, its destructive force was terrifying.
To deal with Shrek Academy, Jing Hongchen had specially borrowed this weapon from Ye Yulin.
With this Soul Tool in place, no one from Shrek would escape.
"Dean Yan, it is time for you to depart."
Light burst from Jing Hongchen's body as vast soul power poured into the Sun Moon Divine Needle.
His objective was simple—
Kill Xuanzi first.
If possible, eliminate Yan Shaozhe as well.
As long as Xuanzi died, Shrek Academy's threat to the Sun Moon Empire would be drastically reduced.
Especially now, when Xuanzi was no longer even a Title Douluo.
There was no way he could survive.
If he were allowed to return to Shrek and restore his cultivation—
He would become the Sun Moon Empire's greatest hidden danger.