Chen Yi's gaze was icy as it settled on the figure dragging along a gray tail. Deep down, he still bore some attachment to the past, which was why he had silently allowed Jin Ling to remain at Shrek Academy—hoping he wouldn't come to regret it in the future. Unexpectedly, a relationship that should have ended peacefully was twisted by Yu Xiaogang's greed and despicable nature into a deadly trap for Jin Ling.
Striding forward, he advanced toward Yu Xiaogang, whose body trembled uncontrollably. The stench of rot was overwhelming, making it impossible to hide the disgust that flickered in Chen Yi's eyes. He glanced to a guard overseeing the nearby goods.
The moment Chen Yi looked the guard's way, a chill ran down the man's spine. Hurrying forward, the guard recounted—almost reverently—how Qin Ming had gutted Yu Xiaogang after he'd been disabled. His voice was neither forcibly lowered nor exaggerated, so it clearly carried through the entire makeshift camp.
"Tch."
Chen Zhen, who was standing beside Chen Yi, swept a curious gaze over the pale-faced Qin Ming. Stroking his chin, he asked, feigning innocence,
"Kid, is your martial soul really that of a wolf? Or... is it a hyena?"
This snide comment burst the suffocating tension in the air, briefly dissipating the heavy anxiety in the camp. Qin Ming's body trembled imperceptibly, his head lowered further as his lips pressed into a hard line—yet in the end, he said nothing to rebut. He stared blankly at the blood-soaked earth at his feet, as though his spirit had been entirely drained away.
There was nothing more to say at this point. Whatever the outcome, all he wanted was for this nightmare to end quickly.
Ignoring these interludes, Chen Yi walked straight toward Flender, stopping in front of him. He bent down slightly and fixed his gaze on the old headmaster of Shrek Academy.
"Dean Flender—long time no see."
Of all the people from Shrek, Flender was likely the only one worthy of even half of Chen Yi's respect. Despite being a cunning and money-obsessed businessman of questionable reliability, and though Chen Yi considered the academy he founded rash and its management carelessly lax, he couldn't deny that, at least on the surface, Flender's initial intention in founding the academy wasn't inherently bad.
Unlike Zhao Wuji and the others, Flender mainly fled to the border city of Suotuo out of failure or resentment toward the outside world. As the once-renowned leader of the Golden Iron Triangle, Flender was undeniably talented and valiant; sharp and quick-witted, and if he ever wanted to join a true power, he could've become an elder or counselor with ease. Yet, he ultimately chose to establish the humble Shrek Academy in the remote outskirts.
Regardless of their education philosophy, their impulse and persistence to walk their own independent path were undeniable. Still, in Chen Yi's view, monsters was the only reputation this academy held, and Flender's talent for finding diamonds in the rough did little to offset how the place damaged so many gifted yet misguided children.
Behind this, perhaps, was the shadow of Flender's warped educational philosophy and his obsession with being extraordinary.
Flender slowly lifted his face, adjusting his shattered pince-nez glasses, and stared at the young boy before him with a flat, emotionless look.
"Young Master Chen… Flender only wishes for a swift death now."
No explanations, no pleas, not even a trace of nostalgia for the past. He knew his role in this matter and understood the way of the Body Sect. All he wanted now was for things to end quickly and decisively.
Chen Yi gazed at him for two heartbeats, then straightened up. His eyes flicked between Zhao Wuji, Liu Erlong, and finally settled back on Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang noticed Chen Yi's gaze, and in his own wild, angry eyes, a strange glimmer appeared—he seemed to be struggling to say something. However, Chen Yi's glance swept over him in an instant without pause. Without even another look at the Shrek members, Chen Yi turned his back on them.
Yu Xiaogang froze, his mouth gaping as his prepared words got stuck in his throat. This utter disregard was more humiliating than any insult. His teeth ground together audibly, his whole body shuddering with shame and rage. The "Grandmaster's tail" dragging behind him unconsciously scraped on the ground, sending a painful jolt through his entire body, forcing a gasp from his lips.
Chen Yi ignored the farcical outburst behind him. Lifting his head slightly, he took in the towering mountains, dense forests, and deep valleys surrounding Thunder Dragon Valley. His powerful spiritual senses alerted him that this territory wasn't solely within his sect's domain.
He kept walking, his gaze subtly sweeping the perimeter. In his perception, not only was the Body Sect's own strength spread throughout the area, but at least five well-hidden presences from different forces were lurking—spies clearly sent to monitor the outcome of this battle.
Finally, Chen Yi's gaze lingered atop the highest mountain in the distance. There, a presence beyond compare was hiding: not only awe-inspiring in its power, but with a unique, deep rhythm of its own. Most astonishing of all, the heart of the Sea God—briefly sealed within his soul tool by the power of the Thunder God—trembled ever so slightly.
The seal held; the tremor soon ceased. But Chen Yi instantly recognized the subtle resonance of godly power.
"Bo Saixi?"
He understood. The High Priestess of Seagod Island, just as the intelligence branch had predicted, had quietly come ashore and was now silently watching the imminent disaster from up close. It was very likely that she had brought Sea God's Trident as well; otherwise, the feeling from the heart of Sea God wouldn't have been so intense.
Prickly, Sea God, Bo Saixi… you really intend to stir up trouble on this continent.
…
Meanwhile, on that distant mountain, almost hidden in shadow, Bo Saixi's own blue eyes flashed with surprise. She hadn't expected the youth who had just entered the rank of Spirit Saint would possess such keen perception. From such a distance, and with only faint attention from her, he had already sensed her presence.
"You're quite something, aren't you…" she murmured, her voice echoing like a goddess's sigh. "No wonder… Even the Sea God warned me to watch out for this boy."
Concealing her aura, she fully blended into the environment and deliberately stopped looking at Chen Yi. Since she'd already been discovered, there was no benefit in probing further.
At the foot of the mountain, Chen Yi neither hesitated nor changed his plans upon discovering Bo Saixi. His gaze returned to the entrance of Thunder Dragon Valley.
He averted his eyes, paying no further attention to the prying eyes watching in secret. Without pause, he pressed onward with steady steps toward the sole entrance of Thunder Dragon Valley, sealed by thick, poisonous mist.
Beneath his feet, the ground was still stained with the blood of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, executed just the day before—a land now trampled into dark red and black mud. Each time Chen Yi stepped, there was a faint squelch. His shoes were quickly soaked in sticky blood, stains rising rapidly up his pants legs and dyeing their edges red.
As he approached, the swirling Jade Phosphorous Exotic Flower Mist quietly split apart, opening up a passageway. Emerald Phosphorous flickered on the toxic mist's edge, illuminating Chen Yi's calm, expressionless face.
At the end of the path stood the grand yet dilapidated mountain gate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan. Beyond it, thousands of people huddled together in shadowed masses—white-haired elders with poisonous eyes, terrified women and children, young men clenching fists but too afraid to act, and countless bewildered, helpless disciples who could do nothing but cry.
They were all gathered in the courtyard behind the gate like sacrificial lambs, their eyes full of hate, terror, despair—and, for some, even joy…
As the young man, his trouser hems dyed scarlet, steadily marched out of the blood pool, a host of complicated gazes fell on him. In that moment, it was as if the air froze.
All that remained was the faint sound of Chen Yi's footsteps through bloody mud, while thousands in the valley breathed with chaos and trepidation.
…