"As expected… she's still been targeted by the Evil Soul Masters."
Standing beneath the sunlight at the forest's edge, Liu Yuan's eyes flickered with complicated emotions.
The image of that once bright and cheerful girl surfaced in his mind.
To Liu Yuan, Tang Ya had always been a friend.
Back when he had been expelled from Shrek Academy and pushed into an extremely difficult situation, Tang Ya had shown him sincere concern. Later, moved by sentiment, he had subtly advised her to go to the Sun Moon Royal Academy for further studies, hoping to give her a chance to escape that grim fate.
He just hadn't expected that destiny would still slide toward the worst possible outcome.
"What's wrong?" The Snow Empress keenly noticed the change in his expression and asked softly. "Why do you suddenly look so troubled?"
Liu Yuan took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in his heart, then shook his head.
"I just remembered something important. Snow Empress, we won't return to the Sun Moon Empire for now. Come with me to another place."
"Alright."
To her now, Liu Yuan's will was her direction.
Even though they had just experienced a great battle, as long as Liu Yuan spoke, she was willing to follow him anywhere—even into another forbidden land.
"Let's go."
Liu Yuan summoned Mega Rayquaza.
The emerald divine dragon let out a low roar, carrying the two of them as it transformed into a streak of green light, tearing through the sky toward the Heaven Dou Empire—toward the former site of the Tang Clan.
---
Heaven Dou Empire. Heaven Dou City.
Old Site of the Tang Clan.
Once the holy land of the continent's number one sect, this place was now shrouded in thick bloodstains and sinister black Qi.
"Die… all of you, die!"
A shrill, hoarse voice echoed through the ruined courtyard.
The Tang Ya of today was nothing like the lively and adorable girl she once was.
Her jet-black hair had become dry and brittle like withered grass, tinged with a strange grayish-purple hue. Her eyes burned with manic crimson light, no longer clear or gentle. Her skin was deathly pale, almost translucent, with blue veins throbbing beneath it.
Around her, the Blue Silver Grass that once symbolized vitality had completely mutated.
Every leaf was pitch-black, jagged serrations lining their edges like fangs. They writhed across the ground like venomous snakes from hell, greedily absorbing the remaining blood in the courtyard.
At Tang Ya's feet lay the corpses of the Iron Blood Sect's sect master and the intruders who had occupied the Tang Clan's old site.
Their deaths were horrific—every trace of vitality had been drained away, leaving behind only shriveled husks.
Tang Ya had taken Liu Yuan's words seriously.
After settling matters at the academy, she had planned to head to the Sun Moon Royal Academy to find him and seek a path to revive the Tang Sect.
But when she passed through her hometown and returned to the Tang Clan's old site, everything collapsed.
Seeing her ancestors' graves trampled and the foundation of her sect occupied and humiliated by petty forces like the Iron Blood Sect shattered the final restraint in her heart.
Worse still, she was targeted by an Evil Soul Master from the Holy Spirit Cult who had been secretly hunting for prey.
Under that Evil Soul Master's instigation and forbidden techniques, the darkness hidden within Tang Ya's martial spirit was fully awakened, triggering an irreversible corrupted evolution of her Blue Silver Grass.
"Hehehe… well killed. Truly a satisfying slaughter."
Behind Tang Ya, a figure wrapped entirely in a black robe let out a grating laugh.
His sunken eyes greedily stared at the dark aura radiating from her.
"Leader of the Tang Sect, this power suits you. This is what you were meant to be."
"Justice? Shrek?" He sneered. "In those hypocrites' eyes, you were nothing more than a disposable pawn."
"Only by devoting yourself to the Holy Spirit can you grasp the true power of revenge."
Tang Ya gasped for breath, the Dark Blue Silver Grass trembling in her hands.
As the frenzy faded, her remaining reason allowed her to see the carnage around her—and terror surged in her heart.
"I… what have I done…" Her voice shook as she staggered backward.
"You did what you should have done long ago."
The Evil Soul Master stepped forward slowly, his withered hand reaching out.
"Your revenge is complete, but this continent no longer has a place for you."
"You are now an Evil Soul Master—the mortal enemy of Shrek and all humanity. Come with me to the Holy Spirit Cult. That is your only home."
"No… I won't go! Stay away from me!" Tang Ya screamed, lashing out with vines to force him back.
"Won't go?" His voice turned icy. A chilling pressure surged out, suppressing Tang Ya's unstable aura completely.
"Tang Ya, do you think you still have a choice? Look at yourself—drenched in sin, corrupted by evil."
"If you don't come with me, once Shrek finds you, they'll purge you without hesitation."
"Besides following me, where else do you think you can survive?"
Cold laughter rang out as spirit rings flared behind him. A massive black hand condensed in midair, reaching toward Tang Ya.
"If you won't cooperate, I'll take you by force."
"Don't worry—the Cult Leader will love his new toy."
Tang Ya closed her eyes in despair.
She felt that suffocating dark spirit power closing in.
Just as he said… there was no way back.
That bright afternoon, that dream of going to the Sun Moon Academy, of reviving the Tang Sect with that young man's help—all of it shattered completely.
But the expected impact never came.
Before the Evil Soul Master's voice had even faded, an indifferent yet overwhelmingly domineering voice thundered across the ruins!
"Her right to survive isn't something a sewer rat like you gets to decide."
Bang!
A deafening crash echoed through the courtyard.
The Evil Soul Master—so arrogant just moments ago—was sent flying by a colossal dragon tail, slamming into the ground and coughing up blood.
Tang Ya opened her eyes.
Standing before her was a familiar figure—a handsome youth she knew better than anyone.
The moment she recognized him, tears flooded her eyes.
"Liu Yuan…? Why are you here?" she cried, her voice trembling.
Liu Yuan grinned lightly.
"I'm here to save you."
Tang Ya lowered her head, ashamed.
"But I lost myself… I became an Evil Soul Master."
"It's fine," Liu Yuan said calmly. "I can still save you."
Then his gaze shifted, cold and sharp, locking onto the Evil Soul Master who was struggling to crawl away.
"But first—"
"I need to deal with this scourge."