At this moment, the situation in Mingdu was already like a boiling pot of porridge—various forces were intertwined like canine teeth, Servants and the Antimatter Legion were locked in a chaotic battle, and now, with these two masked Fools adding fuel to the fire, who knew what kind of absurd chaos would erupt next.
Yet, in the next second, the corner of Lu Jingming's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, a glimmer of interest flashing in his eyes.
"But... this actually seems like it might get pretty interesting?"
Lu Jingming admitted that, deep down, he probably did have a bit of a "fun-seeker" streak in his bones.
As long as he wasn't the one in trouble, watching a group of top powerhouses being thrown into disarray by two troublemakers was actually quite stress-relieving.
…
"Big Sis, are you okay?!"
The nuclear explosion's shockwave hadn't yet dissipated. Yae Sakura, bloodied all over, was kneeling on one knee on the scorched earth, her spiritual blade, Sakura Fubuki, stabbed deep into the ground just to keep her from collapsing.
Her body was drenched in blood, her once flawless cheeks now covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and black negative energy was seeping out from the fissures—a sign of severe physical damage. Even her pink fox ears drooped powerlessly, caked in dust.
Higokumaru had transformed into a chibi loli, desperately circling Yae Sakura, her clear voice tinged with sobs: "Big Sis! Your wounds... your wounds are so bad!"
She reached out a small hand to touch the cracks but, afraid of hurting her, could only stomp anxiously on the spot.
"It's nothing, I won't die," Yae Sakura shook her head lightly, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
She lifted her gaze and looked around. The ruins of Mingdu were thick with the scent of blood and resentment—the lives lost in the flames of war were now nourishing this land in another form.
Although most of the negative energy had been intercepted by the Holy Grail and Celenova, the remaining power was enough for Servants to recover quickly—right now, Mingdu was both hell on earth and a "cradle" for Servants.
Her gaze pierced through the drifting smoke, landing on Siegfried in the distance.
Between the two of them, a bottomless, circular crater stood out—the center of the earth-shaking clash from moments before, with obsidian-black rocks and solidified lava marking the impact point.
Siegfried looked just as battered. His Armor of Fafnir was full of spiderweb cracks, the breastplate completely shattered, revealing a bleeding wound underneath.
Most of his green thunder aura had faded, and even the hand holding Balmung was trembling.
The Armor of Fafnir was tough, but not invincible. After clashing head-on with Yae Sakura's explosive flames and his own phantasmal greatsword, the Tenma's Fall, the incomprehensible energy had already torn through its defense.
Both top-tier Servants had ended up badly injured.
Meanwhile, the Nether White Tiger, frozen solid, had actually benefited from disaster.
Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice protected the White Tiger during the blast, blocking most of the heat and shockwave.
When the explosive energy faded, the ice shell melted, and the Nether White Tiger split into two staggering figures—Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, both deathly pale with nearly depleted soul power, but still alive.
Huo Yuhao stood not far away, half his body still scorched—marks from the nuclear explosion's aftershock.
But in the next moment, as his spirit and soul power surged, the charred skin peeled away, revealing fresh, fair skin beneath. In just a few breaths, he was fully restored.
He resumed human form, his eyes colder than ever.
His blood-red pupils locked onto Dai Huabin, killing intent radiating palpably—years of hatred and endurance were finally coming to a reckoning.
"Die!"
Huo Yuhao growled lowly. He knew Mingdu was in chaos; he could not give his enemy a chance to breathe.
He raised his right hand—terrifying ice power burst forth. Dozens of razor-sharp ice spikes shot up from the ground, whistling toward Dai Huabin's vitals.
"Hua Bin!"
Zhu Lu cried out in desperation, a flash of resolve in her eyes.
Dragging her nearly collapsed body, she threw herself in front of Dai Huabin, shielding him with her own back.
"Zhu Lu!"
Dai Huabin's pupils shrank, shocked stiff by the slender figure standing before him.
He had never imagined his fiancée, whom he'd always treated as an accessory since childhood, would risk her life for him at such a moment.
Only now did he truly see the determination in her eyes, his heart gripped by a new, overwhelming emotion.
Huo Yuhao frowned.
He had no real grudge against Zhu Lu, but if she insisted on dying, he'd just finish them both!
His eyes grew even colder, soul power surging, the ice spikes' chill intensifying until even the air froze to frost.
"Junior Brother, stop!"
A desperate voice called from afar, thick with grief.
"Lancer!"
Almost simultaneously, another calm voice rang out, followed by a red lightning bolt slicing through the air.
"Zzzap—!"
The red lightning struck the ice spikes just as they were about to impale Zhu Lu.
With a deafening explosion, the ice shattered into a storm of shards. The red lightning's force plowed a trench in the earth and finally came to rest—a blood-red demonic spear, inscribed with strange runes, radiating wild energy.
"Yo, sorry buddy, but you can't kill these two just yet."
Cú Chulainn's figure appeared at the edge of the pit, pulling out the demonic spear and slinging it over his shoulder. He wore a rakish smile but stood firmly between Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.
"Senior Brother, even you want to stop me?"
Huo Yuhao's face darkened completely, his blood-red eyes shining, the cold around him practically freezing the air.
"Junior Brother..."
Bei Bei walked out from the ruins, looking at the boy before him, heartbroken.
"I know you've suffered too much, but you can't keep making mistakes! Come back with us, okay?"
He'd lost Tang Ya, lost this boy who used to call him "Senior Brother," even Wang Dong'er had grown distant.
All these changes stabbed at his heart like knives, making it almost impossible to breathe.
If not for his obsession with finding Tang Ya, he might have already been crushed by these blows.
"It's useless, Bei Bei," Xu Sanshi followed, face grave as he looked at Huo Yuhao.
"He's joined the Evil Soul Master organization. He's not the Huo Yuhao we once knew."
As Bei Bei's best friend, he understood Bei Bei's pain better than anyone, but reality was cruel—there was no room for wishful thinking.
"I didn't want this, Senior Brother. You forced me!"
Huo Yuhao sighed, his gaze turning cold and ruthless.
With a wave of his right hand, a shadow leaped from the darkness—Black-Red Blue Silver Grass, twisting like a living thing, formed a spear that tore through the air towards Bei Bei's heart!
"Careful!"
Xu Sanshi's pupils shrank. The soul power in that attack had reached high-level Soul Sage, the speed nearly leaving afterimages.
But years of teamwork had honed their coordination. Xu Sanshi instantly raised the Black Tortoise Shield, its dark surface glowing as he blocked the fatal thrust with a clang.
Meanwhile, blue-white lightning flared around Bei Bei, his dragon claw wreathed in thunder as he slashed at the shadow.
But at the sight of the Black-Red Blue Silver Grass, Bei Bei suddenly froze, hesitation flickering in his eyes, his lightning claw subconsciously pulling back a little.
"Zzrap!"
The lightning tore through the black cloak, revealing a graceful figure with waist-length black hair.
That face, though expressionless and empty-eyed, was still unmistakably the former beauty—Tang Ya!
"Boom—!"
It was as if thunder struck Bei Bei's mind. He stood frozen, disbelief and wild joy crashing through him.
"Xiao Ya? Is it really you? It's me, Bei Bei!"
He ignored the emptiness in Tang Ya's eyes, forgot the deadly attack from moments ago, and rushed forward, arms open to embrace her.
"Bei Bei, don't go!"
Xu Sanshi cried out in horror, but it was too late—Bei Bei had already rushed to Tang Ya's side, completely defenseless.
"Pffft!"
Scarlet blood sprayed out, Bei Bei's smile freezing on his face.
He looked down at his chest—the Black-Red spear had pierced through him, Blue Silver Grass writhing on the shaft, greedily sucking away his blood and life force.
"Xiao... Ya?"
Bei Bei spoke with difficulty, his voice shattered, gazing at Tang Ya in disbelief, unable to fathom her cruel attack.
Tang Ya's eyes, once lifeless, suddenly trembled. Her hand on the spear shook.
The next moment, she released the spear, clutching her head with both hands and screaming in agony, her voice full of pain and struggle, as if two souls were clashing in her mind.
"Xiao Ya, what's wrong?"
Bei Bei, ignoring the bloody hole in his chest, reached out anxiously to touch Tang Ya, concern flooding his eyes.
"Huo Yuhao! That's Tang Ya! What did you do to her?"
Xu Sanshi hurried over, grabbing the staggering Bei Bei and stuffing healing pills into his mouth, then turned to glare at Huo Yuhao, eyes blazing.
He remembered clearly—if it hadn't been for Tang Ya recruiting Huo Yuhao into Tang Sect and recommending him for admission, there was no way Huo Yuhao could have entered Shrek Academy at his age and soul power level.
At the Academy, Tang Ya had always protected this Junior Brother, even helping him run a grilled fish stall to make ends meet.
Tang Ya had always been kind to Huo Yuhao—she owed him nothing, only kindness. And now...
"Don't misunderstand."
Huo Yuhao shrugged, his tone cold as ice.
"Teacher Xiao Ya joined the Holy Spirit Church before I did. She's not controlled by me, but by the Holy Spirit Church."
He wasn't going to take the blame.
"Junior Brother, tell me—what's wrong with Xiao Ya?"
Bei Bei coughed blood, but his eyes were glued to Tang Ya.
Watching her curl up in pain, his heart felt as if pierced by a thousand needles, so painful he could barely breathe.
Huo Yuhao walked to Tang Ya's side, his eyes flashing red—a sign of intense mental power.
He reached out, gentle spiritual power gathering at his fingertip, softly touching Tang Ya's brow, trying to calm her turbulent mind.
"Back then, to take revenge, Teacher Xiao Ya forcibly awakened the devouring trait of Blue Silver Grass, turning her martial soul into an evil one. Later, she was discovered by the Holy Spirit Church and taken in..."
He paused, watching Tang Ya's breathing steady.
"Because of your presence, the memories erased from her mind conflicted with the controlling secret arts and poison inside her, causing her to go berserk."
As his soul power continued to pour in, Tang Ya's screams gradually subsided, returning to that empty, dead-eyed state, as if the struggle had never happened.
"The Holy Spirit Church's secret arts and toxins have seeped into her very soul."
Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand, his voice icy: "Teacher Xiao Ya... can't be saved. Give up, Senior Brother."
He was only saying this out of old feelings.
"No! I'll never give up! There must be a way!"
Bei Bei shook his head violently, reopening his chest wound, blood soaking his robes, but his eyes remained fixed on Tang Ya. "Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I'll save her!"
Huo Yuhao suddenly smiled, extending his right hand to Bei Bei, his eyes shining with a mysterious light: "Senior Brother, if you really want to save Teacher Xiao Ya, then come to my side."
"Huo Yuhao, are you insane?!"
Xu Sanshi's veins bulged as he ground out the words, "That's the Holy Spirit Church! The Evil Soul Master organization! You want Bei Bei to join them?"
If Bei Bei joined the Holy Spirit Church, Shrek's reputation would be ruined—an elite disciple colluding with the enemy. Even as the great-grandson of the Dragon God Douluo, the Academy would have to expel him.
Of course, things weren't set in stone. After all, Shrek had always believed in redemption. If Bei Bei ever returned, perhaps he could be forgiven.
"I'm not crazy."
Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "Teacher Xiao Ya will die if she leaves the Holy Spirit Church. The secret arts and poison inside her will kill her in three days without their drugs."
He wasn't lying.
Even if she got the antidote, with her memory and sanity restored, the backlash of the secret arts and poison would drain her life force—she'd only have a few years left.
Bei Bei would never accept that.
Unless... she drank Hoolay's blood and transformed into a Borisin person.
But the ceremony for that required unimaginable willpower.