"How could I possibly leave? My teammates are still here! And I'm supposed to compete in the finals!"
Although Meng Yiran understood the situation was dangerous, abandoning her academy and teammates was something she simply couldn't accept.
Serpent Lady abruptly turned her head and shot Lin Jie a sharp glare, a cold glint flashing through her eyes.
Meng Yiran might not have caught Lin Jie's underlying meaning—but Serpent Lady, a veteran of the Spirit Master world, certainly did. If she couldn't see through that, then her decades of experience would've been in vain.
Lin Jie gave a sheepish smile and looked away from her, pretending not to notice. He turned toward Dragon Duke Meng Shu and coughed lightly.
"Senior Dragon Duke, perhaps you and Senior Serpent Lady should escort Miss Yiran to safety first. It's clear their main target is Shrek Academy. I'd feel terrible if you were caught up in this because of us."
"Cut the crap, brat. Don't think I can't hear the provocation in your words," Meng Shu rolled his eyes at Lin Jie.
You talk like you're concerned, but you clearly want to goad us into staying.
"I said I'd protect you, and I meant it," Meng Shu snorted. If he and Serpent Lady backed down so easily, what standing would they have left in the Spirit Master world?
Just then, a soft, eerie voice echoed from above.
"Diara, you're really getting worse with age. Such a simple task, and it's taken you this long to handle it?"
As the voice faded, a figure appeared in midair.
It was another masked individual—but unlike the others, this person wore a flowing golden robe, with long golden hair cascading down their back, perfectly matching the color of their garments.
Because of the voice's unnaturally soft tone, it was impossible to immediately tell whether the speaker was male or female.
While the Shrek team didn't feel anything unusual at first, the expressions of Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady changed dramatically the moment this figure arrived. Both groaned softly and staggered a step backward under an unseen pressure.
Meng Shu instinctively reached for Serpent Lady's hand. The moment their Spirit Power converged, they managed—just barely—to withstand the suffocating pressure descending upon them.
A strange, genderless voice escaped the golden-robed figure's mouth.
"Oh? So it's the legendary Dragon and Serpent couple. No wonder Diara was having trouble. You two actually dared interfere with our mission?"
Meng Shu's face was now solemn.
"You actually came in person…"
If he had been considering retreating before, now the urge had increased tenfold. The only thing holding him back was the promise he had made to protect Lin Jie.
The golden-robed figure—now clearly a Titled Douluo—spoke in a cold, feminine tone:
"You should know how important this mission is to me. Since I've come, it's best you get lost—while you still can."
Meng Shu understood all too well. He and Serpent Lady could combine their powers to execute a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, but it was only enough to hold off a newly advanced Titled Douluo—and even then, only for a time. Defeating one was out of the question.
He turned to Lin Jie, torn. He'd originally planned to retreat with Serpent Lady and his granddaughter, but seeing this new enemy—whose power gave him zero chance of victory—made that plan seem more appealing than ever.
"Old man," Serpent Lady whispered, shaking her head slightly.
The golden-robed Titled Douluo's expression darkened when he saw they hadn't left. He assumed they meant to interfere.
Nine Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red—flared to life, and the pressure exploded outward like a crashing tide. Even Meng Shu and Serpent Lady had to push their power to the limit to hold it at bay.
As for the Shrek students—who were only Spirit Elders and Spirit Sects—there was no way they could withstand the full pressure of a Titled Douluo.
Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others were completely paralyzed. They couldn't even move, much less release Spirit Power. Their Martial Souls were forcibly summoned to defend their bodies.
Only Lin Jie, who was standing close to Meng Shu and Meng Yiran, remained unaffected, shielded by the Dragon and Serpent couple's protective aura.
As if on cue, the golden eagle Spirit Douluo and his allies bypassed the guardians and charged straight toward Shrek Academy, Spirit Power surging.
Just then, Zhu Zhuqing's body suddenly trembled beneath the crushing pressure. It was as if some instinct within her sensed imminent death.
Inside her, the energy she had absorbed from the Yearning Heartbroken Red—an energy that had grown stronger through her cultivation with Lin Jie—began to stir violently.
Triggered by the Titled Douluo's overwhelming aura, that energy erupted. A vivid pink light burst forth, engulfing Zhu Zhuqing entirely. A phantom image of a rare herb shimmered into view and surged toward the oppressive force in defiance.
The pressure bearing down on her instantly vanished.
With that, the pressure on the rest of Shrek also lightened. Their bodies loosened. Breathing returned. Movement resumed.
As the golden eagle Spirit Douluo neared, Tang San and Dai Mubai roared in unison. They summoned their full power and charged forward with their strongest abilities. They didn't expect to win—but maybe they could buy some time.
To the Spirit Douluo, their attacks were about as threatening as toy arrows.
He easily avoided them and launched a devastating counterattack.
Just as his strike was about to land—
"Enough."
The golden-robed Titled Douluo raised a hand.
A powerful surge of energy burst from his palm, distorting the surrounding air. His nine Spirit Rings flickered and vanished from sight.
Under this force, the golden eagle Spirit Douluo was knocked backward, sent flying before he could land his blow.
The golden-robed figure's gaze locked onto Zhu Zhuqing, who was still wrapped in a pink aura.
"You broke my aura barrier?" he muttered. "No, that... that was…"
He sniffed the air. Then his eyes widened with disbelief.
"That scent... No doubt about it! The flower of the gods! Supreme among all herbs! The Yearning Heartbroken Red!"
Before anyone—including Lin Jie—could react, the golden-robed Titled Douluo appeared in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
The Shrek team instinctively raised their hands to attack.
But before they could act, an overwhelming pressure blasted out from the Titled Douluo, sending everyone—except Zhu Zhuqing—flying backward several meters.
His hand reached toward Zhu Zhuqing, but then stopped mid-air.
Seeing this, Lin Jie instinctively moved to intervene—but Dragon Duke grabbed him just in time.
"You go now, and you'll just die," he said firmly.
Lin Jie took a deep breath and calmed down. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
"I should've guessed…" he murmured.
Realization dawned, and his concern eased.
That golden-robed Titled Douluo had to be Chrysanthemum Douluo—Yue Guan. A bizarre, flower-obsessed man. Among the few people on the continent who truly understood immortal herbs.
Aside from Tang San, there was no one who understood those rare plants better.
And Zhu Zhuqing had absorbed the Yearning Heartbroken Red—an herb known as the supreme immortal flower. With Yue Guan's expertise, there was no way he wouldn't recognize it.
Strangely, Zhu Zhuqing didn't feel afraid. The figure before her seemed more excited than hostile—his body even trembled from his overwhelming emotion.
The rest of Shrek had only been pushed back and were otherwise unhurt. Still, none dared move. The power gap between them and a Titled Douluo was insurmountable. And Zhu Zhuqing's fate now rested in this man's hands.
The golden-robed Titled Douluo took a long breath and finally lowered his hand.
"Why... why wasn't it me?" he whispered. "If only I had received the approval of the Yearning Heartbroken Red, I could've reached that realm…"
He shook his head, dispelling his regret. When he looked back at Zhu Zhuqing, his eyes no longer carried hostility—but reverence.
"You... were chosen by the Yearning Heartbroken Red," he murmured, "and you even absorbed it."
His voice caught in his throat.
Then, slowly, with trembling hands, the Titled Douluo bowed to Zhu Zhuqing—his expression almost... worshipful.
"My dear girl," he said softly, "would you be willing to come with me? I swear... I will protect you for the rest of my life."
Zhu Zhuqing stared at the chrysanthemum-robed man in confusion.
Just moments ago, he had been ready to slaughter them. Now, upon learning she had absorbed the Yearning Heartbroken Red, he wanted her to come with him?
She subconsciously turned her gaze to Lin Jie.