Seeing Yun Ming desperately blocking Ghost Emperor, Gu La felt a measure of relief.
He knew full well that in his current Death God avatar state, even wielding the Death God Scythe—which countered all death attributes—he stood little chance against Ghost Emperor, a veteran quasi-god-level evil soul master. At best, he might barely hold his own.
Prolonged combat would severely disrupt his soul-gathering progress. These souls of Shrek Academy's teachers and students—especially the powerful ones—were of exceptional quality, crucial for Du An's ascension to God King. Losing even one was an irreparable loss.
Yet Gu La had prepared for this.
After confirming the explosion's timing via time-lock, he and his eight avatars labored ceaselessly, channeling all resources and forging expertise to craft Alice's Three-Word Battle Armor—[Golden Wind Jade]—within the five-day limit.
As Gu La channeled the Solar Pyramid at full power—countless souls flowing into it like rivers to the sea—Yun Ming, burning his residual soul and life force to block Ghost Emperor, grew weaker, gradually losing ground.
Ghost Emperor hadn't come alone. He brought Dark Bell, Na Nali—one of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings.
A Level 98 control-type Super Douluo with her own Three-Word Battle Armor, she was equally formidable.
Na Nali appeared as a youthful, vibrant maiden—twin buns, a short skirt—utterly unlike the sinister evil soul masters of popular imagination.
Sensing lethal danger from Gu La yet unwilling to provoke the clearly desperate Yun Ming, she targeted Gu La, who was busy harvesting souls.
She giggled, releasing her martial soul: a fear bell engraved with eerie patterns, radiating heart-stopping fluctuations. Its chimes carried soul-corroding power, aiming to disrupt and slow Gu La's soul collection.
Yet a pure white figure silently materialized between Na Nali and Gu La—Alice, clad in [Golden Wind Jade] Battle Armor beneath a simple white robe, her face veiled by illusionary gauze.
Though her aura was slightly weaker than Na Nali's, Alice stood in utter relaxation—as if facing not a formidable foe, but an ordinary landscape.
Na Nali's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Oh? Such a young sister. How old are you? Not even a Titled Douluo, yet daring to meddle? Does your family know? Careful lest your elders bury you white-haired!"
She probed for Alice's background. That youthful life force felt genuine—likely a scion of some hidden noble clan on a training journey.
Alice's delicate snort carried ethereal firmness: "Stopping you… my strength is sufficient."
Though newly born, she'd inherited fragments of Gu La's avatars' memories and experiences—especially Mu Yi's Body Sect cultivation insights.
She could even achieve Silver Awakening but restrained herself, pursuing the superior Golden Awakening.
Even so, her strength was terrifying: all seven soul rings were forged from Love God divine power and divine skills. The Love God's authority extended far beyond worldly romance—
It touched on the profound mysteries of life procreation, Yin-Yang creation, and fragments of space-time law. Without this depth, mere ephemeral love could never elevate one beyond a subordinate deity under the God of Emotions. Attaining 1st Class God status required dominion over life's very foundations.
Beneath her feet, seven radiant red soul rings ascended—one after another—dazzling and overwhelming.
Na Nali's smile vanished, replaced by solemn focus.
Compared to her own six black, three red rings—a top-tier configuration—Alice's all-red rings were unfathomable, infuriating. More critically, hundred-thousand-year soul rings meant higher soul power output limits and potentially catastrophic, beyond-conventional skills. This girl was a genuine threat.
Alice struck first. Her heartbeat abruptly accelerated—like war drums.
Her first soul skill's second function—Heartthrob, passive:
During accelerated heartbeat, all attributes double—spiritual power, soul power, bloodline strength, reflexes, defense, everything!
When combined with other enhancement skills, effects compound multiplicatively, not additively.
This near-mechanical buff defied mortal comprehension.
Simultaneously, her second soul skill triggered silently:
First function—Love at First Sight, causality skill:
The first attack by any enemy against Alice will inevitably miss.
Second function—Deep-Rooted Affection, passive:
With time, subsequent attacks by enemies against Alice suffer progressively declining hit rates.
In Alice's inherited memories, her original self—despite these uncanny abilities—had perished only through betrayal by a beloved. Her enemies had engineered an inescapable deathtrap.
Na Nali wouldn't let Alice stack buffs. She unleashed full power instantly. Ink-green Three-Word Battle Armor activated. Her massive fear bell chimed without wind, emitting soul-piercing shrieks.
Sixth soul skill—Demon Soul's Wail!
Ink-green visible soundwaves surged toward Alice like a tide. Within them, countless twisted resentful souls clawed at the air, screaming directly into her soul.
Yet facing this Level 98 control-type Douluo's full-force strike, Alice didn't even flinch.
The terrifying soundwaves and souls, nearing her perimeter, hit an invisible barrier—deflecting with eerie precision. They curved around her, slamming harmlessly onto empty ground behind, dissipating like mist.
Love at First Sight triggered!
Na Nali's face paled. She retreated instantly, putting distance between them.
Ghost Emperor, locked in combat with Yun Ming, roared urgently: "Dark Bell! What are you doing?! Halt him—stop him from taking those souls!"
Alice turned toward Ghost Emperor, smiling radiantly. "Almost forgot about you, old man."
Before her words faded, her fifth soul ring ignited—first function: Heart's Desire. Her figure vanished from place.
Where the heart longs, the body arrives.
The next second, she appeared beside the unconscious Ya Li. A graceful hand swept, lifting Ya Li back to her original position—leaving Tang Wulin frozen in shock and fury.
"Release her!" Yun Ming's eyes bled crimson. He lunged recklessly.
Alice didn't linger. She tossed Ya Li toward Yun Ming. "Catch your lover!"
Yun Ming had to abort his attack, steadying Ya Li while swinging his spear to repel Ghost Emperor's opportunistic strike.
Alice then gifted the enraged Ghost Emperor a breathtaking smile: "Hope you enjoy my surprise."
Sixth soul ring's second function—Wings of Love!
Effect: Forges a 100% martial soul fusion skill with a lover, or grants any true couple a temporary martial soul fusion skill!
The deeper their love, the higher the fusion rate, the greater the power. At 99% fusion, a permanent martial soul fusion seed may rarely manifest!
The dying Yun Ming felt a warm, peculiar power flood his body. His Atlas Spear and Ya Li's Praying Angel martial soul resonated with unprecedented intensity!
Golden-silver light erupted from them, fusing rapidly!
"This is… martial soul fusion?!"
Yun Ming's mind reeled. Forcing a martial soul fusion between two Limit Douluos—especially a quasi-god like himself—was godly power! Only divine legends could achieve this!
More astonishingly, Ya Li—having spent her life healing others, nearly draining her own life force—had accumulated oceans of pure faith power within her Praying Angel martial soul.
Now, under the fusion's effect, this faith power surged. Sensing Yun Ming's shattered half-divine position, it instinctively began repairing it!
Though fleeting, Yun Ming's aura briefly shattered mortal limits—reaching the Level 100 True God realm!
Divine pressure crashed like a tsunami!
Sensing the world-shattering fusion forming and the terrifying divine aura surrounding Yun Ming, Alice snapped back from her contemplation of their undying love, sticking out her tongue with playful regret: "Oops~ Seems I played too big… made a mess~"
She dared not delay. Fifth soul ring's second function—Eternal Love!
This skill's effect depends on the depth of one's understanding of the "Way of Love." It manipulates time power at a corresponding level.
Drawing on the profound love memories and beliefs she'd glimpsed between Yun Ming and Ya Li, she forcibly channeled a thread of spacetime power—directing it into Gu La's Solar Pyramid!
Buzzz—!
The Solar Pyramid blazed. Soul absorption accelerated a hundredfold. In a single breath, every soul lingering over Shrek City's ruins—untouched by evil soul masters—was utterly consumed.
"Go!"
Sensing completion, Gu La didn't hesitate. He and Alice activated spatial techniques simultaneously. Their figures blurred, vanishing from the spot—leaving behind a furious Ghost Emperor, a grave Na Nali, and the couple who, in their final moments, had ignited the most brilliant light—temporarily wielding god-slaying power.
Gu La's avatar remained behind to witness—and to harvest.
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