Chapter 78

The Yin and Yang energies coalesced into Yin Fire and Yang Fire, merging into a single Chaotic Lotus, its surface swirling with mysterious patterns as if containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

Star-dust-like flame particles erupted from its stamen, warping the surrounding air into visible concentric ripples, as if the world had turned silent and monochrome because of the Chaotic Lotus.

A premonition of fatal threat slammed violently into his mind; Huyan Ba instantly made a primal choice—his seventh soul ring ignited, his massive, corpulent body swelling several times in size, transforming into a Diamond Mammoth over ten meters tall, its tusks gleaming white, its trunk coiling like clouds!

The Diamond Mammoth’s roar shook mountains, its pressure spreading wildly; there was a vast divide between Soul Emperor and Soul Sage—the seventh soul skill, True Soul Form. True Soul Form awakens the soul’s primordial power, the ultimate battle form of Soul Sages and above!

As the top hoodlum of Shrek City, Huyan Ba was no fool—he lowered his head slightly, his fourth soul ring flashing once, his entire skull encased in a seemingly indestructible Diamond Shield, charging straight at the drifting Chaotic Lotus!

Diamond Head vs. Chaotic Lotus!

When that breathtakingly beautiful black-and-white lotus collided with the Diamond Mammoth’s solid skull, heaven and earth fell utterly silent—then erupted in an indescribable, terrifying roar.

Before the Diamond Mammoth’s cry could spread, the Chaotic Lotus had become a raging tide of Yin-Yang flames, its stamen blasting a black-and-white beam straight through the clouds, churning the sky into a chaotic vortex, while fire waves raged along the ground like razor blades, carving through the mammoth’s mighty frame.

The Diamond Defense, famed across the continent by the Elephant Armor Clan, shimmered with an eerie crystalline glow, then shattered into glittering, fine dust.

Within the swirling Yin-Yang chaos-fire, the Diamond Mammoth writhed desperately—its diamond shield, harder than its body, cracked and melted; its trunk carbonized into a storm of ash.

Huyan Ba staggered backward, each step leaving a cracked pit; nearly half his True Soul Form’s flesh had been corroded into carbon and peeled away, revealing rows of stark white bones, each riddled with dense, grotesque fissures.

Reduced to such a pitiful state, Huyan Ba no longer bore an ounce of the dignity of a seven-ring Soul Sage. Spectators hiding at a distance gaped, mouths agape, faces filled with disbelief.

The combination of a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor—Xuan and Na’er—had reduced a seven-ring Soul Sage to humiliation! No one in Shrek City knew better than its residents how formidable Huyan Ba truly was!

The image of the Diamond Mammoth flickered, occasionally shifting back into Huyan Ba’s original human form—signaling that his True Soul Form was nearing its limit, and would collapse soon!

Huyan Ba strained to stabilize the Mammoth’s true form, suddenly recalling his long-ago battle with the cold, aloof youth named Wu Changkong. Both that man and this handsome boy were his favorite kinds of targets, both possessing combat power far beyond their soul power levels.

Last time, Wu Changkong had beaten him into a rolling gourd, sending him tumbling from one street end to the other, while Shrek residents laughed and mocked him all along the way—Huyan Ba spent three full years escaping the shadow of that humiliation.

Huyan Ba had remained in Shrek City out of resentment, causing trouble; he had endured three years of pain from his defeat at Wu Changkong’s hands. He was a man who could not accept failure—he refused to suffer it again at Zhao Xuanzhen’s hands!

The fifth and sixth soul rings blazed with light!

The wounded Diamond Mammoth roared with its last strength, launching itself skyward like a cannonball, curling into a diamond sphere, plummeting toward Zhao Xuanzhen like a falling meteor.

Fifth soul skill: Lock. Sixth soul skill: Crush.

The Elephant Armor Clan, after two ten-thousand-year evolution, had developed a perfect set of soul skills to complement the Diamond Mammoth—including Lock and Crush.

Crush was a soul skill combining the Diamond Mammoth’s terrifying weight and brute force; against soul masters with weak physiques, it could produce a one-hit kill.

Every ability had its strengths and weaknesses—this skill was devastating, but the Diamond Mammoth moved too slowly, making Crush’s accuracy abysmal. The Lock skill compensated for this flaw, ensuring Crush hit with one hundred percent accuracy!

The diamond sphere screamed down from the heavens; based on Huyan Ba’s power, once Crush

Na’er let out a sharp cry, four soul rings flaring in sequence as she activated her soul spirit’s skill. The Thorn Dragon amplified Silver Dragon’s Fury; the Jade Dragon strengthened Silver Dragon’s Domain. Deep within her pupils, violet light surged violently; as her blood boiled, silver-white dragon scales covered her body. The spear intent exploded like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, her slender form becoming a streak of silver light as she charged toward the descending Diamond Mammuth!

His golden body moved like a shadow, the Taiji domain enveloping heaven and earth, black-and-white qi swirling around him.

Their Moqi required no words—Zhao Xuanzhen moved ahead of Na’er, his arms tracing arcs as he pressed his palms against the Diamond Mammuth. Two spiraling currents surged rapidly, dissipating the crushing weight of its fall, then using that very force to spin Huyan Ba relentlessly!

Huyan Ba realized the crushing force had vanished like mud swallowed by the sea—his heart surged with shock and rage—but Zhao Xuanzhen gave him no chance to react. After neutralizing the pressure, he shoved upward with explosive force, slamming Huyan Ba straight into the sky!

The next instant, countless silver spikes extended from the void—the second skill of the 100,000-year Thorn Dragon Emperor Soul Bone: Ten-Thousand-Direction Thorn Spikes!

Na’er’s battle wisdom was not to be underestimated—all thorn spikes laced with spatial cuts targeted precisely the vulnerable spots previously breached by the Chaos Lotus, now unprotected by Diamond Armor!

Blood sprayed as a crimson thorn blossom bloomed in the sky; the Diamond Mammuth’s agonized roars echoed across heaven and earth!

The Silver Dragon Spear hummed; its tip tore through the mist with silver flame, revealing the cold, sharp features of the silver-haired girl. Huyan Ba had committed an unforgivable sin—in Na’er’s eyes, he was beyond redemption. The Silver Dragon Slash cleaved a spear beam, slashing violently into the Diamond Mammuth’s protruding rump!

“Xun character—Wind Shackles.”

A hurricane erupted; howling gales solidified into hundreds of emerald chains, each link clinking as it was forged from compressed, razor-edged wind blades.

The wind shackles coiled like giant serpents, instantly wrapping around the Diamond Mammuth’s limbs. Huyan Ba struggled desperately—but the chains tightened further. The Xun character glyph glowed, pinning the Diamond Mammuth immovably in midair, its four legs and head twisted as if torn apart by five horses!

The heavens darkened abruptly; clouds split into a vortex, purple lightning sludge churning within.

Huyan Ba guessed what was coming. Ignoring the searing pain in his buttocks, terror seized his heart. He shook his head wildly, lips moving as if begging—but this fool never understood righteous male fury!

If he didn’t beat the crap out of him, Zhao Xuanzhen wouldn’t sleep tonight!

In the next instant, a violet-gold lightning pillar as thick as a water barrel slammed down. As the bolt pierced his body, acrid black smoke curled upward; the Mammuth’s true form shattered under the strain, exposing Huyan Ba’s charred, bloody flesh. Purple lightning crackled and exploded, rendering even his bones translucent.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Nine consecutive thunderbolts—Zhao Xuanzhen unleashed them all, his handsome face twisted with rare fury.

Finished. Huyan Ba was already unconscious, his entire body charred, glossy, and half-cooked.

The wind shackles dragged his bloated body to the ground. Zhao Xuanzhen tapped a single finger—the earth split open, swallowing Huyan Ba whole. The gang of skinny youths sank into the earth too, wailing and begging pitifully.

“How do we handle them? Kill them?” Na’er’s killing intent radiated.

“In a crowded district—killing would cause bad publicity.”

Zhao Xuanzhen waved his hand, pulled out a soul tool communicator, and dialed a number:

“It’s me, Big White. I caught some thugs on Phoenix Street. Could you and Little White come pick them up? Take them to the Spirit Transmission Tower—deliver them straight to Elder Han. He’s short on manpower.”

They’d messed with the wrong people—now the Spirit Transmission Tower would handle the rest of their lives. The new virtual space needed Lingjuli testers; Spirit Transmission Tower disciples were too valuable. The director, Soul Douluo Han Tianyi, was desperate for fearless volunteers. Huyan Ba and his gang arrived just in time.

Then the clever ones will ask: what if the thugs resist?

Then we split into two teams and attack the Star Dou Great Forest!

The battle caused minor property damage—but the owner of the octopus balls stall and nearby shopkeepers all refused compensation.

These thugs were a plague on the people of Shrek City. Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er eliminating them was a huge favor—how could anyone dare ask for compensation?

Still, Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er made amends. They took the wealth from the thugs’ storage soul tools and gave it back to the people. The crowd thanked them endlessly, tears streaming as they waved goodbye to their golden patrons and guardian gods.

…

Night fell. A full moon hung in the sky, its silver radiance spilling like gauze, wrapping Shrek City in a hazy dream. Streetlights wove golden threads through the streets, blending with the warm orange glow of convenience store signs—like a river of stars cascading to earth.

At the alley’s mouth, steam rose from an octopus ball stall, mingling with the scent of sake drifting from late-night bars. Drunkenness clung to the evening breeze; every breath of air was fermented into a gentle haze.

Na’er cradled a bowl of octopus balls, devoured one with a loud “Ow!”—her exquisite face instantly lit with bliss. Without hesitation, she fed one to Zhao Xuanzhen.

His soul power was steadily growing, and his tasks multiplied: crafting Dou Armor, advancing soul spirits on the Ascension Platform, honing combat skills, mastering his body’s secret arts… He was busy nonstop, wishing he could become a deep-sea octopus with eight limbs dancing like flowers.

Na’er understood his exhaustion. She no longer begged him to play as she had as a child—only occasionally dragged him out to relax. After all, a mind stretched taut as a string was no good. Cultivation required balance.

She’d spent a wonderfully happy afternoon—with Zhao Xuanzhen beside her, and only the two of them.

Zhao Xuanzhen chewed the octopus ball, savoring the Qimiao burst of flavor between his teeth, a faint upward curve on his lips.

Na’er suddenly stopped walking, her fingertip brushing lightly against Zhao Xuanzhen’s knuckles. Her eyes shimmered with fragments of light from the convenience store’s soul-screen—like a handful of glittering stardust hidden within.

“Hey, Zhao Xuanzhen, look over there!”

The girl feigned surprise, pointing at the sky. As Zhao Xuanzhen looked up, her slender fingers slipped effortlessly into his, entwining all ten fingers like vines.

Zhao Xuanzhen froze slightly, lowering his gaze to meet Na’er’s upturned cherry lips—her smile sly as a fox stealing grapes, triumph blazing from her brows to her hair tips.

“Fool Zhao Xuanzhen—I’ve got you now!”

She jiggled their clasped hands; the silver chains on her wrists tinkled like shards of moonlight falling against her fair skin.

Before Zhao Xuanzhen could speak, Na’er yanked him toward the corner. Night wind lifted her white skirt; silver strands of hair brushed past his ear, streetlights blurring into streams of liquid gold.

They ran aimlessly, weaving through Shrek City’s alleys and avenues. This was how outings should be—running wild through a bustling city, playing until the world turned dark.

Zhao Xuanzhen cherished this perfect moment—this girl beside him, sharing beauty and flavor, building memories only they held.

From Na’er’s perspective, the figure reflected in her eyes was tall and straight, his nose high and noble—like a cinematic backlight shot. His profile was especially beautiful. She turned her head away, trying to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks in the night’s shadow.

They weren’t children anymore. Years of closeness could no longer conceal the turbulent stirrings in their hearts.

Her chest rose and fell like trembling butterfly wings. Na’er didn’t know Zhao Xuanzhen’s thoughts—but she could barely hold back.

For the one person most vital to her humanity, she had no resistance—and could never bear the pain of leaving him. Her thoughts burned like wildfire, impossible to quench.

In front of over a hundred first-year students, Na’er had called herself his “child bride”—seemingly just a harmless joke. But in truth, she had begun to mean it.

As Gu Yue had originally foreseen, as they matured, Na’er—whose heart and eyes were entirely filled with Zhao Xuanzhen—was destined to fall.

Human nature is greedy. Na’er would never be content with merely childhood friendship. She wanted more—she wanted to advance from childhood friend to lover.

Na’er took a deep breath, convinced she held a massive advantage. Their shared upbringing gave her a head start over every other girl—even in her view, only Gu Yue was worth watching.

For a sweet future, Na’er had meticulously planned her strategy: first hold hands, then kiss, and by eighteen, when she was truly an adult, she could…

“Hehe… hehe…”

A sticky, grandmotherly giggle suddenly echoed. Zhao Xuanzhen gazed at Na’er’s moonlit profile—and inexplicably felt like she was being… lewd.

He pulled her close from behind; their shadows merged into a single thin line—like the quiet stitch of fate.

Distant midnight bells tolled. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their clasped palms warmer than ten thousand lanterns.

“What was that line on the Soul Net again… ‘Spring promises not to betray…’” Na’er strained to recall.

“Spring keeps its vow, flowers don’t miss their time—year after year, never forsaking each other.”

“That’s way too long! I’m a warrior—I can’t remember all that!”

Seeing Zhao Xuanzhen’s glowing smile, Na’er stomped her foot in mock anger, then puffed out her impressively ample chest, declaring proudly:

“I know one thing—Fool Zhao Xuanzhen and Queen Na’er will always be together!”

Her clear eyes sparkled under the white streetlamp, her voice crisp and sweet, drifting on the gentle night breeze beneath the moon.

“Our future is the stars and oceans!”

(End of Chapter)