Xu Jiujing had gambled—and won.
That arrogant, unrestrained Inner Court disciple from Shrek Academy did not kill her. Instead, he merely gave her a cold, lofty glance.
Was that… pity?
Heh. What a surprise. Who would've thought such a madman could feel pity—for her, a Crown Princess of the Star Luo Empire. In his eyes, her so-called noble status was nothing short of pathetic.
Of course, that's how most Shrek disciples saw the world.
"Hahahahaha… What a joke! Why would I want to kill the Crown Princess of the Star Luo Empire? What—so you can drag me down with you in death?!"
Xu Tianxi laughed heartily, his face full of ridicule, mocking Xu Jiujing's "naivety."
He had no intention of killing her. His goal was to ensure she—and the imperial family—formed an irreconcilable grudge against Shrek. Killing her would be overkill, but letting her go untouched? That wouldn't fit his current role.
He knew Xu Jiujing wasn't the kind to actively provoke trouble—most likely, the order to approach him had come from one of the two instructors. But one had already fainted in fear at the sight of the Inner Court badge, utterly useless. That left the other one—the woman from the Youming Zhu Clan.
His gaze fell on the middle-aged, mature beauty Zhu Wen, and inwardly he thought, You'll do.
Then he spoke again, his voice ice cold:
"Let me make this clear. I came here today on a mission to eliminate the 'Abomination Demon Soul' assassin group. I have no interest in anything else."
"Shrek Academy students do not kill the innocent. But debt must be repaid to its proper owner."
He paused, grinding his foot deliberately against the still-unconscious Chen Xiaojie.
"If I'm not mistaken, this piece of trash was sent by you, wasn't he? You foolish woman from the Youming Zhu Clan— well?!"
The masked youth stood like a white-robed god of thunder, arcs of violet lightning crackling around him. With no hesitation, he stomped down on a once-proud Star Luo prodigy, and pointed an accusing finger at a powerful Soul Sage from a top noble clan.
The scene was surreal—bloodied, brutal, utterly domineering.
Xu Tianxi radiated an air of absolute authority, looking down upon the world. His aura overwhelmed even his cultivation level. He seemed more formidable than a Title Douluo!
"N-no! It wasn't me! Please, great genius from Shrek's Inner Court, you've misunderstood me!" Zhu Wen stammered in panic.
Ever since that badge had been revealed, she'd been in a state of mental collapse. Now, with Xu Tianxi's blade-sharp gaze upon her, her voluptuous body trembled like a leaf, unable to stand or kneel, let alone fight.
Which, to Xu Tianxi, only confirmed her guilt.
His mocking grin deepened, his aura growing even more oppressive. He pointed first at Xu Jiujing—still kneeling with her head lowered—then at Zhu Wen.
"You're the strongest among this bunch of trash. If not you, then who would dare send someone after me?"
"The Crown Princess might be dishonest, but at least she has a clear head. You? You're both dishonest and a coward. Don't tell me you think you're so innocent I'd falsely accuse you?"
"I swear, I didn't—" Zhu Wen's face went deathly pale. Her body refused to respond. Neither kneeling nor resisting seemed possible.
"No more nonsense! If you had the gall to provoke me, then be prepared to die! Teachers—do it!"
Xu Tianxi didn't give her a chance to explain. With a wave of his hand, he sentenced her to death.
To plant hatred this deep, someone had to die. Killing ten peak Soul Ancestors wouldn't have the same impact as executing a Soul Sage, especially one from the Youming Zhu Clan.
"Understood! Martial Soul True Body!"
Yuelao and Zhisen responded coldly. Both activated their seventh soul rings, entering their strongest combat forms.
Xu Tianxi had already told them through spiritual transmission: Better to kill the wrong one than to let the right one go!
Dark green, barbed Azure Ghost Vines erupted from the ground, like dragons from the earth. They formed massive webs in the air, exuding a terrifying corrosive aura as they shot toward the panicked Zhu Wen.
The vines looked like snakes of death, lunging for their prey.
Yuelao, meanwhile, unleashed a bloodthirsty aura from his aged frame. In a flash, he transformed into a giant saberfish with the characteristics of a Demonic Devil Whale. His soul tools rose into the air, and he let out a sharp cry—firing a rain of soul tool laser blasts.
His target? Zhu Wen.
"N-no! Martial Soul True Body!"
Faced with death, Zhu Wen's instincts as a battle-type Soul Sage finally kicked in. Her seventh soul ring lit up, and her body exploded into motion. A massive, pitch-black feline—the Youming Hellcat—appeared midair, its pupils full of terror as it tried to escape.
Shrek's people were synonymous with invincibility among peers. In her heart, she had no courage to fight them one-on-one—let alone when it was two against one!
If she could just escape… if she could just make it back to Star Luo City, back to her clan's protection, she'd survive!
But she'd overlooked something—
The inn's tight space gave no room for a speed-type Soul Sage to maneuver.
And worse still—one of her enemies was a plant-type control system battle Soul Sage, the natural counter to agility-types!
Torrents of ghostly green vines sealed the earth, sky, and walls. The entire inn became a deathtrap.
The Hellcat slammed into the vine-forged barrier. Desperate, she launched several attacks, activating soul skills identical to those of the legendary Ghost Douluo Zhu Zhuqing from ten thousand years ago—Youming Piercing Thrust, Nether Claw Barrage, Youming Slash…
But nothing worked. The vines only slowed, then closed in again.
Zhisen and Yuelao didn't even blink.
Full firepower. All-out barrage.
The Azure Ghost Vines trapped the Youming Hellcat from every direction.
Three Tier-Five Soul Tool Artillery Shells with ice-type enhancements were launched in succession. Shielded by the vines, they detonated directly beside Zhu Wen and her clones.
"BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!"
In such a confined space, Zhu Wen had no chance to escape the blast radius.
"AAAGH—!"
Her screams were far more miserable than Chen Xiaojie's. The clones vanished. Her main body—bleeding, frozen, and disfigured—was reduced to a twitching, near-dead husk.
Zhisen smirked. His third, fourth, and fifth soul rings lit up in rapid succession. The vines hardened into spear-like tendrils, raining down on the fallen Hellcat.
At the same time—more vines suddenly erupted from within her own body.
The parasitic soul skill. One of the most terrifying and difficult-to-defend abilities of plant-type Soul Masters.
The spears pierced her weakened defenses. Her soul power was drained rapidly. In moments, her body visibly shrank—under everyone's horrified gazes.
"No way… That's a devouring soul skill?" Xu Tianxi narrowed his eyes.
He had finally identified what Zhisen was using—a powerful, overbearing Spirit Devourer technique.
Now it made sense why the man carried such a cold demeanor, and why Xiao Changfeng had once saved his life. A power like this was easily mistaken for something belonging to an Evil Soul Master.
Just look at how the Douluo Continent had treated experts like Scorpion Tiger Douluo or Crow Douluo. Without a powerful backer, there was no way someone like Zhisen could've survived.
At the same moment, Xu Jiujing—still kneeling, still hoping the "Shrek Inner Court disciple" would spare her companions—lifted her eyes slightly.
Her lips curled into the faintest bitter smirk.
What a terrifying devouring soul skill.
What a powerful plant-type Soul Sage.
Even after unleashing her martial soul avatar and a full suite of soul skills, Aunt Zhu didn't stand a chance.
This… was Shrek.
Today, she had truly understood what power meant.
Without it, no matter how noble your birth—it meant nothing.