Each squad was led by a soul beast king.
Their routines and family escape routes were all thoroughly investigated.
Not even a single opportunity was left for them to slip through the net.
The many Tang Sect branches spread across the three continents also received "special treatment."
In the domain of the boundless ocean—
Tang San had hoped day and night to return to Da Ming, but was intercepted by the Demon Empress above the sparkling blue sea.
The already salty sea breeze now carried a stench of blood.
"Drip! Drip..."
Drops of divine blood from the sacred beast Azure Sky Divine Dragon fell into the ocean.
"Splash! Splash..."
Below, countless sea soul beasts churned in the water, absorbing the divine beast blood that fell into the ocean — and feeding on some of the other sea soul beasts.
Those being devoured were from soul beast races that Da Ming had persuaded to his side.
Although the Sea God faction had lost to the Demon Empress back then, with the Devil Soul Great White Shark Xiao Bai joining the mermaid race and many soul beast tribes scattering like monkeys from a fallen tree, the ocean was simply too vast and deep for the Demon Empress to completely eliminate them.
Now, thanks to Tang San and Da Ming's efforts, all the remaining hidden threats were being fully rooted out.
The soul beasts that had feasted were now gazing eagerly at the battle in the sky, hoping more divine beast blood would rain down.
Da Ming glared angrily at the Demon Empress:
"You will regret working with Di Tian.Di Tian can never be a match for the God Realm of Douluo.Your husband's resurrection is nothing but a ridiculous fantasy.Why not join us? My and Er Ming's soul bones are on Tang San's body — we could be revived in the God Realm.I believe that if you're willing to defect, Tang San would surely let bygones be bygones and help revive your husband."
However, even under absolute disadvantage, Da Ming's offer to defect stirred not the slightest interest in the Demon Empress.
Her vicious gaze exposed, she swung her arm.
The divine weapon — a blood-red trident — tore through the air with a piercing sound.
On the three blades of the trident, indelible divine blood clung to them.
The blood of Second-rank God Tang Hao, stained on the blades, carried faint, tragic wails.
Those cries conveyed the inhuman pain of a god's death…
…and also symbolized the eternal and irreconcilable blood feud between the Demon Empress and Tang San's faction.
Clad in divine-grade battle armor, she transformed into the true Blood Sea Demon Empress, pointing the crimson trident toward Da Ming.
"Boom! Boom!"
One blood-red, one azure-blue star-like entity clashed dozens of times in mere seconds, stirring up towering, endless waves.
Although Da Ming had regained divine-level combat strength, he lacked a divine weapon and his divine position was not very high — his power was not overwhelming.
On the other hand, the Demon Empress had battle armor and mecha upgraded to divine level, plus the ocean's power boosting her.
The blood from Tang Hao still burning on her trident added even more power.
Earlier, when Da Ming's divine beast blood had fallen into the sea from his wounds, the power disparity was already clearly shown.
What's more, deep beneath the ocean — in the pitch-black abyss — the Sea Princess was also present.
Her powerful spiritual force had merged with the sea, ready to deal with any contingencies.
The life and death, the victory and defeat between the Demon Empress and Da Ming held not the slightest suspense.
At the final moment of Da Ming's death-bound fate, far away at the heart of the brewing storm — the rebuilding site of Shrek Academy, East Sea Academy — the scene was one of joyous family celebration.
At the opening ceremony:
Gu Yuena, as a first-tier battle armor master, was appointed a lecturer by the school.
After all, upon joining the academy with Di Tian, she revealed her nine-ringed Titled Douluo cultivation.
Naturally, the school arranged for her to give a lecture at the opening ceremony.
Di Tian, posing as her family member, sat in the VIP section, listening to the various murmurs around.
But rather than her powerful cultivation, people seemed more interested in her beauty.
"Her voice is so lovely, and she's so fair-skinned. I think I'm in love with her.""Bah! You're just lusting after her body. You scumbag!""Enough already, Old Ma. Just look, don't touch.""She has a family member with her, a Titled Douluo at that.""Ugh, Old Dai, once the ceremony ends, let's go have a good time."
...
Skimming past the odd and eccentric comments, Di Tian picked up on the faculty's anxious discussion.
"What's going on? Why aren't Xie Xie and the others here yet?""Without them, how are we supposed to hold the opening ceremony for the rebuilt Shrek Academy?""With their strength, what could possibly delay them?"
Just as they were growing more and more anxious and confused, a battle armor master dashed in from a distance — the gate guard on duty today.
Landing near the faculty's seating area, Director Long of Shrek's administrative staff urgently asked:
"Are Xie Xie and the others here?!"
"Huff… huff…"The exhausted guard was nearly gasping his lungs dry before he could speak:
"Beast… Beast Tide!"
Those coughing, fragmented words triggered a massive uproar.
Before anyone could wonder whether he was crying wolf, the **beast tide had already broken into the academy's core — the renamed Sea God Plaza.
In order to re-establish the Sea God's divine position, Tang San had, like a stray dog marking territory, renamed many locations.
But this dog-marked Sea God Plaza was smashed to rubble the very next moment.
A giant beast claw came crashing down, smashing a deep pit into the freshly laid lawn.
Amid the rolling smoke and dust stood a massive beastly silhouette—
One of the Top Ten Ferocious Beasts in History, ranked 8th — the Red King, the Three-headed Crimson Demon Mastiff.
Its general shape resembled a three-headed hellhound from the underworld.
The Red King had been captured in the great war during the construction of the Star Dou Fortress three thousand years ago by the Spirit Transferring Tower, but had not been killed.
Its soul was made into a guardian spirit for the tower, and its body used for research.
After Di Tian captured the Spirit Transferring Tower, he recovered the Red King's soul and its broken, nutrient-soaked body.
With considerable effort, he revived it.
Now that the Red King had appeared here, it naturally meant it had returned to full strength.
With screams echoing all around, countless newly admitted Shrek students fell one after another.
It must be said — even on the first day of the academy's reconstruction, these students were among the elite, with many from powerful factions sent to support Shrek's revival.
The school staff, watching as the future flames of Shrek were extinguished one by one, felt their hearts bleeding.
Originally, by riding the coattails of Shrek's revival, the original East Sea Academy faculty had risen greatly in status and were overjoyed.
Now, seeing Shrek's future being wiped out one by one, their dreams of shared glory with "Shrek's honor" were shattered to the point of collapse.
Furious beyond measure, they immediately turned to Di Tian in the stands and cried out:
"Your Excellency — please help us!"
(End of Chapter)