Chapter 841 - Their Story
Chapter 841: Their Story
Translator:EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor:EndlessFantasy Translation
Tang Wulin squinted his eyes. "According to my estimate, I think I've been here for six months. The academy told me that this was a two-year military training program before I came. Yet, you're telling me I've passed? I'm
afraid that you're mistaken if you think you can fool me."
The huge old man walked to a spot in front of Tang Wulin. "Why would I fool you? That was meant for ordinary people. Do you think that everyone can complete the task of crossing the sea and hijacking an aircraft in three months like you? Actually, none of your friends can complete it. You're the only person capable of completing it at present. It's impossible to pass
without completing that task."
"I believe that you have some expectations of your own too. How can Shrek Academy possibly send all of you to your doom? These are all arranged by the academy. As a matter of fact, do you know our past history?" the huge old man spoke smilingly.
Past history?
Tang Wulin squinted his eyes as he did not have any intention to trust the huge old man.
The huge old man chuckled. "It's fine if you don't believe me. When I'm done narrating, I bet you'll begin to believe me. Let me tell you how the Demon Island was formed." He took the liberty to approach Tang Wulin before he took a seat as he was saying that. Despite being seated, he was still slightly taller than Tang Wulin.
He waved his right hand once and conjured a table before him. Then, he began pulling a variety of food from thin air and placing them on the table.
Tang Wulin took two steps back. A strong fragrance filled his nose making him feel terribly hungry. However, he would not act rashly after having gone through Old Demon Devour's training.
The huge old man waved his hands. "Come out, Lust."
In the flash of a shadow, the young version of Old Demon Lust appeared out of thin air once again and sat down on one side of the table.
The huge old man spoke, "When I'm done, you can begin to teach him those knowledge."
Old Demon Lust nodded. "Sure. I think a month should be enough for him with his natural endowments."
Tang Wulin was still vigilant despite everything before his eyes appearing genuinely realistic.
The huge old man smiled. "Alright. Let's begin right from the beginning. The Demon Archipelago appeared suddenly over a thousand years ago. Its appearance was inevitable but it was by chance also. To be exact, we have no idea what really happened even till now. Of course, we were not truly demons back then. In fact, we were once humans."
"The Demon Island was formed after countless fragments fell from the sky into the sea. There are two opposing energies in this Demon Archipelago which I believe you sensed already. One is the incomparably dense life force, while the other is the destructive energy capable of destroying
everything. It was brought by the Destruction Fragment which you've seen before." "Old Demon Blight wasn't lying to you. There's a piece of the Destruction Fragment on each island, differing only in size, but there's also a dense life force with each piece of the Destruction Fragment. It's precisely because of the equilibrium between these two energies that resulted in the destructive energy not leaking to the outside and causing a fatal catastrophe on Douluo Continent."
"According to our research for many years, we've accumulated a number of discoveries. We suspect that the dense life force and destructive energies don't originate from the continent itself, perhaps not even our planet."
Tang Wulin could not help responding to what he heard, "Not from our planet? Could it be that it came from external worlds?" Mankind, with the advancement of science, had discovered that Douluo Continent, where they
were living at present, Star Luo Continent, and Heaven Dou Continent were all situated on an enormous planet.
The planet was named Douluo Star. At the same time, countless stars were discovered in the vast galaxy through astronomical observations. There
were many more things that the current technologies had not discover yet.
Nonetheless, Douluo Continent, with the most advanced technology
amongst the three continents, was already developing their technology for space exploration.
The huge old man spoke, "That's right, it's probably from an external world. Moreover, it could possibly be related to us according to our analysis. You probably know that it has already been a very long time since someone from the human world managed to achieve Godhood, such as Tang Sect's first ancestor Tang San, and Spirit Pagoda's founder Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao."
Tang Wulin asked, "Does the Godhood truly exist?"
The huge old man replied without the slightest hesitation, "Yes. There are many detailed ancient recordings about the first ancestor Tang San's
Godhood on the continent. There were more than just him who achieved Godhood, the rest of the six people from the Shrek Seven Monsters whom he led had all become Gods and inherited different Godhoods before ascending to the Divine Realm. Even the first ancestor Tang San handed down some information about the Divine Realm too."
"To our knowledge, the Divine Realm exists. The so-called Divine Realm is actually the world where the powerhouses lived after they had achieved a
certain level in life. That world administers the low-ranking worlds like ours. There are also ranks within the Divine Realm. The lowest rank
Godhood is known as God King. The Five God Kings form the council of Divine Realm Committee in the Divine Realm to administer the destiny of the small worlds like ours. However, it seems that due to some legal
constraints, they can't interfere too much in our low-ranking world."
This was the first time Tang Wulin had ever heard of such a story. Even though he was still vigilant, he was attracted to the huge old man's narrative.
The huge old man continued, "After the first ancestor Tang San became a God, he was in one of the Five Great God Kings' good graces and finally became the God King's successor. He inherited the Godhood positions of the Sea God and the Xiu Lo God thereby becoming one of the Five Great God Kings. The remaining four of the Five Great God Kings were the
Kindness God, the Evil God, the Life God, and the Destruction God."
"The five of them took charge of the Divine Realm. So naturally, they
assumed full charge of our Douluo Star as well. For a few millennia, we didn't have any powerhouse capable of sensing the Divine Realm's
existence ever since Spirit Ice Douluo's ascension."
"There is no need for you to doubt this information that has been passed down from Shrek Academy, Tang Sect, and Spirit Pagoda's high-ranking officials for generations. When the top powerhouses of these three great organizations achieved a certain level, they would attempt to sense the
existence of the Divine Realm, but no one has managed to sense that world anymore. I can't think of any other explanation apart from there being
something wrong with the Divine Realm itself."
Tang Wulin took a deep breath. "So you're saying that the Divine Realm doesn't exist anymore?" The huge old man shook his head. "No one knows the actual situation and no one knows what happened to the Divine Realm. However, we believe that something must have happened to the Divine Realm."
Tang Wulin spoke, "So how is that related to the Demon Island then?" The huge old man spoke, "You already heard me earlier that there are the
Life God and the Destruction God amongst the Five Great God Kings. Well, can't you make the association?"
Tang Wulin was shocked. "So you're saying that the existence of the Demon Island is related to the two Great God Kings?"
The huge old man smiled while Old Demon Lust who was by his side spoke, "Precisely. About two thousand years ago, the life force and destructive energies suddenly descended from the sky. The destructive
energy made those fragments and formed the Demon Archipelago, while the life force acted as a restraint on the destructive energy."
"The antonym of destruction is creation. The final objective of creation is the creation of life. Destruction and creation are opposites, yet they exist side by side and are inseparable. The existence of these two energies produced a massive influence in the sea region around here. The sea soul beasts that were already domineering at the time suddenly had such vast developments that it became a huge threat to the continent's coastal areas.
From that time onward, the Northsea Army Corps was assigned here. Later on, our expedition took place."
The huge old man smiled. "Of course, Old Demon Nightmare is just messing with all of you. In reality, how can we possibly harm you all? Even though we are truly lonely here, we all originated from the same source."
"Same source?"
Tang Wulin's chest tightened.
The huge old man spoke, "That is because we were the Shrek Seven
Monsters back in those days. We were duty bound to explore the mysteries of life and destruction. Thereupon, we were sent here. Needless to say, we had a tragic encounter."
Chapter 842 - Once... The Shrek Seven Monsters
Chapter 842: Once… The Shrek Seven Monsters
Tang Wulin was shocked when he heard the words ‘Shrek Seven Monsters’. Everything that had been inexplicable finally made sense. Moreover, he felt in his heart that every word that this fat old man had said was true.
At this point, the old man and Old Demon Lust were quiet. It was apparent that they were reminiscing about the past for this was an extremely painful experience for them.
Old Demon Lust sighed. “When we first arrived in the vicinity of the
Demon Island, we were quite astonished. There was a tremendous change in the sea over here. The Federation had given us the technology to assist our landing. Nevertheless, there was already a large amount of sea soul beasts in the waters, and they were all monstrously powerful.”
“The Federation had issued a decree four millennia ago to protect soul beasts and to avoid hunting and killing as much as possible. The sea soul beasts were already the only soul beast branch that had remained largely untouched on the continent. Thus, we couldn’t simply slay them. After we had landed, we began a series of inspections. I believe that all of you felt it when you arrived. Life essence couldn’t exist in this place. There was only some kind of terrifyingly destructive aura. All vitality seemed to have been stripped from the area. We could tell that we wouldn’t survive long over here.”
“However, the inspection had to continue. We searched through everything on the island earnestly, looking for any living creature and clues that could possibly be found. Finally, we found the Destruction Fragment.”
“We were rather powerful back then. At the very least, we were much
stronger than all of you at the same rank. We found the valley and finally felt the presence of life essence. Our first reaction was that we must have made a lucky discovery. Thereupon, seven of us remained in the valley to carry out a further survey.”
“However, the situation at the time was different from now. When we arrived on the Demon Island, the island’s destructive aura was on the
outside while the life aura was contained within the valley. Meanwhile, the Destruction Fragment had yet to erupt. The Fragment was only a chunk of
an enormous crystal that seemed to hold unlimited energy. Can you imagine how we felt back then? It was as though we had discovered a treasure. An invaluable one at that.”
“We belonged to Shrek, so of course we wished to bring this treasure back to the Academy to study it more thoroughly. As a result, we attempted all sorts of methods to retrieve that Destruction Fragment. That was when the disaster happened.”
The fat old man’s face was filled with sorrow as he picked up a chicken leg from the table and vigorously bit off a chunk.
Old Demon Lust smiled bitterly as she spoke, “We had triggered the
Destruction Fragment. There was almost no time to react before all seven of us were torn to shreds by its horrific power. We were utterly obliterated.”
“Oh?” Tang Wulin let out a soft gasp.
The fat old man sighed and said, “At the time, we didn’t feel much pain, but it was as though the entire world had become muddled and bewildering.
Our surroundings were sometimes blurred, sometimes clear, sometimes bright and sometimes dark! It felt like everything was moving farther away while heading toward us at full speed.”
Old Demon Lust continued, “We lost track of time when we finally came to. We were awake, but we had lost our bodies. The bodies we were born with. We only existed in the form of souls on the island. On the other hand, we could exercise control over a portion of life and destruction energy
within its boundaries.” “Afterward, we studied and discussed in detail that it was possible that the life energy had saved us. Destruction energy cost us our physical bodies, but the life energy preserved our souls. Thus, we became the Old Demons, taking on these ghastly forms. It was this same life energy that extended our longevity to such an extent that we could live for thousands of years.”
“We have always been guarding this place to prevent curious people from exploring it. Indeed, the Demon Archipelago belonged to Shrek Academy from that moment onward as well. After all, we paid with our lives for it.
There was no way for us to leave, because as soon as we left the location of the life force, our souls would dissipate. Hence, we could only remain here, waiting for Shrek Academy to send its most outstanding talents. We helped the academy to carry out certain specialized methods of training.”
Just as the fat old man had claimed, Tang Wulin believed him when he was done recounting the entire experience. All that he had said made complete and total sense.
Old Demon Lust sat there as if she was grieving. “We’ve lived far longer than ordinary people, yet we can never return to Shrek Academy. We can never see the magnificent Sea God’s Island. We can never experience the bits and pieces of the human world ever again. We can only remain here and be old demons.”
The fat old man spoke, “Our training is genuinely twisted amusement, and it’s a painful ordeal for all of you. However, if you were to observe
carefully, you’d find that, in truth, these methods greatly aid your development.
Not only are we training you physically but also mentally. Only by
encountering these harrowing experiences, will you understand that life is precious and learn to face the world even more cautiously. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Tang Wulin nodded slowly. He had learned how to fly an aircraft because of the Old Demon’s torturous tricks. He had absorbed the destruction energy
and fused it with his body, so now there was an enough destruction in his aura for him to swim in and out of the sea with ease. Even though Old Demon Devour made him consume incomparably disgusting food, undoubtedly, it had given him life force which neutralized the potential damage from the destruction energy. He could fully utilize the process of life and destruction, and this allowed him to elevate himself.
Old Demon Loathe used pain to hone their endurance till they could steady their hearts through excruciating agony.
In turn, Old Demon Lust taught them the vanity of the world, so they could understand the need to remain in control even when tempted.
It was definitely because of these ruthless methods that they had managed to make quantum leaps in such a short period of time. They had gone from adolescents to young adults and even learned how to adapt to society more readily.
When he thought about it, Tang Wulin realized that the numerous training methods here were rare opportunities for them. He could never possibly receive this kind of training in the outside world or the academy.
The fat old man smiled. “You’re the first one to complete the training. Thus, you may now learn something from Lust in a more amicable manner. When you’re done, you shall remain on the island and wait for your companions.
When all of them have passed the test or if any of them withdraw midway, then all of you shall leave at once. The rule states that those who come together must leave together.”
Tang Wulin nodded.
Even though he was still on his guard, so he could not speak respectfully to them, but he already believed everything that he had heard.
The fat old man stood up and nodded to Old Demon Lust before he turned around and walked in the direction of the forest. His rotund body gradually disappeared into the shadows.
“How may I address him?” Tang Wulin asked Old Demon Lust. Old Demon Lust shook her head. “There’s no need to address him. I don’t think you’ll be seeing him anymore before you leave. Alright, let’s begin, shall we? I can teach you many things. Even though these are not actual
combat abilities, they’ll vastly enhance your capabilities in battle, such as makeup techniques and disguise techniques.”
Chapter 843 - Learning
Chapter 843: Learning
Old Demon Lust started imparting knowledge to Tang Wulin. It was just as the fat elder had said: the time for torture had passed. From now on, there would only be ordinary instruction.
Tang Wulin had never been a negligent pupil. He learned quickly, and he
soon found joy in this new undertaking. As Old Demon Lust had explained, although the things she taught him were not fighting skills, they greatly increased his chances of survival. They had, in the truest sense, shaped him into being an all-rounded talent.
He was not instructed by Old Demon Lust alone. Soon enough, Old Demon Loathe, Old Demon Blight, Old Demon Nightmare, and Old Demon
Devour appeared before him one after another, and taught him numerous complex subjects.
The Old Demons recounted a story to Tang Wulin. As early as ten thousand years ago, Shrek Academy had the idea to create a fully capable warrior.
The academy wanted to nurture fighters who could adapt to different battlefields and possessed a plethora of abilities.
When the plan was implemented, there was only a single case of success in the early stages. That was the founder of Spirit Pagoda, the legend of the generation, Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao.
Shrek Academy had still not abandoned this concept. The only difference was that the plan was no longer carried out within the academy grounds. It was done on the Demon Island instead.
Only those who were able to pass all the tests on the various subjects within one year would qualify to take part in the all-rounded warrior course. Without a doubt, Tang Wulin was one of them, and he had the best performance in a thousand years.
Throughout all the previous trials, the part where they had to cultivate their hearts was naturally very taxing. It was hard enough to ensure that he did not collapse, but the most difficult thing, for him, was stealing the aircraft twice.
This was especially true during the second time. It required the participant to cross the waters adjacent to the Demon Island, infiltrate the Northsea
Army Corps and steal their aircraft. There were very few who were able to accomplish this. In the previous two hundred years, it had only been
achieved three times. Those three had all become the Sea God Pavilion’s
Master in turn. Among them was the current Pavilion Master, Atlas Douluo, Yun Ming.
Tang Wulin had always delighted in delving into various branches of knowledge. He started to merge this information and connect them together. He noticed that many things which he had normally taken for granted were actually extensive and profound when he devoted his heart to their study.
For example, Old Demon Devour would explain the wonders of various ingredients in detail to Tang Wulin. He taught him such skills as how to
completely absorb the energy content in a meal, which was tied very closely to how the food was cooked. He also showed him how to differentiate between food sources, which included plants, animals, aquatic animals, and others. Tang Wulin would be showered with a large number of facts every day.
For three whole months, Tang Wulin had practically not slept or rested as he learned and applied his new skills. It was also unknown how the five old demons managed to produce relevant materials for Tang Wulin to study and cultivate.
“Alright, we’ve taught you everything we should. From now on, you must achieve mastery through a comprehensive study. You’ll have many more things to experience and learn about on the continent. You’ll only be able to better grasp all of it when you’re back among civilization. “Thank you, seniors.” After these three months, Tang Wulin’s disgust for the five old demons was completely gone.
Also, he had a clear grasp on his companions’ conditions. They were doing well. They had been on the Demon Archipelago for ten months now.
Although the others had not progressed as quickly as he had, at least none of them had collapsed.
Even if they were unable to learn everything that was taught, they would have undergone a substantial amount of training throughout their time there.
Old Demon said, “Stay on the island for your remaining time here. Now you should relax for a while. We have the best food here and a comfortable place for you to stay. When all your companions have finished their trials, you may leave.”
When Tang Wulin was brought to the living quarters, his entire being was shocked.
He felt that to describe his new habitat merely as ‘comfortable’ did not do it justice.
It was a treehouse. Tang Wulin did not know how the treehouse was made, but the life source here was much denser than in the valley. The treehouse was fully furnished with all kinds of equipment. There was even some modern furniture. The huge, comfy bed made him sleepy, and he got the urge to rest just by sitting on it.
He had been tortured for six months and had studied for three, so he was truly exhausted. When the Old Demon who sent him here had left, Tang Wulin lay himself down and fell asleep. He did not rise for three days and three nights.
When he woke up from his dreams, Old Demon Devour had already served gourmet cuisine brimming with life energy.
As he ate, Tang Wulin was touched to the point of tears. He had finally endured everything, all the bitterness had passed, and now came the sweetness!
The scenery on the Demon Island was not at all beautiful, but the treehouse Tang Wulin stayed on was a high vantage point. From there, he could see the ocean beyond the borders, and it was breathtaking.
Tang Wulin himself had not felt so comfortable in a long time. He was so relaxed that when he had his fill and returned to the bed, he fell into another deep sleep very quickly.
What could be more wonderful than this? He had the finest delicacies,
comfortable living conditions, and nobody forced him to cultivate. He had freedom. He could leave as soon as his companions came out from their training grounds. All the pressure he had felt before had become nonexistent.
Tang Wulin leaned on the sofa in front of the treehouse’s door and gazed at the ocean far away. His body felt warm, and he felt an indescribable relaxation and comfort. Even the cries of the insects sounded like music to him.
“Urgh!” He stretched his limbs. Sleepiness crept up on him again. This was already his third day here. He spent his days eating and looking at the ocean before he enjoyed a good slumber. What could be more comfortable than this?
A faint smile appeared on Tang Wulin’s face. He stood up and stretched vigorously before he turned around and returned to his room.
With the fat elder as the leader, Old Demon, Old Demon Blight, Old Demon Devour, Old Demon Nightmare, and Old Demon Loathe gathered together. The six demons were sitting inside a cavern.
Before them was a frame which showed a scene. What it displayed was Tang Wulin just as he had stretched and gone back to his room.
“Hmm, this young boy is really enjoying his time,” said the old man with some pride. Old Demon pouted. “What are you feeling so proud for? We were the ones who helped you, you know?”
“Still, I’ve succeeded with my own skills. But this little fellow is not an
easy one to fool. We gave him so many things to learn in three months, and he surprisingly soaked it all up like a sponge. His learning abilities are beyond expectations! Alas, even though he’s as shrewd as a ghost, did he not still end up drinking the water I used to wash my feet?”
“Hold on, don’t you be too pleased with yourself just yet.” Old Demon Blight suddenly said with astonishment, “The boy isn’t asleep.”
The scene changed, and they were looking at the interior of the room. The focus was back on Tang Wulin. He wore a slightly carefree smile on his face, but he did not lie on the bed. Instead, he sat with his legs crossed, with his palms upturned and his hands placed his palm on his knees. His five
centers were aligned with the sky. Surprisingly, he had started meditating. It was the standard cultivating pose of the Mysterious Heaven Method.
This…
All six of the old demons stared with their mouths agape.
“With such a comfortable life and luxurious meals rich in life source, this young boy can still think of meditating? This is impossible. I mean, what a relaxing life he has!” The portly old man’s expression was one of
astonishment and confusion.
Old Demon Blight laughed. “Told you not to be so pleased with yourself. Serves you right!”
Yes, Tang Wulin started meditating.
He silently felt the dense life source in the air. With the flowing of the
Mysterious Heaven Method, he slowly absorbed this pure and rich origin energy into his own body. He did not intentionally accelerate the flowing of the Mysterious Heaven Method. What he did was merely urge it on naturally. Using the Method, he allowed his own bloodline aura to flow slowly.
Tang Wulin was in no hurry. He silently settled the soul power and bloodline power within himself. The reason he for his caution was that he worried that he would break through the Golden Dragon King’s ninth seal through carelessness.
If he did not find it necessary, and he did not lose control, he would never simply try to break the seal. The more he absorbed the essence of the
Golden Dragon King, the stronger he became. Similarly, Tang Wulin’s heart grew more alert as well.
When the Golden Dragon King’s essence brought him such incredible power, it also gave him something else. These unfathomable energies had been influencing him silently but surely.
For example, Tang Wulin’s fighting style had been constantly changing during his earlier years. Many a time, he had obtained victory through his wits. However, with the strengthening of his Golden Dragon King bloodline, he liked the direct and pure suppression of brute force more and more. Similarly, his emotions were also being affected, and he was more rigid than before.
It had been almost a year since he arrived on Demon Island. In this year, he had undergone various trials and inhuman methods of torture. Throughout the entire process, the thing that had truly improved the most was his
attitude. It was an influence on his spiritual side. This also enabled him to be aware of his own problems with greater clarity.
Chapter 844 - Soul Power Vortex
Chapter 844: Soul Power Vortex
Great power was often accompanied by untold dangers. Tang Wulin had
already begun to notice the side effects brought by the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. The Bloodline was potent, but it was only effective if he could rein in such incredible strength. He could never allow himself to lose
control.
Thus, Tang Wulin fused his soul power and bloodline constantly through the Mysterious Heaven Method during his cultivation process and relied on the Method’s pure continuous growth to filter and refine his bloodline
energy.
It may have seemed like this was not elevating his cultivation base, but in reality, it was reducing the possibility of hidden hazards in the future.
Moreover, the Mysterious Heaven Method allowed one’s soul power to be condensed further. Despite his five-ringed cultivation base, his soul power’s density and purity, as compared to his peers of the same rank, was
absolutely matchless.
Similar to how he was diligently meditating now, he wished to master the things he had learned over the year through comprehensive self-cultivation, but he was in no rush to increase his soul power.
In the beginning, when Mu Chen was teaching him to forge, the first thing he taught Tang Wulin was to build a strong foundation and elevate himself steadily. He could only advance further in the future by having a firm foundation.
Thus, Tang Wulin was not in a hurry during his meditation. He propelled his soul power and blood essence power slowly, while he sensed even the most minuscule changes in every part of his body. The human body had endless mysteries, as did martial souls. In silence, he felt the variations in every inch of his physique with such precision that his focus was growing stronger and clearer. The intense sensation gradually brought him to a wondrous meditative state.
“Ten minutes. It has taken him only ten minutes to enter deep meditation? This young boy…” Old Demon Nightmare was speechless while the other five old demons were staring in bewilderment.
“What should we do?”
“What else can we do? Could it be that we’re still capable of waking him from deep meditation?”
“This isn’t supposed to happen. It shouldn’t be like this!” the fat elder cried out in exasperation.
“Serves you right!”
Tang Wulin lost track of how long he sensed his consciousness opening. His soul power circulated naturally, with a rhythmic motion. As he gradually regained consciousness, he was astonished to discover that he was perceiving his body as being transparent.
Everything in his body glowed with a faint golden color and fused together exactly according to his wishes. The golden and white soul power
sspiraledin synchronization with his bloodline power and formed a vortex inside his abdomen.
In this small vortex, his soul power was extremely thick and had completely transformed into liquid. The gentle soul power vortex combined perfectly
with his bloodline power and quietly spun.
For Tang Wulin, it was obvious that his soul power had grown stronger, and more importantly, all the energy in his body seemed to be in order.
He felt that his bones and internal organs had become translucent like
crystal due to the continuous nourishment of his life source, making them even tougher.
What was this…
Even Tang Wulin did not fully comprehend what he had achieved, but he understood that his body had certainly reached a whole new level.
At least, he knew about the creation of soul power vortices. Even so, a soul power vortex was only expected to form after one had attained six rings!
This was because soul masters reached a major plateau when they
cultivated to a rank of seven rings. One of the most important issues of this bottleneck was the change in the quality of one’s soul power.
A seven-ringed Soul Sage must be able to form a soul core, or their
cultivation base would not be able to reach rank-70. Then, the core would immediately be fused with their spirit soul or soul beast soul ring to elevate themselves and allow them to possess a seventh soul skill and enter a brand- new domain.
Only those who had achieved a seven-ringed cultivation base could be known as high order soul masters.
There was no doubt that Tang Wulin was still far from seven rings, but this soul power vortex was essential for him to condense his soul core.
A soul power vortex could also be described as the foundation of a soul
core. Upon the appearance of a soul power vortex, a soul master would be able to absorb more origin energy through the spinning of the vortex that continuously condensed one’s soul power until it formed a solid soul core.
Tang Wulin’s soul power was rank-53 at most right now, with a difference of more than ten ranks before he could achieve seven rings. Nevertheless, a soul master would generally begin to attempt formation of a soul power vortex only when they had reached rank-69. Then, they waited for the soul power vortex to condense into a soul core naturally to complete the qualitative leap. The process was much slower than cultivation at other ranks. This was also the reason why there were so few soul masters with a cultivation base over seven rings.
Once the soul core was formed, a soul master would achieve a massive upgrade in his perception and ability to draw in origin energy, making him incomparably powerful. By then, there was no need to worry about the
exhaustion of one’s soul power, because the soul core would draw in origin energy as emergency reserves of its own accord. Generally, a Soul Sage’s
soul power would not run out as long as the battle was not overly exhausting.
Tang Wulin was only rank-53, yet his soul power was already taking form. This not only signified that his soul power condensation rate was far above average, but more importantly, his understanding of his own soul power
was similarly beyond expectations.
Tang Wulin immediately knew what the biggest advantage of his soul power vortex would be. He could rely on the pull of the vortex to exercise even better control of his bloodline power such that it would not break through the ninth layer’s seal unexpectedly.
This was an unforeseen benefit! Tang Wulin could clearly tell that his soul power was elevated from rank-52 to rank-53 now. Even though he had managed to raise his soul power by only two ranks in one year, his
elevation was exceedingly stable. Moreover, he learned so many things in that time.
He decided to finish his meditation, as he had lost track of time.
Just as Tang Wulin was preparing to end his meditation, his body shuddered ever so slightly as a miraculous feeling arose spontaneously.
It felt as if there was a seed in his body, which had germinated and had begun to bloom with its life source.
The sensation was so wonderful that Tang Wulin felt like he was instantly surrounded by incomparable life force. It was as if the life source was so thick it could devour his body completely in one moment. What was that… “Buzz…”
All of the old demons raised their heads and looks to the source the noise. The old demons were stupefied with apprehension.
“What’s going on?”
They watched as a pillar of green light suddenly surged skyward from the island. The life source that was already so thick on the island suddenly bloomed exponentially.
This was an extremely rare occurrence for them. The old demons could not help feeling shocked.
“Is that the life tide? I thought the life tide had just appeared twenty years ago? Why is it here again?”
The life tide was a phenomenon that happened on the Demon Island once every century. Every time the life tide appeared, it was the period when
Demon Island’s destructive power was suppressed to its weakest point, and also the moment when its life force was the thickest. As a result, a large
amount of sea soul beasts would gather around the Demon Archipelago to absorb this life force so that they could evolve.
This was the reason that so many powerful sea soul beasts lived near the Demon Archipelago. Rather than saying they were isolating the area, one could call them its guardians.
The life tide was more beneficial to soul beasts than mankind because it was capable of causing benign changes in the soul beasts’ bloodlines, or more accurately, life tide could refine the sea soul beasts’ bloodlines.
It had only been two decades since the last time this event had occurred, yet, to everyone’s surprise, the life tide had appeared once again. This was an extraordinary situation.
Streams of shadows flashed as the old demons quickly gathered together.
Chapter 845 - Life Tide
Chapter 845: Life Tide
Besides the original six demons, there was one more. This old demon had unusual features with small eyes, a big nose, a huge mouth with an
especially long jaw, and a slight hunch. However, the rest of the six old demons stood below him naturally just as he turned up.
“Big brother, why has the life tide appeared all of a sudden?” Old Demon Blight anxiously asked this newly arrived old man.
The elder shook his head with a frown on his face. “I don’t understand
either. I’ve been suppressing the destruction energy all along. Usually, the energy abruptly weakens just before the coming of the life tide, but this time it feels different. Under normal circumstances, I can feel the life tide a decade prior to it emerging. It will build up gradually until it finally bursts out. On the other hand, there was utterly no indication for this life tide.
Release the few young fellows so they can receive the life tide’s baptism. They’re very fortunate. It’s a lucky chance for them to make it in time for the life tide.”
“I’ll go!” Old Demon Blight hastily spoke.
“Wait. Look at the life tide’s direction,” the fat elder suddenly interjected. “It’s from his side?” Old Demon Blight immediately realized as well.
“What’s going on?” the leading old man asked in a deep voice.
Old Demon Lust spoke, “It’s Tang Wulin. It has already been over three months since he entered deep meditation. It doesn’t seem like the life tide’s energy is coming out from the Destruction Fragment’s surroundings but from the point he is meditating. It’s so strange.” “Could it be that his meditation triggered the life tide? How is that possible?” Old Demon Loathe’s face was filled with disbelief.
The numerous old demons stood gazing at one another as they could not help feeling shocked.
It had already been over a millennium since they had arrived at this place. They had figured out the natural surroundings and routines of the entire Demon Island on their own. Nevertheless, every time a situation occurred without following a regular pattern, this signified that there was more to understand about the island.
Even though they all existed in the form of energy, the ability to learn everything about the area was the most important task for them as the guardians of the island.
“Go over and take a look!” The lead elder waved his huge hand as radiance flashed over the seven old demons’ bodies. In the next moment, they had all vanished.
Tang Wulin was completely unaware of what was going on outside. He could only feel as the life force around him grew thicker and thicker and swaddled him like a cocoon.
It was an extremely wonderful feeling.
It was obvious that he had already lost the ability to breathe, yet it was soothing like nothing he had felt before.
He could not see that a soul ring had slowly started to glow on the surface of his body. It was not the Bluesilver Emperor soul ring nor the Golden
Dragon King Bloodline’s golden soul ring, but it was actually that green- gold soul ring.
The green-gold soul ring shimmered with an otherworldly radiance. When he first obtained this soul ring, no matter how much he infused his soul power into the soul ring, it would be engulfed into nothingness. He had only managed to launch it once for a short period of time with Atlas Douluo’s assistance.
Tang Wulin named the soul skill brought by this soul ring ‘Nature’s Child’.
At that moment, his fifth soul ring shone more brilliantly than ever while exuding a thick vitality that complemented the life tide that had enveloped him.
The Demon Island began to tremor ever so slightly during the coming of the life tide. In the distance, all sorts of sea soul beasts had gathered and swam around Demon Island. More and more sea soul beasts rushed over and joined the formation to enjoy the benefits of the dense life essence.
Tang Wulin’s consciousness was gradually immersed in life source. He was surprised to see scenes playing out like mirages in the depths of his mind.
He saw a colorful ball of light that was shimmering with a strange radiance and halos glowing about it. Every time the light flickered, he felt his
spiritual state fluctuate.
The ball of light gradually grew until it was several times its original size. The orb turned translucent as if its surface was becoming thinner.
Tang Wulin could clearly see that there were wispy clouds, rivers, and mountains within the radiant orb. It was very peculiar.
A powerful gust of grey wind blew in from the distance at that exact moment. The wind was so strong that it blotted out the sky and covered the earth. Everything within his field of vision was all blanketed by the wind including the ball of light.
The glowing sphere began to flicker rapidly. Every time it did so, its energy would shake violently as fine cracks began to form. It seemed like the ball of light was about to shatter after being engulfed by the wind.
However, something odd suddenly happened upon the orb’s surface. Two shadows, one green, and the other purple, manifested and fused together, forming a peculiar halo. This white halo covered the entire ball, while the cracks healed and the ball shrank once again. Everything on its inside gradually blurred, but it did not break.
The terrifying wind rolled on as it rattled the colorful ball of light, shaking it continuously. The ball merged with the grey wind before it blew into the distance.
For some reason, sorrow arose from the deep within of Tang Wulin’s heart at this point. At that point, what he wanted most was to let out a scream and grab the ball of light.
In a blink, he saw three speckles of light just out of the corner of his eye. Two of them were purple and green, only that these two light speckles were much weaker when compared to the purple and green lights that guarded the ball of light earlier. The light speckles collided into each other and gradually became clearer to Yang Wulin’s eyes.
They were two figures, but they resembled phantoms. He could vaguely tell that the purple figure seemed to be a man, while the green one was a
woman. They were attempting to hold on to each other, but they failed to do so.
Finally, the purple figure disintegrated during the next collision and transformed into countless bits of purple fragments that scattered
everywhere. The other green figure seemed to scream out in sorrow as she disintegrated as well. Sparks of green radiance shot out and found those purple fragments and transformed into rings of green energy that entwined like vines around the purple fragments before flying away.
A third spark turned clearer at this time as well. It was a ball of golden light. Tang Wulin felt his heartbeat quicken as it filled with intense anguish and grief when he witnessed the scene unfold.
That golden radiance swiftly enlarged before him. In the next moment, the entire scene vanished completely. Tang Wulin’s body was trembling, and he was quite shaken mentally. It took him a long while to get back to his normal self.
He lost count of how long it had taken for him to recover. Life and destruction. This was precisely what life and destruction felt like.
The purple seemed to represent destruction while green represented life, so what was the golden radiance representing?
What was the ball of light being protected by destruction and creation?
Even though it had only been a short period of time, it felt like a century had passed for Tang Wulin.
He could clearly feel that something had been added to his mind, yet he could not manage to grasp it and figure out what had actually happened.
He exhaled and slowly opened his eyes. It was only then that Tang Wulin was astonished to see that glowing halos of green and purple had
surrounded his body and were slowly dissipating.
His body remained unaltered, and he did not feel any different. However, there was a wonderful feeling in his heart. He focused his attention and discovered in that there was something else added to the middle of his recently formed soul power vortex.
There were two tiny spots of light, one green, and the other purple. They were revolving around each other, slowly spinning.
Tang Wulin tried to sense what they were, but his spirit became confused the instant his consciousness approached the green and purple specks. He could not perceive anything clearly.
His perception soon recovered, and he could still see those two light spots.
Was this…brought by life and destruction? Then, why had they entered his body? Was it not crowded enough with the Golden Dragon King Bloodline and the Mysterious Heaven Method soul power already in there? More importantly, Tang Wulin could not confirm if the addition of this energy to his body was a boon or a bane.
Speechless, Tang Wulin shook his head slightly, then he opened his eyes once again.
“Oh. All of you…” He was startled this time, because seven pairs of eyes were glaring at him in bewilderment from all around, staring attentively.
Other than the six old demons he was acquainted with, there was also one more standing right in front of him now.
“The Life Tide and the Destruction Tide appeared simultaneously, and it was you that triggered it. Tell me at once, what did you actually do?” the old man asked anxiously.
Chapter 846 - Love In My Heart
Chapter 846: Love In My Heart
Tang Wulin was thoroughly confused when he said, “I didn’t do anything! I was only meditating. I don’t know what happened either.” He was genuinely unaware of the events. He did not even plan to inform them about what he had seen earlier either.
“Tell us about the process,” Old Demon Blight spoke.
Tang Wulin’s lips cracked into a cold smile. “Release me and my companions, and then maybe I’ll consider telling you a little.”
The old demons were stunned for a moment. The fat elder spoke in a rage, “Brat, have you lost your mind?! Do you not know how to respect your
seniors?”
Tang Wulin chuckled. “Respect my seniors? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you must be Old Demon Sloth, right?”
The group of old demons wwastaken aback by his words. The looks on their faces as they stared at Tang Wulin changed as well.
Old Demon Sloth spoke incredulously, “How did you know?”
Tang Wulin smiled triumphantly. “I made a guess. It seems like my guess is correct, huh?”
Tang Wulin spoke, “How can I not figure things out after I was under your influence for so many days? Please allow me to explain it for all of you.
Ever since I was tormented in the beginning, especially by Old Demon Lust, I should have already passed the worst hardships. You told me before that all of you had once been the Shrek Seven Monsters. I didn’t completely believe it, but I did take note of the number. Seven Monsters so, of course, there must be seven people. Five had already turned into Old Demons, so the other two should be no exception.”
Tang Wulin continued to speak as he stared at the fat old man, “Five Old Demons tormented us, while you’re the sixth to appear. There’s no doubt that you’re an Old Demon too, yet you refused to reveal your title.
Naturally, I had some suspicions. On the other hand, your story was logical, so I judged that the whole thing must have been true. You were all genuinely testing us while cultivating us at the same time. My guess was
confirmed in the following months when all of you began to teach me so many new things, and I genuinely learned a lot. However, I never let my guard down.
“The first five Old Demons were joyously testing us with torture. Could it be that the sixth Demon would go easy on us? I couldn’t confirm everything before I meditated. After all, you were each so good to me during those few months that I no longer felt hostile anymore. It wasn’t until just now when I opened my eyes and saw all seven of you, seven Old Demons, that I
abandoned all doubts that my guess was correct. There are genuinely seven of you. Given that, there had to be a reason for everything that Old Demon Sloth was doing before.
“The reason was that all of you were trying to numb me. The knowledge passed down to me was real, the story was real, so the only question was your identity. You’re Old Demon Sloth, and everything that all of you were doing before was to make me complacent. In the end, when I finished learning and had gotten used to being lethargic, I would be completely at
ease and, naturally, I’d be less vigilant. With that in mind, all of you provided me with the most comfortable living environment, the best food and an excuse to wait for my companions. All of this were meant to make
me lazy. Perhaps all of you are hoping to see if I can still maintain my focus and continue to cultivate persistently under such circumstances. Am I right, Senior Old Demon Sloth?”
The group of old demons’ expressions were rather peculiar as they listened to Tang Wulin’s detailed analysis. Of course, Old Demon Sloth’s expression was the most unpleasant of all. “That’s impossible. I had already sensed that your spirit was completely relaxed at the time, so was your entire person. Even the most diligent person can’t stay focused after a year of torment and learning,” Old Demon Sloth said in exasperation.
Tang Wulin shrugged. “You’re right. I was genuinely relaxed at the time, because, I’m afraid, my spirit couldn’t handle much more if I didn’t let off
some steam. However, I wasn’t worried about becoming lazy no matter how easy I was taking it. That’s because in my heart, there’s always something guiding me so that I dare not slacken.”
Old Demon Sloth was stunned. “What’s that?”
Tang Wulin looked toward Old Demon Lust. “Senior Lust should know that. There’s love in my heart! I must grow more powerful for the one I love, so I’ll be able to protect her. Thus, I can rest but only because I want to cultivate even better. As a result, I began to meditate. It seems like my guess was pretty accurate judging by the situation now. Many thanks for all the cultivation you’ve given me throughout this time. I wonder how I am going to be tested by the final senior Old Demon?”
His gaze fell upon the old demon standing before him which he had never met before with a faint smile on his face.
The old man smiled as he clapped his hands gently for Tang Wulin. “Very good. The academy made the right choice. A hero is nothing but a product of his time. Our Shrek produces great talents, as expected, right when the continent is about to go through some difficult moments. I’m highly gratified. I’m Greed. You can call me Old Demon Greed.”
Old Demon Greed! There were seven Old Demons as predicted. Moreover, these seven demons were more or less related to the seven deadly sins.
“So what are you going to test me on?” Tang Wulin asked.
Old Demon Greed smiled. “There’s no need for that anymore. You’ve passed. You have a positive attitude, vigilance and an intelligent mind. Everything else that follows is already meaningless to you. Your Demon Island’s special training has ended. Congratulations, your results put you at the top of the list. In the past five centuries, you’re the most outstanding.”
Tang Wulin did not bother to ask about the person more outstanding than him five centuries ago. He became less tense after that.
Old Demon Greed spoke in all apparent seriousness, “However, we need you to tell us about the change in your body earlier that triggered the life
and destruction tides simultaneously. We were baffled enough when the life tide began earlier, but it was utterly astonishing when the destruction tide
appeared at the same time. The change can very possibly affect all the islands on Demon Archipelago. Thus, we need to know the truth.”
Tang Wulin sighed. “I’m sorry, seniors. Thanks to all your ‘positive’ training, I’ve learned not to trust anyone too soon. Because of this, I’m not sure if you’re speaking the truth right now, so I can’t tell you anything.”
Old Demon Greed was rendered speechless, along with the entire group of old demons. They felt like they had lifted a rock only to drop it on their feet.
Old Demon Blight spoke, “So how can we convince you to tell us?”
Tang Wulin spoke, “I’ll tell you the moment my companions and I leave this place safely. Frankly, I don’t know if I’m in a dream or reality now, because there have been too many experiences here that felt unreal.”
Old Demon Nightmare raised his brows. “Not bad. You’re actually capable of observing that. So, alright, you’ll be awakened from your dream first.”
He waved his hand at Tang Wulin as he spoke. All of a sudden, dizziness overwhelmed Tang Wulin, and he watched as his surroundings changed rapidly. The house had vanished, and the comfortable environment disappeared. After recovering from the nausea, he discovered that he was on firm ground. He was standing right at the same place in the mountain valley where he had arrived at the beginning. He saw his companions nearby. Ye Xinglan, Yuanen Yehui, Xu Lizhi, Yue Zhengu, Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie were all there, but they were each doing different actions. Some of them
were leaping about while some of them were sitting cross legged with different expressions on their faces.
“Are they immersed in an illusion?” Tang Wulin asked in surprise.
Old Demon Nightmare spoke, “It can be real and it can be an illusion. What is reality and what isn’t?”
Chapter 847 - Time To Leave
Chapter 847: Time To Leave
Tang Wulin took a close look with his inner eye and immediately discovered that the soul power vortex in his body was still there with the two green and purple light spots. All that he had learned was deeply seared into his mind as well.
The illusion was so dreadful that he had managed to live in it for over a year.
“Time in the illusion moves at one-fourth the speed of the outside world, thus you’ve only been here for just over three months,” Old Demon Greed spoke.
“Your companions have yet to complete all the trials, so they’ll still need more time. I should let you know that it’s not good for them to end the training before they finish all the tests. They’ll need to experience the full process and rebuild their mental state. For example, that brat over there.” Old Demon Nightmare pointed to Yue Zhengyu.
Tang Wulin immediately recalled Yue Zhengyu’s tragic encounter. He looked at the seven old demons surrounding him and felt like he could really trust them now.
“Alright, I’ll tell all of you. Firstly, I really don’t know how the so-called life tide and destruction tide are triggered. During the end of my meditation, I felt that the life force surrounding my body suddenly became intense, and then I began to see a bizarre scene.”
Tang Wulin went on to relate what he had witnessed in the illusion. During the explanation, he hid the fact that after everything had happened, the two sparks of light had appeared in his soul power vortex. Deep down, he was still on his guard, so naturally, he would not be revealing all that took place. However, he described what he had seen in the hope that the Old Demons could help him analyze it. They understood life and destruction energy more than anybody else, so their analysis was undoubtedly the most dependable.
The seven Old Demons all frowned upon hearing Tang Wulin’s description. They seemed to be pondering very deeply.
“There’s no doubt that purple should be destruction while green represents life. In other words, it’s highly possible that you saw the projections of the Life Goddess and the Destruction God in your vision. On the other hand, there’s only one place that they could be guarding, and that must be the
Divine Realm. Perhaps, what you saw is precisely why we can’t sense the Divine Realm anymore. This is truly of the utmost importance. I’ll be recording your description in detail and sending it to the Sea God’s Pavilion after you’ve returned for the Pavilion Master’s perusal,” Old Demon Greed spoke with all apparent seriousness.
“Sure.” Tang Wulin nodded immediately.
Old Demon Greed said, “However, I still don’t know why you are triggering these events. Did you feel anything else at the time? How about the golden spark of light?”
Tang Wulin answered, “I don’t know either. It was just when I saw that golden light spot, I felt as if I was experiencing emotional turmoil. It was a pang of sadness as though I had encountered some heartbreaking event. It was a little like when my parents suddenly left years ago.”
Old Demon Greed nodded ever so slightly, “This is unprecedented and also very difficult to analyze. Alright, you should continue to meditate and see if you can enter that state once again. Sense the illusion while waiting for your companions here. However, you can’t return to Nightmare’s illusion once you’re out, so just wait at this spot.”
“Sure,” Tang Wulin answered immediately, then he looked toward Old
Demon Devour. “Is the scrumptious food of yours real? Do you still have some?”
“No, no. I’m running out of food because of you, brat. Do you know how much you ate? The life force here is so thick, there’s utterly no need to eat. Cultivate by yourself. Go!” Old Demon Devour spoke with fury before he vanished into thin air.
Tang Wulin turned and faced Old Demon Sloth. His countenance had remained unpleasant the whole time. He flung his sleeves once before he turned around and disappeared.
Old Demon Lust chuckled. “Sloth is badly rattled by the blow this time. Your companions are truly piteous. They’ll certainly infuriate him. Greed, are you truly not planning to give him a test? You’re the most incisive one amongst us.”
Old Demon Greed shook his head. “There’s no need for it anymore. Unless I can erase a part of his memories, it wouldn’t be very effective. I doubt this young lad would be blinded by greed.”
Meanwhile, Tang Wulin thought to himself, ‘My main vice is indeed greed! I’ve loved money ever since I was young.’
The old demons left in succession leaving Tang Wulin by himself. His
companions were still doing various things. At long last, Tang Wulin was relieved to find that his companions were safe and sound. He did not know what else he could do other than continuing his meditation. At the same time, he wished to learn the purpose of those purple and green sparks in his body.
However, it was easier said than done. He did not manage to enter deep meditation anymore, and he could not sense the two sparks’ function despite repeated attempts.
His soul power was cultivating normally, his soul power vortex was spinning as usual, but it was as if the green and purple sparks were
completely unrelated to Tang Wulin. There was no way for the energy in his body to affect the two specks of light. One month in real time, which was equal to four months in Old Demon
Nightmare’s illusion, passed quickly. The remaining six of the Shrek Seven Monsters all ended their nightmarish journeys in turn.
The second person to end Old Demon Nightmare’s illusion was Ye Xinglan, followed by Yuanen Yehui, Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan.
Yue Zhengyu was the last person.
When his companions learned about Yue Zhengyu’s encounter through Tang Wulin’s description, Xu Xiaoyan’s face was blushing for a full two
days, while the rest of them could not laugh about it either. They were still terrified. These Old Demons were truly too frightening. They had already achieved perfection with their test of humanity.
Tang Wulin was feeling a little odd as he looked at his companions. Even though it had only been just over four months here, less than two years in the illusion, everyone seemed to have grown so much from the experience. There was no doubt that this would be the most unforgettable trip of their lives.
Yue Zhengyu finally woke up seven days later.
His body shuddered a little before his gaze turned crystal clear. The first person he saw was Xu Xiaoyan.
Yue Zhengyu’s lips twitched as he sat onto the ground. “Xiaoyan, I’ve let you down.” Tears streamed down his face almost instantly.
The group of people had strange looks on their faces. Xu Xiaoyan hastily dashed forward and hugged him. She patted his back gently. “It’s over.
Everything is over now. You didn’t do anything wrong, nothing.”
It took more than half an hour before Yue Zhengyu gradually recovered. He could not help clenching his teeth in hatred when Old Demon Lust was mentioned. “All of you should leave.” The seven Old Demons appeared before
everybody with a burst of shadow. Their expressions were all different, and they each held a unique posture. Other than Tang Wulin, everybody else
could not help feeling fearful upon seeing the entire group of them.
Yes! Their ordeal here was truly horrifying, and they were tormented far too much.
Old Demon Greed smiled. “I trust that all of you will always remember everything you’ve felt over here. Congratulations, all seven of you have
officially graduated. You’ve managed to endure until the end, and that’s no easy task. As the new generation of Shrek Seven Monsters, all of you deserve the title. Now, you’re about to carry out your final test. No one is
sending you back. You must depend on your own strength. I should also remind all of you that the events that follow are no longer illusions. You’ll need to face the Northsea Army Corps on your own. Of course, the aircraft you stole in the illusion earlier isn’t fake either. At least I can confirm that the military officers in your illusion absolutely loathe all of you to their very bones. Alright, you’re free to leave at anytime.
Chapter 848 - Shen Xing’s Nightmare
Chapter 848: Shen Xing’s Nightmare
Yue Zhengyu, Xu Lizhi, Xie Xie, Yuanen Yehui, Ye Xinglan, Xu Xiaoyan were all relieved. Was it finally time to go? It had taken two whole years! They had had enough of this place.
Tang Wulin looked at the group of old demons before him. For some reason, he saw loneliness in their eyes.
“Seniors, are all of you stuck on the Demon Island forever? Is there no other way for you to leave this place? Or is there any way that I can help you?”
Old Demon Greed shook his head while Old Demon Blight chuckled. “I
appreciate your kindness. Our existence is nothing but energy. Without the protection of the destruction and life energy, we’ll end up as scattered souls immediately when we leave this place. Even though we’re so lonely here, the circumstances allow us to have long lives. There are both pros and cons. In the future, if you’re willing, you can come back and visit us. Of course, you can always return to relive your experiences here if that is what you desire…”
“Captain, let’s go quickly!” Yue Zhengyu pulled at Tang Wulin.
The corners of Tang Wulin’s lips twitched, then he suddenly shouted. “Shrek Seven Monsters, stand at attention.”
The remaining six immediate stood upright alongside him. Tang Wulin spoke solemnly, “Salute!”
…
“Oh!” Shen Xing sat up from the bed, panting heavily. She had already lost count of how many times nightmares awakened her in the past few months.
The dream felt so real. She was only performing her routine inspection at the fixed soul ammunition warehouse when she encountered a situation that was completely beyond her expectations. The man’s face was crystal clear in her mind. He held her as a hostage to threaten her sister. She was brought up to the Skywing F-17, and in the end, that bastard ejected her straight out of the aircraft.
The nightmare ended with the intense weightlessness one felt when falling from high altitude. Shen Xing still clearly remembered that she lost control of her bladder the first time when she had awakened from this nightmare.
That was truly unacceptable.
The perpetrator was real. He was once detained by the army corps with his companions, and afterward, they escaped by actually hijacking an aircraft. Even so, these incidents were all completely unrelated to her! She did not have any contact with him at that point, so why was she having the nightmare.
It was even stranger that her sister was having the same nightmare, identical to Shen Xing’s.
‘Damn it, damn it! Get the hell out of my dreams!’
Feeling jittery, Shen Xing gave her mattress two strong punches.
She turned over and got dressed in her military uniform before walking over to the mirror. Dark circles had formed under eyes due to poor sleep.
Her training during the day was already tough, so it had become a habit for her to sleep as soon as she had returned. These days, even sleep had become so arduous for her. She had no choice but to spend more time meditating.
Shen Xing made the decision to get some fresh air outside. She would meditate after she came back, and at least she would not be dreaming during meditation. If the bastard knew what was good for him, he would never come back from the Demon Island. If he did, she would certainly teach him a good lesson, in exchange for all the nightmares.
Shen Xing walked out of the dormitory as she strolled around the base aimlessly. Even though she did not have a high rank, but she had an
extremely important inspectorate duty. The patrolling soldiers would immediately salute her when she passed by.
The Northsea Army Corps was located near the ocean. The sea breeze made the night feel cool and refreshing, and Shen Xing felt slightly less worried.
“Huh? How did I come here?” She was surprised to find that she had walked all the way to the warehouse from her dreams without even noticing.
It was the actual spot that was used to store fixed soul ammunitions.
Shen Xing frowned. “Darn it.” She turned around and was about to leave when she paused.
‘It would be better to take a look. Perhaps it’ll be a weight off my shoulders if I were to take a look at the location of my dream. Otherwise, it’s truly
agonizing not being able to distinguish between dream and reality.’
At that point, she walked into the warehouse of her own accord. She used her high-ranking access pass to use the elevator and quickly arrived underground.
The soldiers on duty saluted her in succession upon seeing her. They gazed at her respectfully all the way to the warehouse.
“Staff officer Shen, are you still inspecting at this time?” the major in charge of warehouse management smiled as he asked her.
Even though Shen Xing was beautiful, he dared not have any improper thoughts for she was the high-ranking regimental commander’s sister. It was said that she would soon be recalled to headquarters for another assignment.
“Hmm, I’m here to take a look.” Shen Xing nodded in all apparent seriousness.
“Sure. Come, open the door.”
Such an important warehouse used for fixed soul ammunition required three keys and a specific passcode to unlock the door. Two lieutenants holding the keys were called upon by the major, in addition to the passcode and Shen Xing’s iris scan before the door slowly opened.
A warehouse storing so much fixed soul ammunition naturally possessed an atmosphere that felt quite ominous. Although there was no hyper strategic type fixed soul ammunitions here, but the value of the ones they had was
enormous. It was one of the most important warehouses of the Northsea Army Corps.
She walked into the warehouse and felt the familiarity of her dream arise spontaneously. Shen Xing’s feeling of familiarity with this place was
especially intense because she had been dreaming about it every night.
She Xing looked at the ammammunition her surroundings absentmindedly upon walking inside the warehouse. All of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks. “There should be four rank-5 fixed soul ammunitions here. Why are they missing? Show me the warehouse records.”
The spot where she stopped happened to be a shelf with a tidy arrangement of ammunition on it. However, there should have been an additional four fixed soul ammunitions, according to Shen Xing’s memories. She could
clearly remember that the bastard who had held her hostage had once hidden here for a moment in her dreams. Thus, she had an especially vivid memory of this.
However, she immediately regretted asking just before she had done so,
seeing that it was just a dream! She was actually inquiring in real life about her nightmares. This was truly… Even so, there was no answer forthcoming. Shen Xing turned around to look at the major in charge of the warehouse and saw shock flash past his eyes.
‘How can she know that there should be four rank-5 fixed soul
ammunitions over here? This is impossible! It has been a few months since her last visit here.’
The classifications and ranks of fixed soul ammunitions followed extremely strict storage rules, so its positions could not be changed simply unless it
was used for service.
“I’m talking to you.” the highly intelligent Shen Xing could immediately sense a problem. She spoke quickly while her voice was turning stern.
The major immediately smiled apologetically and said, “The ammunitions were used for service. Please wait for a moment for the warehouse records. I’ll get them it now.”
Shen Xing commanded, “Bring it to me stat.”
The major hastily nodded repeatedly. “Please hold on. I’m going now.” He turned around as he was speaking and exchanged glances with his two lieutenants.
The three of them walked toward the outside in quick strides.
“Why is everyone leaving? One person will do,” Shen Xing shouted.
“Yes.” The major stopped walking. When he turned around again, there was a flash of light. Shen Xing shuddered as an intense numbness instantly
spread through every part of her body. She slowly slumped down to the floor.
Her eyes widened as she could not believe that the situation before her was really happening.
A person capable of becoming a fixed soul ammunition warehouse
supervisor would have had to pass through strict vetting, but there was no doubt that something had gone wrong with this man and his two lieutenants.
The major’s expression turned slightly ferocious as he walked to Shen Xing and pulled off the communicator on her chest. He did it so forcefully such that he tore off the top two buttons on Shen Xing’s military uniform.
As the buttons hit the ground, the snowy white complexion of her chest was revealed, but her entire body was so numb that she could not even shout.
The warehouse supervisor was breathing rapidly. “Why, why do you have to remember so clearly? Even I can’t possibly remember how many
ammunitions there are on each shelf.”
Shen Xing could not speak, but only glared at him with a fierce gaze.
The warehouse supervisor spoke with a disappointed expression, “I didn’t wish for this to happen either. I know that it’s a serious offense to resell fixed soul ammunitions, but I had no choice. They took my family. My son is still in their hands. I’m completely helpless, and I have no other options. I’ll definitely have to take you as well, seeing that you’re the general’s biological sister. I suspect that you’ll surely be of great value to them, so it should be to my benefit. Help Staff Officer Shen to stand up. We must leave now. Thank god it’s still night time. Notify our escape route to make the preparations. We depart immediately.”
Chapter 849 - It's Him Again
Chapter 849: It’s Him Again
The warehouse supervisor regained his composure. He grabbed Shen Xing and pulled her up from the ground.
It was at this moment that the warehouse supervisor suddenly stumbled. He felt as if something was lifted from underneath his feet. He staggered to the side together with Shen Xing.
Then, the major and his two lieutenants watched in bewilderment as a metal brick on the warehouse floor slowly rose up as a figure stepped out from underneath.
The first thing that appeared was his pair of shimmering golden arms
covered in diamond-shaped scales. The thick and heavy metal brick felt like nothing in his hands and was pushed aside easily. With a flash, he had
already leaped from the ground.
Under normal circumstances, the warehouse supervisor would immediately activate the alarm system, but his secret had just been discovered by Shen Xin. He would not dare to sound the alarm this time!
“Who are you?!” the supervisor shouted softly while firing the stun ray in his hand at the golden figure.
The stun ray accurately struck the intruder’s crossed arms. The golden
scales were emitting faint halos after being shot by the stun ray. The figure flung out his hands and muttered to himself, “It tickles a little!”
Soon after, an aura of indescribably terrifying domination burst out from the intruder’s body. The warehouse supervisor felt as if he was not confronting a man but a monstrous beast, and his blood ran cold. Streams of shadows scurried out from the hole in the ground. The warehouse supervisor blacked out and lost consciousness.
Tang Wulin looked at Shen Xing lying on the ground in astonishment.
Even though it had already been so long since his time within the illusion, he could still recognize the staff officer he had held hostage in the dream instantly.
This was truly a small world! He did not expect that he would meet her so soon after leaving the Demon Island and sneaking into this place as he had done before.
Tang Wulin had conversed with his companions when they were leaving the Demon Island, and they had decided that the best method for them to enter was through the underground tunnel he had dug. After all, they would not be discovered easily, and it was much easier to leave from the inside of the Northsea Army Corps. Moreover, they combined everyone’s experience of infiltrating the Corps from their nightmares, and they could roughly
estimate that the warehouse was closest to the mainland. Their escape would be shortest from the Northsea Army Corps’ range.
They also had one more advantage and that was that they did not fear being captured at all.
Their training on the Demon Island had ended.
They did not mind being delayed. They had genuinely flown a Skywing F- 17 from this place back in the beginning, but it was the only one that was real. The rest were all simulated by Old Demon Nightmare in their dreams. They had committed a major offense, but the military would not be doing anything to them because of their identity as the Shrek Seven Monsters. At the worst they would only notify the academy.
Hence, allowing themselves to be caught after crossing the sea and then fabricating a believable story would get them home free as well. However, that approach would have taken more time. Their individual personalities would not allow them to return to the
academy in defeat. If they were to do that, what was the point of their many days of torment on the Demon Island? They had learned a great deal, so now they had to apply it in the real world.
Even so, they did not expect to get caught up in such an incident as soon as they exited the tunnel.
Tang Wulin had already heard about some of the things that were going on while he was still underground, which was why he made his appearance at such a crucial moment.
He saw the same Staff Officer Shen Xing he once abducted in his dream, and it felt a bit odd. At the same time, he could not help admiring Old
Demon Nightmare. Though he was just a soul, Nightmare’s spiritual power was so great that he could exercise such control over the entire Northsea
Army Corps. Given his spiritual rank, he could certainly topple the entire Army Corps with ease!
Shen Xing was staring at Tang Wulin in shock because she simply could not believe her eyes at all. When her entire body was completely numb, and she heard that the warehouse supervisor was about to abduct her and send her to an unknown enemy, she felt like she was going to have an emotional breakdown. Of course, she was well aware of how terrifying it was to be nabbed by the enemy and used as a hostage to threaten her sister. It was not only a disaster for herself but for her entire clan.
Her sister once compromised herself when she was Tang Wulin’s hostage in the nightmare. In reality, she believed that her sister would do anything for her. The bond between sisters was that strong.
The sisters grew up together from childhood, and they had an exceedingly close relationship. She understood that her sister was definitely someone that prioritized relationships over reason. The sister was more sensible at that crucial moment.
Nevertheless, it would be catastrophic for her clan if her sister were to
commit such an offense for her. Thus, she wished that she could just die at that moment, rather than being snatched away by Major Chen, the warehouse supervisor.
There was always a savior figure in every young woman’s heart, especially when she was in distress. Who would not wish that a hero would suddenly arrive to save her? It had never occurred to Shen Xing that the person who came forward to save her, would be the same one she wished to cut into a million pieces, the one who had tormented her for a few months in her dreams.
“It seems like your situation is not looking that good, huh?!” Tang Wulin cracked a smile as he looked at Shen Xing.
Shen Xing stared at him with a nervous expression. She loathed Tang Wulin, but it was just a dream after all. Moreover, she was well aware of the identities of all these youths before her. What a coincidence. How did they
appear in the warehouse right at this moment? Could it be that she was still dreaming now?
Tang Wulin looked at his companions and said, “Remove their clothes and begin.”
‘Remove…remove their clothes?’
Shen Xing’s charming face turned ghastly pale instantly. ‘What are they going to do? They, they…’
The despair on her face that had faded earlier reappeared. ‘Am I jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire?’
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie and Yue Zhengyu dragged the warehouse supervisor and the two lieutenants aside and removed their clothes rapidly. Yuanen Yehui and Xu Xiaoyan blocked Shen Xing from view, while Ye Xinglan began to remove her clothes.
Shen Xing was completely stunned. She watched helplessly as her clothes were swiftly stripped off, her mind thoroughly befuddled. Ye Xinglan made a rough comparison of her shape and size and found that they were quite similar in height and body type.
Ye Xinglan removed her clothes rapidly with Xu Xiaoyan and Yuanen
Yehui shielding them. She changed into Shen Xing’s uniform then put her clothes on Shen Xing.
“Don’t worry. We’re only borrowing your clothes for a while. You got shot by a stun ray, so it’ll only take twenty minutes more at most to return to normal. You can deal with those scoundrels by yourself by then.” Ye
Xinglan patted Shen Xing’s shoulder and stood up.
She then began to rub her face gently, looking at Shen Xing occasionally while doing so. Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoyan stood behind her and began to do up Ye Xinglan’s hair, which happened to be the same color as Shen Xing’s. Soon, Ye Xinglan had the exact same hairstyle as Shen Xing.
When Yuanen Yehui brought the cap over and put it on Ye Xinglan, she had already relaxed her hand. Shen Xing was staring in confusion at this other person standing before her that looked like a duplicate of herself. She really was exactly the same. It felt like she was looking at her reflection in a mirror.
What…
“Done?” Tang Wulin’s voice echoed.
“Done. We’re still missing three sets of clothes,” Yuanen Yehui said to him.
Shen Xing’s eyes rolled to the side as she glimpsed three people walking over, dressed in military uniforms. They looked like the warehouse
supervisor, Major Chen, and his two lieutenants.
Chapter 850 - Breakaway, Return
Chapter 850: Breakaway, Return
Tang Wulin’s voice came out of Major Chen’s mouth. “It’s my first time using this, so I’m not very used to it, especially the skeletal change, but I think I’ll be fine once I’ve adapted. Xie Xie, go and summon a few people. Remember to look for someone slightly fatter, or else it won’t be easy to disguise Lizhi.”
“Sure!”
Xie Xie turned around and walked out of the warehouse door as he spoke to the three nearby soldiers on patrol duty just outside, “You, you and you. All three of you come in and assist in taking inventory.”
The following procedure was even easier. Soon, there were Major Chen, Staff Officer Shen, two lieutenants and three soldiers standing inside the warehouse.
On the other hand, there were seven identical people lying on the ground. They appeared exactly the same on the surface, at least.
Tang Wulin squatted next to Shen Xing. “You’ve witnessed so many secrets of ours. Should we kill you to prevent them from being shared?”
Shen Xing’s eyes rolled about because she could not speak nor move, but the terror in her face was very obvious.
Tang Wulin burst out laughing. “I’m joking. Let’s go. See you again if
we’re destined. That warehouse supervisor won’t be waking up for a day. You can deal with him by yourself when you’ve recovered. Consider our aircraft theft incident forgotten now that we’ve helped the Northsea Army Corps clear out some double-agents this time around. Go!” With that, Tang Wulin stood up and gestured ‘please’ to Ye Xinglan by his side. Seven people filed out of the warehouse.
Ye Xinglan had already mastered Shen Xing’s mannerisms within a short period of time. She puffed up her chest and raised her head. There was
arrogance on her charming face as she marched in great strides toward the exterior.
They got out of the warehouse and closed the door. Of course, this was mainly for stealth, because no one really understood the operation of such a complicated door.
Tang Wulin followed by her side and spoke with an apologetic smile on his face, “Staff Officer Shen, don’t be angry. It’s genuinely quite chaotic in the warehouse this time, but I’ll make sure they rectify this and shape up immediately. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine soon.”
Ye Xinglan snorted dismissively. “I’ll be reporting this incident, as it is. It’s best that you settle everything before the higher-ups dispatch an investigation unit. Otherwise, you will have to face the consequences.”
“Yes, yes!” Tang Wulin agreed repeatedly. The group had already arrived at the elevator while they were talking.
“All of you stay back. There’s no need to accompany me,” Ye Xinglan spoke with intention.
Tang Wulin hastily replied, “How can I do that? We’ll escort you up. Staff Officer Shen, please help to put in a few good words for me with the regimental officer!”
They were passing by a lot of soldiers, but their conversation was carried out flawlessly. Even their voices sounded exactly the same as Major Chen and Shen Xing.
The seven Old Demons not only taught them a few simple tricks but also some in-depth skills such as changing one’s body shape, speech pattern,
behavior and voice. All these skills were not difficult under the influence of adequate soul power. It was quite an agonizing training process, but what was it when compared to being tormented by the Old Demons?
“Ding!” The elevator door opened as Tang Wulin continued making a pleading gesture to Ye Xinglan. Her head held high, she was the first person to step into the elevator, while Tang Wulin and the rest followed behind
closely.
The elevator door closed and ascended swiftly.
No one spoke anymore during the entire process because there was a
surveillance camera in the elevator. It was better for them not to speak than say too much and have a slip of the tongue.
Soon, the elevator sent them back to ground level. They got out of the
warehouse with ease by relying on their access pass. Tang Wulin gave Ye Xinglan a look as they made a rough identification of the direction, then moved together swiftly.
They walked into a darkened corner before Tang Wulin pointed to a military vehicle nearby. It seemed like it had just driven over for a patrol and was coming in their direction.
Ye Xinglan spoke, “I’ll go.”
“Together.” Tang Wulin made a hand gesture.
The seven of them advanced swiftly with Ye Xinglan at the front. She removed the officer badge displayed on her chest. “Stop the car.”
The epaulet on Shen Xing’s shoulder and her extreme popularity in the Northsea Army Corps were her most identifiable features. She was the beloved, beautiful officer known for being the rose of the military. Of course, the lieutenant and the soldiers driving the car recognized her.
The vehicle quickly stopped as he jumped down from the car and saluted Ye Xinglan. “Staff Officer Shen.” Ye Xinglan spoke with a deep voice, “We’re attending to an urgent task on the outside. I require the use of your military vehicle temporary. Hand over the car immediately.
“Yes!” the lieutenant answered without the slightest hesitation.
Another major in her place would have been questioned before the military vehicle was handed over, but Shen Xing was the regimental officer’s sister and also the target of many low-ranking military officers’ affections. The opportunity for him to express himself like this did not come often, so he
agreed without the slightest hesitation.
The soldiers in the military vehicle swiftly got down from the car. Ye Xinglan made a hand gesture at Tang Wulin to which he nodded in
response. The group gradually boarded the car. Xie Xie was in charge of driving, Ye Xinglan got into the front passenger seat, while Tang Wulin and the rest sat behind.
No one said anything else to the soldiers. Xie xie controlled the steering wheel skillfully as he turned the car on the spot and drove straight for
Northsea Army Corps’ entrance door at full speed.
Her lashes fluttered. Shen Xing could finally blink her eyes and gradually move her fingers as well. The numbness on her body was fading quickly.
She inhaled a deep breath with great effort as she urged the soul power in her body to circulate her bloodline, dispersing the numbness rapidly.
She struggled in an attempt to sit up on the ground. She then saw Major Chen with his two lieutenants and three other soldiers that were stripped naked nearby. She could not help having a mix of emotions at once.
The crisis was considered managed, but at the same time, she was overwhelmed by many different feelings. It had never occurred to her that the man in her nightmares would save her life.
A piercing siren echoed through the entire warehouse at once. Soon after, it spread out to the entire Northsea Army Corps base. The fixed soul ammunition warehouse was a vital location for the military. The internal warning system was the most cutting-edge available, but Shen Xing was well aware that those youths would have already escaped after
such a long time.
Of course, Tang Wulin and his companions had left.
They had gained victory without bloodshed for they had managed to leave the place without a battle of any kind. They had already departed from the Northsea Army Corps in the military vehicle as they drove at full speed on the highway heading away from Northsea City.
He could not help feeling that the military vehicle’s specifications were much better than a civilian vehicle. Not only was the car equipped with an advanced navigation system, but its acceleration was also extremely impressive. Xie Xie pushed the military vehicle to maximum velocity.
“It’s almost time. Be prepared to abandon the vehicle. Drive the car to a concealed spot,” Tang Wulin spoke to Xie Xie.
Xie Xie replied with slightly unwillingly, “The car is great. It would be nice if I could drive it all the way back.”
Yuanen Yehui spoke with an unpleasant tone, “Are you out of your mind? You’ll get a taste of the military’s mecha squad when they come and shoot us with missiles later. Quick, leave the highway and look for a spot for us to stop.”
Xie Xie took the next exit and headed toward a small town. He drove the vehicle into a forest. The group hastily got out and dashed wildly into the darkness according to the position which Tang Wulin found on the navigation system earlier. They ran straight to their destination.
Their target was simple. It was also a place that Tang Wulin and his companions were not keen to go. It was the soul train station.
It was impossible for them to distance themselves away from the Northsea Army Corps without some means of transportation. Tang Wulin had no doubt that Northsea Army Corps would soon close the nearby borders. They could not continue their journey with the military vehicle either. Thus, the best method was to use some mode of public transport to travel, and the soul train was the fastest one. Therefore, they had no other choice.
As they ran, they removed the disguises on their faces. One of them purchased a few sets of clothing from a shop close to the soul train station. They removed their military uniforms and changed into casual wear, while also altering their appearances briefly. Only then did they enter the soul
express train.
The seven of them bought their tickets separately on the first train available. They walked separately, gathering together only when they reached the platform.
The platform was slightly old and unsophisticated because it was a stopover station. It did not even have a roof. The night wind felt slightly cool and refreshing.
Tang Wulin had his hands in his pockets as he stood there. There was only the few of them on the deserted platform, all in a similar state.
“Big brother, do you know that I feel like I’ve finally survived something? We’re not still in a nightmare, right?” Xie Xie suddenly asked Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin gave a bitter smile and answered, “I don’t know.”
The torment on the Demon Island had genuinely left a highly profound impression on their minds, such that their spirits still had yet to recover. Yue Zhengyu had been especially affected. He had become absentminded and
could occasionally be found in a daze, even up to that point.