133: Goodbye Nunnally

"Are you from the Tang Sect?"

Hearing Xian Lin's words, Shen Guyan couldn't help but frown. The strike he had just executed, which combined Hidden Weapons with the Puppet Manipulation Technique, was indeed something he had learned from his wife in his previous life.

Being able to perform Tang Sect Martial Skills did not necessarily mean he had to be a member of the Tang Sect. In Gongzi Yu's philosophy, martial arts should be shared openly for the people of the World to practice and continuously improve upon; only in this way could better and stronger Cultivation Techniques and martial arts be created.

"No, I am not," Shen Guyan replied casually.

"Then how did you learn my Tang Sect's Hidden Weapon Hundred Solutions..." Xian Lin wanted to say more, but the scale of the beast tide below had already grown even larger.

"Cross over here first and head directly to the finish line," Shen Guyan ordered directly.

The group did not hesitate. Using the upward pull, they quickly glided toward the other side of the beast tide.

The pagoda that served as the finish line was close at hand. Everyone summoned a final burst of energy, and just as their Soul Power was about to be exhausted, they landed within the pagoda's range one after another.

With a wave of his sleeve, Shen Guyan tossed the pairs of heavenly stems and earthly branches tokens into the hands of his fellow Sea and Land Academy students.

Everyone hurriedly caught them, looking at each other in bewilderment. Was that it?

"Submit the tokens, and we should be able to exit directly," Shen Guyan said, glancing back at the massive beast tide.

This so-called beast tide was likely a natural chasm created by the Spirit Pagoda to target all the teams.

However, the formation of a beast tide inevitably required time. It was likely that even the organizers at the Spirit Pagoda hadn't expected a team to reach the finish line in such a short amount of time.

Shen Guyan and his companions inserted their heavenly stems and earthly branches tokens into the pagoda's registration desk. Immediately, their vision went dark, and they gradually lost consciousness.

They were not unfamiliar with this state; it meant they were leaving the illusory World of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

As the scenery before them shifted, eleven cabins opened simultaneously, and Shen Guyan's group slowly sat up.

The staff members present were all stunned in place.

In these few short hours, there had been other contestants who were forced to exit after being attacked and killed, but Shen Guyan and the others had exited on their own. What did that signify?

These eleven Little fellows... actually... passed the competition!

They broke the record!

The staff members looked at each other, speechless. As the final hurdle, the beast tide they encountered was likely only in its initial stage of formation... How were they supposed to calculate their scores?

"You eleven contestants wait a moment, we need to investigate the surveillance..."

Soon, the surveillance results were out. Except for Shen Guyan, everyone's movement routes and activities were clearly visible.

Although they had clashed with other teams twice, they had won every time and had never plundered tokens from their opponents.

Therefore, the answer regarding the source of their tokens could likely only be found from the contestant named Gongzi Yu.

While Shen Guyan was considering how to deal with the questioning gazes, a cold voice suddenly solved all his troubles.

"We have reviewed it repeatedly. Gongzi Yu will be directly credited with a full score of two hundred points, and the others will be scored based on their combat performance against the beast tide."

Leng Yaozhu walked in with her long legs and announced the decision directly.

Since the Vice Tower Master had said so, the staff did not dare to make things difficult for Shen Guyan and the others. They could only score them according to Leng Yaozhu's wishes and escort them out.

As a result, Shen Guyan became the only contestant in the entire competition to maintain a perfect score to this day.

Zhang Zhenpeng had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing the group of young boys and girls coming out high-spirited, he quickly connected it to a certain possibility. The corners of his mouth were harder to keep down than a soul tool cannon... Good heavens, they've really made me proud... "Dean," the group called out, waving excitedly to Zhang Zhenpeng.

"How was the result?" Zhang Zhenpeng asked, suppressing the joy in his heart while knowing the answer.

"Dean, this was actually mostly thanks to Tianya..." Zhou Hanyou immediately pushed Shen Guyan to the front.

At this moment, even Xian Lin, Yang Zhanpeng, and the others had no objections to Shen Guyan. If it weren't for him, they would probably still be wandering around in the Death Forest right now.

"Hahaha! You Little fellows!" Zhang Zhenpeng waved his hand grandly. "I'm happy tonight, so I'll take you to Shrek City for a good night out!"

"Long live the Dean!"

...The night in Shrek City was like a richly colored scroll, carefully painted by moonlight and lamplight.

Shen Guyan walked alone on the stone path back to the Shi Tang Grand Hotel, the crisp sound of his boot heels clicking against the ground particularly clear in the silence. The ancient buildings on both sides of the street emitted a soft glow in the night, their glazed tiles shimmering with a mysterious luster under the moonlight. The bronze bells on the eaves tinkled in the wind, as if recounting the tens of thousands of years of Legacy and history of this city.

The fountain in the center of the street reflected the lights, its spray rising and falling like silver silk in beautiful arcs. Most of the shops along the street had already closed, with only a few taverns and teahouses still lit with warm yellow lights. Occasional bursts of laughter could be heard, which only served to make the night feel even more tranquil.

Shen Guyan looked up at the sky, where a full moon hung high, shedding a watery radiance. However, within this seemingly peaceful night, an unusual fluctuation was hidden.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed out from the darkness like a Gui Mei, blocking Shen Guyan's path. Shen Guyan's pupils constricted slightly as he stopped and looked coldly at the pure-looking woman before him.

"Lina, it's you again," Shen Guyan said in an icy tone.

Lina was dressed in a black tight-fitting leather outfit that outlined her graceful figure. A wicked smile played on her lips. "Dagu, we meet again. Last time you were lucky enough to escape, but it won't be so easy this time."

Shen Guyan snorted coldly. "Luck? Lina, do you think I would fall in the same place twice?"

His fingers lightly brushed over his azure dragon mask, and a powerful surge of Soul Power erupted from within him, as if he were ready for anything.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Last time was only because I was afraid of attracting those old guys from Shrek..." Lina didn't seem to be in a hurry at all, casually admiring her own braids.

"Your real name probably isn't Dagu, is it?"

"Heh, isn't it the same for you?" Shen Guyan replied with a cold laugh.

"Actually, my real name is very pretty! Do you want to know?" Lina's voice was like demonic music ringing in his ears, even carrying a hint of seductive power.

"What, is a grand Titled Douluo level expert afraid of exposing her own name?" Shen Guyan challenged her.

"How mean... Since you want to know my real name so badly, what's the harm in telling you?" Lina gave a sweet smile. She appeared to be chatting idly with Shen Guyan and letting him stall for time, but in reality, she had already laid down multiple barriers in the surroundings.

Shen Guyan didn't speak further. Since this Evil Soul Master dared to appear before him a second time so brazenly, it meant that there might be a large number of Evil Soul Masters hidden in Shrek City right now.

How did these disgusting fellows, who usually avoided the Shrek Supervisory Group like the plague, dare to risk appearing here? Could they be here for the Youth Genius Competition?

"Remember this, my name should actually be read backwards. Lina, Lina... Nalali. My real name is Nalali!"

"Nalali?"

Shen Guyan had never heard of the name. Judging by the usual cultivation methods and speed of Evil Soul Masters, the young woman before him might not even be forty years old.

Seeing that Shen Guyan hadn't responded for a long time, Lina couldn't help but pout her tender pink lips. "I've already told you my name, why aren't you being generous and telling me your real name?"

"It's unfair for you to treat me like this!"

Listening to Nalali's feigned bashfulness, Shen Guyan only felt cold amusement. "Oh? So your name is Nalali. Then our names are actually quite similar; my real name is Lelouch."

Hearing yet another even more bizarre name from Shen Guyan's mouth, this Evil Soul Master named Nalali clearly couldn't keep her composure anymore. Her smile became increasingly terrifying... "Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. It seems I'll have to take you back and enjoy you properly..." Nalali gave a charming laugh, her fingertips brushing over a tattoo, and the entire building suddenly plunged into pitch-black shadow. Shen Guyan felt a wave of yin-cold energy pierce through to his marrow, and a chorus of ten thousand ghosts wailing echoed in his Sea of Consciousness. He bit the tip of his tongue to force himself to stay alert, only to see Nalali's figure transform into seven afterimages in the darkness.

"Soul Shock!"

Seven dark bell phantoms vibrated simultaneously, their sound waves like sharp blades shredding the air. Shen Guyan let out a muffled groan, barely managing to withstand it.

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "dark bell, do you think Shrek City is a place where you can run wild?"

A clear Phoenix cry tore through the night sky, and Shen Guyan felt a brilliant golden light erupt before his eyes. Seven-colored auspicious clouds descended from the heavens, and the phantom of a nine-headed Heavenly Phoenix spread its wings, its feathers burning with the fire of purification.

Lina's expression changed drastically as she hurriedly turned around. She saw a woman dressed in a black tight-fitting long dress standing not far away. Her long red hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, though her gaze was as cold as frost.

"Leng Yaozhu!" Lina exclaimed, a flash of fear appearing in her eyes. She knew Leng Yaozhu's strength well, and seeing her sudden appearance, she realized things were going poorly.

Leng Yaozhu walked forward slowly, every step appearing incredibly elegant and composed. "dark bell, you have committed crimes in Shrek City repeatedly. Today is the perfect time to bring you to justice."

Lina bit her teeth, knowing she was likely to fail again today. "Leng Yaozhu, so this kid is someone from your Spirit Pagoda!"

With that, her figure blurred as she lunged toward Shen Guyan like a black shadow.

A feint?

Leng Yaozhu gave a cold laugh, the Phoenix True Fire condensing on her fingertips dyeing the surrounding ten fathoms golden. "The Holy Spirit Cult is stirring up trouble in Shrek City; I cannot simply turn a blind eye anymore. Nalali, you'd better surrender."

Nalali suddenly let out a shrill shriek, and the black energy around her condensed into a hundred bells floating in the air.

"Since you've come, don't think of leaving." The nine-headed Heavenly Phoenix behind Leng Yaozhu spread its wings simultaneously. "Ninth Spirit Ability—Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens!"

The entire street was suddenly enveloped in golden flames, and Shen Guyan had to prop up a Soul Power shield.

The nine-headed Heavenly Phoenix phantoms turned into nine streaks of light, each carrying a high temperature that could incinerate everything. The thousand bells of Nalali erupted in a piercing shriek the moment they touched the flames, and the black energy was scorched into ash.

"Overestimating yourself," Leng Yaozhu said coldly. "Did you think that as a Super Douluo you could contend with me?"

The Heavenly Phoenix Douluo clasped her hands together, and the true body of the Heavenly Phoenix, burning with golden flames, emerged behind her.

Nalali's expression changed violently. She knew the power of the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu and didn't dare to engage in a direct confrontation again. She quickly took out a black pill from her bosom and swallowed it.

In an instant, her aura became even more violent, and a strange black mist erupted from her body.

"An Evil Soul Master's escape secret technique?" Leng Yaozhu's brow furrowed slightly. "It seems you intend to slip away."

Nalali knew it was no longer possible to capture Shen Guyan today. She gave Shen Guyan and Leng Yaozhu a vicious look before her body suddenly turned into a cloud of black mist and rapidly fled into the distance.

"He must be someone very important to your Spirit Pagoda! You'd better keep a close eye on him, hahahaha!"

"Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, we shall meet again—"

Nalali left behind two brazen parting shots before vanishing from their sight.

Hearing her words, which were full of mockery, Leng Yaozhu felt an urge to chase after her and capture her.

"Don't pursue a desperate foe!" Shen Guyan hurriedly spoke up to remind her.

Leng Yaozhu did not give chase. She knew that since Nalali had dared to come, she certainly had means of escape. With a flash of her figure, she arrived at Shen Guyan's side.

"What a pity." Leng Yaozhu retracted her Spirit. "That dark bell's Martial Soul True Body could actually resist my Phoenix True Fire for a brief moment. Are you alright?" Leng Yaozhu looked at Shen Guyan, her beautiful eyes full of concern as she asked.

"Thank you for your help, Sister Leng. I'm fine," Shen Guyan said with a grateful smile. This woman had truly helped him so much, so very much.

"You must be careful in the future. Now that those fellows from the Holy Spirit Cult have their eyes on you, they won't let you go easily," Leng Yaozhu couldn't help but give him a look and cautioned.

"I understand, Sister Leng." Shen Guyan nodded helplessly and proceeded to explain the full circumstances of his encounter with Nalali in Shrek City.

If he had known, he shouldn't have meddled in that business and should have just let the other party go. Now, he was being targeted by an Evil Soul Master, and a Titled Douluo level one at that.

He planned to return to Hailu City as quickly as possible once this competition was over.

Looking in the direction where Nalali had disappeared, a cold glint flashed in Shen Guyan's eyes. He knew that Nalali's second ambush likely had other purposes.

"In the coming days, you'd better have the Shen Family send more experts to protect you. I can't be by your side every moment," Leng Yaozhu reminded him.

Shen Guyan could only rub his nose to ease the awkwardness. It wasn't that he wanted to cling to Leng Yaozhu all day, but rather that all the opponents he had provoked over the years were ones the Shen Family couldn't contend with.

Opponents like Beast God Di Tian, the Qiangu Family, and now a Super Douluo level Evil Soul Master... He couldn't exactly have Old Master Shen revolving around him every single day, could he?

Under Leng Yaozhu's escort, Shen Guyan returned safely to the hotel. The night scene of Shrek City remained beautiful and mysterious, but beneath this calm surface, it seemed that the dark currents were still surging...