Another Kind of Genius

The Shrek Six Tyrants stiffened. They recognized that voice.

Gu Xingyun snarled. He and the others headed upstairs while Ma Hongjun kept an eye on Ru Shenqi. The six youths appeared on the deck and looked over the railing. Standing on the wooden dock was a single figure with silver hair.

"What do you want?" Gu Xingyun asked coldly.

Li Zhonghe stepped forward and asked, "Is Xiao Shen alright? What happened back in the Great Spirit Arena?"

Shu Jiaxiang's nails started to grow as she hissed, "That's not for you to worry about. We're her friends. We'll take care of her."

All Shrek Six Tyrants had heard Ru Shenqi's words. They would not stand anyone who dared to bully their mei mei.

"Please, I believe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Li Zhonghe, a classmate of Xiao Shen's."

"What right do you have to know Hell's Little Empress?" Ming Yong drawled. "She's never once mentioned you before."

Li Zhonghe winced. "We're not all the same, you know. Ai Yonggan is... difficult to handle. Please, I just want to know if she's alright."

Liao Suyin huffed. "Did you care if she was alright when your companions bullied her? Did you stand up for her? Or were you just an "innocent" bystander who didn't do anything?"

Gu Xingyun, who was normally calm and collected, was seething. His heinous spirit and slaughter intent was surging within him. Ice mixed into his gaze as he glared at the young man below him.

The other Tyrants were equally pissed off. Sensing their hostility, Li Zhonghe sighed and shook his head.

"I won't bother you all anymore. When Xiao Shen wakes up, will you tell her that He-ge would like to speak with her?"

Upon hearing the familiar name-calling, Gu Xingyun's Death God Domain exploded. An icy aura covered the waters nearby, freezing the docks. Li Zhonghe heard the misery of the dead screaming in his ears. An intense feeling of dread and suffocating filled him. He spat out a mouthful of foul blood.

"Get the hell away from our boat. We don't need the likes of you around," Gu Xingyun's cold tone even scared his friends.

They knew he was overly protective of Ru Shenqi... but to go this far was very unlike him. But they couldn't persuade him otherwise either. So they stood back and let his rage boil over.

Li Zhonghe's eyes widened in fear. As he turned to run, Gu Xingyun moved like a predator hunting its prey. As one of the top cat beast spirits, how could the Golden Heavenly Lion not be tyrannical? He shot forward and used the Death God Domain's Slaughter Assault ability. As his power increased by thirty percent, his speed increased by one hundred percent. He condensed the Death God Domain into a single, straight-line attack, locking onto Li Zhonghe as his target. He ploughed right into him, sending him flying backwards over twenty five meters and hitting into the side of a sandstone building. His body collapsed to the ground. He clutched at his chest and coughed up blood.

Gu Xingyun stalked towards him, but then music rang from behind him. A web and seven strings wrapped around his body. These were precisely Liao Suyin's fourth spirit skill, Tarantula Web, and Ming Yong's first spirit skill, Dragon Qin Vine. Two lotus petals floated past him to land on Li Zhonghe, namely Fang Youyou's second and third spirit skills: Flowering Lotus Eternity and Flowering Lotus Regrowth. Bai Shanxin appeared at his side in an instant.

"Xingyun, we all care about Xiao Shen. But killing isn't going to help wake her up. Yes, her old classmates were not her friends, but we are. What will she think if she finds out you've beaten her former peer up so badly?"

"Wasn't she willing to do the same thing?" he sneered.

"Her pain comes from her past. We're outsiders to this. We can only help her overcome it. We shouldn't fight her battles for her. She's nearing the eightieth rank. Xiao Shen can hold her own."

"But-"

"No buts. Leave him be. You've taught him enough of a lesson today."

Slowly, the slaughter intent retracted from his eyes. His heinous spirit died away, and he heaved a heavy sigh. Relieved, Bai Shanxin nodded.

"Let's go."

He agreed and the webs and strings disappeared from around his body. Gu Xingyun followed her back to the ship. Li Zhonghe, after being revived by Fang Youyou's support, stood and watched the Land Spirit Masters walk away. Sadness filled his eyes.

Xiao Shen, I'm sorry for not standing up for you in the past. It's my fault Ai Yonggan was so mean to you back then. Perhaps some day, I'll make things right.

<><><>

After five days, Ru Shenqi finally woke up. She groaned and blinked at an excited Fang Youyou.

He bounded up the stairs and roared, "XIAO SHEN'S AWAKE!"

Six Tyrants and Ma Hongjun raced down to see her. She titled her head at them.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

Ma Hongjun walked over to her and took her pulse. "You were asleep for five days. Everyone was worried about you. We've taken care of sealing your God powers for now, but they may break the seal any time. You need to grow stronger and become a Title Douluo as soon as possible."

"But Senior, how do I do that? I can still feel that the eightieth rank is far away. I can't hope to become a Spirit Douluo by my eighteenth birthday."

Ma Hongjun grinned mysteriously. "Oh, but there is a way."

Each of the Tyrants leaned in, curious. "How?"

"Surely all of you know that us Shrek Seven Devils cultivated and fought on Haishen Island and grew from sixty-something Spirit Emperors to eighty-something Spirit Douluos in just four to five years. When we came back, San Ge even quickly became a Titled Douluo!"

They nodded.

Ru Shenqi mused, "My mother was born on Haishen Island. She once promised to take me there."

"Well, you little freaks. This Senior of yours was given a mission to complete by San Ge. That mission, is to see you all safely to Haishen Island. It's your guys turn to take on the Sea God's Challenges. Do well and come back stronger."

Their eyes all widened to the size of saucers. "Really?! We're going to Haishen Island?!"

Ma Hongjun hmphed. "Would this Senior lie to you all?"

Seven youths cheered. They couldn't believe it! Haishen Island... they were going to Haishen Island!

"Come on. I know the way. We'll stop by Purple Pearl Island and see how the pirates are doing first. Then, we'll continue on to Haishen Island."

The Shrek Seven Tyrants followed Ma Hongjun up to the deck. They watched the sea breeze blow into the white sails on the ships gilded masts. Ru Shenqi leaned on the railing and sighed.

Bai Shanxin walked over to her. "What is it, Xiao Shen?"

"I never expected that I'd be going to my mother's home with my friends to take the Sea God's Challenge. It's a whole new experience for me too."

Bai Shanxin rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You have us. We won't abandon you. We're your friends and your family."

"I know. It's just that I still miss my mom and dad. If Spirit Empire's Lei Jiyu really is the one who killed them, I won't let him off! I will kill him myself for robbing a four-year-old child of her parents."

The Dragon Abyss Boat pulled away from the docks. Ru Shenqi's clear blue eyes watched as the rooftops of Vast Sea City started to fade into the distance. They were on their way.

<><><>

Supreme Pontiff Palace.

Hu Liena sat on her throne, pinching the bridge of her nose. Yan and Xie Yue were standing at the bottom of the dais below her. Behind them, seven figures had their heads bowed.

"Why is Vast Sea City not under our control?"

Duan Zheliang knelt to the ground with a putong sound. He said, "We ran into some troubles, Your Majesty."

"What problems?" Xie Yue asked coldly. "We gave you a mission to complete. And yet... Spirit Empire's troops have suddenly retreated from the coast!"

Li Xiurong dropped to her knees as well, clenched her hands into fists, and grumbled, "Those people from Shrek came and collided with us."

Hu Liena sat forward, eyes widening. "What did you say? People from Shrek Academy? Who? It wasn't Tang San and the others was it?"

Mu Jingmu knelt and added, "No. It was the ones we fought five years ago during the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition."

Ruo Yingyue stepped forward and dropped to her knees. "Though we're all Spirit Emperors, we are still weaker on average compared to those from Shrek Academy. Their weakest are sixty fifth ranked, and their captain is nearing the eightieth rank while their vice-captain has reached the seventieth. We wouldn't be surprised if they've already hunted him another spirit ring by now."

Yan's flames surged around him. Xie Yue seethed. Hu Liena sighed and shook her head.

"Xiao Nuhuang cannot be compared to. That Crown Prince of Guang Kingdom doesn't seem to be that inferior to her. As for why they're all in Vast Sea City... only Xiao Nuhuang was from there. Why would her friends go with her?"

Xie Yue murmured, "Nana, what if they come back like the Shrek Seven Devils did? They suddenly grew in power so much after five years. Wherever they went, they grew strong enough to give us trouble when we were fighting Xing Luo Empire's royal family."

Hu Liena stood. Her staff slammed into the ground once.

"Enough! Whatever Tang San has planned for them, it can't be good for us. We need to be proactive."

Raising her head, she called out, "Storm Douluo!"

The doors to the throne room opened, and a figure walked in. He wore an outfit combined of royal purple and striking gold that contrasted his pale complexion. His long, electric purple hair hung halfway down his back. He bowed before Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.

"Your Majesty, you called for me?"

"Yes.  I want you to take the Platinum Generation back to Vast Sea City."

"As Your Majesty wishes."

Lei Jiyu knew better than to question the Supreme Pontiff.

Her eyes narrowed.

Xiao Nuhuang... I hunted your third ring and sent you to Slaughter City. And yet, you dare to rise up against Spirit Empire? No way. Our affiliation ends here, today.

Her slaughter intent began to leak out as her heinous spirit emerged. Ice started to spread from the throne, down the dais, and across the floor. Even Xie Yue and Yan were caught within her Death God Domain. The Platinum Generation shuddered at her dominating aura; the four others dropped to their knees quickly.

Lei Jiyu couldn't stay standing and collapsed with a bowed head. After Hu Liena had broken through the ninetieth rank and gain her last spirit ring, her Death God Domain had grown stronger and evolved.

With a cold voice, she added, "You are to rid Douluo Continent of the Shrek Seven Tyrants."