Chapter 87: Don't Come Any Closer!
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
In this period, the name "Ye Hao" seemed to fade into obscurity.
At Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and even in the palace with Xue Qinghe, Ye Hao's absence felt as though he had never existed. Despite the continuous search efforts on both sides, the conclusion was clear: looking for him was like finding a needle in a haystack.
Even Spirit Hall had abandoned their search for "Ye Ritian." With no progress for three months, they deemed it a waste of time and resources.
Ye Hao had vanished mysteriously, leaving no trace behind.
Meanwhile, in Soto City, the Shrek Academy group, led by Flender, was making their way toward Heaven Dou City.
In the heart of the Sunset Forest…
Ye Hao sat cross-legged in front of the Death God Temple. He was focused on merging the Death God's Heart with the temple. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he gritted his teeth. This critical moment required absolute precision.
Nearby, the Death Spider Emperor and the Inferno Cerberus watched silently.
"Merge!" Ye Hao whispered, his voice laced with determination.
The Death God Temple emitted a radiant purple glow. Its crumbled walls slowly mended, and the decrepit doors appeared brand new. All the once-ruined sections were being restored at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Inferno Cerberus chuckled softly, seemingly amused by something.
Finally, the Death God's Heart, which had enveloped the entire temple, shrank rapidly until the massive temple was reduced to a miniature form.
Ye Hao held the Death God's Heart in his hand, letting out a long sigh of relief. His arduous efforts over the past months had finally paid off.
"Congratulations," the Inferno Cerberus said with a smirk.
Ye Hao sighed again, exhausted. "What's there to congratulate? I'm exhausted. And where's this Death God's Nine Trials you mentioned? You said once I refined the temple, I'd receive the trials."
The Inferno remained calm and pointed at Ye Hao's forehead.
Suspicious, Ye Hao used the Death God's Heart, now a reflective surface, as a mirror.
To his surprise, there was a purple scythe-shaped mark on his forehead, exuding an eerie and chilling aura, as though it could drag anyone who gazed upon it into an abyss.
"This is the Death God's Nine Trials?" Ye Hao muttered, poking at his forehead.
The Cerberus grinned. "The trials will only begin when your soul power reaches Level 60. Don't be in such a rush."
"Fine," Ye Hao muttered, resigned.
Three months had passed since he entered this place. Living like a wild man, he survived on soul beast meat and spring water. His once-trim hair now cascaded past his shoulders.
He tied his hair back into a simple knot, using the Death God's Heart as a decorative hairpiece.
With the Death God Temple now sealed inside the Death God's Heart, both the Cerberus and the Death Spider Emperor were also absorbed into it.
Ye Hao packed up his belongings, unfurled his Six Winged Purple Wings, and soared toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Old Poison, I'm coming!"
Somewhere, Dugu Bo shivered.
"Don't come any closer!"
After collecting the celestial herbs he sought, Ye Hao planned to return to the academy and report his safety. He had been gone for three months and suspected that Qin Ming and others would hardly recognize him now.
Elsewhere, Flender was leading the Shrek Academy group toward Heaven Dou City.
Having recently left Soto City, the group still had some distance to cover.
Reaching a small town, they decided to rest. Though Oscar's flying mushroom sausages helped them travel faster, their effects only lasted a minute. Moreover, Oscar himself was visibly exhausted from constantly making sausages and flying alongside the group.
"Bring out all your food and drinks! The Fat Lord is starving!"
Ma Hongjun swaggered into the inn and plopped down at a table, loudly demanding to be served.
Flender shook his head in exasperation. "Useless as always."
Turning to Grandmaster, he asked quietly, "Xiao Gang, have you heard anything about Tang Hao?"
The incident involving Tang Hao had caused a massive uproar across the continent a few months ago.
Spirit Hall had publicly announced that the Clear Sky Douluo had violated their laws and was severely injured before fleeing.
Flender and Grandmaster remained tight-lipped about this matter. Other than a few select individuals, no one else in the academy knew that Tang Hao was actually Tang San's father.
Meanwhile, over the past three months, Tang San had buried himself in the academy's forge, diligently working on crafting Tang Sect weapons. He showed no interest in the outside world, focusing entirely on his creations.
Finally, he had completed the Flying God Claw and Zhuge Divine Crossbow, distributing them to the group—except for Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
The reason? Well, it was obvious.
Tang San had made it clear: If they wanted the weapons, they would first have to apologize to Xiao Wu. Until then, he wouldn't give them anything.
Both girls, however, stood their ground.
"Who cares about some weapons anyway?" they scoffed.
Tang San's actions only deepened the rift within Shrek Academy. The once-unified Shrek Seven Devils were now anything but united.
Meanwhile, their financial struggles persisted.
After Flender lost a hefty 10,000 gold soul coins in a bet, the group had been scraping by on steamed buns, pickles, and thin porridge.
Whatever little money they earned from battles at Soto's Great Spirit Arena barely covered their expenses.
On the other hand, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing lived lavishly, dining on gourmet meals and wearing the latest fashionable clothes. Their extravagant lifestyles stood in stark contrast to the rest of the group.
Whenever they returned, they made a point of flaunting their meals and outfits, leaving the others fuming silently.
Flender couldn't help but sigh. He glanced at Tang San, who was quietly whispering to Xiao Wu.
"Three months have passed, and I still haven't heard anything about Tang Hao. But no news is good news. I believe my idol wouldn't die so easily."