Xiang Shaoyun was stunned when he heard the voice. He spun around and looked over. A smile of pure joy bloomed on his face as he said, "Xia Liuhui, why are you here, kid?"

The voice belonged to a disciple from the Sacred Deer Academy, and that disciple was none other than Xia Liuhui, Xiang Shaoyun's good friend during his time at Martial Hall Palace. Many years ago, the two went their separate ways and had promised to meet at Xia Hamlet in seven years.

The period of seven years was going to end soon, so Xiang Shaoyun had planned to visit Xia Hamlet after the competition. But surprisingly, he met Xia Liuhui here instead, and it was completely unexpected.

Xiang Shaoyun was not the only one surprised—Xia Liuhui was just as surprised. Neither had expected that they would reunite in such a manner. Xia Liuhui charged from the Sacred Deer Academy's ship, and Xiang Shaoyun also rushed forward to meet him. The two stopped before each other and delivered the other party a punch. They still looked as close as ever.

"Not bad, kid. You actually got yourself into an ancient academy. Not bad at all," praised Xiang Shaoyun with heartfelt sincerity.

A few years ago, Xia Liuhui was a fresh Transformation Realm cultivator. At the time, Xiang Shaoyun was already a King. And now, Xia Liuhui had actually caught up with him and was already a fifth-stage Emperor, which was quite a remarkable advancement speed.

One ought to know that Xiang Shaoyun had reached his current cultivation level of seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm after numerous fortuitous encounters. Comparatively, Xia Liuhui's growth hadn't been any slower.

Many years ago, Xiang Shaoyun had placed Xia Liuhui under Duo Ji's care. So how had Xia Liuhui entered the Sacred Deer Academy?

"You're doing very well yourself, boss. I had thought that I could surpass you and give you a big surprise. Looks like I'm still far from reaching your level," lamented Xia Liuhui.

He still looked almost the same as in the past. With the face of a scoundrel and a slightly chubby body, he did not look like an expert cultivator at all.

Just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to speak, the gorgeously dressed elder from the Sacred Deer Academy said, "Alright, if you're done catching up, we need to get going. Xia Liuhui, you may invite your friend to set off with us."

"Yes, elder," Xia Liuhui answered in excitement before pulling Xiang Shaoyun toward the Sacred Deer Academy group.

At this time, a few people from the Dragon Phoenix Academy flew over and shouted, "Overlord!"

They were none other than Ouyang Chuanqi, Han Chenfei, Tang Longfei, Xuan Yuantian, and Yuan Xuefen.

"We'll talk on the island. We shouldn't hold everyone up," said Xiang Shaoyun.

"Dragon Phoenix Academy disciples, advance!" Shadowflash's voice rang out.

At his command, the Dragon Phoenix Academy disciples flew off the ship and started advancing toward Lonesoul Island.

The disciples of the other academies did the same. They were all young Emperors, and one could say they were the new generation of pillars that would prop up the dominion. Now was the time when they were brimming with vigor, having countless possibilities ahead of them.

Xiang Shaoyun followed Xia Liuhui to the Sacred Deer Academy's side. At this time, a few female disciples intentionally slowed down and gazed at him with looks of adoration. However, Xia Liuhui was the one to loftily say, "Senior and junior sisters, please don't look at me like that. I know I'm handsome, but I'm a shy person."

They collectively gave him their middle fingers. One of them said to Xiang Shaoyun, "Handsome, are you interested in becoming this big sister's partner? I'll take good care of you."

She was tall, slim, and seductive, with a charming mole below her lips. She was a beauty through and through.

"Senior Sister Wei, you can't hog him for yourself. We agreed to share him!" teased a different woman.

Another woman who was similarly alluring said with a sweet voice, "That's right. I am interested in this handsome boy as well. We should all share him."

When Xia Liuhui heard their words, he howled, "Heavens, strike me with a bolt of lightning already. I'm tired of living."

"Thank you for your good intentions, but shouldn't we focus on reaching Lonesoul Island first?" said Xiang Shaoyun.

At this time, terrifying sounds of explosions could be heard ahead of them. Evidently, the battle had started. The female disciples stopped messing around and charged ahead, working with their companions to attack the furred claw crabs.

There were many furred claw crabs on the island. Each was as large as a boulder, and together they seemed to fill the entire island. Their eight furry legs looked more like sickles that radiated a wild power than legs. Their pincers were incredibly sharp, capable of causing blood to flow the moment they latched on to someone.

It was unknown what had attracted them to the island, but they had fully occupied the island. To reach the center, the disciples would have to get through the crabs. When the 400 disciples neared the island, tens of thousands of crabs attacked together. Unlike other beasts that would battle separately, the crabs battled with great teamwork, and their coordination was quite surprising to see.

Streams of water shot out of their mouths and became thousands upon thousands of arrows flying toward the disciples. Their attacks couldn't be underestimated. Although many of the crabs were Demon Kings or of lower realms, there were still a considerable number of Demon Emperors among them. Attacks they launched with teamwork couldn't be easily stopped.

The numerous disciples displayed their strength and bombarded the crabs with powerful killing techniques.

Rumble! Rumble!

Sounds of explosions reverberated throughout the island, and the surrounding sea churned and turned. The disciples from the four academies worked with tacit understanding and attacked from different directions.

Of course, there were still some who had decided to work independently. Those without enough strength were seriously injured, but at the same time, the disciples killed many furred claw crabs.

"Brother, we finally have a chance to battle side by side again," said Xia Liuhui.

Xiang Shaoyun nodded. As he stood atop Money, the Shark Devourer Saber appeared in his hand. Then, as he braced himself for battle, he roared, "Kill!"

Since they were above the sea, Xiang Shaoyun had opted to use the Shark Devourer Saber. Using the power of water in his current environment would greatly boost his combat strength. He swung his saber several times in a row; each swing carried with it the power to smash through armies.

When Xia Liuhui saw how powerful Xiang Shaoyun was, he took a deep breath, and a pair of swords appeared in his hands. One was long while the other was short. One was blue, and one was red. The powers of water and flame swirled around him, and as he crossed both swords in front of him, the blue and red sword energies combined to form a single powerful sword strike that zoomed through the air.