Book 12: The Strength of the Preparatory Team
Chapter 84: The Gold of Life
Huo Yuhao was the one who had placed the opening bid.
Everyone from Shrek Academy was shocked to hear Huo Yuhao bid for the item. People like Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi who didn’t really know about soul tools could get a sense of this carving knife's problem from Auctioneer Qing Ya’s explanation and the silence from the audience. Yet, Huo Yuhao had placed a bid without even consulting them about it. He…!
“Junior brother, you…” Bei Bei frowned. His junior brother wasn’t an impulsive person from his understanding of the boy!
Huo Yuhao glanced at his senior brother with a slightly apologetic look in his eyes. He then leaned towards Wang Yan and said in a low voice, “Teacher Wang, I used my Spiritual Detection a moment ago, and determined the source of this Ominous Soul-Devouring carving knife’s problem. I’ve got a way to control the drawback from using it. Let’s bid for this first. If I’m not mistaken, this carving knife ought to have been forged from an extremely precious and mysterious metal called the Gold of Life. It just so happens that I can undo the remnants of the curse contained within the carving knife with
my spiritual power and Ultimate Ice. There definitely won’t be a problem.”
Wang Yan frowned and said, “Yuhao, don’t be hasty. Your life and future is at stake! I can’t let anything happen to you.”
Huo Yuhao muttered irresolutely to himself for a bit before continuing, “Teacher Wang, why don’t you look at it this way: let’s bid for it first. If I can’t use the carving knife, I’ll get the Dean of the Soul Tool Department and Teacher Fan Yu to supervise me in undoing the curse on this soul-devouring carving knife when we get back to the academy. I will only use it on the condition that the curse has definitely been lifted. If not, I will give up and leave it to collect dust in the academy. I’ll definitely repay this sum of money to the academy in the future. Do we have a deal?”
Wang Yan felt a little reassured after hearing what Huo Yuhao said. The ranked carving knife was only going for a hundred thousand golden coins. If Huo Yuhao could really use the carving knife regardless of how problematic it was, then this was a huge steal!
A ranked carving knife appearing in a first-rate auction was a rarity because soul tool engineers who owned a ranked carving knife would treat them as treasures. These ranked carving knives would be passed on from one generation to another; only wastrels would put it up for auction.The highest bid in
history for a ranked carving knife had amounted to tens of millions of golden soul coins! That had been for a carving knife ranked in the top twenty.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing to spend a hundred thousand golden soul coins if it meant the academy would have three ranked carving knives.
When he thought to this point, Wang Yan nodded at Huo Yuhao. He had another reason for agreeing to this bid. How could anyone compare to Shrek Academy in terms of people with reputable backgrounds? They had a few especially powerful light-attribute soul masters. If Shrek Academy couldn’t control this murderous carving knife, then there was really no one in this world who could do so at present.
Even though the creator of this carving knife was an evil soul master, he too was a Class 9 soul tool engineer. However, no existence wasn’t unparalleled in the face of Shrek Academy. Moreover, Wang Yan faintly had the impression that the Shrek
Guardians seemed to have gone on a very important mission three thousand years ago. After paying a heavy price, they had managed to kill a powerful soul master.
In any case, he had to follow through with it since Huo Yuhao had already bid for it!
Qing Ya repeatedly questioned the audience, yet there was no response from them. No one was willing to bid for this murderous carving knife because they knew that once they bid for it, a deal would really be formed.
“A hundred thousand golden soul coins, going once!” Qing Ya had no choice but to start the final call to close the auction.
“A hundred thousand golden soul coins, going twice!”
“A hundred thousand golden soul coins, going thrice! Sold!”
The mallet fell with a bang, announcing that this exceptionally murderous carving knife now belonged to Shrek Academy. At the very least, it didn’t belong to Huo Yuhao yet.
Seeing as he had won the bid for this soul-devouring carving knife, Huo Yuhao’s face was beaming with happiness as he heaved a huge sigh of relief. “Yuhao, what’s the Gold of Life?” He Caitou asked in a low voice.
Huo Yuhao hastily replied, “I read about it in an ancient text in the library. The Gold of Life is a special kind of metal that’s extremely rare. This metal appears to have a life, but doesn’t possess intelligence. It can seemingly break down all metals and ores known to man. It’s very rare. From what was written in the ancient text, the Gold of Life seems to hold tremendous power, but no one has completely grasp the means of using the Gold of Life to date.”
He Caitou scratched his head and said, “It looks like I need to read more books. I didn’t even know that a treasure like this existed.”
Huo Yuhao sighed to himself. It was only natural that he hadn’t read about it from some ancient text. Something like the Gold of Life might not even belong to this world! This was because the description of this metal came from Calamity Necromancer Electrolux - the entity from another space that had helped him kill an evil soul master.
When the soul-devouring carving knife countered Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power, the almighty beings in his mind sensed that his spiritual sea was in danger and woke up at the same time.
The Skydream Iceworm was the most sensitive to changes in spiritual power, so he too was the first to awaken. He only looked at the soul-devouring carving knife and told Huo Yuhao he shouldn’t carelessly play around with it because a huge threat resided in that toy. The Ice Empress had other thoughts about this matter. In a slightly more disdainful manner, she commented that though this carving knife was cursed, Huo Yuhao had an Ultimate Ice armor. Added onto the fact that he had the Skydream Iceworm’s tremendous spiritual power, and the curse shouldn’t have too much of an effect on him. However, it only made sense if he couldn’t use this carving knife.
As they were both arguing with each other, a sound of bewilderment came from Calamity Necromancer Electrolux. He hadn’t been surprised for who-knows-how long, but he was really astonished when he saw this carving knife.
The words “the Gold of Life” then spilled from his lips.
Huo Yuhao explained everything that Electrolux had told him to He Caitou.. The reason why Huo Yuhao had impulsively placed a bid without soliciting Wang Yan’s opinion on the matter was because Electrolux told him he definitely had to get this carving knife at all costs.
However, Electrolux fell silent once the carving knife was in his hands. Huo Yuhao only sensed that the mysterious old man was actually pleasantly surprised, an emotion that was rare to him.
The Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress both held somewhat of a restraining fear towards Electrolux. As such, they hadn’t opposed him yet. After all, Electrolux had previously proven his good intentions with actions. If it weren’t for him, Huo Yuhao might have died in the face of the Envoy of the Death God. The soul beasts believed in the creed that the strongest was deemed king. Electrolux had used his strength to show them how powerful he was, so they had no choice but to accept his existence.
“Yuhao, this carving knife made from the Gold of Life isn’t simple at all. Once you get it, I’ll be able to resolve its issues, whereupon you’ll be able to easily solve some of the problems you’ll have to face in the future with it. I won’t have to worry about my strand of divine sense being extinguished either.”
Electrolux sank back into silence after uttering these words. However, only Huo Yuhao was able to listen to him speak; even the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress were screened out by his mysterious powers.
Shrek Academy had obtained a plentiful harvest from tonight’s auction, but they had spent a lot of money to acquire it. Wang Yan decided to settle the issue of payment and the collection of the items by himself, allowing the others to go back and rest. As for the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife that Huo Yuhao had bought, Wang Yan would be able to retrieve it with Huo Yuhao’s participant sign.
Wang Yan’s ranking within the Starlight Auction had increased from the initial white to purple with this exchange. Subsequently, he now had the qualifications to participate in
auctions that were of a higher class. However, only black- ranked and above customers were allowed to participate in the Starlight Auction’s top-ranked auctions.
The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife had left a very deep impression on Huo Yuhao. This was especially so after Electrolux’s words, which made him overjoyed. His senses as a spiritual-type soul master were extremely acute. Although his spiritual power was far, far weaker than pinnacle experts like Electrolux, the Skydream Iceworm, and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, he had a very strong ability to differentiate between good and evil. He could sense pure goodwill from Electrolux’s divine sense, but the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress still had some reservations towards him. However, these reservations began to gradually decrease as they followed his improvements in cultivation. After all, they no longer had any path of retreat.
Huo Yuhao didn’t head straight back to his room after returning to the Imperial Grand Star Hotel. Instead, he went to Wang Dong’s room and knocked on his door.
“Who is it?” Wang Dong’s voice rang out from within.
“It’s me, I’m back.”
The door opened, revealing a somewhat stupefied Wang Dong.
Huo Yuhao wasn’t polite at all as he entered Wang Dong’s room before closing the room’s door. He asked, concerned, “Wang Dong, what’s with you?”
Wang Dong shook his head and furrowed his brows slightly, “You might not believe me, and even I don’t understand what’s going on. When I heard everyone talking about using soul tools, I felt an indescribable sense of vexation in my heart. There seems to be another consciousness in my mind that’s rejecting the use of soul tools. This feeling’s kinda strange, but it’s not comfortable at all. However, I don’t seem to be able to reject it. I chose to come back because of that. Actually, I understand what Teacher Wang Yan’s saying, and I believe that what he’s saying is correct. However, it seems like I can’t use soul tools at all.”
Huo Yuhao was stunned. “Just what is this? Is there a problem with your spiritual sea?” He immediately thought back to his own situation. Did Wang Dong have other souls
living within his spiritual sea? He still remembered what the Skydream Iceworm had told him--Wang Dong also had three martial souls, like him. His three martial souls were already settled now. His Spirit Eyes were his main martial soul without a doubt, while his second martial soul was the powerful Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. His third martial soul was very likely to be one that he couldn’t add any soul rings to--the Divine Law
of Necromancy, the Calamity Necromancer Electrolux who
seemingly possessed the powers of a evil soul master despite being much more pure-hearted than many other people.
However, what about Wang Dong? What were his three martial souls? Huo Yuhao believed that the Skydream Iceworm’s judgement couldn’t have been incorrect.
“Wang Dong, do you trust me?” Huo Yuhao asked seriously, his hands on Wang Dong’s shoulders.
Wang Dong was stunned for a moment. He immediately nodded subconsciously, “Naturally. Why wouldn’t I trust you?”
Huo Yuhao said in a low voice, “You know that I’m a spiritual-type soul master. The biggest difference we spiritual- type soul masters have from ordinary soul masters lies in how
well we can control our spiritual power. I have much more spiritual power than ordinary soul masters, and my spiritual power is stored in an area called my spiritual sea. I feel like I know something similar to what you’ve just told me, so I’d like to check your spiritual sea for a bit. Is that okay? There will be no problems as long as you have complete trust in me. At the very least, we’ll be able to figure out whether there’s a problem with your spiritual sea.”
Wang Dong looked deeply into Huo Yuhao’s eyes, “I trust you. But, what do we do if there really is a problem with my spiritual sea?”
“Then we’ll solve that problem.” Huo Yuhao replied unhesitatingly. He had no confidence in other areas, but he was certain of his abilities with regards to spiritual power. After all, he had the support of an existence like the Skydream Iceworm! There was an extremely miniscule chance of a problem arising with the assistance of his Brother Skydream, who had a million years’ worth of experience in controlling spiritual power. Moreover, he even had a power like the Ice Empress supervising him.
Seeing Huo Yuhao’s confidence, Wang Dong nodded. “Okay.
What do I have to do?”
Huo Yuhao said, “You have to close your eyes and stop moving. No matter what happens, no matter what you feel, don’t be astonished. Do your best to calm your mind. I’m going to carefully peer into your spiritual sea with my spiritual power.”
“Okay.” Wang Dong nodded, “Do we start now?”
Huo Yuhao nodded back, “We’ll start now. Prepare yourself.”
Wang Dong slowly shut his eyes and relaxed his body. He and Huo Yuhao were close partners who were able to fuse their martial souls. As a result, they had already established an unbreakable level of trust.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and calmed himself as much as possible. At this moment, the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress were both awake. They were monitoring Huo Yuhao’s control of his spiritual power at his request, and they would make a move if any problems were to arise.
Huo Yuhao moved his hands from Wang Dong’s shoulders to the back of his head, then lowered his head slowly. After that, he placed his forehead against Wang Dong’s forehead. The two of them could even hear each other’s breathing.
Wang Dong’s body shivered slightly. His long eyelashes shook, brushing against Huo Yuhao’s eyes.
“Don’t move, relax. I’m about to start.” Huo Yuhao urged quietly.
Wang Dong regained his composure, but his face was somewhat red.
A gentle wave of spiritual power carefully flowed out from Huo Yuhao’s forehead and into Wang Dong’s body from the point at which their foreheads were touching.
Soul masters considered the area between the eyes, the brows, the forehead, and the nose the spiritual root of Heaven and Earth. It was the place which contained the spirit, the ancestral cavity, and the ancestral Qi. At the same time, it was where the spiritual sea resided. Placing their spiritual seas next
to each other was naturally the easiest way in which Huo Yuhao was able to easily transfer his spiritual power to Wang Dong.
Their soul power was already harmonious due to their martial soul fusion. Moreover, Wang Dong trusted him fully. Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was able to quietly enter Wang Dong’s spiritual sea without any trouble.
Chapter 85: Twin Mistresses of Fire and Ice, Thousandstrike Lance
Huo Yuhao had spent more than a year cultivating with his blood, sweat and tears. In addition to Skydream Iceworm’s guidance, he was getting more and more proficient in controlling his spiritual power. Even though he still didn’t have a spiritual sea that was sufficiently large enough, it was comparatively elaborate enough under his subtle control over his spiritual power.
As a result of that, it appeared as though his entrance into the spiritual sea in Wang Dong’s body was exceptionally gentle when he did so from his temple.
Wang Dong felt a burst of warmth from his temple. Following which, he seemed to be in a slightly dazed state, as though everything wasn’t real anymore. Immediately after that, he strongly felt as though someone was openly spying on him.
Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power entered Wang Dong’s spiritual sea without a hitch. The first thing he saw was a faint golden field, nothing too different compared to his spiritual sea. The
only difference was that Wang Dong’s spiritual power was much weaker than his own.
I succeeded! Huo Yuhao was elated. For a connection between spiritual seas to work, both parties had to be extremely in sync. If one were to forcefully enter another’s spiritual sea, it was very likely to cause damage to either parties’ soul sea. At the very least, the connection happening at this moment proved the absolute trust Wang Dong had in him.
The spiritual sea could be said to be the most mysterious place in the human body. Even till today, no one had really been able to grasp the mysteries of the spiritual sea. As a result of that, Huo Yuhao was exceptionally careful as started delving into the depths of Wang Dong’s spiritual sea.
But at this very moment, an indescribably terrifying aura suddenly surged out of Wang Dong’s spiritual sea.
That incomparably imposing aura was like a mountain. When faced with such terrifying might, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was as small as a drop in the ocean.
“Run!” The Skydream Iceworm’s startled voice suddenly rang out in Huo Yuhao’s spiritual world. A massive suction force came from behind. Right before that terrifyingly formidable power came in contact with him, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power had already been completely stripped back to his original body.
Even though that was the case, Huo Yuhao still felt that the sight before his eyes had turned into a golden world. After that, his whole body flew backwards in a completely uncontrollable manner, viciously striking the wall. It was as though he’d been branded there for a good couple of seconds. Only after that did he slowly slide down while his own spiritual sea started vibrating violently.
The Skydream Iceworm barely kept Huo Yuhao’s spiritual sea intact as it released its sealed, powerful spiritual power. Even so, Huo Yuhao was unable to regain his senses for a long time. His face was completely pale as he sat listlessly on the ground.
His mind drew a blank. After a good ten or so seconds passed, Huo Yuhao gradually regained consciousness, and the scene before his eyes was plain once more.
He clearly saw Wang Dong standing there with his eyes still closed as his body slowly absorbed a light golden light. He was emitting a feeling of divinity.
W-what’s going on? Huo Yuhao was in a state of shock when he felt a wet puddle on his back. It was no surprise he was afraid. Just a moment ago, he had clearly felt as though his spiritual world was about to be completely destroyed if the Skydream Iceworm hadn’t pulled his spiritual power back into his spiritual sea!
That power was really too terrifying, to the point where the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress were a little sluggish. They were rendered temporarily unable to answer Huo Yuhao’s question. Just what exactly was hidden in Wang Dong’s spiritual sea that had stunned the two powerhouses in his mind?
“Elder Electrolux, what exactly is that power? How can it be so powerful?” Huo Yuhao asked, feeling horrified.
“Since the process was too brief, I can’t determine what it is for sure either. I could only faintly feel that there’s something sealed within his body. This seal is extremely powerful, so
unimaginably powerful. Even when I was at my strongest in my previous life, I’m afraid I couldn’t even compare to this seal. This seal seems to be sealing something on Wang Dong’s body, or putting it another way, something in his consciousness. But at the same time, it’s also protecting his spiritual sea so that it doesn’t corrode. In any case, you shouldn’t try it again. Just a step later, and your body and soul would’ve been obliterated. Thankfully, the big worm’s sensitive to spiritual power, and was able to save you in time,” Electrolux spoke with a heavy tone.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to try again. His lapels were completely drenched from the back. He never would’ve thought that the outcome would be like this. This was just as Elder Electrolux said. He had almost gone to the dogs!
“Elder Electrolux, would this situation cause harm to Wang Dong?” Huo Yuhao asked urgently.
“No, it shouldn’t. This situation is actually very rare, but it’s not like something like this hasn’t appeared amongst humans before. There are a very few situations in the human world that will cause humans to have godlike traits, just like this one. To put it simply, a deity exists in your friend’s body,” Electrolux said.
“Gods were nothing but illusions in the world I came from. Once one broke through that realm, they had to give up their corporeal body and everything they had. A deity expands itself all across the world and controls everything, yet controls nothing at the same time. This is main reason why people from my world weren’t willing to become gods. When gods appeared, their souls would spread across the world. If a new life graced the world when that happened, the newborn’s vitality might very well cause a shred of the deity’s soul to enter their body. This is very beneficial to humans because, it would endow that child with talents. Moreover, this deity wouldn’t affect the newborn’s body, and would gradually disappear as the human aged. To put it in other terms, it’s called luck.”
“Those who possess deities in them are lucky individuals. Don’t you guys have that saying where lucky people don’t have any worries in life?”
After hearing Electrolux’s explanation, Huo Yuhao gently exhaled. Everything was fine as long as Wang Dong was okay. Naturally, he wouldn’t try and pry into his spiritual sea anymore in the future. His experience from a moment ago was really too scary.
The Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress didn’t give him any other explanation. After all was said and done, they were soul beasts, and their understanding of the human world wasn’t as profound as that of Electrolux. Moreover, the deity that was like a seal really didn’t harbor any ill intent towards Wang Dong. It only silently protected Wang Dong’s soul. As a result of that, their conclusive opinion was the same as Elder Electrolux’s, and they felt that everything would be fine as long as Huo Yuhao didn’t purposely go and stir up trouble for himself.
Wang Dong seemed to have woken up at this moment. He slowly opened his eyes, and was taken aback when he saw Huo Yuhao collapsed on the ground. “Yuhao, what happened to you?” He quickly strode forward and lent Huo Yuhao an arm.
Huo Yuhao smiled bitterly and said, “It’s nothing. I just pried into your spiritual sea just now, and it consumed too much of my spiritual power. That’s all. Your status is very normal, and there’s nothing wrong with you. I reckon it’s a psychological burden from when you cultivated your martial soul as a child. Don’t mind it too much. You don’t have to use soul tools if you don’t like them. You have me, after all. Come, let’s cultivate for awhile. I consumed quite a lot of my spiritual power just now, so you need to help me out. Are we going to stay here, or are we going over to your side?”
Wang Dong saw his pale face and quickly said, “Why torture yourself? We’ll stay here.” As he spoke, he helped Huo Yuhao to the bed. The two of them pressed their palms against the other’s, and the gentle fluctuations of soul power converged into Haodong Power, starting to circulate within their bodies. Only then did Huo Yuhao feel somewhat stronger than before.
A thousand miles away...
A massive castle built atop the peak of a mountain. The grey castle was filled with an archaic aura, making it seem as though it had reached the pinnacle of existence.
In the castle, two middle-aged men were drinking wine in a spacious hall.
They were extremely tall. They still exuded a majestic aura even as they sat there.
The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table had long green hair draped over his impressively wide shoulders. His eyes were actually green too! As he closed and opened his eyes,
there was an ineffably special sense of realism to his simple and unadorned eyes. It was as though they were faintly revealing the tyrannical aura that his body couldn’t suppress.
White skintight garments enveloped his tall figure. He held a huge wine cup in his hands, letting fine amber wine enter his system.
A middle-aged brawny man whose body wasn’t inferior to his sat in the seat next to the head of the table. This person had fine, short hair that resembled steel needles. He had a majestic appearance, with a chiseled, resolute face. His eyes were light brown, and shone faintly with a golden glow.
These two people were only sitting there, but the feeling they exuded was an extremely majestic one. That strong aura definitely couldn’t be fully concealed even if they were to suppress it.
These two men had originally been drinking wine when their bodies shook at the same time out of the blue. Soon, a look of terror appeared in their eyes. With a swoosh, they immediately stood up.
At this moment, four bolts of lightning seemed to have suddenly filled the hall. Two of them were the color of jade, while the other two were light brown. The palace-like hall creaked, failing to withstand the sudden terrifying aura that had exploded out in the room.
“It’s Wang Dong. What’s the matter?” The black-haired brawny man roared, a savage glint in his eyes. He raised his right hand, causing a powerful golden light to shoot out from his palm. Right after that, nine consecutive rings of light instantly rose from his feet.
If a soul master were to see the colors of his nine soul rings, he would definitely have fainted. His nine soul rings were actually as pitch-black as ink. Furthermore, the black emanating from his soul rings seemed to be different from ordinary ten thousand year soul rings; they gave off a profound and mighty aura.
Nine ten thousand year soul rings?
The short-haired man’s sixth soul ring lit up, and he quickly sketched out a few golden lines in front of him, forming what seemed to be a pattern.
“Wait a moment.” The long-haired man raised his hand and grabbed the short-haired man, suppressing the latter’s aura.
“Big brother, Little Dong might be in danger.” The short- haired man let out a low roar, somewhat discontent.
His long-haired counterpart shook his head. “It’s fine. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with him. My senses are never wrong. We can’t overtly interfere in Little Dong’s growth.”
The short-haired man was unresigned, as if he were a fierce tiger protecting its young, “No. I can’t be careless. Why don’t we go over to Shrek Academy and follow him? We’ll be able to avoid most of our problems then. If anything does happen, I won’t be able to withstand the consequences.”
The long-haired man shook his head slightly. “You! The more you care about him, the more trouble you’ll cause. Let’s do it this way: let’s get the sect to send a few people to protect him from the shadows. Second brother, when will your short- tempered personality ever change?”
“Hmph! What’s there to change? Ever since… whatever, I’m not going to talk anymore. Just whose fault was it that we didn’t have the ability? Let’s drink, drink.” As he spoke, he raised an enormous cup of fine liquor and downed it all in one gulp.
The long-haired man shook his head helplessly as he watched his sibling. “You!”
The short-haired man put his wine cup down. The valiant look on his face had turned into one of worry. “Big brother, is he really fine?”
The long-haired man put his own wine cup on the small table beside him and moved his arms a bit. Immediately, a series of pops and cracks echoed from his body.
“I know what you’re thinking. Let’s do it this way: as long as you can beat me, I won’t care about you; I’ll let you do whatever you want. How about it?”
“Nope… you’re just trying to use me to get your kicks. I’m not going to be fooled by you.” The short-haired man said
resentfully.
“Come, let’s do it once?” The long-haired man replied mischievously.
“Big brother, I feel like you should go find a woman. There are truly many good women out there. Can you not look at me like that?”
Star Luo City.
Shrek Academy was all gathered together at dawn. Today, the second match of the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament’s round-robin section would be commencing.
Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochen were still recovering from their injuries. At the very least, Ling Luochen would still need a few days to recover from her injuries.
Along with the rest of Shrek Academy who were fully equipped with the soul tools they had bought yesterday, Wang
Yan walked straight towards Star Luo Plaza.
He had already given the suitable soul tools to the members of Shrek Academy, with the obvious exception of the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife. He had personally helped fill Huo Yuhao’s Class 4 Milk Bottle before giving it to him.
Their opponents for today were already determined, but the tournament format had to be chosen through by lots. Wang Yan prayed that they wouldn’t get a 1v1 fight--after all, that was the most unfavourable format for Shrek Academy. This was because their opponents would have a Soul King. In a 1v1 fight, a Soul King would completely suppress their team, thereby drastically reducing their chances of winning. Star Luo Plaza was as fervent as always, and this was especially true when the members of Shrek Academy stepped out from the soldier- protected contestant’s passageway. The crowd immediately flew into an uproar.
Shrek Academy’s previous two matches had left an extremely deep impression in the minds of the audience. Just how would Shrek Academy surprise them again? All of them wanted to know the answer to this question.
Wang Yan had given them an introduction to the opponents they would be facing today during breakfast. Unlike their previous matches, they would be facing a soul academy today. The Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy originated from the Dou Ling Empire, and it was an extremely famous academy within the empire itself. It was ranked in the top three most outstanding academies within the Dou Ling Empire, and it had provided a large number of outstanding talents for the empire.
Huo Yuhao maintained an indifferent look on his face as he walked into the resting area, surrounded by his companions. He had to continue assuming the airs of an expert until he was exposed, after all.
He had fully recovered his spiritual power through yesterday’s cultivation. Moreover, his energies were now at their peak condition due to the Haodong Power.
Two fights. They had to persist for two fights, at which time Ling Luochen would return. Their following matches in the round-robin tournament would be much more relaxed with a Soul King overseeing them. After all, a Soul King was already a pinnacle existence within the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament.
The only academy with a so-called ‘special privilege’ within the entire tournament was undoubtedly Shrek Academy. They were still participating in the first match of the day, and this had been chosen by Shrek themselves.
8 a.m. It was now time for the match to start. The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire sat above the city walls, intending to spectate the match. There was no doubt about it--he was most interested in Shrek’s performance.
The referee walked to the centre of the tournament stage, then used a sound-amplifying soul tool to loudly announce, “Both parties, enter the waiting area. Team leaders, please take the stage to conduct the lot-drawing.”
The members of Shrek Academy rose to their feet and entered the waiting area clad in dark green. Wang Yan nodded to Bei Bei, who glanced at Xu Sanshi before climbing up to the stage with large strides.
His counterpart from the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy was also a male who looked around twenty or so. This person had a slim body and a stern face, giving the impression that he was a javelin. He remained expressionless as he faced Bei Bei.
Lot drawing, start!
Everyone present was interested in the results of the lot- drawing. Any match that Shrek Academy participated in would be extremely interesting, regardless of which format was chosen. Right now, the audience only wished for their opponents to last a little longer, so they could watch an even more interesting fight.
Wang Yan’s prayers worked--the result of the lot-drawing was what he wanted most.
“Shrek Academy vs Thousand Spirits Academy, team fight.” the referee loudly announced the result of the lot.
The team fight was without a doubt the format that contained the most intense and comprehensive fights that tested the overall strength of both teams. The leaders from both teams had no objections to this.
“Both teams, take the field.” The referee’s voice boomed.
He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong all rose to their feet. One by one, they ascended to the stage under Wang Yan’s supporting gaze.
Wang Yan had prepared most for the team fight in the morning. He already had all their strategies in place, and all Shrek needed to do was execute them.
Both parties stood opposite each other on the stage. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi stood at the very front, while Jiang Nannan and He Caitou stood behind them. This was followed by Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao flanking Huo Yuhao, who stood in between them.
Huo Yuhao placed his hands in front of his stomach and closed his eyes, as if he was just taking a rest. On the contrary, the students from the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy were all staring at him.
Every single academy had conducted an analysis on Huo Yuhao’s strength after the first day’s elimination round. Although nobody thought that he was a terrifying existence who was able to possess six hundred thousand year soul rings, they had high expectations of him.
After all, the duo’s Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence had left an extremely deep impression on their hearts. They had won with a single strike!
Huo Yuhao didn’t look old from the outside; he was fourteen or fifteen at most. However, the other academies had taken him to be a Soul King, or even a Soul Emperor-ranked expert.
The javelin-like leader of the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy was now focused on Huo Yuhao. Flickering through his eyes was not fear, but a strong will to fight. Shrek Academy’s team formation was much more ordinary compared to the curved formation they had taken during their first team fight. However, their opponents had assumed a somewhat unexpected formation.
The leader of the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy didn’t stand at the very front of his team; instead, four people did. This was somewhat unexpected, but their formation consisted of four people standing in front. These four were all tall and brawny male students, forming what seemed to be a wall as they stood there.
Their javelin-like leader stood behind the four, while two young girls stood behind him.
These two girls were very easily differentiated--one of them was red-haired, while the other was blue-haired, making them rather eye-catching. All seven of them looked to be around twenty-or-so years old, and the formation they had taken made it seem as though they were an invulnerable fortress.
Huo Yuhao quickly thought back to Wang Yan’s introduction of the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy. Every single academy had a main force and a batch of reserve students, and Wang Yan was able to accurately determine the seven members of the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy’s main team after careful observation. Today, the seven people who came out were identical to Wang Yan’s predictions.
Wang Yan had delivered an extremely thorough analysis on the enemy team, even talking about their individual specialties.
The Thousand Spirits Soul Academy’s current formation could be easily described using a single sentence: The four shields form an invulnerable fortress, while the Twin
Mistresses of Fire and Ice attack alongside the Thousandstrike Lance.
The four students standing at the very front of the enemy team were called Yang Ming, Song Hu, Bai Chen, and Ye Mao. According to Wang Yan’s deductions, the four of them had come from the same place. In other words, they came from the same sect. This was because they shared an identical martial soul--the defense-type Spirit Rhinoceros’ Shield, an upper- middle tier defensive martial soul.
On the other hand, the stern javelin-like leader of the Thousand Spirits Soul Academy’s team was called Shen Ce. He was the true core and the main attacker of the team, and his Thousandstrike Lance allowed him to specialise in both long and short-range attacks.
The blue-haired girl standing in the back was called An Lengye and had the Frost Bear as her martial soul, while the red-haired girl next to her was called Fei Yuyan and possessed the Blaze Tiger. The reason for their nickname ‘Twin Mistresses of Fire and Ice’ was because they were both control- type soul masters.
They hadn’t used any soul tools during their previous match, thus there was no way to know whether or not they would do so in this match. However, the comprehensive strength of the Thousands Spirits Soul Academy was incomparable to the Cloud Luo Academy they’d faced in the previous round.
Shen Ce was at the five-ringed Soul King level of power. According to Wang Yan’s predictions, he was around Rank 53 or 54. However, the other six members of his team were four- ringed Soul Ancestors. Wang Yan estimated that two of them were above Rank 45.
This match would absolutely not be a pushover to Huo Yuhao and the rest.
“Match, start!” Both parties simultaneously released their martial souls following the referee’s shout. There was only a single exception to this, and that was Huo Yuhao.
In reality, he had already released his martial soul. Only, his Imitation made it so that no one else was able to see his soul rings.
Huo Yuhao kept his hands over his stomach as he remained motionless, while Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao stood by his side with no intentions of moving either. The two of them had released six soul rings each, and they both had the optimum combination of soul rings.
Two yellow, two purple, and two black rings. This was the optimum combination of soul rings for a six-ringed Soul Emperor.
The easiest way to distinguish the strength of an opponent was by looking at one’s soul rings when both parties released their martial souls. Their opponents from the Thousand Spirits Academy were clearly stunned when Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao released their respective six rings. A formless
pressure was now acting like a large hand that was crushing their chests, causing their breathing to subconsciously become rushed.
Naturally, only the three of them stayed unmoving. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou made their moves simultaneously.
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi both held cigars in their mouths. The former was puffing the Strength Amplifying Large Cigar, while the latter puffed the Defense Amplifying Long Cigar. The four of them simultaneously released their soul rings, and Bei Bei took the initiative to charge towards their opponents with large strides. Xu Sanshi stayed by his side, while Jiang Nannan’s body flickered and vanished. However, this was only from the point of view of their opponents. In reality, she was hidden behind Bei Bei.
He Caitou followed close behind as he took large strides forward as well.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao’s trio slowly advanced forward.
Shrek Academy’s lineup could be described using the word ‘formation-less’, so much so that they even seemed somewhat scattered. It seemed as though they were each fighting their own battles.
Compared to them, the Thousand Spirits Academy was clearly much more organised.
A dark-yellow layer of light rose from the bodies of Yang Ming, Song Hu, Bai Chen, and Ye Mao as they released their martial souls. Right after that, transformations began to occur on their bodies as a result of the release of their martial souls.
Their originally-tall bodies became even more muscular, and their yellow skin became even thicker. The most noticeable part of their transformation occurred to their right arms, as their forearm muscles started twisting violently. After that, shields started to sprout from their right arms.
The layers of keratin on their dark yellow shields made them seem as thick as armor. The Spirit Rhinoceros’ Shield was a mutation of the Rhinoceros, and the four of them possessed it. The four meter-long shields made it seem as though a wall was protecting the three people behind them. These four soul
masters each had four soul rings, consisting of two yellow and two purple rings. They gave off a thick and solid feeling as they stood there. Were it not for the formless and choking pressure coming from the distant Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao, the layer of defense they’d created would’ve been even more perfect.
Their leader, Shen Ce, naturally stood behind the four of them.
Shen Ce’s martial soul looked somewhat special as it was released. He raised his arms into the air, causing his body to give off a layer of silver light. He looked towards the sky and motioned in a way that made it seem as though he was trying to hug the heavens. Right after that, a silver light instantly shot out from his back and into the sky before bouncing back into him after coming into contact with the defensive barrier surrounding the arena. This silver light then floated in front of him.
This silver light was actually an extremely sharp and long lance. Its twelve-foot-long body shone a brilliant silver, and faint carvings covered its surface. An intense aura of sharpness immediately surged from the lance the moment it appeared in
Shen Ce’s hands, creating a distinct juxtaposition with the four Spirit Rhinoceros Shields in front of him.
This was Shen Ce’s martial soul, the Thousandstrike Lance! He gave off a somewhat familiar feeling to the seven members of Shrek Academy, being an assault-type soul master who used a tool soul. They had previously encountered this exact feeling from one of the official members of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters who was also an assault-type soul master, Chen Zifeng.
Didn’t Chen Zifeng’s Soulchasing Sword also possess a terrifying aura of sharpness like this as well? Chen Zifeng’s aura had been suppressed by Ma Xiaotao during their previous fight, resulting in his abilities not being revealed. However, Huo Yuhao and the rest had sensed just how terrifying that sharpness was.
The Thousandstrike Lance flickered with two yellow and three purple soul rings. There was no doubt that the Soul King- ranked Shen Ce was incomparable to Chen Zifeng. However, his abilities were extremely similar, and his attack power was undoubtedly extraordinary. His fifth purple soul ring gave off an extremely profound feeling, and although it wasn’t a ten
thousand year soul ring, it was an eight thousand year soul ring at the very least.
Just as Shen Ce released his Thousandstrike Lance, two entirely contrasting lights appeared behind him, acting as a backdrop to his actions. On the left was a blue-colored Ice, while on the right was a red-colored Fire.
These were the martial souls that An Lengye and Fei Yuyan had released.
The martial souls these two soul masters possessed were very distinguishable. They were both possessors of beast souls, but their beast souls didn’t cause any changes to their bodies. Instead, they appeared as images of light in front of them.
An enormous, three-metre bear that was dark-blue in color appeared in front of An Lengye, emitting an intense aura of ice. On the contrary, a two-and-a-half-meter long tiger appeared in front of Fei Yuyan, its red body interwoven with black stripes.
Huo Yuhao had learned about things like this in Shrek Academy. What An Lengye and Fei Yuyan possessed were called
martial soul mimicries. If the first soul ring that a soul master obtained was identical to their martial soul, there was a chance that he or she could cultivate a martial soul projection.
A martial soul projection wouldn’t give too much of a power- up to a soul master; it mainly changed a soul master’s fighting style. An ordinary beast soul master would use their martial soul to strengthen a particular area of their physical body, then fight using that. On the contrary, a soul master who had a martial soul projection would command their projections to fight for them. The comparative load on their bodies would be lighter, and this made it easier for their companions to protect them. However, there were very glaring flaws to this fighting style--their physical bodies would be comparatively weaker. Thus, it was necessary for a soul master to carefully command their projection to protect themselves.
An Lengye, who possessed the Frost Bear, and Fei Yuyan, who possessed the Blaze Tiger, should’ve been assault-type soul masters. However, the fact that they were girls and their clans were relatively powerful made it so that they chose to cultivate a martial soul projection during the earliest parts of their cultivation. This allowed them to become control-type soul masters instead. This was the ‘Twin Mistresses of Fire and Ice’ that Wang Yan had spoken about.
Unlike Shrek’s charging assault, the seven members of the Thousand Spirits Academy didn’t make a move after releasing their martial souls. The four wielders of the Spirit Rhinoceros’ Shields came together, protecting the other team members behind them. At the same time, the four of them simultaneously released their first soul skill, Shield Wall!
Countless dark yellow shadows blossomed from the Spirit Rhinoceros Shields, and the four shields instantaneously transformed into a thousand shields that blocked the line of sight and path of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters.
Unfortunately, they didn’t know that Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection had been activated since the start of the match. Shrek’s team simply didn’t need to use their eyes to see what was going on behind the Shield Wall.
The elegant-looking An Lengye and Fei Yuyan simultaneously released their soul skills in a careful manner. An Lengye’s soul skill activated first, and the Frost Bear strutted forward with its head held high. After reaching the Shield Wall, it vigorously thumped its own chest. At the same time, An Lengye’s first soul ring lit up.
An intense, icy-blue wave of light instantly spread out from the Frost Bear, and the originally-yellow Shield Wall was immediately encased in an icy-blue light. This was An Lengye’s first soul skill, Frost Shield.
Her Frost Shield combined with the Spirit Rhinoceros Shields, causing the latter’s defensive capabilities to instantly triple.
The person who had the highest cultivation rank after Shen Ce within the Thousand Spirits Academy was An Lengye, who was a Rank 45 soul master.
The Frost Bear’s abilities weren’t limited to just that. After thumping its chest, it suddenly raised its enormous paws and pounded the ground heavily. An ice-blue wave of light spread out from them, cleverly maneuvering around the four Spirit Rhinoceros Shields before expanding outwards. The icy aura generated from it immediately caused the temperature on the tournament stage to drop drastically. This was An Lengye’s second soul skill, Frost Seal!
Affected by the icy air, the charging Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou were slowed down dramatically.
Furthermore, a layer of frost started to rapidly cover the floor of the tournament stage; the now-smooth surface caused their footing to become somewhat unstable.
An Lengye’s control of Ice was extremely strong, while the four Spirit Rhinoceros Shields seemed impenetrable. However, they weren’t attacking, but defending. If that was the case, how was the Thousand Spirits Academy going to win?
A blazing fire rapidly sprouted from Fei Yuyan’s Blaze Tiger, and her first, second, and third soul rings flickered alternately.
The Blaze Tiger formed an intense ball of fire in its mouth, then spat it directly at Shen Ce’s feet.
A fiery red ring of light immediately appeared, dyeing Shen Ce’s entire body a scarlet-red.
Fei Yuyan’s first soul skill, Raging Flame Ring, imbued its target with the fire attribute, along with a strong resistant to fire. At the same time, it gave its target the ability to attack and defend using the power of Fire by imbuing the element of fire
into their soul skills. This was a powerful Fire-type auxiliary skill. Unfortunately, it was only a single-target skill.
Chapter 86: The Origin of Destruction, He Caitou
After being powered up by the Raging Flame Ring, Shen Ce’s Thousandstrike Lance was dyed with a layer of red. A glint flashed through his eyes, and the Thousandstrike Lance’s third soul ring suddenly lit up. This thousand year soul ring immediately caused the weapon to turn somewhat illusory. Not only that, but a flare of light appeared behind the Thousandstrike Lance, causing it to become increasingly brighter. As a result, its glaring light suppressed even the reddish luster that came from Fei Yuyan’s Raging Flame Ring.
Clearly, Shen Ce and Fei Yuyan hadn’t just worked together for a day or two. Just as the former released his third soul skill, the latter simultaneously activated her second and third soul skills. However, her second soul skill was used on the Blaze Tiger.
Blazing Wings.
A four meter-wide pair of flaming wings appeared on the back of the Blaze Tiger, just like the phrase ‘giving a set of wings to a tiger’. With the strength increase given by the
Blazing Wings, the aura of Fire coming from the Blaze Tiger spiked, and the originally scarlet-red flames on its body started to turn a bluish-white.
After that came Fei Yuyan’s third skill, which caused a layer of bluish-white flames to emerge from the body of the Blaze Tiger. The Blaze Tiger itself was an image of light, and it had released something similar to it, yet even more illusory. This caused its main body to thin somewhat.
The bluish-white Blaze Tiger didn’t pause whatsoever. Flapping its wings, it leapt straight into the increasingly bright Thousandstrike Lance.
Immediately, an intense, bluish-white flame appeared on the body of the Thousandstrike Lance. Mixed within it was the low cry of a tiger, causing the members of the audience below to involuntarily hold their breath.
This was practically an unrivaled use of strengthening soul skills! By relying on four defense-type soul masters to act as a defensive wall, and the use of An Lengye’s control of Ice to strengthen their defensive capabilities while reducing their opponents’ speed, they were able to give Shen Ce and Fei Yuyan
the chance to join hands and release a deadly attack. This was the strategy that the current Thousand Spirits Academy was using. Moreover, this fighting style had never appeared in any of Shrek’s previous matches before.
Their opponents during the elimination round simply weren’t strong enough. Moreover, their first fight during the round-robin round had been a 1v1 duel. Up till now, an original yet extremely powerful strategy like this had never appeared on the battlefield. This was something that even Wang Yan had been unable to predict beforehand.
Would Shrek’s Seven Monsters be able to endure a crushing blow like this?
The Thousand Spirits Academy had a very simple goal--rely on a special strategy like this to combine their strongest abilities, then eliminate a few of their opponents. After that, they could take advantage of a few mistakes their opponents made to achieve victory. This was also the strategy they had devised to use against strong teams they were fighting against.
Originally, the Thousand Spirits Academy hadn’t planned to fight against Shrek Academy. After all, the latter was a
champion throughout the entirety of history! The Thousand Spirits Academy didn’t have the foundation to challenge Shrek Academy. However, they had lost their previous 1v1 match, pushing them to the edge of disqualification. If they weren’t able to beat Shrek Academy, they would be eliminated from the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament.
Hence, the Thousand Spirits Academy had a very simple strategy--they spared nothing in their fight. Even if they lost, they had to lose brilliantly so that everyone could see the true might of the Thousand Spirits Academy. They wouldn’t be losing face either if they lost to Shrek Academy.
Just as Wang Yan and the Shrek’s Seven Monsters were hoping for a team fight, the Thousand Spirits Academy was also hoping for the same outcome; this was because they believed that they would be able to release all of their strength in a team fight. In the end, both parties were satisfied. However, could the current Shrek’s Seven Monsters withstand the might of the Thousand Spirits Academy?
“Go!” Shen Ce let out a low roar, then stretched out both hands. He was about to fling his Thousandstrike Lance that flickered with a bluish-white flame outwards.
At the same time, the four wielders of the Spirit Rhinoceros Shields suddenly moved. The very center of the Shield Wall shifted to the side, revealing a hole.
Under the effects of An Lengye’s Frost Seal, Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan were ten meters away from the Shield Wall.
Describing all of this took a lot of time, but in reality, everything occurred within a few seconds. Shen Ce wasn’t the only powerful person within the Thousand Spirits Academy; the cooperation and speed involved in the soul skills used by the Twin Mistresses of Fire and Ice had reached an extreme level of skill.
The four people from Shrek Academy who were currently leading the charge had blank looks on their faces. At this exact moment, a white mark appeared on Bei Bei’s body. This mark was in the shape of a cross, and it appeared right on his chest.
However, an indifferent smile floated by the corner of Bei Bei’s mouth at this exact moment. This was a smile of self- confidence.
The members of the audience who could clearly see what was going on, including the Emperor himself, held their breaths at this moment. Would Shrek Academy suffer a heavy blow at the very beginning of the match?
At this exact moment, they witnessed another bizarre scene.
To put it more accurately, it was an astonishing scene.
Nobody would’ve thought that the first of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters to release a soul skill would be Huo Yuhao. Moreover, he hadn’t even released his soul rings.
Without any prior warning at all, Huo Yuhao’s eyes shot out two purplish-golden rays of light, each more than a foot long.
This was precisely when Shen Ce was about to make a move.
Shen Ce let out a muffled groan, and the cross-shaped mark that was on Bei Bei’s body instantly vanished. However, the Thousandstrike Lance had already been released. Only, it had now diverged from its original trajectory...
Opportunities were things that were given equally to both parties.
The powerful effect of the perfect combination of Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Shock was once again unveiled in a team fight. If it was the first time a person encountered this combination of spiritual soul skills, they would undoubtedly suffer a loss.
Even as his cultivation continuously increased, Huo Yuhao’s greatest improvement was in his spiritual power. His spiritual power had been continuously strengthened at a terrifying rate with the help of the Skydream Iceworm, and his first soul ring had reached the level of a thousand year soul ring. Even if his overall cultivation hadn’t reached the level of a three-ringed Soul Elder, he had two thousand year soul rings by his side in reality. Moreover, these weren’t just ordinary thousand year soul rings…
He had been able to instantly send Ma Xiaotao into a daze using his Spiritual Shock when his cultivation was far weaker. Now, his cultivation had increased dramatically, and his opponent wasn’t even as strong as Ma Xiaotao.
Why was Bei Bei laughing? The Thousand Spirits Academy was under the impression that their Shield Wall had concealed their movements, but with Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection, they couldn’t hide anything from Shrek’s Seven Monsters; they were even able to clearly see the circulation of Shen Ce’s soul power when he made his move.
Huo Yuhao made his move the instant Shen Ce had no choice but to release his drawn bowstring. As the main control-type soul master of his team, his entire team jumped into action in accordance with his timing.
A sudden change occurred to the seemingly relaxed Shrek’s Seven Monsters. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao stayed by Huo Yuhao’s side, unmoving, but the four people in front of them rushed forward like fierce beasts. Furthermore, this was combined with the explosion caused by Shen Ce’s Thousandstrike Lance.
Shen Ce had been fully concentrated on his control over the Thousandstrike Lance, but he had been struck by Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock. Thus, not only was the angle of his throw skewed, but he also suffered heavy injuries to his mind; he started to bleed from his mouth and nose. Furthermore, the
new target of his lightning-fast Thousandstrike Lance was now his team’s Shield Wall.
As the saying went, a fortress was most easily destroyed from within. This was something that made a lot of sense.
When the four of them had formed the Shield Wall, nobody could see any holes or weak spots from the outside. Yang Ming, Song Hu, Bai Chen, and Ye Mao were constantly shifting their positions to maintain the overall balance of the Shield Wall’s defense. However, they were trying to defend against external attacks, not internal ones!
Strengthened by Fei Yuyan’s soul skills, Shen Ce’s full-power lance fully struck their Shield Wall from within.
With a violent boom, the countless shield images were blasted apart from within. The bluish-white flames instantly melted the Frost Shield, and even burnt Yang Ming, who was closest to the wall.
The terrifying impact caused by the Thousandstrike Lance blew the left side of the Shield Wall apart. Yang Ming and Song
Hu were sent flying, and they let out a wretched cries due to the flames burning them. Traces of blood could now be seen on their right arms that had transformed into shields.
Shen Ce’s all-out attack against Bei Bei had struck his own side. Fortunately, the Thousandstrike Lance hadn’t flown straight towards his own teammates. Otherwise, their injuries would’ve been even more severe.
As these violent booms continued to ring out, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi simultaneously let out a roar. Although they had been previously slowed down by the Frost Seal, they suddenly sped up. With a flash, Xu Sanshi made his way through the broken Shield Wall. On the other hand, Bei Bei slammed tyrannically into the remaining half of the Shield Wall.
He Caitou suddenly stopped moving, as if he were a sitting tiger. After smoking one of his Soul Power Amplifying Thin Cigars, the rumbling sounds of metal rang out from his body.
A few days ago, Xu Sanshi had encountered a stationary soul cannon while fighting against the students from the Cloud Luo Advanced Soul Engineering Academy. However, the person who was using it today was He Caitou.
Huo Yuhao had studied the art of soul tools under Fan Yu for a very short period of time. Fan Yu had established a good foundation for him, while imparting a foundational knowledge of most soul engineers as well. On the other hand, when Huo Yuhao was learning how to create soul tools, Fan Yu had prioritised his foundation over everything else.
However, He Caitou had already studied under Fan Yu for over five years. He wasn’t as slow as he seemed on the surface. How could his five years of hard work be compared to the leader of the Cloud Luo Advanced Soul Engineering Academy that Xu Sanshi had previously fought against? His unleashing of a stationary soul tool was practically a transformation to his body.
There was a qualitative difference between the soul tool forts that He Caitou and Situ Yu set up. The pedestal of Situ Yu’s fort had only extended towards his legs, but He Caitou’s one could truly be called a fort.
Amidst the concentrated sounds of metal, a circular pedestal appeared below He Caitou’s feet, fully covering his feet.
This was a genuine fort; it was impossible to leave the original location once it was set up. The place that He Caitou had chosen was also rather peculiar. He had chosen a place in the middle of the arena, slightly towards the Thousand Spirit Academy’s side. Once the pedestal was finished, several metal pipes—both thick and thin—emerged from his body.
When Situ Yu, the captain of the Cloud Luo Academy, had released more than thirty metal pipes to form his soul tool fortress, he’d already exceeded the average number of pipes for a soul tool fortress. Generally speaking, as long as one had 24 attack-type soul tools along with a stable pedestal, and an enormous core formation that could conserve soul power, they’d have successfully formed a soul tool fortress.
However, if one were to examine He Caitou’s body closely, they would see that there weren’t 24 soul tools, but rather too many to count. The number of pipes had probably surpassed 50.
Huo Yuhao broke into a cold sweat when he saw his valiant senior brother. At the same time, he thought to himself: Is this the reason that all soul engineers have such strong bodies? So that they can control a larger number of soul tools? It seemed that he’d have to grow stronger too! If he didn’t, he definitely wouldn’t be able to bear the burden of all those metal weapons!
He Caitou had a total of 64 weapons on his body. Among them, the strongest was the gun-barrel on his right shoulder. This dark-colored gun-barrel was two meters long and as thick as an average person’s thigh. Currently, it was emanating a metallic light and giving off a terrifying aura. However, this gun barrel was banned from the tournament, as it was a strengthening-type stationary soul tool.
Once his fortress had been finished, the muscles on He Caitou’s face twitched slightly. It was difficult to describe how he was feeling right now. He smiled towards the enemy team while holding the cigar in his mouth, but his smile was full of killing intent. Afterwards, instantly turned into a ball of blazing light that was nearly as bright as the sun.
Currently, Bei Bei was fiercely attacking the remnants of the Shield Wall in an attempt to destroy them. But at that moment, he felt a wave of heat coming from behind him, followed by a
thunderous explosion that landed not too far away from his head. This explosion was really quite scary. The powerful shockwaves caused him to squat down, and he had to use all the soul power in his body to protect himself. He even had to use the defensive soul tool that he’d obtained yesterday.
Afterwards, he saw various fragments falling from the sky. He then realized that the shields that’d been blocking his way were now gone.
“Holy shit.” The always-elegant Bei Bei—at least, that’s how he looked from the outside—unconsciously cursed as he stood back up.
All of the fragments that were falling from the sky belonged to the Spirit Rhinoceros Shield! He saw that the protective barrier outside of the arena was full of ripples, and that a large number of halos were rapidly fluctuating. He then noticed that there was a person amidst those halos, and that this person was the captain of the Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Academy, Shen Ce.
At this moment, his body was glittering with many colors, and his five soul rings lit up one after another. However, no
matter what he did, he was still being suppressed by a terrifying power, and was unable to move a single finger.
Bei Bei wasn’t the only one who was surprised. The other members of the Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy were also surprised by this, as all four of their defense-type soul masters had been injured from that explosion!
When the Thousand-strike Spear had injured them, Yang Ming and Song Hu had thought that they’d been unlucky. But when they saw Bai Chen and Ye Mao’s current condition, they were a little happy that their Shield Wall had already been destroyed.
Of the 64 attack-type soul tools installed on He Caitou’s body, 63 had simultaneously begun to glitter, which had been why his body had seemingly changed into a blazing sun. All of them had then simultaneously released their strength in the same direction. Not only had they immediately destroyed the Shield Wall, but they had also fiercely bombarded Shen Ce, who had yet to recover from Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock. Even though Shen Ce’s skill were meant for defense, when faced with that terrifying power, he’d been directly pressed against the barrier outside the ring.
Just what kind of power was that?! Even if the Shield Wall had been previously damaged by an internal strike from the Thousand-strike Spear, it was still a defense that had been erected by two defense-type Soul Ancestors with all their might. Yet, in front of He Caitou’s soul tool fortress, it had collapsed instantly!
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who weren’t too far away from each other, both looked at each other and saw saw the shock in each other’s eyes. The two of them weren’t the only ones hiding their strength; He Caitou had been as well! Furthermore, the strength that He Caitou had been hiding was extremely large! Even Xu Sanshi wasn’t entirely sure if he could block that full- power attack from before.
Beneath the Soul Sage rank, a soul engineer held a definite advantage over a soul master of equal rank. Moreover, how could He Caitou be compared to a normal Class 4 soul engineer? If it wasn’t for Huo Yuhao, he would be the number one student of Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department, and also the only candidate for the Ultimate Soldier Plan. However, the current Huo Yuhao couldn’t hope to match his attainments in regards to soul tools. Furthermore, He Caitou had used the soul tool fortress, the strongest formation at the disposal of a soul engineer. Therefore, his full-power attack had immediately shown its terrifying effects.
The tactic used by the Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy wasn’t bad, but it had a fatal flaw: It was too passive. It wasn’t able to pressure on their opponents.
He Caitou had already begun preparing the moment he’d stepped forward. In that brief period of time, he’d completed the setup of his soul tool fortress with using his muscles. Only three seconds had passed between when he began to forming his fortress and when he launched his attack. This speed shocked the members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy so much that all of them stood up. Even among them, none of them could erect a soul tool fortress in such a short period of time, let alone such a complicated and powerful Class 4 soul tool fortress.
By relying on his great number of soul tools, He Caitou was able to release the strength of a Class 5 soul tool fortress while using a Class 4 one. However, he hadn’t used this formidable strength of his when he’d compared notes with his fellow students.
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who were thinking of going all-out, regained their senses after a short moment of surprise, and
realized that the blinding light from He Caitou’s soul tools were also fading.
When the light faded, Shen Ce used the protective barrier behind him as a support to jump towards the ring with great difficulty. The sturdy clothes he’d been wearing had already been turned into rags and had revealed a layer of armor beneath them.
“Clang—” The armor broke, and the instant it fell on the ground, Shen Ce’s body looked thin and meager. He immediately opened his mouth to gasp for breath, and used his Thousand-strike Spear to support himself.
He Caitou spat out what remained of his thin cigar and curled his lips. “Not bad. You had a Class 5 defense-type soul tool. No wonder you managed to block my attack. You’re the first Soul King that was able to take the full brunt of my soul tool fortress head-on without going down. Come, bring it on.”
Afterwards, his round pedestal rotated. His 64 attack-type soul tools also moved rhythmically. This fortress of his could unexpectedly rotate 360°! Furthermore, he only needed to make some small adjustments to his aim in order to target Fei
Yuyan, who was still standing on the platform. Or rather, to be more precise, he was aiming at the Blaze Tiger martial soul she’d released.
“Brothers, what are you waiting for?” He Caitou shouted. When everyone thought that he would need a little bit of rest after that all-out attack from before, the gun barrels began to light up again.
Fei Yuyan immediately became scared and directly jumped onto her Blaze Tiger in order to run away. She definitely didn’t have a Class 5 defense-type soul tool to protect herself!
“Keep your cool! He can’t possibly use that sort of powerful attack two times in a row!” At that moment, Shen Ce showed his worth as a team captain. Not only was his cultivation high, both his knowledge and battle experience were also quite good.
What he said was correct. In the end, He Caitou was only a Soul Ancestor. Even if he were stronger and could actually kill a Soul King with an all-out attack, there was no way that he’d be able to release such an attack twice in a row.
But it was only natural for human beings to feel fear. Even with Shen Ce’s timely reminder, the deterrent brought about by those gun barrels on He Caitou’s body was just too strong. The Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy’s team members had already been thrown into confusion.
At that moment, a tall and slender figure quietly arrived behind Yang Ming.
Yang Ming suddenly felt his body sink, as though its weight had increased by several times. As soon as he tried move, his body suddenly froze. Afterwards, he felt a burst of power transmitted into him from his back. Two slender hands then seized his throat, and a hard object pressed against his back.
In the next instant, everyone saw Yang Ming’s body suddenly fly towards the outside of the ring.
Jiang Nannan had made her move, and utilized her second skill, Gravity Control, alongside her first skill, Waist Bow.
Even if he’d been in his normal state, it wasn’t certain if Yang Ming would be able to dodge this attack, let alone now that he
was injured.
“I’m coming!” A tender voice echoed. A person suddenly stepped forwards from the team members of the Thousand Spirit Academy that were currently in disarray. Earlier, she had also been shocked, but considering her capacity as the vice- captain of their team, she needed to show her strength now. This person was An Lengye, the owner of the Frost Bear.
The Frost Bear immediately took large strides forward under her orders, then made a grabbing motion towards the air and caught Yang Ming, who’d been about to fall off the stage from Jiang Nannan’s attack. However, that wasn’t all. An Lengye’s fourth soul ring then lit up, and the Frost Bear howled angrily. A burst of cold air spread through the surrounding area, and An Lengye’s long blue hair immediately turned white. Even her two eyes turned an icy white color, and began to emit a chilly aura. The cold wind in the air then morphed into a tornado that swept through the arena. After holding Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan in place, it swept towards He Caitou’s position.
A soul tool fort’s offensive advantages were blatantly obvious as shown by He Caitou’s ability to launch omnidirectional attacks. However, in exchange for such firepower, it was nigh impossible for him to move and so he was simply unable to dodge An Lengye’s attack.
An Lengye’s attack was a surprise attack that was launched with perfect timing. Although Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection covered the entire arena, that didn’t mean it was omniscient; there were still a few instances, such as this one, that could exceed his senses.
“She has a soul bone—a skull bone.” Huo Yuhao used his Spiritual Detection Sharing to transmit his thoughts to his teammates’ spiritual seas.
There was no doubt about it—this was the strength of An Lengye’s released soul bone, strength that allowed her fourth soul skill, Frost Tornado, to surpass the level of a Soul Ancestor. Only then was she able to stop the members of Shrek from advancing. Otherwise, if Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei charged
over, and He Caitou was allowed to recover and start attacking again, the match would’ve been settled.
The might of An Lengye’s amplified attack had already reached the level of a Soul King. Bei Bei furrowed his brows greatly, then placed his hands in front of his body and quickly moved horizontally. He released a dense cloud of lightning to protect his own body, but he was still forced backwards by An Lengye’s powerful attack. However, his footwork placed him right in front of He Caitou. Since his opponents were able to spot the problems of a soul tool fort, why wouldn’t he be able to, as the leader of Shrek’s Seven Monsters?
Right after that, however, Bei Bei suddenly felt the pressure on him lighten. Layers of barriers had appeared behind him, black barriers that rippled like water.
Xu Sanshi turned back and smiled naughtily at him. His second soul ring was flickering, and he didn’t seem to exert any force at all as he took on the strengthened Frost Tornado.
This was Xu Sanshi’s second soul skill, Mysterious Underworld Shield.
On the surface, it was a soul skill similar to the Shield Wall. However, the defensive power of Xu Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Shield was far superior compared to Shield Wall.
This was especially true for the ice-type skill he was currently defending against. A portion of the attacking ice melted upon contact with Xu Sanshi’s water barrier, depleting most of the attack before it could strike Bei Bei. One could tell from the smile that Xu Sanshi gave Bei Bei that this attack wasn’t pressuring him.
Although the strength of the Frost Tornado had been boosted to the level of a Soul King, she faced the same problem as He Caitou. In the end, An Lengye was still a Soul Ancestor and could not properly control the skill. Furthermore, her attack was one that targeted a large area. Its destructive power was far from the Thousand-strike Lance, which focused all its power on a single target.
However, An Lengye’s actions had given the Thousand Spirits Academy enough time.
The four possessors of the Spirit Rhinoceros Shield quickly regrouped. Although they were all injured, with Bai Chen and
Ye Mao’s shields having been blown apart and their right arms bleeding. They were still defense-type soul masters. As a result, they could still defend themselves and weren’t fully drained of their fighting strength.
When An Lengye launched her all-out attack, they had regrouped and quickly stood in front of her. Shen Ce was also able to recover to some extent thanks to the time An Lengye had bought them, while the red-faced Fei Yuyan quickly got back to her position by riding the Blaze Tiger.
She had originally competed against An Lengye for the position of vice-captain, but now, she finally understood that the gap between them was too simply too vast.
Shen Ce shouted out, “Let me do this!” At this moment, not only was he filled with the intent to fight at this moment, but he also felt grief and indignation. From his point of view, the match was going to be decided without his opponent’s three strongest members having made a single move. As the saying went, an army burning with righteous indignation was bound to win. At this moment, he was prepared to put everything at stake for this fight.
A cold glint flickered through his eyes as the Thousand-strike Lance’s fifth soul ring lit up. He let out a shout as he flung his weapon out.
This time, he had fully concentrated his spiritual power to defend against Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock.
By now, Fei Yuyan finally understood the role she needed to play in this fight, and her strength-amplifying soul skill appeared once again. Additionally, she rode the Blaze Tiger to stand in front of Shen Ce and protect him from potential sneak attacks.
Shen Ce’s target wasn’t anyone else but the person who’d disrupted his attacking strategy, the same person who’d caused the trajectory of the Thousand-strike Lance to swerve towards his own teammates—Huo Yuhao. Despite knowing he had no hope of victory, he still attacked to see how strong his extremely mysterious and extremely powerful enemy was.
The Frost Tornado blocked not only Bei Bei’s assault but also Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection. As a result, the Blaze Tiger- boosted Thousand-strike Lance’s incandescent glow only
appeared in Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection the moment it left the Frost Tornado.
“Not good!” Bei Bei cried out involuntarily.
How was Huo Yuhao some kind of mysterious expert?! His real strength was only that of a two-ringed Rank 27 Soul Grandmaster.
There would only one outcome if he were to face the Soul King-ranked Shen Ce’s Thousand-strike Lance that had been additionally boosted by a fire-attribute control-type soul master—Death!
Bei Bei’s expression changed, along with those of He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.
Wang Dong moved horizontally, wanting to stand in front of Huo Yuhao. However, he was stopped by the latter’s left hand. In order to hold onto Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao didn’t hesitate to use the enormous strength of the Ice Empress’ Pincer
The looks on five people’s faces changed while the other two of them had ordinary expressions on their faces—these two people were Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi.
A black light flashed and Huo Yuhao suddenly vanished, a tall figure taking his position. The figure raised a sturdy shield, and the image of an enormous black turtle appeared behind him. The light of his fourth soul ring vanished as it was replaced by the light his third soul ring.
In an instant, the intense black light transformed into an ice- cold wave. The air started to twist violently, causing distortions to surround the black wave.
The already enormous Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle suddenly doubled in size as a triangular point appeared underneath it. The instant the Thousand-strike Lance arrived, it stabbed fiercely into the ground. This shield was directly affixed to Xu Sanshi’s shoulder, and its surface was slanted!
Boom!
The violent booms forced Xu Sanshi and his Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle back seven or eight meters before he was able to stop. And this was with the help of Xiao Xiao’s Threelives Soulcrush Cauldron.
In that instant, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both felt a powerful, mountain-like feeling from their usually lecherous senior who always clung to Jiang Nannan. In that instant, Xu Sanshi’s eyes became filled with a grave and steady look, along with an unrivalled expression of haughtiness!
When a defense-type soul master faced an assault-type soul master of the same rank, normally, neither would gain an advantage.
At this moment, however, Xu Sanshi had overturned everyone’s way of thinking. He was able to rely on his defensive capabilities to not only block the attack of a Soul King who not only had one more soul ring than him but was also being boosted by another fire-type Soul Ancestor. His current defensive power could be considered to be at the very peak of the Soul Ancestor rank.
The black light vanished, revealing Xu Sanshi’s straight figure. The Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle in his hands had already returned to its normal size. He used his hand to comb his hair for a bit before he said indifferently, “How relaxing!”
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who were originally filled with admiration, suddenly slipped and nearly fell to the ground.
Why was Huo Yuhao not worried at all? This was because Xu Sanshi had an ability that didn’t seem to have any offensive or defensive capabilities, and yet was a defense-type soul skill that could transform into something magical—the Mysterious Underworld Displacement.
He was able to instantaneously swap places with Huo Yuhao by relying on the Mysterious Underworld Displacement, taking Huo Yuhao’s place to block Shen Ce’s all-out blow. However, Huo Yuhao was switched to the location of the Frost Tornado that Xu Sanshi was originally in.
The might of the Frost Tornado was already reaching its end. Hence, although it was still very powerful, it wasn’t life- threatening to Huo Yuhao. At the very least, it would be much better than being pierced by the Thousand-strike Lance.
Furthermore, Bei Bei was able to immediately rush over the instant Huo Yuhao was displaced due to the latter’s Spiritual Detection. He pulled Huo Yuhao behind him, using his back to withstand the last bits of the Frost Tornado’s might.
At this exact moment, Huo Yuhao’s eyes lit up with an eye- piercing red glow as he raised his right hand and pointed a finger towards the sky.
The six blood-colored soul rings once again descended upon the field. The terrifying aura of a hundred thousand year soul beast caused even the protective barrier set up by the hundred and eight soul masters to tremble violently.
This desolate aura filled with a desolate might caused the air surrounding Huo Yuhao to seemingly solidify, and a light image flickered behind his back. Only He Caitou and Jiang Nannan, who were doing their best to hold on, were able to see that the light image was actually that of a scorpion.
“Ice, I am your master!” A low voice passed through a previously prepared sound amplifying soul tool and resonated throughout the entire Star Luo Plaza.
Every single spectator who was witnessing this astonishing scene suddenly felt as if their hearts were being crushed as they heard this voice.
The audience then witnessed a scene that they would never be able to forget for the rest of their lives. The Frost Tornado that was originally wreaking havoc abruptly paused in mid-air. Following that, it instantly rose into the air and turned back towards the students of the Thousand Spirits Academy.
Huo Yuhao didn’t stop there either, and pointed a finger from his right hand towards the Frost Bear. The latter looked as if it had seen the most terrifying creature in the world, causing its body to shudder violently. Afterwards, it shattered with a peng into motes of light that filled the sky before dissipating.
An Lengye let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood before collapsing. The last thing she saw before fainting was Huo Yuhao’s emotionless and lifeless blood- colored eyes staring at her.
Chapter 87: Crazy for Shrek
The four shield wielders had resisted with all of their might, yet had only barely managed to block the power of the Frost Dragon’s Fist. At this point, all of their fighting spirit had been expended. All of them stared, dumbstruck, at the god-like youth before them, as blood dripped from their wounds. Afterwards, they turned to look at their team leader, Shen Ce.
As Huo Yuhao stood there, the red hue gradually fading from his eyes. His teammates left the stage, which caused him to appear as an all-dominating god as he remained on the tournament stage.
This was his second time making an appearance at the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. The first time, he’d been with Wang Dong. This time however, he’d been on his own.
The conclusion of Shrek Academy’s first tournament match
—when he’d first appeared—had had a sobering effect on all of the the other academies. All of them immediately attempted to investigate Huo Yuhao, who seemed to possess six hundred thousand year soul rings; not only because of the appearance of
his inconceivable soul rings, but also because Shrek Academy represented the strongest, most advanced soul masters on the continent.
However, none of the academies, including the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, were able to come up with a satisfactory answer. Right now, Shrek Academy was like a dense cloud of fog to them.
How could a youth who was obviously not yet fifteen years old have become a Soul Emperor? Moreover, how could he posses six hundred thousand year Soul Rings? This was an existence that defied the heavens. Almost everybody realized that it was a diversion; it was just that nobody knew how this diversion was being used.
As such, they were all waiting for Huo Yuhao’s next move; the first match had simply been finished too suddenly, but it was impossible for every match to be finished as fast as the first.
Sure enough, this mysterious youth finally made another appearance during Shrek Academy’s third match. However, he yet again shocked the entire audience.
An Lengye's attack that had been activated using the power of her skull bone had reached around the Soul King level of power. Yet, when he casually destroyed it along with her martial soul projection, all of the audience's doubts immediately turned into astonishment.
Soul Emperor or not, he shouldn’t have had such an easy time. However, the key issue was that nobody had been able to tell what soul skill he’d used.
Just like how the Thousand Spirits Academy members wanted to describe him as ‘dominating’, he had dominated the tournament as soon as he’d appeared.
Could it be that he was truly a Spirit Emperor? One with six hundred thousand year Soul Rings? Several academies began to doubt their previous judgements. If this youth had really attained that rank, who would be able to compete against Shrek Academy in this tournament? And what about the next one?
Bei Bei turned his nose up at Shen Ce, who was seated across from him, and said in a low voice, “Shall we continue?”
Shen Ce looked at his burned-out comrades beside him, then looked at the unconscious An Lengye who was currently lying on the ground. He sighed, then said, “We concede.”
Huo Yuhao had almost entirely outshone his teammates. As for Shen Ce, even though he had long ago prepared to fight and was standing in front of them, he was able what his situation was clearly. As things stood right now, even if he were to explode out with the power of a soul king, he still wouldn’t be able to resist He Caitou and his soul tool fort. Nor would he be able to resist Xu Sanshi, who’d used the power of a Soul Ancestor to forcefully block the all-out attack of a Soul King and a fire-type Soul Ancestor working together.
As for the Thousand Spirits Academy’s side, they’d lost the fighting strength of their deputy team leader, An Lengye. Shen Ce himself had nearly expended himself well. Even if that mysterious youth didn’t make a move, they’d still lost all chance of victory. It was completely pointless to fight anymore.
“Shrek Academy wins!”
The seven members of Shrek Academy team stood in a line when they heard the referee’s announcement. After giving a slight bow to their opponents, they walked off the stage one after another. Once Huo Yuhao had stepped off the stage, he pressed his palm to An Lengye. The air twisted slightly, then she gave a gloomy groan as she regained consciousness. However, when she saw Huo Yuhao, her eyes filled with fear.
Shen Ce hurriedly moved forwards to help An Lengye stand up. “Lengye, are you alright?”
“How terrifying, how very terrifying. That was definitely a real hundred thousand year Soul Ring, I swear it. I’ve felt that terrifying ice-type pressure somewhere before.”
“What?” Shen Ce was gobsmacked. As he helped her up, he whispered, “Are you sure?”
An Lengye, face was devoid of color as she nodded. She said, “When I was sixteen, I went with Grandfather to the Extreme North in order to find a suitable third Soul Ring. However, we accidentally went too far, and in the distance, we suddenly saw a dark green silhouette flash by. The speed of that silhouette was terrifyingly fast, and Grandfather’s only reaction at the
time was to push me to the ground and protect my body with his own. A full fifteen minutes passed before Grandfather slowly stood back up. It was only then that I realised that a layer of frostbite had formed on a portion of Grandfather’s back.
“At that time, Grandfather told me that we’d met one of the most terrifying existences in the Extreme North. That was definitely a hundred thousand year soul beast. After that, Grandfather grabbed me and we swiftly left the region. When we got back, it took him over a year for him to recover from the frostbite he’d received. Ever since then, Grandfather has never mentioned anything about taking me to the Extreme North to hunt for Soul Beasts.”
“Even though several years have already passed, I’ll never forget that soul beast’s aura; it’s the same one that that youth’s Frost Bear gave off. Back then, once I’d returned with Grandfather, he said to me that the reason we were able to return alive wasn’t because that hundred thousand year Soul Beast hadn’t noticed us, but rather because we were too weak, and that it didn’t care to bother with us. We’re lucky to be alive.”
Shen Ce inhaled a breath of cold air, then turned to gaze at Huo Yuhao’s back, who was currently walking away from the waiting area. Without a hint of discontentment on his face, he said, “Come on, let’s go. We can talk about this once we get back. Shrek Academy is indeed an existence that we can’t even dream of beating! I really regret not having attended Shrek Academy’s entrance exams back in the day.”
He didn’t harbor even an inkling of doubt towards what An Lengye had said, as not only was she his girlfriend, but also because she was usually quite quiet and reserved. This was the first time he’d seen her say so much in one go. From this, it was obvious that that mysterious youth from Shrek Academy had given her a great shock.
However, unbeknownst to them, everybody at Shrek Academy was breathing a sigh of relief.
Based on overall strength, Shrek Academy’s current Seven Monsters weren’t actually stronger than the Thousand Spirits Academy’s team. Of Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao, two had two Soul Rings, while only one of them had three. They were useless in team battles at such a level, thus the reason that Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong hadn’t acted wasn’t because they hadn’t wanted to, but rather because they
wouldn’t have had much of an impact even if they had. It was better for them to act as a deterrent at the rear.
If one were to observe them closely, they would notice that when Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi had swapped places with Xu Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Displacement. When they’d done so, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had both quietly withdrawn their six Soul Rings. At that moment, Huo Yuhao had been extremely worried, as the spear hurtling towards him had the potential to be fatal. Furthermore, since he appeared to have six hundred thousand year Soul Rings, even the referee wouldn’t step in to save him. It could be said that Xu Sanshi had saved his life. Even if he’d somehow still been able to avoid it on his own, Huo Yuhao would’ve been equally stressed.
Going back to the beginning of the match, if it hadn’t been for He Caitou exploiting the Thousand Spirits Academy’s passive fighting style in order to rapidly construct a soul tool fort and break the enemy’s defense in one go, as well as directly suppress their strongest opponent—Shen Ce, as well as Huo Yuhao’s possession of the Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Shock, then it would’ve indeed been difficult to determine who the victor would’ve been.
All four of the shield wielders’ independent defensive ability were even weaker than that of Xu Sanshi. However, when they worked together, even Xu Sanshi, as talented as he was, couldn’t compare. But in this match, Shrek Academy hadn’t won through sheer force alone. They’d won through superior tactics, as well as because of their superior focusing of their abilities.
In the end, Huo Yuhao had replaced his teammates at the front, and his suppression of An Lengye’s ice attribute had sealed the deal. If An Lengye hadn’t been an ice-type Soul Master, then it was likely that the match would’ve continued. Even if they would’ve still won, it wouldn’t have been as Huo Yuhao had made it seem.
As such, it could be said that Shrek Academy had yet again achieved a lucky victory. Not only had they win, but they’d maintained their previous degree of mysteriousness, as they’d kept each of their true strengths, a secret, and a major advantage in upcoming matches. However, Wang Yan was beginning to worry - that Thousand Spirits Academy wasn’t the strongest opponent in the round-robin tournament. How long would their luck hold out?
Like the previous two matches, the members of Shrek Academy didn’t linger; they left almost immediately. Huo Yuhao calmly walked into the center. No matter how loudly the audience cheered, no matter how intently they stared at him, he showed no signs of responding. Thanks to today’s match, his mysteriousness would cause any opponent facing him to be terrified.
However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t feeling excited, but rather quite worried. Prior to today’s match, Wang Yan had warned them that their next opponent would be the strongest one they’d face in the tournament. On that team, there were a total of three five Soul Kings who had entered the top eight in the previous tournament.
An opponent like this naturally wouldn’t amount to much in front of the original members of Shrek’s Seven Monsters, but they were a fatal obstacle to the current iteration. If they lost this match, their true strengths would undoubtedly be revealed to everyone. However, did they really possess the capabilities to win this match? This was especially so considering they didn’t even know the format of their match. Regardless of which format they had to fight in, they would be at an absolute disadvantage due to the disparity in strength. Wang Yan was already considering forfeiting this match; after all, this was the round-robin stage, and losing here wouldn’t mean they would be eliminated from the overall tournament. As long as they were able to win their next match, Ling Luochen would be able to make a comeback. With an ice-type Soul King like her working together with Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice, they would have a much easier time facing their remaining opponents in the round-robin stage. After three more matches at most, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng would be able to return as well. The arrival of two Soul Emperors would truly grant Shrek the strength needed to take the championship.
However, Wang Yan was met with the strong opposition of the current Shrek’s Seven Monsters the moment he suggested
forfeiting the next match. They were no longer how they were when they had just arrived; now that they had won two matches while being bathed in Shrek Academy’s glory, how could they just let this glory be tarnished without a fight?
Thus, all seven of them were determined to fight. Even if they lost the match, they still wanted to give it their all. Furthermore, it wasn’t as though they had no chance at all. After all, although their cultivations weren’t strong, every single one of them was a breathtaking genius. The levels of coordination they could bring out could possibly defeat the overall strength of their opponents. In the end, Wang Yan agreed to their request. This was because he understood that there was a very high chance of leaving a shadow on their hearts if they were to forfeit this match to preserve their strengths; he absolutely didn’t want a situation like this to occur.
At this moment, the reason why Huo Yuhao was feeling so worried was due to the fight they had just gone through. This fight made him understand that there were no weaklings among the academies who were able to participate in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament. They had already gained many advantages in their previous matches, especially Shen Ce losing control of his Thousand- strike Lance at the very start of the match. Even in a situation
like this, however, their final victory hadn’t been obtained so easily.
Furthermore, this was only a team that possessed a single Soul King. If that was the case, what would happen the day after? What they had to face was a team that had three Soul Kings, a team whose overall strength was greater than that of the Thousand Spirits Academy by more than a single level. What would the situation be then?
During the first round of the round-robin segment, the Thousand Spirits Academy had faced their upcoming opponent. Wang Yan had personally seen the results of that match; this was also the match that they had witnessed from the rooftop of the Grand Imperial Star Hotel. At that time, the Thousand Spirits Academy had been completely crushed; they had had no chance at all. That match had been a 1v1 fight, and their opponent’s third member had already decimated the thousand Spirits Academy. Furthermore, only two of their Soul Kings had made an appearance. This had occurred without their team leader making a move.
They couldn’t lose, but how could they win? This was the question that was currently stuck in Huo Yuhao’s mind. He was inwardly questioning himself for ways to raise his cultivation
within a short period of time. At the very least, he wanted to bring himself to a level where he could fight against his opponents for the next round.
Huo Yuhao had an accurate judgement of his own strength. From another standpoint, every single one of his soul skills, without any exception, were extremely powerful. This was also the case for his auxiliary-type soul skills. Furthermore, the abundance of soul skills he possessed was something that even a four-ringed Soul Ancestor couldn’t defeat.
Huo Yuhao had an extremely accurate evaluation of himself. Although he was still a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster, he wouldn’t lose to any three-ringed opponents; he had the confidence to defeat Soul Elders. If he were to face four-ringed Soul Ancestors, however, he practically had no chance at all. At the very minimum, he had a very remote chance of winning. He had an advantage over Soul Ancestors in terms of soul skills, but there was too large a gap in terms of soul power. This was also the case even if he had the Milk Bottle. During the tournament, what good would a powerful soul skill do if he didn’t have enough soul power to utilise it?
Because of that, Huo Yuhao knew that he would be able to defeat a three-ringed Soul Elder at most in a 1v1 fight.
Moreover, he knew that he would actually be more effective in a team fight.
If he were to encounter an ice-type or fire-type opponent in a team fight, he could use his Ultimate Ice to impose absolute suppression on his opponent’s abilities. This was especially the case for ice-type soul masters. Even if they were Soul Kings, he had the confidence to suppress them, just like he had done earlier. This was perfect elemental suppression. Even if his cultivation was weak, he was still the Sovereign of Ice. No matter how strong ordinary ice was, how could it rebel against the Sovereign? There was no way for his opponent to stop this unless there was too great a difference in terms of cultivation between both parties.
After that, there was the assistance that his Spiritual Detection Sharing gave to the entire team. Its accurate decision-making capabilities could even predict their opponent’s next movements; that was the main reason why they had defeated their opponents today.
If the next match is a team fight, I might be able to be a bit more useful. At the very least, Wang Dong and I can restrain Soul Kings by using our Golden Road. Then we’ll have a slight chance.
What the students of Shrek didn’t know, however, was that the students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy got to their feet and left after the former’s match had ended. Their next match wasn’t going to be held today in the first place. The only reason why they had come was to spectate Shrek Academy’s match.
The two academies which were at the very top of the ladder walked back to the Grand Imperial Star Hotel at what was practically the same time.
“Let’s go to the conference room.” These were the words uttered by the two teachers who were leading their respective academies.
Wang Yan looked towards the Shrek’s Seven Monsters who were sitting around him, then took a deep breath and said sincerely, “Children, thank you all. To put it truthfully, even I didn’t think that you’d be able to win these few matches in a row. You guys have already tried your hardest to protect the glory of the academy. The original reason why you guys came here as members of the preparatory team was to gain some experience, but you’ve now become mainstays. The academy and I won’t demand too much from you.”
Bei Bei smiled, “Teacher Wang, you need not say anymore. Since this is an experience, let’s just treat it as a more thorough experience. Please arrange our strategies, we all trust in your ability.”
Wang Yan looked at them deeply, “You guys have truly come to a decision?”
With Bei Bei taking the lead, Shrek’s Seven Monsters stood up simultaneously. They looked at Wang Yan with a resolute light in their eyes, and none of them were timid at all. Even Xiao Xiao, who was the weakest of the lot in terms of overall strength, was no exception to this.
“Good. You all are worthy of being called elites of Shrek Academy. I am proud of you all.” Wang Yan’s eyes were tearing up a bit, and his face was slightly red. Right now, he only felt that the kids in front of him were too cute. The academy truly hadn’t made a mistake in choosing them as members of the preparatory team. During the most crucial moment of their current ordeal, none of them were timid; every single one of them was resolute and stubborn. It had to be known that these were seven kids whose average age wasn’t even fourteen!
“Children, I dare say that as long as we can return safe and sound this time, you will definitely become the most outstanding talents our Shrek Academy has had in the past several hundred years. All of you. Good, I won’t be unreasonable. Let’s start making our strategies.”
Wang Yan pushed his hands down, motioning for everyone to sit down.
“Our upcoming opponent is very strong. During the last tournament, they were able to reach become one of the top eight teams. They lost to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy in the quarterfinals last time. In terms of overall strength, it’s possible that they’ve improved enough to give them the strength needed to reach the top four. There are three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors in their lineup of seven. Before coming to this tournament, I only did research on the top 8 academies. This was because of the strength of our original team. I’ve done some deep research into this team, and I have to tell you that their team leader has been referred to as a genius seen once in a thousand years by their academy. If he was in our academy, there’s a chance that he would’ve been chosen to represent us as well. Elder Xuan personally gave him an evaluation in the past. At that time, he said that this student would have definitely been able to break through to
become a Soul Emperor before the age of twenty if he was in Shrek. Unfortunately, it seems he’s been delayed a bit.”
The expressions of Shrek’s Seven Monsters turned even more grim as they listened to Wang Yan’s words. Although they knew that their upcoming opponent would be very strong, they didn’t know they’d be that strong. For example, how much confidence would they have if they had to fight an opponent like Dai Yueheng or Ma Xiaotao?
Wang Yan said in a low voice, “This is the reason why I kept suggesting that we forfeit. Our chances are simply too miniscule with him and the other two Soul Kings there. I don’t know what level his cultivation’s reached, because he hasn’t appeared during the previous two matches they’ve had. However, I reckon from his aura that he hasn’t become a Soul Emperor yet. When a soul master obtains his sixth ring, his physical body and aura will undergo a transformation; its a sign that a person has entered the upper echelon of cultivators. However, although he’s still some ways from there, he shouldn’t be too far from Rank 60.”
“According to my research, this person is extremely wild. Because of this, his fighting intent will only increase when he’s fighting against us; he won’t retreat at all. In a situation like
this, our chances of winning are even lower. Furthermore, there’s definitely no way we’ll be lucky enough for him not to come out. They’ll definitely go all-out against us to test their strength.”
“After much consideration, I only have a single idea right now. That is, we gamble. We gamble that we’ll be able to get a team fight next match. A team fight is the only way we have a sliver of a hope of winning.”
Everyone was concentratedly listening to Wang Yan’s explanation. The current Wang Yan had already entered a trance, “Our chances of winning in the team fight come from a single one of you. That’s Xu Sanshi.”
“It’s just as I’ve said. Our opponent’s team leader is the strongest member of their team, so you can go think about it for a moment. As a genius seen only once in a thousand years, you can imagine how high his position is in his team. However, having such a high position can both be a good thing and a bad thing. This is because his teammates will become extremely dependent on him. Because of that, our chances of winning this match will be greater than 40% if we’re able to take the initiative and take him out.”
Xu Sanshi had a bitter look on his face as he said, “I understand, Teacher Wang. You want me to trade me for him!”
Wang Yan smiled slightly. “If we do it abruptly, it might not be a one for one trade. I’m confident that it won’t be easy for them to take you out, seeing that you’re a defense-type soul master in addition to the powerful defensive capabilities you showed in the last match. We can say that you’ll be the true core of our next fight if we’re lucky enough to get the team fight. Not only will you have to use your Mysterious Underworld Substitution to bring their team leader over to our side so we can beat him up, but you’ll also have to do all you can to stall their helpers.”
“We can prepare for you to switch positions with the enemy team leader, but they won’t be able to immediately attack you since they’ll be caught unprepared. At that time, it’ll all depend on your own ability.”
Xu Sanshi stared at Wang Yan with widened eyes. “Teacher Wang, you can’t be serious. This task is simply too arduous.”
Bei Bei patted his shoulder and said, “Okay, stop faking. You’re more afraid of death than anyone here. Even if the others don’t know about this, do you think that I don’t? You have so many life-saving techniques. Let’s do it this way: if you can hold on and we win in the end, I’ll get Nannan to get you a reward. How about it?”
“Really?” Xu Sanshi’s eyes immediately lit up. At this moment however, Jiang Nannan’s expression suddenly changed. She said in a cold voice, “This is something between the two of you, so don’t drag me into it. I’m not a bargaining chip, nor some item that you can barter with.” With that, she stood up and started to leave.
Jiang Nannan’s sudden anger startled even Bei Bei. In reality, he had only said this as a joke; he didn’t think that Jiang Nannan would react to it this seriously. He could only force an awkward smile for a brief moment.
Wang Yan flashed a look at Xiao Xiao, who quickly got up and left. After all, they were the only two girls on the team.
Xu Sanshi smiled bitterly. “You see. She treats me like this. Aih, what a waste of all my hard work! Bei Bei, you’ve screwed me over.”
“Xu Sanshi, do you have a problem or not?” Wang Yan asked in a low voice.
Xu Sanshi suddenly raised his head and said in a low voice, “No problems. Teacher Wang, leave it to me.” At this moment, Huo Yuhao could see a trace of haughtiness in the depths of Xu Sanshi’s eyes, the haughtiness that had appeared when he had blocked the Thousand-strike Lance. Just what kind of heart was hidden beneath Xu Sanshi’s unbridled appearance?
Wang Yan nodded and said, “Xu Sanshi will be of the utmost importance during our upcoming team fight. Now, let’s plan how you’ll gang up and take out the opponent’s team leader. Your overall strength is still somewhat insufficient, but we’ll win if we take them by surprise. You must make preparations
to launch your all-out attacks on him. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong…”
Just as Shrek Academy was devising its tactics and strategies for its next match, the students of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had now returned to the hotel as well. Likewise, they walked towards the other end of the corridor and entered the conference room that belonged to them. Only, they weren’t researching any tactics, but Shrek Academy itself.
“Let’s talk about it. How did you feel after watching today’s match?” Teacher Ma said in a low voice.
Everyone from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy was silent. A student from the official team couldn’t help but utter, “Teacher Ma, is that mysterious youth from Shrek’s representative team really a six-ringed Soul Emperor? But, all six of his soul rings were hundred thousand year ones! Could this be a result of Shrek Academy’s latest research?”
“Idiot. Is that what you saw?” Teacher Ma said angrily, “Have you heard of any research that can let a soul master’s soul rings all become hundred thousand year ones? Moreover, how old is he? I observed him carefully earlier, and although that youth can be considered quite tall, I can tell that he’s only around thirteen or so from the inexperience between his brows. Even if he started cultivating in his mother’s womb, he wouldn’t be able to become a Soul Emperor at that age. Shrek Academy must’ve used a special technique to cover everything up.”
The student from the official team was somewhat unresigned. “Then how was he able to make an ice-type Soul Ancestor instantly lose her power? A Soul King definitely doesn’t have the power to do that, and even an ordinary Soul Emperor might not be able to.”
“It should be due to elemental suppression.” The team leader, Ma Rulong, spoke up. He said in a low voice, “Teacher Ma is right. That youth can’t be a Soul Emperor, so the only explanation we have is that elemental suppression occurred. According to my calculations, that youth’s true cultivation should be at the Soul Ancestor rank at most. This is already extremely astonishing at his age. Furthermore, I can only think of one thing that can justify why he’s so strong--he has twin martial souls.”
The leader of the preparatory team, Xiao Hongchen, who was seated opposite Ma Rulong, couldn’t help but raise his head. He nodded slightly at the latter, a few traces of admiration in his eyes. It was relatively rare for an arrogant person like him to have a gaze like this in his eyes.
Ma Rulong revealed an indifferent smile as he noticed Xiao Hongchen’s gaze on him, “I believe that although that youth is quite outstanding, he still can’t be compared to our Xiao Hongchen. However, his twin martial souls should be relatively powerful. His greatest weakness is his age.”
Xiao Hongchen’s brow furrowed. “Team leader, are you saying that I wouldn’t be his opponent if we were at the same age?”
“What do you think about it?” Ma Rulong asked indifferently.
Xiao Hongchen’s brows furrowed even more as he replied, “It’s hard to say for sure. How can I make an accurate judgement without fighting with him? Even if he has twin martial souls, I dual cultivate as a soul master and a soul
engineer. If we’re of the same age, he might not be able to cultivate his soul power to my level.”
Ma Rulong waved his hand and said, “Let’s not talk about this for now. I’ll continue with my analysis.”
“According to my calculations, this mysterious youth can only be at the Soul Ancestor rank at most. Moreover, his twin martial souls should be of the rarely seen spiritual-type and ice-type. Out of his spiritual-type soul skills, he must have one that allows him to directly launch a spiritual attack. Today, the Thousand Spirits Academy’s Shen Ce was affected by this skill, resulting in him making an error in his first attack. From there on, it led to his final defeat. Then, I believe that the ice-type martial soul he used to control An Lengye was his main martial soul. I’m not clear as to how he was able to subdue the Frost Bear, but his ice-type martial soul must be very powerful. The purity of its Ice must’ve been far superior to An Lengye’s, which was why he was able to suppress his opponent when they both had similar cultivation levels. Although he looked quite astonishing when he made a move then, didn’t you guys notice that An Lengye’s Frost Tornado had reached its final phase? It didn’t have much attack power left. Even that last attack was blocked by Bei Bei instead of him.”
“Let’s think about it from another angle. If this youth really has the cultivation of a Soul Emperor, would Xu Sanshi have needed to switch places with him? I noticed that two strange things happened when Shen Ce used his Thousand-strike Lance for the last time: one, the other two young teammates by
the side of that mysterious youth had panicked and shocked looks on their faces. Two, all six of the soul rings on those two youths disappeared after that mysterious youth was switched with Xu Sanshi. What does this mean? It means that their six rings are fake as well. Furthermore, these fakes come from that youth’s spiritual-type martial soul. Out of his spiritual-
type soul skills, he definitely has one that allows him to create
illusions. He was able to create this aura of mystery around him by relying on these things.”
Both the official and preparatory teams of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy felt their eyes widen as they listened to Ma Rulong’s analysis. Teacher Ma also had a smile on his face as he kept nodding.
Ma Rulong hadn’t become team leader due to his strength alone; the more important factor was his meticulous line of thinking. Were it not for the abrupt rise of the Xiao siblings, Ma Rulong would have had a complete chance of becoming the most outstanding student that the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had seen in a hundred years.
Ma Rulong continued confidently, “To summarise everything, I have a rather accurate conclusion. I believe that something must’ve happened to Shrek Academy. Although the team they sent to participate in the tournament is very outstanding, they seem more like a preparatory team than an official one. There were a few people who turned up on the first day, but didn’t come after. They aren’t just hiding their strength; something must’ve happened to them. I dare to guarantee that our chance has finally come this year.”
“If that’s the case, it’s too good for us.” The female student sitting next to Ma Rulong waved her fist around. Their Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had been suppressed by Shrek Academy for over three thousand years. They had participated in every single Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament since the start, but they had never beaten Shrek.
Ma Rulong sighed slightly. “Actually, I wanted to face the most powerful force that Shrek could muster, even though I know that our chances wouldn’t be too great then. However, I truly wish to go all-out in a fight with our most powerful opponent.”
“Why wouldn’t our chances be great? Xiao Hongchen said indifferently, “Our academy has been constantly improving these few years. Shrek Academy has been limiting itself by looking down on our soul tools, so there will be a day when they will suffer a loss due to that. Even if we can’t beat their official team this time, we’ll definitely be able to win next time.”
Chapter 88: A Decisive Battle
Ma Rulong had a calm smile on his face, but didn’t refute what Xiao Hongchen had said. Teacher Ma and the other teachers similarly didn’t say anything.
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Hongchen’s eyes as he lowered his voice and said, “Teacher Ma, do you know that mysterious boy’s name?”
“I’ve already investigated that boy. He’s called Huo Yuhao, but that’s all I know. He doesn’t exist in the data we have on Shrek Academy.”
Xiao Hongchen nodded and laughed coldly before speaking. “It’s hard to say whether Shrek Academy can enter the finals with their present situation. Leader, I’m afraid we won’t be able to beat such a rubbish team if they continue deploying their preparatory team only!”
Ma Rulong’s face sank. “Xiao Hongchen, shut your bloody mouth. I’m still the captain of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy’s representative team. You can insult
yourself, but before you truly beat Shrek’s strongest representative team, you have no right to insult your opponent.”
A powerful aura suddenly surged out from Ma Rulong’s body. Xiao Hongchen staggered back as he felt the oppressive aura. His younger sister immediately stood up, brazenly exuding a severely sharp aura. She was about to counter Ma Rulong with force.
Xiao Hongchen stretched his arm out and blocked his younger sister. A hint of a smile formed on his face. “Yes, leader. I was in the wrong. But I will prove everything to you with my actions in time. I will take your place, and that of all the seniors from previous generations who wanted to defeat Shrek Academy in trampling them under my feet.”
……
Sea God’s Pavilion, Shrek Academy.
“Elder Mu, are we really not sending anyone over? They have to face three Soul Kings as their opponents tomorrow.” The
one standing before Elder Mu was the vice-dean of the Martial Soul Department, Cai Mei’er.
Elder Mu smiled slightly and said, “Is this what you wanted to ask me, or did Shaozhe ask you to pose this question?”
“Shaozhe meant for me to ask you,” Cai Mei’er replied honestly.
Elder Mu chuckled. “I know it’s him. He’s not happy about this. I’ve seen all the messages he sent to me before. Those kids are doing very well. Xuannie has very good foresight. Not a single one among them is a useless scoundrel. Aren’t things going well the way they are now? Why must we emerge as champions? If we send people over to them, will these children be enticed to give it their all? Go back and tell Shaozhe that these seven children with Huo Yuhao as their leader will be Shrek’s glorious pioneers in the years to come. Ask him to set his sights a little further. I sent them off to the tournament for them to gain experience. Since the heavens have decided on the outcome, we don’t have to try to fight it. Let the will of the heavens decide what their fate is. Who can say what will happen? Is it impossible for them to continue creating miracles? What we need to do now is believe in these children. After they return from the Star Luo Empire, you and Shaozhe,
along with Lin’er and Duoduo, should personally congratulate them.”
“They’re fighting for Shrek’s glory. We must have faith in them. It takes ten years to polish a sword. We need at least ten years to let these seven children become Shrek’s future. They will be the ones sitting in the Sea God’s Pavilion in the future.”
“Elder Mu, you actually view them in such high regard?” Cai Mei’er was shocked. As far as she could remember, Elder Mu had never praised anyone like this before, not even his Inheriting Disciple, Yan Shaozhe.
Elder Mu smiled faintly. “That’s because I understand them better than you do. You’ll understand in the future. Go.”
“Yes.”
……
Early in the morning.
The preparatory team assembled in the conference room after breakfast. They were all full of spirit and energy after resting up yesterday. Their energy, spirit and Qi were all at their peak. However, their faces didn’t bear relaxed expressions, but rather ones that were slightly grave.
Their match today would inevitably be their toughest match in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament so far. They had to confront a strong team led by three Soul Kings without a single Soul King on their team. They didn’t even have anyone above Rank 45 on their team!
Wang Yan looked at Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong, who were all sitting in a row. His gaze swept from the first individual to the very last person in the row.
“Dearest children, the crucial battle is about to begin. I didn’t tell Xiaotao and the rest how difficult this match was going to be so that they can recuperate without worry weighing on their mind. I’ll emphasise this for the last time. Even if you guys lose this tournament, you guys definitely shouldn’t feel like you’re a disgrace to the Academy, because all of you average out to only 14 years old. I believe that it’s impossible for any other academy to have students that are superior to you
guys at this age. What we need to do now is pray that luck is still on our side, that the next match will be a team battle again. I similarly have but one request for you all that you must accomplish at all costs, and that is your safety. I know your hearts must definitely be bursting with energy to win this
match. However, victory is nothing compared to your safety.”
“I hope I can bring every single one of you back in one piece, the same way I brought you guys here. Every single one of you is the most valuable treasure to the academy. Humans only have one chance at life, and we can’t regenerate our limbs either. Since that’s the case, I hope you guys won’t fight with your lives on the line, or to the point where you become crippled in your efforts to stake everything on this match. We don’t need to you to do something like that. You guys have already done your best. In any event, you don’t need to feel pressured because of everything the outside world says about us. The tournament stage is nothing but a stage for you guys to display yourselves, and nothing else. You guys are only going on a relaxing journey.”
Wang Yan spoke every word with the utmost sincerity. He was more emotionally charged now, paired with the worry he held towards them. He was entirely certain that other teachers accompanying their teams to the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament definitely wouldn’t tell
their students not to be afraid of losing. Nor would they take the initiative to bring their students’ fighting spirit down. Yet, Wang Yan was doing just that now.
However, he could clearly see the raging flames burning in everyone’s eyes.
These children had come far from their apprehension toward the tournament at the start, progressing to the resolution they had shown later and ending with the pride they now had to uphold Shrek’s glory. That pride had already filled their hearts with the intention to fight. How could they possibly give up on the tournament now and let the consecutive victories Shrek Academy held for many years end with them?
Wang Yan inahled deeply and stood up before speaking in a low tone. “Let’s go, children. It’s time we relax.”
At that, he feigned a relaxed laugh and was the first to leave. However, when he turned around, he suddenly had a grave expression on his face. As the teacher in charge, the pressure he was shouldering was even heavier! Admittedly, Shrek Academy’s long-held glory was not only a driving force for the
students, but was similarly an immense pressure they had to face too. Wang Yan didn’t even dare to imagine what it would be like for a representative team to appear in Shrek Academy after a loss. He didn’t know how he was going to face the academy if they did lose. Even if the fault didn’t lie with him, Wang Yan and these children behind him would be the ones who had disgraced the academy. The matter he was even more worried about was the serious mental burden these children would have to bear from that point onwards, affecting their development for all their lives. As a result of that, he was always advising them in the hopes that they could relax. However, the outcome was not ideal, for he only saw a strong will to fight in them.
Huo Yuhao didn’t know how the others felt. All he knew was that his blood was burning in his body. There was no fear or worry in him, for he only wished to fight for Shrek Academy, and would do anything he could to uphold their glory. If burning his blood could increase his strength, he would do it without giving it a second thought.
It’d been more than a year since he’d entered Shrek Academy. He’d formed friendships he had never had in his life before, and received tender loving care from the whole academy. One could say that he had learned more in this year than he had in
his last decade. He’d already fallen deeply in love with this academy and every single one of his comrades by his side.
He would do anything he could for the academy. That was his lifelong hope, just like how he hadn’t hesitated in making his decision to become a guardian. He needed to defend Shrek Academy’s glory now. In his heart, this in itself was already a glory in its own right. How could Wang Yan’s words dispel his fighting spirit for this glory and Shrek’s glory? His heart was burning, and his blood was boiling. There was no sense of failure in his heart, only the glory accompanying victory.
The others all had the same expression in their eyes as Huo Yuhao. The match today was inevitably going to be the most difficult one, yet it was similarly the one time their cohesion was the strongest. The seven monsters were all of one heart. At this moment, they truly considered themselves to be Shrek’s Seven Monsters.
They left the Grand Imperial Star Hotel and headed toward Star Luo Plaza. They could feel the firmness of the earth with every step they took, just like the unyielding conviction they had at this very moment.
They had to win, win, win!
The atmosphere in Star Luo Plaza was still as riled up as before. Shrek Academy was going to appear again today. What surprises would they bring to the audience?
In all of the three matches Shrek Academy had appeared in before, one could say that every match had brought different stunning surprises to the audience. Huo Yuhao was mysterious, Xu Sanshi had an impeccable defence, and the seemingly-disorderly team actually had gorgeous coordination. And no one could forget how He Caitou had fought with his Soul Tool Fortress. Every single battle had left a lasting impression on the audience.
Even though the audience also found it very strange that Shrek Academy had deployed so many students who only had four soul rings, they didn’t give it too much thought, since Shrek had always emerged victorious.
Shrek Academy was once again the first team to take the stage. On the other hand, their upcoming opponents had easily obtained their victories so far during the round-robin tournament, and this even included the Thousand Spirits Academy that the Shrek’s team had faced previously. After all, this team was one that had entered the previous quarterfinals.
Everyone in the audience thought this match would be a powerful confrontation between the two teams due to their previous performances. Naturally, there were differences even among the strong. In the eyes of everyone present, Shrek wasn’t on the same level as all of the other academies present; it was an existence akin to that of a sovereign. However, they all wished for Shrek’s opponents to be a little stronger, so as to allow them to watch a more interesting fight.
Shrek’s seven combatants were now at their peak condition as they entered the resting area. Now, all they needed to do was wait for the start of the match.
The members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy once again arrived in the arena. There was no doubt
that they were still trying to observe Shrek’s overall strength.
Mu Rulong couldn’t help but furrow his brows as he saw the same seven people from Shrek walk out. He was very confident in his own judgement, but was Shrek going to forfeit this competition? If his predictions were wrong, how would they take on their powerful opponent today? Or perhaps, were his predictions all wrong?
A light flickered through his eyes, and Ma Rulong was nearly lost confidence in himself.
Wang Yan’s current expression was evidently somewhat unsightly. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t feeling nervous right now. He couldn’t fathom imagining how the audience would react if Shrek lost this match that was being watched by such a large crowd. At that time, the pressure of losing would all be forced onto the bodies of the children in front of him! Could they endure it? However, he couldn’t forfeit of his own accord, as doing something like that would be even more disastrous. The always-wise Wang Yan now had his thoughts in a whirl. Even if they were to follow the strategy for the team fight that they had planned, their chances of winning wouldn’t be too great. There was no need to even mention whether luck would be on their side then.
As time passed second by second, the sun had already risen high from the east.
The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire came to the city escorted by his ministers. He didn’t sit down, but instead chose to walk directly towards the resting area to spectate the match.
When he saw that Shrek’s team still consisted of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters that had come from the preparatory team, he was slightly stunned. Astonished, he muttered to himself, “Was my judgement incorrect? That can’t be! Just what is Shrek trying to do? Why did they participate in this tournament with a lineup like this? I have to see whether these youngsters are really true talents later. I hope that they’re truly talents who fear no trials.”
As he spoke, he seemed to recall a few things, and muttered to himself, “Huo Yuhao, twelve years old. Wang Dong, twelve years old. Xiao Xiao, twelve years old. None of the others are older than fifteen either. It’s no wonder they’re little monsters that come from Shrek! However, what about their official team? Where did they go?”
It was extremely easy for him to look into a few things as the emperor. He had been greatly interested by Shrek’s preparatory team, and he too wanted to see just how far these young kids could go, and what they could do.
The referee took the stage, and used the sound amplifying soul tool to carry his voice outwards.
“This is the first match of the third round of the round-robin tournament. Both sides, take your positions. May the representative teams of Shrek Academy and Justsky Academy enter their waiting areas. Team leaders, come up to the stage to draw your lots for the tournament format.”
That was right. Today, Shrek Academy had to face the Justsky Advanced Soul Academy. Justsky Academy was identical to Shrek Academy in the sense that they both came from the Heavenly Soul Empire, but unlike Shrek, which didn’t belong to any empire, Justsky Academy was a famous academy from the Heavenly Soul Empire that had produced a large number of talents.
The Empire that insisted most on maintaining traditional soul masters and rejecting soul engineers within the
continent’s four empires was the Heavenly Soul Empire. Because of that, Justsky Academy was actually even more insistent towards pure soul masters than Shrek Academy. They simply didn’t even have a division for soul engineers; they only nurtured soul masters. Regardless of whether they would be washed away in the future, Justsky Academy was currently still a notable academy that was considered powerful throughout the continent.
The team leader of Justsky Academy was a youth of around twenty or so, and his handsome looks were comparable to even those of Wang Dong. Naturally, Wang Dong was still young now, and he had yet to mature.
Wang Yan had talked about this very team leader of Justsky Academy, and he had had a very high opinion of him. This person had never made an appearance since the start of the tournament, and as a result Wang Yan had only been able to obtain a bit of information about him after much hard work.
Ye Wuqing, nineteen. A very talented person from Justsky Academy, and the leader of their representative team. His martial soul was the Golden Leaf, and he was a Rank 58 assault-type soul master who was extremely powerful. He had already represented Justsky Academy as a member of the
official team in the last tournament, and now he was the cornerstone of his current team.
If it just so happened that he had turned twenty this year, there would’ve been a very high chance of him breaking through to Rank 60, becoming Justsky Academy’s first-ever Soul Emperor to participate in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament.
If that had been the case, Justsky Academy would’ve formally joined the ranks of the top-ranked academies.
Ye Wuqing’s physique wasn’t too different from Bei Bei’s. Unlike Bei Bei’s scholarliness, however, he had a much colder disposition. A cold light flickered through his eyes as he looked at Bei Bei.
The aura Bei Bei emanated was comparatively weaker than Ye Wuqing’s. It wasn’t just a matter of cultivation, but due to their ages. After all, the nineteen-year-old Ye Wuqing had already matured, while the fifteen-year-old Bei Bei was still a youth.
Bei Bei had a smile on his face as their gazes met, but his eyes were extremely resolute and focused; Ye Wuqing’s gaze was like a sharp blade that wanted to find a hole in his body and pierce through it.
The referee said in a low voice, “Lot-drawing, start. May both parties act as a witness to this.”
Wang Yan was already nervously clutching his armrests as he sat in the waiting area. He inwardly prayed for a team fight. One could say that all of his plans had been based around a team fight. Furthermore, that was the only way they had a chance of winning! Conversely, they wouldn’t have a single chance if they didn’t get a team fight!
While everyone waited for the results of the lot-drawing with bated breaths, the outcome of the lot-drawing finally came out at this moment.
Even Bei Bei, who was burning with fighting intent, instantly had a change in expression after seeing the outcome of the lot- drawing. This time, luck hadn’t sided with Shrek; this result was what they didn’t wish to see the most.
The referee said in a loud voice, “The match between Shrek Academy and Justsky Academy will be held as a 2-2-3 match. In other words, we will have two 2v2 matches before a 3v3 match. Two out of three victories is sufficient to win the whole match, so if a side wins both of the 2v2 matches, the 3v3 match will be cancelled. May both team leaders step down and make their preparations.”
Wang Yan felt his head buzz for a moment before going blank the instant he saw that they had drawn the 2-2-3 lot.
How would they fight this 2-2-3 match? They practically had no chance at all when facing Justsky Academy, which had three Soul Kings! Over, everything was over. Wang Yan, who had originally had some semblance of wishful thinking, was now left completely disappointed. It seemed as though all of the energy from his body was sucked dry as he sat in his chair.
Bei Bei’s footsteps were clearly stiffer as he walked back. The expressions of the other six of Shrek’s Seven Monsters became gloomy. There was already no use for the preparations they had made before the match. The reason why Wang Yan hadn’t made any preparations for the other two tournament formats was because they simply had no chance of winning in them at all.
“Children, listen to me.” Wang Yan gritted his teeth and stood up, a sincere look in his eyes as he looked at the Shrek’s Seven Monsters in front of him. “Let’s admit defeat. At the very least, this can be considered a strategic defeat. Let’s make it so that our opponents won’t be able to fully understand our condition.”
“No.” Bei Bei let out a resolute, low shout, “If we run without a fight, we can’t be considered students of Shrek Academy. Teacher Wang, no matter what, let us give it a try. Even if we lose, we have to lose contentedly. We’ll lose without any regrets. Teacher Wang, you’ve already done a lot for us. Now, it’ll all rely on us. From now on, can you let me lead the team?”
At this moment, Bei Bei’s scholarly aura suddenly turned into a powerful one; it seemed as if he could control everyone seated in the waiting area. His current gaze was clearly much more concentrated than usual, and any traces of laziness had completely vanished. It was as though a sleeping lion that was filled with unrivalled tyranny had been awakened.
Wang Yan nodded practically instantly, because he knew that persuasion wouldn’t work at all. He suddenly felt that Bei Bei’s eyes were very terrifying, as if they could swallow a man
whole. He could even see the fighting intent that was burning through his eyes.
“Junior brothers, junior sisters, let me ask you a single question: are you willing to just lose and throw away Shrek’s glory?” Bei Bei asked in a low voice, his fists clenched tightly.
Huo Yuhao had never seen his senior brother act so seriously. The six of them practically simultaneously replied, “We’re not willing.” At this moment, a fiery blaze seemed to have ignited from their heads. This was clearly the strength of conviction that came from a unity of wills!
“Good!” Bei Bei said solemnly, “Now, I’ll arrange the order in which we’ll go out. I’ll leave you guys to plan your own strategies. I believe that we have the strength to fight against our opponents and win in the end. We need to burn, burn our soul power, burn our own bodies, and even burn our own lives for the sake of Shrek’s glory. Today, we need to fight, to fight for what we can call our future. The only way we can stand straight and call ourselves Shrek’s Seven Monsters is by winning today. We won’t lose any face for the title ‘Shrek’s Seven Monsters’!”
Bei Bei spoke in a very deep yet powerful voice. His gaze fell on his close brother, Xu Sanshi first.
“Sanshi, you’re up first.”
Xu Sanshi nodded. At this moment, he awakened the domineering attitude he normally kept hidden, setting it ablaze as his will to fight. He squinted his eyes slightly, a cold glint shining in them. “I will definitely win the first match. Either they’ll beat me till I can’t get up anymore, or I’ll emerge victorious. Who’s partenering up with me? You?”
Bei Bei shook his head and said, “No. If we both appear in the first round, the following matches will be very difficult for the team even if we win. I need to stay behind and oversee the team.”
His gaze shifted to Jiang Nannan standing beside him. There was a deep and sincere look in his eyes as he said, “Nannan, I don't know what happened between you and Sanshi in the past for you to look down on him so. None of that is important to
our present formation. I hope you can put down all personal grudges for the moment. You must fight with him. The best outcome will only occur when you both work together. After this match ends, I’ll beat him up for you if you want. But now, I’m asking and ordering you as your captain to fight the first match with Sanshi. Will you do it or not?”
Jian Nannan was stunned. She had really never expected Bei Bei to pair her with Xu Sanshi. From her point of view, Huo Yuhao should be the one fighting with Xu Sanshi, not her. But once her eyes met Bei Bei’s honest gaze, and feeling her comrades’ gazes on her, Jiang Nannan only gritted her teeth and said, “Fine, I’ll go.”
Bei Bei nodded forcefully at her. “Thank you. Now go. Let them see the power of Shrek’s Seven Monsters.”
“Yes.” Jiang Nannan nodded lightly. Without even glancing in Xu Sanshi’s general direction, she walked out of the waiting area in a flash and headed up to the stage first.
Xu Sanshi quickly chased after her. When he walked passed Bei Bei, he stuck his thumb up. “Bei Bei, I love you.”
“Scram!” Bei Bei huffed unhappily. “If you can’t win even like this, don’t come back!”
“I’ll castrate myself if I don’t win.” Xu Sanshi strode up on stage after he threw those words out.
The five other members of Shrek’s Seven Monsters realised that after he said that, his whole demeanor suddenly underwent an earth-shattering change.
Wang Yan’s mood recovered a little at this moment under the influence of the intense will to fight coming from Shrek’s Seven Monsters. He temporarily let go of his worries and spoke to Bei Bei in a low voice. “Bei Bei, why did you pair Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi together? With Xu Sanshi’s defensive abilities, wouldn’t it be be better to pair him with He Caitou’s explosive firepower?”
Bei Bei shook his head and said, “Teacher Wang, you don’t understand Sanshi. What he needs isn’t firepower, but rather something to arouse all of his power. There’s no one more suited for this than Jiang Nannan. Jiang Nannan will be the detonator to set him on fire. Just wait and see. Sanshi’s strength is nothing compared to what it was before. He will
reveal his true cultivation to us. I believe he can win this match!”
Wang Yan nodded lightly. Since he’d handed over the right to command the team to Bei Bei, he could now only give him his unconditional trust. Moreover, they were in a desperate situation where anything goes, after all. There was one point Bei Bei made that he highly approved of. They were two remarkable people living in the same period. Did they lack students with four soul rings in the outer courtyard? No! Why were they blossoming with the most resplendent light? There must definitely be a reason behind that.
For the first time, Wang Yan felt as though he had a little confidence in the team again.
After Jiang Nannan went on stage, she stood to the side without consulting anyone. After Xu Sanshi followed her up on stage, he did something out of Jiang Nannan’s expectations. He didn’t greet her, nor did he say anything. He only stood in front of her in a very natural manner.
Jiang Nannan looked at Xu Sanshi’s broad shoulders, and a dull look suddenly appeared in her eyes. In this moment, he
seemed to have changed into a person filled with masculinity. There was an intense confidence oozing out of him that she couldn’t make sense of. Without releasing the slightest bit of his soul power, Xu Sanshi made one feel as though he was a massive shining entity. He looked like a volcano that could erupt at any time.
What’s wrong with him? Is it because of me? To Jiang Nannan’s surprise, such a thought actually formed in her mind. She quickly shook her head forcefully to expel such distracting thoughts from her mind. She looked at Xu Sanshi standing in front of her again and felt that he wasn’t as hateful as he usually was in this kind of situation, to say the least. If it wasn’t because of that time… maybe she would really be attracted to him?
Just as Jiang Nannan let her imagination run wild, Justsky Academy’s first 2v2 team took the field.
Their pair was also comprised of a boy and a girl, with figures that were even a little similar to Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan. The girl was very beautiful. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side in this round, as she had encountered the one known as the number one beauty in the outer courtyard of Shrek Academy - Jiang Nannan. Under Jiang Nannan’s shining
beauty, she seemed to be a little drab and dull. Even the boy standing next to her couldn’t control his gaze as it fell on Jiang Nannan first.
“Xu Sanshi. She’s Jiang Nannan,” Xu Sanshi said in a low voice.
A 2v2 battle couldn’t compare to a team battle. Teamwork was most important in team battles, and there wasn’t a chance to distinguish the members apart from one another. Wang Yan had given them a rundown on every one of their opponents, but they’d never seen their opponents before, nor had they paid attention to them, so it wasn’t easy to tell who was who. Thus, they introduced themselves first so that they could see who their opponents were as thus be able to act on Wang Yan’s information.
“I’m Yang Yifan,” said the youth from Justsky Academy.
The girl glanced at Jiang Nannan with a slightly envious look in her eyes that was directed at the other party’s for looking immature, yet being remarkably beautiful. “Yu Mengdi.”
It’s these two. Xu Sanshi suddenly knew what was going on. Sure enough, one of them was a Soul King. It seemed like their opponents also didn’t plan on staking all their strength on one throw.
Seeing as both parties had introduced themselves, the referee called out in a low voice, “Both parties fall back and get ready.”
Both parties simultaneously backed away from one another. It was a must to create distance between both parties regardless of whether it was a team battle, singles or doubles. This was so that all types of soul masters could freely display their abilities.
Xu Sanshi spoke to Jiang Nannan in a low voice as he backed away. “Nannan, I’ll create an opening for you. We’ll win as long as we get rid of Yu Mengdi. You don’t need to bother with the other one. I won’t give him a chance to attack you. You’ll have to wait, then go all-out in your attack when I tell you to. Before that, just focus on what I’m doing.”
“Okay,” Jiang Nannan muttered in agreement. Since she had to cooperate with him in this match, she couldn’t flare up at this time regardless of how much she hated Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi was ecstatic. He suddenly felt his heart being tickled when Jiang Nannan said this. It was rare for her to be so gentle and agreeable, so maybe he felt that way because she’d scolded him too much on a daily basis.
When both parties reached the edge of the tournament stage, the referee shouted out, “Start!”
Without a doubt, releasing martial souls was key in a fight. Both parties finished this process in the blink of an eye. Xu Sanshi didn’t appear to be lazy this time around. He held the Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle in his hands as he charged up in big strides. Jiang Nannan flashed and bounced lightly behind him.
Since Xu Sanshi was relatively robust compared to those in his age group, Jiang Nannan was practically invisible from the front as she hid behind him.
On the other end, Yang Yifan and Yu Mengdi released their martial souls too. Yang Yifan’s martial soul was a long dagger. In reality, he was an agility-type soul master despite his tall
physique. His body flashed as he moved around and over to the other side.
Yu Mengdi’s martial soul wasn’t that simple. Once she released her martial soul, much of the feeling of being stunned was somewhat similar to when Wang Dong released his Radiant Butterfly Goddess for the first time.
A pair of spotlessly white wings shining with strong golden rays of light unfurled from her back. Yu Mengdi was suddenly covered in a soft layer of gold. The saintly aura she emitted made one feel as though they wanted to worship her.
Her hand flashed with golden light, and a long golden sword appeared within it. This wasn’t a soul tool, but rather a weapon condensed completely out of soul power. Five soul rings formed of the best proportions, two yellow, two purple, and one black, simultaneously appeared on her.
A black soul ring meant that a ten-thousand-year soul ring had appeared. This was the first time Shrek Academy had encountered an opponent who had a ten-thousand-year soul ring in this tournament.
Justsky Academy valued this first match a lot. Among the three Soul Kings, Yu Mengdi’s cultivation was ranked second, and she was only second to Ye Wuqing. Her martial soul was the Angel. Even if it was only a two-winged Angel now, it was already a considerably powerful martial soul. If her cultivation could reach the rank of a soul master with seven soul rings, then she would have four wings. If she was able to become a Titled Douluo with nine soul rings, she would have six wings. Every additional pair of wings was equivalent to an evolution
of her martial soul. This was closest to the strongest body soul in existence.
As a result of that, Yu Mengdi wasn’t weaker than Ye Wuqing in the slightest in terms of her potential to grow. They were both determined to win this match.
The audience couldn’t see the problem Shrek Academy had. However, a few individuals from other academies who had discerning eyes could see many problems with Shrek Academy’s performance from their previous matches. Justsky Academy was among those who had seen through them.
As a result of that, he was filled with excitement rather than fear as he faced Shrek Academy today.
Chapter 89: The Xuanwu's Awakening
Justsky Academy realized that this wasn’t Shrek Academy’s strongest pair. Even so, they still represented Shrek Academy. As long as they could defeat them, that would make them the first team to defeat Shrek Academy in the last few thousand years! Such a victory and its glory would be invaluable to Justsky Academy’s.
This was why Justsky Academy had worked hard to prepare for this match. The circumstances motivating them and making them determined to win this match.
When Yu Mengdi saw that Shrek had only deployed two Soul Ancestors with four soul rings, she calmed down. From her point of view, they already had this match in the bag. It was a match with Soul Kings against Soul Ancestors, additionally. she had her powerful Angel soul. She had absolute confidence in her abilities!
Yu Mengdi flapped her wings, suddenly increasing her speed. Her movement reminiscent of a golden meteor as she shot straight at Xu Sanshi. Simultaneously, Yang Yifan, who clearly seemed to be well coordinated with her, also moved. His body
flashed as he pounced towards Xu Sanshi from another direction. They acted as though they didn’t see Jiang Nannan at all, making it clear that their target was Xu Sanshi. From the looks of it, they wanted to end this match with just one attack.
Xu Sanshi didn’t panic even as the two powerhouses simultaneously attacked him. He slowed down and lowered his voice, “Nannan, you don’t have to interfere. Just wait for my signal.” The Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle in his hands as he spoke.
Yu Mengdi and Yang Yifan were extremely well-coordinated with each other. Yang Yifan’s dagger seemed to approach Xu Sanshi from the side at nearly the same time that Yu Mengdi landed right in front of him. The two of them instantly and simultaneously released their soul skills.
Yu Mengdi’s first soul ring was already glowing as she released her golden swords. Her second soul ring subsequently lit up as well, and her pair of golden swords immediately formed a perfect cross in the sky. She spread her wings out, releasing golden rays of light into the cross.
A beautiful and melodious singing voice rang out from the cross. Bright rays of golden light accompanied by a holy aura pressed in Xu Sanshi’s direction.
Yu Mengdi revealed how superior her Angel was with just this attack. Her first soul skill was a peculiar weapon-type skill called Divine Dualsword. After equipping this soul skill, any other soul skill she used would be released through her first soul skill.
Ordinary soul masters had to be very skilled in order to release stacked soul skills. The more soul skills that were stacked atop one another, the more difficult it was.. Not only did the user have to skillfully control the soul skills but the soul skills themselves also needed to coordinate with each other. This was a high-end technique even for Shrek's inner courtyard disciples. Yu Mengdi’s martial soul had the advantage of naturally being able to release at least one more soul skill along with her first soul skill.
Sacredglory Crucifix. That was the attack she was using now. It was an attack that possessed all the effects of a holy attack. It was not only a powerful attack but was also one that burned with a persistent holy flame. Her Angel really was the best martial soul to restrain evil soul masters.
Yang Yifan’s attack wasn’t weak either. As an agility-type soul master, his strength shone through in his powerful attacks. His second soul ring lit up as a two-meter long sword-shaped glow extended out from his dagger, piercing toward Xu Sanshi’s ribs like lightning.
Everyone had always paid attention to Shrek Academy during the tournament. They’d all watched Xu Sanshi’s previous matches, and his strong defensive abilities paired with his Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle had left a lasting impression on every single one of them.
This was why the pair had commenced their attack on a strong note in an attempt to destroy Xu Sanshi’s defense in the shortest time possible. Naturally, Jiang Nannan was of little importance to them, as she’d shown herself to be a mediocre contestant throughout the tournament.
Xu Sanshi didn’t seem to be panicking at all when faced with their attacks. Instead, he abruptly stopped in his tracks, quickly dispelling their attacks with a very simple move.
His fourth soul ring glowed, signaling that he had activated his Mysterious Underworld Displacement.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Sanshi switched positions with Yang Yifan. Yang Yifan was originally stabbing his dagger at Xu Sanshi but was now stabbing Yu Mengdi. On the other hand, Yu Mengdi’s Sacredglory Crucifix was falling straight on Yang Yifan.
It was in situations like this that the Mysterious Underworld Displacement could showcase its true power. The ability to change the course of any battle at the most crucial moment.
However, this wasn’t the first time Xu Sanshi had used this move in this tournament. How could his opponents not prepare for it when he had used this powerful soul skill numerous times?
Yu Mengdi had a disdainful look on her face when Xu Sanshi used the Mysterious Underworld Displacement. She raised the holy sword in her hands and the Sacredglory Crucifix flew past Yang Yifan’s head, heading straight for Jiang Nannan, who was now exposed after Xu Sanshi’s dodge. Yang Yifan didn’t withdraw his dagger either, but rather, seized the opportunity
to flop on his back to avoid Yu Mengdi’s attack. The reflection from the dagger carved a crescent moon across the sky as he slashed towards Jiang Nannan, who was now behind him. The teamwork between them both could be said to be impeccable in every aspect, whether it was adapting to changes or their
control over their techniques.
The joint attacks initially directed at Xu Sanshi were redirected to Jiang Nannan.
The only thing they found a little strange was that Jiang Nannan didn’t move an inch from where she was standing when faced with their joint attack. But it definitely wasn’t because she was shocked to the bone. Her gaze fell on Xu Sanshi at this moment, a mocking expression on her exquisitely stunning face. She seemed to be asking Xu Sanshi whether this was his way of protecting her.
Xu Sanshi had never expected their opponents to be so perfectly in sync with one another. Even though he had guessed that they would take countermeasures against the Mysterious Underworld Displacement, he assumed that they would at least be flustered since they were already attacking him. However, he’d had the tables turned on him as the pair managed to beat him at his own game.
The mockery in Jiang Nannan’s eyes seemed to light a fire within Xu Sanshi and his eyes immediately reddened.
“Scram!” A crazy roar burst forth from Xu Sanshi as he smashed the Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle into the ground. A powerful black halo instantly extended from the shield, forming a dome that enveloped spanning more than ten square meters. As this occurred, a rumbling sound could be heard.
A powerful tremor sent Jiang Nannan’s body flying out of the dome and at the same time enveloped her opponents within the dome. Yang Yifan’s dagger failed to strike its target, but Yu Mengdi’s Sacredglory Crucifix was still emitting an intense golden light. It seemed as though it was about to break through the enclosure.
But it was also at this very moment that the Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle in Xu Sanshi’s hands lit up the whole stage. A strange light started warping the surface of the shield. The feeling it exuded was one that resembled the movement of a human’s muscles. After that, the whole surface of the shield changed.
A dark green snake with red eyes appeared on the thick, intricately-designed shield. Following its appearance, the Mysterious Underworld Quake that was originally black suddenly turned dark green. An intense blast that sounded just like a huge explosion had occurred rang out in the enclosed area. The Sacredglory Crucifix that was originally going to
break through the enclosure was swallowed up in the blink of
an eye. And that wasn’t the end. Yang Yifan bore the brunt of the attack; his whole body shook violently till he fell on the ground.
Yu Mengdi was a Soul King and was much stronger than Yang Yifan. Even so, she lost her balance and fell from the sky. She crossed the Divine Dualswords in front of her chest and released her third soul skill. The angel wings on her back curled around her body protectively, turning into an oval light cocoon. Only then was she able to block that dark green light.
Offstage, Wang Yan’s mouth dropped open as he watched this scene. “T-this is…” he squeaked out.
Bei Bei smiled and said, “Although he doesn’t have an Ultimate martial soul, his martial soul far transcends regular martial souls. If there is one person amongst the seven of us who can compare to junior brother’s Ultimate martial soul, it’d
be Sanshi. However, his martial soul is sealed and he can’t break the seal on his own without a strong stimulus. Luckily, he seems to have succeeded this time. But this means that definitely can’t participate in the next match. After all, he won’t be able to understand the true meaning of his martial soul before he gains seven soul rings.”
Surprised, Huo Yuhao asked, “Senior brother, just what is Big Brother Xu’s martial soul?”
Bei Bei’s eyes shone as he said, “The bloodline of a Godbeast, Xuanwu. His Godbeast bloodline is even purer than Senior Sister Xiaotao’s Evil Phoenix. Normally his martial soul is sealed and only ever bursts out when he’s in an extremely dangerous situation. This is when he is at his strongest and all of his soul skills will bear the Godbeast stigma.”
As opposed to the joy on the Shrek Academy’s end, the students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were staring blankly at the stage. Xiao Hongchen, who had been arrogant up till this point, also widened his eyes in shock. “No, this is impossible. How can he possibly have a Godbeast bloodline that’s comparable to mine? Aren’t Godbeast bloodlines supposed to be so diluted and rare that they’re about to disappear? Even in my case, it’d be impossible
for me to have the aura of a Godbeast if not for my martial soul mutation. And this bloodline… is this Xuanwu?”
Having broken through the seal on his martial soul, Xu Sanshi flew across the stage and stood in front on Jiang Nannan again as he released his Xuanwu in front of him.
After breaking the seal on his martial soul, Xu Sanshi’s body had gone through some slight changes. He was taller and bigger than before; his physique similar to that of an adult’s. On top of that, there seemed to be a faint jade light coming from his short hair. His muscles had swelled up, giving him the aura of an immovable mountain as he stood there.
“I told you I’d protect you.” Xu Sanshi’s deep voice had dropped a few octaves and the somewhat frivolous feeling his voice used to have was now replaced with a magnetic charm.
Expecting to have to defend herself, Jiang Nannan’s third soul ring was originally shining but even she was shocked by such a sudden change. She never knew this shameless scoundrel was actually hiding such strength in him. Even though he was still a Soul Ancestor, the aura surrounding the present Xu Sanshi was far beyond his rank.
The effect of the Mysterious Underworld Quake had just completely disappeared. Yang Yifan, who had actually collapsed to the ground, was completely dazed. At this moment, he couldn’t crawl up no matter how hard he tried.
Xu Sanshi let out a roar towards the sky, causing the Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle in his hands to shine with a jade light. The light resonated with his body, enlarging his entire body to the point where his jacket began to rupture due to his sturdy muscles. An intense dark green light burst forth, causing the air within the tournament stage to turn viscous. Following that, his third soul ring lit up. The current him was no longer like a soul master, but a savage soul beast.
His third soul skill, Mysterious Underworld Force, caused the strength of his body to instantly double after being amplified by his Xuanwu bloodline. Furthermore, the Mysterious Underworld Force he activated within his current state didn’t just strengthen his own body; it even affected a very large area around him. The wave-like viscosity that made it seem as though one was trapped within a wave was precisely because his Mysterious Underworld Force had instantly gathered a large amount of the water elements around him.
Yang Yifan momentarily lost all of his combat strength, but Yu Mengdi didn’t. She immediately felt that something was wrong after the effects of the Mysterious Underworld Quake dissipated. This wasn’t the strength that a four-ringed Soul
Ancestor should possess, and this was especially evident after she witnessed the enormous changes that had occurred to Xu Sanshi’s body. Although she didn’t fully understand what was going on, she made a prompt decision and immediately chose the correct answer to the situation--and that was to attack!
She needed to give Yang Yifan a moment to recover. The original self-confidence she possessed had already been greatly reduced, and she couldn’t guarantee the outcome of this battle if her opponents were working together.
With her Divine Dualswords held above her head, her third soul ring lit up. A golden flare of light quickly rose above her body, and the image of a six-winged Angel faintly appeared behind her. Her body was instantly dyed gold following the appearance of this Angel--this was her third soul skill, Angelic Protection. This would double the attack power of her next attack.
Right after that, her fifth soul ring lit up. The black soul ring that represented the strength of ten thousand years instantly lit up, causing the distant audience to involuntarily hold in their breaths and widen their eyes. This was the first appearance of a ten thousand year soul skill during this
tournament, and everybody wanted to see just how strong it would be.
“Angelic… Godsealing Slash!” A charming voice rang out from Yu Mengdi’s voice. This wasn’t just a simple calling out of one’s own skill. Every single one of the words she called out contained different musical notes, and her Divine Dualswords emitted a clear buzzing with each note. When she yelled out the word ‘slash’, the Divine Dualswords merged into one and formed a sharp sword light ten meters long and three meters wide that slashed towards Xu Sanshi.
The referee on the stage immediately charged over quickly the moment he saw this attack. He absolutely did not think that Xu Sanshi would be able to take this blow.
Yu Mengdi’s attack could be said to be a fusion of her first, third, and fifth soul skills. Combined with the strength of her Angel soul, the might of this attack of hers was comparable to that of a Soul Emperor’s! An attack like this could only be released by the very strongest of Soul Kings, even in an academy like Shrek Academy.
The pressure caused by Xu Sanshi’s awakened Xuanwu made Yu Mengdi unhesitantly use her full power. No matter what, Justsky Academy wouldn’t just give up this extremely rare chance to beat Shrek Academy.
“Nannan, I’ll give you three seconds. Is that enough?” Wielding the Mysterious Underworld Shield that had already evolved into the Xuanwu Shield, Xu Sanshi revealed no fear at all as he faced the enormous pressure in front of him.
“That’s enough.” Jiang Nannan said in a low voice.
As he spoke, Xu Sanshi lifted his shield. After that, everybody could see his first three soul rings light up. More astonishingly, these three soul rings instantly merged together and formed a black soul ring that emitted a brilliant light.
The dark green snake on the Xuanwu Shield seemed to awaken. It raised its tongue slightly, and a red light began to blossom from its eyes as an enormous image of a turtle-snake rose behind Xu Sanshi’s back.
This was the fusion of a godbeast bloodline and multiple soul rings.
The three soul skills that Xu Sanshi was currently using were respectively, the Mysterious Underworld Quake, Mysterious Underworld Shield, and Mysterious Underworld Force.
At this moment, his three soul skills fused into one, releasing the awesome might of a ten thousand year soul skill. However, if one were close enough to see Xu Sanshi, who was currently surrounded by jade-green light, they would discover that his face had turned incomparably white the instant his three soul skills had fused together.
The black light wreathing the Xuanwu Shield instantly enlarged to the point where it had a diameter of three meters. The enormous shield slanted forwards, blocking the might of the Angelic Godsealing Slash.
The instant the two ten thousand year soul skills collided, an ear piercing groan spread throughout the entire tournament stage. The outer protective barrier emitted a piercing bright light, causing the distant spectators to be momentarily unable to see what was going on on the stage.
Yu Mengdi would never have thought that she would encounter a situation like this. The instant her Angelic Godsealing Slash landed on the Xuanwu Shield, she felt as if her attack had been swallowed by a vast sea. After that, a violent boom rang out. Furthermore, her soul power had been greatly weakened, while her third soul skill instantly vanished.
A low roar suddenly spread throughout the entire arena at this moment. This roar that resembled the awakening of a godbeast covered an entire half of the tournament stage, and everyone--including the referee, who was a seven-ringed Soul Sage--felt their minds go blank from that terrifying roar. Their bodies seemed to have been swallowed by the most viscous swamp, rendering them unable to move.
“Nannan, now.” Xu Sanshi’s somewhat hoarse voice rang out by Jiang Nannan’s ear.
At this moment, Jiang Nannan’s body vanished. Covered by the intense light generated by the collision between the Xuanwu Shield and the Angelic Godsealing Slash, nobody was able to see how she vanished, nor how she appeared behind Yu Mengdi.
Jiang Nannan had appeared right behind Yu Mengdi. She gently leapt up, then landed a kick on Yu Mengdi’s lower back.
Xu Sanshi had fused three of his soul skills into a ten thousand year one--the Xuanwu Roar. At this moment, Yu Mengdi was still paralysed as a result of that souls skill, causing her to be unable to resist Jiang Nannan. Xu Sanshi’s estimation of her strength was very accurate. Three seconds, she couldn’t do anything for three seconds. Even the good-hearted referee was delayed for a full second by his Xuanwu Roar before he was able to return to his senses.
After being kicked in the back by Jiang Nannan, Yu Mengdi’s body was immediately thrown forward in the shape of a crescent. In battle, Jiang Nannan wasn’t as kind as she looked on the outside. With her right hand pulling on Yu Mengdi’s hair, Jiang Nannan locked her legs onto her neck. After that, she flipped around in midair, causing Yu Mengdi’s body to fly out weightlessly and fiercely collide with the distant protective barrier before sliding to the ground and off the tournament stage. This entire process took only three seconds, and Yu Mengdi felt her entire body ache when she came to her senses. However, she was now below the stage. Furthermore, some of her important veins had been crushed, and the intense bursts of dizziness and nausea resulting from that caused her to
remain on the ground for a long while before she was able to recover.
There was no need to even talk about Yang Yifan. Without even needing Jiang Nannan to make a move against him, Xu Sanshi had already walked up to him and kicked him straight off the tournament stage like a burlap sack. Even Yu Mengdi had been dazed for three seconds; after he was slammed into the ground by the Mysterious Underworld Quake, he didn’t get back up. That was fairly tragic.
In reality, even if Xu Sanshi were able to unseal the Strength of the Xuanwu, he wouldn’t be a match for Yu Mengdi in a one- on-one fight. After all, he lacked means of attacking. Furthermore, his soul power and potential would be drained at an astonishing rate after releasing the Strength of the Xuanwu. As an agility-type soul master however, Jiang Nannan was able to coordinate perfectly with him. Xu Sanshi’s incomparably powerful defensive abilities perfectly complemented her speed and close-combat abilities.
In a situation where anyone with a discerning eye was able to tell that they weren’t in a favourable position, they were actually able to pull off an unexpected first victory for Shrek Academy.
“We’ve won.” Xu Sanshi’s body trembled slightly, and the dark green light on his body faded away. At this moment, Jiang Nannan finally discovered that his face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and his body was tottering. Blood was even seeping from his mouth and nose.
Although he had released the Strength of the Xuanwu, how could Yu Mengdi’s Angelic Godsealing Slash that was comparable to an attack released by a Soul Emperor be so easily blocked? After forcefully blocking that attack, Xu Sanshi had suffered heavy injuries. His body was swaying from side to side, and he was about to collapse on the ground.
Jiang Nannan subconsciously took a few steps forward and supported him by the arm.
“You… how are you?” Jiang Nannan whispered.
Xu Sanshi looked her in the face. Although he had an ugly expression on his face, his eyes were still filled with happiness, “I’m feeling very good. I’ll always be happy fighting with you. If anyone wants to hurt you, they’ll have to step over my dead body. Nannan, do you know? If it weren’t for you, I would
never have been able to break through the seal on my martial soul and release its true power.”
At this point, his chest started to undulate violently. After letting out another muffled groan and spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his body fell straight towards Jiang Nannan.
Startled, Jiang Nannan hurriedly helped him up. Xu Sanshi wasn’t much taller than her, and so she could only put his arm over her shoulder and walk back to the waiting area.
Below the stage, Shrek Academy was already in great jubilation. They had won their first match. This meant that they had taken a sturdy step forward through an impossible pass. Only Bei Bei’s mouth twitched for a moment as he whispered, “This cheap person really won’t give up on a single chance!”
A certain someone who was placing his entire weight on a soft and fragrant-smelling person felt his nose itch. He felt his eyebrows move slightly, and he resisted a sneeze.
“The first round of the 2-2-3 match goes to Shrek Academy.” When the referee announced the results of the competition, his voice contained a few traces of astonishment.
Right! Disregarding him, even the many high-ranking soul masters, soul engineers, and teachers present had never seen someone’s martial soul in battle before! Not mention such a large increase in that person’s power following said evolution. Furthermore, Xu Sanshi had actually overcome the difference between ranks! It had be realized that, even though Yi Mengdi was only Rank 53, her Angelic martial soul was strong enough to allow her to fight against peak-rank Soul Kings! Yet, she’d still lost Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan. Even though the former appeared to have suffered heavy injuries though, if this had been a true battle to the death, the outcome was questionable. However, in the end, a Soul Ancestor had actually managed to beat a Soul King in battle! This hadn’t been a team fight either, but a 2v2 fight.
Everyone at Justsky Academy, from Ye Wuqing to the ordinary students, had gloomy expressions. They’d originally been filled with hope that they’d be able to beat Shrek Academy, but this loss had been akin to a bucket of ice water.
Within Shrek Academy’s waiting area.
“Good. Now then, don’t get too excited everyone. We’ve still got more predicaments to overcome.” Bei Bei clapped, drawing the everyone’s attention to him.
“Even though we’ve won the first match, Sanshi definitely won’t be able to make it to our next match. As he’s injured his vitality, I’m not sure how long he’ll take to recover. Previously, he told that if anything caused him to forcefully break his seal, he’d temporarily become stronger, but that he’d heavily injure his body and drain his potential in doing so. Nannan, is it possible for you take him back to recover? This place isn’t suitable.”
If this was any other time, Jiang Nannan definitely would’ve outright rejected Bei Bei without hesitation. However, when she thought of the last few words Xu Sanshi had uttered to her, she unexpectedly nodded, put his arm over her should, and left.
What she didn’t see, however, was the ‘unconscious’ Xu Sanshi give Bei Bei a slight thumbs up that only he was able to notice.
The corner of Bei Bei’s mouth rose slightly, and he laughed while inwardly thinking, You’ve earned this with your own hard work.
“Will the participants of the second round please take the stage.” The referee’s words drew the attention of Shrek’s team back to the competition, while the audience immediately tensed up again. That’s right, there were still two matches left! Furthermore, their opponents still had two Soul Kings on their team, one of whom was their most powerful member and team leader.
Everyone, including Wang Yan, turned to look at Bei Bei. Shrek’s first lineup had already proven Bei Bei’s worth in their eyes.
Bei Bei already seemed to have a plan in mind as he whispered, “Since we won the first match, we’ve gained the initiative. What we’re hoping for the most is that they’ll impulsively send out both of their Soul Kings, or that they at least send their team leader out. Caitou, Xiao Xiao, you two are up first. You don’t need to feel any pressure; just do your best to keep yourselves safe. I had originally planned for Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao to go out, but since Wang Dong and Huo
Yuhao have a fusion skill, it will be key in the round that we’ll win.”
He Caitou’s eyes met Xiao Xiao’s, and they both immediately understood what Bei Bei’s intentions were; he was clearly saying that he already planned to give up on their second round. The only reason they were being sent out was in order to waste their opponent’s Soul Kings. Bei Bei’s plan was undoubtedly spot on; the more people Shrek sent out alongside Huo Yuhao and his Spiritual Detection, the greater their chances of winning would become.
Despite this, the fighting intent in He Caitou and Xiao Xiao’s hearts was no less than that of their companions! The instant that their gazes met, they were both able to see the intense unwillingness in each other’s eyes.
Bei Bei grabbed He Caitou’s shoulder, then placed his hand on Xiao Xiao’s. He solemnly said, “I know that you two feel unresigned, but there always have to be a few people who do certain things for the sake of victory. You guys have to remember that this isn’t the last round of this tournament; Sanshi can’t join us for the next match anymore, so you guys had best come back healthy no matter what; we still need you for the matches after this. Understood?”
He Caitou’s expression was somewhat grave as he looked Bei Bei in the eye, but he still nodded.
Xiao Xiao’s response was somewhat half-hearted, but she managed to resist the urge to refute him.
“Good luck you two. Shrek’s glory belongs to all of us together.”
He Caitou and Xiao Xiao proceeded to walk onto the stage together. The instant that they’d left, Bei Bei turned around to face Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, then solemnly said, “The final victors of today’s match will be decided in the third round. I only have one thing to say: Use every last bit of strength you have. No matter who wins, in the end, we’ll have at least displayed our strength.
“Sanshi’s victory in the first round was extremely dangerous. If Nannan didn’t have a teleportation skill, that Soul King with the angelic martial would’ve instantly been able to turn the tables once she woke up. As such, we don’t have any more chances. Our opponents will definitely be more careful from here on out. There’s no way for us to win by a fluke now that
they’re fighting with all of their strength. Alright, you two need to rest up—prepare yourself for our next match.”
Huo Yuhao was now inwardly afraid; the excitement he’d previously felt had been replaced by a heavy sense of pressure.
Pressure would have entirely different effects depending on the person: A weak-natured person could even collapse beneath heavy pressure and become even weaker. However, a person who was full of fighting spirit could could be willing to give his all for his glory and ideals. The great the pressure, the greater the rebound. At the same time, the driving force behind the pressure would become even more abundant.
The current Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were just like this: Wang Dong tightly clenched his fists, a fierce flame of resolve rose in his eyes. As for Huo Yuhao, he squinted his eyes as a bright light flickered through the bottom of his eyelids. He then reached over, grabbed Wang Dong’s fist, and leaned over to whisper something to him.
A light smile appeared on Bei Bei’s face when he saw this. The reason that he’d allowed them to shoulder an even greater amount of pressure was because he was so familiar with his
junior brothers. They were the kind of people that would squeeze out even more of their potential under great pressure.
Wang Yan watched from the sidelines as this happened. He was filled with gratification as he watched Bei Bei’s calm leadership, and suddenly felt that losing today wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. At the very least, the psychological trauma he’d been worried about wouldn’t appear with a team leader like Bei Bei.
Even though the awakened Xu Sanshi was stronger than Bei Bei in terms of overall strength, but there was a large gap between him and Bei Bei in terms of their ability to look at the big picture and take command. It seems that Bei Bei is even more than I am to lead everyone here. I’ll just let them do as they wish. Maybe these kids really can create a miracle for Shrek.
Bei Bei gradually furrowed his brows as he stared at the tournament stage. His face grew increasingly grave, for he’d just discovered that their opponents would be tougher than he’d imagined; the leader of Justsky Academy hadn’t appeared during the second round.
It had to be known that Justsky Academy would lose the match if they were to lose their second round. In a situation like this, Ye Wuqing had actually managed to remain patient, which definitely exceeded Bei Bei’s predictions. This meant that Shrek Academy would have an even harder time in the third round if they lost the second round.
He Caitou and Xiao Xiao slowly made their way up onto the stage. The straightforward Caitou immediately did the same thing that Xu Sanshi had done, and loudly said to the two members of Justsky Academy in front of him, “Shrek Academy, He Caitou.”
Xiao Xiao immediately followed up, “Xiao Xiao.”
The two students from Justsky Academy had peculiar expressions when they saw He Caitou—his dark skin was normally only seen in the Sun Moon Empire. However, a person like him had appeared on Shrek’s team. Despite this, He Caitou’s suppression of the Soul King-ranked Shen Ce with a soul tool fort was still fresh in everyone’s minds.
“Justsky Academy, Tang Xiaolei.”
“Justsky Academy, Xue Lang.”
The two students immediately replied with their own names. Tang Xiaolei had a tall and straight figure, but he wasn’t too muscular. However, his eyes were extraordinarily lively, and a purple light seemed to flicker through them. This was the first contestant that He Caitou had seen besides Huo Yuhao who possessed such a solid pair of eyes.
Xue Lang was slightly shorter than Tang Xiaolei, but he was much sturdier; the width of his shoulders and the thickness of his arms were comparable to He Caitou’s. Of course, this was a comparison between the twenty year-old Tang Xiaolei and the fifteen year-old He Caitou.
Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang were only slightly flabbergasted when they looked at He Caitou, but they weren’t simply astonished when their gazes landed on Xiao Xiao.
They’d both seen Xiao Xiao’s previous matches while they were in the rest area. However, she hadn’t done much during either of the two occasions that she’d appeared. Thus, nobody knew what her true abilities were.
Xiao Xiao wasn’t even twelve yet; she was only a few days older than Huo Yuhao. Combined with her how small she was, she looked like a small child; a few people would’ve believed that she wasn’t even ten yet. The juxtaposition between the two was simply too strong.
Even though Tang Xiaolei and Xu Leng were anxious to obtain victory in this match, they couldn’t help but feel that something was off when they saw Xiao Xiao. Their eyes then simultaneously landed on He Caitou’s body. As for the six soul rings that Xiao Xiao had previously revealed, the two only felt disdain in their hearts. If a small girl like her was truly a Soul Emperor, then they could just go directly commit suicide.
The two of them had forgotten a single thing, however: Despite Xiao Xiao’s extremely baffling appearance, and no matter how old she looked, she was still a student from Shrek Academy—she was still somebody that Shrek had chosen to send to this tournament.
The referee felt somewhat unwilling when he saw Xiao Xiao, but the competition was still a competition. He motioned both parties to their respective sides of the arena, then raised his right hand and shouted, “Match, start!”
Both parties instantly released their martial souls, and Xiao Xiao’s two yellow hundred year soul rings finally appeared on the tournament stage spectated by over ten thousand people.
Chapter 90: The Desperate Super Fusion Cannon
“Ah—!” The crowd immediately flew into an uproar when they saw Xiao Xiao’s two yellow soul rings.
Not even the weakest team would send out a two-ringed student to participate in a tournament like this!
The Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament required that its participants be under the age of twenty. If a person couldn’t breakthrough to the Soul Elder rank by the age of twenty, could he even be considered an outstanding student? This was a tournament for high-ranking soul master and soul engineering academies. A two-ringed soul master appearing on the tournament stage had never occurred for an extremely long period of time.
At this moment, however, they were personally witnessing this exact scene. Yet since this was such a rare occurrence that it didn’t feel real.
For example, Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang. The two of them were involuntarily stunned for a moment by Xiao Xiao’s two rings, to the extent that their movements slowed by a bit. She had previously revealed six rings, but now she only had two of them. Just what was Shrek Academy doing?
They were stunned for a moment, but He Caitou wasn’t.
The moment the referee announced the start of the match, he took a large step forward. Just as everyone was thinking that he was going to use a valiant strategy like the soul tool fort, He Caitou didn’t. He entered a half-squatting position, and an enormous black two-meter cannon appeared on his right shoulder. Its appearance was very similar to that of a stationary soul cannon.
The referee was first stunned at seeing this, but he quickly wiped away all thoughts of interfering. This was because a white light--which was clearly a sign of soul power being gathered-- began to flicker from this mouth of the cannon. From this, he could tell that this wasn’t a stationary soul cannon, but an energy-gathering soul cannon.
However… did an energy-gathering soul cannon need to be this large?
The referee was filled with doubt, but Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang didn’t think the same. The instant He Caitou showed that enormous energy-gathering soul cannon, they suddenly felt a terrifying wave of pressure from him. It seemed as though this cannon would be able to threaten their very lives if it were to be activated.
Normally, a soul engineer who didn’t walk the very edges of the path would equip himself with an energy-gathering soul cannon due to its formidable might. Although it drained a lot of soul power, it would serve as a trump card at crucial moments.
An energy-gathering soul cannon was also called a force- gathering soul cannon because it was a soul tool that condensed and compressed soul power before launching it in a powerful all-out attack. Its main fault lay in the process of gathering soul power, while its main benefit was its powerful attack power. It would normally appear on a soul engineer’s chest, but it would absolutely not be as terrifyingly large as the one He Caitou had on him now.
Most other soul masters were at a loss towards tools like the energy-gathering soul cannons that He Caitou was currently using; only truly powerful soul engineers would understand what this thing was.
The resting area of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
“That, that is? That can’t be. A super energy-gathering soul cannon? Shrek Academy has actually developed a super energy-gathering soul cannon? But, he’s a four-ringed Soul Ancestor. Can he even use a soul tool like this?” Ma Rulong was astonished.
Teacher Ma furrowed his brows tightly and muttered to himself, “It seems like we’ve always been underestimating Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department. Their research capabilities aren’t as weak as they seem on the surface.”
Right, the thing equipped on He Caitou’s shoulder was something that completely shouldn’t have appeared within this competition. This soul tool was first developed in the Sun Moon Empire, and it was called the super energy-gathering
soul cannon; it was also a soul engineer’s singular most powerful weapon.
The simple use of this super energy-gathering soul cannon would drain almost all of a Soul King’s soul power. That was the only way to release most of its might.
He Caitou naturally didn’t have the strength of a Soul King, but the super energy-gathering soul cannon he wielded wasn’t actually a complete one; the core formation within it had been modified slightly, though it seemed identical to the original on the surface. Once he became a Class 5 soul engineer and modified it again, he would be able to release the strength of a proper super energy-gathering soul cannon.
Although it wasn’t a complete one, the soul power within He Caitou’s body started to pour into the super energy-gathering soul cannon at an astonishing rate.
Right, he had a very simple plan—he wanted to finish everything with a single stroke. He was very clear that fighting a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor with his and Xiao Xiao’s strengths would yield practically no chances for him at all. If he wanted to win, he had to stake everything. Because of that,
he decided to take out this incomplete super energy-gathering soul cannon.
He Caitou did his utmost to inhale the Thin Cigar in his mouth as he squeezed out every single bit of his soul power and poured it into the cannon. The Thin Cigar actually turned into ash within three puffs due to his furious inhaling.
Xiao Xiao stood by his side, immediately replacing the Thin Cigar for him according to the plan that they had set up beforehand. Furthermore, she even helped light it for him.
The two ends of the tournament stage were separated by a distance of a hundred metres. This was an extremely short distance for soul masters; one could charge through that entire distance within three breaths of time at most. However, He Caitou didn’t dare to be careless at all. He knew from Wang Yan that one of their two opponents was a soul master who specialised in long-range attacks.
However, he had no other options. They could only stake it all, as doing so would it last give them a sliver of hope; not staking it all would guarantee their defeat. They were originally planning to use the strategy of Tian Ji in the horse
race, so although they knew that their opponents were specialised in long-range attacks, He Caitou had no other choice but to carry out his plan.
Tang Xiaolei and Xue Leng were astonished by Xiao Xiao’s soul rings, resulting in them blundering away a bit of time. However, they quickly returned to their senses due to the might of the super energy-gathering soul cannon.
Xue Lang roared wildly, and he exerted strength in his legs to dash out like lightning. A violent transformation occurred to his body as he charged forward; silvery-grey fur started growing wildly on his body, and his muscles and bones grew at an astonishing speed. The biggest change occurred to his head; his mouth started protruding outwards, revealing a pair of sharp teeth. His legs became extraordinarily thick, and his arms turned into a pair of sharp claws. At the same time, his first soul ring was already flickering.
Xue Lang’s martial soul was the Wolf, the Soulwolf. His martial soul in and of itself wasn’t considered too powerful, but the reason why he was able to enter Justsky Academy’s official team was due to a few relatively powerful soul skills he had gotten his hands on.
For example, there was his first soul skill that he was current releasing: Wolf Transformation.
When a soul master who had a Beast Soul released their martial soul, their strength would be determined by how closely their transformation resembled that of their martial soul. This Wolf Transformation of his was a self-strengthening skill, and its effects were akin to a weakened version of Dai Yueheng’s White Tiger’s Vajra Transformation.
This skill gave Xue Lang an all-round increase in speed, power, and soul power, causing his combat strength to instantly increase.
Xue Lang was an agility-type soul master, but he was able to take on an assault-type soul master to a certain extent after using his Wolf Transformation.
In contrast to Xue Lang’s rapid charge forward, Tang Xiaolei’s bright eyes instantly turned bright purple, as though a purple flare was being released from his eyes. He raised his left hand, causing a large bow to appear within his palm. He was one of the three Soul Kings who had appeared in this match,
and his two yellow and three purple soul rings flickered brightly.
Ye Wuqing clearly had a lot of trust in Tang Xiaolei, seeing that he dared to send him out instead of going himself in this second round.
Tang Xiaolei raised the longbow in his left hand and placed his right on the bowstring, a purple light flickering through his eyes as he did so. Immediately, the energies around his body began to surge at an astonishing rate. In an instant, the suppressive aura that he generated was actually not inferior to the super energy-gathering soul cannon that He Caitou had.
The longbow in Tang Xiaolei’s hands was 1.8 meters long; its entire body was bright purple, and the luxurious patterns on it shone with a purple halo. It was called the Purpleflower Bow, and Tang Xiaolei had always thought that his martial soul was unique and unmatched. Other than the fact that it wasn’t suited for group battles, it was incomparable among martial souls specialising in long-range attacks.
Although this was something that only he considered, this indirectly proved how powerful his long-range martial soul
was.
Tang Xiaolei’s wrist seemed to shake slightly as he drew the Purpleflower Bow with lightning speed. In an instant, a yellow beam of light shot out and practically instantly reached He Caitou. The beam didn’t target He Caitou himself, but the super energy-gathering soul cannon on his shoulder.
The speed of this arrow was simply too quick. Combined with the fact that it gave off no signs beforehand, and the entire process could only be described with the phrase ‘lightning quick’. What was more unusual, however, was the fact that the five soul rings that had originally surrounded Tang Xiaolei had decreased to a total of four after he fired this arrow. He didn’t have any arrows, so what he fired was actually his own soul rings.
The hairs on Xue Lang’s skin stood up involuntarily the moment this arrow of light brushed past him. Even if he knew that this was an attack launched by his partner, a trace of fear still flashed past his eyes. This was because he knew the might of the Purpleflower Bow.
If one were to ask who the person who had the strongest suppressive and instant-attack abilities within Justsky Academy was, the answer to this wouldn’t be Ye Wuqing or Yu Mengdi, but the Purpleflower Bow-wielding long-range soul master who was also a self-proclaimed assault-type soul master, Tang Xiaolei.
Tang Xiaolei’s martial soul had many flaws. Namely, his Purpleflower Bow required him to use his soul rings as arrows to be fired. Furthermore, his soul power would be fully drained the moment he fired all of his arrows. He had to meditate patiently to recover his soul power, and only when the condition of his soul power return to its peak would he be able to release his soul rings again.
In other words, he could only shoot a total of five arrows in a battle. After shooting those five arrows, he would be as good as dead.
A flaw like this would be fatal to any soul master, but he was still able to represent Justsky Academy to turn up for this tournament in front of more than ten thousand people. This was naturally because his advantages were able to make up for his disadvantages; mainly, his terrifying attack power.
A terrifying consumption of soul power that limited him to just a few attacks made it so that he possessed a terrifying amount of attack power. Furthermore, he didn’t need to gather his energy like He Caitou’s super energy-gathering soul cannon. Because of that, when comparing notes with each other, even Yu Mengdi and Ye Wuqing had to be careful of Tang Xiaolei when he still had soul rings on his body. The only way they could have a chance of winning was by making him waste all of his soul rings.
Sending weak contenders to fight the opponent's strong contenders, then strong against their weak.
At this moment, the lightning-like bolt of yellow light was just about to arrive. However, He Caitou wasn’t finished with his energy-charging yet. He simply couldn’t move, nor could he dodge the attack that was coming towards him. On the other hand, Xue Lang had crossed over fifty metres in his wild charge; he would enter his attacking range within one more breath of time.
At this exact moment, the young, two-ringed girl stepped out, unbeknownst to Tang Xiaolei or Xue Lang.
A large, pitch-black cauldron appeared not far away from He Caitou’s body without any prior warning. The instant that yellow arrow of light was about to hit He Caitou, the cauldron took the initiative to let out a rumble. Its enormous body obstructed the arrow at an angle, as though it had grown a pair of eyes.
A dazzling burst of sparks and an ear-piercing boom erupted from the large cauldron, an astonishing gorge having been cut into its surface. After that, the yellow arrow of light was
deflected slightly, practically scraping past He Caitou’s shoulder as it flew towards the protective barrier.
“Skree—” A shrill whistle rang out. More astonishingly, a small hole had actually appeared on the protective barrier formed by a hundred and eight soul masters, causing it to ring with a weird sound. Although it was instantly repaired, that yellow arrow had completely disappeared. However, the hole had clearly existed; the penetrative power of Tang Xiaolei’s arrows could be seen from that.
“Eeh! What accurate judgement.” Tang Xiaolei was slightly astonished as he looked at Xiao Xiao. He couldn’t help but squint his eyes as he saw her flickering second soul ring, the purple glint in his eyes brightening up even more.
Right, this had been Xiao Xiao’s own ability to judge. Huo Yuhao definitely couldn’t spend a large amount of his spiritual power to help them out because of the third match he had to partake in, so this was all caused by Xiao Xiao herself. That was a wonderful feeling for her. Although her eyes couldn’t keep up with the speed of Tang Xiaolei’s arrow, she was able to instantaneously activate her Cauldron Sweep to forcefully change the direction of that arrow.
However, Tang Xiaolei had already drawn his Purpleflower Bow for the second time. His arrow was still yellow this time, but it gave off a completely different feeling.
Earlier, he had used the swift Speed Arrow. However, his current arrow was filled with a crazy force of oppression.
Xue Lang had crossed another ten or so metres at this moment, but his speed was still increasing,
“Wuuu--” A mournful tune suddenly rang out. It was evidently somewhat sharp and piercing, but Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang felt their minds jolt when they heard it. At the same time, they slowed down for an instant.
One shouldn’t underestimate the effects of this instantaneous decrease in their speed. This exact instant made Xue Lang, who was already ready to attack Xiao Xiao and He Caitou, jump into the air, while delaying Tang Xiaolei’s arrow for another moment. Thus, it was able to win more time for He Caitou.
Just what was that? A soul tool? Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang were drawn towards the long flute in Xiao Xiao’s hands.
No, that clearly wasn’t a soul tool. The two soul rings surrounding Xiao Xiao had changed into a single one.
In that instant, every single person from the audience and the other representative teams finally understood why Shrek ACademy would send out a weak, young girl to the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament. This was because this young girl was actually a twin-souled soul master who had infinite potential! Could any of the academies present here even bring out a twin-souled soul master?
So what if she only had two soul rings? The fact that she had twin martial souls signified that she had a boundless future. For a brief period of time, nobody dared to underestimate Xiao Xiao anymore; their gazes on her even became fervent. This was especially so for the teachers in charge of the various teams. They all had a single thought: ‘How good would it be if she was in our academy!’
After Xue Lang was slowed down for a moment, he didn’t immediately speed up to close the final twenty metres that
were separating the two parties. Instead, he angled his body downwards as though he was swallowing a man whole.
This was coordination, the coordination between him and Tang Xiaolei. This was because Tang Xiaolei’s second arrow had finally arrived at this moment.
The sharp whistle coming from this arrow was much more intense than the previous one. Furthermore, it wasn’t just a beam of light like the previous one, but a ball of light that was as large as a watermelon.
If anyone present was able to clearly see the yellow arrow in flight, that person would immediately see that it was a crystal- yellow arrow which was rapidly rotating in mid-air.
This was Tang Xiaolei’s second soul skill, Destruction Arrow; a spiralling arrow.
Its penetrative power wasn’t as high as the previous arrow, but its destructive power far surpassed it. This was especially so due to the extremely astonishing explosive force that came along with it.
Nobody would ever have thought that Xiao Xiao would actually abandon He Caitou and rush out. No, she couldn’t be considered to be abandoning him. Instead, she used her body to block He Caitou and rushed towards Xue Lang.
The black cauldron that had previously appeared was now gone. Three rays of black light shone from Xiao Xiao’s body as she charged forward, forming a horn formation.
Although she was a twin-souled soul master who possessed infinite potential, she was currently still a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster! She was still extremely weak in front of Tang Xiaolei and Xue Lang. However, she still decided to charge forward without turning back.
He Caitou’s eyes instantly turned red. Before Xiao Xiao had rushed out, she softly whispered to him, “Senior brother He, I can only do this much. I’ll depend on you for everything else.”
He Caitou was the physically largest person among Shrek’s Seven Monsters, while Xiao Xiao was the smallest. One could imagine how he was feeling, seeing that a little girl was standing in front of him to face a Soul King and a Soul
Ancestor. At that exact instant, the image of the little girl he had never paid special attention to was now branded in the softest parts of his heart. He would never forget her resolute eyes when she looked at him, and her small, tender cute face.
Xiao Xiao!
He Caitou clenched his teeth, using all of his strength to release his soul power. His blood vessels suffered an intense blow due to the overly quick release of his soul power into the super energy-gathering soul cannon, and tiny beads of blood started to seep from the surface of his skin. His veins were completely revealed on his forehead, and it seemed as though his body could explode from his own soul power at any time.
Xiao Xiao’s small face looked somewhat chilly, but her eyes were filled with a raging will to fight. Even if she clearly knew that any of the two opponents in front of her could easily defeat her, or even pulverise her if they wished to, she still decided to charge forward without turning back.
Shrek’s glory didn’t just belong to their seniors; it similarly belonged to her, to Huo Yuhao, and to Wang Dong. It belonged to the weakest trio as well.
Huo Yuhao had contributed enough as the team leader during the previous matches, and even Wang Dong had contributed by releasing the Golden Road alongside him. The only person who hadn’t done anything was her; she had never contributed anything to the team before. She was only a background figure in the eyes of the others--that was what Xiao Xiao felt in her heart.
This was especially so when Bei Bei sent her out along with He Caitou. This feeling in Xiao Xiao’s heart intensified even further; she was being used to lure her opponent’s most powerful forces away and waste them. Xiao Xiao had always been filled with arrogance as a twin-souled soul master, and so she had already decided to do whatever she could in this match, regardless of whether she would lose or not.
Thus, she rushed out at this crucial moment. The feeling of prediction in her heart had become increasingly powerful, and she discovered that she could even sense the time needed for He Caitou to finish charging up his super energy-gathering soul cannon. Furthermore, she knew that she had to fight for more time for him to finish charging it.
The downward-slanting Xue Lang felt palpitations in his heart as he saw Xiao Xiao rush towards him.
The young girl in front of him was clearly much weaker than him, but her charming face seemed to be radiating with light. By charging recklessly like that, did she not want her life? Was Tang Xiaolei’s arrow so easily blocked? Was she mad?
At this exact moment, Xue Lang was actually considerate towards Xiao Xiao. The young lady in front of him was not only pretty, but her staunch attitude and bravery had already infected him to the point where he had no plans of taking the initiative to attack.
“Xiao Xiao!” Below the stage, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Bei Bei, and Teacher Wang couldn’t help but cry out. This was originally a match that they had planned to throw! However, Xiao Xiao had no plans on giving up.
As the Destruction Arrow neared, even Tang Xiaolei himself was infected by Xiao Xiao’s fearlessness in the face of death. However, he couldn’t retrieve an arrow that he had fired. Moreover, this was an issue that was related to Justsky Academy’s glory. Thus, he had to clench his teeth and release
his attack no matter what. But, his eyes subconsciously drifted towards the referee.
Right, the referee. The referee had already charged over, and he wasn’t even thirty metres away from the area where both parties would collide. However, even a seven-ringed Soul Sage couldn’t instantaneously teleport thirty metres!
At this exact instant, Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up. An intense white light suddenly rose from her body, and her two yellow soul rings blossomed with beautiful light, as though they were burning. The three cauldrons in front of her merged together, then flew straight towards Xue Lang.
This was Xiao Xiao’s most powerful attack: National Treasure, Cauldron’s Quaking Tremble.
Xue Lang’s movements were sluggish, to the extent that he was somewhat late when releasing his skill.
An enormous might that completely surpassed his imaginations suddenly blossomed outwards as the Threelives
Soulcrush Cauldron’s Cauldron’s quaking tremble was completely focused on him; he was temporarily paralyzed.
Furthermore, the Threelives Soulcrush Cauldron flew right into the path of the Destruction Arrow. Xiao Xiao was not only temporarily blocking Xue Lang with the greatest amount of power she could muster, but she was also stopping Tang Xiaolei’s fatal blow.
“Boom—”
A violent boom rang out, shaking the entire tournament stage.
Since Tang Xiaolei’s first arrow was able to puncture a small hole into the protective barrier, how could his second arrow-- which focused on destruction--be any weaker?
A terrifying explosive force practically instantly shattered Xiao Xiao’s Threelives Soulcrush Cauldron. After using Cauldron’s Quaking Tremble, the Cauldron simply had no energy left to block the destructive power of the Destruction
Arrow. However, it acted as a detonator that caused the Destruction Arrow to explode prematurely.
The remnants of the explosion directly spread towards Xue Lang, who was in a temporarily paused state.
The instant that terrifying explosive force descended upon Xue Lang, he unusually didn’t feel any anger at all. While using all of his soul power to defend himself, he only felt admiration towards the courageous girl in front of him.
Right, she had already done her best. A young girl, whose cultivation hadn’t even reached that of a three-ringed Soul Elder, had forcefully blocked a Soul Ancestor and hurt him using the strength of his own companion by relying on her own strength. Moreover, she had simultaneously blocked the attack of a Soul King. Who could ask her for more?
A martial soul was the foundation of every single soul master. Xiao Xiao’s entire body seemed to be struck by an enormous hammer in the instant the Threelives Soulcrush Cauldron shattered. She wildly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and her advancing body fell straight to the ground with
blood seeping from her seven apertures. She had fallen completely into a deep coma.
“Ah--” He Caitou’s eyes went red as he let out a mad roar. In an instant, a cloud of bloody mist erupted from his body. The charging process, which had originally needed five to ten more seconds to complete, was actually completed instantly.
The super energy-charging soul cannon instantly turned into a white blaze, and an indescribable, yet terrifying feeling pervaded the entire tournament stage.
The hundred and eight soul masters in charge of maintaining the protective barrier subconsciously poured their soul power into the golden pillars in front of them, turning the protective barrier dark yellow.
After the Threelives Soulcrush Cauldron shattered, Xiao Xiao fell straight to the ground with no signs of waking up. Tang Xiaolei’s soul was stirred by the scene, but he was still a Soul King-ranked expert, and this match was just that important to Justsky Academy. He adjusted his mental state in an instant, then raised the Purpleflower Bow in his hands.
Time no longer permitted him to hold back anymore. The danger he felt from He Caitou’s super energy-gathering soul cannon was simply too great.
Three beams of purple light were pulled back into a single line, a gradual change occurring to them. The first arrow was the lightest shade of purple, while the last was the deepest. When the last arrow left his bow, the Purpleflower Bow in Tang Xiaolei’s hands turned it into a purple flare that rose into the air. Immediately, a purple blaze started to rise from the three arrows, twisting the air in front of them. By the time the three arrows crossed half of the tournament stage, He Caitou unleashed his super energy-gathering soul cannon.
At this moment, every member of the audience--including the various representative teams and the party surrounding the Star Luo Emperor--held their breaths. They had completely forgotten that the match they were spectating had Shrek Academy participating in it. Every single person present had been infected by the desperation felt by Xiao Xiao as she resolutely used her strength as a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster to stop two opponents who vastly outclassed her.
Everyone felt as though they were being choked; that feeling was completely indescribable. In their eyes, the young girl who
fell down spitting blood was just that steadfast and brave, yet so stubborn and cute. Even if she had already fallen while spitting blood, she was still an unconcealable being of light who drew the attention of everyone present.
A vast ray of white light appeared on the tournament stage. This wasn’t a pillar of light, but a ball of light. The instant it was released, He Caitou was marked with a cross-shaped symbol. No matter how he moved, this symbol would follow him.
When the white ball of light left the super energy-gathering soul cannon, the entire tournament stage mysteriously started to distort. From the perspective of the audiences, the situation on the tournament stage seemed to have instantaneously turned blurry, making them unable to discern anything. However, Xue Lang, Tang Xiaolei, and the seven-ringed Soul Sage who was the referee felt space shattering instantly. Moreover, they felt their bodies shattering along with the space, making them nearly vomit blood.
Tang Xiaolei’s gaze changed in the next moment, and he was instantly terrified. He was originally absolutely confident in his own attack, but he now discovered that the target he had placed on He Caitou had vanished following the distortion of
space. In other words, the three strongest arrows he had released had lost their mark.
Right, the three rays of purple light had suddenly split into three as they flew through the distorted space. As a result, they simultaneously split up and flew towards three directions, akin to that of a triangle. Moreover, He Caitou was right in the middle of that triangle.
After that, Tang Xiaolei saw the white blaze grow bigger and bigger as it approached him. The ball of light was only a foot or so wide, but he felt as though he couldn’t breathe.
His soul power was completely drained after releasing the five arrows, making it so that he had no strength to resist at all. He was originally hoping for his three arrows to interrupt He Caitou’s attack before defeating him, but who would’ve guessed that the latter’s super energy-gathering soul cannon was able to twist the space around him?
At this moment, the astonished referee finally played his assigned role.
Following a roar, one white, two yellow, three purple, and one black soul ring appeared. The seven-ringed referee then sped up explosively, his seventh soul ring flickering.
Amidst a low roar, a mountain-like figure flew straight out and stood in front of Tang Xiaolei.
This figure was actually an enormous elephant that was shrouded by a thick layer of armor. Soul rings seemed to faintly light up around the body of the enormous elephant as it formed a earthen-yellow screen of light that fiercely collided with the super energy-gathering soul cannon.
“Kaboom—”
A person who had never seen the might of a super energy- gathering soul cannon would definitely not be able to imagine how terrifying it was.
In the first place, a weapon like this should not have appeared on the tournament stage. This was because a super energy-gathering soul cannon simply took too long to charge up, while a tournament held among soul masters had an
extremely quick tempo. He Caitou had spared no costs, injured his own body and urged all of his soul power to reduce the charging time of the weapon by a half, but it still took so long to charge up. If this were an ordinary fight, he would’ve lost god-knows how many times already.
Although it had a long charging time, its might was similarly terrifying. It was equivalent to taking the soul power of a soul master within a certain area and unceasingly compressing and condensing it using an enormous and complicated formation array before focusing it in one point and releasing it using the mouth of the cannon.
The army was provided with a few super energy-gathering soul cannons, but it wasn’t given too many. This was due to its limited attack range, which was only around five hundred metres or so at maximum. Thus, a very powerful godly archer could definitely affect its charging. Furthermore, each usage of it would ignite a miniature sun within the army which was using it; it would be strange if their opponent didn’t prioritise taking it down first.
“I’ve done it. Xiao Xiao, did you see it? I’ve done it.” The loud sounds of an explosion didn’t just ring out in front of them; three terrifying explosions similarly rang out behind He
Caitou. Only, the sounds of these three explosions were masked by the explosion in front.
He Caitou felt a large force strike his back amidst the violent booms, throwing him forward. He then smashed violently into the tournament stage, and the place he landed was just beside Xiao Xiao.
The current tournament stage was now a patch of beauty if looked at from afar. The dark yellow protective barrier surrounding the tournament stage was now gold, and the hundred and eight soul masters maintaining it now had grave expressions on their faces.
Differently colored lights started exploding on either end of the tournament stage. One of the ends of the stage shone with an intense white blaze, while the other shone with purple.
The tournament stage had suffered a massive amount of destruction due to the release of these two terrifying forces. The ear-deafening noises coming from the stage could even be heard in places very far away from Star Luo Plaza.
However, the current situation was a quiet world to a certain someone. This certain someone was precisely He Caitou.
He Caitou felt as though his entire body had been emptied out as he lay on the ground. The strong taste of a cigar continued to unceasingly slice his throat like tiny knives.
He was already somewhat desensitised to the violent bouts of pain overcoming him. Now, he was trying to look towards Xiao Xiao’s direction from his fallen state.
The incomparably quiet Xiao Xiao definitely couldn’t hear any of the violent explosions that were coming from the outside world at this moment. Her face was very pale, and her thin lips were still tightly pursed together. As she furrowed her brows, faint traces of blood could be seen flowing from her seven apertures. Not only did she look miserable, but she also gave off an indescribable sense of heartache.
The current Xiao Xiao was just that cute in He Caitou’s eyes. The conversation that only the two had heard on the stage earlier was now resounding in his mind.
“Brother He, do you have any especially strong soul tools that aren’t restricted?”
“I have one, but it needs a very long time to charge up.”
“Then, how about we stake it all? I can help you stall for some time. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to give you enough time, but I’ll do my best. We’re also students of Shrek Academy, so for the sake of Shrek’s glory, we can’t just easily forfeit. Our youth isn’t an excuse.”
“Xiao Xiao. But…”
“Don’t ‘but’ me, brother He. If we don’t use all of our strength to stake it all, we’ll definitely regret it for our entire lives. If a girl like me isn’t scared, don’t tell me that you are.”
“I’m naturally not scared, but I’m worried for you.”
“There’s no need to worry about me. I’m a member of Shrek’s representative team, not just a little girl. Let’s just do it this way!”
Right. It was this exact conversation that had sealed their strategy on the tournament stage, and also the path that the match would follow. At this moment, He Caitou didn’t even know whether he was feeling any regret in his heart.
Struggling, he did his best to crawl over to Xiao Xiao. He bent his body, then used his wide back as a support to carry Xiao Xiao’s body while enduring the falling gravel that came from the blown up tournament stage.
“Little girl, I will never let you protect me in the future again. I should be the one who’s protecting you!” He Caitou felt his mind go dizzy. He continuously endured the pain of the falling gravel landing on his back, but even in the instant he fainted, he continued to use his elbows and knees to support his own body to protect the brave little girl under his back from the falling rocks.
Chapter 91: Shrek's Glory!
The light on the tournament stage finally vanished. The purple lights weakened first, but they still forcefully carved out three holes on the protective barrier. Fortunately, the barrier surrounding the stage was still solid. Although a part of it had been broken through, not too much of the energy had leaked out and affected the audience.
The white blaze on the other side vanished gradually, revealing the body of the enormous elephant.
There was no doubt about it—this enormous elephant was the Martial Soul True Body created by the Soul Sage-ranked referee. It was precisely he who had taken the place of Tang Xiaolei to block that fatal blow.
Even the referee’s Martial Soul True Body was covered in a layer of soot now. An enormous, fan-shaped area of the tournament stage in front of him had been destroyed. The widest part of the area was nearly forty metres wide, and the deepest part of the destroyed area was five meters deep. Extremely large cracks had even appeared in the area
surrounding the destroyed area. This miserable sight was truly astonishing!
This was the might of a super energy-gathering soul cannon, and it wasn’t even a complete one.
When the super energy-gathering soul cannon was first developed, it was claimed that even a Soul Sage would not be able to withstand it in a direct collision. This was the most powerful aspect of a soul tool--even a five-ringed Soul King would be able to threaten a Soul Sage by relying on a soul tool like this. In reality however, would a Soul Sage give a Soul King the opportunity to charge up the required energy and aim it at him?
This referee was unluckily the first soul master to have taken a blow from a super energy-gathering soul cannon with the body of a Soul Sage. Furthermore, he was still unable to counterattack when he was blocking the attack. The fortunate thing for him was that he was a defense-type soul master. Especially after releasing his Martial Soul True Body, his defensive capabilities were truly astonishing.
The yellow light vanished, revealing the dirt-covered face of the referee, who had withdrawn his Martial Soul True Body. However, his eyes contained no traces of anger at all. As he looked at He Caitou, who blocked the falling rocks from hitting Xiao Xiao, he truly wanted to give a big thumbs up to the two students from Shrek Academy!
Tang Xiaolei walked expressionlessly out from behind the referee. He was completely unable to imagine what would’ve happened if that attack had landed on his body. Furthermore, although his three arrows were very powerful, he could guarantee that there would have only been a single outcome if they had collided with the might of the super energy-gathering soul cannon--that was, an explosion. Moreover, his three arrows would simply have been unable to pierce through the soul cannon.
The referee turned towards him and said indifferently, “You were already eliminated from the competition the moment I helped block your opponent’s attack.”
Tang Xiaolei shivered instinctively, and only then did he realise that he was still in a tournament. He hurriedly said respectfully, “Many thanks for your kindness in saving my life. However, the outcome of this match…”
At this exact moment, a somewhat limping figure climbed out from a pile of broken rocks and dust. His sturdy body was filled with power, and his appearance seemed to make the entire audience think that this was a theater. This person was Xue Lang.
After being frozen by Xiao Xiao’s Cauldron’s Quaking Tremble and taking on the shockwaves of the Purpleflower Bow’s second arrow, Xue Lang had been slightly injured. However, He Caitou and Tang Xiaolei had started firing at each other before waiting for him to climb up.
Think about it--one party had shot three deadly arrows over, while the other had released a super energy-gathering soul cannon. Nobody else would’ve dared to climb back up in a situation like this! Xue Lang could only curl his body up and release his strongest defensive soul skill and exert his soul power to hug himself amidst those terrifying explosions.
Moreover, it was just by doing this that he was able to become the match’s last remaining person.
The referee leapt across the giant pit in front of him and examined He Caitou and Xiao Xiao’s bodies, then shoved a medicinal pill into their mouths before standing back up. He announced in a low voice using the sound-amplifying soul tool, “I shouldn’t favour any particular team as a referee. However, I must say that my blood was ignited by being a participant in this match. My life’s greatest regret is not becoming a member of Shrek.”
“However, I have to announce that the last remaining student in today’s match is Justsky Academy’s Xue Lang. Thus, Justsky Academy wins this round. The current score of the 2-2- 3 match is 1:1, and so the victor of this match will be decided in the 3v3 round. Shrek Academy, please send some people up to collect your members.”
The referee’s voice was somewhat low, his gaze not leaving He Caitou and Xiao Xiao’s bodies as he made the announcement. The instant he finished his speech, Wang Yan, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong simultaneously leapt up to the stage and surrounded their teammates.
Wang Yan also took out more medicinal pills and shoved them into He Caitou and Xiao Xiao’s mouths. Then, he
motioned for the others to carefully take them down from the stage.
After the referee announced the results of this round, the audience fell into a temporary silence.
Nobody knew who made the first clap, but sounds of applause started to gradually ring out. These sounds were rather sparse at the very beginning, but they gradually grew louder as more and more people came to their senses.
Right, Shrek Academy had lost. The Shrek Academy that had never lost had lost a small match. However, was Shrek Academy’s glory affected at all?
No, naturally not. In the eyes of the audience, at the very least, Shrek’s glory had only grew even more.
Although they didn’t know why Shrek Academy would send out a Soul Ancestor and a Soul Grandmaster, this team had nearly defeated one consisting of a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor. It was just that a Soul King who specialised in long- range attacks had completely shut them down.
Think about it: what had that brave girl done? She was a twin-souled soul master who infected every single person in the crowd with her perseverance and stubbornness. Did she lose? No, she hadn’t lost. She was still that young, and she had a boundless future!
At most, the audience only thought that Shrek Academy was being heartless. None of them thought that Shrek Academy had lost its glory; it was the exact opposite--this fight had proved the miracles that Shrek Academy could create. Right, this was a match of miracles!
Xue Lang and Tang Xiaolei naturally wouldn’t think that the audience was cheering for them. The two of them glanced helplessly at each other, then looked back at their opponents who were being carried down with a look of admiration. This admiration had sprung up involuntarily; they had won their match, but their opponents had won the respect of everyone else here.
He Caitou was left in a somewhat better condition. He had overexerted his body, and his meridians had suffered too large of an impact due to his soul power. However, he was still older than Xiao Xiao. Moreover, his cultivation was deeper than
hers, and his physique was much stronger than that of an ordinary person. After eating a medicinal pill, he recovered somewhat.
However, Xiao Xiao was left in a less optimistic state. Damage to a martial soul would result in an injury to a soul master’s origin. As a result, she was still left in a deep coma even after taking medicine.
Fortunately, the soul masters from the medical department arranged by the Star Luo Empire had quickly rushed over to treat the two of them. Thus, their injuries were soon stabilised.
The tournament stage was still busy. After being violently destroyed, the tournament clearly couldn’t be continued immediately. There were already earth-type soul masters who had quickly entered the tournament stage and begun to repair it by using rocks that had been transported over. However, this process would still take a bit of time.
“I owe Xiao Xiao my life.” This was the first thing He Caitou said after waking up. His emotions were very complicated now, and an unusually warm gaze appeared in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Xiao.
Bei Bei grabbed the sturdy muscles on his shoulder, forcefully preventing the tears in his eyes from falling, “You are all good people. You are heroes of Shrek. Shrek’s glory will not be lost from our hands. No matter how strong our opponents are, we will protect this honor even if we have to burn every last drop of our blood. You can go back and pat your own shoulders as you tell everyone that you are a member of Shrek’s Seven Monsters. You’ve done it. Good job, Caitou. Leave the rest to us.”
He Caitou nodded and shook Bei Bei’s hand. “Bei Bei, we’ll leave the rest to you.”
Bei Bei squinted his eyes, a flash of lightning seemingly flickering through them. The current him was just like a volcano that could explode at any time.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong immediately stood up after taking a look at the state of Xiao Xiao’s injuries. They could now see many, many more emotions within each other’s eyes.
Xiao Xiao was their teammate! The three of them had fought together before, but this was the first time they’d seen Xiao
Xiao reveal such a strong fighting intent. Why was this the case? This was because they were students of Shrek, and members of the Tang Sect.
Wang Dong said coldly, “We absolutely will not lose, even if we have to die.”
Huo Yuhao didn’t utter a word, but a metallic glint had appeared within his light-gold Spirit Eyes.
“Brother Skydream, Ice Empress, help me! Even if I have to die, I don’t want to lose!”
“Good luck.” The Skydream and Iceworm didn’t try to persuade him otherwise, but the two great soul beasts simultaneously said some words of encouragement. Even they had been infected by the scene that had just unfolded. Furthermore, they now increasingly understood why the innately-weak humans were able to release so much potential to become the masters of the continent.
Wang Yan didn’t say much. Although he knew that sending Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong out to fight in their
current states could lead to a few unknown issues, he couldn’t say anything to stop them; the emotions of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters had been infected.
They had given simply too much for the sake of Shrek’s glory. Could he even make them give up at this point? Wang Yan couldn’t--he felt like he didn’t have the qualifications to do so. Even if the Dean was in his place, he wouldn’t have the qualifications to stop these cute children either.
The repairs to the tournament stage were finishing up, and the referee had switched into a new set of clothes before coming back up.
The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire was already seated on the distant city walls to spectate the tournament grounds. He was using his actions to show his respect and admiration for Shrek Academy.
At this moment, even the arrogant Xiao Hongchen from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering had no smiles or other emotions on his face. There was only astonishment in the depths of his eyes.
He had never thought that Shrek Academy was much stronger than the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. But after watching these two matches and seeing the three people who seemed to be burning with a fierce blaze as they came out, he gradually understood where the difference
between the two academies lay.
Glory. What they were lacking was the glory that Shrek Academy had accumulated for over ten thousand years!
Nobody knew why Shrek Academy would send a lineup like this to a tournament, but they were still able to win everyone’s respect. Right, they had won the respect of everyone present!
The referee waved towards the two teams within the two waiting rooms from the stage above.
Justsky Academy’s final three members slowly walked up to the tournament stage.
Bei Bei turned towards Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong and said in a somewhat special voice, “It’s going to be all on us now.”
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong simultaneously shouted, “We have to win!”
Chapter 92: The Decisive 3v3 Battle!
There were three people and three hurricanes of fighting intent.
Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong took large strides up to the tournament stage.
They couldn’t forget the fallen Xu Sanshi, nor the heavily injured Xiao Xiao, or the fully-drained He Caitou.
Everything had been done for Shrek’s glory. At the same time, this was glory that belonged to the Tang Sect! Other than Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan, who’d taken part in the first match, the remaining five people who went out belonged to both Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect. The latter was the sect that had been forgotten by countless people, yet had contributed much to the world of soul masters. It was the Tang Sect that had tried to desperately fight against a crazy tide, the Tang Sect that had been flourishing for a period of time.
Bei Bei was the oldest among the seven, as well as the senior brother of the Tang Sect. As a result of this, he had to think
about things much more than other poeple.
The opportunity to come to this tournament was originally meant to be a form of tempering for the preparatory team to become the main team in the future. However, they were able to fully stimulate their potential after being forced into the heart of the struggle. Bei Bei deeply believed that everyone present would receive unimaginable benefits as long as they were able to clench their teeth and persist. Ordinary learning and cultivation would be completely unable to stimulate their minds and potential in the way that this had.
Furthermore, he regarded the title of ‘Shrek’s Seven Monsters’ as a very important thing. How could he just receive it without doing anything? The true core of the first generation was Tang San, and the Seven Monsters from that generation had all become members of the Tang Sect. Since this match had an extraordinary amount of significance to Shrek Academy, how could it not be the same for the Tang Sect?
We’ll definitely succeed. This was the only thought that was in Bei Bei’s mind right now. The scene of him meeting Tang Ya for the first time had inexplicably appeared in his mind.
The Tang Ya at that time looked so helpless, and her eyes looked so hazy. However, Bei Bei had also seen an unforgettably firm and stubborn look in her eyes.
The current Tang Ya was normally a merry person, but only Bei Bei knew how heavy the burdens within the depths of her heart were. Only Bei Bei knew that the hard work that Tang Ya normally put in was no less than what Huo Yuhao did. The limitations of her natural talents were the reason why she was unable to compete with the other students who had extraordinary talents. Tang Ya had never complained about anything, but in reality, the arrogance that came from her belonging to the Tang Sect had never decreased.
Bei Bei had never told this to Tang Ya, but although he was only fifteen years old, he reckoned that he was a man who could hold up the heavens for her. Since he had chosen Tang Ya, he would do everything he could for the reemergence of the Tang Sect. Moreover, there were even deeper reasons for this. The dedication he gave to the Tang Sect wasn’t just for Tang Ya alone.
Four of Justsky Academy’s seven official team members had already stepped out, and the remaining members were naturally Ye Wuqing and the other two members he led. This
was also the first time that Ye Wuqing had stepped onto the tournament stage.
Ye Wuqing wasn’t especially tall, but he was extremely well- shaped. His well-fitting set of warrior robes showed that his body wasn’t too different from that of an ordinary person, nor was he especially handsome. His only defining feature was his face, which had never revealed any emotions. Even his eyes were indifferent, making it seem as though everything that had just occurred hadn’t affected him at all.
Nobody could be born with a disposition like this. The amount of information that Wang Yan had on Ye Wuqing was sparse to the point where it could be called pitiful. After all, Justsky Academy had never posed anything resembling a threat to Shrek Academy’s original official team.
A man and a woman stood beside Ye Wuqing. The man had a somewhat ugly face, a drooping nose, a pair of small eyes, thick lips, and a below-average height. Even his hair was somewhat thinly spread. The fact that he was able to participate in this tournament meant that he was twenty at most, but he looked much older than his actual age.
His name was Shangguan Can, and he was an auxiliary control-type tool soul master. Among the students of Justsky Academy who had participated in the first round of the elimination tournament, he was the one who had left the deepest impression on Wang Yan. His capabilities in the field of auxiliary control could be seen from this fact.
The female student standing beside Ye Wuqing was much prettier. Her long, fire-red hair was draped over her shoulders, and her charming features could even be considered pleasant. Although she wasn’t an absolute beauty like Jiang Nannan, she was still filled with the aura of youth. Her body was extremely well-developed, giving a feeling of desire to all onlookers.
She was called Yan’er, and she was an assault-type battle soul master who specialised in long-range attacks. She was somewhat similar to the wielder of the Purpleflower Bow, Tang Xiaolei, in terms of abilities, but she didn’t have the explosive power that the latter had. However, she was much better than him in a drawn-out fight.
Shangguan Can and Yan’er were both four-ringed Soul Ancestors, but their cultivations had reached Rank 46. On the other hand, Ye Wuqing was a Rank 58 assault-type Soul King.
Although they hadn’t sent out the strongest possible lineup of three Soul Kings, Ye Wuqing was still able to leave this group for the last match. In terms of willpower and the conviction to win, they were not inferior to Shrek Academy .
This was a chance for Justsky Academy to make history. If they were able to become the first academy to defeat Shrek Academy, which had been undefeated for several thousand years, the glory they would gain would be able to let the seven members of Justsky Academy be respected for their entire lives.
Both parties walked over to the center of the tournament stage, then looked each other in the eye. Since both team leaders knew who their counterparts were, Bei Bei didn’t speak up. On the other hand, the first person to speak up was actually Ye Wuqing.
“Shrek is still Shrek. Although I don’t know why Shrek Academy would send you guys to participate in this tournament, you have used your strength to win our respect. Even if you lose, you will not lose any face for Shrek Academy. I am called Ye Wuqing, and I am the team leader of Justsky Academy.”
“I’m called Bei Bei,” Bei Bei said indifferently, “As for victory or defeat, we’ll just have to see after the match.”
Ye Wuqing nodded his head lightly. “It’s precisely because of the respect we have for you that we will be going all-out. You have the glory that belongs to Shrek Academy, and we similarly have the glory that belongs to Justsky Academy. We will definitely win this match.”
The corner of Bei Bei’s mouth twitched. “You speak a lot of nonsense.”
Ye Wuqing’s cold eyes flickered for a bit. He extended his right thumb, then slowly turned it downwards.
However, Bei Bei started to laugh. “It’s always people like you who act like everyone owes you money so that other people don’t actually know that you’re trying to pull one out. I’ll quickly send you off the stage to save you the trouble of being embarrassed. It’s not embarrassing to have constipation, really.”
Xu Sanshi was a perverted person, but he was far from Bei Bei’s level at trash-talking, let alone a person like Ye Wuqing, who bitterly cultivated all day long.
Ye Wuqing’s calm face started to flush red, and the facial muscles of his two teammates twitched as they tried to not laugh. Clearly, they didn’t like Ye Wuqing’s eternally expressionless face either.
The referee interrupted the two parties who were quibbling with each other before the match. “Get back. Prepare for the match.”
Ye Wuqing pointed his finger at Bei Bei, then moved backwards.
Bei Bei muttered to himself, “I just hate people who point fingers at me the most. I’ll definitely break it later.”
Both parties retreated, quickly reaching the ends of the newly repaired tournament stage. The fighting intent of all six competing students was burning like a fierce blaze, and the smell of gunpowder had already filled the battlefield before the
match had even started. This was a match that neither party could afford to lose.
Wang Yan, who was originally planning to forfeit the match, was currently clenching his fists. He prayed in his heart unceasingly: Kids, you’ve already gotten to this point. You’re already the best. However, you must win this match! You are the pride of Shrek.
A Soul King and two Soul Ancestors were facing a team of a Soul Ancestor, a Soul Elder, and a Soul Grandmaster.
There was a large disparity between both parties, but Shrek’s Seven Monsters hadn’t been at a disadvantage during their previous matches with similar situations. Who would dare to say that they wouldn’t be able to create a miracle during this match?
Right, they needed a miracle to have a chance of winning. However, the monsters of Shrek Academy were always good at creating miracles.
The referee gave at Shrek Academy’s trio a deep look, then took a deep breath and shouted, “Match, start!”
The tens of thousands of people in in Star Luo Plaza were all focused on this single thing. The audience had even forgotten how to blink, so scared were they that they would miss a single thing.
This match was simply too exciting. They had already forgotten the glory of Shrek Academy; right now, only the staunch and unyielding Shrek existed in their minds.
Over on the city walls, even the Emperor couldn’t help but press his hands into his chair as he watched intently. Would a miracle truly occur? According to the investigations he had conducted, Shrek Academy stood no chance of winning this match. However, they had already used their actions to prove that their Soul Ancestors wouldn’t be afraid of any Soul Kings, to the extent that even a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster had dared to forcefully clash with a Soul King. Just how valiant was this?!
Following the declaration of the start of the match, both parties released their respective martial souls.
Accompanied by a wave of lightning, dragon scales began to cover half of Bei Bei’s body as he released his Tyrannical Blue Lightning Dragon. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong then released their martial souls while holding hands in a very natural manner.
However, the blood-red soul rings didn’t appear as per the audience’s anticipations. What appeared was actually white-- the white that represented a ten year soul ring.
Currently, there were only two simple white soul rings around Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s bodies.
“This, this can’t be possible, right?”
The sudden and enormous contrast between the extremely powerful hundred thousand year soul rings and the extremely weak ten year soul rings threw Ye Wuqing’s trio into a daze for a moment. The audience had also flown into an uproar. Even if the two-ringed Xiao Xiao had appeared in the previous match, a student from Shrek Academy would never only have two white soul rings!
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong simply didn’t take any of that into consideration. At this moment, their hearts were interlinked, their soul powers combined. Borrowing the force of Huo Yuhao’s tug, Wang Dong was now behind him. He was already prepared to act as a background figure in this match. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong simply did not think about such matters. At this very moment, their hearts were linked, and their soul power was combined. Wang Dong ducked as he pulled Huo Yuhao behind him. He was already completely prepared to play the role of the supporting cast in this battle.
Regardless of whether it was him or Huo Yuhao, they wouldn’t be able to take on a powerful opponent by themselves. However, the fact that they were companions with a one hundred percent compatibility rate couldn’t be forgotten! The two of them could rival even a Soul Ancestor if they working together. Neither him nor Huo Yuhao would be able to contend against the enemy before them alone, however, one must never forget that they were companions that possessed a one hundred percent martial soul fusion rate! Their combined might was already enough to match a Soul Ancestor.
Wang Dong stuck to Huo Yuhao’s back in a very natural manner. As he held onto the latter’s waist, he released his Radiant Butterfly Goddess.
From the front, Wang Dong looked as if he had already disappeared. It was as if Huo Yuhao had grown a pair of dazzling wings, whose bluish-golden light radiated throughout the entire arena.
Wang Dong’s Radiant Butterfly Goddess wasn’t the strongest martial soul that had appeared in the tournament, but up till now, there was definitely no other one that could be compared to it in terms of beauty.
As the Haodong Power circulated through his body, Huo Yuhao took a step forward and reached Bei Bei. After ‘fusing’ with Wang Dong, he wanted to rely on their combined strength to help his senior brother fight.
“Senior brother, we’ll fight alongside you.” Huo Yuhao’s voice was clearly somewhat low. At this moment, a golden light flickered through his eyes, and a few shades of jade-green were hidden within them.
“Okay!” Bei Bei shouted, taking the initiative to charge towards his opponents. Wang Dong unfurled his wings, allowing Huo Yuhao to follow his senior brother by flying in a manner that seemed as though he was gliding over the floor.
Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection had already enveloped the entire stage.
With Ye Wuqing leading the team, the three students from Justsky Academy released their martial souls. Their martial souls could be said to be somewhat unique, and one had no choice but to admit that Justsky Academy--which relied on the cultivation of martial souls while rejecting the use of soul tools--was somewhat unique when selecting and nurturing students.
Shangguan Can shut his eyes, causing a faint layer of mist to diffuse from his body. This mist wasn’t white, but faint blue.
This faint blue mist coiled about and rose into the air, making his body faintly discernible and filling his person with an aura of mystery.
Following a series of crisp bell rings, an ancient bell appeared in his right hand. This bell was very large, and its wooden handle alone was already more than a foot long. The front section of the bell was dark blue, and there were three magical blue balls within it. The collision between these balls and the bell itself was what caused the ringing sounds.
The reason why it was called magical was because these three balls were actually flickering with light as they rocked about within the bell. They resembled three small eyes that continuously opened and closed. One of the balls was cold, the other was hot, and the last was demonic. It was truly an extremely peculiar martial soul.
Two yellow and two purple soul rings started to undulate about his body. As he took a few steps back, Shangguan Can squinted his eyes, gazing at Huo Yuhao’s body.
Over at the other side, the girl known as Yan’er had a martial soul that related to fire, as her name implied. Her current appearance was even more peculiar. At this moment, she was floating in the air, held up by a half-meter-wide fireball. Her hands were outstretched from her body, and her arms were slightly bent. She held a palm-sized fireball in each of her hands. There was no doubt about it--her martial soul was a
Fireball. It wasn’t an elemental martial soul like the one Ling Luochen possessed, but it was a material elemental martial soul that was slightly inferior to hers.
In contrast to them, Ye Wuqing’s martial soul wasn’t too peculiar. A long and narrow gold leaf had quietly floated in front of him, and his soul rings also surrounded him. He then raised his right hand, using his index and middle fingers to hold this leaf.
This was Ye Wuqing’s martial soul, the Golden Leaf.
However, he was an assault-type soul master.
Yan’er was the first person on the battlefield to make a move.
As she pressed her hands together, she shouted, “Go!”
Immediately, the two fireballs in her palms fused together. This fusion didn’t look too important, but a foot-wide fireball suddenly flew towards Bei Bei. Following that, Yan’er’s first soul ring lit up.
While Yan’er made her move, Shangguan Can wasn’t slacking about either. He gently shook his Soulsucking Bell,
causing a series of jingles to ring out. Waves of twitchiness flooded Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong’s minds, and they became absent-minded for an instant.
Spiritual Interference?
The corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth twitched for a moment. Although he didn’t know the correct name of his opponent’s soul skill, he could guarantee that this was something akin to his Spiritual Interference.
“Pipe down a little!” Huo Yuhao shouted coldly as he counterattacked without any traces of politeness at all. A purplish-golden light instantly shot out from his eyes, targetting Shangguan Can’s Soulsucking Bell.
If Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were truly two-ringed Soul Grandmasters, the former’s strength in spiritual-type skills wouldn’t be too great. Moreover, whatever skill he could release would be weakened by his first white soul ring--this was what Shangguan Can thought. He was an auxiliary control-type soul master, making him somewhat similar to Xiao Xiao. He was called an auxiliary-type soul master, but he didn’t strengthen his teammates; he weakened his opponents.
For example, his first soul skill would affect the minds of all opponents within a certain range, and cancel the lock-on effects of any other soul skills. Shangguan Can could be considered to be quite skillful in its use.
However, he would never have thought that he would encounter a pure spiritual-type soul master like Huo Yuhao. Shangguan Can still needed to rely on his Soulsucking Bell to unleash his soul skills, but Huo Yuhao’s spiritual-type abilities were purely reliant on the use of his eyes. A body soul was naturally much stronger than his tool soul.
With Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Sharing, losing lock-on effects simply wouldn’t bother any of his teammates. Furthermore, wouldn’t Huo Yuhao still be able to hit his opponent using his Spiritual Shock?
Because of that, Shangguan Can was somewhat unprepared when facing Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock.
One shouldn’t assume that Huo Yuhao was weak just because of his two soul rings. Even a Soul King-ranked expert like Shen Ce had to suffer a loss from his Spiritual Shock.
With Wang Dong’s help and the amplification provided by the Haodong Power, Huo Yuhao’s soul power was sufficient to step into the threshold of four-ringed Soul Ancestors. Although he had fewer soul rings, all of them were equivalent to thousand year soul rings in terms of power, and his Spiritual Shock was further strengthened by his Purple Demon Eyes.
After being strengthened, his soul skill was already sufficiently powerful to take on anyone below the Soul Emperor rank. Only if his opponent was prepared, or his spiritual power was not powerful enough, would he suffer a large backlash.
A purplish-golden light instantly shot out, and Shangguan Can felt an irresistible, sharp spiritual power rush into his mind. He felt like his head had been fiercely smashed by a metal hammer, and two jets of fresh blood instantly shot out from his nose. He stumbled and nearly fell down, causing his first soul skill to immediately end.
What a powerful spiritual-type attack skill! Astonished, Shangguan Can violently shook the Soulsucking Bell in his hand. An ear-piercing jingle brought about a powerful sound wave, causing Huo Yuhao’s trio to feel as though their heads were exploding. This was especially true for Huo Yuhao, who
had just suffered a backlash after using his Spiritual Shock. His footsteps slowed down a bit, and he let out a muffled groan.
This was the Soulsucking Bell’s second soul skill, Souldeath.
At this exact moment, Yan’er’s Fireball finally reached Bei Bei.
Bei Bei raised his right hand, sending a claw-shaped bolt of purplish-blue lightning forward. This bolt of lightning collided with the fireball in midair, causing a violent boom to ring out. Bei Bei wasn’t stopped at all, but his Thunderous Dragon Claw had been drained by the Fireball.
Bei Bei clearly had a better martial soul, but he was slightly inferior to Yan’er in terms of soul power. When both parties used their first soul skills, they ended up being equal.
Yan’er let out a relaxed sigh after seeing the results of their clash. Since their opponent was an assault-type soul master who wasn’t even her equal in cultivation, how could they have any chance of defeating her side?
Ye Wuqing made a move as well. His style of attacking was something that no one present would’ve expected. He flung out the leaf he held between his fingers, his second soul ring lighting up as he did so. However, the very dazzling Golden Leaf didn’t seem to possess any power as it was flung out. More mysteriously, it seemed as though Ye Wuqing had made a mistake. The leaf’s landing point was still two to three metres away from Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao, creating a seemingly powerless parabola.
Ye Wuqing had chosen an extremely good time to attack; this was just as Shangguan Can had released his Souldeath.
Affected by Shangguan Can’s Souldeath, Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection Sharing turned sluggish for a brief moment. At that moment, the Golden Leaf landed on the ground.
“Ding—” The Golden Leaf landed, causing a crisp peal to ring out. Right after that, it unexpectedly ricocheted. Furthermore, its originally yellow-gold surface suddenly turned pure gold as it tripled in speed and shot towards Bei Bei.
However, the Golden Leaf didn’t land on Bei Bei. A small throwing knife seemed to coincidentally, yet extremely accurately, strike the Golden Leaf mid-flight.
The two items collided, and the Golden Leaf was slowed down momentarily. After that, the throwing knife, which was of relatively decent quality, unexpectedly melted. Then, a violent boom rang out, turning into a pure-gold flare of light that swirled everywhere.
The person who’d thrown the throwing knife was Huo Yuhao. Although his Spiritual Sharing had been affected temporarily, his own Spiritual Detection still worked. As the user of the skill, his spiritual power was the strongest of the six people participating in this match. Because of that, he had still grasped the trajectory of the Golden Leaf. At the critical moment, Huo Yuhao had used the Tang Sect’s technique of controlling hidden weapons to send a throwing knife to waste the power of the Golden Leaf.
He had already felt that something was off the instant the Golden Leaf left Ye Wuqing’s hands, because he clearly sensed that the Golden Leaf contained an enormous, yet unstable soul power. This soul power immediately circulated in a peculiar fashion the instant it was thrown out. As a result, it would be
strange if this thing was just that simple. After all, this was something released by an expert who was near the Soul Emperor rank of cultivation.
Although Bei Bei’s reactions were a bit slow, he still had the throwing knife to help him block the attack. Combined with Huo Yuhao’s warning, he still had enough time to change the direction he was moving in and keep from being burned by that light flare. But even though this was the case, he still felt as though a raging storm of metal was trying to swallow him up.
Just what was this soul skill? Bei Bei was stunned. This Ye Wuqing seemed to have a very special martial soul. Even for a student of Shrek Academy like him, this was the first time he’d seen a martial soul like this.
Ye Wuqing was slightly stunned at seeing his Golden Leaf get intercepted. However, the second leaf quickly appeared in his hands. With a flash of golden light, it flew out as his first soul skill again. Furthermore, the Golden Leaf had an extremely swaying trajectory this time; he had flung it straight into the air.
At this moment, the strength of Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection manifested itself. Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei simply
didn’t need to care about the Golden Leaf as they continued forward. Bei Bei suddenly accelerated, closing the distance between the two parties to thirty meters. On the other hand, Huo Yuhao released a timely Spiritual Interference.
Since Shangguan Can’s Soulsucking Bell could interfere with them, they could naturally do the same to their opponents as well.
Ye Wuqing’s trio were slightly stunned by Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Interference; Yan’er even thought that Shangguan Can had mistakenly aimed his Soulsucking Bell towards them, and subconsciously looked towards him.
The Golden Leaf suddenly fell towards Bei Bei, but a throwing knife appeared in a timely manner to block its path. Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaf was certainly very powerful, but what good would it do if it was unable to strike its target?
If the first time was a coincidence, the second time clearly couldn’t be explained as something as simple as a coincidence.
Justsky Academy’s trio consisted of one auxiliary soul master and two long-ranged ones, and so, distance was naturally a relatively important resource for Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong.
Huo Yuhao also sped up, but he didn’t do this by relying on the burst of energy provided by his soul power. Instead, the soul thrusters on his back and feet suddenly lit up. This was the first time he was using a soul tool in this tournament.
He wore speed-varying soul thrusters below his feet, and a Class 2 soul thruster on his back, allowing him to suddenly accelerate. Instantly, he crossed the thirty meter distance between the two parties. With Wang Dong’s soul power supporting him, he would be able to control even a Class 3 soul tool, let alone a Class 2 one. The only thing worth pointing out was that, when he activated the thrusters on his back, Wang Dong started holding onto his shoulders instead of his waist. This allowed him to fly horizontally through the air while keeping parallel with the ground. This prevented him from suffering any knockback effects from the soul thrusters, while allowing him to not affect Huo Yuhao’s advance.
Justsky Academy was extremely cautious towards Huo Yuhao. After all, he had performed astonishingly well during
the previous matches, and a mysterious person was the most terrifying thing in the world. Up till now, nobody had clearly guessed what Huo Yuhao’s actual strength was.
Huo Yuhao’s target was Shangguan Can, and at this moment, he was just about to reach him.
The sound coming from Shangguan Can’s Soulsucking Bell suddenly became sharp as he activated his third soul skill. That piercing toll of the bell made it seem as though there were countless needles that were irritating one’s eardrums. It wasn’t just unpleasant to hear, but it even gave off an indescribable sense of jitteriness.
Soulpiercing! This was Shangguan Can’s third soul skill. If one’s cultivation was far weaker than his, one would feel extremely irritated due to this soul skill. There was even a chance that one would directly fall into a coma. Furthermore, this soul skill covered an extremely large area.
The charging Bei Bei was directly affected, and Wang Dong likewise; only Huo Yuhao acted as if he hadn’t heard anything at all. Before he reached Shangguan can, a somewhat twisted
ray of white light had already shot towards the latter like lightning.
Ye Wuqing and Yan’er would naturally not just stand idly by while Shangguan Can was being attacked. The aura around Yan’er suddenly changed, and the large fireball she was standing on shot out. The large fireball split into five smaller ones in midair, and two of them shot towards Huo Yuhao, while the other three blocked Bei Bei.
Not only that, but she put her palms together in front of her chest, and her third soul ring lit up, causing an enormous purple fireball to congeal in front of her. Instantly, the air within the tournament stage started to heat up as a result of this purple flame.
A Golden Leaf accurately blocked Huo Yuhao’s light ray, just like how he had done the same using his throwing knives earlier. Ye Wuqing had made a move; he naturally would not allow his auxiliary-type soul master to be struck just like that.
However, a mysterious scene occurred the instant that Golden Leaf sliced through the soul light’s beam of light.
The Golden Leaf passed straight through it, as though it had not encountered any resistance at all.
Ye Wuqing was originally planning to use his Golden Leaf to block Huo Yuhao’s attack, causing it to explode and generate an explosive force from the metallic storm it would create. He was confident in stopping Huo Yuhao’s next move before using an even stronger soul skill on him and Bei Bei.
However, he had made a mistake.
Once the seemingly extremely powerful Golden Leaf touched the ray of light, it unexpectedly passed straight through it, as though it had collided with nothing at all. At this moment, it was flying straight towards Shangguan Can.
Shangguan Can was very, very familiar with the strength of Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaf! After letting out a cry, he couldn’t be bothered with the continued activation of his Soulsucking Bell as he fiercely leapt to the side like a fish.
On the other hand, that ray of light suddenly curved in midair, then accurately struck Ye Wuqing.
Ye Wuqing only felt his entire body go numb as he fell into a state of paralysis.
Right, Huo Yuhao had used the soul paralysis ray he had bought at the soul tool auction.
The soul paralysis ray naturally wouldn’t curve around in midair, and it would definitely have caused Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaf to explode if it had truly collided with it. However, why did the Golden Leaf just brush past it? Furthermore, why did it force Shangguan Can into such a miserable state?
This was the effect of Huo Yuhao simultaneously using his two powerful soul skills. He had done this by using his Spiritual Detection to accurately determine the movements of his opponents, and his Imitation to create a deviation in what had actually happened and what his opponents saw.
Huo Yuhao clearly knew of the difficulties involved in this match. Due to this pressure, his potential was fully unleashed, not just in strength, but also in his wisdom. The most ingenious part of his attack was right here. His Imitation allowed him to make minute transformations to the things
around him, and the more minute these transformations were, the harder it would be to tell that they were fake. The entire process of charging towards Shangguan Can was real; the only thing that was fake was the soul paralysis ray. The reason why it had curved was because it had left the range of his Imitation. No matter how strong Ye Wuqing was, he would definitely be unable to dodge a strange move like this!
Ye Wuqing had been paralysed, while Shangguan Can had been forced into retreating in a sorry state. At this moment, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong only had to face a single person--Yan’er.
She had launched five large fireballs, but Bei Bei had no plans of allowing the two fireballs directed toward Huo Yuhao from striking their target.
Countless lightning snakes shot out simultaneously, then transformed into countless arrows of lightning that explosively blasted everything.
This was Bei Bei’s second soul skill, Vigorous Thunderbolt.
The tyrannical net of lightning collided with the five fireballs, filling the sky with sparks. The terrifying impact coming from that collision was so great that even the paralysed Ye Wuqing was forced to stagger a few steps backwards.
At this moment, the most powerful use of Wang Dong’s wings was revealed. As he flapped his wings, Huo Yuhao changed directions, allowing him to not only dodge the aftereffects of the Golden Leaf’s explosion, but also allowing him to soar into the air. He flew past Bei Bei’s head, bringing Huo Yuhao straight towards Yan’er.
Right. From the very start, Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei’s target wasn’t Ye Wuqing or Shangguan Can.
As an auxiliary-type soul master, although Shangguan Can wasn’t weak, he couldn’t provide too much assistance to his teammates due to Huo Yuhao’s Spirit Eyes. Moreover, Ye Wuqing was strong to the point where even if Huo Yuhao’s trio were to take him on 1v3, they might not be able to defeat him directly.
Because of that, their target from the very start was Yan’er. Only, they had concealed all of this in an extremely ingenious
manner during their previous collision. At this moment, they suddenly exploded out.
Yan’er’s only strength was the enormous purple fireball that she had formed in front of her. The high temperatures coming from it scorched the air, causing ripple-like distortions to appear in the air surrounding her body.
At the same time, she was completely deserving of being a student chosen for Justsky Academy’s official team. Even when facing a disadvantageous situation like this, she didn’t seem flustered at all. She quickly retreated, preventing the distance between her and Ye Wuqing from increasing as she did so. At the same time, she didn’t use the purple fireball created from her thousand year soul skill. Instead, she kept it in front of her, ready to block attacks from her opponents at any time.
There was no doubt that she was making the right choice. The only thing she had to do right now was persevere and not fall under the all-out attacks of the three opponents in front of her until Ye Wuqing recovered from his paralysed state.
However, she quickly discovered that she had still made a miscalculation.
The originally-scorching temperatures on the tournament stage suddenly dropped, as though a cold stream had poured into it. The size of purple fireball in front of Yan’er’s body was instantly reduced by a third, and she was simply unable to release the power of its heat.
Huo Yuhao’s eyes had become completely jade-green. Although he still had two soul rings in front of him due to his Imitation, he had actually switched his martial soul to the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.
This was a martial soul that possessed Ultimate Ice, a martial soul that could cause Shrek Academy’s Sea God’s Pavilion to hold a meeting! Even the great powers within Shrek Academy were overjoyed beyond belief when discovering the existence of Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice. From that, the power of his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion could be seen.
His soul power wasn’t up to par, but his martial soul and soul rings were unrivaled existences.
Huo Yuhao’s gaze turned serious, and the soul thruster on his back flickered with light as he shot towards Yan’er like a bolt of
lightning. Unexpectedly, he used his hands to directly swat at Yan’er’s purple fireball.
Chapter 93: Breaking Through the Prison, Domain of Perpetual Ice
He was likely the first to ever take on the powerful soul skill of a Soul Ancestor as a Soul Grandmaster. However, he was successful.
Huo Yuhao’s hands first turned the color of jade, before numerous resplendent diamond grains swiftly appeared and covered his hands. This pair of hands was akin to a work of art.
At this moment though, Yan’er was not in the mood to appreciate this work of art. She could feel that her fire type soul power was greatly affected by the ice-cold aura from that pair of hands, giving her the impression that it was being completely forced back.
How was this possible? How was this possible?
Yan’er finally couldn’t hold on any longer. The two hands pushed forward and swiftly approached the purple fireball that was heading towards Huo Yuhao.
It was clearest to the audience. Forget the fact that the originally massive purple fireball suddenly shrank for no reason while it was flying towards Huo Yuhao, but now it was actually continuing to contract at an astonishing speed. When it arrived in front of Huo Yuhao, it was not even half a foot in size.
With his right hand directly cutting into it, thick white smoke rose from Huo Yuhao’s right hand. Quickly, with the effect of soul thruster, he broke through the white smoke and arrived in front of Yan’er.
The reason why he had targeted Yan’er was highly related to his element. Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice was most effective against the ice element, after which was the fire element.
Under the effect of the Haodong Power from his fusion with Wang Dong, he could already exhibit the power of the Soul Ancestor level. This was also equivalent to possessing Soul Ancestor-level Ultimate Ice. Against another Soul Ancestor of the fire element, Yan’er, Huo Yuhao would clearly gain the upper hand! Thus, what he needed to do was to first snap his opponent’s wings.
Yan’er was indeed panicking somewhat. The suppressive effect that Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice had on her exceeded even his original estimation. The absolute suppression of elements made Yan’er want to turn around and run away.
In that brief moment, Ye Wuqing finally recovered from his paralysis. Shangguan Can, who had barely avoided the Golden Leaf’s explosion, also crawled up.
They never imagined that there would be such an elemental suppression as they watched Yan’er being oppressed by Huo Yuhao.
Unfortunately, they were currently unable to move to forward and assist Yan’er, because Bei Bei was still in front of them.
When Huo Yuhao had leapt over his head and pounced at Yan’er, Bei Bei had also lunged forward. However, his target was not Yan’er, but Ye Wuqing. Thus, the moment Ye Wuqing was released from his paralysis, he immediately saw Bei Bei charging towards him. What he needed to do now was protect himself, and thus he was unable to save his companions.
This scene was somewhat similar to the previous round where Xiao Xiao blocked their opponents to allow He Caitou to build up power. However, there was no doubt that Shrek Academy’s current situation was much better.
Vigorous Thunderbolt. Bei Bei unleashed his area of effect skill at close proximity without hesitation. Enormous bolts of lightning devastated the sky, forming a giant lightning net. Ye Wuqing could not send out a Golden Leaf even if he wanted to.
The two who had clashed with words earlier now stood face to face. As Ye Wuqing watched the enormous lightning pounce at him, his eyes suddenly turned golden. It was as if two golden leaves were covering his eyes.
At the same time, the first and third soul rings on his body simultaneously lit up.
At least a dozen golden leaves shot out from his hands, instantly turning into a golden net in the air that brazenly flew towards Bei Bei’s Vigorous Thunderbolt.
Due to the powerful explosive force the Golden Leaf had displayed previously, Bei Bei involuntarily paused. He did not want to be surrounded and blasted by so many golden leaves.
However, he quickly realised that he had made a mistake, because although they were still the same golden leaves, their ability was different.
Each Golden Leaf was akin to a sharp blade. The leaves forcibly sliced his Vigorous Thunderbolt apart before sweeping towards his body like a wild storm.
This was Ye Wuqing’s first soul skill, Leaf Blade, and third soul skill, Leaf Formation. It was this offensive style that he was most proficient with. Under his control, sharp golden leaves headed straight for Bei Bei.
At this very moment, Bei Bei had a certain feeling. If he were to to be trapped within this Leaf Formation, his entire body would be ripped to shreds.
However, could he retreat at such a time?
Impossible!
Even a little girl like Xiao Xiao had done everything she could in the face of powerful enemies, and even heavy injuries had been unable to deter her as she stopped her opponents; how could he do otherwise?
A somewhat evil smile appeared on the corners of Bei Bei’s lips at this crucial juncture. He did not back away, but instantly dashed forward instead, charging straight at Ye Wuqing.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. On the other side, Huo Yuhao had already achieved decisive results. Both of his hands had arrived in front of Yan’er.
The Ultimate Ice’s suppression caused Yan’er’s heart to be filled with panic. When a woman fell into such a hysterical state, she would be much crazier than a man. The current Yan’er was no exception. She retreated in a flustered manner as she desperately shot fireball after fireball at Huo Yuhao.
However, in the face of Huo Yuhao’s magical hands, any fireballs that locked onto him were already greatly weakened
by his Ultimate Ice by the time they neared his body, and could only rapidly dissipate. His Soul Thruster allowed Huo Yuhao’s speed to greatly surpass Yan’er’s. In the end, he arrived in front of her.
Two hands attacked at the same time. Their targets were Yan’er’s shoulders.
However, Yan’er suddenly stopped moving at this moment. The panic on her pretty face was cleanly swept off as the corners of her mouth lifted to form an enchanting smile.
“You’ve been duped, little Brother. Flame Prison Cage. Come down with me.”
As she spoke, an enormous fiery light abruptly rose from the ground, enveloping Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Yan’er. Huo Yuhao’s hands did land on Yan’er’s shoulders, instantly freezing her entire body. However, the huge Flame Prison Cage was already complete. More importantly, with her final bit of willpower, a pair of giant flame hands appeared in the Flame Prison Cage and pushed in the opposite direction, causing the three of them to tumble off the competition stage.
Only at this moment did Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong realise that Yan’er had unknowingly arrived at the edge of the competition stage. Moreover, the Flame Prison Cage she had unleashed was her fourth soul skill.
This was the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Duelling Tournament. For Justsky Academy, this was an important battle that would affect its history and glory. How could they be unprepared?
The moment Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong lunged at Yan’er, she had already realised that the situation was not optimal. However, such a situation was still within their expectations.
This was not the first time Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice power had seen use. Furthermore, while Justsky Academy was researching Shrek Academy, they concluded that although Huo Yunhao’s strength could not possibly be at the Soul Emperor level, he was still the opponent they needed to pay the most attention to. This was because he was a mystery.
In their analysis of Huo Yuhao, he possessed very powerful Spiritual Power, but Sky Academy did not believe that his Martial Soul was of the spiritual element. It should be the ice
element instead. Moreover, it should be a very strong ice element.
This was due to the fact that Huo Yuhao had directly taken control of the Frost Bear, An Lengye’s soul skill, during that round of the competition. Although it was close to the end of the soul skill, how could one do this without strong ice controlling powers?
The reason why Yan’er had been dispatched during the final match was because Ye Wuqing had predicted that Huo Yuhao would also appear in the final match. A powerful ice element would surely be able to suppress the fire element. Since that was so, it was very easy for Ye Wuqing to guess that Huo Yuhao would target Yan’er.
It was just that their original plan did not account for the fact that he could bring such powerful suppressive abilites to bear. Yan’er’s fireball martial soul was ultimately unable to withstand Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice. Even her fourth soul skill, Flame Prison’s Cage, was unable to threaten Huo Yuhao.
However, this competition was not a death match, but a match on the competition stage. Since it was a match, one had
to comply with the rules, and it was also reasonable to make use of the rules.
In this final moment, the debut of her Flame Prison Cage made Yan’er smile rather happily. This was because she had been able to remove two opponents from the stage. One of them was even their opponent’s most mysterious youngster. Without this duo’s help, Sky Academy fully believed that the combination of their captain, the powerful Golden Leaf Soul Master Ye Wuqing, and Shangguan Can would definitely defeat Bei Bei.
This was basically a trap. This was the same thought that emerged in Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s hearts the moment their bodies were brought tumbling down from the stage.
Yes. This was indeed a trap, and they had already fallen into it.
What Huo Yuhao used at this moment was the Ice Emperor’s Pincer. However, even his Ice Emperor’s Pincer could not possibly break the Flame Prison Cage behind him within a short period of time and bring Wang Dong back onto the stage.
This was, after all, a level forty-six Soul Ancestor’s final fully- powered soul skill!
It’s over! This was the only thought in Wang Dong’s heart at this moment. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he and Huo Yuhao would actually be beaten off the stage in such a sullen manner.
However, it was already too late from them to release any soul skills even if they wanted to at this moment. The Haodong Power he and Huo Yuhao had condensed was under Huo Yuhao’s control. Furthermore, no matter what soul skill he used, he could not instantly break this Flame Prison Cage. Only by instantly breaking the cage would it be possible to change everything.
Was it truly over?
As he looked at the smile on Yan’er’s face, Huo Yuhao’s eyes faintly narrowed. In the twinkle of an eye, Yan’er saw a layer of dark green.
A dark green luster erupted from Huo Yuhao’s body, and the Flame Prison Cage was instantly wiped out, disappearing completely. Wang Dong’s Radiant Goddess Butterfly wings brought Huo Yuhao back onto the stage, while Yan’er was akin to a heavy ice statue as she smashed ruthlessly to the ground, producing a loud ‘bang’. Fortunately, this ice statue was hard enough. Or else, Yan’er’s body would be completely shattered like a piece of ice...
Only an extremely small handful of people were able to truly see what had happened a moment ago.
In that moment, Wang Dong only felt a strong chill sweep past his body in the blink of an eye. When he and Huo Yuhao used the Haodong Power, it was as if they were of the same body. Hence, that terrifying chill didn’t permeate into his body, but rather rapidly flowed out of his body. The only thing Wang Dong could clearly see was a dark green light shining faintly in the shape of a bright scorpion on Huo Yuhao’s back. Huo Yuhao’s torso bone shone with the strongest jade light.
The cold stream only lasted for a brief moment. However, the Haodong Power in their bodies was close to being completely depleted when Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong returned to the stage. Their combined soul forces were on par with that of a Soul Ancestor. That was completely depleted the instant they unleashed that burst of their soul force.
Huo Yuhao didn’t have any other choice. He had fallen into his opponents’ trap. If he didn’t utilise this powerful skill, he
and Wang Dong would be terminated in battle right this instant. They’d still have a chance to continue fighting if they depleted their soul power, but if they fell off stage, they wouldn’t have any right to uphold Shrek’s glory anymore.
This was one of the two soul skills from the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion’s four hundred thousand year torso bone, Domain of Perpetual Ice.
None the members participating in this Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament were a match for Huo Yuhao based solely on this soul skill.
The four soul skills the Skydream Iceworm had given him still needed to undergo countless evolutions before they could be upgraded, but the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress directly gave him her four hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone. He had such a powerful soul ring and soul bone that even if he became a Rank 95 Douluo in the future, or even an Ultimate Douluo, the soul skills the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress had given him would still be that of an ultimate champion.
However, a similar problem existed in the sense that one had to have formidable strength to support a powerful soul skill.
The Ice Empress’ Pincer and the Ice Empress’ Armour were slightly better in the sense that their powers would adjust according to the soul power he injected into them.
The Domain of Perpetual Ice was different. This was a domain-type soul skill that even Elder Mu, the Dragon God Douluo, and Elder Xuan, the Taotie Douluo, envied. Moreover, this was an Ultimate Ice domain-type soul skill. If Huo Yuhao could cultivate to the level of Elder Mu and Elder Xuan, it wasn’t impossible for him to freeze over a thousand miles with this terrifying soul skill.
Hence, it was very difficult for Huo Yuhao to achieve the lowest requirement necessary to activate this soul skill. He could only barely release it now, even when he borrowed Wang Dong’s power.
It was impossible for the Flame Prison Cage to resist the Domain of Perpetual Ice, since the latter completely dominated the former in terms of attribute, annihilating the Flame Prison Cage in an instant. The audience seemed to witness the return of that Soul Emperor with six soul rings when they felt the tyrannical aura Huo Yuhao exuded in that moment.
Wang Dong grabbed Huo Yuhao’s shoulders and rushed back to the stage after breaking through the Flame Prison Cage. Their legs hadn’t come in contact with the ground, so they naturally could continue participating in the tournament.
However, Huo Yuhao didn’t move an inch after he landed firmly on the ground as he squinted his eyes. If one were to take a closer look, they would realise that the rays of light surrounding his body were slightly distorted. It was obvious that he was using Imitation again with the remnants of his soul power. However, there didn’t seem to be any changes happening around his body on the surface. What was he trying to hide?
The thing he was trying to hide were the ripples of silver light that belonged to his Class 4 Milk Bottle flowing out from his chest.
How could he continue fighting if he practically had no soul power left?
He was hiding this silver light with his Imitation! Perhaps Huo Yuhao wasn’t the first to use a Milk Bottle during a tournament, but he was the one who hid it best. Him
recovering his soul power was equivalent to restoring both his and Wang Dong’s soul power together. The soul power coursing into his body quickly transformed into one that belonged to the both of them.
That was why the Milk Bottle was priced so high. Other than being able to store and compress soul power, there was another very important point, and that was the purification of soul power. Any soul master could use the Milk Bottle after having another soul master inject soul power into it. That was because after the soul power entered the Milk Bottle, it would go through a round of filtering in the Milk Bottle’s core, which would remove anything related to the soul power’s attribute or power. The end product would be the purest form of soul power. Only then could others or the owner absorb it, and at a rapid speed too.
The Milk Bottle Huo Yuhao had obtained from the auction was undoubtedly an exquisite Class 4 product. He felt an endless stream of soul power feeding into his body, rapidly refilling his dried up meridians.
Naturally, the downside of using the Milk Bottle was that he couldn’t fight or move. He had to calmly stand where he was and concentrate on absorbing the soul power from the Milk
Bottle. It was considerably difficult for Huo Yuhao to use Imitation while absorbing the external soul power. His dexterous control was all thanks to him being a spirit-type soul master.
Huo Yuhao had finally managed to keep his strong opponents under control after going through a series of dangerous attacks, finally reducing their opponents by one. Just as he managed to do so, the battle on the other side of the field had reached its climax too.
Bei Bei also felt it when Huo Yuhao was in danger, but he was too preoccupied with Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaf Formation.
Bei Bei didn’t back away when he was faced with that incomparably sharp Golden Leaf Formation, but instead, he charged onwards and faced it head-on. At this moment, he seemed to be deeply connected with Ye Wuqing as the both of them had a small smile playing on their lips.
The difference was that the smile on Ye Wuqing’s face was one of disdain. Do you think your scales can block my ever- changing Golden Leaves?
On the other hand, Bei Bei’s smile was a little crafty and evil.
Do you think such puny leaves can block my path?
Bei Bei had already penetrated the Golden Leaf Formation when both of them held these thoughts in their minds.
A scene that shocked Ye Wuqing appeared. Bei Bei suddenly became an illusion, and his footsteps seemed to become disorderly as he moved onwards like a green wisp of smoke. The Golden Leaves chased after his body, but they missed their target by a hair’s breadth. Bei Bei wormed his way out of the Golden Leaf Formation like a loach in the blink of an eye, appearing right in front of Ye Wuqing.
At this dangerous moment, Huo Yuhao had stopped using his Spiritual Detection Sharing with Bei Bei since he was releasing the Domain of Perpetual Ice. After all, it was impossible for him to control two different soul skills from two martial souls and make sure that they were both effective in such a dangerous situation.
Bei Bei had completely relied on his own abilities to pass through the Golden Leaf formation. Bei Bei was not only a disciple of the Shrek Academy, but also a Blue Lightning
Tyrant Dragon soul master. But even more so, he was a senior brother of the Tang Sect! He was the best wielder of the Tang Sect Secret Techniques in this generation.
The Tang Sect specialised in hidden weapons!
Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaf was extremely similar to a hidden weapon to some extent. Tang San, the founder of the Tang Sect, would be laughing if he saw Ye Wuqing playing with hidden weapons in front of a hidden weapons expert.
Bei Bei had already had a plan when he saw Ye Wuqing’s martial soul. He was waiting for an opportunity like the one before his eyes right now.
He saw through the fact that this Golden Leaf Formation was different from the one Ye Wuqing had used before within Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection. But Bei Bei still retreated to confuse his opponent and delude Yu Wuqing into thinking that he was afraid. He’d silently endured through the previous moment to release this explosive attack now.
From the start of the match till now, one could say that every single person on the field was constantly plotting against their opponents. Even though Justsky Academy was distinctly stronger than Shrek Academy, they were similarly filled with apprehension.
In their eyes, everyone from the Shrek Academy was a monster. Xu Sanshi could awaken his Xuanwu Godbeast at the eleventh hour. Xiao Xiao had twin martial souls. He Caitou wielded that terrifying super energy-gathering soul cannon. Only the heavens knew what other shocking changes these remaining three would show. That was why Justsky Academy had held back a little at the beginning, but even then everything had been within a series of set calculations. However, they had never expected that Huo Yuhao could release such a terrifying soul skill like the Domain of Perpetual Ice and reduce their numbers by one in an instant.
It didn’t matter how strong Ye Wuqing was because he was an expert in long-ranged attacks. Even though there wasn’t much difference between their cultivations, Bei Bei was an expert in close-ranged attacks as a soul master with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
Just at this exact moment, a chime from the Soulsucking Bell rang out in an attempt to hinder Bei Bei’s advancement. But the chime only lasted for a few seconds before coming to a sudden stop.
A dull hum rang out, and fresh blood flew out of Shangguan Can’s nostrils before he staggered down to the ground. The purplish golden light inside Huo Yuhao’s eyes slowly disappeared as he stood not far off.
How could he sit idly by and watch his senior brother struggle to fight alone? When the Milk Bottle replenished a certain amount of his soul power, he immediately attacked Shangguan Can, who was attempting to interfere with Bei Bei’s attacks. He eliminated the Soulsucking Bell’s threat with just a single spiritual shock. After which, he reactivated the Milk Bottle again and continued replenishing both his and Wang Dong’s soul power.
Bei Bei’s thick and solid right arm was covered in bluish purple dragon scales as it sparked with lightning. He swatted it right in front of Ye Wuqing as all the Golden Leaves chased him from behind. Even so, Bei Bei seemed to be completely disregarding them.
It didn’t matter how strong a Soul King’s attack was, because all would be futile if the attack didn’t land on their opponent.
Ye Wuqing was still expressionless, but he didn’t retreat. He suddenly raised his left hand when faced with Bei Bei’s attack, clenching it as he faced Bei Bei’s dragon claw up front.
Bang! Ye Wuqing blocked his Thunderous Dragon Claw with his fist, startling Bei Bei. Ye Wuqing turned his left land and grabbed ahold of Bei Bei’s dragon claw. The meridians in Ye Wuqing’s left hand suddenly became bigger in a split second, and a large quantity of venative veins dazzled in gold. His whole hand turned completely golden as his fourth soul ring lit up.
Was a long-range soul master really that weak? Ye Wuqing’s actions proved to everyone that that might not necessarily be the case.
This was his fourth soul skill: the Golden Left Hand.
That’s right, this soul skill only amplified his left hand. If his Golden Left Hand unleashed another Golden Leaf, its power would double. The Golden Left Hand was also immensely powerful, and held a strong defensive ability.
Bei Bei had already used all his energy to unleash his Vigorous Thunderbolt. But even so, he couldn’t electrocute his opponent with the Golden Left Hand suppressing him. His opponent had completely overpowered him with his fourth soul skill powered by his Rank 58 soul power.
“Bastard!” Bei Bei roared out and unleashed his third soul skill -- Thunderous Fury, the powerful thousand-year soul skill.
A Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master would be in a berserk state for a set period of time when the Thunderous Fury was activated. The power of the user’s thunder would double, while his or her soul power would increase by half of what it originally was.
One could say that Bei Bei was only the strongest when he used his Thunderous Fury.
His power that had previously been suppressed stabilized in a flash. The terrifying thunderbolt also broke through the Golden Left Hand’s control and spread over Ye Wuqing. However, it was at this moment that Bei Bei saw the cold look in Ye Wuqing’s eye, which caused him to curse out in his heart.
Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Bei Bei continuously released his second soul skill, Vigorous Thunderbolt. His tremendous thunderbolts immediately turned into a thick electrical net that shrouded his whole body.
Ye Wuqing protected himself within the electrical net with a light shield made of his dense white soul power. Even though he was rapidly depleting his soul power, he didn’t face a direct attack from the Vigorous Thunderbolt in the end. This was the disparity in soul power. If both parties were at the same level of cultivation, it would definitely be impossible for him to do this.
Ye Wuqing hadn’t done anything else all this while. What was he waiting for? He was waiting for his Golden Leaf.
His first soul skill, Leaf Blade, was in sync with his third soul skill, Leaf Formation. With him delaying Bei Bei with his left hand, how could Bei Bei still dodge with the Tang Sect’s Secret Technique, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track?
The Vigorous Thunderbolt could only block those sharp leaf blades for just a moment even after having its power amplified by the Thunderous Fury. This further reflected the disparity between a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor.
However, Bei Bei was equally as outstanding. He could actually respond to his opponent under such disadvantageous circumstances. His Thunderous Dragon Claw erupted again and, amplified with the effects of his Thunderous Fury, forcibly shocked Ye Wuqing away. He wrung his body around at the same time and faced the Golden Leaf Formation. The audience then saw a huge clump of silver threads shoot out from his chest, encompassing a large surface area. It was so large that it could actually envelop a large part of the Golden Leaf Formation.
A chain of clanks rang out. Ye Wuqing’s Golden Leaves broken into pieces before his eyes. It was truly an unbelievable sight to him. Not only that, but Bei Bei suddenly transformed
into a being that resembled Guanyin with a thousand hands while he was blocking the Golden Leaf Formation. Numerous hidden weapons resembling throwing knives, darts and flying needles flew out. He didn’t even need to look as he did so, aiming with frightening precision. Not only did that attack deal with Ye Wuqing, but it also enveloped Shangguan Can, who was standing far off. Shangguan Can had just stood up a moment ago, but this attack scared him so much that he didn’t even have time to ring his Soul Absorbing Bell.
That’s right. These were the Tang Sect’s Hidden Weapons. Even if the Tang Sect had declined, who would dare to say that Tang Sect’s Hidden Weapons were useless, for they had once been popular on the continent.
Ye Wuqing rapidly swung his Golden Left Hand out, and his second soul ring shone. Golden leaves rapidly fell to the ground and exploded into intense balls of light, forming a huge golden storm. It neutralised all those hidden weapons, but it also made him miss the chance to flank Bei Bei.
Bei Bei didn’t relax either. In the end, he didn’t destroy all the golden leaves. Two golden rays of light flashed past his body. One grazed his right shoulder, sending a string of sparks in its wake. The dragon scales on his right shoulder were much
thicker when he was in his Thunderous Fury state, so the attack was unable to slice them open.
However, another golden leaf flitted across his chest and left a small gash about half a meter long in its wake. Blood splashed out and dyed Bei Bei’s lapel red in the blink of an eye. The sharp golden leaf had cut his pectoral muscles and caused his flesh to roll back, making for an extremely horrifying sight.
Ye Wuqing finally didn’t hold back anymore. His opponent was only a Soul Ancestor, but he was much more troublesome than he had imagined.
The whole aura around Ye Wuqing changed when his fifth black soul ring lit up. He slowly raised his Golden Left Hand and waved his hand at the sky. Looking at him, it looked as though he wanted to tear through the sky. Specks of golden light shone on that black soul ring. The small golden specks of light rapidly floated out and encompassed his body, forming a golden light canopy.
There were only tens of leaves in the previous Leaf Formation, but now there were hundreds or even thousands of Golden Leaves. The leaves rapidly whirled around with his
body as their center. The whole stage immediately sparkled with a brilliant golden light.
This was the difference between a ten thousand year soul skill and a thousand year soul skill. Ye Wuqing once again showed everyone how terrifying a ten thousand year soul skill was, with this being the second time one had appeared in this year’s tournament.
At this moment, Bei Bei turned around with much difficulty, since he’d just sustained injuries. Now, he had to face Ye Wuqing’s terrifying Golden Leaf that was just like a tornado.
Ye Wuqing coldly said, “This is my fifth soul skill -- Golden Leaf Dance. You guys better admit defeat if you don’t want to turn into pieces of meat.”
Shangguan Can had already stood up, and was standing not too far behind Ye Wuqing. He didn’t even try to ring the Soul Absorbing Bell as a look of victory appeared on his face.
Justsky Academy was about to triumph over Shrek Academy. He was one of the very last participants remaining on stage
who was about to bear witness to this very moment. How could he not feel excited?
Bei Bei pursed his lips and raised his right hand, gesturing at Ye Wuqing with the index finger of his dragon claw. His signature refined smile appeared on his face. “Don’t think you’ve won.”
Ye Wuqing realised that he really couldn’t control himself in front of this fellow. He hated how the other party appeared to be gentle and refined, yet spouted foul words at him.
The terrifying Golden Leaf Dance ascended and engulfed Bei Bei like a powerful golden current. He was so experienced that he knew both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were spent, and had consumed too much of their soul power. As long as he got rid of Bei Bei, it would definitely be possible for him to triumph over those two.
Shangguan Can also seized the opportunity and took up a small Milk Bottle as he stood there, replenishing his soul power. His Milk Bottle was a bracelet, and didn’t seem to be as meticulous as the one Huo Yuhao had, but its recovery speed
wasn’t slow at all. It was very clear that he wasn’t going to be careless even if victory was in their hands.
A hint of despair appeared on Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s faces. Even if they used the Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence, it would be impossible for them to stop everything that was happening before their eyes. It was impossible for their opponent not to dodge, and when they did dodge, their skill would be ineffective. Could they still interrupt that completed Golden Leaf Dance?
“Little junior brother, get ready to back me up.” Bei Bei still didn’t back away as he faced the Golden Leaf Dance. The smile and gentleness in his eyes gradually became domineering.
Bei Bei naturally kept his true abilities under lock and key. After all, he was called the Gemini of the outer courtyard, and had been unofficially declared as the next generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters along with Xu Sanshi.
A violent roar rang out from Bei Bei’s mouth. Soon after, the lightning surrounding his body turned gold and shone brightly, forming a golden eye-catching ball above his head.
Soon after, dragon scales rapidly extended from Bei Bei’s right shoulder while he was still in his Thunderous Fury state. They covered his whole body in the blink of an eye, and the aura around him completely changed. He now had a lofty, tyrannical and an indescribably powerful and kingly aura around him.
Bei Bei’s Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was powerful martial soul. However, the current Bei Bei was already miles ahead of what he had been before. Even Huo Yuhao didn’t think he could suppress that horribly tyrannical aura.
The Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion seemed to speak up in Huo Yuhao’s mind at the same time. “Golden Holy Dragon.”
Bei Bei’s vigor had reached its peak. He stepped out with his left foot and shouted, “Tyrant King, Thunderous Domain!”
Below the stage, Wang Yan had already buried his face in his hands. He felt depressed as he thought, Just how many things are these little ones hiding from me?!
Golden light that resembled a whirlwind of angry waves burst forth. Since the golden light was made out of rays of lightning, a golden color filled the air and fully covered a 20- meter radius around him.
What was even scarier was that the angry golden waves soared and created a tremendous attractive force under Bei Bei’s control, absorbing and tearing the Golden Leaf Dance to pieces.
The skills both parties used were golden. Every piece of Golden Leaf turned to fine dust in this explosive golden battle. They instantly vanished in a puff of smoke.
Bei Bei clasped his hands in front of his chest and made the hand movements for Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon that Huo Yuhao was very familiar with. He then pushed his hands out in front of him, and that golden Thunderous Domain surged towards Ye Wuqing, enveloping him in the process.
Ye Wuqing also bellowed out, and golden rays of light shone from him. The intense rumble coming from him formed a continuous golden storm, contending with Bei Bei’s Thunderous Domain.
However, the power of Bei Bei’s ability had far surpassed his judgement. His Thunderous Domain gradually forced its way over to Ye Wuqing till it was right in front of him.
“Little junior brother, now!” Bei Bei roared out and stomped with his right leg. His Thunderous Domain rushed forth, but gradually weakened till it disappeared at the same time. Ye Wuqing’s whole body was enveloped within it, completely covered with golden lightning. He was paralysed.
Huo Yuhao naturally understood what his senior brother meant. He immediately turned around and was about to hug Wang Dong when he heard a clear jingle ring out at the same time. He subconsciously stopped what he was about to do and looked over from the corner of his eye. The scene that graced his eyes took him back by surprise.
Shangguan Can, who’d previously been replenishing his soul power with a Milk Bottle, appeared once again. He rang his Soulsucking Bell again, but what was different from before was that his expression had become tremendously serious and dignified. That was definitely not an expression a person who would normally be reluctant to succumb to others would have.
Chapter 94: The Ice Empress Awakens
An evil, dark-red light emerged from his Soulsucking Bell, which then transformed into a series of halos. They immediately slammed struck Bei Bei, who’d just finished using the Tyrannical Emperor’s Thunderous Domain.
Bei Bei’s entire body trembled violently when he was struck, and his eyes turned blank. Shangguan Can then pointed towards Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, and Bei Bei unexpectedly turned around and shot straight towards them.
A spiritual control-type soul skill? Shangguan Can actually has a soul skill like this?
Considering how powerful Bei Bei’s martial soul was, his spiritual power definitely wasn’t weak! Yet, Shangguan Can had still been able to temporarily take control of his mind. This greatly startled both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
Fortunately, the hypnotized Bei Bei was only able to follow his instincts; he couldn’t display the finesse he usually possessed when he fought clear-headed. Furthermore, he was
currently in a weaken state from using the Tyrannical Emperor’s Thunderous Domain.
Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped in midair as Wang Dong flapped his wings, which caused him to fly backwards a few meters, Bei Bei in tow. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong then hugged each other tightly.
On the one hand, you had Huo Yuhao, whose Spirit Eyes began to emit a faint-gold color, while on the other, you had Wang Dong, whose beautiful wings had been entirely unfurled as he released his Radiant Butterfly Goddess.
When they hugged each other and released their martial souls, the ten or so meters around them lit up as a special sort of light blossomed from their bodies.
As blue, purple, and gold light began to fill their surroundings, and Wang Dong’s complete and gorgeous Radiant Butterfly Goddess folded its wings forwards in a hugging motion.
At the same time, an enormous, faint-gold vertical eye appeared behind Huo Yuhao, its pupil filled with boundless purple light.
Wang Dong’s Radiant Butterfly Goddess violently ignited with a bluish-golden flare of light as it approached the Spirit Eye. When the two images of light finally fused in midair, they suddenly swung downwards.
The Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence.
The fused colors of blue, purple, and gold instantly cut out a flat path atop the tournament stage.
The person who bore the brunt of their blow was Bei Bei. Afterwards, the ray of light continued forward, and struck the paralysed Ye Wuqing. However, Shangguan Can had sensed an opportunity to flee out of the attack’s range.
Huo Yuhao had no other choice but to do this, as Bei Bei had almost used his Thunderous Dragon Claw against them. If they were delayed by Bei Bei, Ye Wuqing would be able to recover from his paralysis, and they would have no chance of winning
this match at all. Thus, he could only choose to do this. The purpose behind Wang Dong’s shift in location had been to make sure that Bei Bei and Ye Wuqing were in a straight line.
Bei Bei let out a muffled groan as his body was transformed into a golden statue. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon instantly collapsed, as was also the case for the distant Ye Wuqing. However, he was able to snap out of his paralysis at this moment.
After releasing his fusion skill, Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to waste any more time. He took a sudden stride forward, then used his right hand to pat Bei Bei before shooting straight towards Ye Wuqing. At this moment however, Wang Dong didn’t continue to follow him. The remnant soul power that they had left was now in Wang Dong’s body, and before he left, Huo Yuhao removed the Milk Bottle from his neck and shoved it in his hand.
As his soul thruster activated, Huo Yuhao shot straight towards his opponent like a bolt of lightning. There was only Ye Wuqing in his eyes now.
A Soul King who had lost the use of his martial soul was merely a soul master who possessed slightly more powerful soul power. Thus, how would he be able to withstand Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice? Moreover, the only way they could win this match was to defeat Ye Wuqing first before doing anything else.
After being touched by Huo Yuhao, the traces of gold on Bei Bei’s body receded. However, he immediately fell straight towards the ground.
The Golden Road could cause one’s martial soul to collapse, but it also possessed a powerful erosive effect. After using his Tyrannical Emperor’s Thunderous Domain to block Ye Wuqing’s most powerful attack while draining as much of his soul power as he could, Bei Bei was like a lamp whose oil was nearly extinguished. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so easily controlled by Shangguan Can. Right after that, he had to suffer the corrosive effects of the Golden Road. Although Huo Yuhao had quickly dispelled the effects of the fusion skill, Bei Bei directly fainted due to overexertion. As Wang Dong held the Milk Bottle in his hands, he looked towards the charging Huo Yuhao with a complicated look in his eyes. At this moment, he was inwardly screaming a single phrase: You can’t, you can’t use a soul tool!
Ye Wuqing currently resembled a golden man. Although he had Rank 58 soul power, he had drained an utterly enormous amount of it during his battle with Bei Bei. How could he not panic after losing the use of his martial soul? He would need a period of time to dispel the negative effects of the Golden Road.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao arrived in front of him.
“Even if I don’t have a martial soul, can a Soul Grandmaster like you threaten me?” Ye Wuqing said arrogantly. He sent his right fist flying through the air to meet Huo Yuhao’s attack. A ball of soul power condensed into a white light, which then used his fist as a conduit as it flew out.
Huo Yuhao once again used the Ice Empress’ Pincer as he sent his palms forward to meet Ye Wuqing.
After controlling Bei Bei, Shangguan Can had seemingly fallen silent. However, he was actually focused on absorbing the soul power provided by a Milk Bottle, and he paid no attention to the current situation of the battle.
“Peng--” Huo Yuhao’s body turned sluggish. His Ice Empress’ Pincer broke through his opponent’s soul power, but the powerful impact from that collision forced him to screech to a sudden stop. All of the soul tools he had now had been used to increase his speed, and even if that wasn’t a case, a Class 2 attack-type soul tool wouldn’t be able to pose a threat to a Soul King!
The soul paralysis ray? Huo Yuhao no longer had the support of the Haodong Power, and he didn’t have much of his soul power left. As a result, he didn’t dare to use it in an extravagant manner!
Clenching his teeth, Huo Yuhao used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to flash towards Ye Wuqing in an illusory manner. A majority of his hidden weapons then flew out rapidly.
Ye Wuqing was immediately overjoyed after he saw that Huo Yuhao had been blocked by his attack. He urged the soul power in his body outward, causing a layer of white mist to penetrate his body and form a protective barrier. After all, Huo Yuhao didn’t possess a high enough cultivation, so his hidden weapons would simply be unable to break through his defenses.
The gap between Rank 27 and Rank 58 was simply too large. Even if Ye Wuqing was temporarily unable to use his martial soul, and his cultivation wasn’t even a third of its usual peak, Huo Yuhao wouldn’t be able to shake him easily.
Seeing that his opportunity to win was disappearing, Huo Yuhao started to panic. He finally couldn’t endure it any longer and cried out, “Ice Empress, help me!”
If this were a normal time, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion would definitely have ignored Huo Yuhao’s request. Both she and the Skydream Iceworm needed an expert who would be able to cultivate their way to becoming a God.
This was the only way that would allow them to break away from the restraints imposed on them by the world. If they were to blindly help him with everything, how would he truly grow?
However, this was clearly different. Both the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress had been infected by the Shrek’s Seven Monsters’ attitudes of sparing no cost for Shrek’s glory.
In the next moment, Huo Yuhao’s aura suddenly changed.
He didn’t undergo the violent transformation or visual differences that Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei had gone through when they releasing their hidden powers. However, the current Huo Yuhao was much more terrifying in Ye Wuqing’s eyes.
While using the Ice Empress, Huo Yuhao’s eyes would occasionally flicker with a jade-green light. This was a natural phenomena caused by the appearance of that particular martial soul. At this moment, however, his eyes turned a penetrating color of jade, making it seem as though his eyes were precious gems that sparkled with light.
Huo Yuhao’s body was instantly taken over by the Ice Empress. The voice of the latter rang out in the depths of Huo Yuhao’s soul, “Watch carefully. You have to be adept at using every bit of strength that you have, and you need to diligently train your control over your strength. If you want to defeat the strong while being weak, the only technique you can use is control.”
The Ice Empress didn’t use the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track; she shot directly forward, and the tattoo of the Ice
Empress on Huo Yuhao’s back turned extraordinarily bright and clear. However, his body emitted no traces of chilliness at all.
Ye Wuqing felt his heart thump as he sensed the sudden changes in Huo Yuhao. At this exact moment, the effects of the Golden Road vanished.
Overjoyed, Ye Wuqing’s first reaction was to once again release his martial soul to block Huo Yuhao. As he releasing it, he didn’t forget to send a punch out, causing an even more condensed ball of soul power to stop the advancing Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao raised his right hand; to put it more accurately, the Ice Empress raised Huo Yuhao’s right hand. She pointed a single finger towards the incoming ball of soul power, then gently tapped it.
The white ball of soul power paused distinctly for a moment, then slowed down. The Ice Empress then used the back of Huo Yuhao’s hand to swipe at it, causing it to unexpectedly fly away. However, the speed of Huo Yuhao’s advance didn’t slow in the least.
Ultimate Ice wasn’t just able to freeze humans; it was also able to freeze soul power! It was just as the Ice Empress had said--everything depended on one’s level of control.
The speed of Ye Wuqing’s movements wasn’t slow either. With a flash of light, his soul rings started to rise from his feet.
At this moment, however, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt his entire body go dark. Right after that, he couldn’t see anything else as he directly fell into a deep sleep.
From the point of view of the audience and the two teams within the waiting area, a strange transformation had suddenly occurred in Huo Yuhao’s body. A jade-green pillar of light that was as thick as an arm suddenly shot out from his chest. The instant this pillar of light shot out, everyone was able to see that Huo Yuhao’s vertebrae, sternum, and ribs were emitting an intense jade-green light, even though his body was covered by his clothes.
In the next instant, this jade-green light fell on Ye Wuqing.
The jade-colored light flashed and disappeared right after that.
Ye Wuqing was a Rank 58 Soul King! At this moment, however, his face only had shock on it. After that, Huo Yuhao’s charging figure struck his body.
Ye Wuqing didn’t resist at all as his entire body was forcefully knocked backwards. Just like Yan’er, he directly fell off the tournament stage with a crash. However, Huo Yuhao also fell down. Unlike Ye Wuqing, who fell off the stage, however, the place he fell was still a part of the stage.
This was the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion’s four hundred thousand year soul skill, Ice Empress’ Wrath.
Huo Yuhao had never used this skill in the past; to use this soul skill, one had to at least be a Soul King. This was also the skill with the highest attack power among the four soul skills that the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion had given him.
After adjusting all of the remaining soul power in Huo Yuhao’s body and using her own origin to protect his body, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion used a weakened version of the Ice Empress’ Wrath.
Had it been the original version of the Ice Empress’ Wrath, even Titled Duoluo would have felt the wrath of the Frost Seal immediately. Then, only the Ice Empress would’ve been able to remove the seal. However, her Wrath could barely even deal with Ye Wuqing, who only had a little soul power left and was limited by The Golden Road and whose martial soul had yet to fully recover. Before the consciousness of the Ice Empress returned to Huo Yuhao’s body, it was greatly aggrieved, and already thought to urge Huo Yuhao to quickly enhance his strength once it returned.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Huo Yuhao had passed out. Had he been conscious, he would surely have protested; after all, he was barely thirteen years old!
Huo Yuhao’s hard work ensured that Bei Bei’s sacrifice was not wasted. Justsky Academy’s strongest member, Ye Wuqing had finally been beaten, and was out of the competition.
In terms of numbers, Shrek Academy had three people left, while their opponent’s team only had Shangguan Can left. However, could Shrek Academy really win?
Wang Dong had already rushed out when Huo Yuhao was unconscious, and Shangguan Can also stopped recovering his soul power with the Milk Bottle. A sinister smile crept over Shangguan Can’s face as he watched Wang Dong, looking confident of winning.
Previously, when Huo Yuhao’s soul power had been completely sucked away, Wang Dong had been unable to even utilize his martial soul. Now, he looked like a helpless child. Certainly, Wang Dong was unable to make Shangguan Can feel threatened.
“In the end, I’m still the one who has to put an end to this competition.” Shangguan Can said as he walked slowly towards Wang Dong, Soulsucking Bell in hand. Wang Dong—who’d been running as fast as possible towards Huo Yuhao—stopped in his tracks.
Behind Wang Dong lay a long-unconscious Bei Bei, whose chest was still bleeding. In front of Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao lay similarly unconscious, with his lips pulled tensely together. Seeing this, the look in Wang Dong’s eyes turned fierce.
“I suggest you bring the two of them down, and then leave yourself. You can only pass two rounds; I’m a four-ringed Soul Ancestor, you don’t stand a chance.” Shangguan Can said, sniggering at Wang Dong.
Wang Dong responded coldly, “You’re just a auxiliary-type Soul Ancestor. What makes you so sure you can beat me?”
“Even though I’m an auxiliary-type soul master, I’m still a Soul Ancestor! Notwithstanding how much more soul power I have compared to you, just this Soulsucking Bell in my hand would be sufficient to defeat you. Hurry up kid, I don’t want to waste anymore time with you.”
Shangguan Can got increasingly excited as he spoke, as his heart beat faster and faster.
When he left the competition with the ultimate victory, Shangguan Can would have made history, and his name would surely be written into the annals of Justsky Academy’s history. After this, his title would have to include the fact that he was the first to defeat Shrek Academy in the Elite Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament. Regardless of the standards of the team from Shrek Academy, they were still representatives of Shrek.
I won, I won. It’s truly unexpected that I would ultimately win this competition. Shangguan Can could hardly hide the joy in his heart, and was smiling uncontrollably as he thought about his impending victory.
“Senior Brother Bei Bei once said, don’t assume victory prematurely.” Wang Dong said as he took long strides towards Shangguan Can.
Shangguan Can could have activated his fourth soul skill at this moment and controlled Wang Dong’s spirit, but he wasn’t
in a hurry at all. Shrek Academy’s members always put up such a strong front, and that only made him more determined to crush their persistence.
“It’s futile, do you still not understand that, kid? Your soul power is so depleted now that even your martial soul probably can’t release any power. How are you going to fight me? Just give up quickly, then I won’t hurt you.” Shangguan Can said with a smile. What he wanted to see most was Shrek Academy’s members bowing down in front of him.
Wang Dong walked even faster, and said coldly, “Are you certain that my martial soul is incapable of releasing any power?”
Both parties were now within forty meters of each other.
Shangguan Can seemed speechless for a moment, before he retorted, “So what if you can still release power from your Martial Soul? I’m sure the best you can do is just release your martial soul. I can feel the weakness in your soul. Stop acting brave; from your martial soul, it seems that the battle style that you specialise in is focused on releasing energy, which is one of the styles that requires the most soul power from us
soul masters. You obviously can’t release any soul skills now, so stop pretending, it’s useless.”
Wang Dong took a deep breath, the look in his eyes growing colder. “Who told you that you can’t be defeated without soul skills?” A flash of light passed through his body as he spoke, and a layer of black light seemed to flash past, but not a single Soul Ring appeared. A simple and unsophisticated jet-black hammer appeared in his hand. The hammer was enveloped by a ball of black light. Once the hammer appeared, a strong, thick feeling arose.
Shangguan Can gasped with astonishment, saying, “You Shreks are all freaks, but you don’t stand a chance.” He didn’t dare to hesitate any longer, and started to shake the Soulsucking Bell in his hand forcefully as he spoke. He also activated his fourth soul skill, Spiritual Control, on Wang Dong. Multiple rings flew towards Wang Dong.
A mocking smile appeared on Wang Dong’s upturned lips, and he continued charging forward, ignoring the the spirit- controlling halos that surrounded his body.
At that moment, a light appeared between Wang Dong’s eyebrows, and the ball of golden light expanded at an astonishing speed, growing to a radius of about ten meters, emitting a blinding light.
Shangguan Can screamed, his mouth spewing fresh blood. He felt like his brain was about to split open, and the Soulsucking Bell in his hand was shattered to pieces.
The hammer in Wang Dong’s hand flew out of his hand at this moment, drawing a beautiful and strong arc in the air as it flew straight towards Shangguan Can’s chest.
A figure appeared in front of Shangguan Can’s body just in time. The strong body blocked the path of the hammer, and a “ping” sound could be heard as the hammer hit the body. The figure stepped two steps back to steady himself from the impact of the hammer, and remarked breathlessly, “What a strong force.”
The black light converged, and before anyone could see the hammer that was about to emerge from the black light, it disappeared.
Wang Dong’s body shook a little, but he stood his ground.
Wasn’t that the Soul Sage judge who just blocked the attack for Shangguan Can? The judge’s appearance meant that this competition had finally ended.
“They really won.” Wang Yan watched, dumbstruck, as Wang Dong limped towards Huo Yuhao, his lips trembling. Wang Yan was rendered speechless. He could never have guessed that this team made up of four Soul Ancestors, one Soul Elder and two Soul Grandmasters could have defeated a strong team of three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors.
Yes, even Shrek couldn’t believe it.
He Caitou was also stupefied. When he had lost the round, he had thought that it was the end. After all, the opposing team had still had a Rank 58 Soul King that had not entered the arena.
Yet, a miracle happened again. Although Shrek Academy paid for their victory with blood, they did not lose the glory
that belonged to the Shrek Academy. They won match--Shrek Academy had emerged victorious again!
The whole match could only be described as immensely tragic. From the first round, Xu Sanshi was already badly injured. Although he later exaggerated his injuries, Bei Bei had verified that the source of his injury was genuine.
In the second round, He Caitou had used all his power, and Xiao Xiao had sustained major injuries--even her martial soul was crushed by her opponent. If not for the fact that she was born with two Martial Souls, this would have been a blow serious enough to force her departure from the competition.
The third round didn’t end any better, with Bei Bei unconscious after severe injuries, and Huo Yuhao on the ground, exhausted. Shockingly, the final victory was achieved by Wang Dong, whose soul power had already been completely depleted.
In the three rounds of this match, it could be said that every one of Shrek’s Seven Monsters had tried their very best, and utilised every possible trick they had up their sleeves. They had won through sheer perseverance and will, despite being a
much weaker team than their opponent, gaining the final victory.
This victory was hard-earned, but to the Shrek Academy team and Shrek’s Seven Monsters, it was undoubtedly glorious. An unparalleled glory.
Tears started to course uncontrollably down Wang Yan’s cheeks as he struggled to understand how Wang Dong had summoned a second Martial Soul, and the power with which Huo Yuhao had vanquished his opponent.
The only thought that occupied his head was victory. They had achieved the final victory. Shrek had won.
Victory for Shrek Academy in the Elite Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament hadn’t been so difficult for at least a few thousand years. This competition had certainly been difficult, but in Wang Yan’s heart, this was more meaningful than an easy victory by Shrek Academy’s regular members. He could see seven stars gradually rising. In the near future, these Seven Monsters would definitely become strong pillars of Shrek Academy.
Far away, beyond the Imperial City and the battlements, the Star Luo Emperor had already taken off his crown.
He Caitou, who by this time had recovered slightly, rushed up to the stage and helped Wang Yan hold his teammates. He Caitou was a person who looked simple and straightforward on the outside, but actually harbored a deep hatred in his heart. At this moment, the most outstanding student from Shrek Academy’s Soul Tool Department couldn’t rein in his tears any longer.
Wang Yan temporarily passed the three people in his hands to He Caitou, then stood up. He was no longer able to control the emotions in his heart anymore, and he had to stand in testimony for the venerable and adorable kids he was a teacher of. He took large strides forward and said a few words to the referee, who nodded back at him and passed the sound- amplifying soul tool over to him.
Wang Yan took a deep breath, then used the sound- amplifying soul tool as a medium to say loudly, “Everyone, please quiet down a little. I’m the teacher in charge of Shrek Academy’s team, Wang Yan, and I have a few words to say.”
The atmosphere in Star Luo Plaza now was astonishingly frenzied, but it instantly quieted down upon hearing Wang Yan’s announcement.
The gazes of the audience were all drawn towards the tear- filled Wang Yan.
“Fellow friends, teachers, and students from the various participating academies. You all saw what just happened. For the sake of defending our academy’s glory, my children from Shrek Academy have fought a long, bloody battle to obtain a final victory.”
“I know. A lot of you are asking: why has Shrek Academy suddenly become so weak? Why was it so difficult for Shrek Academy to win? These kids have done all they could to finally create a miracle. This was simply an unwinnable match! They relied on their own willpower to persevere under all this, but why would a situation like this occur?”
“This is a story known only to a few people in the academy, and I shouldn’t say anything about it. However, I can’t hold it in anymore; I have to stand in place of these venerable, admirable, and adorable children of mine to testify.”
“Our Shrek Academy is known as the continent’s number one academy by everyone here, and we made ample preparations for this year’s tournament like everyone else. However, none of the participating students you see in front of you were official members; they were preparatory team members who came here to gain some experience. They aren’t representing our academy to take part in this tournament because we decided to give them this much experience; it’s because we had no other choice.”
At this point, the various representative teams from the various academies, the populace, and even the Emperor, who was originally planning to leave the city walls, felt curiosity in their hearts.
“Before we came to Star Luo City to participate in this tournament, our academy’s official and preparatory teams were assigned to do something else. We were to eliminate a group of bandits that were led by an evil soul master in the Ming Dou Mountain Range. They were a group of bandits who wantonly killed, robbed, and committed every imaginable evil act. For the sake of the safety of the merchants and common people who live in the Ming Dou Mountain Range, our Shrek Academy decided to take it upon ourselves to solve this problem. Finally, we found those bandits and their leader in a
cave. We completely dominated them in terms of strength, but that evil soul master used an evil skill to detonate the corpses of his fellow bandits. Due to the large number of dead bandits, that detonation caused severe injuries to our official team members. One of which died, and the other six received injuries to different extents. Of which, we’ve sent a few back to the academy to recuperate. The academy didn’t have enough time to send more people, and thus we came here with a disjointed team. A few of our official team members who have lighter injuries are still resting in the hotel, and the only people we have who can come up are these preparatory team members.
“In reality, even the first match that we participated in was extremely tough for us. This team was only able to slowly get to this stage by diligently working together. For the sake of Shrek’s glory, they have already given all they can, and as a teacher of Shrek Academy, I am proud of them. They will always be Shrek Academy’s most dazzling students.”
“The reason why I chose to stand in front of all of you today is because I wish for everyone here who has placed their hopes on Shrek Academy to not criticise these kids too harshly. Of the seven of them, there are even three who are only twelve years old! The other four aren’t even fifteen yet. What more
can we ask of them? Even if we lose this tournament, in my heart, they have won. That is all. Thank you, everyone.”
With that, Wang Yan handed the sound-amplifying soul tool to the referee, and bowed deeply towards the audience. Only then did he return to He Caitou’s side and bring the three unconscious people down from the stage. The audience remained silent for a few seconds. Nobody cheered, but what replaced it was the sound of intense clapping. It started out soft, but it infected the entire arena. Even Shrek’s opponents and the Emperor and his ministers above the city walls were clapping for Shrek Academy.
The enigma behind Shrek Academy’s team was finally solved. It was exactly this that stunned everyone present. This was especially true for Wang Yan’s last words; there were actually three of these kids who were only twelve years old!
As their opponents, Justsky Academy felt like they couldn’t raise their heads at all. They had lost. Not only had they lost to Shrek Academy’s preparatory team, but they had lost to such young opponents.
Naturally, there were two exceptions to this. Ye Wuqing and Yan’er were still stuck in Huo Yuhao’s Frost Seal, and no matter how hard the medical soul masters sent by the tournament’s organisational committee tried, they were unable to melt the ice that covered them.
Protected by a large number of medical personnel and soul masters from the empire, Shrek Academy once again left the arena. Only, their departure was filled with a moving and tragic air. The audience wasn’t even sure whether or not they could participate in the next match.
They truly didn’t wish for this tournament to lose the presence of Shrek Academy. They weren’t just the continent’s number one academy, but one that could make its students go crazy to defend it. Without them, this tournament would definitely lose its luster.
Chapter 95: The Top 10 Savage Beasts
Xiao Hongchen exchanged a look with her younger sister, Meng Hongchen, then laughed bitterly. “Shrek… what an Academy. Did you hear? Those little fellows are only 12 years old; over 2 years younger than us! They will be our rivals in 5 years.”
Meng Hongchen was still unconvinced. “So what? They’ll never rival our abilities.”
Xiao Hongchen forced a laugh. “But I’m fearful. Not because of their prowess, nor because of their twin martial souls, but because of their unwavering and intimidating spirit, something that’s unique to Shrek Academy. As for us, we lack of all these.”
Meng Hongchen chewed on her words, and after a moment of silence, she lowered her voice and said, “Brother, can you understand why are they so stubborn? Is it worth it? This is only a competition! Are they not worried that they will end up sustaining critical injuries that will lead to a regression in their abilities, or even permanent disability?
Ma Rulong appeared beside them suddenly and said in a deep voice, “We are unaware because we are not members of Shrek. Yesterday, we received news from the academy that Shrek Academy sent us invitations. They cordially invite members of our academy over for an exchange. The academy has already
chosen the two of you to lead the group, and we hope that the two of you can satisfy your thirst for knowledge and find what you seek in Shrek Academy.”
Xiao Hongchen’s eyes betrayed a look of obvious astonishment. She nodded her head after a moment of stupefaction and said, “Okay.”
When Huo Yuhao regained consciousness, he felt intense pain pulsing through his body. The pain seemed to originate from his bone marrow, and from there to his skeleton, his passageways, his organs, and even his brain. Every single part of his body was throbbing in agony.
He groaned from the acute discomfort. Fortunately, his mind was clear. He relied on his resolute determination and gradually repressed these painful sensations, eventually adapting to them.
He did not rush to look outside as he closed his eyes. The soft and comfortable mattress told him that he was already back in the hotel. His first observation was the state of his physical body. He was able to acutely sense the changes in every part of his body with only his immense spiritual power and without
using any skills at all.
Upon closer inspection, Huo Yuhao realized that there was nothing amiss with his body. Even his soul power had regenerated on its own, to around 20% of its full strength. He also had no idea why his body ached so much, especially the swelling pain in the trunk of his body and in his passageways. He couldn’t help but recall the time when he had fused with the bones and essence of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion; he didn’t just feel pain, he also had to endure an intense itch – that was the most unbearable feeling.
The bones of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion? Huo Yuhao had a sudden epiphany. Yes, it must be because the Ice Empress had channeled the power of her bones, and he himself had actually used a four hundred thousand year soul bone’s power twice in a row within a short period of time. It was no wonder his body was rebelling; it was already a miracle that his passageways and his bones were not majorly affected.
With that in mind, Huo Yuhao immediately concentrated on channeling the soul power in his body according to the Mysterious Heaven Technique. The technique itself had rejuvenating qualities in and of itself, and was thus the most optimal choice.
Indeed, once his soul power circulated through his body, he began to feel cool sensations coursing through his body, and his pain was instantly reduced considerably.
As the pain receded, his mind became clearer and more lucid. The first question he thought of was, “Did we win?”
There was no way he could answer his own question. All he could remember was that he seemed to call for aid from the Ice Empress, and when the Ice Empress made her move, he blacked out, and everything that came after that was unknown to him.
He had sacrificed way too much for this competition. How could he not be concerned about the outcome? He murmured under his breath even before he opened his eyes, “Did we win?”
“Don’t worry, victory is ours. We defended the honor and glory of Shrek,” a tender voice rang out from beside his ears. Once he heard these words, a wave of indescribable relief flowed through his entire body. He felt his entire body relax as he was bathed in tranquility.
We won, we won. We managed to protect the honor and dignity of Shrek.
After a tiny moment of exhilaration with that reply in mind, he wanted to open his eyes. However, he eventually fell into a deep sleep – the toll on his body was simply too great, and he needed some time to recuperate.
“You guys are so powerful!” The person that was sitting beside Huo Yuhao’s bed, and who had conveyed the news of their victory to him was the appointed group leader of the squad sent forth to participate in the competition, Ma Xiaotao.
The competition was over, and Huo Yuhao and all the others were either injured or expended. Wang Dong’s condition was the most positive, but even he had gone out like a light and fainted in the end. Only Jiang Nannan was able to retain her consciousness.
Under such a circumstance, how could Wang Yan cope on his own? He could only inform Ma Xiaotao, whose injuries had recovered significantly by now, as well as Dai Yaoheng and Ling Luochen. As for the situation with the competition, he could no longer conceal the truth, and neither did he want to do so
anymore.
After listening to Wang Yan’s recounting of what had happened, Ma Xiaotao and the two others fell into a deep silence. Along with Wang Yan, they bore the heavy responsibility of taking care of Huo Yuhao and the others.
Wang Yan accompanied the therapists sent forth by the Star Luo Empire to care for Xiao Xiao and Bei Bei, who were both heavily injured. Dai Yaoheng was responsible for He Caitou, while Ling Luochen took care of Wang Dong. Ma Xiaotao was naturally watching over Huo Yuhao.
Jiang Nannan had to take care of Xu Sanshi (that lucky chap!); no matter how reluctant she was, as she couldn’t just leave him to die. There was nobody else left, and in light of his heavily damaged vitality and outstanding performance, she took it upon herself to take care of Xu Sanshi.
This was the night after the competition, and Huo Yuhao woke up momentarily in a daze. Wang Dong was just as expended and exhausted, but for some reason, he was still stuck in a deep sleep. He Caitou was naturally stronger, and was in a much better state after a series of treatments.
Even Bei Bei, who was more heavily injured, was awake by now. Only Xiao Xiao, who was in a far more dire state, remained unconscious, though her injuries had stabilized – it was hard to say how long she would need to fully recover.
The Star Luo Empire deployed their best medical resources to aid them in their recovery.
Ma Xiaotao drew a blanket over Huo Yuhao and caressed his hair. Her face was extremely serene and endearing as she whispered, “Yuhao, do you know? Do you know that I am angry, and I’m angry with myself? I am the group leader, and all this should’ve been my responsibility, but I gave it all to you guys instead. Rest assured, we will soon bear the mantle of defending Shrek’s glory, and I will let everyone know that Shrek Academy will not be bullied or disgraced.”
Her voice was soft and gentle, but one could see a cold fog of in the deepest recesses of her eyes.
Her loss of ground against the Evil Soul Master had heavily affected her. In this competition, Huo Yuhao and the others’ performance also made her extremely agitated. She had never felt such belligerence before.
The next time Huo Yuhao came to, it was already the next morning. His physique had undergone a drastic change after the infusion of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion’s bones. This time, his exhaustion did not just stem from the expenditure of his soul power; more substantially, it came from when the Ice Empress was manipulating his body and channeled the true power of the bones – his body was nearly unable to withstand the pressure.
After a day and night of recuperation, in addition to the natural regenerative abilities of his bones and bodily functions, he felt a lot better than before.
Ma Xiaotao drifted into his sight the moment he opened his eyes.
Ma Xiaotao was not clad in red like she usually was. Instead, she was wearing a cascading white dress and was just quietly sitting there, with her flowing pink hair hanging loosely behind her back. There was an enchanting beauty and tranquility about her.
“Sister Xiaotao,” Huo Yuhao shouted in shock.
Ma Xiaotao grinned and said, “What? Are you feeling better?”
Huo Yuhao sensed the state of his body. His soul power was almost fully replenished, and even though he could feel throbbing aches all over his body, his passageways were intact. The sentence spoken by the Ice Empress when she took over his body floated into his mind.
Control – you must be able to control every single ounce of power in your body with meticulous accuracy, and only then can you defeat a stronger opponent.
The true power of the Ice Empress was not something that his current body could handle. However, after the first
channeling of her power, the reason why his body was hurt but not damaged was due to the Ice Empress’ perfect control! The impeccable manipulation was simply spectacular and breathtaking to him.
“I’m feeling a lot better.” Huo Yuhao struggled to get up, and his blanked slipped down from his shoulders. He suddenly realized that there wasn’t a single thread on his body as he gasped and reflexively hugged himself across his chest.
“Haha.” Ma Xiaotao chuckled as she watched his awkward display of embarrassment. “Seriously? It’s not as if I haven’t seen your little ‘peanut’ before.”
Huo Yuhao’s mouth hung agape as he felt his face flush with hot blood. His cheeks were red and puffed out as he exclaimed once again, “It’s not a peanut!”
Ma Xiaotao couldn’t control her amusement any longer as she laughed heartily. Her actions were faintly elegant as she said, “I guess it’s true that no matter how old you are, males will always have an unrivaled ego about that thing. Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Since there’s nothing you need to do,
go wash up and grab a bite. Then you will rest,” she stood up as she spoke and stretched her back lazily.
She had been watching over Huo Yuhao for an entire night. No matter how powerful her abilities were, she hadn’t fully healed from her own injuries, and it was inevitable that she felt a little exhausted. Her stretch instantly placed her perfect and even slightly exaggerated curves in front of Huo Yuhao, and caused his little guy to flush even more.
At this moment, the door opened, and somebody walked in. From that person’s perspective, he just witnessed Ma Xiaotao stretching her back, and the half-naked Huo Yuhao, whose cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.
“You… you guys…” Wang Dong gasped as he stood at the doorway, stunned at the sight before his eyes, which started to grow red.
Ma Xiaotao stretched once more before she sauntered to the door and came up in front of Wang Dong. She tapped him lightly on the head. “Don’t think about all this nonsense at such a young age. I think he’s fine, and you look like you’ve recovered as well. Go grab a bite together,” she said as she pushed the door open and stepped out.
This light tap on the head knocked Wang Dong to his senses and he instantly reoriented himself. He scratched his head and laughed at himself – yes! We’re only twelve years old.
“How are you, Yuhao? You look like you were just violated,” Wang Dong snapped.
Huo Yuhao dove right back under his blanket. “Xiaotao was right – your head is just full of nonsense with all that talk of violation. She said we won, so please tell me, how did we win?”
Wang Dong grunted and sat down on the same stool that Ma Xiaotao had just gotten up from. “Of course it was done with a single hammer stroke from my Soul Elder that silenced them all.”
Huo Yuhao was a little confused, and asked curiously, “Was I not the one that dealt the winning blow?” Even though he didn’t know what had happened, he had absolute faith in the powers of the Ice Empress.
Wang Dong recounted the final scenes of the battle in detail, including the part where he threw out the hammer.
“A hammer? Truly a masterstroke! That must be your second Martial Soul. What’s it called?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
Wang Dong watched his face of plain calmness and asked with amused impertinence, “Aren’t you surprised that I have two Martial Souls?”
Huo Yuhao grunted and answered, “What’s so surprising about that? I’ve known that all along.”
“Eh?” Wang Dong glared and opened his eyes wide. “No way!
I’ve never revealed my second Martial Soul before!”
Huo Yuhao laughed mischievously and said, “But our Martial Souls have fused before. Don’t you know the requirements for a Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Teacher Wang Yan said it before – even though a Martial Soul Fusion Skill doesn’t require both parties to have the same Martial Souls, they have to be compatible with each other. The strength of the Martial Soul Fusion is also intricately connected to our compatibility, and our compatibility rate was so high that even Teacher Wang said it was extremely rare. How can it be that I have two martial souls and you only have one? I will never believe that! So, even though I don’t know what it is, I’ve always known you had a second martial soul.”
“Then why have you never asked?” Wang Dong murmured as he lowered his head.
Huo Yuhao shrugged. “Why would I? Everybody has their own secrets. Even though we are the best of friends, probing into others’ secrets is not a good thing. Everybody needs personal space, no?”
Wang Dong raised his head once again as he glanced at Huo Yuhao with a look of astonishment. “That means that you have a secret that I don’t know about! Quick, spill it!”
Huo Yuhao chortled and said with resolute righteousness, “Over my dead body!”
A cunning look came over Wang Dong’s face. “So you won’t say it unless I beat you till you’re dead?” He pounced on Huo Yuhao as he spoke.
“Help!” Huo Yuhao screamed as they fought into a bundle with the blanket separating them.
Wang Dong tugged on the blanket and Huo Yuhao, who was hiding underneath it, was instantly completely exposed…
“Ah…”A shrill cry came out from Wang Dong’s mouth as he saw the said “little peanut” that Ma Xiaotao was just talking about.
Huo Yuhao snatched the blanket back and glared at Wang Dong with furious eyes. “You gangster – you even want to peep at people of the same gender?”
Wang Dong recovered at the same time and shot back, “So you’ve peeped at people of the opposite gender?”
“I… Of course I haven’t!” Huo Yuhao denied, but the glorious images of his tryst with Ma Xiaotao inside Sea God’s Lake slowly drifted into his head. For young men, it is normal to have such fantasies as long as one doesn’t lose control.
Wang Dong leapt down from the bed with puffy cheeks and said, “Alright, go wash up and get dressed now so we can eat. I came to see you as soon as I woke up, so I’m famished. I haven’t eaten anything since the competition yesterday.”
As he spoke, he turned around and strolled over to the sofa on the side and closed his eyes as he turned away from Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao got out of bed as well and stretched his body, feeling sore all over. However, after a night’s rest and the
natural healing abilities of the Mysterious Heaven Technique, his mobility was not affected.
“You’re right, it’s time to grab a bite. We should continue training and healing once we’re done eating. My overdraft from the competition is serious, and my passageways are swelling with discomfort. We still have another round of the competition tomorrow, so we have to try our best to recover today. We’ve only cleared a single challenging hurdle – eh? Who’s that?”
As they were speaking to each other, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt an ominous tinge of alarm flash by in his head as he glanced towards the window subconsciously.
Following the continuous rise in his abilities and his training of the spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual awareness was a lot sharper than before. In addition to that fact, the arriving party had no intention to mask himself or herself, so Huo Yuhao detected the intruder at the first possible instance.
In a flash, a single person appeared before Huo Yuhao. Fortunately, he was properly dressed at this point, and his “little peanut” wasn’t exposed.
The person who came was an elder, who was scraggy and of average height. However, he seemed to be brimming with energy. On the surface, he appeared to be around 60 years old, and his short hair was dark-brown. His gaze was filled with passion and vigor as it landed on Huo Yuhao. An invisible
pressure bore down on Huo Yuhao and stifled him instantly.
Wang Dong, whose eyes were originally shut, immediately bounced up upon hearing Huo Yuhao’s voice and stood beside him. There was no doubt that the elderly man who had come in through the window didn’t harbor good intentions.
The elderly man did not respond. As he raised his right hand, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt their eyes go dark as the surrounding light dimmed. A frightening soul power that left them fetid permeated the entire room in an instant.
At this point, they felt like they were trapped in a cage, without even a chance to struggle and resist.
As he watched the elderly man, Huo Yuhao was bewildered. He had never seen this man before and neither did he know what he was here for.
“Elder, who are you? Are you here to find me?” Huo Yuhao posed the same question again. At the same time, he lifted his hand to protect Wang Dong, who was behind him.
Both he and Wang Dong did not unleash their martial souls at this moment, as they could sense the immense gap between them and this elderly man in front of them. He was not someone that could be resisted easily even if they teamed up together against him. Since this was the case, unleashing their martial souls could have the undesirable effect of provoking the elderly man. At the very least, they had to clarify the situation first.
The elderly man snorted as he cast his piercing and vigorous gaze on Huo Yuhao’s face. He said indifferently, “Tell me, which human form of the Ten Great Savage Beasts are you? While you have concealed yourself well, you can’t fool me, even though you might fool others.”
Huo Yuhao was incredulous as he replied, “What do you mean, Ten Great Savage Beasts? Elder, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You have no idea what I am talking about? Stop pretending; it’s useless. Don’t even think of trying to escape. With your current abilities, you don’t stand a chance against me. I have already sealed this place with my soul power. Neither your voice nor your body will have a single shred of a chance of escaping.”
Huo Yuhao furrowed his brows. “Elder, I have seriously no idea what you’re talking about or why you are here.”
The elderly man guffawed and seemed to be very proud of himself, “Very well, since you’re not going to admit anything, I shall expose you then. I shall let you die convinced.”
As he spoke, the elderly man stepped forward and his aura erupted, forcing Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong to retreat uncontrollably. They even fell back onto the sofa.
“I am Cheng Gang, the Protector Douluo of the Star Luo Empire. On that day, how did you manage to emerge victorious over your opponent during the competition between Shrek Academy and Justsky Academy?”
After hearing his words, Huo Yuhao’s heart could not help but skip a beat, as he understood what the elderly man was talking about. While Huo Yuhao was not exceptionally smart, he had become much more intelligent after he fused with the Skydream Iceworm. Not only was he much more mature than
others of the same age, he was also more pensive. He now understood that the elderly man could have sensed the aura of the Ice Empress, which explained the man’s previous question. The elderly man had taken him for the human form of a hundred thousand year soul beast!
As Cheng Gang looked at the stunned Huo Yuhao, he assumed that Huo Yuhao was feeling guilty over what he said and added, “During the competition, you were forced to use your origin power, am I right? At that moment, you inevitably revealed the aura that you originally possessed. To others, they might not have noticed, but you can’t escape my sharp eyes. My Martial Soul contains a spiritual sense that is extremely sensitive. At the very first moment, I had already felt your aura.”
“Let me think, among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, only two of them belong in the ice-type category. One of them is the Snow Lady, who is ranked third, and the other is the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, who is ranked eighth. Which of them are you?”
Huo Yuhao was truly stunned by the judgment of the elderly man now. Besides the fact that he was not the human form of a Soul Beast, this elderly man’s judgment was flawless.
While the elderly man referred to her by a different name, Huo Yuhao could tell that the Snow Lady that the elderly man was talking about was actually the Snow Empress, as the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion called her. As for the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, wouldn’t it be referring to the Ice Empress herself?
What was it with these Ten Great Savage Beasts? The Titan Snow Devil King, ranked last among the Three Heavenly Kings in the Extreme North, was not even included. As for the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, she was even only ranked eighth among the Ten Savage Beasts. The rankings were indeed frightening and astonishing!
“Alright, you don’t have to act foolish anymore. You won’t stand a chance. I never expected my luck to be so good – that I would manage to catch one of the Ten Great Savage Beasts today. Whether you are the Snow Lady or the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion King, my reward will be an entire set of transcendent soul bones. Haha, hahahaha.”
As he spoke, the elderly man extended his hand towards Huo Yuhao, trying to grab hold of him.
Huo Yuhao did not resist, as both he and Wang Dong were completely helpless against the elderly man. The immense Titled Douluo-level abilities of the elderly man allowed him to summon his soul power to suppress their actions.
Once he grabbed hold of Huo Yuhao, the elderly man tightened his grip on Huo Yuhao’s neck using his other hand. A gush of vast soul power surged instantly into Huo Yuhao’s body.
At this point, Huo Yuhao felt his body swelling up like a balloon. Regardless of whether it was the Skydream Iceworm, the Ice Empress or Electrolux, they did not react. Against an invincible opponent, none of them could save him with this diminutive figure of his.
Huo Yuhao felt that the whole situation was absurd. Am I just going to ridiculously die like that? It was only his first time
seeing Cheng Gang! Furthermore, he was not even any form of Soul Beast.
“Oh? Something’s not right.” Cheng Gang was suddenly dazed, and the soul power that he had injected into Huo Yuhao’s body suddenly stalled. Following that, he swiftly rushed to the bedside and flung Huo Yuhao onto the bed. After that, both of his hands slapped Huo Yuhao’s body rapidly.
This time, the surge of soul power was considerably less than before. Huo Yuhao could only feel a numbing sensation originating from the bones all around his body. He could not tell whether he was comfortable or feeling awful as this sensation coursed through his entire body. But Cheng Gang’s dense soul power did agitate the circulation of blood in his veins, which alleviated the overbearing pain caused by the Ice Empress.
As Cheng Gang increased the frequency of his slaps on Huo Yuhao’s body with his palms, his expression became more and more dismal too.
Finally, he wrenched Huo Yuhao from the bed and dragged him in front of him, bellowing, “Are you not the rebirth of a
savage beast?”
Huo Yuhao stared at him coldly, “Since when did I tell you that I am the rebirth of a savage beast? I am a true, living human being!”
Cheng Gang reacted to his words like a deflated balloon and threw Huo Yuhao onto the bed violently. Then, he said depressingly, “How is this possible, how is this possible? I clearly sensed the aura of a savage beast! I can’t be wrong. Only extremely powerful savage beasts will possess such a strong undulation of life force!”
Under the suppression of his soul power, Huo Yuhao was immobile. However, he could still speak, “That’s because of your own greed. There’s no harm in telling you, my Ice Martial Soul is indeed the Ice Jade Scorpion.”
Cheng Gang’s face was struck with a look of revelation. “So that’s the case. So that’s the case… It’s just that... how are you able to make the aura of the martial soul of your Ice Jade Scorpion appear with traces of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion? This is impossible! Moreover, how did the martial soul of the
Ice Jade Scorpion appear? I have never heard of anyone who possesses such a martial soul.”
With regards to this Titled Douluo elder who had appeared so abruptly, Huo Yuhao was extremely riled up, and he bellowed in rage, “How should I know? Aren’t you the Titled Douluo here? You should know better than I do. But you came here to grab me before even clarifying the situation?”
“Forget it, Yuhao. This elder is not being deliberate here either.” Wang Dong finally spoke, and his voice in an unusual, tender tone. He even coupled the smile on his face with adulation. “People cannot avoid making mistakes. Elder Cheng might be a super expert, a Titled Douluo, but it’s inevitable that he will make mistakes too. He’s not doing this on purpose, and he didn’t cause you any real harm either. Just forget it.”
As he said that, Wang Dong even shot a look at Huo Yuhao.
They had been partners for such long time, to the point where they were practically telepathic. Huo Yuhao felt his heart skip a beat as he instantly understood what Wang Dong was trying to do and scowled at himself – he wasn’t as calm as Wang Dong in such a crucial moment!
Only the three of them were inside the room at this moment, and the entire room had been sealed off. If this Titled Douluo wanted to cover up what had just transpired, or if he suddenly felt murderous and wanted to silence them forever, then nobody could save them!
However, a sudden change in attitude wasn’t the way to go either. Huo Yuhao grunted once and stopped talking entirely.
Cheng Gang growled, “It’s just my bad luck. You two little kids better watch your mouths.”
Wang Dong inquired, “I haven’t asked – what is your title?”
Cheng Gang snorted indifferently and said, “Neither of you are worthy of knowing it.” As he spoke, he waved his right hand and withdrew the soul power in the room. With that, he leapt through the window, and his figure vanished.
Only when they couldn’t feel that intense pressure anymore did Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao heave a heavy sigh of relief at the same time. They could sense how close they had been to
death in front of power as real as what had just stood before them.
Huo Yuhao walked up to close the window once again. He clenched his fists tightly and turned to Wang Dong. “We were bullied and humiliated just because we’re weak. I will remember his humiliation by heart, and I will avenge it.”
Wang Dong didn’t respond directly, instead changing the subject. “Wash up, let’s go eat.”
“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged and stepped into the bathroom. At this moment, he felt as if the dormant Skydream Iceworm and Ice Jade Empress Scorpion had just woken from their slumber.
“There are truly many talented individuals hiding in plain sight. I only released a single strand of my aura that day, and I was instantly discovered. How dangerous. However, it was only a weak Titled Douluo. Who knew that a day like this would come, when a person with abilities as weak as his could stomp around arrogantly before me. Back in the day, I would have turned him into an ice statue.”
The Ice Empress’ voice was filled with fury and exasperation.
Huo Yuhao sighed and asked, “Ice Empress, what are the Ten Great Savage Beasts?”
The Ice Empress knew that he was feeling a little despondent, and thus explained patiently, “The Ten Great Savage Beasts is a term used by humans to refer to the ten most powerful Soul Beasts on the mainland. It’s only a ranking given to the few that they know. That guy is an idiot – once we break through the two hundred thousand year mark, we cannot be reborn into a human anymore. The weakest of the Ten Great Savage Beasts have already had more than three hundred thousand years to reach mastery – how can they take human forms? He didn’t even consider that.”
Huo Yuhao was distracted by this discussion about the Ten Savage Beasts. “Who is on the list? I didn’t know that there were so many Transcendent Soul Beasts.”
The Ice Empress answered, “You wouldn’t know even if I told you. However, the Ten Savage Beasts may not be the most powerful soul beasts. Put simply, the older a soul beast is, the more powerful it becomes. However, the list curated by
humans doesn’t include the oceanic soul beasts. Even if the list only included the soul beasts on land, it doesn’t include entities like Skydream, who train through hibernation, and other powerful entities who haven’t been discovered by you humans.”
“Oceanic soul beasts? Are they powerful?” Huo Yuhao asked in astonishment.
The Ice Empress replied without hesitation. “Of course they are powerful. However, the truly powerful ones all reside in the deepest abyss of the ocean. Furthermore, humans have limited abilities to venture into the sea, so the oceanic soul beasts aren’t disturbed by humans as much as the soul beasts on land. Thus overall, they are collectively more powerful than the soul beasts on land. However, the competition for survival in the ocean is a lot crueler, so the various breeds of soul beasts in the ocean are a lot larger than those on land. Therefore, even powerful oceanic soul beasts run the risk of death if they meet an even more terrifying species of soul beast. This is the reason why I cannot confirm whether oceanic soul beasts can rival the most powerful soul beast on land.”
Huo Yuhao nodded in acknowledgement and asked, “Who’s topping the list of Ten Savage Beasts? What’s his power like?”
“I’m not too sure myself,” The Ice Empress answered, “You should ask the Skydream Iceworm, maybe he’ll know. All I know is that the leader of the Ten Savage Beasts resides in the Great Star Dou Forest. However, I don’t think he’s more powerful than the Snow Empress.”
“Right, Brother Skydream, how could I forget about you? You have a million years of soul power – you should be considered one of the savage beasts, shouldn’t you?”
“Him? A savage beast?” Before the Skydream Iceworm could respond, the Ice Empress dismissed his comment. “He’s just a gluttonous bug, he can’t be considered a savage beast. If not for his ‘contributions’ to the Great Star Dou Forest, there wouldn’t have been so many powerful soul beasts there.”
The Skydream Iceworm was indignant and retorted, “Isn’t your bloodline better? If you had just played nice and followed me, we would have been able to combine our powers as husband and wife, and we would have reigned supreme over the world!”
The Ice Empress laughed coldly and said, “Husband and wife? Are you even worthy? I think you’re only worthy enough to be my food. If you had just let me gobble you up back then, I might have actually become the most powerful individual on the mainland.”
The Skydream Iceworm did not flatter the Ice Empress as much as before anymore. Perhaps it was due to his realization that his chances with the Ice Empress weren’t too great anyway, but he had decided to toughen up. “Eat, all you know to do is eat. Are you a scorpion or a pig?”
“Do you wish to die?” the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion muttered darkly.
The Skydream Iceworm fearlessly exclaimed, “Come! Bite me! Since we’re all locusts on the same string, Yuhao will die if I die, and you will be gone if he dies. Hmph.”
“Okay, stop arguing. Let’s just go to sleep.” Huo Yuhao tapped himself on the head as he felt a headache coming on.
The Ice Empress said, “Yuhao, your body is slowly recovering. You should work hard to break through to Rank 30; then you’ll be able to control my powers more smoothly – at least, you’ll be able to protect yourself much better.”
“Yes,” Huo Yuhao answered.
At this point, the frail old voice of Electrolux rang out. “Obtain that Ominous Soul-Devouring Carving Knife as quickly as you can. It holds great meaning for you, and for me as well. With it, my consciousness will no longer run the risk of dissipating.”
“Okay.” Compared to the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress, Huo Yuhao was more deferential towards the Electrolux, and even trusted his words more. He wasn’t just calm and composed. He used to be a human himself!
Once he finished washing up, Huo Yuhao went out for a meal with Wang Dong. Neither of them mentioned anything about what had just transpired – even though their opponent had been a Titled Douluo, it had still been a great humiliation. Furthermore, their team were the only members of Shrek Academy inside Star Luo City, as they were the contest
participants, and the leader of the entire group was Teacher Wang Yan, who was only a Soul King. Who could seek justice for them? That guy was a Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire! This humiliation would be forever imprinted in their hearts.
Chapter 96: A Battle Between Titled Douluos
Cheng Gang, the Protector Douluo, left the Grand Imperial Star Hotel. There was no need to even mention how depressed he was feeling.
The instant he had sensed the aura of the savage , he had felt as if the blood in his body was boiling. As a Titled Douluo, he was naturally aware that when a soul beast reached a hundred thousand years of cultivation, it could choose to re-cultivate to become a human. Otherwise, it could attempt to break through the exceedingly perilous bottleneck. After two hundred thousand years of cultivation, a soul beast could no longer cultivate to become a human anymore.
However, he had indeed sensed the aura that had come from Huo Yuhao’s body! Spurred by his own greed, he could not help but ponder how humans did not fully comprehend soul beasts. Perhaps there was some special circumstance? Maybe soul beasts had researched a special method of undergoing cultivation?
With such a mindset, he had gone looking for Huo Yuhao this morning with an elevated heartbeat. But who knew that things would turn out to be the complete opposite of what he had expected? After inspecting Huo Yuhao’s body, he had gleaned nothing from it. Even if a soul beast turned into a human, the
condition of the soul beast’s body would be starkly dissimilar from that of a true human being. In particular, the method of circulating soul power was something that could not escape the eyes of a powerful individual, a Titled Douluo, like him. However, Huo Yuhao body clearly reflected his identity as a real human.
As his hopes had been dashed, it was no wonder that Cheng Gang was currently crestfallen.
With his current status in the Star Luo Empire, it was relatively easy for him to obtain a Soul Bone. While soul bones were rare, there were still some that could be acquired. However, Cheng Gang was a conceited man. He had been searching for the most suitable and outstanding soul bone for himself. Ordinary soul bones hardly caught his eye. Despite this, he had yet to procured a soul bone for himself even though he had cultivated to the level of a Titled Douluo. After all, when top-quality soul bones appeared on the market, their prices were astronomical. Even though the Star Luo Empire supported him, they wouldn’t go to such an extent for him.
“What luck, damn it. I hope those rascals have some tact. Otherwise, offending Shrek Academy for no valid reason won’t be good for me. But then, I didn’t really do anything either.”
“You should be glad that you didn’t do anything to harm them.” A cold voice sounded in his mind.
“Who is that?” It was still in the afternoon, and the sun was still bearing down. With Cheng Gang’s cultivation, everything within a thousand-meter radius would be within his range of sensation. However, he had not realized the presence of the person whose voice he had just heard.
“I am your daddy. Your daddy is waiting for you outside the west gate. Obedient child, come over now.” That cold voice started to sound weird and piercing all of a sudden.
“Bastard, you dare to use a soul tool to make a fool of me.” Cheng Gang’s figure flashed, and he made his way towards the direction of the west gate as if he were a puff of smoke. To him, if even a Titled Douluo could not detect the presence of the other party, then the other party must certainly be using some form of peculiar soul tool to avoid detection.
He had always been a very direct person, and very passionate towards martial arts. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to capture Huo Yuhao. He was still within Star Luo City and could wait for Shrek Academy to leave before making a move. But right now, he was extremely down, and thus he didn’t deliberate before making his way to the west gate under the prompting of the voice he had heard.
After leaving the city through the west gate, Cheng Gang became calmer. He squinted his eyes, and a weird change started to develop in his pupils. Both his eyes started to turn pure black, as all semblance of white disappeared. Following that, the pure black color in his eyes split into small pupils at an alarming rate. Under such conditions, his sensitivity increased severalfold. Although he did not possess the soul skill of spiritual detection like Huo Yuhao, his detection abilities were similar to that of spiritual detection at this point. Almost everything within his vision could be sensed by him at this moment.
However, he discovered nothing.
Outside the west gate, there was no one among the bustling crowd that caught his attention. Everything seemed to be as
normal as ever. However, the more it was like that, the more uneasy Cheng Gang felt. He knew that something was amiss.
“Continue to proceed west.” At this point, the voice from before sounded again.
As he focused on sensing his surroundings, Cheng Gang was shocked when he heard the voice. At the same time, a chill developed in his heart. What form of soul tool was it that could escape his detection?
A shred of discomfort caused him to retreat one step subconsciously.
“Are you trying to escape? Are you not afraid that I will tear down Star Luo City?” A wave of might suddenly swept across him. With Cheng Gang’s cultivation, he felt as if his blood was solidifying along with this sudden might that swept across.
It was pertinent to note that he was a Titled Douluo! Ever since he had become one, he had never felt such fear before. However, the pressure that was being exerted on him now was very obvious. What left him even more stupefied was the fact
that everyone around him did not seem to react at all. This meant that the frightening pressure being exerted on him was only targeted towards him.
This was the most terrifying part. To be able to control one’s might to this standard, even Cheng Gang could not do so.
“Who exactly are you?” Cheng Gang replied to the other party through the communication bridge in their spirits that the other party had set up.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the west. If you don’t come, I will make my move on Star Luo City. I shall give you 3 seconds to consider. 1, 2…”
“Fine, I’ll go.” As the Protector Douluo of the Star Luo Empire, Cheng Gang naturally could not allow this unknown, yet powerful individual to make a move on the city. When a Titled Douluo unleashed all his power, he had the daunting ability of causing mass destruction! Furthermore, through his interaction with this mysterious individual, he could clearly sense the fury that this person contained, although he had no killing intent.
Cheng Gang did stall any further, and proceeded west immediately. That voice did not appear anymore. At this point, he did not reckon that the other party was using any form of soul tool anymore. When the might of the other party had swept over him just now, he had realized that the other party was an outstanding Titled Douluo just like him. However, he was fearless. He yearned for competition against those at the same level as him. He believed that this was the only way that he could improve himself. While the other party possessed a mighty stature, Cheng Gang was aware that some unusual martial souls specialized in reflecting such mighty stature. This
didn’t mean that the other party was necessarily more
powerful than him.
After advancing for roughly 10 miles, Cheng Gang stopped in his tracks. He did so because he saw someone sitting in the middle of the road not far away from him. It was an elderly man who appeared to be greasy from head to toe, and who had unkempt hair. In his left hand, there was a chicken drumstick, and in his right hand, he held a wine gourd.
Cheng Gang sensed that the elderly man was only an ordinary person. However, this elderly man was enjoying his food and wine in the middle of the road.
“Come over!” The elderly man gnawed on the last fragment of meat on the chicken drumstick as he lifted his head towards Cheng Gang and looked at him.
Cheng Gang shivered with fear. His ability to hide his aura was rather exceptional! “Who are you? Why did you lead me here?”
The elderly man leapt up from the ground, “I called you over so that I can wallop you.” As he spoke, the drumstick bone was already flung towards Cheng Gang.
Cheng Gang squinted both his eyes. As he whipped his right hand up, he deflected the chicken bone away.
“Snap-----” The chicken bone was turned into powder, but Cheng Gang was forced one step back too. He felt an agonizing pain in his right palm, and the back of his hand even showed with a red mark.
What powerful soul power!
Neither parties had even released their martial souls, but Cheng Gang’s opponent was able to force him back just by using a chicken bone. His cultivation must be very immense!
“I recall that your title is Immense. Come, show me how powerful you are. As long as you are able to withstand 10 attacks of mine, I will let you off.”
In the face of this unpredictable elderly man, Cheng Gang remained calm as he said in a deep voice, “Elder, are you from Shrek Academy?”
The elderly man snorted, “You’re not dumb. Do you really think that Shrek Academy is such an easy target to be bullied?” Who else from Shrek looked like that? It was naturally the Taotie Douluo, Elder Xuan.
Elder Xuan hadn’t even sent by Shrek Academy. After being reprimanded by Elder Mu, he had run out on his own. He couldn’t stop worrying about the little fellows!
As for the competition before, he had been watching it secretly. When Wang Dong supported Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei
to seize victory, he had been so emotional that he had teared up, even though he hadn’t been so impassioned for a long time. At that point in time, he even had the urge to burst up to the arena to compete himself!
Today, he had witnessed the entirety of Cheng Gang’s actions. He had watched from the side. If Cheng Gang had had the murderous intention to kill both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, he and even the Star Luo Empire wouldn’t have been spared.
Cheng Gang lamented in his heart. From what he knew, Shrek Academy’s teacher that had come this time should have only been in the Soul King level!
“I was a little reckless. However, if a soul beast converts into a human to cultivate, it will pose a huge threat to the human race. That’s why I…”
“Shut your trap.” Elder Xuan bellowed in anger, “Cut your flowery words with me. Are you not just being selfish? Let’s not even talk about the fact that a soul beast can’t turn into a human. Even if a soul beast could, it would just become a human after it succeeds in its cultivation. What has that got to
do with you? Are you not eyeing the hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone? Stop trying to spout nonsense to me. On account of the fact that you did not attempt to kill them, I shall only teach you a lesson today. Remember it.”
Cheng Gang was the Protector Douluo of the Star Luo Empire, and it’d been a long time since he had been admonished like this. His face turned red, and he retorted in fury, “Come on then, show me what you have to teach me.”
As he said that, his left leg stepped forward slightly. Following that, a beam of glowing concentrated black emanated from within his body. When this black glow appeared, it had an earth-shaking effect. The entire earth seemed to tremble slightly.
Cheng Gang’s body began to show obvious changes. To a Beast Soul Master, the higher his cultivation, the greater the changes his body would experience when he unleashed his martial soul. Right now, this was the case with Cheng Gang. His skin turned dark and glimmered with light, as if it were a crustacean that was coated with a layer of black. The most intriguing change that he experienced were in his brows. Both sides of his eyebrows grew longer at the same time before they curled up. Eventually, they reached over 20 centimeters in
length, as if they were two tentacles that were pointed upwards…
Two yellow, three purple, four black. A total of nine rings appeared on his body. Following the rhythm of the soul rings, the frightening aura of a Titled Douluo burst forth ceaselessly.
The earth-shaking sensation became stronger and stronger. It seemed to have been influenced by Cheng Gang’s martial soul. This was the pressure of a Titled Douluo. A Titled Douluo who could cause mass destruction! Because of the presence of Titled Douluo, a soul engineer had always been unable to surpass a soul master.
As he howled, Cheng Gang stepped forward abruptly. At the same time, the earth in front of him undulated and rose more than 10 meters tall like a tidal wave. Following that, the plot of earth that rose up started to slam down on Elder Xuan.
This wasn’t any earth-type power, but a pure force. Cheng Gang wasn’t even using a soul skill right now.
Elder Xuan snorted, and stepped forward with his right leg too.
“Boom—"
Just that simple step caused a huge impact, as if a meteorite had crashed or an earth dragon had risen from the ground. The earth that Cheng Gang had lifted was instantaneously crushed. Not only that, but the frightening force was converted into a fan-shaped yellow shockwave that was conducted towards Cheng Gang’s feet.
Cheng Gang could only feel a wave of irresistible force being transmitted to him from beneath his feet. When he wanted to use a soul skill, he discovered to his shock that his soul power had been repressed. After that, he was heaved into the air.
As Elder Xuan stomped with his right foot, he appeared in front of Cheng Gang in a flash.
“The forte of the Ant Emperor is its strength. Let this old man see how strong you are.” As he spoke, Elder Xuan’s hand was already pressing on Cheng Gang’s shoulder.
From the moment he leapt from the ground to the instant that he pressed on Cheng Gang’s shoulder, only a brief period of time had passed. However, Cheng Gang felt that this brief period of time was as long as a century.
When Elder Xuan’s figure flashed, Cheng Gang must have had thought of at least five ways to escape his opponent’s control. However, he was unable to perform any of them. As they were pulled closer, a startling pressure was exerted on him. He was stifled by this pressure, and could not even use a single soul skill. He froze in mid-air.
Since he had become a Titled Douluo, and even since he had become a soul master, he had never experienced such a situation in all his years!
Cheng Gang was completely out of sorts now. He had never thought that someone so powerful existed in this world. It was also at this point that the frightful momentum disappeared. Both Cheng Gang and Elder Xuan landed on the earth again. Elder Xuan’s huge hand was still pressing on Cheng Gang’s shoulder.
“Come. I will not use my soul power, but only my pure strength. Whatever you have to do, I will let you off if you can shrug my hand off your shoulder.” Elder Xuan looked at Cheng Gang in disdain.
As a Titled Douluo, Cheng Gang was normally an arrogant person. Furthermore, the strong suit of his martial soul was its strength!
An ant might be minute, but it was able to lift heavy objects up to hundred times its weight. Moreover, Cheng Gang’s soul skills were targeted towards increasing his strength still further. He could be considered a pure strength-type Titled Douluo. His opponent’s soul power was immense, and he knew that he could not resist it, but he did not believe that he could not match up in terms of strength.
Therefore, Cheng Gang expended all his strength and used all the soul skills he had which could increase his own strength. He struggled mightily.
The frightening strength caused the earth beneath him to crack, and fissures extended through the earth for several
thousand meters around them. It was as if an earth dragon was really going to rise from the ground.
However, the hand that was pressing on his shoulder was very strong. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shrug it off.
Cheng Gang’s veins were already popping out. He had already tried his best, but he was still unable to free himself.
No, that’s impossible. That’s impossible. Cheng Gang was unwilling to believe it no matter what. As a Titled Douluo, he could not even struggle against this opponent of his who had yet to even unleash his martial soul, and who was not even using his soul power right now. This was unthinkable.
His confidence was slowly being crushed, and his dignity was gradually being degraded. He struggled less and less as time passed. Eventually, there was only a look of dejection left on Cheng Gang’s face.
Elder Xuan picked his brows and asked, “Can you do it?”
Cheng Gang shook his head helplessly.
Elder Xuan retracted his right hand, “This is a lesson to you. As a Titled Douluo, you need to possess the ego and pride that belongs to a Titled Douluo. As someone with nine rings, you went to bully those two kids with only two or three rings. This is a humiliation for you. I don’t want your life either. Forget this matter after you’ve slapped yourself a hundred times. I also don’t want to dirty my hands by beating you up.”
Cheng Gang’s body shivered. He’d rather die than slap himself. However, everyone was scared of death. He was not an exception either. In Star Luo Empire, he possessed great authority. How could he be willing to die? In front of this elderly man, he had no other choice, as he was helpless against him. He was filled with regret now! As he had been blinded by greed, how could he have thought of the pride and ego of a Titled Douluo? However, it was too late for regrets now.
“Piak—” He slapped himself hard, “Piak, piak, piak…”
As he saw Cheng Gang slapping himself, Elder Xuan counted every slap seriously. After more than 10 slaps, Cheng Gang’s
face had already swelled up. With Elder Xuan around to scrutinize him, he did not dare to let himself off lightly.
As Cheng Gang slapped himself, Elder Xuan’s face became much more appeased. He had finally done something for those little fellows.
It did not take long for Cheng Gang to slap himself a hundred times. Very soon, Cheng Gang had completed this humiliating task. Right now, his cheeks were already swollen like two huge peaches. Blood flowed down from the edges of his lips continuously.
Elder Xuan nodded and said, “Enough. Scram now.”
“Elder, are you an Ultimate Douluo?” Cheng Gang asked in a blur. The physical pain that he felt was not comparable to the agony he felt in his heart.
A long time ago, Cheng Gang already knew that there were huge gaps between the cultivations of Titled Douluo. But after he became a Titled Douluo, he reckoned that his own abilities
were very powerful and forgot this. When he was slapping himself earlier, he had become much clearer in his mind too.
Every major level of a soul master was divided into ten different ranks. When the lowest soul scholar reached Rank 10, he could become a soul master after obtaining a soul ring. Because of that soul ring, a soul master was much more powerful than a soul scholar. In the soul master level, every increase in rank would increase one’s soul power by at least 10%. At the stage of a soul grandmaster, the gaps between the ranks would become even greater.
However, the gap in soul power between Titled Douluo was the greatest. This was after 90 ranks.
Only after obtaining a soul ring could one’s soul power transcend Rank 90 and reach Rank 91 through the power of the soul ring. Between Rank 91 and 92, there was a twofold increase in soul power.
Of course, the powers of a soul master could not just be determined using soul power. The strength of one’s soul skill, the effectiveness of the soul rings on one’s body and even differences in soul bones could make up for the differences in
cultivation between two different people. Hence, a Rank 92 soul master might not find it particularly easy to defeat a Rank 91 soul master.
However, there was definitely a gap in soul power. Every time one’s cultivation increased a rank, the difference would increase too. When Rank 95 was reached, there would be a huge bottleneck. A Rank 95 Transcendent Titled Douluo possessed a cultivation that could resist 10 lower ranked Titled Douluo. If a Titled Douluo’s cultivation could reach Rank 99, he would be recognized as an Ultimate Douluo.
In the entire history of the Douluo Continent, there had been very few Ultimate Douluo. The period of time when there was the greatest concentration of Ultimate Douluo was during the generation of Tang San of the Tang Sect. Not only did Ultimate Douluo appear then, but Tang San and his wife, as well as their rivals, even became Gods.
However, very few Ultimate Douluo had appeared on the Douluo Continent since then.
“I’m not.” Elder Xuan shook his head and denied Cheng Gang’s words.
“You are not? Can you tell me your title then?” Cheng Gang continued to ask indignantly.
Elder Xuan twisted his mouth and said, “How did you reply to those little fellows? I shall reply you in the same way. You are still not fit to ask what my title is. You don’t have the right to. Scram now.” As he said that, he kicked Cheng Gang in the torso. Cheng Gang felt as if he was flying above the clouds as he was kicked out. But this kick wasn’t important. When he controlled his body to cushion his landing on the ground, the slovenly elder had already disappeared.
While his face was flushed, his heart was cold at this point.
He shook his head and wiped the blood off his lips. Cheng Gang muttered bitterly, “I am a frog in a well. I am really a frog in well! After I became a Titled Douluo, I thought that I was the most outstanding. But I didn’t expect that I’d be nothing against someone who is truly powerful. Shrek Academy, what a Shrek Academy! I have to shut myself in and cultivate again.”
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong did not know that Elder Xuan had avenged them. After eating, they went to visit Xiao Xiao.
However, the two of them only remained at the entrance of the room to take a look at her situation. They did so because it was not too appropriate for them to enter, given the situation inside.
Xiao Xiao’s room door wasn’t shut and was half-opened. From the opening of the door, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong could see a burly figure sitting at the bedside. This person was meticulously feeding Xiao Xiao porridge with a small spoon.
“Caitou simmered the porridge himself. After simmering it for half a night, he only scooped up the rice oil on the surface, which was the essence of the porridge. I didn’t know that he’s actually so meticulous underneath that cloddish appearance of his.” Teacher Wang Yan commented after he appeared behind Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong suddenly.
“Brother Caitou is such a nice person!” Wang Dong complimented.
Wang Yan chuckled and said, “When all of you returned, all of you conked out, so you didn’t see what Caitou was like. He muttered one sentence repeatedly. He said that no matter what happens in the future, he wouldn’t let Xiao Xiao be hurt because of him. He swore to protect her. Let’s go, it’s fine since Caitou is here to take care of Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao has also just awoken, so let’s not disturb her.” As he said that, he gently shut the door and dragged both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong to his own room. He had many doubts in his mind, and needed to interrogate both of them.
After they arrived in Wang Yan’s room, Wang Yan gestured for both of them to take a seat on the sofa. Following that, he stared at them with a serious expression on his face without opening his mouth for a whole minute.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong began to develop chills on their skin after being eyeballed by Wang Yan. Wang Dong got tot point where he could no longer bear it, and asked, “Teacher Wang, why are you staring at us?”
Wang Yan sighed slightly before replying, “I have been cultivating since my youth. Only when I reached 20 did I realize that I’m not innately talented. Then, I turned my attention to the research of martial souls. I toiled, and eventually cemented my place in Shrek Academy today. I am 41 years old this year, and I’ve been studying martial souls for a good 35 years now. In Shrek Academy, there’s never a lack of talents. However, my understanding of what a ‘talent’ constitutes has been redefined repeatedly when it comes to your batch. I have even seen the occurrence of many situations that have until now only appeared in myths and legends.”
“Initially, I believed that Dai Huabin was the most outstanding among your batch of students. Although he’s only 13 years old, he possesses soul power up to Rank 37. It’s almost
conceivable that he can reach the cultivation of Soul Emperor when he’s 20 years old, under the meticulous guidance of the academy.”
“Maybe the both of you are unaware, but we’ve something known as ‘seeds’ in the academy. They refer to students whose cultivation can reach 6 rings even before they’re 20 years old. Right now, there are only 4 ‘seedling’ students remaining in the entire academy. They include Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng, whom the two of you have seen before. Achieving 6 rings before the age of 20 is also publicly recognized in the continent as the criteria to be called an unrivaled talent.
“I used to think like that in the past too. However, after I got to know the both of you better, I have been reminded through your actions that this theory is fallacious. The class of one’s soul power is not everything. There are even more crucial components and situations apart from the class of one’s soul power. Let me explain to the both of you. Yuhao, I shall talk about you first.”
“You are the one who surprises me the most. In terms of diligence, you are among the top 3 of all the students that I’ve seen. As for your talent, you are the only one with an ultimate martial soul that I have ever seen. What’s even more
unbelievable is that it’s a twin martial soul. Your second martial soul awakened after the first. These few conditions of yours are all suitable to be the subject of my research. Even till now, I have not grasped some of your mysteries. As for your will and resilience, you are without a doubt the toughest person I have seen among those in your same age bracket. I am certain that your achievements will be above Dai Huabin’s in the future. In the competition yesterday, you displayed two abilities at the end. Don’t tell me that they were skills derived from your first soul ring. If I am not recalling wrongly, your first soul skill was your soul bone skill, which is a powerful soul skill that resembles the power of a domain. Logically speaking, with your condition, you shouldn’t have been able to possess such a skill. And when you displayed that skill at the end which forced Ye Wuqing off the arena, I could feel the frightening aura of that soul skill even though I wasn’t even in the arena. Furthermore, Ye Wuqing had already freed himself from the restraint of the Golden road. With his cultivation as a Soul King, you couldn’t have beaten him simply by consolidating your soul power. At that point in time, I felt that your control of soul power became much greater. Can you explain to me how you were able to do that?”
In the face of Wang Yan’s doubts, Huo Yuhao groaned inwardly. Teacher Wang was indeed very astute in his observations, as his questions were all on point.
However, Wang Yan did not press him to answer immediately. Rather, he turned to Wang Dong, “What about you then? Your situation is even more interesting. Twin martial souls, am I right? If I’m correct, that black light of yours that was shaped as a hammer should belong in the strength-type category. That means that your body contains a second martial soul that’s in the strength-type category. You have concealed it quite well! Although I’m shocked, I can still accept it. However, I am interested to know the method that you used that led to Shangguan Can’s fourth soul skill losing effectiveness and even triggering such an intense backlash. Your victory was not determined by that last hammerstroke of yours, but through the instantaneous backfiring mechanism that you initiated. You actually repelled the soul skill that even Bei Bei was controlled by. How did you do that?”
“Err…”
Wang Dong was similarly speechless. Just like Huo Yuhao, he had his own secrets, and more than just a few!
As he looked at the both of them, Wang Yan chortled. “Alright, I won’t put the two of you on the spot. I’m just pointing out the mysterious conditions both of you have. Everyone has their own secrets, especially for soul masters like
us. Honestly speaking, I have developed a sense of surrealism towards the word of soul masters because of your appearances. Since when did twin martial soul become so readily available, such that there are three of them now? Moreover, each one of them is greater than the preceding one. All of you are indeed phenomenal! However, I remember a phrase shared by the dean that I concur with. If things go wrong, there must be something strange. Our academy is blessed with three twin martial souls at the same time. Perhaps a heavy responsibility will land upon the shoulders of the few of you. Hence, I hope that the few of you won’t waste this gift that you have been
blessed with. Putting effort into your cultivation to achieve the
special abilities that the few of you were meant to have will be the best choice that the few of you can make.”
“As your Teacher, I won’t question your commitments. But my purpose in calling the both of you here today was to tell the both of you that you can feel free to approach me if you have any doubts. After all, I am more experienced, and I know more than the both of you. With the ten thousand years of heritage that Shrek Academy has, my knowledge is bound to be richer than the both of you. I can aid you in skipping some unnecessary bends along the way. If it involves your secrets, I can guarantee with my character that I will preserve them.”
As they saw the sincere expression on Wang Yan’s face, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong appeared much more relaxed.
Huo Yuhao said, “Teacher Wang, I do have some questions that I would like to ask you.”
“Shoot.” Wang Yan nodded his head towards Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao said, “Teacher Wang, you have seen both our martial souls, which are vastly different from each other. My first martial soul is the spiritual-type Spirit Eyes, whereas my second martial soul is the ultimate ice martial soul, the Ice Jade Scorpion. As for Wang Dong, his first martial soul is the light-type Radiant Butterfly Goddess, and his second martial soul is of a strength type. I can fairly say that these four martial souls that we possess are completely dissimilar. However, how are our martial souls so compatible with one another, such that we were even able to exhibit a martial soul fusion skill?”
“I remember that you taught us before that compatibility between martial souls happens very rarely. It’s even rarer to witness a high degree of compatibility between martial souls. Generally speaking, compatibility between martial souls is
achieved if they are of the same type, or if their carriers were of the same species. For example, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo managed to achieve martial soul fusion through overlapping their entirely similar martial souls before achieving compatibility through their identities as twins. The same goes for the fusion between Dai Huabin & Zhu Lu, the White Tiger and the Netherworld Civet. At least their martial souls both belong to the Felidae family. Furthermore, one represents positive energy, while the other represents negative energy. This means that it makes sense that they are compatible. But between the both of us, where does the compatibility originate from?”
This problem had been bugging Huo Yuhao for some time. In the past, he had not known what Wang Dong’s second martial soul was. He even assumed that their second martial souls had some form of connection. But now, he realized that the second martial souls the two of them possessed were completely unconnected. Despite this, there was still a high degree of compatibility between their martial souls, to the point where they had even obtained the Haodong Power. which was a force that could be used to cultivate and improve together.
Wang Yan laughed bitterly. “It’s indeed tough for me to answer your question. I have been pondering it too. Regarding
this, I’ve pored over a lot of materials in the academy. However, I’m still unable to give you a precise answer.”
“The fusion of twin martial souls has never appeared before in the records of the academy over the past ten thousand years. I can even say that there’s no relevant information regarding this in the entire history of the continent. Thus, no one can be sure about what’s going on with the fusion of both of your martial souls. We can only guess.”
“I thought about it last night, and came up with a few possibilities. The first possibility relates to the quantity of martial souls. While it’s true that both your martial souls are different, it’s also crucial to understand that your martial souls are both twin martial souls. Twin martial souls are very rare. For two to appear, and even achieve compatibility like the both of yours, is even rarer. Your two twin martial souls represent one similarity between the both of you.”
“The both of you must be wondering why Xiao Xiao can’t fuse with you. This relates to my second possibility, which is also the most probable reason. The two of you are complement each other.”
“For two martial souls to fuse together even though they are unconnected to each other has happened before. The reason why they can fuse together is due to their complementary existence. As both martial souls complement each other, they will fuse together, just like Yin and Yang, developing a martial
soul fusion skill in the process.”
“Huo Yuhao’s two martial souls of the spiritual type and ice type. As for Wang Dong, your martial souls belong to the light- type and strength-type categories. All four of your martial souls are different, but no one can be sure whether they are complementary to one another. Maybe, for some reason, your martial souls fused together because they are complementary.”
Chapter 97: The Conjecture Regarding Multiple Fusion Skills
“My last guess, which I think is highly probable, is that there’s him in you and you in him.”
After he said this, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were stunned. They looked at each other, and Huo Yuhao had a weird look in his eyes. Wang Dong shifted his gaze away the moment their eyes met. His tender face blushed a little.
“Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying.” Wang Yan snapped at them, “I’m talking about your martial souls, not the both of you. You kids nowadays have such fertile imaginations.”
“You were the one being ambiguous,” Wang Dong retorted.
Wang Yan ignored him and continued, “The him in you and you in him that I mentioned refers to the fact that there may be some form of co-existence between your martial souls internally, even though they seem to be unconnected on the surface. It’s a little awkward to put it this way. I’ll give you an example to clarify things.”
“For example, the Spirit Eyes and Radiant Butterfly Goddess do not seem to be connected to each other. However, what if Yuhao’s Spirit Eyes contain the power of light? This means that Yuhao’s martial soul contains a characteristic of Wang Dong’s martial soul. Let’s shift our attention to the Ice Jade Scorpion
and Wang Dong’s strength-type martial soul. I’ve checked, and found out that the strength of the Ice Jade Scorpion is rather powerful. This means that an Ic,e Jade Scorpion possesses strength. This may be a key point why both of your martial souls could fuse together. However, I will still need to research
the details further.”
After hearing Wang Yan’s words, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong pondered them carefully, and their faces gradually showed looks of admiration. Yes! The situation described by Teacher Wang did exist in their bodies, but they hadn’t thought of his point before. In this way, it didn’t seem too unexpected that their martial souls had fused.
Wang Yan grinned, and his eyes were filled with fanaticism as he said, “Whatever the reason for the fusion of your martial souls, they have already fused. I will continue to research further, but this is not the main point. After all, what’s supposed to have fused has already fused. What I really want to
research is the difference between the fusion of your twin martial souls and that of a single martial soul.
“Both of you have such a high degree of compatibility. This produced the Golden Road, a powerful martial soul fusion skill in terms of control. Then, did the both of you realize that this is only a fusion between your first martial souls!? Since this is the case, will 4 different fusions occur? As the two of you have two martial souls each, this allows for 4 different permutations. Theoretically speaking, there’s the possibility of 4 martial soul fusion skills.”
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stared at each other and saw the shock in each other’s eyes. 4 martial soul fusion skills? What kind of concept was that? If they could possess 4 different skills and use them at the same time, they might be able to challenge a soul king with their current abilities!
Wang Yan leaned into the sofa and watched their shimmering eyes. “However, don’t be too optimistic. Besides the fact that it’s almost impossible for four martial soul fusion skills to appear, you won’t have the ability to use all four martial soul fusion skills in battle even if they appear. That’s because the power of the martial soul fusion skills will rise along with your cultivations. At the same time, your soul
power will be depleted much quicker upon using them. I estimate that the two of you will only be able to use two martial soul fusion skills in a battle, unless some unprecedented situation occurs. Of course, both of your futures will be very bright if more martial soul fusion skills appear.
Huo Yuhao couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Wang, is it really possible? Then what should we do?”
Wang Yan replied, “I’m not sure if it’s really possible. I mentioned before that such a situation has never appeared in the history of soul masters. The reason why I’m proposing this is because I hope for the both of you to try it out. What you have to do is very simple. It’ll still be a fusion of martial souls. However, I hope that both of you can summon a different martial soul during the fusion process. That means both of you should try to summon the single martial soul. There may be a possibility of success.”
“So it’s that simple!” Wang Dong said.
Wang Yan chuckled, “What else did you think you had to do? For incompatible martial souls, everything will still be futile
even with ten thousand attempts. But for those like you, whose martial souls are compatible, this process is not difficult. Based on the use of the martial soul fusion skill that both of you possess now, I believe that the other three martial soul fusion skills can be unleashed once every 3 days if you are able to
succeed at your other 3 fusions. Thus, I shall give you both 9 days. Within 9 days, you’ll have to complete all the experiments. Wang Dong, can you tell me what your second martial soul is?”
Wang Dong hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. Then, he said, “My second martial soul is the Clear Sky Hammer.”
After hearing the words ‘Clear Sky Hammer’, Wang Yan stood up in shock from the sofa before Huo Yuhao even had a chance to react. “What, the Clear Sky Hammer? It’s actually the Clear Sky Hammer. You are from the Clear Sky Sect?”
Wang Dong nodded his head and replied, “Yes! Why?”
Wang Yan laughed bitterly. “No wonder. The Clear Sky Sect was once the top sect on the continent! Come to think of it, it has a rather close yet complicated relationship with our
academy. But as the Tang Sect fell, the Clear Sky Sect hid itself from the world again. If I’m not wrong, a direct disciple should have the surname Tang! Why is your surname Wang then?”
Wang Dong snorted and said, “This is my secret. I can’t tell the both of you. What’s wrong if my surname is Wang? Inheriting the Clear Sky Hammer means that I’m a part of the Clear Sky Sect. Furthermore, the Clear Sky Sect did not really hide itself from the world.”
“No wonder,” Wang Yan muttered, “Yuhao’s second martial soul is Ultimate Ice. You are compatible with him because you have the most powerful offensive tool on the continent. I am really looking forward to the other martial soul fusion skills that can be created between the both of you. I suggest that the both of you try to fuse the Clear Sky Hammer and Ice Jade Scorpion first. These are two martial souls that have not been used in your current martial soul fusion skill. After this, the two of you should try fusing the Clear Sky Hammer and Spirit Eyes, as well as the Ice Jade Scorpion and Radiant Butterfly Goddess.”
“Teacher Wang, is it possible for 3 or even all 4 martial souls to fuse together at the same time?” Huo Yuhao asked suddenly.
Wang Yan jumped in shock, and hurriedly said, “No. Don’t ever attempt that, at least not now. It’s not easy to tell what will arise from that kind of situation. However, a martial soul fusion skill causes a great depletion of power. Once you attempt a fusion of such a degree, both of your powers may be depleted even if you succeed. To be safe, only consider such an attempt when your cultivations reach six rings. As long as you succeed with one of the three combinations that I proposed,
there will be extra changes in your strategy for the latter stages of the tournament.”
“3 rounds have already been completed in the round robin stage. We have also met our strongest competitor in our small group, which was the Justsky Academy. The remaining 4 rounds won’t be too difficult for us either. Especially for tomorrow’s competition, since Ling Luochen has already recovered from her injuries and can participate. After one more round, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng will also recover. With the return of these 3 official team members, it won’t be too difficult for us, at least during the round robin stage. The two of you should think on how you can unleash a brand new martial soul fusion skill.”
Huo Yuhao said, “Teacher Wang, we will do our best.
However, please keep this a secret for us.”
Wang Yan nodded and said, “Naturally. I may not even let you use your new martial soul fusion skill even if you succeed. After all, you will carry the responsibility of handling the Shrek Academy Tournament in 5 years’ time.
Huo Yuhao said, “Teacher Wang, can you give me that Soul- Devouring Carving Knife? I am a spiritual-type soul master. When I bid for that carving knife, I had a feeling that it had some sort of special connection to me. I’m sure it won’t harm us.”
Wang Yan shook his head and said, “No, I can’t. The two of you are the pride of our academy. Even if there’s only a slight danger, I still must keep you away from it. It’s not too late for you to try using it under the guidance of your teacher from the soul tool department when we return to the academy. You can’t possibly make a soul tool right now.”
“I…” Huo Yuhao was helpless, and could only forget his wish to obtain the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife.
After bidding goodbye to Wang Yan, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong returned to Huo Yuhao’s room excitedly. However, they couldn’t possibly try a new martial soul fusion skill right now.
They had just unleashed the Golden Road yesterday, and their bodies had not yet recovered fully. If they were not at their peak states, it was less likely for their martial soul fusion to succeed. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao had already expended all his energy. Hence, their priority now was to recover.
As the Haodong Power was initiated, they entered a state of cultivation very quickly. In their hearts, they were yearning for the creation of a new martial soul fusion skill.
Wang Yan’s words seemed to have opened a door for them. Even though they had not attempted it yet, the two of them had the feeling that they would succeed.
Gloomy clouds filled the sky. Rounds after round of the Continental Advanced Soul Duelling Tournament continued. As of yesterday, the third round of the tournament had already ended. There were only 1 or 2 teams that managed to ensure perfect winning streaks in each small group.
With the results of the first 3 rounds of competition in, the situation was much clearer. The traditional powerhouses pulled away from the rest, and the team that evoked the most
debate was still the top academy of the continent, Shrek Academy!
Today should mark Shrek Academy’s fourth appearance in the round robin stage of the tournament. However, nobody knew whether they would participate today, and if they did, whether they would emerge victorious in the end.
Shrek’s Seven Monsters had relied upon their incredible perseverance and determination, as well as their extraordinary talent, to overcome stronger opponents during their last battle. Their lineup had been composed of four soul ancestors, one soul elder and two soul grandmasters, but they still defeated their opponents, Justsky Academy, who had had three soul kings and four soul ancestors in their lineup. Despite their victory, they had paid a painful price for it. Six of them had hit the deck the moment their battles ended, and some of them were severely injured. It was hard to say whether or not Shrek Academy had enough people for the next round.
Furthermore, could they recreate the same miracle if they went on to the next round? Could they win today’s contest with an exhausted and wounded team?
All the spectators had already arrived on scene way before the appointed time, and they were all silently standing in wait with these doubts in mind. They either wanted to see another phenomenal performance from Shrek Academy, or Shrek Academy’s exasperated and helpless defeat.
It was already midday, but dark clouds were moving aimlessly in the sky and the heavens seemed a little gloomy. A light drizzle had begun as miniscule raindrops drifted downwards. This was the first time there had been rain since the beginning of the competition, and there was no doubt that the teams would carry on the contest in the rain.
“Here they come!” Somebody shouted into the air as the audience, the participants and the other students turned towards the entry tunnel.
Indeed, the troupe of participants from Shrek Academy were here, clad in their dark green school uniforms.
Bei Bei, as the team leader, led the entire company. He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and another young girl who looked like she was around twenty years of age
followed closely behind in that order. Nobody had seen this girl before in this competition.
This young girl was elegant and pretty, but her expression was ice-cold. Their teacher in charge, Wang Yan, was behind her. This meant that only six people would represent Shrek Academy in today’s contest – Xiao Xiao and Xu Sanshi were both absent, as Xiao Xiao had been heavily injured, and Xu Sanshi’s vitality had been damaged.
Xu Sanshi needed to recuperate after bruising his vitality. Even though Xiao Xiao’s injuries had been stabilized, there was no way she could participate in the competition for the time being. There was a silver lining to her injuries – she was now at the bottleneck of Rank 30, and was on the brink of becoming a soul elder once she broke through. All she had to do was gain another soul ring.
Therefore, it could be said that Xiao Xiao had remained at the hotel to recover and cultivate at the same time. The girl with the chilly expression that walked behind every other participant was Ling Luochen, who was a control system battle soul master with an ice-type martial soul.
Even if there were people who were familiar with the participants from Shrek Academy in the previous competition, those who recognized Ling Luochen were few and far between. Puberty could change a girl’s looks in all kinds of ways, and Lin Luochen was but fourteen or fifteen years old five years ago. She was nearing twenty now, and there had been many transformations in her physical appearance since the last time she had competed. Furthermore, she had never made an appearance for Shrek Academy when she was only a reserve
participant. This was the reason why nobody was familiar with her abilities.
The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy’s team had the biggest reaction upon seeing her appearance. Ma Rulong’s eyebrows creased as he muttered under his breath, “Are they finally sending out members of the official team? If I remember correctly, their team at this competition consists of ten people. This is the first appearance of someone outside of the reserve team.”
Wang Yan didn’t arrange any tactics or strategy when they entered the resting lounge. Due to Shrek’s Seven Monsters’ outstanding performance in the last round, Wang Yan had completely let go of his authority and handed it over to Bei Bei.
Bei Bei wasn’t severely injured, and was but a little exhausted. He had already recovered after two days of rest, and with the help of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul and the physique of a Golden Holy Dragon soul master.
Instead of sitting down, Bei Bei stood before his comrades and said, “Our opponents today are from the Longpeace Academy of Star Luo City. It can be said that they’re battling us on their home ground. Even though their strength cannot be compared to Justsky Academy’s, they’re not that weak, and they have a soul king amongst their ranks. I will decide on the order of battle after drawing lots.”
The judge swiftly arrived on stage and the announced the drawing of lots. Bei Bei displayed his unnaturally lucky touch, and it was clear that luck was on Shrek’s side today. In light of the fact that they were a man down, a group battle gave them the best edge, and the result of the ballot was as such.
Bei Bei was about to step off of the stage after the ballot was drawn when the team leader from Longpeace Academy exclaimed, “It seems the task of defeating Shrek Academy has fallen to us.”
He was big and tall, with a center parting to his hair. There was a tinge of arrogance in his eyes, and he looked at Bei Bei as if he was looking at an opponent that he had already defeated.
Bei Bei glanced at him from the corner of his eye and curled his mouth a little. “Just like the bamboo shoots in the mountains. A sharp mouth and tough skin – but empty inside.” As he spoke, he had already stepped off the stage.
Longpeace Academy’s team leader was boisterous in speech, and he had been loud enough for the other members of Shrek Academy, who had already entered the waiting area, to hear him.
He Caitou was indignant. “Seems like everybody wants to bully Shrek Academy. We will surely teach them a lesson later.”
At this moment, Ling Luochen stood up and stepped over to Bei Bei’s side. She lowered her voice and said, “Do they really think we have no depth? Leave this group battle to me, Bei Bei. Let Huo Yuhao and I take this round. I will make them pay the price for their outrageousness.”
Bei Bei hesitated. “Just the two of you? Senior sister, this…”
Ling Luochen lowered her voice again and said, “I never joke about Shrek Academy’s honor and glory.”
Bei Bei contemplated his options for a moment, then nodded his head. “Alright. Do be careful.”
Ling Luochen gestured to Huo Yuhao and whispered something in his ear. Huo Yuhao nodded his head repeatedly before he followed Ling Luochen onto the competition stage.
All seven members Longpeace Academy’s team had moved swiftly to the stage after the conclusion of the ballot. Even though they hadn’t stepped back into their corner, their cone formation was set up, and the person standing at the forefront was their outrageous team leader.
The judge was a little confused as he only saw two members from Shrek Academy on stage. “This is a group battle, Shrek Academy. It’s not a two-two-three fight or anything – please get the other members on stage. If not, they’ll be considered to have forfeited this round.”
Longpeace Academy’s team leader laughed condescendingly. “Shrek Academy is truly disappointing! Making such a low- level mistake when under stress.” He sighed, “What bad news for the reputation of the number one academy on the continent. Let’s get ready, boys. We will not lose this round due
to a moment’s lapse in concentration.”
Ling Luochen said plainly, “We only need two people for this group battle.” She hadn’t even looked at her opponents once as she took Huo Yuhao to the other corner of the competition stage.
The judge was slightly taken aback, and couldn’t help but press the issue. “Will it really just be the two you?”
Ling Luochen nodded her head without even turning back as she sauntered away.
Longpeace Academy was a little perplexed as well. “Are they too arrogant, or are they preparing to admit defeat?”
One of the participants beside him said, “I think it’s more likely they’re trying to admit defeat. They are too depleted from the last round, and they barely managed to bring six people here today. I’ve never seen this girl before. They only have two people on stage – what else can it be, but attempting
to admit defeat? This is a kind of self-assurance, as losing a battle to seven people when they’re only two isn’t embarrassing at all. However, a loss is a loss, and Shrek Academy will still have lost this battle.”
All seven members of Longpeace Academy’s team seemed to agree with this argument. This was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, and they refused to believe that these two people on stage were about to challenge them in any way.
The judge heard their flagrant discussion, and his eyebrows furrowed. He said with a serious voice, “Step back, all of you. Get ready for battle.”
He disagreed with their assessment. As a powerful soul sage, he could feel the fearsome ripples of soul power coming from Ling Luochen’s body. It was clear that she was at least a soul king – a soul king from Shrek Academy. As such, she was at least thirty percent stronger than the soul kings from other
academies. With a participant of her level, how could Shrek Academy just be admitting defeat?
Ling Luochen had already retreated to the edge of the stage. She took point, while Huo Yuhao stood behind her. Her expression was typically chilly, but right now her face was so icy that it was frightening. It was even a little pale.
She was a member of the official team from Shrek Academy. She didn’t have an explosive temper like Ma Xiaotao, but the pride deep within her heart was no different from the same pride shared by the other members of Shrek. She would never swallow any humiliation suffered by Shrek Academy.
Following the lowering of his right hand, all of the members of Longpeace Academy’s team immediately released their respective martial souls. It was hard to deny the reason behind their outrageousness – besides their team leader, who was a soul king, the other six were soul ancestors. Furthermore, their team leader had the optimal combination of two yellow, two purple and one black soul ring. This was the origin of his arrogance.
Ling Luochen unleashed her martial soul as well – she also had two yellow, two purple and one black soul ring. Huo Yuhao had two white soul rings behind her, as usual. Nobody knew the true level of his soul rings, and this included Wang Dong and his other friends, let alone his opponents.
Ling Luochen raised her right hand and exclaimed, “Begin.” Following the flickers of her first soul ring, the Icy Staff appeared in her hands, and the surrounding air instantly became freezing cold.
She was naturally speaking to Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao stepped forward and closed his eyes as he pressed both of his hands to Ling Luochen’s back.
Immediately, Ling Luochen’s eyes turned even colder as an inexplicable aura started to emanate from her body. In the next moment, she directly channeled her fifth soul ring – the black one – and she began to radiate a pressurizing effulgence as the brilliant color extended outwards.
The seven people from Longpeace Academy who had just released their martial souls immediately felt that something was amiss, because they could feel a rapid fall in temperature. Then they saw the icy-blue halo of light opposite them starting to expand.
“That crazy woman is using her ten thousand year soul skill straightaway. Everyone, be careful,” their team leader cursed in a low voice. He immediately released his soul skill as he prepared to resist carefully. From his perspective, a soul skill with such a large area-of-effect could not be too powerful. If they could withstand it, they would counter-attack. After all, there was strength in numbers.
However, he soon saw something that made his gaze pause. In his field of vision, the judge of the competition, who was swiftly moving away from the center of the arena, suddenly stumbled.
Then, this unlucky judge turned into an ice statue. He was frozen in a retreating position.
What was going on?
Before the people from Longpeace Academy could react, they all felt an immense, frigid chill at the same time. It appeared to be coming straight for them. Then, their vision started to blur. While they were still conscious, their martial souls, soul power, and even their soul skills were frozen in the ice and snow.
In an instant, there were eight sculptures in the arena.
Ling Luochen retracted her staff and turned to Huo Yuhao and said, “Go, kick them all down. Remember, use only your legs and not your hands. These foul-mouthed scoundrels don’t warrant such respect.”
Huo Yuhao’s heart missed a beat. He thought, “The seniors from the inner courtyard are so strong!”
The strategy that Ling Luochen had just used was very simple. With the help of Huo Yuhao, her ice-elemental attack
had turned into Ultimate Ice, and then she had used her fifth soul skill, the Icebrilliant Halo.
While it was Ultimate Ice, with her powerful control of magic and elemental mastery, she was able to freeze her opponents for a while. Coupled with Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice, even if her opponent were a Soul King, he would be unable to escape for at least ten minutes.
This was the terrifying aspect of an Ultimate martial soul. If aided by the same element, the power of Ultimate Ice would become abnormally terrifying.
The audience and representatives from the various schools were all dumbfounded.
The moment Huo Yuhao walked past the unfortunate judge, the ice cracked, and the judge was able to break free from it. However, his entire body shivered for a while because of the cold. He seemed to have something to say, but in the end, he swallowed his words, which were likely a warning against beating the judges.
If a Soul Sage could be frozen for a period of time, what was there to say about a Soul King?
Subsequently, the ‘battle’ chiefly became a scene where all Huo Yuhao did was kick the seven ice sculptures that enclosed the members of Longpeace Academy’s team. The teacher in charge of the academy was deathly afraid that his team would be injured from the impacts, and rushed down to catch his students as Huo Yuhao kicked them out of the arena. Fortunately, Huo Yuhao was generous enough to give that teacher enough time to catch each of his students.
The judge had recovered from his shivers too. In shock, he stared at Ling Luochen, who had already withdrawn her martial soul, and proclaimed, “Winner, Shrek Academy.”
The entire audience was stunned.
Just as everyone thought that Shrek Academy was out of the fight, Ling Luochen used her powerful ice-manipulation skills to tell them that Shrek Academy was still number one in the continent! They were the invincible Shrek Academy!
The faces of the students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy appeared to have frozen over. They seemed to have lost their ability to think.
In the earlier rounds of the competition, no matter how excitingly Shrek Academy battled, no matter how strong their will, they would show them respect at most, and never caution. After all, a preparatory team was ultimately a preparatory team. If they had so much difficulty resisting the onslaught from Justsky Academy, what more could be said about them? Even Ma Rulong, their captain, believed that victory would ultimately be theirs.
However, just as their hearts were filled with hope, Ling Luochen appeared today. She was able to control all her opponents in the blink of an eye. This was not enough to shock everyone from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. After all, they had been careless when dealing with her. What shocked them was that the judge, a Soul Sage, was frozen by her too. Even though the judge was only frozen for five seconds, and he had not released his martial soul, it was a testament to Ling Luochen’s powerful ten thousand year soul skill.
Who dared to say that they would not be immobilized by her powerful soul skill? In a battle, even if one was immobilized for a single second, the consequences on the outcome of the battle would be dire! Shrek Academy only deployed a single Soul King, but was able to stun everyone with her prowess. This was testament to the awe of Shrek Academy.
When Ling Luochen and Huo Yuhao left the arena, the others from Shrek stared at each other. They knew the power of this icy-cold soul master, who was also a member of the official team.
Ling Luochen was able to maximize her own elemental powers with the help of Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice. However, the power of her ten thousand year soul skill was equally terrifying too! Skills with an area-of-effect coverage were the hardest to control. Yet, they were able to see that when the Icebrilliant Halo appeared, it did not spread out in all four directions, but instead went straight for her opponents. This was enough to illustrate her mastery over ice, which she could control as well as any other part of her body.
Wang Yan exhaled, and his body evidently relaxed. With the return of Ling Luochen, Shrek Academy regained its status as a powerful team. As the teacher in charge of this team, the
pressure on him had been greatly reduced. Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng would soon return too. The upcoming rounds would be easier for them.
Ever since he had brought the team here, he had been under a huge amount of pressure. The responsibility on his shoulders was heavier than that on the shoulders of his students. At this point, he could truly take a breather.
Like before, the team from Shrek Academy did not linger long. After the competition, they quickly returned to their hotel to rest. Everyone who stayed behind were from the other academies, who were discussing Ling Luochen’s elemental control with great interest. The hot topic of the day was how to counter her.
The round robin portion of the competition entered its fourth round, which was also its mid-phase. Shrek Academy was in the first group, which was comprised of eight other teams. Every team had to take part in seven rounds of competition to complete a cycle.
In the next three rounds, Shrek Academy did not meet any opponent who posed a serious threat to them. They were on a
winning streak. After two rounds consisting of a one-on-one deathmatch and a group battle, they were able to defeat their opponents. Finally, they were able to emerge victorious in their group with zero losses, drawing closer to the cruel elimination round.
Unexpectedly, the other team that was able to progress to the next round from their group was Justsky Academy, who had caused so much trouble for them before.
As the other groups had nine teams each, they were able to obtain three full days of rest after this round-robin cycle ended.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng had by now fully recovered from their injuries. However, they did not participate in the round robin portion of the competition. They did not even go down to the arena. This was part of Wang Yan’s strategy. Concealing their true power would be immensely beneficial to the subsequent rounds of the competition.
In these few days, Shrek Academy received a lot of good news. Xiao Xiao had more or less recovered completely, and
after that difficult battle, she was able to break through her Rank 30 bottleneck. All she needed was a third soul ring.
After experiencing many arduous battles and relentless sessions of cultivation, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both experienced an increase of a single rank in soul power. Wang Dong's soul power was now at Rank 32, while Huo Yuhao's was at Rank 28, bringing him a step closer to Rank 30.
What was even more delightful was their experimentation with the martial soul fusion skill. However, they did not know what their rate of success was. Only Wang Yan knew that. At least, they had experimented with the other three combinations, and they had been able to achieve breakthroughs as they tried out these three combinations.
Xu Sanshi remained in bed for five days before Bei Bei finally kicked him out of it. He was shameless indeed. To receive Jiang Nannan’s care, he had remained persistently in bed as he moaned about his predicament non-stop. He thought that this would improve Jiang Nannan’s attitude toward him, but everyone knew that it was a one-sided affair. Jiang Nannan still treated him coldly.
As everyone recovered from their injuries, Shrek Academy returned to peak condition. Their power might not yet be comparable to the original official team, but it was not too far off.
After all, the two Soul Emperors and main control-type soul master of the original official team were still present. Coupled with Bei Bei, whose martial soul could evolve into the Golden Holy Dragon, and Xu Sanshi, whose martial soul could evolve into a Xuanwu, a powerful Soul Ancestor, and the exceptional powers of the rest, their overall strength was still terrifying.
“The pairing for the elimination round is out,” Wang Yan said in a deep voice. He had just returned from the Star Luo Empire’s palace, where he had drawn lots. Afterwards, he gathered everyone for a briefing.
“For the Round of 16, our opponent is a familiar one. They are the premier academy from the Dou Ling Empire, the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy.”
When they heard the name ‘Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy’, a look crossed the faces of Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen and Dai Yueheng.
Ma Xiaotao arched her brows and asked, “Why did we meet them so early on?”
Xiao Xiao asked curiously, “How powerful is the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy?”
Ma Xiaotao said, “They were in the top four in the previous tournament, that’s how powerful they are. They are much stronger than the Justsky Academy who you met earlier on. Teacher Wang, how powerful are the members of their delegation this time?”
Wang Yan said, “The Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy’s official team is comprised of five Soul Kings and two Soul Ancestors. They are powerful indeed. Furthermore, they are not inflexible in their approach. While they are an advanced soul academy, they are also the premier soul engineering academy. Through my observations, I have realized that every single one of their delegation possesses a soul tool, and they are able to wield them efficiently in battle. At least two of them are soul engineers, which means that they are Soul Kings with soul tools. This is a difficult opponent.”
Chapter 98: A Top-ranked Auction
“Teacher Wang, we qualified from the round-robin round in first place, and with their strength, the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy should’ve done the same as well. If that’s the case, why are we fighting them? Aren’t the number one teams supposed to only get the second place teams in the round of 16?” Dai Yueheng asked suspiciously.
Wang Yan said, “In terms of overall strength, the Dou Ling Imperial Academy should’ve been first place in their group. However, that wasn’t the case. A black horse which also had a streak of consecutive wins and no losses appeared in their group. Yet, the Dou Ling Imperial Academy forfeited their match with that black horse for no reason. That’s why they qualified in second place. I didn’t think that we’d meet them.”
“Was there a problem?” Ma Xiaotao asked, “The Dou Ling Imperial Academy is also a well-known school. They must’ve known the importance of the group matches, and what first place signifies. Just what would make them give up that first place spot? Are they trying to preserve their strength for a single attack?”
Wang Yan replied, “I’ve also thought about this. The only difference between first and second place in the qualifier rounds lies in the round of 16. It doesn’t hold any significance after this match. The Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy must’ve done this for a reason, and they must’ve concealed it well. We’ll only be able to see why in the match. Fortunately, we’ve kept the fact that you and Yueheng are participating in this
match a secret as well. With you guys leading the team, there shouldn’t be too big of a problem. Okay, I’m going to explain the rules of our next elimination round.”
“Over the ten thousand years that the Continental Advanced Soul Duelling Tournament has been held, its rules have never changed. This is especially so for the final elimination rounds. To make the tournament more interesting, as well as to better display the comprehensive strengths of the participating academies, the tournament format will change slightly from previous matches. The elimination rounds won’t be decided using lot-drawing as per previous matches. Each match will be held over two days, and both a team battle and an individual knockout round will be held. Winning the team fight doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely proceed to the next round; if you can defeat all seven of your opponents using only three members, you’ll be able to overturn the outcome of the team match. On the other hand, the team that wins the team fight can guarantee their advance into the next stage by defeating three of their opponents using seven team members.”
“These tournament rules both illustrate the importance of a team’s overall strength and give a chance to teams which have strong individuals. For example, our team has Soul Emperors like Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng. Even if we lose the team fight, they might be able to shine in the individual matches and defeat all seven of their opponents by themselves. In that case, we could still win the elimination round. Because of that, although the elimination round tests our strength as a complete whole, it gives a great chance to strong individuals. Truly powerful academies will definitely try extremely hard to nurture their best students, and one reason for that is to allow them to turn the tides in the elimination round’s individual matches.”
The fact that the elimination round was actually held in a way like this was something that nobody had imagined. Huo Yuhao asked, “Teacher Wang, then what happens in the 1v1 fights if a team member is injured or over-exhausted from the team fight?”
Wang Yan replied, “Then it’ll depend on the strength of that team’s bench. Every academy that’s participating in this tournament has to have a preparatory team, just like what you guys originally were. If something like what you’ve just said
occurs to an official team member, a member from the preparatory team will have to take their place.”
“Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi. The two of you should’ve recovered already. Would it be possible for the two of you to use your abilities if you were to participate in the elimination round?”
Wang Yan was naturally referring to Bei Bei’s Golden Holy Dragon and Xu Sanshi’s Xuanwu.
Bei Bei nodded. “I should be able to. My martial soul doesn’t get strengthened as much as Xu Sanshi’s. However, it all depends on whether I can make it come out. After using it once, I’ll have to wait three days to use it again, just like the fusion skill my junior brothers use. Also, I’ll only have the power to unleash a single attack. I’ll only be able to stabilise this power once I become a seven-ringed Soul Sage.”
Xu Sanshi had a bitter look on his face as he said, “I can’t say for sure, because I can’t control it. A variation like that only occurs to my martial soul when I receive an especially intense stimulation. However, I’m the same as Bei Bei. Once I become a Soul Sage, everything will be fine.”
Wang Yan nodded slightly. “I understand. Now, I’ll make arrangements for the team members who are participating in tomorrow’s match. Once we enter the elimination round, we can’t be sloppy at all. Our upcoming opponents were within the top 4 of the last tournament, and so we’ll definitely have to go all-out. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong. The seven of you are participating in the team fight tomorrow. Ling Luochen and Huo Yuhao will be the main controllers in the team, and everyone else will launch frontal attacks to smash our opponents with our strength. Caitou, you’ll have to go make a few cigars and distribute them to everyone so they’ll be able to use them during the match.”
“Yes.” He Caitou answered.
Xiao Xiao curled her lips and said, “It’s got nothing to do with me then.”
Wang Yan smiled slightly. “Seeing that we’re near the end of the tournament, nobody can guarantee that we won’t suffer any injuries. As benchwarmers, you guys are also important. You all have already performed very well during the earlier parts of the tournament. You, Nannan, and Caitou also have to make preparations to go out and fight at any time. Now, I’ll
talk about the strategies we’ll use in tomorrow’s team fight. No matter what that Dou Ling Imperial Academy has prepared, we’ll have to give them a show of strength.”
With the return of the two Soul Emperors, the current Wang Yan was filled with confidence to win. They still had to go through four more elimination rounds to secure their spot as champions, and although the following matches would be very tough, it wouldn’t be as tough as the preparatory team facing off against Justsky Academy.
At this exact moment, someone suddenly knocked on the door to the conference room.
Wang Yan furrowed his brows and shouted in a low voice, “Didn’t we tell the service staff to not disturb us?”
A pleasant, female voice rang out from outside the door. “Sorry for the interruptions. I’m not a member of the service staff; I’ve come from the Starlight Auction.”
The Starlight Auction? Wang Yan couldn’t help but feel stunned for a brief moment after hearing this somewhat
familiar voice. The person who was nearest to the door--Bei Bei--stood up and shot Wang Yan a questioning look. After seeing Wang Yan give him a nod of assurance, he walked towards the door and opened it.
A woman wearing a black cheongsam was standing outside the door. Being twenty-eight to twenty-nine years old, she possessed a mature charm and an occasional air of youth.
Huo Yuhao and the rest all recognised her; she was the auctioneer who had held the auction they’d participated in that day, Qing Ya.
Qing Ya’s gaze directly landed on Wang Yan as she smiled and greeted him, “Hello, Teacher Wang Yan. I have to apologise for taking the liberty to disturb you.”
Wang Yan’s gaze softened somewhat as he saw that the intruder was Qing Ya. He asked in a low voice, “Do you have something for us, auctioneer Qing Ya? Also, how did you find us here?”
Qing Ya apologised, “When you came to the auction last time, you used Shrek Academy’s account to settle the bill. Thus, we naturally guessed at your origins. After making a few inquiries, we were able to find where you were. Our Starlight Auction is hosting a top-ranked auction tonight, and an auction like this will only be held once or twice a year. Only our most respected honorable guests receive an invitation from us to attend. Last time, we didn’t know that you came from the continent’s number one academy--Shrek Academy--and thus we mistakenly neglected you. Our auction’s boss has asked me to deliver this invitation card to you. If all of you have some free time tonight, you are welcome to participate in our auction. I believe that there will definitely be a few interesting things at tonight’s auction.”
As she spoke, she placed an invitation card on the table. Then, she held her smile as she bowed and said, “Then, I won’t disturb all of you anymore. Once again, I apologise.” With that, she slowly moved backwards and closed the door after her.
Wang Yan squinted his eyes as he saw the beautiful, golden invitation letter, “This Starlight Auction is impressive. Eleven invitation letters, and not one less. They were even able to
ignore the Star Luo Empire’s blockade around this hotel to deliver this letter. They’re truly skilled!”
Dai Yueheng took an invitation letter and glanced over it. “It’s actually a top-ranked auction. That auctioneer wasn’t wrong--an auction like this is only held once or twice a year. In the past, even I didn’t have the qualifications to participate in it. Only my dad, the members of the royal family, large businessmen, and top-ranked soul masters and engineers were allowed to participate in them. There definitely won’t be a lack of good things sold there, but they’re extremely expensive. The Starlight Auction should just be trying to establish a good relationship with our academy; they shouldn’t have any ulterior motives. Teacher Wang, what do you think about this?”
Wang Yan looked briefly at everyone, and saw a hopeful light in all of their eyes. They were indeed the most outstanding soul masters among their peers, but they were still a bunch of kids. They were similarly interested in new things. Moreover, a top-ranked auction like this couldn’t be easily entered!
“Okay. Since everyone’s been competing all this while, we should relax for a bit. However, we should keep our eyes open and our mouths shut to avoid trouble. Tomorrow’s match is of
the utmost importance. Once the auction ends, we’ll immediately head back to the hotel to rest.”
“Long live Teacher Wang!” Xiao Xiao was the first person to jump to her feet. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and the others all had excited expressions on their faces.
They had been filled with curiosity the last time they had gone to the Starlight Auction. Moreover, the last auction they had attended was merely a low-ranked one which only sold a single soul tool. The auction they were about to attend was different; it was a top-ranked one. What kinds of goods would appear in it? They contrarily had no hopes of obtaining anything from this auction, and wished to participate merely to gain some knowledge.
Wang Yan chided them with a smile, “You rascals! Get your minds back to the topic at hand. I’m going to organise our strategy for tomorrow’s match.”
The strategic planning they underwent didn’t take too much time. After that, they returned to their respective rooms to cultivate all the way till dinner time, when they switched into a set of ordinary clothes. With the invitation letters from the
Starlight Auction in hand, the eleven of them went back to the auction house, with Wang Yan leading them.
Astonishingly, auctioneer Qing Ya was already waiting for them by the entrance. Clothed in a black cheongsam, she looked even more elegant and noble under the night lights. Her charming face was filled with a warm smile.
Wang Yan met her gaze, then nodded slightly. “Hello, auctioneer Qing Ya. We meet again.”
Qing Ya had a delighted look on her face as she said, “Distinguished guests, welcome.”
“How did you know that we’d definitely come?” Wang Yan asked.
Qing Ya shook her head. “I didn’t, but I was tasked to receive all of you. Regardless of whether you turned up, I would’ve waited here until the auction formally started. Guests, please follow Qing Ya.”
With that, she shot a sweet smile towards Wang Yan and elegantly led them forward.
Xu Sanshi, who was standing behind them, whispered to Bei Bei with a quiet laughing, “If this lady auctioneer smiles at Teacher Wang a few more times, I’m afraid that his soul will be taken away by her. She truly has a very mature charm!”
Bei Bei glanced at him. “Stupid.”
As the two of them spoke, they had already entered the Starlight Auction.
The interior of the Starlight Auction was identical to their previous visit. There was no information about today’s top- ranked auction that had spread to the public. Led by Qing Ya, they walked towards its inner parts, quickly passing by the auction hall they had entered last time.
After reaching the end of the corridor, two young ladies who were clad in golden cheongsams walked up to them. They bowed in Wang Yan’s direction and greeted him, then
exchanged a few words with Qing Ya. After that, a girl turned toward the wall and pressed on it with her right hand.
Immediately, a bizarre scene occurred. Wave-like ripples started to appear on the wall, and a few layers of light gradually stabilised on it.
As the girl pressed her hand on the wall, a pattern of light swept horizontally across it. After that, the wall slowly split into two with a buzz, revealing a path within.
Unlike the dazzling gold outside, this path was pure white. It didn’t have the coldness of white, but a unique feeling that was filled with softness and realism.
The floor, roof, and walls were tiled with a semi translucent white jade, below which could be seen faintly hidden patterns. However, these hidden patterns couldn’t be seen clearly. Yet, this room was clearly much more refined than the outside passage.
The soft, white light permeated the corridor from all directions, while the two sides of the room had halos of blue
light that converged to form a line.
Qing Ya explained softly, “This is the Number One auction that we use to conduct top-ranked auctions. Only our most distinguished guests will be invited here to partake in an auction. I’m only here because of you distinguished guests. Otherwise, there’s no way that I’d have the qualifications to enter this place with my auctioneer rank.”
Wang Yan didn’t bat an eyelid as he said, “Looking at what you’re wearing now, it seems like you’ve been promoted!”
Qing Ya smiled. “I also have to thank all of you for that. I was able to accumulate enough merits to become a black-ranked auctioneer by selling the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife last time. Everyone, please come inside.” With that, she slowly led the way. Two girls in golden cheongsams, who looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, came up to greet them.
After walking a short distance forward, doors started to appear on either side of the walls. Qing Ya took them into one that was numbered seven.
Chapter 99: Top Quality Goods & The Princess
This was a room that was roughly two hundred square meters in surface area, and the decorations were as posh and extravagant as they could be. There were exotic wood and jade stones, along with other furniture and decorative items that people could tell with one look were highly valuable. The ornaments around the room were filled with garishness, yet they gave off a feeling of elegance that one simply couldn’t help but praise.
This was inside the first auction hall of the great Starlight Auction, in the seventh room, and it was ostentatious.
The entire room was rectangular, and the longer side of the wall was crystal clear with a radiant white hue. This was the only wall without a single decorative element.
The sprawling sofa was made from the skin of an unknown beast, and the long white fur was incredibly soft and tender. Anyone sitting on the sofa would enjoy the comfortable feeling of sinking into the whole thing, and yet there was enough support.
The sofa was large enough to accommodate twelve people. There were also all kinds of refreshments and condiments laid out on the jade table stand at the side. Huo Yuhao quickly realized that he had never even seen the things laid out on the table before, not even a single kind of fruit.
Everybody was just comfortably spreading out on the long sofa. Qing Ya, the auctioneer, and the two other young girls clad in flowing golden dresses stayed back. Qing Ya was standing by the side of the sofa and grinned as she said, “I will explain the rules of our top-ranked auction.”
As she spoke, she signaled to the two young girls beside her.
One of the girls stepped over to the smooth wall and tapped lightly on its surface. Instantly, a layer of gentle light started to radiate from the entire wall, which gradually became stronger until the entire wall eventually transformed into an enormous screen.
All this fell into Huo Yuhao’s eyes as he turned towards He Caitou with an astonished look. He Caitou was the first to speak as he couldn’t help but ask, “Is this a soul tool?”
Qing Ya nodded her head and replied, “This is a custom- made soul light screen that we specially obtained from the Sun Moon Empire. It can display images via an esoteric method, but its formation arrays are not activated by soul power – instead, they’re activated by a kind of ore from the Sun Moon Empire.”
It wasn’t just Huo Yuhao and He Caitou who reacted in shock at her statement – the other members of Shrek shared the same confoundment.
What did using ores to activate soul tools suggest? It implied that soul engineers no longer needed to expend any soul power to use soul tools! The value of this to the world of soul tools was simply too great.
Qing Ya was adept at reading people’s emotions, and it was only natural that she picked up on the befuddlement from her audience, because she quickly tried to explain. “Don’t be too hasty everyone, and wait for me to finish my explanation. Even though this light-directing screen is activated by ore, this kind of ore emanates an extremely weak and gentle energy, and there’s no way it can activate offensive or defensive soul tools. All it can do is carry out the lighter tasks of weak soul tools.”
Qing Ya gave a most logical and sensible explanation, but the confusion and bewilderment in the hearts of her audience had not been fully dispelled yet.
Perhaps it was true that the Sun Moon Empire had yet to discover a method to activate soul tools without using Soul power. However, this soul light screen was evidence of how advanced the Sun Moon Empire was in terms of the development of soul tools. Wang Yan’s speech about the future drifted to the forefront of everyone’s minds, and everyone started to feel heavy in their hearts. Times were ever- changing, civilization was always advancing, and soul tools were continuously being developed as well. The Sun Moon Empire had never been too keen about interacting with other nations, so nobody really knew the exact extent to which the Sun Moon Empire had made advancements in their research on soul tools. Before long, they would be facing the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The Light-Transmitting Screen was becoming clearer. Some images were displayed on either side, while an auction station was presented in the middle. The auction didn’t seem very big, but was presented on the screen with extreme clarity.
Qing Ya continued, “In order to protect the privacy of the participants of this top-ranked auction, all valued guests will have their own designated rooms, just like the one everyone is in right now. All viewing and the contest for items up for auction will be carried out inside this room, and I will be responsible for introducing the items up for auction in detail. These two girls will report the quotations during the auction.”
“All you have to do is quote the price. Everything in here – the food and refreshments – are complimentary. After the auction, the items will be sent into the room as soon as possible and will be settled with a final overall bill at the end of everything. As our guests, you can grab something to eat before we officially begin the auction.” Everybody had just had a meal not too long ago, and nobody was too interested in the foodstuffs. However, the alluring drinks were too tempting to resist, and some of them reached out to try them.
The top-ranked Starlight Auction was worthy of its name. The drinks were not only delicious, they were as nutritious as the food provided to the core disciples of Shrek Academy itself. Huo Yuhao only had a single glass of fruit punch and he could already feel a comfortable warmth coursing through his body.
Wang Yan said to Qing Ya, “Auctioneer Qing Ya, please have a seat as well.”
Qing Ya didn’t reject this offer, and after tilting her head with a wide smile on her face, took a seat beside him. Wang Yan hurriedly shifted to the side to create some space between the two of them before his face flushed red. He wasn’t young anymore, but he didn’t yet have a family, and he had never really interacted with girls before – his heart and soul were dedicated to the research and development of soul masters. At this moment, there was a mature and enchanting beauty sitting so close to him and this made him a little uneasy.
Qing Ya covered her mouth as she giggled at the sight of his reaction. Yet, instead of teasing him, she asked softly, “Is this your first time in Star Luo City?”
Wang Yan shook his head and replied, “I’ve been here before, but every trip was completed in a hurry.”
Qing Ya said, “You must be very busy with your work at Shrek Academy.”
Wang Yan answered, “It’s better if I’m busy with my work. If it’s just normal teaching, it won’t be so tiring. After all, the members of our academy are all outstanding students, and they don’t need too much worrying from us teachers.” As he said this, a look of pride flashed across his face, and this was naturally due to Year 2’s Class 1.
He had said before, more than once, that Year 2’s Class 1 was the most talented class he had ever taught. This was also extremely compatible with his teaching style, which was purely skill-based, and he was also strict and firm with his students.
His students were not only prodigious, one was more hardworking than the other. According to his own estimations, when they ascended to Year 3, the entire class could reach the third ring in mastery. How impressive would that statistic be? His greatest wish at this moment was to have the honor of taking his entire troupe of students to the end, and to ensure that everybody successfully graduated from the academy.
Qing Ya smiled faintly and said, “One look, and I can tell you’re a great teacher. The moment you mention your students, there is an obvious exhilaration in your emotions.”
All this small talk caused Wang Yan to unwind a little, and his emotions became a lot less tense. “It’s because my students are too cute. In reality, as a teacher, my greatest wish is to see my students succeed. As of now, my students haven’t disappointed me.”
Qing Ya bowed her head a little and said, “I hope you can produce even more extraordinary students.”
“Many thanks.” Wang Yan returned her well-wishes politely, but he failed to detect the slight unnatural sparkle in Qing Ya’s eyes as she stared at him.
Qing Ya giggled as she asked, “Teacher Wang, the Starlight Auction wishes to expand our business into Shrek City. What suggestions do you have for me?”
Wang Yan was slightly taken aback. “The Starlight Auction wants to go to Shrek City as well? That’s a good thing! However, there seem to be multiple auctions in Shrek City already, and thus the competition is bound to be pretty vigorous.”
Qing Ya chuckled and replied, “The Starlight Auction has never been afraid of competition, as we believe in our own strengths. If we ever have a chance to venture into Shrek City, I wonder if I can contact you?”
“Of course you can.” Wang Yan answered her question almost subconsciously.
Qing Ya raised her hand and produced a small gold box. “Do accept this gift from me then. This is a sound-amplifying soul tool, and they are produced in pairs, so I have one as well. As long as we are within fifty kilometers of each other, we can communicate using this. If you need anything from me during your stay in Star Luo City, feel free to contact me!”
Wang Yan accepted this little gift and glanced at Qing Ya. He suddenly noticed that Qing Ya was staring at him with a piercing gaze, and it instantly gave him mixed feelings, so he hurriedly nodded and put the sound-amplifying soul tool away.
Right at this moment, the entire room was abruptly plunged into a layer of golden light, and everybody turned toward the soul screen.
A gentle golden light that wasn’t hurtful to the eyes emanated from the screen that had previously blocked everyone’s field of view. Pale rays of golden light also shone from the every corner of room, and the calm and comfortable atmosphere was instantly transformed into something more dignified and elegant.
Qing Ya announced, “My honorable guests, our auction is about to begin.”
The golden light coming from the screen gradually receded as a charming voice rang out from within. “Welcome to the top-ranked Starlight Auction. Today, we are placing nine exotic items up for auction. These items will be shown to you, our honorable guests, by their value from the lowest to the highest. We do hope you will enjoy yourselves.”
The soul screen cleared up again, and the platform that had appeared before was now covered with another layer of pale white light. In the middle of the platform was a young girl clad in a lengthy red dress.
This girl appeared to be no more than eighteen, and she was enchantingly pretty – to the point where she rivaled even the
looks of Jiang Nannan. Furthermore, she was a few years older than Jiang Nannan, and her body was much more mature. The combination of her flowing red dress and her pale white skin gave onlookers a feeling of perfection – the only strange thing was that the auction station had yet to appear on the platform.
“Greetings, valued guests. I am today’s auctioneer, and my name is Jiu Jiu. I am honored to be here today to host this top- ranked auction. Your time is valuable to us, so we shall begin the auction right away. Subsequently, do feast your eyes upon the first item of the day.”
As she spoke, she flashed a glamorous smile and made an extremely exquisite greeting as she gestured with her right hand. The scene switched right away, and the soul screen on the wall presented the first item up for auction.
No wonder there wasn’t an auction station – the item itself was a magnified projection! It was displayed across the ten- meter-long wall, down to its most intricate details.
Dai Yaoheng asked inquisitively, “Why is this auctioneer following the formalities of the royal palace of the Star Luo Empire?”
Qing Ya glanced at Dai Yueheng with a look a of faint shock and answered, “Fine eyes you have, valued guest. Auctioneer Jiu Jiu is the lead auctioneer of the Star Luo Auction, and its only gold-ranked auctioneer. However, only when the value of the item is over hundreds of millions of gold coins will she don the golden auctioneer’s uniform. At the same time, Auctioneer Jiu Jiu is the youngest sister of the current emperor of the Empire. She has remarked that her status in the auction is as an auctioneer, which is the reason why we don’t address her as ‘Your Highness’.”
Everybody exchanged looks with each other, as this was surreal for them. Even though they had already guessed that
the Starlight Auction had an extraordinary background, they never thought it would reach such a level.
A princess from the royal palace as an auctioneer. What did this mean? This meant that the entire Starlight Auction probably belonged to the royal family of the Star Luo Empire.
Still, while they were boggled by what they had just discovered, everybody’s attention was diverted to the item that was presented before them, and Princess Jiu Jiu’s voice could be heard.
The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade is a Class 8 close-combat soul tool. Its components are extremely valuable, including the right arm bone of a ten thousand year Tyrannical Tiger. It also contains a soul bone skill called the Tyrannical Slash. At the same time, it can boost the offensive powers of compatible soul skills by fifty percent.”
“Do take note, honorable guests, that every strike using this precious close-combat soul tool will produce the effect of a Tyrannical Slash, and this effect will add onto the effects of any related soul skills. At the same time, through the sophisticated workings and direction of the formation arrays,
and in addition to the inherent energies contained within the soul bone, the amount of soul power required to use the Tyrannical Slash is only a third of what it normally is.”
“Lastly, the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade originates from the Sun Moon Empire’s Illustrious Virtue Hall. I think these three words – Illustrious Virtue Hall – are enough to prove its quality. Seven-ringed Soul Sages can use this weapon, and they will be able to challenge a Soul Douluo. You will have five minutes to inspect the item.”
Once Princess Jiu Jiu completed her introduction, deep breaths could be heard being drawn across the room – this was only the first item up for auction!
It was a Class 8 soul tool, and even though both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were from the Soul Tool Department, they had never seen this before. Several simple and crisp sentences were enough to bring out the most powerful and attractive aspects of this item.
Even the more experienced Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yaoheng and Ling Luochen betrayed looks of amazement. They had seen Class 8 soul tools in past auctions that they had participated in
before, but they were few and far between. Normally, the appearance of a Class 6 soul tool in an auction was already a rare sight. Once in a blue moon, a Class 8 soul tool would be revealed, but even then, they would be the anchoring item to close off the entire auction. Today, the first item was already a
Class 8 soul tool, and it was the item with the lowest value in
the list of items that were in store – how could all this not overwhelm them with bewilderment and excitement?
One couldn’t underestimate the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade just because it was a close-combat soul tool. In reality, for high level soul masters, close-combat soul tools were more important than long-range soul tools and stationary soul tools, as they were more complementary to their skills.
The students were unable to help themselves as they got up from the comfort of their seats and stepped up to the screen to inspect this eighth-ranked war blade.
There was a comprehensive description of the item on the screen. The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade was four feet six inches long, while the blade itself was at least an inch wide. It was modeled like a saber, the hilt extending to the handguard, and it was shaped like a bone. The handguard itself was ten centimeters wide, and was a caricature of a tiger’s head – there
was no doubt that this soul tool’s formation arrays were located there. The tiger’s head radiated with a crystal yellow hue, and seemed to have been made from a special jewel.
He Caitou was the most knowledgeable amongst the entire group regarding soul tools. He took but a few glances before a look of awe came over his face. “These… not only do these formation arrays draw from the power of the soul bone, but the entire body is made from Amber Gold! Such extravagance! Besides, it’s quite a large piece of Amber Gold! No wonder they can solidify the energy from the soul bones. Items produced in the Illustrious Virtue Hall are indeed extraordinary.”
Huo Yuhao was beside He Caitou, and he too was observing it intently. Even though it was just an image, he could feel a faint aura of ferocity drafting towards him. The broad blade seemed to shimmer with a terrifying layer of blood.
Huo Yuhao lowered his voice and asked, “Senior brother, what kind of place is the Illustrious Virtue Hall?”
Before He Caitou could respond, Wang Yan lowered his voice as well and answered, “The Illustrious Virtue Hall has connections with Shrek that run very deep, and they hold the
highest status in the Sun Moon Empire. Put more accurately, they are a part of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Much like our own inner courtyard, only the most outstanding students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy are allowed to enter for cultivation and studies. At the same time, they are the cardinal authority in forging and manufacturing soul tools. All the soul tools produced by the Illustrious Virtue Hall overflow with excessive
demand the moment they hit the market. Thus, the Illustrious
Virtue Hall is also a substitute representation of a soul tool’s quality.”
Qing Ya smiled faintly and chimed in. “Teacher Wang is right. There are more teachers than students within the Illustrious Virtue Hall, and the most powerful soul engineers are concentrated there as well. Over the years, most of the epoch-making soul tools originated from the Illustrious Virtue Hall. One can well say that the Illustrious Virtue Hall is like the most important ivory tower of the Sun Moon Empire. Their technologies regarding the development of soul tools are also the most advanced on the continent.”
Bei Bei appeared behind Huo Yuhao like a ghost. He was also listening attentively to Qing Ya’s explanation as he tapped Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and whispered, “Keep it up, little junior.”
Only five simple words fell into Huo Yuhao’s ears, but it instilled in him an overflowing feeling of hope. Huo Yuhao thought to himself – how incredible would it be if the Tang Sect could one day receive such exalting praise?
Huo Yuhao hadn’t been so sensitive back when he was still cultivating and studying inside the academy, but following his expedition out of the academy and into Star Luo City for the competition, he had picked up and learned so many things in the process that he would never have been exposed to in the academy. He gradually began to understand the substantial importance of soul tools, and that the manufacturing of soul tools by the Sun Moon Empire were far greater than that of other nations – more than he had imagined.
The thing that staggered Huo Yuhao the most wasn’t the Class 8 Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade before him, but the soul screen that could be operated without the injection of soul power, in spite of Qing Ya’s previous explanation about the weakness of these external sources. However, the Sun Moon Empire had already produced a soul tool that didn’t require soul power to be activated – in that case, what was the difference between the weak and the powerful? It wouldn’t take more than a few years before the Sun Moon Empire would be able to produce soul tools with offensive and defensive
capabilities that could be activated without consuming soul power. When that day arrived, the structure of the entire continent would change drastically.
“I have to work harder and become stronger,” Huo Yuhao made a mental note to himself.
“Time’s up. The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade’s opening price is six hundred thousand golden soul coins, and every bid cannot be less than five thousand golden soul coins. All of you, my honorable guests, are experienced with this, and I trust that we won’t need Jiu Jiu to explain too much. If a bid is unanswered after a minute, the deal is done – let’s begin.”
The screen started to transform into a pale white color. The image of the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade gradually grew more obscure as it faded into the background, while a giant number that read “six hundred thousand” flashed on the surface of the screen.
“Six hundred and fifty thousand.” Dai Yueheng was the first to bid, before he turned towards Wang Yan. “Teacher Wang, this is my personal decision.”
Wang Yan didn’t say anything, and simply nodded in his direction.
The students in the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy had never had any issues with their finances, and they would also bring their savings with them when carrying out similar tasks. Dai Yaoheng himself was the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, who had been passing down the position for at least ten thousand years – this naturally meant that the amount of money he could use was plentiful.
The moment he quoted his bid, the golden-robed servant girl immediately executed a simple action on the soul screen, and the giant numbers on the screen subsequently changed to six hundred and fifty thousand.
The reason why Dai Yueheng was so moved was that this Class 8 soul tool had something to do with the tiger, and could be used by a Soul Sage. Dai Yaoheng wasn’t too far from his seventh ring, and he could probably break through to that level in the next three to five years. Furthermore, a Class 8 soul tool such as this that was complementary to his abilities didn’t come around too often.
Ma Xiaotao snapped at once. “You think you’re big just because you’re rich?”
Dai Yueheng wasn’t angry at all. He flashed her a faint smile and said, “You are stronger than me, Xiaotao, and you will definitely advance to the seventh ring before I can. How about this – when you become a soul sage, you can use the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade first and return it to me once I reach the seventh ring. How’s that? If not, it will just be rotting in my possession anyway.”
Ma Xiaotao shot him a look and said, “Why do I need your stuff? Besides, it’s still uncertain whether you can win the bid in the end.”
Indeed, the numbers on the screen were already starting to flicker.
Huo Yuhao was a little perplexed. When he was at the Treasure-Appreciation Conference at the Treasure Pavilion with Wang Dong, Wang Dong’s Golden Light Left Arm Bone had been valued at nine million five hundred thousand golden soul coins. This Class 8 soul tool’s opening price was only six hundred thousand golden soul coins, and it even included a
tiger-type right arm soul bone – how could the price disparity be so great?
Wang Dong understood him very well, and instantly detected the doubts in his mind. He lowered his voice and said, “Are you thinking about the Golden Light Left Arm Bone? That’s incomparable. Even though soul bones are all precious, a tiny distinction in quality can lead to vastly different values. The description of this blade’s power seems fine, but it probably means that the quality of the soul bone infused within it isn’t too great – otherwise, why would it be used to forge a soul tool? A soul master could just absorb it. As for the Golden Light Left Arm Bone, it gives my abilities an overall boost. Furthermore, I can feel that the reason why its effects on me are still limited is because my level of mastery isn’t high enough, just like your soul skills. Otherwise, it would be because I am not yet familiar with handling it. Do remember that the presence of the bone enhances our cultivation speed when we use the Haodong Power. You have to know that an increase of even ten percent in our cultivation speed is already difficult to gauge with money. Besides, this Class 8 soul tool’s opening price may only be six hundred thousand, but who knows how much its final price will be?”
“Although my Golden Light Left Arm Bone can’t compare to a hundred thousand year soul bone, it’s still a rather formidable presence among soul bones. It was also the item with the highest value at the Treasure Appreciation Auction held in the Treasure Pavilion. While there are many items in this Starlight Auction house, not all of them can supersede it in terms of value in such a top-ranked auction.”
As the two of them spoke, the number on the soul screen had already changed rapidly.
The golden soul coin figure soared and crossed the 1 million mark very quickly. However, the figure increased at a slower rate upon crossing the 1 million mark.
Qing Ya said, “Distinguished guests, this Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade has a rough value of six hundred thousand golden soul coins based on its own quality and without consideration of the craftmanship of the soul engineer. This is according to careful analysis by our auctionplace. This is also the reason why we raised the starting bid for this item. A conservative
estimate of its actual value would be at least 1.3 million golden soul coins. That piece of Tyrannical Tiger soul bone from which it was carved has a slight flaw, but the Class 8 soul engineer that produced it has already removed this flaw during the process of carving the blade. If that piece of soul bone were perfect, this blade might have been even be more powerful. However, this would also mean that its price would have been even more astronomical. Personally, I feel that the price of this Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade is very reasonable.”
How many of those who came to this top-ranked auction were fools? Just like Princess Xingyun said, they were all connoisseurs, and were clearly aware of the right price of the items. The auction house did not overprice the starting bids, but it was also almost impossible for anyone to obtain any item at a steal.
Dai Yaoheng eventually made up his mind and used 1.56 million golden soul coins to bid for this Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade.
The price of the blade didn’t change for a minute. After the bidding ended, golden lights in the entire room burst into bright fireworks. This signified a successful bid.
Dai Yaoheng was also feeling the pinch in his heart. After being a member of the Shrek Guardians for such a long time, his personal savings were barely over a few hundred thousand golden soul coins. However, Star Luo City was his headquarters. Thus, it was not too difficult for him to raise this
sum of money.
Princess Jiujiu, who wore a long red dress, appeared on the screen once again. She smiled sweetly as she bowed slightly. She said, “I’d like to thank the guest who won the bid for the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade for his support of our auction today. Below, we shall present the second auction item now. Although they can only be expended once, they are very rare. It’s not easy to gather this entire set. Distinguished guests, please take a look.”
The soul tool screen changed once again, and the screen on the wall was divided into 12 sections. The items in each of the 12 sections looked very similar to one another.
They were all cylindrical objects. One end was cone-shaped, and the other end was the base of the cylinder. This applied to all 12 items. The only difference that they had were in terms of their color. They seemed to be carved from different types of metal.
“Stationary soul cannon shells.” He Caitou muttered almost instantaneously, his voice filled with shock.
Princess Jiujiu’s voice echoed within the room, “These 12 stationary soul cannon shells are products of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. It took us quite some effort to gather them. Each of them has a different effect and their sizes are according to the standard format. When used appropriately, these 12 shells have the power to threaten the life of a Soul Douluo.”
“Using the class of a soul tool to measure them, each one of them contains a precise formation array. The formation arrays are not inferior to a Class 6 soul tool in terms of complexity. Their elements include water, fire, earth, wind, light, darkness, poison, lightning, frost, metal, explosion and paralysis. At least a Class 6 stationary soul cannon is needed to fire them. For repeated firing, at least a Class 7 stationary soul cannon is needed. I shall give all of you 5 minutes to appreciate this set of 12 items.”
Before she had even finished speaking, He Caitou had already leapt forward quickly. Huo Yuhao followed closely behind him. Although they had not encountered a soul tool of this class, it was still good if they could just admire it!
This was especially so for He Caitou, as he had used a stationary soul tool before. He was more aware of the importance of a stationary soul cannon shell. Thinking about it, the effect of the stationary soul tool in battle must be very immense given that even the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament did not permit the use of it by its participants.
Princess Jiu Jiu’s description was not exaggerated. If these shells were all at the Class 6 level, they could certainly threaten the life of a Soul Douluo, and even cause problems for a Titled Douluo.
“They’re too exquisite. Little junior brother, the formation arrays are at the tails of the cannon shells. There are accelerator circuits on the surface of the formation arrays, too. Furthermore, these circuits are so huge. Once the cannon shell is released, its speed will be frightening. No wonder a Class 6 and above stationary soul cannon is required to fire them, so as to prevent the bore from exploding.”
He Caitou looked at these shells and jumped around in excitement.
Wang Yan walked beside him and asked softly, “Caitou, do you know the value of these shells?”
He Caitou nodded his head without any hesitation and said, “Of course. I’ve researched them very heavily! Teacher Wang, we must get them. These few years, our soul tool department has focused our research on stationary soul tools. The might of a stationary soul cannon is a huge problem that has stumped us. Right now, our academy can only produce stationary soul cannon shells that are Class 5, at most. This item is pricey and expendable, but they’re something we haven’t been able to produce. These shells, will be very useful in our research of higher class shells.”
“Alright, I understand.” Wang Yan nodded his head.
Qing Ya reminded them softly, “Distinguished guests, these cannons are all equipped with the encrypted formation schematic of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. If any of you is buying them for research purposes, please take due care. If the encrypted formation is touched, it may induce an explosion.”
“Of course I know that.” He Caitou said without any hesitation, “No matter who created such a high-level soul tool,
the same logic applies. However, we can reap some information just by looking at the clues on their surfaces…”
He wanted to continue on, but Wang Yan coughed and blocked out his words. He Caitou also realized that he was getting too excited, and quickly refrained from speaking further.
The price of these 12 shells was indeed astonishing, and were true to the idea that every succeeding auction item was more expensive than the preceding item. The starting price for these 12 shells was actually 650,000 golden soul coins.
“Distinguished guests, I don’t think that this set of cannon shells from the Illustrious Virtue Hall is too expensive for all of you. Not only can they be used in battle, they can also be kept as souvenirs. It’s also not easy for the Illustrious Virtue Hall to produce such a set like this. The most important thing is that they are very rare. The Starlight Auction house can guarantee that this is the first time a set of Class 6 stationary soul cannon shells from the Illustrious Virtue Hall has appeared in our auction house.”
The bidding started. Wang Yan did not rush to make a bid, and only watched the screen quietly.
It was not his first or second time taking part in an auction. Even for the most specific auctions, not all the auction items would be able to be auctioned out successfully. There would be situations where a second auction would be held.
Perhaps the value of these 12 shells might be greater than the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade earlier. However, that was attributed more to their rarity. There were very few who were willing and able to use these shells. Furthermore, the price of the entire set of 12 shells was too high. They were not like close-combat soul tools or long-range soul tools. Once the shells were used, they could no longer be used anymore.
Indeed, Wang Yan’s steadiness was rewarded. The figure of 650,000 golden soul coins did not increase. No one was willing to make a bid.
After a minute, Princess Jiujiu regretfully said, “It seems like these 12 shells will not have an owner today. I shall count down the last 20 seconds. If no one makes a bid, this auction item will be put for up for a second auction.”
Wang Yan twisted his head towards Qing Ya and asked in a low voice, “How many seconds does it take to make a bid?”
“Bids are processed instantly.” Qing Ya replied.
Wang Yan nodded his head slightly, and his eyes flashed with a wise and far-sighted radiance.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”
When the countdown reached 2 seconds, Wang Yan shouted, “I will bid 655,000 golden soul coins.” The smallest raise was 5000 golden soul coins. He did not bid the starting price, but added 5000 golden soul coins.
The price was entered in immediately. At the very last second, the illusory 650,000 figure jumped to 655,000 instantly after it froze.
Qing Ya was stunned as she covered her small mouth.
Following that, she raved, “Teacher Wang, you are brilliant!”
Huo Yuhao also understood what had happened. At the very last moment, it was not only Wang Yan who had made a bid. However, the other person had offered the starting price. Under such a circumstance, the increase that Wang Yan had added to his bid had a decisive impact.
Wang Yan smiled before saying, “I was just taking precautions. I’m lucky to have obtained this set of stationary soul cannon shells by bidding a little higher.”
Qing Ya laughed slightly as she congratulated him; she seemed elated too. The Shrek Academy that she was in charge of hosting managed to succeed in their bid for two auction items consecutively. Not only would she gain a commission, but it would also greatly help her assessment score in the auction house.
However, Shrek Academy did not bid on any of the next 5 auction items. They included a left arm bone, a right arm bone, a right leg bone, a piece of rare metal and a long-range Class 8 soul tool.
What was worth mentioning was the long-range Class 8 soul tool. As a Class 8 soul tool, it required a Titled Douluo to use it. Its name was the Heavensplitting Cannon, and it also came from the Sun Moon Empire. However, it was not a product of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. It was made by a Class 9 soul engineer.
Chapter 100: A High Quality Ice Bomb
The powerful Heavensplitting Cannon was similar to the super soul cannon that He Caitou used. However, it was much more powerful, and could only be used once per day. Its full power was the equivalent of a full-force blow from a Rank 95 Transcendent Douluo.
The only reason why it was judged to be a Class 8 soul tool and not a Class 9 one was because it was made from inferior materials. This limited the amount of times one could use the Heavensplitting Cannon to only once per day. At the same time, it needed a long time to recharge, and could only hit a single target. In a battle between combatants of the same class, it was rather useless. In the words of Princess Jiu Jiu, it was a Class 8 soul tool that possessed Class 9 formation arrays.
In the end, this Heavensplitting Cannon was bought by some other buyer at the high price of 7 million golden soul coins.
It was not that Wang Yan did not want to intervene. However, at prices like the ones on display, he did not dare to make the call without serious consideration. After all, his power within the academy was limited. As for the students,
none of them could use this item, neither did they have the money to buy it. All they could do was spectate.
Other than the first two items, the rest of the items in the auction were sold at increasingly higher prices. Since they were not particularly enthralled with these items, they decided to keep silent.
Qing Ya, the auctioneer, did not provide any additional prompts. All she did was fairly and impartially explain the functions and abilities of every single item up for auction.
Princess Jiu Jiu appeared for the eighth time on the screen as she said with a smile, “The following two items will be the main stars of today’s auction. I believe that every single one of you will be interested in them, so seize this chance. You may only see these items once, and you may not find a second chance to see them on the entire continent. Our eighth auction item is one such example. While it’s still a soul bone, it is different from the rest. Please, take a look.”
Light flashed, and the image of a soul bone, which was maximized many times over, appeared on the soul screen.
This soul bone was completely emerald green. An emerald green halo swirled and pulsed around it, as if it were filled with emerald-green liquid.
From its external appearance, it appeared to be a left arm bone. On top of its emerald green body, it gave off a faint, white mist.
As it had been magnified many times over, everyone could feel that it was something special. The surface of this jade green bone appeared to be dotted with small crystals. These crystals were clear, and they looked as if they had been carved from some precious metal. The other soul bones that had appeared earlier paled in comparison to this one. Evidently, they were not in the same category. Even Wang Dong’s Golden Light Left Arm Bone might not be as powerful as this one, superficially.
“How is this possible…?”
“Bastard!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously in Huo Yuhao’s brain. The first one belonged to the Skydream Iceworm, and the second one naturally belonged to the Ice Empress.
Huo Yuhao was startled by their sudden reaction, particularly that of the Ice Empress. He could feel her rage.
“What’s the matter, Ice Empress?” Huo Yuhao asked quickly.
The Ice Empress did not respond. Huo Yuhao could feel her rage increasing exponentially.
At this moment, Princess Jiu Jiu’s alluring voice rang out. Compared to before, it was a bit deeper and more moving. The allure in her voice was stronger too. “Honored guests, I am proud to introduce this soul bone to everyone. Everyone knows that, to a soul master, the most valuable item is either a hundred thousand years soul ring, or a hundred thousand year soul bone. It is extremely rare for these two items to appear at the same time during an auction. Even for our Starlight Auction, such premium items have yet to exist. After all, no matter who possesses these items, he or she will not choose to auction them off, but instead use them to create an elite.”
“The bone that is before everyone is the most premium bone to have appeared in our Starlight Auction in recent years. After we obtained it, we planned on keeping it. Originally, we did not plan to auction it off, because it was too precious and too rare.”
“I believe that everyone can see that this soul bone is an ice- type bone. Before I elaborate any further on its pros, I want to introduce to everyone to its con. Some guests may be curious: why would we introduce the cons of an object as auctioneers? This is because the Starlight Auction values trust above everything else. Furthermore, the downside of this object can also be said to be a strength.”
“The most important downside of this soul bone is that it’s an ice-type bone. Everyone knows that most soul bones do not have elemental requirements. Most of them can be used by all soul masters. Their accompanying soul skill will change according to one’s martial soul. This applies even to hundred thousand year soul bones. This type of soul bone is mainstream among soul bones. Other than these mainstream soul bones, there are some special exceptions. These types of soul bones have elemental requirements, and soul masters that do not fit these elemental requirements can never fuse with them. Forcing it will hurt oneself, which can even be fatal. Hence, of the eight items up for auction today, this bone is one
such object. Hence, its first downside is its elemental requirement. Only ice-type soul masters can use it.”
When the auction reached its eighth item, Princess Jiu Jiu became evidently more vocal. Her voice, perfect in its intonation and pitch, was even more alluring. Naturally, many were drawn by her description of the object.
“The ice-type elemental requirement is already very restrictive. After all, less than 1% of all soul masters specialize in the ice element. Hence, I must say that while this soul bone is good, it is only good for those who can meet its requirements.”
“Its second flaw is very clear too. However, I believe that it’s actually one of its strengths. Its soul skill is set. The Starlight Auction has invited many soul bone specialists to verify it, and our conclusion is that the soul skill of this soul bone is set. No matter what the martial soul of the ice-type soul master that fuses with it is, its soul skill will never change. This is a strong limitation.”
“As for its final flaw, it’s its age. According to our analysis, this soul bone is between 50, 000 to 70, 000 years old. This is
one of its strengths, but at the same time, please don’t try to fuse with it if you do not possess the calibre. If not, you will likely die from it. So these are its three flaws.”
“Are these really flaws?” Wang Yan's thoughts were evident from his twitching face.
What flaws? These were evidently its strengths. While it was true that its elemental requirement was a severe limitation, all soul bones with elemental requirements were more powerful than those without these requirements. Once a soul master fused with one, its effects would vastly exceed those of one without elemental requirements.
For example, Wang Dong’s Golden Light Left Arm Bone was only so valuable because it could only fuse with a light-type soul master. After fusion, its effects were vastly superior to any ordinary soul bone.
As to its second ‘weakness’, the fact that its soul skill was set was a humongous advantage. Only exceptionally powerful soul bones would have set soul skills!
As for its final flaw, when had the age of a soul bone ever been a flaw? With a few sentences, Princess Jiu Jiu was able to elucidate every single strength of this emerald ice type soul bone under the guise of listing its ‘flaws’.
“Now that we are done with its flaws, we shall now talk about its strengths,” Princess Jiu Jiu said as her voice turned sincere in an instant.
“As the main auctioneer of the Starlight Auction, and as a princess of the Imperial Household of the Star Luo Empire, I give my solemn word that everything I say is true. Firstly, I want to say that this soul bone is the most perfect one I have seen. Its rarity can be compared to a hundred thousand year soul bone because it did not originate from our continent or any particular country. Instead, it comes the Extreme North, an area forbidden to us humans. Furthermore, it comes from the core regions of the Extreme North. The owner of this soul bone is a transcendent soul beast of the bitterly cold extreme north, the Ice Jade Scorpion.”
The moment Princess Jiu Jiu said the three words ‘Ice Jade Scorpion’, everyone’s gaze fell onto Huo Yuhao. Everyone looked surprised, as they all knew what Huo Yuhao’s second martial soul was. No one, however, thought that the eighth
item up for auction would be the same as Huo Yuhao’s martial soul. Doubtlessly, if Huo Yuhao obtained the soul bone, he would be its best fit.
Huo Yuhao was struck by a sudden realization. No wonder the Skydream Iceworm was shocked, and the Ice Empress was filled with rage. This left arm bone came from her fellow tribesmen!
Princess Jiu Jiu continued, “The Ice Jade Scorpion may not be a familiar name for everyone here. However, I believe that everyone is familiar with something else. The leader of the Ice Jade Scorpions is the Ice Jade Scorpion King, otherwise known as the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. Among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, it is ranked eighth. Any beast that could enter the ranks of the Ten Great Savage Beasts is top class. Even if we don’t take into account its age, the Ice Jade Scorpion is at the top of the pecking order among all soul beasts.”
“This soul bone comes from an Ice Jade Scorpion. As they live in groups, it’s a miracle that someone could kill one from a pack of them. This is more difficult than killing a hundred thousand year soul beast from the Great Star Dou Forest. What makes this feat even more difficult was that the slayer obtained a soul bone after killing an Ice Jade Scorpion.”
“According to the ancient records, the power of ice is determined by its temperature. The lower the temperature of ice, the scarier and tougher it is. The Ice Jade Scorpion King is recognized as the one who possesses ice of the lowest temperature in the world. Although its clan members are not as outstanding as it is, there are very few others who are able to match up to them in the domain of ice. Hence, I would like to tell all of you that once this left arm bone is infused, there will be an elemental amplification of the martial soul of ice-type soul masters. Regardless of what soul skill is employed, the temperature will be lower than before. This is basically a major benefit, an all-round amplification. It’s not too much to claim this as the first advantage of this piece of Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone, is it?”
“Secondly, the Ice Jade Scorpion is naturally powerful beyond measure. After obtaining this left arm bone, the strength of the left arm of the soul master will increase significantly. As for the magnitude of increase, I’m unsure. This can only be tested by the fortunate, distinguished guest that receives it.”
“Next is the third benefit of infusing this piece of soul bone. Once it’s infused, the solidified skill of this soul bone will also be possessed by the soul master. I shall not beat around the bush any further. This solidified skill is called Ice Explosion. I mentioned earlier that the solidified skill is its weakness and
lacks changes. However, I also must clarify that this is also its greatest advantage. Even to the Ice Jade Scorpion, this skill could be considered a divine skill. As long as there’s ice, the might of the Ice Explosion will exist.”
“I have clearly stated all three huge weaknesses and advantages. An ice-type soul master will not regret possessing it. Now, I shall give all of you 10 minutes to appreciate it.”
After speaking for so long, everyone was stunned as Princess Jiu Jiu’s voice disappeared. Only Wang Yan remained sober and in full command of his senses. He turned his head rapidly to look at Qing Ya, asking, “Qing Ya, are there many ice-type soul masters among those who are here to bid?”
Qing Ya’s pretty face flashed with a tinge of awkwardness. However, she did not deny his words, and nodded her head slightly, “Apologies, it’s necessary for our auction house to do this. The items for auction in this top-ranked auction are treasures. Thus, they are naturally allocated to the
distinguished guests that need them the most. In fact, the first 7 items on auction are like the appetizers, while the last two items are the main course of this auction. While our auction house does have our own strategy, there was no exaggerated content in Jiu Jiu’s introduction. This soul bone is indeed the most exquisite item.”
Wang Yan nodded slightly as he twisted his head towards Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen. Then, he said in a deep voice, “There’s only one soul bone. If the two of you can achieve a consensus, I can give it a shot for the both of you.”
Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen naturally understood what Wang Yan meant. For such a top-ranked ice-type soul bone, it was no longer about money. It was an item that was extremely desirable but difficult to obtain! No matter how many golden soul coins one had, they were just irrelevant numbers without the items that one wanted to get.
There was no need to doubt the value of the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone to Huo Yuhao. But similarly, it carried immense value for Ling Luochen too. It was even fair to say that Ling Luochen’s powers would be able to rise a level if she possessed it. She could then reach the level of both Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng. It would also be ideal for her future progress.
An ice explosion sounded very simple. However, as a soul master, how could Ling Luochen not understand its significance? Simply put, this ice explosion was comparable to the corpse explosion unleashed by that Envoy of the Death God that they had met. This Ice Explosion might even be more
powerful. To an ice-type soul master, it was nothing to conjure a little bit of ice. If this Ice Explosion move was controlled well after it was set to explode, its might would render it a divine skill!
Huo Yuhao’s spiritual sea was a mess. After a brief moment of resentment, the Ice Empress demanded that Huo Yuhao obtain that soul bone by hook or by crook upon hearing the words ‘Ice Explosion’. The reason was very simple, but not even the Starlight Auction House knew about it. To the Ice Jade Scorpion clan, this Ice Explosion skill was rarely seen. Even As the Ice Jade Scorpion King, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion did not possess such a skill among her gifts.
Huo Yuhao immediately understood when the Ice Empress explained the strength of this skill using one sentence. The Ice Empress said that she could challenge the leader of the Three Heavenly Kings if she possessed this skill.
However, could Huo Yuhao really say so? He couldn’t.
As he saw the radiance of hope in Ling Luochen’s eyes that was very difficult to mask, Huo Yuhao’s words stuck in his throat.
This soul bone was comparable to a hundred thousand year soul bone to an ice-type soul master. No one would be able to give it up so readily! Ling Luochen definitely wanted it. Without a doubt, this soul bone must be extremely costly. Besides its price, Huo Yuhao was also unwilling to let the mood of his senior change because of him. They were comrades, and still needed to fight alongside each other in the following competition.
After sensing Huo Yuhao’s hesitation, the Ice Empress gradually calmed down as well. “Idiot, just give it to her first.”
“What?” Huo Yuhao was stunned, “Didn’t you ask me to obtain this soul bone at all costs?”
The Ice Empress laughed coldly and said, “I was feeling gloomy just now, and my thoughts were not clear. Do you
think that the soul bones produced by Ice Jade Scorpions can be absorbed so readily by anyone? Everything in that auctioneer’s introduction was just conjecture. How is anyone clearer than me about the special characteristics of Ice Jade Scorpions? Although she’s right in most of her description, there are some parts that were wrong too. This is also why this soul bone is a great problem to ordinary soul masters. Her mistake lay in her claim that fusing with this soul bone can increase the ice-type power of one’s body. Do you know why she’s wrong?”
Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly. “You are making me anxious.
Look at Senior Ling’s eyes. Stop beating about the bush.”
The Ice Empress snorted before saying a few words to Huo Yuhao.
“What? So this is it?” Huo Yuhao was appalled. Following that, he became much more relaxed from his initial uneasiness and said, “This is much easier then.”
“Qing Ya, I have a question.” Huo Yuhao did not look at Ling Luochen’s shining gaze, but instead looked towards Qing Ya.
Qing Ya smiled and nodded at him without despising him at all. They had dug deep into the profiles of all the students from Shrek Academy who were here to compete. Among all the students, Huo Yuhao was one of the few that they monitored closely. Qing Ya was fully aware of his brilliant performances
during the competition. With the strength of his ice-type martial soul, he had relied on his strength as a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster to achieve decisive impacts during the competition. He was also touted as the future hope and star of Shrek Academy.
“Please feel free to ask, my distinguished guest.”
Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice, “Can you halt this auction temporarily? There’s something wrong with your auction item.”
After he spoke, everyone present was stunned. They did not expect him to raise his suspicions with the auction house instead of discussing how they should share the spoils if they obtained the soul bone with Ling Luochen.
Qing Ya creased her eyebrows slightly and replied, “My distinguished guest, that’s impossible. All our auction items
have been through stringent checks and tests. They are all problem-free for sure. Which auction item are you referring to anyway?”
Huo Yuhao said, “I’m referring to the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone that was just presented. I’m also doing this for the name of your auction house. If such an item is auctioned out for an exorbitant price, it won’t do any good for the reputation of your auction house. If you can’t make a decision, please ask someone who has the authority to come out now.”
Qing Ya furrowed her brows even further and turned to Wang Yan, as if she was looking for his help.
Wang Yan laughed gently and said, “Qing Ya, you don’t have to look at me. I trust in the judgement of my students. Furthermore, if there’s anyone who has the right to claim that this 8th auction item is flawed, it’s him. We won’t put you on the spot either. Yuhao, please let Qing Ya take a look at your martial soul.”
Huo Yuhao nodded and turned around. He stripped his jacket off and passed it to Wang Dong. After that, he removed his top and revealed his firm upper body.
As his soul power surged, a white soul ring rose from beneath his feet. The temperature in the entire room dipped at an alarming rate. Following that, a tattoo of a huge scorpion appeared on his back.
This tattoo was too big, such that the curled part of the scorpion’s tail was hidden underneath his pants. However, most of the tattoo could be seen on his back. Wasn’t it the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion?
Of course, it was needless to say that Qing Ya was unable to tell what the tattoo was. Even for Wang Yan, who had decades of experience in the research of martial souls, he could not differentiate between the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and an Ice Jade Scorpion.
“This, this is…” Qing Ya was stunned as she looked at Huo Yuhao’s back.
Wang Yan said, “Qing Ya, the martial soul of this student of mine is the rare Ice Jade Scorpion. It originates from the same soul beast as the soul bone that is on auction. Hence, I believe his judgment when he says that this soul bone is flawed. For
the sake of the reputation of this auction house, I think it’s best for you to ask for advice from your superiors.”
Qing Ya did not hesitate any further, and nodded her head. She said, “All distinguished guests, please wait for a moment.” After she finished saying that, she turned and walked out. It was no longer under her authority to make any decisions if there were problems with the auction items. After Huo Yuhao revealed his martial soul, she was convinced, but needed some time to seek advice from her superiors.
After less than a minute, Princess Jiu Jiu’s voice rang out on the big screen again, “Due to the value of this auction item, our auction house has decided to extend the time for it’s appreciation by a further 10 minutes. This will allow all of you to make a more informed choice.”
Ling Luochen walked up to Huo Yuhao and whispered, “Is there really something wrong with this soul bone?”
Huo Yuhao nodded his head slightly and said a few words to her in a low voice. Ling Luochen was dazed for a moment. Following that, her expression changed. Finally, she sighed in exasperation and mumbled, “What’s meant to be yours will be yours. What’s not meant to be yours won’t be yours. We can’t force things.”
Huo Yuhao comforted her, “Senior, I am not 100% confident either. If we are able obtain this soul bone, you can try it first. If it doesn’t work out for you, you can then pass it to me.”
Ling Luochen shook her head and touched Huo Yuhao’s head. She said, “There’s no need to. I was just being greedy. I believe your words. If possible, you can cultivate a few times with me in the future when you have the time.”
Before Huo Yuhao even opened his mouth, Wang Dong forced his jacket towards him. “Put it on. What are you trying to achieve by being naked? Do you want our eyes to suffer?”
As he interrupted, they deviated from the subject that they were on.
At this moment, the door opened, and Qing Ya returned to the room. What was unexpected was that the person who followed her was Princess Jiu Jiu, the chief auctioneer of the Starlight auction House, who still wore her long, red dress.
Upon seeing her, everyone stood up. As she was a princess and this was the Star Luo Empire, everyone had no choice but to accord her the respect she deserved.
At close range, the beauty of this princess was astonishing. Her almost flawless face left everyone dizzy. Fortunately, this room already had a ravishing beauty in Jiang Nannan, which relieved a little of the amazement that everyone felt.
Princess Jiu Jiu bowed slightly to everyone, then asked anxiously, “Who is the distinguished guest that claims that our Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone is flawed?”
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “It’s me.”
Princess Jiu Jiu sized him up for a moment before saying, “What’s the problem? You are an Ice Jade Scorpion soul master?”
Huo Yuhao nodded his head and said, “Yes. There’s nothing wrong with this soul bone.”
“Oh?” Princess Jiu Jiu’s huge beautiful eyes flashed with a chill, and she said in a low voice, “Why is there nothing wrong with it again?”
Huo Yuhao said, “I am referring to the soul bone when I say that nothing is wrong. The person absorbing the soul bone is the one with the problem. This soul bone can’t be absorbed by just anyone.”
As the royal princess and chief auctioneer, Princess Jiu Jiu was a very restrained person. But now that she was pressed for time, and this concerned the success of the auction, she could not help but feel anxious. Her tone hardened. “I know that not everyone can absorb this soul bone. Only ice-type soul masters and those with a cultivation capable absorbing soul bones of 50,000 years and above can try. Are you pointing out this problem?”
Huo Yuhao said, “The limitations of this soul bone don’t end there. I believe that Your Highness doesn’t really understand the Ice Jade Scorpion clan. As the strongest species in the Extreme North, the Ice Jade Scorpions have always been very proud. Furthermore, they currently possess the strongest ice available. Hence, there is always a special requirement in order to absorb everything that they produce, including soul rings and soul bones.”
As he spoke till this point, Huo Yuhao reviewed what the Ice Empress had said to him earlier, “To absorb the soul bones of us Ice Jade Scorpions, you humans will need Ultimate Ice, regardless of what type of soul bone you want to absorb. Without the Ultimate Ice physique, it’s impossible to absorb a soul bone produced by an Ice Jade Scorpion. This is the pride of the Ice Jade Scorpions!”
He had also related this reasoning to Ling Luochen, which had dispelled her desire for this soul bone.
“What is the special requirement?” Princess Jiu Jiu calmed down. Before entering, she had already known who was inside the room. The members of Shrek Academy never spoke without thinking.
Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice, “Ultimate Ice. Without an Ultimate Ice physique, it’s impossible to absorb this soul bone.”
“That's impossible.” Princess Jiu Jiu reacted almost instantly, “Since when have the requirements for a soul bone been so high? Doesn’t this mean that no one can absorb it?”
Huo Yuhao calmly said, “This is the pride of the Ice Jade Scorpions. Furthermore, it doesn’t mean that no one can absorb it just because it’s difficult to. I’m saying all this out of goodwill, as I don’t want the credibility of your auction house to be undermined. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I have said my piece. Your Highness, you can continue with the auction.”
Princess Jiu Jiu creased her brows and clenched her fists subconsciously. One could see her internal struggle at this point.
It was true that Huo Yuhao’s words were one-sided. However, Qing Ya did mention to her that Huo Yuhao’s martial soul was an Ice Jade Scorpion. It was normal that he would know a lot about the soul bone of an Ice Jade Scorpion. However, this
would spoil her original plan. Moreover, it would be a major flaw in this top-ranked auction.
Not forgetting her status as the chief auctioneer, she took in a deep breath and calmed down. After greeting Huo Yuhao with a palace formality, she said, “Thanks for telling me all this. Time is tight, and I will deal with this matter immediately. If I’m being rude, I hope that everyone can forgive me.” After she finished, she turned around and left in a hurry.
Qing Ya only returned to the room after seeing Princess Jiu Jiu out. She wore a gloomy expression.
Wang Yan smiled and tried to comfort her. “Qing Ya, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t fret too much.”
Qing Ya shook her head and said, “This concerns the credibility of our auction house! It’s also a very big thing. The starting bid for this soul bone was initially going to be set at over 10 million golden soul coins. There has never been a case of anyone having any problems with our auction items that cross the 10 million mark.”
Wang Yan replied, “It’s better to discover earlier than not to discover it at all. At least there’s still room to rectify the problem, since it’s yet to be auctioned out,.”
On the other side, Princess Jiu Jiu went further in after she exited the previous room. She came before a door that was numbered 1 at the very end of the hallway. Without even knocking on the door, she pushed with her right hand, and the door slid open to one side. She walked in hurriedly.
“Brother, we have an issue.”
There was only one man seated in this room. He was tall and upright, and he wore a long, black robe. Besides him, there were no other people around, not even maids. However, if one saw the appearance of this man, he would be horrified. That’s because this man was the Star Luo Emperor.
After he saw Princess Jiu Jiu entering the room, the Star Luo Emperor said in a low voice, “I know that something has gone wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have extended the time for the guests to appreciate the item. What’s wrong?”
Princess Jiu Jiu repeated Huo Yuhao’s words to him.
After hearing her words, the Star Luo Emperor shook his head and laughed after a momentary daze. “I still wanted to deliver them a favor, but who knew that this favor would be lacking? Go and settle it. In a while, I will go to meet them, and deliver this favor properly.”
Princess Jiu Jiu nodded as she understood his hint. “Brother, are they worth it? If we do it this way, the auction house will sustain considerable losses.”
“Of course they are. We can even kill two birds with one stone. It’s necessary to improve our ties with Shrek Academy. In recent times, the Sun Moon Empire has not been very attuned to peace. The Illustrious Virtue Hall has also produced items that have invoked a sense of crisis within me. Once there’s movement by the Sun Moon Empire, we’ll be the first on the receiving end. When that time comes, Shrek Academy will be the first to be able to help us. Furthermore, the youth that I noticed even once sparked a conference within the Sea God’s Pavilion. He has twin martial souls and an ultimate ice martial soul. Doesn’t that make it necessary for us to build up our ties with him? More importantly, he is under the rule of our empire as indicated in his registration information in
Shrek Academy. For such a talent, I believe that he’ll grow closer to us even if we don’t use him. Go, we don’t have much time left.”
“Alright.” Princess Jiu Jiu’s eyes flashed with radiance, and her mind floated with the image of Huo Yuhao’s confidence earlier. She couldn’t believe that he wasn’t even 13 years old. But he was very calm earlier!
After the 20 minutes of appreciation time was up, Huo Yuhao was surprised that the auction was not affected by his words earlier. It continued to be held.
The starting price of the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone reached over 12 million. Every increase had to be no less than 50,000 golden soul coins. For such a high price, everyone from Shrek Academy was stunned.
After Wang Yan gritted his teeth and made 2 bids, he couldn’t carry on anymore, and had to give up. While Shrek City was wealthy, the taxes that it collected in a year was only a mere few hundred million golden soul coins. For such a treasure that was priced in the millions, it could be the
treasure of a city. The amount of money involved meant that Wang Yan was not exactly in a position to make any calls.
The greatest source of money for Shrek Academy did not come from the taxes collected from Shrek City. They came from the monetary rewards obtained when the powerful individuals from Shrek Academy carried out missions or hunted soul beasts outside. For example, if the Sea God’s Pavilion in Shrek Academy was willing to act, it was not difficult to hunt and kill a hundred thousand year soul beast. The value of a hundred thousand year soul beast was very difficult to measure in terms of money.
However, in the past thousand years, Shrek Academy had toned down this aspect of their work. The most important reason for doing so was because they did not want to rile up the Great Star Dou Forest. If it did, the situation would be dire. Even if Shrek City could be preserved, the surroundings cities and villages around the Great Star Dou Forest would still be destroyed. Hence, Shrek Academy did not hunt and kill soul beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest even though it was lucrative. They would only do so to help increase the soul rings of their students if they needed one.
The price of the soul bone soared. It indeed attracted a lot of attention. When the price of the soul bone reached 15 million, the sudden shout of a figure caused everyone to be appalled.
30 million!
The number 30 million had appeared on the soul screen. Who said numbers were simple? By looking at this frightening number, all of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters started to breathe more anxiously. This figure was enough to buy a mid-sized city! The number referred to golden soul coins too, and not silver or bronze soul coins. The purchasing power of a golden soul coin was enough to buy 150 loaves of bread. It was not simple for even a country to fork out such a sum, but right now, this figure was used to bid on a soul bone. Who could be so wealthy?
Chapter 101: The Embryo Of A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast
“Teacher Wang.” In a rare occurrence, Ling Luochen spoke. She appeared to be irritated. “Isn’t the Starlight Auction House being deceitful, knowing that the soul bone they are auctioning is flawed?” She had been moved by Huo Yuhao’s words earlier too. She was wondering about the prospect of being able to fuse with this soul bone. If this soul bone was flawed, it would be in the best interest of the Starlight Auction House to sell it to them. After all, Huo Yuhao possessed an ultimate ice martial soul, which was very uncommon.
Wang Yan waved towards her and said, “Don’t fret.”
Qing Ya came towards Wang Yan and whispered a few words to him.
Wang Yan laughed slightly and said, “I’ve guessed that it’d be like this already. We’ll wait here. Isn’t there a last auction item? Let us take a look at it and see what can be more valuable than the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone.”
Upon seeing Wang Yan’s expression, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng were both relieved. They seemed to have understood something too. Bei Bei, He Caitou and Xu Sanshi all grinned too. Xu Sanshi even took the initiative to answer Jiang Nannan’s doubts.
Wang Dong was initially as irritated as Ling Luochen. Only when Huo Yuhao muttered a few words into his ear did he seemed to be enlightened. Xiao Xiao was at a loss though. Ling Luochen continued to furrow her brows, but did not say anything.
As this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament continued, Wang Yan was gaining further recognition from his students based on his profound knowledge and hard work.
“Next, we have our final auction item.”
The image on the soul screen turned golden. As the golden light receded, Princess Jiu Jiu appeared on the screen wearing a long, golden skirt.
Her milky-white skin didn’t lose its beauty and elegance when paired with the graceful and luxurious golden palace skirt. The tailoring of the skirt fitted her body to a tee, and even managed to accentuate her curves.
Qing Ya had already said before that wearing the golden auction attire signified that the auction item that was about to be presented next could potentially achieve a bid of over 100 million golden soul coins.
Although no one knew what that auction item was going to be, they were excited upon seeing Princess Jiu Jiu’s change of attire. In this top-ranked auction, she was indeed capable of getting everyone to their feet!
“Distinguished guests, we can tell how valuable this final auction item will be just by looking at Princess Jiu jiu’s dress. Honestly speaking, it’s also my first time seeing this auction item in my entire life. From my viewpoint, the value of this item can no longer be judged using money.”
Princess Jiu jiu showed some minor changes again after changing into this golden skirt. She was different from her previous self, which appeared to be more seductive. Right now,
her tone of voice was more serious. Her expression was also more serious. Just by saying a few words, others could sense her sincerity. They even could not help but believe every single word that she said.
“I shall not reveal the name of this auction item yet. I shall give a brief introduction of what its effects are. The Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone earlier was already very scarce and rare. As for this final auction item, it’s even more unique. Its price is even immeasurable using money.”
“It’s an item that can only expended once. More specifically, it’s medicinal in nature, and there’s only one of it. Distinguished guests, please take a look.” As she spoke, Princess Jiu jiu waved her right hand, and a change occurred on the soul screen. There was one more white tray that appeared on the screen. On that tray, there was another wooden tray. This wooden tray was embedded with at least a hundred jewels of various colors. Above this average-sized wooden tray, a ball of flowing gas surged slightly.
This ball of flowing gas revealed itself to be white. The tender whiteness of it undermined its strength. Furthermore, it only appeared to be a ball of flowing gas from the screen. It
was difficult to sense how miraculous it was through one’s vision alone.
However, this ball of flowing gas was very condensed, and did not disperse. Subtly, it seemed to be struggling, and attempting to escape some form of encirclement. The wooden tray beneath the ball of flowing gas even emanated a layer of dim golden light that engulfed the gas as the gas struggled. This stopped the gas from escaping.
“All of you must be very curious. What exactly is this item? When I saw it for the first time, I was also unable to confirm what sort of presence it is exactly. However, we have confirmed its detailed form through countless research attempts. Never underestimate this ball of flowing gas. It’s even a blessing just to see it today. Although it’s a little disrespectful to say this as an auctioneer, I can’t think of another way to describe how valuable and rare it is other than using this method.
“All of you should be aware that in the world of soul beasts, there’s a situation. After a soul beast reaches 100,000 years of cultivation, it will have a choice. If it continues to cultivate, it has to rely on its powerful innate talent to challenge the bottleneck that could potentially dissipate its soul. If the bottleneck is overcome, we would then name it a transcendent
soul beast until it reaches 200,000 years of cultivation. Among transcendent soul beasts, we call the most powerful ten of them the Ten Great Savage Beasts. It’s fair to say that they are the elites among the soul beasts.”
“However, not all soul beasts will choose this path after they reach 100,000 years of cultivation. There’s another choice that they can make. They can re-cultivate to become human. To carry this out, they must convert themselves into the most primitive form of humans. They must exist in the form of an embryo first before continuing to cultivate in order to increase their cultivation. As long as they can cultivate all the way till the 7th ring, they will be able to become true humans. For such soul beasts, they are almost certainly able to reach the level of Transcendent Douluo. However, it’s more uncommon for soul beasts to choose this path compared to the previous one. Why?”
“That’s because it’s equivalent to them forsaking all their previous cultivation once they choose to be reborn. Besides retaining their soul skills and relieving themselves of the need to kill a soul beast to replenish themselves, their bodies will be as weak as the bodies of humans. Regardless of whether it’s the soul beasts themselves or the most powerful human soul masters, they can also sense the difference between these soul beasts and humans. Such soul beasts with 100,000 years of
cultivation are the prime targets to be hunted and slain by human soul masters. If we say that 1 out of 10 soul beasts survive by choosing the previous path, it’s fair to say that none of them will survive if they choose this path. As a result, there have been fewer and fewer soul beasts who will make such a choice. This is unless if they are able to cultivate till 100,000 years based on luck, or if their lineage is extremely poor.”
“After saying so much, I reckon that some of you will be thinking that I am saying stuff that all of you are already aware of, and there’s no need for me to remind all of you of this. However, I must clarify that what I’m saying is not gibberish. What I’m saying is closely related to this, the final item of today’s auction. This ball of flowing gas is a soul beast with 100,000 years of cultivation that was captured by someone powerful after it reached its bottleneck and decided to re- cultivate into a human. After that, it was trapped in a Class 9 Godsealing Altar.
After hearing Jiu Jiu’s words, the entire room went silent, including Wang Yan. Everyone was astounded.
Huo Yuhao was still immersed in his expectations for the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone, but he opened his mouth wide in shock when he heard Princess Jiu Jiu’s words.
A soul beast was captured and trapped in the process of turning into a human, when it was in its embryonic state. What did this mean? This meant that a 100,000 year soul beast could be easily slain. As a result, a hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone could be obtained. But at the same time, this signified immense cruelty too!
Undoubtedly, this Class 9 soul engineer must have come from the Sun Moon Empire. That’s because only the Sun Moon Empire possessed a soul engineer of such a level.
This was indeed a treasure! A hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone were indeed the most valuable treasures currently in the world. It was tremendously arduous to obtain them, not to even mention capturing a 100,000 year soul beast. The temptation to get ahold of this embryo was very great. No wonder Princess Jiu Jiu had donned the golden auctioneering clothes.
An item worth 100 million golden soul coins was undoubtedly a staggering figure. But compared to a 100,000 year soul beast, there were those who were willing to fork out this sum of money!
However, this was not the end of the shock for everyone.
Princess Jiu Jiu beamed with a smile and said, “Distinguished guests, am I right that all of you are stunned now? I shouldn’t be wrong. However, there are even more astonishing things that I haven’t revealed yet. According to the research information provided by the Sun Moon Empire regarding this embryo, this 100,000 year soul beast embryo’s memory was also sealed when it was solidified into this state. Besides the fact that it can provide a hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone, this means that it can be easily absorbed. Of course, the powers of the Class 9 Godsealing Altar have to be tapped into during the process of absorption. Moreover, the probability of it being absorbed directly might not be huge. However, an entire martial soul could be obtained by the person absorbing it if it’s successful, and all the powers of the soul beast could be absorbed. If this is true, a martial soul that can be added with 9 soul rings is much superior than a soul ring or a soul bone.”
Silence. Not only was the room that Huo Yuhao and the rest were in silent, all the participants of the auction were also completely hushed. However, their breathing became heavier and heavier.
If they had thought that Princess Jiu Jiu was exaggerating when she described that auction item, their mindset changed immediately at this moment. If what Princess Jiu Jiu said was true, then this hundred thousand year soul beast was indeed a priceless treasure!
“Is it really possible?” Huo Yuhao asked the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress.
The Ice Empress said nothing, but she felt as if she was about to blow up any moment. The Skydream Iceworm did not try to provoke her this time, but instead tried to calm the Ice Empress down.
“It is really possible. Unbelievably, you humans managed to catch the embryo of a hundred thousand year soul beast that was about to turn into a human. All I can say that the luck required for something is like this is incredible. Furthermore, the person who caught his embryo probably prepared for it for quite some time. When a soul beast tries to turn into a human, it will be at its weakest. One has to be extremely careful. For
the captor to remain undetected means that he had some powerful concealment ability. If the embryo could be forcibly fused, it may become a martial soul. However, it will not cooperate as seamlessly as you and I. If it were to become a martial soul, the embryo of the soul beast would still preserve a bit of its consciousness. Think about it; will it be willing to be fused? While it may not necessarily create problems, it is surely not a good thing.”
Huo Yuhao nodded his head and sighed in his heart. He had no chance of obtaining this item. Including Electrolux, he had three martial souls already. Furthermore, as he looked at the stream of gas that was actually the embryo of a soul beast, he could not make himself want it.
When humans killed mature soul beasts, it was survival of the fittest. When humans won, they would obtain soul rings. When they were killed, humans would become food for the soul beasts. However, no one would pick on the younger humans and soul beasts. It was as if the two sides had come to a tacit agreement that harming a youngling was something shameful.
Princess Jiu Jiu was not yet finished with her introduction. She smiled and continued, “Honored guests, please don’t
worry excessively. If one fails at fusing with it, then the soul beast will surely die. At that time, the soul ring and the soul bone will naturally appear. I want to remind all guests that whoever wishes to try fusing with it must possess the power of an Soul Douluo. If not, when the beast dies upon failure and produces its hundred thousand year soul ring and soul bone, you will not be able to absorb it because you won’t be strong
enough. Optimally, one must be an Soul Douluo. Then,
regardless of whether you succeed or fail, no problem will arise.”
“Of course, if you are not powerful, it’s fine too. The Godsealing Altar is powerful enough to seal time and space. With it, as long as one does not open it with some special spell, the hundred thousand year soul beast will still be inside. Even after a thousand years, or even ten thousand years, it will not be damaged. However, this creates a problem unto itself too. Whoever buys the hundred thousand year soul beast must also buy this Class 9 soul tool, as it is necessary to preserve this embryo.”
“Now, we will give our honored guests 30 minutes to rest and admire this object. After 30 minutes, we will start this auction. Here, we allow our guests to obtain some cash by offering collateral. We will assess each object offered thus objectively, but we will take a 20% commission fee for each exchange. This
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as this object is unprecedented in history. With it, one’s power will surely increase immensely. Don’t miss this chance.”
The Godsealing Altar in the image was blown up many times, and the ball of faint, golden light became clearer. If one looked at it carefully, one would see that the ball of gas within the Godsealing Altar looked like a human baby.
Wang Yan arched his eyebrows tightly as he sat on the sofa. This treasure was attractive, no doubt. However, the people from Shrek all had a look of helplessness in their eyes.
Because of the value of this treasure, its price would surely be terrifyingly high too. Even if Shrek Academy wished to purchase it, it would put a huge dent in their finances. Furthermore, with their current setup, they might not even be able to bring it back.
At this time, Ma Xiaotao finally played her role as the team leader. “Pa! Pa! Pa!” She clapped her hands and attracted everyone’s gaze to her.
“It’s fine guys, there’s no need for Shrek Academy to own every single goodie. No doubt this item is good, but it’s way too expensive. To me, this item is overvalued. With so much money, why don’t we just ask some freaks from Shrek Academy to catch some hundred thousand year soul beasts? Furthermore, the description comes solely from the auctioneer, and we don’t know much about any specific details either. Its auction price is surely based on the value of a second martial soul, produced upon successful fusion. What if the fusion fails? Let’s just enjoy the show, shall we?”
Dai Yueheng regained his senses too as he nodded his head and said, “Xiaotao is right. This is a treasure that we might encounter, but may not possess. Even if we encounter it, this is not something that we can buy with our current financial ability. What a shame.” While that was what he said, a dark expression still crossed his eyes. If the people behind the Starlight Auction were not the Imperial Family, he would surely do something. Hatred brewed in his heart. For a treasure like this, even his father did not know the details. If he did…
Huo Yuhao’s eyes were clear. He had no desire for the embryo of this hundred thousand year soul beast. Without desire, his heart was much calmer too. He turned his head to look at Wang Dong. What shocked him was that Wang Dong was
eating a fruit from the table. He was acting even more naturally than him.
Huo Yuhao could not help but say in a low voice, “What?
Don’t you have the slightest desire for it at all?”
Wang Dong shook his head and said, “No.”
When Ma Xiaotao heard their exchange, she could not help but chide, “The two of you are already twin-souled soul masters, what desire can you possibly have? However, do you know how many twin-souled soul masters are there in the continent? I can count them with one hand. Even for our school, we had not seen one for over 400 years. Now, three appear all at once.”
At this moment, a knock came from the door. Qing Ya stood up and shot a look at Wang Yan, as if seeking his permission.
Wang Yan nodded. Only then did Qing Ya open the door.
The door opened, and the first to enter was Princess Jiu Jiu, who was still clad in her golden, regal robes. The person behind her was none other than the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire.
When she saw who they were, Qing Ya was shocked. She retreated a few steps and knelt on one knee. The two maids next to her knelt on both knees.
The people from Shrek had all seen the emperor in Star Luo Plaza. Now, when they looked at him up-close, all of them were dumbfounded. Only Dai Yueheng leapt up from the sofa and knelt on one knee as he said respectfully, “Your Majesty.”
The Star Luo Emperor raised his hands and said, “Rise. This is an auction, and you are guests. I am the host. There’s no need for formalities. In fact, I should properly extend my hospitality to you as the host. Yueheng, your father is my big brother. You should call me uncle. Why are you acting so formal?”
Only then did the team from Shrek get over their initial shock. They all got up and paid their respects to him, but instead of kneeling, they simply bowed. After all, they
belonged to Shrek Academy, whose dean’s position rivalled that of emperors. It would be wrong to show too much deference.
After Wang Yan bowed, he exclaimed in surprise, “Your Majesty, what are you doing?” By coming, the emperor had revealed his status as the force behind the auction. This shocked him.
The emperor smiled and said, “I am here to look at you all. I wanted to take a look at the high-caliber students of Shrek for a very long time. I have seen you compete in every single round. Even though there were some mishaps concerning Shrek Academy's official team, your resolute display of both force and talent has left a deep impression on me.”
“Please sit, Your Majesty,” Wang Yan said as he gestured with his hands.
The Star Luo Emperor shook his head and said, “No, thank you. All of you have seen how shocking this object is. I still need to be there, to guard against those who may harbour ill intent. Speaking of this object, I really can’t bear to auction this item out. However, the empire’s expenses are rather high,
and all I can do is give up what I love. Today, other than taking a look at you talented people, I also want to thank you for your warning during the auction of the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone. This has helped to preserve everyone’s trust in the auction.”
Princess Jiu Jiu said, “Just now, under my mediation, we bought the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone back ourselves. However, to prevent anymore trust issues from arising, this item can no longer be sold. To thank Shrek Academy for your timely reminder, we have decided to give the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone away as a gift. If Shrek Academy can become the champions of the inaugural Elite Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament, then we shall give the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone to your school as an additional reward. Of course, we do hope that you can keep this matter a secret.”
Even if Princess Jiu Jiu did not say it herself, everyone could guess that the auctioneers were the ones who had bought back the item at a price of 30 million. Using this method, they were able to stop others from realizing that the auction item was unable to live up to its hype.
“This…” Wang Yan and everyone from the Shrek Academy were shocked. While they knew that the price for the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone was clearly not indicative of its value, it was still an immensely valuable object. While others might not be able to use it, it was priceless to Huo Yuhao! Its value surpassed Wang Dong’s Golden Light Left Arm Bone. 10 million was too cheap a price for it! It was possible that the Star Luo Empire had decided to gift it out only because of the absorptive ability of Ultimate Ice. This debt of gratitude was immense indeed, to the point where Wang Yan did not even dare to accept it.
The Star Luo Emperor simpered at Huo Yuhao, who was standing at the side, and said, “My Protector Douluo told me that it is likely that you possess an ice-type martial soul with Ultimate Ice, so this soul bone is suitable for you, just like how a hero deserves an exotic sword. Besides, I don’t think you can find a second person in the entire world with Ultimate Ice. Since that’s the case, I shall gift it to someone instead of letting it collect dust somewhere in a corner. Of course, the champion’s title is a prerequisite – even though this soul bone couldn’t fetch a high price, it needs the respect and dignity it deserves.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” This was Huo Yuhao’s first encounter with the emperor of a nation, so it was impossible for him not to feel a little nervous as he bowed timidly once more.
The Star Luo Emperor continued, “Your name is Huo Yuhao. From what I can see about your place of birth in your registration, you are from my country, after all – we can’t give the good stuff to outsiders, eh? The gates to Star Luo City will always be open to you. Let’s just leave it like this first. I wish to
continue with the highlight of this auction, and it’s highly likely that the last item will fetch an exorbitant price. So you guys can witness a miracle before your departure.” With that, the Emperor tilted his head to his audience before he turned and left.
Huo Yuhao’s first impression of him was that his aura of majesty and prestige wasn’t overflowing, yet he was extremely unruffled at the same time. There seemed to be a feeling of absolute control hidden within his indifferent smiles, and he appeared to be able to convince other people for no other reason than it was he who had spoken.
“He’s really giving it to us for free?” Xiao Xiao was a little taken aback.
Wang Yan shook his head and replied, “Nah. Put more accurately, it’s a gift to Huo Yuhao of Shrek Academy. The Emperor is truly well-informed.”
As he spoke, he surveyed the rest of his students, and everybody could see the sudden change in his eyes. Everyone instantly sealed their mouths and ceased to discuss the matter.
In the end, Qing Ya and the other two servant girls were still in the room.
Once he was out of the seventh guest room, the Star Luo Emperor smiled as he muttered under his breath, “I do hope this kid won’t let me down. The beacon of trust and friendship has been sent out – I wonder what response Shrek will give. Jiu Jiu – after the conclusion of the competition, strengthen our relationship with Shrek Academy. Waive the taxes for merchants and business delegations from Shrek Academy doing business in our country by fifty percent.”
“Yes, brother. Something’s happening,” Princess Jiu Jiu whispered.
The Star Luo Emperor nodded his head faintly, but asked nothing, and instead strolled back into the first auction room that he was initially in as Princess Jiu Jiu followed behind him. One could see upon closer inspection that there was a white- colored ear plug in her right ear, and she made gestures that suggested she was listening closely to something.
Once the door was closed, only the two of them were left in the first guest room.
“You can speak now,” the Star Luo Emperor signaled to Princess Jiu Jiu.
Princess Jiu Jiu answered, “The target has taken the bait and has begun selling soul tools to us for the appropriate amount of cash. When we proposed to reduce the processing fee for products manufactured by the Illustrious Virtue Hall by ten percent across the board, they had a brief discussion and took out a portion of the soul tools from the Illustrious Virtue Hall to sell us. What a success!”
The Star Luo Emperor smiled and said, “This is within our estimations. The Illustrious Virtue Hallmaster’s great- grandchild is the most prodigious individual in the history of the Sun Moon Empire. If they can finish the fusion of the embryo, it will be like the cherry on the cake. How can they let go of such an opportunity? In terms of financial power, the Illustrious Virtue Hall can be considered to be number one on the continent. Every single soul tool obtained from the Illustrious Virtue Hall shall be immediately sent to the research lab.”
“Yes,” there was a tinge of craftiness in Princess Jiu Jiu’s eyes as she said, “Let’s hope they search for that Class 9 soul master
when they go back. Hehe.”
The Star Luo Emperor said, “This plan can be said to be seamless. Start the clock after the conclusion of the auction – three months later, announce a quest to steal treasures from the Illustrious Virtue Hall to the Adventurer’s Association, and that the reward upon completion will be one hundred million golden soul coins. No matter how talented the great- grandchild of the Illustrious Virtue Hallmaster is, it’s highly unlikely that he will finish the fusion within ten years. This estimate is also made under the assumption that they will utilize their most exotic herbs and whatnot. Ten years is enough to change many things and create a lot more variables.”
Princess Jiu Jiu giggled and teased, “I realize that you’re becoming more and more scheming, brother.”
The Star Luo Emperor’s eyes grew a little dull. “Why would we have to employ such methods if we had enough power? According to our intelligence, the Illustrious Virtue Hall’s research on soul tools has had multiple continuous breakthroughs. If we don’t restrain them right now, it won’t take ten years for the Sun Moon Empire to take some drastic action – and we are far from prepared.”
Princess Jiu Jiu attempted to console her brother. “This isn’t your fault, brother. You are already trying your best. The only difference is that, in terms of researching and developing soul tools, we don’t have the rich geographical and natural advantage that the Sun Moon Empire possesses. Furthermore, they have been on this journey even before they clashed with the Douluo Continent.”
The Star Luo Emperor waved his hands and said, “Nothing you can say can alter reality, and we can only work with what’s real. I will pay a personal visit to Shrek Academy in the near future. If the Sun Moon Empire decides to take some drastic action, they are the only allies that we can count on. What are the responses from the other powerful sects?”
Princess Jiu Jiu replied, “Everyone has responded, and two of them are clearer with their intentions and they have already sold us a great many things. A conservative estimate of our direct revenue from this auction should be in excess of fifty million golden soul coins. This sum of money is enough to purchase plenty of things from the Sun Moon Empire via our agents.”
A trace of chilly light flickered in the Star Luo Emperor’s eyes. “Try to instigate sparks between them, as much as
possible.”
“Yes.”
Thirty minutes was enough time – enough for many people to settle a lot of things.
The audience from Shrek Academy followed the intense contest in the last round of the auction as outsiders who were out of the picture, who simply sat back and relaxed.
The opening price of the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo was an outrageous one hundred million golden soul coins. Princess Jiu Jiu claimed that this opening price was unprecedented in the Starlight Auction and set a historical record.
The subsequent events could only be described as cruel and fierce. Three parties entered the fray from the very beginning. The price rose steadily, and swiftly reached one hundred and thirty million golden soul coins. The moment this number was reached, the speed of the bidding became a lot more gradual.
After all, anything after a hundred million golden soul coins was a sum that most parties wouldn’t be able to fork out.
At this very moment, the number changed suddenly. “One hundred and fifty million golden soul coins!” Someone had added twenty million golden soul coins in one go.
A youth stood before the soul screen in the second guest room with his fists tightly clenched together. “I want to see who will compete with me now.”
There were about a dozen people sitting on the sofa behind him, and everybody’s expression was a little different. Some looked envious, some had indifferent faces, and some were even jealous, while others were clearly displeased.
If the people from Shrek Academy were here, they would have recognized their identities instantly. Were these people not the students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, here to participate in the competition? The youth standing at the forefront was their reserve team leader, Xiao Hongchen.
Elder Wu’s brows were tightly knitted together. “Don’t you think you raised the price a bit too high? Twenty million golden soul coins in one bid…”
Xiao Hongchen shook his head and snickered, “This is meant to frighten my competitors so that they’ll be afraid to continue bidding. If we grind them down slowly, the price may end up being even higher.”
Ma Rulong lowered his voice and said, “Is it really worth it to spend so much money on just one thing?”
Xiao Hongchen’s emotions and rationality were already influenced by the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo, and he was almost in a hysterical state of mind. He didn’t spare a second thought and said, “Of course it’s worth it. I’m not spending the academy’s money either. I’ll be able to obtain twin martial souls, or a hundred thousand year soul bone and soul ring with this sort of precious treasure, thus advancing my soul. This is an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon; how can I let it slip through my fingers?”
Ma Rulong’s face instantly turned even darker, but Elder Ma glared at him, and he said nothing more.
Inside the third guest room.
“Little bastard. Tell me who’s the one raising the price – I’ll end him.” There were only two people inside this room, and they both looked like they were at least forty years old. The person who spoke was tall and lanky, and the most striking feature about him was that his right arm was unnaturally thick and burly – at least twice as large as his left arm. His entire being seemed to emanate with an aura that resembled that of a prehistoric beast.
The other man was a lot smaller and skinnier, but his head was especially large, which made him look like a big-headed doll. There were barely a few strands of hair on his head and they were all yellow in color, but his eyes sparkled as he blinked, as if they were flickering lights.
“I think we have to find out who this is. If we can’t take this item back to our little lord right away, we at least have to find out where we have to snatch it from.”
As he spoke, the big-headed man closed his eyes into slits, and the air within the entire guest room immediately started
to twist vigorously. The sensation was similar to that of a person in a daze as he witnessed heat ripples above raging flames, and the entire room suddenly became extremely surreal.
Every room was hosted by an auctioneer and two servant girls. The first people to feel the intensity were the three girls working for the auction. As their bodies quivered, their eyes grew empty, and they just stood there, rooted to the ground, and didn’t move a single inch.
The big-headed man sank back into the sofa and gestured towards the black-ranked auctioneer. “You, get over here.”
The black-ranked auctioneer stepped up hurriedly and stopped before him as if she were in a stupor.
“Go out and find out the identity of the person who just raised the price to a hundred and fifty million golden soul coins.”
“Yes.” The black-ranked auctioneer actually bowed respectfully before she turned and left the room.
If the Soulsucking Bell Soul Master, Shangguan Can, who had faced off against Shrek Academy during the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, were to see this scene, his jaw would be hanging slack – that big-headed man had hypnotized and controlled the willpower of several people
at a whim, without even unleashing his martial soul. Even though they were just several normal people, this was a miraculous and incredible occurrence.
The thick-armed man whispered, “You’re so powerful, second senior brother. Why don’t we just control the people working for the auction instead, and simply steal away the item?” As he spoke, murderous emotions flickered in his eyes, and his burly right arm cracked several times in a row. These sounds weren’t produced by his bones – instead, they were the crackling sounds created by a change in the air flow surrounding his arm.
Chapter 102: Team Dou Ling
The big-headed man shook his head. “No, we can’t. This Starlight Auction House is under the control of the Star Luo Empire. Furthermore, there will definitely be people acting as security for such a top-ranked auction. I can feel at least four different powerful auras here. There are four Titled Douluo here, do you want to die? Unless our sect elders are here, we won’t be able to achieve anything good. Relax, this hundred thousand year soul beast embryo is not so easily absorbed. So what if they manage to win the bid for it? As long as we can identify the right target, we can always get it back.”
Similar situations to this played out across the several guest rooms. It was just the methods they used to seek out information that were different. With the secret cooperation of the Starlight Auction House, how could the identities of the members of the Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineering Academy remain a secret?
The figure of 150 million golden soul coins did not continue to soar any further. This astronomical figure was frightening to everyone, no matter how powerful they were.
“As expected, they’ve all been scared by me.” In the second guest room, Xiao Hongchen snorted and turned his head towards Elder Ma. Then, he said, “Elder Ma, this treasure is a knotty problem for us. Our safety cannot be guaranteed during the handover and takeover process at this auction. Once the exchange is done, bring it back to our academy immediately and pass it to our ancestor. Once it enters the Illustrious Virtue Hall, let’s see who’ll dare to harbor any ill intentions.”
Elder Ma nodded and said, “This should be the case. We must still try our best to remain low-profile. It’s rare to see an auction item that’s worth hundreds of millions in the history of the continent. I will return through the secret passageway that the Illustrious Virtue Hall has in Star Luo City.”
The first guest room.
The Star Luo Emperor listened to all the news that was being conveyed to him, and the smile on his face became brighter and brighter.
“150 million. Illustrious Virtue Hallmaster, I hope you like this gift I’m giving you.” After he finished speaking, he stood up slowly, and the soul screen in front of him tore in half.
Then, the figure of this Star Luo Emperor disappeared within that secret passageway.
The secret passageway of every guest room opened to allow the guests that had participated in the bidding to leave secretly. Shrek Academy was no exception.
Wang Yan did not keep these things to himself this time. The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade was paid for by Dao Yaoheng, but he kept this rare, Class 8 close-combat soul tool in his pocket. As for that entire set of Class 6 stationary soul cannon shells, he directly passed them to He Caitou. Regarding soul tools, no one in Shrek Academy was as knowledgeable as him. It was best for him to hold onto the items.
He Caitou put the 12 shells away carefully. He was so excited that his tanned face swelled with red. Even though the shells were only Class 6, they could not be underestimated. They could not be measured based on ordinary soul tools. As they could only be used once, the power of these Class 6 shells were more frightening than Class 8 long-range soul tools. Right now, the most powerful shells that Shrek Academy knew of were only Class 8. A Class 8 shell could crush a small-sized city, and it was only produced in limited quantities by the Sun Moon Empire as a weapon in battles.
Wang Yan specially instructed him not to use them during the tournament. At this time, everyone had only just returned to the Grand Imperial Star Hotel quietly. Tomorrow, they were going to face a tough opponent!
After returning to their rooms, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong started their cultivation as usual. As the Haodong Power was summoned and was supplemented by the Golden Light Left Arm Bone, the two of them entered a state of meditation.
Huo Yuhao did not know that the Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress were communicating through their minds in his spiritual sea.
“Humans are becoming more and more evil. They are already eyeing the Extreme North. Our clan members…” The Ice Empress said furiously.
The Skydream Iceworm sighed. “What’s the point of getting angry? Can you change anything by being like this? Furthermore, from a certain standpoint, we can no longer treat ourselves as soul beasts after we fused with Yuhao. We are now a part of Yuhao, and perhaps a part of the humans too.
This world is about the survival of the fittest. Humans have killed countless soul beasts. However, what happened when there were humans tens of thousands of years ago, when the continent was just created? They were just food for us soul beasts.”
The Ice Empress seemed to calm down slightly. “Humans are frightening creatures. There are many powerful soul beasts that have lived for tens of thousands of years, such as the both of us. However, we have only remained as soul beasts for as long as the continent has existed. What we have improved are only our powers too. But look at the humans. They created cities and invented all sorts of cultivation techniques. They even have soul tools that are increasingly threatening to our existence. I am truly worried that soul beasts will disappear from the face of this world in times to come.”
The Skydream Iceworm said, “It’s possible. Our greatest flaw is that we are not united. The stronger a soul beast, the more it’ll act in this way. Take you for an example. Would your Ice Jade Scorpion clan be willing to team up with the Titan Snow Devils under the Titan Snow Devil King? The humans possess a significant advantage over any of our species. At the same time, humans are adept in inventions and thinking. We are unable to match up to them in these aspects. They are the
dominant ones on the continent now, and they will continue to be so in the future.”
The Ice Empress was a little stunned as she said, “I couldn’t tell! You are really able to tell everything clearly.”
The Skydream Iceworm said proudly, “If not, do you think I’ve been sleeping for these few million years that I’ve lived?”
“Weren’t you?” The Ice Empress replied as she acted stunned.
“Of course not.” The Skydream Iceworm was a little cross as he retorted.
The Ice Empress seemed to feel much better, and sighed slightly before saying, “After losing my power that could control everything around me, I’m actually thinking more than I did in the past. Although the humans are powerful, us soul beasts were the rulers of this world much earlier. Perhaps we’re not very united now. However, us soul beasts will retaliate against the humans when their existence affects our survival.”
“Whatever goes,” The Skydream Iceworm answered lazily, “Anyway, I’m only just a soul ring now. As long as Yuhao is fine, I don’t care about anything else. Don’t force Yuhao either. He is already working very hard. There’s one phrase by the humans that’s well-said – everything has to be done just right. Come, let’s sleep together for a while.”
“Who’s sleeping with you?” The Ice Empress said tempestuously.
The Skydream Iceworm snorted and said, “We don’t have bodies now, and are sealed in Yuhao’s spiritual sea. If we’re not sleeping together, then what’re we doing? Whether you’re going to admit it or not, can’t I just visualize it for myself? Wahahaha.”
“You rascal.”
“Beside my favorite little scorpion! Sleep…”
The Skydream Iceworm went silent, and the Ice Empress eventually laughed after being cross for half the day, “Rascal, I
wouldn’t have let you take advantage of me if I wasn’t destined to fail in my attempt to break through the bottleneck. It’s weird. Why did I feel a sense of familiarity when I saw that soul beast embryo today? Don’t tell me that it’s a hundred thousand year soul beast that comes from the extreme north? But if it’s only just a new hundred thousand year soul beast that is preparing to be reborn as a human, why did I feel such a sense of familiarity?”
Early the next morning, the sun rose over a clear day in Star Luo Plaza.
After breakfast, the bustling crowd in Star Luo Plaza could be clearly seen from afar if one stood at the corridor in front of the window.
The round of 16 was divided into 4 matches every day for 4 days. As the previous title holders of this tournament, the Shrek Academy would be the first to compete. Their opponent was the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy that had 5 soul kings, and which was the top academy in the Dou Ling Empire.
Wang Dong placed his hands on Huo Yuhao’s shoulder and asked, “What’re you thinking of? Are you nervous, or
excited?”
Huo Yuhao laughed cheekily and said, “Neither. I was just thinking about whether we’ll set a record as the youngest to become champions if we do become champions.”
Wang Dong chuckled, “What a kid. Wait till you become the champion.”
Huo Yuhao snapped at him, “You dare to lecture me even though you are younger than me? Are you that unconfident? Don’t forget that we have already…”
“Don’t say it.” Wang Dong covered his mouth and pushed his words back down his throat.
Huo Yuhao also understood. He scratched his head and wrenched his hands away, “I was just a little excited.”
Wang Dong snorted and said, “Do you think that I can’t see that look of complacency in your eyes? Don’t forget that no matter how powerful our soul skills are, our current
cultivations are not sufficient yet. Little kid, know your place. We are not the main forces.”
Huo Yuhao guffawed and said, “Little Wang Dong, you are indeed my mentor. Thanks for the reminder. Honestly speaking, the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone did not make me lose my calm. It’s just that I can’t repress my excitement from the success of our experiment. It seems like we are destined to be together.”
Wang Dong turned red and retorted, “Nonsense. Who’s destined to be together with you?”
Huo Yuhao replied cheekily, “Why are you blushing? You must be thinking of something wayward. It’s fine if you’re young and never learned what’s right. But your mind is full of dirty thoughts.”
“Huo Yuhao, are you looking to be whacked?” Wang Dong grabbed his shoulder. Huo Yuhao turned his body and dodged. As the two of them horsed around, Wang Yan coincidentally walked out of his room. Huo Yuhao dodged until he hit Wang Yan in the back, and Wang Dong did not manage to grab him in time.
Wang Yan laughed, “What are the both of you doing?” Today, the Shrek Academy was about to send its strongest lineup from its team for the tournament. Hence, Wang Yan was much more relaxed. With 2 soul emperors holding the fort and his own arrangements and strategy, surely victory was theirs?
Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “Nothing. Someone is just experiencing seizures.”
“You are the one having seizures.” Wang Dong replied in fury. He chased after Huo Yuhao, but Huo Yuhao did not run away this time. After he was caught, he immediately straightened his look and said, “Stop playing, we’re about to compete soon. Remaining calm will help us keep ourselves in the best condition.”
“You… coming up with this trick again.” Wang Dong tugged his ears, and Huo Yuhao screamed in pain. Fortunately, everyone else came out from their rooms at this moment, and gathered together to leave the hotel. Huo Yuhao managed to avert a crisis just like that.
However, there were more coincidences today. When they reached the staircase, the members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy came out of their room at the same time. Both teams descended the staircase together.
Today, Elder Ma wasn’t the one leading the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy . He smiled and nodded towards Wang Yan. Wang Yan returned the formality. But the students of both academies were not so cordial towards one another.
Xiao Hongchen spotted Huo Yuhao almost immediately, and his face flashed with the smile of a victor. He smiled, “Twin martial souls. You are brilliant!”
Although Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were disturbing each other earlier, Wang Dong stood up for Huo Yuhao without any hesitation at this point and said sarcastically, “Uncle, who are you?”
“Un… uncle?” Xiao Hongchen opened his eyes wide as he looked at Wang Dong. He pointed to his nose and said, “Are you calling me?”
Wang Dong seemed innocent and unaffected as he said, “Of course I am! Uncle.”
Xiao Hongchen was not even 15 years old. Although he often seemed very arrogant, he was not that old. The short moustache above his lips was a symbol of his youth. But now, Wang Dong made it seemed like it was a symbol of a middle- aged man.
“Am, am I so old?” Xiao Hongchen was speechless as he stared wide-eyed at Wang Dong.
Wang Dong was very serious as he nodded his head and said, “You’re not that old. You must be the teacher of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, uncle.”
“Stop calling me uncle.” Xiao Hongchen felt as if he was going to go berserk. Normally, he was one who liked to flaunt himself, such that no one apart from his sister Meng Hongchen was willing to help him. Instead, they wanted to laugh.
Meng Hongchen was annoyed as she said, “Little fellow, take a careful look. My brother is only 14 years old; he has not even reached 15 years. He is no uncle.”
Wang Dong turned to Meng Hongchen, and the look in his eyes suddenly changed. It was a weird look that carried 30% admiration, 60% attachment and 10% yearning. “Elder sister, you are a ravishing beauty!”
Meng Hongchen was stunned as he said that. It was important to note that when Wang Dong had first entered the academy, he caught the eyes of almost the entire batch of young girls, including those from his class. He had charming, big pinkish-blue eyes, and pinkish-blue short hair that covered his forehead. His skin was tender and white, while his delicate face had a pink complexion. To every girl, he was like a lady- killer.
Although Meng Hongchen was older than Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, it was only by a year. Looking at this young man who was around the same height as her and so attractive too, Meng Hongchen’s face blushed as she was complimented. She muttered, “You are very handsome too.”
Wang Dong smiled and said, “So this uncle is your elder brother! Is he your biological brother? Why do the both of you look so dissimilar? Although the both of you come from the same parents, the gap in looks is too stark.”
“Rascal, do you want to get beaten up?” Xiao Hongchen could not tolerate it any further. Not only did Wang Dong call him old, he even implied that he was ugly. He could not bear it any further!
“Elder brother, why are you so fierce?” Meng Hongchen looked at the frantic Wang Dong and could not help but pull her brother away.
“Meng, are you for real?” Xiao Hongchen was stunned as he looked at his own sister. Right now, Wang Dong had already shot him a provocative look before leaving the hotel with Huo Yuhao quickly. As he walked, he waved goodbye to Meng Hongchen.
“Wang Dong, you’re good!” Huo Yuhao was shocked as he said, “I didn’t expect that you were capable of picking up girls too.”
Wang Dong snorted and said, “You don’t know about this, but many young ladies have fallen in love with me. There are many ways to pick up girls, but it’s a pity that…”
“What’s there to pity?” Huo Yuhao asked casually.
Wang Dong glared at him and said, “Nothing. Huo Yuhao, do you know what the highest level of picking up girls is?”
Huo Yuhao shook his head ignorantly.
Wang Dong replied seriously, “It’s to make them chase you on their own! Haha.”
Bei Bei, who was walking in front, had been noticing all the movements behind him. He could not help but laugh, and shook his head as he said, “These little fellows are really active!”
Xu Sanshi was beside him, and he said softly, “I think Wang Dong is very great! Seems like I should learn from him.”
Bei Bei looked at him disdainfully and answered, “What nonsense do you want to learn? His methods of picking up girls are build on his looks. Do you have his looks? If you were half as handsome as I am, you wouldn’t be in this state.”
“You are the nonsensical one.” Xu Sanshi retorted. “I can’t pick up girls because… aiyo, who kicked my butt?” When he turned around and saw Jiang Nannan’s infuriated look, he became honest, and slapped himself. He tried to appease her, “I won’t say. Rest assured that I won’t tell anyone.”
Jiang Nannan ignored him, and quickened her steps to overtake him.
The situation was rather weird now. The members of Shrek Academy were walking in front, whereas those of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy followed behind them. Many of the champions and runners-up of recent tournaments streamed into Star Luo Plaza.
Perhaps the Star Luo Empire had allowed more spectators in, as the Star Luo Plaza seemed to have a larger crowd than usual. People were packed in extremely tightly. As heads bobbed up and down, that was all the majority of people were able to see.
The resting area for the tournament felt very empty now. Most of the teams had been eliminated, and the 16 teams that remained were the representatives of the top academies on the
continent. Today, 4 matches would be held. Tomorrow, another 4 matches would be held. After that, there would be 2 more days of individual competition against the same opponents. When all 4 days of competition had ended, the round of 16 would conclude, and the 8 finalists would be
decided. After each stage of the tournament, there would be 1
rest day. Following that, the tournament would continue.
Both Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy would feature in today’s 4 rounds, but the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy’s match was in the afternoon, and they did not have to come in the morning. However, they still came to watch how Shrek Academy would perform against the 5 soul kings of the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy.
After settling down in the resting area, Wang Dong did not forget to smile at both Xiao Hongchen and his sister. Xiao Hongchen felt that he was obviously being provocative. But to Meng Hongchen, Wang Dong’s bright and beautiful smile made her heart beat faster.
Huo Yuhao tugged at Wang Dong’s arm and said, “Stop playing. Be careful of going overboard.”
Wang Dong groaned and said, “What? Are you jealous? Are you interested in that girl?”
Huo Yuhao answered him softly, “Stop harboring dirty thoughts, will you?”
Wang Dong laughed coldly and said, “I wonder who’s the one with all the dirty thoughts. Alright, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll get ready to fight.” The elimination rounds would be held across 2 days, and today was the team competition. The victor of the team competition could be said to be one foot into the quarterfinals of the tournament. The individual elimination rounds would be held the next day.
Wang Yan was serious as he stood in front of everyone. “Act according to our strategy. The Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy must have their reasons for intentionally losing first place in the qualifier round, or they must have some special preparations. This round is critical to both parties. Hence, we must not give them any shred of opportunity.”
As he saw Ma Xiaotao’s look of disapproval, Wang Yan said in a low voice, “Don’t forget what the consequences were when we were careless in front of the Envoy of the Death God. All
these years, Shrek Academy has been the champion of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. However, we have also become everyone’s target for that same reason. I think it’s fair to say that every participating academy will have done their research on us. Following the development of soul tools, there are more and more strategies now. Do not underestimate our opponents. Whoever is not interested in carrying out my strategy can forget about competing in the next round.”
Upon remembering the Envoy of the Death God that had heavily hurt the official team members, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Ma Xiaotao looked up to Wang Yan. Although she was a little unconvinced, she was less scornful than before.
As the competition drew closer to its end, the atmosphere also became more and more intense.
This was an elimination round. Furthermore, it was the round of 16 elimination stage. If defeated, it would mean elimination from the tournament. For every round won, one’s ranking would increase. Undoubtedly, all the academies that participated in this tournament would give their all under such a circumstance.
The more they watched the tournament, the more the spectators appreciated it. The most intense battle was about to start. How could they not be eager to watch? There appeared to be more spectators than usual in Star Luo Plaza today. They managed to squeeze their way in through different forms of connections and through different channels, as they wanted to see this exciting duel! Especially since Shrek Academy was competing in the morning, and their opponent had taken second place in the round-robin stage of the tournament. This attracted more attention than usual.
“The round of 16 to qualify for the quarterfinals will now begin. The first match will be between Shrek Academy and the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy. Competing members, please enter the waiting area to prepare for the match.”
On the stage, the referee’s voice caused everyone to cheer louder and louder. The atmosphere reached a high in an instant. The peacekeeping army that was in charge of maintaining order raised their alertness to guard against any unprecedented situations.
As if nothing had happened, the Star Luo Emperor came to the top of the city wall very early on. Whenever Shrek Academy competed, he would come to watch.
Under Wang Yan’s guidance, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong entered the waiting area.
When the competing members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy saw that Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng were present, they immediately raised their guard.
In the previous tournament, Dai Yueheng had appeared as the leader of the preparatory team, and Ma Xiaotao had not
participated. Hence, Dai Yueheng naturally drew more attention to himself.
Wang Yan looked at his own team members. After pursing his lips, he said in a low voice, “It hasn’t been not easy for us to reach this stage. It was only possible because of all your hard work and effort. All of you must remember not to allow any mistakes to render all our hard work for nothing. Shrek will win.”
“Shrek will win!” The 7 of them shouted at the same time. Once they spoke these few words, all of them became focused, and their competitive streaks rose.
Competition was the best way for one to grow. From the start of the tournament till now, Wang Yan could clearly see the growth that the 7 students on the preparatory team had experienced. Their state of mind, emotions, thirst for competition and live experience had all improved at alarming rates. They were like depthless sponges that kept on absorbing elements that would aid in their growth.
Wang Yan also knew about the arrival of Elder Xuan, the Taotie Douluo. After Elder Xuan arrived, he found Wang Yan
and relayed the decision of the conference held within the Sea God’s Pavilion to him. Wang Yan had not understood at first. But as time passed, he became convinced of the decision. Maybe this would dim the glory of the Shrek Academy. However, would all the glory be lost if this batch of talented kids was able to mature?
Not to even mention anything else, the simultaneous appearances of 3 twin martial souls in Shrek Academy was already worth a wager.
“Participants of both parties, please enter the stage.” The referee’s voice disrupted Wang Yan’s thoughts. Ma Xiaotao was the first to stand up, and she advanced with huge steps. Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xu Sanshi followed behind him.
The 7 of them streamed onto the stage.
On the other side, the participants of the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy also walked towards the stage.
They were similar to Shrek Academy in one aspect. Among their 7 members, 2 were female. While it was a team competition, everyone from Shrek Academy understood that today’s match would be different from any of the other matches they had fought before.
A dim radiance flashed, and Huo Yuhao smiled gently. He turned to look at Wang Dong, and noticed that Wang Dong was also looking at him. As their gazes met, they saw the resolve in each other’s eyes.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng stood at the very front. As for their opponents, the person who stood at the front was a youth who seemed to be around the same age as Dai Yueheng.
This youth had a huge bone structure, but he was very thin. His cheeks even appeared to be shriveled. However, his eyes were filled with energy. As he advanced a few steps and walked towards the referee, he said to the others from the Shrek Academy, “It’s my honor to spar with Shrek Academy. Please advise us.”
The person who stepped forward was not Ma Xiaotao, but Dai Yueheng. Dai Yueheng took a large step forward and smiled
gently, saying, “If I’m not wrong, you are called Gu Zhujian. Am I right?”
Gu Zhujian was slightly stunned, and replied, “How do you know my name? I think I saw you in the last tournament.”
“I am Dai Yueheng.” Dai Yueheng introduced himself. He did not believe that the other party did not recognize him. As the team leader of the preparatory team of Shrek Academy the last time round, he had been a focal point for many of them.
Gu Zhujian squeezed out a slight laugh from his shriveled cheeks and said, “I hope to learn new things through this competition with Shrek Academy.”
“Your wish will be granted,” Dai Yueheng replied.
Gu Zhujian’s eyes flashed with a cold radiance. He only laughed without replying to Dai Yueheng. The other participants of Dou Ling’s team were also very confident. It seemed as if they were pretty sure of defeating Shrek Academy.
“Both parties, please step back and prepare for the start of the match.” The referee today looked to be around 60 years old. But he seemed to be much more composed compared to the previous referee. His cultivation also appeared to be greater. With him at the center, both parties seemed to have been separated by a barrier.
Huo Yuhao’s mind quickly thought over the descriptions of the 7 participants on the opposing team that Wang Yan had related to them.
The team leader of Dou Ling’s team was Gu Zhujian. His martial soul was the Purplebrilliant Bamboo, and he was a Rank 57 assault system soul king. As an assault system battle soul master, his fighting strength was extremely tough. The Purplebrilliant Bamboo was also very unique.
Their vice team leader was a youth who stood beside Gu Zhujian and seemed to be two sizes bigger than He Caitou. His name was Qian Yuan. His martial soul was a rare assault-type martial soul, the Terrorclaw Bear. The Terrorclaw Bear was extremely powerful, and it was equally good at offense and defense. It could be considered a top-ranked martial soul. His soul power was also Rank 53.
The core of Dou Ling’s team was a thin youth that was standing at the back. His name was Xiao Feng. His martial soul belonged in the rare spiritual-type category just like Huo Yuhao. However, his was not a body soul, but was something called the Maze Pearl. His spiritual-type martial soul was different from Huo Yuhao’s. It did not effect his opponents directly but was targeted towards the environment. It was extremely powerful, and Xiao Feng was one of the 5 soul kings. His soul power was only inferior to Gu Zhujian’s and he was a rank above Qian Yuan at Rank 54.
The three of them were the absolute core of this team. Besides them, there were two more soul kings. They were Chi Hengyu, a Rank 52 defense-type soul king, and Han Ling’er, a Rank 51 agility-type soul king. Han Ling’er was one of the 2 female members.
The remaining 2 soul ancestors were Tang Niuniu, who was an auxiliary system soul master, and Qing Feng who was a control system soul master. The two of them each had their own special traits. The powers of their entire team were very strong, and were far superior to the Justsky Academy that had made a lot of trouble for Huo Yuhao and the rest.
As both parties stepped back, their formations had already started to change.
On Shrek Academy’s side of, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng were naturally the ones in front. Behind them were Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who stood slightly diagonally outwards. The 4 of them formed an arc. In the center at the back, Ling Luochen was there. Behind Ling Luochen were both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
During the process of stepping back, Huo Yuhao’s spiritual detection sharing was already unleashed, and shrouded all of his team members. The entire stage was instantly enveloped by his spiritual detection.
Even for the strongest Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, they felt a wave of comfort and relief as they sensed the all-round detection from the spiritual detection sharing. Indeed, with such a powerful spiritual skill, they would be able to control the rhythm of the match.
On the other side, Dou Ling’s team also unleashed their formation as they stepped back. However, a scene that left Shrek Academy shocked appeared. Gu Zhujian did not appear
in front of the team even though he was the team leader and an assault-type soul master. Rather, he stood in the center.
The ones who stood in front were Qian Yuan, the Terrorclaw Bear, and Chi Hengyu, the Giant Vajra Shield.
Han Ling’er, the agility-type soul king, concealed herself a short distance behind the both of them. The two control system battle soul masters stood at either two side of her, protecting Gu Zhujian in the center, as well as Tang Niuniu, the auxiliary-type soul master.
This formation was very weird. The assault system battle soul master actually stood at the position that the control system soul master should be standing in. What were they trying to achieve?
In the face of such a situation, the reaction of Shrek Academy was to do nothing. They only watched their opponents carefully.
Seeing that both parties were already in position, the referee gestured to the team leaders of both parties and shouted,
“Match start!” Before he even finished speaking, the referee quickly left the center of the stage. No one knew if he was fearful of the freezing effect that Ling Luochen had exhibited in Shrek’s last match.
The soul masters of both parties unleashed their martial souls at the first instant. Ling Luochen did not carry out an ultimate move like she did in the last round. She only summoned her own ice staff. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong worked well with each other to support her. The adhesive effect of his ultimate ice was on display now.
Thick phoenix flames rose instantly on Ma Xiaotao’s body. She could not hold it any longer. Even though Wang Yan had instructed her to conceal her true abilities, how could she listen to him? Two yellow, two purple and two black soul rings
– a total of six soul rings - were unleashed. Along with the burning phoenix flames, her might was shown.
However, since Huo Yuhao had shown to everyone that not everything that they saw was the truth, no-one did not believe that a soul emperor had appeared even though they were stunned.
Dai Yueheng also exuded the aura of a soul emperor. As he roared, the White Tiger possessed his body, and his entire body swelled up. His aura was not lacking either. The 2 soul emperors of Shrek Academy’s official team had finally appeared on the competition stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament for the first time.
Chapter 103: Complete Suppression
The Dou Ling team’s defense-type soul master, Chi Hengyu, released his gigantic Vajra Shield. From the looks of it, this Vajra Shield seemed to be more eye-catching than Xu Sanshi’s Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle.
The upper part of the Vajra Shield was rectangular in shape, while the bottom part was triangular. The shield was over 2 meters tall, and around 1.5 meters wide. For such a giant shield, even Chi Hengyu had to bend his burly body to lift it off the ground.
After the Vajra Shield was released, Chi Hengyu’s first action was to hardily stab the shield into the ground. Following that, his 5th soul ring lit up, and an intense white light flashed within the purple glow emanated by his 5th soul ring. The shield expanded from its already enormous size, doubling in number from 1 to 2, 2 to 4 and then 4 to 8. Almost instantaneously, it turned into a huge shield wall that blocked everything in front of it. Every face of this expanded shield was covered by a blinding white light. The tough feeling it gave off was superior to Xu Sanshi’s shield.
This was Chi Hengyu’s 5th soul skill, the Vajra Shield. It was a defense-type soul skill that was extremely strong and resilient.
At the same time, it wasn’t only him that made a move. The control-type soul ancestor called Qing Feng and the auxiliary- type soul ancestor called Tang Niuniu both attacked too.
Tang Niuniu was extremely small in size. As her body swayed, her ears grew and twitched in a very cute manner, and her body became a little fatter. As her round lips clasped together, her 3rd soul ring lit up. A streak of straight green light shone on Qing Feng’s body. Her martial soul was a pure auxiliary-type martial soul, a raccoon.
Qing Feng’s 4th soul ring lit up. A layer of dirt-yellow radiance shone from beneath his legs. Soon after that, the entire competition stage started to shake tremendously. Following a loud, rumbling noise, a huge dirt wall swept in the direction of the 7 participants from Shrek Academy like a wave. That wasn’t all; thorns appeared on Chi Hengyu’s Vajra Shield, pointing outwards. Along with the help of the dirt wall, Chi Hengyu’s defense was like a metal wall.
Huo Yuhao and the others had experienced a similar situation in the tournament before. Back then, they had been pitted against the Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy. Their opponents had used 4 Spirit Rhinoceros Shields as their defense. Shen Ce had been supported by Fei Yuyan as they mounted an attack. However, they had been unsuccessful against Huo Yuhao’s spiritual detection.
But right now, the Dou Ling team looked starkly different from the Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy. Furthermore, they had not used such a strategy in the tournament yet, according to Wang Yan.
Of course, the defensive power of the Dou Ling team right now was far superior to the Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Academy back then. The strong defensive line that they had left even the referee in awe, and he nodded slightly.
However, his nodding suddenly stopped. That was because the situation had suddenly changed.
The Dou Ling team had displayed such a formation right from the start. Their intentions were very obvious. They must possess some form of powerful, special offensive abilities that
they needed to time to prepare. After that, they would tap into this offensive power to complete what they wanted to do. As for what this offensive ability was, no one knew as of now. But it was clear that this strategy had been prepared for Shrek Academy.
However, as the top academy on the continent, would Shrek Academy not do anything? Of course not. While their opponents had their strategy, they had their own strategy too.
On Shrek Academy's side, someone had released their soul skill while their opponents had been busy mounting their defense. It was neither Ma Xiaotao nor Dai Yueheng, the 2 soul emperors with the highest cultivation, nor was it Ling Luochen. Instead, it was Xu Sanshi. Just as the opponent was erecting their turtle shell formation, Ma Xiaotao shouted “action” over at her teammates from Shrek Academy.
Their original formation experienced rapid changes. Out of the 7 of them, 6 of them burst out and formed a circular formation, while Xu Sanshi stepped into the center of this new formation, and his 4th soul ring lit up with blinding radiance.
This change in Shrek Academy’s formation was one beat slower than that of the Dou Ling team. When Xu Sanshi unleashed his soul skill, their opponents were more or less done mounting their defense. This was also the point when the referee nodded his head.
But at this point, the situation experienced an earth- shattering change.
What was Xu Sanshi’s 4th soul skill? Mysterious Underworld Displacement. While it seemed ordinary, it could be considered a divine skill for a defense-type soul master in a team battle. Furthermore, this was coupled with Huo Yuhao’s spiritual detection sharing.
With Huo Yuhao around, there was no fear that a target couldn’t be found. Just sensing them was enough. There’s no need for Xu Sanshi to even use his eyes.
Hence, the confused and shocked team leader of the Dou Ling team, Gu Zhujian, instantly switched positions with Xu Sanshi. He appeared in the middle of Shrek Academy’s formation, surrounded by the other 6.
“Damn it…” Gu Zhujian cursed, wide-eyed. Although he realized what had happened, his mood was still extremely unpleasant.
He seemed a little weird at this point. In both his hands, he held a metal circle that seemed like a millstone.
There were many holes on the surface of this metal millstone, and it was even carved with many magnificent, flowery patterns. There was concentrated lightning shining from it, and he was even down on one knee, as if he were presenting this slab of metal.
Bei Bei smiled and asked, “What is he giving us? Thanks!” As he said this, he slapped his Thunderous Dragon Claw down.
Dai Yueheng’s 2nd soul skill, the White Tiger’s Fierce Light Wave, and Ma Xiaotao’s 1st soul skill, the Phoenix Fireline, were also unleashed at the same time. 3 assault-type soul masters all teamed up against one member of the opposing team. Among the 3 of them, there were even 2 soul emperors, whereas their opponent looked to be entirely unprepared.
This was Wang Yan’s strategy. In reality, this strategy had been targeted towards Justsky Academy. However, they were fortunate not to have gotten involved in a team battle. Otherwise, Shrek Academy would have used this method to defeat Ye Wuqing, their team leader. While Ye Wuqing was
very powerful, the ramifications of what would happen if he had to face the encirclement of an entire team under such a sudden change were clear!
In addition, the 3 assault-type soul masters were even supported by a control-type soul king. The staff in Ling Luochen’s hand pointed out, and Gu Zhujian’s legs were frozen on the spot.
If one phrase had to be used to describe Gu Zhujian’s feelings now, it was grief and fury. In his mind, he thought that he was the most sorrowful leader in this entire tournament.
However, Gu Zhujian was not easy to deal with as the team leader of a team that had finished in the last 4 in the previous tournament. Facing the encirclement of Shrek Academy, a ball of golden light flashed in front of his chest. A coat of golden light covered his entire body.
The soul skill that Ling Luochen had used to freeze his legs started to take effect. However, the soul skills of the rest were being blocked outside of the golden light.
Huo Yuhao roared immediately, “Invincible Barrier, a soul tool that can only be used once.
He’s a soul king. Thus, this shield can only survive for 3 seconds.”
Soul tools that could only be used once usually had rather exceptional powers, and this Invincible Barrier was no exception. With these 3 seconds, Gu Zhujian could keep the huge slab of mysterious metal and unleash his martial soul. His 5th ten thousand year soul ring flashed with a light that tried to get him out of Shrek Academy’s blockade.
On the other side, Xu Sanshi had already switched positions. Gu Zhujian had originally been standing at the center, at the back of the formation. However, all of his team members had been facing him. There were different slabs of metal of different shapes in all of their hands. Initially, they had been aimed at Gu Zhujian. But now, they were aimed at Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi was not as unprepared as Gu Zhujian. The moment after the Mysterious Underworld Displacement was used, he released another soul skill. It was his 1st soul skill, the Mysterious Underworld Quake.
The Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle was smashed hard into the ground. A black glow instantly emanated from his shield and covered tens of square meters. It was like a canopy that stretched out. During this process, a loud, rumbling noise also followed. At this point, everyone from the Dou Ling team gathered within this area and were all affected. This was too sudden of an attack for them. As they were not prepared, they were jerked out of their senses.
Xu Sanshi grinned, and the black glow shone again. The Mysterious Underworld Displacement was summoned again. In the next instant, Ma Xiaotao, who unleashed burning flames from her body, replaced him. She appeared at the center of the Dou Ling team.
This series of changes was very dazzling. But the spectators who could see everything clearly also felt the same. Completely suppressed.
Right now, the Dou Ling team was at an absolute disadvantage. And what had caused this was not their powers, but the limitations of their strategy.
Without a doubt, this strategy from Shrek Academy could only achieve such an effect the first time it was used. Although no one knew what the Dou Ling team had been trying to form earlier, it was bound to be very powerful. Their initial plan had been to use their defenses to keep Shrek Academy out. On top of their powerful defensive soul skills, they would add the powers of 5 soul kings. As long as they could hold on until the mysterious metal item they had produced did its job, they should have been able to win this match.
But who knew that their team leader—who was holding the formation’s core—would be switched out? The person who had switched with him had unleashed a crowd-control skill, and was a soul emperor. The mysterious slab of metal couldn’t assemble to receive it, and there was only a head-on clash.
Ma Xiaotao was the only one who was aware of how dejected she felt. This was also her first time participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Soul Dueling Tournament. However, she had been hurt even before the tournament had started. 3 official team participants had been critically injured, and 1 other person had even been killed. As the team leader, she recognized the responsibility that she had to take. No matter how tough her personality was, she had been filled with torment after all of that was over.
She was resilient enough, however, and concealed this torment she felt in the depths of her heart. She had tried her best to heal this wound of hers, and hoped to turn her sorrow and fury into strength. She wanted to do her best for Shrek Academy in this tournament.
However, her injuries were far more serious than what she had imagined. She could only watch as the younger preparatory team members did their best in several rounds of the tournament. They even paid a heavy price as they sustained grave injuries.
Ma Xiaotao did not say anything, but the drive that she repressed in her heart left her feeling much more tormented than the time she was burnt by demonic fire.
It was finally her turn to compete today. Wang Yan wanted her to conserve her powers, but how could she suppress herself any further?
Thus, she was the one who was switched over by the Mysterious Underworld Displacement rather than Dai Yueheng. This was an opportunity that she had obtained by threatening Xu Sanshi.
“Grr—” A bright phoenix howl reverberated, and burning phoenix flames surged instantly. Huge, flaming wings flapped open following the flashing of her 3rd soul ring. A ring of intense, bright-red fire spread out from her. Her figure also jumped up as she flapped her flaming wings.
It was a pity that Team Dou Ling’s defense was projected towards the front, but their opponent appeared in their core. They received Ma Xiaotao’s attack before they had a chance to steady themselves, as they were still affected by the Mysterious Underworld Quake.
The Dou Ling team reacted quickly though. The remaining 6 divided into 2 groups of 3. Chi Hengyu, Qian Yuan and Han Ling’er were in front, while the other 3 were in the back. A yellowish-golden barrier of light lit up before the 3 in front. It was the Invincible Barrier, another soul tool that could only be expended once.
This Invincible Barrier was a soul tool that was developed from a very rare soul skill. It required a special golden crystal only produced by the Sun Moon Empire as an intermediary. The Invincible Barrier could unleash the powers of the golden crystal when initiated by the core formation, and produce a defensive barrier of immense strength.
Of course, invincibility was relative. The lowest class of the Invincible Barrier was a Class 5 soul tool. This also meant that at least a soul king was needed to use it. A Class 5 Invincible Barrier could resist any soul master below an eight-ringed Soul
Douluo for 3 seconds. A Class 6 Invincible Barrier could even defend against a Titled Douluo for more than 3 seconds. Class 7 Invincible Barriers were extremely rare.
A soul tool like the Invincible Barrier could be a life-saving treasure at certain times. Hence, it was a soul master’s favorite soul tool, along with the Milk Bottle. However, its demand was far greater than its supply.
But the Invincible Barrier had a flaw that was very obvious. Firstly, it was very costly. A Class 5 Invincible Barrier started out at 100,000 gold soul coins, but its true sale price was far above this figure. While it was not that difficult to produce it, there were very few golden crystals produced. The higher the class of the Invincible Barrier, the higher the quality of golden crystals it required.
More importantly, the Invincible Barrier could only be expended once, no matter its class. The golden crystal within each Invincible Barrier would blow apart upon use, and the Invincible Barrier itself would also be damaged. It was not something that could be used by any ordinary soul master. Soul engineers who owned golden crystals were all wealthy too.
If the Sun Moon Empire did not restrict the export of soul tools, the empire would have been even wealthier.
The current situation was very obvious. All of Team Dou Ling’s soul kings were equipped with the Invincible Barrier. This was a frightening investment they had made! Not all academies were as wealthy as Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The Invincible Barrier granted the Dou Ling team some time by blocking the flames from Ma Xiaotao’s phoenix wings.
As the main control-type soul master, Xiao Feng lifted his head towards Ma Xiaotao, then flew up and forsook the huge slab of metal in his hand. His hands formed a heart-like shape, and a white pearl that released a dim purplish fog appeared above his palms.
His thousand year 4th soul ring flashed, and that pearl emanated a layer of thick purplish light. Team Dou Ling’s remaining 6 members and the surrounding region were all engulfed within this purplish light. Within the boundary of this purplish light, everything became illusory and less clear.
There were even varying undulations of soul power that appeared at every corner.
This was the Maze Pearl, Xiao Feng’s martial soul. He was a rare spiritual control-type soul master just like Huo Yuhao. But his was not a body soul. Rather, he used the Maze Pearl to release different forms of hypnotic illusions to protect and aid his team members. At the same time, he also used them to trick his opponents.
If Ma Xiaotao were to look down, she would only see a purplish patch of blurriness, wherein the Dou Ling team’s 6 members were shifting positions quickly and unleashing different types of soul skills targeted towards her.
However, Ma Xiaotao revealed a smile on her face right now. She thought to herself, “It feels good to completely suppress them.”
Ma Xiaotao dived down without hesitation as she was watched by the Dou Ling team’s 6 remaining members. Her 2nd, 3rd and 4th soul rings flashed with a bright radiance at the same time. Her body was blazing with flames right now, and she looked like a true fire phoenix. Half of the competition
stage was lit with a red glow because of the phoenix flames on her body.
Chi Hengyu had already retracted his Vajra Shield, and there was no doubt that he had to resist the attack using his shield. As a defense-type soul king, he blocked the attack without any misgivings. The Vajra Shield was lifted horizontally, and was rapidly shifted to the position where Ma Xiaotao was striking using the Maze Pearl’s purplish fog.
Qian Yuan also inched closer to Chi Hengyu rapidly. As long as Chi Hengyu blocked Ma Xiaotao’s attack, he would retaliate with all his might.
Qian Yuan’s height had reached above 3 meters after he released his martial soul. His immense build was shocking, and there were 5 enormous, sharp claws that reached over half a meter long at the ends of his thick arms. He had to bend slightly to be engulfed by the Maze Pearl’s illusions.
Han Ling’er was concealed somewhere further away. She was an agility-type soul king. Her style was to await her opportunity to strike precisely.
Tang Niuniu’s auxiliary-type soul skill landed on Chi Hengyu. Her aim was very simple – increase Chi Hengyu’s defensive strength. As long as he could withstand Ma Xiaotao’s attack, it would be their turn to retaliate against her.
Qing Feng was the only one who did not join in to attack Ma Xiaotao. He continued to face the others from Shrek Academy. His Earthen Wave had almost reached his opponents, and he was about to get Gu Zhujian back.
“Boom—"
A loud, booming sound resonated from both sides at the same time. The Vajra Shield’s defensive strength could not be doubted. As a soul king, he was able to resist a soul emperor’s attack, much more with the aid of his comrades. But the problem was that Ma Xiaotao’s attack had to strike above his shield before he could resist it.
Ma Xiaotao dove down extremely quickly, as if she were staking everything on this attack of hers.
She was landing at the correct time too. It was at the exact instant when 3 of the Dou Ling team’s Invincible Barriers disappeared. Ma Xiaotao had already arrived just when their Invincible Barriers were starting to crack.
This was impossible!
Almost the same thought rose in the minds of everyone from the Dou Ling team.
It was almost impossible to accurately pinpoint this flaw using her naked eyes. What’s more was that Xiao Feng had used his 4th soul skill, the Purple Illusory Domain.
However, this was a fact. It wasn’t projected by someone using his will. Amidst that booming sound, an intense, bright- red fog covered the Dou Ling team once again. However, it no longer produced the same might as Xu Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Quake.
Chi Hengyu and Qian Yuan were struck the heaviest, as they were the closest. The two of them only felt a wave of heat sweeping across their bodies. The soul power in their bodies
seemed to be on fire, and their developing soul skills were degraded in an instant. At the same time, their bodies turned stiff.
The rest were roughly affected the in the same manner, although the degree of their injuries was lower.
Phoenix Skywhistle, a very powerful crowd-control soul skill that could be use to attack and defend. It was Ma Xiaotao’s 4th soul skill. Enhanced by the Phoenix Baptism and Soaring Phoenix, its might was definitely not inferior to any ten thousand year soul skill.
Tang Niuniu’s auxiliary-type soul skill and Xiao Feng’s Maze Pearl were all instantly burned away by the Phoenix Skywhistle as it struck.
There was no longer any suspense for the rest of the battle after the involvement of Ma Xiaotao’s Phoenix Skywhistle. Ma Xiaotao snorted, and her pitch-black, 6th soul ring flashed with a bright radiance. At the same time, the defensive barrier surrounding the competition stage that was formed by 108 soul masters started to jerk tremendously. Large patches of red
solidified within the defense barrier, and the temperature above the competition stage soared.
Ma Xiaotao’s strongest offensive soul skill, the Phoenix Meteor Shower, was already incubating. After they were affected by the Phoenix Skywhistle, the Dou Ling team was no longer capable of avoiding or resisting any further attacks.
Was she really a soul emperor? This was what every spectator thought. She was also the first soul emperor to appear in this tournament.
Many of the spectators raved in their hearts. This was the power that Shrek Academy was supposed to have!
At this moment, the battle on the other side had already concluded.
Qing Feng’s Earthen Wave still managed to achieve a certain effect. However, it was a pity that he had met Xu Sanshi, who possessed the strongest defense among soul ancestors.
Shield of the Xuanwu Turtle, Shield Wall. The Earthen Wave was blocked out by Xu Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Displacement, and did not fulfil the desired effect of coming to Gu Zhujian’s aid.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhujian had managed to hang on for 3 seconds with the help of his Invincible Barrier, and he also unleashed his 5th soul skill.
The Purplebrilliant Bamboo was around 3 meters in length, and shone with a purple glow. There were subtle streaks and patterns of golden light on it. Gu Zhujian utilized the protection of the Invincible Barrier, and stabbed his Purplebrilliant Bamboo into the ground before him. He released this 5th soul skill the instant his Invincible Barrier went down.
His purpose was very simple: He was looking for an opportunity to escape.
It was a pity that he was up against 5 people from Shrek Academy!
A form-fitting Ice Prison engulfed Gu Zhujian precisely at the moment his Invincible Barrier disappeared. Furthermore, this Ice Prison was entirely flawless.
Hence, Gu Zhujian’s 5th soul skill that he had prepared for so long collided intensely with the Ice Prison.
The Ice Prison was Ling Luochen’s 3rd soul skill. Furthermore, it was only a thousand year soul skill. With her cultivation as a soul king that was similar to Gu Zhujian’s, she should logically be unable to resist Gu Zhujian’s attack.
However, Ling Luochen was not the only person fighting! Under the combined injection of Haodong Power by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, they increased her ice element to the level of ultimate ice, and even added a streak of Wang Dong’s light aura. Hence, the Ice Prison became nearly indestructible.
Everyone could only see the Ice Prison turn purple. After tiny cracks started to appear, the purple color turned dim.
The Ice Prison was cracked open as Ling Luochen retracted her own soul skill. Following that, before Gu Zhujian had a chance to catch his breath, he was faced with an attack from Dai Yueheng, who had used all three of his 3 strengthening skills, the White Tiger’s Shield, White Tiger’s Vajra Transformation and White Tiger’s Devilgod Transformation.
Therefore, the remaining process could only be described by the word ‘devastation’. A devastation caused by a soul emperor attacking a soul king.
The fight was ending much faster than everyone had expected. Ma Xiaotao’s Phoenix Meteor Shower did not fall in the end, as the referee stopped her soul skill. Shrek Academy’s complete suppression of the Dou Ling team helped them attain victory in this team competition.
Gu Zhujian was the most pathetic. As they still had an individual competition the day after tomorrow, the refereehad stopped Ma Xiaotao. But the sly Dai Yueheng did not go easy on
Gu Zhujian; his attack had crushed his limbs. Of course, he could recover, but not within such a short period of time.
When the referee rushed over to pull Gu Zhujian out, he seemed to imply the ruthlessness of Shrek Academy’s members with his look.
Dai Yueheng claimed innocence, as if he wasn’t the one who laid that heavy blow on Gu Zhujian. Gu Zhujian was already very fortunate that Dai Yueheng did not break his ‘5th limb’!
Ma Xiaotao had been restraining herself greatly, and so did he. This was also due to the fact that he had greatly suppressed the violent instincts within him.
The members of the Dou Ling team appeared very furious as they looked at those from Shrek Academy.
Ma Xiaotao snapped at them, “What are all of you looking at?
Would you have held back if you were in our position?”
Out of humanitarianism, Dai Yueheng had knocked Gu Zhujian out first before breaking his limbs. Thus, the leadership of the Dou Ling team passed to Xiao Feng, who was their vice team leader.
Xiao Feng lifted his hands to stop his team members, who wanted to dash forward, and said to Ma Xiaotao in a low voice, “How did you see through our illusory world? Don’t tell me that was luck.”
Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips. “Can’t I be gifted? If you want to take revenge, we’ll meet at the individual competition.” As she spoke, she gestured and led the members of Shrek Academy down from the competition stage with the flair of a female mob boss.
How did she see past their illusory world? Was there even a need to ask? With the spiritual detection sharing that could completely suppress their opponents, did she still need to see?
While they might have seemed to win this round of the competition easily, they had actually exerted perfect control of time every time they had struck, and that was all because of Huo Yuhao.
Rather than saying Ling Luochen was the main control-type soul master, it was better to claim that Huo Yuhao was the main control-type soul master instead. It’s just that no one else knew. Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng’s limelight masked the rest.
“This is Shrek. This is Shrek at its best. However, the Dou Ling team wasn’t bad either. It’s a pity that they met the wrong opponent.” The Star Luo Emperor commented.
Sun Moon Empire Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
It was rare that Xiao Hongchen did not show his arrogant side. One had to wonder whether he had been provoked by Wang Dong. He stood beside Ma Rulong and said softly, “Team leader, what did you see? The Dou Ling team was not simple! They were only unfortunate.”
Ma Rulong nodded his head slightly. “No wonder they forsook first place. It’s because they had such a plan. If I’m not wrong, they must have planned to group together and release the large version of the Gigantic Lightning Cannon. The
question is, how did they get the blueprint to build a Gigantic Lightning Cannon?”
Xiao Hongchen creased her brows and said in a low voice, “If I’m not wrong, their Gigant Lightning Cannon must be a replica of our Illustrious Virtue Hall’s model. It’s just that they can’t replicate the craftsmanship of our Gigant Lightning Cannon, thus they enlarged it. This makes it easier to produce the cannon, which requires 7 of them to operate too.”
Ma Rulong nodded and said, “This must be the case. It seems like that the Dou Ling Empire has made significant improvements in the production of soul tools. But they must not have expected to meet Shrek Academy so early on, and their strategy was curbed. If it were some other team, their defense would not have collapsed so quickly. 5 of them had the protection of Invincible Barriers. Along with their combined defense and illusory world, it can only be attributed to luck that they lost, and not because of a lack of abilities.”
Xiao Hongchen was a little irritated as he said, “Shrek Academy is a little too lucky. They can only use such a strategy once, and they used it on their most suitable opponent. Otherwise, they would be unable to resist the powerful
offensive strength of a Class 7 soul tool even with two soul emperors.”
Ma Rulong smiled and said, “This is not a bad thing either. At least we can see the full prowess of Shrek Academy, right?”
Xiao Hongchen nodded his head and replied, “Yes.”
Ma Rulong twisted his head to look at him and said seriously, “Xiao, you are indeed more talented than me. In our empire, probably no one can match up to you. However, you are too short-tempered because of your talent. If you don’t change, you will not have it well in the future.”
Xiao Hongchen was stunned for a moment, “Team leader, I…”
Ma Rulong lifted his hand to stop him from speaking any further. “I hope that you become powerful for the empire, Illustrious Virtue Hall and our academy. I don’t want you to disappoint those who have high hopes and have sacrificed unselfishly for you. You’re almost 15 too. It’s time to grow up.”
Xiao Hongchen looked a little unhappy, but he didn’t argue against Ma Rulong. He slowly walked back to his position and sat down. He seemed to be thinking of something.
It’s not only the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy that had keen eyes. Wang Yan and the rest who were watching the competition were also shocked.
When Gu Zhujian was switched over, and was holding the mysterious slab of metal, he had already known what their opponents’ strategy was. It was no longer just a scheme. It was very easy for everyone to see what they were doing. Even if he knew what they were going to do, he couldn’t do anything about it either.
All 5 soul kings had been equipped with Invincible Barriers, and they had also had sufficiently strong defense-type soul skills. All this had been prepared beforehand, and not targeted towards Shrek Academy. It could even be said to have been prepared for the finale of this tournament. Such a brand-new strategy had been sparked from the powerful soul tools they had at their disposal.
On the way back to the Grand Star Imperial Hotel, Dai Yueheng said, “I shall go first in the individual round the day after tomorrow.”
Ma Xiaotao stared at him before saying, “What right do you have to go first?”
Dai Yueheng smiled and replied, “Because I hurt their team leader today. If they see me again, their emotions will be unstable. It’s best if I go first.”
Ma Xiaotao snorted and said, “Against an absolute power, what’s the use of such little schemes and tricks?”
Wang Yan opened his mouth suddenly and said, “Xiaotao, let’s talk back at the hotel.”
Ma Xiaotao brow creased, but didn't make a sound.
Very soon, everyone returned to the hotel. Wang Yan instructed the rest to cultivate and rest back in their rooms, while he brought Ma Xiaotao into the meeting room.
After closing the door, Wang Yan did not rush to say anything. He poured a glass of water for Ma Xiaotao first.
Looking at the glass of water in front of her, Ma Xiaotao lifted her head to look at Wang Yan and said, “Teacher Wang, I know what you’re going to say. Is it that I didn’t follow your strategy today in the competition? The result would have been the same no matter whether it was Yueheng or I that changed over.”
Wang Yan sat opposite Ma Xiaotao and looked at her calmly.
“Xiaotao, you are the team leader of Team Shrek in this tournament, right?”
“Of course.” Ma Xiaotao said subconsciously.
Wang Yan said, “Then let me ask you, what’s your greatest responsibility as the team leader? Are you supposed to vent your emotions, or are you supposed to be working towards being the championship by leading your team with all your might?”
Ma Xiaotao was in a daze. She was a clever person. Although she was normally a short-tempered person, she was an intelligent person. She could tell what Wang Yan was implying.
Wang Yan gazed at her deeply, and said in a low voice, “Of the 10 people who came here, Bei Bei's the one most suited to be the team leader, not you. Even Dai Yueheng is a stronger leader than you. In fact, I think that Huo Yuhao is even more suitable to be the team's leader than you are.”
“You!” Ma Xiaotao stared furiously at Wang Yan.
Wang Yan’s eyes were filled with relentlessness, “Are you feeling indignant? Then, tell me, what have you been doing in this tournament? You were injured and couldn’t participate, but no one is blaming you. However, what have you done in this competition since you’ve recovered?”
Chapter 104: Reaching the Semifinals
“What did I do wrong? Everything I did was for our team to win. With my abilities, I was clearly more suitable to fight against the opposing team than Dai Yueheng. And we won in the end, didn’t we? Easily at that.” Ma Xiaotao spat out unceremoniously.
“Easily?” Wang Yan smirked, “Sure, we won that very easily. But, let me ask you this, don’t you think you revealed your abilities too early? Are our future opponents stronger or weaker than the Dou Ling team? Just who do you think our strongest opponent is?”
Wang Yan suddenly raised his voice and slammed the table in front of him as he stood up, pointing outside. “Our strongest opponent is the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy! Whenever we’re out there competing, they watch and take note of all the abilities that our team displays, of all the team members that enter the arena, and of all the soul skills that we use. They scrutinize everything we do and memorize every little detail. But just what did you go and decide do? You just magnanimously revealed all your powers to the opponent’s team! Are you worried that your opponents won’t take note of how strong you are?”
“Don’t bother even denying it. That’s the truth. You, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen, the three of you are our team’s only powerhouses. And since you, Ma Xiaotao, didn’t participate in the last tournament, our opponents are least familiar with you. Can’t you imagine what would have happened if you had just hidden your full capability until the end of the competition? It would have been a nice big surprise, a surprise that would have led us to becoming the final champions! Yet, what did you do? You couldn’t wait to reveal your strongest abilities, almost as if you were scared to not let your opponents know about them! Ma Xiaotao, don’t forget that our regular team isn’t complete anymore, and that our opponents are stronger than ever before. Given our current lineup, what makes you so certain that we will win this tournament?”
Ma Xiaotao was rendered speechless as Wang Yan reprimanded her, and she was unable to rebut him. She had always been, by nature, a very headstrong individual, and ever since she was young, no one had ever scolded her like Wang Yan was doing. As such, her face turned bright red.
Wang Yan continued harshly, “Take today’s competition, for example. If not for the fact that Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Displacement had a unique effect, would we have
been able to break through our opponent’s defenses? Even if we could, just how long do you think it would have taken? Despite knowing who we were, the opponent still chose to use that battle formation. Has it ever occurred to you why they did so? The only explanation is that they were confident that they could defeat us with their formation! I am completely certain that the mystery metal that they were assembling was a type of offensive soul tool, and that neither you nor Dai Yueheng would have been able to receive it. You think that’s impossible, don’t you? You guys are Soul Emperors; strong Soul Emperors with ten-thousand-year soul rings. Well then, were you able to predict what happened when you met the Envoy of the Death God? Never underestimate your opponent. You’re proud of your abilities- that’s definitely not a bad thing, but this pride needs to be built on top of a foundation of assured victory. Furthermore, you’re not fighting alone. You are a team leader, a team leader representing Shrek Academy.”
“Look at these kids, what did they do? When they faced Justsky Academy in battle, they each paid a huge price, all for Shrek’s glory. Of the seven of them, five were knocked unconscious. Xiao Xiao sustained major injuries, and hasn’t even fully recovered yet. But why did they have to face such a situation in the first place? Because of the carelessness of regular members like you, during your surveillance mission. For Shrek, they gave their all. If, in the end, Shrek Academy loses this competition because your carelessness, how will you
ever face them? Sure, in terms of ability, the three of you are certainly stronger than the seven of them. Yet, in my opinion, at least up till now, their contributions to this competition far surpases yours.”
Having said so much in one go, Wang Yan was tired and slumped down on his seat, his face still red with agitation.
Ma Xiaotao had wanted to interrupt in the middle, but as Wang Yan showed no signs of stopping, she became lost for words. Only now did she manage to slightly defeatedly murmur, “But your tactics might not necessarily be right, either.”
Wang Yan raised his head and glared at her, saying “My tactics are wrong? Are your tactics right then? Do you know how the changes on your part affected the entire team? At least using my strategy, you all would have went into battle as a whole. But your change of strategy caused the team to become separated like loose sand. If not for Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection Sharing that connected everyone, do you think we could have won so easily today?”
“I know you look down on me because my abilities are inferior to yours and Dai Yueheng’s. That’s fine, I don’t need your approval. But there’s one thing I need you to remember, and that’s the fact that I am the teacher in charge of Shrek Academy’s team in this year’s competition. If you can’t handle the responsibilities of a team leader, then don’t enter the arena in the next competition. I’ll assume full responsibility.”
Wang Yan usually gave the impression of being a genial and quiet person, and had never had let out such an outburst before. He also always spoke with reason. Thus, even though Ma Xiaotao was an inner courtyard disciple, she couldn’t help but feel flustered. If Wang Yan really chose to bar her from entering the arena, it would become a lifelong disgrace for her.
Ma Xiaotao lowered her head and no longer spoke. Wang Yan stood up and said “Think carefully about how to be a proper team leader.” He then pushed the door open and left.
Outside, Wang Yan let out a long sigh, and shook his head, feeling helpless. In terms of hierarchy, his position in the Academy was lower than that of Ma Xiaotao’s. Thus, it had taken a great deal of courage to say what he had just said to her, but Wang Yan had no regrets. He was not afraid of offending anyone to win the ultimate championship and guard
this honor for Shrek Academy. Since he couldn’t enter the arena to fight for Shrek, Wang Yan was determined to make sure that all off-field problems were solved outside the arena. If Ma Xiaotao refused to realize her mistakes, he would rather have her she stay out of the competition. Even if that meant losing the power of a Soul Emperor, Wang Yan couldn’t let her affect the others. A full suppression of battle tactics like today wouldn’t happen all the time. The next three rounds would each be more difficult than the last.
Thus far, eight schools have been eliminated out of the initial sixteen, and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had successfully defeated all their opponents. In fact, even in the group round, their team leader, the Soul Emperor- level Ma Rulong, had yet to enter the arena. They had won with just six of the regular members and a reserve.
Up till now, three members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy team had yet to enter the arena - team leader Ma Rulong, reserve team leader Xiao Hongchen and his younger sister, Meng Hongchen.
Due to the Shrek Academy team’s internal problems, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had become the crowd’s favourite to win the final championship. Now, many
were secretly placing bids on who the champion would be. Although Shrek Academy had two great Soul Emperors that had yet to enter the arena, their odds of winning still lagged behind that of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy by a few points.
After a day of rest, the individual round started as planned on the third day.
Dai Yueheng had caused a perfect amount of damage in the team battle, causing the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy team leader, Gu Zhujian, to be unable to enter the arena. Although his broken limbs had been set and healed, he still needed to recuperate for quite a while before he could fight again.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong would not take part in the individual rounds, as their martial soul fusion skill were useless if they were alone, and their individual fighting capabilities were still rather weak. Thus, only Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi and He Caitou would be competing in the individual round.
Hence, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had become onlookers.
Under Wang Yan’s arrangements, Dai Yueheng was the first to enter the arena, while Ma Xiaotao would be the last.
After getting reprimanded by Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao ultimately gave in and apologised to Wang Yan, admitting her mistakes. She also expressed that she would fully cooperate with Wang Yan and follow his arrangements for the rest of the competition, and would not engage in individualistic behaviour anymore. Wang Yan took what he got and arranged for Ma Xiaotao to be the anchor of the team.
When Dai Yueheng walked up to the competition stage representing Shrek Academy, the Dou Ling team’s eyes reddened.
Their team leader’s limbs had all been broken, and his strongest skills had not even been displayed. They held their breath, knowing that the chances of them winning today’s competition were slim as well, but they couldn’t just give up now. They had to fight to the death.
Due to Shrek Academy’s victory in the team battle, they just needed to defeat three opponents today to make it to the final
eight.
As the losing team in the team-battles, the Dou Ling team needed to defeat the entire Shrek Academy team of seven people with just three members in order to enter the top eight. Faced with two strong assault-type soul emperors on the Shrek Academy team, it was simply unrealistic for the Dou Ling team to win.
Dai Yueheng’s first opponent was Dou Ling’s assault-type Soul King Qian Yuan.
Previously, Qian Yuan had hardly used his Terrorclaw Bear powers before he was restrained by Ma Xiaotao’s Phoenix Skywhistle. Afterwards, the judge had ended the competition, causing him to burn with fury.
Qian Yuan didn’t feel that he was inferior to Dai Yueheng, and his team all saw how Shrek Academy’s reserve team overcame the odds in the previous rounds of the tournament. Maybe the Dou Ling team, too, would achieve a miraculous victory today. Thus, when Qian Yuan stood on the stage, his entire being was emitting a thirst for battle, and only one thought filled his mind- to seek revenge for Gu Zhuqian.
In comparison to his opponent’s aggressive manner, Dai Yueheng seemed much calmer, wearing a peaceful expression as he stood on the competition stage, bowing to the judges before glancing at his opponent.
Dai Yueheng had a rather large frame, but compared to Qian Yuan, he still appeared to be dwarfed by a taller giant. In terms of size, Qian Yuan was significantly bigger than Dai Yueheng.
Following the judge’s instructions, the two of them retreated to their respective halves of the arena. The moment the battle started, the two Assault System Battle Soul Masters released their martial souls.
Qian Yuan roared into the air, and his sturdy frame started to expand rapidly. His terrifying muscles ripped his clothes, revealing a metallic grey body of muscles. Two muscular and thick arms expanded from both sides of his body, and from those hands sharp claws, two inches long, grew out. His upper body bent over slightly and his sharp claws reached the ground. Scraping gently across the ground, he was able to leave clear lines on it.
Dai Yueheng also released his White Tiger martial soul. While it did not look as muscular and strong as his opponent’s, it was extremely strong too. Light flashed in his devilish pupils. Two yellow, two purple and two black soul rings pulsed
rhythmically around his body. He was no way weaker than his opponent.
Qian Yuan roared and attacked first. In terms of type, both Dai Yueheng and he were the same type of soul master. His soul skill specialized in increasing his own powers, and he was most apt at close combat. However, Ma Xiaotao, who was an Assault System Battle Soul Master too, was stronger in terms of ranged attacks. In close combat, Ma Xiaotao could not compare to them.
The almost three meters tall Terrorclaw Bear roared lowly. As his first soul ring flashed, a layer of gold light cloaked his skin. His shoulders expanded outward from his body. Suddenly, he lunged vigorously propelling himself towards Dai Yueheng.
While Dai Yueheng had tiger claws, he was still smaller compared to his opponent in every single aspect.
When the road was narrow, the braver of the two would win. Dai Yueheng did not retreat. A layer of intense white light burst forth from his body, and every single strand of hair on his body stood up. His speed increased exponentially as he
turned into a ray of white light and flew straight towards his opponent.
The two sides appeared to have clashed in the center of the arena.
Qian Yuan’s two thick shoulders moved in mid-air. He stretched out with his claws, seemingly covering the area before him, giving Dai Yueheng no chance of escape.
However, in reality, Dai Yueheng had no intention of escaping. The tips of his feet touched the ground, and his speed slowed by a fraction of a second. His tiger claws slashed out, crashing against his opponent’s sharp claws.
“Clank, clank!” Two screeching sounds exploded. Sparks flew from the arena. Shockingly, Dai Yueheng, who was a soul emperor, was at a disadvantage.
Dai Yueheng’s body trembled for the briefest of instants. The attack from Qian Yuan’s sharp claws actually knocked him back. He was at a disadvantage in terms of strength.
Seizing the initiative, Qian Yuan did not relent. He roared once more, and instantly chased straight after Dai Yueheng. This time, his third and fifth soul rings lit up. His body, which had originally shone with a grey metallic light, turned bronze- green, and then silvery-white. His entire body continued to expand. When he reached Dai Yueheng, he was already more than 3.5 meters tall. The muscles on his body mutated crazily.
One could no longer tell that he was originally human.
While Dai Yueheng appeared to be retreating, his body was changing too. His hair turned gold, like that of his opponent’s initially. His first, third and fifth soul rings started to shine. In quick succession, he used his White Tiger’s Shield, White Tiger’s Vajra Transformation and White Tiger’s Devilgod Transformation.
Just as Qian Yuan rushed before him, and just as his sharp, silver claws were about to come slashing down, an icy light flashed in Dai Yueheng’s eyes, and his entire body mysteriously disappeared.
That’s right. In that instant, his entire body disappeared completely from before Qian Yuan, causing Qian Yuan’s attack to strike nothing but thin air.
Had Dai Yueheng used a soul skill that allowed him to teleport? Of course not! As his martial soul was the White Tiger, he didn't have that ability. Thus, his body naturally hadn't disappeared, but had instead suddenly changed direction. Right before Qian Yuan caught up to him, he jerked his head downward forcefully and spat a mouthful of white light onto the ground. This allowed him to send his body flying
into the air with his own powers.
All of this happened too quickly. Qian Yuan had already attacked, and could no longer pull it back. The moment his attack landed on thin air, he sensed that something was wrong. However, at that moment, Dai Yueheng was already above his head.
Dai Yueheng did not use his tiger claws to strike Qian Yuan directly. Instead, as he came crashing down, he slammed his knees into Qian Yuan’s shoulder.
“Thud!” A low grunt came from Qian Yuan’s mouth. His legs wobbled, and under this humongous pressure, he almost fell.
A pair of giant claws lashed upward as he tried to dismember Dai Yueheng. This time, Dai Yueheng did not try to dodge.
His tiger claws lashed out to his left and right side, trapping his opponent’s sharp claws. His palms were as sturdy as a monolith. No matter how much strength Qian Yuan used, he was still immobilized.
“Your strength is remarkable indeed. If you were at the same level as me, I wouldn’t be able to match your strength. Unfortunately, I’m a soul emperor, and you are just a soul king. Furthermore, while your martial soul is strong, it is not agile enough. Even if you became a soul emperor, you would still die in a deathmatch between you and me. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.”
Dai Yueheng’s cold voice sounded next to Qian Yuan’s ear. In the next moment, he slammed his knees together on both sides of Qian Yuan’s head. Immediately, The muscles on Qian Yuan’s humongous frame contracted involuntarily as he fell to the ground.
Dai Yueheng somersaulted into the air as he leapt off Qian Yuan’s body.
This battle was extremely short. While it appeared to be a straightforward fight, the danger in it could be felt by both teams. Regardless of whether it was Dai Yueheng’s tiger claws or Qian Yuan’s terrifyingly sharp claws, a direct strike by either would have been be fatal. This had been a fight of pure power, and Qian Yuan had lost. He had lost in terms of his cultivation, and also in terms of experience. Dai Yueheng used the cleanest and most efficient method to obtain victory. His victory was set the moment he was ‘knocked back’ by Qian Yuan. As a soul emperor, and as someone with the White Tiger martial soul that specialized in physical strength, how could he lose to someone weaker than him? Tricking his opponent into entering a trap, and then finishing him off with a single blow, this was the power of Shrek’s Inner Courtyard!
Before the judge came over, Dai Yueheng had already lifted the unconscious Qian Yuan. He made an ‘it’s fine’ gesture to the judge, and then brought Qian Yuan over to the waiting area for contestants, which was at the side of the arena.
“Gu Zhujian, the competition is akin to a battlefield. I may have used too much strength, but it was to obtain victory. I believe that if it were you, you would have done the same. There’s nothing else to say. Catch,” Dai Yueheng said as he sent Qian Yuan out. Naturally, the members of the Dou Ling team caught him.
A bitter smile crossed Gu Zhujian’s face as he said, “Thank you for showing mercy, Senior Dai.” All of them were clear that the moment the Dai Yueheng suddenly appeared above Qian Yuan’s head in the blink of an eye, Qian Yuan had no chance of victory. If Dai Yueheng had used his tiger claws to strike his head, Qian Yuan would have died for sure. However, Dai Yueheng did not do that.
This was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, where deaths and injuries were commonplace. However, Dai Yueheng did not even severely injure his opponent. He had shown much mercy this time, which helped reduce the hatred the Dou Ling team towards him.
The second representative from the Dou Ling team was Han Ling’er, an Agility System Soul Master who was also soul king.
This round would be a battle of speed versus strength.
Han Ling’er’s attacks were extremely sharp, and her speed was unparalleled. Her martial soul was known as the Lightning Sable, and among all Agility System Soul Masters, she was one
of the fastest. Other than her inability to fly, very few soul masters could match her short, speedy bursts on land.
Faced with such an opponent, Dai Yueheng adopted a passive approach. Faced with his opponent’s attacks, all he did was remain stationary instead of retaliating. After a full minute, Han Ling’er’s soul power could not keep up. As her speed decreased, she was forced into a corner by Dai Yueheng, and had no choice but to admit defeat.
Through two consecutive rounds of competition, he was able to beat two soul kings. The crowd started to feel the power of a soul emperor. Dai Yueheng’s performance in these two rounds could be summarized with three words: he held back. This was evidently not his full strength.
There was not much excitement about the results of the third battle when Chi Hengyu, the soul master with the Vajra Shield as his martial soul, stepped up. While his defensive abilities were impressive, Dai Yueheng taught him a lesson in terms of raw strength. Compared to the second battle, the two sides switched roles. This time, Dai Yueheng attacked while Chi Hengyu defended.
However, the results were reversed too. Earlier, Dai Yueheng had used his immense strength to expend all of Han Ling’er’s soul power. This time, his attacks were like a flood as they slammed into Chi Hengyu’s Vajra Shield head-on. Finally, he was able to send him off the arena.
Battle after battle, Dai Yueheng showed the immense power his White Tiger martial soul possessed. By challenging and defeating three opponents, he was able to end the individual elimination round while simultaneously ensuring that Shrek Academy was ranked among the top eight. the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy’s only option was to pack up and go home.
After getting scolded by Wang Yan that day, Ma Xiaotao was much more well-behaved. Off the arena, she wanted very much to act, but she kept her silence.
After this battle, the fame of Shrek Academy grew even more. Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao, both soul emperors, had left a deep impression on everyone.
The crowd was like this. They would only like the strong ones. Huo Yuhao, whose performance was exceptional, was
gradually forgotten. So what if you had twin martial souls? If your cultivation was not enough, no one would care.
Huo Yuhao delighted in this. Over the next few days, as long as he had time, he would train with Wang Dong. Their soul power increased exponentially with the help of the Haodong Power and the Golden Light Left Arm Bone.
In the quarterfinals, Shrek Academy was fortunate enough to obtain an excellent pairing. They were selected to go against the weakest of the top eight teams, who was not unfamiliar to them. The team was from Justsky Academy, who had once created much trouble for Huo Yuhao and the rest.
The final results were to be expected. Even without Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen, Shrek had been able to obtain victory. Now, with two soul emperors and a soul king, there was no question about the results of this round. Justsky Academy was completely trashed, as Shrek trampled over them and entered the top four.
At this point, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was nearing its end, which was also its high point.
In the room, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were cultivating through meditation. They were becoming increasingly skilled at using their Haodong Power, and the effects of the Golden Light Left Arm Bone were further amplified by their Haodong Power.
The soothing yet vast Haodong Power would first pass through Huo Yuhao’s body, and then through the Mysterious Heaven Technique, it would enter Wang Dong’s body. The entry point into Wang Dong’s body was his left arm.
The Golden Light Left Arm Bone, upon being triggered by the Haodong Power, would immediately give off a powerful absorptive energy. This allowed the element of light to enter Wang Dong’s body and the Haodong Power. Then, as it passed from Wang Dong’s body, it would follow his cultivation method and exit after cycling through his body into Huo Yuhao’s body.
The entire process was like the Yangtze River, slow but never once stopping. With each cycle of cultivation their soul power completed, their cultivation would increase.
As Wang Dong had surpassed Rank 30, his overall soul power was much stronger than Huo Yuhao’s. Hence, his soul power increased more compared to Huo Yuhao’s. Both of them could feel that if they continued cultivating like this, their soul power would catch up to Dai Yueheng’s in just one or two years.
As the Haodong Power circulated, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s bodies would emit a pale, golden glow. Ever since the two of them had experienced the various combinations of their martial souls, their ability to cooperate as a team was further perfected. Now, as the Haodong Power circulated, it was as if
the two of them had become one.
“Knock, knock, knock.” Suddenly, a knock could be heard on the door, which jolted Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong from their cultivation.
Wang Dong frowned unhappily and said, “Who is it? Why have they disturbed our cultivation?”
Huo Yuhao inhaled and together with Wang Dong, he retracted his soul power. “I’ll take a look,” he said. Then, he leapt off the bed and opened the door.
It was Wang Yan. The moment Wang Yan opened the door and saw Huo Yuhao, he was startled too. This was because he could clearly see that Huo Yuhao’s eyes shone with a clear golden light. Despite him being a soul king, he felt as if he Huo Yuhao could see through him.
“Sorry for disturbing your cultivation,” Wang Yan apologized.
When Huo Yuhao saw that it was him, he rushed to the side and said, “Teacher Wang, please come in.”
Wang Yan replied, “There’s no need for that. Come with me, Yuhao.” With that, he turned and left.
Wang Dong naturally heard the exchange between the two of them. He jumped off the bed and said curiously, “I wonder why Teacher Wang’s looking for you. Go with him!”
“Aren’t you coming?” Huo Yuhao asked.
Wang Dong said, “Teacher Wang saw me just now, but he only called you. Evidently, he does not want me around. Go by yourself, I’ll rest.”
The two of them exchanged a gaze, and an amused look crossed their eyes. After cultivating together for so long, the camaraderie between the two of them had become increasingly
obvious. Sometimes, they knew what the other was thinking with only a single glance.
However, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong could feel that there was a forbidden zone in their counterpart’s heart. No matter how close they became, they could never touch on these taboos.
Huo Yuhao waved to Wang Dong and left the room. Wang Yan was waiting for him in the corridor. When he saw him, he led him to his room.
After he closed the door, Wang Yan summoned Huo Yuhao to the study table in the room and then said in a low voice, “Look.”
On Wang Yan’s study table, there was a carving knife etched with ancient patterns. Next to the carving knife, there was a ring that had already been sliced in half.
Huo Yuhao had seen this ring before. Normally, Wang Yan wore it on his finger. This was his storage-type soul tool. However, right now, it was completely destroyed. Huo Yuhao,
with his eyes of a soul engineer, could see that its formation arrays had been destroyed. As for the carving knife that was giving off an icy aura, wasn’t it the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife that was Rank 99 on the Carving Knife Leaderboard?
“Teacher Wang, this…” Huo Yuhao said in shock.
Wang Yan said, “My storage-type soul tool was a Rank 4 soul tool. However, I didn’t expect that it couldn’t take the power of the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife. Earlier, I could feel a violent aura from the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife coming at my storage-type soul tool, but I didn’t give it much thought. However, this morning, I found it split in half, completely destroyed. The carving knife continued to give off a brutal, terrifying aura. I felt a dark, gloomy aura enter my body when I touched it. I was only able to expel it after circulating my soul power for half a day.”
When he said that, Huo Yuhao suddenly understood why Wang Yan had such a terrible expression. A Class 4 soul tool was not cheap! No wonder he felt a pain in his heart when he saw that it had been destroyed. However, this Soul-Devouring Carving Knife was powerful indeed, till the point where even a storage-type soul tool couldn’t take it.
“Yuhao, last time you said that you had a way of subduing it. Try it. If you succeed, it’s yours. However, you must be careful. I will protect you, but you have to stop if you feel that something is amiss.”
A Class 4 soul too was the best item that Wang Yan had on him. The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife was indeed evil, and the impact of carrying it oneself directly was too great. Helpless, he could only look for Huo Yuhao, who had previously sworn that he could take care of it.
“Alright, I’ll try,” Huo Yuhao said gleefully. Despite Electrolux’s personality, he had already asked him more than once to retrieve this Soul-Devouring Carving Knife. This was a testament to its importance. Originally, he had thought that he would have to wait until he returned to the Academy. However, he did not expect Wang Yan to give him a chance now.
“Electrolux, Electrolux,” Huo Yuhao tried to wake Electrolux, who was in his Spiritual Sea. However, right now, all three inhabitants of his Spiritual Sea were asleep. None of them responded to his call.
Huo Yuhao felt a sense of helplessness. If he did not try now, he did not know when would he next have the opportunity to do so. A smile crossed his face. If Electrolux would not wake up, then he would force him to get up.
As he thought about that, Huo Yuhao had already released his spiritual detection toward the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife. However, this time, he did not act rashly. Instead, he was cautious, but not fearful. He wasn’t afraid of the backlash from the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife. While his own powers were nothing remarkable, as he was just a two-ringed soul master, his spiritual power was respectable. While his own spiritual power was nothing much, he had a million year soul beast with the spirit attribute, a powerful person from another world, and one of the Ten Great Savage Beasts in his Spiritual Sea.
If the three of them couldn’t help him overcome the spiritual backlash, very few people in the world would be able to help secure his Spiritual Sea.
The spiritual power of any soul master was greater than that of an ordinary mortal. However, only seven-ringed soul masters and above could control their own spiritual power, or
use their spiritual power directly. The exception were soul masters like Huo Yuhao, who naturally had the spirit attribute.
His spiritual detection carefully landed on the Soul- Devouring Carving Knife. The moment it touched it, Huo Yuhao felt his body tremble violently. Everything before him turned black, and the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife appeared to have turned into an endless black hole. A crazy energy devoured his spiritual power, and an extremely dark and cold aura, brimming with terror, penetrated his Spiritual Sea through his spiritual detection.
The moment the terrifying aura entered, Huo Yuhao could feel his spiritual power being dissected. It was as if someone had cut it in half. It was a terribly uncomfortable feeling, as if his head were being forcefully sliced open.
If Huo Yuhao were acting alone, then this powerful aura would have injured him severely as it entered his Spiritual Sea. In fact, his Spiritual Sea might even have be damaged. However, he was not fighting alone.
The first to react was the Skydream Iceworm, who was the closest to Huo Yuhao.
Skydream woke up from his sleep, and while he did not know what had happened, he immediately rushed to defend his turf.
Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Sea was like his home, and he had a wife and kids in his home. The invasion from the Soul- Devouring Carving Knife was like someone kicking down his front door to steal his wife. How could he not be enraged?
Wang Yan stood by the side. His heart almost missed a beat when he saw Huo Yuhao’s body trembling violently, and he almost acted to interfere. However, he quickly noticed that Huo Yuhao’s two eyes shone with a dazzling gold light. Quickly, his two soul rings appeared on his body. The second one currently gave off the purple glow of a thousand year soul ring, while the first one was a glossy white with an intense golden halo at its center.
The terrifying aura that had sought to barge into Huo Yuhao’s brain hit a stone wall. Immediately, it rebounded, and the knife itself made a pathetic whimper. It was vibrating slightly, and giving off a green gas.
Wang Yan stopped himself as he stared in shock at the gold on Huo Yuhao’s first soul ring. He had never seen anything like this before, but he could feel the vast, unbridled spiritual power that Huo Yuhao gave off, which exceeded that of a soul king.