Chapter 106: Cracks in Illusion
When Dai Yueheng's attack landed on Ling Luochen, Yan Shaozhe—who had been confident in Shrek's advantage—felt a sudden unease tighten in his chest.
Although Dai Yueheng hadn't used any soul skills in the strike, the blow was still impactful. Ling Luochen, as a control-type soul master, lacked the physical resilience of assault or agility-types. Her weapon spirit specialization gave her strong tactical value, but her defense was lacking. Even as a five-ring Soul King, she couldn't withstand such a direct hit from a Soul Emperor. The strike effectively knocked her out of the battle.
What was once a two-on-one match—Soul Emperor and Soul King versus a single Soul King—was now down to a one-on-one: Dai Yueheng against Xiao Qiang. Superficially, Shrek still had the upper hand, but Yan Shaozhe's instincts told him something was off.
The situation surrounding Ling Luochen was far too strange. Dai Yueheng had been equipped with a spiritual defense soul tool, and yet, he still fell into Xiao Qiang's trap and attacked his teammate. As the dean of Shrek Academy's outer courtyard, Yan Shaozhe could tell that Xiao Qiang had used a simulation-based soul skill. But that only deepened the mystery.
Simulation was an illusion-based ability that distorted light using mental power—it didn't act directly on a target's mind. That distinction mattered. Yan Shaozhe understood the mechanism well, but the reach of Xiao Qiang's soul skill disturbed him. Given the distance between Xiao Qiang and Ling Luochen, the illusion should've been impossible unless Xiao Qiang's soul ring was at least 50,000 years old.
But a 50,000-year-old soul ring? Was that even possible? Ice silkworms of that age were rare even in the Far North—and Xiao Qiang was only a five-ring Soul King. How could he possibly have absorbed a soul ring of such level?
Could it be that he truly was a twin martial soul genius with a 50,000-year-old soul ring?
"No," Yan Shaozhe muttered internally. "That's impossible."
He shook the doubts from his mind. Dai Yueheng's strength and potential were among the best of the younger generation at Shrek. Although Xiao Qiang's illusion looked like a soul skill, it might not have come from a soul ring at all. It could be some kind of advanced soul tool. Xiao Qiang was still young, and it was unlikely for someone his age to wield a 50,000-year soul ring. The resemblance to a ring ability was likely just another layer of the illusion.
With that reasoning, Yan Shaozhe steadied his nerves. The Sun Moon Empire may be full of tricks, but rules couldn't be broken so easily. Xiao Qiang's ability was troublesome, yes—but Dai Yueheng, a six-ring Soul Emperor, still held the advantage over a five-ring Soul King.
Even so, the battle was quickly spiraling beyond expectations.
Just as Dai Yueheng was beginning to show signs of strain, a sudden barrage of soul tool artillery fire rained down on him. He was reaching his physical and spiritual limit.
Then, as Xiao Qiang's figure approached for what seemed to be the final blow, Dai Yueheng counterattacked—but realized too late that the figure was only another illusion. His strike hit nothing, and in that moment of confusion, two more cannon blasts struck him hard.
"Don't think you can use the same tricks on me that you used on Senior Meng," Xiao Qiang's voice echoed coldly. "I'm not so easily fooled."
On the sidelines, Meng Hongchen was tending to her brother Xiao Hongchen's injuries. Upon hearing Xiao Qiang's comment, she yanked the bandage tighter than necessary.
"Ouch! Are you trying to murder your own brother?" Xiao Hongchen yelped in pain.
"Sorry, brother," Meng Hongchen replied flatly. "But who told that guy to say I'm easy to fool? Do I look easy to fool?"
Xiao Hongchen studied her face for a few seconds… and nodded.
That decision cost him dearly.
"Hallucinations and other soul tools are incredibly hard to deal with," Meng Hongchen said, focusing again on the match. "Uncle Qin, do you think Dai Yueheng still stands a chance?"
"He should," answered Qin. "That kid from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy is using a soul tool that distorts light to create illusions. It's dangerous, but if the opponent has a beast-type martial spirit and higher soul power, it's still manageable. Dai Yueheng should also have some support food-type soul masters helping him. Shrek still has the upper hand, though Xiao Qiang's methods are quite despicable."
"Beast spirit…" Emperor Xingluo muttered from his observation seat, his gaze locked onto Dai Yueheng.
The Soul Emperor was now taking blow after blow. With each attack, his stance weakened further. The crowd could tell—he was approaching his breaking point.
Suddenly, a fierce fluctuation of soul power rippled across the arena. The cannons that had previously supported Xiao Hongchen now reappeared beside Xiao Qiang. One hundred and twenty-eight level-five soul guide cannons formed a deadly ring, all aimed directly at Dai Yueheng.
Activating Xiao Hongchen's second soul skill, Gold Boiling, and his fourth, Gold Sacrifice, Xiao Qiang charged the cannons in an instant. An overwhelming barrage of firepower surged toward Dai Yueheng.
"He's keeping a safe distance," Dai Yueheng muttered with a wry smile. As a beast martial spirit user, his sense of smell allowed him to track Xiao Qiang's location. He could tell that, unlike Meng Hongchen, Xiao Qiang had no intention of closing the gap.
But that didn't mean Dai Yueheng was helpless. Relying on his instincts, he lunged forward at high speed. He used his sense of danger to pierce through the illusion of soul rays and activated his teleportation technique. The White Tiger Protective Barrier, now enhanced by a food-type soul master's fifth soul skill, flared up around him.
It was the same move he used to defeat Xiao Hongchen—but this time, it didn't work.
Xiao Qiang wasn't Xiao Hongchen. He couldn't be taken down so easily.
As Dai Yueheng closed in, Xiao Qiang didn't panic. Instead, he calmly switched to Jiang Nannan's Soft Bone Rabbit martial spirit. In a flash, he used the teleportation skill granted by the replicated martial soul and distanced himself once more.
But as the space between them widened, Xiao Qiang suddenly frowned.
"Huh?"
He looked down at the Mirror Flower and Water Moon in his hand—and saw that it had been broken.
"Just as I thought," Dai Yueheng coughed, blood trickling from his lips, but his expression was triumphant. "Facing my White Tiger Destruction Kill, you had no energy left to protect your soul tool. I won the bet."
Even as pain wracked his body, Dai Yueheng's eyes sparkled with confidence.
He had understood early on that Xiao Qiang was no ordinary opponent. With teleportation, invincibility, and gravity manipulation, it was clear Xiao Qiang had access to a replicated version of Jiang Nannan's martial spirit. Dai Yueheng had accepted that he couldn't win with brute strength alone.
So he gambled.
In the midst of life-threatening pressure, Dai Yueheng unleashed his most powerful technique—White Tiger Destruction Kill. At the same time, he secretly charged a strengthened White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, aiming it not at Xiao Qiang, but at the Mirror Flower and Water Moon in his hand.
His bet? That Xiao Qiang would be too focused on survival to defend the illusion-generating soul tool.
He was right.
The Mirror Flower and Water Moon had been destroyed, and with it, the simulated soul skill illusion began to fade. Dai Yueheng exhaled, knowing he had regained control of the battle. His chances of victory had jumped to seventy percent.
"Surrender," Dai Yueheng called out. "Without the Mirror Flower and Water Moon, all you have are your twin martial souls, a soul power level just over 50, and temporary replication. How do you plan to beat me?"
Xiao Qiang stared at the shattered fragments of the Mirror Flower and Water Moon in silence. He hadn't expected anyone to see through him so quickly—or strike so precisely.
But despite the damage, he didn't seem afraid.