"Sister Zi Xin."
"Wait for me..."
Tang Wulin wore a smile on his face before striding confidently off the stage. It was only then that the audience in the stands snapped out of their daze, erupting into thunderous applause and ceaseless cheers.
At this moment, they had witnessed the emergence of a top-tier genius—and this was merely the beginning for him.
"To think this year's first-years have someone like this!"
"He's only in his teens!"
"Tang Wulin, the Golden Dragon King—terrifying!"
The upperclassmen in the stands couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. A first-year with four Soul Rings and a hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit—this was undoubtedly the makings of a top powerhouse on the continent.
Tang Wulin's name would undoubtedly be recorded in history.
However, for the second-year students facing such an opponent, their hearts were filled with hesitation. How could they possibly contend with a powerhouse of this level?
This was especially true for Le Zhengyu, who had taken one of the spots in the lineup. He was the most shaken of them all.
"A hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring."
"How is that possible?!"
His face was filled with disbelief. He had thought his inherited Soul Spirit was already formidable, yet it was only at the thousand-year level. And that Tang Wulin…
He was younger than him.
Were the first-years really this strong?
"Tang Wulin…"
"Luo Chuan's younger brother is indeed impressive as well."
Watching the scene unfold on the stage, Ya Li, one of the judges, wore a faint smile as she murmured softly.
A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor with a Martial Soul like the Golden Dragon King—a top-tier dragon-type Martial Soul—his talent far surpassed that of Feng Wuyu and Zhuo Shi.
Even if he wasn't quite on Luo Chuan's level, the quality of his Martial Soul alone made it the strongest dragon-type Martial Soul in the world, bar none.
"Indeed."
Beside her, Cai Yue'er nodded in agreement.
Perhaps Tang Wulin's brilliance had been overshadowed by Tang Luochuan's presence, but there was no denying that his talent was equally extraordinary. He was destined to stand among the continent's strongest in the future.
And these two brothers would undoubtedly become a legendary tale in the world of Soul Masters, their names immortalized for generations.
"For the next match, I'm sure the second-years will send out a strong opponent to regain their footing. Why not let me take this one?"
Among the first-year team, Wu Siduo wore a faint smile, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
In truth, it didn't matter who the second-years sent out—none of them would be weaker than a Soul Ancestor. But no matter who it was, she absolutely would not lose to them!
"Of course."
Beside her, Tang Luochuan chuckled in agreement. The others didn't object either. The one-on-one matches followed a best-of-three format, and since Wulin had taken the first match, it was only natural to let her take the next.
As he thought this, his gaze drifted toward the second-year section. The next opponent would likely be Ye Hui.
"I hope…"
"I get a strong opponent."
Wu Siduo's expression was calm, but her eyes burned with determination.
"Class President, I lost."
Meanwhile, Qiu Palei returned to the second-year side, looking apologetically at Yuanen, their class president.
Not only had he failed to win, but he hadn't even managed to drain his opponent's stamina. This was undoubtedly his failure—but to be fair, given his strength, there was truly nothing he could have done against Tang Wulin.
"You were never going to defeat him. The fact that you withdrew early without exhausting your Soul Power is already good enough. There's no need to dwell on it."
Hearing this, Yuanen Yehui shook her head. She was well aware of Tang Wulin's strength—it was no exaggeration to say that his physical power was second only to Luo Chuan's.
Even she held no advantage against him, let alone the current opponent, the Dragon Wolf Qiu Palei. Surrendering now to preserve their strength was already the best course of action.
"Yuanen is right. That boy's strength was something none of us expected," the homeroom teacher remarked with a sigh. A genius like that could probably enter the Inner Court anytime he wished.
"Who should go next?"
At this moment, He Xiaopeng, the class representative of the second grade, spoke up.
"I was thinking—"
"Class President, let me handle this."
Before Yuanen Yehui could finish, Le Zhengyu, unable to hold back, volunteered eagerly.
"You?"
Yuanen Yehui frowned, deeply skeptical of Le Zhengyu's abilities. He had only made the team due to a vacancy and was the only Soul Venerable among them.
Sending him out now was hardly ideal.
"Class President, I doubt the first grade has that many geniuses. Even if the last one was strong, it doesn't mean much. I alone am enough."
Le Zhengyu took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
He was confident. First-year students were at least two years younger on average. Even if he was a full realm weaker, he wouldn't lose.
"If you lose, we'll forfeit the one-on-one round outright. I'll go instead."
Yuanen Yehui glanced at him and shook her head. Le Zhengyu was simply too weak. Thanks to his friendship with Luo Chuan, she had seen plenty of first-year students. With his current strength…
Who could he possibly defeat?
"You—"
Le Zhengyu flared up in anger—was he being doubted?
"Le Zhengyu, Yuanen is right. If you really want to compete, there will be chances later."
At this point, the homeroom teacher Wu De also spoke sternly. Clearly, even he wasn't reassured by a mere Soul Venerable's strength.
"Fine… fine!"
Le Zhengyu sat back down resentfully, seething inside. As the young master of the Le family, when had he ever been treated like this?
Shrek Academy—this place was infuriating!
"..."
"Next match: Wu Siduo of Class One, First Grade, versus Yuanen of Class One, Second Grade."
Soon after, Shen Yi's voice rang out across the arena. Wu Siduo and Yuanen Yehui appeared on the stage, locking eyes with battle-ready determination.
"The first grade is sending…"
"Her?"
Yuanen's expression remained calm, but inwardly, she felt relieved she had stepped forward. Wu Siduo was no ordinary opponent.
Luo Chuan had introduced her before—this girl possessed a Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Even without resorting to that overpowered technique, Le Zhengyu wouldn't last more than a few rounds against her.
"Wu Siduo, Level 45 Power Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster."
Wu Siduo took a step forward and stated coolly.
"Yuanen, Level 43 Soul Ancestor."
Yuanen Yehui responded with a faint smile.
"A first-year student…"
"With higher cultivation than a second-year!"
Their voices echoed through the arena, instantly stirring another wave of astonishment. They had thought Tang Wulin was the peak, but it turned out there was yet another prodigy!
"Three, two, one…"
"Begin!"
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As the countdown ended, Yuanen Yehui let out a cold shout. Her body swelled several times in size, covered in brown fur as she transformed into a giant ape, with four purple Soul Rings shimmering brightly around her.
"His Martial Soul is actually..."
"The Titan Giant Ape?"
On the other side, Wu Siduo's face flashed with surprise before she also released her primary Martial Soul, the Nether Cat, with four purple Soul Rings appearing around her as well.
The Titan Giant Ape Spirit—for her, a Martial Soul with such high damage and resilience would be much harder to break through, as her Nether Cat wasn't particularly strong to begin with.
But so what!
"Let me see how strong you really are."
"Second Soul Skill, Nether Dash."
With determination in her eyes, Wu Siduo's second Soul Ring instantly flared brightly as she charged forward.
"King Kong Titan."
As Yuanen Yehui rushed ahead, the first Soul Ring beneath her feet also shone brilliantly—her third Soul Skill, King Kong Titan.
In an instant, her already formidable aura surged even higher, with all her attributes receiving a boost.
"Nether Shadow Clone."
Wu Siduo's gaze sharpened as three identical figures rushed toward her opponent simultaneously. Due to her advantage in strength, her presence momentarily overpowered Yuanen Yehui's...
But victory or defeat was far from decided by this momentary advantage.
"Yue'er, who do you think will win between them?"
On the spectator stand, Ya Li watched the scene unfold before turning to Cai Yue'er with a smile.
"Yuanen's Titan Giant Ape Spirit excels in both offense and defense. Ordinary attacks can hardly harm her, while Wu Siduo is an agility-type Soul Master, inherently unsuited for one-on-one combat..."
Cai Yue'er smiled faintly as she spoke slowly.
"Indeed."
"This battle is inherently disadvantageous for her."
Ya Li chuckled in agreement, her gaze lingering on Wu Siduo on the stage as she murmured to herself.
"Brother."
"Between Yuanen and Si Duo, who do you think will win?"
At this moment, Na'er blinked and looked toward Tang Luochuan, asking softly. The others nearby also turned to him curiously, clearly eager to hear his answer.
"Yuanen has a higher chance of winning."
Tang Luochuan smiled as he spoke, then turned his gaze back to the match, continuing slowly.
"Why?"
The others were puzzled. After all, Wu Siduo was the strongest among them—aside from Tang Luochuan, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin—and even possessed Battle Armor. It shouldn't be possible for her to lose.
"Yuanen's Martial Soul is both tanky and high-damage, which is a fatal counter to Si Duo. It'll be very hard for her to win this one."
Tang Luochuan shook his head with a smile as he explained.
"But she has a full set of Battle Armor and even a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Could she really lose to a second-year student weaker than her?"
Gu Yue also asked in confusion.
She undoubtedly knew Yuanen better than the others, having once climbed the tower together. She could also guess that Yuanen might possess a One-Word Battle Armor crafted by Luo Chuan.
But Wu Siduo's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Netherworld White Tiger, was just as deadly—no less formidable than the Titan Giant Ape.
"Gu Yue, you're thinking too simply."
Tang Luochuan chuckled and shook his head. In terms of Battle Armor, the two were evenly matched, but Yuanen Yehui, already powerful, would only become even stronger with the Battle Armor's enhancement.
As for the Martial Soul Fusion Skill...
"Only a released Martial Soul Fusion Skill..."
"Can truly be called a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
"..."
Soon after, the situation on the stage unfolded exactly as Cai Yue'er and Tang Luochuan had anticipated. Under Yuanen Yehui's suppression, Wu Siduo was steadily forced into retreat.
Yuanen Yehui herself still held back some of her true strength, but Wu Siduo, without using either her Martial Soul Fusion Skill or Battle Armor, had already exhausted all her means.
"At this point..."
"There's only this move left."
Wu Siduo's gaze sharpened. The Titan Giant Ape before her was indeed not something she could handle alone. There was only one option left—
Martial Soul Fusion!
With this thought, she instantly retreated to the edge of the battlefield. As her aura transformed abruptly, the dark attributes completely receded, replaced by golden fur covering her entire body.
"Netherworld White—"
"Second Soul Skill, Air Cannon!"
Just as Wu Siduo focused her energy, Yuanen Yehui naturally didn't just stand by and watch. Her second soul ring flashed, and a white shockwave blasted forth instantly.
"This..."
"Interrupting the casting?"
Wu Siduo froze momentarily, too stunned to even complete the nearly fused Netherworld White Tiger. With a bewildered expression, she muttered,
"You can..."
"Do that too?"
(End of Chapter)