After all the matters were settled, Yang Xiong returned home alone. As long as Ning Fengzhi took the Spirit Hall seriously, the battle wouldn't be as devastating as in the original storyline. Beyond that, there was nothing more Yang Xiong could do.
Once back in his room, Yang Xiong retrieved the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—this was his true trump card.
As soon as the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was taken out, the entire room transformed into an oceanic blue hue. The soft glow was incredibly dazzling, and even Yang Xiong, with his immense spiritual power and experience, felt his soul fluctuate slightly, almost entranced.
Yang Xiong cut his right index finger, and under the guidance of his soul power, his blood began to flow into the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
If someone had observed closely, they would have noticed that Yang Xiong's blood was different from ordinary blood. Normal blood is usually a deep red, but Yang Xiong's blood carried a faint golden hue, appearing far more domineering and radiating a palpable killing intent—likely due to the influence of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
As Yang Xiong's blood and soul power entered the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, it seemed to emit an endless suction force while releasing a deep blue figure, as if it intended to devour every drop of Yang Xiong's blood and soul power.
As more and more blood and soul power poured in, Yang Xiong felt the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud's pull growing stronger. He was losing control, his very spirit being consumed, and he gradually began to lose consciousness.
With the influx of energy increasing, the blue light of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud became more pronounced, eventually forming into a deep blue humanoid figure.
The deep blue figure gazed at the nearly unconscious Yang Xiong, a hint of joy flickering in its eyes: "What a fine seedling. After all these years, I've finally found someone capable of bearing the Vast Sea power—a genius with the physique and bloodline to withstand it. My long wait hasn't been in vain."
But at that moment, Yang Xiong's blood seemed to undergo a transformation. It emitted an overwhelming killing intent, and his martial soul manifested—an enormous crimson giant.
The crimson giant roared: "Enough!"
The deep blue figure was shocked: "Unthinkable, truly unthinkable. What a pity."
In the end, both Yang Xiong's martial soul and the deep blue figure gradually dispersed, seemingly merging with the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, yet somehow different. It appeared that the crimson figure was beginning to take the dominant position.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Yang Xiong gradually regained consciousness.
At this moment, Yang Xiong held the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in his hand, his mind blank. After so much effort, it seemed as though he had obtained the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, but it hadn't truly recognized him as its master.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud remained a deep blue crystal, but now it faintly carried a trace of crimson, making it seem even more extraordinary than before.
After careful observation, when Yang Xiong infused his soul power into the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud again, it came alive, radiating blue light.
Upon thorough confirmation, Yang Xiong realized he could indeed use the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud through his soul power and had gained access to its abilities. However, it seemed different from how Tang San used it in the original story. At the very least, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud hadn't fully recognized him as its master—it merely granted him the ability to use it.
It was akin to a sentient weapon; Yang Xiong could wield it, but the weapon hadn't acknowledged him as its master. There was some kind of connection between them, but it wasn't complete.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud possessed four skills: Vast Sea Protective Barrier, Cosmic Stasis Barrier, Vast Sea Wild Wave, and Cosmic Magic Breaker.
When using the Vast Sea Protective Barrier, one could blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment, rendering their presence undetectable while providing extremely robust defense.
The Cosmic Stasis Barrier could immobilize an enemy on a spiritual level, an absolutely divine skill during combat.
Vast Sea Wild Wave was a group attack skill, while Cosmic Magic Breaker was a single-target attack skill. Both skills were tied to Yang Xiong's soul power—the stronger his soul power, the greater their potency.
Yang Xiong considered these four skills divine. If used skillfully, he might stand a chance even against a Title Douluo.
Especially as his soul power increased, the skills would become even easier to use. Once he reached the level of a Title Douluo, the effects of these four skills would be maximized, potentially synergizing with his martial soul to produce unexpected results.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but think of the million-year soul rings and soul bones. In the world of Douluo, only million-year soul rings and soul bones could possess four skills, and any entity with four skills was considered godlike.
Yang Xiong grew increasingly fond of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. It truly lived up to its reputation as a rare divine artifact.
In the following days, Yang Xiong devoted himself to cultivation while familiarizing himself with the use of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Meanwhile, news from the outside world trickled in.
First, Ning Fengzhi had begun implementing Yang Xiong's suggestions.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect recalled some of its disciples, placing greater emphasis on their cultivation and training while abandoning some of its business ventures.
Ning Fengzhi even personally met with Emperor Xue Ye. The emperor acknowledged Ning Fengzhi's actions, clearly disliking the sect's excessive interference in imperial affairs.
The Body Sect in Yunwu Mountain continued to act discreetly. Aside from conducting business with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, it maintained no contact with major powers, focusing solely on cultivation.
Especially Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, and Bai He—they trained with even greater fervor, seemingly competing to see who could first break through to become a Title Douluo.
Meanwhile, Flender sent word from the Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
Normally, with less than a year until the Soul Master Tournament, all teams would be preparing eagerly to shine in the competition.
Unfortunately, neither the Spirit Hall nor the two empires seemed to have plans to hold a new Soul Master Tournament.
During the last tournament, the Spirit Hall had shone brightly, with the Golden Generation earning widespread recognition for their talent. Hu Liena, in particular, ascended to the position of Holy Maiden due to her outstanding performance.
Clearly, the two empires didn't want the Spirit Hall to hog the spotlight again and showed no intention of holding another tournament.
Likewise, the Spirit Hall remained silent—not only did they abandon the idea of offering high rewards, but they also made no plans to continue hosting the tournament.
Without the support of the three major powers, it seemed that the last Soul Master Tournament had been its swan song.
Flender relayed the message: since the tournament wouldn't be held anytime soon, the original Shrek Team's formation had been suspended. Whether or not it would ever be formed again was another matter entirely.
Yu Xiaogang seemed disheartened, his demeanor visibly more despondent.
Originally, Yu Xiaogang had hoped to prove his theoretical knowledge and leadership abilities through the tournament.
Unfortunately, with the tournament canceled, how could he prove himself?
While his ambitions remained unfulfilled, his romantic life flourished—he and Liu Erlong were close to tying the knot.
Without the title of team leader for the Soul Master Tournament, Yu Xiaogang's educational career faced significant setbacks. With no need for a team, there was no longer any need for a leader.
Moreover, Yu Xiaogang's own soul power, at only level 29, failed to meet the standards of any teacher. His soul power was even lower than many students, making his position at the Tian Dou Imperial Academy extremely awkward.
Though the three teaching committee members said nothing, it was clear they no longer valued him as they once had. They even struggled to assign him teaching duties.
The students at the Tian Dou Imperial Academy generally had good aptitude and strong backgrounds. How could they willingly accept instruction from a Soul Grandmaster? Even the lowest-level class teachers were Soul Kings.
Seeing that he was no longer valued, and with his impending marriage to Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang left in frustration for Lanba Academy.
Due to his relationship with Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang, Flender also decided to become the principal of Lanba Academy, even renaming it Shrek Academy.
Unfortunately, Lanba Academy had consistently ranked at the bottom in the Soul Master Tournament, and the academy recruited very few talented students—mostly commoner soul masters.
Yu Xiaogang found himself even more frustrated at Lanba Academy. The students there had even worse aptitude than those at the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. With his proud personality, he felt they weren't worthy of his instruction.
In the end, Yu Xiaogang immersed himself in his studies, avoiding interaction with others, much like his time at the Novice Soul Master Academy in Nuoding.
As for the original Tian Dou Imperial Academy team members, each went their separate ways. The remaining Ye Lingling had already met the graduation requirements and left the team.
The newly recruited students, with their influential backgrounds, either returned home or continued cultivating within the academy. None would abandon the Tian Dou Imperial Academy to join Lanba Academy.
After four years of training, Ma Hongjun also met the graduation requirements and joined his girlfriend's family. She hailed from a powerful noble family, rich in resources and willing to fully support Ma Hongjun's growth—making this his best option at the moment.
Thus, even Ma Hongjun didn't follow Flender to Lanba Academy. By this point, the so-called new Shrek Academy bore no resemblance to the original Shrek Seven Monsters.
However, Flender shared another piece of information: the original Shrek Team members had agreed to a five-year reunion. He hoped everyone would attend and not forget their bonds as former comrades.
According to Flender, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had already confirmed their attendance, as had Tang San and Ning Rongrong.
Unfortunately, Flender had no news of Oscar or Qin Shuang. It seemed they had completely disappeared from the soul master world.
Yang Xiong specifically inquired about them with Ning Fengzhi, who simply stated that Oscar, Qin Shuang, and Yang Wei had made rapid progress during their training over the years. Their combat experience was extensive, and they were all capable of standing on their own. They even showed signs of becoming top-tier soul masters.
Yang Xiong missed Oscar and his older brother Yang Wei dearly—they were his closest brothers. However, he didn't want to disturb their training.
When Flender assumed the role of principal at Lanba Academy, Zhao Wuji personally visited the new Shrek Academy.
Flender and Zhao Wuji even shared a hearty drinking session, their friendship culminating in a night of joyful reunion.
From the perspective of soul power levels, Zhao Wuji had far surpassed Flender. Now at level 86, his soul power increased by roughly two levels each year—a steady and rhythmic progression.
Zhao Wuji had now firmly rooted himself in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—or rather, the Body Sect. Here, resources were abundant, life was comfortable, and whenever he felt the itch, he could teach a group of students from the Body Academy. He had no intention of returning to Shrek Academy.
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