"Jiang Nannan, it's your turn now."
Wang Yan looked at her thoughtfully before speaking gently, "Give it your best shot."
He understood that facing Jiang Shengyu—regardless of what his martial soul truly was—would be nearly impossible for anyone of equal rank. That terrifying combination of one purple soul ring and three black ones wasn't to be taken lightly.
"Don't worry, Teacher." Jiang Nannan nodded firmly and stepped onto the arena.
She bowed respectfully to Jiang Shengyu and introduced herself:
"Jiang Nannan, reserve team member of Shrek Academy. Level 41 agile‑attack type Soul Elder."
Jiang Shengyu reciprocated, stating his name and cultivation. He, like her, was level 41. After the Snow Empress forcibly boosted him from his mid‑30s to 41, he'd spent all his cultivation refining his soul rings and optimizing every ounce of power.
They both released their martial souls and soul rings.
Once again, the terrifying configuration of one purple and three black rings appeared. Pressure pressed down on Jiang Nannan's shoulders.
Behind Jiang Shengyu, the crescent moon in the mist rippled like water. Jiang Nannan struck first—using her second soul skill, Gravity Control, pinning his movements. He felt sudden heaviness, making every step several times more taxing than normal.
Then she used Teleportation to swiftly close the distance and launched her Waist‑Arc skill, aiming for close combat.
As a Soft‑Bone Rabbit martial soul wielder, Jiang Nannan knew her advantage lay in grappling. Against Jiang Shengyu, she had to capitalize on every opportunity—or she might never get another.
In response to her whip‑leg strike, Jiang Shengyu dropped low, using the shimmering water‑moon behind him to launch his Twilight Sword in a cold arc.
The sword's frost energy forced Jiang Nannan to retreat immediately.
Seizing the moment, Jiang Shengyu stood and grabbed the Twilight Sword's hilt. A chilling aura radiated outward, enveloping the entire arena.
"This... is the aura of Ultimate Ice!" Wang Yan whispered in disbelief.
Xuanzi remained composed. "Jiang Shengyu is Qingtong's brother. For him to also manifest the Ultimate Ice martial soul is hardly a surprise. What true talent—if he remained in the Sun Moon Empire, it would truly be a wasted gift."
Few on the continent could nurture such a soul—only Shrek Academy had the capacity.
On the battlefield, Jiang Shengyu melted into the frost. The sudden drain in temperature slowed Jiang Nannan significantly, weakening her reactions.
He had moved beyond her gravitational control. She could activate it again, but it would exhaust her soul power at an alarming rate.
Jiang Nannan frowned, strategizing how to break the stalemate. A sudden idea struck her.
She cast Gravity Control around herself. If Jiang Shengyu closed in to attack, he'd trigger the field—and she'd detect his presence instantly and react.
What she didn't realize: Jiang Shengyu's third skill—Transcending the Rivers—didn't require direct proximity. As long as he had soul power, he could maintain the Twilight Sword and release frost sword qi from a distance. Transcending the Rivers was simply the finishing move of that style.
And he also had the Snow Empress's famed Ice Emperor Unparalleled technique.
A blade of white‑light sword qi sliced through the mist—Jiang Nannan's field no defense. The chilling strike bore down within inches before she reacted—and she could only engage her Invincible Golden Body to block it!
The golden aura enveloped her midsection. The Invincible Golden Body, a Soft‑Bone Rabbit skill, can negate divine-level attacks for up to three seconds.
Jaw clenched, she used that window to escape. Meanwhile, Jiang Shengyu released multiple sword qi—some striking her previous position, others tracking her as she fled.
When the three seconds ended, her Golden Body faded. The frost dispersed. Jiang Shengyu launched into the air, and the water‑moon behind him had turned solid crystal—an ice crescent.
"Transcending the Rivers!"
With a whisper, Jiang Shengyu unleashed a sweeping blade of frost qi that no mortal mind could oppose.
Yet the strike didn't land on Jiang Nannan herself. Without the Golden Body's protection, even resisting with soul power alone likely would have killed or maimed her.
Instead, a half‑meter wide, dozens‑of‑meters long crack cleaved behind her. Ice crystals lined its edges.
Frost air whistled in the void. The Twilight Sword hovered at her throat as Jiang Shengyu spoke calmly:
"Miss Jiang—since you and my sister are close, let's stop here. There's no way you can beat me."
Frost from the sword pressed coldly against her skin. Swallowing, she replied haltingly, "For Shrek Academy's honor, I—"
Her voice trembled, whether from cold or wavering confidence, was unclear.
Jiang Shengyu's expression tilted slightly. Raising the Twilight Sword, he sent another blade flashing past Jiang Nannan's head—toward the arena walls.
The sword struck defensive soul tools installed around the platform, causing blue‑white waves to ripple outward.
"Again with the talk of Shrek's 'glory'… I wonder what so great about Shrek Academy that you'd fight for it?" he said with a faint tone of resignation.
"You've fought for their honor—you've done right by your academy and yourself. Now, step down."
Below, Xuanzi's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
These words revealed that Jiang Shengyu wasn't filled with absolute resentment toward Shrek—given the chance, the academy might show him a different kind of glory.
Xuanzi transmitted the order to Jiang Nannan: "Return—Jiang Nannan, your part is done."
Jiang Nannan's expression was strange; after a brief moment, she nodded quietly. "Yes, Elder Xuan."
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Tomorrow comes Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong's match—an opportunity to let the Evil Fire ignite!
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