In the original novel, when the Dou Ling Team faced the Shrek Team with their double Soul Emperor lineup, they immediately played their trump card—assembling a high-damage temporary soul tool on the spot to deliver a desperate blow to Shrek. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Underworld Switch.
But this time, the atmosphere was almost mocking.
"Captain?" Qian Yuan grinned.
"Stay put and follow the original plan! That kid's white ape is no weakling—it's at the peak Soul King level. Don't underestimate it…" Guzhu Jian barked coldly.
"Yes."
Everyone nodded.
"Begin the match!"
With the order from the Heavenfiend Douluo, the Dou Ling Team displayed perfect coordination. Qian Yuan's Terrorclaw Bear martial soul possessed him. Tang Niuniu's Raccoon martial soul possessed her, boosting her teammates. Chi Hengyu's Golden Shield martial soul possessed him, and with a hum, dozens of golden shields wrapped tightly around the group. Qing Feng raised his hand, covering the shields' surfaces with sharp earth spikes and erecting a thick earth wall in front.
To guard against the agile white ape, they spared no expense.
"Let's begin!"
Guzhu Jian smiled, lifting a piece of perforated metal.
The other seven took out components, and right there on the battlefield, they assembled a soul cannon five meters long. Thunder rumbled around it, and the aura it emitted made many teams in the audience stand up in shock.
"That's… a level-seven soul cannon!"
Sun Moon Empire Rest Area.
Xiao Hongchen frowned deeply.
"Never mind how they stole the Thunder Cannon tech from Mingde Hall, but can Su Wen survive this? Once it's assembled, that Thunder Cannon is among the strongest of its level… Its power rivals the full-force strike of a peak Soul Sage! Few below Soul Douluo could withstand it. It could kill someone!"
"Bro, why do you care more about Su Wen than I do?" Meng Hongchen pouted.
"I… Sigh, I just feel a strange sense of sympathy for him. Pity we're enemies. If there's a Xiao, why was Wen born…" Xiao Hongchen sighed.
Meng Hongchen was speechless.
"Don't worry. A Titled Douluo is watching. That's the famous Heavenfiend Douluo from the soul master world. He won't let Su Wen die. But it's a shame—Shrek Academy lost their team battle on the first day. On the second day, they have just three people left to face Dou Ling Empire's seven. If Su Wen is seriously injured or eliminated, Ma Xiaotao will be outmatched."
Ma Rulong crossed his arms and shook his head.
"Shrek made a risky move, and it failed."
"It's a pity we can't face Shrek this year. Let's focus on our own opponents—Thousand Spirits Academy…"
He sighed as he turned to leave.
Just as he took a step, a deafening explosion thundered behind him. Even outside the defensive shield, he could feel the air blast rustling his clothes.
But in the next instant, he stopped in his tracks.
As if nailed to the ground, he couldn't move.
The air fell deathly silent.
He stiffly turned his head.
As the smoke cleared, the figure still stood there. The only difference was a colossal beast—almost seven meters tall—now stood in front of him.
Its brown-yellow fur bristled like armor. Muscles bulged on its arms like gnarled tree roots. At the ends, a pair of claws so sharp they seemed to tear the air itself hung down, each over two meters long. Its beastly eyes brimmed with contempt.
As if questioning whether the previous attack was just a tickle.
"No! Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear?!!"
Guzhu Jian's mind was in chaos. He almost roared.
Why?
Why was there suddenly a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear on the field?
Isn't Su Wen just a Soul Ancestor? How can he summon a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear?
All their tactics were aimed at Su Wen's white ape. To prevent a sneak attack, they were ultra-cautious. But just when they thought they were safe and had launched their strongest attack, Su Wen gave them a huge "surprise."
"A nearly ten-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, what do we do, Captain?" Qian Yuan's face turned green. The battlefield wasn't even 100 meters across, and as an assault-type, he stood at the very front, even outside the shields.
But now, facing that towering figure, his legs were trembling.
"Disappointed?"
Su Wen stood in place, smiling at Guzhu Jian.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down…"
"Ice Emperor."
With those two words, a chill shot through Guzhu Jian's bones. It was as if he was plunged into the heart of the far north. Worse, it wasn't an illusion…
Everything in sight was covered in pale blue frost—even the energy shield of the arena was frozen solid. And the source of it all was right next to Su Wen: a newly appeared scorpion, jade-green and exquisitely beautiful.
Ice Jade Scorpion!
How could he, just one person, control so many top-tier soul beasts!!!
At this moment, Su Wen's true identity was obvious.
A beast tamer! And definitely not a simple white ape martial soul…
"Scatter!"
He shouted hysterically.
But it was too late.
The frost swept in, spreading from their feet upward. In seconds, the team was turned into a row of ice sculptures.
Thunder Cannons consume much soul power. Because it was assembled on the spot, they couldn't use soul power-replenishing milk bottles. Under the Ice Emperor's Domain of Eternal Frost, nothing was left but silence wherever the frost passed.
"Little Gold."
Su Wen put his hands in his pockets, looking rather bored.
"ROAR!!!"
"No! We surrender!!"
At the same time, the Dou Ling Team's teacher finally reacted, his face full of terror and pleading.
But before Su Wen could answer, Little Gold's massive body slammed down like a mountain.
"Match over!"
Heavenfiend Douluo hurried to intervene.
Little Gold ignored him; his beastly eyes only saw a crowd of ice sculptures. He raised a huge bear paw, bringing it down with a force like a thousand tons.
"..."
Heavenfiend Douluo gritted his teeth.
A yellow soul ring lit up under his feet.
It was clearly day, but stars flickered in the sky.
As if projected onto the ground, starlight phantoms flickered over the Dou Ling Team's heads, then connected into a shield of light.
"Boom!"
As the bear's paw struck the shield, ripples spread across the starlit barrier, followed by a thunderous crash. Little Gold's body was knocked back, sliding across the arena's metal floor before coming to a stop in front of Su Wen, his left arm returning to normal size.
But then—
The starlight shield didn't dissipate naturally—it shattered!
Crack~
Crack~
A Titled Douluo's soul skill, splitting like a spiderweb, then dissolving into starlight drifting through the arena.
"Su Wen!"
Heavenfiend Douluo yelled in shame and anger.
"You've gone too far!"
Ignoring the referee's warning, Su Wen kept going. Is this how all the young generation acts nowadays?!!
"Sorry, my mistake…" Su Wen smiled apologetically, then raised an eyebrow and looked at Heavenfiend Douluo with a faint smile.
"But in the round of 16, there are allowed deaths, right? My soul beast not knowing when to hold back is normal. If you're dissatisfied, you can just rule Shrek loses."
"You!" Heavenfiend Douluo frowned.
"What, are you picking on Shrek Academy?!"
Xuan Zi's voice rumbled like thunder as he hovered in midair, glaring down at Heavenfiend Douluo on the arena. Su Wen, face impassive, turned to leave.
"Heavenfiend Douluo…"
A soft voice rang out from atop the royal city.
"Yes, Shrek Academy wins!" Heavenfiend Douluo instantly came to his senses and decisively announced the result.
He realized he'd been misled.
He wasn't angry at Su Wen's words, but rather that Su Wen's Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear had shattered his soul skill, humiliating him in front of millions. After all, he was a Titled Douluo, as powerful as a Super Douluo, a prominent figure, yet he was played by a teenager.
Thankfully, the emperor reminded him—otherwise, he'd have gotten into big trouble today…
Looking at the imposing Xuan Zi, he grew more solemn.
"Elder Xuan."
The voice from the city wall carried a trace of helplessness and apology.
"Hmph."
Xuan Zi snorted, glanced at Heavenfiend Douluo, flicked his sleeve, and left.
As Su Wen left, he strolled casually past the rest area, heading toward the hotel.
The Shrek Academy team followed close behind.
Amid all the shocked, awed, fearful stares from the surroundings, they slowly left.
Star Luo Empire Royal Team.
Xu Jiujiu gazed at Su Wen's back, unable to look away.
Behind her, Huang Heyun and the other teammates were silent.
"If we face him, can we win?" a female teammate swallowed, full of shock.
She still remembered a few days before, when Shrek Academy had just entered the Star Luo Grand Hotel—how they'd seemed weak and pitiful, and she'd even been eager to see how the Star Luo Team would do against this fledgling dragon.
"..."
Dead silence.
No one answered.
Xu Jiujiu clenched her jade hand, recalling that day surrounded by mighty dragons, the calm figure of Su Wen—her memories overlapped with the scene before her.
"He really can hide…"
After a long while, Xu Jiujiu sighed.
"If no one can suppress Su Wen this year, there's no hope for next year. His era is coming."
All fell silent.
This kind of person—a symbol of his era—is extremely rare, even in all of history.
After all, this continent is full of talent and monsters. To dominate an era, it's not enough to simply surpass other geniuses.
You must crush them!
To completely outpace everyone, like a towering mountain pressing down, suffocating all the prodigies of the age…
"..."
Hotel.
"Cultivate, cultivate, I love cultivating!"
Su Wen retreated to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and started practicing his Golden Core technique.
The dragon's-eye-sized golden core pulsed in his chest, sending golden threads throughout his body, flowing through his blood, marrow, and meridians, constantly strengthening himself.
Wang Dong'er sat cross-legged across from him. Their palms pressed together, their martial souls glowing.
The girl's pink-blue eyes were surprised—he's even faster now?!
Yet Su Wen was about to break through to Soul Ancestor, while she was still struggling in the Soul Elder realm. She couldn't fall behind. Thinking of Mu Qiu'er, Gu Yuena, and Ma Xiaotao, she was filled with determination.
Meanwhile, Su Wen silently calculated his progress.