The five great contracted beasts gathered.
Su Wen began to familiarize himself with each of their interfaces.
After advancing to the [Holy Healing Azure Luan], the Bi Ling Shield evolved to [Heaven Grade Blue]. Its ability upgraded from "lock blood for 10 seconds, restore 20% HP" to "lock blood for 15 seconds, restore 40% HP!"
He twitched his face—getting even more shameless.
Another skill, [Fountain of Life], evolved from [Mysterious Grade Cyan] to [Earth Grade Brown]. Its healing increased from 200% to 300% (note: that's on top of the Azure Luan's base healing, which was already formidable and group-covering).
A new [Brown] skill appeared: [Purifying Wings].
When the Azure Luan spreads its holy wings, it can select an area to remove all negative effects (poison, paralysis, stun, etc.) from all units within.
Very impressive.
For some reason, upon seeing the immunity to poison and paralysis, Su Wen immediately thought of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. The stun immunity reminded him of Huo Yuhao's mental shock... Essentially, both of their signatures were countered.
He was naturally very satisfied with the Azure Luan.
Turning his head, Little Gold sat quietly like a dormant volcano, aura swelling and shrinking, as if containing prehistoric power—if it erupted, everything around would be destroyed.
A true Behemoth.
Its body covered in dark golden fur, skin shining like ancient bronze, its hair along the shoulders and back stood up like blades, forming natural armor. Deep in its amber vertical pupils danced molten gold flames, making all beasts tremble at its gaze.
Its arms were muscular, ending in claws over five meters long, their blue gleam slicing the air with a "hiss."
The claw patterns looked like ancient runes.
Its tail was like a steel python, covered in dark golden scales, swaying like a cedar. At the tip, a bone spur could pierce mountains.
Like an ancient war god, but at the moment, it just drooped its head, quietly awaiting Su Wen's command.
"This must be thirty meters tall by now, right?" Su Wen clicked his tongue.
As one of his two strongest-bloodlined spirit beasts, even though Little Gold had just broken through to the ten-thousand-year mark, it was already capable of going head-to-head with a hundred-thousand-year beast—no weaker than the Snow Empress.
After all, it had Behemoth bloodline.
Able to tear dragons apart and lord over all beasts. Even at ten thousand years, this was only the beginning—thirty meters height was just an appetizer… In the future, standing atop mountains and holding up the sky was not impossible.
"From now on, you'd better keep a low profile. At least don't show up again in this tournament. If your Behemoth bloodline gets recognized, it'll be trouble."
Su Wen mused.
In the original, it was just Huo Yuhao who caused the entire Body Sect to mobilize, and then the Holy Spirit Cult kidnapped Ma Xiaotao—truly a case of "a man is innocent but possesses a treasure."
Before he could cure Elder Mu, it was best to keep a low profile—drawing both these "locust swarms" would be a headache.
"Roar~"
Little Gold scratched its head.
It let out a low growl.
It didn't care about going on stage or not—that group of humans was too weak; only that Titled Douluo could arouse its interest.
With base stats eleven times stronger than its peers—strength, defense—this was stat aesthetics at its finest, truly overpowered.
"And then there's the Ice Emperor…"
[Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor]
Next stage, [Lord of Winter], sounded domineering, and indeed, like the Snow Empress, it was mage-type. Its stats were seven or eight times that of other spirit beasts at the same level. But one thing surprised Su Wen.
The skill [Pride of the Twin Empresses].
It seemed… it could perform a combo ultimate with the Snow Empress?!!
Su Wen's expression grew odd.
He wondered how the faraway Ice Empress in the extreme north would react to this scene. Anyway, he found it amusing, and even Snow Empress knew but said nothing—wasn't this awesome in its own way…
Gale advanced to [Gale Demon Ape], finally with "ape" in its name—a successful evolution.
By his estimate, wielding the Flowing Cloud Staff, it could go toe-to-toe with a ninety-thousand-year spirit beast.
And his guess proved true.
That's right: as a wind attribute Gale, it finally gained wind-riding ability.
Its attribute advanced from "Gale" to "Ultimate Wind."
It could now control the breeze, soaring easily into the clouds—diminishing the importance of flying-type spirit beasts.
Gale's [Gale Blade] and [Reviving Wind] both advanced to [Earth Grade Brown], significantly stronger, and it gained a Heaven Grade skill [Wind Coil: Tornado], conjuring an ultimate tornado that could sweep in everything—he would be the master of this tornado...
Regardless of anything else, Heaven Grade!
He looked forward to showing it off in the tournament.
Gale's height didn't change much, but its appearance did.
Purple runes covered both sides of its eyes, its form slender like a crane but not scrawny—giving off a light, breezy elegance. Its claw blades retracted completely, as it sat cross-legged beside Su Wen, hugging the Flowing Cloud Staff.
"You'll be the main force for the rest of the tournament," Su Wen confirmed.
"Roar~"
Gale nodded heavily.
It now had a touch of an old ape's calm.
Its speed could rival an eighth-level flying soul tool. With Ultimate Wind, it could literally ride the clouds…
"…"
Looking around, Su Wen nodded in satisfaction.
With his current lineup—two on par with hundred-thousand-year beasts, two at eighty to ninety thousand years, plus a near-hundred-thousand-year "healer" for amplification—even a Super Douluo wouldn't dare talk tough. He could even take on a ninety-fourth-level Titled Douluo.
…
The tournament was still in full swing.
Ever since the first match of the top sixteen, when Su Wen from Shrek Academy opened with a stunning record, the subsequent teams' performances, though not as dazzling, were still spectacular.
Group matches and individual knockouts—no more holding back.
Six days passed in a flash. When it came to the top four, Shrek drew an unknown "dark horse" academy, whose leader was a Soul King and six main Soul Sects—but Ma Xiaotao burned through them with her Phoenix Evil Fire.
"Final Four!"
Wang Yan clenched his fist excitedly.
Back at Mingdou Mountain, he thought the sky had fallen—but who'd have thought Su Wen, this young dragon, would really lead Shrek through the gauntlet, lasting until Ma Xiaotao fully recovered.
Now, Shrek Academy was truly powerful, packed with experts.
Gu Yuena and Mu Qiu'er, both strong as Soul Kings.
Sixty-eighth-level Soul Emperor Ma Xiaotao.
And Su Wen, whose strength he couldn't even read.
In the match against Dou Ling Royal Academy, Su Wen's Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear smashed a Soul Skill from Heavenfiend Douluo, showing its power—let alone Su Wen's several other beasts…
"Tch—just the top four."
Ma Xiaotao yawned. "Su Wen's not here yet? Did he train himself into a stupor? Earlier I asked him to help me vent my fire, but he flatly refused."
"Right," Wang Yan twitched.
Today's the semi-finals!
Is Su Wen really not coming?!!
…
In the Clear Sky Academy rest area.
A black-robed figure stared at Shrek's position, frowning.
"For six days since the top sixteen, Su Wen hasn't appeared again…" Tang San pondered.
"Could he be in some trouble?"
"But with the Silver Dragon King around, it shouldn't be…"
His eyes narrowed.
The Snow Woman was missing. Even when he and Er Ming went to see the Star Lou Emperor, the latter kept dodging the question, refusing to say who bought the Snow Empress at auction.
So his focus shifted to the Silver Dragon King.
As a wounded Dragon God hiding among men, the Silver Dragon King was a fat prize in his eyes!
If he could use her well, it would greatly aid his plans.
For example, threatening the Golden Dragon King in the God Realm to make her serve him—while paving the way for his son, designing a conflict to push the Golden Dragon King into his son's body, then using the relationship between the two Dragon Kings to make the Silver Dragon King his daughter-in-law.
This meant he'd have to turn her against Su Wen.
Tang San snorted.
Su Wen, that brat—not content with his daughter, now had ambiguous ties to the Silver Dragon King too. He had to step in.
"Sir, that guy's just too strong," Tang Ju sighed. He had seen that bear's overwhelming strike—it shocked even the strength-worshiping disciples of Clear Sky Sect.
A Titled Douluo's soul skill could only be broken by someone at least at the Soul Douluo level in Clear Sky Sect. To them, that power was extremely formidable.
"He's something, but under the Clear Sky Hammer, everything's just chickens and dogs," Tang San said calmly with hands behind his back.
"You're absolutely right, sir!" Tang Ju beamed.
He was a guest from the heavens, from the God Realm—even if he only showed Soul Emperor strength, "God Realm" meant a being who could stir clouds and rain, move mountains and fill seas with a snap!
That title alone was enough for blind faith.
"Heh heh…"
Tang San let out a lazy, arrogant laugh.
So what if Su Wen came? Or didn't?
In his previous life, as a Soul Emperor, he could leap two ranks to challenge Soul Douluos. In this life, with every opportunity and even the Eight Spider Lances, what was rank-leaping?
All this "slicing through vegetables" had only strengthened his confidence.
Even facing the strong Star Lou Empire lineup, his Clear Sky team had cut through them like vegetables.
"The advantage is mine!"
Tang San's face was full of arrogance.
Of course, pampered in the God Realm, he overlooked one thing.
The entire Clear Sky team's winning streak was not only because of him—the whole team was extremely strong: Tang Ju, a sixty-first-level Soul Emperor, and the other five were all Soul Kings.
A thousand years ago, he had the secret protection of the Asura God.
This life…
…
"Sister Xiaotao, look—shooting star!" Wang Dong'er pointed at the sky, big blue-pink eyes alight with joy.
Everyone looked up.
In the distance, a spot of white appeared, at first like a firefly, then swelling into a white mist! One person stepped on surging clouds, leaving a conical sonic boom in his wake, the shriek as loud as thunder ripping the sky.
His figure trailed a ten-zhang white tail, tearing the cloud sea like cloth, the rift lingering.
Then he fell to Star Lou Plaza like a meteor.
"…"
Everyone from Shrek stared at Su Wen in shock.
He jumped down from a cloud.
Raising an eyebrow: "What are you mumbling about? Not cursing me in secret, right?"
Ma Xiaotao was the first to react—her crimson eyes widened: "You didn't use a flying soul tool?!!"
Wang Yan gawked: "You flew here?!"
Gu Yue Na said seriously, "This level of elemental control… did that white ape evolve to Ultimate Wind?"
"…"
"If you can control wind, you can fly," Su Wen said, sitting down and enjoying the coffee Jiang Nannan brought over, blowing on it with a smile.
"So flashy…" Ma Xiaotao complained.
Only at the Titled Douluo level could one fly unaided—otherwise, you needed a flying tool or a flying-type martial soul.
But Su Wen's astonishing speed plus flight—this was a king bomb.
The entire arena was dead silent.
…
On the city wall.
"Is the Sun Moon Empire invading?!!"
A minister gaped, terrified.
Xu Jiawei glanced at him impatiently; the latter hurriedly shut up, realizing his mistake.
"This Su Wen always gives us surprises."
Xu Jiawei smiled.
"Yes, Your Majesty. This tournament, even in millennia, will go down in history—a true clash of dragons and tigers, with many monsters emerging…" Dai Hao sighed.
"Just this speed rivals an eighth-grade soul tool, and the cloud-riding technique—I've never seen anything like it in a martial soul."
Everyone nodded.
Riding clouds and mist was entirely different from flying with wings!
Wings or soul tool jet propulsion were common and easily replicated. Nothing special. But Su Wen was stepping on clouds as if wielding the very [authority] of wind, merging with the breeze, at ease and unrestrained.
Truly traveling on a wisp of wind.
"It must be Ultimate Wind."
Xu Jiujiu, no longer in Star Lou Royal team attire but a palace dress, looking more feminine than heroic, mused.
"Ultimate Wind?" Xu Jiawei was surprised.
"The white ape seen earlier was likely a mutated Wind Baboon—a wind attribute beast," Xu Jiujiu explained.
"But Wind Baboons are just ordinary…" Xu Jiawei trailed off, pupils shaking.
Earlier, Xu Jiujiu had already surmised Su Wen's martial soul.
Each rank of martial soul could obtain a contracted beast, which advanced with his own spirit power.
That alone was monstrous.
At the Titled Douluo level, wouldn't Su Wen be equal to nine Titleds? At the limit, nine Limit Douluos?!!
But now, Su Wen's freakishness was even more apparent.
His martial soul… seemed to be able to evolve…
Xu Jiawei took a deep breath.
At that moment, Su Wen—and all of Shrek's value—soared in his mind. He must befriend them! Discarding Cheng Gang and backing Su Wen was right!
He glanced at Xu Jiujiu.
His little sister was dignified and talented, with a perfect temperament… Would she be able to win over Su Wen, this golden husband? The kid was a playboy, true, but so what? He himself had three thousand beauties in his harem…
After a moment's thought, he whispered to his ministers.
…