DD Black White [149-160] (Patreon)

Chapter 149: Heaven-Shaking Phenomena vs. True Phoenix Form

At this moment, both teams were highly focused, ready to burst into action.

After retreating a hundred meters as required, Dan Heng raised his right hand and calmly announced, "Begin!"

With that, as if a fuse had been lit, both sides instantly released their martial souls.

In a flash, soul ring lights shone across the arena, beams intertwining to create a dreamlike spectacle.

"One Sky's Finale!" Gu Yue struck first, unleashing her powerful skill without mercy.

A dragon roared as countless cyan streaks, like a meteor shower, rained down over Shrek's side.

Wherever the cyan lights passed, the air seemed to tear, producing a sharp howl.

"I'm coming too—Ice Carved Arrow Rain!" March 7th followed up, quickly drawing her bow.

Her longbow glimmered with icy light, and with her motion, a barrage of cold arrows traced crystalline arcs, merging with Gu Yue's attack for a powerful offensive.

Robin also unleashed her soul skill instantly, bathing the team in gentle light, boosting all allies.

Shrek would not be outdone.

"White Tiger Meteor Shower!"

Dai Yaoheng's fourth soul ring glowed, white light shooting skyward and becoming countless white meteors, crashing toward St. Freya's team.

"Phoenix Meteor Shower!"

Simultaneously, Ma Xiaotao's flames soared, a phoenix's cry echoing through the stadium.

A giant phoenix phantom spread its wings behind her, taking flight.

Countless fireballs rained down from its mouth like a torrential downpour.

In an instant, the arena was illuminated with flame and heat.

The battle erupted into a clash of soul skills. The dazzling spectacle sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Thunderous explosions rang out, as ice and fire clashed, wind and light intertwined.

Energies collided, creating a fantastic tapestry of color in the sky.

"Black Tortoise Shield Array!" Xu Sanshi shouted, as a black tortoise phantom appeared behind him.

Massive black shields formed a sturdy formation, shielding his teammates.

"Cuteness is Justice!"

March 7th wasn't to be left behind, activating her first soul skill.

A layer of icy blue shield, formed from ultimate ice, quickly covered Lu Jingming and his teammates.

The cold aura and defensive power rivaled Xu Sanshi's shield.

Both sides' soul skills collided, unleashing huge energy shockwaves that spread wildly.

But under the combined defense of Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise and March 7th's ice shield, the shockwaves caused no real harm.

"Dragon's Shattering Roar!" Jinhsi's clear shout rang out, as light power blazed like the sun.

With a dragon's roar, a platinum dragon, holy and majestic, charged at Shrek.

"Thunder's Wrath, Lightning Dragon's Head!" Bei Bei activated his Holy Light Dragon bloodline.

Golden scales appeared, shining like armor, as two soul rings burst with light.

Bei Bei used his third and fourth skills together—a golden light dragon, unusually bearing wild blue lightning, clashed with Jinhsi's platinum dragon.

The two dragons soared and collided, their roars shaking the stadium.

Light and lightning intertwined in a spectacular display.

But the gap in soul power became clear. Bei Bei, slightly weaker, could not match Jinhsi's Time Dragon.

The golden lightning dragon began to fade and was finally torn apart by the platinum dragon's power.

Undeterred, the platinum dragon crashed toward Xu Sanshi's shield.

"Black Tortoise Power!" Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth, his third ring flashing.

Jet-black water surged from him, forming a huge dark vortex to block the dragon.

After fighting Bei Bei, the platinum dragon's strength had waned.

Though it struck the vortex with a thunderous boom, it could only push the shield back a bit, failing to break through.

At this point, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged looks. They knew they only had enough soul power to use their Fusion Skill twice.

Thus, it had to be saved for the most critical moment, as their teacher Wang Yan had repeatedly instructed.

On the other side, a cold glint flashed in Lu Jingming's eyes. His left hand shone with dark gold.

Slowly spreading his fingers to the sky, he intoned, "Soul Bone Skill: Heaven-Shaking Phenomena!"

A creepy crack echoed, and the sky seemed to tremble.

Everyone watched, dumbfounded, as cracks appeared in the sky like glass, then shattered entirely.

More precisely, space itself broke under immense gravity.

A huge rift tore open, revealing a vast, dead starfield.

Next, a small meteorite fragment drifting in space was instantly captured by gravity, and dragged into Douluo's world at terrifying speed.

As it fell, air friction ignited the meteor, turning it into a flaming star trailing a long tail—hurtling straight for Shrek's formation with world-ending force.

Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao and the others were shocked.

The audience was left speechless by this miraculous, terrifying soul skill—pulling a meteor from beyond the world by warping space with gravity.

Though its power was less than a real meteor, it was still more than enough to inspire awe.

"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body!" At this critical moment, Ma Xiaotao knew she could not hold back.

Gritting her teeth, she unleashed her Martial Soul True Body.

Only this could block the world-ending meteor—otherwise, Xu Sanshi's defense would be shattered, and the rest would be eliminated instantly.

As her True Body activated, Ma Xiaotao was engulfed in flames, her figure growing massive.

A phoenix's cry echoed as fiery wings spread, and a huge fire phoenix soared skyward.

Her soul rings flashed one after another, amplifying her second and third skills.

Now, her flames neared the ultimate fire, burning hot enough to scorch space.

She charged at the plummeting meteor like a burning comet.

Heaven-Shaking Phenomena versus True Phoenix—every eye was glued to the sky.

The fire phoenix climbed higher, racing to intercept before the meteor's destructive force peaked.

"Boom!"

Phoenix and meteor collided in the sky with a deafening roar.

For a moment, the sky seemed to host a second sun, its light blinding and heat searing.

With an unyielding cry, the phoenix held the meteor, its flames furiously burning to melt it.

At last, just before impact, the meteor was incinerated to ashes by the phoenix's fire.

Ma Xiaotao, having used all her strength, successfully blocked Lu Jingming's devastating Heaven-Shaking Phenomena soul skill.

Shrek's team breathed a sigh of relief, and the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers at this breathtaking spectacle.

"I'll praise you for that—but this is as far as you go!" Lu Jingming smiled.

In an instant, lightning flashed, and he vanished, reappearing above Ma Xiaotao's phoenix form.

His spear had become a massive lightning lance, blindingly white.

"Judgment Sky Spear!"

Lu Jingming's cold voice sent a chill through Ma Xiaotao. Having exhausted her soul power, she now faced a deadly crisis.

"Sister Xiaotao!" Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong turned pale, panic in their eyes.

They knew if Ma Xiaotao fell, Shrek would have no chance left.

Tension peaked—everyone held their breath.

"Black Tortoise Switch!" At the last second, Xu Sanshi roared—

Chapter 150: End Echo & Holy Lance Reversal

As Xu Sanshi shouted, his Black Tortoise shield shot out a black beam, instantly striking Lu Jingming.

Space twisted, and before everyone's eyes, Lu Jingming vanished from the sky, reappearing inside Shrek's formation.

"White Tiger Annihilation Slash!"

"Thunder's Wrath!"

"Ice Prison!"

"Blazing Amidst Frost, Heaven Emperor's Hammer!"

In a split second, the battle shifted dramatically. Shrek's team launched a coordinated assault.

Dai Yaoheng's soul rings shone, as he unleashed three potent skills at once, aiming to finish Lu Jingming.

A blood-red "kill" character, brimming with murderous, destructive energy, raced toward him.

Bei Bei's thunder gathered into a massive ball as he charged in for a decisive blow.

Ling Luocheng's ice staff erupted with cold, trapping Lu Jingming in a prison of ice.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong unleashed their second martial souls—a giant Clear Sky Hammer entwined with the Ice Jade Scorpion, as a huge humanoid phantom appeared, resembling an older, more imposing Yuhao.

Lu Jingming's lips twitched—he had expected Xu Sanshi might use the Black Tortoise Switch but hadn't imagined Shrek would focus everything on eliminating him at once.

Even Ma Xiaotao, at full strength, would struggle to withstand such an onslaught.

The audience was stunned by the sudden turn—a moment ago, Ma Xiaotao was doomed; now, the crisis had shifted to Lu Jingming.

In Shrek's rest area, Wang Yan cheered—this was his carefully crafted plan: eliminate Lu Jingming first, then defeat the rest.

Xu Sanshi's Switch was the key. If it succeeded, Wang Yan was eighty percent sure they could win.

In his mind, Lu Jingming—though strong—was not a defense type; facing such an assault, he should have no escape.

Many shared Wang Yan's view.

On the main platform, Xu Jiujiu stood up in shock, her face full of concern for Lu Jingming.

Xu Jiawei frowned deeply, seeing the unfavorable turn.

But Duke Dai Hao, the veteran general, actually smiled faintly, clearly pleased with his son's performance.

Xu Jiujiu was anxious at first, but seeing Changli's calm smile, she felt reassured—Changli knew Lu Jingming's strength best; if she wasn't worried, Lu Jingming must have a plan.

She fixed her gaze on Lu Jingming, not daring to look away for even a second.

"Should I thank you for taking me so seriously? But you're underestimating me!"

Facing the siege, Lu Jingming laughed, his confidence unwavering.

His third soul ring flared, and his black spear flew from his hand.

It spun rapidly, splitting into five black beams that pierced through Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Dai Yaoheng, Bei Bei, and Ling Luocheng.

A strange scene followed.

Dai Yaoheng's blood-red kill skill, Bei Bei's thunder orb, and Ling Luocheng's ice prison all vanished like bubbles.

Only Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Heaven Emperor's Hammer fusion skill continued to crash down on Lu Jingming.

"Almost forgot, that's a fusion skill!"

Lu Jingming watched the incoming hammer, calmly.

His fifth soul ring blazed with blood-red light—his hundred-thousand-year soul skill activated.

The black spear reappeared, a thick black light wrapping around Lu Jingming.

As black energy surged, the Heaven Emperor's Hammer smashed down.

Boom!

A thunderous blast sent shockwaves outward.

Debris flew, dust rose, and the arena was shrouded in chaos.

As the dust cleared, Lu Jingming stood revealed.

He now wore pitch-black armor, sleek and radiating immense power, as if nothing could harm him.

He caught the Heaven Emperor's Hammer in one hand; apart from the ground beneath him caving in, he was unharmed—as if the world-shattering blow was nothing.

"How… how is that possible?" Wang Yan stared wide-eyed, stunned.

He never imagined Lu Jingming could withstand such a terrifying assault, especially the soul emperor-level fusion skill.

The crowd was equally shocked.

Everyone was confused—why did Dai Yaoheng and Bei Bei's skills vanish? They couldn't figure it out.

Lu Jingming caught the Heaven Emperor's Hammer, marveling at its power—a soul elder and a soul Grandmaster's fusion skill could reach soul emperor level!

Furthermore, he knew Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had more than one fusion skill.

Clear Sky Hammer, Ice Jade Scorpion, Light Goddess Butterfly, and Spirit Eyes—four utterly different martial souls, all able to pair up for fusion skills, nearly all at perfect rates.

Lu Jingming was sure there was trickery here—Tang San, the Sea God, must have meddled to lock Huo Yuhao's fate.

But as powerful as Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were, Lu Jingming was no ordinary person.

He had easily countered the attacks thanks to his third soul skill—End Echo.

This skill could virtualize the Black Abyss Spear, forcibly dispelling any triggered enemy soul skills and preventing their re-use for ten minutes.

Thus, Dai Yaoheng's Annihilation, Bei Bei's Thunder, and Ling Luocheng's Ice Prison were all instantly dispelled.

The black armor on Lu Jingming was his fifth soul skill—Holy Lance Reversal.

When activated, the Black Abyss Spear became invulnerable armor, massively boosting his stats and granting absolute defense.

The armor carried a withering power, destroying any attack that landed on it.

Lu Jingming, wreathed in black energy and armor, looked every bit the final boss.

He casually unleashed a wave of black lightning, shattering the huge phantom, revealing the battered Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

At the same time, the rest of the battlefield shifted dramatically.

Firefly seized the moment, burning with light, her silver-white mecha soaring upward, delivering a mighty punch to Ma Xiaotao's phoenix form and slamming it to the ground.

Jinhsi flashed to Bei Bei, a dragon phantom biting him and slamming him into the arena barrier.

Castorice appeared behind Dai Yaoheng, her scythe wreathed in death energy, slashing down with a chill that froze Dai Yaoheng's blood.

March 7th's fourth soul ring lit up as she used her fourth skill—Memory's Flowing Ice.

She teleported along Ling Luocheng's ice, appearing at her side and freezing her solid.

Gu Yue, holding her silver dragon spear, descended from the sky amid a whirlwind, tossing her spear to sweep Xu Sanshi into a tornado he could not escape.

Chapter 151: Ma Xiaotao Fights With Her Life

In an instant, the tide of battle shifted dramatically again, and Shrek Academy was plunged into dire straits.

Ma Xiaotao was already countered by Firefly, and to make matters worse, Robin timely unleashed her fifth soul skill—Fugue of the Stars.

This soul skill was incredibly powerful, forcibly raising Firefly's soul power to the Soul Emperor level.

As a result, even though Ma Xiaotao was in her Martial Soul True Body state, she was still completely suppressed by Firefly, unable to fight back at all.

March 7th's restraint over Ling Luocheng was even more apparent. Not only could she instantaneously move using the ice released by Ling Luocheng, catching opponents off guard, but her ultimate ice soul power could instantly incapacitate Ling Luocheng, freezing her solid.

Jinhsi, Castorice, and Gu Yue immediately unleashed their powerful abilities, successfully suppressing Dai Yaoheng, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi.

Although the Shrek Academy team fought desperately, under the fierce assault from Saint Freya Academy, they fell into a hopeless situation.

At this moment, the outcome was clear. Everyone could see that Shrek's loss seemed inevitable.

Saint Freya Academy demonstrated overwhelming strength in all aspects. Whether male or female, each member was extraordinary—there was not a single weakling.

Even Robin, the support, was far from defenseless, and her boosting soul skills greatly empowered her entire team.

Despite Dai Yaoheng and the others struggling fiercely, anyone with a discerning eye could foresee the match's outcome.

On the main viewing platform, Xu Jiujiu was so excited she nearly jumped up.

But as a princess, she had to remain composed, so she forced herself to sit with poise, though she couldn't conceal the joy sparkling in her eyes.

Dai Hao, however, frowned slightly and shook his head.

With his experience, he could clearly see that Shrek Academy was beyond saving.

Shrek's originally strongest member, Ma Xiaotao, had most of her power drained at the start by Lu Jingming's hundred-thousand-year soul skill, and was then restrained by Firefly, leaving her unable to showcase her Soul Sage-level strength at all. It was truly frustrating for her to have such power but nowhere to use it.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion erupted, flames soaring skyward like a fully-bloomed fiery flower.

A massive Fire Phoenix let out a wail of unwillingness; as the flames scattered like fireworks, the Phoenix's form faded, finally dissipating into the air, exposing Ma Xiaotao's true body.

"Bang!"

Ma Xiaotao instinctively crossed her arms in front of her, trying to block the attack.

However, she was at her limits and could not resist Firefly's fierce assault.

Firefly landed a heavy kick on Ma Xiaotao, sending her flying in a long arc.

Relentless, Firefly gave chase, delivering another punch midair.

The punch whistled through the air, threatening to tear it apart.

Ma Xiaotao, like a cannonball, crashed into the ground, shattering the hard surface and leaving a shocking trench, a testament to Firefly's power.

"I can't take this anymore!" Ma Xiaotao was at her breaking point.

In terms of soul power, she was more than ten levels above Firefly. In age, she was also several years older.

Yet now, she was being beaten helplessly by a girl not yet fifteen.

Her pride and dignity were deeply hurt.

And now the match was nearing its end—if she didn't change something, Shrek's defeat was certain.

"Come out! Phoenix Armor!" Ma Xiaotao roared to the sky, her voice filled with resolve.

Instantly, a golden-red radiance lit her body, as dazzling as a blazing sun.

A set of magnificent Phoenix battle armor slowly appeared, enveloping her.

"Stop, Ma Xiaotao!" In the Shrek rest area, Wang Yan's face turned ashen as he cried out.

He knew the dangers of forcibly using the Phoenix Armor and what Ma Xiaotao's action signified.

But Ma Xiaotao was determined to turn things around for Shrek and couldn't hear Wang Yan's shout.

Even if she could, she wouldn't care.

To her, sacrificing something for Shrek's glory was worthwhile.

"Foolish!" Wang Yan sighed helplessly as Ma Xiaotao's aura soared in her flaming armor.

Phoenix Armor was a peak-level Rank 9 soul tool, terrifying in its power.

If fully utilized, it could rival a Titled Douluo, possessing both Titled Douluo-level defense and Super Douluo-level speed.

However, the minimum requirement to wear it was a Soul Douluo.

For Ma Xiaotao, just a newly advanced Soul Sage, forcing it on was gambling her life.

It was equivalent to burning her life to activate the armor, which would inflict great harm—cutting at least five years off her life, or even ten.

As a responsible teacher, Wang Yan couldn't bear to see his student throw away her future for a single match.

But it was too late; he couldn't stop her.

Seeing Ma Xiaotao recklessly burning her life, Firefly paused briefly, frowning deeply, anger flickering in her eyes—anger at Ma Xiaotao's disregard for her own life.

Firefly herself suffered from entropy-loss syndrome—a near death sentence. To survive, she would pay any price and even joined the Stellaron Hunters to live.

But during her summoning by Lu Jingming, he used the Authority Reality to cure her, freeing her from that affliction.

This was why her initial favorability for Lu Jingming was so high.

Unlike Castorice, whose death-constitution was the source of her power and could not be removed, Firefly's entropy-loss could be cured.

So for Firefly, who longed for life, Ma Xiaotao's reckless burning of her own life for a match was incomprehensible.

"Death Star Overload—Full Burn!" Firefly called out, and her third and fifth soul rings burst with light.

A fire-weakness mark appeared on Ma Xiaotao, glaring red in the sunlight.

At the same time, Firelfy's mecha was infused with wild energy, covered in red magma patterns, radiating intense heat, her aura even more explosive.

Now, she was in no way inferior to Ma Xiaotao in Phoenix Armor.

"Sigh!" Robin looked at the intense battlefield and shook her head.

Her fourth soul ring shone, black as ink.

"Fourth Soul Skill—Thousand-Tone Concerto!"

Robin sang gently, her voice melodious and ethereal, drifting across the battlefield.

As the sound reached Firefly, an astonishing change occurred—her originally black fifth soul ring slowly turned blood-red.

Before the stunned eyes of all, Robin forcibly upgraded Firefly's fifth soul ring to a hundred-thousand-year status.

The now hundred-thousand-year skill, "Full Burn," instantly pushed Firefly's battle strength to its peak.

Terrifying heat radiated outward from Firefly, warping the air, melting the ground with hissing sounds.

Even the seawater near the Eye of Abyss evaporated, shrouding the area in thick white mist.

Thankfully, the audience stands were protected by soul tool barriers, blocking most of the heat. Even so, the spectators felt like they were in a furnace.

Luckily, Herta's soul tool screens held strong, continuously broadcasting the match.

Herta had anticipated the match's intensity would impact the soul tools, so they prepared in advance.

On the field, silver-white mechas streaked with red, flames raging and warping space.

The golden-red armor burned fiercely as well; Ma Xiaotao, burning her life force, finally reached the domain of ultimate fire with the armor's boost.

Though still slightly weaker than Firefly and burdened by a fire weakness, she could finally fight on even terms.

Yet, Ma Xiaotao was enduring excruciating pain from forcibly wearing the armor.

She could feel her life force being devoured, her body tortured as if in a sea of fire.

Her pretty face twisted in pain, but her eyes shone with madness, her obsession keeping her going.

The fiery thrusters on her back flared, and she shot toward Firefly like an arrow.

Firefly met her head-on with terrifying speed.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The two flame-wreathed figures darted and clashed at incredible speeds.

The audience could only see two meteor-like fire streaks colliding, each impact like colliding stars, setting off huge fireworks.

Shockwaves and heatwaves swept the arena, letting everyone feel the battle's terror and intensity.

"Wang Dong!"

"Yuhao!"

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a determined glance.

They knew the side effects of using the Phoenix Armor early, but seeing Ma Xiaotao fight so desperately, how could they stand by?

"This is reckless!" Lu Jingming frowned as he watched Ma Xiaotao's near-mad battle and sighed inwardly.

He couldn't understand Ma Xiaotao's obsession with this match—why risk everything for just a competition?

Still, though he didn't understand, he chose to respect her choice.

He also guessed what Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong would do next, but made no move to stop them.

Under Lu Jingming's gaze, Wang Dong unfurled blue-gold wings, the phantom of the Bright Goddess Butterfly flickering behind him.

Huo Yuhao's clothes burst apart under a surge of soul power, revealing the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion tattoo on his back.

The pattern seemed to come alive, the crystalline yellow eyes exuding a fierce aura, as if ready to devour anyone.

Chapter 152: Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Holy Spear Reversal!

Brilliant light erupted from Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, dazzling the eyes of all who looked.

Within the light, the phantoms of the Bright Goddess Butterfly and Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion merged, as did Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

In a curtain of blue, gold, and green light, the giant wings of the Bright Goddess Butterfly broke free, and as cold air burst forth, a crystal-clear ice staircase formed in midair.

Down these icy steps descended a breathtakingly beautiful girl.

Her blue-pink hair flowed to her ankles, silky and radiant.

She wore a gown woven of light and frost, its hem sparkling with every step like a fairy from a dream.

She radiated gentle light, as if one with it, and the frost beneath her feet spread a noble, icy aura.

Six butterfly wings fluttered, trailing shimmering cold, beauty beyond mortal comprehension.

The audience was stunned, watching the fairy-like figure dancing amid the ice mist as if time itself had stopped.

Lu Jingming, unlike the crowd, wasn't shocked—he already knew Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong possessed this fusion skill.

But to think this beautiful girl was the fusion of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong—he found it bizarre.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion and Bright Goddess Butterfly combined to create the Goddess of Light, Tang Wutong. It seemed to defy logic—didn't Douluo Continent's fusion skills have any rules at all?

Seeing the golden trident mark on her brow, Lu Jingming frowned, not forgetting that Wang Dong harbored the divine consciousness of Sea God Tang San.

"If you refuse to give up, then let me show you what true despair is," Lu Jingming said coldly.

As he spoke, his black armor dissolved into black light, reforming into his familiar black spear, releasing the fifth soul skill.

The crowd was puzzled—why would he undo his hundred-thousand-year soul skill just as Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong successfully unleashed their fusion technique?

But in the next moment, their eyes widened in shock.

Lu Jingming slowly drew a white lance from the void, radiating holy light.

"Twin martial souls?"

"He has twin martial souls too!"

"How is this possible?!"

The stands erupted in discussion. All eyes turned to Lu Jingming, now holding both a black and a white holy lance.

"It's coming!" Gu Yue's eyes shone with excitement as she clenched her fist.

In an instant, a gale arose, turning into countless blades that enveloped Xu Sanshi.

They slashed madly, breaking his shield with a harsh sound, leaving him bloodied and collapsing to his knees.

Despite his sorry state, most of his injuries were superficial—Gu Yue had held back. If she hadn't wanted to focus on watching Lu Jingming, she wouldn't have gone so easy on him.

"Lu Jingming also has twin martial souls, he's so strong and so handsome!" Meng Hongchen's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Lu Jingming in adoration.

Xiao Hongchen, seeing his sister's infatuation, clenched his fists in frustration.

Remembering how Lu Jingming hadn't even used his full strength when fighting him, his pride took another blow.

Meng Hongchen's reaction only made him angrier, but he had nowhere to vent.

"Twin martial souls, hundred-thousand-year soul ring—his talent is at least on par with Huo Yuhao, if not greater!" Wang Yan adjusted his glasses, full of awe.

Shrek's current generation did have several twin martial soul geniuses—Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong—but they were still growing.

Lu Jingming was different—not yet fifteen, he could already dominate the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament with astonishing strength.

"I am the black that heads to hell, the white from heaven. I will reverse heaven and earth, restoring order to the world."

Lu Jingming raised both lances and slowly merged them, reciting a bold incantation.

Black and white light shot skyward, merging into a single, ornate black-and-white holy lance.

"Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Holy Spear Reversal!"

As Lu Jingming spoke, the black-and-white holy lance aimed at the Goddess of Light.

At the same time, the Goddess of Light raised her right hand, cold energy gathering at her fingertip, ready to unleash.

"A self fusion skill? What's that? Can one person use a fusion skill?" The crowd was in an uproar.

Especially Xiao Xiao, herself a twin martial soul, felt her worldview shatter.

She never imagined twin martial souls could be used like this—one person using a fusion skill alone.

On the main platform, Xu Jiawei stood up in shock, and Duke White Tiger Dai Hao looked grave.

In the history of soul masters, there were many twin martial soul geniuses, but never had anyone used a self fusion skill—not even the God of Rakshasa or the Sea God a millennium ago.

Lu Jingming had broken convention, using a fusion skill alone, rewriting history.

In a flash, the Goddess of Light moved like lightning toward Lu Jingming.

Where she passed, the temperature plummeted, and the ground instantly covered in thick ice like a silver carpet.

Lu Jingming smirked, gripping his black-and-white lance.

With a flick of his wrist, he thrust the lance forward, unleashing a dazzling white light.

The light collided with the Goddess's fingertip, charged with ultimate cold.

At the moment of contact, the white light surged, forming a huge sphere that enveloped the Goddess.

Inside the flawless light, her expression changed, filled with disbelief.

In that instant, all her soul power, her ultimate ice, even her pure light power, was wiped out by a powerful force.

It was as if the white light had created a vacuum where all energy ceased to exist.

Lu Jingming smiled. If struck by his self fusion skill—Holy Spear Reversal—all energy would be confined and instantly erased.

The Goddess's biggest mistake was touching the lance.

It was originally Black Abyss White Flower's secondary mode, now elevated to a fusion skill.

Moreover, Lu Jingming possessed more than one fusion technique.

Holy Spear Reversal, dominated by White Flower, was not about destruction or killing, but about limiting and erasing energy.

For the soul-power-formed Goddess of Light, it was the perfect counter.

As expected, as the white light faded, she vanished with it.

Left behind were the unconscious Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, their soul power wiped clean.

Lu Jingming glanced at them, then threw the lance, which shot away like a meteor.

At that moment, Ma Xiaotao, locked in a furious fight with Firefly, was lost in her frenzy.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her chest—the flames on her armor instantly extinguished, the Phoenix Armor going dark.

Ma Xiaotao stared blankly at the black-and-white lance piercing her chest, eyes full of disbelief and confusion.

In an instant, her body went limp like a cut kite and she plummeted.

"Ma Xiaotao!"

"Sister Xiaotao!"

Wang Yan and others cried out in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.

Not only Shrek's people but the spectators were left dumbfounded by the sudden turn.

No one expected Lu Jingming to strike Ma Xiaotao so ruthlessly.

"Bastard!" In a corner of the Eye of Abyss, Xuan Zi, who had been hiding, was first stunned, then his eyes turned red with rage.

Forgetting all fear of the Snow Moon Douluo, he surged with soul power, ready to storm the stage for justice.

Chapter 153: Mu En’s Decision

"Calm down!" Just as Xuan Zi was about to act, a calm voice sounded behind him.

Xuan Zi froze—he knew that voice too well, having heard it countless times over a century.

"Elder Mu, you're here! Xiaotao, she—" Xuan Zi was first delighted, for with Elder Mu present, even Snow Moon Douluo would have to give Shrek a proper explanation.

But seeing Mu En's form, his joy vanished, replaced by disappointment.

It was not Mu En's true body, but a projection formed from the Golden Tree's energy.

Though the projection could wield Ultimate Douluo power, it could not last long.

Mu En's projection, glowing with gentle gold, spoke calmly: "Don't worry, Xiaotao isn't dead."

What Xuan Zi missed, Mu En saw clearly.

Ma Xiaotao was not in mortal danger—the lance through her chest was not meant to kill but to stop her from burning her life force further.

In fact, it saved her.

Otherwise, in her battle frenzy, Ma Xiaotao might have burned herself to death.

Moreover, Mu En knew Lu Jingming had no reason to kill Ma Xiaotao publicly—they had no deep enmity, and their relationship was not bad.

Just as Mu En predicted, the Black Abyss White Flower was now dominated by White Flower's power.

When Lu Jingming withdrew the lance, Ma Xiaotao's wound healed instantly, as if never there.

However, her soul power was erased, leaving her limp and powerless.

Under the fusion skill's special effects, as long as Lu Jingming didn't want to kill, he could save even the gravest wounds.

Like Ma Xiaotao—even with her heart pierced, Lu Jingming could keep her alive with White Flower's creative power.

"I almost thought you actually killed her!" Gu Yue had been startled but quickly figured it out.

Lu Jingming wielded both destruction and creation—his fused lance was not for killing.

"Xiao Ming couldn't bear to, right?" March 7th skipped over, eyeing the unconscious Ma Xiaotao.

Her gaze lingered on Ma Xiaotao's impressive figure, especially her generous chest, making her twitch her lips.

Such a figure, she'd only seen on Changli—no one else compared.

Neither she, Jinhsi, nor Zhang Lexuan could match Ma Xiaotao's physique.

At this point, the battlefield was completely transformed.

Saint Freya's team stood tall in victory.

In contrast, Shrek's team lay scattered on the ground.

Wang Yan, seeing Ma Xiaotao was safe, finally relaxed.

Then he sighed heavily—Shrek had lost.

Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong were all unconscious; Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, Dai Yaoheng, and Ling Luocheng were unable to fight.

Shrek's main force was wiped out.

Even with substitutions allowed in the individual elimination round, Shrek only had He Caitou, Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and Xi Xi left—hopeless against Saint Freya.

Thus, the outcome of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was clear.

Shrek, devastated in the team battle, could no longer fight; the match was decided in one round, no need for a second or third.

Though Wang Yan was unwilling, reality left no choice.

To persist would be humiliation, so he reluctantly withdrew from the rest of the competition.

As Shrek's head coach, he had the authority to forfeit.

Wang Yan approached Dan Heng, choosing to concede.

Dan Heng calmly announced, "Since Shrek Academy forfeits the individual elimination round, the champion of this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is Saint Freya Academy!"

His voice, amplified, rang through every corner of Haiyuan City.

Everyone was stunned, their minds briefly stopping.

Then, thunderous cheers erupted.

No one blamed Shrek for conceding—anyone could see that after the fierce team battle, Shrek's members were spent, unable to continue.

Saint Freya was strong, the defending champion, and their victory was well-deserved.

People reacted to Shrek's defeat in different ways.

Some sighed, believing Shrek's glory days were over.

Others, like the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, were secretly delighted—their old rival had finally fallen.

Even though they lost to Saint Freya, they preferred that over Shrek winning.

Xu Jiawei, meanwhile, was all smiles, very pleased.

After all, the championship returned to the Star Luo Empire, boosting its reputation and unity.

"Elder Mu, we lost again—it's all my fault!" Xuan Zi stood by, full of guilt and remorse.

He regretted that if only he'd been more careful, stellar students like Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, and Chen Zifeng wouldn't have fallen.

Their absence crippled Shrek, leading to such an easy defeat.

Mu En shook his head, his eyes a mix of disappointment and helplessness.

He cared less about wins and losses and more about inheritance and talent.

But Xuan Zi's repeated mistakes had cost the academy many fine students—this pained him.

Now, Shrek faced a talent gap—the Sea God Pavilion was full of elders; Yan Shaozhe and others couldn't take charge.

Mu En had no choice but to pin his hopes on Ma Xiaotao and her generation.

Ma Xiaotao was highly talented but too impulsive, as seen when she risked everything with uncontrollable power—nearly courting disaster.

If not for the opponent's mercy, she'd have died by her own hand—not suitable for Pavilion Master.

After much thought, Mu En fixed his hopes on Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao had twin martial souls, one being the rare ultimate ice.

More valuable, he was calm and rational, keeping his head in adversity—Mu En saw him as the best candidate for Pavilion Master.

Mu En decided to formally take Huo Yuhao as his disciple after returning.

He planned to use the Golden Tree's life force to heal Huo Yuhao.

With his talent and potential, he was worth every resource.

If Xuan Zi could hold on until Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao matured, Shrek's future would be secure.

As for Mu En himself, he knew he hadn't many years left—he wouldn't live to see them mature.

The match was over, but the excitement at Eye of Abyss lingered.

Spectators basked in the aftermath, reluctant to leave.

This lively scene lasted for hours, until the city guards cleared the venue and spectators slowly departed by boat.

The academy teams also packed up and prepared to leave.

On the eve of the departures, Ye Wuqing and Yu Mengdi from Zhengtian Academy sought out Lu Jingming.

Lu Jingming was surprised but greeted them warmly.

Ye Wuqing spoke first, sincere, "City Lord, once we return to Zhengtian Academy and graduate, we'll come to Haiyuan City to join you."

Clearly, Ye Wuqing had learned Lu Jingming's true identity—not only the Saint Freya team captain but also the City Lord of Haiyuan City, the current Viscount of Star Lou Empire.

Lu Jingming smiled, knowing Ye Wuqing wouldn't refuse. Zhengtian Academy lacked resources and strong fighters—if Ye Wuqing wanted to grow, he needed to join another power, and Haiyuan City was ideal.

Haiyuan City had the best resources and experts, and Lu Jingming's personal invitation was irresistible.

As for Yu Mengdi, she wasn't just after training and teachers, but more for Ye Guyi, or more accurately, her dream.

As a descendant of the Angel Legion, her family was in decline, so she wanted to rebuild the Angel Clan with Ye Guyi and restore their glory.

Lu Jingming could satisfy both their wishes—rebuilding the Angel Clan would surely interest Ye Guyi as well.

Though the tournament had ended and most spectators and teams had left, many chose to stay, so Haiyuan City remained lively.

Chapter 154: The Arrival of Ganyu

After a period of excitement and uproar, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Battle Tournament finally came to a successful conclusion.

As the various participating teams gradually departed, the bustling Haiyuan City slowly returned to its usual tranquility.

The streets and alleys were no longer packed with crowds like during the tournament. The noisy hawking and heated discussions faded, and the whole city seemed to awaken from a grand celebration, returning to its daily rhythm.

According to the tournament's established rules, the top three academies all received corresponding rewards, prepared by Haiyuan City.

However, since St. Freya Academy won the championship in one fell swoop, the most precious reward originally intended for the champion was saved.

Lu Jingming displayed great generosity this time, awarding three ten-thousand-year Stigmata to Shrek Academy, the runner-up, and one ten-thousand-year Stigma to Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the third place.

This was not only a reward but also a promotion for Stigmata.

Lu Jingming had already made up his mind to take the Jade Chamber as the core and gradually expand the business of selling Stigmata throughout the soul master world.

He planned to launch Stigmata covering ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, and ten thousand years, to meet the needs of soul masters of all levels.

As for the extremely rare hundred-thousand-year Stigmata, considering their scarcity and value, they would only appear at the annual Jade Auction, to attract the attention of numerous soul masters and enhance Jade Chamber's reputation and influence.

While advancing the Stigmata plan, Lu Jingming realized that relying on Ningguang alone made it difficult to handle so many complicated affairs, and her energy would inevitably be scattered.

Moreover, the appearance of Stigmata was bound to cause a stir in this world, attracting attention from all sides and requiring even more manpower and effort to cope.

At this time, Lu Jingming was not lacking in the power of reality. After careful consideration, he decided: it's you, Ganyu.

When Keqing and Ningguang learned that Lu Jingming was going to summon Ganyu, the two of them rushed over, full of anticipation.

As threads of the power of reality were slowly consumed, the Authority of Reality quietly activated.

In an instant, a vast power that turns the illusory real descended, causing strange ripples to appear in the space.

Under everyone's gaze, a figure gradually became clear from the void, turning from blurry to real.

Ganyu, who appeared, had soft blue hair neatly tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, naturally falling to her waist and gently swaying with her movements, emanating a lively beauty.

The playful ahoge on her head trembled slightly, adding a touch of cuteness and playfulness to her cold temperament.

She wore a white short qipao, exquisitely tailored, with golden patterns carefully adorning the collar and cuffs, exuding an elegant and luxurious aura.

The ice-blue gem at her waist complemented her overall appearance, and next to her black qilin horns was a unique fan-shaped headpiece.

The white-to-blue gradient sleeves on her arms, together with her black tights and golden-patterned sock rings, highlighted her elegance and beauty to the fullest.

Lu Jingming looked at Ganyu in front of him and couldn't help but secretly admire her.

The overall elegant, serene, cold, and pure aura Ganyu gave off was as holy and flawless as ice and snow. Even compared to Gu Yue, she was not inferior at all.

"Ganyu, how are you feeling?" Lu Jingming smiled, looking at the newly arrived Ganyu, then glanced at the equally delighted Keqing beside him, the corners of his mouth curling up unconsciously.

At this moment, he felt secretly pleased—he had finally assembled the combination he'd dreamed of.

"It feels… very strange. So this is another world?" Ganyu slowly opened her clear blue eyes, curiosity shining within.

Her voice was calm and gentle, like a mountain spring, extremely soothing, as if it could instantly calm one's heart.

On Teyvat, visitors from other worlds were not rare, but it was Ganyu's first time in another world herself.

This brand-new experience felt both wondrous and novel.

However, during her manifestation in this world, she had already received detailed information about it, so she wasn't completely unfamiliar with her surroundings.

Moreover, seeing the familiar Keqing and Ningguang here brought her comfort—at least she wouldn't feel lonely and helpless in this strange world.

"Great, with Ganyu here, work efficiency will increase at least tenfold!"

Keqing, living up to her reputation as the queen of hard work, immediately thought of increased work efficiency at the sight of Ganyu.

She said this with full confidence, and even exaggerated tenfold, making Lu Jingming's mouth twitch.

He did summon Ganyu partly hoping she'd help with affairs, but more out of fondness for Ganyu herself—not just to make her a workhorse!

"Um, no need to rush into work. Keqing, you should also consider others!" Lu Jingming said softly, feeling a bit of a headache.

He would much rather see Keqing and Ganyu living leisurely and enjoying life than working themselves to the bone.

"Work, huh? Leave it to me!" At the mention of work, Ganyu responded almost reflexively.

This made Lu Jingming even more helpless, both amused and exasperated.

Ningguang couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

She had already guessed that putting Keqing and Ganyu together would definitely trigger such amusing chemistry.

She came partly to welcome Ganyu, and partly to witness this hilarious scene firsthand.

For Ganyu, the moment Lu Jingming summoned her, a contract was formed between them.

Since Lu Jingming expended precious power of reality to bring her from the illusory world to reality, she would wholeheartedly fulfill the contract and do her best for him.

Seeing Ganyu immediately asking about work upon arrival, Lu Jingming truly felt helpless.

After all, with Stigmata sales centered around Jade Chamber, some malicious outlaws would inevitably covet them.

To ensure Jade Chamber's safety and stability, stronger power was needed to guard it.

Currently, Ningguang's strength was still a little lacking to handle all possible crises alone.

Therefore, in summoning Ganyu, Lu Jingming did not hesitate to expend a large amount of the power of reality, so that Ganyu would possess sufficiently strong power in this world.

This way, she could not only share Keqing and Ningguang's heavy workload but also rely on her own immense strength to deter would-be troublemakers and fully protect Ningguang and the Jade Chamber.

Ganyu's martial soul was the Ice Qilin; now, she was at the level of a 98th-rank Super Douluo, possessing the ultimate ice attribute.

As an auspicious beast, Ganyu's arrival would undoubtedly bring endless good fortune to Haiyuan City.

The reason Lu Jingming didn't raise Ganyu directly to the 99th-rank Limit Douluo level was that condensing a second soul core would consume exponentially more power of reality.

By comparison, he preferred Ganyu to break through on her own, relying on her talent and effort to condense her second soul core.

In this way, he could save a large amount of precious power of reality, and Ganyu would better adapt to this world and improve herself through self-breakthrough.

Given Ganyu's outstanding talent, breaking through to 99th rank was not difficult—her chances of success were far better than most Title Douluo on the Douluo Continent.

The same applied to Dan Heng; Lu Jingming hoped they could achieve breakthroughs on their own.

They already possessed such talent and potential, and a 98th-rank ultimate attribute Super Douluo was not to be underestimated—possibly even stronger than an ordinary Limit Douluo, which was already sufficient for the current situation.

Suddenly, a pink figure suddenly leaped from the side, pouncing straight into Ganyu's arms at lightning speed.

"Eh! Guuji? How did you become like this?" Ganyu's body stiffened in surprise, then quickly recognized the pink-haired fox in her arms as none other than Yae Miko.

Lu Jingming, seeing this, scratched his nose awkwardly, his face a bit embarrassed.

This all stemmed from his earlier mischievous whim. When summoning Yae Miko, due to a lack of sufficient power of reality, she had remained in her little fox form, and he hadn't yet restored her to her graceful, intelligent appearance.

Now, he thought, it was time to restore her true form.

"Um, Ganyu, when I summoned Yae Miko before, due to insufficient power of reality, there was a little accident. Now's a good time, so let's restore Yae Miko to normal!"

Lu Jingming quickly explained to Ganyu as he gently took the pink fox from her arms.

Then, he infused the power of reality into the little fox, replenishing her strength and restoring her original form.

As the power of reality continued to flow into her, purple lightning began to flicker and dance around the little fox.

In the next moment, the silly and dazed look in her eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of intelligence.

She turned into a dazzling bolt of lightning and instantly vanished from Lu Jingming's arms.

Before anyone could react, Yae Miko reappeared before them.

Chapter 155: Yae Miko Restored

At this moment, Yae Miko had returned to her human form.

Her dreamy pink hair draped smoothly over her shoulders, the ends tied with a vibrant red ribbon, making her look both simple and refined—her every gesture exuded elegance.

She wore a traditional red and white shrine maiden outfit, which accentuated her graceful figure.

Upon appearing, Yae Miko fixed her deep purple gaze on Lu Jingming, her lips curling into a smile that was not quite a smile as she said, "Little one, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Her voice was soft and melodious, yet tinged with a hint of bashful anger—clearly, she hadn't forgotten her embarrassing experiences as a little fox.

Recalling her antics in that form, Yae Miko just wanted to summon a thunderbolt to knock everyone unconscious and erase their memories, burying her dark history forever.

"Ahem, Yae Miko, you know it was all due to uncontrollable circumstances!" Lu Jingming, uneasy under her gaze, spoke with a few traces of awkwardness.

Thinking back, he had indeed done a few rather inappropriate things while she was a fox—like checking her gender, which, in hindsight, was quite improper.

"Heh, do you think I'd believe that nonsense?" Yae Miko's smile didn't reach her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them—like a fox eyeing its prey, cold and intimidating.

In her view, she was always the one to tease others, never the other way around. When had she ever become someone else's source of amusement? This made her very displeased.

Sensing the danger radiating from Yae Miko, Lu Jingming felt a chill run down his spine and secretly despaired.

He knew all too well how devious she could be; this sly fox was clearly planning to settle the score.

If she really set her sights on him, life would be tough from now on, and Lu Jingming was already getting a headache.

To make it up to Yae Miko, Lu Jingming directly raised her strength to level 94.

He stopped at this level because breaking through to level 95 would mean entering another realm, which would consume exponentially more power of reality.

But even at level 94, Yae Miko was more than strong enough to handle Lu Jingming now—absolutely no pressure.

Left with no choice, Lu Jingming cast a pleading look at Ganyu, Keqing, and Ningguang, hoping they'd help him out.

But, unfortunately, the three of them all chose to ignore his silent plea.

Especially Keqing, whose eyes were openly filled with schadenfreude.

"Fine, for her sake, I'll let the previous matters go."

Just as Lu Jingming was about to flee, Yae Miko's expression suddenly softened.

She tilted her head slightly and looked at the blood-red Stigma on the back of his hand, her eyes showing a complex mix of joy and nostalgia.

Lu Jingming instinctively looked at the Stigma in his hand, then glanced at the figure sleeping quietly in the space within, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, his precautions had worked.

He was never one to act without preparation.

Long before restoring Yae Miko's intelligence, he had anticipated that she would want payback once she was back to normal.

But he dared to do it because he had already prepared a trump card.

Now, that trump card had worked—Yae Miko, because of "her" presence, chose to let him off for now.

"But, while you're spared the death penalty, you can't escape punishment, little one. Just you wait!" Yae Miko's teasing voice sounded in his ear just as he was relaxing.

Lu Jingming's mouth twitched—he couldn't escape her revenge after all! Hopefully, given her current mood, she wouldn't go too far…

…

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Battle Tournament, held in Haiyuan City, created a sensation far beyond anyone's expectations.

The main focus was not St. Freya Academy winning the championship again, but the emergence of Stigmata.

This new thing caused a huge storm throughout the soul master world.

For most soul masters, the birth of Stigmata was tremendous news.

In the past, soul masters who wanted soul rings had to venture deep into dangerous soul beast forests.

In those perilous forests, a single misstep could mean death, their bodies left for the beasts.

But now, things had changed. Soul masters just needed to work and save up enough money. They no longer had to risk their lives hunting soul beasts.

All they had to do was visit the Jade Chamber and buy a Stigma to obtain a soul ring easily.

Even more remarkable, high-quality Stigmata could provide multiple soul rings, and even had the potential for inheritance—to be passed on to descendants.

Furthermore, soul masters now had great freedom in choosing Stigmata, able to pick the ones best suited to their own martial souls and development path, rather than relying on luck in the forest. This was a huge improvement, thousands of times better than before.

However, with such massive benefits on offer, it was clear that Haiyuan City could not monopolize the profits from Stigmata alone—difficulties and severe tests were inevitable.

After all, the changes brought by Stigmata affected the interests of many forces.

But Lu Jingming's goal was not just the material benefits from selling Stigmata.

For him, obtaining large amounts of power of reality was the true objective.

So, as soon as the tournament ended, he immediately began cooperating with the Common Alliance.

Of course, the production method for Stigmata was a tightly held secret, but profits from sales could be reasonably shared with other powers.

Regarding the Stigmata project, Lu Jingming publicly announced that other great powers were welcome to invest and share in the profits.

However, the core technology must remain firmly in the hands of Haiyuan City—this was his unshakable bottom line.

Once the news spread, all the powers scrambled to get involved. The Star Luo Empire was the first to seek cooperation and buy into the Stigmata project.

Next, Princess Weina of Heavenly Soul Empire couldn't hold back either—she contacted Xu Jiujiu to help connect with Lu Jingming, expressing her desire to share in the profits.

Dou Ling Empire quickly followed, sending envoys to negotiate with Haiyuan City in hopes of gaining a share.

Even Shrek Academy in far-off Shrek City noticed the huge business opportunity behind Stigmata.

They also approached Ningguang, expressing their desire to invest in the project.

Lu Jingming accepted all comers with pleasure.

He understood that monopolizing the profits in the soul master world was unwise—it would only make him a target.

Instead, by giving up some profits and cooperating with the major powers, he could avoid many unnecessary disputes and gain a relatively stable development environment.

As long as the core technology remained in his hands, no matter how the profits were divided, Haiyuan City would always be in control and remain the biggest beneficiary.

…

Sun Moon Empire, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Mingde Hall

Jing Hongchen tightly held two blood-red crystals, his expression focused and grave.

Within one crystal was a small Mountain Moving Ape, surrounded by a striking blood-red soul ring—clearly, an extremely precious hundred-thousand-year Stigma.

Inside the other, a snow-white toad with flame-red eyes floated, surrounded by a deep black soul ring—a ten-thousand-year Scarlet Eyed Ice Toad Stigma.

This ten-thousand-year Stigma was a special reward Lu Jingming chose for Meng Hongchen after Sun Moon Academy's third-place finish in the tournament.

The goodwill behind this gift was obvious.

Scarlet-eyed Eyed Ice Toads usually lived in the outer areas of the extreme north and were very rare.

However, Snow Empress, the ruler of the extreme north, was now one of Lu Jingming's people, so finding a ten-thousand-year Scarlet Eyed Ice Toad and extracting its genetic soul information was not difficult for him.

When Meng Hongchen first saw the Stigma, she was so excited that her face turned red, her eyes sparkling with joy. If not for the occasion, she might have jumped on Lu Jingming and kissed him.

"So this is a Stigma? It's hard to imagine what kind of genius could master such incredible technology."

Jing Hongchen gazed at the Stigma in awe.

Even though the Sun Moon Empire led in soul engineering technology, and had advanced genetic tech like extracting male seeds and implanting them in females, allowing female pregnancy, the miraculous Stigma technology—which let soul masters easily obtain soul rings—was still a total mystery.

It felt like facing a simulated universe—the Stigma technology was far beyond their current knowledge and understanding.

Others might suspect the Stigmata were the work of Lady Herta.

But Jing Hongchen disagreed; he had long observed Lady Herta's every move. Though he'd never met her, he'd learned she was extremely proud and narcissistic.

If she had invented Stigmata, she'd never keep it a secret.

So Jing Hongchen concluded the developer was someone else, and that person must be from Haiyuan City.

Thinking of this, he marveled at how Haiyuan City was truly full of hidden talents.

Jing Hongchen's expression grew more solemn. Haiyuan City's rise had already broken the Sun Moon Empire's long dominance in soul engineering, something the Sun Moon high command had noted.

The tournament especially had shown many advanced technologies from Haiyuan City, which amazed him.

The sensational Stigmata technology was even more influential—enough to change the soul master world entirely.

All these changes showed that the Douluo Continent was about to undergo unprecedented transformation—a stormy age was coming.

Although the Sun Moon Empire viewed Haiyuan City as a potential rival, Jing Hongchen knew that if they could win Haiyuan City over, making it part of their camp, that would be ideal.

He then looked at his beloved granddaughter Meng Hongchen.

He knew her character well—she was a fangirl who couldn't resist handsome guys, but usually only admired them from afar.

But her near-obsession with Lu Jingming showed she had fallen hard.

Jing Hongchen didn't want to pull her out; instead, he planned to help push things along.

"Meng, Xiao, would you two like to study at St. Freya Academy for a few years?"

Jing Hongchen narrowed his eyes, glancing between Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen as he asked.

Chapter 156: The Body Sect's Move

In fact, Jing Hongchen had always wanted to set up exchange programs with Shrek Academy, hoping to learn from their advanced soul master education.

After all, the Sun Moon Academy's soul master training lagged behind—they only excelled at training soul engineers, not soul masters.

Unfortunately, Shrek Academy had always rejected his proposals.

Now, the situation had changed.

St. Freya Academy had won two consecutive tournaments—their strength and teaching quality were clear.

Jing Hongchen hadn't considered sending Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen to St. Freya for exchange before, but after much thought, he decided it was time.

Even if they couldn't learn the core knowledge and skills, they would still benefit, and Meng Hongchen could get closer to Lu Jingming—the core of Haiyuan City.

If lucky, they might even meet the legendary Lady Herta and the mysterious developer of Stigmata.

So, he believed that an exchange was necessary.

Also, under the pretext of exchange, he wouldn't need to worry about their safety in Haiyuan City.

After all, St. Freya valued its reputation and would surely protect the visiting students.

"Grandpa, you mean send me and Brother to St. Freya Academy for exchange?" Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up with excitement.

She'd thought she'd have to wait until the next tournament to see Lu Jingming again, but now her grandpa was giving her a surprise.

"Is it necessary, Grandpa? St. Freya's strong, but I don't think their teaching is definitely better than ours," Xiao Hongchen frowned, unconvinced.

"Foolish!" Jing Hongchen, usually indulgent with Meng Hongchen, was very strict with Xiao Hongchen.

On hearing his shallow comment, he immediately scolded him.

"Losing isn't scary, but not understanding the gap between you and them is. Do you not see how big the difference is between you and the students of St. Freya?"

Even without watching in person, just from the recordings, Jing Hongchen could tell that St. Freya's students were overwhelmingly strong compared to their peers.

Even Shrek Academy's deep roots were barely enough to compete.

Where did Xiao Hongchen's confidence come from, thinking their academy could compare with St. Freya?

"I…" Xiao Hongchen blushed, unable to reply.

He knew deep down that, aside from Lu Jingming, he wasn't confident he could beat the other St. Freya students.

Of course, as a support-type soul master, Robin was an exception, and Xiao Hongchen didn't even care to compare himself to a support.

"It's settled. I'll immediately send someone to St. Freya to arrange the exchange."

Jing Hongchen made the decision quickly.

Shrek and Sun Moon Academies had always refused exchange, but St. Freya was different. Jing Hongchen didn't think they'd refuse.

Haiyuan City's soul engineering was impressive, but their technology mostly relied on the mysterious Lady Herta.

Given her style, she wouldn't spend much time teaching students.

In fact, though she was listed as a teacher, she'd never taught a class.

After all, geniuses are always busy with their own research, not teaching.

And to a genius, teaching ordinary people is of no use to their own research.

On the other hand, Lu Jingming was quite happy to hear Sun Moon Academy wanted to exchange.

"Exchange? Approved!"

When the official request arrived, Lu Jingming immediately agreed.

St. Freya was new, but not lacking in teaching quality: Jingliu brought Cloud Knights training, Changli brought Midnight Rangers Training, Keqing brought Liyue Army methods.

These, after localization, worked wonders.

Haiyuan City's Gold Guards and City Guards training was also based on those methods.

Lu Jingming believed that to train a good soul master, resources were fundamental.

Then, the age of soul rings and suitable skill combinations.

Finally, practical experience—only through battle can a soul master truly improve.

St. Freya had all these advantages.

Haiyuan City didn't lack resources; Honkai energy was top tier; for practice, there was full-dive simulation and simulated universes; and now, with Stigmata, soul rings and skills were no issue.

Shrek's dominance for millennia came largely from gathering the continent's most talented students.

Those monsters students weren't created by the academy, but were already incredibly talented.

The academy's real role was to provide a broad platform and higher starting point.

So, cultivating monsters was misleading—the real measure of an academy's teaching is the average level of its regular students.

St. Freya possessed advanced soul engineering theories left by Lady Herta, but these were hard to understand or use for most.

By sending some students to Sun Moon Academy, they could learn more practical skills and produce a new generation of mid- and low-tier soul engineers.

Once they had a solid foundation, they could then use Lady Herta's advanced theories to train high-tier soul engineers.

For all these reasons, St. Freya had no reason to refuse the exchange.

The details would be handled by appointed staff. Lu Jingming just had to agree and wait for results.

…

While St. Freya and Sun Moon were busy organizing the exchange, elsewhere, dark currents were stirring.

Within the Heavenly Soul Empire, at a natural barrier, the infamous Body Sect was located.

In a spacious council hall, a burly old man with dark green hair slammed his wine cup on the table with a bang.

"Stigmata—heh, damn, it's really a good thing!"

The old man's face was full of unwillingness and greed, but he sighed, "Too bad that Snow Moon Douluo isn't easy to mess with. With my skills, I'm not sure I could beat her!"

This was the Body Sect Master, Body Douluo Du Busi, a 98th-rank Super Douluo.

For a long time, the Body Sect had always been direct and forceful—if they wanted something, they just took it.

Even facing giants like Shrek Academy, they dared to rob.

But this time, things were different. Snow Moon Douluo's Limit Douluo power made them wary.

Plus, Haiyuan City had more than one Title Douluo guarding it, making its defenses formidable.

Furthermore, Heaveny Soul Empire and Star Luo Empire were allies; any trouble would have wide consequences.

Having secretly joined Heavenly Soul as a national protector sect, the Body Sect had to be cautious and couldn't stir up trouble lightly.

Moreover, Haiyuan City had already shared the profits of Stigmata with various powers, with Heavenly Soul getting a share.

In these circumstances, robbing Stigmata outright would be asking for trouble—a foolish move.

"Stigmata may be out of reach, but Huo Yuhao is mine for sure!" Du Busi suddenly roared.

"Jinpeng, gather the men. We're going to Shrek City to visit Xuan Zi. I heard he was injured by Snow Moon Douluo and hasn't recovered—let's see if that's true!"

With that, dozens of figures appeared instantly before him.

They came in all shapes and sizes, but each radiated powerful, restrained auras.

Careful observation revealed that each had a bodily feature different from normal, showing their unique Body Martial Souls.

"Let's go—bring back our Body Sect disciple!" Du Busi ordered.

He turned into a dark green beam of light and shot into the sky, followed by his men, heading straight for Shrek City.

To the Body Sect, anyone with a Body Martial Soul was naturally their disciple.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao had the rare Spirit Eye, which alone qualified him as a Body Sect member.

More than that, he was a twin martial soul holder, with the second being the powerful Ultimate Ice.

Such astounding talent—how could Du Busi not be tempted?

He'd also heard that Shrek's Xuan Zi was still injured from his conflict with Snow Moon Douluo, giving him the confidence to act.

None of the Body Sect's elders objected; their unity showed they firmly believed anyone with a Body Martial Soul belonged to them.

Chapter 157: Punishment and Reward

Shrek Academy, Sea God Island, Sea God Pavilion.

Towering ancient trees and lush vegetation surrounded countless wooden cabins. Atop a golden tree that reached the clouds stood an exquisite three-story house, its atmosphere now somber and oppressive.

Yan Shaozhe's expression was grim and stern. His gaze swept across Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, and Xixi as he spoke in a deep voice, "Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Xixi, as official team members, your negligence and impulsiveness this time resulted in severe losses for the main team. The Academy has decided to give each of you a major demerit. I hope you remember this painful lesson!"

Hearing Yan Shaozhe's rebuke, Ling Luochen and the others bowed their heads in shame. Even Ma Xiaotao accepted her punishment without protest.

They knew that although Xuan Zi had abandoned his post, the core problem was their own arrogance and underestimation of the evil soul master Soul King, which led to tragedy.

Yao Haoxuan had died, Gongyang Mo and Chen Zifeng were left disabled—they all bore responsibility.

Huo Yuhao and the others stood nervously to the side; they understood the seriousness of this failure but dared not plead for the punished, only standing there in silence.

Yan Shaozhe sighed slightly, his gaze turning to the wheelchair-bound Gongyang Mo and the one-armed Chen Zifeng, his tone softening with a hint of regret: "Gongyang Mo, Chen Zifeng, the Academy will do its utmost to craft replacement soul tools for you."

For soul masters, losing a limb was nearly a death sentence for advancing to Title Douluo.

Gongyang Mo's martial soul was already defective, so his situation was slightly better. Chen Zifeng, however, was truly gifted, making his fate all the more regrettable.

Even with the Academy's vast resources, turning him into a Title Douluo would be costly and inefficient, with uncertain results.

Frankly, neither Chen Zifeng nor Gongyang Mo had talent enough for the Academy to invest the immense resources needed for limb regeneration.

If their talents matched Huo Yuhao's, perhaps Shrek would unhesitatingly use the Golden Tree's invaluable life essence to regrow their limbs. But reality was cruel—this simply wasn't possible.

Even Dragon God Douluo Mu En only used the Golden Tree's life essence for Huo Yuhao after a Sea God Pavilion meeting and majority approval. Huo Yuhao's exceptional talent made this worthwhile.

Compared to him, Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo fell far short—certainly not enough for the Academy to risk the Golden Tree's life essence.

The Golden Tree was Shrek Academy's foundation and lifeblood. Unless absolutely necessary, its life force would never be touched.

Gongyang Mo and Chen Zifeng understood this logic. Still, hearing Yan Shaozhe's words crushed their last hope. They nodded in dejection, hearts full of bitterness.

Even if artificial soul tool limbs could restore some function, how could they compare to their own bodies? As inner court disciples, they had once cultivated under the Golden Tree's nurturing energy, always hoping the Academy would use it to heal them. Now, reality struck hard.

"All right, everyone's worked hard. Go rest. Remember, what was discussed here today must not leave this room," Yan Shaozhe waved, dismissing them.

"Yes!" Ma Xiaotao and the others replied softly, then left the Sea God Pavilion one by one.

Not only had they failed to bring glory or rewards from the tournament, but they were now severely punished. Everyone's mood was heavy.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao and the reserve members grew even more anxious, afraid to make a sound. The atmosphere grew more oppressive.

Noticing this, Yan Shaozhe suddenly smiled warmly, breaking the suffocating silence: "Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi—you seven stepped in at a critical moment and fought valiantly, even though you didn't win the championship. The Academy recognizes your efforts and will reward you."

Huo Yuhao and the others breathed a long sigh of relief, as did their teacher, Wang Yan.

The earlier punishment scene had frightened Wang Yan; he worried the Academy would discourage the reserves, impacting their sense of belonging.

Yan Shaozhe then announced their rewards: not just precious soul bones, but other rich resources as well. Wang Yan, for his leadership, also received a reward.

As the group was still basking in excitement, an aged voice drifted in: "Shaozhe, leave Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao to study with me. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi will learn from Xuan Zi; Jiang Nannan from Cai Mei'er; and He Caitou from Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo."

The sudden voice startled everyone. Yan Shaozhe respectfully answered, "Yes, teacher!"

Xuan Zi, Cai Mei'er, and Xian Lin'er appeared and led away Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou.

Soon, only Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao remained.

"Come with me," Yan Shaozhe smiled, beckoning them to follow as he led them to the Pavilion's top floor.

"It's you?" Entering the top floor, the three gasped in surprise at the elderly man reclining on a chair—the seemingly ordinary doorman at the freshman dorm! They never expected the kind, familiar old man to be not only Yan Shaozhe's teacher but the true master of the Sea God Pavilion—Dragon God Douluo Mu En.

"Sigh, I'm old now. I just enjoy seeing young people full of spirit," Mu En opened his eyes, his gentle gaze fixed on the three, a faint smile on his face.

He then focused on Huo Yuhao, speaking seriously: "Huo Yuhao, your talent is obvious to all. I don't care how many secrets you hide; I only hope your heart belongs to Shrek Academy. Will you take me as your master? If you agree, I'll do my utmost to heal your injuries."

Mu En's words thundered in Huo Yuhao's ears like a bolt from the blue.

He never imagined the Pavilion Master himself would offer to take him as a disciple, promising to heal his injuries. Even inner court elites like Gongyang Mo and Chen Zifeng hadn't received such a promise, yet he, Huo Yuhao, was given this rare chance.

"Yuhao!" "Class rep!"

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao urged him not to miss this opportunity.

"Teacher!" Huo Yuhao snapped back to reality, eyes brimming with emotion. Without hesitation, he knelt and kowtowed three times, formally acknowledging Mu En as his master.

How could he refuse? Mu En's strength was unfathomable as Yan Shaozhe's teacher, and he could also heal Yuhao's injuries—a blessing not to be missed.

After learning there was no hope for Gongyang Mo and Chen Zifeng to regrow their limbs, Huo Yuhao had briefly felt despair, since he too was disabled, having lost what was most important to a man. But the Academy had not let him down—now, gratitude and joy filled his heart.

"Good!" Mu En smiled with satisfaction. He had long noticed Huo Yuhao's hidden secrets but didn't mind. As long as Yuhao was loyal to Shrek, that was enough. Making him a disciple and healing his injuries would give him a greater sense of belonging—ensuring Shrek's future even if Mu En died and Xuan Zi couldn't hold on.

Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly, inwardly disapproving of Mu En's decision due to Huo Yuhao's many secrets, but Mu En's authority was absolute; he could only accept it.

With Huo Yuhao now his disciple, Mu En had achieved his goal and felt content.

He smiled at Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao next—both rare talents with twin martial souls. Given time and training, they'd surely become pillars of Shrek Academy.

Suddenly, Mu En's brow furrowed, his gaze fixed far away.

"Xuan Zi, get out here!"

A mighty voice boomed like thunder across Shrek Academy, ringing in every student and teacher's ears, revealing the speaker's unfathomable power.

At the same time, a terrifying pressure swept over the entire Academy, suffocating weaker students with fear. Fortunately, the experienced teachers quickly calmed everyone, averting chaos.

"What a strong aura! Teacher, I'll go check!" Yan Shaozhe's face grew solemn and he flashed away in a streak of golden light toward the source.

"Sigh, troubled times," Mu En murmured, already knowing who had arrived. He sensed more than a dozen strong auras behind the main one.

"Old Freak Du? You! What are you doing here?" Xuan Zi's voice echoed from afar.

A dazzling yellow light shot up, forming a protective barrier over the Academy, blocking the immense pressure.

Chapter 158: Xuan Zi's Rage

In a flash, Xuan Zi appeared high in the sky. Soul power surged as dozens of powerful auras soared upward, overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

"What a show of force from Shrek Academy! Are you trying to win by numbers?" a voice sneered outside the Academy.

A ghostly green flame blazed into the sky, and over a dozen powerful auras revealed themselves, their oppressive power distorting the air as they faced off against Shrek—both sides on edge.

Xuan Zi stood coldly in midair, wine gourd in hand, taking a swig before speaking icily, "Old Freak Du, what's with all this fanfare? Are you declaring war on Shrek Academy?"

A burly, imposing man stepped out from the green flames, his body radiating powerful soul power. The ghostly flames painted the sky an eerie green. This was the Body Sect's mighty leader, Body Douluo Du Busi.

Du Busi's green eyes glinted coldly as he stared hungrily at Xuan Zi. Behind him, beams of light shot skyward, each containing a shadowy figure—all elite Body Sect members, the weakest at Soul Douluo rank.

He'd come prepared, bringing plenty of powerhouses.

On Shrek's side, more than thirty top experts—Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and others—stood with Xuan Zi, not to be outdone.

Most students watched in awe, excited by the prospect of a clash between so many powerhouses—a rare sight.

Compared to Body Sect's dozen-plus experts, Shrek had sent out over thirty, all at least eight-ring Soul Douluos or stronger, able to fly and hover at length. Nearly fifty such powerhouses in the air was an incredible lineup, no wonder the students' blood boiled.

They felt no fear—Shrek was the continent's top Academy, with a history of birthing seven deities. Here, they believed, they were safe.

Xuan Zi, confident, demanded, "Old Freak Du, why have you barged into Shrek Academy with such force?"

The name "Body Sect" caused a stir among the assembled Shrek experts. The Body Sect had once clashed head-on with Shrek and even had the upper hand, prompting Shrek to create the Sea God Pavilion to consolidate strength.

"Hmph, Xuan Zi, you injured my Body Sect men and now act innocent?" Du Busi said coldly.

Previously, Body Sect elders tried to seize Huo Yuhao for his body martial soul, but Xuan Zi stopped and punished them. Du Busi had come to take Yuhao and settle accounts.

"Haha, so it's about teaching your blind lackeys a lesson? They dared try to snatch a Shrek student right before me. I showed mercy by not killing them on the spot," Xuan Zi laughed disdainfully.

"Well, well! You beat my men and act righteous. Today, I'll see what gives you such confidence!"

Du Busi's aura surged, turning half the sky a sinister green. His muscles swelled, body growing into a hundred-meter giant—a primordial demon god. Nine soul rings appeared: two yellow, two purple, two black, three red—all radiating awe-inspiring power, especially the three ten-thousand-year red rings.

Soul power waves rippled outward, shredding the air.

Xuan Zi's gaze grew grave. He howled, unleashing yellow light to rival the green sky. But compared to Du Busi, his rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, one red—were clearly inferior, lacking two red rings and the soul bones they represented. Though both were level-98 Super Douluos, Xuan Zi was at a disadvantage.

With a dull boom, Xuan Zi was knocked back, his Godly Taotie Bull form revealed, exuding powerful energy but clearly outmatched.

The shockwaves distorted space; both sides' powerhouses retreated from the range of the two Super Douluos' battle.

Yan Shaozhe and the others watched anxiously, seeing Xuan Zi suppressed.

"Haha, Xuan Zi, you really haven't recovered from your old injury! That Snow Moon Douluo's sword intent still lingers. Terrifying!" Du Busi laughed, his voice rolling across Shrek Academy.

Those who knew the story were awed—the mighty Xuan Zi still bore wounds from Snow Moon Douluo.

In the inner court, Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming exchanged complicated looks—they had witnessed Xuan Zi's near-fatal wound by Jingliu first-hand, never expecting the sword intent to linger so many years.

Xuan Zi's face darkened at this public taunt. The sword intent had weakened over time but stubbornly persisted, especially after a reinjury during Huo Yuhao's assassination attempt. Now, publicly exposed, Xuan Zi was enraged.

Yellow light gathered, the Taotie Bull let out a strange roar, charging Du Busi for a desperate fight.

"Haha, bring it on!" Du Busi shouted, eager for battle.

Chapter 159: Mu En's Unease

Du Busi swung his mountain-sized fists with terrifying power at the massive Taotie Bull.

The two giants collided like planets, unleashing earth-shattering energy.

Booms rocked the sky, yellow and green lights interweaving in a fierce spectacle. Shockwaves swept for miles. If not for Shrek's experts raising barriers, much of the Academy would have been destroyed.

The green giant strode across the sky, each step shaking the world. His fists hammered the yellow bull.

Thunderous crashes echoed. The force drove all onlookers from the sky to safety. Neither side intervened—full war would be disastrous.

Though Du Busi suppressed Xuan Zi, he hadn't used his ten-thousand-year soul skills—he didn't want to force an irreparable conflict. Xuan Zi, despite his anger, restrained his power to avoid harming the Academy below.

In the Pavilion, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao watched in awe. The terrifying energy left them pale with shock and reverence. Even through layers of soul power shields, the destructive force was tangible.

At their current level, approaching the battle would mean instant death with no chance to resist.

Mu En narrowed his eyes, also watching the sky. He felt that letting the students witness such a battle would deepen their understanding of true power and spur their training.

But for some reason, Mu En felt a growing unease. Try as he might, he couldn't pinpoint the source. He knew Du Busi was strong, but even half-crippled, Mu En could still suppress him with ease. What truly worried him was an indefinable intuition, a sense that something momentous was coming—something that would affect both Shrek Academy and himself.

Thus, he chose to wait and watch.

In the sky, the battle reached its peak. The two unleashed a massive mushroom cloud, coloring the sky with rainbows. Space was torn apart, a storm of energy ravaged the world.

The green vortex devoured everything, the yellow meteor shower sliced space itself. The green giant grabbed the bull's horns, the two locked in a contest of strength.

With a ripping sound, black cracks appeared in the void, emitting terrifying suction as if to swallow all.

Distant starlight could be glimpsed through the fissures, adding to the scene's dread.

"Du Busi, you madman!" Xuan Zi shouted in anger and frustration.

"Haha, I don't want to die with you, let go!" Du Busi laughed wildly, hurling the Taotie Bull away and retreating from the dangerous zone.

Black rays shot out from the cracks, slicing through everything. A distant mountain was cut in half as if it were tofu, collapsing with a roar and shaking the earth.

As the black light faded, the space began to heal under the world's laws, as if nothing had happened.

Du Busi and Xuan Zi returned to human form, a kilometer apart.

Du Busi laughed mockingly, "Xuan Zi, you're getting weaker with age!"

Xuan Zi snapped, "Old freak, when are you going to die?"

"Bullshit, I'm only twenty years older than you! If you're not dead, how could I be?"

Xuan Zi's eyes lit up—he'd found a sore spot. He taunted, "If you have the guts, live a thousand years, old turtle! Matches your color."

"You're asking for it!" Du Busi, most sensitive about his age, was furious.

He raised his hands, green arcs crackling as a massive green orb formed above his head.

Xuan Zi tensed, transforming again into the Taotie Bull. His horns shone with white light, gathering power.

Du Busi slammed the orb down like a meteor. The thirty-meter green sphere radiated deadly poison, corroding space as it fell.

Xuan Zi unleashed a bolt of white lightning from his horns to meet it.

Boom!

The explosion created massive shockwaves, shaking the sky for kilometers. Du Busi manipulated the green light to trap Xuan Zi, black cracks forming around him with terrifying suction.

Xuan Zi desperately used yellow light to patch the cracks, knowing that falling into the void meant certain death.

Seizing the moment, Du Busi formed another green orb, this time a hundred meters across, turning the sky an eerie green.

Xuan Zi knew this attack was extraordinary. All nine of his soul rings flared, yellow light gathering into a giant weapon—a chicken leg, of all things, his favorite food, now a hundred meters long.

The green sun descended, the chicken leg swept up to meet it.

Boom!

The collision tore space into a massive black hole, its suction pulling in everything nearby—even clouds vanished.

"Not good!" Yan Shaozhe and the others turned pale—the black hole threatened the Academy itself.

"Sigh!" A deep, old sigh sounded.

A dragon's roar split the sky. A golden light soared upward, spreading gentle ripples that isolated the black hole's suction. The golden light repaired the cracks, neutralizing the destruction until the sky was calm once more.

"What…?" Du Busi was wide-eyed with shock. He and Xuan Zi knew they couldn't repair such damage, only wait for the world's laws to heal it. Yet someone had restored it instantly.

"Ultimate Douluo!" Du Busi exclaimed, shaken. He never imagined Shrek hid another peak-level expert besides Xuan Zi!

Chapter 160: The Appearance of the Snow Empress

At this moment, a layer of dazzling golden light enveloped the sky above Shrek Academy.

This golden radiance resembled a sacred curtain, gentle yet majestic. Whether it was Xuan Zi or Du Busi, the powerful soul pressure they exuded vanished without a trace under this glow, like morning mist meeting the rising sun.

The golden light fell softly to the ground like fine threads, painting all of Shrek City into a glittering city of gold.

"Dragon God Douluo! You're actually alive!" Du Busi's eyes widened, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, his voice filled with disbelief.

All this time, he had believed that after the mutually destructive battle between himself and his elder brother, Du Bisi, Dragon God Douluo Mu En had died of his injuries just like his brother.

Yet the truth before him was shocking—Mu En not only survived, but had apparently broken through to the realm of Limit Douluo!

"That battle with your brother, resulting in mutual destruction, is still fresh in my memory," Mu En said as the golden light gathered and outlined his figure in the air. "It's a pity. If your brother hadn't been so obstinate, perhaps he'd still be alive today."

Mu En's tone carried a hint of regret.

"Damn it, you really didn't die—why?" Du Busi was filled with unwillingness, unable to accept such an outcome.

It had been a fight where both sides suffered, so why did his own brother die while Mu En survived and even advanced further?

"If I were dead, wouldn't you be able to oppress Shrek Academy even more recklessly?" Mu En's tone remained calm, but there was an unmistakable chill beneath the surface.

Du Busi felt the immense pressure bearing down on him. He understood the difference between a Super Douluo and a Limit Douluo; it was a chasm wider even than that between a Soul Douluo and a Titled Douluo.

Though he was extremely close to the Limit Douluo level himself, that final step was like an unbridgeable gulf.

Despite his frustration, he forced himself to speak calmly: "Dragon God Douluo, you should know why I've come."

In truth, though he'd come with the intent to pressure Shrek Academy, he hadn't planned to start a fight. Otherwise, he would have brought more people and wouldn't have dueled Xuan Zi one-on-one.

Mu En replied calmly, "Huo Yuhao is now my personal disciple. Don't even think about laying a hand on him. Otherwise, I won't mind making a personal visit to your Body Sect."

Du Busi's face changed dramatically, his expression ugly as he blurted, "He's already apprenticed to you?"

"That's right. Or do you think you're more qualified to teach him than I am?" Mu En's voice remained utterly calm, as if Du Busi wasn't even worth mentioning.

Du Busi's face twitched hard. He wanted to retort that he could teach better—after all, Yuhao possessed a Body Martial Soul, and the Body Sect specialized in that. But seeing the oppressive golden aura surrounding Mu En, he swallowed his words.

"Fine. For your sake, Dragon God Douluo, my Body Sect will drop this matter. From now on, I won't target that kid again."

He knew Mu En was stronger and further argument would only put him at a disadvantage. Reluctantly, he chose to back down.

Seeing Du Busi yield, Yan Shaozhe and the others all quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

No conflict was best, as the Body Sect was a renowned and powerful force—no one to be trifled with.

They also knew Mu En's current state was less than ideal. Luckily, Du Busi hadn't noticed; otherwise, this incident wouldn't have ended so simply.

"Finished talking? Then it's my turn now!"

Just as everyone relaxed, a cold voice suddenly echoed through the void.

The sound seemed to come from a distant, frozen land, carrying a bone-chilling cold that instantly shattered the just-softened atmosphere.

In the next moment, the sky veiled in golden light was swept over by a tide of cold, as if an overwhelming chill had descended.

White brilliance drifted down like falling snow in June; icy winds howled sharply across the sky.

With a series of cracks, the once-shimmering surface of Sea God Lake at Shrek Academy began to freeze rapidly under the plummeting temperature.

In the blink of an eye, the world was transformed—Shrek City seemed to have been moved to the far north, becoming a city of ice and snow.

"Who is it?" Du Busi, Xuan Zi, and the others were shocked. Such a sudden and dramatic change in the heavens was beyond their imagination.

Even the Titled Douluo present felt a chill in their hearts. While they could change local terrain, altering the very sky—even for a Limit Douluo—was no easy feat.

What's more, they hadn't sensed any powerful soul fluctuations, as if the other party had changed the heavens with a mere gesture.

"Who are you?!" Mu En looked up to the distant sky, where a figure radiating cold rapidly approached.

At the same time, the unease that had lingered in his heart finally found its source.

Judging by this dramatic entrance, the newcomer was no friend—and at least at the Limit Douluo level.

"This chill… could it be Snowy Moon Douluo? No, there's no sword intent. Not her!" Yan Shaozhe frowned deeply, a strong sense of unease rising within him.

He searched his memory for the owner of this mysterious aura, but came up empty.

"Could it be…!" In Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, the Ice Empress suddenly awoke.

She felt this both familiar and unfamiliar aura, her expression filled with uncertainty.

Familiar, because it was extremely similar to the Snow Empress; unfamiliar, because there was a mysterious power within it she'd never felt before.

Moreover, even if the Snow Empress had survived her seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation, she couldn't possibly have grown this strong so quickly.

"Hmm! Divine sense? A demigod is coming!" At the same time, the long-dormant Electrolux was also startled awake by the powerful aura.

Sensing the aura outside, he said in shock. 

"Old Yi, you mean the newcomer is a demigod?"

Huo Yuhao's pupils shrank, his face turning deathly pale.

He looked up at Mu En in worry—Mu En had just accepted him as a disciple, cared for him, overlooked his secrets, and even wanted to help heal his disabilities.

This kindness, Yuhao remembered well; naturally, he was deeply worried for his teacher's safety.

"Yuhao, something's wrong! Why do I feel like this is aimed at us again?" the Skydream Iceworm grumbled.

He thought the Body Sect was one thing—Shrek Academy could handle it. Even if Yuhao was taken away, he might be cultivated fully, which could be a blessing in disguise.

But this sudden demigod was another matter. Whether Shrek could withstand this was unknown.

As the temperature continued to drop, a figure appeared in the distant sky, stepping through the void.

With each step, she spanned a hundred miles, arriving above Shrek Academy in the blink of an eye.

She wore a snow-white robe, with hair like a waterfall of snow, her figure graceful and enchanting, her face stunningly beautiful. Her aura was as cold as thousand-year ice, radiating an air that kept all at a distance.

It was the Snow Empress. She stood quietly in the air, wind and snow swirling around her, like a breathtaking painting.

"Hand over Huo Yuhao, or I'll raze Shrek Academy to the ground." The Snow Empress spoke, her voice calm, yet making everyone present shudder.

No one doubted she had the power to do it—the confidence and pressure she exuded weighed heavily on all present.

Du Busi's mouth twitched again in shock—it was for Huo Yuhao once more.

He couldn't help but wonder: what secrets did that kid hide to draw such attention from these unfamiliar powerhouses?

While thinking, Du Busi quietly retreated, signaling to the Body Sect to withdraw.

Whatever happened next, the Body Sect shouldn't stay. If they were caught up in this, it would be a disaster.

The Snow Empress gave him a dismissive glance, then ignored him.

She had only one purpose: to take Huo Yuhao and rescue the Ice Empress; nothing else concerned her.

"Who are you? Can you give your name? Why are you seeking my disciple?" Sensing the faint killing intent in her tone, Mu En's expression darkened.

He understood things were unlikely to end peacefully, but still hoped to clarify her identity.

Mu En was frustrated—when did the Douluo Continent become so strange? First Snow Moon Douluo appears, now another unknown Limit expert.

In that moment, Mu En felt his two centuries of life had been wasted, the world had become unfamiliar.

"World Serpent. Fifth Seat. Snow Empress." Her cold voice echoed in the air.

She had intended to introduce herself as the 'Lord of the Extreme North' but after a moment's thought, a knowing smile appeared, and she used her World Serpent title instead.

After all, Mobius had never forbidden revealing World Serpent's existence, and giving the organization a name was her duty as a member.

"World Serpent? Snow Empress!"

Mu En and the others were shocked—even the retreating Du Busi was startled.

They'd never heard of the 'World Serpent' organization, but the name 'Snow Empress' was famous across the continent.

The ruler of the Extreme North, leader of the Three Heavenly Kings, ranked third among the Ten Great Beasts—who didn't know her name?

"It's really Xue'er!" The Ice Empress in Yuhao's spiritual sea was incredulous seeing the Snow Empress's peerless beauty and hearing her introduction.

She was full of doubts—she hadn't been gone from the Extreme North long, so how had the Snow Empress become so powerful, and joined a mysterious 'World Serpent'?

"You're the Snow Empress? Lord of the Extreme North?" Mu En frowned deeply.

He was confused. He'd faced the Beast God Di Tian, but even Di Tian hadn't pressured him as much as the Snow Empress did now. What happened to make her so strong?

Was it that so-called 'World Serpent' that made her stronger? And why was she connected to Huo Yuhao? The reasons were unfathomable.

"Enough talk. Hand over Huo Yuhao, or I'll erase Shrek Academy from the continent!" The Snow Empress was impatient, her eyes cold.

"Such arrogance! Even if you're the Snow Empress, Shrek Academy is not to be trifled with!" Xuan Zi was furious.

Shrek had weathered countless storms over ten thousand years. When had it ever been bullied with such impunity? And the Snow Empress wasn't even human, but a soul beast.