"Jiang Jue, are you really sure about this?"
"I can go first and wear down Shrek Academy."
Ma Rulong looked at Jiang Jue, who was slowly standing up, and spoke with some hesitation.
"No need for that. Just proceed as planned."
Seeing this, Ma Rulong said no more. The space ring on his hand flickered, and a massive golden greatsword radiating dazzling golden light appeared in his grip.
Jiang Jue's gaze deepened. He gestured toward Ma Rulong, and the golden greatsword flew straight into his hand, landing with a heavy clang.
Watching the golden sword leave his hand, Ma Rulong's eyes revealed a strange expression. This was the trump card Jing Hongchen had entrusted to him before coming here — the Sword of Judgment.
It was said to stand at the very peak of the eighth rank, even called a "ninth within the eighth."
Just last night, Jiang Jue had approached him, requesting the Sword of Judgment. At that moment, Ma Rulong felt as though Jiang Jue had seen through everything he had kept hidden.
Ever since he had obtained the Sword of Judgment, no one besides his grandfather knew — not even Elder Lin, who watched from the shadows. Yet Jiang Jue somehow knew.
But upon thinking of the vast power behind Jiang Jue, Ma Rulong understood instantly, and very sensibly agreed.
But this sword… isn't easy to control, Ma Rulong thought silently. Yesterday he had warned Jiang Jue of its flaw: without at least the cultivation of a Soul Sage, it was extremely difficult to wield. Forcing its use could result in backlash — even damage one's very life force.
But Jiang Jue had said at the time that there was no need to worry.Thus, this scene now unfolded.
Jiang Jue looked at the Sword of Judgment in his hand, gave it a light swing, and a streak of golden light shimmered with a faint hum.
Then he sheathed it and walked leisurely toward the battle stage.
"This day… I've waited far too long…"
"But! This is only the beginning!"
Jiang Jue's eyes were as steady as stone. Dream Hongchen was just coming down from the platform; she gave him a gesture of encouragement, then kept her gaze on him until he stepped onto the stage, before returning to the waiting area.
"Little sis, do you think Jiang Jue can take down the whole Shrek Academy lineup alone?" Xiao Hongchen asked, staring at Jiang Jue's upright figure.
"I believe he can — because the one standing on that stage is him. And he never breaks his word."
Meng Hongchen's beautiful eyes were fixed seriously on Jiang Jue.
"Actually…" Xiao Hongchen looked at his sister, his left hand clutching a white envelope behind his back, his gaze complicated, fingers trembling slightly, expression wavering.
"Brother, what is it?"
Meng Hongchen noticed her brother's unusual behavior and shifted her gaze from Jiang Jue to him.
"N-Nothing. I believe Jiang Jue can do it too."Xiao Hongchen laughed loudly, quickly standing and walking away.
"Hm?"
Meng Hongchen glanced at her brother suspiciously. She could sense he was hiding something from her.
"Damn it! That bastard Jiang Jue, making me handle this kind of thing!"
"If it weren't for you admitting I'm better looking and more charming than you, I wouldn't be helping you at all… But how the hell am I supposed to do this?"
Xiao Hongchen scratched his head in frustration, then sat down like a balloon with its air let out.
He had agreed in a moment of hot-headedness, but now… he was panicking.
This was harder than just wiping out Shrek Academy!
Shrek Academy waiting area.
Looking at Dai Yueheng, who had just been carried down and was still wailing in pain, everyone fell silent.
"I'll go."
Ma Xiaotao stopped absorbing soul power, stood up, and a blazing aura poured from her body.
"Xiaotao, how's your recovery?"
Wang Yan adjusted his glasses and asked.
"Ninety percent."
Her fiery red eyes burned with flame. Ma Xiaotao's gaze swept across the remaining few. A trace of bitterness flashed across her lips.
"Shrek will win!"
Ma Xiaotao declared firmly, then walked toward the platform without looking back.
She knew — Shrek Academy's honor now rested entirely on her shoulders.
If she won, there was still a chance to fight on; if she lost — it was all over.
A thousand years of Shrek Academy's glory would be buried with her defeat. She would have failed her master's teachings and the academy's nurturing.
Wang Yan and Huo Yuhao clenched their fists as they watched Ma Xiaotao step onto the platform, their worry clear in their eyes.
Ma Xiaotao's appearance meant that this tournament had now reached Shrek Academy's moment of life and death.
Hic~
A loud burp rang out just then. Xuan Zi picked his teeth with satisfaction.
"All full. Time to get to work later."
For the first time, Wang Yan felt what "irresponsibility" truly looked like.
If this year's team had been the proper main roster, none of this would have happened. Now they were fighting tooth and nail, while Elder Xuan just sat there doing nothing.
"Is this honor… really worth clinging to?"
At that moment, Wang Yan realized — in his heart, doubt had arisen about the Shrek glory he had once believed in so firmly.
Jiang Jue's eyes flickered slightly as he watched the fiery-red silhouette leap onto the platform. He held the Sword of Judgment at his side, rain droplets dispersing in golden halos where they fell.
"Is this all the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy is sending — just a Soul Sect? Where's Ma Rulong? Let him come out!"
Ma Xiaotao landed, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly, steam rising around her — the raindrops evaporating before they even touched her skin, turning to mist from the heat she radiated.
"I alone am enough."
Jiang Jue raised his eyes to glance at Ma Xiaotao, then calmly retreated toward the platform's edge.
"Arrogant brat!"
Ma Xiaotao gave a cold snort, stepping back toward her own side of the arena.
Can't waste too much energy on him. Sun Moon Royal still has several main fighters waiting, and behind me… there's no one left.
A dark red flash crossed Ma Xiaotao's eyes. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were arranged for later 2v2 and 3v3 matches, but what she needed to do was defeat the entire Sun Moon Royal team by herself.
"Match start!"
Huang Jinxu's dull voice sounded, though a hint of delight colored it — this damn tournament was finally about to end.
He thought to himself that being alone really wasn't so bad; these past few days had truly been exhausting.
As Huang Jinxu's words fell, Ma Xiaotao immediately activated her martial spirit. A clear phoenix cry rang out as fiery wings of flame sprouted from her back, flapping as she soared into the sky.
With a flash, Ma Xiaotao lunged forward. In midair, her phoenix wings spread wide, beating once behind her — her whole body shot forth like a blazing meteor straight toward Jiang Jue.
At the same time, she opened her mouth and spat out a phoenix fire-line, lancing across the field like lightning for ranged suppression.
Jiang Jue watched the oncoming phoenix fire-line. Gripping the golden hilt of the Sword of Judgment with both hands, he suddenly drove it into the ground with force.
As his soul power poured into it, a brilliant golden light radiated from the blade. Soul power surged from the hilt all the way to the tip. Across the sword, nine large core magic arrays were activated, beginning to spin.
Golden light flashed fiercely, arcs of brilliance exploding through the air, sharpness filling the arena.
"Life force, is it? Then I'll grant you some!"
Sensing the aura surging from the hilt, Jiang Jue's eyes steadied. A thick wave of life force flowed into the sword.
With the Gold of Living Beings in his possession, Jiang Jue never had to worry about life energy.
In the next moment, the golden sword began to transform. From the hilt upward, the golden glow rapidly retracted, gradually splitting into two hues.
One side of the spine turned pure white, brimming with radiant holy power; the other side darkened into ink-black, emanating the essence of darkness. Two starkly contrasting colors shone simultaneously from the Sword of Judgment.
The phoenix fire-line rushing toward Jiang Jue was instantly devoured by the black-and-white radiance emanating from the blade — vanishing completely without a trace.
Vrrrmmmm!
The Sword of Judgment trembled violently. In a flash, Jiang Jue wrenched it from the ground with one hand, raised it, and pointed across the field toward Ma Xiaotao in the sky.
Golden light burst in his eyes. His voice rang out — cold, majestic, commanding:
"He is darkness — condemn the heretic!"
(End of this chapter)