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On Shrek Square, the most eye-catching figures were undoubtedly the members of the Shrek team.
Li Luochen personally commissioned red-and-gold medals, bestowing them one by one upon the members of the Shrek team.
After three years of training and growth, every member of the Shrek team had made significant progress. With the exception of Dai Mubai, whose soul power was at Level 58, everyone else had reached the Soul Emperor level.
Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu originally had less innate talent than Dai Mubai, but their hard work did not go unnoticed by Li Luochen. Before they left, he gave each of them a pill to help solidify their foundation and boost their soul power.
As a result, all three of them had reached Level 61, making them quite formidable.
As for the main lineup of the Shrek team, their strength had grown even more impressive.
The one with the highest soul power, Ma Hongjun, remained at the top, his soul power now reaching an astonishing Level 76. It seemed he hadn't been shy about consuming rare medicinal herbs during his time in the Xuan Bird Sect. According to You Tian's letter, Ma Hongjun's seventh soul ring came from a seventy-five-thousand-year-old Crimson Flame Firebird.
After absorbing it, his fire attribute surged, and the power of his Ultimate Fire grew exponentially.
Li Luochen speculated that if he could prepare a suitable hundred-thousand-year fire-attribute soul ring for Ma Hongjun's eighth soul ring, his Ultimate Fire might reach the level of divine flames.
Next in line for the strongest soul power were Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar.
Ye Lingling's soul power had reached Level 74, Zhu Zhuqing's had reached Level 73, and Oscar, though overtaken by the two women, was now at Level 72.
It wasn't that Oscar hadn't worked hard—it was just that the resources Li Luochen provided to the women were exceptional. Ye Lingling trained in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, the most fitting simulated environment for her cultivation.
She also received the sacrifice of an eighty-five-thousand-year-old Blue Silver King, which significantly boosted her strength.
As for Zhu Zhuqing, she obtained a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and spirit bone, allowing her to quickly surpass the Soul Emperor level. She hunted an eighty-six-thousand-year-old Netherworld Spirit Cat and obtained its torso bone.
Their opportunities were irreplicable—proof that Li Luochen spared no effort in nurturing them. This was no half-hearted operation.
Oscar had broken through to the Soul Sage level just a week prior, thanks to Sword Douluo personally hunting a seventy-three-thousand-year-old soul ring for him, bringing his soul power to Level 72.
Although Oscar's soul power had been surpassed by the two women, his overall strength had grown immensely. Originally, Ma Hongjun was considered the strongest member of the Shrek team, but now that title likely belonged to Oscar.
Over the past three years, aside from diligently cultivating his soul power, Oscar's primary focus had been on swordsmanship. Under the guidance of Sword Dao Chenxin, his progress in swordsmanship had been remarkable.
At least, Li Luochen could sense that Oscar was now like an incredibly sharp blade, ready to unsheathe at any moment.
Li Luochen felt deeply gratified by this development.
As for the other team members, none had yet reached the Soul Sage level—they were all still at the Soul Emperor level.
Yu Tianxin and Yang Wu's soul power had reached Level 68, Niu Dun's had reached Level 67, and Ning Rongrong's was at Level 65.
Yu Tianxin benefited from the full support of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. His grandfather, Yu Luomian, personally selected soul beasts for him to hunt, all of which were absorbed beyond their limits.
Yu Tianxin's rapid progress was evident—his current soul power far exceeded that of Yu Yuanzhen at the same age.
As for Yang Wu, the Breaking Clan had poured their resources into his cultivation. Since Yang Wudi had been invited by Dugu Bo to enter the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well to refine poisons, Yang Wu also gained access to numerous rare medicinal herbs.
He even transplanted the Breaking Clan's rare herbs into the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well. Using the pollen of the Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb, Yang Wudi catalyzed their potency and created entirely new pills.
These pills were used to assist in soul power cultivation, and both Yang Pojun and Yang Wu experienced their benefits.
Yang Pojun's soul power had surpassed Yang Wudi's, reaching Level 87, while Yang Wudi remained at Level 86. As for Yang Wu, he was recognized as the next candidate for clan leader.
Yang Pojun had little interest in the position of clan leader. Life in the Breaking Clan was comfortable now, and aside from diligent cultivation, there was little pressure.
Yang Wu focused on honing his spear techniques, aspiring to earn a title related to the spear. He hoped to reach the pinnacle of spear mastery, much like Sword Dao Chenxin had in the realm of the sword.
As for Niu Dun, he worked hard in his cultivation. Since the Defense Clan and the Breaking Clan both resided in Shrek City, their relationship had grown closer.
The pills refined by Yang Wudi were also shared with Niu Gao and Niu Dun. With the aid of these pills, Niu Gao's soul power reached Level 88, while Niu Dun's climbed to Level 67—a tremendous breakthrough.
Niu Gao was confident that his strength now rivaled Hu Yanzhen's, and within a few years, he might even break through to become a Title Douluo. When that happened, his family would gain even greater protection.
After all, families with a Title Douluo were not easily provoked by other factions. A wrathful Title Douluo could cause immense trouble for anyone targeting their family.
As for Ning Rongrong, her cultivation was steady and unremarkable, but that was to be expected. She was just beginning her journey, so there was no rush. How old was she, anyway? Only seventeen and a half—she had plenty of time.
Shrek Academy was filled with joy and celebration, but elsewhere, the mood was far grimmer.
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Star Luo Empire, Longxing City
A middle-aged man clad in a black robe stood with a small black dragon at his feet, devouring humans!
"Damn it! Why am I still stuck at Level 39? I broke through the bottleneck at Level 29, so why am I stuck again at Level 39?
Is heaven jealous of my talent? Why do those fools get such top-tier gifts, while I, Yu Xiaogang, remain nothing but trash! Damn it!"
This man was none other than Yu Xiaogang, who had infiltrated the Star Luo Empire. He had been hunting people from the empire to boost his cultivation, but his actions had caused too many disappearances, leading to his being wanted by the empire.
Fortunately, no one had discovered his true identity—he was only known as a mysterious figure in a black robe.
"Who's there! Don't move! Someone, come quick! There's a suspicious person here!"
A voice suddenly echoed through the alley.
"Not good! Let's go!" Startled, Yu Xiaogang cursed under his breath and vanished into the darkness.
"Damn it! He got away again!"
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Hao Tian Sect
Tang San was diligently cultivating, but his face was twisted with frustration. He had forcibly pushed his soul power, only to be injured by the backlash!
"Damn it! Why can't I break through Level 59 no matter what I do? Why is this happening!"
Tang San had been stuck at Level 59 for months. Previously, his cultivation had progressed smoothly, thanks to the effectiveness of the Xuantian Gong. He had encountered no bottlenecks.
But when he reached Level 59 and his soul power reservoir was full, he hit an impenetrable wall. No matter what he tried, he couldn't break through to Level 60, causing the elders of the Hao Tian Sect to sigh in disappointment.
With his current strength as a Soul King, Tang San was already qualified to train with the Hao Tian Hammer. But he was ambitious—he wanted to break through to Soul Conqueror before training with it. By then, he planned to attach soul rings of at least fifty thousand years, or even a hundred thousand years, to the hammer.
"Little San, still no luck?" A voice suddenly rang out. Tang San turned to see Tang Xiao and quickly reined in his emotions.
"Yes, Uncle. No matter what I try, I can't break through this bottleneck."
Tang Xiao was puzzled as well. Although he had lost an arm and remained at the Soul Conqueror level, and despite losing the Hao Tian Sect's inheritance spirit bone, the elders had merely scolded him. They hadn't removed him from his position and instead continued to support him.
Tang Xiao's status within the Hao Tian Sect remained unchanged—he was still the sect leader, and he allocated resources to nurture Tang San.
Tang Xiao had even helped Tang San hunt for his fifth soul ring, which came from a spider-type soul beast. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had turned black-purple as a result.
"If you can't break through, Little San, then start training with the Hao Tian Hammer. Being stuck at a bottleneck isn't a solution. While you may not be able to attach soul rings of fifty thousand years or more right away, you can start with a twenty-thousand-year soul ring for your first ring.
From there, the second ring can be thirty thousand years, the third forty thousand years, and the fifth fifty thousand years. By the time you reach your eighth ring, I and the other elders will help you hunt a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
There's a Titan Ape in the Star Dou Forest—it should be perfect. So, train with the Hao Tian Hammer. After all, the Hao Tian Hammer is the strongest!"
Tang Xiao's words swayed Tang San somewhat. After all, he had already mastered the nine ultimate techniques of the Hao Tian Sect and the Disorderly Wind Splitting Hammer. He had even created his own variation, the Disorderly Wind Splitting Dance, defeating Tang Long and becoming the strongest among the third-generation disciples.
The might of the Hao Tian Hammer was undeniable, and training with it could indeed help him overcome his current bottleneck.
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