Yu Tianxin casually said, "You mean Audesai? His family is a newly risen noble house in Tian Dou City. I heard they even have some unclear ties to the Hao Tian Sect."
Connected to the Hao Tian Sect and possessing the Ghost Vine as a martial soul… Yu Tianming immediately thought of Yue Xuan's steward in purple robes, Ao Debiao. He had already reached the Soul Emperor level at a young age, and his martial soul was also the Ghost Vine. It seemed likely Audesai was a younger member of Ao Debiao's clan. Unexpectedly, he had joined the Emperor Team and replaced Dugu Yan.
Yu Tianming looked toward the Soul Battle Arena. Tang San's mutated Blue Silver Grass was closing in step by step, while Audesai's Ghost Vine retreated under pressure. He said to Yu Tianxin beside him, "Audesai can't match up against Shrek's control-type soul master. It seems this match is already decided."
"What exactly is that Thousand-Handed Asura's martial soul? The Ghost Vine is one of the top plant-type martial souls, and yet he's being so easily suppressed?" Yu Tianxin wasn't concerned about the Emperor Team's loss; instead, his eyes were filled with doubt. 'They're both plant-type souls. How could Audesai lose so completely?'
"Tianxin, you might not believe it, but that soul master—Thousand-Handed Asura—his martial soul is just a Blue Silver Grass."
Yu Tianxin's face was full of disbelief. "Blue Silver Grass? How is that possible? The Ghost Vine is a high-level martial soul. How could it be suppressed by Blue Silver Grass? Besides, his martial soul doesn't even resemble Blue Silver Grass in the slightest."
Yu Tianming explained, "The Blue Silver Grass of Thousand-Handed Asura holds the potential of a racial king. But after he absorbed a few beast soul rings, it transformed into that strange, spiky form. Though he strayed from the optimal path and wasted the martial soul's potential, he greatly enhanced its offensive power."
'A Blue Silver Grass with the potential of a king?' Yu Tianxin pondered for a moment, then nodded and silently took note of this peculiar soul master.
While they spoke, the two Xuanwu Turtle soul masters from the Emperor Team were already wrapped like dumplings in the Blue Silver Grass, unable to move. With their mobility gone, they naturally couldn't protect their teammates.
Meanwhile, the auxiliary disciple from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Oslo, who had the Ghost Leopard martial soul, had both been poisoned by the Blue Silver Grass. Their faces shifted between green and purple. Since the Nine-Hearted Begonia could only heal injuries and not cure poison, the two of them began to slow down, their movements hindered by the spiky vines spread across the arena.
Amidst the Blue Silver Grass's tide, the Ghost Vine's effective range had shrunk to only a few meters around Audesai. He and the support soul master, Ye Lingling, were trapped within, barely holding on.
Only the Wind Chime Bird martial soul user, Yu Feng, could stay airborne, immune to the grass's attacks. With Ma Hongjun, who had only two rings, unable to match him, Yu Feng became the Emperor Team's most capable member for the moment.
Yu Tianming noticed that the barbs of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, after piercing the Emperor Team's bodies, were absorbing soul power to grow more vines. At the same time, they were secretly drawing out the team's life force.
The infusion of life force caused Tang San's face to flush unnaturally, like an addict indulging in a high.
Perhaps the Blue Silver Grass wasn't very effective at absorbing life force, or perhaps Tang San was just extremely cautious—he only drew a sliver of life force while absorbing soul power. This loss would leave the victim weak for a few weeks but wouldn't be fatal.
Yu Tianming immediately realized that Tang San was using the poison naturally carried by the Blue Silver Grass to conceal this. Even if their soul power was drained, the victims would simply believe the poison had left them weak, and no one would suspect he was an evil soul master.
'Tang San, Tang San, you truly are the pure and noble Young Master Tang.'
In his previous life, he could steal Tang Sect's secret techniques for decades under the noses of countless masters as a mere child. In this life, he now siphoned the life force of opponents on a grand stage under the gaze of thousands—like it was child's play.
If anyone had truly mastered the art of stealth and theft, it was Tang San. Calling him the "Saint of Thieves" would not be an exaggeration.
To use an evil soul master's method so openly—it wasn't just courage; it was a matter of absolute confidence. If not for Yu Tianming's superior cultivation, who among all the spectators would've noticed?
At this point, the battle had undeniably tilted in Shrek's favor, but the Emperor Team still held out, refusing to surrender.
Tang San exchanged a glance with Dai Mubai. Mubai then swallowed one of Oscar's flying mushroom sausages and charged straight toward the Emperor Team's backline—Audesai and Ye Lingling. His body fully beastified, claws glowing, two translucent wings spread from his back—he looked like a true Winged Tiger.
Yu Tianxin, who had been sitting calmly, chatting with a composed expression, instantly stood up with a displeased look as he saw this.
Seeing Dai Mubai's claws rapidly approaching, Audesai closed his eyes and barely managed to utter, "I concede." Only then did Dai Mubai's assault veer off at the last moment, narrowly avoiding hitting them directly.
The dove-soul host floating in the air raised his mic and announced to the audience, "In the team battle, the Shrek Seven Devils are victorious!" The match between two genius teams concluded, and thunderous applause erupted from the stands.
Seeing Yu Tianxin sit down again, Yu Tianming said with interest, "Tianxin, you seem to have an unusual connection with that Nine-Hearted Begonia soul master."
"Don't overthink it. Lingling and I haven't even exchanged one fate line."
"So you do have thoughts about her? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and Nine-Hearted Begonia are a perfect match. I fully support your engagement." Yu Tianming's tone was teasing, though what he said made perfect sense.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had unparalleled offensive and dragon-enhancing power, while the Nine-Hearted Begonia had the strongest healing abilities. Combined, the result would be synergy greater than the sum of its parts.
Moreover, the Nine-Hearted Begonia was called a miracle among martial souls. Only one successor could exist per generation. There could never be more than two living soul masters of it at the same time. One had to die before another could appear. Because the Nine-Hearted Begonia couldn't be inherited, any offspring would 100% inherit the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
If Yu Tianming didn't already have a martial soul with incredible regeneration, he too might've fought for the strongest healer.
Facing his brother's teasing, Yu Tianxin shook his head with a troubled expression. "Because of Lingling's unique martial soul, she's naturally withdrawn and guarded. I haven't been able to get closer to her."
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan protecting a Nine-Hearted Begonia would be a walk in the park. Who besides you could give her a sense of security?" Yu Tianming chuckled and said, "Anyway, check out the gift I brought you."
With that, he retrieved five lead boxes from his storage space and laid them on the table before pushing them toward Yu Tianxin.
Soul bones were typically stored in lead boxes. Just months ago, Yu Tianming had even gifted an entire set of soul bones to Yu Tianheng. Realizing this, Yu Tianxin's breathing grew rapid as he glanced at Yu Tianming with probing eyes.
Yu Tianming smiled and motioned for him to open them. Without hesitation, Yu Tianxin opened the closest box.
Inside lay a blue leg bone. Though it was a bit dull and partially damaged—as if it had been excavated from a tomb—it radiated a powerful aura of about 50,000 years and carried an unmistakable dragon essence.
"These are all for me?" Though they were already placed before him, Yu Tianxin was still in disbelief.
Yu Tianming nodded. "These soul bones are all high-grade and match the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon perfectly. Let's not waste time—while I protect you, absorb them now."
Yu Tianxin nodded and picked up the leg bone. Strangely, the moment he touched it, it glowed with a soft white light with faint rainbow hues shimmering within.
Trusting Yu Tianming, he didn't think much of it. He simply placed the soul bone onto his leg, and it instantly turned into a ball of light and merged with his body, glowing faintly under his clothes.
Sitting cross-legged, Yu Tianxin began absorbing the soul bone. Unexpectedly, within moments, the glow vanished, and the bone was fully absorbed.
Opening his eyes again, he looked at Yu Tianming in surprise.
These bones had been bathed in divine energy, so naturally they could be easily absorbed—but Yu Tianming didn't explain. He just looked at the remaining bones and smiled gently. "Don't overthink it. Just absorb the rest."
Yu Tianxin nodded, didn't ask more, and began opening the rest of the boxes, absorbing the bones one by one.
Half a stick of incense later, Qin Ming, the Emperor Team's teacher, returned with his team, who had just barely recovered.
Among them, only Qin Ming looked excited, his face glowing. The other members were listless, like eggplants hit by frost. The Xuanwu Turtle brothers looked especially pale and drained.
When they pushed open the VIP room door and saw Yu Tianming and Zhu Zi, they looked puzzled.
Only the backup member from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan lit up in excitement upon seeing Yu Tianming.
He turned to Qin Ming and said, "This is our clan's top talent and young master—Yu Tianming. Captain Yu Tianxin may be a Soul King and a peerless genius among his age, but Young Master Tianming is even stronger."
Hearing that, the others gasped and looked at Yu Tianming with wide eyes.
Their own team only had Soul Elders. Soul King Yu Tianxin was already a towering figure to them. Yet the man before them, tall with flowing black hair, was even more powerful—possibly a Soul Emperor like their teacher?
Qin Ming had been in the soul master world for years. He quickly stepped forward, extending his hand. "Hello, I'm Qin Ming, the Emperor Team's teacher. Please, just call me Qin Ming."
He didn't act like a teacher at all—his demeanor was respectful and humble, not treating Yu Tianming as a junior at all.
Yu Tianming raised an eyebrow and looked at the clan disciple who had introduced him. Then he shook hands with Qin Ming and smiled naturally. "Nice to meet you, Teacher Qin. I'm Yu Tianming. You can just call me Tianming."
After the brief greeting, everyone sat down.
The VIP room in Soto City was lavish and spacious. Even with more than a dozen people, it didn't feel crowded.
"Tianxin is already close to the Soul Emperor level at his age. I'm just a Soul Emperor myself, so I don't have much more to teach him. That's why I had him observe this match. I hope you don't mind." Qin Ming's tone was full of admiration. Though a genius himself, he was overwhelmed by the sheer talent of Yu Tianxin, especially after taking the immortal herb.
Yu Tianming nodded and asked, "Teacher Qin, do you know much about this Shrek Academy?"
Qin Ming looked around at the students and spoke openly, "Actually, I was discovered by Shrek Academy when I was around ten. I eventually graduated from there."
This surprised the Emperor Team students—no wonder Shrek was so tricky to deal with.
Yu Tianming thought for a moment, then asked, "But Shrek Academy was only founded recently. Given your age, it shouldn't have existed when you were ten, right?"
"You're right. Back then, I was just following Dean Flender's teachings. Shrek Academy didn't formally exist yet—it was just something he talked about." Qin Ming nodded, a nostalgic look on his face. "It was only years later that Dean Flender officially founded it."
"I remember before Shrek was founded, Flender was roaming the continent with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, forming the Golden Triangle. Have you heard of them?"
Qin Ming scratched his head. "I was only in my teens then and only interacted with Dean Flender. I didn't know the other two."
Yu Tianming nodded. Flender was stingy and conned many students who entered Shrek, but his eye for talent was unmatched.
He adopted Oscar, a food-type soul master with innate full soul power, and even found the phoenix-mutated Ma Hongjun. No wonder he only recruited geniuses—anyone he casually picked up was a prodigy. For someone like Flender, a twelve-year-old at rank 20 wasn't even remarkable.
(End of Chapter)
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