Chapter 93: A Trap Set in Ice and Light
"Use this soul bone to pit the Sun-Moon Empire? Brother Huang, are you saying…"
"That's right," Emperor Xingluo nodded calmly. "Since this soul bone can't be absorbed at all, it's useless to us. Why not turn it into a dagger aimed straight at the Sun-Moon Empire?"
He continued, eyes gleaming with strategy. "This soul bone is near the 70,000-year level, created by a top-tier ice-attributed soul beast like the Ice Jade Scorpion. If it falls into the Sun-Moon Empire's hands, the only ones capable of absorbing it would be their top elites or most promising geniuses."
"The Mingde Hall Master's disciple and his granddaughter are both ice-attributed soul masters. In that case, we can use this soul bone to destroy the future genius of Mingde Hall."
Emperor Xingluo spoke with confidence. He wasn't worried that the soul bone would be absorbed. A level-89 Soul Douluo had already failed to fuse with it—clearly, the threshold was extremely high. Likely, only a soul master with the Ultimate Ice attribute or an Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul could hope to succeed.
Besides, even if the requirement was just the Ultimate Ice, there had only been two such martial souls in tens of thousands of years. In the entire Douluo Three Kingdoms, there hadn't been a single confirmed case of a pure ultimate-element martial soul in a thousand years—let alone Ultimate Ice.
"Jiujiu, if the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy wins this round, then let this soul bone be 'accidentally' exposed to them. We'll allow them to use this opportunity to pressure us into giving it to them as a reward. But if they lose, then find a way to slip it into their hands later. You know what to do."
"Don't worry, Brother. I won't let you down this time."
"Good. I'll leave it to you."
With that, Emperor Xingluo handed the Ice Jade Scorpion's soul bone to Xu Jiujiu and watched as she left. Only then did he let out a slow, deep breath.
"Sun-Moon Empire… I wonder who you'll let be buried with Senior Ling Tian this time."
...…
Except for the slightly different outcome of the battle against Qianling Academy, the rest of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy's matches followed the same pattern as in the original history. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were kept off the field, while Ma Rulong led the remaining team to advance to the finals.
On Shrek's side, after thoroughly defeating the Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy—thanks in large part to the enhanced strength of the Four-Ring Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda—the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition had just one day left.
Before the final match began, Wang Yan approached Xuan Lao and Dean Yan Shaozhe. After saluting, he began his report.
"Master Xuan, Dean. The final team lineup for this competition has been determined. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bai Fan, and Ning Tian—all are Soul Kings. Although Ning Tian's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda only has four rings, she is indispensable to the team. That leaves us two spots short of a full seven-man lineup. Currently, we're considering four candidates: Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou."
"My personal recommendation is to include Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi. Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Replacement technique is extremely useful, especially against other low-level soul masters. Jiang Nannan's overall strength might be a bit weaker, but her Invincible Golden Body, teleportation, and gravity control can all be very effective. Plus, she and Xu Sanshi have chemistry in battle."
After his explanation, Wang Yan bowed deeply and waited for their decision.
Master Xuan and Yan Shaozhe exchanged a glance. Then Yan Shaozhe spoke, conveying both their thoughts. "Xu Sanshi will go, but forget about Jiang Nannan. Compared to her, Beibei is more suited for this final match."
"Beibei?" Wang Yan was puzzled. "But doesn't he lack effectiveness against soul tools? And his presence might not be enough to bring out Xu Sanshi's full potential."
"Don't think too much. We have our reasons. Just proceed as instructed."
Yan Shaozhe's tone was firm. He knew Beibei might not be the best tactical choice for this matchup, but the situation had shifted. With the enhancements from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ma Xiaotao had broken through to level 67, and Dai Yueheng to level 65.
Under these buffs, Ma Xiaotao could potentially suppress or eliminate three enemy Soul Kings on her own. Dai Yueheng could easily overpower Ma Rulong. The other two Soul Kings from Shrek could go head-to-head with the enemy's Soul Masters and still come out on top. As for the last remaining Sun-Moon Soul King, he could be dealt with by two Four-Ring Soul Masters with Ning Tian's support.
With such a clear advantage, Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Lao weren't just thinking about victory—they were thinking about politics and prestige.
Beibei was more than just a student. He was the great-great-grandson of the current Sea God Pavilion Master, Mu En. In the absence of Huo Yuhao's overwhelming talent, Beibei was the likeliest future core member—or even successor—of the Sea God Pavilion.
Although his talent wasn't outstanding, his engagement to Zhang Lexuan ensured that his future would be secure in terms of power. Zhang Lexuan could compensate for his shortcomings in strength. What Beibei needed now was reputation.
This tournament was the perfect opportunity to build it. As the reserve team captain for this competition and future official captain, participating in and winning the final would significantly boost his prestige.
Even if Shrek's victory was expected, having Beibei as part of that winning lineup would help solidify his image. It might not increase his reputation drastically, but losing that opportunity could damage it.
And with both Xuan Lao and Yan Shaozhe closely tied to Mu En, there was no way they'd ignore this chance.
Wang Yan didn't quite understand their reasoning, but the decision had already been made. It wasn't his place to object. He simply nodded and left to figure out how best to integrate Beibei into the strategy.
...…
While Wang Yan was pondering how to counter the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy's tactics, their opponents were also deep in preparation.
Compared to Shrek, the Sun Moon side's strategy was refreshingly simple.
Just as everyone was exchanging ideas, Xiao Qiang stepped forward.
"Everyone, in tomorrow's finals, the moment the referee says 'Start,' close your eyes immediately and use only the mental detection I provide. No physical vision."
"Why? Your mental detection is great, but using our eyes to judge the field is still more intuitive," Ma Rulong asked, frowning.
"If you want to understand, then put these on first."
Xiao Qiang took out several pairs of special sunglasses and handed them to the others. They looked confused but still obeyed and put them on.
As soon as the glasses were on, they felt as if a veil had dropped over their eyes. The world went dim—not completely dark, but visibility was severely reduced.
Just as some were considering taking them off, Xiao Qiang raised his hand. In the next instant, a blinding light burst from his fingertips—so intense that even through the sunglasses, everyone squinted and winced.
"Good thing I didn't take these off… that light is intense! How the hell did you do that?" Ma Rulong exclaimed, startled by the piercing glare. Even through the high-grade sunglasses, his eyes stung.
"This is my fifth soul skill: Element Control," Xiao Qiang explained with a faint smile. "I compressed thunder, fire, and light elements into a single point to create an explosive flash burst. What you just saw is the result."
The others looked at him in shock—and newfound respect.
A plan had begun to take shape.