Huo Yuhao made no effort to hide the wound on his left arm. If his arm had been uninjured, how could he have manipulated the Hongchen siblings, Xiào Hóngchén and Mèng Hóngchén? How could he have preserved the appearance of noble character, or plausibly weakened his own strength? A touch of genuine suffering always made the performance more memorable.
After all, it was only a non-lethal injury—one that could never have occurred or been left untreated without his own permission.
Winning the Soul Master Tournament was never Huo Yuhao's real goal. His true aim lay in how he could leverage the contest to further his own secret plans. The identity of the ultimate champion was of no consequence.
Match Three: The Body Sect Team vs. the Earth Dragon Sect Team.
The result needed no dramatic retelling—unsurprisingly, the Body Sect dispatched their opponents with ease and no real contest. The Earth Dragon Sect fielded only Nan Qiujin, and even she would have struggled against a single Soul Emperor–level operative from the Body Sect.
After all, disciples of the Body Sect had been gifted Huo Yuhao's "authentic techniques"—each student not only possessed superior soul rings, but also had mastered potent combat techniques and begun cultivation of a dedicated method long ago. They fought relentlessly, and outclassed their foes without breaking a sweat.
Everyone who watched that match witnessed the Body Sect's overwhelming might. Though once one of the "Big Three" powers, Shrek Academy had declined and Mingde Hall had been destroyed—yet the Body Sect continued to grow ever stronger.
To any observer, they had become the clear frontrunners in the tournament.
Except to the Body Sect themselves.
Every member of that sect behaved with unruffled calm, as if they held every outcome in hand. Only those intimately familiar with them sensed something off—people so brash and proud suddenly playing the obedient student was plainly suspicious.
Alas, no one could uncover any real intelligence on the Body Sect. Since their arrival, they'd maintained a low profile—rarely appearing outside of competition.
Match Four: The Nine Treasures Glazed Hall Team vs. the Holy Spirit Cult Team.
This confrontation drew tremendous anticipation. On paper, Nine Treasures Glazed Hall outnumbered the Cult by three Soul Sages to two—an obvious advantage.
But when the match began, the outcome surprised everyone.
In the first—team battle—the Holy Spirit Cult stunned the crowd by defeating the Nine Treasures squad, not by narrow margin but with decisive dominance.
The turning point was their dark-dragon Soul Master: Dark Dragon Saint Child, Bei Bei!
Spectators saw in Bei Bei the same ruthless power they'd seen in Huo Yuhao—utterly unstoppable, without a single flaw.He shattered the common assumption that (evil-aligned) soul masters were weaker against equal-level opponents.
The only difference was, Bei Bei lacked Huo Yuhao's restraint and gentlemanly bearing. He fought with the raw savagery expected of an evil soul master.
If it hadn't been for the timely intervention of Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo, several Nine Treasures fighters would have died that very round.
Many factions had objected to allowing evil soul masters to compete. Who in their right mind would let their own geniuses face off against bloodthirsty fanatics?
But no one dared question the Third Prince's decree. And since no competitor had yet fallen victim to Evil soul master malice—and the Sun Moon Empire had kept its promise—other teams had no basis for complaint.
They could only file away the Holy Spirit Cult's details and brace themselves for what came next.
This year, the Holy Spirit Cult hadn't even bothered renaming themselves. They wanted the entire continent to know of their terror.
No one believed the Cult produced all its talents by innocent means. Instead, most assumed that each genius they fielded came at the cost of countless innocents sacrificed in secret.
All those young competitors must be born withEvil in their blood.
Of course, it wasn't that the Cult truly sought to flaunt their crimes—it was just that Tang Ya had tried to change the Cult's roster, but the Third Prince had forbidden it.
The team that showed up under "Holy Spirit Cult" was really Tang Ya's faction's entry—battle-strength propped up entirely by Tang Ya and Bei Bei. Lacking any real leverage, Tang Ya had no choice but to submit.
He would never concern himself with such minor matters.
No matter how the audience felt, the tournament marched on.
After winning the first team battle, the Cult team deliberately forfeited the 2 vs. 2 vs. 3 format, opting instead for direct one-on-one duels.
Their goal was straightforward: to showcase Bei Bei!
First onstage: Bei Bei himself, set to sweep through seven opponents in a row, stunning every onlooker.
If Shrek Academy could spawn Huo Yuhao, why couldn't the Holy Spirit Cult produce a force like Bei Bei?
The crowd bristled with excitement—and fear—at the prospect.
Among those most eager to see him were the remaining Shrek Academy squad members. While other teams scrambled for strategy, Shrek's people could barely contain themselves.
All except Huo Yuhao and the resting competitors, who had returned to the hotel for a break. The rest stayed behind to watch.
As Bei Bei—twisted byEvil—defeated one opponent after another, Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier ground their teeth in fury. He was descended from Master Mu… He was one of our Shrek Academy's precious talents!
Zhang Lexuan nearly leaped onto the stage. In her heart, Bei Bei still held a place as beloved as any family. Even though Huo Yuhao had shared all he knew about Bei Bei's background, seeing her thus corrupted was unbearable.
But under the subtle gaze of hidden Sun Moon Empire guardians, they dared not move. Clearly the empire's champions had noticed their agitation and issued a silent warning.
This only made Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier feel more stifled—they felt ready to bleed. Had they ever endured such disgrace?
The Strongest Soul King In History Death God Envoy( now a Titled Duoluo)…, Tang Ya…, Holy Spirit Cult…
They cursed them all in their hearts.
Zhang Lexuan forced her own feelings down but punched her palm so hard her fingernails cut into her flesh. In her mind, Mu En's descendant had been put through unjust torment—and those responsible must be punished.
Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luocheng, Hua Yao, and Wu Ming wore similarly dark expressions. All of them knew Bei Bei's true identity, and had watched him grow since childhood. He was their borther in spirit.
Among the remaining reserve-team girls—those unfamiliar with Bei Bei's story—confusion reigned.
Cao Jinxuan, who had heard rumors of "Bei Bei the Saint Child," explained to them:
"Bei Bei was once the twin star of the outer courtyard—bound with Xu Sanshi. One became a brute, the other joined the Holy Spirit Cult and turned Evil. Tragic and lamentable, yes? At least we still have our captain… and Shrek Academy's future!"
The one-on-one battles began.
First up from Nine Treasures: Wu Feng.
Defiant, she refused to accept her fate. Even Huo Yuhao had overpowered her from start to finish—now she would face Bei Bei?
She was sure she simply hadn't prepared properly before! Her newly evolved soul spirit, her cultivated methods, and her innate Dragon Flame Fate… she could not be bested by some unknown Evil dragon!
Wu Feng announced proudly, "I am the Red Dragon King!"
And then… three punches sent her crashing off the platform.
Three punches had shattered her Dragon King dream.
The second contestant to step onto the stage was none other than Ning Tian.
Ning Tian was equipped with a full set of Grade-7 soul tools, armed almost to the teeth. Not only were these top-quality soul tools, but she also possessed considerable combat capabilities.
Across the three other empires, excluding Shrek Academy, the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Sect stood at the forefront of soul tool research. After all, as a sect full of support-type soul masters, soul tools were essential for their effectiveness in battle.
Outfitting the young sect master with high-end soul tools was naturally a matter of course. After arriving in the Sun-Moon Empire, Ning Tian even used the sect's connections to purchase some exclusive soul tools not available to the public—at great expense.
The Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did have established trade routes within the Sun-Moon Empire.
One could say that if Ning Tian had any skill in crafting soul tools herself, she would be nearly indistinguishable from a soul engineer in battle.
With her arsenal of soul tools, she even dared to challenge a Soul Douluo.
However, her opponent was Bei Bei.
"Feng is too impulsive. In a direct confrontation, she wouldn't last more than a few moves. Looks like I'll have to get serious and try to wear down the Evil Dragon Saint Son's strength, to create a better chance for Yun'er," Ning Tian thought.
Indeed, both she and Wu Feng had a common goal: wear down Bei Bei to give Nanmen Yun'er an opportunity.
After experiencing the team battle, they clearly understood how formidable Bei Bei was. It wasn't hard to guess—he was definitely not an ordinary soul master.
In fact, Ning Tian and Wu Feng had known the original Bei Bei. But they failed to recognize him now, as both his appearance and martial soul had changed dramatically.
The once-distinctive blue hair was now completely black, tinged with purple.
Still, no matter how abnormal Bei Bei seemed, Ning Tian and the others wanted to make one last effort. Even if they could just defeat Bei Bei, it would be a win.
At the very least, they wouldn't lose too badly.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's assistance, Ning Tian and Wu Feng's martial souls had both undergone a transformation. Their strengths had rapidly increased, and with soul bones provided by their sect, the two of them had broken through to Rank 70.
The Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had deep resources. Each of them had fused not one, but two soul bones—both over fifty thousand years in age.
Therefore, they believed that they still had a chance.
The battle began.
Ning Tian immediately activated her flying-type soul tool to ascend into the air, dodging Bei Bei's charge. At the same time, she activated her martial soul and soul rings to boost herself with buffs.
The emergence of the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda stunned many soul masters who knew the famed Seven-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. They were eager to see how the evolved martial soul would perform.
After buffing herself, Ning Tian stayed airborne, raining long-range attacks on Bei Bei below with her soul cannon.
Bei Bei, however, showed no fear. After activating his martial soul, he withstood the bombardment with pure physical strength—nearly unharmed.
Seeing that Ning Tian had no intention of coming down to fight head-on, a red gleam flared in Bei Bei's eyes. A sinister aura erupted from his body.
Then, with a tearing sound, a pair of bat wings ripped through the back of his clothing and spread wide behind him.
"External soul bone?!"
Gasps erupted from the audience below. External soul bones were even rarer than standard ones—even in an era where soul bones were more accessible, external ones remained extremely rare.
After all, external soul bones could not be duplicated or passed on.
Once fused with a soul master, they could not be removed or inherited. The few that were passed down required special conditions to absorb and integrate.
Bei Bei was backed by the Holy Spirit Cult's fortune. Gaining an external soul bone was perfectly plausible.
With the aid of his bat-wing soul bone, Bei Bei took to the skies and charged straight at Ning Tian.
"Young Master!" Wu Feng cried out in worry.
"Don't worry, Sister Tian will be fine," Nanmen Yun'er reassured her.
But Ning Tian remained calm. Maintaining her tempo, she continued dodging while deploying various soul tools to attack and wear Bei Bei down.
Her performance was textbook—so skillful it could be written into a manual.
Yet in the face of overwhelming strength, Ning Tian was gradually cornered.
At this critical moment, hesitation flashed in Ning Tian's eyes.
She was debating whether to reveal the true nature of her Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in a public match.
Just like Wu Feng's innate Dragonflame, Ning Tian's martial soul had also gained a unique ability after evolving.
Her Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda bore intricate, majestic dragon patterns. These weren't merely decorative, but a unique power she named the Heavenly Dragon Mark.
After all, Huo Yuhao had infused her with a good deal of heavenly dragon bloodline.
Thus, her pagoda should more accurately be called the Nine-Treasure Heavenly Dragon Pagoda.
Innate Ability: Heavenly Dragon Mark.
Each time a soul ring is added, a dragon soul of equivalent strength to Ning Tian's can be summoned to assist in battle. These dragon souls can also benefit from soul skill enhancements.
Ultimately, Ning Tian chose not to use this ability. It was her ultimate trump card—and this Soul Master Tournament wasn't her main stage. There was no need to reveal everything.
For a support-type soul master, exposing too many trump cards often led to early death.
That didn't mean she was out of options.
At the final moment, Ning Tian's eyes locked onto Bei Bei. Her pupils twisted into vortexes—eerily strange.
In the next instant, a gemstone-like radiance burst from her eyes, shooting toward Bei Bei and slamming into his spiritual sea.
"Soul-Capturing Radiance!"
Ning Tian had cultivated two mental techniques: the Soul-Capturing Grand Method and the Radiant Mind Condensation Method—one specialized in soul capture, the other in refining spiritual power through gemstones. Both dealt with spiritual force and thus shared synergy.
By combining them, she created Soul-Capturing Radiance, similar to a mental shockwave. It attacked the opponent's spiritual sea with powerful psychic energy.
If successful, it would also leave behind a spiritual mark, which could later be used to exert mental control through the Soul-Capturing Grand Method.
However, the moment Ning Tian's spiritual power entered Bei Bei's mind, she heard a frenzied dragon roar—shattering her Soul-Capturing Radiance.
Even worse, an evil spiritual force began to follow her mental trail—trying to invade her mind in return!
At the same time, Bei Bei raised his dragon-like left hand, lunging straight for her heart.
Ning Tian's face turned pale.
Both the mental feedback and the instinctive fear of death overwhelmed her.
In that life-threatening moment, the Shadow Douluo appeared silently, scooping Ning Tian out of harm's way and saving her life.
Thus marking Ning Tian's defeat.
Having narrowly escaped death, Ning Tian expressed her gratitude to Shadow Douluo, then staggered off the stage.
"Yun'er… just do your best. The Evil Dragon Saint Son is unstoppable—and very bizarre," Ning Tian warned Nanmen Yun'er solemnly, still visibly shaken.
The evil dragon roar within Bei Bei's mind had been far too eerie and terrifying.
Who in their right mind had such a spiritual sea?
Anyone with a mental sea like that was either a madman—or emotionally dead. There was no way such a person could be calm and rational!
Nanmen Yun'er absorbed the warning, then stepped onto the stage to face Bei Bei—her expression grave.
The battle began.
Nanmen Yun'er drew her dual-blade soul tool and charged at Bei Bei.
These dual blades, crafted by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, could unleash both wind and fire elemental strikes—perfectly matching her martial soul. She had named them the Wind-Fire Twin Blades.
Bei Bei and Nanmen Yun'er clashed.
The Emerald Jade Luan versus the Evil Dragon—a dramatic clash of phoenix and dragon erupted on the stage!
The clash between dragon and phoenix should have been evenly matched.
But after exchanging over a dozen blows, Beibei still held the upper hand. Nanmen Yuner inevitably found herself at a disadvantage.
In terms of martial soul strength and raw power, Beibei's Evil Dragon outmatched Nanmen Yuner. Moreover, Beibei fought with ruthless decisiveness—perfect for deadly combat.
Nanmen Yuner, in contrast, had far more concerns and lacked Beibei's cold resolve. She could only rely on superior speed to dance around Beibei, managing only to delay the inevitable.
Anyone could see it: if this continued, Nanmen Yuner's defeat was only a matter of time.
Beibei was overwhelmingly strong—almost absurdly so!
"Why is he so powerful? Doesn't he have any weakness?"
Nanmen Yuner couldn't help but ask herself, but no answer came.
Left with no other options, she activated her cultivation method at full force, unleashing her soul and combat skills in a desperate bid to turn the tide.
Like others of the Nanmen Clan, she cultivated techniques provided by Huo Yuhao.
To be precise, all women of the Nanmen Clan practiced Huo Yuhao's cultivation methods and soul techniques—they had become his personal cauldrons.
The cultivation technique was called Azure Luan Jade Transformation Scripture. It refined resources to enhance one's bloodline—not limited to jade—and progressively strengthened the Jasper Azure Luan martial soul, boosting both its power and offensive capacity. When used in battle, the technique generated the Jade Body effect, enhancing the soul master's physical durability.
At this moment, Nanmen Yuner's skin shimmered with a layer of jade-like white radiance—this was the Jade Body in effect.
Thanks to this enhancement, she had managed to avoid sustaining critical injuries from Beibei's onslaught.
This technique was originally developed by Huo Yuhao while cultivating his own Phoenix bloodline, intended for soul masters with similar divine-beast lineage.
Naturally, a backdoor mechanism was built in. Every technique released by Huo Yuhao came with a corresponding suppression method known only to him.
Unless someone had entered Hao-ge's Hao Sovereign Banner, they would never earn his complete trust.
As for the combat techniques, those were less guarded. Without sufficient cultivation, they posed limited threat, and the versions distributed by Huo Yuhao were fairly standard.
If anyone actually managed to improve upon them, crafting stronger forms—Huo Yuhao wouldn't particularly care.
After all, no mortal, no matter how ingenious, could surpass him. And gods wouldn't waste time studying what he shared.
The Nanmen Clan's matching weapon technique was a dual-blade art called Azure Luan Blade Technique. It had nine forms in total and could channel wind and fire energy, producing a synergy where fire gained force from wind and wind gained intensity from fire.
There was also a secret technique: the ultimate move Azure Luan Sky Soar, practiced only by the clan leader, titled soul Douluo members, and the clan heir.
This kind of tiered access was common in clans and sects.
Just like the Clear Sky Sect, where the Nine Absolutes of the Clear Sky were widely taught to elders, but the Great Sumeru Hammer passed down only to one disciple per generation.
The choice of blade techniques was rooted in the Nanmen Clan's tradition—though in the past, their blade-based martial arts came from martial soul transformations.
For example, Nanmen Yuner's first soul skill transformed her arms into Jade Blades, and her second soul skill, Jade Slash, synergized with them.
Originally, the Nanmen Clan specialized in agility-type assaults. The blade art was added to compensate for the relatively weak offensive power of that path.
Their approach was to acquire attack abilities with early soul rings and then focus on speed boosts with later, high-year soul rings.
But after the evolution of their martial soul into the Jasper Azure Luan, they achieved both speed and offense. Even so, the legacy blade technique was preserved.
When Nanmen Yuner unleashed the Azure Luan Blade Technique, wielding the Grade 7 soul tool Twin Blades of Ice and Fire from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she conjured a swirling vortex of wind and fire—its scale and power far surpassing Meng Hongchen's Ice-Fire Cyclone.
Yet even against this formidable attack, Beibei remained unfazed. Unleashing his internal malevolent energy, he struck with streaks of purple-black evil thunder, ripping the wind-fire vortex apart.
Still unwilling to give up, Nanmen Yuner lit up her soul rings again. She unleashed another blade strike—a blade of jade, cloaked in wind and fire.
"Wind-Fire Jade Blade!"
And she wasn't done. Her second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth soul rings lit up in rapid succession, each producing a strike of increasing power—every blade gleamed with wind and fire.
By the sixth strike, the damage reached that of a Soul Sage.
The blade auras even began to converge, showing signs of fusion.
This was a testament to Nanmen Yuner's talent. She had integrated the Azure Luan Blade Technique with her soul skills to create a new hybrid technique: Wind-Fire Jade Blade Secret Method.
By harnessing the power of her soul rings to unleash jade-like blade energy infused with elemental force, she could strike far beyond her level—up to a full tier higher.
This technique had room for further development. The next step was merging all blade strikes into one—a kind of ring-fusion approach. But unlike traditional fusion methods, it required fewer prerequisites and was easier to learn. No major flaws had been found so far.
Finally, when power from her seventh soul ring was drawn, the resulting blade attack reached Soul Douluo levels.
This marked a new use for seventh rings—aside from martial soul avatars.
In short, this was Nanmen Yuner's strongest available attack in her normal state.
Yet even facing this, Beibei remained calm. His arms turned into dragon claws, slashing fiercely, eyes glowing red, his body radiating malevolent energy.
The seven blade strikes—all powerful, with the final one at Soul Douluo strength—were shredded by Beibei in turn. Even the last, strongest one, was merely parried, leaving only a faint bloody scratch on his dragon claw.
"How is this possible?!"
Nanmen Yuner cried out in disbelief.
A Soul Douluo-level attack barely even broke through his defense.
How was she supposed to fight this kind of monster?!
Shrek Academy Rest Area.
"He's as freakishly strong as Yuhao!"
Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but exclaim.
The speaker was casual, but the listeners were not.
Ling Luochen's expression shifted.
"As strong as Yuhao? Could it be that Beibei's martial soul is also…"
"An Ultimate Martial Soul?!"
Everyone's faces changed dramatically.
A soul master with an Ultimate Martial Soul could fight Title Douluo-level foes even as a Soul Sage!
On the Arena Platform.
Nanmen Yuner gritted her teeth. Her seventh soul ring shone again—but this time, she activated her Martial Soul Avatar.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Azure Luan True Form!"
With a clear phoenix cry, her human form vanished—replaced by a five-meter-long Jasper Azure Luan in her true form, elegant and majestic, wings wreathed in wind and fire, resembling a divine beast.
The aura of her True Form was immense.
Far beyond the standard martial soul avatars of ordinary Soul Sages.
Because this was the True Form of a Divine Beast-Bloodline Soul Master!
Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise bloodline had never fully awakened. He could only leap one tier in battle after intense provocation, and even then, it was unstable.
But Nanmen Yuner's divine beast bloodline was fully awakened. She could actively invoke it—and in this state, even slay Soul Douluo-level enemies!
Without using soul skills, her Azure Luan True Form soared into the sky. Wind and fire energy gathered around her wings, transforming them into twin blades of elemental force. Then, with a sharp dive, she descended upon Beibei.
"Azure Luan Secret Art: Azure Luan Sky Soar!"
Boom!
The power of wind and fire exploded with a terrifying blast, completely engulfing Beibei's figure.
The entire arena trembled — without a doubt, this was an attack comparable to a blow from a Titled Douluo!
Even Tang Ya couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the sight.
However, the two referees on the platform, Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo, merely stared at the center of the explosion. Neither moved to intervene immediately, but both wore expressions of obvious shock.
As Titled Douluo, their senses were naturally sharp. They could clearly perceive what was happening within the explosion, which was precisely why they were so astonished.
Just moments ago, Nanmen Yun'er's attack had already reached the level of a Titled Douluo's strike — enough to shock them. But to their surprise, an even greater force had emerged!
Ning Tian noticed the referees' expressions and her own face slightly changed, worry and unease rising in her eyes.
She and Nanmen Yun'er were extremely close — not just because of their sect's cooperation, but also due to their personal bond. They shared interests, preferences, and a sense of sisterhood. Naturally, she was concerned for Yun'er's safety.
Wu Feng, on the other hand, was still unclear about the situation, and remained hopeful that Nanmen Yun'er would defeat Beibei.
The audience was also watching the arena with bated breath.
As the wind and fire dissipated and the explosion faded, a half-dragon figure stood upright in the ring — it was Beibei!
He now stood over two meters tall, with a sturdy and imposing physique. From the neck down, he had undergone a full dragon transformation, his body covered in dense purple-black dragon scales. Wings and a tail had even sprouted from his back.
Nanmen Yun'er had already dispelled her Martial Soul Avatar and was now being held aloft by the neck in Beibei's hand. Her face was twisted in pain as she struggled with all her might — to no avail.
She could only muster all her strength and channel her cultivation techniques to utilize the strengthening effects of her "Jade Body" technique in an attempt to resist Beibei's crushing grip.
In the next instant, a hand grabbed Beibei's wrist, breaking his murderous focus.
It was Shadow Douluo who had made his move. "That's enough. Any more force, and she'll be in real danger," he said in a deep voice.
Beibei's bloodshot eyes stared intensely at Shadow Douluo, seemingly considering whether or not to attack him. At that moment, Porcelain Douluo released his own aura, pressing it down onto Beibei.
Sensing that the two Titled Douluo had locked onto him, Beibei finally loosened his dragon claw and let Nanmen Yun'er go.
Even so, his expression remained ice-cold and emotionless, his eyes filled only with killing intent and cruelty.
Nanmen Yun'er collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. Her gaze toward Beibei was filled with defiance.
She had lost this match — but she didn't believe she would still lose if she had another three years of cultivation, like Huo Yuhao once did.
As for fear?
It simply didn't exist. Nanmen Yun'er wasn't that fragile.
Shadow Douluo then announced Beibei's victory.
Ning Tian immediately forfeited the next match and, as soon as the arena's barrier opened, she and Wu Feng rushed onto the stage to check on Nanmen Yun'er.
Fortunately, aside from some minor injuries to her neck and significant soul power exhaustion, she hadn't suffered any serious damage.
As for Beibei — apart from being completely naked due to his tattered clothes, there was no sign of injury at all.
Wu Feng glared furiously at Beibei's figure and shouted loudly,
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west — don't bully a poor young girl! One day we will defeat you, you inherently evil Evil Soul Master!"
Beibei didn't even spare her a glance. Wu Feng grew even more enraged, but Ning Tian quickly pulled her away.
After stepping down from the stage, Beibei deactivated his dragon transformation and returned to his human form — completely nude. His robust physique immediately drew the attention of countless girls, women, elderly grandmas, and even muscular men.
When these people caught sight of Beibei's lower half, they all gasped in shock, as if they had seen some terrifying beast.
There were reactions of horror, embarrassment — and even eager curiosity.
Yet Beibei appeared completely shameless, walking as if no one else existed, completely ignoring the surrounding stares and whispers.
Tang Ya hurried over and covered him with a cloak, concealing his body.
A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd.
Tang Ya's feelings were complicated — she looked at Beibei with a hint of helplessness. The Beibei she once knew wasn't like this.
"Martial souls really can change a person… sigh~" Tang Ya sighed deeply, having learned this from her own experience.
Ever since gaining the Dark Blue Silver Grass, she had felt the darkness within her growing stronger and harder to control.
The same was true for Beibei. His Evil Dragon Martial Soul was even darker and more wicked than her own.
All in all, Tang Ya's mood wasn't bad. She turned toward the Shrek Academy rest area — and her eyes met the complicated gazes of Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er.
Tang Ya responded with a faint smile — full of provocation — instantly enraging both women.
Inwardly, both cursed: "Inherently evil, Evil Soul Master!"
If the situation allowed, they would've loved to crush Tang Ya then and there.
But Tang Ya held her head high like a victorious peacock and returned proudly to her team.
"Shrek Academy — my revenge has only just begun. Just wait. One day, I will repay you for everything you've done to me!"
"And Ma Xiaotao — I'll destroy everything you hold dear to avenge the hatred in my heart!"
And so, the Final Four were decided.
They were:
Shrek Academy Team
Sun Moon Xu Clan Team
Body Sect Team
Holy Spirit Sect Team
One academy, one clan, and two sects.
The semi-finals and finals would be held later, and everyone eagerly anticipated the upcoming battles.
Shortly after, a decree arrived from the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
The Prime Minister announced that after the Final Four battles and the final match, the Third Prince would hold his coronation ceremony, and all participating teams would be invited to attend. The top ten contestants would even be allowed to enter the palace to observe the ceremony. The Third Prince would personally present the awards to the champion team during the coronation.
When the representatives of various powers heard this, their expressions became subtly strange.
On the surface, it was a grand invitation — but to outsiders, it would look like all these forces had come to offer their congratulations to the new emperor. It gave the impression of "a multitude of factions celebrating the new sovereign."
"Is this Third Prince being a little too sneaky?"
"Regardless, if we don't attend, we might not be able to leave the Sun Moon Empire alive."
"Seriously?"
"Just think — if Shrek Academy wins and the new emperor has to personally award them the prize, wouldn't that be incredibly entertaining?"
"You know what? You're absolutely right!"
Just like that, Shrek Academy's supporter count suddenly surged.
There were still some who supported the Body Sect — but if they were the ones receiving the award, it wouldn't be nearly as amusing.
After all, the Body Sect had always been morally ambiguous. They weren't exactly representative of resistance against the Sun Moon Empire.
Even though Shrek Academy had Huo Yuhao as a symbol of balance, it was still Shrek that had long stood as the flag-bearer of resistance against the empire.
Night.
In the imperial palace of Sun Moon Empire, within a side hall.
The Third Prince sat at the highest seat, gazing down at the people kneeling before him. Though he hadn't released even a shred of pressure, everyone below trembled uncontrollably, their bodies shivering.
Kneeling beneath him were the leading teacher and all members of the Mingdu Imperial Soul Engineering Academy battle team—Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen included. Even Jing Hongchen, as well as the academy's headmaster, were kneeling on one side.
Why were they kneeling?
Because the Mingdu battle team had lost to the Shrek Academy team.
If it had been in the past, this might not have mattered so much. But this time, it was different—the Third Prince had personally helped Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen reach the rank of Soul Sage. That alone showed how high his expectations had been. Yet they still lost.
Coupled with the Third Prince's infamous ruthlessness…
Everyone below felt like the sky was about to fall.
No one knew just how furious he would be.
If they weren't careful, the Third Prince might truly make a move on them.
Titled Douluo? Rank-nine Soul Engineer?
Heh. The Third Prince wouldn't care about that.
"Your Highness, please punish this old minister. It was due to my negligence in guiding the team that we lost to Shrek. It's all my fault!" Jing Hongchen was the first to speak, planning to sacrifice himself for the sake of his grandchildren.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's eyes turned red. They believed the responsibility was theirs. Their grandfather had already sacrificed so much for them.
"No, it was my mistake in strategy, so I…" Xiao Hongchen began to speak.
"It was my lack of strength that made me lose to Huo Yuhao…" Meng Hongchen quickly cut him off.
The Third Prince waved his hand dismissively, stopping them. "Enough. Save the tearjerker act. If I wanted a drama, I'd call in some beauties to dance for me."
The Third Prince truly didn't understand—what had he done to scare these people so much?
Was he really that terrifying?
So what if he'd taken care of a few brothers? So what if he'd eliminated the previous emperor? So what if he'd gone on a nationwide tour to eliminate all opposition and taken their wives and daughters into his harem?
Hmm, wasn't that all fairly routine?
Was there really a need to be this afraid?
Deciding not to overthink it, the Third Prince continued, "You were bound to lose. I never thought you could win. I only nurtured the Hongchen siblings because of their talent—they're worth the investment."
Everyone looked up at the prince in shock.
"You really think Ultimate-attribute Soul Masters are easy to deal with?" The Third Prince sneered. "An Ultimate-attribute Soul Sage can fight and even defeat ordinary Titled Douluo. If you could beat them, I'd let you lead a Beast King Legion."
"What?!"
Shock spread among everyone kneeling. It was the first time they'd heard this kind of insider information. The Sun Moon Empire had always had limited research into martial souls, and had never produced an Ultimate-attribute Soul Master, so they had little understanding of them.
They only knew Ultimate-attribute Soul Masters were powerful and could fight above their rank.
But this powerful?
The academy head couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, may I ask how you came by such secret knowledge?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't." The Third Prince replied casually.
Cold sweat immediately broke out on the headmaster's back. He quickly bowed and said, "Yes, this humble one was out of line and deserves punishment."
The Third Prince: "…"
Jing Hongchen sensed something and quickly said, "Then wouldn't Shrek Academy's Huo Yuhao be invincible? If they end up winning the championship…"
The others' expressions changed as well.
"You really think I'm an idiot? You can think of these things but I can't? Enough. Talking to you lot is a waste of my intelligence."
"Reaching the top eight is already decent. Go back and train harder. The Empire doesn't abandon talent."
"The Hongchen siblings stay. The rest of you—leave."
Everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
Jing Hongchen gave a discreet look to the siblings, his eyes full of concern. But since the Third Prince had spoken, he trusted the prince wouldn't harm them.
Everyone left.
Only the Third Prince and the Hongchen siblings remained in the side hall.
The two siblings remained half-kneeling, not daring to rise without permission.
As their nerves tightened, a powerful spiritual pressure burst from the Third Prince, enveloping them both. It penetrated their bodies, as if scanning every secret they held.
They felt utterly exposed—but dared not move.
Only when the pressure faded did they breathe again, soaked in sweat.
The Third Prince finally spoke. "Your cultivation is progressing well. I'm pleased. And I see even greater potential in you both."
"Xiao Hongchen, your martial soul—the Three-legged Golden Toad—should still have untapped bloodline potential. You need to continue exploring it."
"I'll grant you a new technique: Toad Skill. This technique is suitable for all toad-type martial souls. It offers limited combat enhancement and is slower to cultivate than your current Golden Ingesting Divine Skill, but it allows you to trace your bloodline and promote martial soul evolution."
"You have my permission to spread this technique within your clan."
As he finished speaking, a scroll quietly appeared before Xiao Hongchen, titled "Toad Skill".
Seeing this, Xiao Hongchen immediately kowtowed in gratitude, overwhelmed with excitement.
He hadn't expected the Third Prince to grant him a cultivation method. Upon hearing the explanation, he instantly realized that the significance of Toad Skill to the Hongchen family far surpassed any technique they currently had.
He even forgot that this technique could unlock his own bloodline potential.
Previously, all their cultivation methods had strict martial soul requirements. Even if the prince allowed them to share them, they wouldn't dare.
If an ordinary Soul Master tried them, they'd likely die.
Xiao Hongchen's Golden Ingesting Divine Skill required the Three-legged Golden Toad martial soul to neutralize the metallic energy it generated. Otherwise, the energy would build up, corrode the body, and eventually turn the practitioner into a metallic statue, losing all mobility.
Meng Hongchen's Mystic Ice Skill was similar—if her martial soul wasn't cold enough, she risked freezing to death while cultivating.
But the Three-legged Golden Toad and Scarlet-eyed Ice Toad were incredibly rare. It took the Hongchen family generations to produce even one.
The fact that both siblings were born with them was nearly unheard of.
But Toad Skill could be cultivated by anyone with a toad-type martial soul—and it even promoted mutation and evolution.
If members of the Hongchen family could evolve their martial souls to match the siblings', they could cultivate the same advanced techniques—and grow rapidly.
How strong would the Hongchen family become then? How prosperous?
Xiao Hongchen was so excited he kowtowed again before carefully storing the scroll.
This proud young man now proclaimed: "From now on, the Third Prince is my god!"
The Third Prince paid him no more attention. Whether Xiao Hongchen's martial soul awakened divine beast blood didn't matter—it was just another chess move.
Then he turned to Meng Hongchen.
"Meng Hongchen, your Scarlet-eyed Ice Toad martial soul is even rarer—and very dangerous. Due to past mistakes in your cultivation, you've already been infected with cold poison and are now suffering its backlash, correct?"