On the thirteenth day of the qualifying round, Shrek Academy faced Thunderclap Academy, a team with four Soul Elders in their lineup.
The match came down to the wire—both sides had lost six members each.
Only Yu Tianxin, Thunderclap's captain, remained on their side. At Level 44, he wielded the powerful Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, one of the top beast martial spirits.
Even after defeating Xiao Wu, he still had 80% of his soul power remaining.
With Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dai Mubai all defeated, if Lin Fan didn't step in, Shrek would lose.
"It's already the thirteenth day of the tournament," Yu Xiaogang told Lin Fan seriously. "You're the last one. If we lose to Thunderclap and Godwind Academy, our points won't land us in the top two."
"Alright," Lin Fan replied calmly. "You've already pulled off twelve consecutive wins. Losing now would be a waste."
With that, Lin Fan stepped up onto the stage.
"When it comes to the qualifying round, the only undefeated one is our Brother Lin Xuan!" Ma Hongjun declared solemnly.
Seeing Lin Xuan (Lin Fan) enter, the Shrek side relaxed.
But for teams unfamiliar with him, faces were filled with confusion.
"Who is that? He hasn't played before. Is he another Soul Elder?"
"Who knows? Too bad for Shrek—running into Thunderclap and Godwind at the end. Their twelve-day winning streak was for nothing if they don't make the top two. Same as the rest of us—no bye in the finals."
Yu Tianxin, standing on the stage, narrowed his eyes.
"So they did keep their ace for last…"
Off-stage, Feng Xiaotian, the captain of Godwind Academy, watched silently.
"If I face him one-on-one… Can my self-created soul technique beat him?" he wondered with uncertainty.
Nearby, members of Blaze and Tianshui Academies shook their heads.
"Of course, Shrek wouldn't give up on first place in the qualifiers."
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye casually remarked,
"Sect Master Ning, it seems Shrek's Soul King is finally stepping in. The match should end soon."
"Yes," Ning Fengzhi replied with a faint smile. "No doubt about it. Keeping him as the seventh fighter was clearly to give the others more battle experience."
"At the end of this tournament, who will stand at the peak? Once Lin Xuan appears, everything else is meaningless," Ning Fengzhi added sentimentally.
To many, Lin Fan was an immovable mountain in this qualifier tournament.
"Hmph. So arrogant," sneered Salas from the Spirit Hall. "What can one man do in the finals? He'll still lose when he faces our Spirit Hall team."
Back on stage, Meng Shenji officially announced:
"Match begins!"
Yu Tianxin declared,
"I know I may not be your match, but face my strongest attack—let's decide the winner with one strike!"
"Fine. I'll give you a chance," Lin Fan said coldly and calmly.
With that, a powerful aura erupted from Yu Tianxin, his third thousand-year soul ring glowing as he poured his soul power into it. His momentum surged.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan quietly revealed his five soul rings, gripping his sword with a calm yet overwhelming presence.
"A Soul King… Shrek has a Soul King?!"
"They hid it that well?!"
Shock rippled through the teams of the Four Kingdoms as Lin Fan's five rings lit up.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Charge!"
Yu Tianxin launched his strongest soul technique, riding a thunder dragon toward Lin Fan.
Whoosh—
Lin Fan raised his sword and unleashed a single strike—Deadly Crimson Slash.
A blood-red blade of energy split through the sky.
Pu—
Yu Tianxin spat blood as he was blown backward.
"Such terrifying power!"
"Shrek Academy's Lin Xuan wins! That's thirteen consecutive victories for Shrek Academy!" Meng Shenji announced that Yu Tianxin had lost all combat capability.
"Wait, what?! A single hundred-year soul skill beat a Soul Elder?!"
"That's it? It's already over?!"
Spectators were dumbfounded.
"Still as overpowering as ever. He won't even waste a second soul skill," Emperor Xue Ye observed in surprise.
"Indeed, even among Soul Kings, Lin Xuan is a top-tier figure," Ning Fengzhi agreed.
"So strong! That's Lin Xuan's power. Defeating a Soul Elder looked effortless," Tang San thought, visibly impressed.
Even Feng Xiaotian smiled bitterly from the sidelines.
"I underestimated him… Even if I used my strongest self-created soul skill, the 'Thirty-Six Wind Blade Combo,' I still might not beat him."
Later that day, around 5 PM...
Feng Xiaotian, accompanied by two teammates, visited Shrek Academy's military camp.
Hearing the commotion, Dai Mubai stepped outside.
"Captain of Godwind Academy—what brings you to our camp?" Dai Mubai asked directly.
"I want to propose something. Where's Lin Xuan? I'd like to speak with him," Feng Xiaotian said, scanning for him.
Hearing someone call him out by name, Lin Fan walked out quietly.
"What is it?" he asked flatly.
"Let's make a deal. Tomorrow, when our teams face off, you and I fight one-on-one. If you beat me, we'll forfeit the rest. If I beat you, you guys forfeit," Feng Xiaotian proposed seriously.
"Oh? You want to challenge Lin Xuan?" Dai Mubai blinked. "You know how strong he is."
"Exactly. That's why I want this duel. So, do you dare?" Feng Xiaotian said with a helpless smile.
"Ha! If you're dumb enough to challenge him, we'd be dumb not to accept," Ma Hongjun laughed.
"Yeah. We've never seen a Soul Elder challenge a Soul King before," Oscar added.
"What about you?" Feng Xiaotian turned to Lin Fan.
"Talk to our dean," Lin Fan replied coldly.
"Alright. We accept," Flender and Yu Xiaogang emerged, more than willing to agree.
"Tomorrow, you and Lin Xuan will battle. Whoever loses, their academy loses." Flender confirmed with a grin.
"No problem," Lin Fan nodded. "Might as well finish things quickly."
"Great. It's settled then." With that, Feng Xiaotian left.
The next day, Shrek faced Godwind Academy.
As agreed, Lin Fan and Feng Xiaotian walked onto the field.
"Seriously? What makes Feng Xiaotian think he can fight a Soul King?" Xiao Wu asked, confused.
"Maybe he's hiding a trump card," Tang San guessed.
Yu Xiaogang took the opportunity to brief the team:
"You're right. If you've been paying attention to his matches, you'd notice—Feng Xiaotian has never used his third or fourth soul skills."
"His martial spirit is a rare variant. Though he's Level 44, he's stronger than Yu Tianxin."
Tang San and the others nodded—they had indeed seen little of Feng Xiaotian's true capabilities.
"Now begins the match between Shrek Academy and Godwind Academy. The winner will be the only undefeated team in the qualifying round!" Meng Shenji announced.
Let the battle begin!
Facing off on the stage, Feng Xiaotian made the first move:
Swift Wind Twin-Headed Wolf, Spirit Possession! His four rings gleamed—two yellow, two purple.
In response, Lin Fan slowly raised his blood-red sword, The Blade of Slaughter.