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The next morning, a broadcast echoed across the venue.
"Today marks the commencement of the The Skysea Alliance Tournament. We have specially invited a team from Shrek Academy to engage in an exchange match with our reigning champions. Given Shrek Academy's formidable strength, this exhibition will feature cross-age-group sparring—our Skysea Academy's seven-member youth champion team will face Shrek Academy's seven-member junior team. Now, let us welcome both teams to the stage!"
Pitting the youth group against the junior team was a gesture of respect toward Shrek Academy, while also subtly conveying its overwhelming prowess to the audience.
Indeed, Shrek Academy was the institution that gathered the most outstanding talents across the continent—and the most difficult to enter.
The academy's admission requirements were threefold: First, candidates must be recommended by major cities. Second, their age must not exceed fifteen. Third, their soul power must be at least rank 25.
This system inevitably reinforced class stratification. Most recommended candidates were prodigies from prominent soul master families in their respective cities, with only a rare few spots reserved for exceptionally talented commoners.
For instance, Bai Xu—had it not been for his connection with Leng Jiuming—would have lacked the necessary social ties to meet the first requirement, making admission impossible.
As Bai Xu pondered this, Leng Jiuming clapped a large hand on his shoulder and laughed heartily. "See that? Ended in one strike—that's Shrek for you!"
Following his gaze, Bai Xu saw lightning coalesce into a thunderous dragon on the arena. In a flash, the match was over.
An overwhelming display of power!
"How do you think you'd fare against a Shrek disciple?" Leng Jiuming asked.
Bai Xu's eyelid twitched. Given his high magic penetration and devastating mental attacks—capable of even incapacitating a Soul Emperor-level evil soul master—these students stood no chance.
Conclusion: Instant victory.
"I'd say it's about even—a fifty-fifty split," Bai Xu replied modestly.
"Now I'm curious! By the way, those were just outer courtyard disciples. The real elites are in the inner courtyard."
Bai Xu: "..."
He stood up and left to draw lots for the individual competition, which would begin the next day. The forging contest would take place first, followed by individual matches in the morning and team battles in the afternoon.
The moment Bai Xu received his lot, he already knew his opponent. His eyes landed on a handsome boy slightly shorter than him, who was waving cheerfully with a grin as if greeting an old friend.
"Are all these people just naturally this friendly?"
Ignoring him, Bai Xu turned away. Judging by the boy's uniform, he was likely a student from a local academy in Skysea City.
Then Bai Xu glanced at his own attire and immediately understood. He'd change into his Spirit Pagoda uniform later—that ought to wipe the smile off the kid's face.
After a night of meditation, Bai Xu's soul power had reached rank 33.
———
"Round One, Match Nineteen—begin! Competitors, step onto the stage!"
Each arena had its own referee, and this one was a young man.
"The rules are simple: Use whatever means necessary to attack. Don't hold back—I'll intervene if needed to ensure safety. A match ends when one side surrenders, loses combat ability, or if I determine a clear disparity. You have thirty seconds to prepare. I'll count down the last five. Begin preparations."
Sure enough, the previously cheerful boy now hastily summoned his martial soul, sweat pouring down his face. As his soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—lit up beneath him, his body underwent a transformation.
The Spirit Pagoda was no pushover either. Though slightly inferior to Shrek Academy in every aspect, it was still more than enough to crush other factions.
"Five, four, three, two, one—begin!"
Bai Xu's eyes flashed. For courtesy's sake, he activated his first soul skill to buff himself, then unleashed a mental assault in the next instant.
Within two seconds, the boy collapsed unconscious.
The referee stared in shock for a moment before checking the boy's condition and declaring Bai Xu the winner.
Murmurs of astonishment spread through the crowd. Two seconds to end a match—this kid was terrifying!
Back in the lounge, Leng Jiuming sighed. "I've noticed your attacks defy all logic. None of your peers can withstand a mental strike, let alone that secret technique of yours."
Bai Xu pointed skyward with a "evil" grin. "Indeed. I am the one who walks the path of heaven—"
Before he could finish, Leng Jiuming grabbed his raised finger. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Come on, let's watch some of Shrek's individual matches. That's what I'm really interested in."
Dragged away like a piece of luggage, Bai Xu would've preferred to return to meditation.
But this time, he got to see something amusing—Tang Wulin was eliminated in the second round by Ye Xinglan. A ten-year-old achieving Sword Unity was no joke. Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw could block her sword energy, but his scales couldn't cover his entire body.
"Hmm… Sword Unity at ten years old—impressive." Leng Jiuming glanced at Bai Xu and concluded that even this prodigy wouldn't stand a chance against his student. Not good enough.
He genuinely wished Bai Xu would lose once—to teach him that there was always someone stronger. But after scouting the competition, he found that even those with slightly superior mental power (at most mid-stage Spirit Sea realm) couldn't possibly resist Bai Xu's attacks.
In the end, he gave up.
"Go on. It's time for your second round."
Thus, Bai Xu found himself facing Gu Yue again.
Seeing his well-acquainted friend, Bai Xu hesitated. "Aren't you worried about your classmate who got stabbed earlier? You're still competing?"
"Teacher Wu is taking care of him. Right now, I should focus on you," Gu Yue replied with a smile.
"I don't plan on getting knocked out in the preliminaries."
"Then you'll have to show me something real."
The referee's voice boomed: "Begin!"
Gu Yue grunted as the mental strike hit her instantly, but this time she was prepared and didn't lose focus like before.
"Elemental Tide!"
Earth, water, fire, wind—countless elements swirled around her, forming a massive vortex that nearly engulfed the entire arena.
From the outset, Gu Yue had poured all her soul power into this attack, conjuring a colossal elemental tornado meant to sweep Bai Xu off the stage outright.
This was no longer within the scope of a two-ringed soul master's abilities. The referee, now inside his mecha, activated a soul barrier and watched Bai Xu's strained figure closely, ready to intervene at any moment.
The crowd gasped at the towering tornado, its winds laced with blades of wind, fireballs, ice shards, and earthen spears. Even a three-ringed soul master would have no choice but to flee.
Bai Xu's expression turned grave. Gu Yue's figure had vanished within the storm, and though he could sense her position, breaching the tornado was unavoidable.
Refusing to back down, he summoned a golden sword in his hand. It expanded rapidly—three meters, five meters, ten meters… A terrifying sharpness surged skyward, shredding any elemental attack that came near.
With a single slash, the tornado was split cleanly in half.
By the time the referee lost sight of Bai Xu, the latter had already reappeared behind Gu Yue, pressing a miniature 30-centimeter golden sword against her back.
Breathing heavily, Bai Xu was clearly drained. The hastily condensed sword strike had taken a toll on his body. He hadn't expected Gu Yue to go all out like this—her opening move was practically a martial soul fusion skill.
As the storm dissipated, the referee assessed the situation.
"Bai Xu wins!"
"Why didn't you teleport away?" Bai Xu asked, puzzled.
"No energy left. Even if I had, I wouldn't have won. You're strong. Had you used other elemental attacks, the outcome might've been different," Gu Yue admitted.
Against water or earth, she was confident she could've matched him. But metal was beyond her control. The innate sharpness of Bai Xu's golden blade allowed him to rival even Ye Xinglan, who had dedicated years to the sword.
The golden sword's edge was no less formidable than the Star God Sword.