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"Alright, your soul power is nearly depleted. After Xu Xiaoyan finishes absorbing the spirit, I'll take the lead in the attacks. The rest of you should focus on defense."
"Got it." Tang Wulin trusted Bai Xu implicitly. He finally lowered his arms, which had been crossed in observation, and ceased using his mental energy. Instead, he relied solely on his formidable physical strength to rejoin the battle. Back then, his Golden Dragon Claw had still held a slight edge over Bai Xu. But after years apart, how much had each of them grown?
Yuanen Yehui eyed Bai Xu skeptically, unsure where his confidence came from. The four Ice Bears on this floor had already pushed them to their limits. Yet, she had no choice but to press forward—a three-thousand-year spirit was insufficient for her needs.
Leaving Xu Xiaoyan behind to absorb the Ice Bear spirit, the group stepped through the glowing gate. The octagonal hall they had been in transformed into a circular chamber. In the distance, the metallic door remained, but instead of eight, there was now only one—a colossal gate towering thirty meters high and twenty meters wide.
Every nine levels marked a new tier. Having cleared the first nine, they had now entered the second phase.
Yuanen Yehui's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Xu Xiaoyan had already found a suitable spirit—now it was her turn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the deafening impacts, a massive figure gradually came into view.
Covered in purplish-black scales, its body stretched over ten meters long, weighing at least ten thousand pounds. It moved on all fours, its enormous tail swaying behind it. Each step sent tremors through the ground.
At first glance, it resembled a giant lizard. But upon closer inspection, its head was disproportionately large, with two curved horns protruding upward.
"A four-thousand-year-old Demon Lizard Dragon," Xie Xie identified the beast.
Then, everyone turned to Bai Xu.
For the first time, a faint golden light emanated from his body, coalescing into a slender golden sword. The blade could extend or retract at will, its razor-sharp aura probing the gazes of those around him, making their eyes sting.
Whoosh!
Those who had shut their eyes felt the world plunge into darkness. Then, a flash of gold—
The Demon Lizard Dragon's head tumbled to the ground.
The lethality of Bai Xu's golden blade was unmatched, a weapon of unparalleled sharpness.
"Th-that… He killed it in less than five seconds?" Xie Xie's jaw dropped in disbelief. He knew Bai Xu was strong, but this was beyond outrageous.
Tang Wulin wasn't surprised. This Demon Lizard Dragon wasn't particularly formidable, and as a creature of draconic bloodline, he could have achieved the same—though perhaps not as cleanly.
The group looked to Yuanen, awaiting her decision.
Snapping out of her shock, Yuanen sighed inwardly. No one in Shrek Academy can be underestimated. Aloud, she said, "Let's keep going. The Demon Lizard Dragon isn't right for me. Can you still continue?"
Bai Xu replied without hesitation, "Of course!"
---
Floor 11
The massive door creaked open, but this time, no ferocious aura poured forth. Instead, the sound of rolling thunder echoed through the chamber.
A streak of light shot out from the cavern, soaring into the air.
Its fur was a brilliant, almost luminous yellow—a hue none of them had ever seen before. Resembling a small squirrel, its body was no more than a foot long. Its tail, however, wasn't bushy like a squirrel's but thin and pointed, bent twice like a bolt of lightning.
Its eyes were enormous, dominating half its face, glowing an electric blue-purple. Crackling currents wreathed its body, allowing it to hover midair purely through the power of lightning.
"A Thunder Beast?" Bai Xu had seen it in spirit beast archives, but his curiosity outweighed his recognition. "As for the Path of Thunder… I have some theories."
The Five Thunders Orthodox Method was one such thunder technique.
According to the Lo Shu's Five Elements theory: "Three in the east, two in the south, one in the north, four in the west—these numbers form the foundation, with five at the center." Thunder, as the central force balancing heaven and earth, was thus called the Five Thunders.
In internal cultivation, the Five Thunders corresponded to the five organs. Only by unifying the energies of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys could one grasp the profound mysteries of thunder.
But Bai Xu's approach was different—he utilized the essence of his organs, a method strikingly similar yet distinct.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, a flicker of lightning danced across Bai Xu's palm.
"Did Bai Xu just… conjure lightning?" Xie Xie wondered if he'd imagined it. But Gu Yue confirmed it—Bai Xu had comprehended the nature of thunder simply by observing the Thunder Beast.
What kind of talent is this? To grasp the laws of the world just by witnessing a spirit beast? Gu Yue's heart raced. The more she learned about Bai Xu, the more he seemed like an unfathomable abyss—vast as the cosmos itself, impossible to measure.
Whoosh!
Bai Xu appeared before the Thunder Beast in an instant. The moment he understood thunder, he internalized it, channeling the energy through his meridians to enhance his physique—a technique akin to that cunning individual's.
His meridians were already extraordinarily resilient, and the ancient manual he'd studied contained detailed knowledge of the body's energy pathways. To Bai Xu, this was second nature.
"So fast!" Yue Zhengyu blurted out. Even he couldn't react to such speed.
A golden flash—
The Thunder Beast split in two.
"It's thanks to you that I recalled this," Bai Xu mused. "Had I not seen the Thunder Beast, I might never have remembered the Path of Thunder." He sighed. The book had confined his thinking, limiting him to the five elements, yin-yang, and chaos. But the universe was boundless, its truths infinite.
His eyes flickered with electricity as he turned to Yuanen, waiting silently.
"L-let's keep going," Yuanen Yehui stammered, still reeling. Shrek Academy is truly a den of monsters. Yet, she couldn't help feeling excited—could they push even higher?
---
Floor 12.
When the spirit beast emerged from the cavern, it had to duck its head.
Standing over ten meters tall, its shoulders spanned seven meters wide. Its arms were like pillars, its physique dwarfing even the Demon Lizard Dragon from before.
"This one—the Diamond Ape!" Yuanen Yehui declared without hesitation.
"Work with me. I'm running low on stamina."
Bai Xu's right hand, gripping the golden sword, trembled slightly—a convincing act of exhaustion, though his demeanor remained composed. It was a performance, of course, meant for Leng Yaozhu watching from the surveillance room.
This expedition had yielded gains, but drawing further attention would be unwise.
"Understood! Yuanen, you, Bai Xu, and I will lead the assault!" Tang Wulin roared. His Golden Dragon Claw activated as he reversed his bloodflow, unleashing a draconic roar. His skin turned gold, scales faintly shimmering across its surface.
The battle erupted.
After a grueling fight, Bai Xu's golden blade and Tang Wulin's claw struck simultaneously—piercing the Diamond Ape's skull.
As Yuanen began absorbing the spirit, the group panted heavily, the thrill of victory surging through them. They had come this far as a team.
Tang Wulin approached Bai Xu with a grin. "Just like back at Eastsea Academy—you're as strong as ever."
"Heh, you've improved too. The golden scales cover more of your body now."
"Bai Xu, join our team—you and Gu Yue. Let's aim for Shrek's inner circle together, alright?" Tang Wulin's large eyes sparkled, his battle-worn appearance only amplifying his earnest charm.
But Bai Xu shook his head. "My path doesn't lie with Shrek. In a few years, I'll leave after graduation. Gu Yue and I have already joined the Spirit Pagoda—she's even the personal disciple of the Sky Phoenix Douluo. We can't abandon that."
"Alright then. It's a shame, but we'll still be friends!"
---
Two Hours Later.
Having fully absorbed the spirit, Yuanen Yehui walked up to Tang Wulin and Bai Xu.
"My name is Yuanen Yehui. Thank you for your help today."
"Bai Xu."
For the strong, admiration was the most natural response.
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