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"So this is a summoning-type spirit? It seems kind of overpowered…"
Dai Yueheng stared at Su Wen as if he had just discovered a new continent, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Within the Inner Court, aside from a few individuals like Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, most only knew that Su Wen's talent was heaven-defying. But just how heaven-defying it was remained unclear—until today's battle, which had fully revealed his monstrous nature to them all.
"This Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear… it's way too realistic," Chen Zifeng said as he walked over, curiously stroking the fur of the beast that had forced him to concede. "The texture feels completely real. This doesn't seem like something formed by soul power or a typical soul skill effect."
"…"
Standing over three meters tall, Xiao Jin resembled a towering, sturdy fortress wall. It looked down at Chen Zifeng with increasing hostility.
But Chen Zifeng remained oblivious to the danger, still grinning broadly.
"Xiao Jin!" Su Wen called out sharply.
"Roar~!!!"
With a reluctant glint in its eyes, Xiao Jin lowered its head and let out a thunderous roar right in Chen Zifeng's face.
Frozen in place, Chen Zifeng slowly wiped the saliva from his face, his expression shifting to one of dawning horror. "Wait a minute… this Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear is real?!"
"No kidding. You strolled up like an absolute fool. If Su Wen hadn't called it off, you'd be missing half your head by now. We've all seen firsthand how vicious this thing is," Gong Yangmo mocked him.
Looking around, Chen Zifeng noticed that the others had long since backed away. He, a glass cannon, was the only one who had dared to get close enough to touch the bear.
A chill crept down his spine as he met the beast's disdainful gaze.
He gulped.
Gong Yangmo wasn't joking. Unless you were a defensive-type tank, no one would dare get that close to a soul beast. At the same cultivation level, their physical power far outmatched that of humans. His martial soul was a sword—a flying sword—but his own body was incredibly fragile.
If that claw had connected, even as a newly advanced Soul King, he would have been toast.
"Yes, summoning-types naturally have their own fighting style," Su Wen said with a faint smile. "But these soul beasts aren't summoned constructs. They're independent, living creatures that I can store inside this little orb and carry with me."
Once he officially enrolled in the academy, he wouldn't be able to hide the truth about his martial soul. And besides, there was no need to hide anything from his fellow Inner Court seniors.
"That's insane. One ring per soul beast, and they even share your cultivation level? Once this guy becomes a Title Douluo, won't he have nine 100,000-year soul beasts?" Dai Yueheng asked, walking up to study the Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear standing guard beside Su Wen, his expression one of pure shock.
"That's eight beasts," Ma Xiaotao corrected smugly as she strode over in her high heels, throwing a toned arm over Su Wen's shoulder. Her chin was lifted proudly. "Still more than enough to beat you easily."
"That potential is downright terrifying…" Chen Zifeng clicked his tongue.
If Su Wen ever reached his level, just that one Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear (at the ten-thousand-year level) would be enough to crush him into paste. And that wasn't even counting the other four beasts, or the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion…
Chen Zifeng paused.
"Wait a second, wasn't that just a regular Ice Jade Scorpion a week ago?"
"Oh, as my power grows, these soul beasts evolve accordingly," Su Wen said with a casual smile.
Everyone: "…"
"To hell with this, I'm done!" Yao Haoxuan muttered through clenched teeth and turned to leave. "Just let him enter the Continental Tournament. He's a one-man army—who the hell could possibly beat that? What a freak!"
"Don't you go~" Ling Luochen said, her expression unreadable.
"Su Wen is on our side for the next match."
Ma Xiaotao's face instantly froze. She shot Ling Luochen a fiery glare, but the other girl met her gaze with icy, indifferent blue eyes, refusing to back down.
"Su Wen, come here."
Ling Luochen took the initiative, gently grasping his hand and pulling him toward her with a subtle force.
Su Wen raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Ma Xiaotao—who was now stomping her foot in frustration, her crimson eyes flaring with anger.
Grinning to himself, he suddenly collided with something soft in front of him—like walking into a wall of silk. Her long, smooth hair brushed against his face, and at such close proximity, her subtle, clean fragrance filled his nose.
"Careful," Ling Luochen glanced back, her beautiful eyes tinged with the faintest hint of shyness.
But she didn't let go of his hand.
In the following days, the entire dueling arena was constantly aglow with the light of various elemental skills. The battles raged on all afternoon, with both teams constantly rotating players. At one point, Ma Xiaotao, Su Wen, and Ling Luochen even ended up on the same team.
But one thing remained constant—whichever team Su Wen was on usually won.
Though not overwhelmingly powerful on his own, his influence was undeniable. The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's Permafrost Domain was a god-tier area-of-effect control skill. Its buffs to allies and debuffs to enemies were game-changing.
Beast Combat Zone
Located in the southern part of the Soul Dueling Area, the Beast Combat Zone was separated by a massive, fortress-like gray wall. The walls were said to be made of special materials—sturdy enough that even ten-thousand-year soul beasts couldn't break through.
Each year, the second-term考核 (kǎohé - assessment) for freshmen was held here, requiring them to face the raw pressure of soul beasts. This was an experience most Shrek students lacked—true, primal combat. For that reason, these soul beasts were the perfect sharpening stones.
Still, most of the beasts here were of a common variety. Even the few ten-thousand-year ones were of average, or even below-average, quality for their species. Auspicious beasts like Rui Beasts were unheard of.
After all, these creatures were raised primarily to help students train their skills and courage—not to build a commercial soul beast industry. Raising a single ordinary ten-thousand-year beast, not even counting the immense time investment, involved massive costs—labor, feed, facility maintenance—that would easily bankrupt even Shrek Academy. It would be a money pit, plain and simple.
That was why Su Wen preferred to capture soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest or the Extreme North. He didn't even bother looking at what was offered here.
"Elder Gong." Su Wen nodded politely.
"Well, well. What brings you here, kid? Thought you looked down on my precious beasts?"
A white-haired old man lounged on a bench, sunning himself. When he saw Su Wen, he cracked open one eye and spoke smugly.
"The quality of your beasts really is subpar, though," Su Wen chuckled.
"You little…" Elder Gong's eyes widened as he glared at Su Wen.
"Don't believe me? Let my Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear test their mettle," Su Wen grinned and waved his hand. A massive, dark-brown bear appeared beside him, glaring warily at the old man.
It could sense a dangerous aura coming from him.
"Hmm???"
Elder Gong shot to his feet, his pupils contracting sharply.
"A perfect specimen of a Dark Golden Terrorclaw Bear!"
His eyes began to glow with a fiery intensity, as if he were admiring a rare beauty.
Su Wen crossed his arms and smiled faintly.
He knew the old man would take the bait.
With the Inner Court's intensive training battles over, Su Wen had found himself with nothing to do…
(End of Chapter)