Chapter Sixty-Eight: Sudden Upheaval, Something Has Happened!

When Wang Yan heard that Shrek had won, he rushed straight to Ma Xiaotao, struck her unconscious with a chopping hand, and only then did Muyang remove Ma Xiaotao’s mark. Dai Yaoheng carried Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao off the stage as well.

The next day, an incident occurred: the Body Sect approached Huo Yuhao and Muyang. While Muyang felt nothing about them seeking out Huo Yuhao, he was puzzled at being targeted himself. When he asked, the members of the Body Sect simply replied, “If you join the Body Sect, we’ll tell you, as it concerns some of our secrets.”

Just as they were about to act, Elder Xuan appeared and beat them soundly. When Muyang questioned them, the Body Sect revealed: there is someone in their ranks able to sense powerful soul masters across the continent. By eliminating those of high cultivation, the remaining candidates are either those with unique constitutions or possess Body-type Martial Souls.

Muyang’s physical strength already rivaled that of a Soul Sage, so it was almost certain he had a Body Martial Soul, and moreover, it seemed to be mutating toward greater power.

Hearing this, Muyang shook his head and said, “I am not a Body Martial Soul, nor am I mutated. I’m just someone whose body grew strong from too many beatings.” With that, he returned to his room.

After the matter ended, Huo Yuhao asked Tianmeng, “Can a body truly become stronger from repeated beatings?”

Tianmeng answered, yes, it can. Just as with forging iron: at first, a piece of iron is tough but can still be shattered by hammer and pick. Yet after tempering with fire and repeated hammering, it may deform, but its hardness increases tremendously. The human body is similar. However, if one truly tries to strengthen themselves this way without special methods, the body won’t endure, and without special means, the effect is extremely limited. Thus, it’s not recommended.

On the second day, the decisive battle began.

To everyone’s surprise, Elder Xuan appeared in the rest area. After Skyfury Douluo announced the rules for the final, the Sun-Moon team and Shrek proceeded to the stage. Yet Muyang felt a foreboding chill in his heart.

“Both teams, enter the arena,” Skyfury Douluo intoned, strict in his calculation of time, not permitting a single second’s delay.

On the side of Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, seven members emerged, led by their captain Ma Rulong. Behind him walked Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. Next was Mika, the Level Five Soul Engineer whom Huo Yuhao and his companions had encountered in the semifinals. The last three, also Level Five Soul Engineers, were known by Shrek for their distinctive features: Xiao Xiafeng, Chen Fei, and Gu Ling. All were male except Meng Hongchen.

Gu Ling, however, always wore a black cloak. Since the start of the tournament, he had used only soul tools and never a soul skill, even in defeat. His information merely recorded his name, cultivation of six rings, and an unknown Martial Soul.

Shrek Academy’s seven consisted of Captain Ma Xiaotao, Vice Captain Dai Yaoheng, Ling Luocheng, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Muyang, and Snow Empress (who now had four soul rings, just one shy of Soul King).

“The rules have already been stated. I won’t repeat them. Both sides, retreat and prepare. The match ends when one side can no longer continue.”

With Skyfury Douluo Huang Jinxu’s booming voice, “Begin!” the battle commenced.

As if by prior agreement, Xu Sanshi took the lead for Shrek, while the Sun-Moon team tossed a metallic sphere to the ground, instantly filling the arena with white fog.

The sole purpose of this sphere was to obscure vision—both teams’—and it was designed specifically for Muyang. Its mist could last the whole day, though it inflicted no harm.

Then, soul tools from the Sun-Moon team fired like a peacock’s display at Shrek’s position. Shockingly, to locate Shrek in the fog, they had brought a detection soul tool.

Snow Empress frowned, and with the release of Imperial Cold Sky, the surrounding temperature plummeted. Yet the fog remained, as anticipated. If the particles contained water, extreme cold would cause them to fall, so the engineers had purposely used materials that couldn’t absorb moisture, and whose freezing points were extraordinarily low, making Imperial Cold Sky ineffective.

Still, the low temperature slowed the soul power circulation of all Sun-Moon members except Meng Hongchen.

Dai Yaoheng’s fourth soul ring flashed—White Tiger Meteor Shower, an area soul skill, unleashed at the Sun-Moon team’s last known position. But without sight, aiming was difficult.

The Sun-Moon team activated their soul tool shields, and several meteors struck them, causing them to shake violently.

Xu Sanshi’s Xuanming Turtle Shell Shield gleamed with black light; Xuanming Power and Xuanming Shield Array were deployed together, blocking enemy soul tool attacks.

After this wave, Sun-Moon launched their second assault—soul tool bombs and light spheres raining upon Shrek.

At that moment, Shrek’s second offensive began.

A resounding phoenix cry pierced the air, and a dazzling fire phoenix soared skyward. Following White Tiger Meteor Shower, Ma Xiaotao’s strongest soul skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower, was unleashed.

Yet the collision was so fierce that the explosive power exceeded Xu Sanshi’s defenses, forcing Muyang and his companions to fend off soul tool bombs themselves.

To withstand Phoenix Meteor Shower’s might, the Sun-Moon team activated three layers of shields, enveloping all seven of them.

Everything proceeded normally, until Ma Xiaotao suddenly soared upward, her fourth soul ring flashing once as she charged straight at the Sun-Moon team.

Their detection soul tool sensed the intense heat, alerting Xiao Hongchen and the others to Ma Xiaotao’s approach.

Chen Fei’s Invincible Shield snapped on, blocking her surprise attack.

The Sun-Moon team fired another barrage of soul tool bombs, but at that moment, Xu Sanshi’s fourth soul skill flashed—Xuanming Swap—bringing Xiao Hongchen over.

In the waiting area below, Huo Yuhao bowed his head, golden light flashing in his eyes before returning to normal.

Facing the onslaught of bombs, Xiao Hongchen deployed a golden soul tool shield, grunting and stepping back, his face pale. The golden light from him was comprehensive in defense, resembling the Invincible Shield but much brighter and more dazzling than any seen by Shrek.

Yet he faced the relentless attacks of Shrek’s other members.

With Xiao Hongchen swapped in, Xu Sanshi was swapped out. In the instant the swap was completed, Xu Sanshi, boosted by Xuanming Power, slammed a Xuanming Shock into the ground without hesitation.

Ma Xiaotao’s second and third soul skills flashed, then her first soul skill—Phoenix Fire Line—was unleashed at the Sun-Moon team. This forced all their shields out and consumed a significant amount of their soul power.

Ma Rulong drew a giant sword from his spatial soul tool.

“Awaken, Sword of Judgment!” Ma Rulong shouted. His soul power surged into the blade, so intensely that rings of white light rose from his feet, coursed through his body, and converged in his hands before pouring into the sword.

“For they are darkness, condemn the heretics.” Ma Rulong gripped the sword with both hands, pointing its black blade at Ma Xiaotao.

Instantly, Ma Xiaotao felt a strange sensation; her crimson phoenix flames turned black in a moment, a chilling darkness spreading throughout her body. Even the suppressed evil within her surged forth, merging with the black flame and threatening to spiral out of control.

At that moment, Ma Rulong flipped the sword, its white side bursting with blazing brilliance, golden sword light reaching its zenith. The aura of light swept across the arena.

Ma Xiaotao screamed—the black flames on her body began to vaporize in large patches, and she felt as if the power of light was disintegrating her. The phoenix flames within her were collapsing, seemingly fleeing her body.

Indeed, this was the Sword of Judgment from the original story, but forced into play by the Sun-Moon team’s disadvantage. If they didn’t defeat several opponents with it, they wouldn’t recover their best state for later rounds. Of course, they had another trump card, reserved for the final moments.

The interplay of light and darkness plunged Ma Xiaotao into agony.

All her phoenix flames turned black, the evil fire within her surging violently under the guidance of darkness. The flames, once suppressed by Ultimate Ice, instantly became dark fires rampaging within her.

Externally, intense light pressure caused her dark flames to collapse, while internally, the fusion of evil fire and darkness raged unchecked.

“Boom!”

“This is bad. Xiaotao has mutated.” Elder Xuan, the Taotie Douluo, suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with uncertainty. Even with his vast experience, he could not determine if Ma Xiaotao’s mutation was good or bad.

He flashed to her side, struck her unconscious, suppressed her evil fire with soul power, and declared, “Ma Xiaotao is withdrawn from battle!”

But it was too late—the evil fire continued to surge. Muyang acted, tossing all the ice spring bottles from his soul tool to Elder Xuan.

Elder Xuan returned to the rest area, instructing Huo Yuhao to help suppress the evil fire with the ice spring.

“We’ve suffered a major loss,” Muyang muttered, though his heart was furious. Ma Xiaotao, though only a fellow student, had taken good care of him these days.

At this moment, Ma Rulong called out to Gu Ling, “Do it—make sure they can’t take the stage in the next round!”

Gu Ling stepped forward, gathering the mist from the metallic sphere. All six of his soul rings lit up.

The arena darkened around Gu Ling, nothing visible in any direction. At that moment, all Sun-Moon members except Gu Ling left the stage.

The Shrek team felt dizzy, and suddenly found themselves in a mysterious place.

Dai Yaoheng saw black creatures surrounding him. Instinctively, he thrust his hand through the chest of one, and its form became clear—it was the White Tiger Duke!

The surrounding creatures became distinct as well—all were the Duke’s trusted followers.

The White Tiger Duke looked at Dai Yaoheng with disbelief.

Because Dai Yaoheng had attacked the Duke, he was imprisoned. Those who once treated him well grew distant, until only Dai Yaoheng remained. Due to certain events, he was accused of treason. No matter how he defended himself, it was futile. He saw the Duke’s eyes filled with utter disappointment, his cultivation stripped, and he was expelled from the Star Luo Empire…

Thus, Dai Yaoheng was eliminated.

Next was Ling Luocheng. She returned to Shrek Academy, but her mistake during the tournament caused low-cultivation teammates—Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Beibei—to fall in battle. Her errors compounded. When she reached six rings, an eight-ring mentor led her and ten juniors to obtain soul rings, but they encountered a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

Aside from Ling Luocheng, all—including the mentor—were slain. She barely returned to Shrek, but the tragedy left her isolated, shunned as a worm. Years later, Shrek was destroyed by the Sun-Moon Empire, Ling Luocheng’s cultivation crippled, and she was cast out…

Ling Luocheng was eliminated.

Beibei returned to Tang Sect, but found a familiar face missing—Tang Ya.

Beibei searched everyone in Tang Sect, but no one knew Tang Ya, nor had any recollection of her. Even Huo Yuhao and the others seemed unaware of her existence, as if Tang Ya had never existed. Beibei drifted in despair for months, and just as he was about to move on, Tang Ya appeared before him.

But her identity was shocking—a sinister soul master who slaughtered a city for amusement, captured by Shrek for execution at noon. But before the execution, a swarm of sinister soul masters arrived, destroyed Shrek. Elder Mu was killed by Death God Douluo, Elder Xuan was slain in the siege by evil soul masters.

Tang Ya was rescued, but she killed everyone in Tang Sect. Beibei broke down…

Beibei was eliminated.

Xu Sanshi returned to the moment he first met Jiang Nannan. At that time, Jiang Nannan trembled before him, as if offering him a new choice. Because Xu Sanshi didn’t act toward Jiang Nannan, his Martial Soul didn’t evolve. His father grew deeply disappointed in him, and resented Jiang Nannan. Unbeknownst to Xu Sanshi, his father killed Jiang Nannan and her family.

Xu Sanshi collapsed…

Xu Sanshi was eliminated.

Snow Empress returned to the days of her transformation, but this time Muyang was absent. Snow Empress was captured, Ice Empress led most of the soul beasts from the Extreme North to rescue her. Though Snow Empress was saved, the Extreme North was devastated. Ice Empress could no longer suppress her cultivation, attempted tribulation, and died. Years later, Snow Empress also attempted tribulation, failed, but survived, her cultivation dispersed, forced to start anew.

Then humans launched a full-scale attack on the Extreme North. Unable to resist due to her lost cultivation, Snow Empress watched the Extreme North fall, all hundred-thousand-year soul beasts slain, and she herself faded into obscurity…

Snow Empress was eliminated.

Finally, it was Muyang’s turn. In a pure white space, Snow Empress and all his close friends stared at him coldly, even with hostility. One person led the chorus: “Useless, you can’t do anything right, yet you have such power. What’s the point?”

Snow Empress said coldly, “Liar, you wasted my trust and betrayed me.”

Amid relentless abuse, Shadow Muyang appeared. Muyang thought he came to comfort him, but Shadow Muyang gazed at him with similar disdain. “Useless, why don’t you die? If you did, this body would be mine.”

At that moment, Muyang’s faith shattered. No one acknowledged him. He realized he could only live alone; he shouldn’t have been born. He was worthless, deserved solitude. What was the point of living? He drew the Hundred Grievances…

In Muyang’s spiritual world, the crystal coffin in the sky suddenly burst open, the chains binding him snapping one by one. Shadow Muyang was alarmed, calling frantically for him, but it was useless; Muyang could no longer hear.

Hundred Grievances—unsheathed!

…

Today inspiration struck, and I’ve written nearly 5,000 words.

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