Divine Beast Bloodline

Divine Beast Bloodline

Early morning.

After breakfast, Shrek Academy's reserve team gathered in the conference room. Following yesterday's rest and recovery, every one of them looked vigorous and full of energy, with their spirit, vitality, and focus all at their peak.

Today's match would undoubtedly be the toughest one they had faced since coming to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. They would be facing a powerful team led by three Soul Kings, while they themselves had only one Soul King.

Wang Yan looked at Ye Qingchen, Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong, seated in a row, his gaze sweeping from the first person to the last.

"Children, the crucial battle is about to begin. What we need to do now is pray that luck is still on our side, and that the next match will still be a team battle. But I also have one demand for you, one you must fulfill. That is: safety. I brought you here, and I hope to bring every one of you back whole."

Wang Yan spoke every word earnestly. At this moment, his heart was filled not only with worry, but even more with emotion.

Star Luo Square was as lively as ever. Shrek Academy would be competing again today—what kind of surprise would they bring this time?

In Shrek Academy's previous three matches, it could be said that every one had given the audience a different kind of stunning performance. Ye Qingchen's dominance, Xu Sanshi's formidable defense, and the team's seemingly scattered yet dazzling coordination... every aspect had left a deep impression on the spectators.

Shrek Academy would once again be the first to compete today, while their opponent had won their first two Round-Robin Tournament matches with ease. Judging from the performances of both teams so far, everyone believed this would be a clash between two powerful sides.

Upon entering the resting area, the Shrek Academy members could only wait for the match to begin. The members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had once again arrived at the venue. Without question, they had come to observe Shrek Academy's overall strength.

Seeing that Shrek Academy still had only the same few people who had competed the day before yesterday, with no other team members present, Ma Rulong could not help but frown deeply, feeling somewhat less confident.

Time passed second by second, and the sun had already risen high in the eastern sky. The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire arrived atop the city wall surrounded by his ministers. When he saw that Shrek Academy still had the reserve Shrek Seven Monsters present, he was slightly taken aback and muttered in surprise, "Was my judgment wrong? Impossible! What exactly is Shrek Academy trying to do? Why are they participating in this tournament with such a lineup? Today's match will test whether these young children are truly gold."

As he spoke, he seemed to be recalling something and murmured, "Ye Qingchen, fourteen years old. Huo Yuhao, twelve. Wang Dong, twelve. Xiao Xiao, twelve. The others aren't over fifteen either. But where are their main team members?"

The referee stepped onto the stage. A sound-amplifying Soul Tool carried his voice far into the distance.

"Third round of the Round-Robin Tournament, first match: Shrek Academy's representative team versus Zhengtian Academy's representative team. Both sides, please enter the preparation area. Captains, come up to draw the match format."

Zhengtian Academy's captain was a young man of around twenty. He was exceptionally handsome. Wang Yan had given them a detailed account of Zhengtian Academy's captain and rated him highly.

Ye Wuqing, nineteen years old. A top student of Zhengtian Academy. Team captain. Martial Soul: Golden Leaf. Level fifty-eight Assault System Battle Soul Master. Extremely powerful. In the previous tournament, he had already represented Zhengtian Academy as a main team member. In this tournament, he had become the academy's pillar.

Ye Wuqing's build looked similar to Ye Qingchen's. Unlike Ye Qingchen's easygoing manner, he appeared far colder. Only when looking at Ye Qingchen did a chill gleam flash through his eyes.

Their gazes met. Ye Qingchen wore a smile, though no one knew what he was thinking inside. Ye Wuqing's gaze, however, was like a sharp blade, as if seeking a flaw to stab into him.

The referee said solemnly, "The drawing begins. Both sides, witness it."

Everyone held their breath and waited for the result. At that moment, it was revealed. Looking at the draw, the referee announced loudly, "Shrek Academy versus Zhengtian Academy has drawn the two-two-three format. Both captains may step down and prepare."

"Next, I'll arrange the lineup. The tactics are up to you to make use of. I believe we have the strength to contend with our opponents, and the strength to claim the final victory. Sanshi, you'll go first." Ye Qingchen thought for a moment before speaking.

Xu Sanshi nodded. "I'll definitely win the first match. Either they knock me down, or I come back with victory. Who am I coordinating with? You?"

Ye Qingchen shook his head. "No."

He turned his gaze toward Jiang Nannan beside him. "Senior Sister, I don't know what grudge exists between you and Sanshi that makes you look down on him so much. But none of that matters to our current situation. I believe the two of you will definitely be able to work well together."

Jiang Nannan gritted her silver teeth. "Fine. I'll go."

With a flash, Jiang Nannan left the preparation area and headed onto the stage first. Xu Sanshi hurried after her, striding up onto the competition platform.

Wang Yan spoke at this moment. "Ye Qingchen, why have Jiang Nannan coordinate with Xu Sanshi? With Xu Sanshi's defensive power, wouldn't it be better for him to work with Caitou's heavy firepower, or with you?"

"Teacher Wang, he'll show us his true strength. Believe in him—he can win this match!"

After Jiang Nannan stepped onto the stage, she simply stood to one side. After following her up, Xu Sanshi surprisingly did not greet her or say anything else. He merely stood naturally in front of her.

The opposing side also sent up a man and a woman. Even their builds somewhat resembled Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan's. The female contestant was quite pretty as well, but unfortunately for her, she had encountered Jiang Nannan, known as the number one beauty of Shrek Academy's Outer Courtyard.

Xu Sanshi said in a deep voice, "Xu Sanshi. She is Jiang Nannan."

The young contestant from Zhengtian Academy said, "My name is Yang Yifan, and she is Yu Mengdi."

"So it's these two." Xu Sanshi immediately understood. Sure enough, one of this man and woman was a Soul King. It seemed their opponents had no intention of going all out from the start either.

Seeing that both sides had introduced themselves, the referee shouted solemnly, "Both sides, retreat and prepare."

As Xu Sanshi retreated, he spoke quietly to Jiang Nannan, "Nannan, I'll create an opening for you. As long as we take down Yu Mengdi, we win. You don't need to worry about the other one. I won't let him get a chance to attack you."

"Mm." No matter how much Jiang Nannan disliked Xu Sanshi, she could not act up at a time like this, so she answered quietly.

Both sides had reached the edges of the competition platform. The referee shouted, "Begin!"

Without question, releasing their Martial Souls was the key. Both sides completed the process in an instant. This time, Xu Sanshi did not have his usual lazy appearance. Holding the Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield, he charged toward the other side in great strides. Since Xu Sanshi was already quite sturdy among those his age, Jiang Nannan was completely concealed behind him and could not be seen from the front at all.

On the other side, Yang Yifan and Yu Mengdi released their Martial Souls as well. Although Yang Yifan looked tall and powerfully built, he was actually an Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master. With a flash of his body, he circled off to the side.

Yu Mengdi's Martial Soul was not so simple. The moment she released it, a pair of pure white wings unfurled behind her, radiating intense golden light. Instantly, Yu Mengdi's entire body was covered in a soft golden glow. Her sacred aura made people feel as if they wanted to kneel in worship. Golden light flashed in her hands, and a golden longsword appeared in each. These were not Soul Tools, but were entirely condensed from Soul Power. Two yellow, two purple, and one black—five Soul Rings in the optimal configuration appeared around her simultaneously.

"An Angel Martial Soul. Not bad, though it's still somewhat incomplete?" Ye Qingchen wondered whether he could revive those Titled Douluo who had fallen ten thousand years ago.

Zhengtian Academy also attached great importance to this first match. Among their three Soul Kings, Yu Mengdi's cultivation ranked second, surpassed only by Ye Wuqing.

The audience could not see Shrek Academy's problems. However, some perceptive academies had been able to notice many issues from Shrek Academy's performances in the previous matches. Zhengtian Academy's team was among them. Thus, when they encountered Shrek Academy today, they were not intimidated at all. Instead, they were filled with excitement.

When Yu Mengdi saw that Shrek had sent out only two four-ringed Soul Ancestors, she felt completely reassured. In her eyes, this match was already theirs. A Soul King against Soul Ancestors, coupled with her powerful Angel Martial Soul—she had absolute confidence!

With a flap of her wings, Yu Mengdi's speed suddenly surged. The instant she moved, Yang Yifan, who clearly had practiced coordination with her, moved as well. His body flickered as he lunged fiercely at Xu Sanshi from another direction.

"Nannan, don't interfere. Wait for my signal." As he spoke, the Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield in his hand had already been raised.

The moment Yu Mengdi attacked, she displayed the advantages of her Angel Martial Soul. Her first Soul Skill was called Sacred Twin Swords, a peculiar weapon-type Soul Skill.

Holy Radiance Cross Slash. This was the attack she had unleashed, carrying a sacred attribute. Not only was it powerful, but it also inflicted continuous burning from sacred flames.

Yang Yifan's attack was no weaker. As an Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master, offense was his greatest strength. As his second soul ring flashed, the foot-long dagger in his hand spat out a two-foot blade aura and shot like lightning toward Xu Sanshi's ribs.

Shrek Academy had always been the center of attention in the tournament. They had all watched Xu Sanshi in the earlier matches and were deeply impressed by this Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield soul master's formidable defense.

They had launched a fierce assault from the very start, determined to break Xu Sanshi's defenses in the shortest possible time. As for Jiang Nannan, who had always performed rather ordinarily in the tournament, they naturally paid even less attention to her.

Yet, facing the two-pronged attack, Xu Sanshi showed no panic at all. His forward charge came to an abrupt halt. Then, with the simplest of actions, he dismantled both opponents' attacks.

His fourth soul ring flashed as Mystic Nether Shift activated.

In an instant, Xu Sanshi swapped positions with Yang Yifan. Yang Yifan's dagger, originally aimed at Xu Sanshi, was now stabbing toward Yu Mengdi, while Yu Mengdi's Holy Radiance Cross Slash fell toward Yang Yifan.

The moment Mystic Nether Shift was unleashed, a hint of disdain appeared on Yu Mengdi's face. She raised the sacred sword in her right hand, and the Holy Radiance Cross Slash she had launched simply swept over Yang Yifan's head, falling directly toward Jiang Nannan, who had been exposed when Xu Sanshi moved aside.

Yang Yifan did not withdraw his dagger either. He smoothly bent backward into an iron bridge, and the blade aura on his dagger traced a crescent-shaped curtain of light through the air as it slashed toward Jiang Nannan behind him.

The only thing that felt strange to them was that Jiang Nannan did not move at all in the face of their combined attack. Yet she clearly had not been frightened, because her gaze was fixed on Xu Sanshi. There was even a trace of mockery on her pretty face, as though she were asking him, "Is this the protection you promised?"

That mocking glance from Jiang Nannan was like a fuse igniting a powder keg. Xu Sanshi's eyes instantly turned red.

"Get lost—" A nearly crazed roar erupted from Xu Sanshi's mouth. The Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield in his hand smashed heavily into the ground.

A powerful black halo instantly spread from the shield, covering an area of more than ten square meters. The intense vibrations flung Jiang Nannan away, while also enveloping both opponents. Yang Yifan's dagger missed, but Yu Mengdi's Holy Radiance Cross Slash erupted with brilliant golden light, seemingly about to break free from the encirclement.

But at that moment, the Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield in Xu Sanshi's hand suddenly blazed with light. Strange radiance twisted across its surface. Upon the dense, heavy tortoise shell appeared a dark green snake. With its appearance, the originally black barrier of Mystic Tremor abruptly turned dark green.

A violent roar erupted within the shrouded area, as though a massive explosion had gone off. The Holy Radiance Cross Slash, which had nearly broken through, was instantly swallowed. Not only that, but Yang Yifan, trapped inside, bore the brunt of it. His entire body convulsed violently, and he fell straight to the ground.

Below the stage, Wang Yan's mouth fell open when he saw this. He blurted out, "Th-this is..."

Ye Qingchen smiled faintly. "Though it is not ultimate, it is comparable to ultimate."

Huo Yuhao asked in astonishment, "Ye-dage, what exactly is Xu-dage's martial soul?"

Light flickered in Ye Qingchen's eyes. "A Divine Beast Bloodline martial soul—the Black Tortoise. Its Divine Beast Bloodline is even purer."

The students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy all stared blankly at the stage. Even the usually arrogant Xiao Hongchen had widened his eyes. "No, that's impossible. How could there be a Divine Beast Bloodline capable of rivaling mine? Haven't Divine Beast Bloodlines already grown so faint that they are on the verge of disappearing? If my martial soul hadn't mutated, I couldn't possibly possess a divine beast's aura. Th-this is the Black Tortoise?"

On the competition stage, Xu Sanshi, whose martial soul had broken through its seal and released the Black Tortoise, shifted sideways and once again stood in front of Jiang Nannan.

"I told you, I would protect you." Xu Sanshi's low voice had become noticeably deeper and richer, and the faintly frivolous air he usually carried had vanished completely.

Jiang Nannan's third soul ring had already lit up, but even she was stunned by the sudden change. She had never known that this shameless scoundrel, in her eyes, had hidden such strength. Though he still had only four soul rings, the aura Xu Sanshi now gave off was far beyond that of a four-ringed soul master.

The effects of Mystic Tremor finally faded completely. Yang Yifan, lying on the ground, had already fallen into a complete stupor. Although Yu Mengdi did not understand what had happened, she made the most decisive and correct choice at once. A direct assault!

The Sacred Twin Swords rose above her head, and her third soul ring lit up first. Golden flames rapidly surged upward, and the phantom of a six-winged angel vaguely appeared behind Yu Mengdi.

The instant that phantom emerged, Yu Mengdi's entire body was dyed gold. Her third soul skill, Angel's Blessing, could double the power of her next attack.

"Angel, God Sealing Slash!" Yu Mengdi cried out. The Sacred Twin Swords merged into one, and the sharp sword light transformed into a massive blade of light over ten meters long and three meters wide, slashing down at Xu Sanshi.

"Nannan, I'll buy you three seconds. That's enough, right?" Despite the enormous pressure bearing down on him, Xu Sanshi, whose Mystic Tortoise Shell Shield had evolved into the Black Tortoise Shield, showed no fear at all.

"Enough," Jiang Nannan said softly.

As he spoke, Xu Sanshi had already raised his shield. Then everyone saw the first three soul rings on his body light up simultaneously. Even more astonishingly, the three soul rings merged together in an instant, becoming a single black soul ring that radiated dazzling light.

Xu Sanshi's first three soul skills were Mystic Tremor, Mystic Nether Shield Array, and Mystic Nether Power. Now, with the three great soul skills combined into one, what erupted was clearly the might of a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

"Nannan, now." Xu Sanshi's somewhat hoarse voice sounded beside Jiang Nannan's ear.

Jiang Nannan's body vanished in that instant. Concealed by the brilliant light created when the Black Tortoise Shield collided with Angel, God Sealing Slash, no one could see how she had disappeared, or how she had appeared behind Yu Mengdi. Jiang Nannan appeared directly behind Yu Mengdi. Her body rose lightly, and she planted a foot against Yu Mengdi's lower back.

At that moment, Yu Mengdi was completely locked in a deadlock against Xu Sanshi's three-ring fusion ten-thousand-year soul skill, Black Tortoise Roar. She had no way to resist.

Kicked from behind by Jiang Nannan, Yu Mengdi pitched forward at once, bending into an arc. Jiang Nannan was nothing like her gentle, lovely appearance when she fought. She grabbed Yu Mengdi's flying long hair with her right hand and yanked backward, clamping her legs around both sides of Yu Mengdi's neck. Then she flipped backward through the air, and Yu Mengdi's body was flung away as though it weighed nothing, tumbling off the competition stage.

The entire process took only three seconds. By the time Yu Mengdi regained her senses, pain wracked her entire body, and she was already below the stage. The major blood vessels on both sides of her neck had been compressed, and waves of intense dizziness and nausea left her sitting on the ground for quite some time before she recovered.

As for Yang Yifan, there was no need to mention him. Before Jiang Nannan could make a move against him, Xu Sanshi strode forward and kicked him off the competition stage as though he were kicking a sack.

"We won."

Xu Sanshi's body swayed slightly. Only then did Jiang Nannan notice that his face was pale as paper. He was unsteady on his feet, on the verge of collapse, with traces of blood seeping from his nose and mouth. Jiang Nannan instinctively rushed forward and supported his arm.

"Y-you... are you okay?" Jiang Nannan asked quietly.

Xu Sanshi looked at her. "I'm fine. As long as I can fight alongside you, I'll always be fine. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my corpse first. Nannan, do you know? If it weren't for you, I might not have been able to break through the seal on my martial soul and release its true power."

As he spoke, his chest heaved violently. He gave another muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood. Then his entire body toppled toward Jiang Nannan like a collapsing mountain. Startled, she hurriedly caught him. Xu Sanshi was much bigger than she was, so she could only drape one of his arms over her shoulder and support him toward the waiting area.

"Two-versus-two, the first match. Shrek Academy wins."