Trading Pieces

The Zhengtian Team, from captain Ye Wuqing to every last member, wore terrifyingly grim expressions. They had been filled with hope of defeating Shrek Academy, but now it was as though a bucket of icy water had been poured over them from head to toe.

Shrek Academy's waiting area.

"Alright, everyone, stop getting excited for now. We'll face even more difficulties next. We won the first match, but Xu Sanshi definitely won't be able to compete the day after tomorrow. His vitality has been damaged, and I don't even know how long he'll need to recover. Nannan, if possible, could you take him back to rest first? This isn't suitable for his recuperation."

Ordinarily, Jiang Nannan would have refused without hesitation. But recalling the last thing Xu Sanshi had said to her, she somehow nodded and agreed. She placed Xu Sanshi's arm over her shoulder and helped him out.

"Competitors for the second match from both sides, please take the stage."

The referee's voice from the arena pulled Shrek Academy's group out of their excitement. Their gazes instinctively turned toward Ye Qingchen, and even Wang Yan did the same.

"We won the first match, so we already hold the initiative. What we hope for most now is for them to impulsively send out two Soul Kings, or their captain, in the second match. He Caitou, Xiao Xiao, you two will take the field for the second match. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. Do your best while ensuring your own safety."

He Caitou and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance and immediately understood the intention. They were clearly prepared to abandon this second match. Sending them out was merely to wear down at least one of the opponent's Soul Kings. However, the fighting spirit in He Caitou and Xiao Xiao's hearts was no less than that of their companions.

"I know you're unwilling to accept this. But for the final victory, someone has to do what must be done. Remember this: no matter what, you must come back to me alive and kicking. Always remember that you are the pride of our Cold Sect."

"Good luck. Shrek's glory belongs to all of us." He Caitou and Xiao Xiao headed onto the stage together.

As he watched the arena, Ye Qingchen gradually furrowed his brow, his expression growing increasingly grave.

When He Caitou and Xiao Xiao stepped onto the stage, the seemingly honest and simple He Caitou immediately did exactly what Xu Sanshi had done. He called loudly to the two Zhengtian Academy members already on the stage opposite them, "Shrek Academy, He Caitou."

Xiao Xiao instinctively followed. "Xiao Xiao."

The two Zhengtian Team members across from them both showed noticeably unusual expressions upon seeing He Caitou. "Zhengtian Academy, Tang Xiaolei." "Zhengtian Academy, Blood Wolf."

The two Zhengtian Academy members each announced their names. Tang Xiaolei was tall and upright, though not particularly muscular. However, his eyes were exceptionally spirited, and there seemed to be a faint purple gleam flickering deep within them.

The referee gestured for both sides to retreat to the edges of the arena. Raising his right hand, he shouted, "Match begin!" Both sides released their martial souls at once. Xiao Xiao's two yellow hundred-year soul rings finally appeared on the arena floor beneath countless watching eyes, with nowhere left to hide.

The instant the referee declared the match started, He Caitou took a large step forward. He directly assumed a half-crouching stance, and a massive, pitch-black cannon barrel two meters long appeared on his right shoulder.

The referee was initially startled, but quickly abandoned the thought of stopping him. Intense white light had begun to shine from the cannon's muzzle, clearly a sign of Soul Power gathering. This showed that it was not a fixed-installation Soul Tool cannon, but an energy-gathering Soul Tool cannon.

Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's resting area.

"Th-that is? It can't be... a Super Energy Cannon? Shrek Academy has actually developed a Super Energy Cannon already? But can a four-ring Soul Ancestor like him use that kind of Soul Tool?" Ma Rulong said in shock.

Elder Ma frowned deeply and muttered to himself, "It seems we've underestimated Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department all along. Their research capabilities don't appear to be as poor as they look on the surface."

Blood Wolf let out a wild roar and pushed off with both legs, charging forward like a gust of wind. As he rushed ahead, his body began to change violently. His first soul ring was already flashing.

"Wolf Transformation."

For beast martial soul masters, the greater the changes to their bodies when they unleashed their martial souls, and the closer those changes brought them to their martial souls, the stronger their abilities became. Unlike Blood Wolf's rapid charge, Tang Xiaolei's bright eyes instantly turned luminous purple, as though purple flames were spilling from his eye sockets. He raised his left hand, and a greatbow appeared in his grasp. He was the Soul King in this match. Two yellow and three purple soul rings shone around him.

The ornate bow was drawn back like lightning. Tang Xiaolei's wrist seemed to move only once before a yellow streak of light flew from the string, arriving before He Caitou almost instantly. It was not aimed at He Caitou himself, but at the barrel of the Super Energy Cannon on his shoulder.

He Caitou had not yet finished gathering energy. He could not move, nor could he dodge. Blood Wolf's mad dash had already crossed fifty meters. In no more than a breath, he would enter attack range.

At that moment, neither Tang Xiaolei nor Blood Wolf noticed the little girl with only two soul rings step forward.

A large black cauldron appeared out of nowhere without warning, materializing a short distance in front of He Caitou. The instant that yellow light arrow arrived, it was the first to let out a roar.

The enormous cauldron seemed to have grown eyes, positioning itself at just the right slant to block the attack. A dazzling shower of sparks and an ear-piercing blast erupted against its surface, carving an alarming trench into it before the arrow veered slightly away. It nearly grazed He Caitou's shoulder before slamming directly into the protective barrier.

"Shhh—" A shrill whistle rang out.

"Eh? What precise judgment."

Tang Xiaolei looked at Xiao Xiao in surprise and drew his bow again. The arrow was still yellow, but it felt completely different from before. At the same time, Blood Wolf had already charged another dozen meters, his speed still increasing sharply.

"Woo—" A mournful flute melody suddenly sounded at that instant.

Their speed slowed by a beat. In that moment, both they and the representatives of the various academies watching finally understood why Shrek Academy had sent such a frail little girl to compete in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. This little girl possessed Twin Martial Souls and limitless potential!

After Blood Wolf's speed slowed for a beat, he did not immediately accelerate after his next leap to close the remaining twenty meters. Instead, his entire body lowered, taking on the posture of a predator ready to pounce and devour its prey.

This time, the piercing shriek released by the arrow became far more intense. This was Tang Xiaolei's second Soul Skill, Arrow of Rupture. Yet no one expected Xiao Xiao to abandon He Caitou and charge forward.

As Xiao Xiao rushed ahead, three streaks of black light split off from her body at once, arranging themselves in a horn formation. Though she was a Twin Martial Souls master with a promising future, at this moment, her highest cultivation was still only two rings!

"Senior Brother He, this is all I can do. The rest is up to you." He Caitou was the largest among Shrek Academy's group, while Xiao Xiao was the smallest.

At this moment, having such a little girl stand before him to face a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor, one could easily imagine how He Caitou felt.

"Xiao Xiao!" He Caitou clenched his teeth and released his Soul Power with all his strength.

Xiao Xiao's expression seemed somewhat cold, but intense fighting spirit surged within her eyes. At the most critical moment, she stepped forward.

When Blood Wolf saw Xiao Xiao charging toward him while his body was lowered, he actually felt a pang of dread. Was she throwing her life away? Was Tang Xiaolei's arrow so easy to block? Had she gone mad?

"Xiao Xiao."

The Arrow of Rupture drew near. Even Tang Xiaolei himself was moved by Xiao Xiao's willingness to face death.

At that moment, Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up. Intense white light suddenly rose from her body, and her two yellow soul rings seemed to ignite, blooming with dazzling radiance. Three Cauldrons Unite. They condensed before her and crashed directly toward Blood Wolf.

A state's most important weapon—the Cauldron's Tremor. Xiao Xiao's strongest strike.

Blood Wolf's movements were ultimately delayed, so much so that it was already too late when he tried to activate a skill. His entire body fell into a state of rigidity. Moreover, the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron rose directly into the path of the Arrow of Rupture, blocking Tang Xiaolei's lethal attack as well.

Boom—

Tang Xiaolei's first arrow had even been capable of piercing a small hole through the protective barrier. How could this second arrow, focused on destruction, possibly be weak? Its terrifying explosive force almost instantly blew Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron to pieces. The aftermath of the explosion directly struck Blood Wolf below, who was still temporarily locked in place.

"Ah—!" He Caitou let out a wild roar. A burst of blood mist exploded from his body, and the energy charge that should have taken at least five to ten more seconds was somehow completed in an instant.

Tang Xiaolei's mind trembled as well, but he was, after all, a Soul King-level powerhouse, and this match was of utmost importance to Zhengtian Academy. In an instant, he had adjusted his mindset, and the Violet Radiance Bow in his hand snapped open.

Three purple arrows formed a line, displaying a gradient of purple. The first arrow was the lightest in color, while the last was the darkest. By the time the three arrows reached the midpoint of the competition stage, He Caitou's Super Cannon erupted as well.

A majestic white light appeared above the competition stage. It was not a beam of light, but a white sphere. The instant it launched, a cross-shaped star appeared over Tang Xiaolei's body. No matter how he moved, the cross-shaped star followed him.

Tang Xiaolei watched that blazing white radiance expand before his eyes. The entire sphere was only about a foot in diameter. Yet at that moment, Tang Xiaolei felt as though he could barely breathe.

At this moment, the referee, who had been stunned along with the entire audience, finally fulfilled his proper duty. With a roar, the referee—possessing seven soul rings, one white, two yellow, three purple, and one black—suddenly surged in speed. His seventh soul ring shone brightly, and amid a low growl, a massive body as huge as a mountain flew sideways, blocking Tang Xiaolei.

"Success. Xiao Xiao, did you see that? I did it." The enormous explosion did not only erupt ahead of them. Three terrifying explosions also rang out behind He Caitou.

The entire competition stage suffered widespread destruction beneath the eruption of these two terrifying powers.

He Caitou collapsed onto the ground. He felt as if his body had been completely hollowed out, and the intense pain coursing through him had left him nearly numb.

As he fell, he tried his hardest to keep his face turned toward Xiao Xiao. To He Caitou, Xiao Xiao like this was unbearably adorable.

In his heart, the words Xiao Xiao had spoken in a voice only the two of them could hear before they took the stage still echoed.

"Brother He, do you have any Soul Tools with particularly enormous power that aren't restricted in use?"

"There's one, but it needs a long time to charge."

"How about we take a gamble? I'll help you buy time. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to buy you enough, but I'll do my best."

"Xiao Xiao. But..."

"No buts, Brother He. If we don't give it everything we have, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives. I'm a girl and I'm not afraid. Are you?"

"Of course I'm not afraid. I'm worried about you."

"Don't worry about me. I'm a member of the Shrek Team, not some little girl. It's settled, then!"

Struggling, he crawled toward Xiao Xiao. Hunching over, he used his broad back like a roof to shield her, enduring the dirt and stones raining down from the shattered competition stage.

"Little girl, I'll never let you protect me again. I should be the one protecting you!"

He Caitou felt wave after wave of dizziness wash over his mind. As his back continuously endured impacts from the falling stones, the light on the competition stage finally began to fade. The purple light weakened first, but it had still forcibly bored three holes through the protective barrier.

The white light on the other side gradually subsided as well. The body of a giant elephant slowly emerged. Without question, this giant elephant was the Martial Soul Avatar transformed from that Soul Saint referee. It was also he who had blocked that fatal strike for Tang Xiaolei.

At this moment, even the referee who had used his Martial Soul Avatar was scorched black all over. Watching He Caitou shield Xiao Xiao from the falling rocks in the distance, he sincerely wanted to give these two Shrek Academy students a thumbs-up.

Tang Xiaolei walked out from beside the referee, his face drained of all color. He simply could not imagine what the outcome would have been if that strike had landed on him.

The referee turned to glance at him and said calmly, "I blocked your opponent's attack for you. You have already been eliminated from this match."

Tang Xiaolei hurriedly replied respectfully, "Thank you for saving my life. But the outcome of this match..."

Just as he said this, amid the rubble and dust on the competition stage, a staggering figure climbed to his feet. It was Blood Wolf.

The referee leaped over the enormous crater before him and first checked He Caitou and Xiao Xiao's conditions. Then, through an amplifying Soul Tool, he announced in a deep voice, "As a referee, I should not have any bias. But I must say that, as someone who was part of that match, my blood was ignited by a certain spirit. I deeply regret that I was unable to become a member of Shrek in this lifetime."

"However, I must announce that the final survivor of this match is Blood Wolf of Zhengtian Academy. Zhengtian Academy wins. The score in the two-versus-two and three-versus-three matches is now one to one. The final result will be decided in the last three-versus-three match. Shrek Academy, you may send someone to bring your team members down."

The Shrek Academy members had already rushed onto the competition stage and gathered around their companions. Wang Yan took out pills and placed them into He Caitou and Xiao Xiao's mouths, then signaled for the others to carefully carry the two off the stage.

He Caitou nodded forcefully. "It's up to you now."

"You've already done very well. Leave the rest to me."

The competition stage had gradually been repaired. The referee had changed into a fresh set of clothes and returned to the stage. On the stage, he beckoned to both academies in the waiting areas.

On Zhengtian Academy's side, their final three team members slowly walked onto the competition stage.

Ye Qingchen turned to Bei Bei and Wang Dong and said in a somewhat peculiar tone, "It's our turn now."

"Victory is certain!"