Meanwhile.
In the boundless void...
A Great World drifted within it.
That world had no sun, moon, or stars, no mountains or rivers—only endless darkness and shadow.
Countless ninja-like humanoid creatures lived, trained, and moved through it.
This was the Black Shadow Kingdom.
At that moment, the Ten Ghost Shadow Generals of the Black Shadow Kingdom all raised their heads.
A flicker of emotion crossed their shadowy eyes.
Their King was furious!
They were the King's Vassals, connected to him in spirit.
They could sense his intense emotions.
And at that moment...
What they felt was a raging inferno of fury.
When the lord was shamed, his vassals would die!
Thus, the two generals who had already established a connection with the King, Shendu and Ika, reacted most fiercely.
Ika's face darkened frighteningly. He gripped the katana at his waist, his voice cold as frost.
"The King is angry!"
"Those mortals dared to attack My King!"
"Who do they think they are?!"
"Eight Immortals?!"
Shendu also growled furiously, his fists clenched tight.
"If we weren't so far from the King, unable to descend in our true forms, I'd tear the culprit limb from limb!"
At that moment, Tala, the leader of the Ten Generals, spoke slowly.
He was taller than the other generals, his armor heavier, and an unfathomable aura radiated from him.
He was the oldest being in the Black Shadow Kingdom, and the most powerful of the ten generals.
"If the King is shamed, it is because we have failed in our duty."
His voice was low, yet filled with unquestionable authority.
"Ika, this is yours to handle."
Ika bowed his head and dropped to one knee.
"Understood!"
He straightened, and his aura changed abruptly.
The katana in his hand began to radiate a black light that devoured everything.
The light was so deep it seemed capable of swallowing all things. Even the shadows around him trembled.
Then...
He swung his blade toward a certain direction!
Meanwhile, on the competition stage.
Zhang Zhenpeng drew a deep breath, preparing to bow his head and apologize.
He couldn't gamble with the futures of three children. If backing down could put an end to this, he was willing to do it.
But a second before he could speak...
An aura countless times more terrifying than the one Wu Changkong had unleashed...
Burst forth beside him!
It seemed to come from Another World, profound, ancient, and indescribable. The instant it appeared, the air throughout Tianhai Stadium froze.
At the same time, everyone seemed to sense that the gazes of several mighty beings had crossed distant star rivers and descended upon them!
Those gazes were detached and majestic, like Gods looking down upon ants.
Everyone bowed their heads involuntarily.
It was the worship and submission of mortal beings before creatures of a higher order!
The stadium, filled with eighty thousand people, fell utterly silent.
Wu Changkong's expression changed drastically under the pressure of that terrifying aura.
For the first time, a look of horror appeared on his normally impassive face.
Then he saw...
Ten masks appear behind the boy called Wang Zhi.
Eight were blank, one was red, and one was blue.
He remembered that this seemed to be the boy's Martial Soul.
But the aura it gave off now made his heart tremble.
The next instant...
The Blue Mask fell into the Shadow beneath Wang Zhi's feet.
A blade beam shot out of the Shadow!
Along with it came an angry shout!
"Do not harm My King!"
The voice crossed the boundless sea of stars and pierced the endless void, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Though separated by an immeasurable distance, General Ika's strike still rivaled an attack from a Super Douluo!
Space trembled wherever the blade beam passed.
Wu Changkong's pupils contracted. He tried to dodge, but found his body pinned in place, unable to move.
All he could do was watch the blade beam come down.
"Boom—"
The blade beam struck him.
Sky Ice Battle Armor.
The armor that marked him as a Two-Word Battle Armor Master was like paper before that single strike...
It shattered instantly!
Countless armor plates flew apart, vanishing into specks of light in midair.
Wu Changkong spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, crashing down at the edge of the competition stage.
He struggled to get back up, only to find he didn't have the strength to move a muscle.
One strike.
Just one strike.
A Two-Word Battle Armor Master, whose strength was comparable to an Eight Ring Soul Douluo, had been gravely wounded and laid low.
The crowd erupted!
But the next moment...
That terrifying aura vanished.
The gazes of those mighty beings vanished, too.
It was as if everything that had just happened had been an illusion.
But Wu Changkong's shattered Battle Armor and the pool of blood on the ground reminded everyone:
That hadn't been an illusion!
The stadium fell deathly silent.
After a long while, the staff finally reacted. In a flurry, they rushed onto the stage and carried the gravely wounded Wu Changkong away.
That day, the Skysea Alliance officially issued an announcement.
The Eastsea City team had withdrawn from this year's Tianhai Competition for personal reasons.
The Hailu City team would continue to compete.
The remaining matches held no suspense.
With Wang Zhi's strength far beyond that of his peers, Sea and Land Academy easily claimed the Individual Match and Three-Person Team Match championships.
In every match, Wang Zhi summoned just one Ghost Shadow Soldier.
One hit, one kill.
Clean and decisive.
No one dared underestimate him again.
And no one dared mention the "accident" from that day.
Everyone knew that standing behind that boy were beings...
Beyond description.
After the Tianhai Competition ended, everyone returned to Hailu City.
On the way back, Zhou Tian'er was extremely excited.
She sat on the Soul Tool Bus, chatting with Zhou Hanyou one moment, then leaning toward Wang Zhi the next to chatter away. The smile never left her face.
"Xiao Zhi! You were amazing!"
"Champion of the Individual Match! Thirty million in prize money!"
She counted on her fingers.
"Thirty million!"
"How many tasty snacks could that buy?!"
Wang Zhi smiled helplessly.
Even Zhou Hanyou, who was usually so cool and reserved, wore a faint smile. She was clearly in a good mood.
Wang Zhi was naturally more than satisfied, too.
The Individual Match champion's reward was the incredibly precious Thousand Year Whale Rubber.
Whale Rubber was a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type Soul Beasts...
It was highly nourishing for Soul Masters. It could strengthen the body and increase the capacity of their muscles, bones, and meridians.
This Rare Treasure wasn't necessarily available even if you had the money.
The Three-Person Team Match champion's reward was a Red Jade Shrimp.
Of course, the three of them would have to share it.
On top of these material rewards, there were monetary prizes, naturally.
As the Individual Match champion, Wang Zhi received a full thirty million Federal Currency.
The Three-Person Team Match champions received ten million each.
Just like that, he was suddenly a wealthy man with forty million to his name.
Wang Zhi looked at the balance on his Soul Guide Card, feeling quite pleased.
This sum would be enough to cover his cultivation resources for a long time.
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