Young Genius List, Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen, Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Cave Demon Spider

Skyfire Phoenix, Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen, Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Cave Demon Spider (4K)

The Skyfire Phoenix spread its black wings and streaked across the heavens like a meteor, leaving behind a dazzling crimson trail that lingered in the sky.

Leng Yaozhu activated autopilot and looked back at Zhao Xuanzhen behind her, a captivating curve forming at the corner of her crimson lips.

Two months! Did he know how she had endured those two months?!

With Zhao Xuanzhen away, Leng Yaozhu had found everything unbearably dull. She could not muster interest in anything, and every day she had waited for him to message her, "Teacher, we're back!"

Although Zhao Xuanzhen had not truly returned to the Spirit Pagoda and had instead enrolled at Shrek as an exchange student, Shrek Academy stood adjacent to Spirit Transmission Tower Headquarters. Leng Yaozhu could see him whenever she wanted. It felt like her child was attending university right at her doorstep, and she was already satisfied.

On the sofa, Na'er rested her little head against Zhao Xuanzhen, scrolling through news on the Soul Net with her Soul Guide Communicator. Her silver long hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her bare feet rested on the Flame Lion King carpet as its warm heat rose through her soles and warmed her body.

Serving as Na'er's human pillow, Zhao Xuanzhen tilted his head slightly. A giant eagle mecha painted with dark green patterns entered his field of vision.

It was the black-grade mecha used by the Shrek group for transportation. With the Exhibition Match's lingering issues resolved, Saint Spirit Douluo Yali was bringing them back to the academy.

"Zhao Xuanzhen, look!"

Na'er gently tugged Zhao Xuanzhen's arm, then held the Soul Guide Communicator up before his eyes. A news headline was highlighted in bold, eye-catching red, beginning with the words "Breaking News!"

Breaking News! A Major Talent Shake-Up—Young Heroes Rise!

"The Young Genius List has been updated!" Na'er said delightedly. "We made the list! Getting on it at ten years old seems like a record!"

The Young Genius List had been established by the Spirit Pagoda to promote the development of the Soul Master Realm and encourage gifted Soul Masters to continuously improve themselves.

Those eligible for the list were young Soul Masters under eighteen, evaluated from multiple angles such as combat power, talent, and secondary professions. There were only thirty seats. Anyone on the list could be called one of the most capable young heroes on the entire Douluo Continent, with a brilliant future ahead.

Zhao Xuanzhen took Na'er's Soul Guide Communicator and checked the latest Young Genius List. Before long, he saw his own name.

Young Genius List, Fifth Place: Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen.

"I parachuted straight into fifth, and Yu Yuanheng dropped to sixth?"

Seeing Lan Dian Yu Yuanheng immediately below him, Zhao Xuanzhen found it rather amusing.

Although the Young Genius List evaluated candidates from many perspectives, combat strength still carried the greatest weight. After all, every aspect of a Soul Master's cultivation existed to improve combat power.

A direct confrontation was the most important factor in determining rank. Zhao Xuanzhen had previously fought Yu Yuanheng, boosted by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, one-on-one and crushed him throughout the entire battle. Naturally, the Young Genius List ranked him above Yu Yuanheng.

He had not advanced any further because the Young Genius List considered Zhao Xuanzhen too young. He might not necessarily be able to defeat or surpass the top four, so he was temporarily placed fifth.

"Silver Dragon Na'er, twenty-first."

Continuing down the list, Zhao Xuanzhen found Na'er's name.

"I object! Why are you fifth while I'm twenty-first?!" Na'er said indignantly. "Am I not strong? Did I just lie down and win? Didn't I beat Ye Xinglan until she was utterly defeated?"

Na'er fired off three questions in a row, as if she wanted to reach through the Soul Guide Communicator, grab the staff member who had published the rankings, and demand to know why King Na'er was only ranked twenty-first!

Zhao Xuanzhen hurriedly soothed her and advised, "Don't take the Young Genius List rankings so seriously. They'll distort the meaning of our efforts."

Everyone played a key role. No one had just coasted to victory. Even Xu Xiaoyan had contributed aesthetically!

"That's beside the point. I can't stand being so far behind you." Na'er muttered, "More than half the Young Genius List is from Shrek Academy. I'll challenge them one by one in the future. I absolutely can't let you leave me behind!"

Hearing that, Zhao Xuanzhen could not help smiling. Whoever had created the Young Genius List truly was talented; it had stirred up the competitive spirit of the young. Looking at the names ranked above him, even Zhao Xuanzhen found them rather glaring, let alone Na'er.

"Hehe, Gu Yue is twenty-second, codename: Element!"

Having edged out Gu Yue, Na'er instantly turned from anger to delight. Especially when she saw the codenames Silver Dragon Na'er and Element Gu Yue, she laughed so hard that the Skyfire Phoenix filled with bell-like laughter.

Gu Yue had been the Silver Dragon King her entire life, yet her codename was Element. Meanwhile, Na'er had transformed into Silver Dragon Na'er!

"Next time we meet, I have to mock her mercilessly..."

Na'er committed it firmly to memory.

Besides the Spirit Pagoda Trident, Jiu Tian and Tang Wulin had also made the list. The former ranked twenty-ninth, while the latter ranked thirtieth as the gatekeeper. The two had been evenly matched in the Exhibition Match, and their order was most likely based on the outcome of the Forging Master finals.

Shrek Academy's first defeat in twenty thousand years had caused a massive uproar. In an instant, it had produced five young talents on the Young Genius List, much like the fall of a whale nourishing all things.

Na'er studied the rankings carefully, then suddenly said in surprise, "The top four are all from Shrek Academy. First place is about to turn eighteen and will automatically leave the list in another month. Doesn't that mean we'll rise one rank just by lying down..."

"Mhm."

Zhao Xuanzhen stared at the top four avatars, memorizing their appearances and Martial Souls as quiet calculations formed in his mind.

At sunset, two black-grade mechas entered Shrek City.

It was Shrek Academy's triennial enrollment season, and the entire city was exceptionally lively. The blow to its reputation did not seem to have overly affected Shrek's recruitment. Young Soul Masters eager to study at the Continent's First Academy filled the city, accompanied by their teachers and elders, forming a vast crowd.

The strong remained strong. Shrek Academy's resources were there for all to see, and those Soul Master forces with deep foundations did not care about so-called reputation. Just as before, they sent their own disciples and juniors, instructing them to cultivate and study while befriending talented peers. The more friends one had, the more paths lay open.

Both black-grade mechas had been designed as vehicles and possessed metal transformation functions. They descended from the sky, transformed into Soul Tool Cars, and continued toward Shrek's inner city.

The inner and outer cities seemed like two different worlds. Unlike the outer city's bustling crowds and clamor, the inner city was extraordinarily quiet. Its broad streets paved with blue bricks carried an antique charm, while shops lined both sides, retaining the wooden architectural style of ten thousand years ago.

"Scrreeech—"

Before Shrek Academy's ancient plaque, the two Soul Tool Cars braked. Saint Spirit Douluo Yali descended gracefully and looked toward Sky Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu beside her, her tone gentle.

"Yaozhu, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

"Next time, definitely." Leng Yaozhu declined politely. "I'll leave Xuanzhen and Na'er to you. Warn Cai Yue'er for me—don't cause trouble for herself or Shrek Academy.

"If they suffer any grievance at Shrek Academy, I'll personally come and demand an explanation."

Saint Spirit Douluo Yali was praised across Douluo Continent as its kindest woman. She had once overdrawn her body to save commoners suffering from a plague, causing her to lose the ability to bear children. Having known her for many years, Leng Yaozhu trusted Yali's character. As for Silvermoon Douluo Cai Yue'er...

That woman acted however she pleased and had an eccentric personality. In her youth, she had turned the Soul Master Realm upside down. Only under pressure from many sides had Shrek Academy dispatched high-level members to bring her back.

They were people of the same generation, and Yali understood why Leng Yaozhu had repeatedly singled out Cai Yue'er. She nodded with a wry smile, resolving not to let Cai Yue'er act recklessly.

Silvermoon Douluo might be unruly, but Sky Phoenix Douluo was certainly no soft persimmon to be squeezed.

The Phoenix sisters had stirred up storms across the world. Dark Phoenix Leng Yulai had defied all opposition and joined the Holy Spirit Cult, climbing step by step to become one of the Dark Four Heavenly Kings.

Sky Phoenix Leng Yaozhu carried the same mad blood within her. Back then, she had dared to abandon everything and offer to become a hidden lover. Later, after becoming the Spirit Pagoda Deputy Tower Master, she had continuously used her authority to shield the fallen Leng Yulai and prevent outsiders from harming her younger sister.

Therefore, although Leng Yaozhu appeared radiant, mature, and rational on the surface, older Soul Master powerhouses called her a hidden madwoman. If anyone touched her bottom line, she would become even more insane than Leng Yulai!

Yali could imagine it: if Cai Yue'er caused trouble for the two like a clown, Zhao Xuanzhen could make one call, and Leng Yaozhu might genuinely rush over and kill her!

Shen Yi and the seven members of the Shrek Team got out one after another. Looking at Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er in the distance, their expressions were incomparably complicated.

On the way back to Shrek City, Yali had announced the punishment issued by Poseidon Pavilion.

Yu Yuanheng and Ye Xinglan had been the fuse that sparked the conflict between both sides. For the sake of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Star Saint Sword Clan, Shrek did not expel them. Instead, they were placed on probation, and it would become more difficult for them to enter the Inner Court in the future.

Shrek Academy's Inner Court admission requirement was to reach Soul Power Rank Fifty and become a One-Word Battle Armor Master by the age of twenty-five. For the two of them, the limit had been reduced by five years. They would only be permitted to take the Inner Court examination if they met those requirements by age twenty.

Xu Lizhi, Ning Xian, and the others had suffered defeat in full view of everyone, severely damaging Shrek Academy's prestige. The difficulty of future Final exams would increase, and failing any one of them would mean no Outer Court graduation certificate.

After Shrek's crushing defeat, lead teacher Shen Yi could not escape responsibility. Under normal circumstances, she would have been expelled outright. However, Red Dragon Douluo Turbid World strongly protected his beloved disciple, and Poseidon Pavilion ultimately decided to transfer her to teach a Special Class so that she could atone through meritorious service.

After Leng Yaozhu left, Yali looked peacefully at the Shrek group. "You haven't had an easy time these past few days, have you? Go back and rest. Relax your minds.

"The punishment is only temporary. The academy has not abandoned you. It hopes every student can learn to grow from failure."

"Yes, Her Holiness Holy Spirit."

Everyone bowed together, then departed in different directions.

Yu Yuanheng lowered his head, his face full of unwillingness and hatred. Zhao Xuanzhen had gained recognition from the entire continent, while he, like a stepping stone, had become the biggest joke in the Soul Master Realm. Yet Zhao Xuanzhen was simply a BUG. Yu Yuanheng knew full well that he was nowhere near a match for that terrifying power...

Avoid his edge for now. Endure for the time being!

Yu Yuanheng would definitely return!

Ye Xinglan ignored Xu Lizhi's concerned questions behind her and stared intensely at Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er. She was a strong and competitive girl. One failure could not crush her resolute heart; it would only make her more determined with every setback!

Silvermoon Douluo Cai Yue'er was the Chief Officer for the New Student Assessment. Since Leng Yaozhu had already warned her in advance, Saint Spirit Douluo Yali decided, just to be safe, to personally escort the two to the Entrance Assessment.

After passing along one broad road after another, Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er admired the scenery throughout Shrek Academy. The Life Energy radiating from the Golden Tree nourished all things, and the vegetation was lush and abundant. No matter where they looked, they could see at least ten kinds of plants.

Yali led them into a circular hall over twenty meters high. A mural was carved into the dome: a pitch-black giant dragon circled through the sky, its pair of brilliant golden dragon eyes especially eye-catching.

The instant Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er looked at the Black Dragon, black light suddenly rippled across the dome mural. The giant dragon's claws seemed to tear through the painting, and wherever its tail swept, clouds burst apart one after another.

"Roar—"

As the giant dragon's golden vertical pupils lit up, the Dragon Clan's pressure erupted instantly. Its dragon scales gleamed with a profound black that seemed capable of devouring all light, while black mist seeped from between the scales and blotted out the sky. The entire hall echoed with the giant dragon's furious roar!

The Black Dragon's overwhelming pressure descended, yet the two looked entirely unaffected. Na'er patted her slightly heaving chest and complained, "You scared me! That was so loud!"

"Geniuses appear every year, but two monsters came this year."

An old man in a dark green robe appeared, surprise showing on his weathered face. "This old man has guarded the First Stage for a hundred years. This is the first time I've seen little monsters ignore the pressure of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King."

The dragon carved in the mural was the true form of the continent's First Fierce Beast, Beast God Di Tian—the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King. A drop of Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King blood had been mixed into the ink, simulating a fraction of Dragon's Might.

When ordinary examinees faced the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King's pressure, most were intimidated by its Dragon's Might. Those with Dragon Clan Martial Souls whose bloodlines were far inferior to Di Tian's were in even more miserable condition.

Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er were no different from usual, undoubtedly the first such case the old man had seen in his life.

"Li, as the First Stage guardian, how many points do you intend to give them?" Yali asked with a light smile.

Old Li gave a respectful bow. "Her Holiness Holy Spirit, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King's pressure had no effect whatsoever. This shows that both students possess outstanding Martial Soul talent. Naturally, they receive a perfect ten."

From the moment they entered the hall, Shrek's Entrance Assessment had begun. The assessment consisted of ten categories, each worth a maximum of ten points. Sixty points allowed admission to the Outer Court, while scores above eighty-five granted eligibility for early admission to the Inner Court, like Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi.

"Xuanzhen, Na'er, ten points for the First Stage. The Second Stage officially begins."

As Yali's gentle voice fell, she and Old Li vanished. The dome spun as heaven and earth overturned, and the scenery around them underwent a drastic change.

When the spinning stopped, the two stood in a desert filled with blowing yellow sand.

"It's a little like the Spirit Pagoda's Real Illusion."

"Indeed."

Zhao Xuanzhen spoke, and Na'er agreed.

"Boom—"

The attack arrived without warning. Sharp spikes burst from the sand one after another, their tips glinting with icy crystalline yellow light. Sand grains rolled down their grooves with soft rustling sounds, while translucent sticky threads trailed from their tails and wove into a contracting web of death in the air.

Na'er summoned the Silver Dragon Spear and swept its blade horizontally. Spatial Power shredded the great web, while Zhao Xuanzhen poured Qian Jun's strength into his right leg and stomped down fiercely. Cracks exploded through the sand, and a massive shadow hidden underground rolled out.

A spider-type soul beast. Its eight slender jointed limbs reflected the scorching sun, its carapace blending perfectly with the flowing sand dunes, and its bloated abdomen stored a huge amount of spider silk.

A cunning hunter—the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Cave Demon Spider!