The Most Terrifying Episode of Second Grade, Don't Underestimate the Auspicious Beast

"Arrogant!"

"Is he here to cause trouble?"

"Honor! The honor of Shrek must not be defiled!"

Hearing my brazen challenge to take on ten at once, the Shrek students were first stunned. After confirming they hadn't misheard, the crowd erupted in fury, faces flushed red and necks bulging as spittle flew three meters.

"Senior Saint Spirit, I can handle ten in a one-on-one, right?"

Zhao Xuanzhen casually stretched his limbs, completely ignoring the gazes that wished they could devour him alive. He wasn't here to be a model student—he was here to make Shrek students experience what a true monster was!

"Specialty showcase, your call." Ya Li waved a hand, maintaining her gentle smile.

Seeing that the chief examiner Ya Li had already approved this unevenly matched battle, Swan Mo Jue gazed across at the handsome young man opposite and lowered her voice to her teammates:

"Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen, newly ascended to fifth on the Young Genius List. At the opening ceremony of the Tianhai Alliance Competition, he led the unknown Eastsea Academy to defeat the Shrek Team formed by Yu Yuanheng and Ning Xian.

I've watched that battle recording. Zhao Xuanzhen's combat power is terrifying. One-on-one, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's amplification, Yu Yuanheng barely landed a single effective blow, ultimately losing miserably to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's specialty—thunder.

A genius of this caliber is no fool or brute. He has the capital to take on ten. Don't let anger cloud your judgment. Follow my lead.

I'll use curses to weaken Zhao Xuanzhen's combat power from range. Zhou Xin has the strongest attack. Everyone else, press forward and buy Zhou Xin the time to finish this in one strike."

"Yes, Sister Mo!"

While the other Shrek students felt insulted, Mo Jue was the only one who remained clear-headed and calm, quickly steadying morale and arranging their tactics.

All were second-year Shrek students. As vice class monitor, Mo Jue held considerable authority within the class, and everyone clearly trusted her, their strength united as one!

"Their aura seems to have shifted. Don't capsize." Na'er teased.

"Say something auspicious next time."

Zhao Xuanzhen shot her an exasperated glare, then flickered, landing thirty meters from the Shrek students.

"Assessment begins!"

With Ya Li's command, the eleven on both sides released their soul rings. The moment Zhao Xuanzhen's three Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, the Shrek students' eyelids twitched involuntarily.

At the same time, the ten Shrek students revealed their cultivation levels. Swan Mo Jue was a Four Ring Soul Ancestor, her four purple soul rings radiating a noble luster. Black feathers spread from her hair down to her chest, her aura turning viscous and dark.

Top-tier martial soul, Black Swan—specializing in curses and ranged attacks.

Besides Mo Jue, the Shrek students also had another Soul Ancestor, Zhou Xin, with a soul ring configuration of two yellow and two purple. A platinum longbow rose in his hands, his right hand resting on the bowstring as his spirit, energy, and mind surged at an astonishing rate!

Heavy Light Bow—an extremely specialized tool martial soul with no defensive or control capabilities, only attack pushed to its absolute limit!

"Go!"

Mo Jue's cold shout rang out. Zhou Xin stood his ground, channeling energy into the Heavy Light Bow. The remaining eight Soul Elders charged like beasts unleashed from their cages, soul rings blazing as they surrounded Zhao Xuanzhen from all directions!

Shrek Academy recruits once every three years, taking only about a hundred students per batch. Those who passed the assessment all had their own tricks. At the forefront was a phantom-like black shadow—the Ghost Tiger Soul Elder!

A skull burning with black fire drifted above Zhao Xuanzhen's head. The Black Swan's curse arrived at just the right moment. The Ghost Tiger Soul Elder sneered coldly, his charging body flickering as he split into three indistinguishable doppelgangers!

Third Soul Skill, Ghost Shadow Doppelganger!

"Roar—"

A tiger's roar shook the sky. The Ghost Tiger charged forward without hesitation. In his line of sight, Zhao Xuanzhen's pitch-black third soul ring blazed with intense light. His black hair turned crystalline white, and his body became as translucent as glass.

Half a second later, the Ghost Tiger Soul Elder's expression twisted into terror. He saw Zhao Xuanzhen's pupils fixed squarely on his true body. White light flashed, and Zhao Xuanzhen's explosive speed surpassed even this agility-type soul master!

"Boom!"

At such high speed, there was no avoiding it. The Ghost Tiger Soul Elder couldn't change direction in time. The two collided heavily. The Ghost Tiger Soul Elder's features instantly contorted as his abdomen endured a pain no living being should bear. His body flew backward through the air, curled up like a bent shrimp!

Punched into a folding screen with one blow!

The Xuanhua Axe Soul Elder roared as he charged forward, his axe blade whipping up a gale. Zhao Xuanzhen blocked with an empty step single whip, then stepped forward, hiding his fist in his palm as he struck.

The fierce, overwhelming force traveled along the axe blade. The Xuanhua Axe Soul Elder's hands went numb, his chopping power and speed plummeting. Zhao Xuanzhen twisted his waist, sidestepping through the axe's light, and the inch strength hidden in his elbow exploded violently. The Xuanhua Axe Soul Elder's towering frame shuddered, then collapsed limply to the ground!

In the blink of an eye, two Soul Elders were out of commission. Now the Shrek students finally understood why Zhao Xuanzhen dared to take on ten!

Arrogance required skill—and he had it!

His first soul ring lit up. Qi Follows the Heart coated his palms. His arms traced a perfect circular arc, a cross-hand technique locking onto a Red Tassel Spear thrusting in from an angle. As he twisted, the spear shaft bent. Zhao Xuanzhen's palm slid along the warped shaft toward that Soul Elder's chest and abdomen, a hidden strength shaking his soul power into dissipation.

The Iron Bone Barbarian Bull and Dark Nether Dragon Horse Soul Elders charged from both sides, trying to turn the tide. But Zhao Xuanzhen swept his arms in a blocking motion, then formed a single whip circle bridge, binding both in one move. Shifting into White Crane Spreads Wings, his palms struck toward their temples. The killing move, upon touching their skin, suddenly softened into a gentle push.

Both stumbled back several steps, barely steadying themselves. They exchanged bitter smiles and dispelled their Martial Soul Possession. They had felt Zhao Xuanzhen's restraint and wisely withdrew from the fight, becoming spectators.

Watching the humanoid tyrannosaurus wreak havoc across the battlefield, sending their teammates howling in pain, the two broke out in a cold sweat. They secretly wondered if this monster was even human—his strength and technique seemed born for combat, like a machine!

"Unparalleled technique..."

Ya Li's eyes sparkled with admiration. This was undoubtedly a one-sided battle. Zhao Xuanzhen's boxing was like art—every move full of grace, balancing beauty and power. Numbers meant nothing in the face of overwhelming strength!

The average quality of these ten was far below that of the Shrek Team, and they lacked the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's forty percent boost to three attributes. Against a group of same-level soul masters, Zhao Xuanzhen moved like a carefree dragon!

"Zhou Xin, are you ready yet?!"

A defense-type Soul Elder turned and roared, his voice so pitiful it could make anyone weep, punctuated by the dull thuds of him being beaten.

"Almost!"

Zhou Xin was drenched in sweat. The Heavy Light Bow could fuse a soul master's entire soul power into a single arrow, but this earth-shattering strike required a long preparation time!

Damn bow, hurry up and charge!

"Buzz--"

Suddenly, the Heavy Light Bow let out a crisp hum, as if platinum-gold flames were spilling from it. Zhou Xin's aura instantly became brimming with confidence as his four soul rings flickered in succession.

First Soul Skill, Break—penetration boost! Second Soul Skill, Swift—speed increase! Third Soul Skill, Explode—detonation on hit! Fourth Soul Skill, Radiance—massive light attribute enhancement!

"Even a five-ring Soul King would be severely wounded after taking this Aurora Arrow!"

Zhou Xin narrowed his eyes, nocked an arrow, and drew the bowstring nearly to a full moon. A platinum-gold arrow formed from condensed light blazed with dazzling brilliance, splitting the air as it shot straight toward Zhao Xuanzhen!

"Yin Yang Reversal!"

A black and white vortex spun around Zhao Xuanzhen. The moment the Aurora Arrow plunged into the vortex, it began to rotate along with it. Seeing this, Zhou Xin, drained of all his soul power, turned pale and let out a loud... WTF!

In an instant, he lost control of the Aurora Arrow!

"Go back!"

Zhao Xuanzhen activated the second phase of Yin Yang Reversal. The Aurora Arrow, now layered with Yin Yang airflow, veered toward Swan Mo Jue, who had been sneakily casting curses from the shadows!

The Aurora Arrow's power was extraordinary. Mo Jue's first instinct was to flap his Swan Wings and dodge, but he quickly realized the Yin Yang Reversal came with a locking effect!

Ya Li, Old Li, and the other judges watched dumbfounded. Absorb, rebound, and lock-on—the last soul master on the Douluo Continent with such a dirty soul skill was Tang Sect's Duoqing Douluo, Zang Xin!

Mo Jue's purple soul ring, ranked last among his set, blazed with light. A dark green spear materialized in his hand, its tip adorned with three skulls representing three curse effects: weakness, fear, and pain!

Black Swan's Fourth Soul Skill, Curse Spear!

"Boom--"

The two soul skills clashed, light and dark powers locked in an irreconcilable struggle, frantically eroding each other. The Yin Yang Reversal-enhanced Aurora Arrow proved superior to the original. Mo Jue plummeted from the sky, feathers in disarray, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Sorry, Sister Mo..."

Striking his beloved vice class monitor, Zhou Xin dropped to his knees, his brows and eyes filled with shame and regret. For some reason, Zhao Xuanzhen seemed to catch a hint of pride in Zhou Xin's expression over the Heavy Light Bow's devastating attack power!

Mo Jue and Yu Yuanheng had different cultivation paths, but both were absolute geniuses in their respective fields. Against a soul master like Zhao Xuanzhen, Yu Yuanheng had a natural advantage over Mo Jue.

The Black Swan leaned toward curse debuffs, better suited for fighting alongside powerful teammates while controlling the battlefield as the core. This time, the teammates weren't strong enough—even a clever housewife can't cook without rice—and Mo Jue noticed a fatal problem: his curses had no effect on Zhao Xuanzhen, blocked by some kind of will!

Mo Jue raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression grave. When he was young, his elders had told him that the Black Swan's curses struggled against soul masters specializing in mental combat skills. Those soul masters had unshakable wills, not easily swayed by dark curses!

"A natural enemy, huh..."

Trying to keep his expression calm, Mo Jue's trembling hands betrayed his turbulent emotions. A natural enemy to one's martial soul meant a lifetime of being second-best—a feeling of permanent inferiority that was far from pleasant.

Big Sister Mo Jue's combat power plummeted, Second Brother Zhou Xin's soul power was exhausted, and he was a traitor to boot. Of the ten Shrek students, only a scattered few remained. Watching Zhao Xuanzhen approach step by step, they gulped nervously, their fighting spirit completely shattered, faces full of terror.

The scariest episode yet!

"Fight over."

Continuing would be pointless. Ya Li called the match, gently waving her delicate hand. Starlike specks of life light descended into everyone's bodies, healing the wounds left by the battle.

"Fourth stage, specialty assessment, and eighth stage, comprehensive combat—full marks."

Ya Li looked at Zhao Xuanzhen and gave a slight nod of approval.

The assessment continued. The fifth stage tested second professions, with a maximum of three points for a third-rank certification.

Na'er was a Fourth Rank Mecha Repairer, and Zhao Xuanzhen was a fourth-rank in all three second professions. Both easily earned full marks.

The sixth stage was food intake. Soul power was forbidden; they had to rely on their natural appetite. Within thirty minutes, eating fifteen steamed buns was a pass, with an extra point for every five more. Helping each other was allowed.

Two massive trays stacked with a mountain of buns were brought out. Ya Li and the other examiners thought this test, unrelated to combat power, would give the two trouble. Then something shocking happened.

Na'er immediately demonstrated eating one bun in three bites, chomping away noisily. The bun mountain visibly collapsed!

At this point, any smart person would ask: Did Zhao Xuanzhen eat?

Of course not!

Two trays of buns weren't even enough for Na'er alone. Zhao Xuanzhen didn't dare reach out, afraid Na'er would bite him for guarding her food!

By the thirty-minute mark, Na'er had downed two hundred buns in one go. Happily patting her flat little stomach, she declared she was only thirty percent full!

The seventh stage was endurance testing, with three items and no time limit: a ten-thousand-meter run, one thousand fifty-kilogram squats, and one thousand pull-ups. Full marks required completing everything within an hour.

An Original Martial Soul's physique needed no explanation. Zhao Xuanzhen breezed through it. Na'er also had little trouble—her physical fitness was exceptional, even surpassing Gu Yue, who had inherited seventy percent of the Silver Dragon King's power.

Zhao Xuanzhen figured it was related to her appetite. Even if the Silver Dragon King's physique wasn't as strong as the Golden Dragon King's, it far exceeded ninety-nine percent of Douluo Continent's soul beasts. Na'er's extraordinary appetite was, in a way, a manifestation of inheriting the Silver Dragon King's physical abilities.

The eighth stage was comprehensive combat. The batch of examinees was swapped out, no longer Mo Jue's group. Zhao Xuanzhen had already earned full marks alongside the fourth stage, so only Na'er needed to take the test.

Na'er casually pointed and picked the weakest single-combat soul master among the ten Shrek students—a tool martial soul, the Soul Seizing Bell, specializing in mental control.

That guy's mental strength wasn't even as high as Na'er's. He tossed out three soul skills without so much as a sound in response, and nearly got himself impaled by the Silver Dragon Spear. At the last moment, Ya Li intervened to save him.

As of now, both had perfect scores on all eight assessments!

A smile graced Saint Spirit Douluo Yali's beautiful face. She had expected outstanding results when she let them take the assessment, which would give Yun Ming an excuse to fend off those stubborn Poseidon Pavilion elders.

Every Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was a treasure of Shrek Academy, not easily obtained. Though Yun Ming was the Sea God Pavilion Master, he couldn't decide everything at Shrek Academy. Above him still stood Light and Dark Douluo Long Yeyue.

The widow of the previous Sea God Pavilion Master, over two hundred years old, Light and Dark Douluo had already made her name across the Douluo Continent before Qingtian Douluo was even born. Long Yeyue was like Shrek Academy's empress dowager—what she strongly opposed, Yun Ming had great difficulty accomplishing.

Unlike all previous assessments, the Ninth Pass was a dimly lit room with no ornate decorations. The interior was constructed from metal, with Soul Guidance Screens hanging on the walls.

"The Ninth Pass is called the Survival Test. The environment is quite similar to the Spirit Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform, and the soul beasts here are real. Killing them allows you to absorb Soul Rings, and you may also obtain other spoils of war."

A middle-aged teacher spoke with a meaningful tone, gave a few instructions, then walked to the side and pressed a button.

The two appeared in a dense primitive forest. Zhao Xuanzhen knew what to expect from the Ninth Pass—a classic test of human nature. Na'er, however, was completely unaware and marveled at Shrek possessing high-end technology comparable to the Spirit Pagoda.

The veteran actor Darkgold Fearclaw Bear and the Three Eyed Golden Lion were locked in a fierce battle. These two super Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were not enemies they could face. Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er left the battle zone and found a dark cave.

"Roar—"

A juvenile cry came from deep within the cave. A beam of golden light shot toward them. Na'er's gaze sharpened as she slashed out a spear light with the Silver Dragon Spear, sending the golden light crashing into the stone wall beside them.

The golden light was a Three Eyed Golden Lion, with a cultivation equivalent to a Ten-Year Soul Beast. It looked like a large dog, its third eye on its forehead not yet opened. It lay on the ground, its body twitching uncontrollably.

"A little Three Eyed Golden Lion!" Na'er grabbed Zhao Xuanzhen and ran over to the Three Eyed Golden Lion, her silver-white eyes sparkling. "It's said that a Three Eyed Golden Lion always drops a Head Soul Bone. And the Three Eyed Golden Lion head bone, like an External Soul Bone, can continuously evolve by devouring other head bones.

We're really lucky, but...

The Three Eyed Golden Lion is also called the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the only one of its kind in heaven and earth. Ten thousand years ago, it sacrificed itself to Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao. Where did Shrek get a Three Eyed Golden Lion?"

Zhao Xuanzhen leaned back in an exaggerated show of surprise, his eyes seemingly speaking for themselves: Classmate Na'er, is this the level of wisdom you're supposed to have?

Reading the meaning in Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes, Na'er puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish, flustered and indignant. "You're insulting my peerless wisdom, but I don't have any evidence to throw a fit over."

"Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare. At the end of wisdom stands King Na'er."

Na'er gave a light snort. "A great person doesn't hold a grudge against a small one. I forgive you.

Now what do we do? Is this little Three Eyed Golden Lion real or fake? Can we get a Head Soul Bone from it? Should we kill it and try?"

"You really show no mercy..."

Zhao Xuanzhen realized that Na'er had no affection for soul beasts whatsoever. She'd kill the Emperor Auspicious Beast without a second thought!

"No rush. I have a plan."

Between killing and releasing, Zhao Xuanzhen found a third way to pass.

"Plan, come forth!"

"To tell if the Three Eyed Golden Lion is real or fake isn't hard. Think about what my soul spirit is."

"Oh, right! I shouldn't underestimate the bond between auspicious beasts!" Na'er suddenly understood.

"Tun Tun, I choose you!"

The Spirit Water Porpoise appeared with a Duang. Having broken through to a Ten-Thousand-Year soul spirit, Tun Tun's appearance hadn't changed much, but the yin-yang imprint on its brow had grown deeper, and its eyes were more lively.

"Tun Tun." Na'er rubbed the Spirit Water Porpoise's head and said with a smile, "Help us identify the Emperor Auspicious Beast!"

Outside, the examiners led by Saint Spirit Douluo Yali stared at the scene on the screen, utterly dumbfounded. We don't have an auspicious beast—how do you two actually have one?!

What kind of joke is this? Just argue properly like you're supposed to!

Zhao Xuanzhen had never released his soul spirit to assist in combat in front of others. Who knew it was a one-in-ten-thousand auspicious beast!

The Spirit Water Porpoise slowly shuffled over to the Three Eyed Golden Lion, its wet nose inching closer, sniffing the aura deep within its bloodline.

"Tun Tun, is this little one the Emperor Auspicious Beast?" Na'er pressed.

"No." The Spirit Water Porpoise established a Mental Connection and shook its head. "It has the appearance but lacks the auspicious energy of the auspicious beast clan."

Hearing this, Na'er clenched her left fist and tapped it against her right palm, cleverly declaring, "The truth is only one!

There's no Three Eyed Golden Lion at all—it's just Shrek's little trick to test people's hearts!"