Before long, the joint meeting ended, and Shrek Academy expelled two students who had been judged the least deserving of staying at the academy.
All the students at Shrek learned how terrifying the Student Union was. And if the Student Union decided to beat you up, they really did beat you up, so everyone behaved themselves.
On the surface, Zhao Wuji was the teacher in charge of the Student Union, but Jiang Huai and Flender were the ones who actually controlled it. Li Yusong was ostensibly in charge of the Shrek Inspection Group, but in reality, Jiang Huai and Liu Erlong held the reins.
Jiang Huai had established one principle for the Student Union: you couldn't use your position in the Student Union to start trouble. If you did, the higher-ups wouldn't care whether you lived or died. But if someone deliberately provoked you, then you should respond with overwhelming force.
Also, if you deliberately caused trouble and brought other Student Union members along to retaliate, you would all be expelled from both the Student Union and Shrek Academy, and struck from Shrek's records.
Early the next morning, Flender led the group to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena. They wouldn't forfeit today; they would continue competing.
Shrek Academy had a bye in the morning matches and would enter the afternoon round, so Jiang Huai and the others could continue managing the academy.
Over the past two days, the foundations had been dug for both the Student Union building and the Shrek Inspection Group building. Once the cement and sand arrived tomorrow, construction could begin.
Flender would be spending a fortune this time. He was using the best materials for everything, and he had also bought quite a few Soul Tools.
Flender bought a huge number of lighting Soul Tools, purchasing them wherever he could find them. He had nearly bought out the entire stock of lighting Soul Tools in Heaven Dou City.
Since lighting Soul Tools were the simplest to make, they were also very cheap, costing only a few dozen Silver Soul Coins each.
Soon it was three in the afternoon, and the Shrek group returned to the Great Soul Arena.
This time they didn't have a bye. They were up against their old rival, Canghui Academy.
Jiang Huai's strategy was simple: the simplest strategy was to have no strategy at all, and let Tang San and the others do as they pleased.
Jiang Huai assigned the afternoon's fighters. "Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, Jing Ling, Tai Long, and Jiang Zhu, the seven of you will compete this afternoon. Do whatever you like throughout the match, as long as you don't kill them."
Jing Ling voiced a concern. "Captain, if we do whatever we like, what if they end up crippled?"
Jiang Huai gave a cold, sinister chuckle. "Heh. It's a competition. What's a few minor injuries? Besides, Soul Skills are hard to control in the middle of a match. Our Soul Power is too weak for us to control exactly how our Soul Skills are released."
Everyone understood what they had to do. Dai Mubai, meanwhile, rubbed his fists together, eager for a fight.
Soon, everyone entered the waiting area. Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong took those who weren't competing to the spectator stands. Jiang Huai was still allowed to sit on a stool.
Qin Ming wasn't there this time, because Jiang Huai had temporarily handed the positions overseeing the Student Union and Inspection Group over to them.
That would also let Jiang Huai and the others focus on their match without as many obstacles getting in their way.
A short while later, Dou Dou entered the arena with a microphone. She called out, "Welcome, everyone, to the preliminary round of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament! This afternoon's first match features the dark horse of the Heaven Dou Competition Zone, Shrek Academy, against Canghui Academy. Canghui Academy has already lost four matches, and another loss will knock them out of the competition. Let us welcome both teams into the arena!"
Dou Dou spread her arms wide. On one side, Dai Mubai led Tang San and the others into the Spirit Fighting Arena. On the other, the seven members of Canghui Academy entered. Not one of them had reached level forty in Soul Power.
Yet the seven of them walked onto the stage with confidence. Dou Dou had barely announced the start of the match when the Canghui Academy team formed a circle, with one person standing in the middle.
The seven released their Martial Souls: seven different-colored gemstone Martial Souls. Their Soul Power began to merge.
Everyone watched in shock. Jiang Huai wasn't particularly surprised; he was waiting to see how Tang San would adapt.
The captain of the seven sneered. "Shrek, today we'll use your defeat to wash away our humiliation!"
"Seven Shura Illusion!" x7
The appearance of the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill stunned the entire arena, especially the three people seated in the judges' seats. Salas marveled at the person who had devised this Seven-in-One Fusion Skill.
Ning Fengzhi echoed Salas's praise, while Emperor Xue Ye felt that having these seven people represent the Heaven Dou Empire was a source of pride for the empire.
Suddenly, Tang San broke the illusion with a single Purple Demon Eye. He raised his hand and shouted, "Seven Monsters Riot!"
Tang San released Blue Silver Entanglement, and Dai Mubai immediately used Martial Soul Possession. Everyone began choosing targets at random.
Tang San and Jing Ling protected the auxiliary-type Soul Masters. Dai Mubai slapped the opposing captain right in front of him, hitting him so hard that the man nearly lost half his life.
Dai Mubai hadn't realized his slap would be so powerful. He was even more surprised that the opposing team had no attacking Soul Skills at all; everyone was running away.
The instructor from Canghui Academy immediately signaled their surrender. Ye Zhiqiu had no choice but to call all his students off the stage and concede.
Dou Dou glanced at the time. Shrek had once again broken the tournament record for the fastest victory. Dai Mubai and the others had finished their match against Canghui Academy in just forty-five seconds.
Shi Nian, seated beside Ye Zhiqiu, said to him, "Don't worry. I'll take care of Shrek's captain and that Blue Silver Grass Soul Master."
Ye Zhiqiu's eyes gleamed with viciousness. He wanted Jiang Huai and Tang San to wish they were dead.
Soon, Jiang Huai and the others were on their way back to Shrek Academy. Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang, and Flender stayed at the Great Soul Arena to continue watching the matches.
After everyone from Jiang Huai's group had left the Great Soul Arena, Shi Nian activated his illusion Soul Skill.
Jiang Huai, Tang San, and their companions walked through Shi Nian's illusion. Jiang Huai had already sensed something was wrong; it felt as if he were walking in place.
Jiang Huai quietly urged his Jinxu Longyuan Sword into action. In the shadows, Jiang Yi also sensed something was wrong. As a Soul Saint, she had been keeping track of Jiang Huai's presence, but now she couldn't sense him at all.
Jiang Yi panicked. She released her aura without restraint and began searching for Jiang Huai throughout Heaven Dou City.
Tang Hao was no longer with Tang San, protecting him. He had gone to the place where he had fought years ago, to sit beside the Blue Silver Grass that had become his wife and mourn her.
Heaven Dou City outskirts
Jiang Huai had been walking for a long time, but the scene before him was still Heaven Dou City. He'd had enough. With a sharp swing of his right hand, the Jinxu Longyuan Sword tore through the air and appeared in his grip.
Shi Nian casually raised a hand, thinking he could block the attack. But carelessness never ended well. Jiang Huai's Jinxu Longyuan Sword broke through his defense and severed one of his fingers.
Illusion shattered!
Tang San and the others emerged from the illusion to see Jiang Huai holding the Jinxu Longyuan Sword. On the ground lay a finger wearing a ring. Shi Nian clutched his severed left hand, veins bulging on his forehead.
Jiang Huai knew better than to fight someone whose attacks were so bizarre, so he took out a Highly Toxic Pill.
The plants around them withered the instant the Highly Toxic Pill appeared. Tang San, Gu Yue, and the others immediately covered their mouths and noses with their hands.
Shi Nian roared furiously. Jiang Huai flung the pill at him, while Tang San fired a Silent Hidden Arrow.
The arrow struck the Highly Toxic Pill, and its poison soaked into the Silent Hidden Arrow. The arrow shot straight into Shi Nian's head.
The Silent Hidden Arrow wasn't very good at piercing, so the arrow remained lodged in Shi Nian's head.
The arrow carried the poison into Shi Nian's body. He felt as if his head were about to explode.
Shi Nian clutched his head and writhed in agony where he stood. Jiang Huai covered Gu Yue's eyes with his hand, Tang San covered Xiao Wu's, and Dai Mubai covered Zhu Zhuqing's. Ning Rongrong threw herself into Oscar's arms, afraid to look, while Jiang Zhu turned away.
Soon, amid a series of screams, Shi Nian's life ebbed away. His body turned to charcoal and began smoking, though his head still emitted a faint glow.
Jiang Huai lowered the hand covering Gu Yue's eyes and walked up to Shi Nian's charred corpse. He casually picked up a stick and prodded it. The body immediately collapsed into ashes.
A Soul Bone had appeared where Shi Nian's head had been. Jiang Huai reached down to pick it up. "Hm? An Illusion Wisdom Skull Bone. And it's not low in age—it's a thirty-thousand-year Head Soul Bone."
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