Mu En, You're Old

On the arena, Xiao Xiao and Tang Ling moved like lightning. They coordinated flawlessly, one on each side, leaving their opponents no chance to react.

A flash of green light gleamed in Xiao Xiao's hand, and the Nine Phoenix Flute appeared. She raised it horizontally and blew, instantly unleashing her first Soul Skill, Slowing.

The gentle yet suppressive sound waves precisely enveloped the three opponents, making their bodies suddenly grow heavy and sluggish, their movements stiff and slow.

Taking advantage of the opening while Zhuge Yun was slowed and controlled, Tang Ling charged forward with the Wind-Thunder Staff in hand. Combining his fierce assault with Xiao Xiao's control, the two struck together and sent the caught-off-guard Zhuge Yun tumbling hard off the arena.

The sudden turn of events left He Caitou on the other side untouched by the Soul Skill, thanks to his higher Soul Power. He reacted extremely quickly.

Seeing this, He Caitou immediately raised his self-designed, fixed-installation, Level Four Soul Tool, the Sting Cannon. A cold glint flashed at the muzzle as he aimed straight at Xiao Xiao, Tang Ling, and Xu Yanli, firing one shot at each. The Soul Cannon blasts arrived in an instant.

Xu Yanli chuckled and swiftly released his Martial Soul, Sun Moon Star. Three kinds of power appeared behind him in a human shape, though he kept its twelve pairs of wings concealed, making others think it was just an ordinary humanoid Martial Soul.

At the perilous moment when the missiles were about to hit the three of them, Xu Yanli shifted slightly and without hesitation activated his second Soul Skill, Apocalypse: Holy Wing Guard.

Heh, he was doing it on purpose—deliberately shattering their hopes at the very moment they thought they could win.

The Sun Moon Holy Wing Barrier spread out in an instant, its golden Holy Shield firmly protecting the three of them at its center.

The incoming Soul Tool missiles didn't even get the chance to reach them. They struck the shield and were viciously flung back, their power wasted completely.

At the same time, Xu Yanli kept moving, closing in on He Caitou like a ghost. But his target wasn't He Caitou in front of him—it was Wang Dong, waiting for a chance to strike behind him.

With nimble movements, he slipped around He Caitou and joined Xiao Xiao and Tang Ling, forming a pincer in an instant and trapping Wang Dong in the middle.

With no other choice, Wang Dong spread her wings and took to the air. But the moment she rose—

Xiao Xiao's Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron had already descended from above. Her first Soul Skill, Cauldron Suppression, activated, and the cauldron's immense weight and pressure slammed Wang Dong down to the ground.

Wang Dong had no time to dodge as she landed. She could only activate the Light Goddess Butterfly's first Soul Skill, Wing Guillotine, and forcibly take Tang Ling's first Soul Skill, Wind-Thunder Kill, head-on. The impact staggered her.

On the other side, Xu Yanli's gaze sharpened as he prepared to unleash his third Soul Skill, Solar Flame: Holy Judgment.

A golden longsword, radiating a sacred aura, quietly condensed in his hand. He deliberately reined in the Angel aura within him, concealing its pressure completely. No one else on the field noticed anything amiss.

Just as Xu Yanli was about to attack, the referee rushed over in time and carried Wang Dong off the arena. The pressure had suppressed her, leaving her momentarily unable to fight.

At that point, only Xu Yanli, Xiao Xiao, and Tang Ling remained on the field, facing He Caitou on the opposing side.

Xu Yanli slightly raised a hand, signaling for Xiao Xiao and Tang Ling to retreat to the edge of the arena. Then he stepped forward alone and faced He Caitou's dense barrage of Soul Tool shells head-on.

With his sword in hand, Xu Yanli smiled at him. From an angle no one noticed, Xu Yanli's eyes shifted in an instant from gold to gray.

An indescribable aura of light surged into He Caitou's mind. He felt his soul struck by some kind of force.

He only blanked for a moment, and felt nothing else.

Xu Yanli's smile grew more excited, his eyes nearly brimming with glee. Flames were already gathering on his sword, ready to burst forth.

"Third Soul Skill, Solar Flame: Holy Judgment." Xu Yanli slowly leaped into the air, and his longsword descended from above, drawing near He Caitou.

The crimson flames instantly melted part of the Soul Tools on He Caitou's body, rendering them unusable.

Showing off Soul Tools in front of Kong Deming's disciple was practically asking for death. The flames didn't destroy everything; they only burned away the critical components, leaving He Caitou unable to use them.

After all, the Soul Tools on He Caitou's body could still serve some purpose if left intact. Xu Yanli intended to make them turn on each other.

Xu Yanli knocked He Caitou off the platform. Seeing the fury burning in He Caitou's eyes, he chuckled softly. "What, did you recognize who I am? Even if you say it aloud, who would believe you?"

He Caitou slowly raised his right hand, a glow of fire flickering between light and shadow in his palm. But in the end, he didn't use it. Xu Yanli kicked him off the arena.

After kicking his opponent out, Xu Yanli lightly dusted off his hands, glanced at the three people across from him with disdain, then smiled at Wang Yan. "Teacher, can you announce the results now?"

"Class One's Xu Yanli team wins this match," Wang Yan announced.

Where no one noticed, one figure of light and another of darkness, one black and one white, sat facing each other.

"Mu En, you're old." After a moment of silence, Long Xiaoyao let out a sigh.

"You're still the same, Xiaoyao. I promised you I would keep this child safe while he studied at Shrek Academy. I also hope that someday, after I'm gone, you'll help protect Shrek Academy once." Mu En lay on the reclining chair, a trace of helplessness flashing through his eyes as he spoke.

"Fine, but I have one condition. If this child ever leaves Shrek Academy, your academy must not force him to stay." Long Xiaoyao fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps this child will create a bright future."

After the result was announced, Xu Yanli slowly walked off the arena. He smiled, then left the freshman assessment grounds with the other two.

"You just said that big guy was from the Sun Moon Empire. Why did you say that?" Xiao Xiao scratched her head and asked.

"I was just joking. But Xiao Xiao, Tang Ling, do you hate the Sun Moon Empire?" Xu Yanli asked with a smile, taking the opportunity to find out.

"I'm not sure. My family has some ties to the Sun Moon Empire. Back then, in the Star Luo Empire..." Xiao Xiao lowered her head without finishing. Her hands fidgeted, and she looked a little wronged.

Xu Yanli smiled but said nothing. Instead, he glanced at Tang Ling.

"Me? I can't say I like it, but I can't say I hate it either. If the Sun Moon Empire can put food on my table in the future, I don't mind giving my life for it. What about you, boss?" Tang Ling poked Xu Yanli's shoulder as he asked.

"I don't really know either. But there are plenty of people from the Sun Moon Empire in my Xiaoyao Pavilion," Xu Yanli said vaguely.

At that moment, Xu Yanli kept rubbing two fingers together. Xiao Xiao's family background really did need looking into. By rights, a family with a Martial Soul like hers shouldn't have such humble circumstances.

He wondered if he could glean from her tone whether her family disliked the Sun Moon Empire.