New Moon's First Cry

The afternoon sun was fierce, bleaching the surface of the sea to a stark white.

The stands above the arena were packed, with even the aisles crowded with standing spectators.

It was Shrek Academy's first official match, and no one wanted to miss it.

The bulletin board displayed the matchup information—Round One of the Doubles: Shrek Academy (Yun Jingheng, Ye Xinglan) versus Haidong Academy (Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi).

A buzzing hum of discussion never ceased in the stands. Most people were talking about Yun Jingheng—a ten-year-old Soul Elder with two purple and one black soul ring.

In the Eastsea Academy lounge, Tang Wulin sat at the very front, clutching that file in his hand.

He had read it countless times, yet every time his eyes landed on the words "Soul Elder," his hand couldn't help but tremble.

Xie Xie sat beside him, his leg bouncing.

Xu Xiaoyan stood by the railing, standing on her tiptoes to peer out at the arena.

"Why haven't they come out yet?" she whispered.

Xie Xie said irritably, "What's the rush? They aren't going to run away."

Xu Xiaoyan ignored him.

She stretched her neck, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the entrance to the contestant tunnel.

Gu Yue sat at the very back, holding a cup of water with a calm expression, though her eyes were also fixed on the tunnel entrance.

Then, Yun Jingheng appeared.

He walked behind Ye Xinglan, wearing that silver-white jacket, his hair draped over his shoulders.

The sunlight shone upon him, making him look so fair he seemed to glow.

He didn't walk fast, his every step steady, forming a sharp contrast to the brisk, imposing stride of Ye Xinglan beside him.

Xu Xiaoyan's mouth fell open.

Her face turned red at a visible rate, flushing from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears, like a boiled shrimp.

She gripped the railing with both hands until her knuckles turned white, her eyes shining so brightly they seemed to sparkle with stars.

"So... so handsome..." she murmured, her voice soft as if she were sleepwalking.

Xie Xie watched her, his mouth twitching. "Hey, pull yourself together." Xu Xiaoyan didn't hear him.

Xie Xie took a deep breath and gave up.

On the field, Yun Jingheng and Ye Xinglan walked to the edge of the arena and stood ready.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi were already standing on the opposite side.

"It's you?"

Yun Jingheng paused, squinting to get a better look.

Oh.

It's them.

"Hello."

"Both sides, state your names," the referee's voice boomed.

"Shrek Academy, Yun Jingheng."

"Ye Xinglan."

"Haidong Academy, Wang Jinxi."

"Zhang Yangzi."

"Match start!"

The referee's whistle blew.

Ye Xinglan was the first to move.

She never waited; the moment the Star God Sword appeared, a golden flash of light was already slashing toward Wang Jinxi.

Wang Jinxi dodged to the side, his Bone Dragon King fists covered in grayish-white bone scales, and he threw a punch toward Ye Xinglan's flank.

Ye Xinglan turned the tip of her sword, colliding with his fist; the sound of metal clashing rang throughout the arena.

Yun Jingheng stood in the back, not moving.

His Moonlight Sword hung at his side, its tip touching the ground, three soul rings floating behind him, his entire demeanor quiet and still.

He occasionally swung out a Crescent Slash, not to attack, but to seal off Zhang Yangzi's movement paths for Ye Xinglan.

Zhang Yangzi's figure was as fast as a black shadow, constantly cutting in from the side, but he was forced back every time by the moon blades.

In the stands, someone caught on to the trick.

"Why isn't that boy moving?"

"He doesn't need to. Look at his moon blades; every one of them is sealing off the most awkward positions for Zhang Yangzi."

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi exchanged a glance.

They realized it—Ye Xinglan was charging at the front, appearing fierce, but the one truly preventing their coordination was the person behind her.

His Moonlight Sword strikes precisely interrupted Zhang Yangzi's offensive rhythm every time, making it impossible for them to form a pincer attack.

They had to take out the one in the back first.

Wang Jinxi suddenly retracted his fists and took a step back.

Just as Ye Xinglan was about to pursue, Zhang Yangzi rushed in from the side, crossing his dual blades to block and taking Ye Xinglan's sword strike head-on.

He was knocked back two steps, but he had bought Wang Jinxi the time he needed.

Wang Jinxi bypassed Ye Xinglan and headed straight for Yun Jingheng.

Zhang Yangzi also moved; instead of attacking Ye Xinglan, he followed Wang Jinxi as they both charged toward Yun Jingheng.

Their targets shifted simultaneously—focus fire on the one in the back.

Gasps erupted from the spectator stands.

"They're both attacking that boy!"

"It's too late to save him!"

Ye Xinglan was indeed too late.

She had just been stalled by Zhang Yangzi's block, and by the time she turned around, Wang Jinxi had already reached Yun Jingheng.

Her expression changed, "Yun Jingheng!"

Wang Jinxi's fists slammed out simultaneously, the scales of the Bone Dragon King covering his entire forearms, with bone spurs erupting and lengthening like two ferocious dragon heads.

Zhang Yangzi cut in from the side, stabbing silently toward Yun Jingheng's back.

One in front, one behind; one overt, one covert.

Yun Jingheng moved.

His second soul ring lit up.

A silvery-white light spread from beneath his feet, but instead of expanding outward, it condensed into a ring of light that precisely enveloped Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi.

Wang Jinxi's fists were halfway through their strike when he suddenly felt an irresistible force slam into him from behind, dragging his entire body forward.

The skill was interrupted.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi slid toward Yun Jingheng simultaneously, their soles grinding two white marks into the stone floor.

They tried to break free, but that force was as supple as moonlight, impossible to shake off.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One meter.

They were pulled right in front of Yun Jingheng, close enough to see the color of his eyes—very dark, very bright.

Yun Jingheng's third soul ring lit up.

He lunged forward—not running, but charging.

His body became translucent the moment he charged, passing between Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi like a streak of moonlight.

The two felt a chill sweep across their waists; looking down, they saw a tear in their clothes and a shallow red mark on their skin.

It wasn't deep, but it stung.

Yun Jingheng stopped fifteen meters behind them, the patterns on his Moonlight Sword having changed.

The dimness of the New Moon had transformed into the curved hook of the Crescent Moon Realm, a faint frosty-white glow emerging on the blade, with tiny ice crystals drifting around the edge.

The passive had stacked—Crescent Moon Realm, every strike imbued with icy power.

Wang Jinxi looked down at the wound on his waist, which was covered in a thin layer of frost.

That chill seeped inward through the wound, slowing his movements by several degrees.

Zhang Yangzi's situation was worse; his speed was suppressed by the cold, and even his shadow had faded.

He looked up at Yun Jingheng, who stood behind them, the frosty-white glow on the Moonlight Sword particularly striking under the sunlight.

Ye Xinglan had already rushed over.

She looked at the opponents and ran to Yun Jingheng's side, "Are you okay?"

Yun Jingheng shook his head, "I'm fine."

Ye Xinglan glanced at him, then at the frost on Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi.

The corners of her mouth curved up, "Crescent Moon?"

Yun Jingheng nodded, "Mm."

"Then... shall we finish them off?"

Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi: "..."

Discussing finishing us off right to our faces?

If the uncle can endure it, the aunt certainly cannot!

Screw them!

Wang Jinxi took a step back, and Zhang Yangzi stepped forward to meet the challenge.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder. The scales of Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon King spread from his arms to his shoulders, and a grayish-white layer of bone covered his upper body like a ferocious suit of bone armor.

Zhang Yangzi's Dark Phantom Eagle martial soul was fully released. Pitch-black wings unfurled behind him, and shadows surged from beneath his feet, spreading like a tide.

"Fusion," Wang Jinxi said in a low voice.

Zhang Yangzi nodded.

Their soul power erupted simultaneously, the grayish-white and pitch-black energies intertwining, swirling, and merging together.

Wang Jinxi's body began to change—pitch-black eagle wings sprouted from the bone armor, a segmented dragon tail dragged behind him, and his hands transformed into massive bone dragon claws, their fingertips gleaming with a chilling, cold light.

His eyes turned the same ghostly purple as Zhang Yangzi's, with dark glimmers swirling deep within his pupils.

Dark Eagle Dragon, their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Exclamations erupted from the spectator stands.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"

"Those two from Haidong Academy actually have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"

"Shrek is in trouble now!"

Wang Jinxi raised his head, his ghostly purple eyes locked onto Yun Jingheng and Ye Xinglan.

His voice became low and hoarse, like an echo rising from the depths of the earth.

"Let us show you the bond between us!"

He moved.

His pitch-black eagle wings spread, and he surged forward, hugging the ground with such speed that he left only a blurred afterimage behind.

The bone dragon claws plowed three deep furrows into the ground, sending gravel flying.

He charged straight at Yun Jingheng.

Ye Xinglan blocked his path.

She raised her Star God Sword, golden sword light meeting the black shadow.

"Clang—" The sound of metal clashing was so deafening that people in the stands covered their ears.

Ye Xinglan retreated three steps, her hand tingling.

Gritting her teeth, she launched her second strike.

"Clang—" She retreated another three steps.

In his Dark Eagle Dragon state, Wang Jinxi's strength and speed had more than doubled.

When Wang Jinxi swung his third claw down, Ye Xinglan did not meet it head-on.

She dodged to the side, the bone dragon claw grazing her shoulder and taking a lock of her golden hair with it.

She retreated to Yun Jingheng's side, panting, "Too fast, I can't keep up."

Yun Jingheng looked at the wound on her shoulder, then back at the charging Wang Jinxi.

He raised his Moonlight Sword and his first soul ring lit up. Crescent Slash—three moon blades were flung out simultaneously, sealing off Wang Jinxi's path of attack.

Wang Jinxi swiped his bone dragon claw, shattering the three moon blades as if they were shards of glass.

Yun Jingheng raised an eyebrow.

His third soul ring lit up.

New Moon Assault—he lunged forward, his body turning translucent, passing by Wang Jinxi like a beam of moonlight.

The Moonlight Sword grazed Wang Jinxi's ribs, leaving a shallow wound.

But Wang Jinxi's speed was too great. Just as Yun Jingheng passed him, he turned, his bone dragon claw sweeping across.

Yun Jingheng had no time to dodge.

The shield on his body was shattered, triggering his invincibility effect as the shield exploded.