"Ahhh!!"
Dai Mubai charged forward with a roar. "White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
They were several meters apart. Xia Yan definitely couldn't stop him now!
Between the tiger fangs jutting from his mouth, another white energy wave gathered in his jaws. Fire!
Boom!!
The dense white light surged out and collided with Light Slash, exploding in a dazzling flash. The blinding radiance was impossible to block. Dai Mubai's vision was temporarily blinded, and the impact weakened his perception as well.
It worked!
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Dai Mubai considered whether to retreat or close in. He hadn't expected Xia Yan to have a ranged attack, too.
He had already suffered backlash from his Soul Skill.
He had to think carefully. One wrong step, and he would lose!
But what he hadn't expected at all was that the white light had blinded him, while Xia Yan had remained unaffected.
Just as Dai Mubai's vision returned,
a hand suddenly entered his field of view. It seized his right arm while sweeping at his legs.
In an instant, Dai Mubai felt the world spinning around him. "White Tiger... Body Barrier!"
A white barrier formed around him, bolstering his defense.
But he was still hurled away, slamming onto the grass three meters off with a thud.
Xia Yan didn't continue attacking.
The whole field suddenly fell silent.
"..."
"Phew..."
Dai Mubai lay on the grass, a faint white glow enveloping his body. He stared blankly up at the pale sky.
He could tell Xia Yan had held back. If Xia Yan had used a slash just now, he would already be down...
But it was precisely that restraint
that made Dai Mubai feel even more humiliated!
I've been defeated...
Defeated...
By an eleven-year-old newcomer, in just two moves?!
No...
I can't be defeated!
I can't be defeated!
Dai Mubai's pupils shifted. He suddenly slammed his fist into the grass and used the recoil to force himself upright!
His mismatched golden and watery-blue eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Xia Yan.
"Again!"
He roared and charged at Xia Yan in a fury, another searing white energy wave gathering in his mouth.
"White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
Xia Yan gathered Light Power in both arms again and unleashed Light Slash.
But just before Xia Yan swung his slash, Dai Mubai suddenly shut his eyes.
If he closed them, the light couldn't sting them!
He wouldn't be defeated by the same move twice!
But—
Before he could open his eyes, a fist wrapped in Light Power struck straight toward his abdomen!
"Urgh..."
Dai Mubai's eyes flew open, but the world spun around him once more. The sky and grass blurred before his eyes.
How could this be...
He lost all control of his body.
Thud!
His bare upper body flew backward and pitched onto the grass. He vomited uncontrollably,
and even trembled as he tried to get back up.
Unfortunately, he fell back to the ground.
Xia Yan dismissed the Demon Suppressing Pagoda and his Soul Rings. He hadn't used much strength.
After all, this was only a sparring match.
Though he was a three-ring Soul Elder, even an ordinary four-ring Soul Master wasn't necessarily a match for him.
Oscar stared blankly at Xia Yan. He had... defeated Dai Mubai so easily?!
What incredible strength...
Without blinking, Oscar slowly shifted his gaze to Dai Mubai. The usually overbearing Dai Mubai was now sprawled on the ground, vomiting...
Oscar's eyes filled with envy.
If only... I had strength like that...
"Ha ha ha ha!!"
Zhao Wuji clapped and strode over, laughing heartily.
He excitedly patted Xia Yan on the shoulder with all his might. His rough palm was bigger than Xia Yan's head.
"Good lad!"
"My name's Zhao Wuji. I'm the Vice Dean of Shrek Academy. If you ever want to spar, come find me!"
An eleven-year-old, level-thirty-five control-type Soul Elder—
a peerless genius you couldn't find even with a lantern in hand!
"I won't accept it... I won't accept it!"
Dai Mubai's eyes were bloodshot as he shakily stood up, his chest heaving.
"Phew... phew..."
Acidic fluid trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Again!"
"One more fight!"
Even if Power Attack System Soul Masters were countered by control-type Soul Masters, there was no way he could be defeated so easily when he was only one level weaker!
He'd simply been careless!
Flender walked over with a stern expression. "Mubai, a loss is a loss. Give yourself another chance and you'll still lose. Xia Yan already went easy on you..."
"Xiao'ao, give Mubai a meat sausage."
Oscar froze.
"Ah...?"
"Oh, right..."
He pinched his little finger and spoke in a soft, girlish voice. "I Have a Big Sausage..."
A short, thick Big Sausage appeared in his hand at once, almost as thick as three fingers held together.
It carried the distinctive aroma of sausage.
This was the Soul Skill of Oscar's First Soul Ring. It could create sausages that restored Soul Power and healed injuries.
He cautiously walked over to Dai Mubai and held it out.
Dai Mubai usually relied on his strength to act arrogantly, and he was never courteous to Oscar. He'd even made remarks that sounded like jokes but were really meant to put Oscar down,
so Oscar generally tried to keep his distance from him.
Flender said, "Mubai, being able to accept a loss is what makes someone strong. You've already lost. Eat a sausage and recover. There's no need to fight again."
Dai Mubai clenched his teeth.
He snatched Oscar's sausage and ate it, his eyes still fixed on Xia Yan.
"Fine... welcome to Shrek, new student..."
Just you wait. I'll win next time!
"This is your dormitory. What do you think?"
Flender pushed open the door of a wooden cabin. The door creaked as it swung inward.
Xia Yan walked inside.
The room was thirty or forty square meters. It had only a wooden bed and a set of wooden table and chairs; there was nothing else. Extremely simple.
"Looks good. I'll take this one."
Night.
The dean's office.
Zhao Wuji leaned back in his wooden chair.
"Old Miser, where do you think he came from?"
Zhao Wuji had already been stunned by Xia Yan's talent. Then his strength stunned him all over again.
A level-thirty-five fighting a level-thirty-four—
it was as easy as pounding a chick. He'd beaten Dai Mubai effortlessly from start to finish without even breaking a sweat.
With talent and strength like that, he could easily become the disciple of a Soul Douluo, or even a Titled Douluo, no matter which faction he joined. He could even go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The resources and connections he'd gain would far exceed what Shrek could offer.
Flender stood by the window, gazing at the full moon in the sky. "No idea..."
"But one thing's certain: he probably isn't after anything from us. We really have nothing to offer him..."
Four days later,
Shrek Academy officially began classes. Since the newly enrolled Xia Yan was stronger than Dai Mubai, who had previously been the strongest,
he naturally didn't need to attend the newcomer classes.
He went straight into combat training, heading to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City to fight. Combat was the best teacher.
It could teach a Soul Master everything they needed to learn.
In the blink of an eye, another year passed.
It was once again the mainland's annual graduation season.
Xia Yan had spent a year at Shrek Academy. The academy was actually quite relaxed, at least as far as Xia Yan was concerned. Flender believed anyone who needed constant pushing to make progress wasn't worth cultivating.
So he generally just assigned tasks and set requirements.
The students had to work hard on their own to meet them, while the teachers made sure their cultivation didn't go awry.
The requirements were difficult for Ma Hongjun and the others, but fairly simple for Xia Yan. Still, he hadn't slacked off; he'd devoted all his time to cultivation.
Tang San had also officially graduated from Notting City and was already on his way to Shrek.
This was one of the few times Tang Hao had definitely left Holy Soul Village.
It was Xia Yan's only chance.
Taking advantage of the break, Xia Yan flew toward Holy Soul Village, west of Shrek. Since he and Tang San were headed toward each other, he worried they might run into each other on the road. So he first traveled northwest, planning to cover two-thirds of the distance before turning toward Holy Soul Village.
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