One Year Later

Time flew by, and before they knew it, a year had passed.

Xia Ming was now seven years old.

With Shrek Academy pouring resources into him almost regardless of cost, along with Mu En and Yan Shaozhe personally training him, his cultivation had progressed at an astonishing pace.

Half a year ago, he had already broken through the level-twenty bottleneck.

Accompanying Yan Shaozhe deep into the Star Dou Great Forest, he had hunted a five-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape for his second Soul Ring.

On the day he absorbed the Soul Ring, his Soul Power had leaped directly to level twenty-three, officially making him a Soul Grandmaster.

Another half year had passed, and he had now reached level twenty-six.

At that moment, on a secluded training ground at the edge of Sea God Island, two figures stood facing each other.

"First Soul Skill, Red-Gold Transformation!"

Xia Ming's first Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet. Brilliant red-gold light burst from his body, his muscles and bones seeming to have been plated in golden iron as his aura surged.

Across from him, Zhang Lexuan's six Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—slowly revolved beneath her feet. The pressure of a Soul Emperor spread outward.

Her gaze sharpened, and her fifth Soul Ring suddenly flared.

"Moon Fall!"

A silver-white crescent moon suspended in the air was suddenly coated in golden radiance before splitting into two.

Two golden moon blades tore through the air, descending with piercing shrieks!

This attack was enough to severely wound, or even kill, an ordinary Soul King.

Yet Xia Ming did not retreat even half a step.

Red-gold light gathered around his right fist as he threw a simple punch to meet it.

"Boom—!"

The instant the golden moon blades collided with his fist, they shattered inch by inch like glass, exploding into a sky full of light.

Zhang Lexuan's pupils contracted slightly. She clenched her teeth, and her sixth Soul Ring rose sharply, merging into the full moon overhead.

The silver moon darkened, transforming into a black pillar of light wreathed in silver radiance at its edges. It seemed capable of devouring even light itself as it fell straight from the heavens!

"Sixth Soul Skill, Moon Eclipse!"

At the same time, her first Soul Skill, "Moon Attraction," activated as well.

Moonlight like a binding spell enveloped Xia Ming, restricting his ability to evade.

"Boom—!"

A deafening explosion swept across the training ground, and the blast wave sent dust and sand billowing into the air.

Yet when the smoke cleared, Xia Ming still stood where he was. Red-gold light flowed around him, and not even a corner of his clothes had been damaged.

Zhang Lexuan slowly lowered her hands from their seal, a complicated, bitter smile crossing her face.

"Let's stop here. I lost."

Her strongest Soul Skill had failed even to break through his defenses. There was no longer any suspense in this battle.

"You went easy on me, Sister Lexuan. I only had the advantage in physique and Soul Skills." The golden light around Xia Ming gradually faded as he smiled and cupped his hands.

But Zhang Lexuan shook her head, her expression earnest.

"A loss is a loss. There is no need to spare my pride.

"With the strength you displayed today, let alone me, even those Soul Saint upperclassmen in the Inner Court might not be able to defeat you with certainty."

Her tone was calm, but a trace of lingering shock remained in her eyes.

Over the past year, this had been far from her only spar with Xia Ming.

At first, he had been completely unable to stand against her. Now, he had left her far behind.

Even Zhang Lexuan could not help but feel a hint of frustration.

She was only nineteen, already a level-sixty-nine Soul Emperor. She was on the verge of becoming a seven-ringed Soul Saint and stepping across the threshold of high-level Soul Masters.

Even throughout Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year history, she would have been considered among the finest.

At the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, she would have been capable of sweeping through the competition and claiming the championship.

Yet all that pride had been utterly shattered by this child twelve years younger than her.

Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan was not someone who dwelled on such things.

"Enough."

Yan Shaozhe, who had been quietly observing the battle, finally stepped forward and interrupted their conversation.

"Lexuan is right. Xia Ming, your growth over this past year has indeed far exceeded our expectations."

However, his tone shifted, and his gaze turned serious.

"How is your practice with that combat technique Teacher recently taught you for controlling your strength?"

"I can roughly control my power now and adjust my output as I wish," Xia Ming answered seriously.

"Very good." Yan Shaozhe nodded solemnly.

"This combat technique may only be the icing on the cake for others, but for you, it is crucial. You must practice it well."

"Mm." Xia Ming nodded in understanding.

Of course, he knew how important it was to control his strength.

Compared to others his age, he was simply too strong now.

Setting Soul Power aside, while it was powerful, it only slightly exceeded what others could comprehend. It was still within the realm of understanding.

The most crucial thing was his actual strength. Zhang Lexuan's strength was already comparable to that of quite a few Soul Saints.

Yet just now, despite using every means at her disposal, she had failed to cause Xia Ming any trouble at all.

For a Soul Grandmaster, such strength was simply inconceivable.

If it were exposed, even within Shrek Academy, he might not be completely safe.

Unless Xia Ming made up his mind to remain on Sea God Island from then on and never leave, allowing Mu En to protect him.

Otherwise, the moment he left Sea God Island, endless assassination attempts would inevitably follow.

He was not afraid of anyone else. The only thing Xia Ming worried about was the Holy Spirit Cult.

If those two Limit Douluo truly abandoned all shame and came to assassinate a junior like him, even Mu En might find it difficult to stop them.

Therefore, Xia Ming had to learn to control his strength.

He had to make himself look like a genius rather than an overpowered monster.

"Very good."

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, his gentle gaze settling on Xia Ming.

He had always both admired and felt reassured by this young junior brother of his, who possessed such steady temperament and exceptional talent.

"There is one more matter." Yan Shaozhe shifted the subject, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament will begin next month. Junior Brother, are you interested in participating?"

"Me?" Xia Ming froze, genuine surprise flashing through his eyes.

Although his strength far surpassed that of his peers, he was only seven years old. He had never considered competing at such an age.

"This is Teacher's intention." Seeing his surprise, Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly and explained.

"Teacher hopes you can use this tournament to gain experience, see more of the world, and hone your ability to adapt in actual combat."

He paused briefly, his expression becoming solemn.

"With your true combat strength, you would be more than qualified even to serve as the captain of the main team.

"But Teacher specifically instructed that you must suppress your power. To outsiders, you must not display strength beyond that of an assault-type Soul Ancestor."

Xia Ming quickly calmed down from his initial shock, his thoughts racing.

Indeed, this was not impossible.

Although the Soul Master Tournament gathered elites and imposed strict age requirements on participants, it had no minimum Soul Power requirement.

In the original story, Huo Yuhao had only been a Soul Grandmaster when he first joined the reserve team.

He was also a two-ring Soul Master, so there was no issue with his cultivation level.

And even if he suppressed his strength to the level of a Soul Ancestor, he would still be nearly unmatched in the Outer Court.

More importantly, this was an excellent opportunity.

He could participate in the tournament to gain experience while also revealing part of his strength.

Doing so would instead make everyone think that was all he had, while his age alone would already make him an unparalleled genius unseen in ten thousand years.

They would never imagine that his true strength was actually so terrifying.

With that thought, Xia Ming raised his head to meet Yan Shaozhe's gaze and readily agreed.

"I understand. Since it is Teacher's arrangement, I will naturally obey."

"Good!" The smile in Yan Shaozhe's eyes deepened.

"Then it is settled. I will submit your name to the reserve team roster later."

Zhang Lexuan, who had been quietly listening all along, stepped forward then. Her features were gentle, and a faint smile rested on her lips.

"In that case, we will be fighting side by side this time."

Xia Ming blinked, only then suddenly recalling something.

"That's right, Sister Lexuan is the captain of this year's main team!"

"Exactly." Zhang Lexuan reached out and gently ruffled his hair.

"Once we reach the arena, you must obediently listen to my commands."

"Of course." Xia Ming nodded. "I will follow Sister Lexuan's arrangements in all things."

The two exchanged smiles.