One Year Later

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year has passed.

Xia Ming is now just seven years old.

Yet, thanks to the near-limitless resources poured into him by Shrek Academy and the personal tutelage of Mu En and Yan Shaozhe, his cultivation progress has been staggering.

Half a year ago, he broke through the level 20 bottleneck.

He ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest with Yan Shaozhe to hunt a 5,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape, which served as his second soul ring.

The day he absorbed the soul ring, his soul power surged directly to level 23, officially making him a Soul Grand Master.

Now, another half-year later, he has reached level 26.

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

"First Soul Skill, Red-Gold Transformation!"

The first soul ring beneath Xia Ming's feet lights up, and a brilliant red-gold radiance erupts from within his body. His muscles and bones seem to be plated with gilded iron, and his aura climbs sharply.

His opponent, Zhang Lexuan, has six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—slowly rotating beneath her feet, the pressure of a Soul Emperor permeating the air.

Her gaze narrows, and her fifth soul ring suddenly flashes:

"Moon Fall!"

The silver crescent moon suspended in the air is suddenly coated in golden brilliance, then splits in two.

Two golden moon blades tear through the air, descending with a shrill, piercing whistle!

This strike is enough to severely injure or even kill an ordinary Soul King.

Yet, Xia Ming does not retreat a single step.

He gathers red-gold light into his right fist and meets the attack with a simple, straightforward punch.

"BOOM—!"

The moment the golden moon blades collide with his fist, they shatter like glass, exploding into a sky full of light particles.

Zhang Lexuan's pupils contract slightly, and she bites her lip as her sixth soul ring suddenly rises, merging into the full moon in the sky.

The silver moon turns dim, transforming into a pitch-black pillar of light edged with silver radiance. It seems to swallow even the light itself as it falls straight down from the heavens!

"Sixth Soul Skill, Moon Eclipse!"

At the same time, she activates her first soul skill, "Moon Attraction."

A beam of moonlight, acting like a binding spell, envelops Xia Ming, restricting his ability to dodge.

"BANG—!"

A deafening explosion sweeps across the training ground, the shockwave kicking up dust and sand.

However, when the smoke clears, Xia Ming is still standing in the same spot, red-gold light circulating around him; not even a corner of his clothes is damaged.

Zhang Lexuan slowly lowers her hands from their seal, a complex, bitter smile crossing her face:

"Let's stop here. I've lost."

Her strongest soul skill couldn't even break through his defense; there is no longer any suspense in this battle.

"Thank you for the guidance, Sister Lexuan. I only had the advantage of my physique and soul skills." Xia Ming's golden glow gradually fades as he smiles and bows.

Zhang Lexuan shakes her head, her expression earnest:

"A loss is a loss; there is no need to save face for me.

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

Her words are calm, but a lingering trace of shock remains in the depths of her eyes.

Over the past year, her sparring sessions with Xia Ming have been far more than just this one.

From the beginning, when he was no match for her at all, to now, he has left her far behind.

Even Zhang Lexuan cannot help but feel a hint of frustration in her heart.

She is only nineteen and already a level 69 Soul Emperor, on the verge of becoming a seven-ring Soul Saint and stepping into the threshold of high-level soul masters.

In the ten-thousand-year history of Shrek Academy, she is an elite among elites.

In the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, she would be enough to sweep aside all opposition and take the championship.

Yet, all this pride has been thoroughly shattered by this child, twelve years her junior.

Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan is not the type to dwell on such things.

"Alright."

Yan Shaozhe, who had been quietly observing the battle, steps forward, interrupting their conversation.

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

However, his tone shifts, his expression turning serious:

"How is your practice coming along with the combat technique for controlling power that the teacher recently taught you?"

"I am now generally able to control my power and regulate my output according to my will," Xia Ming replies solemnly.

"Very good." Yan Shaozhe nodded, his expression solemn.

"This combat technique might be nothing more than a nice addition for others, but for you, it is absolutely vital. You must practice it diligently."

"Understood." Xia Ming nodded in realization.

He was, of course, well aware of the importance of controlling his own power.

Compared to his peers, he was simply too strong right now.

Setting aside his soul power—which, while formidable, only slightly exceeded the common understanding and remained within the realm of reason—the real issue was his actual combat prowess. Zhang Lexuan's strength was already enough to rival a significant portion of Soul Saints.

Yet, just moments ago, she had exhausted every means at her disposal and still failed to cause Xia Ming any trouble.

For a Soul Grand Master, such strength was nothing short of inconceivable.

If this were exposed, even within the confines of Shrek Academy, he might not be entirely safe.

Unless Xia Ming resolved to stay on Sea God Island for the rest of his life and never leave, in which case Mu En could still shield him, he would inevitably face endless assassination attempts the moment he stepped off the island.

He didn't fear others, but the one thing Xia Ming worried about was the existence of the Holy Spirit Cult.

If two Limit Douluos truly abandoned all shame to assassinate a junior like him, even Mu En would find it difficult to stop them.

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

He needed to mold himself into a genius, not an out-of-bounds monster.

"Very good."

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, his gaze resting gently on Xia Ming.

He had always admired and trusted this young junior brother, who possessed such a steady temperament and extraordinary talent.

"There is one more thing." Yan Shaozhe shifted the topic, his tone carrying a hint of consultation.

"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament begins next month. Little Junior Brother, are you interested in participating?"

"Me?" Xia Ming was stunned, a look of genuine surprise flashing through his eyes.

Although his strength far surpassed his peers, he was only seven years old, after all, and had never considered competing at this age.

"This is the teacher's wish." Seeing his surprise, Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly and explained.

"The teacher hopes you will use this tournament to gain experience, broaden your horizons, and hone your ability to adapt in actual combat."

He paused briefly, his expression turning serious.

"With your true combat power, you are more than capable of serving as the captain of the main team.

However, the teacher specifically instructed that you must suppress your power; your outward performance must not exceed the level of a Power Attack System Soul Ancestor."

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

Indeed, this was not impossible.

Although the Soul Master Tournament gathered the elite and had strict age requirements for participants, there was no lower limit on soul power.

In the original story, Huo Yuhao was only a Soul Grand Master when he first joined the reserve team.

He was also at the two-ring level, so there was no violation in terms of cultivation.

Even if he suppressed his power to the Soul Ancestor level, he would be virtually unrivaled within the outer courtyard.

More importantly, this was an excellent opportunity.

He could participate in the tournament to accumulate experience while simultaneously revealing a portion of his strength.

Doing so would make everyone think that was the extent of his ability, which, combined with his age, would mark him as a peerless genius unseen in ten thousand years.

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

Thinking of this, Xia Ming looked up to meet Yan Shaozhe's gaze and readily agreed.

"I understand. Since it is the teacher's arrangement, I will naturally comply."

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

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

Zhang Lexuan, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward, her features gentle and her smile light.

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

Xia Ming blinked, only then realizing.

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

"Indeed." Zhang Lexuan reached out and gently stroked his hair.

"Once we are on the tournament grounds, you must be obedient and follow my commands."

"That goes without saying." Xia Ming nodded. "Everything shall be as Sister Lexuan arranges."

The two shared a smile.