Level Six Defensive Soul Tool

The sun and moon revolved, and time slipped quietly by.

After a period of adjustment and intense combat training, both the official team members and the reserve team members had made great strides in strength and teamwork.

The opening day of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament was now just around the corner.

One bright morning, fourteen students gathered once more in the Shrek Soul Fighting Area beside Sea God Lake.

Xuan Zi stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the vibrant young people before him. A hint of satisfaction flashed through his cloudy eyes.

"The tournament is approaching. We're about to set off for Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire."

Xuan Zi spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear clearly.

"But before we leave, I plan to take the seven little ones from the reserve team and let you experience firsthand one of the things Shrek Inner Court students—that is, members of the Shrek Inspector Corps—have to do as part of their daily duties."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Zi shot skyward without warning, soaring into the clouds like a cannonball. His booming voice rang down from above:

"Let's go! The senior students will take the newcomers. Keep up with me!"

The seven members of the official team were already used to this, and immediately sprang into action.

Ma Xiaotao flashed over to Huo Yuhao's side and laughed cheerfully.

"Yuhao, I'll take you!"

Without waiting for Huo Yuhao to respond, she moved behind him and lifted him up. Brilliant wings of flame unfurled behind her, and the two soared into the sky.

Ling Luochеn's gaze swept across the reserve team before settling on the petite Xiao Xiao. She said coolly:

"You. Come with me."

She thought the junior was the cutest-looking girl on the reserve team, so naturally she was more inclined to take Xiao Xiao.

Xixi, meanwhile, naturally went over to the other girl on the reserve team, Jiang Nannan. She winked and smiled.

"Come on, junior Jiang Nannan."

Elsewhere, Wang Dong walked over to Ji Jing and held out her hand as a matter of course.

Though she could fly on her own, over a long, high-speed flight like this, her speed and Soul Power consumption were far inferior to Ma Xiaotao's and those of the official team members using Flying Soul Tools.

Ji Jing understood what she meant. Smiling, he took her hand.

A gentle surge of Soul Power enveloped them both. Ji Jing released his Martial Soul and activated his third Soul Skill. With a light tap of his foot, he carried Wang Dong upward like a streak of light.

The others paired off as well. Gongyang Mo and Yao Haoxuan, the two left to fly alone, each took out a Flying Soul Tool, channeled their Soul Power, and hurried after the group.

Led by Xuan Zi, fourteen figures sped toward the outskirts of Shrek City.

After a full day of travel, they reached the western border of the Star Luo Empire.

A burly, middle-aged man in imposing armor was already waiting beside a cliff. He had a resolute face and a towering build.

He was none other than Dai Hao, the famed Duke of White Tiger, who governed the Star Luo Empire's western frontier.

The instant Huo Yuhao saw Dai Hao, his body went rigid.

He stared fixedly at the duke, eyes blazing with uncontrollable, bone-deep hatred.

An intensely frigid aura spilled from him beyond his control. Even Xiao Xiao, standing beside him, shuddered and glanced at him in alarm and uncertainty.

But the state lasted only a moment. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the roiling emotions within him. His eyes cleared, though his face remained somewhat pale.

Xiao Xiao did not miss the subtle change.

While the others exchanged greetings with Dai Hao, she quietly edged closer to Ji Jing and whispered:

"Class monitor, did you see that just now? Huo Yuhao looked so frightening when he saw the duke... I'm a little worried about him."

She hesitated, then asked:

"Should we ask him what happened?"

Ji Jing's gaze moved calmly between Huo Yuhao and Dai Hao. He answered evenly:

"No need. If he wants to tell us, he will."

At that, Xiao Xiao nodded. A trace of worry remained in her eyes, but the class monitor's words reassured her, and she let the matter drop.

Soon, Dai Hao and Xuan Zi finished their handover.

Dai Hao passed along information about the Evil Soul Masters to Ma Xiaotao, the leader of this mission, and briefly explained:

"According to the information we have, the target Evil Soul Master should be around Soul King level."

Since their opponent was not especially powerful, Dai Hao and Xuan Zi left first, entrusting the mission entirely to Shrek's younger generation.

Ma Xiaotao accepted the information, but instead of examining it herself, she turned and handed it directly to Ji Jing.

"You're the strongest. You take command."

After their recent combat training, she had long since been thoroughly convinced of Ji Jing's strength.

Ji Jing glanced over the group. Seeing no objections, he nodded and accepted the responsibility.

With a flip of his wrist, he took more than a dozen metal bracelets gleaming with a metallic sheen from his Storage Soul Tool.

"These are Level Six Defensive Soul Tools. One for each of you. Put them on now."

The reserve team members trusted Ji Jing completely. They stepped forward almost at once, took the bracelets, and put them on without hesitation.

Huo Yuhao examined the metal band around his wrist with curiosity. As a Soul Engineer himself, he knew how difficult it was to make high-level Soul Tools.

The Level Six Defensive Soul Tool felt heavy in his hand and had a precision-crafted structure. It was the first time he had ever worn a finished item of this level.

On the official team, Dai Yueheng said nothing.

As the eldest son of the Duke of White Tiger, he knew full well how useful Soul Tools could be on the battlefield. He put on the bracelet immediately.

Gongyang Mo, a support-type Soul Master, was already accustomed to equipping himself with all kinds of Soul Tools. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

However, the other members of the official team looked puzzled, some even unconvinced.

At their head, Ma Xiaotao furrowed her brows slightly. She had absolute confidence in her own strength.

Influenced by her teacher, Yan Shaozhe, she had always looked down on Soul Tools as mere external aids.

"He's only an Evil Soul Master around Soul King level. Do we really need to go to all this trouble?"

She openly voiced her objection.

"Do Shrek's people really need these hunks of metal to keep them safe?"

Chen Zifeng, Xixi, and Ling Luochеn said nothing, but their eyes conveyed much the same sentiment as Ma Xiaotao's.

They were all the Inner Court's brightest talents, and they had immense confidence in their own abilities.

Ji Jing looked at them and calmly nodded. He did not insist. With a turn of his wrist, he put the remaining bracelets back into his Storage Soul Tool and said evenly:

"Fine. Let's go."

He turned to Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, activate Spiritual Detection Sharing."

"Yes, class monitor!"

Huo Yuhao answered at once. Light shone in his eyes as his invisible spiritual power spread out.

The others exchanged glances.

Ji Jing's brisk response caught them off guard. They had expected an argument, but he had given up on the matter so easily.

Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Guided by Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, the group followed Ji Jing and quickly made their way toward the target location marked in the intelligence.