The Holy Spirit Cult's Grand Elder Xuan Zi Acts, Annihilation!

[The time that followed became peaceful, and I immersed myself in cultivation and the study of Soul Tool.]

The scenes flashed by rapidly.

In the laboratory, Sun Moon Lin Qing held a carving knife, engraving soul circuits onto a metal plate.

Delayed Vision activated, making every detail clearly visible.

With the support of the Metal Manipulation soul skill, the carving knife moved like an extension of his arm, achieving a speed so dizzying that it was hard to follow while remaining perfectly precise.

The completion speed of his soul circuits was several times faster than other Soul Masters of the same rank.

"This speed... this precision..."

The instructor looked at the logbook, his hands trembling.

"He completed the core circuit of a Level 3 Soul Tool in just ten minutes, and it is flawless."

"There has never been such a record in the history of the Sun Moon Royal Academy."

[With the innate soul skill Delayed Vision and my second soul skill Metal Manipulation, my study of Soul Tool is flourishing.]

[At eleven years old, I broke through to level thirty.]

[In the same year, I passed the examinations for Level 3 and Level 4 Soul Master consecutively, officially becoming a Level 4 Soul Master.]

An eleven-year-old Level 4 Soul Master!

This record once again rewrote the history of the academy.

[Given the talent I have displayed, my teacher Jing Hongchen values me highly; he is personally leading the team to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for my third soul ring.]

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Target: Silver Moon Wolf King.

A top-tier beast among mental-type soul beasts.

Age: Nine thousand years!

"Nine thousand years should be no problem for you."

Jing Hongchen looked at Sun Moon Lin Qing, his eyes filled with trust.

"With your current physical fitness and mental power, nine thousand years is just right."

Sun Moon Lin Qing nodded.

This time, he did not overly pursue a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Because his mental power was insufficient to resist the soul shock of a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Lacking the assistance of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and without the Purple Demon Eye or Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew of Tang San to enhance his mental power.

Although his mental power was higher than average, it was far from reaching the level of a cheater.

The hunt and absorption process went much more smoothly than it had for his second soul ring.

Although there was still some pain, it was no longer life-threatening.

[I successfully absorbed the nine-thousand-year Silver Moon Wolf King soul ring, my Soul Power Level surged to level thirty-four, and I simultaneously gained my third soul skill--Mental Confusion!]

It was identical to the third soul skill of Huo Yuhao.

It could interfere with an opponent's mind, create chaos, and even provide brief control.

"Not bad."

Jing Hongchen was very satisfied.

"Mental Confusion is an excellent control soul skill. Combined with your first two soul skills, your tactics will be even more flexible."

[At twelve years old, I have become a level thirty-six Soul Elder.]

The data from the soul power test crystal left all the instructors silent.

Twelve years old, level thirty-six.

This speed had surpassed every record in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.

The key was that, from beginning to end, Lin Qing had not consumed any medicinal pills other than thousand-year Whale Rubber!

And, he was also a Level 4 Soul Master!

It simply made the golden generation of the Sun Moon Royal Academy feel ashamed!

"A monster..."

Xiao Hongchen looked at the badge on Sun Moon Lin Qing's chest with a bitter smile.

"When I was twelve, I had just become a Level 3 Soul Master, and now at fourteen, I am only Level 4. Your speed... it's too discouraging."

Jing Hongchen, however, laughed heartily.

"A genius! This is a true genius! Xiao, you still need to work much harder."

He patted Lin Qing's shoulder firmly.

"Lin Qing, you are the most outstanding student I have ever taught! Without exception!"

Sun Moon Lin Qing clicked his tongue in secret.

"Twelve years old, a Level 36 Soul Elder, a Level 4 Soul Engineer... this growth rate..."

He recalled the original work.

When Huo Yuhao was twelve, he seemed to only be a Level 2 Soul Engineer, right?

However, Huo Yuhao's cheat was simply too massive; it had only taken him one year from first touching a Soul Tool to becoming a Level 2 Soul Engineer.

"Being too dazzling isn't necessarily a good thing."

A tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind; Sun Moon Lin Qing understood this principle very well.

That was exactly how the twelve-year-old Sun Moon Lin Qing had been beaten to death by Tang Hao.

Judging by the age on his memorial portrait, Sun Moon Lin Qing... was not far from death.

[On this day, Teacher Jing Hongchen came to inform me of some good news: I will be participating in this year's All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament as a starting member for the Sun Moon Royal Academy.]

Jing Hongchen: "Lin Qing, there is an important matter ahead."

"Teacher, what is this important matter?"

"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament is about to begin, and the academy has decided to send you as a starting member."

Sun Moon Lin Qing was stunned.

"Me? A starter?"

"Correct."

Jing Hongchen stroked his beard.

"Your strength is already sufficient, and the soul skill coordination you and Xiao have perfected can even assemble a temporary, one-time Level 6 Fixed Soul Cannon, with power comparable to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

This was a special result produced after Sun Moon Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen frequently interacted and researched the coordination of Metal Manipulation.

"This is an opportunity, an opportunity to show the strength of our Sun Moon Empire's younger generation to the entire world!"

One must know that in all previous Soul Master Tournaments, their Sun Moon Empire had never been able to achieve very good results.

But this time was different; they had more and better talent, as well as further iterations of Soul Tool technology.

In Jing Hongchen's view, they even had a chance to win the championship this year!

[I chose to participate in this tournament, wanting to see the geniuses of the continent, as well as the protagonist and cheater, Huo Yuhao.]

[In this twelfth year, the Soul Master Tournament began. I participated as a starting member of the Sun Moon Royal Academy.]

The scene shifted.

The magnificent arena was packed with people.

Representative teams from Soul Master Academies of various countries gathered together.

In the Sun Moon Royal Academy team, Sun Moon Lin Qing stood beside Xiao Hongchen.

Although he was the youngest, his aura was not the least bit inferior.

[At the tournament, I finally saw the protagonist of Peerless Tang Sect—Huo Yuhao.]

The Shrek Academy team entered the arena.

Just like the original plot, walking at the very front was a thin, frail youth with a gaze feigning coldness: Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao, Spirit Eye martial soul, host to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux, the true cheater of this era.

[Without any surprises, Huo Yuhao went on a journey of acting cool and slapping faces.]

Huo Yuhao could be said to have shone brilliantly on the arena.

Six 100,000-year soul rings for show.

Spiritual Detection Sharing to control the entire field.

The violent crushing power of Martial Soul Fusion Skills.

Every time he appeared, he drew countless doubts and gasps.

Especially after hearing the Shrek Academy teacher Wang Yan say that several of the Shrek Academy students participating in this tournament were twelve years old, everyone felt inexplicably awestruck.

"Is this the genius of Shrek?"

The expressions of the Sun Moon Royal Academy team members were all somewhat grave.

"That Huo Yuhao... is not easy to deal with," Xiao Hongchen said in a low voice.

Sun Moon Lin Qing nodded.

"I know."

[I not only know that Huo Yuhao is not easy to deal with, but I also know that we have a high probability of losing.]

[In the end, Shrek Academy still faced off against our Sun Moon Royal Academy.]

[The intensity of the battle exceeded expectations; after the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Xiao and Meng was broken, I used our final trump card with Xiao.]

Sun Moon Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen exchanged a glance and both took action.

"Level 7 temporary Soul Tool, assemble!"

Sun Moon Lin Qing held his hands in a hollow grip.

Metal fragments rapidly combined in mid-air.

Xiao Hongchen did the same.

Together, the two completed a crude yet immensely powerful Level 7 Soul Tool turret.

"One-time use Level 7 Fixed Soul Cannon!"

Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen poured their soul power in frantically, and the muzzle lit up with a blinding radiance!

"Fire!"

"BOOM!!!"

A thick beam of energy tore through the air, slamming directly into the Shrek Academy team!

This strike, infused with the full strength of both, possessed power that surpassed even the Soul Saint or Soul Douluo level!

But the turret exploded immediately after the shot, and both Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen were left at the end of their rope.

"!!!"

The entire arena fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, desperate to know who had won or lost amidst the explosion.

As the smoke cleared, Huo Yuhao of the Shrek Academy team stood completely unscathed.

[We lost.]

The narrator's voice carried a hint of bitterness.

[Even though Xiao Hongchen and I gave our all to assemble a one-time use Level 7 Fixed Soul Cannon, we ultimately lost to Huo Yuhao, who truly possesses cheats.]

"Sigh..."

Lin Qing let out a sigh.

"There's no helping it, Huo Yuhao's cheat is just too massive."

At this point in time, Huo Yuhao already possessed the Ice Empress, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and Electrolux as his three cheats; he was simply incomparable to an ordinary person.

Although Sun Moon Lin Qing was also a genius, his... cheats were simply not big enough.

[I originally thought that if we lost, we lost, and that would be the end of it.]

[Yet, I never expected an accident to descend.]

Late at night.

At the Sun Moon Royal Academy lodging, the team members were already resting.

Lin Qing sat alone in his room, reviewing the day's match.

"If my mental defense had been a bit stronger at that moment, if my Metal Manipulation speed had been a bit faster..."

He muttered to himself, feeling a lingering sense of unwillingness regarding this defeat.

Just then.

"BOOM!!!"

A terrifying pressure suddenly descended!

The entire lodging was trembling!

"Who?!"

Lin Qing stood up abruptly.

Crash!

The window shattered.

A disheveled old man in tattered robes, reeking of alcohol, hovered in mid-air.

His murky eyes stared at him, revealing a cold, murderous intent deep within.

Xuan Zi!

An elder of the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy, a Level 98 peak Douluo!

"Kid..."

He stared at Lin Qing and grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Your performance today was quite eye-catching. Twelve years old, Level 4 Soul Master, Level 36 Soul Elder, three purple soul rings, and you even nearly forced our Shrek Academy students into a desperate situation."

As he spoke, Xuan Zi's gaze gradually turned cold.

"If I leave you alive, you will surely become a great threat in the future!"

Lin Qing's pupils constricted.

He wanted to run.

However, the pressure of a level 98 Titled Douluo left him unable to move.

"So, you might as well just die!"

Xuan Zi slowly raised his hand, earth-yellow soul power condensing in his palm.

He struck down with a single palm.

BOOM!!!

The entire room was instantly reduced to ruins.

Lin Qing's figure was completely swallowed up.

[I am dead.]