Xiongfeng and Zhan Tian

The Sacred Mountain Grand Competition arrived as scheduled.

Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao set out early, heading toward the mountainside. Each of the eight Dragon Mountains had its own master.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan held three, the Qiangu Clan held two, and the remaining three were inhabited by subordinate families. The central mountain was much like Shrek Academy's Inner Court.

Only direct descendants and select talents from each clan could reside there. After all, this Sacred Mountain was the Bone Burial Ground of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, rising to an astonishing altitude of over two thousand meters. The eight Dragon Mountains were also nearly a thousand meters tall.

"Brother Mu, over here!"

When the two reached the enormous plaza halfway up the mountain, two giant dragons circled overhead... one purple, one red. They were unmistakably the Thunder Breaking Evil Dragons of the Yu Family and the Qiangu Family.

There were around twenty people, arranged into three teams across six rows. They were clearly the three factions of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. As soon as he arrived, someone greeted him. It was one of the people who had slung an arm around his shoulders when they first came here—the one whose grandfather had supposedly become a Title Douluo with Mu En's help.

"Yu Longxing?"

The two walked over and looked at the young man. He stood near the front, with a woman beside him who looked seventy or eighty percent like him. Her appearance and figure were in no way inferior to Ma Xiaotao's. She was probably his older sister.

Yu Longyue glanced at the two of them, stepped forward, and greeted them with a smile, though her words were full of provocation.

"So you're Mu Baobao? What a lovely name!" The air suddenly fell silent, before the other two teams burst into laughter. "Is that name for real? The guy who suppressed the Dragon Might of more than a dozen clan disciples is actually this childish?"

They had no objections to his strength. Even a Soul Saint could not fight a crowd alone. But that name...

"Ah, my parents chose it. There's nothing I can do about that. If you'd like, you can call me by my other name instead—Mu Fengchun. Spring upon crossing the border."

"It means romantic encounters never stop. After all, I'm just that outstanding!" Mu Baobao said smugly. Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes and mocked him, "Is that really how you flatter yourself?"

"Brother, you're ruthless! You actually dare tease that mother tyrannosaur!" Whether they were from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Qiangu Clan, or the subordinate families, they all widened their eyes. "The ignorant fear nothing. This guy's quite the oddball. For over two months, all he did was dig holes and chop firewood... he completely treated this place like a countryside vacation."

Naturally, they had investigated this great-grandson of the Limit Douluo, Dragon God Mu En. Their final conclusion was... he was just here to make up the numbers and freeload off the Dragon Transformation Method.

He could suppress the Dragon Might of more than a dozen people only because of the advantage of his ultimate martial soul. His Soul Power Level was not even as high as that woman's. What a waste of such talent. Cold sweat trickled down Yu Longxing's face as he looked at Yu Longyue.

"Big Sis, calm down! Brother Mu is still the descendant of Grand Uncle Xuan Mu En. The old man showed our family a great kindness!" Yu Longxing tugged at her, but Yu Longyue merely looked intrigued. "Ignorance is no crime, but I don't believe you're really that stupid."

The young woman spoke with certainty. As the descendant of a Limit Douluo, the knowledge and upbringing he had received had to be profound. He could not possibly be an idiot who feared nothing just because he had a little skill.

"If you beat me, what if I let you take advantage of me once?" she said seductively. Mu Baobao gave Yu Longyue a couple of appraising glances. "You're certainly not bad. That waist and those legs are decent, but you're not as good as my little bird."

He suddenly took Ma Xiaotao's hand, thoroughly bewildering her. Knowing that he was provoking Yu Longyue, she blushed and struggled a few times.

"Since when did I become yours? Let go."

"Hmph!"

Yu Longyue frowned slightly. Whether it was strength, looks, or figure... she was among the finest of the younger generation. Yet this guy had provoked her repeatedly. All she wanted was to give him a few hard slaps.

Blazing flames ignited around her body. Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao did the same. Two volcanoes were ready to erupt.

"Utterly foolish!"

The disciples of the Qiangu and subordinate families watched this scene and shook their heads disdainfully. The main clans should have joined forces, yet they had already begun infighting and making enemies.

They had investigated Ma Xiaotao, one of the more notable members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. But because she had spent two months idling around, they did not know what her martial soul was. Now, it appeared to be fire-attributed as well, and its power was no weaker than Yu Longyue's.

Yu Longyue had provoked them precisely to force Ma Xiaotao to make a move. Mu Baobao's martial soul had already been revealed.

"Quiet!"

A deep, thunderous shout interrupted the commotion on the plaza. Two burly middle-aged men stepped forward, their imposing auras naturally commanding respect without anger.

They appeared to be in their fifties or sixties, though their true ages were likely over a hundred. One was no less muscular than Tie Wuji or Qian Duoduo, his entire body filled with countless terrifying rumbles of thunder, his heart beating like a war drum.

The other was somewhat more slender, yet his aura was exceptionally restrained. He looked like nothing more than an ordinary handsome man.

They suppressed the disciples' clamor. Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao stood behind Yu Longxing and Yu Longyue, and the siblings were both immensely proud.

"The more domineering one is our grandfather, the current clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. A Rank 92 Title Douluo—Yu Zhantian, the Battle Heaven Douluo."

"The one with the restrained aura is the Qiangu Family head, Qiangu Xiongfeng, a Rank 93 Unyielding Douluo."

Yu Longxing spoke. Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao were both somewhat surprised. Their strength was in no way inferior to Shrek's Title Douluos, comparable to several members of the Sea God Pavilion. They were worthy descendants of the two former Spirit Hall offerings, Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo, as well as the Upper Three Sects' Thunder Douluo. Each family also had an old ancestor, at Ranks 95 and 96 respectively.

They were not the least bit inferior to Shrek Academy. Hidden clans merely kept their doors shut; their strength could absolutely rank among the best on the continent. Yet they had another advantage as well.

On the surface, Shrek Academy only had a little over ten Title Douluos, and that was counting those who had entered the Sea God Pavilion.

There were still people like Tie Wuji outside of it... and if they made a call, the number gathered would be terrifying. When the Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, they had summoned more than sixty Title Douluos and turned the tide.

"Worthy of their reputation!" Mu Baobao said.

It was the first time the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan members had come here. Had they not caught the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition, they likely would not even have seen these two Title Douluos. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"The clan lives in seclusion, and their legends have never spread across the continent. What reputation are they worthy of? Brother Mu, you don't need to force yourself to praise them!"

Ma Xiaotao was speechless. This guy was acting like such an idiot that Shrek Academy was losing face because of him.

"My grandfather became a Title Douluo with the help of Grand Uncle Xuan Mu En, so he lacked a little insight and ended up one rank behind the Unyielding Douluo."

For a Title Douluo, every breakthrough required the accumulation of time, as well as a certain degree of insight... the same was true for Soul Masters. For some people, even becoming a Soul Saint was a threshold, truly a step into transcendence.

Except for cheats. Tang San's Twin Martial Souls kept merging increasingly powerful Soul Rings, along with the Sea God's Nine Trials... Huo Yuhao directly received the million-year Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, while Tang Wulin received the Golden Dragon King's origin power.

In the later stages, Huo Yuhao was even given power by Xiaoyao, the Limit Douluo Dark Sacred Dragon, rising from Rank 93 to Rank 98. Tang Wulin was even more outrageous... one kiss made him a Title Douluo, and one night let him break through to the Limit Douluo realm... utterly ridiculous.

Title Douluo, Super Douluo, Limit Douluo... the Soul Power required for every rank was equivalent to an entire major realm before it, as though one had to walk the path from Soul Master to Title Douluo all over again. That was why Dugu Bo said, "Every rank is a difference between heaven and earth."

That did not apply to protagonists' strength. A Soul Douluo fighting a Title Douluo... fighting above one's rank, then fighting repeatedly or against many opponents... battles were as easy as drinking water.

"You should already know the rules of the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition. But this year, disciples have returned from outside, so I'll explain them once more!" Yu Zhantian, the Battle Heaven Douluo, stepped forward, cleared his throat, and looked toward Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao.

Yu Longxing thought Yu Zhantian had noticed him talking too much and caught him whispering. He immediately straightened up and shut his mouth. Mu Baobao laughed. "Are you that afraid of him?"

"With a Title Douluo grandfather checking every day whether your strength has improved, how could I not be afraid? What about you? Doesn't Grand Uncle Xuan keep an eye on you?"

Mu Baobao spread his hands. "Although I'm an Ultimate Ice Dragon, my younger brother is a half-awakened Radiant Sacred Dragon born from a mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Ancestor Xuan focuses on him, so I'm basically free-range."

"That's why I'm so weak. My Soul Power Level isn't as high as yours!" he rambled. Ma Xiaotao exposed him at once. "Don't listen to his nonsense. Mu En really didn't manage him, but the reason his strength is low is because he's also a blacksmith. If he didn't train both paths, his strength would definitely surpass even mine."

Only then did Yu Longxing understand, and a trace of envy appeared in his eyes. Having a Title Douluo grandfather came with honor.

But if one could not maintain that honor, one would undoubtedly receive a vicious beating and demonic training. Yu Longyue said, "A blacksmith? A profession that can never attract much attention. Becoming a Soul Engineer would be better than that. A body covered in weapons might give us some trouble. What a waste of your Ultimate Ice Dragon."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Mu Baobao did not bother arguing with a woman. Yu Longyue felt that this guy was begging to be beaten.

Even Ma Xiaotao laughed. Ten thousand years ago, blacksmiths were not valued, so Tang Buddha Ancestor brought forth hidden weapons. A few thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Continent brought Soul Tools. Now... someone had brought Battle Armor.

"The Sacred Mountain is the foundation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the place where many disciples acquire Soul Rings. The two old ancestors, Thunder Douluo and Universe Douluo, are already waiting at the summit. Anyone who reaches the top may obtain the Dragon Transformation Method inheritance. It is also the Bone Burial Ground of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, containing an immense amount of dragon energy that can aid the cultivation of dragon-type martial souls and soul beasts. Though hundreds of thousands of years have passed and any great opportunities may be gone, it will still benefit you greatly."

"The only requirement is that, aside from soul beasts needed for Soul Rings, you must not kill indiscriminately. Seriously injuring them is enough... if you face danger, we and the old ancestors will rescue you, but then you will have to wait for next year's competition."

After he finished speaking, the Battle Heaven Douluo said little else, while the Unyielding Douluo had not spoken at all. Clearly, if Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao had not arrived at the last minute, they probably would have simply said, "You know the rules. Then let the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition begin!"

The rule against casually killing or injuring soul beasts was easy enough to understand. No family could possibly obtain every Soul Ring from the few forests on the Douluo Continent. Otherwise, what was the point of living in seclusion? There were many small forests scattered around as well.

They were sufficient to support the first several Soul Rings without any problem. But every soul beast killed meant one fewer remaining, so restraint was necessary.

"On the surface, the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition is for disciples to obtain Soul Rings and the Dragon Transformation Method, as well as cultivate in the Radiant Sacred Dragon's Bone Burial Ground. The first to arrive will definitely receive the family's attention, greater resources, and intensive training. It also determines who will hold the leading position in the future."

"Casualties cannot be avoided. Title Douluos cannot watch everyone, so those with grudges always take the chance to settle them here. If they are not discovered, fine. If they are discovered, punishment is unavoidable."

Yu Longxing explained. Mu Baobao had experienced the harsh lessons of society and knew that however beautiful things appeared on the surface, there was surely bloodshed and cruelty in the shadows.

But Ma Xiaotao listened with alarm. "It feels so dangerous. Is the world really this dark?"