Battle Armor and the Judgment Sword

As for the tournament, I found it boring anyway.

I planned to wrap it up in this chapter. You probably didn't want to read through all those troublesome battles either. I really admired Tang Chuan for managing to write hundreds of thousands of words about it.

"We are from Shrek."

"We are from the Tang Sect!"

Mu Baobao was utterly speechless. The round-robin stage had begun, and the finals were drawing near.

The reserve-team Shrek Seven Devils had finally put on their act, with familiar figures appearing one after another.

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, the children of Jing Hongchen, the ninth-ranked Soul Engineer and master of Mingde Hall in the Sun Moon Empire. The brother and sister... Xu Jiujiu, princess of the Star Luo Empire.

Characters Mu Baobao remembered quite clearly stepped onto the stage one after another to accept their matches.

But as members of the protagonist faction, the Shrek Academy team ruthlessly slapped the faces of those academies. Four members of the official team had appeared.

Gongyang Mo, whose Rainbow Dragon support abilities rivaled the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda; Dai Yueheng's Evil Eye White Tiger and its terrifying combat power; Ling Luochen's control over ice.

The seven reserve members were equally extraordinary. Beibei's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had evolved into a Radiant Sacred Dragon, Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise of Profound Mystery had awakened into the divine beast Black Tortoise, and Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had four Martial Soul Fusion Skills.

He Caitou was a humanoid war machine, leaving the Soul Engineer academy students deeply ashamed. A genius food-type Soul Master was practically born to become a Soul Engineer. Mu Baobao himself was speechless.

He had no chance to take the field at all. After that night with Ma Xiaotao, she did not even return to her own room anymore.

Whenever he returned to Shrek's lounge to watch the matches, everyone stared at him wide-eyed and said in bewilderment, "Senior Mu, you need to restrain yourself!"

With two dark circles under his eyes, he had lost several pounds. He looked utterly drained from excessive indulgence.

Ma Xiaotao sat nearby as if nothing had happened, handing him a thermos. The moment he opened it, the pungent scent of medicinal broth hit him in the face. Mu Baobao accepted it with trembling hands.

He remembered the twelve hooligans of the God Realm.

God of Berserkers Lei Xiang and his wife Mo Yue, the fallen angel couple whose dual cultivation made them absurdly powerful and could even undo seals; Hailong and Piaomiao... three yin joining one yang to ascend to immortality; Rong Nianbing, Wind Lady Lan Chen, and Tianxiang Kao, whose ice, fire, life, and death formed four heavens and made him the God of Emotions; Ye Yinzhu had even shot the boss to death.

But their improvements had been mutual. Why was there no benefit for him at all?

Kyurem was exhausted like a dead dragon!

Around one-fifth or one-sixth of Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire had already transformed into Ultimate Fire. Though her Soul Power was not rising as quickly as on the first night, she had definitely surpassed Rank 70 Soul Saint. Once she obtained a Soul Ring, they would know her exact rank.

"Heh heh!" He no longer wanted to talk.

Even when he locked the door every night, this heroine had been climbing walls for over a decade. Nothing could stop the nimble figure she had honed through years of practice.

Ling Luochen had even come one night to ask him whether Ma Xiaotao and he could weaken Evil Fire.

Could she enhance her ice attribute instead?

Mu Baobao was dumbfounded. What the hell was this? Were they treating him like a cultivation accelerator?

"Classmates, are you trying to kill me?"

Though he had never tested it, it was undoubtedly possible. The original novel had made that quite clear. For a moment, he thought of how the twelve hooligans of the Divine Realm had become gods. He really wanted to try... but his body would not allow it.

Thus, although he had originally come here to show off, the opportunity had instead gone to Ma Xiaotao.

She slaughtered opponents all across the competition stage. With Gongyang Mo's support and her Battle Armor... combat strength comparable to a Soul Saint made it a complete massacre.

The current Ma Xiaotao probably would not mutate even if she were struck head-on by the Judgment Sword.

At this moment, the semifinal to determine the final two began.

Star Luo Empire versus Sun Moon Empire?

Mu Baobao stared eagerly at the Soul Tools held by the Sun Moon Soul Engineer Academy in the arena. It was a massive black-and-white sword.

The Light and Dark Judgment Sword.

It was also this sword that had caused Ma Xiaotao to mutate into the Dark Phoenix. Though it was eventually taken back, Huo Yuhao had given it to the sword fanatic Ji Juechen.

He found that awkward. A man devoted purely to the sword had to be saddled with light and darkness.

Ji Juechen's final domains were the Sword Domain of Emotion and the Sword Domain of Emotionlessness. He was probably one of the Tang Sect's main and deputy sect masters of the Legend of the Dragon King generation.

The prototype of the Passionate Swordsman and the Heartless Sword.

It was an eighth-ranked Soul Tool. Perhaps he would not care for it in a few years, but its abilities were uniquely suited to him.

Light and darkness. Zekrom and Reshiram represented Evil and Goodness. Ji Dong's divine artifact was the Scales of Judgment, also black and white.

Mu Baobao felt that this was the weapon most suited to him in the entire story.

"Elder Xuan, I want that eighth-ranked Soul Tool greatsword." Mu Baobao suddenly spoke to Xuan Zi, who was eating chicken legs and drinking wine in the lounge.

Xuan Zi froze upon hearing that. "But it belongs to someone else. As far as I know, only one of your Martial Soul attributes matches it, right? If we insist on taking it, Shrek would become bandits."

"Not just bandits. Thieves too."

Mu Baobao thought to himself, naturally not daring to say it aloud. Shrek Academy's conduct had always been questionable. He calmly took a sip of the health tea in his cup.

"What if I have another Martial Soul, with two attributes that happen to match that sword? Light and darkness, Goodness and Evil... a perfect match."

Under everyone's stunned gazes, a white dragon egg resembling a stone emerged, radiating the aura of Ultimate Evil and fire. Then came a second, completely opposite egg—black, with Evil and lightning.

Kyurem, with its battle intent and ice, appeared between them and slowly absorbed the energy of the two dragon eggs.

"Pfft!" Everyone was dumbstruck.

When he had returned to Shrek to bring reinforcements, they had learned that Mu Baobao had arrived early, followed by the matter of his second Martial Soul and the fact that he could even use Martial Soul Fusion Skills.

Now there was a third one, each with two Ultimate attributes. Xuan Zi said, "Put them away, quickly."

His secret was already classified as top secret. Only Mu En and Yan Shaozhe knew about it. Yet now he had exposed it directly in front of everyone else.

Three Martial Souls, six Ultimate attributes, and all of them could perform fusion skills with one another. Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao found it the most unbelievable. They also possessed twin Martial Souls... but two of theirs had been acquired later in life.

Moreover, each of them only had one Ultimate attribute, while this senior had six. Their four Martial Soul Fusion Skills could not compare at all to a Self-Martial Soul Fusion Skill. The auras of Evil and Goodness felt far too familiar.

She even wondered whether Aunt Goodness and Uncle Evil had sent a child down to the lower realm too. But they did not have children. Huo Yuhao had long known that Mu Baobao and Mu Beibei were related by blood.

Still, seeing it for the first time was unbelievable. Was this why the Ice Empress and Brother Sky Dream regretted not choosing him? He also had three Martial Souls.

Two had been acquired later in life, but Senior Mu had been born with all of his. He simply could not believe it.

Ma Xiaotao grabbed him by the neck.

"You bastard, how many more secrets have you been hiding from me?!" she roared. Aside from the secret that he was a transmigrator, Mu Baobao waved his hand. "This time, there really aren't any more."

Her Evil Fire was gradually transforming into Ultimate Fire, yet this guy not only had Ultimate Fire, but also Ultimate Goodness. It was infuriating.

"But even if it suits you, I cannot help you seize it outright!" Xuan Zi said. This was enough to make Shrek cultivate Mu Baobao like mad.

Yet he recalled Mu En's words. "Do not interfere with any of his choices. Even if he wishes to leave Shrek Academy, or even do something extremely dangerous, his future can no longer be predicted!"

Seizing the Soul Tool of a participating academy would burden Shrek with the reputation of bandits who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Mu Baobao had clearly anticipated that long ago.

Dai Yueheng was very silent at this moment. Many children of major factions entered Shrek not only to improve themselves, but also to scout for talented individuals and lure them in with tempting terms. Dai Huabin had spoken of Huo Yuhao.

He knew that after delivering a few slaps, someone like that was destined to become a key target of Shrek Academy's cultivation. Looking for trouble with him was simply courting death.

But now he realized he was wrong. Mu Baobao was the truly terrifying one. Two Ultimate Martial Souls did not even compare to one of his. Once someone like this matured, he would absolutely influence the continent's balance. No...

Or rather, he had already succeeded. The Battle Armor system had likely sparked disputes in every nation long ago. Who would have thought his Martial Souls were even more heaven-defying—three Martial Souls.

And he could even use Self-Martial Soul Fusion Skills. Dai Yueheng had no intention of trying to recruit him. How could Shrek possibly allow such a monster to join another faction?

He himself was the great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo Mu En. If Huo Yuhao's position had been ranked top-tier by Dai Yueheng, then Mu Baobao had soared straight into the heavens.

Forget not provoking him. They needed to worship him like an ancestor. The Battle Armor system alone was enough.

If he were harmed, they would absolutely bathe the culprit in blood.

"I'll take the field alone in the finals!"

Mu Baobao said it. It was an extremely arrogant declaration. Under such circumstances, even if he seized the Judgment Sword...

No one would have anything to say, because it would be far too humiliating. Yet as they looked at their bewildered expressions, no one said that he was being too arrogant.

Because he had already revealed the capital to back it up. They even felt he was understating it—he was going to crush them.

Only then did they understand that when Mu Baobao had said he could defeat them instantly, it had not been a joke. He truly possessed that strength, as well as the qualifications and capital.

"Then Brother Gongyang can come along too!" Thinking everyone was afraid and still did not believe in his strength, he could only helplessly add another person. "Brother Gongyang can also wear Battle Armor to boost all his abilities. That should make you feel much more at ease."

"Then we'll do as you say!" Xuan Zi replied.

Since Mu En had said not to interfere with his choices, he naturally could not refuse.

With the Battle Armor's amplification, Gongyang Mo could likewise reach the Soul Saint level. Then he could buff Mu Baobao. How terrifying would that be? Could two Soul Saints, or even stronger fighters, not crush a few Soul Kings?

Gongyang Mo was unhappy. "I thought your name, Baobao, was funny. I never expected there would come a day when my own name got laughed at. 'Brother Gongyang' just doesn't sound right."

"Then Senior Gongyang? Senior Gong? Unless you want people to call you husband?" Mu Baobao said with a smile. As soon as he said it, the atmosphere turned suggestive, and everyone immediately found it unbearably cheesy.

"That surname really takes advantage of people."

Everyone was speechless. Meanwhile, the match in the arena was nearing its end, and the victor required no guesswork.

Soul Tools could be used in the tournament. The Sun Moon Academy had no sense of sportsmanship at all. Seventh- and eighth-ranked Soul Tools were practically standard equipment. Although they could not use them for long, it was enough to end the match early.

At Shrek Academy, only Qian Duoduo was close to being a ninth-ranked Soul Engineer, while there were merely a few eighth-ranked ones.

Star Luo probably had at most eighth-ranked Soul Engineers. Heavenly Soul and Douling only had seventh-ranked ones... The Sun Moon Empire had several ninth-ranked Soul Engineers. The three great empires could not compare in this regard, and losing was unavoidable.

Only Shrek Academy could win because its Soul Masters were strong enough, and every student was a monster.

Milk Bottles, these heaven-defying Soul Tools, allowed Sun Moon Soul Engineer Academy students to ignore consumption entirely. They were basically power banks. The Sun Moon Empire truly deserved credit for already developing rudimentary mecha models.

The battery packs on mechas?

Other than being unable to move, those students were complete fixed Soul Tool artillery platforms, bursting with firepower.

In Legend of the Dragon King, mechas carried Soul Tool cannons around on their backs. In Ultimate Douluo, interstellar warships carried them instead—walking fixed Soul Tool artillery platforms.

Milk Bottles evolved into power supplies, into nuclear power plants.

Their power was terrifying beyond measure, simply heaven-defying.

Then came Shrek's battle. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen... naturally took the field, since they could not afford to be careless in the semifinals.

Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao did not participate. One was too weak and had only gotten this far through luck, while the other was still too young. Wang Dong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill was still on cooldown, but Huo Yuhao could provide support.

Once Spiritual Detection Sharing was activated, they stood invincible, with a map hack providing full vision. Xu Sanshi was a defensive Soul Master, protecting the food-type He Caitou, who could also use Soul Tools for offense.

There was no need to say more about Beibei. Thus, this semifinal held no suspense either. It was even a grand spectacle.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had evolved into the Radiant Sacred Dragon, the Black Tortoise of Profound Mystery into the Black Tortoise, along with the Evil Eye White Tiger and Evil Fire Phoenix... The Shrek team was even more terrifying.

They did not spare their Soul Power at all.

Since Mu Baobao said he would take the field, there was no need to worry. Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao directly donned Battle Armor, raising themselves to the Soul Saint level. Combined with He Caitou's food-type support...

It was a complete massacre. Soul Saints fighting Soul Kings with top-tier Martial Souls—wasn't that like fathers beating sons?

Their opponents were somewhat confused. The finals were in the afternoon. Even if Shrek won, would they have enough strength left to fight? Shrek... was thinking exactly the same thing.

Since they would not need to take the field, why worry about it? They could do whatever felt comfortable, since they would win anyway.

"What exactly is that armor? It actually raised their Soul Power to Soul Saint level. Is it a new Soul Tool invented by Shrek?" They had only seen Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao each take out two Soul Coins.

They tossed them into the air, and boxes engraved with the Evil Eye White Tiger and Evil Fire Phoenix respectively appeared. Once they put on the armor, their strength rose. It was simply unbelievable.

Yet even so, they still did not care about Soul Power consumption, beating their enemies until they begged for mercy.

Battle Armor undoubtedly sparked fierce controversy. Developing humanoid Soul Tools was simply too difficult. Leaving aside engraving miniature Soul Tool arrays...

It required powerful spiritual power, as well as hard metals. Even the strongest Blacksmiths at present...

Could only create Spirit Refinement metals capable of supporting Rank 90 Soul Tools. Using them to engrave fifth- or sixth-ranked miniature Soul Tool arrays was too wasteful, and no one wanted to try.

It was merely a theory. Mu Baobao felt there was nothing wrong with exposing it. Before Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit System was developed, even if he placed the method right in front of them, they still could not make it—unless they first made helmets.

That was how Shrek Academy did it. They first boosted the spiritual power of Tie Wuji and Qian Duoduo, allowing them to perform Soul Refinement and engrave seventh- and eighth-ranked Soul Tool arrays, bringing Three-Word Battle Armor into the world.

Even in Legend of the Dragon King, only a few people could forge Four-Word Battle Armor. Most evolved from Three-Word Battle Armor. In this era, the chance was exceedingly slim.

After the staff delivered lunch, they ate and took a short noon break. Then the finals arrived. Mu Baobao stood up, and Gongyang Mo immediately understood.

He was still somewhat afraid. Although he knew they definitely would not lose, what if something went wrong?

Then he would be a sinner!