Xu Jiujiu, I Can Throw Myself at Him

"Dear audience, the Continental Advanced Soul Master and Soul Engineer Academy Tournament has finally reached its conclusion!"

"It has come down to our old friends—the continent's number one Soul Master Academy, Shrek Academy, and the continent's number one Soul Engineer Academy, Sun Moon Academy..." the host announced enthusiastically.

The atmosphere in Star Luo Grand Plaza was completely ignited as the members from both sides took the stage.

Ma Rulong held the Judgment Sword. There were also Jing Hongchen's children from Mingde Hall, Xiao Hongchen with his Three-Legged Golden Toad, Meng Hongchen with her Vermilion Clear Ice Toad... and several nameless extras Mu Baobao had nearly forgotten.

According to the original sequence, this match should have featured the siblings' Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Red Dust Attachment, against Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Xiao Hongchen's martial soul was the Three-Legged Golden Toad, which possessed powerful control over metal.

Meng Hongchen's martial soul was a toad from the edge of the Extreme North, possessing ice, fire, and poison attributes. One sibling bore deep hostility toward Huo Yuhao, while the other had fallen for Wang Dong... She had even defended the enemy after her own teammate was crippled.

She truly had the makings of a lovesick fool. The seven people fielded by Sun Moon Academy were undoubtedly their strongest lineup, because their opponents were Shrek, which had stood undefeated for ten thousand years.

"Wait, did something happen to Shrek Academy? Why are only two members taking the stage? Could this be because they exhausted too much energy this morning?"

Mu Baobao and Gongyang Mo taking the stage together sparked heated discussion. Sun Moon Academy had originally been thrilled.

Shrek Academy had gone strangely wild in the morning's matches, refusing to conserve Soul Power or stamina. Didn't that greatly increase Sun Moon Academy's odds of victory? They might even have a chance to seize Shrek's ten-thousand-year crown.

"Nothing happened. Only Brother Gongyang and I will be fighting, and we'll use only one move. If we fail to hit you, we'll admit defeat. But if we win, I want the sword in Brother Ma's hand. It'll belong to me then!"

Mu Baobao spread his hands as he spoke. Everyone's anger flared. Shrek Academy was being far too arrogant.

Along the way, five members of the official team had arrived, yet only four had fought... One had never taken the field.

And now he was spouting such outrageous nonsense!

"Contestant Mu Baobao is actually making a bet with his opponents. This is something we've never seen before!"

The host displayed rather solid professional restraint and did not say anything excessive... but the audience members who heard it erupted in fury.

"This is fucking outrageous! It was one thing that Shrek's official team wasn't complete this time, but they still didn't field everyone in the finals. And now he's saying this kind of crap... Let me go up there and slap him!"

"Perhaps... it really is possible!" someone reminded him. "Do you think Shrek would joke about ten thousand years of honor? Of course not!"

Some people remained calm. Though the scene was unbelievable, Shrek would not act without reason.

Inside the lounge, the dozen or so Shrek team members were also dumbfounded. "Senior Mu, is this really okay? How can one move possibly take care of the opponents?"

They had seen the terrifying sight of Mu Baobao freezing five Soul Kings and one Soul Emperor, but they also knew how that had ended. He had been forced to take poison... Ma Xiaotao was speechless.

"The last time he said something like that was when he made a bet with Qiangu Zuiren, the strongest member of the Qiangu Clan's younger generation. The other guy had a level-sixty-nine domain and the ninth form of the Unyielding Staff Technique. The wager was also the title of number one..."

"I thought he'd gone crazy too, and then... he really did one-shot him with a single punch!" she said. The others did not understand, but Beibei's eyes widened.

He knew that the younger generations of hidden clans were no weaker than Shrek's Inner Court, and some were far more terrifying. Qiangu Zuiren, that monster who had comprehended the seventh form, had actually been one-shot by his brother?

"The final form of the Clear Sky Hammer can supposedly contend with gods. You should all know that legend. The ninth form of the Unyielding Staff Technique can as well, but that is precisely why it only exists in theory. The strongest achieved has only been the eighth form, by their clan's ancestor, Universe Douluo."

"He came to Shrek decades ago. At level ninety-seven, he wanted to challenge Dragon God Douluo. Though the result was the same—he ended up in a wheelchair—the eighth staff form still forced Ancestor Xuan to use seventy percent of Reign Over the World. That was a combat technique that poured both spiritual power and Soul Power entirely into attack. You can see just how terrifying it was."

Those words undoubtedly ignited the atmosphere. Every rank among Title Douluos required Soul Power equivalent to an entire major realm below. A level ninety-seven Title Douluo fighting a level ninety-nine one was like a Soul Saint fighting a Title Douluo, yet he had forced out seventy percent of his opponent's strength.

Qiangu Zuiren's seventh form might only have possessed power comparable to the peak of the Soul Saint realm, but he had lost!

That was enough to estimate Senior Mu's strength.

Bang. They were still discussing it when—

The match began. Everyone unleashed their martial souls, and every member of Sun Moon Academy had five Soul Rings, making them Soul Kings.

They also brought out their Soul Tools. Gongyang Mo's white giant dragon, draped in seven-colored feathers like the sun and a rainbow, appeared. The most infuriating part was—

His support buffs were actually placed on the opponents. Once they accelerated and completed the assembly of their Fixed-Station Soul Tools, Mu Baobao made his move.

Kyurem's incomparably domineering phantom appeared in the arena, followed by Mu Baobao equipping One-Word Battle Armor... Their strength was boosted to the Soul Saint level. They did not even use Soul Skills. With a simple motion, he waved his hand!

An incomparably stunning sight appeared!

Sun Moon Academy, along with the Fixed-Station cannon platforms they had assembled, was instantly covered by ice dozens of meters thick. Their eyes even rolled back in their heads...

"Was that soul shock?"

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. His Spirit Eye was a mutated martial soul, and after the million-year spiritual-type soul beast Sky Dream Ice Silkworm became an intelligent Soul Ring, it was fully comparable to ultimate spiritual power. Naturally, he could tell what kind of attack it was.

His level was still low, but several spiritual attacks were enough to make enemies lose their ability to act. Spiritual power, like ultimate attributes, was difficult to cultivate in the later stages.

However, a spiritual martial soul could grow alongside its owner. How powerful was the spiritual power of a Soul Emperor?

It had directly knocked out seven Soul Kings?

Ultimate Ice froze all the assembled Fixed-Station Soul Tool cannon platforms. Even if they had not passed out... breaking through Ultimate Ice would not have been easy.

"Job done!" Mu Baobao clapped his hands, walked over to Ma Rulong, and made a small hole in the ice. "As agreed, this is mine!"

That scene left everyone speechless. Damn it, he had brought Gongyang Mo along not to support himself, but because he feared the enemies would be taken out too quickly. This was outright humiliation!

Mu Baobao was not too surprised by his own combat power. Huo Yuhao, a six-ringed Soul Emperor, could chase down Soul Douluos. Was it not perfectly normal for him to instantly defeat a few Soul Kings? No wonder he had so bluntly claimed at Star Emperor Hotel that he could one-shot the others. It turned out he really could.

With the Battle Armor's amplification, he even possessed Soul Saint-level strength. If he still could not instantly defeat his opponents, he might as well crash himself to death!

And with Gongyang Mo's Soul Saint-level support on top of that, he had truly feared freezing his opponents to death. At that moment, the Sun Moon Empire's team leader in the stands wanted to intervene.

"Are you trying to violate the wager?"

Ancestor Xuan's figure appeared, and the words in the team leader's throat were forcibly swallowed. Level ninety-eight?

With the three level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluos absent, they were invincible. And with Ancestor Xuan's strength... could he even defeat Mu Baobao?

That terrifying power suggested he might be the one to lose. He could only curl his lips. "It's merely an eighth-rank Soul Tool. Since Senior likes it, we'll give it to him."

One person had instantly defeated seven opponents with Soul Rings, even while they had been enhanced. Taking only one Soul Tool was already giving them plenty of face. Outside, they would probably have lost their lives.

The Sun Moon Empire still had quite a few eighth-rank Soul Engineers and even several ninth-rank ones... There were even tenth-rank Soul Engineers. There was no need to provoke a level-ninety-eight Super Douluo!

"At least you know what's good for you." Mu En snorted coldly.

At this point, the Soul Master Tournament was effectively over. Mu Baobao did not hurry off the stage... Instead, the others came up as well. Ma Xiaotao stepped forward.

With a burst of Ultimate Fire, she ignited the massive block of ice that occupied the entire arena. The seven members of the Sun Moon Empire finally fell to the ground, and medical personnel examined their injuries.

Frostbite and unconsciousness... After all, that had been Ultimate Ice and spiritual power. They obviously could not receive their awards.

Fortunately, they had substitutes. The Continental Soul Master Tournament had come to an end, and someone emerged from the podium.

Yellow robes and a golden crown... the Star Luo Emperor, Xu Jiawei, who was also the sect master of the Star Crown Sect. The Sun Moon Empire gritted their teeth. If not for Shrek Academy and the Star Crown Sect back then, it would have been called the Sun Moon Continent.

The Heaven Dou Empire had somehow claimed third place because the Star Luo Empire had faced the Sun Moon Empire.

Luck was also a kind of strength. If one's luck was absurdly good—such as Shrek and Sun Moon Academy meeting at the very start—then second place would have been the same as last place.

To prevent this situation, the first round was an elimination round, while the second was a round-robin based on cumulative points, avoiding mediocre academies... Yet in the finals, the Heaven Dou Empire's luck had still been incredible enough to make them third place!

"Ahem, this Continental Soul Master Tournament has now concluded. I am Xu Jiawei..."

Mu Baobao found the Star Luo Emperor's speech rather boring. It was the usual impassioned rhetoric, with symbolic attempts to recruit talents from the major academies... Standard procedure, after all. They were all talents.

"The champions are still our old friends, Shrek Academy. In addition to the usual first-place rewards, they will receive... three Soul Bones..."

Light flickered, and three Soul Bones from different body parts appeared before them. Their quality was no weaker than those Spirit Hall had once offered. Since Shrek Academy had been champion for so many years, even though the tournament was held only once every five years—

The number of Soul Bones they possessed had probably reached a terrifying level. Naturally, everyone first looked toward Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao... Without them, Shrek's ten-thousand-year honor would have been ruined in their hands.

"I'll pass. Give them to you little ones. In truth, the rewards from every tournament are meant for the reserve team. Last time, my seniors gave them up for me too!" Ma Xiaotao waved her hand. "Consider it carrying forward the humility of seniors."

The seven reserve team members immediately raised their hands and cheered, "Senior Ma is bold and generous!"

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao declined. Wang Dong had an extraordinary background. Unless it suited her... she would never fuse with some trash Soul Bone. After all, she was the God Realm's darling; if she wanted divine beast Soul Bones, she could get them.

As for Huo Yuhao, he would go around cheating his way to power anyway. Besides, he had taken an External Soul Bone from Xiao Xiao, so naturally he had to yield this opportunity... Xu Sanshi yielded his to Jiang Nannan, and there was even less need to mention Beibei.

Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou... In the end, the Soul Bones went to them. He Caitou received a torso Soul Bone, which happened to enhance his physical constitution.

Jiang Nannan received a leg bone. She excelled in agility and powerful attacks, and was especially skilled in leg-based combat...

Mu Baobao was not one of the Shrek Seven Devils. He had not even participated in the previous tournament... Yet without him, they could not possibly have won so easily. Still, he refused as well.

He had not even fought Huo Yuhao over the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone with the Ice Explosion Soul Skill... Because among his target soul beasts for Soul Rings, not to mention hundred-thousand-year ones, there were many fierce beasts. He would not even have enough slots to fuse them all.

The next time he returned to Shrek, he might even bring back several sets of Soul Bones. Why would he fight over ten-thousand-year Soul Bones?

"We'll depart for Shrek Academy tomorrow."

Ancestor Xuan spoke. They had half a month of free time and had already toured Star Luo City, so there was naturally nothing left to regret.

"Elder Xuan, I won't be returning with you. I want to go directly to the Evil Demon Forest in the Sun Moon Empire and hunt Soul Rings for my second martial soul. You all know how difficult it is to cultivate ultimate attributes. Fortunately, I have three martial souls... which can speed up that process."

Mu Baobao still went to Ancestor Xuan and said this. Ancestor Xuan appeared deeply conflicted.

By rights, Mu Baobao was practically Shrek Academy's treasured ancestor. The Sun Moon Empire had the Evil Demon Forest, which was home to mostly evil soul beasts.

Evil Soul Masters were rampant there. Reason told him that he should stop Mu Baobao, but Mu En had already said not to interfere with his actions. Moreover, Mu Baobao had revealed that he possessed many secrets.

"Come back early."

A Soul Coin fell into Mu Baobao's hand. It was likewise engraved with Kyurem's image, except this one was purple... The ones he had used before had been white.

White, yellow, purple, black, red, gold... What it contained was self-evident: a custom-made Three-Word Battle Armor.

As the founder of the Battle Armor system, he was fully qualified to be the first to possess it. In the era of Legend of the Dragon King, the strongest Battle Armor was black Four-Word Battle Armor, with some evolved from Three-Word Battle Armor. That was already the limit.

In the era of Ultimate Douluo, Douluo Continent devoured the Abyss Plane, and spiritual energy experienced an unprecedented explosion. Combined with the Soul Spirit System created by Huo Yuhao, and the God Realm being swept away so there were no rules suppressing them—

Only then did god-level powerhouses and Five-Six-Word Battle Armor appear. In other words, this era could at most produce Four-Word Battle Armor, and that required Huo Yuhao to create Soul Spirits early. Otherwise, Three-Word Battle Armor would be the absolute ceiling.

Clearly, Ancestor Xuan had not hurried to give it to him because he wanted to see what heights Mu Baobao could reach. With three martial souls and six ultimate attributes, he was not far from becoming a Soul Saint.

He did not even need to fear Soul Douluos. With Three-Word Battle Armor added on top, as long as Title Douluos did not appear, he could travel without obstruction. And Title Douluos were all old monsters, so they naturally would not act lightly.

The students who had been eliminated early naturally returned home in dejection. Shrek Academy's students, Sun Moon Academy's students, Star Luo Academy's students...

However, they held a celebratory banquet. Two figures walked toward them, and they recognized them at a glance.

Star Luo Empire's princess Xu Jiujiu, and Meng Hongchen from Sun Moon Academy. Xiao Xiao saw a dangerous look in Meng Hongchen's eyes, because that girl was actually flirting with Wang Dong. Xiao Xiao was immediately displeased.

Wang Dong did not care, since she did not have that function. Xu Jiujiu, however, spoke up to ask.

"Where is your Senior Baobao?"

She smiled. That name was rather bizarre, but no one dared laugh... because he had already displayed potential and strength that made everyone fear him.

"Your Highness, you should stop getting ideas. Setting aside Senior Mu's strength and talent, Shrek Academy would never let him go to another faction. Besides, he's the Sea God Pavilion Master's great-grandson."

Everyone spoke, and Xu Jiujiu froze slightly. She had not expected him to be connected to that Limit Douluo. Although their shared surname had already made her vaguely suspect something—

Actually hearing it still left her stunned.

"It's fine. Just getting to know him would be enough... I wouldn't mind going to Shrek Academy!" Xu Jiujiu said with a smile. He was so powerful and so handsome.

After appearing only once, he had probably already become the dream lover of many girls in the Star Luo Empire...

"Uh... but my brother is very devoted!"

"Senior Ma Xiaotao is also Dragon God Douluo's great-granddaughter. You probably don't stand a chance..."

To everyone's surprise, Xu Jiujiu remained entirely unruffled. "Hm? I can throw myself at him for free. His bloodline will probably be exceptional, right?!"

Pfft! Everyone spat blood. She was the princess of an empire, yet she was so bold that she had openly come looking to breed!