Two Against Four

Xu Xiaoyan patted Xie Xie on the shoulder too and said, "Go on, keep dreaming about that rich young lady!"

"Hey! I wasn't the one dreaming!"

Seeing Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue leave, Xie Xie hurried after them.

Shen Yi stayed with the three of them until Wu Changkong returned.

"What did the teacher say?"

Shen Yi looked at Wu Changkong, seeming even more nervous than he was. Earlier, when Wu Changkong had been called inside, she'd wanted to go with him, but Yun Qianyue had asked her to show the way, and she hadn't been able to refuse.

Wu Changkong sighed and said to Shen Yi, "The teacher told you to go back."

"Huh?" Shen Yi froze for a moment, then asked, "What about you?"

"The teacher said we'll discuss everything after their assessment is over." Wu Changkong looked toward Gu Yue and the others.

At that, Shen Yi immediately took Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan by the hands and said excitedly, "It's all up to you now! You have to pass the assessment! And listen, when you take it in a few days, there'll be..."

"Shen Yi!"

Wu Changkong suddenly called out, interrupting her. He shook his head at Shen Yi. "Don't say anything more."

Shen Yi fell silent for a moment. She looked at Wu Changkong, sighed, and rose to her feet. "All right, I understand! Senior brother, I'll wait for you at the academy. You'll definitely come back. I believe your students have what it takes!"

Seeing the mood, Gu Yue and the others fell silent too, saying nothing more.

However, they soon found out what Shen Yi had wanted to tell them.

In a grand, holy hall like a cathedral, sunlight poured through stained-glass windows. Cai Yue'er, Zhuo Shi, Ya Li, and a host of other Shrek Academy leaders stood before Tang Wulin and his companions.

The Twins stood there as well, watching the four of them.

Ya Li gently told Tang Wulin and the others, "Since you arrived late, we've changed your assessment to a practical combat test. Qian Zhao and Qian Yue will serve as your examiners."

"Xie Xie, are those the students of Sky-Piercing Douluo you've been talking about?" Tang Wulin's gaze settled on Yun Qianzhao and Yun Qianyue.

Xie Xie nodded, looking surprised. "I didn't expect our assessment to be a straight-up fight against the two of them! But, Captain, have you noticed how alike they look? It's like they were carved from the same mold..."

"Is this really the time to talk about that?"

Xu Xiaoyan glared at Xie Xie and said, "If we fail, we'll have to leave Shrek City and go back to Eastsea City!"

"Don't worry. We'll win!"

Tang Wulin looked calm and composed. After Deep Meditation, his strength had reached a new level. Though his cultivation was still only Soul Power rank twenty-nine, even a three-ring Soul Elder might not be his match!

Wu Changkong told the four of them, "Don't let your guard down. Anyone who can become a student of Sky-Piercing Douluo must have something extraordinary about them!"

"We've made it this far. There's no way we're backing down now!" Gu Yue shook her head. Besides fighting spirit, there was a deeper curiosity in her gaze as she looked at Yun Qianyue.

"Good! Stick to the rhythm you usually use in battle, and be careful." Wu Changkong nodded, then took a few steps back to stand beside Shen Yi.

Tang Wulin looked at Ya Li and the others, then raised his hand to ask, "May I ask how we'll be fighting? One-on-one, or two-on-two?"

"Two against four!"

Yun Qianzhao stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Tang Wulin. "Defeat us, and you'll earn admission to Shrek Academy!"

"Outnumbered? Are you sure?"

Xie Xie was taken aback. "We won't go easy on you!"

Yun Qianyue smiled softly and gestured invitingly. "Then let's see what happens!"

"She's beautiful..."

Xie Xie stared at Yun Qianyue's smile, momentarily stunned.

Xu Xiaoyan jabbed him in the side. "Did you come here for the assessment or not?"

"Sorry!" Xie Xie awkwardly scratched his head, then stood at attention, his expression serious.

The two sides took their places in the middle of the hall and stopped about twenty meters apart. Yun Qianzhao and Yun Qianyue assumed their stances. Golden and silver light flashed in their hands, and the instant the Sun God Spear and Moon God Spear appeared, an utterly terrifying aura swept over the four of them!

"Gah—what kind of weapons are those? They're terrifying!"

The moment the two divine spears appeared, Xie Xie felt his Martial Souls trembling!

As a blacksmith, Tang Wulin immediately recognized that the two spears were extraordinary. Though he couldn't tell their exact forging rank, they were at least Soul Forged!

Behind the Twins, the sun and moon rose together.

A boundless golden sun cast down its radiance, brighter than the light streaming through the stained-glass windows! On the other side, silver moonlight filled the space. As its glow flowed, endless frigid energy spread, and frost flowers even formed across the floor and walls.

Behind each of them, three Soul Rings revolved around their Martial Souls. Every Soul Ring shimmered with a noble purple light!

Purple—Thousand-Year Soul Rings!

Over the years, the two hadn't focused solely on cultivating Soul Power. After experimenting, they'd learned to raise the level of their Soul Spirits without using the Spirit Ascension Platform, evolving the quality of their Soul Rings in turn!

The power they drew from the actual sun and moon was of a higher order than the worldly energy of Douluo Continent!

However, this was a secret only they knew.

With their immense celestial Martial Souls and the Soul Rings revolving around them, the Twins looked like deities who represented the stars!

Shen Yi whispered to Wu Changkong, "I heard Qian Zhao and Qian Yue are already at Soul Power rank thirty-nine. Will your students be all right?"

Wu Changkong's expression grew grave. The Twins were even younger than Tang Wulin, weren't they? They'd already become three-ring Soul Elders at such a young age—and at rank thirty-nine, they were close to becoming Four-Ring Soul Ancestors!

He drew a deep breath and said solemnly, "I believe in them."

Xie Xie gripped the Light and Dark Twin Dragon Daggers, his expression tense. "Captain, their Martial Souls are putting a lot of pressure on ours. I'm afraid—"

Though he had Twin Martial Souls, in terms of attributes, neither the Light Dragon Dagger nor the Shadow Dragon Dagger could compare with the Twins' Martial Souls! The moment the Twins released their auras, he'd already sensed his disadvantage.

"Don't worry. I'm here!"

Tang Wulin stepped forward, shielding Xie Xie from the pressure of the Twins' auras. A golden sheen spread over his body, and as his Bloodline Power surged, two golden Blood Essence Soul Rings appeared!

Under the influence of the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline Power, Xie Xie's Martial Souls finally broke free of the Twins' attribute suppression.

The others watching the fight were astonished to see the golden Soul Rings.

Golden Soul Rings?

Gu Yue gripped her staff, and three Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet. Lights of every color danced around her, each representing a different element! She could wield every elemental force that existed in the world.

Beside her, Xu Xiaoyan gripped her Star Wheel Ice Staff, her expression serious and focused.

No one had announced the start, but Tang Wulin made the first move. Golden radiance covered his hands, transforming them into dragon claws clad in golden scales, and he charged at Yun Qianzhao and Yun Qianyue!