Rainbow Academy!

Heaven Dou City, Soul Fighting Tavern.

The tavern was still abuzz, everyone eagerly discussing Xiong Jun's formidable strength.

Qian Renxue rested her chin on one hand, quietly watching the comments on the Sky Screen.

"If only they could make a Spirit Ranking, just like everyone's saying."

She murmured softly, her tone brimming with confidence.

The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul was a god-level Martial Soul.

If there really were a Spirit Ranking, she was absolutely certain she could claim the top spot.

Qian Renxue turned her head, her beautiful eyes settling on Long Yun across from her.

"But speaking of which, no matter how strong our human Soul Masters become, we absolutely can't underestimate the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest."

She sighed softly.

"Even the one who ranked dead last, in tenth place, gained the power to tear space apart with a casual swipe after receiving a reward. What would the top few be capable of?"

Qian Renxue set down her wineglass, seeming to recall something troubling. Her brows furrowed slightly.

"By comparison, our side of the human world is rather disappointing."

She went on to vent.

"Take the Heaven Dou Royal Team under my command, for example. We've spent countless resources training them.

"And yet, a few days ago, they were defeated through sheer carelessness by some no-name, backwater academy that came out of nowhere."

The more Qian Renxue spoke, the angrier she became. Her fingers tapped the tabletop unconsciously.

"That academy doesn't even have a decent school building. It's full of nobodies, a bunch of country bumpkins. They've brought shame upon the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"

At the words "backwater academy,"

Long Yun's hand paused slightly as he held his wineglass. The name Shrek Academy flashed through his mind.

There was no need to guess. The only backwater academy that could have defeated the Heaven Dou Royal Team was that bunch from Shrek.

His expression didn't change in the slightest as he responded in an even tone.

"It's no surprise they lost. Losing to them is perfectly normal."

Long Yun drained his glass.

"How could normal people compete with a bunch of cheaters?"

Qian Renxue was momentarily taken aback by his strange remark.

"Cheaters? What does that mean?"

She looked at Long Yun in confusion.

"Just some unreasonable tricks, that's all." Long Yun didn't elaborate, merely brushing her off.

Qian Renxue didn't press him either.

After pouring out all the frustrations she'd been carrying these past few days, she felt much more at ease.

She stood up, straightened her skirt, and prepared to leave.

As she rose, Qian Renxue couldn't help inwardly berating herself.

What was wrong with her today?

Why had she shared so many personal thoughts with a man she'd only recently met?

She'd even blurted out internal matters concerning the Heaven Dou Royal Team. She must have gone mad.

This man, who claimed to have lived for tens of thousands of years, was always spouting astonishing claims.

How had she ended up believing him so easily?

Qian Renxue reached the tavern entrance, then suddenly stopped.

A remark Long Yun had made earlier flashed through her mind.

The man had actually claimed that Qian Renhan, the extraordinary figure among her ancestors, was his wife.

Qian Renxue glanced back at Long Yun.

Since she had nothing else to do right now, she might as well go back and look through Spirit Hall's confidential archives to investigate the matter properly.

Star Dou Great Forest.

Xiong Jun had completely fused with the Divine Beast Behemoth's left arm bone. A terrifying, ancient, and primeval pressure emanated from his entire body.

His once dark-golden fur had transformed into solid, ancient scales.

He flexed the enormous, mutated left claw and casually swung it forward.

"RIP!"

The space ahead split open like thin paper, forming a massive fissure hundreds of meters long. Chaotic currents surged wildly through the breach, which showed no sign of closing.

Xiong Jun gazed at his handiwork with satisfaction, then threw back his head and shouted toward Lake of Life.

"Di Tian!"

"Get out here, you! This king wants another three hundred rounds with you, right now!"

His roar, infused with mighty Soul Power, reverberated across the skies above the Star Dou Great Forest.

Countless nearby Soul Beasts were crushed to the ground by the pressure, not daring to draw a single breath.

They stared wide-eyed at Xiong Jun's terrifying strike, which had torn space apart with ease, their hearts filled with undisguised shock.

The reward bestowed by the Sky Screen was truly astonishing.

In the Sky Screen's earlier footage, Xiong Jun had been pinned to the ground and beaten by Beast God Di Tian, utterly powerless to fight back.

But with this single wave of god-level rewards, Xiong Jun's strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

"If they fight again now, it's anyone's guess who'll win."

"Lord Xiong Jun's aura is terrifying now. That left claw can even rip space apart. Lord Di Tian may have to avoid its edge."

"This Sky Screen is the greatest boon in the world. I wish I could make the ranking too!"

The eyes of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts burned with fervor. Their longing for the mysterious Sky Screen had reached an unbearable intensity.

Who wouldn't want to ascend to the heavens in a single step, just like Xiong Jun?

Deep in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Di Tian stood quietly by the lake, his gaze passing through the layers of forest to settle on the spatial fissure that still hadn't closed.

Hearing Xiong Jun's brazen challenge, Di Tian, for once, didn't get angry.

Instead, deep anticipation showed in his dark-golden eyes.

"The Divine Beast Behemoth's Soul Bone is truly domineering."

Di Tian stood with his hands behind his back, silently weighing things up.

In Xiong Jun's current state, the power unleashed by his left arm was so unfathomable that even Di Tian found it hard to gauge. A real fight would certainly be troublesome.

But that only further proved how terrifying the Sky Screen's rewards were.

Even someone ranked a mere tenth could receive such an extraordinary opportunity. What about those ranked above him?

At that moment, the other Ferocious Beasts in the core region also gathered, all looking up at the enormous light screen in the sky.

King of Ten Thousand Demons swayed his branches, his voice brimming with curiosity.

"Even a powerhouse like Xiong Jun only ranked tenth. Who do you think will be in ninth place?"

Bi Ji shook her head, her eyes full of uncertainty.

"In the Star Dou Great Forest, the only one who can reliably overpower Xiong Jun is Lord Di Tian. Could ninth place—or one of the higher ranks—belong to some hidden powerhouse from elsewhere?"

The Ferocious Beasts chattered among themselves, but none could guess who the next person on the ranking would be.

Meanwhile.

Rainbow Academy.

The academy stood in a secluded, picturesque place, shrouded in mist all year round. Rare flowers and exotic plants competed in splendor, while pavilions and towers were arranged in graceful harmony, making it seem like a fairyland on earth.

Long Yun strolled leisurely along the academy's idyllic paths, his hands clasped behind his back.

He had casually founded Rainbow Academy during his long life, simply to pass the time.

The academy's central philosophy was the mastery of elemental power to its utmost limits.