At the referee's signal, Cao Longyan and Xu Sanshi instantly moved apart in opposite directions.
Although Xu Sanshi didn't believe Cao Longyan had any chance of beating him, he was a Shrek student, and the combat instincts he needed were carved into his bones.
He would never give his opponent a chance to use dirty tricks or catch him off guard.
"Black Tortoise Shield!"
A deep roar came from Xu Sanshi's mouth. A dark green Black Tortoise phantom appeared behind him, and he gripped a heavy Black Tortoise Shield firmly in his hand.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple—four Soul Rings appeared one after another beneath his feet. His Soul Power as a forty-two-ranked Soul Ancestor surged forth without reserve, its oppressive force instantly enveloping the entire Soul Fighting Arena.
He looked down at Cao Longyan, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Xu Sanshi, fifth year, Black Tortoise Martial Soul, forty-two-ranked defensive Soul Ancestor."
"Kid, there's still time to surrender. I can even let you save a little face."
Cao Longyan didn't respond. Looking completely at ease, he released his Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, and a bone-chilling mist suddenly rose around him.
"Ice Dragon King, possess me!"
A dragon's roar exploded from within the icy mist, and the pressure of Ultimate Ice swept across the arena!
It was the phantom of a giant dragon forged entirely of ice, its body blue and white. Its blue, vertical pupils pierced the souls of everyone present. When its roar rang out, the entire Soul Fighting Arena trembled faintly.
Even more terrifying, the Black Tortoise phantom behind Xu Sanshi shattered bit by bit beneath the dragon's roar, turning into ice crystals that filled the air!
The entire arena fell silent for three seconds, then erupted in an uproar that sounded like crashing waves!
"W-what kind of Martial Soul is that?!"
"Senior Xu's Black Tortoise phantom was actually shattered just like that?!"
"Wait... look at the Soul Rings under his feet!"
Three black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings slowly rose beneath Cao Longyan's feet. Their dazzling black light was so bright it hurt to look at.
A Soul Elder?!
A first-year Soul Elder?!
A Soul Elder with three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings?!
Was he a monster?!
"Cao Longyan, first year, Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, thirty-eight-ranked Power Attack System Soul Elder."
Cao Longyan's voice was cool, yet every word carried clearly across the entire Soul Fighting Zone.
In the stands, Bei Bei and Tang Ya knew that Cao Longyan had once lost his Martial Soul and Soul Power and become a cripple. Seeing him once again release an aura no weaker than that of the Ten Halls of Yama Martial Soul, they were overjoyed to witness Cao Longyan truly reborn and return as a king.
Jiang Nannan, however, clenched her fists, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion and heartache.
Wasn't Longyan's Martial Soul a fire-type staff? And those two giants he could summon...
What had he gone through to become the way he was now... with a Martial Soul of the opposite elemental attribute and an entirely different form from the one he'd had before?
The disdain vanished from Xu Sanshi's face, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.
He could clearly feel the pressure radiating from Cao Longyan suppressing his Black Tortoise Martial Soul!
His Martial Soul was the divine beast Black Tortoise, yet Cao Longyan was suppressing it through their very bloodlines!
Daring not to be careless any longer, Xu Sanshi surged with Soul Power and fully activated Black Tortoise Descent. Dark iron tortoiseshell covered his body, and the Black Tortoise Shield in his hand grew larger, glowing green as it guarded him tightly.
"He actually forced Senior Xu to use his ultimate move, Black Tortoise Descent! What kind of monster is this new student?!"
"I've only ever seen Senior Xu use it against Bei Bei. Now this first-year has actually made him reveal his trump card too!"
The exclamations from the stands rose one after another. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the fight to begin.
Xu Sanshi struck first. He poured Soul Power into his Black Tortoise Shield and slammed it into the ground.
"First Soul Skill, Black Tortoise Quake!"
A thunderous boom rang out. The ground cracked, and a shockwave of earthy yellow Soul Power mixed with blue-green energy surged toward Cao Longyan, attempting to restrict his movements and disrupt his judgment.
But in the end, the result only disappointed him.
Cao Longyan's lips curved slightly as he raised a hand and gave a light wave.
"First Soul Skill, Ice Dragon King Storm!"
Blue mist erupted in an instant, transforming into a whirling storm wrapped around the phantom of an ice dragon. It collided with the shockwave in a deafening crash!
"BANG—!!!"
There was none of the stalemate anyone had expected. The ice storm swallowed the shockwave outright!
Then the storm swept across the arena, completely blocking Xu Sanshi's view.
"Second Soul Skill, Black Tortoise Shield Formation!"
"Third Soul Skill, Power of the Black Tortoise!"
Xu Sanshi hastily summoned several Black Tortoise Shields to encircle himself, frantically boosting his defenses with Soul Power. Even though he couldn't see, he guarded his defenses to the death.
But in the next instant, bone-chilling cold swept in from every direction.
"Third Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Mile Ice Seal!"
The icy mist suddenly spread, and in an instant, the area ten zhang around Xu Sanshi was covered in solid ice.
White frost quickly coated the Black Tortoise Shield Formation. Xu Sanshi felt his limbs stiffen, and even his Soul Power circulated half a beat slower.
He poured everything into breaking through the ice, and at the same moment, the ice storm dissipated.
But before he could catch his breath, a blue ball of light had already gathered in Cao Longyan's left hand.
"Self-Created Soul Skill, Wrath of the Ice Dragon King!"
The blue ball of light turned into a thick blast of icy dragon breath, hurtling toward Xu Sanshi with the force to destroy heaven and earth!
For the first time, Xu Sanshi felt the breath of death from this attack!
"Fourth Soul Skill, Black Tortoise..."
He gritted his teeth and urged his Soul Power, trying to unleash his Soul Skill and switch places with Cao Longyan to dodge the fatal blow.
But just then, an Ice Dragon Impact carrying a mental attack suddenly struck.
"Second Soul Skill, Ice Dragon King Breath!"
Pain like a tearing force of psychic energy exploded through Xu Sanshi. The Power of the Black Tortoise and the Black Tortoise Shield Formation around him were instantly dispelled, and every enhancement vanished!
It was over...
That was the only thought left in Xu Sanshi's mind.
He summoned all his strength to wield the Black Tortoise Shield, holding it firmly in front of himself.
"BOOM—!!!"
Wrath of the Ice Dragon King crashed into the Black Tortoise Shield. The heavy shield cracked in an instant, and icy fissures rapidly spread across it.
Dust filled the air, leaving the center of the Soul Fighting Platform in ruins.
As the dust slowly cleared, Xu Sanshi dropped to his knees, drained of strength. He was covered in wounds, his Soul Power was in disarray, and he could barely stand.
He looked up at Cao Longyan, his eyes full of awe and lingering fear. Summoning the last of his strength, he spoke.
"Th-thank you... for... for holding back at the end..."
As the words left his mouth, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The referee stood frozen, unable to recover for a long time.
He had been watching Cao Longyan's Soul Rings the entire time and hadn't expected Xu Sanshi to lose at all—much less to lose so quickly and so badly!
Only after Xu Sanshi passed out did he finally snap out of it and announce loudly:
"The match is over! Cao Longyan wins!"
Hu Meier rushed onto the platform at once and crouched beside Xu Sanshi to inspect his injuries, her eyes red-rimmed.
Cao Longyan casually tossed her a porcelain bottle, his tone flat.
"Give him the medicine in this bottle. He'll be fine after sleeping through the night."
Hu Meier accepted the bottle and looked up gratefully.
"Thank you..."
She could also tell that Cao Longyan had deliberately held back at the end, sparing Xu Sanshi's foundations. That kind of restraint was even more admirable than simply winning.
Xu Sanshi had been outmatched...
She stood and prepared to help Xu Sanshi up, but Cao Longyan stopped her.
"Senior, when he wakes up, remind him to honor his bet and apologize to Yuhao and Senior Sister Nannan."
Hu Meier nodded.
"Don't worry, Junior. I'll make sure he does."
With that, she and the arriving medical team carried Xu Sanshi away for treatment.
A thirty-eight-ranked first-year with three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings and a top-grade Martial Soul—who had easily defeated Xu Sanshi, the strongest defense among the Outer Court Twin Stars...
Cao Longyan had now stunned the entire Shrek Outer Court!
At that moment, outside the Soul Fighting Zone, a group of people stood on the roof of the Martial Soul Department. Led by a white-haired old man in a wheelchair, they watched Cao Longyan standing in the middle of the Soul Fighting Arena, unable to hide their smiles.
He was back... That peerless genius, Cao Longyan, had returned... And his nature had never changed!
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