Blue Silver Entanglement!

Dai Mubai stood up. "Xiao Wu, come back. We boys are here."

Then he was the first to release his Martial Soul. "White Tiger, Possession!"

Pale light burst forth. His muscles swelled, his golden hair turned black and white, and the character "王" appeared on his forehead as two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring rose around him.

Ma Hongjun and Tang San followed suit, releasing their Martial Souls. Their surging Soul Power pressed down in an instant, and the Canghui Academy students' momentum immediately faltered.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu stepped forward himself and released his Martial Soul. "Black Tortoise, Possession!" Black ripples spread, a massive shell rose from his back, and five Soul Rings appeared.

One white, two yellow, and two purple—he was a Soul King above level fifty!

"Take it outside!"

[ Begonia Blossoms: This teacher Ye Zhiqiu is pretty decent. He even knows not to wreck someone else's hotel. Now look at Dai Mubai and the others. Tsk. ]

[ I Am Not Yanzi: Exactly. The difference is crystal clear! ]

The group went outside the town. Dai Mubai lowered his voice and laid out the plan. "That old guy's above level fifty, and his Black Tortoise Martial Soul has strong defenses. I'll hold off his attacks while you strike as soon as you can."

Tang San objected. "He's a defensive Battle Soul Master, so his attacks aren't much of a threat. Zhu Zhuqing and I will use our speed to keep him occupied. Fatty will attack from a distance with Phoenix Flame, Oscar will provide support, and Xiao Wu will take turns with us. We'll wear him down."

He then directed everyone to attack Soul King Ye Zhiqiu. But Ye Zhiqiu activated Mysterious Water Ice Seal, and neither White Tiger Intense Light Wave nor Phoenix Fire Line had any effect against his shell. Zhu Zhuqing struck the shell with her palm, only to have it freeze her hand and force her back. The two sides were deadlocked, and Shrek's attacks couldn't break through his defenses at all.

At last, a lazy voice rang out. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

Zhao Wuji appeared, yawning, and waved a hand. "Go back to bed."

"Hold on." Ye Zhiqiu stopped him. "Your students insulted Canghui Academy. They owe us an explanation."

"Canghui Academy is a trash academy to begin with. That doesn't count as an insult," Zhao Wuji said dismissively. Before Ye Zhiqiu could react, he slapped him flying more than ten meters. Even his shell cracked.

Ye Zhiqiu stared in shock. He shot a venomous glance at the backs of Shrek's students, then left in disgrace with his students.

[ Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: All right, the first segment's over. Time for some hot takes. ]

[ Most Beautiful Pope: That Dai Mubai is irritable and has no tact. A captain with such an unstable temperament will never amount to much. ]

[ 6G Sky Wing: Tang San's strategy looks reasonable at first glance, but it's full of holes. Against a defensive Soul King, sending assault and agility types to wear him down head-on is a complete waste of Soul Power. In the end, they still had to rely on the teacher to bail them out, didn't they? ]

[ Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: Let me add something. Dai Mubai is a brainless, reckless captain with a big mouth who provokes people and can't control his strength. And that Tang San is back to his "I know best, let me lead" routine. And what happened? They still needed their teacher to come out and crush the opponent. Pure armchair strategy. ]

(Emotion Point +180 from Fire-Breathing Dragon's disdain)

(Emotion Point +150 from Pagoda Suppresses River Demon's agreement)

Ye Qiong didn't give them much time to discuss before playing the second clip.

[ Ding! Group Owner "Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero" uploaded a video file: <Journey into Star Dou Forest (Part Two): The Soul Ring Contest> ]

The scene changed. Shrek's group had entered Star Dou Forest. Dai Mubai led the way, with Tang San close behind, alert to his surroundings. Oscar and Ning Rongrong followed right behind Zhao Wuji.

Around noon, Zhu Zhuqing climbed a tree to scout. "It's a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. It can't fly very high, only about three meters above the ground. There's a bright red comb on its head, its tail is fan-shaped, and its body seems a little unbalanced."

"Cockscomb Serpent. A rare, nonvenomous snake with incredible speed—perfect for Xiao Ao!" Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered them to attack.

Zhu Zhuqing was first to strike, using Hell Stab to target the snake's comb. With Ning Rongrong's support—"Seven Treasures Famous, second: Speed"—Dai Mubai blocked its body, while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass surged out and seized the chance to bind its body and wings.

But the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was startled and sprayed a cloud of multicolored mist. Its comb lit up, boosting its speed once more, and it broke free of the Blue Silver Grass and tried to flee.

"Trying to run?" Zhao Wuji growled. His third Soul Ring lit up as he activated Gravity Enhancement, freezing the snake in place. Then his fourth and fifth Soul Rings lit up. He leaped in front of it, used Gravity Compression to seize its head, and flicked its comb with his other hand. The snake immediately passed out.

[ First Cute Bunny: That's great! Oscar's Soul Ring is all set! ]

In the video, Oscar excitedly ran over to Zhao Wuji, who handed her a short blade. "Stab it beneath the comb, through the brain, and the Soul Ring will be yours."

"Stop!" A hoarse shout rang out, and two figures darted into view.

They were two women, one old and one young. The elderly woman was in her sixties or seventies, with a head of white hair and a three-meter-long Serpent-headed Cane in her hand. Six Soul Rings revolved around her. The girl was sixteen or seventeen, with short hair cut to her ears and a two-meter-long Serpent-headed Cane in her hand. Two Hundred-Year Soul Rings lit up around her. They were Serpent Granny, Chao Tianxiang, and her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.

"We found and hunted this Cockscomb Serpent first. My granddaughter just reached level thirty, and she needs this Soul Ring."

Chao Tianxiang pointed at the snake. "There are marks on its belly and beneath its wings from my cane."

Zhao Wuji inspected the wounds and confirmed they were genuine, but said, "Soul Beasts belong to no one. Whoever catches one gets it. My student Oscar just reached level thirty too, and this Soul Ring would suit him just as well."

[ First Cute Bunny: Wow, they actually ran into a Soul Ring dispute! ]

[ I Am Not Yanzi: Hah. Neither side is any good. Fighting over a Soul Ring like that—it's painful to watch. ]

[ Most Beautiful Pope: Soul Beasts belong to no one. The strong take what they can. They found it first, but Shrek snatched it from them. That only proves they weren't strong enough. Now they come out here to argue, but it's just the helpless fury of the weak. ]

In the video, neither side would back down. After seeing Zhao Wuji's seven Soul Rings, Chao Tianxiang's expression changed. She proposed, "How about letting the two children compete? If my granddaughter wins, the Soul Ring is ours. If your student wins, we'll leave at once."

"Oscar is a support-type Soul Master. He can't compete," Zhao Wuji said.

"I'll take Xiao Ao's place. I'm level twenty-nine, so it's not unfair." Tang San stepped forward and volunteered.

The match began. Meng Yiran darted forward, swinging her Serpent Cane down at his head.

Tang San retreated with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and his first Soul Ring lit up.

"Blue Silver Entanglement!"

Blue Silver Grass surged out of the ground and wrapped around Meng Yiran.

"That should be the end of the match, shouldn't it?" Tang San said with a smile.

Meng Yiran gave a cold snort. Both her yellow Soul Rings lit up at once. Her body turned soft and boneless, and she slipped through the Blue Silver Grass. A two-foot-long blade shot from the tip of her Serpent Cane, slashing at Tang San with deadly poison.

Tang San didn't retreat. Instead, he advanced, guiding her strike with Crane-Controlling Force in his left hand while using Dragon-Capturing Force in his right to strike the "seven-inch" spot on her cane. He also activated Mysterious Jade Hand to grasp the blade, immune to all poisons.

Each of them held one end of the Serpent Cane, locked in a stalemate as they drove their Soul Power against each other. In the end, thanks to the supple, unceasing flow of Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San gradually gained the upper hand.