Leng Zhaoran was wreathed in crimson Heavenly Phoenix True Fire. A pair of enormous phoenix wings slowly beat behind him, each flap stirring up a scorching wave of air. Fighting spirit burned in his eyes as he fixed his gaze firmly on Long Yeyue across from him.
Xiao Ran stood not far from Leng Zhaoran's side, his Azure Sky Divine Spear angled toward the ground as faint spatial ripples flowed around him. Though his aura was not as overwhelming as those of the two Demigods, those elusive and unpredictable spatial fluctuations forced Long Yeyue to devote part of her attention to guarding against him.
Across from them, Long Yeyue's expression had darkened to the extreme.
She had thought that, with her strength, dealing with Leng Zhaoran would be easy. Yet Leng Zhaoran had proven far stronger than she had expected. With Xiao Ran supporting him from the side, she had actually been forced into a rather sorry state!
What angered her even more was that Xiao Ran's spatial rift had cut off part of her sleeve! To her, that was an unbearable humiliation!
"Good, good, good!" Long Yeyue laughed in fury. "Since you insist on forcing this old woman to get serious, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Before her words had even faded, a dazzling radiance erupted from her body!
Light and darkness, two completely opposing powers, blossomed from her at the same time! A magnificent set of Four-Word Battle Armor slowly emerged over her body—
The battle armor was silver-white throughout, yet black-and-white radiance flowed across it. The breastplate bore twin dragon totems of the Radiant Holy Dragon and Dark Holy Dragon. Their heads met at the center of her chest, and two fist-sized gemstones were set in their eyes—one emitting holy white light, the other a profound black glow. The pauldrons, vambraces, greaves, battle skirt... every part was engraved with exquisite dragon patterns, as though assembled from countless dragon scales. Behind her, a pair of massive light-and-dark dragon wings unfurled, blotting out the sky and exuding suffocating pressure!
Four-Word Battle Armor—Yin-Yang Vastness!
"Yin-Yang Vastness..." Leng Zhaoran's pupils contracted slightly, but a cold smile soon appeared on his lips. "Long Yeyue, you finally decided to put on your turtle shell? I thought you planned to keep hiding it forever!"
Though he spoke lightly, his heart had grown more solemn. A Four-Word Battle Armor provided enormous enhancement. With Yin-Yang Vastness equipped, Long Yeyue's combat strength had increased by at least thirty percent.
However, Leng Zhaoran did not hesitate either.
He drew a deep breath, and the crimson flames around him suddenly surged! An equally magnificent set of Four-Word Battle Armor appeared over his body—
The battle armor was crimson throughout, as though woven from phoenix plumes. A soaring phoenix was carved upon the breastplate, its head raised proudly and its form lifelike. Two flame-shaped wing ornaments extended from the shoulder armor, complementing the real phoenix wings behind him. The entire set radiated blazing heat like a burning inferno, dyeing the surrounding clouds crimson!
Four-Word Battle Armor—Phoenix Soars to the Nine Heavens!
"Phoenix Soars to the Nine Heavens against Yin-Yang Vastness. That's fair enough." Leng Zhaoran rolled his wrist, and crisp metallic clinks rang from his armor. "Come on. Let me see whether you're any stronger than before now that you've put on your Four-Word Battle Armor."
"Arrogant!" Long Yeyue roared. The phantoms of the Light and Dark Twin Dragons appeared behind her, and she shot toward Leng Zhaoran like a meteor woven from light and darkness!
"Likewise. Since you want to go big, I'll see it through with you." Leng Zhaoran showed no weakness. Heavenly Phoenix True Fire erupted at full force, transforming into an enormous fire phoenix that charged toward Long Yeyue!
Seeing that both had donned their Four-Word Battle Armor, Xiao Ran did not hold back either. Green light flashed around him as a set of green Three-Word Battle Armor covered his body. Though the gap between Three-Word and Four-Word Battle Armor was immense, with the Space-Time Divine Shuttle's enhancement, he was still capable of interfering in this battle.
"Brother Xiao, fall back a little," Leng Zhaoran said. "The enhancement of Four-Word Battle Armor isn't something Three-Word Battle Armor can compare with. You..."
"Rest assured, Brother Leng. I know my limits." Xiao Ran interrupted him, calmly looking toward Long Yeyue. "Besides, that old sow dared attack my son. If I don't leave her a little souvenir, won't she think Xiao Ran is easy to bully?"
His tone was calm, but his words carried a chilling coldness.
Long Yeyue snorted disdainfully. "You? A rank-97 Super Douluo dares act so boldly before this old woman? Even with a divine weapon protecting you, the gap between Three-Word and Four-Word Battle Armor is still beyond you!"
Though Long Yeyue's strength was nothing special, as the Sea God Pavilion's vice master, her insight was still quite sharp. She had also seen where Xiao Ran's current strength came from.
"How great the gap is, we'll know after trying." Xiao Ran spoke indifferently as brilliant green light burst from the Azure Sky Divine Spear.
"Courting death!" Long Yeyue shouted coldly. The phantoms of the Light and Dark Twin Dragons roared as they lunged toward Xiao Ran!
Naturally, Leng Zhaoran would not stand idly by. With a spread of his phoenix wings, Heavenly Phoenix True Fire turned into a wall of flames that blocked the twins' path!
"Long Yeyue, I'm your opponent!" Leng Zhaoran shouted. Light blazed from his Phoenix Soars to the Nine Heavens Battle Armor, and the temperature of the Heavenly Phoenix True Fire rose once more, scorching the surrounding air until it warped!
The two Demigod-level powerhouses clashed once again!
After equipping their Four-Word Battle Armor, both of their combat abilities had risen to another level. Every collision erupted with deafening booms, and the terrifying shockwaves shredded the surrounding clouds to pieces!
Xiao Ran waited for an opening from the side, green light flowing over the Azure Sky Divine Spear.
However, the defense of Four-Word Battle Armor was simply too strong. His ordinary attacks, even his once-famous and formidable Self-Created Soul Skill—Sub-Space Rift Slash—could only leave shallow marks on Long Yeyue's Yin-Yang Vastness armor after breaking through its surface Soul Power barrier. They could not inflict any substantial damage at all.
"This won't work." Xiao Ran frowned. "I need to hit her hard."
He took a deep breath, flashed away from the battlefield between Leng Zhaoran and Long Yeyue, and opened up sufficient distance.
Then, he closed his eyes.
Within him, the Power of Empty Green began circulating madly. Wind and space attributes merged perfectly inside his body, transforming into a purer, deeper power. It flowed through his meridians and into the Azure Sky Divine Spear, causing the green light around the spear to become increasingly brilliant and dazzling.
At the same time, the Space-Time Divine Shuttle trembled faintly within him, injecting a pure force of Space Law into his body and merging it with his Power of Empty Green.
Xiao Ran slowly opened his eyes, and a deep green glint flashed through them.
"Void Nirvana Nail."
He spoke softly, and the Azure Sky Divine Spear abruptly left his hand!
That strike possessed no earthshaking momentum, no dazzling radiance, not even the sound of cutting through the air.
Like an insubstantial shadow, it silently crossed the sky and shot toward Long Yeyue.
Yet if someone could sense the fluctuations of Space Law, they would discover that the space along its path was silently collapsing! Fine spatial cracks spread around the spearhead, as though even the void itself had been torn apart by that strike!
Long Yeyue was fiercely battling Leng Zhaoran when she suddenly felt a powerful sense of danger attack from the side! Instinctively, she tried to evade, only to find that the attack had directly torn through space and appeared before her!
"What?!"
Long Yeyue's pupils shrank sharply. It was already too late to dodge! She could only gather the power of the Light and Dark Twin Dragons before her chest and attempt to withstand the blow head-on!
However—
The instant the spear struck her armor, an eerie power suddenly erupted from it!
It was neither an ordinary physical attack nor an ordinary energy attack. It was an attack on the level of Space Law!
At the spear tip, a tiny "spatial singularity" suddenly formed, then collapsed inward without limit! Under that collapsing force, the Four-Word Battle Armor over Long Yeyue's chest began to twist and deform!
Then, that singularity erupted outward with an absolute force of tearing and severance!
Crack—!!!
A crisp shattering sound rang out!
A gap had appeared in Long Yeyue's Yin-Yang Vastness breastplate!
Immediately afterward, the gap rapidly widened and spread in every direction! Long Yeyue felt pain in her chest as blood gushed from the wound, dyeing a large patch of her battle armor red!
"Ah—!!!" Long Yeyue let out a miserable scream. The impact blasted her backward, sending her tumbling through the air several times before she managed to steady herself!
She looked down at her chest. A fist-sized hole had appeared in her breastplate, with traces of Space Law lingering around its edges and continuously eroding her armor. Beneath the hole, a chunk of flesh had been gouged from her body. Blood streamed down her, leaving her in an utterly miserable state!
"You... you dare..." Long Yeyue raised her head, staring at Xiao Ran with disbelief and rage.
She had never imagined that a rank-97 Super Douluo could pierce her Four-Word Battle Armor and injure her!
It was simply unbelievable!
Long Yeyue looked down at the wound on her chest, then at the Azure Sky Divine Spear that had already returned to Xiao Ran's hand. Her eyes were filled with disbelief and towering fury!
Xiao Ran retrieved the Azure Sky Divine Spear, his face somewhat pale. That Void Nirvana Nail had consumed more than half his Soul Power, leaving him hollow inside.
Yet he still stood straight, calmly looking at Long Yeyue. "I told you, if you dare attack my son, you must pay the price. This is only a small lesson. If you dare do it again, I won't mind opening a few more holes in you."
"You—!" Long Yeyue trembled with rage, but she had no choice but to admit that Xiao Ran's strike had truly injured her.
The breastplate of her Four-Word Battle Armor, Yin-Yang Vastness, had been severely damaged, and cracks had appeared in its core runes. Without prompt repairs, the armor's power would be greatly reduced.
Moreover, though the wound on her chest was not deep, wounds torn open by spatial power were far more difficult to heal than ordinary injuries. If not treated promptly, they could easily leave hidden complications.
"Good, good, good! This old woman will remember what happened today!" Long Yeyue said through gritted teeth. "Spirit Pagoda, just wait!"
With that, she spread her light-and-dark wings, turned, and prepared to flee.
"Trying to run?" Leng Zhaoran sneered. He was about to pursue her when Xiao Ran stopped him.
"Brother Leng, don't chase a desperate enemy." Xiao Ran shook his head. "Though she's injured, she still has seventy to eighty percent of her peak combat power. It's almost impossible for us to keep her here. Besides, Spirit Pagoda isn't prepared for an all-out war with Shrek Academy yet."
Leng Zhaoran fell silent for a moment before nodding. "You're right. We'll let her go for now."
Looking at Long Yeyue's retreating figure, he sneered. "Still, once she runs, Shrek Academy's reputation will be completely ruined. The dignified vice master of the Sea God Pavilion, a Demigod-level powerhouse, abandoned her own students and teachers to save her own life. Once word gets out, let's see how she can still show her face on the continent!"
Xiao Ran smiled faintly but said nothing.
He lowered his gaze toward Heaven Dou City below, his eyes profound.
Though this battle had failed to keep Long Yeyue behind, it had achieved his goal—letting the world know that anyone who touched Xiao Ran's son would have to pay the price.
On the ground, at Heaven Dou City's central plaza.
The spectators looked up at the sky. Although they could not make out the details of the battle, the crimson and silver-white flashes that periodically erupted overhead, along with the distant rumbling, allowed them to sense just how fierce the battle was.
Suddenly, a figure intertwined in black and white plummeted from high above. It then became a speck of light at the edge of the horizon and vanished.
"Was that... the Light and Dark Douluo?"
"Why did she run?"
"Did she lose?!"
An uproar swept through the audience!
A moment later, Leng Zhaoran and Xiao Ran slowly descended onto the arena.
Though Leng Zhaoran's face was somewhat pale, he was in high spirits, his face bearing a delighted smile. Xiao Ran looked calm, but a closer look revealed a trace of exhaustion in his eyes.
"Everyone!" Leng Zhaoran swept his gaze around and announced loudly, "Long Yeyue has been defeated and has fled! Spirit Pagoda has won this battle!"
A tidal wave of cheers erupted from the Spirit Pagoda side of the audience!
"Long live Spirit Pagoda!"
"Long live the Seven Luminaries Team!"
"Master Leng is mighty! Xiao Spirit Envoy is mighty!"
Leng Zhaoran smiled and waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down before continuing, "In addition, the teachers and students from Shrek Academy who came here to provoke us will be detained by Spirit Pagoda for the time being! If they want them back, Shrek Academy can send someone to negotiate!"
As he spoke, he waved a hand. Several Spirit Pagoda stewards stepped forward and led away all the Shrek Academy teachers and students, including Bai Xiao, Yu Momo, Ning Xia, and the others.
After the battle in Heaven Dou City, the entire continent was shaken.
News of the Spirit Pagoda Seven Luminaries Team defeating Shrek Academy's first-year elites spread across every corner of the continent as though it had grown wings. The Demigod battle that followed pushed the uproar to its peak.
For a time, people discussed that earthshaking battle everywhere—in streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns.
"Have you heard? Shrek Academy's Light and Dark Douluo, Long Yeyue, was beaten into a panicked retreat by Spirit Pagoda's Heavenly Phoenix Douluo and that Xiao Spirit Envoy!"
"A panicked retreat? It was far worse than that! I heard Long Yeyue's Four-Word Battle Armor was pierced through! A chunk of flesh was gouged from her chest, and she was dripping with blood. It was miserable!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Shrek Academy has been throwing its weight around all day, never taking the continent's other factions seriously. They finally suffered a huge loss this time! Hahaha!"
"And I heard that when Long Yeyue fled, she didn't even care about Shrek Academy's teachers and students. She just ran away alone! Tsk, tsk, tsk. The dignified vice master of the Sea God Pavilion actually did something like that. Honestly..."
"Shh—keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish? You dare gossip about Shrek Academy?"
"What's there to fear? This isn't Shrek City! Besides, if Shrek Academy did it, are others not allowed to talk about it?"
Similar conversations played out throughout the continent.
Naturally, Spirit Pagoda would not let such a wonderful opportunity pass. They secretly fanned the flames, expanding the influence of this victory to the greatest extent possible. All kinds of versions of the story began circulating among the people.
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy was overwhelmed.
Within the Sea God Pavilion, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed as though water could drip from it.
Bei Dexun sat at the head of the room, his expression terrifyingly gloomy. Before him lay report after report, all giving detailed accounts of the battle in Heaven Dou City. Every report described Shrek Academy's defeat and humiliation.
Long Yeyue sat beside him, pale-faced, her chest wrapped in thick bandages. Her Four-Word Battle Armor, Yin-Yang Vastness, had been sent away for emergency repairs. However, its damaged core components could not be fully restored in a short time, greatly reducing her combat strength.
"Speak. What exactly happened?" Bei Dexun's voice was calm, but everyone could hear the suppressed anger beneath that calmness.
Long Yeyue gritted her teeth and recounted everything in detail. Naturally, in her version, she had acted to "eliminate a budding Evil Soul Master," while Leng Zhaoran and Xiao Ran had "sheltered an Evil Soul Master," joining forces to attack her until she was forced to retreat in defeat.
"An Evil Soul Master?" Bei Dexun frowned. "Does that child named Xiao Cheng truly show signs of becoming one?"
"Absolutely!" Long Yeyue said firmly. "The power he used was clearly the Evil God Power of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger! How could such an utterly evil force be controlled by an eight-year-old child? If left unchecked, he will surely become a great disaster in the future!"
Bei Dexun fell silent.
Of course, he knew what the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was. It was a legendary evil god beast feared even by gods, and its power was indeed filled with evil and destruction. If that child had truly inherited the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's power, then he was indeed a potential threat.
But...
"Do you have evidence?" Bei Dexun asked.
"Evidence?" Long Yeyue froze. "I saw it with my own eyes..."
"Seeing it with your own eyes does not count as evidence." Bei Dexun cut her off. "What we need is conclusive proof that the child truly has a tendency to fall into becoming an Evil Soul Master. Otherwise, if we rashly accuse Spirit Pagoda's genius of being an Evil Soul Master, outsiders will only think Shrek Academy cannot accept defeat."
Long Yeyue's expression shifted between green and white, but she could not find any words to refute him.
"Furthermore," Bei Dexun continued, "you attacked an eight-year-old child before the public. That alone damages Shrek Academy's reputation. Not to mention that you abandoned our academy's teachers and students and fled back by yourself..."
"I wasn't fleeing!" Long Yeyue argued. "It was a strategic retreat! My Four-Word Battle Armor was damaged at the time. Continuing to fight would only have put me at a greater disadvantage, so I chose to withdraw temporarily and preserve my strength..."
"Enough." Bei Dexun waved his hand, his tone carrying a trace of fatigue. "This matter ends here. I have already sent people to negotiate with Spirit Pagoda. We will retrieve the detained teachers and students as soon as possible. As for Xiao Cheng... do not touch him for now. Just send people to observe him in secret."
Though unwilling, Long Yeyue did not dare say anything further and could only nod in agreement.
However, the matter did not end there.
The War God Temple, another transcendent force on the continent, also paid close attention to the incident.
After reading the detailed report on the Heaven Dou City battle, the master of the War God Temple, an old man whose cultivation was unfathomable, gave a meaningful laugh. He had an extremely poor impression of Shrek Academy. After all, it seemed that someone from Shrek Academy had stolen his heir's heart.
"Interesting. Truly interesting." He put down the report and looked at the several War God Temple elders below him. "Spirit Pagoda's current generation has produced several impressive youngsters. Especially that Xiao Ran. At rank 97, he managed to injure a Demigod wearing Four-Word Battle Armor. That strength is enough to warrant our attention."
"Your meaning is..." an elder asked.
"Send someone to make contact." The master of the War God Temple said, "See whether we can recruit Xiao Ran into the War God Temple. Even if we cannot recruit him, we should maintain a good relationship. A talent like that is worth trying to win over."
"Yes!"
The Federation Government also paid close attention to the matter.
Though the Federation Government had always refrained from directly intervening in conflicts between Soul Master factions, the blow to Shrek Academy's reputation was good news to them.
After all, Shrek Academy's influence was simply too great—so great that even the Federation Government sometimes had to yield to it. Now that Shrek Academy had suffered such a major setback, the Federation Government was naturally pleased to see it.
There were even rumors that the Federation Government was discussing whether to use this opportunity to strip Shrek Academy of some of its privileges.
Of course, those rumors had not been verified. Do not believe rumors, and do not spread them.
Naturally, the matter also had negative consequences for Xiao Ran and Xiao Cheng. Some diehard supporters of Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect directed their hostility toward the father and son. However, as a Spirit Envoy, Xiao Ran was not afraid of harassment from petty figures. Within Spirit Pagoda, opposing Shrek Academy had become a matter of political correctness. Coupled with the fact that victors had the right to escape blame, Spirit Pagoda would naturally shield the father and son from pressure from Shrek Academy.
Three days later, at Spirit Pagoda headquarters.
In a spacious conference room, all seven members of the Seven Luminaries Team had gathered.
After three days of recuperation, everyone had returned to peak condition. They were all in excellent spirits, their faces filled with the joy of victory.
"I heard Shrek Academy has already sent people to negotiate," Leng Yaozhu said while eating fruit. "Apparently, they're willing to pay a huge amount of compensation in exchange for those detained teachers and students."
"What kind of compensation?" Zhang Geyang asked curiously.
"I don't know the exact amount, but I heard it's extremely valuable," Leng Yaozhu said. "In any case, Shrek Academy is hurting badly over it."
"Then our hard work in that battle wasn't for nothing." Xiao Cheng smiled.
"Oh, and I also heard," Qiangu Dongfeng added in a lowered, mysterious voice, "that Spirit Pagoda's higher-ups have decided to take part of Shrek Academy's compensation, along with some rare resources from Spirit Pagoda's treasury, and use them as rewards for our Seven Luminaries Team."
"Really?!" Zhang Geyang's eyes lit up. "Doesn't that mean we're getting rich?"
"Look at that little ambition of yours." Leng Yaozhu rolled her eyes at him. "Still, it really is quite a generous reward. I heard each person will receive at least one Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. Although Spirit Pagoda will retain ultimate ownership of the Soul Bones, we'll have lifetime usage rights, along with some rare cultivation resources."
"A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?!" Zhang Geyang sucked in a breath. "Spirit Pagoda is really being generous this time!"
"Of course." Leng Yaozhu said proudly. "We rendered great service to Spirit Pagoda this time. Not only did we win the match, we also made Shrek Academy lose so much face. The Tower Master is happy, so naturally he'll reward us more generously."
Xiao Cheng was rather eager as well. He greatly desired a treasure like a Soul Bone.
Before you continue