Netherworld White Tiger

"My god! A three-ring Soul Elder with a spiritual attribute, and one who was nearly Rank 40 at that! With a soul ring configuration like that too! Old Yan, the academy has truly recruited a once-in-a-century genius this time!"

"To defeat a team led by a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Elder so easily... it seemed it wasn't just his talent that was outstanding. Even the quality of his martial soul was incredibly high."

"Stop looking. No matter how much longer you stare, no matter how envious you are, that student will never be given to you."

"No, did I look like I wanted that new student? Did you have to be so absolute about it?"

"Hmph. Whether you have your eye on him or not, he absolutely won't be given to you. Give up on that thought!"

"Fine, then give me that kid whose martial soul is an eye. I'll turn around and leave immediately, and I guarantee I won't set my sights on any of your Martial Soul Department's core disciples."

"I already said no. If you hand over all the slots for your Soul Tool Department's main team and reserve team in this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament to our Martial Soul Department, then I might consider it."

"Screw you! Yan Shaozhe, aren't you being a little too shameless?! You want the Soul Tool Department's Shrek Seven Monsters slots for two tournaments just for a spiritual-attribute soul master who's barely over Rank 10? What do you need so many slots for?! Aren't the six slots your Martial Soul Department has enough for you to play around with?!"

"Yan the Skinflayer! You're dreaming too beautifully! If you want our Soul Tool Department's slots for two tournaments, then give me that new student with the sword martial soul on the stage! He happens to have a spiritual attribute too."

Qian Duoduo had only said those angry words in a fit of rage and had not thought much of them himself. Yet after hearing him, Yan Shaozhe actually lowered his head and fell into thought, seemingly genuinely considering the feasibility of Qian Duoduo's proposal.

Seeing this, Du Weilun could not help but grow extremely nervous, afraid that Yan Shaozhe would make some outrageous decision.

Others might not have known, but Du Weilun knew very well that Yan Shaozhe had a disciple who, for some unknown reason, had failed to participate in the selection for the previous reserve team. Judging by her age, that disciple happened to meet the requirements for this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.

The seven members of this year's Shrek Seven Monsters—the main team—had worked together for a long time already, so it would not be easy to remove any one of them. Moreover, six of them were genius disciples from the Martial Soul Department's inner courtyard. If someone truly had to be removed, it would certainly be the sole student from the Soul Tool Department.

On Douluo Continent, the relationship between teacher and disciple was not something formed casually. Sometimes, the bond between disciple and teacher could be far more intimate than that between parents and children.

That was why Du Weilun was genuinely afraid that Yan Shaozhe would hand Jiang Yue over to the Soul Tool Department for the sake of his own disciple. Sending the top-ranked new student to another department sounded outrageous no matter how one looked at it.

"Dean..."

"Enough, Weilun. I can still tell what matters more."

Yan Shaozhe interrupted Du Weilun before he could say anything else. He could still see the pros and cons of this matter clearly enough.

For every young soul master, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was the best stage upon which to display themselves to the entire continent. They could also meet all kinds of geniuses from every corner of the land there. It was a grand event that young soul masters absolutely could not afford to miss.

Naturally, his disciple Ma Xiaotao did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity either. However, the participants for every tournament had been decided back when they were reserve team members five years earlier. Even if there were subsequent changes, they would not be major ones. If Ma Xiaotao wanted to participate, she had to squeeze someone out of their spot.

Not to mention how much the Soul Tool Department would object if Yan Shaozhe openly gave his own disciple special treatment like that, Ma Xiaotao's current condition alone made it impossible for her to participate in the tournament.

The Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was extremely powerful; that was beyond doubt. Ma Xiaotao's talent was exceptional, and despite the fatal flaw of evil fire, she had cultivated to the high ranks of Soul Emperor before reaching twenty. Yet it was precisely because of that evil fire that she could not even focus wholeheartedly on cultivation now, much less battle.

The tournament would begin around this time next year. Unless they found an ice-attribute soul master whose martial soul quality was close to Ultimate Ice within this nearly one-year period, or Ma Xiaotao evolved into Ultimate Fire, she simply could not represent Shrek in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.

"Our Martial Soul Department has six whole slots. We don't need the Soul Tool Department's slots. I hope your Soul Tool Department won't set its sights on our Martial Soul Department's students either."

"Even if you've taken a liking to that new student with the eye martial soul and want him to join the Soul Tool Department, you'll have to wait until after his third year."

After leaving those words behind, Yan Shaozhe waved for Du Weilun to follow him, leaving Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu behind in the stands.

The new student assessment finals were next, and Yan Shaozhe still had plenty to handle. Aside from the four Soul Elder students who had already been designated as core disciples, he still had to carefully consider the remaining core disciples and prospective core disciples. He did not have that much time to argue with Qian Duoduo here.

That afternoon, at the final arena of the assessment zone, the two teams from Class Five successfully met in the finals. If anyone in the outer courtyard was happiest right now, it was undoubtedly the homeroom teacher of New Student Class Five.

Both the champion and runner-up of an entire year's new student assessment were from his class. That would add a brilliant stroke to his record.

Dai Huabin stood with Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie behind him, the two girls staring intently at Jiang Yue across from them.

Lu Bei and Zuo Fan had the lowest cultivation among the people present. Cui Yajie and Zhu Lu did not think they would be opponents worth worrying about, so they were somewhat casual.

Unlike the two girls on his team, Dai Huabin's gaze toward Jiang Yue contained anger, resentment, and, more than anything, wariness.

Dai Huabin had found it difficult to forget everything that had happened in Dormitory 208. He truly could not understand why he had been completely incapable of fighting back before Jiang Yue.

Even now, he had not figured out why the enhancement effects of his first and third soul skills had transferred to Jiang Yue. He had not understood it even after watching Jiang Yue's match against Ning Tian and the others yesterday, and could only attribute it to Jiang Yue's ability.

Normally, a soul master's enhancement soul skills—especially those of beast martial soul masters—could only affect the owner of the martial soul, no matter what. Yet Jiang Yue seemed to have turned that rule into a joke.

That ability was what made Dai Huabin so wary, because the White Tiger Martial Soul relied heavily on its own enhancement soul skills to display its power.

"State your names!"

"New Student Class Five, Jiang Yue, Lu Bei, Zuo Fan."

"New Student Class Five, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Cui Yajie."

The referee held his arms out horizontally, signaling both sides to retreat to the edges of the arena.

Because the finals arena covered a vast area, both sides quickly became somewhat small in each other's eyes.

"Begin!"

As the referee lowered his right arm, his declaration that the match had begun reached everyone's ears at the same time.

After activating their martial souls, Zuo Fan and Lu Bei swiftly charged toward Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie. Dai Huabin's group did the same on the other side. As Dai Huabin ran, the sight of Jiang Yue looking entirely unruffled made his anger flare. The White Tiger Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and with two yellow and one purple soul rings behind him, he charged toward Jiang Yue.

Cui Yajie's Nine-Tailed Fox Martial Soul possessed her, and she seemed to grow several years older in an instant, her temperament becoming incomparably seductive. Her first soul ring flashed as she cast a flirtatious glance at Lu Bei and Zuo Fan.

Red appeared in both of their eyes. Just as Zhu Lu thought Cui Yajie's charm skill had taken effect, Zuo Fan and Lu Bei's muscles tensed all over as they boldly struck at the two beautiful girls before them.

As the one who had cast the charm, Cui Yajie could tell that the two before her were somewhat different from those she had charmed in the past. They lacked that strange, soul-stolen expression. Instead, they seemed to radiate a murderous intent that wanted to hack her into pieces?

The moment she realized something was wrong, Cui Yajie immediately activated her second soul skill. The two tails behind her shot out toward Zuo Fan's neck, only to be easily blocked by the round shield in his hand.

By the time Zhu Lu realized that something was wrong, it was already a little too late. She could only rely on the speed of her Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul to hurriedly adjust her body, her sharp claws stabbing toward Lu Bei's hands, which had already transformed into hooves.

Cui Yajie's martial soul was the Nine-Tailed Fox. Although her spiritual power could not compare to that of a spiritual-attribute soul master, bewitching Zuo Fan and Lu Bei was hardly a problem.

Unfortunately, Zuo Fan and Lu Bei had Jiang Yue behind them, someone capable of controlling emotions. In the face of fury, what was a little bewitchment worth?

Facing the tiger palm striking toward him, Jiang Yue suddenly thrust out his right hand and collided with Dai Huabin's tiger palm. They only remained deadlocked for an instant before Dai Huabin staggered back several steps uncontrollably, his entire arm going numb.

Jiang Yue pressed his advantage. The sword light of the Passionate Sword kept growing in Dai Huabin's eyes, sending chills through his entire body. It was not until the blade was less than a meter away that he realized he could not afford to be hit.

Dai Huabin immediately activated his first soul skill. Hastily mobilizing his soul power forced him to expend even more soul power to activate the White Tiger Protective Barrier.

Remembering what had happened last time and knowing that the White Tiger Protective Barrier before him might very well be turned into Jiang Yue's own soul skill, Dai Huabin did not dare linger. The instant the Passionate Sword struck the White Tiger Protective Barrier, he stomped hard on the ground and rapidly retreated.

Unlike Jiang Yue's side, where he held a firm upper hand, Zuo Fan and Lu Bei could not make up for the gap in soul power between both sides even after Jiang Yue stirred up their anger.

Seeing his two teammates falling into a disadvantage, Jiang Yue pointed remotely at Cui Yajie and Zhu Lu. The Anger Sword and Sorrow Sword immediately flew out from the soul rings behind Jiang Yue, blocking Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie and intercepting all their attacks.

The flying swords that had suddenly appeared before them left Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie at a loss. The two swords seemed to possess minds of their own. Though no one held them, they could block the girls' attacks at the most opportune moments and from the best angles, even launching counterattacks.

In an instant, offense and defense reversed. Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie could only retreat continuously, barely protecting themselves from harm.

Anger. Unprovoked anger suddenly surfaced in Cui Yajie and Zhu Lu's minds. It did not belong to them—it belonged to Dai Huabin!

They had just been struck by Jiang Yue's attacks. Though they were not seriously injured, the fact that they had taken damage was undeniable. That already fulfilled the conditions for them to become targets of Jiang Yue's second soul skill.

At this moment, the three of them could sense one another's emotions. However, the fury in Dai Huabin's heart had already made him somewhat lose his reason. Moreover, he harbored worries over how to defeat Jiang Yue, worries that closely resembled the anxieties held by Cui Yajie and Zhu Lu.

As a result, Dai Huabin failed to notice the emotions that had suddenly appeared in his heart.

While blocking Zhu Lu's attack, the brown Sorrow Sword emitted waves of spiritual fluctuations that low-level soul masters could not possibly detect, influencing Zhu Lu's emotions.

If there was one variable on the field capable of turning the situation around, it was undoubtedly the Netherworld White Tiger that Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu could unleash.

The power of a martial soul fusion skill was not as simple as one plus one equaling two. A martial soul fusion skill unleashed by a Soul Elder and a Grand Soul Master would certainly surpass the Lan Sisters' Heavenly Net.

Martial soul fusion skills were things one could only encounter by chance. Since he had never come across one or tested it before, Jiang Yue was not certain whether his third soul skill would affect the Netherworld White Tiger, so he decided to act early.

"You still dared to lose focus while fighting me?!"

"You really don't take me seriously at all!"

"I have always treated defeated opponents this way."

Clang!

Before Jiang Yue, who had already reached the Three Apertures Heart and could split his attention three ways, Dai Huabin's sneak attack was clearly useless.

After blocking Dai Huabin's attack, Jiang Yue dashed forward and drove his knee fiercely into Dai Huabin's abdomen. In response, Dai Huabin's third and second soul rings lit up simultaneously. Seeing this, faint spiritual power spread outward from the Passionate Sword.

Just as he had expected, Dai Huabin's third soul skill did not take effect on him. Dai Huabin immediately increased the soul power he poured into his second soul skill.

As the milky-white sphere of light gathered in Dai Huabin's mouth and gradually took shape, the connection between Dai Huabin and his second soul ring became increasingly distinct in Jiang Yue's eyes.

The Passionate Sword swept across Dai Huabin's body, and orderly streaks of blood appeared on him. With a crack, the second soul ring that had been pulsing seemed to jam, and the connection between Dai Huabin and his second soul ring was severed.

The white sphere of light turned into a runaway wild horse. The mass of soul power rapidly expanded, on the verge of exploding. The Passionate Sword vanished from Jiang Yue's hand, and as he bent his body slightly, he formed his hands into a flower shape and shoved them toward Dai Huabin's chin.

Crack!

"Huabin!"

The crisp sound of bones fracturing and upper and lower teeth colliding rang out clearly. Then, boom! The not-yet-fully-formed White Tiger Fierce Light Wave exploded inside his mouth.

Blood immediately poured from the lower half of his face. Fortunately, the White Tiger Fierce Light Wave had not been completed; otherwise, that blow might have taken off half of Dai Huabin's head.

Seeing her fiancé in such a miserable state, Zhu Lu disregarded the wounds the Sorrow Sword had carved into her body. She turned into a black shadow and caught Dai Huabin, who was staggering backward and nearly slammed the back of his head into the ground.

The instant Dai Huabin saw Zhu Lu beside him, he was overjoyed. Though the explosion left him only able to make muffled whimpering sounds, he still had soul power in his body. His injuries were not severe enough to eliminate him just yet.

Dai Huabin spread his arms. The muscles across his body swelled another great deal after his martial soul possessed him, while white fur and black tiger stripes surged madly from within his body.

Zhu Lu's body became somewhat translucent. Covered in a faint black glow, she embraced Dai Huabin and leaned into his chest, as if she wanted to feel his heartbeat.

Zhu Lu's eyes were full of tenderness and longing, but Dai Huabin showed no change whatsoever. It had always been like this when they unleashed their martial soul fusion skill.

In the past, Zhu Lu had only assumed it was due to Dai Huabin's personality, that he was simply not good at expressing his emotions. But this time, under the effects of Jiang Yue's second soul skill, Live and Die Together, she could clearly feel that Dai Huabin's heart was filled with rage and anticipation for power—yet not even the slightest trace of love for her.

Even as he held her body in his arms, even as their soul power and martial souls intertwined, it remained the same. It was as though, to Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu was merely a tool for unleashing a martial soul fusion skill.

Impossible! Impossible! How could Huabin possibly have no feelings for me!

At that moment, it seemed as if a string in Zhu Lu's mind had snapped. Her mind became empty and blank, while suspicions she had once refused to believe surged forth uncontrollably. Her emotions became unbearably anxious, and she could not stop overthinking.

Amid suspicion and unwillingness to believe, with their hearts so far apart despite their outward closeness, the fusion of their martial souls was much slower than before. Yet in the end, a giant white tiger more than eight meters long and over two meters tall at the shoulder still appeared in the examination area.

Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Netherworld White Tiger!

However, the white tiger alternated between solid and illusory, looking extremely unstable.

A martial soul fusion skill was a fusion of body and heart between soul masters. If there was a problem with the heart, how could the martial soul fusion skill not go wrong?