Skywater, Godwind, and Blazing Fire: The Three Elemental Academies (3)

Skywater, Godwind, and Blazing Fire: The Three Elemental Academies (3)

There were countless soul beasts, and no shortage of strange ones.

Enchanting Spirits were a special kind of soul beast that could only be killed through elemental counters.

They were immune to corresponding elemental attributes.

Enchanting Spirits over a thousand years old used their spirit core as their center to form elemental bodies.

They could gain physical immunity.

But that was only knowledge written in books.

"Believe everything in books, and you might as well have no books at all..." On the mountain summit, amid rolling heat waves, a girl in a platinum cloak moved with lightning in her eyes and dragon-like agility. Every punch wrapped in Blood Flame created a burst of air at the point of impact. Though the burst was not large, much like the spray from a water-filled balloon being punctured, every expansion made the four-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Fire Enchanting Spirit, now in its elemental body state, scream sharply. It was as if bombs had been stuffed inside its body. One shocking, penetrating fist mark after another appeared on it. Even with an elemental body, the wounds could not heal in a short time. The flames splashing onto the girl's fists charred her fair skin black, yet failed to move her in the slightest.

One punch shattered the flaming spear condensed by the Fire Enchanting Spirit.

She lowered her body and rammed into the Fire Enchanting Spirit's chest and abdomen.

She spread her stance, like a drawn bow about to snap.

A pale yellow soul ring streaked with white rose from beneath her feet. The phantom of a roaring Flame Rhino flashed behind her and vanished. With Martial Soul Possession, the horn atop her head involuntarily emerged for a moment. The soul ring, clearly only just over a hundred years old, flickered slightly, and the soul skill that increased her strength by thirty percent took effect.

"Eight Extremities—Two Principles Heart-Toppling Elbow!"

The girl's vigorous shout overlapped with the blast of air driven out by her elbow. With a single strike, she forcibly punched through the Fire Enchanting Spirit's chest!

She created a patch of vacuum!

The blazing Blood Flame incinerated the Fire Enchanting Spirit, which could no longer maintain its elemental body, into nothingness. There was no corpse, because Fire Enchanting Spirits had no physical form. A purple soul ring leaped out, proof of the Fire Enchanting Spirit's death.

The platinum cloak remained as tough as ever.

Neither water nor fire could penetrate it; neither blade nor spear could damage it.

In stark contrast were the girl's fists.

They were charred black, with the smell of cooked flesh filling the air.

And in stark contrast to the girl herself was the pale yellow soul ring that had just risen. In today's soul master world, where soul ring age was used to judge the quality of soul skills, the strength of a person, and the distance of their future, a level-twenty Quasi Soul Grandmaster whose first soul ring had barely crossed the hundred-year threshold had forcibly killed a four-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Fire Enchanting Spirit with level-twenty Soul Power. It was no different from smashing the mainstream understanding of the soul master world to pieces with a hammer, along with the fragile glass heart called common sense.

And this was the first sight that greeted Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy when they arrived. It was also the first time all the teachers and students of Skywater Academy and Shrek Academy witnessed just how powerful the students capable of entering Blue Tyrant Academy's Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings truly were!

Yet if the girl's ferocious, overbearing fighting style and heaven-defying combat ability had left everyone dumbfounded, her next action robbed all the unworldly spectators of speech altogether—she took out a fifty-year ginseng root from a wristguard-shaped Storage Soul Guidance Device and stuffed it into her mouth whole. After chewing a few times, she swallowed it with a frown. Then, as if rubbing grime from her skin, she vigorously scrubbed her horribly damaged hands. Black fragments and curled flesh were rubbed away like bits of eraser, revealing perfectly intact hands beneath, smooth and lustrous as jade!

Had they not personally watched those hands get burned inch by inch while striking the Fire Enchanting Spirit, turning into horrific charcoal, no one would have believed the terrifying self-healing ability the girl had displayed!

An injury that looked like it would affect someone for life.

She ate a ginseng root, rubbed a little, and it just came off?

Did she think she was scrubbing dirt off herself in the bath?

The teachers and students of Skywater Academy stood stunned. Those of Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy began questioning their lives. Those of Shrek Academy were busy being shocked. But the teachers and students of Blue Tyrant Academy were already accustomed to it, and all turned their gazes toward the groups from Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy who had entered the scene.

"Visitors, halt." Ye Qingcang clasped his fists before his chest and pushed outward. The casual gesture felt like a mountain bearing down on them head-on, jolting Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy out of their existential crises. "This is Blue Tyrant Academy's Soul Hunting Grounds. The Fire Enchanting Spirit living here has already been slain. If you have no important business, please make way and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

"Blue Tyrant Academy?" The two principals of Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy—also the fathers of Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian—exchanged looks upon hearing this.

Blue Tyrant Academy was also part of the Advanced Soul Master Academy circle in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Its backers were suspected to be the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan already had Thunder Academy among the Heaven Dou Empire's Advanced Soul Master Academies, considering how much the clan loved playing both sides and always placed bets on both camps, it was not difficult to understand why they might establish another Advanced Soul Master Academy within the empire. Thus, when Blue Tyrant Academy had first been established and this connection was uncovered, they and the principals of the other Advanced Soul Master Academies had not investigated any further, tacitly accepting Blue Tyrant Academy's standing.

A few years ago, at a palace banquet in the Heaven Dou Empire, they had also met Blue Tyrant Academy's principal, Liu Erlong. Blue Tyrant Academy had achieved quite respectable results in the Soul Master Competition held every five years. The caliber of its students was no worse than the average standard of the Four Elements Academy teams from previous years. It was a formidable opponent that could not be underestimated in this Soul Master Competition.

They had not expected to encounter Blue Tyrant Academy's Soul Hunting Squad here.

And also...

"Skywater Academy?" Water and fire were incompatible. As Skywater Academy's sworn rival, Huo Lie, the principal of Blazing Fire Academy and father of Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, quickly spotted the Skywater Academy teachers and students standing with Blue Tyrant Academy. His gaze locked firmly onto Shui Feng. Both were Soul Douluo. He had little interaction with Liu Erlong, but ever since his youth, he had repeatedly lost by narrow margins to Shui Feng, his old rival, and he was still losing to her to this day. He raised a hand to first signal that he meant no harm, then called out loudly:

"Are Principal Liu of Blue Tyrant Academy and Principal Shui of Skywater Academy present?"

"I am Huo Lie, principal of Blazing Fire Academy."

"This is Feng Wuji, principal of Godwind Academy."

"My son and daughter both reached level forty some days ago. This Fire Enchanting Spirit was the target selected for my daughter. I didn't expect that we would still arrive a step too late. A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

"It's fine. Little Eagle, leave this to Aunt Shui..." Shui Feng landed behind Ye Qingcang. She was equally speechless at how confidently Liu Erlong, her close friend, had let her son stand in front while hiding behind him. Letting a level-forty child face two Soul Douluo head-on was the first time she had ever seen such an unreliable mother. She patted Ye Qingcang's shoulder armor and kindly stepped in front of him. "Huo Lie, Feng Wuji, if there's nothing else, hurry up and leave. One of our children needs to absorb a soul ring..."

There was a piece of common knowledge everyone in the soul master world knew: a soul ring could only be absorbed by the person who killed the soul beast. Even if you beat a soul beast until it had only one breath left, if another person came along and killed it to steal the kill, the resulting soul ring could only be absorbed by that person. Even if that person died, the soul ring would return to heaven and earth. In any case, it would not be your turn to absorb it.

Therefore, even though the Fire Enchanting Spirit was dead and a purple soul ring floated in the air, Huo Wu, who had arrived too late, could not possibly absorb it.

Moreover, when a soul master absorbed a soul ring, they needed to focus completely. Earlier, when hunting soul beasts in the Thousand Year Soul Beast Area, the Blue Tyrant Academy students had all performed unremarkably. They could not be called poor; they had merely been average, reaching the standard expected for their age. Now that one of Blue Tyrant Academy's Three Rankings Students had acted, the difference was immediately clear. This genius ranked thirty-seventh on the Human Ranking deserved the courtesy of clearing the area.

Huo Lie and Feng Wuji also understood Shui Feng's concerns.

A level-twenty Quasi Soul Grandmaster had killed a Fire Enchanting Spirit around four thousand three hundred years old, even overcoming both elemental immunity and physical immunity to do so. As expected, this girl, who looked only twelve or thirteen, should be Blue Tyrant Academy's team leader for the next Soul Master Competition.

At the very least, she would be a core team member.

Five years later, she would be seventeen or eighteen.

At most, she would not be over twenty.

If such a fine seedling belonged to their academy, they would not allow others to approach or covet her either. Clearing the area was simply standard procedure.

They cupped their fists, preparing to take their leave.

But Huo Wu had a fiery temper!

My fourth soul ring was snatched away. Even if you had begun fighting before I arrived, I can't blame you. I, the unlucky victim, haven't even said anything yet, but you people are the ones speaking first and driving us away?

Of course she felt uncomfortable!

Especially when the other side did not even offer a polite word!

"No!" Huo Wu, spoiled and willful by nature, stomped her foot. She felt she had lost face. If she let herself be driven away without a word, would she still be Huo Wu? She had heard people say that the spirit of youth was the most precious, because once people grew up, they no longer had the courage to do many things. Her head could be severed, her blood could be spilled, but a young person's spirit could not be bent. "I'm not convinced... But I won't bully you either. You just fought the Fire Enchanting Spirit and expended a great deal. Do you people from Blue Tyrant Academy and Skywater Academy have anyone else? Come out and fight this young lady. If you win, I'll leave immediately without another word. If you lose, apologize to us, and take back what you said: 'If there's nothing else, hurry up and leave.' Whether we have business or not isn't a reason for you to drive us away!"

Shui Feng wore an expression that was almost impossible to hold back.

Suppressing her laughter, she reminded her, "Little girl, why don't you first ask your father how many times he and I fought while growing up, and what our records were?"

Water restrained fire.

From childhood until now, Huo Lie had never won against Shui Feng even once.

Both were level-forty Quasi Soul Grandmasters.

Shui Feng could not imagine how her daughter, Shui Bing'er, could possibly lose.

The student had surpassed the master.

Shui Bing'er's Martial Soul was called the Water Condensing Kite, but in truth, it was an Ice Phoenix!

A Martial Soul nobler than even her mother's!

A top-tier beast Martial Soul no weaker than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!

Tell me, how could she lose?

However...

"Blue Tyrant Academy's trouble should be handled by Blue Tyrant Academy itself!" Ye Qingcang's figure flickered. Before Shui Feng could even react, she saw him standing in front of her once more. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Aunt Shui, but there's no need to trouble Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, and the other ladies. Blue Tyrant Academy has a school rule: no matter what its students do, Blue Tyrant Academy will take responsibility for all related consequences to the very end. A reward of ten credits—first come, first served. Give this girl one defeat. Who wants to go?"

Swish!

Swish!!

Swish!!!

On Blue Tyrant Academy's side, aside from the Shrek Seven Devils, who had joined later, and a few students in ordinary school uniforms, every other student raised their hands.

Pairs of burning eyes turned toward Huo Wu.

They were not lustful gazes, but the kind of heat one had when seeing money.

They could loosen up their limbs and earn ten credits for free.

Although ten credits were not much, why refuse something free?

The uniform response made Huo Wu's expression change slightly.

She finally realized that something was wrong.

Her older brother, Huo Wushuang, finally delivered the belated blow: "Little sister, those wearing black-gold cloaks with blood sword marks on their backs are Soul Hunters who have risen to fame in recent years. As the name implies, they hunt Evil Soul Masters. Every one of them has at least one dead soul on their hands, and it belongs to an Evil Soul Master. As for those students in platinum cloaks, they should be the geniuses on Blue Tyrant Academy's Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings. A few years ago, in a black market outside Heaven Dou City, I exchanged blows with one of Blue Tyrant Academy's Human Ranking students over some arguments. I lost within thirty moves. If he hadn't wanted to spare my life, I'd have died long ago... How about we just admit defeat?"

Huo Wu's smile looked little better than crying.

But she had chosen this road herself. Even if she had to walk it on her knees, she would see it through!

She avoided all the wrong choices.

And all those cowards who had not raised their hands.

After considering it over and over, Huo Wu raised a hand and pointed at Ye Qingcang, who looked like the least capable fighter, choosing him as her next opponent. "You, pretty boy!"

Everyone's gazes toward Huo Wu shifted from excitement to pity.

This included Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and the rest of the Shrek group.

You could eat whatever you wanted, but you couldn't say whatever you wanted!

Did you know how fierce the pretty boy you were talking about was?

His place as number one on the Heavenly Ranking had not been humbly yielded to him because everyone respected his creation of the Stellar Martial Path and Soul Guidance Technology. At twelve years old, he had accepted all challengers for three straight days. Group fights, one-on-ones—anything went. He beat Blue Tyrant Academy from top to bottom, and only then became the universally acknowledged number one on the Heavenly Ranking!

Even after being away from the academy for over two years, no one dared challenge him!

But Ye Qingcang did not mind playing with Huo Wu.

Yes, merely playing.

"Absorb it without worry. This fight will be over very soon." With his back to Shui Feng and the others and his face toward Huo Wu's group, Ye Qingcang modestly crooked a finger. He even kindly reminded her, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your best."

"Who are you looking down on!"

Huo Wu gritted her teeth.

She knew she might have chosen the wrong opponent.

Because those pitying looks were very strange.

But for him to say it would be over quickly...

"Do you think you can defeat me in an instant?" A slender, crimson Fire Shadow emerged behind Huo Wu. With Martial Soul Possession, Huo Wu gained the ability to control flames. Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose from...

There was no longer any need for them to rise from beneath her feet...

"Yes, sweetheart." Ye Qingcang's finger was already pressed against the flame mark between Huo Wu's brows. The Gang Qi flickering at his fingertip was sharp and dazzling. No one doubted the lethality of that translucent current. "I really can defeat you in an instant. Your Martial Soul Possession is too slow. This isn't the Soul Arena; no one will give you time to strike a pose. You can refuse to accept it and claim that I ambushed you, but no matter how many times we fight, the outcome will be the same. You're too slow. You can't catch even my shadow. If you don't believe me, shall I let you try again?"

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