Monster Academy's First Clash with Shrek Academy, a Duel Between Captains

Having just finished their peak showdown with Royal Academy's first team, the Shrek Seven Monsters returned to their private lounge amid cheers that had yet to die down. Tang Wulin reined in the lingering might of the Golden Dragon Spear, while the elemental power at Gu Yue's fingertips quietly dissipated. Though everyone looked somewhat tired, their eyes held the calm of victory—while they had not used their full strength in this match, they had genuinely crushed Dai Yun'er's momentum and shown the Star Luo Royal Family the depth of Shrek's foundation.

The lounge's metal door was kicked open with a bang, interrupting Xu Lizhi as he handed out energy pastries. Seven youths in black combat outfits strode in one after another, the image of a snarling Ink Qilin embroidered on their chests. They were the core members of Monster Academy, the rising force that had emerged in the Star Luo Empire in recent years. The leader was tall and arrogant-looking, a scar running from his left brow to his jaw. He was Long Yue, Monster Academy's captain and a power-attack Soul Emperor.

"Tsk, tsk, so these are the so-called Shrek Seven Monsters? You beat Royal Academy's second team and now you dare put on airs in Star Luo City?" Long Yue crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over Tang Wulin and the others. His mockery was undisguised. "I thought you were something impressive. Turns out you're just frauds relying on an empty reputation."

A speed-attack Soul Master behind him chimed in, "Captain's right! Shrek Academy declined long ago. Its former glory is nothing but a thing of the past. The Douluo Continent is no longer a place where you get to call the shots."

Yue Zhengyu raised a brow. The light of the Angel Sacred Sword flashed in his palm before vanishing. "Your words are insulting. Are you looking for trouble?"

"So what if I am?" Long Yue sneered and stepped forward, releasing his Soul Power without restraint. The pressure of a Soul Emperor spread outward. "Monster Academy is the pride of the Star Luo Empire. Outsiders like you don't deserve to stand on Star Luo's arena. Take my advice and withdraw from the tournament now. Otherwise, we'll beat you into a miserable defeat and make Shrek lose face."

Ye Xinglan tightened her grip on the Stargod Sword, her gaze sharp as a blade. "If you've got the guts, settle it in the arena. What kind of hero just runs his mouth here?"

"In the arena?" Long Yue looked as though he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "You? I watched your match against Royal Academy's second team very clearly. That Tang Wulin obviously had greater strength but kept it hidden. Are you afraid of exposing your trump cards and being targeted by us, or do you simply have no real skill at all?"

His gaze settled on Tang Wulin, filled with blatant provocation. "I heard you're Shrek's core member. I'd like to see whether this so-called Golden Dragon Prince is really as powerful as the legends claim. How about we have a little spar right now? Let me see what you're really made of."

Tang Wulin remained calm, unaffected by Long Yue's provocation. He could sense a faint evil aura mixed within the other man's Soul Power, somewhat similar to the Holy Spirit Cult members he had encountered in the abandoned workshop the night before. His guard rose immediately. "The tournament has its rules. Private brawling is not the conduct of a gentleman," he said blandly. "If you want a contest, we'll naturally accompany you to the end once we're in the arena."

"The conduct of a gentleman?" Long Yue laughed coldly. "Before absolute strength, rules and gentlemanly conduct are all nonsense!" As he spoke, he suddenly attacked. His right hand formed a claw, wreathed in dense black Soul Power as it shot toward Tang Wulin's shoulder. The strike was incredibly fast and carried tearing force. Clearly, he intended to give Tang Wulin a lesson.

Gu Yue's eyes turned cold, and an ice wall instantly condensed before her. With a bang, Long Yue's claw struck the wall. Ice fragments scattered everywhere, yet the wall did not budge.

"Getting physical like this is rather against the rules." Gu Yue's voice was as cold as frost. Elemental power surged around her, and the invisible pressure made the Monster Academy members' expressions change slightly.

Long Yue had not expected Gu Yue to react so quickly, nor had he expected her strength to exceed his expectations by so much. He was startled, but relying on his Soul Emperor cultivation and his teammates at his side, he refused to show weakness. "What? Planning to gang up on me? Monster Academy isn't afraid of you!"

"Gang up on you?" Xie Xie flashed, appearing behind Long Yue in an instant. His twin swords rested against Long Yue's neck, moving so fast that Long Yue had no time to react. "You're not qualified for that."

The other Monster Academy members immediately moved to help, only to be stopped by Xu Xiaoyan's Starlight Chains. "I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves." Xu Xiaoyan's gaze was icy, and the Starlight Chains gleamed with dangerous light.

Xu Lizhi stood to one side, his food-type Soul Tool already prepared to provide support to his teammates at any moment. He might have had a gentle nature, but if anyone dared hurt his comrades, he would never go easy on them.

With Xie Xie's twin swords at his throat and their cold blades against his skin, Long Yue's face alternated between green and white. He had never expected the Shrek Seven Monsters to be this powerful, especially Xie Xie's speed and Gu Yue's Elemental Control, both far beyond his imagination.

"You... you dare hurt me?" Long Yue roared, fierce on the outside but weak within. "I'm Monster Academy's captain! The Star Luo Royal Family thinks highly of our academy. If you hurt me, they will never let you off!"

"The Star Luo Royal Family?" Tang Wulin slowly walked up to Long Yue, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. "Shrek Academy conducts itself honorably and has never feared any threat. But Monster Academy seems to be hiding quite a few secrets." He deliberately paused, sweeping his eyes over Long Yue and the others. "What was that trace of evil aura in your Soul Power just now?"

Long Yue was startled. He had not expected Tang Wulin to detect the abnormality in his Soul Power. He forced himself to remain composed. "I don't know what you're talking about! What evil aura? Complete nonsense!

The Mountain Dragon King's aura erupted from Long Yue. "Tang Wulin, we'll settle this properly in the tournament. I look forward to our one-on-one match!" With that, he left in anger.

"I'll be waiting." Tang Wulin watched Long Yue's departing back with determination and made up his mind.

On the final day of the elimination rounds of the Star Luo Empire Advanced Soul Master Tournament, the cheers at Central Arena Square nearly overturned the heavens. When the host announced the matchup, "Tang Wulin of Shrek Academy versus Long Yue of Monster Academy," the entire venue erupted in unprecedented excitement—one was Shrek's core member, inheritor of the Golden Dragon Bloodline; the other was Star Luo's rising star, awakened with the Mountain Dragon King martial soul. This "duel of two dragons" was regarded as the pinnacle battle of the tournament.

Tang Wulin slowly stepped onto the arena. His blue-green combat outfit glimmered faintly in the sunlight, and the Golden Dragon Spear rested diagonally across his back. He looked calm, yet there was a hidden edge to him. His gaze fell on Long Yue across from him, and a blurred fragment of memory flashed through his mind—in his previous life, he had been defeated by Long Yue's Mountain Dragon King's Power on this very arena. The suffocating feeling of being crushed beneath mountains was still branded deep into his soul. But now, there was no fear in his eyes, only the resolve to break through fate.

Long Yue wore black battle armor, his body standing tall like a mountain peak. Dense earth-yellow Soul Power swirled around him, while behind his back, the vague phantom of a colossal dragon-mountain lay coiled. It was the top-tier beast martial soul, the Mountain Dragon King. A defiant smile curled at his lips as his Soul Power erupted without restraint. The pressure of a Soul Emperor descended upon Tang Wulin like a tangible mountain. "Tang Wulin, today I'll show you what true Dragon Might is! You lost miserably in your previous life. In this one, I'll make you lose even more thoroughly!"

The Shrek Seven Monsters in the audience looked grave. Elemental power gathered at Gu Yue's fingertips, ready to handle any sudden situation. Dai Yun'er sat in the VIP section, looking at the arena with a complicated expression. She hoped Long Yue would bring glory to Star Luo, yet for some reason, she did not want to see Tang Wulin lose. Star Luo's crown prince, Dai Yueyan, watched the two closely, trying to discern Tang Wulin's true strength from this battle.

"Begin!"

The moment the host's words fell, Long Yue attacked first. "First Soul Skill: Mountain Collision!" His first Soul Ring lit up, and his body turned into an earth-yellow streak of light. Like a charging mountain, he rammed straight toward Tang Wulin with world-destroying force. Wherever he passed, fine cracks spread across the black-patterned meteoric iron floor of the arena.

Instead of retreating, Tang Wulin advanced. Blue Silver Grass erupted beneath his feet, and countless blades of grass bearing golden patterns burst from the ground, weaving together into a tough barrier. Bang! Mountain Collision slammed viciously into the Blue Silver Grass barrier. The thunderous impact filled the air, and cracks instantly covered the barrier, but it ultimately blocked the attack.

"Second Soul Skill: Dragon Claw Rending Rock!" Long Yue did not pause. His second Soul Ring lit up, and his right hand turned into a massive dragon claw covered in thick earth-yellow scales. Carrying the power to rend stone apart, it clawed at Tang Wulin's head. The Mountain Dragon King's claw held ultimate strength, enough to easily tear through a Soul Emperor-level defense.

Tang Wulin's eyes narrowed as the Golden Dragon Spear appeared in his hand, its shaft shining with brilliant golden light. "Golden Dragon Tail Sweep!" He twisted at the waist, sweeping his right leg out with Golden Dragon King's Power and colliding with Long Yue's dragon claw. With a metallic clang, both men staggered back several steps, and a shallow crater was blasted into the arena floor.

Long Yue was shocked. He had not expected Tang Wulin's strength to be so formidable, not inferior to his Mountain Dragon King in the slightest. "Third Soul Skill: Mountain Collapse!" Not daring to be careless, he lit up his third Soul Ring. The Mountain Dragon King phantom behind him let out a roar, and countless enormous rocks fell from the phantom like a meteor shower, descending upon Tang Wulin and sealing off every route of escape.

"Blue Silver Grass, Entanglement!" Tang Wulin's second Soul Ring lit up. Countless Blue Silver Grass blades grew wildly, wrapping around the falling rocks. At the same time, he flashed away like a phantom, evading the central region of the rock barrage. Yet several rocks still broke free of the Blue Silver Grass and crashed toward him.

"Golden Dragon Claw!" Tang Wulin's left hand transformed into a golden dragon claw. Soul Power flooded into it, and he slashed fiercely, crushing the incoming rocks to pieces. Amid the flying debris, his eyes locked onto Long Yue. His body abruptly accelerated, and the Golden Dragon Spear pierced toward Long Yue's chest with sharp spear radiance. "My turn!"

"Fourth Soul Skill: Mountain Dragon King's Fury!" Long Yue's expression changed as his fourth Soul Ring lit up. The Mountain Dragon King phantom behind him solidified completely, opened its enormous jaws, and fired an earth-yellow energy blast containing the Mountain Dragon King's Origin Essence straight at Tang Wulin. This strike gathered sixty percent of his total Soul Power and was powerful enough to heavily injure an ordinary Soul Emperor.

A trace of determination flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes. The Golden Dragon King Bloodline within him boiled, and the golden radiance on the Golden Dragon Spear grew even more dazzling. "Golden Dragon Spear: Armor Break!" He perfectly fused the Golden Dragon King's Power with his spear technique. The spear radiance tore through the air, forming a pillar of golden light that collided head-on with the energy blast of Mountain Dragon King's Fury.

Boom—!

The collision of two ultimate powers produced a terrifying shockwave of energy. The arena's defensive Soul Tool array activated instantly, and a pale golden barrier enveloped the entire venue, preventing the energy from reaching the audience. When the shockwave dispersed, both men had been shaken until their blood and energy churned, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.

Long Yue wiped the blood from his lips, and his eyes became even more frenzied. "I didn't expect you to withstand my Mountain Dragon King's Fury! But this isn't over! Fifth Soul Skill: Dragon King's Pressure!" His fifth Soul Ring lit up, and the Mountain Dragon King's pressure erupted in full force. This was not merely Soul Power suppression, but Dragon Might originating from the essence of his martial soul. It was enough to make ordinary soul beasts bow their heads, and even Soul Masters of the same level would be greatly affected.

Tang Wulin felt an immense pressure crash down upon him, making even the circulation of Soul Power within his body sluggish. But what flowed through him was the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. As the strongest existence born from the Dragon God's division, how could the Golden Dragon King's majesty be violated? "Golden Dragon King's Pressure!" Tang Wulin roared, and the Golden Dragon King's aura erupted from his body. Golden Dragon Might collided and intertwined with the Mountain Dragon King's earth-yellow pressure at the center of the arena, forming a visible storm of energy.

The clash between the two Dragon Mights made every spectator feel suffocated. Some weaker Soul Masters even collapsed directly in their seats, unable to endure the terrifying pressure.

Long Yue's expression changed drastically. He had not expected Tang Wulin to release Dragon Might as well, and its power was not inferior to his Mountain Dragon King's Pressure at all. "Impossible! You've only inherited a portion of Golden Dragon power. How can you possess such pure Dragon Might?"

"Nothing is impossible!" Tang Wulin's eyes were as sharp as blades. "Your Mountain Dragon King may be strong, but it is still only a lesser dragon martial soul. What flows within me is the true Golden Dragon King Bloodline! Today, I will break fate and reclaim the glory that belongs to me!"

Before his words had faded, a huge Golden Dragon King phantom appeared behind Tang Wulin. Its golden scales glittered beneath the sunlight, and its Dragon Might shook the entire venue. "Sixth Soul Skill: Golden Dragon Frenzy!" His sixth Soul Ring lit up, and the Golden Dragon Spear transformed into a streak of golden light. Countless spear shadows surged forth like innumerable golden dragons striking at once, sweeping toward Long Yue.

Long Yue felt a deadly threat. He knew there was no longer any path of retreat. "Sixth Soul Skill: Mountain Collapse and Earth Split!" He poured all of his Soul Power into the attack. The Mountain Dragon King phantom behind him roared as it charged at the Golden Dragon King phantom, while the arena floor shook violently and countless enormous fissures spread outward, trying to swallow Tang Wulin's attack.

The golden spear shadows collided with the earth-yellow Mountain Dragon King phantom. Countless fragments of energy scattered through the air, and even the arena's defensive Soul Tool array began flashing violently, on the verge of collapse. Tang Wulin and Long Yue both gritted their teeth, exhausting their final traces of Soul Power.

At that moment, the Golden Dragon King's Origin Essence within Tang Wulin erupted completely. The radiance on the Golden Dragon Spear surged, and its spear shadow broke through the Mountain Dragon King phantom's defenses, stabbing straight toward Long Yue's chest. Long Yue's pupils contracted sharply. He wanted to evade, but it was already too late. He could only watch helplessly as the golden spear radiance closed in.

Pfft—!

The Golden Dragon Spear pierced Long Yue's shoulder rather than a vital point, but the powerful Golden Dragon King's Power instantly flooded into his body, damaging his Soul Power meridians. Long Yue let out a muffled groan and was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the arena. He could no longer rise.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment before thunderous cheers erupted.

"He won! Tang Wulin won!"

"The Shrek Seven Monsters truly live up to their name!"

Tang Wulin put away the Golden Dragon Spear, breathing heavily as he looked at Long Yue lying on the ground. His expression was calm. "You lost."

Long Yue lay facedown, blood flowing endlessly from his shoulder. His eyes were filled with unwillingness and disbelief. He had never imagined that he would lose to Tang Wulin, and so completely at that. The victory from his previous life was like a bubble. In this life, he had ultimately still been defeated by Tang Wulin.

The Shrek Seven Monsters rushed onto the arena and gathered around Tang Wulin, their faces full of joy. Gu Yue handed him a healing pill and said softly, "You did very well."

Tang Wulin accepted the pill and swallowed it. Looking toward the audience, his heart was filled with complicated emotions. The regret of his previous life had finally been made up for in this one. He had not only defeated Long Yue, but also overcome his past self.

In the VIP section, a complicated smile appeared on Dai Yun'er's face, carrying both disappointment and an inexplicable trace of relief. Dai Yueyan, however, looked grave. He knew that Tang Wulin's rise had become a force the Star Luo Empire could no longer ignore.

In a corner of the audience, several black shadows quietly departed. They were members of the Holy Spirit Cult. Looking at Tang Wulin on the stage, wariness and killing intent flashed through their eyes. "We didn't expect Tang Wulin's strength to be so formidable. It seems the plan must change."

Tang Wulin did not know that the Holy Spirit Cult's scheme was quietly changing. At that moment, he only felt as if a great stone had fallen from his heart. His duel with Long Yue had not merely been a contest of strength, but a struggle against fate. He had won—not only the match, but also the future.

What awaited him next was the challenge of the finals and the Holy Spirit Cult's conspiracy. But he feared nothing, because he had the Shrek Seven Monsters at his side, the Golden Dragon King's Power within him, and the determination to shatter every destiny.