Brutally Crushing Tang San and Xiao Wu!

The Tank Engine within Lin Tian began to run.

His body rapidly grew to five meters tall.

A fifth black Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

Five Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings circled around him, and the aura of a Soul King swept across the entire Soul Battle Platform.

Before Xiao Wu could get close, she was swept away by the Nine Nether Beast's enormous tail.

Hu Liena raised her hand and released her Soul Power.

A pink glow caught Xiao Wu and sent her directly out of the competition area.

Dai Mubai had already arrived before Lin Tian.

The White Tiger Vajra Transformation and White Tiger Protective Barrier activated simultaneously.

Lin Tian raised a single finger.

Dark-gold claws swept past his fingertips.

Dai Mubai's two layers of protective Soul Power shattered instantly.

Lin Tian's palm struck his chest.

Bang!

Dai Mubai's feet left the ground.

He flew across half the Soul Battle Platform and dropped to his knees before the Shrek team.

The stone slabs beneath his knees shattered at once.

Dai Mubai tried to stand.

But destructive power erupted within his body.

The White Tiger Martial Soul dispersed on the spot.

"This is the second time."

Lin Tian looked at him.

"You still haven't improved."

Tang San pressed both hands to the ground.

"Blue Silver Thorn Array!"

Dense Blue Silver Grass transformed into spears and shot up from beneath Lin Tian's feet.

Lin Tian took a step forward.

His five-meter-tall body smashed through all the Blue Silver Grass.

With every step he took, a deep crater was left in the Soul Battle Platform.

Tang San kept retreating.

Layers upon layers of Blue Silver Prisons descended.

Lin Tian did not use a Soul Skill.

He grabbed the Blue Silver Grass with both hands and tore it apart with force.

The prison formed by a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill was ripped to pieces.

Tang San's face rapidly turned pale.

"How is this possible?"

"I've gathered the Soul Power of seven people!"

"So what?"

Lin Tian arrived before Tang San.

"Seven weaklings put together are still weak."

Tang San raised his right hand.

Several flashes of cold light shot from his sleeve.

Lin Tian did not dodge.

The hidden weapons struck his chest and arms, snapping one after another.

A poisoned steel needle fell into Lin Tian's palm.

Lin Tian closed his five fingers.

The steel needle turned into iron dust.

"Using hidden weapons in a match."

He raised his hand and grabbed Tang San's shoulder.

"Is this what Yu Xiaogang taught you?"

Tang San activated his Mysterious Jade Hand, and both palms struck toward Lin Tian's chest.

Lin Tian pressed his palm downward.

Tang San's knees slammed into the Soul Battle Platform.

Boom!

The stone slabs collapsed instantly.

The Soul Power fused within Tang San's body was forcibly interrupted.

Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing all suffered backlash at the same time.

The four of them staggered back several steps.

Shrek's Seven-in-One Fusion Technique completely fell apart.

Xie Yue and Yan seized the chance to rush out.

Two Moon Blades rested against Ma Hongjun's neck.

Crimson flames sealed off Oscar and Ning Rongrong's retreat.

Hu Liena's spiritual power descended.

Zhu Zhuqing froze in place, unable to move any further.

All seven members of Shrek had lost their ability to fight.

Tang San knelt before Lin Tian.

His hands braced against the ground as he tried to rise again.

Lin Tian pressed down on his shoulder.

Tang San's knees sank even deeper.

Cracks continued spreading across the Soul Battle Platform.

"Didn't you want to cripple the foundation of my Martial Soul?"

Tang San suddenly raised his head.

Lin Tian looked down at him.

"Now, I'm standing right in front of you."

"Why aren't you making your move?"

Tang San tried to activate Blue Silver Grass.

But at that moment, the Nine Nether Beast raised its wolf head.

A destructive pressure descended.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was forcibly suppressed back into his body.

His Soul Power could no longer circulate.

Yu Xiaogang rushed to the edge of the arena.

"Lin Tian, let Tang San go!"

Lin Tian did not look at him.

"Referee, has he admitted defeat?"

The referee came closer.

"Tang San, will you continue the match?"

Tang San clenched his teeth.

He looked around.

Dai Mubai was kneeling not far away.

Xiao Wu had already left the arena.

The other four were all under the control of Spirit Hall Academy's members.

Even Shrek's strongest Seven-in-One Fusion Technique had failed to stop Lin Tian.

Tang San lowered his head.

"I concede."

The referee immediately raised an arm.

"The match is over!"

"The winners are Spirit Hall Academy!"

Lin Tian released his hand.

Tang San lost his support, and both hands pressed against the shattered stone slabs.

He remained kneeling in the center of the Soul Battle Platform.

The spectator stands fell silent for a moment.

Then cheers spread throughout the entire Soul Battle Arena.

"Five Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings!"

"A Thirty-Thousand-Year Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear Spirit Ring!"

"Shrek's Seven-in-One Fusion Technique was defeated head-on!"

"Lin Tian didn't even use all of his Soul Skills!"

Xue Qinghe stood upon the viewing platform.

She looked at the Nine Nether Beast behind Lin Tian, her fingers slowly tightening around the railing.

More than two years ago, Lin Tian had only been level twenty-three.

Now, he had become a level fifty-one Soul King.

The six members of Spirit Hall stood behind Lin Tian.

Yet all seven members of Shrek had fallen before them.

Hu Liena walked to Lin Tian's side.

She glanced at Tang San, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Captain, we won."

"Mm."

Lin Tian turned and walked toward the exit of the Soul Battle Platform.

Five pitch-black Soul Rings slowly faded behind him.

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan followed closely behind.

Not a single member of the Spirit Hall Academy delegation was injured.

They passed by the Shrek group.

Tang San never raised his head.

Yu Xiaogang stood below the Soul Battle Platform, his face pale.

The person he had personally driven away had now become so powerful that the Shrek Seven Monsters could only kneel and admit defeat.

Lin Tian did not look back.

Countless people within the Soul Battle Arena had already risen to their feet.

Every gaze fell upon that black-and-gold figure's back.

A level fifty-one Soul King.

Five Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings.

One person had defeated the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique head-on.

This was the true strength displayed by Spirit Hall Academy's captain.

On the Soul Battle Platform.

Tang San remained kneeling amid the shattered stone slabs.

Dai Mubai likewise had not risen.

Shrek's other five members stood not far away, their faces deathly pale.

The Seven-in-One Fusion Technique had been defeated head-on.

Tang San had gathered the Soul Power of all seven people, temporarily bringing his cultivation close to that of a Soul Sage, yet he still could not stop Lin Tian.

After the referee announced the result, the cheers from the spectator stands continued for a long time.

"Shrek suffered a crushing defeat!"

"They didn't even disrupt Spirit Hall Academy's formation."

"Tang San even used hidden weapons just now."

"If that poisoned needle had struck an ordinary Soul Master, something terrible would have happened already."

"Lin Tian crushed it with his bare hand."

"Just how strong is his body?"

The discussions continuously reached the ears of the Shrek group.

Tang San kept his head lowered.

The stone slabs beneath his knees had completely collapsed.

He wanted to stand, but a wave of agonizing pain came from his legs.

The destructive power left behind by the Nine Nether Beast still coursed through his meridians.

Every time he tried to circulate his Soul Power, his chest suffered a violent impact.

Xiao Wu ran to Tang San's side.

"Third Brother."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

Tang San braced himself against the ground and forced himself to stand.

He looked toward the passage through which Spirit Hall Academy had left.

That black-and-gold figure had already vanished.

From beginning to end, Lin Tian had never looked back at him.

That disregard hurt even more than being defeated before everyone.

Yu Xiaogang stepped onto the Soul Battle Platform.

His gaze swept across the shattered stone slabs.

"Tang San, you shouldn't have used your hidden weapons so early."

"Not only did they fail to work, they exposed your methods."

Tang San raised his head.

"Teacher, ordinary Blue Silver Grass couldn't restrain him."

"His body could smash straight through the Blue Silver Prison."

"My Soul Power was already close to that of a Soul Sage, yet I still couldn't suppress him."

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened.

"That was only temporarily fused Soul Power."

"You haven't fully mastered it yet."

"If the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique had been more stable, the result wouldn't have been this."

Dai Mubai walked over, clutching his chest.

"Master."

"It wasn't a problem with the fusion technique."

"Lin Tian simply never fought seriously."

Yu Xiaogang turned to look at him.

"What are you trying to say?"

Dai Mubai fell silent for a moment.

"He's no longer the Lin Tian from two years ago."

"Even if all seven of us joined forces, we still wouldn't be his match."

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth.

This time, he did not argue.

Lin Tian had broken through Dai Mubai's two layers of defense with just one finger.

Tang San had gathered the Soul Power of all seven, yet one palm strike had forced him to his knees.

The other Spirit Hall members had merely coordinated their attacks.

The one who had truly crushed Shrek had always been Lin Tian alone.

Zhu Zhuqing turned and walked toward the exit.

Her black bodysuit clung to her slender figure.

She walked quickly, without waiting for the others.

Dai Mubai watched her leave, his expression growing even uglier.

Ning Rongrong put away her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

"Let's go back and get treated first."

"If we stay here any longer, we'll only give more people a chance to laugh at us."

Oscar took out Recovery Sausages and handed them to Tang San and Dai Mubai.

The seven Shrek members walked down from the Soul Battle Platform one after another.

The gazes of the surrounding spectators remained fixed on them.

When they had arrived, Shrek had been called the biggest dark horse of this tournament.

When they left, none of the seven retained their former pride.

Spirit Hall Academy's resting area.

Lin Tian pushed open the door.

Hu Liena followed behind him.

She raised a hand and removed the golden ornament binding her hair, letting her long light-brown hair fall loose.

"Those poisoned needles Tang San used at the end were dangerous."

"If they had hit anyone else, they might have been injured."

Lin Tian sat down on a bench.

"His hidden weapons couldn't break through my defense."

Hu Liena came before him.

She lowered her head and looked at Lin Tian's chest.

Several tiny holes had been left in his black-and-gold combat uniform.

The fabric had already been pierced by the poisoned needles.

Yet the skin beneath bore no marks.

"Your clothes are ruined again."

"As long as I'm fine, that's enough."

"You're always like this."

Hu Liena extended her delicate hand and gently smoothed the damaged spots flat.

"Once we're back, I'll have several more sets made to fit you."

"You've grown taller again recently."

Lin Tian raised a hand and held her waist.

"You're very familiar with my figure?"

Hu Liena stood between his legs.

Her platinum short skirt hugged her waist.

Black stockings wrapped around her long legs.

She did not evade him. Instead, she leaned a little closer.

"I see it every day, so of course I'm familiar with it."

"What part are you most familiar with?"

A flush rose to Hu Liena's cheeks.

She raised her hand and pressed it against Lin Tian's shoulder.

"You're getting more and more fond of bullying me."

"You were the one who came closer."

"I was only checking whether the captain was injured."

She lowered her eyes.

Lin Tian's palm remained on her waist.

Even through her academy uniform, he could feel the softness of her slender waist.

Just as Hu Liena was about to say something else, footsteps sounded outside the door.

A knock soon came at the door.

She stepped back half a pace and adjusted the golden belt around her waist.

Lin Tian looked toward the door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Ye Lingling stood outside.

She had changed out of her Heaven Dou Royal Academy uniform and wore a pale-blue long dress.

The dress draped down over her slender waist.

Below the hem, a pair of fair calves was exposed.

Her light-blue hair fell loose behind her shoulders.

She held a pink-and-white Nine-Heart Begonia in her palm.

Hu Liena glanced at her.

"Someone from Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

"Ye Lingling."

Ye Lingling walked into the room.

She looked at Lin Tian first, then glanced at Hu Liena.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

Hu Liena gathered her long hair over one shoulder.

"What do you want with the captain?"

"To treat him."

Ye Lingling raised her hand.

The petals of the Nine-Heart Begonia slowly unfurled.

"Lin Tian took Tang San's poisoned needles earlier."

"I want to examine him."

"His body wasn't injured."

"I need to confirm it myself."

The two looked at each other for a moment.

Lin Tian extended his arm.

"Go ahead."

Ye Lingling came to his side.

Her slender fingers rested on Lin Tian's wrist.

Gentle Soul Power entered his meridians through his skin.

The Nine-Heart Begonia scattered a pale pink glow from its petals.

A moment later, she withdrew her Soul Power.

"The poison didn't enter your body."

"Your skin blocked the poisoned needles."

"Mm."

Ye Lingling did not leave immediately.

Her gaze fell upon Lin Tian's arm.

"I've seen many defense-type Soul Masters."

"Even those with Black Tortoise martial souls couldn't possibly block that kind of hidden weapon with their skin alone."

"You didn't use Soul Power, did you?"

"No."

She raised her delicate hand and lightly pressed Lin Tian's arm.

The firm muscle did not change in the slightest.

"May I try again?"

"How do you intend to test it?"

"The Nine-Heart Begonia can do more than heal."

Ye Lingling condensed a petal at her fingertips.

"I can concentrate Soul Power along the petal's edge."

"This petal can slice through the protective Soul Power of an ordinary Soul Ancestor."

Lin Tian nodded.

"Go ahead."

Ye Lingling placed the petal against his arm.

Pink-and-white light flashed past.

The petal shattered on the spot.

Lin Tian's skin still showed no wound.

She froze for a moment.

"A physique like this has already surpassed most Soul Emperors."

"More than just Soul Emperors."

Hu Liena stood at the side.

"When the captain obtained his fifth Soul Ring, he killed a thirty-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear by himself."

Ye Lingling looked back at Lin Tian.

"A thirty-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear?"

"Even its claws couldn't hurt you?"

"It could only tear clothes."

She lowered her head and glanced at her shattered petals.

"No wonder Heaven Dou Royal Academy lost."

"Yu Tianheng's defeat was not undeserved."

Lin Tian withdrew his arm.

"Did you come here only to check your injuries?"

Ye Lingling gently shook her head.

"There was something else."

She held the Nine-Heart Begonia before Lin Tian.

"Your Primordial Chaos Azure Lotus possesses powerful Life Force."

"I wanted to know whether the Nine-Heart Begonia could absorb that power."

"You want your martial soul to evolve?"

"I don't know whether it can evolve."

Ye Lingling looked at the flower in her palm.

"The Nine-Heart Begonia only possesses healing abilities."

"Today, when I saw the Primordial Chaos Azure Lotus purify the poison on the Blue Silver Grass, I wanted to try."

Lin Tian raised his right hand.

Azure light gathered in his palm.

A crystalline lotus petal slowly formed.

He placed the lotus petal into the center of the Nine-Heart Begonia.

Azure Life Force spread outward, and the pinkish-white petals swiftly unfurled.

A faint azure pattern appeared at the center of the Nine-Heart Begonia.

Ye Lingling's body trembled.

Pure Life Force flowed from her martial soul into her body.

She lost her footing and fell toward Lin Tian.

Lin Tian reached out and caught her by the waist.

Her aqua-blue long dress pressed against his black fitted attire.

Her two fair, slender legs overlapped.

Ye Lingling raised a hand to press against Lin Tian's chest, steadying herself.

Her pale blue hair slipped over her shoulders and fell onto Lin Tian's arm.

"Sorry."

"My martial soul suddenly absorbed too much power."

"Sit down first."

Lin Tian helped her sit down beside him.