Ye Xishui, the Death God Douluo!

Sea God Island.

Before the Sea God Hall.

Bo Saixi stood atop the long staircase.

The seven Sacred Pillar Douluo stood on either side.

The sea breeze swept past.

Bo Saixi's red robe stirred gently.

She looked up at Ye Xishui's name, deep puzzlement in her eyes.

"Ye Xishui."

"Deputy Cult Leader of the Holy Spirit Cult."

"When did a Limit Douluo like her appear on the continent?"

Sea Horse Douluo looked at the other Sacred Pillar Douluo.

"Have any of you heard of the Holy Spirit Cult?"

Sea Spear Douluo shook his head.

"No."

"Sea God Island may be far from the continent, but we've always kept an eye on its strongest fighters."

"We know of Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"This is the first time I've heard the name Holy Spirit Cult."

Sea Woman Douluo studied the two Martial Souls in the sky.

"Ye Xishui has Twin Martial Souls."

"One of them is even a Bright Phoenix."

"With a Martial Soul that powerful, she shouldn't be unknown on the continent."

Sea Dragon Douluo's expression grew grave.

"She doesn't just have Twin Martial Souls."

"She's also formed two Soul Cores."

"We don't know exactly what Soul Cores do, but the Golden Rankings specifically describe her Soul Power as vast and her combat strength as unmatched. She must be far stronger than an ordinary Limit Douluo."

Sea Star Douluo looked up at fifth place.

"But the High Priestess is also a Level 99 Limit Douluo."

"On Sea God Island, she can even call upon Lord Sea God's power."

"Why is Ye Xishui ranked above her?"

The Sacred Pillar Douluo all turned to Bo Saixi.

Bo Saixi took no offense.

She was pondering the same question.

She was the Sea God's High Priestess.

Within Sea God Island, she could call upon the power left behind by the sea and the Sea God.

Even if Qian Daoliu came to Sea God Island himself, he could not defeat her.

Yet Ye Xishui had no Godhood Inheritance.

Nor did the Golden Rankings mention her borrowing any Deity's power.

Even so, she ranked above Bo Saixi.

Bo Saixi watched the two Soul Cores spinning without cease.

"Perhaps the difference lies in the Soul Cores and the Death God Tower."

Sea Horse Douluo raised his head.

"High Priestess, can Soul Cores really create such a vast gap between Limit Douluo?"

Bo Saixi slowly shook her head.

"I've never seen a Soul Core."

"But since the Golden Rankings singled out her Dual Soul Cores, they must be a vital part of her strength."

"Once a Soul Master reaches level ninety-nine, both the amount of Soul Power they possess and the speed at which it recovers can determine the outcome of a battle."

"If Soul Cores let Ye Xishui store Soul Power or recover it faster, she would hold a tremendous advantage in combat."

Sea Dragon Douluo looked at the Death God Tower behind Ye Xishui.

"And there's the Level 10 Soul Tool."

"We have nothing like that on Sea God Island, either."

"Since when could Soul Masters on the continent make Soul Tools capable of threatening a Limit Douluo?"

Bo Saixi's gaze settled on the Death God Tower.

The towering structure was pitch-black.

Dark crimson lines ran across its surface.

Even through the image displayed by the Golden Rankings, its immense power was palpable.

"The Soul Tools on the continent today cannot reach that level."

"Ye Xishui and the Holy Spirit Cult likely come from somewhere we know nothing about."

Sea Woman Douluo asked softly:

"The Holy Spirit Cult's Deputy Cult Leader is already ranked fifth."

"Could its Cult Leader be on the rankings too?"

Bo Saixi looked toward the four places yet to be revealed.

"Very likely."

"Anyone capable of leading someone as powerful as Ye Xishui cannot be weak."

Sea Horse Douluo's expression shifted.

"If the Holy Spirit Cult has two fighters in the top five, wouldn't it be even stronger than Spirit Hall?"

No one argued.

Qian Daoliu, Spirit Hall's strongest, ranked only sixth.

Bibi Dong ranked twelfth.

With just its Deputy Cult Leader, the Holy Spirit Cult had already surpassed every fighter in Spirit Hall.

If its Cult Leader also occupied one of the top four places, this unheard-of organization would possess enough strength to surpass Spirit Hall.

Bo Saixi looked at Ye Xishui again.

"No Godhood Inheritance, yet she ranks above Qian Daoliu and me on her own strength."

"Ye Xishui."

"I'll remember that name."

Heaven Dou City.

On the long street.

The golden sky illuminated the rubble strewn across the ground.

News of Ye Xishui taking fifth place on the Strength Rankings had set passersby talking.

But the people of Shrek had no attention to spare for the Heaven Rankings.

Zhao Wuji lay beneath a collapsed courtyard wall.

A charred wound marked his chest.

Lingering Phoenix Flame still clung to the wound, steadily eating away at his Soul Power.

"Teacher Zhao!"

Dai Mubai rushed into the wreckage.

He shoved aside the rubble around Zhao Wuji and caught him by the shoulder.

Ma Hongjun and Oscar hurried after him.

"Teacher Zhao, how are you?"

"Can you stand?"

Zhao Wuji opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He tried to lift his arm, but a sharp pain shot through his chest.

"Don't touch the wound."

"The fire hasn't gone out."

Oscar immediately produced a healing Big Sausage.

"Teacher Zhao, eat this. Quick."

Zhao Wuji took the sausage and swallowed it with difficulty.

Gentle Soul Power swiftly spread through him.

Some color returned to his face, but the Phoenix Flame on his chest remained.

Dai Mubai turned to Yu Xiaogang.

"Grandmaster, how badly is Teacher Zhao hurt?"

Yu Xiaogang came to Zhao Wuji's side.

He examined the charred wound closely, his face growing darker by the moment.

"His life isn't in danger for now."

"But he's seriously injured."

Ma Hongjun pressed him at once.

"Even the healing Big Sausage can't help?"

Yu Xiaogang pointed at the lingering scarlet flames.

"The real problem is this fire."

"It's still eating away at Zhao Wuji's Soul Power and his body."

"Oscar's healing Big Sausage can only mend the injury. It can't drive out Ultimate Fire."

Oscar stared at the flames as they continued to spread.

"What do we do, then?"

Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a moment.

"First, take him to a healing Soul Master in the city."

"Then find a Soul Master with a water- or ice-attributed Martial Soul to help suppress the flames."

Ma Hongjun looked back toward the far end of the street.

Ma Xiaotao still stood there.

Her fiery red hair fell down her back.

Her six Soul Rings—two purple and four black—had vanished.

But after that battle, no one dared treat her as an ordinary Soul Emperor again.

Dai Mubai looked at Ma Xiaotao too.

He had thought Zhao Wuji would surely overpower her once he used his Martial Soul Avatar.

The result had been the exact opposite.

Zhao Wuji had eaten two kinds of Oscar's sausages and used several Soul Skills in succession.

In the end, he had still fallen to Ma Xiaotao's fifth Soul Skill.

From start to finish, Ma Xiaotao had never used her sixth Soul Skill.

That meant she still had an even stronger move in reserve.

Oscar supported Zhao Wuji, wariness written all over his face.

"Is she really a Soul Emperor?"

"How could a Soul Emperor beat a Soul Saint using his Martial Soul Avatar head-on?"

Dai Mubai did not answer.

What had just happened lay before their eyes.

Soul Power Level did not determine everything.

They had originally used those words to argue against Ma Xiaotao.

Now she had proved them by crossing the gap between their ranks and defeating Zhao Wuji.

Qian Renxue was watching Ma Xiaotao too.

Qian Daoliu had taught her since childhood.

Her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul also gave her Soul Power far superior in quality to that of ordinary Soul Masters.

Qian Renxue had always believed few people at her level could stand against her.

But the strength Ma Xiaotao had just displayed had far exceeded her expectations.

A nineteen-year-old Soul Emperor.

A Soul Ring Configuration of two purple and four black.

A phoenix wielding Ultimate Fire.

A fifth Soul Skill capable of piercing a Soul Saint's Martial Soul Avatar head-on.

Any one of those would have made Ma Xiaotao a top fighter among her peers.

Together, they gave her the power to fight opponents at a higher level.

Qian Renxue ran through the possibilities in her mind.

If she fought Ma Xiaotao head-on, her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul might not withstand the Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike.

Unless she used Angel Divine Power or relied on a high-level Soul Tool.

Otherwise, she had no certainty of winning.

Qian Renxue looked at the Storage Soul Tool at Tang Ya's waist.

The Soul Masters of ten thousand years later were indeed stronger than those of this era.

Soul Cores, Soul Tools, Whale Rubber, and the development of Soul Skills.

All of these were powers that Soul Masters had yet to master.

Ma Xiaotao looked at Zhao Wuji in the ruins.

"This is a Soul Saint from Shrek Academy?"

"He activated his Martial Soul Avatar and ate two sausages, but in the end, he couldn't even withstand my fifth Soul Skill."

She lightly brushed the dust from her sleeve.

"That's it?"

Zhao Wuji heard her, and his face flushed red again.

He tried to get up, but the wound on his chest split open once more.

Dai Mubai hurriedly supported him.

"Teacher Zhao, don't move."

Ma Hongjun hid behind the others, not daring to meet Ma Xiaotao's eyes again.

Every thought he'd had earlier had vanished.

Even Zhao Wuji had been grievously wounded in a single strike.

If Ma Xiaotao truly wanted to kill him, a burst of Phoenix Flame would be enough to leave no trace of his bones.

Tang Ya walked over to Ma Xiaotao.

"Not bad, Xiaotao."

"You even broke through his Martial Soul Avatar."

Ma Xiaotao glanced at her.

"He was just an ordinary Soul Saint."

"If I couldn't deal with him, how could I compete in the Soul Master Tournament?"

Tang Ya smiled and nodded.

"Fair point."

"But you held back on that last move, didn't you?"

"If you hadn't, he'd be cooked by now."

Ma Xiaotao folded her arms.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to kill anyone?"

"Of course I had to hold back some of my power."

Tang Ya looked at the wound on Zhao Wuji's chest.

"Ultimate Fire is still inside it."

"He'll probably suffer quite a bit from now on."

Ma Xiaotao said flatly:

"He brought it on himself."

"I gave him a chance."

"He insisted on using his Martial Soul Avatar, so he can't blame me for striking too hard."

Yu Xiaogang's expression turned grim as he listened to them.

Zhao Wuji had already lost.

Staying here would only bring Shrek Academy further embarrassment.

He turned to Dai Mubai.

"Mubai."

"Take Zhao Wuji back to the academy first."

Dai Mubai nodded at once.

"All right."

Oscar and Dai Mubai helped Zhao Wuji up, one on each side.

Ma Hongjun lowered his head, preparing to follow them away.

Yu Xiaogang took one last look at Ma Xiaotao.

His gaze still lingered on her two purple and four black Soul Rings.

But after that battle, he could no longer bring himself to ask her to become his disciple.

A Soul Emperor capable of defeating a Soul Saint head-on truly had no need of his guidance.

The Shrek group had taken only a few steps.

Crimson flames suddenly landed in front of them.

The fire spread across the ground, blocking the entire street.

Ma Xiaotao stood where she was.

"Leaving?"

"Did you ask me?"

Dai Mubai stopped.

He turned back to Ma Xiaotao.

"You've already wounded Teacher Zhao badly."

"What more do you want?"

Ma Xiaotao took a few steps forward.

"You came looking for trouble in full force."

"Before the fight, you kept demanding that we kneel and apologize."

"Now that you've lost, you think you can just leave?"

Her gaze swept over Yu Xiaogang, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun in turn.

"Is everyone from Shrek Academy this rude?"

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.

"Zhao Wuji has already paid the price."

"How far do you intend to take this?"

Ma Xiaotao looked at him.

"Zhao Wuji was hurt because he wasn't strong enough."

"That doesn't mean you can walk away after what you did."

Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply.

"What do you think we did wrong?"

Tang Ya stepped beside Ma Xiaotao.

"Ma Hongjun harassed us in the street."

"After we refused him, he tried to get Dai Mubai to help force us to go with them."

"Was he wrong to do that?"

Yu Xiaogang did not answer.

Tang Ya continued:

"After Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai were taught a lesson, you brought a Soul Saint back to confront us without asking what had happened."

"The moment Zhao Wuji opened his mouth, he accused us of bullying Shrek Academy's students."

"Were you wrong to do that?"

Dai Mubai immediately said:

"Fatty only acted that way because his Evil Fire flared up."

"What he said was out of line, but he didn't actually hurt you."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes darkened at once.

"Because he didn't hurt us, he did nothing wrong?"

"If we hadn't been strong enough, what would have happened to us?"

Dai Mubai opened his mouth.

He had no answer.

Ma Xiaotao pointed at Ma Hongjun.

"When Zhao Wuji had the upper hand, he even told him to capture me."

"You should know better than I do what he had in mind."

Ma Hongjun hurriedly backed away.

"I wasn't thinking anything."

"I only wanted you to apologize to Grandmaster."

Ma Xiaotao looked at him.

"You think I'd believe that?"

Ma Hongjun did not dare say another word.

Tang Ya gently patted Ma Xiaotao's arm.

"Xiaotao, don't attack yet."

"Let them explain themselves."

Ma Xiaotao extinguished the flames in her palm.

"Go ahead, Xiaoya."

Tang Ya looked at the Shrek group.

"What we're asking isn't unreasonable."

"First, Shrek Academy must apologize for what happened today."

"Second, Ma Hongjun must apologize for what he said earlier."

"Third, he must stop using flare-ups of his Evil Fire as an excuse to harass women."

Yu Xiaogang fell silent.

Ma Hongjun immediately protested:

"Why should I?"

"She's already beaten me up!"

Ma Xiaotao raised her hand.

A wisp of Phoenix Flame rose from her fingertips.

"Because I can burn you again."