Provoking Tai Tan, the Starry Firmament Barrier

"Xiao Qi was perfectly fine in the Divine Realm. Why did problems appear the moment he reached the Douluo Continent?"

"It's obvious that man is behind this..."

His tone had softened, and he no longer mentioned Tang San by name, but Tai Tan still could not help complaining.

"Xiao Qi and Wang Dong... are they really the same person?"

Ignoring his younger brother's complaints, Niu Tian murmured to himself. Two figures appeared unbidden in his mind.

They looked identical, yet their personalities and behavior were entirely different.

Tang San said they were the same person. Sister Xiao Wu believed him, and his younger brother believed him too, despite his doubts. But Niu Tian did not.

Their souls gave off exactly the same aura, but Niu Tian could sense something beneath it: Xiao Qi and Wang Dong were not, in essence, the same person.

As for which of them he preferred?

Because of Sister Xiao Wu, and because he had known Xiao Qi first, he naturally preferred Xiao Qi.

But as time passed, as they raised Wang Dong and poured their hearts into loving and protecting her, the scales of that affection and indulgence gradually tipped without his noticing.

In a way, Niu Tian truly treated Wang Dong as his own daughter.

But he knew perfectly well that Tang San must never learn how he felt.

Who knew what Tang San might do if he found out?

"Er Ming, we've reached Shrek Academy. Rein in your temper."

Niu Tian put aside his tangled thoughts and gave Tai Tan a stern warning.

Only then did he head toward Shrek Academy.

Huang Jinxu and Mu En had been waiting for some time.

"No aura of Soul Beasts, yet they don't quite seem human either... They'd make excellent research subjects."

Huang Jinxu looked at Niu Tian and Tai Tan, a bright gleam appearing deep in his eyes.

He had set himself many research projects. One of them concerned divine power.

For that very purpose, he had visited the ruins of Jialin Pass, hoping to extract divine power left behind by the battle there.

Luck had been with him. He had collected a wisp of the Rakshasa God's divine power, still undiminished after ten thousand years.

Unfortunately, its level was too high to study easily. With only one wisp, he could not risk experimenting on it, and he had yet to determine the source or essential components of divine power.

These two before him were different.

If his guess was right, they possessed divine power in greater quantities and at a lower level. They were ideal research subjects.

Obtaining it, however, would not be so simple.

"I am Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo and Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department."

"I had other matters to attend to when our friends from the Clear Sky Sect visited the academy before, so I wasn't here."

As he spoke, Huang Jinxu revealed his Martial Soul and Soul Rings. A mighty pressure radiated from him, aimed straight at Tai Tan.

Mu En had asked him to stay and bolster Shrek Academy's standing, but he had never specified how.

Displaying his strength was one way to do it.

"Heavenly Fiend Douluo, what is the meaning of this?"

Niu Tian's face darkened at Huang Jinxu's display.

He was openly provoking them. Clearly, they were not welcome.

If Tang San had not ordered them to come, they never would have.

They were already unhappy and full of pent-up anger. Being treated this way upon arrival only stoked the flames higher.

"Nothing much. I merely wish to remind our friends from the Clear Sky Sect of one thing: however powerful you are, and however formidable the force behind you, you must observe our academy's rules when you enter Shrek Academy."

"And, of course, I'd like to experience the might of the Clear Sky Hammer, once the greatest Tool Martial Soul under heaven."

Huang Jinxu acted as though he had no idea who they really were.

He did this, naturally, because he wanted a chance to collect some of Tai Tan's Soul Power.

Mu En did not understand why Huang Jinxu was acting this way, but Little Xu must have his reasons.

"I see. Second Brother, play with him for a while."

Niu Tian understood at once. His younger brother had probably acted rather arrogantly on his last visit, leaving these human Soul Masters unable to save face. Now they wanted to reclaim it.

Niu Tian did not object. His younger brother had anger to spare, and this would let him vent it.

"You got it!"

The prospect of a fight immediately put some spirit back into the ill-tempered Tai Tan.

The human Soul Master before him was powerful, but he was still only a Soul Master. So what if his Soul Power Level matched Tai Tan's?

Tai Tan was utterly confident he could crush him.

"Let's go outside the city," Mu En said.

Looking at the two sides, he knew a fight was unavoidable today.

He also wanted to see how Little Xu fought.

He was genuinely curious. Since becoming a Titled Douluo, Little Xu had rarely fought anyone.

This was the perfect chance to find out.

"No need. Here will do."

"Eighth Soul Skill: Starry Firmament!"

At a thought, Huang Jinxu activated his Eighth Soul Ring. An invisible barrier immediately enclosed them all, expanding to cover dozens of miles—more than enough room to move.

"Until I'm defeated, this Starry Firmament Barrier won't break. Neither Soul Power nor Spiritual Power will leak out."

As Huang Jinxu raised the Starry Firmament Barrier, he explained its workings to them.

Mu En had been about to stop him. This was a battle between two level-ninety-eight Super Douluo; even a stray shockwave could affect Shrek City.

But just as he was about to speak, Huang Jinxu sent him a private message. He said he wanted the academy's students to watch a battle between peak experts up close, while also defending the academy's honor.

After some thought, Mu En agreed. He was there too, and if anything went wrong, he could intervene at once.

That, of course, was not Huang Jinxu's real reason.

It was simply a convenient pretext to seal off the space. Once the battle ended, he could extract the Titan Giant Ape's Soul Power from within it for his research.

That was his true objective.

And he also hoped the battle would confirm a few things.

"An impressive Soul Skill."

Tai Tan did not attack Huang Jinxu immediately. Instead, he swung a fist at the Starry Firmament Barrier created by Huang Jinxu's Soul Skill.

Though he focused his strength on a single point, the force spread outward like ripples across dozens of miles, dissipating as it went.

This Soul Skill was powerful—and unusual.

If they truly had been equals, he could not say with confidence that he would break through this strange tortoise shell.