An inquiry in Shrek City

Mystic Thunder Three Tribulations Transformation.

Qi Xuan's third Soul Skill was actually a rare transformation-type skill.

Transformation skills often greatly enhanced a Soul Master's attributes, raising their overall capabilities to another level, and usually did not interfere with their other Soul Skills.

Take the finals of the Freshman Tournament, for instance. Wang Dong could originally have held her own against Dai Huabin for a while.

But once Dai Huabin activated his White Tiger Vajra Transformation, he could have run circles around everyone single-handedly if Qi Xuan had not stopped him.

And the skill's name sounded like it had three transformation stages. Going by the power scaling in Dragon Ball, Super Saiyan 3 was four hundred times stronger than the base form.

The first transformation of the Mystic Thunder Three Tribulations: Yin-Yang Transformation!

It infused the entire body with Yin-Yang Mystic Thunder and offered two modes: Yang Lightning Transformation and Yin Lightning Transformation.

The Yang Lightning Transformation granted ferocious strength, enhancing the power, range, and damage of attacks;

The Yin Lightning Transformation did the opposite, greatly increasing speed while allowing the user to absorb stray lightning elements from the surroundings to heal injuries.

What surprised Qi Xuan, however, was that the prerequisite for the Yin-Yang Transformation was mastery of Yin-Yang Mystic Thunder.

In other words, even if yesterday's Qi Xuan had possessed this Soul Skill, he would not have been able to use it.

Yin-Yang Mystic Thunder was already Ultimate Lightning, yet that was merely the entry requirement for the first stage of the Mystic Thunder Three Tribulations Transformation.

He dared not even imagine what the later requirements might be.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were so frightened that their souls nearly fled their bodies.

The two had gone together to attend a Soul Tool Department lecture that evening. Although most of it went in one of Wang Dong's ears and out the other, Huo Yuhao listened with rapt interest.

When Fan Yu invited the new students to try making a Soul Tool, Huo Yuhao volunteered to go up.

With his fine control over his spiritual power, Huo Yuhao engraved a simple inscription pattern, successfully catching Fan Yu's eye and becoming the first new student permitted to begin studying in the Soul Tool Department alongside his regular studies ahead of schedule.

He had been itching to share the news with Qi Xuan, only to hear halfway back about the incident at Sleeping Dragon Court in eastern Shrek City.

The moment they heard that the victims were Qi Xuan and Xiao Xiao, both were beside themselves with worry.

What do you mean, we'd only been apart for four hours, and you two went and exploded?

Before long, Yan Shaozhe sent someone to fetch them and bring them to the hospital.

Huo Yuhao pushed open the ward door with trembling hands, terrified that he would see something he could not bear.

But Qi Xuan seemed to be in excellent condition, lying in bed with a dead-fish stare.

Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, lay fully dressed beside him, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

After the heavenly tribulation had physically remade him down to his very bones, Qi Xuan felt better than ever. But Xuan Zi had forcibly kept him in the hospital for further examinations.

Nothing involving Evil Soul Masters could be taken lightly.

Only after Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong entered did Xiao Xiao calm down somewhat and begin telling them her story.

Xiao Xiao came from an ancient sect called the Music Sect, whose disciples all had musical instruments as their Martial Souls. Although its legacy did not stretch back ten thousand years, it still had several thousand years of history.

After the Heaven Dou Empire split apart, the Music Sect maintained close ties with the Dou Ling Imperial Family and was an honored guest of the Dou Ling Empire.

Xiao Xiao's grandfather was the current leader of the Music Sect, but she had also inherited her mother's Soul-Suppressing Cauldron Martial Soul, which had undergone a mutation.

Thus, she had chosen the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, which offered better means of self-defense, as her primary Martial Soul.

As the situation on the continent grew increasingly grim, sects like the Music Sect, which lacked direct combat power, saw their standing fall far below what it had once been. Xiao Xiao's senior sister, Shen Yao, had chosen to collude with her lover, Qin Ziyang, the young sect master of the Nightmare Sect, and plotted a murderous raid on the Music Sect.

The battle dealt the Music Sect a devastating blow, forcing it to withdraw entirely and retreat into seclusion, while the Nightmare Sect rode the momentum to ever greater prominence.

Even Xiao Xiao had never expected to see her senior sister again in Shrek City, much less discover that she had become an Evil Soul Master.

While the four were talking, the ward door opened, and a dignified middle-aged man walked in. He had a square face, thick brows, and large eyes. Standing there with his robust body held erect, he looked almost like a towering mountain.

"Which of you is Qi Xuan?"

"Who are you?" Huo Yuhao instinctively stepped in front of Qi Xuan.

"Shi Xing, deputy officer of Shrek City's defenses," the newcomer introduced himself. "This incident damaged a vast area of Shrek City and affected a great many people. Evil Soul Masters were also involved, so we need to speak to Qi Xuan to establish what happened."

Seeing Shi Xing's stern expression, Xiao Xiao could not help leaning closer to Wang Dong. "They aren't going to make us pay for the damage, are they?"

"Little Shi, don't be so stern all the time. You'll frighten the children." Yan Shaozhe walked in from outside with a warm chuckle.

"Dean Yan, I'm here on official business. Please excuse me." Shi Xing's expression softened considerably.

In terms of rank alone, the dean of Shrek Academy and the city lord of Shrek City were roughly equal, which put Yan Shaozhe about half a rank above Shi Xing.

But Yan Shaozhe had once been Shi Xing's teacher during his years at Shrek Academy, so Shi Xing had always treated him with respect.

Yan Shaozhe strolled in, pretending to scold Qi Xuan with the exasperation of someone disappointed that iron had failed to become steel. "How many times have I told you? When you encounter danger, prioritize your own safety, send a signal, and wait for reinforcements. How did things end up like this?"

Qi Xuan rolled his eyes dramatically. "Listen to you. I'm perfectly fine right now."

Yan Shaozhe continued his performance. "I'll let it slide this time, but the next time you encounter an Evil Soul Master, you must report it to the academy first. Do you hear me?"

Shi Xing finally realized that the two were singing the same tune. He could only smile wryly and say, "Dean Yan, rest assured. Although the Sea God Pavilion's decision has yet to be issued, the City Lord's Residence is only here to ask these two students about what happened. They remained calm in the face of Evil Soul Masters and protected the lives and property of Shrek City's citizens. They will certainly receive commendations."

Only then did Yan Shaozhe nod. He pulled up a stool and sat beside Qi Xuan. "Have you identified those two Evil Soul Masters?"

He had actually turned the tables and taken charge.

His utterly undisguised protectiveness was laid bare before Shi Xing.

Shi Xing was secretly astonished. With treatment like this, could this child be the core of Shrek Academy's next generation?

That makes sense. Otherwise, how could he have summoned a heavenly tribulation with only two rings?

He nodded. "There were eight people in the private room at the time. One was an eight-ring Evil Soul Master, believed to be Blood Soul Old Ghost. Another was a five-ring Evil Soul Master who, according to Xiao Xiao here, was her senior sister, Shen Yao. Of the remaining six, five were Blood Soul Old Ghost's Blood Puppets, while the last was under the control of Shen Yao's Wraith Evil Sound."

"According to information from Dou Ling, Shen Yao left the Music Sect six years ago, but her lover abandoned her soon afterward. She likely encountered Evil Soul Masters during that period. Her Martial Soul was also corrupted, turning from the Joyful Sheng into the Wraith Sheng, and she increased her strength by controlling other people's minds."

"Given Shen Yao's strength, she undoubtedly died beneath the heavenly tribulation. There is no possibility that she survived. But Blood Soul Old Ghost..."

Shi Xing paused. "He has numerous soul fragments. Even if his main soul was reduced to ash this time and he suffered severe injuries, there is still a strong chance that he can rest and recover through those fragments."

"Qi Xuan, is there anything else you can add?"