When the high walls descended again, Xiao Zi saw a familiar, graceful figure...
Jiang Nannan.
She was under attack by two people working together. One had the Shadow Demon Fox, a martial soul whose agility rivaled the Hell Spirit Cat and which also possessed a fox's power of charm. The other had the Ghost Sunflower, originally a light-attribute support-type Void Sky Sunflower martial soul that had mutated into a dark-attribute control type with tremendous potential.
Not only that, while making his way over, Xiao Zi had also spotted a student named She Yunfei with a snake lance martial soul. With so many coincidences piling up, he almost thought he had traveled to Spirit Hall ten thousand years in the past.
The name Ghost Sunflower in particular sounded like a fusion of Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo, and the martial soul seemed even more like a reproduction of the pair's abilities, giving him plenty of food for thought.
Facing this senior whose soul power exceeded rank forty, the others dared not underestimate her. As the maze converged, they formed an alliance, intending to eliminate her first.
Jiang Nannan had initially struggled to fend off attacks from all sides, narrowly brushing past elimination time and again. If he did nothing, she would team up with Bei Bei to fight back, which clearly did not serve his interests.
To drive a wedge between the Shrek Seven Devils of Douluo II, while also drawing in that lovesick lapdog Xu Sanshi, Xiao Zi had to win over every possible target. After observing from the shadows for a long time, he finally acted just as Jiang Nannan could no longer hold out and was about to flee.
"Senior Jiang, let me lend you a hand!"
His Golden Horned Beast martial soul possessed him, and a terrifying howl rent heaven and earth, instantly drawing everyone's attention, including Jiang Nannan's.
Surrounded on all sides, she unexpectedly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar voice. During their last encounter at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Xu Sanshi had targeted him because of her, subjecting him to an undeserved calamity. She had felt apologetic ever since.
The crucial factor, however, was that "Li Lezi" was different from Xu Sanshi. He had never inflicted any actual harm or left any shadow over her heart.
"Thank you, junior!" Urgency called for expediency. Jiang Nannan did not stand on ceremony and immediately accepted Xiao Zi's kindness.
"Void Sky Ghost Sunflower Capture!"
Seeing another person enter the fray, that soul master dared not be careless. Following the principle of eliminating whoever she could, she launched a soul skill attack.
Anyone struck by that purple ray would become completely numb and remain immobilized for five seconds before recovering. What Bei Bei had originally experienced was now his to face.
The battle royale had gone on long enough that the sleeping Qian Renxue had also awakened. After obtaining her permission, Xiao Zi felt no qualms about facing these people reminiscent of Spirit Hall's old members.
The Golden Horned Beast extended its sharp claws and easily broke through the Ghost Sunflower's defenses, shredding every incoming vine while interrupting the soul skill's release.
"What?" The female soul master with the Ghost Sunflower was utterly stunned. She had never imagined that the soul skill she took such pride in would be broken so easily, and her movements involuntarily faltered.
"Second soul skill, Enhancement!"
Xiao Zi had always cherished flowers and treasured jade when dealing with girls. With Qian Renxue watching as well, he did not use Devour to swallow her and spit her back out. Instead, he boosted himself by fifty percent and swiped forward with his sharp claws.
Bearing the multiple attributes of ultimate metal, ultimate strength, and ultimate destruction, the powerful three-thousand-year soul skill broke through her defenses. The enormous claw blotted out the sky and sun, making the Ghost Sunflower martial soul tremble.
"Still not conceding?" Xiao Zi's teasing voice rang out.
The enormous claw remained inches away without advancing. Only after a long time did the female soul master dare open her eyes. Clutching her chest with lingering fear, she sighed through her gratitude. "I lost..."
An announcement immediately rang out, and the eliminated student was taken away by the teachers.
The spectator stands.
Yan Shaozhe, Qian Duoduo, and the others stood watching the students' matches, trading barbs from time to time. Their attention had originally been on Huo Yuhao, but when they saw Li Lezi's battle, they all raised their eyebrows in surprise.
Qian Duoduo said, "Old Yan, don't just watch Huo Yuhao. This Li Lezi is pretty good too!"
Among the attributes displayed by the Golden Horned Beast, the dean of the Soul Tool Department had detected a trace of ultimate metal. In a certain sense, it was even more suitable than Huo Yuhao's spiritual abilities. Unfortunately, securing one student had already been a struggle. If he tried to get Li Lezi as well, Yan Shaozhe would surely refuse no matter what.
As the dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe was clearly very pleased with a perfect martial soul like the Golden Horned Beast. "The Golden Horned Beast has completely exceeded expectations. Not only did it ignore the Ghost Sunflower's piercing ray, but her control abilities were also useless against it. It finished off an opponent several ranks higher with a single swipe. This youngster is worth teaching!"
In all fairness, as one of the twelve supreme bloodlines of the Starry Sky Beast Alliance in Swallowed Star, with origins traceable to the Gold-Space Beast God, the Golden Horned Beast possessed an incomparably formidable bloodline that could slaughter every soul beast on the Douluo Continent.
The accompanying problem was that soul masters considered it rather bloodthirsty. If Xiao Zi had not been a Shrek student, he would probably have been branded an Evil Soul Master and expelled, or joined the Holy Spirit Cult.
When Luo Feng had possessed the Golden Horned Beast back then, Babata had also remarked that it would influence his temperament, making him more savage and murderous. But that varied from person to person. Luo Feng had ultimately become a Void True God, his reputation as a cosmic tyrant spreading far and wide, and no one spoke ill of him.
Xiao Zi believed he could definitely control the Golden Horned Beast, carry the Starry Sky Beast Alliance to greater heights, and become the next cosmic tyrant-the Douluo edition!
Back in the battle royale, Xiao Zi and Jiang Nannan joined forces, defeating She Yunfei with his snake lance martial soul and the others one after another, earning a brief respite.
Looking at the beautiful Jiang Nannan, he smiled gently. Combined with the Golden Horned Beast's unrivaled dominance, it actually left the Outer Court's greatest beauty momentarily dazed.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries before Xiao Zi's eyes suddenly flashed and he glanced behind him. His attitude made a complete about-face, and he warmly brushed Jiang Nannan's shoulder. "Senior, you've got dust on you. Let me brush it off."
It was a perfectly normal gesture, but from a distance it looked quite different, like lovers whispering to each other while doing certain unspeakable things...
At least, that was how it looked to some people.
"Xuanming Shield!" The lovesick lapdog arrived late, but arrived nonetheless. Xu Sanshi had hurried over as fast as he could, and upon spotting that familiar, graceful figure, he immediately unleashed his ability, intending to protect her.
"Nannan, I'm here... Li Lezi? Why is it you!"
The two whose names had been called quickly separated. In truth, they merely put a little distance between themselves, but in the lapdog's eyes, it took on a different meaning, like proof of a guilty conscience.
Xiao Zi smiled faintly. "Senior Xu, what a coincidence."
Not only does he refuse to hide, he even dares smile at me!
That matter-of-fact attitude prompted Xu Sanshi to master, without a teacher, the Tang family's signature specialty-eyes turning red, panting like an ox.
This was Xiao Zi's first time witnessing it firsthand. He had to admit that the Douluo Continent's underlying code was truly mysterious. Once love got involved, everything fell apart, and all reason was utterly lost.
Of all times, Jiang Nannan chose that moment to rebuke him. "Xu Sanshi, who I talk to is none of your business. If you have a problem, come at me!"
Meek and submissive before the girl of his dreams, yet throwing heavy punches at his junior, Xu Sanshi displayed Shrek's traditional specialty-bullying the weak and fearing the strong-and brazenly attacked!