Deep in the Mingdou Mountain Range, inside a certain cavern.
The Shrek party split into three groups according to their respective competing teams.
Facing a band of Evil Soul Masters whose strongest members were only three Soul Kings, the main team swept through them like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng led the charge, driving straight into the enemy's heart and advancing at breakneck speed.
Chen Zifeng and the others followed slightly behind, while Gongyang Mo brought up the rear, his soul rings flashing in succession as all manner of enhancement lights fell upon the main team's members.
In such a narrow cavern, facing Evil Soul Masters who held no advantage in any respect.
They could not be bothered with tactics.
They all chose their best ranged offensive soul skills and unleashed a furious bombardment, showing off the might of the Shrek Seven Devils!
"Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
"White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
"Soul-Seizing Sword Formation!"
"Extreme Frozen Cold Current!"
For a moment, the cavern shook as though the earth itself were quaking. Severed limbs, shattered bodies, flesh, and blood flew everywhere in an extremely bloody spectacle.
The dried corpses and limbs originally hanging on the cavern walls also fell.
As luck would have it, a dried corpse landed on Dai Yueheng.
"Pah! Rotten luck!"
He casually blasted it to pieces with a White Tiger Fierce Light Wave. Several of the larger chunks happened to land at Gongyang Mo's feet.
Gongyang Mo ignored them and concentrated on releasing his enhancement soul skills.
Faced with the main team's devastating assault, the Evil Soul Masters realized that these were no kindly, pious souls.
The main team did not intend to keep everything for themselves, either. After all, the Reserve Team had also come to gain experience.
They simply made a point of letting quite a few badly injured Evil Soul Masters through for the others to deal with.
The Reserve Team displayed a comparatively serious attitude.
They maintained a formation with Bei Bei leading, He Caitou and Jiang Nannan guarding the flanks, and Xu Sanshi covering the rear.
Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Tang Yin attacked from the center.
Watching their seniors surge ahead and pull away, displaying their formidable strength, the seven members of the Reserve Team felt a longing rise within them.
A trace of envy showed in Wang Dong's eyes.
Was this not precisely why she had endured the likes of Zhou Yi, Xuan Zi, and Tang Yin to stay at Shrek Academy?
Shrek was still that sacred ground for soul masters, the place best able to nurture soul master geniuses on the entire continent.
The collision of the Sun Moon and Douluo continents had not shaken Shrek Academy's standing.
Instead, leading the Douluo soul masters in resisting the Sun Moon Empire had greatly elevated and solidified it.
In this sacred ground for soul masters, the geniuses who could join the main team and represent Shrek Academy in competition.
All possessed the talent to become Titled Douluo almost without fail.
That was the true worth of the Shrek Seven Devils!
Tang Yin withdrew his gaze and suppressed the envy in his heart.
His soul power was only rank thirty-five at the moment. To keep pace with the seven soul master geniuses ahead, he really did need a little more time to grow.
He could only remain behind with the other Reserve Team members, cleaning up the battlefield and finishing enemies off.
"Aren't our seniors getting too far ahead?"
Cleaning up the battlefield was not particularly taxing. Holding a class-four Soul Guidance Ray tool and sweeping it across the enemies, He Caitou scratched his head and said:
"In terrain this narrow, a soul tool with high explosive power like a Fixed Soul Cannon Shell would definitely be terrifying."
Talking up soul tools again?
Tang Yin's brows knitted deeply at those words.
If soul tools were really that impressive, would you have needed Xuan Zi to hand you a place on the Reserve Team out of charity?
As he threw hidden weapons, he said:
"Could your so-called Fixed Soul Cannon Shell possibly compare to my Tang Sect's Pear Blossom Rainstorm Needles?"
"That's why soul tools are nothing but a minor craft."
"How are they the same?" He Caitou curled his lips, taking several trigger-activated class-four shields from his storage ring and placing them on his person.
His great vengeance remained unfulfilled; no amount of clinging to survival was excessive.
Tang Yin scoffed. "Those are toys for cowards."
Although the Martial Soul Department members in the team did not voice agreement, their looks toward He Caitou were much the same as Tang Yin's.
Were any of their seniors advancing triumphantly ahead equipped with these so-called Soul Tool Shields?
Offensive soul skills, combat techniques, and tactics-that was how a soul master ought to fight!
Seeing He Caitou remain silent, Tang Yin, who felt that the Reserve Team was slowing him down, turned toward the spectator team behind them.
Dai Huabin was constantly watching Dai Yueheng's movements, while Zhu Lu avoided the dismembered corpses littering the ground with a look of disgust.
Wu Feng and Ning Tian followed behind Wang Sheng Jia.
The sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo stood beside Zhou Yi, watching the battle from afar.
Planting a foot on a corpse, Tang Yin said discontentedly:
"You're standing outside the cavern. Do you really think you came here just to watch?"
"Why are you all huddling timidly around the two teachers?"
"The academy went to all this trouble to give you a chance to gain experience. Why are you being so cowardly?"
Seeing a flicker of interest on Dai Huabin's face, Tang Yin pointed at the corpse beneath his foot and goaded him:
"Dai Huabin, where did that overbearing spirit you had in the finals go?"
"Your older brother is killing Evil Soul Masters up ahead. Are you afraid of even corpses? Hiding so far away!"
"Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, you're already weak. If you won't even seize a chance like this to gain experience, how will you follow in our footsteps in the future?"
"Ning Tian, you're the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Aren't you a little too fainthearted?"
"Hurry and follow in my footsteps!"
It's the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect! Ning Tian held back the indignant Wu Feng with an expressionless face.
The two stayed quietly behind Wang Sheng Jia.
Wang Sheng Jia did not mind. If they did not want to go, then they need not go. He was quite happy with that.
Xuan Zi was indisputably one of Shrek Academy's higher-ups.
And he was watching right behind him!
If these two students rushed ahead and got hurt somewhere.
Should suspicion fall on him, he might not withstand an investigation in which the academy spared no expense!
He simply guarded the two young girls, keeping a little distance from the assorted corpses.
He quietly watched to see what other bizarre trouble these extraordinary individuals would stir up.
Zhou Yi did not share his thinking. She encouraged the Lan sisters:
"Tang Yin is right. Although you're only on the spectator team, no one is stopping you from testing your skills on these villains."
Zhou Yi watched the Lan sisters, spurred on by her encouragement, voluntarily step forward and use their soul skills to attack a few small fry.
She felt somewhat gratified, but the look she directed at Dai Huabin was nowhere near as kindly:
"Dai Huabin, losing to Tang Yin is nothing unusual, but having less courage than two young girls is a disgrace to the White Tiger Duke."
Dai Huabin actually laughed in anger. Kicking aside a corpse by the path, he strode quickly into the cavern:
"Afraid, my ass!"
Standing at the very back, Xuan Zi took a great gulp of wine. Looking at Ning Tian and Wu Feng, who had not budged, he urged them kindly:
"Go and get a taste of bloodshed. This is a rare opportunity for you."
"With me here, what do you two have to fear?"
Isn't it you we're afraid of?
A faint blush rose on Ning Tian's face, and she discreetly covered her abdomen:
"Xuan Zi, I-I'm feeling a little unwell. Wu Feng is staying here with me."
Didn't ours come together? The next one isn't due for ages. Although Wu Feng was rash by nature, the understanding they had developed since childhood still let her pick up the cue:
"Yes, Xuan Zi."
So that was it. Xuan Zi shook his head regretfully.
Tang Yin controlled his Eight Spider Lances to tear a soul master bandit in half, then turned and tossed Xuan Zi a bottle of wine with a smile:
"If you're bored, Xuan Zi, why not try my Tang Sect's specialty brew?"
Xuan Zi froze for a moment, then caught the wine and took a sip. His eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with a laugh:
"What a kick this wine has!"
Before you continue