When the game of chess was paused, the two walked into the boundless white snowfield. Their childlike spirits were awakened in the snow, and they had a snowball fight like two big kids.
There was no contest of Soul Power, no clash of swords and spears, only the playful banter and frolicking between grandfather and grandson.
When they got tired, they would build snowmen outside the cave. Some of the carefully built and sculpted snowmen were majestic, while others were simple and clumsy.
They lined up at the cave entrance, like a group of silent and loyal companions, guarding this little paradise in the wind and snow.
Only when the night sky in the Far North is completely dark, and the aurora borealis stretches across the sky like a green river, will faint fluctuations of Soul Power appear in the cave. The fluctuations are as gentle as breathing, echoing the sounds of wind and snow outside the cave.
Tang Feng only spends two hours cultivating each day, allowing his spirit, which has been nurtured by life during the day, to become increasingly clear and resilient through the circulation of power.
Then, amidst their steady breathing, they drifted into a carefree sleep. There was no bloodshed in the Slaughter City, no heavy burden of sect revival, only pure, peaceful dreams.
On the edge of this place, which the world considers a desolate and bitter wasteland, Tang Feng found a sense of fulfillment.
It is the joy of thoughts flowing like a stream during a chess game, the release of hearty laughter during a snowball fight, the tranquility of mind and hand working in unison while focusing on carving, and the satisfaction of a peaceful sleep after cultivation.
The true meaning of life seems to be hidden in the ordinary moments of drinking, eating, playing games, and having fun—simple, yet incredibly rich.
Day after day, their murderous aura gradually subsided, becoming more gentle and refined. When grandfather and grandson sat facing each other, they no longer needed to suppress it; in the blink of an eye, they could control their killing intent at will.
Like a game of chess, sometimes it hides beyond the Chu River and Han border, disappearing into nothingness; other times, it suddenly erupts with murderous intent, like the charge of a thousand troops.
The control over the intensity of killing intent becomes another rhythm that moves at will, merging with the chess game, the snowball fight, the carving, and the breath itself.
Two months later, the two of them reached their bottlenecks in Soul Power almost simultaneously.
On a certain polar night, Tang Lie Lie's Soul Power erupted like a volcano, only to be completely submerged in an instant.
When Tang Lie opened his eyes again, a dark red glint flashed deep in his pupils before returning to calm. Tang Lie had finally broken through that bottleneck of Soul Power and entered the realm of Level 96 expert.
On the same night, Tang Feng also opened his eyes, his Soul Power surging like an icy river, and the threshold of Level 60 quietly shattered. Tang Feng clenched his fist and felt the surging power within his body. He was only one Soul Ring away from officially stepping into the Soul Emperor realm.
At seventeen, Tang Lie Soul Emperor no longer surprised by his grandson's extraordinary talent; he even felt that he himself had benefited from his grandson's good fortune in reaching such a high level.
The two were not in a hurry to return. Their control over their killing intent was not yet perfect, and their newly broken through realm needed to be honed and solidified. After some discussion, they decided to stay for another two months, until they could control their killing intent freely and their realm was as solid as a rock, before returning.
Unbeknownst to Tang Feng, while he and his grandfather were playing chess and enjoying the snow on the Far North Ice Plains, calming their killing intent, the distant Heaven Dou City was already buzzing with excitement because of a grand event: the Continental Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academy was about to begin!
The imperial capital was now like a giant cauldron placed on a raging fire, the sweltering heat and clamor threatening to tear down the city walls.
The streets were teeming with people, young Soul Master from all over the empire, dressed in various academy uniforms, pouring into the city like rivers flowing into the sea.
The inns were packed, the restaurants were open day and night, and even the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder from the clash of Martial Soul and the vibrant energy unique to the chosen ones.
Among them, the most eye-catching are the Five Elements Academy are famous throughout the empire: the fiery and unrestrained Blazing Fire Academy, the icy and gentle Skywater Academy, the free-spirited Godwind Academy, the tall and mighty Elephant Armor Academy, Thunderous Might Thunder Academy.
Since the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team has a direct qualification for the finals and does not participate in the preliminary rounds, the Five Elements Academy has consistently occupied the top five spots in the Heaven Dou Empire Soul Master Tournament preliminary rounds.
As a result, the Five Elements Academy became incredibly popular, attracting the attention of various nobles and sects. Their disciples became highly sought-after by all sides.
Anyone who performs exceptionally well in the Soul Master Tournament will become a prize sought after by nobles, various sects, and even the Spirit Hall.
Nobles offered fiefdoms and titles, major sects offered generous terms to recruit them as guest elders, and the Spirit Hall promised Soul Master status and training resources.
Therefore, showing one's face in the Soul Master Tournament, even just a brilliant move in the group stage, could change one's destiny.
This is why Yu Xiaogang strongly wanted to lead Shrek Academy to participate in the competition. If the Shrek Team could achieve excellent results in the Soul Master Tournament, Yu Xiaogang could redeem himself, make those who had looked down on him look at him with new eyes, and wash away the name of a good-for-nothing that he had always been associated with.
At this moment, a heavy yet intense atmosphere enveloped the training grounds on the back mountain of the Shrek Academy.
Dean Flender and team leader Yu Xiaogang stood side by side, gathering all members of the Shrek Team for a final pep talk.
Eleven team members stood in a row, their young faces etched with exhaustion, yet burning with an indomitable spirit.
Without the aid of the Immortal Herb, the Shrek Team members in this life are significantly weaker overall than in the original story.
The captain is still Dai Mubai, Martial Soul ' Evil Eye White Tiger ', and he is a level 42 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
Vice Captain Tang San, Martial Soul ' Blue Silver Grass ', Level 41 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor;
Although Tang San did not possess Immortal Herb, he was still blessed with Innate Full Soul Power and the extraordinary Tang San Mysterious Heaven Skill. After a year and four months of arduous training, he leveled up six times and finally broke through to level forty in the first half of the month.
With the help of his teachers at the Shrek Academy, Tang San went to Sunset Forest to hunt down a 5,000-year-old Cave Demon Spider as his Fourth Soul Ring, retaining his Blue Silver Cage Soul Skill. However, since Tang San no longer has immunity to both ice and fire, he is likely to be easily countered by fire and ice attribute Soul Master.
Among the other team members, Meng Yiran, with her Martial Soul ' Serpent Cane ', is a level 41 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor. Unlike Xiao Wu, who is reserved, she actively pursued Tang San and has now confirmed their relationship. The two are inseparable and deeply in love. Her talent is already quite good, with Innate Soul Power at level nine. Tang San has also taught her Tang Sect secret techniques such as the Mysterious Heaven Skill, making her cultivation twice as effective. The Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track have further boosted her combat power.
Oscar, Martial Soul " Sausage," is a level 39 Food System Soul Elder. Oscar also Innate Full Soul Power talent, and with the assistance of Zhao Wuji's Gravity Control in his cultivation, his progress is rapid. He has mastered the " Sea-Calming Staff Technique " taught by Tang Feng to perfection. If it weren't for the fact that external objects cannot be used in the Soul Master Tournament, Oscar's combat power would probably be no weaker than that of Battle Soul Elder of the same level.
Zhu Zhuqing, with the Martial Soul ' Hell Spirit Cat ', is a level 39 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Elder. She is the only member of the team with Soul Bone enhancement. Years of training in Zhao Wuji's gravity field and on cliffs have made her speed and explosive power terrifyingly difficult to discern with the naked eye, and her sharp claws possess astonishing attack power. If it weren't for the fear of revealing her Soul Bone, probably no one in the Shrek Team could truly defeat her. However, her Innate Soul Power is only level seven, and her Soul Power Level is still surpassed by Tang San.
Ning Rongrong, with the Martial Soul ' Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda ', is a level 37 Auxiliary System Tool Soul Elder. Although she is a support, like Oscar, her physical resilience is even comparable to that of Battle Soul Master. Her evasive maneuvers are exceptionally agile, and she has cultivated the Heart Separation Control Secret Method to the fifth level, ' Five-Aperture Scattered Heart '. Her support is precise, greatly increasing the team's potential.
Of the three, Oscar and Ning Rongrong are Auxiliary System Soul Master, whose cultivation is inherently slower. If it weren't for Zhao Wuji's help, their Soul Power Level would probably have fallen far behind. Zhu Zhuqing's talent wasn't particularly high to begin with, and she mainly relied on her own efforts and a little help from Tang Feng to barely keep up with everyone else.
However, the problem facing the three is that cultivating under Zhao Wuji's Gravity Control is making their progress increasingly weak, and they will probably have to rely on their own efforts and talent in the future.
Ma Hongjun, Martial Soul " Evil Fire Phoenix," is a level 35 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. He is the least hardworking among the Shrek Seven Devils and is constantly troubled by the Evil Fire, often frequenting brothels.
In addition, to cope with the long tournament, Flender also brought in four substitute players from the original Blue Tyrant Academy students.
Tai Long, Martial Soul ' Great Strength Gorilla ', Level 38 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder.
Huang Yuan, Martial Soul ' Lone Wolf ', Level 35 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder.
Jing Ling, Martial Soul ' Skeleton ', Level 35 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Elder.
Jiang Zhu, Martial Soul ' Healing Scepter ', Level 35 Healing System Tool Soul Elder.
In summary, although the Shrek Team lost its Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger, due to the complete breakdown of the relationship between Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, it still possesses three Soul Ancestor and four high-level Soul Elder, and the lowest quality of their Martial Soul is high-level.
After more than two years of team battles and practice, their teamwork is quite good. More importantly, Zhu Zhuqing and Oscar are just one step away from level 40. If they can break through before the finals, Shrek will have five Soul Ancestor.
This level of combat strength is already top-tier in the Heaven Dou Empire region, and they have the potential to challenge for a top-three finish.