"Qingxue, come to Shrek. Only Shrek, the continent's number one Soul Master Academy, can keep your talent-a ten-thousand-year fourth ring-from going to waste."
"If there's anything else you want, you can ask for it too. As long as your demands aren't excessive, I can agree right now."
As Yan Shaozhe spoke, his gaze turned to Su Yun beside her. "This is your younger brother, isn't he? As long as you join Shrek, I can even guarantee your brother admission to the Shrek Inner Court, so you can cultivate together."
"No need. I'm not interested in joining Shrek Academy." Su Yun immediately shook his head.
The pile of things Yan Shaozhe offered sounded wonderful, so wonderful they could even feel unreal. In the original story, Huo Yuhao had been fooled by precisely that unreal feeling.
Back when he read Douluo II in his previous life, Su Yun had also thought Huo Yuhao had really struck gold when Yan Shaozhe listed the benefits he would give him.
Hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings and Soul Bones were exceedingly scarce resources even in Douluo II. At the time, Su Yun had never expected Shrek to promise to help hunt for them.
Who would have thought it really was unreal? Yan Shaozhe's words had been nothing but talk.
Forget hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings and Soul Bones. Huo Yuhao had nearly handed over even the three Soul Bones he obtained while hunting Soul Beasts himself.
Granted, Shrek hadn't taken those three Soul Bones, but it really would have been better if Shrek had taken them. They left them to Huo Yuhao, and he ended up with an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone in his body.
A son of destiny absorbed an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and Shrek Academy hadn't even tried to stop him. That showed just how much of a pitfall the place was.
Hearing Su Yun say he wasn't interested in Shrek, Su Qingxue also shook her head.
"I'm not interested in Shrek either. Besides, our clan is doing quite well in the Sun Moon Empire right now."
The things Yan Shaozhe promised were indeed good, but unfortunately, his own Soul Ring configuration was merely two yellow, two purple, and five black.
It sounded strange for someone without a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring to say he would hunt one down for you in the future, along with a Soul Bone. What was more, Yan Shaozhe was only making promises, while the Su Clan really did have a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
As the Su Clan's eldest young lady, the young clan leader's elder sister, and the clan leader's daughter, Su Qingxue was a direct descendant among direct descendants. Naturally, she knew some of the clan's affairs.
Especially the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings belonging to the clan's grand elder and her father.
There was no telling when Shrek would deliver on its promised Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and Su Qingxue also doubted whether Shrek had the ability to fulfill that promise. The Su Clan, however, truly had the ability to let her obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Besides, just as Yan Shaozhe offered his benefits, Jing Hongchen had also offered benefits through Sound Transmission. Compared with the uncertainty of Shrek, Jing Hongchen, with whom she already had dealings, was clearly a little more reliable.
As for the rose-tinted glasses through which people on the Douluo Continent viewed Shrek Academy, Su Qingxue had worn those at first too.
But after seeing how ordinary Zhang Lexuan's and Yan Shaozhe's Soul Ring configurations were-not even matching the clan's grand elder, let alone her father-she had little desire left to attend Shrek Academy.
Ultimately, Su Yun, the grand elder, and the clan's highest authorities all had grievances with Shrek, so Shrek's influence over the Su Clan was naturally very limited.
Besides, Su Qingxue knew perfectly well where his talent came from. If they really exposed something like the Pulse-Protecting Pill, the clan's current strength might not be enough to protect it.
"Qingxue, only Shrek Academy can bring your talent to its fullest potential. If you don't come to Shrek, you'll only reach the level of an average Titled Douluo in the future. With your talent, are you really willing to stop at being an ordinary Titled Douluo?"
Yan Shaozhe patiently tried to persuade her. Listening from his hiding place, Jing Hongchen was already preparing to take action.
But Su Qingxue firmly shook her head. "No. I have no intention of going to Shrek. Not now, and most likely not in the future either."
Yan Shaozhe wanted to keep persuading her, but the Su Clan elder had already stepped forward. "Referee, I've never heard of any Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament allowing people to poach contestants right in front of everyone."
At that, the referee smiled apologetically, then gestured for Yan Shaozhe to leave.
"Dean Yan, please don't make things difficult for me. Whatever you have to discuss, please leave it until later. Don't disrupt the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament."
Seeing the referee blocking his way, Yan Shaozhe also knew this wasn't the time to continue.
"Su Qingxue, you'll regret not joining Shrek for the rest of your life!"
With that, Yan Shaozhe left the competition platform.
Afterward, the Su Clan elder lodged a protest with the tournament, but the referee quietly rejected the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's protest, dismissing the matter on the grounds that Shrek had always been the continent's number one Soul Master Academy and enjoyed certain privileges.
Then the battle between Su Qingxue and Zhang Lexuan finally began.
Zhang Lexuan's first, second, and third Soul Rings lit up instantly. As someone forced to become Bei Bei's child bride, she had also seen what a ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring meant.
Across all of Shrek, only Mu En had a Soul Ring configuration of that caliber, and Mu En was the Sea God Pavilion Master!
Thus, Zhang Lexuan didn't dare show the slightest carelessness against Su Qingxue. Extremely dense rays of condensed moonlight instantly shot toward Su Qingxue, cutting off every route she could take to escape.
Facing Zhang Lexuan's attacks, Su Qingxue likewise lit up three rings at once. Her first Soul Skill, Swirling Clouds and Mist, obscured vision; her second Soul Skill, Cloud Hands, held various Soul Tools, ready to provide support at any moment; and her third Soul Skill, Cloud Robe, served as her final defense if the preceding measures couldn't handle Zhang Lexuan's offensive.
The rays Zhang Lexuan condensed from moonlight were easily neutralized upon entering Su Qingxue's clouds. Then her first Soul Skill, Swirling Clouds and Mist, rapidly spread, seemingly intent on enveloping the entire competition platform.
Zhang Lexuan's gaze darkened, and she hurriedly tore through the clouds and mist with moonlight. Without Spiritual Detection, once the clouds and mist covered the entire platform, she would be on the back foot.
"A control-type Soul Master with offensive and defensive Soul Tools too. This is a little troublesome."
After saying that, Zhang Lexuan froze briefly. If the combination of control abilities and Soul Tools was troublesome, why had Shrek, the continent's number one academy, never thought to do the same over all these years?
There was no time for Zhang Lexuan to think further. Almost instinctively, she moved away from her original position.
Less than a second after Zhang Lexuan moved, a python wreathed in lightning appeared where she had just stood.
After its strike missed, the python kept growing until it returned to its original size.
"A Purple Lightning Netherworld Python! And one over twenty thousand years old! Since when could a cloud Martial Soul do something like this?"
"No! Someone with this ability actually isn't a student of our Shrek Academy!"
Yan Shaozhe gritted his teeth in anger. As the dean of Shrek Academy's Outer Academy, he knew all too well just how powerful a Soul Beast the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python was. Precisely because of the Purple Lightning Netherworld Domain's power, he understood even more clearly what caliber of genius Su Qingxue was.
At the thought that such a genius wasn't at Shrek, and might even truly have no need for Shrek's nurturing, Yan Shaozhe felt a chill in his heart.
"Lexuan! Kill her during the battle, whatever it takes. It's such a pity that a genius like this isn't at our Shrek Academy, but what's even more unacceptable is that she's in a camp hostile to Shrek."
Yan Shaozhe gritted his teeth and spoke to Zhang Lexuan through Sound Transmission.
Zhang Lexuan said nothing, but silently nodded. Then the Soul Bones in her body faintly showed signs of activating.
Facing a twenty-thousand-year Purple Lightning Netherworld Python as well as Su Qingxue hidden within the clouds, she had to get serious.