Turmoil in Heaven Dou: A First Encounter with a Formidable Foe

When the carriage entered Heaven Dou City, even Lin Ye, who was accustomed to the bustle of Nuoding City, could not help holding his breath.

The enormous white jade city gates towered into the clouds, carved with lifelike dragons. The soldiers guarding them wore gleaming silver armor and carried spears, cutting imposing figures. Inside, broad, level streets were paved with smooth bluestone, and shops stood shoulder to shoulder on either side. Silk, jewelry, Soul Master equipment... the dazzling array of goods was enough to make anyone's eyes swim. The carriage crossed a moat over an exquisitely carved stone arch bridge, packed shoulder to shoulder with pedestrians, from richly dressed nobles to Soul Masters carrying packs. A faint trace of Soul Power hung in the air.

"So this is Heaven Dou City..." Xiao Wu leaned against the carriage window, her eyes wide and round. "It's much prettier than Suotuo City!"

Flender snorted. "What good is pretty? People here have their eyes on top of their heads, especially those so-called prestigious academies. Who knows how they'll laugh when they see what we at Shrek look like?"

Sure enough, the moment the carriage stopped outside the Royal Hotel, the competition's designated lodging area, it drew plenty of sidelong glances. The Shrek group's clothes were far too plain, even somewhat shabby, and they stood out among the smartly dressed Soul Masters around them.

"What academy is that? Why are they dressed like beggars?"

"Look at their badges. I think they're from an academy called Shrek. Never heard of it."

"Probably came from some remote place to make up the numbers."

The jeers reached Tai Long's ears. His face flushed red, and he clenched his fists and started forward to confront them, only for Tang San to pull him back.

"Don't be impulsive," Tang San said quietly. "Strength is the best answer."

Lin Ye patted Tai Long on the shoulder as well. "When the matches start, we'll shut them up."

Dai Mubai sneered and walked straight into the hotel as though he had heard none of the comments. Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue, made a face, and followed him inside. Oscar, meanwhile, quietly handed Tai Long a sausage. "Have something to eat and cool off."

When they checked in, the attendant at the front desk saw their academy badges and made no secret of the disdain in his eyes. He moved at a snail's pace, too. Only when Flender showed him the pass issued by the competition's organizing committee did he stop dragging his feet and hastily arrange their rooms.

"A bunch of snobs," Xiao Wu said indignantly.

"Get used to it." Flender did not seem bothered. "In the Soul Master World, strength is everything. Do your best in tomorrow's preliminaries."

Heaven Dou City's preliminaries were held at the Royal Great Soul Arena. The arena was more than ten times the size of the one in Suotuo City, a circular building shaped like a giant bowl that could hold tens of thousands of people. The central competition platform was made of special obsidian and could withstand attacks at the Soul Saint level.

Shrek Academy was assigned to Group B, along with five other academies. The strongest among them was Canghui Academy, a long-established powerhouse of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Canghui Academy's dean is Ye Zhiqiu. His Martial Soul is the Black Tortoise, and his defenses are extremely strong." Yu Xiaogang had arrived at some point, holding a detailed dossier. "Their team members are skilled at working together, especially their captain, Yu Tianheng. His Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and his Soul Power is as high as rank thirty-nine. He's a troublesome opponent."

"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?" Tang San's eyes flickered. "The same as your Martial Soul, Grandmaster?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened slightly, and he nodded. "He's from a collateral branch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He's talented, but impatient."

"Don't worry, Grandmaster. We'll be careful," Lin Ye said.

The preliminaries used a single round-robin format. Each team had to fight each of the other five teams once, and the two teams with the most points would advance to the next round.

Shrek Academy's first opponent was an obscure institution: Plant Academy. All its students had plant-type Martial Souls and excelled at defense and control, but lacked offensive power.

"For this match, Tai Long and Oscar will take the lead," Flender said as he laid out their tactics. "Tai Long will break through, Oscar will support him, Tang San and Lin Ye will hold the line, and Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai will be ready to provide backup at any time."

Once the match began, Plant Academy did exactly as Flender had expected. They immediately unleashed a mass of vines and thorns, turning the platform into a green jungle in an attempt to restrict Shrek's movements.

"Watch me!" Tai Long gave a low shout and used Martial Soul Possession with his Great Strength Gorilla. His muscles swelled as he forcibly tore a path through the vines and charged the opposing Soul Masters.

Oscar followed close behind, continually producing sausages to enhance Tai Long's strength and speed.

Plant Academy's Soul Masters hurriedly activated their Martial Souls. Vines grew wildly, attempting to trap Tai Long again. But Tai Long was simply too strong, and with Oscar's support, the vines could not stop him at all. He soon reached the opposing formation and sent their captain flying off the platform with a punch.

With their captain gone, Plant Academy's formation fell into disarray, and they were quickly defeated.

Shrek Academy had won its opening match, but the audience's reaction was lukewarm. In their eyes, there was nothing to be proud of in defeating such a weak team.

Over the next few matches, Shrek Academy displayed astonishing strength. Against Elephant Armor Academy, which specialized in powerful assaults, Tang San's Blue Silver Cage combined with Lin Ye's Golden Crow Fire to forcibly trap their defensive formation. Against Wind Shadow Academy's agility-attack team, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu's combination of speed shone brilliantly, leaving their opponents unable to fight back.

Four consecutive victories! Shrek Academy had emerged as a dark horse, drawing the attention of more and more people.

"This Shrek Academy is pretty interesting. They work together really well."

"That Blue Silver Grass Soul Master's control is incredible, and that fire user's flames seem able to counter a lot of Martial Souls."

"It's just that the academy's name is too strange. Shrek... sounds like some kind of monster."

At last, the decisive match against Canghui Academy arrived. It would determine who took first place in Group B, and it drew everyone's attention.

Canghui Academy's team members wore matching blue uniforms, each one looking arrogant. Their captain, Yu Tianheng, in particular, had eyes full of disdain.

"I hear you've won four matches in a row?" Yu Tianheng rode a blue, dragon-shaped Martial Soul as he hovered above the platform, looking down at the Shrek group. "You were just lucky. Now that you've run into Canghui Academy, your luck has run out."

"You talk too much." Dai Mubai snorted coldly and used Martial Soul Possession with his Nether Civet Martial Soul. His figure instantly blurred.

"Begin!" the referee called.

"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, possess!" Yu Tianheng roared. Blue dragon scales covered his body, horns grew from his head, and his hands transformed into sharp dragon claws. Blue lightning coiled around him, giving him an astonishing presence.

"Brothers, charge!" Yu Tianheng led the way, charging forward with his teammates as blue lightning lashed at the Shrek group like whips.

"Formation!" Tang San shouted. Blue Silver Grass erupted in an instant, forming a huge green cage in the center of the platform and temporarily separating the two teams.

Outside the cage, Lin Ye gathered golden flames into a wall of fire, preventing Canghui Academy's remaining members from providing support.

"Petty tricks!" Yu Tianheng smiled disdainfully and raked his dragon claws, crackling with fierce lightning, against the Blue Silver Cage.

"Crackle!"

The moment the lightning struck, the Blue Silver Grass shuddered violently, and its golden markings dimmed somewhat.

"What powerful lightning!" Tang San's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly channeled more Soul Power, and the Blue Silver Grass grew again, reinforcing the cage.

"Tai Long, left flank!" Dai Mubai called out. He had already appeared on Canghui Academy's flank, his claws striking at their support-type Soul Master.

Tai Long surged forward at the call, the Great Strength Gorilla's fist whistling through the air as it smashed toward the opposing defense-type Soul Master.

Xiao Wu darted through the crowd like a ghost, continually attacking with Waist Bow to disrupt their formation.

Oscar's sausages fell like raindrops, granting his teammates various boosts.

Lin Ye seized his chance. Golden Crow Fire suddenly transformed into several fire dragons, which swept around the Blue Silver Cage and shot toward the Soul Masters in Canghui Academy's rear ranks. The dragons carried a scorching heat, forcing them to divide their attention to fend them off.

For a time, light and shadow flashed across the platform, and the roar of colliding Soul Power rang out without cease. Shrek Academy's teamwork was seamless, their attacks and defense measured. Canghui Academy was powerful, and Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in particular was unstoppable, continually battering Shrek's defenses.

"This can't go on," Tang San said quietly to Lin Ye. "Yu Tianheng's lightning counters my Blue Silver Grass. We need to find a way to restrain him."

Lin Ye nodded. "I'll draw his attention. Find a chance to control him."

"All right!"

Lin Ye took a deep breath. The illusory form of the Three-Legged Golden Crow spread out behind him, and golden flames suddenly surged. This time, instead of fire dragons, they formed a huge golden fireball that hurtled toward Yu Tianheng!

"You're courting death!" Yu Tianheng roared, gathering dense lightning around his dragon claws and swiping at the oncoming fireball.

"Boom!"

The golden fireball collided with the blue lightning, bursting into a blinding light. The powerful shock wave sent members of both teams staggering backward.

At that very instant, Tang San moved!

His Blue Silver Grass silently emerged from the ground like venomous snakes, slipping outside Yu Tianheng's field of vision and instantly wrapping around both his feet! At the same time, Blue Silver Thorn Array activated, sending sharp blades of grass stabbing at Yu Tianheng's joints from every direction!

"Despicable!" Yu Tianheng was caught off guard and bound by the Blue Silver Grass. His lightning power immediately fell into disorder.

"Now!" Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu attacked at the same time, claws and leg strikes landing on Yu Tianheng together.

Tai Long charged up as well and slammed a fist into Yu Tianheng's chest.

Yu Tianheng screamed as he was sent flying backward. He crashed heavily to the ground and passed out.

With their captain down, Canghui Academy's team members fell into a panic. The Shrek group seized the chance to launch a fierce assault and quickly defeated them all.

"Shrek Academy wins!" the referee announced.

The stands fell silent at first, then erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. No one had expected this obscure little academy to actually defeat the powerful Canghui Academy!

"We won!" Xiao Wu jumped up excitedly and high-fived Tang San.

Tai Long and Oscar embraced in excitement as well. Though Dai Mubai remained expressionless, he could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting slightly.

Lin Ye looked at his cheering companions, his heart full of joy. This was not merely a victory in a match; it was the best proof of all their hard work during this time.

Just then, Lin Ye's gaze happened to sweep across the VIP section of the stands, and he saw a familiar figure-Salas!

Salas was sitting in a private box, a wineglass in his hand and a faint, intrigued smile on his face. His gaze rested on Lin Ye and Tang San, full of scrutiny and... a trace of barely perceptible killing intent.

Lin Ye's heart sank.

He knew that this victory had brought them fully into Spirit Hall's sight. Their peaceful days really were over.

Beside Salas sat a tall young man in a black robe, a silver mask covering his face and leaving only a pair of cold eyes exposed. He was staring intently at Lin Ye and Tang San on the platform.

"Xie Yue," Salas said in a low voice, setting down his wineglass, "those two youngsters are rather interesting, aren't they?"

Xie Yue said nothing, but the chill in his eyes deepened.

Lin Ye sensed that icy gaze and instinctively clenched his fists. The power of the Three-Legged Golden Crow circulated quietly within him.

He knew that the real challenge had only just begun.