Chapter 143 We at Shrek Academy must win the next Soul Master Competition!
Beside the blood pool in the center of the village, the corpses of two evil spirit masters emitted a nauseating stench.
Liu Yuan stood steadily on the open ground, the five soul rings beneath his feet slowly retracting.
Despite having just experienced two intense, instant kills, Liu Yuan's breathing remained steady and normal.
He looked down at his clothes. Even in that close-range explosion, thanks to the absolute control of space by the "Forbidden Domain" and his own agile dodging, not a single drop of blood had stained his robes.
That powerful presence, capable of deciding life and death with a mere gesture, was vividly displayed in him.
Liu Yuan turned around, his figure swayed, and he returned to mid-air.
Poison Undying, who witnessed the entire event from the void, still hadn't completely lost the shock on his face.
He thought he had overestimated the increase in power Liu Yuan would receive after absorbing the 100,000-year-old red ring, but as it turned out, he had underestimated the chemical reaction after the fusion of the double pupils and the origin of space.
"This kid..." Du Busi looked at Liu Yuan flying towards him and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "The speed of his improvement and his dominance in actual combat are worlds apart from what he had during the Soul Master Competition."
"Although those two evil soul masters were not weak, even if Liu Yuan didn't use that soul bone skill with excellent sneak attack effect, just with those two domain-type fifth soul skills, he would definitely be able to crush them in a one-on-two fight."
Liu Yuanfei approached Du Busi and calmly bowed.
Poison Undying first took a deep breath, then let out a hearty laugh, praising without reservation: "Good! Well done! Liu Yuan, your application of spatial exile has truly impressed me. Even the elders in the sect might not be able to do better than you in this kind of practical combat sense."
Liu Yuan remained calm and humbly replied, "Master, you flatter me. It was merely the first demonstration of my soul skill that caught the opponent off guard. If they had been prepared, it probably wouldn't have been so easy for them to succeed."
"Alright, stop being so modest. I've hardly seen anyone in my life with this kind of record and mentality at this age." Du Bu Si waved his hand, signaling Liu Yuan to follow.
"Let's go. Now that the test has achieved the expected results, we should head back. The sect members are probably getting impatient with waiting."
The two transformed into streaks of light once more and sped towards the Body Sect.
As Du Bu Si flew, he turned his head to look at Liu Yuan, his tone tinged with a mix of teasing and anticipation: "I believe that when you go back this time, if Long Aotian and the others see your outrageous soul ring configuration and your current combat abilities, they will be quite shocked."
"Those kids will probably be in for a rude awakening when they see you."
While Liu Yuan and Du Busi were rushing towards the sect, the situation across the entire Douluo Continent was also becoming increasingly turbulent due to the recently concluded All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.
The news that the Body Sect had won the championship with its powerful status as a sect had already spread to every corner of the continent through various channels.
For those reclusive sects with long-standing traditions and profound foundations, the success of the Body Sect was undoubtedly a powerful boost, shattering Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year-old dominance.
In the council halls of many sects, a prevailing sentiment was that "I could do it too."
"Since even a sect like the Body Sect, which has always lived in seclusion within the Heavenly Soul Empire, can win the championship by participating in the competition, why should we continue to adhere to these outdated rules and regulations?" an elder of a sect said passionately at the meeting.
In their eyes, the practical combat skills and inherited knowledge of sect disciples are often far superior to those of academies that mainly rely on teaching.
The victory of the Body Sect gave them great inspiration: in the next competition, they could completely follow the Body Sect's example and send their elite disciples from their clan or sect to compete for the championship, which symbolizes the highest honor on the continent, thereby enhancing the sect's social status and influence.
Suddenly, the once peaceful sect world was in turmoil, with major forces secretly cultivating their younger generation, all eyeing the grand event five years later.
However, within Shrek Academy, Xuanzi, Huo Yuhao, and the others clearly had no interest in paying attention to the movements of these sects.
Since Xuanzi forcibly left the Star Dou Great Forest with the injured and still shaken Huo Yuhao and the others, he has not stopped for a moment.
He disregarded the injuries to his internal organs caused by Xiong Jun's attack, and focused all his soul power on rushing back to the academy with the three children as quickly as possible.
When the enormous phantom of the Taotie Divine Ox landed on the lawn of Shrek Academy's inner courtyard, the inner courtyard teachers who had been waiting there immediately surrounded it.
"Elder Xuan! You're injured?" An inner court teacher asked in alarm, looking at the dried blood at the corner of Xuanzi's mouth and his slightly disordered breathing.
Xuanzi waved his hand, indicating that he should not ask any more questions.
Several teachers skilled in healing immediately stepped forward and used their soul power to soothe Xuanzi's injuries.
Once the surging blood and qi subsided and the wounds began to heal, the people around them started asking about the details of their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest again.
Xuanzi sat in the chair, a faint smile on his face, and said in a relaxed manner, "Although we encountered some unexpected troubles during this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, and even alarmed the overlord there, the overall result was good."
He turned to look at Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao beside him, his eyes showing a hint of satisfaction: "Both Yuhao and Xiao Xiao have obtained their most desired soul rings under my protection."
"Now that their strength has increased significantly and their potential has been further explored, our chances of winning the next Soul Master Competition are even greater."
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao stood to the side, their hearts filled with emotion as they looked at Xuanzi's aged face, aged from the protection he had provided, and his still-healing injuries. Huo Yuhao stepped forward and declared firmly, "Elder Xuan, rest assured, I will remember your kindness this year. In the next Soul Master Competition, we will definitely reclaim that glory for Shrek Academy and will never let your blood be shed in vain!"
Xuanzi patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder with satisfaction, then, as if remembering something, frowned slightly and turned to ask the inner court teacher, "By the way, has there been any unusual activity from the Body Sect lately? For example, regarding that Liu Yuan?"
The inner court teacher shook his head and replied, "Reporting to Elder Xuan, we have not yet received any news about the Body Sect's involvement in external affairs. They seem to have completely returned to the deep mountains of the Heavenly Soul Empire after the competition and have been behaving very quietly."
Upon hearing this, Xuanzi's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes revealing deep contempt and confidence: "Hmph, a stubborn sect that only knows how to shut itself away will never amount to anything. They're probably still basking in the glory of this accidental victory."
"Just wait, in the next competition, I will have Yuhao and the others use their absolute strength to tell that Liu Yuan that arrogance comes at a price. I will personally take back everything that Shrek Academy has lost."
Meanwhile, inside the main sect's mountain gate in the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Everything was running as usual, but beneath the calm lay a shock that was about to erupt.
Some inner disciples who had just finished their long period of seclusion were gathering in small groups, discussing the news that they found utterly absurd.
"Hey, have you heard? Senior Brother Liu Yuan is going out with the sect leader this time, and he's actually planning to use a 100,000-year-old spirit ring for his fifth one?" A young disciple lowered his voice, his tone filled with disbelief.
"One hundred thousand years? How is that possible!" another disciple exclaimed in shock. "Isn't the maximum lifespan of the fifth spirit ring around twelve thousand years? It's increased tenfold? Is it really possible for something like this to succeed?"
(End of chapter)