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Dai Weisi's gaze swept over Dai Mubai's face as he calmly said, "Mubai, I never expected you to make it this far into the finals, to stand before me and challenge me directly. You've already succeeded in that regard. But you must understand, by doing so, you're forcing me to retaliate.
And let's not forget, Shrek Academy is the public enemy of our Star Luo Empire. This time, I won't hold back!"
"Dai Weisi, stop pretending to be magnanimous. When have you ever stopped trying to crush me? Today, on this battlefield, you and I are enemies. If you have the ability, defeat me first. Otherwise, who inherits the family position remains uncertain."
Dai Weisi looked at Dai Mubai with a hint of surprise. "Oh? Our playboy has changed, hasn't he? Fine then, let's see what skills you've learned during your years away from home. How dare you speak to your older brother like this now?
Could it be because of the confidence Shrek Academy gives you? They truly are formidable, especially that monster Li Luochen. I suspect he's already a Soul Sage by now.
Oh! And Zhu Zhuqing is with you too. It seems you're really prepared to oppose us until the end?"
Dai Weisi's gaze shifted to Zhu Zhuqing, his eyes growing heavier with seriousness. He exchanged a glance with the young woman beside him, and a cold glint flashed simultaneously in both their eyes.
"Zhuqing, if I remember correctly, you're not even fifteen yet. To participate in this tournament at such a young age and reach the top ten—should we call it luck or strength?
However, this is where your journey ends. Father and Mother miss you deeply, but they can't defy the ancestral rules. After the match, you'll return with me."
Zhu Zhuyun spoke softly, her tone that of a caring older sister.
"Zhu Zhuyun, stop pretending to care. If I hadn't left home, I might already be dead at your hands! Missing me? In our family, does such familial affection even exist?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice grew colder as she unleashed her forty-seventh-level soul power. Her battle intent reached its peak!
Both Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun were startled!
The referee stepped between the two teams.
"Prepare for the match!
You may release your spirit weapons. The rules remain the same: the losing team will be eliminated, while the victors advance to the top six.
Shrek Advanced Soul Master Academy vs. Star Luo Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy.
Ready!"
"Brothers and sisters! Release your spirit weapons!" Oscar shouted loudly.
Ma Hongjun: One yellow ring, two purple rings, three black rings.
Oscar: One yellow ring, two purple rings, one purple-black ring, one black ring.
Yu Tianxin: Two yellow rings, two purple rings.
Zhu Zhuqing: Two yellow rings, one purple ring, one purple-black ring.
Ning Rongrong: Two yellow rings, one purple ring, one purple-black ring.
Ye Lingling: Two yellow rings, one purple ring, one purple-black ring.
Dai Mubai: Two yellow rings, two purple rings.
The Star Luo Royal Team was utterly stunned. A Soul Emperor! A Soul King!
A second soul ring lasting a thousand years? A fourth soul ring lasting ten thousand years? What kind of sorcery is this? What kind of monster factory is Shrek Academy?!
Zhu Zhuyun kept her gaze fixed on Zhu Zhuqing. Though Zhu Zhuqing's soul power was also at forty-seven levels, her aura surpassed Zhu Zhuyun's.
And then there was Zhu Zhuqing's fourth soul ring—a deep purple-black color, indicating it came from a spirit beast over nine thousand years old!
Moreover, Zhu Zhuqing's purple-black ring differed from Ning Rongrong's and Ye Lingling's. Their auxiliary-type rings only had a faint trace of black within the purple.
But Zhu Zhuqing's fourth soul ring was predominantly black with a faint tinge of purple, signifying it came from a spirit beast approximately nine thousand nine hundred years old.
This soul skill, nearly equivalent to a ten-thousand-year soul ring, was perfectly aligned with Zhu Zhuqing's attributes. Its resulting soul skill would likely rival an ordinary ten-thousand-year soul skill!
Zhu Zhuyun took all of this in, a flicker of pride appearing deep within her eyes.
But Zhu Zhuyun quickly suppressed this "distraction." She needed to focus on helping Dai Weisi win the match.
Facing Shrek Academy's lineup, only two of their members could possibly counter them using Spirit Fusion Techniques—but Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing also possessed this ability!
Just as Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun were about to clasp hands and enter their Spirit Fusion Technique, a black shadow intercepted them. The shadow moved so fast that, without careful observation, it appeared as nothing more than a streak of black light!
Those with spirit power at the Soul Douluo level could clearly see that this was Zhu Zhuqing's soul skill—they could discern her figure amidst the blur.
Yes, the one who interrupted Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun's Spirit Fusion Technique was none other than Zhu Zhuqing herself.
The black shadow Zhu Zhuqing transformed into was her fourth soul skill: Nether Shadow Escape!
With this skill, Zhu Zhuqing entered a state of stealth, doubling her attack power and tripling her speed. Her attacks carried the attribute of dark energy!
Such a powerful amplification skill was rare even among ten-thousand-year spirit beasts. Zhu Zhuqing's fourth soul ring came from a Shadow Sprite—a favored child of elemental forces, similar to beings like the Ice Snow Fairy or the Fire Spirit Beast.
The Shadow Sprite captured by Li Luochen for Zhu Zhuqing was a staggering nine thousand nine hundred ninety years old, just days shy of becoming a ten-thousand-year spirit beast. Unfortunately for it, it encountered Li Luochen.
Thanks to Zhu Zhuqing's robust physical condition and Li Luochen's mental assault, which shattered the Shadow Sprite's intelligence, absorbing the soul ring was challenging but ultimately successful.
After consuming the Ghost Shadow Flower, Zhu Zhuqing's missing darkness attribute was restored, elevating her Ghost Cat spirit weapon to the pinnacle of bestial spirit weapons and enhancing her overall attributes.
The Shadow Sprite's affinity with dark elements further amplified Zhu Zhuqing's darkness attribute and boosted her speed.
Under Li Luochen's rigorous training, she often trained with weights, learning that speed equated to power. If her speed was fast enough, her attacks would become devastatingly potent.
As an agility-focused attacker, Zhu Zhuqing's role was even more critical than that of a control-type soul master. She needed to create openings, finish off opponents, deliver killing blows, and confuse adversaries—all tasks Li Luochen emphasized in her training.
These insights greatly benefited Zhu Zhuqing!
From the moment the match began, Zhu Zhuqing activated her fourth soul skill. As a key agility-focused attacker, she had much to consider, including putting herself in her opponents' shoes.
Zhu Zhuqing reasoned that if she were Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, facing such a disadvantage, she'd resort to a Spirit Fusion Technique to seize a slim chance of survival. Anticipating this move, she acted first, successfully interrupting their fusion attempt.
Following up, Zhu Zhuqing struck Dai Weisi's neck, injuring him and disrupting his strategic thinking!
"Fifth Soul Skill: Phoenix Meteor Shower! ×2"
"Fourth Soul Skill: White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
Ma Hongjun and Oscar unleashed their Phoenix Meteor Showers, blanketing the opposing team. Dai Mubai, familiar with Shrek Academy's tactics, joined in with his own meteor shower.
"Nine Treasures Shine Bright! Third Treasure: Soul Power!"
Ning Rongrong activated her Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda, maximizing everyone's soul power boosts.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling observed her teammates' overwhelming attacks and quietly cast her Nine Heart Begonia. Now imbued with celestial energy, the Nine Heart Begonia resembled a flawless masterpiece crafted by heaven and earth.
Ye Lingling had already extended her healing coverage across the entire battlefield to prevent any casualties on the opposing side that might result in Shrek Academy's disqualification and permanent ban.
With sharp reflexes, Zhu Zhuqing quickly grabbed Zhu Zhuyun after attacking Dai Weisi, pulling her away from the meteor showers' impact zone.
Despite her tough exterior, Zhu Zhuqing was fundamentally kind-hearted. After Li Luochen once took her through a bloody lesson, she vomited for an entire day. Beneath her strength lay a tender heart, burdened by pressures no girl her age should bear.
Though Zhu Zhuyun had once hunted her, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't bring herself to be cruel. After all, Zhu Zhuyun was still her older sister.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't want her sister to get hurt—but as for Dai Weisi, she felt no such concern.
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