In the back mountain of Shrek Academy, where trees tower and flowers emit a fragrant aroma, there lies a vast grassy field.
"Alright, does anyone have any more questions?" the Master asked, glancing at the twelve students present.
The Shrek Seven Devils all shook their heads. They had already learned everything they needed to know, with no more doubts lingering.
Although the rules of the Continental Soul Master Competition are complex, they are actually quite easy to understand. The key points are simple: no deadly force is allowed, and the death of a participant is considered a major incident.
Additionally, apart from food and weapons related to martial souls, nothing else is allowed. This means that Tang San's hidden weapons, embroidery needles, and crafted weapons are all prohibited. Only weapons that fall within the scope of martial souls are permitted.
Tang San looked down, his fingers instinctively touching the 24 Moonlit Bridges, where various hidden weapons were stored, including the Yan Wang Tie, a deadly poison even a Title Douluo couldn't withstand.
"Without hidden weapons, my trump cards are limited to the Eight Spider Lances and the Clear Sky Hammer," he whispered. Since hidden weapons are banned in the Soul Master Competition, his combat power would undoubtedly be weakened.
Chen Xuan held a kunai in his hand, playing with it thoughtfully. With weapons clearly prohibited in the competition, he wondered what method he could use to replace the Flying Thunder God mark.
This issue directly affected his overall combat ability, reducing both his offensive power and mobility, which was troubling.
Seeing that no one had any questions, the Master cleared his throat and continued, "Since you all seem to have a good grasp of the rules, let's have the main team members and the substitutes spar. This will help you understand each other better."
Yu Xiaogang's gaze was sharp, and as he finished speaking, he shot a warning glance at Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan frowned. This scene didn't seem to be part of the original timeline. Could it be a last-minute decision?
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes were deep, and though her demeanor was cold, she was observant. She noticed the subtle actions between the two, her gaze tinged with a hint of confusion.
Flender and Liu Erlong did not speak, stepping aside to watch. Decades of friendship had given them deep insight into their old friend's abilities, and they knew he had a unique teaching style.
"Tyrone and Jing Ling, step forward. Your opponent this time will be Xiao San. Any problems?" the Master asked, hands behind his back.
Tang San stood up from the grass and confidently said, "Teacher, I have no problem."
Tyrone and Jing Ling exchanged glances, then also stepped forward into the crowd. "Master, we have no problem either," they said.
The Shrek members noticed this and willingly cleared a space for the three to fight.
Yu Xiaogang walked to the middle of the three and said to Tang San, "Xiao San, you are not allowed to use hidden weapons or your Eight Spider Lances during this spar."
"Yes, teacher," Tang San agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, then release your martial souls." After announcing the start, Yu Xiaogang stepped aside to observe with the other Shrek members.
Chen Xuan took a few steps back, standing behind the crowd. His eyes blinked open and closed, the black pupils replaced by six slowly rotating tomoe.
"Third Young Master, forgive me," Tyrone said, cupping his hands in a salute before summoning his martial soul alongside Jing Ling.
A giant gorilla and a skeleton, half real and half illusory, appeared behind them.
"Please," Tang San said, gesturing with one hand while summoning his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, a small crimson plant swaying in his palm.
With a bang, the grassland caved in as Tyrone and Jing Ling launched their attack, turning into two black shadows charging directly at Tang San with fierce momentum.
"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!"
Tang San's footsteps were illusory, each step leaving behind a shadow. His movements were extremely bizarre, easily dodging their attacks without any pressure.
On the lawn, the three exchanged blows fiercely, their punches and kicks colliding with great force, while the ground was soon covered with Blue Silver Grass vines.
"Two against one—do you think Brother San can still win?" Oscar and Ma Hongjun whispered to each other.
Despite the two-against-one situation, Tang San handled it with ease, showing no signs of strain.
Dai Mubai smiled confidently and said, "Fatty, Xiao Ao, why don't we make a bet? I bet Xiao San will win. If he loses, I'll give each of you a thousand soul coins. How about it?"
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes and said helplessly, "Boss Dai, aren't you just digging a pit for Fatty and Xiao Ao to jump into?"
"Exactly, Boss Dai, this isn't a fair bet. If you want to take our soul coins, just say so," Oscar complained quietly.
Ma Hongjun puffed out his belly in agreement.
"You don't understand. I'm just giving Xiao San a little pressure," Dai Mubai retorted.
Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and giggled, her smile like a blooming flower.
Zhu Zhuqing's appearance was stunning, yet her demeanor remained cold, not saying a word, standing apart from the others like an iceberg.
Obviously, although it was two against one, everyone in Shrek believed Tang San would win. While Tyrone and Jing Ling might be considered geniuses, Shrek Academy produced not just prodigies but monsters.
Hearing their conversation, Liu Erlong felt a bit irritated and directed her words at Flender, "Old Flender, Xiao San may be a monster, but don't forget, Tyrone and Jing Ling are two of the best battle soul masters in my advanced class. Their talent isn't bad either, so the outcome is still uncertain."
Flender adjusted his glasses with confidence. Tang San's strength was the greatest among these little monsters, beyond question.
The exchange between the three was intense. Every soul skill activation, the use of soul power, and every minute detail were all captured in Chen Xuan's three tomoe, each movement recorded.
As a newcomer, his greatest deficiency was actual combat experience, so he watched closely.
Chen Xuan used the ability of the three tomoe to replicate the trio's movements. However, when he attempted to copy Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Mysterious Jade Hand, he failed.
To his surprise, he discovered that the Mysterious Jade Hand and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track did not consume soul power, but another kind of power unique to Tang San—inner strength.
"No wonder I couldn't copy it. So that's the reason. I'm missing the key component, inner strength," Chen Xuan mused. Unless he obtained the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he couldn't use these techniques.
Moreover, other people's soul skills were also impossible to copy because soul skills are created by the soul rings and martial souls, and he lacked the corresponding conditions—having the form but not the essence.
After a short observation, Chen Xuan had to admit that Tang San's talent surpassed everyone else. His combat skills and the application of soul techniques far exceeded those of Tyrone and Jing Ling, with a clear gap between them.
Ultimately, with Tang San's agile movements, he found an opening and used the Blue Silver Cage to trap both of them in a large cage woven from Blue Silver Grass.
"Alright, that's enough. Stop."
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward at the right moment and declared, "Tyrone, Jing Ling, you had the advantage in numbers, but you couldn't defeat Xiao San within the time of a stick of incense. According to the rules, you've lost."