A frail young man, and an auxiliary-type soul master at that, daring to challenge a battle soul master—was he not afraid of death?
Hu Yanqi, standing at two meters tall, had a body full of bulging muscles, with every muscle radiating strength.
However, despite his imposing physique, the massive shield that Hu Yanqi slammed down was caught steadily by this young man.
"Wow!"
The audience erupted in surprise, with exclamations and gasps filling the air.
On the VIP platform, Emperor Xue Ye's cloudy old eyes flashed with a trace of astonishment as he stared at the young man with newfound interest.
"As expected of Shrek Academy, every single one of them surprises me," Ning Fengzhi remarked gently, his gaze kind as he reevaluated Chen Xuan.
An auxiliary-type soul master receiving an attack from a battle soul master was certainly beyond the norm. Even Hu Yanzhen, the leader of the Elephant Armored Clan, was initially startled, casting a few more glances at Chen Xuan.
However, he didn't take it too seriously. He didn't believe that this young man could be a match for Hu Yanqi—it was just a case of a fox assuming the might of a tiger.
With a head soul bone revealed, Hu Yanli's strength was comparable to that of a Soul King. Against these youngsters, the strongest of whom was only at level forty-three, it was more than enough. Victory would belong to the Elephant Armored team.
In the arena, Hu Yanqi's eyes widened in disbelief. The strike that could split a tree trunk had been caught firmly by this frail young man!
Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned as she looked at the sturdy figure in front of her, feeling a bit moved.
"Th-thank you," she said gratefully. If Chen Xuan hadn't intervened, she might have been injured.
Chen Xuan's body was surrounded by arcs of electricity. He exerted force with his palms, pushing Hu Yanqi away, and then turned to pull Xiao Wu along, quickly retreating from the spot.
With a loud *bang*, just as they moved away, a massive shield slammed down, cracking the ground and sending dirt and stones flying.
Chen Xuan didn't stop retreating, taking several steps back to create a safe distance.
Xiao Wu was startled, feeling as though she had just narrowly escaped a disaster. What was wrong with her today? She had been careless twice in a row. Without Chen Xuan's help, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
On the other side, seeing Xiao Wu out of danger, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to focus on his battle with Hu Yanli.
Seven or eight years ago, he had sworn to protect Xiao Wu for life, never letting his sister be harmed. He had almost broken that promise just now.
"Hey, how long are you going to keep holding on?" Xiao Wu, still being held by Chen Xuan, blushed as she felt the warmth of his large hand, her face gradually turning red with embarrassment.
Although she was a Soft Bone Rabbit with ten-thousand-year cultivation, she had never touched a man in her life. She was still a young girl inexperienced in the world, and no one, except her third brother, had ever held her hand.
In her eyes, Tang San was like a brother, but Chen Xuan was a male companion—completely different.
"Huh? Oh, oh, oh," Chen Xuan stammered as he realized what he was doing, quickly releasing her delicate hand and taking a few steps back to maintain some distance.
The situation had been urgent just now, so he hadn't had time to think about it. Only now did he realize that their actions might have been a bit too intimate.
Xiao Wu, of course, didn't mind and said, "I'll go deal with that big guy over there. Will you be okay?"
Chen Xuan nodded. Hu Yanqi's soul power was a level lower than his, so it wouldn't be too difficult.
He then sprinted forward, taking the initiative to attack. It was a good opportunity to test his own strength.
Hu Yanqi was a bit angered. This pretty boy dared to target him—was he looking down on him?
"Don't think that just because you know a few tricks, you're some sort of prodigy!"
He roared, and a yellow soul ring lit up under his feet.
"Second Soul Skill: Mammoth Strength!"
With the mammoth possessing him, Hu Yanqi's entire body was filled with power. His palms, as large as basins, slammed forward with a force that caused the air to explode.
"Too slow!"
Chen Xuan's eyes, with their spinning tomoe, could clearly see every movement. He easily dodged the palm strike and formed a hand seal, disappearing instantly and reappearing at Hu Yanqi's side. His palm, covered in arcs of electricity, struck forward.
With a loud *bang*, even someone as strong in defense as the members of the Elephant Armored Clan staggered and wobbled, nearly crashing to the ground.
"A smart move, attacking the weak points," commented Huo Wushuang, the captain of the Blazing Academy team.
"Not just that," said a sharp-eyed woman with red hair beside him. "His speed is incredible—can that really be the speed of an auxiliary-type soul master?"
Down below:
Hu Yanqi saw the palm print on his side and was instantly filled with rage. He activated his third soul skill, charging forward, intent on tearing Chen Xuan apart.
To be injured by an auxiliary-type soul master was a great humiliation. How could he face the people of his clan after this?
"Kill!" he roared, activating his third soul skill, his body growing larger as he charged forward like a rampaging mammoth.
Chen Xuan reacted swiftly, retreating immediately and repositioning himself to avoid a head-on confrontation.
Hu Yanqi was slow, and several attempts to capture Chen Xuan failed, leaving him fuming with anger and roaring in frustration.
"Kid, if you've got the guts, stop running! What kind of skill is it to keep dodging?" He was desperate, trying to provoke Chen Xuan into making a mistake.
Chen Xuan remained expressionless, ignoring him while diverting some of his attention to observe his surroundings.
At this moment, Xiao Wu was still struggling against Hu Yanzhi, but her strength was limited, and she hadn't been able to break through his defense.
Meanwhile, Tang San was locked in an intense battle with Hu Yanli. Even with his immense talent, without using his hidden weapons or Eight Spider Lances, he couldn't defeat someone with a head soul bone.
Chen Xuan refocused and quickly made a decision. It was the perfect time to test that technique.
He dodged another of Hu Yanqi's wild charges, formed a hand seal, and used the Body Flicker Technique, retreating twenty meters away.
"If you want a head-on fight, I'll grant your wish," Chen Xuan said calmly, spreading open his right palm.
In the next moment, a rustling wind began to blow around him, and a vortex of chakra formed in his palm.
"Wind Release: Giant Rasengan!" The arena was suddenly filled with a dazzling light. When everyone looked again, they saw Chen Xuan holding a massive sphere in his hand, glowing like a bright blue moon.
As the technique formed, a strong wind blew, rustling clothes and kicking up dust.
At that moment, all eyes were drawn to him—Shrek's team, the Elephant Armored team, the audience, and even the various academy members.
"What kind of soul skill is that? Why does that glowing sphere make my heart race with fear?"
"What kind of monstrous academy is Shrek? Is he really an auxiliary-type soul master?"
The audience was in an uproar, unable to stay calm.
"What's with the organizers? Did they report false information? Which eye of theirs saw him as an auxiliary-type soul master?" Many people shouted, venting their frustration.
These were people who had bet heavily on Shrek's defeat. Now, with the situation as it was, they were clearly going to lose money.
"Refund! Refund! Are the organizers blind? Aren't they afraid of being punished for rigging the competition?" The crowd in the audience became agitated, shouting and yelling in anger.
The host hurriedly came out to calm the situation, fearing that the crowd might escalate things further.
At this moment, Emperor Xue Ye's face was as dark as it could be. Reporting false information and submitting incorrect details gave him every reason to disqualify Shrek from the tournament.
In Shrek's rest area, Yu Xiaogang was still leisurely chatting with Liu Erlong, completely unaware that he had caused a huge problem.