Word Count: 3,071 Words
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"Sword Douluo Chen Xin, so it truly is the Seven Kill Sword..."
A hint of bitterness appeared in Chen Zifeng's smile. No matter how heavy the killing intent of the Soulchasing Sword, it couldn't surpass the Seven Kill Sword, renowned for its embodiment of 'Kill' itself. In the era ten thousand years ago when the Seven Kill Sword reigned supreme in swordsmanship, the Soulchasing Sword could only look up from afar.
The Angel Sword dissipated into specks of golden light as Ling Bai calmly said, "Before the decisive battle at Jialing Pass, although Sword Douluo Chen Xin was prepared to die, he couldn't bear to let the swordsmanship of the Seven Kill Sword lineage fade into the river of history. So he compiled his lifetime of sword dao insights into a tome and left it to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, naming it the Seven Kill Sword Technique. Thus, I had the fortune to learn it."
When Ling Bai and Ning Tian were established as the next-generation leaders to be cultivated by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Clan Head gave each of them an opportunity to freely choose a secret technique from the clan's treasure vault, the 'Heaven's Treasury.'
Ning Tian naturally chose the Heart Separation Control secret technique that Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Masters had to cultivate, while Ling Bai took the Seven Kill Sword Technique authored by Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Oh well, if I'm not skilled enough, I'll just practice more. Today, losing to the Seven Kill Sword Technique, I admit defeat wholeheartedly."
Chen Zifeng smiled with relief, calmly accepting the reality of losing his position as one of the Shrek Seven Monsters. He cupped his fists and said, "Junior Brother Ling, remember to kick the asses of those Spirit Guide Masters for me when the time comes, especially those from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy!"
Ling Bai gave a slight nod. As a sword-wielding Spirit Master, Chen Zifeng had a carefree personality and could take things in stride. Compared to the tragic fate of having a leg blown off by Evil Spirit Masters and being permanently disabled, his future would be much brighter.
At this moment, the other battlegrounds had also determined their outcomes. Elder Xuan took a swig of wine and, using his spirit power, loudly announced:
"I hereby declare that this Seven Monsters Challenge has concluded! Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Bai, Gongyang Mo, Ling Luochen, Xi Xi, and Yao Haoxuan—you seven will represent the academy as the Shrek Seven Monsters in the Continental Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament!"
The talents of the official Seven Monsters far surpassed ordinary students. Only Ling Bai and Ma Xiaotao successfully eliminated their opponents Chen Zifeng and Qian Fufu. Chu Qingtian, Tai Xing, Pan Tao, and Zhou Sen fought with all their might but still regrettably lost.
Chen Zifeng, Chu Qingtian, and the others had no complaints about their defeat, and generously offered applause and blessings to the seven victors.
"There are still over six months until the tournament opens," Elder Xuan said to the new Seven Monsters. "During this period, I will spare no effort to cultivate your teamwork and tactics, and all this must be accomplished through actual combat. Therefore...
I have found you some attentive sparring partners!"
With that, Elder Xuan clapped his hands forcefully, and several figures slowly stepped into the Spirit Dueling Arena.
"Lotus Saint Maiden Hua Yao, Sky Blue Sparrow Gu Fan, Inner Courtyard Active Volcano Wu Ming, they're all members of the previous generation of Shrek Seven Monsters..."
"Golden Fairy Han Ruoruo, I heard her spirit power is about to break through to Rank 80. Elder Xuan even called her here!"
The moment they saw Han Ruoruo's gentle face, everyone couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. The next heavyweight figure that appeared nearly made their jaws drop.
"Big- Big- Big- Big..."
Yao Haoxuan subconsciously started stuttering. He had to slap himself hard before he could utter a complete sentence:
"Big Senior Sister is on the opposite side! We're just asking for abuse!"
He felt as if the character 'doomed' was engraved on his forehead!
Even the bold Ling Bai and Ma Xiaotao somewhat agreed with Yao Haoxuan. Han Ruoruo was about to break through to become a Spirit Douluo, but Zhang Lexuan was an actual Spirit Douluo, and moreover, a Spirit Douluo possessing both a 100,000-year spirit ring and a 100,000-year spirit bone. She even had the qualifications to face off against Titled Douluos!
It was no exaggeration to say that Zhang Lexuan alone was enough to single-handedly take on the Shrek Seven Monsters. Add to that the support of Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Gu Fan, and Hua Yao, and the Seven Monsters might as well take off their white underwear, hang it on a stick, and surrender repeatedly!
The six defeated challengers quickly slipped out of the Spirit Dueling Arena, lightly patting their chests and secretly feeling fortunate. Good thing they didn't win, otherwise, they would be the ones getting thrashed in a moment!
Elder Xuan's old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum when he looked at the seven who seemed to be treading on thin ice. He said with a sly smile, "Without pressure, where would motivation come from? To celebrate your inheritance of the title of Shrek Seven Monsters, I've decided to have a seven-on-five friendly match. Lexuan, Ruoruo, you five can let loose!"
"Don't worry, Elder Xuan. We'll definitely take good care of our junior brothers and sisters."
Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Gu Fan, and Hua Yao spread out into a semicircle, surrounding the Seven Monsters with friendly smiles. The Seven Monsters were like little lambs besieged by a pack of wolves, only able to huddle together and shiver.
"What should we do?"
Ma Xiaotao asked Ling Bai in an urgent tone.
"Elder Sister, please show mercy, okay?"
Ling Bai had a look of disbelief that said 'You really think that highly of me?' This was no longer a problem he could solve. He then attempted to appeal to Han Ruoruo's compassion.
"Heh heh, sorry, Little Junior Brother, Elder Sister can't hold back at all."
At this moment, Han Ruoruo was no longer Ling Bai's gentle and lovable Elder Sister, but a demon with horns on her head, black wings on her back, and a pitchfork in her hand!
"Then there's no other way. Let's go all out. You take on Big Senior Sister, I'll handle Elder Sister!"
The shrill winds rise over the cold waters of the Yi River; the hero sets forth, never to return!
…
Spirit Guidance Department, Dean's Office.
"Yan Shaozhe! That old bastard is not human!"
Qian Duoduo slammed his desk with such force that it resonated throughout the room. His excessive strength caused cracks to appear on the mixed-metal desk, which then broke into two pieces with a loud bang.
Even this wasn't enough to quell Qian Duoduo's anger. He kicked another desk flying, almost hitting Qian Fufu, who was shrinking into a corner desperately trying to minimize his presence.
Qian Duoduo wasn't the only one burning with rage. Xian Lin'er was also so furious that her face turned ashen. Even as a Titled Douluo, she couldn't control her overflowing spirit power, leaving the office in disarray.
"Teacher, Teacher's Husband, have some tea to calm down."
Ning Tian brought over two cups of refreshing snow tea to quell their anger, gesturing with her eyes for Qian Fufu to hide even further away.
Just moments ago, Qian Fufu had informed Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo that he had lost to Ma Xiaotao and thus lost his position as one of the Shrek Seven Monsters. The two deans immediately flew into a rage and began cursing the Martial Spirit Department Dean, Yan Shaozhe.
Xian Lin'er took the snow tea and downed it in one gulp, gritting her teeth as she said:
"During the Sea God Pavilion meeting, it was clearly agreed to support the development of the Spirit Guidance Department. The elders also agreed to reserve a spot among the Shrek Seven Monsters for our department in each tournament! Ma Xiaotao eliminating Fufu was definitely intentional on Yan Shaozhe's part, challenging the bottom line of our department!
No, this won't do. I'm going to the Martial Spirit Department to confront Yan Shaozhe! If he can't give me a satisfactory explanation, I'll take this to the Sea God Pavilion meeting and let the elders judge!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Xian Lin'er glared as if she wanted to charge to the Martial Spirit Department to confront Yan Shaozhe face-to-face. Although Qian Duoduo was also hopping mad, the shred of reason he still had made him quickly grab Xian Lin'er and persuade:
"Lin'er, please calm down and listen to my analysis. Even if we kick up a fuss at the Sea God Pavilion meeting, it will only end without resolution and change nothing.
Those crappy rules set for the Seven Monsters Challenge allow any type of Spirit Master to challenge a Spirit Guidance Master... I suddenly realized that the academy never truly supported the development of the Spirit Guidance Department. They just offered a spot among the Seven Monsters to placate us!
When it comes down to it, Ma Xiaotao eliminating Fufu was in accordance with the rules. We don't have the upper hand in terms of reason."
Qian Duoduo let out a deep sigh. The Martial Spirit Department and the Spirit Guidance Department competed with each other. The total amount of resources was fixed. If the Spirit Guidance Department got a bit more, the Martial Spirit Department would inevitably get a bit less.
Yan Shaozhe's move was meant to suppress the Spirit Guidance Department. If a Shrek Seven Monsters team composed entirely of Martial Spirit Department students won the championship, would there still be a place for the Spirit Guidance Department in the academy?
Xian Lin'er calmed down a little but still angrily said, "Shrek Academy has long been the number one Spirit Master Academy on the continent. There is no room for further advancement. Meanwhile, the Spirit Guidance Department is still in its early stages and cannot be compared to the many Spirit Guidance Master Academies in the Sun Moon Empire.
All they know is to suppress us day after day. Is Yan Shaozhe too stupid to see that the integration of Spirit Masters and Spirit Guidance Masters is the future development trend of the continent?"
"Yan Shaozhe may have a narrow vision and a cunning personality, but he's very intelligent," Qian Duoduo's eyes flickered. "He should understand this principle, but he's unwilling to change."
Under Yan Shaozhe's old-fashioned ideology and that of other higher-ups, the students of the Martial Spirit Department maintained a kind of pure lineage. They resolutely resisted the use of Spirit Guidance Devices.
Accepting Spirit Guidance Devices would be tantamount to tarnishing Shrek's title as the continent's number one Spirit Master Academy. This was something Yan Shaozhe could never accept.
"We can only wrong Fufu this time. Before our plan comes to fruition, we can't directly clash with the Martial Spirit Department."
Qian Duoduo looked at Qian Fufu with deep apology. As a father and teacher, he felt very guilty for not being able to seek justice for his child.
"The plan... Ultimate Soldier?" Xian Lin'er mused.
Qian Duoduo nodded: "Mm! Fufu, Xiao Tian, and Fan Yu's two disciples—they are the hope for the Spirit Guidance Department to turn the tables in desperate straits!
Fufu, quickly find Fan Yu. I need to supplement the content of the Ultimate Soldier plan!"
"Right away!"
…
While the Spirit Guidance Department was enthusiastically discussing the details of the Ultimate Soldier plan, over at the Inner Courtyard's Spirit Dueling Arena, seven human-shaped figures slowly crawled out.
"Ah! I'm dying!"
Gongyang Mo lay on the ground, ignoring the rain. His Rainbow Dragon had almost been roasted to a crisp by Wu Ming's Golden Crow Primordial Fire. Equally miserable was the charcoal version of Yao Haoxuan.
Ling Luochen and Xi Xi had been swallowed by lotus flowers and sent underground for confinement. Gu Fan was playing an aerial toss-and-catch game with Dai Yueheng hanging helplessly in the air. Zhang Lexuan let Ma Xiaotao understand the true combat power of the Inner Courtyard's Big Senior Sister. Ling Bai fared slightly better, merely tied up like a dumpling with Han Ruoruo's Dazzling Golden Rope and used as a roly-poly toy.
Feeling the joy of having his feet on solid ground, Dai Yueheng's legs trembled as he said, "Let's go back, everyone. I'm afraid these hellish days will become the norm."
Everyone deeply agreed and returned to their dormitories to focus on cultivation.
Ling Bai walked toward the golden tree at the center of Sea God Island. After a while, he passed by a solitary wooden cabin.
'Dugu Lin...'
On the day of enrollment, Zhang Lexuan had assigned Ling Bai's dormitory last, so he knew the locations of fellow students like Dugu Lin and Chu Qingtian. He stopped in front of that cabin's door.
The rain had stopped, but the sky was still shrouded in a layer of gloom. Ling Bai gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside. He knocked a few more times with the same result.
Ling Bai furrowed his brows slightly. Considering that Dugu Lin hadn't participated in the Seven Monsters Challenge... Hmm, she couldn't have kicked the bucket, right?
Creak—
The moment Ling Bai pushed open the old wooden door, a thick cyan-green mist rushed toward him. The Seraphim's holy power instantly condensed into a shield, isolating the deadly mist filled with Jade Phosphor Absolute Poison.
The room was unusually quiet, with only low whimpers sounding from time to time, like the deep moans of a dying animal.
Dugu Lin lay on the bed, her delicate body curled up almost like a shrimp. Sweat drenched her short cyan-green hair, as if she was enduring unbearable, intense pain.
She didn't notice Ling Bai's sudden intrusion at all until a hand imbued with purifying power was placed on her back. Holy energy continuously flowed into her body, relieving the torment of the myriad poisons gnawing at her heart.
Dugu Lin propped herself up against the headboard. She was wearing a loose, oversized white shirt that was obviously larger than her actual figure. It hung loosely on her, exposing her swan-like fair neck and a breathtaking collarbone. Her usually charming face was now filled with a sickly pallor, involuntarily arousing a protective instinct in anyone who saw her.
"You're... here..."
Her voice was barely audible, like a dying person using the last bit of breath in their throat to painstakingly weave a faint sentence.
"Backlash from the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison?"
Ling Bai seemed to be asking, but his tone held no hint of doubt.
"Seeing is believing."
Dugu Lin extended a fair, slender wrist. Ling Bai pressed his index and middle fingers together and placed them on it, sending a stream of holy power into her body.
Tracing along her meridians to sense her condition, Ling Bai's pupils gradually contracted to the size of a needlepoint. The blood vessels on the surface of Dugu Lin's heart were all a deep black color. One could imagine that the blood being pumped into various parts of her body was as dark and turbid as tar.
How could she even live like this? Ling Bai was thrown into confusion. Dugu Lin was probably done for. There were only two paths laid before her—one was the road to death, and the other was still the road to death.
The elders of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Clan had truly judged correctly. Twenty-five was definitely Dugu Lin's lifespan limit!
Dugu Lin gazed at the sky through the window and said softly: "It was on a rainy day like this that my father was devoured alive by the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison until he was reduced to a skeleton... It will be my turn in a few years, I suppose."
She had painfully endured the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison for eleven years. The pain was like venomous snakes lurking in her body, emerging to gnaw at her heart with their poisonous fangs time and time again on rainy days and in the dead of night.
"There will be a way," Ling Bai said.
In truth, he didn't believe it himself. Dugu Lin's poison backlash was even more terrifying than that of her ancestor Dugu Bo. Flowing through her blood vessels was the Jade Phosphor Absolute Poison, the amalgamation of the Five Jade Phosphor Poisons taken extremely close to the realm of Ultimate Poison. Due to the massive amount of Jade Phosphor Absolute Poison, even a 100,000-year spirit bone couldn't contain all the poison in her body, and the method of forcing the poison into the bone would be unlikely to succeed.
Ling Bai shook his head, a hint of pity flashing through his eyes. Dugu Lin had immediately confessed to him when they first met, and he realized she was probably hoping to use the Seraphim's power to resolve the backlash from the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison.
It was too late now. Ten years ago, there might still have been a possibility of purification.
Ling Bai's brilliant golden pupils emitted specks of light. He condensed a golden light sphere in his hand and handed it to Dugu Lin.
"It won't cure the root cause, but at least it can let you have a good night's sleep tonight."
Dugu Lin hugged the golden light sphere tightly. The holy aura slowly nourished her body. Feeling the warmth of the Seraphim, she tilted her head back to look at the moon in the sky, her expression hazy as if lost in thought.
From Ling Bai's side angle, her face glimmered with a faint radiance. The moonlight draped over her like a veil of gauze. Each slight flutter of her eyelashes was like a butterfly flapping its wings. This pure and serene beauty was countless times more enchanting than her previous coquettish demeanor.
"Good night."
Now was not the time to admire beauty. Ling Bai stood up to leave and gently closed the door behind him.
Dugu Lin remained in that position, sitting quietly for a long time. Suddenly, she murmured:
"I'm counting on you, Ling Bai. Please become even stronger. That place will ultimately rely on you to enter..."