At the training grounds of Eastsea Academy, Jing Shaoyu and the Class Zero members stood across from Wu Zhangkong, their instructor.
Wu Zhangkong said calmly, "This time, I'll be using the strength of a Soul Elder. Are you all ready?"
Jing Shaoyu and his teammates exchanged solemn glances, each nodding seriously. Jing Shaoyu spoke on behalf of the team, "We're ready."
The five of them formed a basic formation. Tang Wulin stood at the front as the main assault soul master, with Xie Xie, an agility-type, positioned right behind him. Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue were at the center, while Xu Xiaoyan took the rearguard position in a one-one-two-one lineup.
In an instant, their soul rings emerged, casting a beautiful purple glow over the area. Each of them released their martial souls. Tang Wulin activated both his Bluesilver Grass and Golden Dragon Claw simultaneously, while Jing Shaoyu summoned his Star Scepter.
With a low shout, Tang Wulin shot forward like a cannonball, charging straight at Wu Zhangkong. His Golden Dragon Claw swept forward as his Bluesilver Grass extended, emanating an intimidating aura.
At the same time, Jing Shaoyu raised his Star Scepter, chanting internally, "Starfire Surge!"
The Star Scepter's gemstone sparked with radiant starlight, even in broad daylight, casting a brilliant glow. The star power enveloped Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, who felt an explosive surge of power and speed coursing through their bodies.
Tang Wulin's eyes shone brighter, with a hint of madness in his gaze. In a flash, he closed the distance to Wu Zhangkong, his Golden Dragon Claw slashing down with intense force.
Simultaneously, Gu Yue launched fireballs, wind blades, and ice spikes, concealed within Tang Wulin's Bluesilver Grass, each carrying a lethal aura.
Behind Wu Zhangkong, Xie Xie had quietly approached, his eyes alight with excitement and determination as he directed his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger toward Wu Zhangkong.
Starfire Surge, the support soul skill of Jing Shaoyu's Star Scepter, allowed those he aided to burn their life force, massively boosting their strength and speed.
Wu Zhangkong sensed the unusual state of Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. With a hint of surprise, he summoned his Skydream Sword, holding the hilt with his right hand and gripping the blade with his left, moving with a deliberate calm as though on a casual stroll rather than in the midst of battle.
When the combined attacks closed in on him, he finally moved. His Skydream Sword sprang to life, emitting a faint blue light that seemed to draw in Gu Yue's fireballs, wind blades, and ice spikes, redirecting them toward Xie Xie.
Xie Xie, caught off guard, quickly activated Double Dragon Storm. His dual daggers cut through the elemental attacks, narrowly deflecting them.
Meanwhile, Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw clashed with the soft, resilient blue glow emitted by Wu Zhangkong's sword, leaving him feeling as though he had struck a sponge, unable to release his power.
Seeing the forward assault stalling, Xu Xiaoyan's support arrived. A golden starwheel appeared, and countless chains wrapped around Wu Zhangkong, temporarily restraining him.
Starwheel Chains, an absolute control skill, effective for two seconds.
Two seconds were enough. Behind Jing Shaoyu, two enormous plants emerged—one was the familiar Green Moon Willow, though its aura had intensified significantly, reaching the level of a five-thousand-year soul beast.
But what caught everyone's attention was the second plant Jing Shaoyu had summoned. Everyone gasped in surprise and horror.
It was a towering, three-meter-tall, five-meter-wide dark red flower. The stem alone stood three meters high, with a diameter of about one and a half meters. The flower's massive petals, five in total, stretched five meters each, and at the center, instead of stamens, lay a terrifying, gaping maw.
The Demon Flower, also known as the Bloodthirsty Man-Eater, was an extinct, fearsome plant-type soul beast, infamous as the deadliest assassin of ancient jungles. This was the new plant spirit Jing Shaoyu summoned after advancing to Soul Elder.
The Green Moon Willow and Demon Flower attacked in tandem. The Green Moon Willow's branches wrapped around Wu Zhangkong, covering his arms, legs, and waist, binding him tightly before the Starwheel Chains' control even ended.
Meanwhile, the Demon Flower reared back, its petals opening wide to reveal the bloodthirsty maw as it lunged toward Wu Zhangkong. At five thousand years, such a soul beast could transform its surroundings into its personal hunting ground, where even ten-thousand-year soul beasts might struggle to survive if caught in its deadly grasp.
Wu Zhangkong, unfazed, barely reacted as he watched the gaping maw descend toward him. His Skydream Sword flickered, shattering the Green Moon Willow's bindings, the branches snapping away in pieces. A cool glint flashed in his gaze as he slashed forward.
Boom—
The massive flower head tumbled to the ground, rolling once before vanishing in a blue light, while the thick stem fell back, dissolving into blue light before it could hit the ground.
With a single slice, Wu Zhangkong had decimated a five-thousand-year Demon Flower soul beast—a testament to the formidable power of the Skydream Sword!
Jing Shaoyu, unfazed by the Demon Flower's swift defeat, merely sighed in admiration. After all, the plant spirits he summoned were not their true forms. The next time he summoned them, they would reappear just the same.
Wu Zhangkong's sword strike, however, signified Jing Shaoyu and his team's victory since it clearly exceeded the power of a Soul Elder.
"Yay, we won!" Xu Xiaoyan cheered, her face alight with joy.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were also thrilled, though their initial attacks hadn't gone as planned. Victory was still victory. Feeling their bodies weaken after the intense effort, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie hurried to Jing Shaoyu as he'd instructed earlier.
Seeing their pale faces, Jing Shaoyu confirmed the effectiveness of Starfire Surge. He raised his Star Scepter, activating his third soul ring, summoning a gentle green rain that fell over them, instantly restoring their complexion and replenishing their depleted life force.
Primordial Dew, a group healing skill that restored all life force, soul power, and cured abnormal states—a perfect complement to Starfire Surge.
Wu Zhangkong approached, his expression impassive.
"Jing Shaoyu, what happened to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie just now?" he asked directly.
Jing Shaoyu explained the effects of Starfire Surge and Primordial Dew, and Wu Zhangkong's eyes gleamed with interest. "Can Primordial Dew heal injuries to one's life essence?"
Jing Shaoyu shook his head. "Teacher Wu, I'm not sure about that, as I haven't tested it."
Wu Zhangkong nodded. "I understand. The five-thousand-year Demon Flower you summoned—is that part of your soul skills? And what about the Green Moon Willow? Why did its strength increase to five thousand years?"
"Yeah, Shaoyu, that flower was terrifying! How did you summon it?" Xu Xiaoyan asked, still looking a bit frightened.
"That must've been a Demon Flower, thought to be extinct for thousands of years, right?" Gu Yue added, her gaze thoughtful.
"A Demon Flower?" Tang Wulin and Xie Xie echoed, both out of their depth.
Wu Zhangkong raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A Demon Flower? Fascinating."
Jing Shaoyu nodded. "Yes, Teacher Wu, it was indeed a Demon Flower. Its strength was about sixty percent of my third soul ring's capacity, as was the Green Moon Willow's."
Wu Zhangkong nodded in understanding and turned to leave. "Tomorrow, we'll continue. I'
ll use the strength of a Soul Ancestor."
Their brief moment of victory quickly faded.
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