"Seven Treasures Rotating Out of Glazed Radiance—First: Power! Second: Dispel! Third: Speed!"
As Ning Tian's crisp voice echoed, three beams of white light descended upon Wu Feng's body. In that instant, Wu Feng felt her strength and speed surge explosively, and a protective aura enveloped her—a mystical energy shielding her from harm.
This was the power of Ning Tian's three soul skills.
Her first and third skills enhanced strength and speed respectively—at her current Soul Elder cultivation, she could amplify Wu Feng's attributes by 30%. Her second skill, Dispel, was even more valuable. When used preemptively, it granted a one-time immunity to abnormal status effects.
But what truly shocked Xu Xingyu was how, even after casting three skills in rapid succession, Ning Tian's soul power didn't show significant depletion. In fact, she still had plenty left.
This was the hidden strength of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's secret technique—Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, a soul master's mental control technique that allowed fine-tuned soul power distribution and control.
The Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart was divided into five realms:
Three Apertures: Heart of Command
Four Apertures: Heart of Constancy
Five Apertures: Heart of Dispersion
Six Apertures: Heart of Desire
Seven Apertures: Exquisite Heart
Judging by her current performance, Ning Tian had likely reached the peak of the Three Apertures Realm, nearing a breakthrough into Four Apertures. Her spiritual power was clearly exceptional.
At that moment, with her stats boosted, Wu Feng charged forward and activated her second soul skill—Dragon's Fury.
A blazing crimson flame burst to life in her palm, transforming into the silhouette of a fire dragon that roared toward Xu Xingyu.
It was in that instant that Xu Xingyu truly understood why the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was hailed as the Number One Support-Type Tool Spirit in the World. This level of amplification wasn't just name—it was substance.
Sure, Wu Feng had forcibly overdrawn her soul power to release this skill—but without Ning Tian's support, she wouldn't have come close to manifesting an attack capable of threatening a Soul Elder.
Yet to Xu Xingyu, it was... meaningless.
He lifted his hand.
The moment he did, the blazing fire dragon instantly broke free from Wu Feng's control and condensed into a tiny flame in the center of his palm.
Before Wu Feng could utter the usual "Impossible!" trope, the flame in Xu Xingyu's hand deepened in color, turning a dark crimson.
That flame coiled up his arm, wrapping around his clenched fist, making it seem as if his hand itself had become fire incarnate.
He swung.
A massive flame-forged fist surged out, roaring toward Wu Feng and Ning Tian.
"Flame Fist!"
The heat scorched the air.
Wu Feng and Ning Tian's expressions changed drastically. A chilling sense of imminent death washed over them.
Their instincts screamed: If we're hit by that—we die!
They tried to dodge. But that flaming fist was like a predator with eyes—no matter how they moved, even with Ning Tian's speed boost, it relentlessly pursued them.
Forced to the edge of the arena with nowhere left to flee, Ning Tian's face paled as she shouted:
"We surrender!"
Offstage, Teacher Mu had already sensed their life-threatening situation. At the moment those words left Ning Tian's mouth, she dashed onto the stage to rescue them.
But just as that flaming fist was about to collide—it abruptly veered upward and exploded mid-air.
The resulting fire bloomed across the sky like a vibrant firework, dazzling and beautiful, casting sparks across the field like dancing petals.
The crowd, especially the girls, erupted in gasps of amazement at the beautiful display—momentarily forgetting the fear that had preceded it.
But more importantly—it crushed the fighting spirit of every student present. Save for Xu Yanxue, none dared entertain the idea of challenging Xu Xingyu now.
After all, throughout the entire duel, Xu Xingyu never once used a soul skill.
All he'd done was manipulate flame elements—and that alone was enough to crush a Soul Elder who'd received the full boost of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
More frightening was that he didn't seem to have consumed much soul power at all. His elemental control was so precise, so overwhelming, many suspected even a Soul King would struggle to match it without the help of soul skills.
And therein lay the problem with Douluo Continent's mainstream cultivation system.
They'd grown far too dependent on soul rings.
Yes, the soul ring system was simple and effective—but over-simplicity breeds weakness. If all your skills were borrowed from soul rings, and not something you understood yourself—then how could you ever comprehend the deeper laws hidden within those techniques?
In Douluo Continent, unless one reached the realm of Super Douluo or Limit Douluo, it was almost impossible to perceive the laws of the world, let alone integrate them into your combat style.
Worse, most Douluo inhabitants had a flimsy combat mindset. Their fights boiled down to who had the flashier soul skills, with very few honing real battle technique.
Only a handful of long-standing noble clans trained in true martial arts—but once they reached a certain power level, even they discarded techniques in favor of raw soul skill brute force.
By contrast, cultivators from other realms often crafted their own techniques—not just for damage, but as expressions of their understanding of laws, of elemental truths.
Here in Douluo, what counted as an inherited technique? Only the Tang Sect's Six Great Techniques, and even those had been brought in by Tang San from another world.
In reality, they wouldn't even make it into a second-rate force's archives elsewhere.
Xu Xingyu clenched his fists.
He made a silent vow.
One day, he would shatter the continent's lazy reliance on soul rings—and usher in a new era of balance between man and beast, a world where strength came not from borrowed power, but from understanding.
Suddenly, he paused.
He turned to Teacher Mu Jin, eyes thoughtful.
"This match… I won, right?"
Mu Jin snapped out of her daze, and hurriedly announced him as the victor. Then she addressed the rest of the class:
"Does anyone else wish to run for class monitor?"
Silence.
Who would be insane enough to compete against a monster?
And so, Xu Xingyu became Class 9's monitor—without opposition.
***
With her Soul Emperor cultivation base, Mu Jin swiftly arrived at the Soul Tool Department's teaching building.
As soon as they entered, Xu Yanxue began curiously surveying the area, observing the Shrek Academy Soul Tool Department's inner layout.
However, after a brief inspection, a faint sense of disappointment began to grow within her.
She had expected that as the number one academy on the continent, Shrek's soul tool technology would be cutting-edge. But judging from this building's facilities alone, it was merely marginally more advanced than the three great empires in the original timeline.
Unless Shrek was hiding some secret facilities, Xu Yanxue could almost confirm that the technology here was nowhere near the standard of what she'd seen in the Qiling Tower's research labs.
It seemed Xu Xingyu hadn't been exaggerating. The soul tool technology of the original three empires truly was lagging behind.
Still, even if Shrek was behind the times, spending some time here to lay a solid foundation wouldn't be a waste.
She couldn't help but grow curious—just what was the state of soul tool development in the Sun Moon Empire, the nation that had once made soul tools its pride?
From what Xu Xingyu had told her, the Qiling Tower's research output had already surpassed the Sun Moon Empire's. However, the latter still held overwhelming advantages in terms of resources and military-grade soul tool stockpiles.
It was then that an elderly woman with graying hair appeared in the hallway, a blue-haired youth following closely behind.
Xu Xingyu instantly recognized the youth—it was Huo Yuhao.
And based on the timeline of the original story, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened. Xu Xingyu internally sighed; he'd known that Huo Yuhao would be recommended to the Soul Tool Department by "Old Lady Zhou," but he didn't expect to run into them so directly.
Thinking of Zhou Yi, Xu Xingyu couldn't help but glance sideways at his own homeroom teacher.
Sure enough, the gentle, refined demeanor of Mu Jin had vanished. In its place was a cold, venomous expression brimming with resentment.
"Well, well, if it isn't Zhou Yi. It's been a while. How have you been?" Mu Jin's tone was both sweet and sharp.
Zhou Yi narrowed her eyes. "Mu Jin? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to bring students to register for the Soul Tool Department. What, only you can do that?" Mu Jin responded haughtily, her gaze falling upon Huo Yuhao. "That kid behind you—he's the one you're recommending? Only rank fifteen? Isn't that a bit too weak?"
The jab clearly struck a nerve, but Zhou Yi managed to keep her composure. After all, Mu Jin wasn't wrong.
She had only brought Huo Yuhao here because of his rare Spirit-type martial soul and his special soul skill—something her husband had shown a strong interest in.
Had it not been for that unique spiritual attribute, she would've expelled this backdoor student long ago for being a drag on the class's average strength.
"My student's qualification is not something you need to worry about," Zhou Yi replied icily. "Worry about whether your students can pass the entrance assessment first. Don't repeat your last embarrassment."
"You—!"
Mu Jin's hands curled into fists, eyes flickering with anger. Zhou Yi's words had touched upon a painful memory—one that time hadn't dulled.
Back in the day, both Mu Jin and Zhou Yi had entered Shrek Academy's Outer Court at the same time. Not only were they classmates—they were roommates. The two had once been close friends.
Then he appeared.
Fan Yu.
The first time they saw him—a tall, broad-shouldered youth—both of their hearts skipped a beat. It was love at first sight. But from that moment, their friendship was doomed. They became rivals in love, each trying to win his affection in her own way.
In the end, it was Zhou Yi who won.
Crushed but unwilling to give up, Mu Jin tried to let go. Yet just a few days later, both women were assigned to the same Inner Court trial: assist a senior in eliminating a dark soul master.
During the mission, Zhou Yi had acted recklessly, ignoring the senior's commands and charging in alone. Though they completed the task, their supervising senior had died protecting them.
Because of this, they both failed the Inner Court trial.
Worse, Zhou Yi blamed the failure on Mu Jin, accusing her of dragging her feet and not listening to orders.
From that day on, their relationship became irreparably broken.
Later, both of them returned to the Outer Court as teachers, each determined to prove her worth by nurturing students capable of joining the Inner Court.
But the true breaking point came years later.
Mu Jin had once recommended a highly talented student—Mu Rong, her younger brother—to the Soul Tool Department. He wasn't just gifted in cultivation; his aptitude for soul tools was exceptional, and he was thriving in the new environment.
After a successful entrance exam, Mu Rong was placed into Zhou Yi's class. But due to a single tardy arrival, Zhou Yi expelled him without hesitation.
At the time, Mu Jin had swallowed her pride and begged Zhou Yi to reconsider—for once, to set aside their personal enmity.
But Zhou Yi was merciless. The decision was final.
Worse still, the teacher who had intended to take Mu Rong in as a core disciple was a professional rival of Fan Yu's. So Zhou Yi had even more reason to ensure Mu Rong never succeeded.
And just like that, Mu Rong was forced to leave Shrek Academy.
Since that day, Mu Jin vowed to outshine Zhou Yi in every possible way. If she couldn't win in love, she'd win in teaching.
She studied. She sought advice from senior educators. She tailored her teaching methods to each student. And gradually, she rose—becoming the only instructor whose teaching results could rival Zhou Yi's.
Now, the two women stood face-to-face once more, fire in their eyes.
"Enough. What are the two of you doing?"
A deep voice rang out, reverberating through the corridor.
"Fan Yu!!"
A tall man strode toward them.
He stood close to 1.8 meters, clad in simple clothes. Broad shoulders, strong arms bared to the air, muscles like granite. His face was sharply contoured, his eyes steady and unreadable. Simply standing there made him feel like an immovable mountain.
This was Fan Yu—Zhou Yi's husband. A Soul Douluo and an eighth-ranked soul engineer. One of the strongest candidates to become Shrek Academy's next Soul Tool Department vice dean.
Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two women, he sighed deeply.
He had once turned Mu Jin down, choosing Zhou Yi instead. Yet even now, he could sense that Mu Jin hadn't let go.
Honestly, Fan Yu sometimes missed the days when Zhou Yi and Mu Jin had still been friends. But their opposing philosophies had shattered that bond beyond repair.
He also knew, deep down, that Zhou Yi had gone too far in expelling Mu Rong. But as the beneficiary of that decision—he had no right to speak against it.
All he could do was try, time and again, to persuade Zhou Yi to moderate her teaching style. But she had always brushed him off.
"We may be husband and wife, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with your methods," she'd said. "Time will prove which of us is right."
And faced with such resolve, all Fan Yu could do was support her and wait.
"So, what are you doing here?" Fan Yu asked, glancing between the two women. "If you're not here for something official, then stop blocking the hallway."
Both women cooled down, knowing this wasn't the place for their feud.
"We're here for the matter you mentioned earlier," Zhou Yi said, unusually restrained.
"Which one? I talk about a lot of things."
"The one regarding spirit-type martial souls and soul tools."
"Oh?" Fan Yu turned to glance at the youth beside her. "He's Spirit-type? Hmm… rank fifteen—barely passable. Head to Lab 2 and wait for me there."
Zhou Yi gave a nod and left with Huo Yuhao in tow.
Fan Yu then looked toward Mu Jin. "And you?"
Despite the frost in his tone, Mu Jin bit back her bitterness. After taking a deep breath, she answered, "I brought two students who wish to audit courses in the Soul Tool Department."
Fan Yu scanned the two youths behind her and was visibly surprised. One had already reached high-level Soul Elder cultivation, the other was a rank twenty-five Soul Grandmaster.
He raised a brow. "Are you sure? With cultivation like that, the Martial Soul Department won't let them go so easily."
"Only Xu Yanxue wants to transfer," Mu Jin replied. "Xu Xingyu merely wants to take elective soul tool courses. He has no plans to leave the Martial Soul Department."
"Understood. Head to the second floor. The instructors there will handle their soul tool aptitude assessments. Whether they can stay depends on their performance. I'm returning to the lab. Good day, Teacher Mu."
Without another glance, Fan Yu walked off in the same direction Zhou Yi had gone.
Mu Jin watched his retreating back, a storm of complex emotions swirling in her eyes.
"Teacher Mu, are you okay?" Xu Xingyu asked with concern.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Mu Jin gave him a bitter smile. "Sorry you had to see your teacher like this. Come, let's go."
With that, she led the siblings to the second floor, where they met the admissions officers of the Soul Tool Department. After confirming their identity and assigning them examiners, the group was escorted into a testing lab to begin their assessments.
Just as Xu Xingyu was about to start—
A booming voice echoed through the room:
"I'll handle this child's assessment myself."
A towering figure stepped into the room.
The proctor and Mu Jin were left speechless at the sight.
He looked to be in his fifties, though his face was free of wrinkles. His short, spiky white hair resembled steel needles. His bronzed skin and bulging muscles gave him the air of a seasoned warrior.
This was none other than Qian Duoduo, current vice dean of the Soul Tool Department and a Sea God's Pavilion elder. His martial soul—Iron Dragon Shield.
Qian Duoduo had come in person because he had reviewed the registration info for the two new applicants. The moment he saw Xu Xingyu's name, he froze.
Wasn't this the same youth Elder Mu had summoned an emergency Pavilion meeting for yesterday? The potential God Trial Candidate?
And now he wanted to study soul tools?
If Xu Xingyu's talent for soul tools matched his cultivation potential, then he was the ideal candidate for the Soul Tool Department's Ultimate Soldier Project.
A God Trial Candidate trained as a soul engineer?
If they succeeded, then Douluo Continent would never again need to fear the ambitions of the Sun Moon Empire!
Qian Duoduo had raced over just in time to witness the moment that, in his words—
"...would mark the dawn of a new era for soul tools."