"Whoosh" "Whoosh"
Two figures shot out from the billowing dust, each landing on a tree trunk within the dense forest. They locked eyes, tension crackling in the air. Chen Xiaoming glanced back at Shrek Academy behind him.
"Let's go. This place is too restrictive."
With a light tap of his foot, his figure shot into the distance. Tang Hao silently followed, his gaze steady and unreadable.
Not long after they departed, another figure emerged—it was Shrek Academy's Dean, Flender. His expression was grave as he surveyed the ravaged clearing before him, the glint of his glasses reflecting the dim light.
A battle this close to the academy… Judging by the destructive power, the combatant must be at least a Soul Saint. Within the academy, the only Soul Saints were himself, Zhao Wuji, Xin, and Chen Xiaoming.
Yet the latter was conspicuously absent.
Flender's brow furrowed. With Chen Xiaoming's strength, who could possibly engage him in such a fierce battle?
After a long silence, Flender searched the surroundings but found no clues. With worry gnawing at him, he returned to the academy.
Meanwhile, on the distant plains beyond Shrek Academy—
Chen Xiaoming and Tang Hao stood face to face. Fighting weaklings was dull; only a battle with a powerhouse like Tang Hao could ignite his fighting spirit.
"No one will disturb us now. Come."
With a flicker of movement, soul power surged. Chen Xiaoming lunged forward without reservation, seven hundred-thousand-year soul rings shimmering beneath him. His Martial Soul, the Azurewood Tree, materialized in his hand, a faint green light glinting.
"First Soul Skill, Whiplash!"
Tender branches shot forth, slicing through the air with explosive speed. The sonic booms echoed across the plains, the attack far deadlier than before.
Tang Hao's eyes narrowed. The Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his right hand, gripped tightly. His first soul ring, a yellow hundred-year ring, gleamed and poured its power into the hammer.
With one swing, the hammer shattered the incoming branches. Tang Hao pulled the hammer back, then struck out again, faster and stronger. Each swing carried a strange, rippling force.
"Pa! Pa! Pa..."
One by one, the branches were obliterated. Tang Hao's body half-turned, both hands gripping the hammer. His legs pushed off, waist rotating, transferring power through his back into his arms. With each strike, the Clear Sky Hammer's might grew exponentially.
A whirlwind of air currents swirled around him, dragging nearby branches into its vortex, only to be pulverized by the hammer's force.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!"
Chen Xiaoming's brow lifted. In mere moments, Tang Hao had already unleashed dozens of hammer blows, each more powerful than the last.
"Ding!"
Tang Hao's seventh soul ring flared. Behind him, a massive black Clear Sky Hammer appeared, exuding surging black light. The hammer expanded to over a hundred meters, its head looming like a mountain.
"Holy crap, you're playing for real!"
Tang Hao had unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, stopping just short of using his ninth soul ring—his full strength laid bare.
The suffocating pressure made the surrounding air feel stagnant. A potent sense of danger welled up in Chen Xiaoming's heart.
Without hesitation, he opened his system interface and tapped on the soul power upgrade option. His long-stagnant level 79 soul power instantly broke through to level 80—Soul Douluo.
Another glance at the colossal hammer made him gulp.
Still not safe.
He kept clicking.
Soul power skyrocketed, surging past level 90 into Titled Douluo territory.
Not enough.
Recalling the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer's fearsome reputation, he clicked again—level 96.
Two black soul rings slowly rose beneath him.
Without pause, he upgraded his ninth soul ring. From a mere eighty-thousand-year ring, it turned crimson, a ten-thousand-year soul ring in an instant.
The moment the ninth soul ring appeared, dazzling light enveloped him. Soul power flooded out, making the earth beneath him crack and sink.
"Ninth Soul Skill, World Tree Descent!"
Towering branches erupted from the ground, weaving together into a colossal bud, enclosing Chen Xiaoming within.
"Haha, good!"
Tang Hao, who had been gathering momentum, finally roared. The hundred-meter hammer plummeted, distorting the air as it fell.
"Boom—"
The earth trembled as if under divine punishment. The World Tree Descent's formidable defense crumpled under the hammer's strike. Branches snapped and splintered, filling the air with debris. The top of the barrier caved in completely.
Even Shrek Academy, far away, felt the tremors.
In the Dean's office, Flender's face paled. He shot into the sky, his Martial Soul attached, scanning the distance but unable to see clearly.
Yet the soul power's residual shockwaves alone made him hesitate to approach.
Within the dormitories, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and others stepped out, alarmed by the tremors. Flender's voice, infused with soul power, echoed through the night.
"Do not move."
The group exchanged puzzled glances, eyes fixed on the distant plains.
Back at the battlefield—
"Cough, cough... So close… just a little more and I'd be a goner."
Chen Xiaoming gazed at the shattered branches overhead, heart still pounding. If he had been foolish enough to rely on his sixth soul skill, his head would've been hammered to pulp.
"Whoosh."
He flickered out of the ruined World Tree Descent, smiling at Tang Hao.
"No more fighting. It's late. Time to sleep."
With a chuckle, he turned toward Shrek Academy, brushing past Tang Hao with a hint of regret.
Showing off requires caution—one slip, and you'll be hammered into oblivion.
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