With Xu Xiaoyan's effortless victory over Number Ten, the remaining Shrek Academy students exchanged bitter and frustrated glances.
How could this be? They were supposed to be Shrek Academy students, yet in these two matches, it felt like the examinees were the examiners and they were the test-takers. The disparity was almost too much to bear.
The pressure on Number One, the last student to compete, was immense. He could not afford to lose. If he did, what would become of Shrek Academy's reputation?
Gu Yue walked onto the training ground with an air of composure. Her opponent, Number One, also moved into position. He was a seemingly ordinary boy—average in appearance, build, and demeanor—so unassuming that he looked nothing like a soul master, let alone a Shrek student.
"Begin!" The proctor's command signaled the start of the final match.
Both Gu Yue and Number One responded immediately, activating their soul rings simultaneously. Glowing rings of light appeared beneath their feet—both were Soul Elders, and their soul rings were all millennium-level purple rings.
The sight of yet another Soul Elder with three purple rings left the second-year students utterly stunned. If not for Number One also possessing three millennium soul rings, salvaging a sliver of dignity for them, the second-years might have felt even more humiliated.
Noticing Gu Yue's soul rings, Number One's already serious expression grew even more grim. The weight of the situation bore down on him, almost tangible in its intensity.
His immediate activation of his soul rings suggested he was likely a long-range combat soul master, just like Gu Yue.
This assumption proved correct. A glimmer flashed in Number One's eyes as his first soul ring lit up. He raised a hand and made a precise motion, tracing a circle in the air. A peculiar light emerged from his fingertips, expanding into a strange, colorful sphere—a blend of blue, white, purple, and green hues.
But that wasn't all. Number One muttered an incantation under his breath, and a beam of light shot out from the sphere, hitting the ground. The light twisted and formed into a large, semi-translucent canine-like creature.
Its fur was fiery red, with a thick, mane-like ruff around its neck. If it were larger, it could easily be mistaken for a lion-type soul beast. Despite its size, the creature exuded a powerful aura.
A Flame Mastiff!
Both Gu Yue, standing on the battlefield, and Jing Shaoyu, watching from the sidelines, instantly recognized the species. Their immediate question, however, was whether this was a soul skill or a soul spirit.
Summoning soul skills weren't uncommon, and with Jing Shaoyu's background, Gu Yue was no stranger to them. Yet this Flame Mastiff lacked the typical traits of a summoned creature, making it more likely to be a soul spirit—one with a cultivation level exceeding five thousand years, matching Number One's soul rings perfectly.
The Flame Mastiff let out a thunderous roar, its voice reverberating through the hall. Its ferocious gaze locked onto Gu Yue, its eyes gleaming with a sharp, physical intensity.
"Condense!" Number One pointed at the Flame Mastiff, shouting an order. A ray of light shot from his hand, striking the creature. Its semi-translucent form grew denser, becoming almost corporeal.
"Go!" Number One commanded. The Flame Mastiff dashed toward Gu Yue like a streak of red lightning, its overwhelming aura shaking the air.
Gu Yue, however, remained unfazed. Her hands moved rhythmically, the three soul rings around her flashing in a mysterious pattern. Each ring alternated its glow, pulsing with a gentle rhythm. This made it impossible to discern which soul ring's ability she was activating.
This deliberate ambiguity was exactly what Gu Yue wanted. Before her, a blue-white orb of light quickly formed. It was a perfectly smooth ice sphere about fifty centimeters in diameter. She began gently striking it with her palms. Each tap caused the sphere to vibrate slightly, its surface becoming increasingly refined and polished.
Meanwhile, the Flame Mastiff charged toward her with incredible speed. Its fur bristled like roaring flames, radiating an almost tangible heat.
Despite the looming threat, Gu Yue's expression remained serene. It was as if the ferocious mastiff was no more threatening than a harmless puppy. Just as it closed in on her, she calmly extended her hands, sending the now perfectly polished ice sphere flying forward.
To everyone's shock, she then turned her back on the mastiff and began walking leisurely toward Jing Shaoyu, completely exposing herself to the charging beast.
"How arrogant!" Number One growled, his face flushing with anger.
The spectators quickly grasped the implications of Gu Yue's actions. She was essentially dismissing her opponent, believing she could end the fight with a single move. This either indicated incredible confidence in her abilities or outright disdain for her opponent. Either way, the Shrek students watching were incensed.
How dare she treat them with such disregard?
The Flame Mastiff reached the ice sphere in a flash. Its jaws opened wide, exhaling a plume of black smoke followed by a torrent of golden-red flames. The flames surged forward, their heat causing the surrounding temperature to spike noticeably.
When the flames collided with the ice sphere, neither fire nor ice dominated. Instead, the sphere shattered, releasing a breathtaking explosion of icy shards. Countless spikes of frozen crystal shot outward, each radiating a palpable chill.
Even more astonishing, as the shards flew through the air, their color shifted from blue-white to blue-green, accompanied by faint whispers of wind.
Suddenly, a silver glow emanated from the shards. A third of them vanished, only to reappear around Number One, hurtling toward him with deadly precision.
"Not good!" Number One paled in alarm. He had never encountered such an attack before and had no time to react. Worse, his abilities were tied to his soul spirit, leaving his physical defenses almost negligible.
On the battlefield, the Flame Mastiff's fiery breath neutralized the frontal ice shards. However, the remaining shards, accelerated by wind energy, pierced through its defenses. The mastiff's anguished roar echoed through the hall as its fiery glow dimmed, its body becoming increasingly translucent.
Before it could dissipate naturally, the Flame Mastiff abruptly vanished.
The fight had ended.
As Number One stood frozen, bracing for the worst, Elder Wu appeared beside him. With a wave of his hand, a dark yellow light dispersed the deadly ice shards into harmless powder.
Number One's face was pale with fear as he stared at Gu Yue, now standing nonchalantly beside Jing Shaoyu. He could feel it—if Elder Wu hadn't intervened, those shards would have turned him into a pincushion.
What kind of terrifying girl was this?
Elder Wu, however, was full of admiration as he looked at Gu Yue. "Such masterful control over ice, wind, and space elements! Truly extraordinary. Little girl, you've earned full marks!"
With Gu Yue's perfect score, Jing Shaoyu and his companions exchanged smiles, their confidence bolstered by their flawless performance.