Inside the private booth, Elder En Ci watched the dispirited Long Yue, his eyes flashing with a hint of brilliance. He whispered to the gloomy Emperor Dai Tianling:
"Your Majesty, every cloud has a silver lining. This child Long Yue has an extremely high spirit, and suffering such consecutive blows, if he can endure and break through, his mental cultivation will surely leap to new heights. This is crucial for him to fully master the Mountain Dragon King martial soul and suppress his frenzied instincts."
Upon hearing this, Dai Tianling's tightly furrowed brows slightly relaxed, but his gaze towards Shrek Academy grew even more wary.
After a brief respite, the referee's voice rang out with a hint of ease; finally, it was not a match concerning Monster Academy:
"Quarterfinals, Third Match!"
"Shrek Academy, Tang Wulin!"
"Versus!"
"Shrek Academy, Wu Sido!"
An internal battle, Shrek Academy's internal battle.
The spectators' tense nerves also relaxed somewhat. Since it was Shrek Academy's internal battle, the outcome of this match had little relevance to them.
Tang Wulin and Wu Sido stepped onto the platform. Both wore the same dark green uniforms, but the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
Wu Sido looked at the upright figure and resolute eyes of Tang Wulin across from her, her heart filled with complex emotions.
She still remembered when she first entered Shrek Academy, how that boy with the supposedly useless Blue Silver Grass martial soul was so inconspicuous, even subtly looked down upon by her.
Who would have thought that in just one short year, he could, with his indomitable will, peculiar true dragon bloodline, and terrifying forging talent, rise against all odds to reach today's height.
Having seen Tang Wulin's previous battles, especially the natural suppression of beast martial souls by his overwhelmingly powerful Golden Dragon King bloodline, Wu Sido no longer had absolute confidence in victory.
Although she possessed the dual martial souls of Netherworld Spirit Cat and White Tiger, along with the powerful self-merging skill "Netherworld White Tiger", in terms of battle armor, she had rare metals forged by Gu La, but the design level hadn't yet reached the two-word battle armor stage, and she lacked suitable partners to help make core arrays and complete the final fusion.
Currently, she only had a few pieces of battle armor, providing limited enhancement, failing to create an absolute gap.
Apart from the trump card of the Netherworld White Tiger, she had few advantages over Tang Wulin in other aspects.
Moreover, the pressure emanating from Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline greatly diminished the advantage of her proud dual beast martial souls.
"The match begins!"
Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Tang Wulin saw the fighting spirit in Wu Sido's eyes, and the battle erupted instantly.
Tang Wulin was well aware of Wu Sido's explosive power, so he held nothing back right from the start. The Golden Dragon King bloodline surged, and his right arm instantly covered with brilliant golden dragon scales, transforming into an invincible Golden Dragon Claw.
His left arm was similarly covered with dragon scales, a result of unlocking the fifth seal, possessing a tearing effect. He shot forward like a streak of golden lightning, directly charging at Wu Sido.
Wu Sido let out a sharp cry, the White Tiger martial soul attaching to her body, her sharp tiger claws meeting Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sound of clashing metal exploded, sparks flying everywhere.
Wu Sido was astonished to find that her proud White Tiger claws were being suppressed step by step in front of Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw.
That golden dragon claw contained unimaginable strength and sharpness, each collision numbing her arms. Additionally, a pressure from deep within her bloodline continuously impacted her martial soul, making it difficult for her to fully exert her strength.
The special effects on the Golden Dragon Claw made her soul power defense waver precariously.
After only a few breaths of combat, Wu Sido's White Tiger form was thoroughly suppressed by Tang Wulin, perilous situations arising one after another.
"Damn it!"
Wu Sido knew she couldn't hold back anymore. A trace of determination flashed in her eyes, and her body suddenly burst with intense black and white light. The phantoms of the Netherworld Spirit Cat and White Tiger fused behind her.
"Soul Fusion Skill – Netherworld White Tiger!"
A deafening tiger roar echoed throughout the venue.
A massive beast, covered in black and white stripes, exuding a terrifying ghostly aura and the killing intent of the White Tiger, appeared on the platform.
The enormous tiger claw, with the momentum to tear through space, fiercely swiped at Tang Wulin.
Netherworld Strike!
Facing this terrifying strike capable of threatening a Soul Emperor, Tang Wulin's expression became solemn, yet he showed no fear.
The fourth soul ring under his feet shone brightly, and the Blue Silver Emperor rapidly grew, thick and resilient, its blue-golden patterns resembling giant golden pythons, instantly coiling around the enormous body and descending claw of the Netherworld White Tiger.
Blue Silver Tyrant Transformation!
Originating from the soul spirit of the Tyrant Dragon, King of Sub-dragons, amplifying the Blue Silver Emperor with terrifying power, transforming the augmentation of the Golden Dragon King bloodline into a martial soul enhancement!
"Stop—right there!"
Tang Wulin roared, pouring all his blood energy and soul power into the incredibly resilient Golden-patterned Blue Silver Emperor, which unleashed a powerful binding force, momentarily halting the Netherworld White Tiger's claw capable of smashing mountains in mid-air.
At the same time, he stomped his feet, crossing his Golden Dragon Claws in front of him!
"Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!"
A terrifying golden shockwave exploded, the ground beneath Tang Wulin's feet instantly collapsing. His entire body was violently pushed backward dozens of meters, his feet plowing deep trenches on the platform, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
But he had blocked it!
Purely relying on the binding of the Golden-patterned Blue Silver Emperor and his own formidable physique, he head-on resisted the wrathful strike of the Netherworld White Tiger!
The Netherworld White Tiger let out an unwilling roar, wildly struggling, trying to tear apart the coiled Blue Silver Emperor.
However, the resilience of the Golden-patterned Blue Silver Emperor far exceeded expectations, and with Tang Wulin's continuous infusion of soul power, it couldn't break free for the moment.
Stalemate!
Wu Sido's heart raced with anxiety. Maintaining the Netherworld White Tiger consumed a vast amount of her soul power. She had originally thought this strike would severely wound or defeat Tang Wulin, never expecting him to withstand it directly. Moreover, the binding force of the Blue Silver Emperor was continuously strengthening.
On the other hand, although Tang Wulin had blood at the corner of his mouth and his breathing was somewhat erratic, his eyes remained sharp, and his soul power fluctuations were still strong. His abnormal recovery ability was quickly repairing his injuries, restoring him to full health in the blink of an eye.
This ebb and flow.
As time ticked by, Wu Sido's face grew paler and paler, the tremendous consumption of maintaining the Netherworld White Tiger causing her soul power to rapidly deplete. Meanwhile, supported by his blood energy, Tang Wulin remained as steady as Mount Tai.
"Roar…" The light of the Netherworld White Tiger began to dim, its size also shrinking.
Wu Sido knew she had lost. Persisting further would only be futilely exhausting her soul power, revealing too many of Tang Wulin's trump cards, which would be detrimental to the academy. She couldn't be reckless.
The enormous phantom of the Netherworld White Tiger slowly dissipated, revealing Wu Sido's somewhat pale, beautiful face. She looked at Tang Wulin opposite her, who, though somewhat battered, was filled with fighting spirit. A sense of relief and complexity flashed in her eyes.
"I concede." Wu Sido's voice carried a hint of fatigue, yet was very calm.
The referee immediately announced, "Quarterfinals, Third Match, Winner—Shrek Academy, Tang Wulin."
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)