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Gu La switched to his Celebi martial soul. The seven green-gold soul rings pulsed rhythmically as if alive.
He spoke no words. His figure blurred within green-gold light, elongating and transforming into an elegant spirit floating midair—a being radiating time and nature's essence: True Body of the Time Spirit · Forest Guardian!
The finals venue, already on Mingdu's outskirts, held countless seeds slumbering in its soil.
Now, under the Forest Guardian's call, his first soul skill activated fiercely: Forest Sea Boundless Domain!
BOOOOOOM—!
The earth groaned like an awakening beast. Countless seeds sprouted instantly—growing wildly, mutating!
Thick thorn vines writhed like giant pythons, piercing through anything. Carnivorous flowers gaped with tooth-lined maws. Ironwood roots surged like earth dragons…
The arena was devoured and shredded by this violent green tide. Even its sturdy foundation was entangled and decomposed by countless roots, reduced to dust.
The domain's range expanded rapidly, threatening to engulf the spectator stands into this slaughterous forest sea.
"Rainstorms, heed my command!"
Bo Xi's Water God True Body roared. Dark clouds gathered; torrential rain poured anew. This time, the rain carried his potent personal will, attempting to suppress and wash away the frenzied plants.
Pattering sounds erupted like drumbeats. Some weaker plants shattered under soul power-infused raindrops. But against the seemingly endless, still-evolving plant army, his will was but a pebble cast into the ocean—utterly insignificant.
Liu Niandao hovered midair via mind force, his face grave.
His Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch Knife Array spun fiercely. Over six hundred flying knives became a metallic storm, endlessly slicing attacking vines and roots. But the plants grew faster than he could destroy them—a futile effort.
He swiftly communicated mentally with teammates: "Fall back! Buy me time!"
All knives abruptly retracted, fusing and compressing together. His Heartless Blade Intent and Slaughter Blade Intent merged forcibly. A soul-rending sharpness coalesced—sending chills down spines.
Bai Yuan's Abyss Devourer True Body was the only one thriving in this plant catastrophe.
His giant maw seemed to connect to a bottomless abyss. Devouring Domain fully open, he greedily consumed the swarming plants.
Tough vines, poisonous flowers—all were swallowed whole, converted into pure energy.
Around him, the land rapidly turned to desert as plant nutrients drained away and devouring force looted the soil.
Amid the fierce battle, no one noticed Mingdu's outskirts silently undergoing "sea-to-desert" transformation. Soon, residents might step outside to find a brand-new desert wonderland.
His avatars' power stemmed from Celebi. Gu La thus hadn't unleashed his full strength. He raised his hand; the Forest Guardian's power resonated with the entire Forest Sea Boundless Domain.
Celebi's signature move: Forest's Breath!
Infinite life force and natural energy gathered from all directions. Before him, it compressed and condensed into a fist-sized emerald-green light orb—radiating heart-stopping fluctuations.
The orb slowly rotated, swelling. Its destructive energy warped space itself.
"Don't underestimate us!"
Bai Yuan suddenly roared earth-shakingly. As Gu La's avatars, they shared his wisdom and calculation—they wouldn't just brute force!
Devouring Mystery · Ultimate Abyss!
His Devouring Domain violently contracted inward. Suction force surged tenfold—not random devouring now, but precise, ultimate control!
The domain's center transformed into the legendary final destination of all things—the Ultimate Abyss—seeking to drag Gu La and his Forest's Breath into eternal oblivion.
"Hahaha! I won't fall behind either!"
Bo Xi laughed. His Water God True Body exploded midair. He abandoned fixed form entirely, splitting into millions of fragments, merging with the rain and floodwaters.
Instantly, heaven-and-earth pressure multiplied. Every raindrop became his avatar, carrying sharp cutting will.
Wind and rain ceased being natural phenomena. They became a Soul Saint-led, all-pervading baptism of destruction—madly scouring and shattering plants within the domain.
Yin Wansheng and his four avatars simultaneously raised hands. Within the Ghost Emperor Domain, countless yin soldiers wailed as they were forcibly condensed into five illusory giant swords—each wreathed in yin-yang energy, swirling with Five Elements radiance—Ghost Emperor Swords!
Five figures connected in aura, yin-yang interdependent, Five Elements cycling. Their terrifying fifteenfold power poured into the swords.
Great Yin-Yang Five Elements Soul-Annihilating Sword!
Five swords merged. A gray sword beam—seeming to disintegrate all matter and sever souls—ripped through space. It ignored all physical and energy defenses along its path, slashing toward Gu La's head.
This strike would reduce matter to basic particles, utterly annihilate souls!
Facing his avatars' sudden, perfectly coordinated kill move—already showing initial mastery of their power—a flicker of pride appeared in Gu La's eyes. Pressure transformed into surging combat spirit.
A mind force shield held back Bo Xi's omnipresent rain blades. Pitter-patter sounds were dense like drumbeats.
Gu La focused his Spiritual Domain-level spiritual power like invisible mercury, enveloping the countless dancing plants.
Simultaneously, he infused them with his complete understanding of spear techniques—that spear soul and intent refined to its ultimate limit!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Countless vines, roots, even newborn trees—in this moment became the sharpest spears!
They propagated, grew, evolved, and iterated at unprecedented speed. Finally converging into a forest of plant-spears, radiating heaven-piercing sharpness. Like a green tsunami, they swept indiscriminately toward Natural Sect's seven.
Nature's Wrath!
At the same time, the long-condensed Forest's Breath orb before him shot forward like a green meteor—faster than light—targeting Ming Baixue, heavily guarded at the core.
Even Gu La, facing seven perfectly coordinated experts with unique skills, knew he must first eliminate the team's core healer.
"Not on my watch!"
Mu Yi roared. White-gold light flared as he pushed White Gold Awakening to its limit. He transformed into a three-meter-tall white-gold giant.
Fifth Soul Skill: Indestructible Diamond!
Sixth Soul Skill: All-Methods-Immunity!
Both defensive skills activated simultaneously. Like an eternal mountain, he ignored countless piercing plant spears, bracing his body before Ming Baixue.
Though the spear-intent attacks couldn't breach his physical defense, their spiritual shockwaves made him grunt in pain. Fortunately, his dual skills weakened spiritual damage too.
Gritting his teeth, arms crossed, he fiercely met the destructive Forest's Breath orb.
Just as Mu Yi struggled against Forest's Breath, Liu Niandao's long awaited killing move completed.
That strike—fused from over six hundred knives, tempered with dual blade intents—slipped silently through the air.
No world-shattering sound. Instead, like a night snake, heartless and selfless, its path elusive—it aimed precisely at Gu La's vitals.
Boom!
Mu Yi barely blocked Forest's Breath at great cost. The explosion dyed half his body charred black.
Puh!
Gu La's mind force shield shattered instantly against Liu Niandao's kill knife.
At the last millisecond, green light flashed around Gu La. Fortify! activated again, blocking the lethal strike.
Yet Bo Xi's rainstorm assault already enveloped him from all sides. Bai Yuan's Ultimate Abyss suction intensified, anchoring his movements.
Amid this suffocating encirclement, Gu La felt no panic. Instead, the immense pressure from his avatars brought unprecedented exhilaration.
Celebi's martial soul granted him the status of Child of Nature. Now, it resonated deeper with the surrounding violent natural forces—as if forest authority was being bestowed upon him.
Light flashed in his hand. The eight-grade soul device spear—two years in the making, modeled after Yun Ming's martial soul—the Imitation · Sky Piercer—materialized.
Gripping the spear shaft, an epiphany struck.
He seemed to touch Atlas Douluo Yun Ming's spear intent—that heaven-piercing, lawless, invincible will!
Spear God Realm—achieved!
His gaze turned calm. He looked at Mu Yi, still straining to protect Ming Baixue, and at Ming Baixue herself—her face pale behind him. The Imitation · Sky Piercer extended casually forward. A faint smile curved his lips.
"This spear… is called—Nature's Punishment."
No longer mere nature power. Under higher-level spiritual intent, heaven-and-earth energy, light, dark, wind, thunder—even distant scattered energy—like subjects summoned by a king, madly converged toward the simple spear tip!
The spear hadn't moved, but its pressure made countless Titled Douluos change color. On the high platform, Xu Tianran's face turned iron-gray, nearly crushing his armrest.
The spear descended.
No earth-shattering boom—only a green-gold streak of light, condensed to its extreme, seeming to pierce space and time itself.
It ignored Mu Yi's prized white-gold body and Indestructible Diamond defense, slicing through his chest like a hot knife through butter.
Unstopping, before Ming Baixue's shocked eyes, it pierced her body again.
Two figures, under the green-gold streak's impact, instantly turned ethereal. The referee judged them combat-ineffective and teleported them away. (In truth, Mu Yi's recovery was astonishing—heart damage meant little. But no need to continue when outmatched.)
To others, the Natural Sect had lost two members instantly—their strongest defense and core healer, both eliminated.
The finals' scales tilted violently under Gu La's godlike spear strike.
Simultaneously, that gray sword beam—condensing Yin Wansheng and his four avatars' full power, embodying yin-yang rotation and Five Elements creation/destruction—swept toward Gu La. Where it passed, mutated ironwood and bloodthirsty vines disintegrated into basic particles, annihilated by invisible law force.
Gu La's gaze remained steady. Facing this soul-annihilating strike, he merely gestured. The Imitation · Sky Piercer—now covered in cracks—flew back to his hand.
Yet after that "Nature's Punishment" piercing two avatars, this eight-grade soul device had reached its limit. The spear hummed, cracks spreading—it could no longer channel his next power surge.
"Enough."
He murmured softly, casually storing the soul device that had briefly accompanied him in battle.
The next moment, his hands clasped empty air. Vast natural energy and Spear God intent surged anew, condensing and shaping in his palms into an emerald-green spear—as if compressed from an entire forest's essence.
The spear tip trembled, drawing in surrounding elemental energy.
Gu La held the spear one-handed. To the approaching gray sword beam, he casually performed an upward thrust.
"Break!"
No violent collision—only a mutual erosion and annihilation at the law level.
The emerald spear, carrying the entire Forest Sea Boundless Domain's fury and power, descended like heavenly punishment. It clashed fiercely with the Great Yin-Yang Five Elements Soul-Annihilating Sword's gray beam!
Sssshhk—!
Like boiling water on snow, that terrifying sword beam—capable of annihilating a Spirit Saint's soul—began crumbling from the tip. Inch by inch, it shattered, finally dissolving into energy fireflies that vanished completely.
The assault didn't cease.
Just as Gu La shattered the sword beam, a massive shadow loomed before him—Bai Yuan!
Somehow, he'd flown behind the Great Yin-Yang Five Elements Sword. His Devourer True Body now had three heads and six arms, covered in dark, abyss-like dragon scales—forged as if through millions of years of tempering.
Six muscular arms radiated world-tearing strength and devouring darkness.
Roooar!
The simplest, most violent punch smashed toward Gu La's head.
Where the fist passed, space warped. Light, sound, even heaven-and-earth energy were forcibly plundered and absorbed by the devouring force on his fist—becoming fuel for this punch.
Gu La's eyes narrowed. His form blurred instantly—Teleport—creating distance.
Simultaneously, powerful psychic power locked down his internal soul power meridians, which had become turbulent from consecutive explosive releases, nearly leaking.
He swung the natural spear, attempting to counterattack, only to find surrounding elemental energy extremely thin—almost all plundered by Bai Yuan's devouring domain and fist.
"Heh…" Gu La chuckled softly, untroubled. If external energy was lacking, he'd tap deeper reserves.
His long-unused Aura erupted like a sleeping volcano. This force, born of the heart, connected to all things—everything possessed wave motion.
Using his newly realized Natural Spear God intent as a bridge, Aura flowed through him with unprecedented smoothness, resonating with the remnants of natural rhythm outside.
During his years focusing on the Solar Angel martial soul, his understanding of the sun had become deepest and clearest.
"So be it…" Gu La's eyes flashed like lightning as he pointed skyward.
Skill: Sunny Day!
Buzzz—!
As if law obeyed his words, though afternoon, the sky above Mingdu's outskirts suddenly blazed brilliant and scorching.
Sunlight turned viciously hot. Temperature soared. Solar energy in the air thickened into visible golden halos.
Clouds dispersed. Bo Xi's rainstorm domain, under this sudden heavenly authority, met its natural enemy—vanishing instantly like ice in fire.
Environment prepared. Power sufficient!
Gu La's aura shifted again. The elegant Forest Guardian form faded, replaced by something more ancient, domineering—a terrifying power seemingly born of earth and magma's essence.
Simultaneously, the Holy Solar Angel Spirit Soul rematerialized, wielding a light-flame holy sword, perfectly synchronized with Gu La's body.
Under the Angel Attachment state, Gu La gripped the Sun Holy Sword—forged from Ultimate Light and Fire. He became like a sun god descending to the mortal realm!
He raised the holy sword high. The vast solar energy he'd forcibly gathered in the sky—like subjects summoned by a king—poured into the sword as a giant golden beam.
"Channeling solar power to annihilate all in flame!"
Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Skill: Solar Nuclear Fusion Explosion!
But this time, no scattered area attack. All power compressed and condensed solely into the sword's edge.
The Groudon martial soul had evolved one step further than Celebi, leaning toward ultimate offense and destruction. Even unmanifested, its essence was more dominant and mighty.
That Sun Holy Sword was no longer a sword—it was a miniaturized sun forcibly constrained, on the verge of eruption.
Facing Bai Yuan—six-armed, devouring all that approached—facing Bo Xi struggling to reform his water body under scorching sun, facing the battle-ready Yin Wansheng, Liu Niandao, and Qing Liuli…
Gu La brought the sword down!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!
An indescribable explosion erupted.
The ultimate release of light and heat. The sun's furious outpouring.
Bai Yuan's darkness-dragon scales—able to devour soul power—moaned under absolute light and heat. His charging form was blasted away instantly; his Devouring Domain shattered.
Bo Xi's newly formed water body evaporated like snow under the blazing sun.
Yin Wansheng's Five Elements avatars, Liu Niandao's knife storm, Qing Liuli's spiritual ripples… before this sun-fall destruction, all resistance seemed pale and powerless.
Blinding white light devoured the entire arena. Terrifying shockwaves violently shook the massive protective barrier—finally shattering it.
The light lasted several breaths before slowly fading.
Where the arena once stood remained only a giant charred crater, edges crystallized like glass.
Natural Sect's five members lay scattered at the crater's edge. Not ruled dead by the system, yet all combat-ineffective, auras utterly depleted.
Gu La hovered midair. The Holy Solar Angel phantom gradually dissipated; Groudon's aura receded.
He descended slowly to the ground. His face was slightly pale—consecutive ultimate moves had drained him greatly. But after a few breaths, he'd recovered.
Referee Zheng Zhan, soot-blackened and stunned, finally drew a deep breath. Mustering all strength, he announced loudly:
"T…team battle—Shrek Academy wins!"
"The champion of this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is—"
"Shrek Academy!"
Natural Sect—defeated!
Shrek Academy, with Gu La single-handedly breaking through Natural Sect's seven prodigies, claimed the championship throne.
This legendary final would surely be recorded in history. And the name Gu La, through this victory, would shake the entire continent.
Gu La closed his eyes, sensing the belief and emotions swirling in the air. Activating Aura, he switched to his Du An martial soul—perceiving human faith. He etched this battle's insights into his heart, silently savoring this moment's wondrous sensation.
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