These images were actually scenes from Blue Star.
So distant!
Familiar memories were gradually resurfacing.
Of course, they were all painful recollections.
The Seven Shura Illusion Realm was very similar to Shi Nian's Soul Skill, Nightmare—one could even say it was derived from Nightmare.
The more painful the memory, the more vividly it manifested.
Beside him, Shi Nian had unknowingly approached.
"Dean, the young master has fallen into the illusion. Should we have them stop the drill?" Shi Nian said cautiously.
Old Snake gave him a strange look. "The young master needs to experience the full power of your Seven Shura Illusion Realm. Let them unleash their full strength and display their most formidable abilities!"
Shi Nian's expression grew even more peculiar. If not for his knowledge of Old Snake's loyalty to the Dugu Family, he would have seriously suspected the old man of plotting against the young master.
Dugu Feng's Soul Power Level was only that of a Soul Ancestor. If he unknowingly walked into the Seven Shura Illusion Realm, he would undoubtedly be ensnared.
His spiritual power might even suffer damage, yet Old Snake was insisting on intensifying the illusion.
"Don't worry. Don't underestimate the young master. His fourth Spirit Ring is a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!" Old Snake said mysteriously.
Shi Nian's eyes widened instantly.
"Ten Thousand Year..."
Only those two words echoed in his mind.
Normally, the highest limit for a fourth Spirit Ring was five thousand years. The young master had at least doubled that.
A Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast possessed spiritual impact, which meant Dugu Feng's spiritual power was exceptionally strong.
Immediately reassured, Shi Nian made a gesture toward the forest. He wanted Dugu Feng to witness his true capabilities.
Within the forest, seven Soul Masters dressed in Canghui Academy uniforms stood in a circle, each holding their Martial Souls.
Six of them surrounded the one in the center.
Their Martial Souls were all Gemstone Spirits—round, rhombus-shaped, triangular, teardrop-shaped—each with different colors.
Moreover, all seven were executing the same Soul Skill: Illusion Control.
"Their Soul Skills are all Illusion Control, and the fusion of all seven creates the Seven Shura Illusion Realm, multiplying its power to rival that of a Soul King!" Shi Nian declared proudly.
The strongest among the seven was only Level 42, while the weakest was Level 38.
Yet, when combined, their strength increased dramatically, enough to threaten a Soul King.
"For the young master, it's still not enough..." Old Snake sighed and patted Shi Nian's shoulder.
After absorbing the Autumn Water Piercing Gaze Dew, Dugu Feng had been able to sense the Sea of Spirit even at the Soul Expert stage—something normally achievable only at the Soul Emperor level.
Now, having endured the spiritual impact of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast, the Seven Shura Illusion Realm's power was somewhat lacking for him.
Sure enough, Dugu Feng soon opened his eyes.
"Being able to threaten a Soul King is already sufficient to deal with most teams," Dugu Feng remarked.
Shi Nian was initially pleased but then frowned. "Young Master, are you concerned about the Spirit Hall Team?"
"We can execute the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill, but they can also perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. From what I know, their fusion can concentrate power equivalent to a Soul Emperor!"
Dugu Feng was naturally referring to the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Xie Yue and Hu Liena.
With Xie Yue as the dominant force, their combined strength could surge beyond Level 60.
"A Soul Emperor!"
Both Old Snake and Shi Nian paled.
The appearance of a Soul King level in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Competition was already a rare sight.
If the opponent's strength reached the Soul Emperor level,
it would be absolutely unprecedented in history.
"Is there any way to further enhance the power of the Seven Shura Illusion Realm?"
Dugu Feng turned to Shi Nian.
Shi Nian immediately gave a bitter smile. He hadn't expected that Soul King-level strength still wouldn't be enough to dominate the Soul Master Competition.
"My Seven Shura Illusion Realm is based on the shared Soul Skill 'Illusion Control' of seven Soul Masters.
This Soul Skill converts their Soul Power into spiritual power, combining the spiritual power of all seven to cast Illusion Control again.
At its core, it's an overlay of their Soul Power..."
Shi Nian didn't continue, but the implication was clear.
Dugu Feng understood—this was a Soul Skill Fusion Technique, which was different from a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill, like the Golden Iron Triangle or the Dai and Zhu Families,
not only fused Soul Power but also merged Martial Souls, fundamentally altering their nature.
It was a qualitative change, akin to a snake transforming into a dragon.
A Soul Skill Fusion Technique, however, merely combined Soul Skills, effectively stacking the Soul Power of seven individuals—a quantitative change.
To further increase its power, the foundational Soul Power of the seven would need to improve.
"Young Master, the family head already had them use the medicinal herbs obtained last time. Otherwise, the remaining four Soul Masters wouldn't have all reached level 38 or higher!"
Old Snake also sighed helplessly. They had already done their best.
Dugu Feng pondered silently. Using Immortal Herbs on them was certainly out of the question.
But other non-immortal-grade herbs could still benefit their cultivation and physical strength.
At the very least, they had raised their average Soul Power by more than one level.
"By the way, Teacher Shi, how did you manage to give them all the Illusion Control Soul Skill?"
Dugu Feng was curious.
Not daring to withhold anything, Shi Nian quickly replied, "This is mainly due to their Gem Spirits. The Gem Spirit is a rare Martial Soul with strong adaptability.
The unique aspect of the Gem Spirit is its heavy reliance on Spirit Rings.
Depending on the Spirit Ring, it can develop in any direction—strength, control, agility, or even support—entirely based on the absorbed Spirit Ring.
Among Spirit Beasts, there is a type that relies on illusion-based attacks, called the Nightmare Beast. Based on my tests, any Gem-type Soul Master who absorbs a Spirit Ring from such a beast will gain the Illusion Control Soul Skill!"
Shi Nian had studied illusion-type Spirit Beasts deeply. Combining illusions with Gem Spirits had truly yielded results.
"Does this apply to all Gem-type Martial Souls?" Dugu Feng asked calmly.
Without hesitation, Shi Nian confidently replied, "I've found more than just these seven Gem-type Martial Souls—they're simply the most talented. Every single one of them gained the Illusion Control skill after absorbing a Nightmare Beast's Spirit Ring!"
"You've done well."
Dugu Feng praised him.
Shi Nian finally felt relieved. Dugu Feng had tasked him with winning the championship.
Now, it seemed victory was unlikely.
But he had still earned the Young Master's approval.
Dugu Feng understood clearly—for a self-taught Soul Master like Shi Nian to reach this level was already the limit.
During the Soul Master Competition, the moment the Seven Shura Illusion Realm was unleashed, even Ning Fengzhi was utterly shocked.
If not for Tang San's "cheating," the Canghui Academy team would undoubtedly have secured a spot in the finals.
"Continue the special training. There are still four months until the Soul Master Competition."
The Soul Master Competition will last for several months, and I hope their Soul Power can advance by another level by the finals!
After the competition, they can all join the academy as teachers. I won't treat them unfairly.
By the way, let's rename Canghui Academy to Gemstone Academy and participate in the Soul Master Competition under that name!"
Dugu Feng instructed, unwilling to give up easily.
(End of Chapter)