Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

Jing Shaoyu returned to his teammates.

"Brother Shaoyu, why did Ma Guocheng just faint all of a sudden?" Xu Xiaoyan asked, pressing close to him, her face full of curiosity.

The others leaned in, eager to know the reason.

Jing Shaoyu chuckled and said, "It's quite simple! His mental strength couldn't match mine, so he was overwhelmed."

"Oh, that's right!" Xu Xiaoyan said, finally understanding, and the others nodded in realization.

"I almost forgot. Besides being freakishly strong with soul power, our captain's mental strength is even freakier!" Xie Xie remarked.

"You're the freak! Brother Shaoyu is a genius, not a freak!" Xu Xiaoyan retorted, standing up for him.

Xie Xie sighed helplessly, raising his hands in surrender. "Miss Xiaoyan, I was just using a metaphor! I meant the captain's talent is beyond normal."

"Hmph! I don't care!" Xu Xiaoyan said, turning away defiantly.

"Alright, alright," Jing Shaoyu laughed, easing the mood. "Whether genius or freak, it's all just words. Let's focus on the match; Gu Yue is up next!"

Gu Yue's match followed Jing Shaoyu's, so she was already waiting below the stage by the time his match ended. As Jing Shaoyu left the platform, he met her and gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.

This would likely be a tough fight for Gu Yue, as her opponent, Wang Dongqi, was the leader of this generation from Hailu Academy. With a soul power of 32 and the Lightning Sword martial soul—a weapon combining speed and strength—he was a formidable opponent.

As the match began, Wang Dongqi quickly made her move. Her first soul ring shone brightly, and her sword crackled with silver arcs of lightning. With her electrified sword raised, she charged at Gu Yue.

Gu Yue remained calm. Her eyes shimmered with multi-colored light as she lifted her hand, summoning dozens of fireballs that appeared around her. With a wave, they swarmed toward Wang Dongqi like a hive of angry bees.

Wang Dongqi swung her Lightning Sword, slicing through the fireballs. Sparks and flames exploded on impact, but Wang Dongqi's agile movements allowed her to dodge them with ease. She altered her tactics after the first clash, switching from cutting to striking the fireballs with the back of her sword, as if swatting them away. The deflected fireballs collided with others midair, dispersing harmlessly. She quickly neutralized Gu Yue's initial assault and continued her advance.

However, Gu Yue's elemental mastery was far more formidable than expected. As Wang Dongqi dealt with the fireballs, Gu Yue combined ice and wind elements seamlessly, creating a powerful ice storm that filled the arena. The howling winds and sharp ice shards caused Wang Dongqi to hesitate and the referee to look on in shock.

This was Gu Yue's first time revealing her ability to fuse elements in a match, leaving the audience awestruck. Even through the soul barrier around the arena, those in the front rows could feel the icy chill, causing them to instinctively shiver and huddle together.

Wang Dongqi instinctively retreated, swinging her Lightning Sword as her second soul ring activated. The electric arcs extended outward, forming a web of energy across the air. With a swipe of her sword, Wang Dongqi cast the electric net toward the advancing ice storm.

But her attempt was futile. The electric web dissipated as soon as it met the storm's perimeter, the arcs flickering weakly before disappearing completely.

Wang Dongqi's face grew increasingly grim. Despite her determination, she was overpowered. She activated her third soul ring, imbuing her sword with a purple, destructive aura formed by countless tiny electric arcs.

With her sword glowing ominously, Wang Dongqi charged forward, hoping to make a last stand. But she was soon overwhelmed by the storm's intensity and collapsed.

The ice storm, now fully unleashed, was powerful enough to make even Soul Ancestors wary. It was no surprise that Wang Dongqi, with only a Soul Elder's strength, couldn't withstand it.

The audience fell silent, stunned. Even after Gu Yue had left the stage and returned to Jing Shaoyu's side, the crowd remained in a daze, eventually breaking into excited murmurs and shouts that echoed around the arena, as intense as the response to Jing Shaoyu's own previous performances. It was understandable—while his display of a thousand-year soul ring and summoning of a spirit beast were impressive, Gu Yue's visually spectacular ice storm had a unique, almost catastrophic allure that thrilled both soul masters and ordinary spectators alike.

"Congratulations on making it to the top eight," Jing Shaoyu said, extending his hand to Gu Yue with a smile.

"Thanks." Gu Yue allowed a small smile to appear as she took his hand for a brief, congratulatory shake.

"Hope the captain and vice-captain don't face each other in the next round," Xie Xie said, his face filled with hope. "Ideally, they'll meet in the final!"

Tang Wulin quickly nodded. "That's right! If the finals are all Class Zero members, we'll definitely get extra rewards when we return to the academy!"

"Keep dreaming! The academy already provides us top-tier support. Better rewards? Not likely," Xu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes but then added, "But I also hope Brother Shaoyu and Sister Gu Yue make it to the finals, hehe!"

Jing Shaoyu gently patted Xu Xiaoyan's head, trying not to laugh. "Alright, let's head back to the hotel. We can skip the afternoon's three-person team matches and catch the seven-person team match tonight."

"Agreed!" the others replied cheerfully.

Meanwhile, in a private box, Long Huantian, the head of Tianhai Academy's intermediate division, watched Jing Shaoyu and his companions leave with a complex expression. He only shifted his gaze when they disappeared from view, sighing heavily.

"Long, sighing isn't like you!" Zhang Leipeng, head of Hailu Academy's intermediate division, entered with a smile.

"What else can I do but sigh?" Long Huantian replied. "With prodigies like Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue, East Sea Academy is bound to rise and overshadow us all within a few years."

Zhang Leipeng's expression shifted subtly. He asked cautiously, "So, that's why you stepped onto the stage today?"

"Of course not!" Long Huantian immediately denied, rolling his eyes. "I would never lay a hand on a child. I have my pride!"

"Haha, I knew it! Bullying the young and weak isn't your style," Zhang Leipeng said with a relieved laugh. "But really, you shouldn't worry too much. The greater their talent, the better for us all."

"What do you mean?" Long Huantian looked at Zhang Leipeng in confusion.

"Exactly what I said." Zhang Leipeng grinned. "Do you think kids with such extraordinary talent will be content to stay in a backwater place like East Sea City? I'd bet that in five years or less, they'll head to the continent's center."

"You mean…" Long Huantian murmured, realization dawning. "Shrek Academy!"

"Exactly, Shrek Academy," Zhang Leipeng replied reverently. "No young soul master could resist the lure of Shrek Academy, especially a prodigy. With the talent that Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue have shown, they're almost certain to be admitted. East Sea Academy may be nurturing them for someone else."

"For some reason, I suddenly feel sorry for those old folks

in East Sea City," Long Huantian said with a faint smile as his eyes brightened.

-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/QueenTL

Thanks!