Chapter 177: The Strength of Tang San and His Companions

After a brief adjustment, the Shrek teachers and students quickly prepared to start the Soul Fighting Competition.

Flanders, apparently to showcase the Shrek students' outstanding performance, deliberately secured a relatively large Arena within the academy and rallied many inside the academy to watch, thereby providing a certain boost for the academy's students.

Of course, because some students had special identities, everyone entered the arena wearing masks.

After some discussion, the participants were Tang San, Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Qin Shuang, and Ning Rongrong.

Yang Xiong, Dugu Yan, and Ma Hongjun did not take the field.

When Zhao Wuji and Flanders stepped onto the arena, they almost stunned everyone.

Flanders' Soul Power Level was 83, a rare sight as a Flight-type Soul Douluo.

Yet Zhao Wuji actually reached 87, leaving everyone a bit dumbfounded, since originally Zhao Wuji was two levels lower than Flanders, so how did he now surpass him by so much?

Insiders seemed to glance at Yang Xiong, for since that year's Soul Master Competition, Zhao Wuji had followed Yang Xiong to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and unexpectedly his soul power growth there was so rapid.

Flanders, ignoring the crowd's astonished gazes, announced the match rules: the seven Shrek participants had to endure for the duration of three incense sticks under the attacks of Zhao Wuji and Flanders.

As Liu Erlong announced the start of the match, Flanders and Zhao Wuji immediately launched a strong offensive.

Zhao Wuji, like a raging bear, rushed swiftly into the formation of the seven Shrek participants.

Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai exchanged a glance, instantly transforming into a massive White Tiger and a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon that charged at Zhao Wuji, intending to block his brutish assault.

Yet Zhao Wuji's strength was far greater than they had imagined; with just a pair of punches, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng were instantly forced back.

Tang San reacted swiftly; countless Blue Silver Grass sprouted on the ground, enveloping Zhao Wuji like a massive cage, attempting to halt his advance.

However, the gap in soul power between Zhao Wuji and Tang San was too great; Tang San's Blue Silver Grass lasted less than a second before shattering completely.

Yang Xiong examined Tang San's Blue Silver Grass closely; compared to five years ago, its resilience seemed slightly improved, and even its toxicity had become a bit stronger.

Unfortunately, Zhao Wuji's strength was overly formidable, especially his defense and power, likely making him one of the topmost among Soul Douluo.

Thus, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass could not even breach Zhao Wuji's defense.

Yang Xiong thought Tang San should have already reached Liu Shi Ji, and his soul power seemed much stronger and more condensed than that of a newly attained Liu Shi Ji.

Seeing Zhao Wuji barreling forward, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng both employed their amplified soul skills.

Dai Mubai used the Fifth Soul Skill White Tiger Demon God Transformation, while Yu Tianheng used the Fourth Soul Skill Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Rush.

In contrast to Zhao Wuji's reckless charge, Flanders was even harder to deal with; he possessed Soul Douluo-level strength, could fly, and moved at extreme speed, making him essentially untouchable by others.

The only solution was for Tang San to use Blue Silver Grass to control Qin Shuang and Zhu Zhuqing, thereby barely matching Flanders.

Of course, at the start of the match, Ning Rongrong swiftly erected the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, providing support to everyone present; otherwise, given the soul power disparity, the seven Shrek participants could not have held on.

Normally one incense stick lasts about ten minutes, so the three‑incense‑stick period passed quickly.

The seven Shrek participants, relying on their formidable combat talent and the ultimate assistance of Oscar and Ning Rongrong, could only barely cope.

Especially after Oscar used Mirror Image Sausage, he directly mimicked Tang San's Blue Silver Grass; the Blue Silver Grass instantly spread over the field, disregarding soul power consumption, simply forcing through with brute force.

At the final moment of battle, Tang San realized that merely using Blue Silver Grass could not handle these two Soul Douluo, and ultimately he unleashed his Clear Sky Hammer.

After Tang San wielded the Clear Sky Hammer, each move and technique became noticeably more powerful; the Clear Sky Hammer's force was immense, especially as each strike subtly linked to the next, even without being supremely refined.

The seven Shrek participants swiftly changed tactics, assisting Tang San in charging the Clear Sky Hammer, which is the charging of the Chaotic Splitting Hammer Technique.

Finally, after Tang San's Chaotic Splitting Hammer Technique reached eighty‑one strikes, the Clear Sky Hammer became immensely heavy, brimming with boundless power, like a Black Dragon.

Even Zhao Wuji felt immense pressure, directly activating the Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body, instantly transforming into a massive Vajra Bear that stubbornly withstood Tang San's single strike.

……

After the three incense sticks elapsed, the seven Shrek participants, though clearly on the decline, still managed to barely hold on; of course, Flanders and Zhao Wuji had also held back, for if they had truly fought with full strength, no one could say how far the battle would have gone.

In the end, Flanders declared the match a draw, and only then did the seven Shrek members sigh in relief.

Watching the Shrek crowd's performance, Yang Xiong couldn't help but sigh.

The Shrek Seven Monsters, compared with the original work, have all suffered a severe power reduction, with only Oscar and Ning Rongrong being slightly stronger than in the original.

Tang San's combat power is indeed impressive, and even purely in terms of soul power, he is considerably higher than in the original.

In the original, Tang San is only at Level 59, but judging from the current situation, he should have already reached Level 60; apparently after reaching Level 60 he hasn't obtained a Soul Ring yet, having trained for a while, likely planning to acquire a Soul Ring after this gathering ends, and his actual Soul Power Level should be around 61.

Moreover, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass hasn't undergone a Second Awakening into a Blue Silver Emperor, so its resilience remains somewhat lacking.

Most critically, Tang San hasn't awakened the Blue Silver Domain nor obtained the Killing God Domain, which is the real gap.

Aside from Tang San, everyone else has shrunk dramatically.

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing are now only at the Soul King Realm, which is a whole realm lower than in the original, and even their combat talent is considerably weaker than in the original.

As for Ma Hongjun, it's uncertain whether he can ever reach the High-level Soul Master realm in this life; after losing the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, the evil fire within him has become noticeably uncontrollable, even affecting his mind.

Of course, Yang Xiong and Ma Hongjun have little personal connection, so he could never give him a Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

Compared with the seven Shrek participants, Yu Xiaogang beside them looked extremely pleased; Tang San performed exceptionally well in this match, and his combat power was outstanding.

Especially Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer was astonishingly powerful, the hammer technique being highly skillful and subtle, serving as one of the key reasons the group could endure the three‑incense‑stick duration.

……

After the match ended, everyone gathered around Oscar, each looking as if they had seen a monster.

【1】51 Dai Mubai and Oscar have the best relationship; they joined the Shrek Academy at the same time and have spent the most time together.

Dai Mubai and Oscar have the best relationship; they both joined Shrek Academy at the same time, and they have spent the most time together.

Dai Mubai, patting Oscar's shoulder, looked unusually excited: "Little Oscar, you did well. In just five short years apart, you've truly impressed me; I didn't expect that not only your cultivation speed has increased greatly, but you actually now possess offensive power, so you can truly become a battle Soul Master in the future."

Oscar, beaming, replied: "Boss Dai, you're flattering me. No matter how I try to get stronger, there's still a huge gap compared to you battle Soul Masters."

Tang San seemed a bit puzzled: "Oscar, I think your Sixth Soul Skill is excellent. I've read many Soul Master books, but I've never seen a Food System soul skill like that."

Oscar, however, was untroubled: "Xiong Ge helped me analyze this."

"After I graduated, Xiong Ge consulted a large amount of Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect data and devised a cultivation plan for me. In recent years I've been training outdoors together with Qin Shuang and a friend."

"My Sixth Soul Ring was also Xiong Ge's suggestion; it's a Mirror Shadow Beast of the 20,000-year grade, which can grant me the ability to replicate battle Soul Masters."

The crowd gasped in amazement, not expecting such a Soul Beast to exist.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang, with a serious expression, asked: "Oscar, does your Sixth Soul Ring really come from a Mirror Shadow Beast?"

Oscar nodded, his face unusually happy: "It indeed comes from a Mirror Shadow Beast; I was lucky to find one with a perfectly suitable age."

Tang San, with a puzzled expression, asked Yu Xiaogang: "Teacher, is this Mirror Shadow Beast special? I don't think I've ever heard you mention it before."

Yu Xiaogang's face showed a hint of bitterness: "Xiao San, I've only seen it in records; the Mirror Shadow Beast is extremely rare, and they only grow in Extreme North."

"You should know how dangerous Extreme North is. The temperature there is extremely low; ordinary Soul Grandmasters simply cannot endure the cold. The whole Extreme North is considered a Sheng Ming Jin Qu, and its peril is no less than that of the the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Moreover, the Mirror Shadow Beast usually grants Soul Grandmasters a copy‑type soul skill. I never imagined that the Food System absorbing the Mirror Shadow Beast's Soul Ring would obtain such a skill; it seems Oscar's luck is quite good."

Everyone who heard this was utterly amazed; looking at Oscar's face and physique, they were indeed far more weathered than five years ago, and even stronger. It seems Oscar has truly undergone extremely harsh, even perilous, trials over these years.

After the competition, everyone gathered to chat about everything, sharing the various sights they've witnessed across the lands over the years; each person has their own experiences and life story, all of which seemed very splendid.

Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng are already preparing for marriage; their outstanding talents make a powerful union, and it's not only a love match but also a joining of two great families.

It's evident the two are very happy; in the Soul Master World, finding such a perfectly matched partner in both talent and lineage is exceedingly rare.

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing also appear unusually close; it seems good things are imminent for both of them. After Dai Mubai shed his struggle for the throne, he now seems to have a more heroic bearing.

Zhu Zhuqing also looks very happy, with a few fewer shades of melancholy than five years ago.

Everyone teased Oscar and Qin Shuang about when they'd get together, leaving Qin Shuang rather embarrassed, while Oscar wore a face full of confidence.

A few little girls kept whispering together, especially Ning Rongrong, who stared at Yang Xiong with a look of disdain, leaving Yang Xiong speechless.

Of course, everyone also deeply missed the departed Xiao Wu, especially the little girls; back then Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were practically sisters.

Dai Mubai seemed to want to tease Oscar, and actually grabbed Oscar to arm‑wrestle, testing their strength against each other.

As a result, Oscar got a drop of Yang Xiong's fresh blood, instantly turning into a blood‑red giant; under the effect of several amplified soul skills, even Dai Mubai was somewhat outmatched.

The others became even more excited; several macho men were actually shirtless, competing in a strength contest.

(End of Chapter)