The Star Luo Empire's Continental Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament's individual competition had concluded, with the championship claimed by an outsider from Douluo Continent—Jing Shaoyu. Yet, contrary to expectations, the public discourse remained eerily subdued. The reason was simple: the finals had spoken for themselves.
The handsome youth, bearing nine soul rings and holding aloft a projection of the continent, was destined to become a legend recounted in tournaments for generations to come.
However, the center of all this attention, Jing Shaoyu, was currently sprawled in a blissful haze amidst soft, fragrant warmth.
After the finals, he had needed a full three days of rest to recover from his extreme exhaustion. The triple depletion of Soul Power, mental energy, and physical stamina had been agonizing—and this was with the support of his Soul Core. It was hard to imagine how much worse it would have been without it.
As Leng Yaoju had teasingly remarked, this was the price of showing off.
But Jing Shaoyu felt no regret—only exhilaration. This had been his first attempt at wielding divine authority, and the results had been ideal.
Though forcibly invoking the authority of nature had placed an immense burden on his current self, it had also given him a profound understanding of the power residing within him. Once his strength was sufficient, every living being and entity on this planet would have to submit to his will!
This was the Spirit of the Planet—the God of Nature!
Just like the continental projection that had loomed over the stadium—and even the entirety of Star Luo City—during the finals. Had his Soul Power and mental energy been strong enough, he could have summoned an actual continent.
Perhaps, in the future, Jing Shaoyu might merge Douluo Continent and Star Luo Continent into one, or even separate the former Sun Moon Continent from present-day Douluo Continent. All of it would be at his whim.
This was what happened when the world was imbued with human emotions.
Unfortunately, Jing Shaoyu was still far too weak now. This experience had made it clear that only by continuously strengthening himself could he fully reclaim and control the authority that was rightfully his.
Forcing the use of divine authority as he had in the finals—putting on a brave front despite his limitations—was something best avoided in the future. All he needed was to grow naturally. When the time came, everything would fall into place.
As Jing Shaoyu reflected on his gains, another confrontation was unfolding elsewhere.
"You knew all along?"
"Knew what?"
"Don't play dumb! Shaoyu—Jing Shaoyu—he isn't the Child of Nature at all!"
"I never said he was. That's always been your assumption. Now you're blaming me? Unbelievable."
"You—!" A brief silence. "Then why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"What do you mean, 'not telling you the truth'? Get a grip, will you? Between the two of us, who's spent more time with him? Stop lying to yourself, okay?"
"Nonsense! How am I lying to myself? I just… I just…"
"Just what? Just couldn't figure out how to come clean with him, right?"
"Yes, yes! Exactly!"
"Ha! What does that have to do with him being the Child of Nature? You're just making excuses to stay by his side! All this talk about the Child of Nature benefiting the revival of the soul beast race is just your self-righteous justification!"
"I..."
"Stop being stubborn. Face your true feelings!"
"...It's not the right time yet. When the moment comes, I'll confess to him myself. Then, whether he stays or leaves will be entirely his decision!"
"...I want to say goodbye to him. May I?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"No reason. It's just not allowed!"
The information revealed in this secret conversation was explosive, yet from beginning to end, no third person appeared—nor would there ever be.
On the night Jing Shaoyu recovered from his exhaustion, the group from Shrek Academy gathered in a conference room at the Star Luo Grand Hotel. Besides the seven students, teachers Cai Yue'er and Wu Zhangkong were also present for a post-match debriefing.
"Jing Shaoyu, you really went too far this time," Elder Cai began her criticism, though there wasn't a trace of sternness on her face—instead, a faint, concealed smile lingered. "Long Yue's ribs and limbs were all fractured, and his battle armor was over 50% damaged. According to the Star Luo Emperor, he'll need at least a year to recover. No wonder His Excellency Sheng Long was so furious. Be more careful next time, understand?"
"I really didn't mean to," Jing Shaoyu spread his hands helplessly. "But I'll definitely be more cautious next time."
"Hehe, let's see if those Monster Academy guys can still act so high and mighty now!" Xu Xiaoyan giggled.
"I never expected that Long Yue, who seemed so tough, would be so fragile. Big Brother just threw a few balls, and he was done? Pfft!" Na'er scoffed disdainfully.
"The Mountain Dragon King wasn't all that impressive either. I was really worried when Gu Yue mentioned him before," Ye Xinglan added, casually bringing up Gu Yue's name.
Gu Yue, who had been spacing out, merely glanced up silently when Ye Xinglan mentioned her before lowering her head again, lost in thought.
"The Mountain Dragon is still strong—he just met someone stronger in Big Brother, right?" Na'er said sweetly, clinging affectionately to Jing Shaoyu's arm.
"Does that mean Long Yue won't be able to compete in the doubles matches? Perfect! Xiaoyan, the doubles championship is ours!" Wu Siduo cheered excitedly.
"Not just the doubles—they won't be able to participate in the team battles either. That means the team championship is as good as ours!" Xu Xiaoyan beamed, equally thrilled.
Elder Cai watched the chattering girls with amusement, making no move to curb their excitement, while Wu Zhangkong simply kept his eyes closed, as if detached from worldly affairs.
After a moment, Elder Cai moved on to the second matter. "The prize for the individual champion has arrived. Jing Shaoyu, you can handle it yourself."
She took out a purple brocade pouch embroidered with tiger heads on both sides, faint traces of soul power emanating from it—clearly a storage-type soul tool. She tossed it onto the table in front of Jing Shaoyu's seat.
"Elder Cai, what kind of Soul Bone is it?" Jing Shaoyu asked curiously as he picked up the pouch.
Cai Yue'er heard Jing Shaoyu's words and responded with a peculiar expression, "Why don't you open it and see for yourself?"
Jing Shaoyu grew even more curious upon hearing this. He opened the brocade pouch, turned it upside down, and two small bones fell out onto the table.
Everyone was stunned. "T-two? Two pieces?" Mo Hentian muttered in disbelief.
"How can there be two?" Xu Xiaoyan, Ye Xinglan, and Wu Siduo exclaimed in unison, both surprised and confused.
"That's right, Elder Cai, why are there two Soul Bones? Shouldn't it just be one?" Jing Shaoyu also found it strange as he picked up the two clearly distinct Soul Bones from the table and looked at Cai Yue'er.
"One is the championship reward, and the other is the monetization of the viscount title," Cai Yue'er replied with a smile.
"Monetization of the viscount title?!" The girls gasped in shock. "Is a viscount title in the Star Luo Empire that expensive? It's actually worth a Soul Bone? That's outrageous!"
"Heh," Cai Yue'er chuckled. "A mere viscount title certainly isn't worth a Soul Bone—unless it's Jing Shaoyu's viscount title. Then it's more than enough."
"Oh! I get it. The Star Luo Emperor wants to be friends with Brother Shaoyu," Xu Xiaoyan suddenly realized.
"Then he's way too stingy! Trying to win Shaoyu over with just a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone? Pfft!" Wu Siduo scoffed.
Hearing this, Cai Yue'er couldn't help but roll her eyes. Wu Zhangkong, who had been silent, also opened his eyes and gave Wu Siduo an exasperated look. In this day and age, even a ten-year Soul Bone was a rare treasure, yet this girl had the nerve to complain about a ten-thousand-year one. If outsiders heard this, who knows what wild theories they'd come up with.
"Ha ha, a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone is still pretty good," Jing Shaoyu said with a laugh. "Honestly, I'm already surprised he used a Soul Bone as compensation—let alone a ten-thousand-year one. It seems His Majesty is quite sincere!"
"Of course. You're the future leader of Shrek Academy. If he didn't offer something substantial, how else could he show his sincerity?" Cai Yue'er replied proudly.
"Hmm." Jing Shaoyu neither agreed nor disagreed, shifting his gaze back to the two Soul Bones. "Elder Cai, what kind of soul beasts are these from? They don't seem to be from our Douluo Continent."
"Correct." Cai Yue'er nodded and began explaining.
The championship reward was a thirty-thousand-year right arm Soul Bone from the Sandstorm Wyvern—a unique earth-attribute sub-dragon native to the Star Luo Continent. Known for its ability to summon sandstorms, it was also among the strongest and most resilient of sub-dragons. This bone had clearly been intended for Long Yue, but unfortunately, he wasn't fortunate enough to receive it.
The Sandstorm Wyvern's right arm bone came with a Soul Skill called Sandstone Cannon, which condensed a massive boulder in the palm and launched it at high speed—a devastating offensive ability.
However, since it was a right arm bone, it was useless to Jing Shaoyu. His right arm already bore the hundred-thousand-year Dark Gold Terror Claw right arm bone, making this one redundant. Even if he didn't have the Dark Gold Terror Claw, he wouldn't have absorbed this bone—it simply wasn't compatible.
As the Soul Bone obtained from the viscount's title, it was a 20,000-year-old left leg bone—the Shattervoid Armored Dragon Left Leg Bone. This bone originated from the Giant Hammer Dragon, another unique sub-dragon species native to the Star Luo Continent. Compared to the Sandstorm Beast Dragon, the Giant Hammer Dragon was a herbivorous soul beast with extremely low aggression. It earned its name from the massive bone hammer at the end of its tail. While its defensive capabilities were formidable, its offensive methods were quite limited.
The Soul Skill attached to the Shattervoid Armored Dragon Left Leg Bone happened to be the Giant Hammer Dragon's only offensive Soul Skill—Shattervoid Hammer. The Giant Hammer Dragon would concentrate all its Soul Power into the bone hammer at its tail, delivering a strike powerful enough to shatter space itself. Since it expended all its Soul Power, failure to defeat the enemy would leave the Giant Hammer Dragon with no choice but death.
This was a desperate, all-or-nothing technique.
After listening to the descriptions of the two Soul Bones, Jing Shaoyu instinctively glanced at Gu Yue. Her expression remained unchanged, showing no reaction.
He withdrew his gaze, deep in thought. Both Soul Bones were related to dragons—a seeming coincidence, yet not entirely. On the Star Luo Continent, dragonkin, or soul beasts and Martial Souls with draconic traits, were far too common.
Take soul masters, for example. Among every ten soul masters who possessed Soul Power, at least five would have Martial Souls with distinct draconic characteristics. This ratio was especially pronounced among high-level soul masters.
Jing Shaoyu could guess the reason for this. The Dragon Graveyard was located on the Star Luo Continent. The lingering draconic aura and genetic influence seeping from the graveyard naturally affected the continent's inhabitants over time. Those with existing draconic bloodlines grew stronger, while those without gradually developed draconic traits through prolonged exposure.
"How do you plan to handle these two Soul Bones? Absorb them yourself or leave them for your companions?" Cai Yue'er asked, looking at Jing Shaoyu.
"I already have a right arm bone, so this right arm bone can be allocated to the rest of you," Jing Shaoyu said, smiling at his companions. "This left leg bone can go to you all as well. I'm not interested in it."
Hearing his words, the girls' eyes brimmed with emotion. If Cai Yue'er and Wu Zhangkong hadn't been present, they would have undoubtedly rushed to hug him. They understood perfectly well that he was leaving these Soul Bones for them.
A satisfied and approving expression crossed Cai Yue'er's face. Regardless of Jing Shaoyu's motives, at the very least, his actions and awareness as a team leader were commendable.
"I don't need a Soul Bone," Gu Yue stated flatly, the first to decline.
"Neither do I," Na'er followed immediately, not even sparing a glance at the two Soul Bones. Her gaze remained fixed solely on Jing Shaoyu the entire time.
"Hehe, I don't need one either," Xu Xiaoyan giggled. "I'm not bragging, but I already have a full set of Soul Bones lined up for my future. These two can go to the rest of you!"
Her words drew curious looks from everyone.
"Xiaoyan isn't lying. The specifics involve her family's secrets and can't be explained in a few words. We'll talk about it another time. For now, let's distribute the Soul Bones," Jing Shaoyu clarified.
Mo Hentian shook his head. "I already have two Soul Bones. These should go to those who don't have any yet."
Upon hearing this, Ye Xinglan and Wu Siduo looked embarrassed, as they were the only two among the seven who clearly didn't possess any Soul Bones.
Jing Shaoyu thought it was a great idea and immediately said, "Mm-hmm, Mo's suggestion is excellent. Xinglan, Duoduo, these two Soul Bones are yours now. You can choose between them."
"I don't want them," Ye Xinglan shook her head and said, "Neither of these Soul Bones suits me. They should go to Duoduo."
"Don't! It's not like these Soul Bones are any more suitable for me!" Wu Siduo refused right away.
Watching the two Soul Bones being passed back and forth between the girls like hot potatoes, Cai Yue'er was speechless. Why did it seem like these Soul Bones, which other soul masters would dream of, were so unwanted among these girls?
"Enough of this back-and-forth!" Cai Yue'er, annoyed, snapped softly. "I'll decide. These two Soul Bones will go to Ye Xinglan and Wu Siduo—one each. As for compatibility issues, once we return to the academy, you can exchange them for Soul Bones that suit you better from the academy's treasury!"
And so, the two Soul Bones Jing Shaoyu had obtained ended up with Ye Xinglan and Wu Siduo, resulting in a happy outcome for all.
The rest of the discussion revolved around arrangements for the duo and team battles. Cai Yue'er and Wu Zhangkong only gave brief instructions before leaving, bringing the meeting to an end.
Little did Jing Shaoyu know that at this very moment, another Soul Bone was already on its way to him.
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