Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

Today, he had a glimpse into Shrek Academy's strength. As a top-tier force that has gathered all kinds of talents from across the continent for thousands of years, it certainly has its own foundation.

Of course, this also made him look forward to the Golden Tree even more.

However, it seems that once they entered the relatively obscure theoretical part, the inner court disciples' interest greatly diminished. Even though Elder Cui tried his best to cite classical texts, most people still could not keep up with his profound arguments.

Gradually, only Kong Tianxu was able to interact with Elder Cui.

Almost in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed. Even when Elder Cui was getting tired of talking, he remained energetic, which was another major advantage of his spirit-type soul master and his tangible yet intangible spiritual power.

In terms of physical strength, there are relatively many rare and precious materials and ways to improve it, but the tempering of mental strength is extremely difficult.

On the mainland, although there are many methods for cultivating spiritual power, they are extremely slow to take effect.

In contrast, the most effective method is to directly find a mentally strong person to release mental pressure. The room with the skull of the Fear Demon was where Huo Yuhao once stayed, which is based on this principle and can be considered one of the few shortcuts.

As Cui Lao's lecture pace gradually slowed down, Kong Tianxu was even able to spare some energy to observe the students around him.

As you can see, many people's eyes are already somewhat glazed over.

Zhang Lexuan sat not far from him. From Kong Tianxu's angle, he could see the sunlight shining on the gentle face of this soon-to-be senior sister of the inner courtyard, rendering her slightly troubled expression into a melancholy beauty. Her originally small earlobes were almost transparent in the light.

Her profile was delicate and beautiful. She rested her chin on her hand, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she were lost in thought.

"Le Xuan." Old Cui's slightly tired voice rang out.

"Ah. Teacher, I'm here." Zhang Lexuan seemed to wake from a dream, her somewhat unfocused eyes immediately regaining focus. She had actually been daydreaming in class, which was quite rare for her.

"That concludes today's theoretical lesson. Next up is the practical lesson. Let me do some calculations."

Fortunately, Old Cui didn't seem to notice. He counted on his fingers for a moment, then revealed a mysterious smile:

"Today should be... a massive free-for-all."

A chaotic free-for-all?

The moment the words "mass brawl" were uttered, many trainees' faces darkened. But Elder Cui ignored their reactions, packed up his lesson plans, and cheerfully led everyone toward a nearby hill.

Their classroom was located on the east side of Poseidon Island. A few steps away, there was a hill about 100 meters high. The top of the hill looked as if it had been flattened. Apart from the Poseidon Pavilion, this was the highest point on Poseidon Island.

The summit is a slightly irregular platform, about 100 meters in diameter, paved with thick granite. The rock mass is integrated with the hill and is extremely solid.

On the way, Old Cui slowly explained the rules:

"This is a free-for-all. Within this combat zone, you can attack freely, fight however you want, there are no rules. Anyone who surrenders or is knocked out of range is eliminated. The battle ends when two or fewer remain. Alright, I'm not strong enough, so Ye Huan and Le Xuan will take charge. I'll say 'start,' and you can begin fighting."

Kong Tianxu glanced around at the inner court students. The number wasn't large; a significant portion of the inner court students were absent, but there were still about twenty or thirty people. For such a large-scale free-for-all…

He gently nudged Xue Di, who was still resting on his shoulder, and met Dai Huabin's fierce gaze. The storage ring in his hand gleamed faintly.

The Soul King, this little trash, dares to provoke him? He's probably lovesick.

As Dai Huabin was sneering, he suddenly noticed that Kong Tianxu's eyes remained calm, so calm it was chilling, as if he were watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.

Before the trainees in the combat zone could react, Elder Cui suddenly raised his calligraphy brush, and instantly a golden circle appeared in the combat zone. As he retreated, he shouted:

"start!"

While most of the students were still in a daze, some of the more skilled students had already taken swift action. Then, each of them made a different choice.

What to do about a chaotic fight involving dozens of people? Although there are bound to be significant differences in cultivation levels among the inner court students, these differences absolutely cannot compensate for the problem of numbers.

If seven or eight people attacked Zhang Lexuan at the same time, she wouldn't be able to withstand it either! Therefore, after a brief moment of stunned silence, almost everyone's first thought was to rally allies.

Zhang Lexuan lightly touched the ground with her toes and floated gracefully out of the arena. As she passed the golden circle drawn by Elder Cui, she was enveloped in a faint golden glow, signifying that she was out of the game.

This kind of chaotic battle is not new to students who have been cultivating in the inner courtyard for a long time. It's just that the situation has changed slightly. While testing the students' strength, it is also a test of their interpersonal relationships.

However, Zhang Lexuan suddenly realized that almost the instant the sound fell, three figures that had been waiting for a long time shot out like arrows, rushing straight at Kong Tianxu in a triangular formation.

Two of them were Soul Saint level cultivators. Although they had only just entered the Soul Saint realm, this level was already quite high in the Inner Academy, where the average age was no more than thirty. They were also senior students of the Inner Academy. The moment the battle began, they actually released their Martial Soul True Forms.

The one on the left transformed into a falcon-like bird with extremely long tail feathers and a sharp, blue light, while the one on the right, with its limbs planted on the ground and muscles bulging, quickly transformed into a huge, iron-gray hunting dog.

Dai Huabin roared like a tiger, his three amplifying soul skills flashed simultaneously, his body swelled, covered in white fur and black stripes, and his second soul skill, White Tiger Blazing Light Wave, transformed into a blazing white light and was the first to be unleashed.

Although Dai Huabin was arrogant and self-willed, he was by no means entirely brainless. Even the Soul Emperor Dai Yueheng, whose cultivation was far superior to his, had been crippled by Kong Tianxu. He didn't believe that a Soul King could do any better, but he had his advantages—

Leveraging the White Tiger Duke's Mansion's profound influence within the Star Luo Empire's army, he had already secretly contacted two Soul Saint seniors who aspired to join the military after graduation and yearned for the Duke's Mansion's favor. The two sides quickly reached an agreement, leading to this ruthless attack.

In the cafeteria that morning, he deliberately provoked Kong Tianxu so that no matter how things developed, he would have a reason to exonerate himself.

He dared not kill anyone because of the pressure from the Dark Dragon Emperor, but at the very least he wanted to get revenge.

Dai Yueheng, a dignified Soul Emperor and the eldest son of the Duke of White Tiger, was utterly humiliated by the reserve Soul King of the Sun Moon Empire in front of everyone. This was an unprecedented disgrace for the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, which had established itself through military achievements and bravery.

Of course, he also had his own selfish motives. Dai Yueheng was beaten so badly that he could only slink away from school in the end, while he was able to defeat his opponent. This was also very beneficial to the increasingly clear succession struggle in the White Tiger Duke's mansion.

By this time, most of the students had realized that Dai Huabin and his two companions' sudden attack was clearly pre-arranged and aimed at Kong Tianxu.

Among everyone, Kong Tianxu was the only one who didn't form a group. Although Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen also passed the inner court's assessment, it was extremely difficult.

Feeling that their martial spirit foundation was extremely weak, they went back to school for retraining along with another group of sixth-year students from Shrek Academy who were planning to break into the inner academy.

In other words, there are only two people from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy on the field right now: Kong Tianxu and Xue Di.

Realizing this, not only Dai Huabin and his two companions, but everyone else began to eagerly surround him.

These people were not unaware that Kong Tianxu and Jin Yehuan's sparring match had resulted in a close contest. The entire match appeared simple and unpretentious, but in reality, it was extremely high-level, demanding a high level of control over both players' physical bodies and strength.

However, it is difficult to appreciate its wonders without reaching a certain level of understanding. In the eyes of some inner disciples, they might even think that their senior brother is just being unrestrained.

As the two Soul Saints' Martial Soul True Forms were about to approach Kong Tianxu, Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly and looked at Jin Yehuan, who shook his head at her.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

Kong Tianxu planted his feet on the ground, and countless vines instantly merged him with the solid granite ground as if they had taken root. Then, a series of dense and crisp metallic clanging sounds rang out!

Countless intricately structured, coldly gleaming metal tubular structures rapidly extended, combined, and erected from his joints, back, and shoulders. In the blink of an eye, he and Xue Di's figures were replaced by a monstrous metal fortress—

More than a hundred soul-guided cannons of different calibers, gleaming with an eerie light, pointed in all directions like hedgehogs. But what was most terrifying were the two colossal heavy cannons, each three meters long and engraved with intricate dark gold patterns, firmly perched on his shoulders.

When those two dark gold heavy cannons were unleashed, even someone as strong as Zhang Lexuan clearly felt a chill run down her spine.

Even if the students in the inner courtyard didn't know that it was a fixed soul tool launcher, they could still feel the terrifying danger it exuded.

If there were any soul guidance students from Shrek Academy here, they would definitely exclaim in surprise. This is just the most common soul guidance turret tactic, but Kong Tianxu did not use any base, support or protective measures!

His body is the core and most stable foundation of this terrifying fortress.

The surging soul power rippled outwards as if it were a tangible force, and a chilling energy pressure filled the air.

It seems that everyone has overlooked the fact that Kong Tianxu is not only a quasi-Soul Emperor, but also a powerful level eight Soul Master. Moreover, unlike most Soul Masters, he can preheat some of his Soul Tools in advance through the Black Domain Ring.

A well-prepared high-level soul master would be a nightmare for all high-level soul masters.

"Om-!"

At the same instant, all the cannon barrels lit up with a blindingly bright light of soul power. Hundreds of points of light rapidly condensed and expanded, as if hundreds of eyes of destruction had opened at the same time. The torrent of soul power that gathered in that instant caused the air on the entire mountaintop platform to distort and boil.

A torrent; only a torrent can describe it.

It wasn't a series of scattered attacks, but a destructive wave composed of a vast array of soul power rays of varying attributes. Under the precise guidance of Kong Tianxu's powerful mental strength, it seemed to possess a life of its own, accurately covering every student on the field except for him.

The White Tiger Blazing Light Wave that Dai Huabin unleashed with all his might was like a snowflake thrown into a furnace in the face of this destructive torrent; it instantly vaporized without even causing a ripple.

The two Soul Saints who were the first to be hit were instantly filled with terror. Their proud Martial Soul True Body appeared so fragile in the face of this overwhelming collective attack, and their protective Soul Power shattered like paper.

At the critical moment, the moonlight shone like a ribbon, instantly pulling the two Soul Saints out of the circle. At the same time, the Earth Crocodile King, transformed from Jin Yehuan, roared, its massive body blocking the main impact path of the torrent. Its thick, earthy-yellow light surged, forcefully withstanding the most violent first wave of impact.

A deafening roar erupted as various colored soul lights, mixed with dust, shot into the sky, turning half the sky into a bizarre spectacle. The terrifying impact sent nearby students flying like scarecrows; many were struck by the interwoven paralyzing rays while still in mid-air, convulsing as they fell to the ground, or were thrown directly out of the golden circle.

Just one strike!

As the smoke slowly dissipated, the combat zone, which had been filled with trainees, was now a scene of utter devastation.

In the center of the arena, only the cold metal fortress stood tall, the faint light remaining on the muzzle still radiating a chilling afterglow of energy, the flying dust making the metallic luster appear even more ferocious.

The clanging of metal rang out again as the cannon barrel retracted, folded, and swiftly returned to its storage ring. Kong Tianxu, seemingly unaffected, took Xue Di's hand and slowly walked out from the dissipating metal structure, his face only slightly pale.

The others were in relatively good condition, since Kong Tianxu had only chosen a control ray that primarily had a paralyzing effect. Only Dai Huabin was lying on the ground, his body charred black, barely clothed, and his body convulsing violently and uncontrollably.

His white tiger body, amplified multiple times, seemed to be enduring extreme pain, as if being torn apart by a thousand knives, under the intertwined erosion of soul-guided rays of various attributes, including water, fire, earth, wind, light, darkness, lightning, ice, metal, explosion, and paralysis.

I... I couldn't even withstand a single blow?!

Dai Huabin tried his best not to cry out in pain, and attempted to raise his head. His eyes were filled with bloodshot resentment, and he no longer had any of the prestige of the son of the White Tiger Duke.

Kong Tianxu walked to his side without stopping.

He didn't even lower his head, but merely glanced at the disheveled figure on the ground out of the corner of his eye, as if he were passing by a dead dog.

All of Dai Huabin's ambitions and his family's honor and disgrace were not even worth a pause or a question in his eyes. They were simply from different worlds.

This utter disregard was more despairing for Dai Huabin than death itself.

Kong Tianxu walked straight past, heading towards the edge of the field, leaving Dai Huabin with only an increasingly distant, indifferent figure.

Chapter 167 Soul Bone Synthesis and the Tree of Life

What do the grievances of ants have to do with the bright moon?

As Dai Huabin watched Kong Tianxu's retreating figure, the extreme pain and humiliation finally broke through the dam of his will. He let out a desperate and shrill howl like a wild beast, tears streaming down his face.

Around them, the inner court disciples who had been instantly eliminated all had ashen faces, looking extremely ugly.

To be honest, while Kong Tianxu's devastating volley of soul-guided attacks seemed terrifying, in a real battle, it would be very difficult to kill dozens of inner court elites so easily at the same time.

The reason for this outcome is largely due to the rule that once they break out of the circle, they are eliminated, which prevents them from maneuvering and organizing effective defenses and counterattacks. They can only tough it out or be forced to retreat.

But does this mean that the Soul Master of this Sun Moon Empire's Martial Soul genius is weak? Of course not, they were only enduring scattered, point-and-shoot attacks!

As for the most powerful first wave of concentrated fire, just look at the expressions on Jin Yehuan and Zhang Lexuan's faces. If any of the others had faced it head-on, they would have been seriously injured, if not killed.

Old Cui finally managed to close his mouth, which had been agape for so long, and subconsciously swallowed. The destructive power unleashed by these exchange students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was simply too great!

Based on his many years of teaching experience, every major battle in the inner academy had lasted for dozens or even hundreds of rounds. To enter the inner academy, one generally needed at least the cultivation level of a Soul King. Soul Masters at this level were not as easily defeated as those in the outer academy at the second, third, or fourth ring. Not to mention, the fighting spirit of the inner academy disciples was much stronger than that of the outer academy disciples.

But Kong Tianxu, relying on his formidable strength, managed to completely eliminate that "return" in a back-and-forth battle.

Is this really the soul master they once scorned?

This thought haunted the minds of every trainee present like a nightmare. Kong Tianxu's overwhelming performance delivered an absolute shock, completely overturning their preconceived notions.

"Teacher Cui, these students activated their Martial Soul True Body right from the start. I've never seen anything like this before, and I was a little scared. I didn't control my strength for a moment, so I'm sorry." Kong Tianxu said honestly, his sincere expression making it hard to imagine the destructive aura he had previously exuded.

The Soul Saint of the Flying Beast Martial Soul had also reacted by this time, and said with a tremor, "Teacher Cui, he's going all out in the combat training! Look at Hua Bin, he's already violated the rules!"