The dawn over Shrek Academy was not greeted by the usual rhythmic sounds of training or the bustling of students heading to class. Instead, a heavy, expectant silence hung over the western gate. A massive, custom-built carriage—more of a mobile fortress reinforced with Rank 6 Soul Tool plates—stood waiting. Six "Wind-Chasing Stallions," soul beasts known for their tireless endurance, stamped their hooves against the cobblestones, their breath visible in the chilly morning air.
Elder Xuan stood by the carriage, his usual gourd of wine replaced by a focused, predatory stillness. Behind him stood the Shrek Seven Devils, their official green-and-gold uniforms gleaming. Across from them stood the reserves: Lin Feng, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan. Though technically part of the same academy, the divide between the "Seniors" and "Juniors" was a palpable wall of pride and unspoken challenge.
"The Star Luo Empire is three thousand miles to the south," Elder Xuan announced, his voice cutting through the fog. "We will not be taking the main trade routes. We travel through the fringes of the Star Dou Forest. If you cannot survive the journey, you have no business standing on the tournament stage."
The Internal Friction
As they boarded the carriage, the seating arrangement immediately reflected the hierarchy. Ma Xiaotao sat at the far end, her presence like a dormant volcano. Lin Feng took a seat near the window, his Obsidian Skeleton pulsing with a low-frequency hum as he practiced "Passive Density Control."
"You're remarkably calm for a freshman who just nearly got incinerated yesterday," a voice rumbled.
Lin Feng looked up to see Dai Yueheng, the White Tiger scion, staring at him. The air between them grew heavy—not from Lin Feng's gravity, but from the natural clash of two predatory auras.
"Yesterday was a sparring match," Lin Feng replied coolly. "The tournament won't be. Calm is the only thing that keeps a soul master from making a fatal mistake."
Dai Yueheng narrowed his eyes. "Spoken like someone who has seen blood. But don't think because you stopped my leap that you understand the true power of the White Tiger. At the tournament, the pressure will be ten times what you felt in the arena."
"I'm counting on it," Lin Feng said, turning back to the window.
In the corner, Huo Yuhao was deep in a mental trance. His Spiritual Detection was active, mapping the carriage and the surrounding forest for miles. Beside him, Wang Dong was meticulously cleaning her soul tools, her movements sharp and agitated. The "Seven Devils" were legends, but to the reserves, they were the benchmark they had to surpass.
The Ambush: The Shadow of the Evil Soul Masters
Three days into the journey, the carriage entered the "Shattered Peaks," a treacherous mountain pass that bordered the most dangerous sectors of the Star Dou Forest. The Wind-Chasing Stallions suddenly whinnied in terror, rearing up and snapping their traces.
"HALT!" Elder Xuan's voice rang out. He didn't move from his seat, but his spirit power surged, stabilizing the carriage instantly. "Something is wrong. The forest has gone silent."
Lin Feng felt it first—not through sight, but through his Star-Core. The gravitational constant of the area was fluctuating. Someone was warping the space around them.
"Yuhao, report!" Lin Feng shouted.
"Shadows! They're in the shadows!" Yuhao screamed, his Spirit Eyes bleeding light. "Multiple high-level signatures... they aren't human! No, they're Evil Soul Masters!"
From the darkness of the mountain crags, seven figures descended. They weren't wearing the colorful robes of the empires; they were draped in tattered, blood-stained grey. The leader, a skeletal man with a Rank 70+ Soul Saint aura, laughed—a sound like dry leaves skittering over a tombstone.
"Shrek's finest... what a delicious meal for the Holy Ghost Church," the leader hissed. Two black soul rings pulsed at his feet—a sign of forbidden cultivation.
The First Combined Strike
"Xiaotao, take the leader! Yueheng, Zifeng, flanking positions!" Elder Xuan commanded, though he remained stationary, acting as the ultimate shield for the carriage. "Juniors, this is your first real test. Support the frontline. If a single Grey Shadow reaches this carriage, you fail!"
Ma Xiaotao didn't wait for a second command. She erupted. The Phoenix Piercing Sky this time was not suppressed for training. It was a pillar of white-hot destruction that turned the mountain path into a river of glass.
"Obsidian Domain: Heavy Water!" Lin Feng roared, leaping from the carriage.
He didn't attack the Soul Saint. Instead, he targeted the four Rank 50 Soul King subordinates who were trying to circle the group. He slammed his palms together, and the gravity within thirty meters didn't just pull down—it became viscous. The Evil Soul Masters, who relied on shadow-shifting and high-speed agility, suddenly felt as if they were swimming through molasses.
"Wang Dong, now!"
Wang Dong soared into the air, her Radiant Butterfly Goddess wings shimmering with a lethal, iridescent edge. "Wing Guillotine: Light's Judgment!"
With the enemies slowed by Lin Feng's gravity, Wang Dong became a blur of blue and gold. She sliced through the viscous air, her blades of light leaving trails of purified energy that burned the "Evil" mist surrounding the attackers.
The Weight of a Monster
The Soul Saint leader snarled, realizing his subordinates were being picked apart by children. He bypassed Ma Xiaotao's flames, turning into a cloud of corrosive black smoke, aiming straight for the center of the reserves.
"Die, brats!"
The smoke lunged at Huo Yuhao. But before it could touch him, a massive, obsidian-black hand caught the leading edge of the mist.
Lin Feng stood there, his skin turning a deep, crystalline violet as he pushed his Body Tempering to the absolute limit. The Star-Core in his chest was spinning so fast it generated a visible vortex of distorted air.
"You're a Soul Saint," Lin Feng grunted, his feet cracking the mountain rock beneath him. "But even ghosts have weight."
"Third Soul Skill: Star-Core Collapse!"
For a fraction of a second, Lin Feng didn't just increase gravity; he created a singularity in his palm. The black smoke was violently sucked toward his hand, compressed into a dense, screaming sphere of shadow. The Soul Saint's physical form was forced to manifest, his face contorted in agony as his very bones began to cave inward under the localized pressure of a hundred atmospheres.
"Impossible!" the Saint shrieked. "A Rank 20... how can you touch the laws of space?!"
"Because I don't care about your laws," Lin Feng growled, swinging his other fist—a hammer of pure, high-density obsidian—directly into the Saint's chest.
The impact sounded like a mountain collapsing. The Soul Saint was sent flying backwards, crashing through three layers of solid granite before being intercepted by Ma Xiaotao's follow-up phoenix fire.
Aftermath and the New Reality
As the dust settled and the remaining Evil Soul Masters fled into the dark, the silence returned to the Shattered Peaks. The Seniors stood among the wreckage, looking at the Juniors—and specifically at Lin Feng—with entirely new eyes.
Ma Xiaotao landed, her flames receding, though her eyes remained fixed on Lin Feng. "That... that wasn't a soul skill. That was pure, raw mass. Where did you learn to hit like that?"
Lin Feng wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, his Obsidian Skeleton slowly cooling. "In the forge, Captain. Everything has a breaking point if you make it heavy enough."
Elder Xuan stepped out of the carriage, his expression unreadable. He looked at the crater where the Soul Saint had been crushed.
"The Holy Ghost Church is moving," Xuan muttered to himself. Then, louder: "Back in the carriage. We have lost four hours. If we aren't at the Star Luo border by tomorrow, you'll all be running the rest of the way."
As they re-boarded, the atmosphere had shifted. The wall between the two teams hadn't vanished, but it had cracked. Dai Yueheng moved his gear to make room for Lin Feng to sit more comfortably. Beibei shared a water skin with Yuhao.
They weren't just a team and their reserves anymore. They were a war party. And as the carriage crossed the border into the Star Luo Empire, the distant lights of the capital city—Star Luo City—appeared on the horizon. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament was no longer a distant dream. It was a battlefield they were finally ready to conquer.
**Status Update:
Lin Feng: Rank 27. (Unlocked: 'Gravity Singularity' partial mastery).
Team Synergy: Increased by 40%. The Seniors now trust the Juniors' combat capability.
New Objective: Arrive at the Star Luo Grand Hotel and prepare for the Opening Ceremony.
End of Chapter 19