Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 359 Freshman Competition
Shrek City, deep within the Treasure Pavilion.

A brief confidential report was respectfully presented to an elderly woman with a dignified demeanor and sharp eyes.

She is none other than Elder Song, one of the elders of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy, who controls the academy's vast economic lifeline.

"Oh? That little guy named Gula sold a three-thousand-year-old head soul bone, got 1.8 million gold soul coins, and bought rare metals with it?"

Old Song put down the secret report, tapping his fingertips lightly on the smooth mahogany tabletop. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into indifference.

"That's quite a generous move. Seems like you're very interested in soul tools? Heh, young man."

She shook her head slightly, not delving into the matter further.

In Shrek Academy's deeply ingrained belief, the power of a Soul Master is fundamental, while Soul Tools are merely icing on the cake or even "tricks and gimmicks."

Gula's talent lies in his martial soul. No matter how much metal he buys, in Elder Song's eyes, it's just "playing with things and wasting his talent for ultimate fire."

"However..." Old Song pondered for a moment, a shrewd glint of shrewdness characteristic of someone in a position of power flashing in his eyes.

"The metals he bought were all strategic reserves that were under the strictest control and of the highest quality in the Sun Moon Empire... It seems that this little guy has a good eye."

She beckoned to the steward standing beside her, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Pass down the order to intensify the smuggling of high-grade metals from the Sun Moon Empire. Especially the kinds that Gula bought, buy as much as you can. The price... can be 10% higher than the market price."

The steward bowed and accepted the order, but his eyes held a hint of confusion: "Elder Song, our academy has a need for soul tools..."

“Low demand doesn’t mean no need.” Old Song interrupted him, his gaze deep. “The Sun Moon Empire has wolfish ambitions, and Soul Guidance Technology is its claws.”

"The more top-grade metal we buy, the fewer fixed-position soul-guided shells our children might take on the battlefield in the future. Besides, is the academy's money just going to sit in the warehouse and get moldy? Spending it is like promoting the economic cycle of the continent."

The steward's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Yes, I understand!" Only then did he realize Old Master Song's far-sighted plan. This was using Shrek Academy's immense wealth to weaken potential enemies in advance.

Three months passed quietly amidst the regular training and study at Shrek Academy.

In the freshman dormitory area, Gula sat cross-legged in his room alone. As for his roommate, he happened to be one of those eliminated by Zhou Yi. It has to be said that he was quite lucky, perhaps due to the effect of his luck.

Although he had already used the money from "robbing the rich to help the poor" to rent a more secluded place off campus, he still kept the dormitory on campus as a cover.

Within his body, the vast medicinal power remaining from the "Primordial Immortal Herb" flowed continuously into his limbs and bones like a trickle, under Gula's precise guidance, refining his soul power core.

His true soul power level had quietly broken through to level sixty-three.

From the outside, he was merely "digesting the power of the immortal herbs and accumulating strength to unleash his potential," advancing from level thirty-one to level thirty-two. He remained the same exceptionally talented genius who "followed the established path."

He remained low-key in class.

Aside from necessary lessons and sparring with Wang Yan, he rarely interacted with other classmates. After three months, the only people he was truly close to were Xiao Xiao from his group and Huo Yuhao, whom he had become acquainted with through Wang Dong.

After a class, Tang Ya, the current leader of the Tang Clan, brought her senior brother Bei Bei to find Gula. Tang Ya was young and beautiful, with a burning desire in her eyes for the revival of the Tang Clan, and she tried to win over this dazzling new star.

"Gula, your talent and strength are amazing! Join our Tang Sect! The Tang Sect has the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the Purple Demon Eye, and the Crane Control and Dragon Capture..." Tang Ya introduced enthusiastically.

Gula looked at her calmly, his eyes clear, and asked, "If I go in, will I become the sect leader?"

One sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head. Tang Ya's enthusiasm instantly froze on her face, turning bright red, her eyes filled with shame, indignation, and anger.

Bei Bei's face also darkened. Huo Yuhao, who was standing to the side, felt his initial goodwill and admiration for Gula instantly turn sour, thinking that this classmate was too arrogant and looked down on the Tang Sect, which he regarded as his hope.

Gula looked at their sudden change in expression, but remained completely unmoved.

He was telling the truth. What does the Tang Clan have now besides an empty name and a few basic techniques that have been severely weakened?
The core of the Xuan Tian Bao Lu is missing, and the blueprints for top-tier hidden weapons and the recipes for poisons have long been lost.

Let him join? It's purely for poverty alleviation.

Even without Tang San's behind-the-scenes God King influence, he would have considered it a waste of time to become the leader of this dilapidated sect.

The new student assessment has arrived as scheduled. This is a crucial battle that will determine the number of core disciples.

Wang Yan stood on the podium, holding the group list, his brows slightly furrowed.

According to his vision, the strongest combination would undoubtedly be Gula, the ultimate fire, plus Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who both possess twin martial souls.

This is practically a guaranteed championship lineup, with the core disciple spot a sure thing.

However, when Wang Yan tentatively suggested this pairing, Wang Dong immediately shook his head vigorously: "No, I don't want to be in a group with him!"

She still harbored resentment over losing to Gula and was even less willing to win the championship under his "protection".

Gula shrugged indifferently: "Whatever."

Xiao Xiao was a little disappointed, but after glancing at Wang Dong and then at Gula, she didn't dare to say anything.

Wang Yan's gaze fell on Huo Yuhao again. This seemingly weak young man with only ten-year spirit rings possessed an indescribable resilience and a miraculous "spiritual detection sharing" ability. He didn't want to bury this potentially underestimated seed.

In the end, Wang Yan made adjustments: "In that case... Huo Yuhao, you and Wang Dong will be in a group. Gula, you and Xiao Xiao, plus Zhou Sichen, who is an agility-type Soul Master. For Wang Dong's group, I will also assign you a control-type Soul Master."

Wang Dong was satisfied with this arrangement; at least she wouldn't have to face Gula's "annoying" face. Full of confidence, she felt that teaming up with Huo Yuhao would secure a place in the top three, automatically ignoring the possibility of winning the championship.

Huo Yuhao was under immense pressure, but his eyes also burned with fighting spirit.

Gula's group was a foregone conclusion. For him, the competition was like an adult watching children play house.

When encountering teams of average strength, he simply crossed his arms and watched from the sidelines, letting Xiao Xiao excitedly control the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron to smash people with a "rumble," while Zhou Sichen used his speed advantage to roam around and harass them.

Encountering a slightly more troublesome opponent? Gula only needs to take a step forward, the phantom of the Sun Angel appears, and he casually swings the Sun Sword in his hand!
laugh--!
A golden-white sword aura, condensed to its fullest extent, pierced through the air.

The extreme heat of the fire instantly softened and turned the arena floor red.

The opponent's defensive soul skill was as fragile as paper, and was burned and pierced the moment it came into contact with the sword energy.

If the referee hadn't intervened in time, the students grazed by the sword energy would have been either killed or maimed. Even so, the terrifying heat and sharp aura were enough to terrify all opponents, who readily conceded defeat.

Gula's team crushed their opponents with unstoppable momentum.

In contrast, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao's group stumbled along the way.

Although Wang Dong possesses level 28 soul power, she lacks combat experience and is also somewhat spoiled and willful.

Huo Yuhao's original martial soul lacked offensive power, and his weak physique was a fatal flaw. If it weren't for Huo's cheat-like shared mental detection and the miraculous 100% fusion martial soul skill that the two of them unexpectedly unleashed in a desperate situation—the Brilliant Withering Golden Path—they probably wouldn't have even made it into the top sixteen. That golden path that instantly froze and disintegrated everything shocked the entire audience and once again revealed a deep interest in Gula's eyes.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill... Four completely unrelated Martial Souls—the Spirit Eye, the Goddess of Light Butterfly, the Clear Sky Hammer, and the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion—can fuse together in pairs..."

Guram stroked his chin, his divine eye of appraisal quietly activating, attempting to decipher the mystery. However, the feedback was shrouded in a hazy golden mist, offering only a vague hint:

[Due to the profound intervention of divine power, the fusion logic was forcibly reversed.]

“Divine intervention… forcibly reversed…” Gula’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong on the field, whose soul power was exhausted from using the fusion technique. They were supporting each other, their fates seemingly tightly intertwined by invisible threads.

"Tang San, your approach... is really crude and direct." He became even more curious about the principles behind this "man-made" spirit fusion technique.

At the same time, he wondered if his avatars could simulate a similar effect? ​​This might become a powerful trump card for combined attacks.

After two weeks of intense competition, the freshman competition has come to an end.

The champion was naturally the Gula team. Gula carried the entire team, while Xiao Xiao and Zhou Sichen were responsible for supporting damage output, so there was almost no need to worry about them getting injured.

The runner-up was Huo Yuhao's team, whose four martial soul fusion skills were very comprehensive and could deal with almost any type of opponent. In particular, their 100% fusion rate made them extremely powerful.

The other pair of twins, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, couldn't match the strength of their spirit fusion skill, which made Gula secretly curious about Tang San's methods.

The third place went to Dai Huabin's team. His team had the highest average soul power level, but so what? They had two overpowered individuals on the field: Gula and Huo Yuhao. Gula's White Tiger Martial Soul was practically indistinguishable from a cat's. Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill's fusion level was also inferior to Huo Yuhao's team, so losing to the chosen one was only natural.

On the awards stage, Dai Huabin stared intently at Gula's calm and expressionless face in the champion's seat, and then glared fiercely at Huo Yuhao, who won the runner-up position next to him, his eyes almost overflowing with resentment.

He was born into a noble family and was exceptionally talented. He had always been the center of attention since childhood. He had never suffered such humiliation before.

Especially losing to Huo Yuhao, whom he considered a "lowly commoner." He dared not provoke Gula; the burning gaze that terrified even his martial spirit was still fresh in his memory. But Huo Yuhao… he was determined to get revenge!

Huo Yuhao keenly sensed Dai Huabin's malice, but instead of being afraid, he privately mocked Wang Dong, "Heh, you can't afford to offend Gula, so you're taking your anger out on me? White Tiger Duke's Mansion? I think you should rename it Soft-Legged Cat Duke's Mansion!"

These words, transmitted through mental energy, reached Dai Huabin's ears, further fueling the fire. The tension between the two was so high it could explode at any moment; conflicts within the academy were constant, and if not for school rules, they would likely have already fought to the death.

Standing on the champion's platform, Gula's gaze swept over Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin, who were locked in a fierce battle below the stage. He then glanced at a disheveled figure in the shadows of the platform who appeared to be dozing off but actually exuded a profound aura. A faint, playful smile appeared on his lips.

"Finding some fun for Tang San... seems like a good way to pass the time? Otherwise, staying here is too boring."

As Gula's mind raced, a vague plan began to take shape.

In the long wait to encounter the Imperial Beast, it would be quite interesting to add some obstacles to the son-in-law script carefully prepared by this "father-in-law" and let this chosen one of the worlds experience some "different kinds of growing pains".

Behind Shrek Academy, deep in a quiet forest, the moonlight was like a veil.

Xiao Xiao lay quietly on the soft cushion, her breathing even and long, already fast asleep under Gula's exquisite hypnosis.

The exquisitely crafted, emerald-green Nine Phoenix Flute floated silently in the air before her, radiating a warm glow.

Gula sat cross-legged, his expression focused as if he were performing a sacred ritual.

He held his hands outstretched, his fingertips swirling with two strange powers: one was a vast and pure natural primordial power originating from Celebi's soul, seemingly containing the secrets of the origin of life.

The other is a boundless vitality drawn from the soul of the Golden Ancient Tree, carrying the weight of the earth and the sedimentation of time. Both of these forces are infinitely close to the level of gods.

He carefully guided these two forces, like the finest silk threads, slowly infusing them into the jade-like body of the flute.

Om-! ! !
The Nine Phoenixes Arrive Flute suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly clear and melodious hum, no longer just the sound of a musical instrument, but as if it were the cry of a phoenix from the ancient wilderness.

The flute shone with a brilliant green light, and the nine phoenix reliefs surrounding it instantly came to life. They were no longer static carvings, but transformed into nine emerald green shadows that seemed ready to take flight. They danced in the light, emitting joyful cries, and finally merged into one!

An ancient, noble, and terrifying pressure, imbued with the aura of rebirth and auspiciousness, erupted from within the flute like a volcano that had slumbered for millennia.

This oppressive force was not a destructive shock, but rather filled with holiness and vitality, yet carrying an inviolable majesty.

The remnant soul of the Azure Phoenix, which had been dormant in the deepest part of the Martial Soul and was almost integrated with the origin of the Martial Soul, was finally completely awakened under the nourishment and call of the natural and life forces that were infinitely close to the divine level.

As the emerald light swirled, the shape of the flute began to blur and melt, eventually transforming into a pure and noble emerald green stream of light, like a weary bird returning to its nest, which suddenly disappeared into Xiao Xiao's brow.

"Hmm..." Xiao Xiao, who was fast asleep, let out an unconscious whimper, and her body trembled slightly.

Faint emerald green patterns began to appear on her skin, faintly outlining the shape of phoenix feathers. A powerful life force and auspicious energy emanated from her body, creating a wondrous resonance with the surrounding vegetation.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Xiao's long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her already bright and lively eyes now seemed to have been cleansed, becoming even clearer and brighter, with a trace of emerald green light seemingly lingering deep within them.

“Gula…I…” She was about to say something, but suddenly stopped.

An unprecedented and incredibly clear sense of "wholeness" filled her soul, as if some innate but always obscured part of her being had been thoroughly polished.

She subconsciously raised her hand, a thought flashing through her mind.

Instead of the familiar jade flute, a clear, high-pitched phoenix cry soared into the sky.

Phew——!
A vibrant green light instantly enveloped Xiao Xiao's entire body. Within the light, her figure seemed to grow taller, and a pair of magnificent and enormous phoenix wings, entirely formed from the emerald green light, suddenly unfolded behind her.

Every feather is clearly visible, radiating the glow of life.

A simple yet sacred phoenix feather pattern appeared on her forehead, and she exuded a powerful, noble, and auspicious aura of life.

The Azure Phoenix has possessed me!
"This...this is..."

Xiao Xiao stared in disbelief at her arms covered in fine emerald feathers, feeling the immense power surging within her, far exceeding anything she had ever experienced before.

This sense of power, full of wildness and vitality, was completely different from the feeling she had when she controlled the Nine Phoenixes Flute before, which was mainly for auxiliary control. This was... the power of a beast spirit, the purest physical power!

She abruptly looked up at Gula, her large eyes filled with shock, ecstasy, and an almost worshipful light: "Gula! My martial spirit... my Nine Phoenixes' Auspicious Flute... it... it's changed! This power... is it you?!"

Even the naive girl understood that this dramatic change was definitely related to Gula's "help" earlier.

It was he who awakened the ancient power dormant within his martial soul!
"Gula smiled slightly, his eyes filled with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from his research. "Feel this power that belongs to you."

He roughly understood the relationship between the beast soul and the weapon form. The two were interdependent, but the strength of the weapon form was closely related to the strength of the beast soul. The beast soul also needed the weapon to carry its soul, so the two were indispensable.

(End of this chapter)