Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 390 Soul Emperor Competition, Long Qingshan
The temporary camp on Devil Island under the cover of night is less noisy than during the day, and more salty and chilly with the sea breeze.

The camps of various factions were scattered about, and the light from the soul guide lamps outlined their vague shapes in the darkness.

Following the location he had seen during the day, Tang Wulin arrived near the camp of the Spirit Pagoda.

He immediately spotted Gula sitting by a campfire, while Gu Yue sat not far away, looking down at the elemental light flowing in her palm, seemingly engaged in some kind of cultivation or enlightenment.

"Gula, Guyue," Tang Wulin greeted with a smile and quickly walked over.

Gula looked up, a smile on his face, and pointed to the empty seat next to him: "Oh, you're here, have a seat."

Gu Yue nodded slightly as a greeting, then continued to focus on the elements in her hands, seemingly unconcerned about the outside world.

Tang Wulin didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on the floor.

The firelight illuminated his sharply defined face, revealing that he was more composed than a year ago, his eyes radiating confidence.

After being infused with the essence of the Golden Tree, his soul power surged, and his One-Word Battle Armor was nearing completion, resulting in a dramatic change in his strength.

He glanced at Gula. Although he sensed that the other party's aura was already at the Soul Emperor level, one level higher than his own, his fighting spirit only intensified.

He believes that with his own growth rate, catching up with or even surpassing others is not difficult.

"It's been over a year since we last met. I didn't expect you to have already broken through to the Soul Emperor realm."

Tang Wulin's tone was filled with sincere emotion, but also with a subtle sense of comparison.

"It was so sudden that you came back to graduate early. Xiaoyan kept talking about it for a long time, saying she wanted to get together with you, but we went to the Spirit Pagoda to ask Gu Yue, and we still couldn't find you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Gu Yue beside him.

Gu Yue seemed not to hear, still focused on the elements in her hands, a wisp of crimson flame flickering at her fingertips.

Gula smiled, picked up a twig and poked at the campfire, sparks crackling and flying everywhere.

"After staying in the academy for a long time, I wanted to go out and travel. In the past six months, I have traveled all over the continent, met different soul masters, and seen many different landscapes, which has broadened my mind a lot. I also encountered some opportunities along the way, and my breakthrough came naturally."

His explanation was half true and half false, and his tone was relaxed and natural.

He changed the subject, his gaze falling on Tang Wulin with a hint of mockery: "You, on the other hand, have changed quite a bit. I saw your green spirit ring during the competition... tsk tsk, those elders of the Sea God Pavilion, especially the Sky-Supporting Douluo, must have been heartbroken, right? The Golden Tree's energy reserves are probably almost depleted."

He knew perfectly well where the Golden Tree's energy went; he contributed a large portion of it, and Tang Wulin was clearly a major consumer as well.

Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and chuckled, "I don't know why either, but Elder Tree said I was some kind of 'Child of Nature,' and insisted on expending energy to help me improve my cultivation and condense a soul ring..."

Although he sounded a little embarrassed, he couldn't hide his joy at being recognized and given this opportunity.

Gula paused for a moment, then picked up the water pouch and took a sip.

Although he himself was incredibly overpowered, hearing Tang Wulin's seemingly chosen-man treatment, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: Is this some kind of alternative Versailles?

"You came to see me not just to catch up, right?" Gula put down his water pouch and asked directly. He could see that there was another emotion in Tang Wulin's expression.

Tang Wulin seemed to just remember what he meant, straightened his expression, but his eyes held a hint of inquiry and wariness. He lowered his voice slightly:

"Oh, right. It's Na'er. She seems to have been asking about you lately. When did you two become so close?"

He looked at Gula with an almost thief-proof gaze, as if he were guarding his most precious treasure, afraid that this guy would steal it away.

Gula paused slightly, then chuckled and shook his head, his attitude as open and honest as could be:

"Na'er? I'm not very familiar with her, I've only met her a few times. She probably has something else to discuss with me, maybe it's related to the Spirit Pagoda's business? I don't know the specifics."

He paused for a moment, then said, "When I return to Shrek City after this competition, I can go and ask her about it."

Tang Wulin carefully observed Gula's expression and saw that she did not seem to be lying or hiding anything, so his doubts were slightly relieved, but his protective instincts remained.

He could only nod: "Okay... I'll go back and tell her."

After exchanging a few more words about the competition and their respective recent situations, Tang Wulin got up to say goodbye. His figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the camp's lights.

Gula glanced in the direction Tang Wulin had left, his eyes flickering slightly. He sensed that Gu Yue seemed to have finished her elemental comprehension and was looking at him.

"Na'er is looking for you?" Gu Yue's voice was cold and unreadable.

"Hmm." Gula responded without further explanation, turning his gaze to the leaping campfire, but his mind was elsewhere:

Tang Wulin's growth rate is truly astonishing. Moreover, his peak is just around the corner; a quasi-god at twenty-one... that's a bit too much.

It seems it's time to "harvest" the "gifts" I left for the Holy Spirit Church over there, or I'll really be outdone by them...

As night deepened, the sea breeze blew, and the campfire crackled. Each lost in their own thoughts, the two fell into a brief silence.

The next day, the first round of the Soul Emperor stage competition began.

Gula didn't need to play in the first round and leisurely watched the competition. The first round match was between Bai Haoze and the Bai Zhicen sisters.

I don't know if they were lucky or unlucky, but they ended up being opponents in the first round. Fortunately, the final score was calculated based on wins, so it didn't affect the result.

In the end, the older sister conceded defeat, giving the victory to her younger sister. This was not out of modesty, but because the older sister's Light Unicorn was indeed no match for the younger sister's Space Unicorn. Pure space attributes were indeed too troublesome.

The fourth scene:
Shrek Academy, Bai Yuan vs. War God Temple, Long Qingshan.

The referee signaled for both sides to come to the stage.

Long Qingshan strode onto the stage first. He was extremely burly, half a head taller than his peers, with bulging muscles and steady steps. Every step seemed to make the stage tremble slightly.

His face was resolute, his eyes sharp, and he carried the iron-blooded aura unique to members of the Temple of War.

His martial spirit, the Panlong Shield, had already been released. It was a huge, dark golden tower shield that seemed to be made of countless dragon scales. At the center of the shield was a roaring dragon head relief, with the dragon's eyes flashing with scarlet light, exuding a powerful dragon might and an indomitable will.

Three purple and three black soul rings pulsated slowly around his body.

His body was covered by a set of two-word battle armor, which was also dark gold in color and had an ancient and heavy style—Panlong.

The shoulder armor, arm armor, and breastplate of the battle armor are all decorated with dragon patterns, which complement the giant shield in his hand. The aura is perfectly integrated, and the defensive power is obviously extremely amazing.

Bai Yuan appeared much calmer. He was tall and slender, and his face was somewhat blurred behind a faint purplish-black mist.

His martial spirit, the Abyss Gluttonous Beast, did not fully manifest. Instead, it formed a constantly rotating, purplish-black vortex behind him, seemingly capable of devouring light, exuding a chilling aura of evil and hunger.

His two-word battle armor was a deep black, with dark purple energy patterns on the surface that flickered like breathing, giving it a strange style.

"Game start!"

Long Qingshan gave a low shout, his military background leading him to adopt the safest tactic.

He took a sharp step forward with his left foot, lowered his center of gravity, and slammed the massive Panlong Shield heavily in front of him with a dull thud, as if it had taken root in the arena.

The first spirit ring lights up, Panlong Guardian!
The dragon head relief on the shield shone brightly, and a layer of solid dark golden light spread out, enveloping most of his body and greatly increasing his defensive power.

He made up his mind to first solidify his defenses and test the depth of his opponent's strange devouring ability—his martial soul characteristic was not afraid of most abnormal states, but he didn't know if he could cope with that strange and powerful devouring force.

Bai Yuan moved. Instead of launching a direct attack, he slid silently towards Long Qingshan's side like a ghost. At the same time, his third spirit ring flashed—Abyss Formless!
In an instant, Bai Yuan's body became somewhat ethereal and transparent, as if it were composed of purplish-black smoke.

Long Qingshan stared at him warily, his mental energy highly focused.

Bai Yuan tentatively waved his hand, and a purplish-black energy claw shadow tore through the air, grabbing at Long Qingshan's flank.

Long Qingshan subtly adjusted the angle of his shield, easily blocking the claw shadow.

boom!
The claw shadow struck the shield, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea. Most of the energy was absorbed and dissolved by the Panlong Shield, but Long Qingshan keenly sensed that his soul power seemed to fluctuate extremely slightly, as if it had been sucked away by something.

"As expected, it cannot be completely immune, but the martial soul can resist the devouring effect, reducing its strength to within a tolerable range." He felt somewhat relieved.

Just then, a glint of interest flashed in Gula's eyes in the audience.

Through a special connection, he transmitted his voice to Bai Yuan on the arena: "The dragon soul of this Panlong Shield is quite interesting. It seems to contain a trace of ancient, indomitable fighting spirit, which is very well integrated with the nascent form of his domain."

Don't end it too quickly. Force him to use his true abilities, let me see the limits and characteristics of this dragon soul.

Upon receiving the instructions from the main body, Bai Yuan immediately changed his mind about ending the battle quickly.

His body suddenly accelerated, and his second spirit ring lit up—Three Heads and Six Arms!
A dense, purplish-black soul force surged, instantly condensing behind him into a three-meter-tall, blurry, and ferocious abyssal avatar with three heads and six arms.

Each of the six palms of the Dharma Image has a mouthpart covered with sharp teeth that opens and closes continuously, making a sucking sound that makes your teeth ache.

"Roar!"

The Dharma Image let out a silent roar, and its six arms, carrying a terrifying suction force, simultaneously grabbed at Long Qingshan from different directions. This time, the power of devouring was greatly enhanced.

Long Qingshan's expression hardened, his arm muscles tensed, and he braced himself against the shield. His fourth spirit ring lit up—Counter-Strike Dragon Pattern!
The dragon head pattern on the shield's surface suddenly lit up with intricate patterns.

Bang bang bang bang!
The six Dharma-like arms gripped the Panlong Shield tightly. The immense force caused Long Qingshan's body to shudder violently, and two shallow tracks were carved out beneath his feet.

Even more terrifying was that the six devouring mouths unleashed a powerful suction force, and he felt his soul power rapidly draining away like a flood.

"Such a powerful devouring force! Was that just a warm-up?" Long Qingshan was shocked and immediately activated the counter-vibration dragon pattern.

hum!
The shield flashed with light, and a powerful shockwave accompanied by a dragon's roar suddenly erupted, forcefully shaking off the six Dharma arms and temporarily interrupting the absorption process.

But Bai Yuan's attacks continued relentlessly. The moment his Dharma form was knocked back, his true body seemed to merge into the shadows, activating his fifth soul skill—Abyss Phantom.

He transformed into a semi-spirit form, his speed doubling, and like a ghost, he circled behind Long Qingshan, clawing at his back! The claw's wind was fierce, carrying an even stronger devouring power.

Long Qingshan was a seasoned fighter, able to pinpoint Bai Yuan's location by sound of the wind. Without even looking, he swiftly turned around, his giant shield sweeping backward like a door, attempting to block and force Bai Yuan back.

laugh!
Bai Yuan's claws grazed the edge of the Panlong Shield, making a screeching sound.

The Devouring Power took effect again. Although it couldn't directly contact the body, it still tore away a portion of Long Qingshan's protective soul power.

"We can't just defend all the time!" Long Qingshan realized how difficult his opponent was, roared, and took the initiative to charge.

He charged forward like a heavy chariot, shield in hand, unleashing his third soul skill—Unyielding Dragon Soul.

He exuded a fierce aura that grew stronger with each battle and each setback, and his defensive power subtly increased as his soul power was depleted and he was subjected to impacts.

The dragon head on the shield seemed to come alive, letting out a deafening roar, the sound waves mixed with soul power surging forward.

“This is getting interesting.” Gula watched more closely from the stands. “This nascent ‘Unyielding’ domain seems to be able to absorb the opponent’s attack momentum and its own fighting spirit to strengthen its defense. The dragon soul is the key… It’s a bit like a weakened version of ‘The Stronger the Enemy, the Stronger the Enemy’.”

Bai Yuan's figure flickered backward, easily avoiding a head-on collision.

He controlled his three-headed, six-armed avatar to pounce again, its six devouring mouths opening and closing, constantly wearing down Long Qingshan's momentum and soul power.

Meanwhile, he constantly used the speed and invisibility of the Abyss Phantom to launch sneak attacks from various tricky angles, taking away a trace of soul power with each contact.

The battle in the ring reached a stalemate.

Long Qingshan's attacks were fierce, his defenses were formidable, and he wielded the Panlong Shield with great skill, his dragon soul roaring incessantly, his indomitable fighting spirit growing ever stronger.

But each of his attacks seemed to hit cotton; his power was constantly being absorbed and dissipated, and his soul power was continuously being lost.

Bai Yuan, like a patient hunter, used his speed and devouring ability to constantly fight and wear down his opponent, perfectly executing his body's command to "fight a little longer".

They forced out Long Qingshan's martial soul characteristics, soul skill effects, and especially the activation conditions and limits of his "Unyielding" dragon soul, observing them clearly.

Ten minutes later, Long Qingshan's breathing became heavy, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his soul power was greatly depleted.

Although the nascent Unyielding Domain made his defenses still strong, it was bound to crumble if held for too long, and he felt like a leaky bucket.

"Almost there," Gula transmitted his voice. This amount of time was enough for him to understand the differences between the Dragon Green Robe Martial Soul, the Panlong Staff, and the Nine Phoenixes Come to Ceremony Flute.

Bai Yuan's expression changed slightly on the arena, and he stopped fighting. He took a deep breath, and the three-headed, six-armed dharma form suddenly retracted into his body.

He formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest, and his third spirit ring—that deep black spirit ring—suddenly shone brightly!
Ultimate Devour!

boom!
A massive, purplish-black vortex, seemingly leading to an endless abyss, suddenly expanded outwards from Bai Yuan's center, enveloping half of the arena, and the terrifying suction force instantly increased several times over.

Long Qingshan felt his body sink as if he were sinking into a swamp, his movements became extremely slow, and his soul power poured out uncontrollably.

Even the light emanating from the dragon head on the Panlong Shield began to flicker, as if its indomitable fighting spirit was about to be torn apart and absorbed by this pure devouring power.

"Not good!" Alarm bells rang in Long Qingshan's mind as he desperately poured his remaining soul power into the shield, attempting a final resistance.

But Bai Yuan didn't give him the chance. He raised his right hand and made a half-hearted fist grasp towards Long Qingshan.

Sixth Soul Skill: Abyssal Maw!
Originating from the power evolution of the Abyss Devouring Beast, the devouring power erupts instantly and is released all at once.

From within that enormous vortex of devouring energy, a terrifying maw, entirely composed of purplish-black energy and covered in sharp teeth, suddenly emerged and swallowed the struggling Long Qingshan along with his Panlong Shield in one gulp.

The giant mouth closed and disappeared, and the vortex also quickly shrank and dissipated, revealing the battered dragon-patterned armor inside.

On the arena, Bai Yuan stood quietly, withdrawing his martial spirit.

Long Qingshan knelt on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his body drenched in sweat, his soul power almost completely drained, and his Panlong Shield and Battle Armor dulled and lost their luster, clearly having lost all his fighting power.

Just a moment ago, he felt as if he was about to be completely swallowed up, and that feeling of fear lingered.

"Shrek Academy, Bai Yuan wins," the referee announced immediately.

Bai Yuan glanced indifferently at the exhausted Long Qingshan, then turned and walked off the stage as if he had done something insignificant.

Only Gula knew that the seemingly protracted battle just now was actually a carefully controlled observation experiment.

In the audience, the leader of the Temple of War looked rather grim.

Gula, satisfied, withdrew his gaze, having already recorded valuable data about the nascent forms of the "Dragon Soul" and "Unyielding" domains in his mind.

This data may be useful in the future, or it may not be needed at all, but taking a little time to collect the data is nothing.

(End of this chapter)