Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

"Go get 'em, Xiao Mo!"

In the waiting area, Xu Xiaoyan patted Mo Hentian's shoulder encouragingly.

"I will," Mo Hentian replied with a shy smile, nodding firmly.

"Your opponent isn't weak—be careful!" Jing Shaoyu also approached Mo Hentian, placing a hand on her shoulder as a reminder. "If necessary, you can choose to forfeit. After all, it's just one match."

"I understand, Class President!" Mo Hentian met Jing Shaoyu's gaze and nodded emphatically.

Mo Hentian was the first among Jing Shaoyu's group of seven to compete, and her opponent was the most formidable contender in their bracket—one of Monster Academy's Eight Great Heavenly Kings, the Fox King, Su Mu!

Under the watchful eyes of her teammates, Mo Hentian strode toward the competition arena.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the waiting area, where Monster Academy's team was stationed...

"Brother Su Mu, you have to teach those arrogant Shrek Academy kids a lesson!" Dai Yuner cheered animatedly, waving her arms. She harbored little goodwill toward any of the Shrek Academy members except Jing Shaoyu—for reasons that went without saying.

"Ah Mu, while I don't entirely agree with Yun'er's words, giving them a little lesson wouldn't hurt," Dai Yueyan added, slinging an arm around Su Mu's shoulders. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Consider it payback for Hua Lantang."

Su Mu smiled gently. "Understood. I'll keep that in mind. It's time to go—I'll head up now."

Under the collective gaze of Monster Academy's team, Su Mu also made his way to the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third match of the individual group stage is about to begin! Next up, we have two heavyweight contenders from Group Three—Monster Academy's Fox King Su Mu, one of the Eight Great Heavenly Kings! His opponent is Shrek Academy's assault-type Soul Grandmaster, Mo Hentian!"

As Fang'er's commentary rang out, Mo Hentian and Su Mu stepped onto the stage simultaneously.

Mo Hentian wore Shrek Academy's green uniform, her chest straining the fabric so much that she couldn't see her own toes when looking down. Her delicate, youthful face was now etched with seriousness, her pink eyes calm yet intense.

Thanks to her deceptively childlike appearance, she had won her previous matches with ease—her opponents never expected such a seemingly eleven- or twelve-year-old girl to be a Soul Grandmaster.

Su Mu, now standing on the opposite side of the stage, couldn't help but feel a strange sensation as he observed Mo Hentian. However, having researched Shrek Academy's participants beforehand, he quickly steeled himself, his gaze sharpening with focus.

"Contestants, prepare!" the referee announced. "Three... two... one... begin!"

At the command, Mo Hentian's eyes instantly lit up. A dark golden warhammer materialized in her grasp, its handle entwined with crimson patterns resembling blood. These markings spiraled upward from the base, already covering most of the hammer's length.

These blood-red patterns had appeared abruptly on her Martial Soul. Though puzzled by their origin, Mo Hentian could clearly sense their benign influence on her abilities. More importantly, these mysterious engravings had manifested only after her Martial Soul Fusion with Jing Shaoyu. Recalling Wu Siduo's circumstances, she couldn't help but feel a quiet thrill of anticipation.

As the Sky-Hate Hammer Martial Soul appeared, four deep black Soul Rings also manifested behind her. With a forceful stomp of her left foot, her figure shot forward like a meteor. One of the black Soul Rings flashed, and the massive hammer in her hand instantly doubled in size the moment she charged.

Su Mu watched as Mo Hentian took the initiative to attack him, a faint smile playing on his lips. He deeply admired the members of Shrek Academy. Contracting two black Soul Spirits simultaneously was an immense test of a Soul Master's mental endurance, regardless of whether their black Soul Spirits were innate or acquired through later cultivation.

As a Soul King himself, he wouldn't dare attempt to bear two black Soul Spirits lightly. Yet all seven members of Shrek Academy had achieved this—how could one not admire them?

However, admiration aside, he had no intention of holding back. Purple Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet one after another. His jet-black hair instantly turned snow-white, his ears perked up, and fluffy white tails sprouted from his back—one after another.

Su Mu's Martial Soul was the Nine-Tailed Fox. With each additional Soul Ring, another tail would grow. Now a Soul King, five tails unfurled behind him, each adorned with a purple Soul Ring. The radiant violet glow made him appear even more regal.

He spread his hands flat, and the leftmost tail flicked gently, sending a pure white ring flying straight toward Mo Hentian. As it soared, the ring rapidly expanded, becoming a massive halo over fifteen meters in diameter in the blink of an eye.

Mo Hentian swung her hammer fiercely at the ring, but it passed right through—the halo was intangible. It landed silently on the ground.

In an instant, Mo Hentian understood its effect.

A Deceleration Halo!

Her speed was forcibly reduced, and her expression grew graver. This Su Mu was actually a control-type Soul Master—this was going to be tricky!

Though her expression darkened, she didn't just wait passively. Relying on her own strength, she continued advancing toward Su Mu. Despite the Deceleration Halo, her speed, though slower than before, was still decent.

Su Mu seemed to be a pure control-type Soul Master. Watching Mo Hentian still moving swiftly within the Deceleration Halo, he made no extra movements—just flicked his tail again, sending out another Deceleration Halo that stacked atop the first.

Immediately, under the effect of the double Deceleration Halo, Mo Hentian's speed plummeted further, now reduced to a crawl. Meanwhile, Su Mu leisurely stepped back, widening the distance between them once more.

Seeing this, a trace of frustration flashed across Mo Hentian's delicate face. She simply stopped moving, standing her ground as she locked eyes with Su Mu in the distance. Her Sky-Hate Hammer slammed into the ground, instantly creating a massive crater.

A flicker of surprise crossed Su Mu's eyes. He had assumed Mo Hentian was preparing for a battle of attrition. With a faint smile, he shook his head and thought, "Very well, girl, as you wish!"

His second tail flicked, sending out a dazzlingly colorful halo. This ring expanded to the same size as the Deceleration Halo, neatly overlapping the previous two. The once-white zone now shimmered with seven vibrant hues.

Second Soul Skill, Soul Power Deprivation Aura!

Mo Hentian immediately felt his Soul Power depleting at an unnatural rate. Upon closer inspection, he realized his Soul Power was like a boiling kettle, continuously releasing steam-like energy outward. In an instant, he understood the effect of this multicolored aura.

He knew that if he couldn't figure out a way to counter it, this match would truly be lost. A thoughtful gleam flickered in his pink eyes.

Meanwhile, Su Mu in the distance wore a composed smile. He could sense Mo Hentian's dense and formidable Soul Power, but what use was it? At best, it would only delay his inevitable surrender.

He didn't believe this young girl could devise any solution to break the deadlock. Su Mu was well-acquainted with Mo Hentian's combat style—a pure close-combat Soul Master. Under the effects of the dual Slow Aura and Soul Power Deprivation Aura, he might as well be stripped of all combat capability.

Su Mu had encountered such situations many times before, so he was very familiar with them.

As time ticked by, a faint amber glow suddenly flickered in Mo Hentian's eyes. This anomaly immediately put Su Mu on alert, and he watched Mo Hentian's movements with keen interest.

The next moment, something happened that left him stunned.

Right between Mo Hentian and himself, an amber figure abruptly materialized. This figure was identical to Mo Hentian in every way—face, build, even the massive hammer in its hand—as if it were a life-sized amber sculpture carved in his likeness.

Yet, this amber figure possessed a liveliness no statue should have, exuding an aura indistinguishable from Mo Hentian's.

Su Mu hesitated, but Mo Hentian acted without delay. Swinging his Sky-Hate Hammer, the amber figure mirrored the motion, brandishing its own amber hammer.

Mo Hentian stepped forward, and the figure did the same—only faster, completely unaffected by the Slow Aura.

Delight flashed in Mo Hentian's eyes, while Su Mu's gaze sharpened.

"Brother Shaoyu, is that Xiao Mo's clone?" Xu Xiaoyan asked in surprise from the waiting area. "How did it appear?"

"Ah, this? Remember when Xiao Mo disguised himself as a boy?" Jing Shaoyu replied, a hint of amusement in his eyes.