Chapter 28: Second Soul Skill, Shadow Domain

For Xu Sanshi, the sudden rise of Bei Bei, whose strength had originally been on par with his own, was already difficult to accept. Now, with the addition of Ye Xixuan, whose talent far surpassed them both, anyone would be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Coming to Shrek Academy full of confidence, he had been dealt blow after blow on the very first day. Moreover, Ye Xixuan’s talent was not merely reflected in his configuration of two thousand-year spirit rings; the nature of his martial soul and spirit skills was the true key. To possess a martial soul attribute that suppressed Bei Bei’s Bright Holy Dragon—what level of existence must that be? The second spirit skill he had just displayed clearly possessed the characteristics of a domain-type skill. One must know that, barring extremely special circumstances, domain-type spirit skills typically only appear with hundred-thousand-year spirit rings or spirit bones.

Ye Xixuan’s second spirit skill, named Shadow Domain, could currently only be considered a semi-domain skill. It did not affect the physical environment like a true domain; instead, it used those shadows to connect to a space that did not exist in the mortal realm. When Ye Xixuan’s body suddenly merged into the darkness and reappeared behind Bei Bei, it was achieved by traversing that shadow space. While submerged in that space, his body was immune to physical and most energy attacks—a god-tier life-saving skill. As for the dark chains binding Bei Bei, they were a combination of his first spirit skill, Condensed Shadow, and his second spirit skill, Shadow Domain. Within the area covered by the Shadow Domain, he could manifest all sorts of changes at will, no longer limited to simply forging weapons from shadows.

"The abilities of a control-type battle spirit master..." Bei Bei’s golden snake-like electricity surged and flared as he attempted to break free from the pitch-black chains binding his limbs, but these chains were far sturdier than he had imagined. His advantage in spirit power cultivation was offset by the disadvantage of having his attributes suppressed. At this moment, the frustration in his heart was no less than that of Xu Sanshi.

Since obtaining his second spirit skill, Ye Xixuan had clearly compensated for his lack of control capabilities. Possessing prowess in power attack, agility attack, control, and defense, he was practically an all-rounder among battle spirit masters.

With a heaven-shaking roar, Bei Bei’s bones erupted with a series of thunderous cracks. Under the influence of his Bright Holy Dragon martial soul possession, his stature grew taller, his muscles bulged, and the dense golden snake-like electricity coursing over his body shimmered like a fine-meshed electric net. His aura soared, the light and lightning perfectly merging and sublimating, allowing him to forcibly snap the four thick dark chains.

Bright Holy Dragon third spirit skill: Holy Radiance Fury!

Bolstered by Holy Radiance Fury, Bei Bei raised his right arm, his thick, golden dragon claw firmly seizing the slender scythe blade Ye Xixuan had swung at him. Intense golden electric light rapidly conducted onto the Dark Demon Scythe. The Dark Demon Scythe crafted by Ye Xixuan had been integrated with several third-level core arrays, making it a true third-level melee soul tool. Under the infusion of spirit power, a layer of pitch-black, razor-sharp light emerged on the blade.

"Bang—" The two-colored lights crossed as the mutually repellent energies of light and darkness collided violently. After a brief stalemate, both figures retreated simultaneously. Bei Bei stumbled back several steps, while Ye Xixuan retreated to the very edge of the practice field. Since he hadn't yet utilized the amplification effect of his innate ability, the Heart Demon Pattern, being able to avoid falling into a state of absolute inferiority was far beyond his own psychological expectations.

Bei Bei was well aware of this as well. If Ye Xixuan were to go all out now, he might not necessarily lose. Both sides had hidden cards, and both had held back.

Ye Xixuan raised his right hand again, and the black shadow covering the practice field floor grew restless. Slender, sharp shadow thorns erupted from the darkness, forcing Bei Bei back to the edge of the field. With this second spirit skill, Ye Xixuan’s attack range had been fundamentally enhanced; close-quarters combat was no longer a necessity.

Watching Ye Xixuan from across the field, Bei Bei’s expression was solemn. He knew clearly that he could not let this drag on. Although Ye Xixuan’s domain-like second spirit skill consumed a significant amount of spirit power, Bei Bei could not maintain his thousand-year amplification skill, Holy Radiance Fury, for long either. As a power-attack battle spirit master, facing an opponent with powerful control abilities meant he had to close the distance and strike with overwhelming, thunderous force.

Bei Bei swung his right arm downward, unleashing the remainder of his spirit power. His aura surged to the limit. The fine golden electric light dancing on his dragon claw became even more dazzling. Amidst a high-pitched, resonant dragon roar, transparent, brilliant golden dragon scales spread from his right arm to his chest.

The next instant, Bei Bei transformed into a streak of golden lightning, charging fiercely toward Ye Xixuan. Arcs of electricity danced around his body, aggressively dispersing the dark aura within a half-meter radius. Ye Xixuan’s gaze sharpened, and layers of sturdy dark cages overlapped instantly, blocking Bei Bei’s path. With no way to evade, Bei Bei had no choice but to charge through.

On the practice field, light and darkness flickered, followed by the violent roar of two diametrically opposed elemental energies colliding head-on.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."

The outermost dark cage shattered upon impact. Bei Bei finally broke through the layers of obstacles and reached Ye Xixuan. His right claw made a grasping motion, and the first spirit ring circling his golden dragon arm lit up.

The golden lightning transformed into a massive dragon claw over three meters in diameter, lunging toward Ye Xixuan. The electric light surged and spiraled in the air, emitting sharp, piercing hisses. The pure aura of light and lightning evoked a sense of sacred grandeur.

Holy Sound Thunder Claw! The Bright Holy Dragon’s first spirit skill.

After Bei Bei’s martial soul evolved into the Bright Holy Dragon, all his spirit skills gained a distinct suppressive effect against evil spirit masters, or rather, they contained a special power to break through evil. However, Ye Xixuan’s martial soul was unrelated to the abilities of evil spirit masters; in fact, it was their natural nemesis. He could devour the evil energy from the origin of an evil spirit master’s martial soul to nourish himself without ever becoming tainted by any evil aura.

Ultimately, this was merely a clash between darkness and light.

Ye Xixuan’s body hunched slightly, his right hand touching the black shadow on the ground. Pitch-black chains, tipped with sharp, spear-like wedges, emerged from the floor, spiraling at high speed to construct a dark barrier that shielded him.

Starting from the point of collision, a vast expanse of mixed black and golden light scattered in all directions. There were flashes of lightning, circular halos of light, and powerful shockwaves rippling outward.

From the perspectives of Ma Xiaotao and Xu Sanshi, they could only see an intense glare. Both were watching the situation on the practice field with bated breath.

Who won?