“Shrek Academy only raises monsters,” Wu Zhangkong answered.

“And monsters make history,” said Elder Cai.

Wu Zhangkong's eyes widened. Now he understood.

Elder Cai stood up and went to the window to look down at the stages below. “Their opponents are indeed surprisingly strong, but then again, what's a better way to reach your full potential than fighting with a worthy opponent? If they can secure a champions.h.i.+p in the tournament, I'll nominate them for this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters.”

Hearing this, even Wu Zhangkong couldn't keep his calm. “But the rule says only inner court students…”

Elder Cai smiled. “You don't really think they are here on an exchange trip, do you? They will be qualified for the inner court when they get back. This generation's Shrek Seven Monsters has been up in the air for too long. The Pavilion Master is waiting for history-making candidates. Now is their chance. How far they can go is up to them. Their potential outweighs the results of the tournament.”

Tang Wulin stepped onto the stage slowly, his attention more focused with every step he took. Pressure could always stimulate the latent power of his body.

Su Mu was dressed in his red uniform, standing far away from Tang Wulin, his hair hanging loose behind his head. He looked relaxed and suave for his age.

Then a serious look dawned on his face when he saw Tang Wulin.

They eyed each other warily.

The fact that Tang Wulin was a delegate and that he had defeated a one-word battle armor master the other day made Su Mu take him seriously.

The judge walked to the center of the stage, didn't bother with the rules – since they had been explained in the first round – and raised his right hand. “Get ready… Begin!” he declared, stealing a compa.s.sionate glance at Tang Wulin. He felt anyone fighting Monster Academy in the preliminaries deserved his compa.s.sion.

Tang Wulin's eyes shone with a golden light right away. He stomped the ground with his left foot and shot forward.

Su Mu's lips curved in a faint smile. Five soul rings appeared around him, all of them purple. He didn't have any ten-thousand-year soul rings, but still, Tang Wulin could sense he was very strong.

Su Mu's hair turned white in an instant, his ears growing larger and pointier. More amazingly, five long tails appeared, white and fluffy. Each one was longer than he was tall, and the tips of his hairs were faintly bluish-gray.

Then his five purple rings flowed down to his tails, with each one around one tail, dying them a magnificent purple.

He put his arms to the sides slowly. His left-most tail moved slightly, and a white ring of light appeared. As the ring sped towards Tang Wulin, it grew bigger and bigger. When it reached him, it was already over 15 meters in diameter.

Without hesitation, Tang Wulin slashed at the white ring of light with his right golden dragon claw. Yet nothing happened. It didn't work. The white ring fell over him and landed on the ground.

All of a sudden, Tang Wulin felt the air around him clinging to him like mud, slowing him down dramatically.

This is… a speed-reducing ring! Such a powerful area control skill is just his first soul skill?!

Tang Wulin frowned. Apparently he is a control-type soul master, and his control skills are probably the strongest in their group.

He took a deep breath, his golden eyes s.h.i.+ning brighter. He stomped the ground with his left foot again, faint golden light exploding from his foot when it smashed into the ground. His speed shot up.

He was fighting the speed-reducing ring by brutal force. He had to shorten the distance between them, as normally control-type soul masters were much easier to take down in close combat.

Tang Wulin's explosive increase in speed didn't surprise Su Mu at all. Smiling, he watched as Tang Wulin dashed towards the edge of the white ring, and moved his first tail again. A second speed-reducing ring appeared and fell over Tang Wulin right after he got out of the first one. Su Mu strolled away from him, relaxed and calm.

He was chipping away at Tang Wulin's soul power and strength. Unlike power-type soul masters, control-type soul masters usually won by wearing down their opponents; they enjoyed the feeling of controlling others.

Tang Wulin looked grim. He can release these annoying rings so easily, and he can land them around me with great accuracy. It's going to be a tough fight.

Then he suddenly stopped running. He stood there, staring at Su Mu, the golden light around him growing faint. These speed-reducing rings won't hurt me. If I don't fight it, your plan of wearing me down will unravel.

A surprised look flashed across Su Mu's eyes. Few people could stay as calm as Tang Wulin when they were under his control. Even Long Yue defeated me by getting out of my control first. If it's an attack you want, then an attack you shall have.

As his second tail moved, another ring of light shot out. Its color was red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple – seven colors in all.

This dazzling ring was almost as large as the white ones. It was flying over Tang Wulin's head – clearly Su Mu was still controlling it – so even if he ran, Su Mu would make sure he stood in the center of the ring when it fell on the ground.

Tang Wulin didn't move. He decided to figure out his opponent's power first and then proceed from there. He was confident that a control-type soul master's attack wouldn't be powerful enough to break through his defenses.

Tang Wulin was only a four-ringed soul master, but what he might lack in soul power, he made up for with Mysterious Heaven Method and his blood essence. He couldn't have beaten Ling Wuxie – a one-word battle armor master – with his soul power alone.

As soon as the colorful ring of light fell down, Tang Wulin suddenly felt his soul power being drawn out of his body. He was shocked. c.r.a.p! This ring is draining my soul power!