Chapter 106: Controlling the Control of Their Control! A Nested Doll Strategy!
From the very beginning, their plan had never been to clash head-on.
Even with the Xuan Shui Pills and the spirit souls provided by the Spirit Transmission Tower that boosted them to three-ring Soul Elders, in terms of raw strength, they were still far inferior to Shrek Academy's team.
At least, the other side had two Soul Kings. Gu Yue couldn't possibly handle both of them alone.
(Gu Yue: Actually, I could!)
So, a carefully calculated exchange plan was formed—
a strategy to neutralize Shrek's strengths by targeting specific players.
The plan hinged on Xie Xie's dual daggers—Light Dragon and Shadow Dragon.
Step one: begin the fight by taking out the support first.
Step two: lure both of their agility-types away.
Step three: lock down the battlefield for just one second—enough to strike a devastating blow.
The true target?
One of the Soul Kings—the one with the self martial soul fusion skill.
Wu Duosi.
At that instant, Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon King martial soul expanded, its skeletal frame covered in coiling black fog, surging skyward.
Zhang Yangzi's Dark Phantom Demon Hawk dove into the mist, its piercing screech merging with the dragon's roar.
Twin soul powers swirled violently, fusing into a seething vortex of darkness.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Dark Eagle Dragon!"
"What—what did you say?"
"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?!"
In the viewing booth, Shen Yi shot to her feet, eyes wide with shock.
She had thought that with those three "freaks" not participating, Shrek Academy's team was guaranteed to win.
But their coordination was horrendous—they'd already lost their support at the start! What were they doing?
She stared in disbelief at the massive form of the fusion beast, her face darkening.
"Don't tell me… Shrek Academy is going to lose again!"
The Dark Eagle Dragon emerged from the mist—
A dragon skeleton laced with eerie blue lines, eagle wings tearing through Wang Jinxi's back, shredding his robes.
Zhang Yangzi's body blurred into dark violet energy, merging into the bone dragon's chest cavity.
The claws turned to talons, hooked and gleaming like eagle beaks.
A single roar—half dragon, half eagle—tore through the air, shaking the entire arena.
A ten-meter-tall skeletal beast stood revealed, draped in deathly brilliance—dragon's head crowned with razor feathers, spine adorned with black eagle plumes, tail whipping out into three long bone whips.
The dragon's claws flashed with hooked, metallic light.
"ROAR!"
A suffocating pressure filled the arena.
That terrifying force from the fusion skill bore down on everyone, leaving even seasoned soul masters trembling.
Everyone except Na'er felt their souls quake.
It was sheer terror—the first time most of them had ever witnessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill firsthand.
(Aside from the time Na'er and Dai Lingyu had seen their teammate Wu Duosi use her own self fusion skill.)
Right at the front, Wu Duosi faced the full brunt of the overwhelming aura. She tried to activate her fusion skill to counter—but the immobilizing control skill held her firmly in place.
"This is… aimed at me!"
The others realized it too, but when Na'er tried to move in to help by attacking Xu Xiaoyan—the controller—Gu Yue blocked her path.
Yuanen Yehui was still stranded at the far edge of the arena after his earlier clash with Xie Xie, too far to intervene. He watched helplessly as Xie Xie made mocking faces at him from outside the boundary.
"This—was this all part of your plan too?!" he shouted in disbelief.
At this point, only Dai Lingyu and Luo Guixing were free to act.
But, of course, that had been accounted for.
"First Soul Skill—Spatial Lock!"
As a control-type soul master, Luo Guixing tried to restrain their controller.
But wasn't Tang Wulin also a control-type soul master?
"First Soul Skill—Blue Silver Bind!"
Control… to interrupt the control… that was interrupting their control.
A nesting doll strategy of control layers!
This left only one person capable of attacking—agility-type soul master Dai Lingyu.
The situation was clear: Xu Lizhi had been eliminated first; Xie Xie followed but managed to tie up Yuanen Yehui.
Three layers of control clashed across the field.
Gu Yue and Na'er deadlocked each other.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's fusion loomed like a nightmare before a stunned Ye Xinglan.
And the immobilized Wu Duosi—unable to move, unable to resist.
No—she could still shout one thing.
"Dai Lingyu! Help me!"
"Third Soul Skill—Nether Slash!"
As Dai Lingyu cried out, a surge of dark energy streaked toward Xu Xiaoyan—just as Xu's eyes gleamed mysteriously.
"Second Soul Skill—Starlight Feedback!"
Starlight Feedback: momentary confusion distortion, causing affected enemies to misdirect or interrupt their own attacks.
The dark streak abruptly veered off course—
And struck Ye Xinglan instead, who had just regained her stance after shaking off the fusion's suppression.
Before she could even react, she found her teammate's strike coming straight at her!
"Wha—?"
She barely had time to raise her Star God Sword, but the impact sent her flying.
Though not eliminated, she was wide open—offering their opponents the perfect chance to strike.
Ye Xinglan sputtered angrily. "You… you traitor!"
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
"Activate!"
The battlefield trembled as the Dark Eagle Dragon dove.
Its massive bone wings whipped up a violent gale, hurling chunks of the training stage skyward.
A purple-gold light flared from its draconic eyes, distorting the space before it.
Then it descended with blinding speed—
Countless shadow blades shrieked outward as colossal talons slammed Wu Duosi into the ground!
"Wu Duosi—eliminated!"
The entire audience went silent.
A Soul King, defeated instantly—without even unleashing a single move.
The keen-eyed scholars might recognize she'd been controlled—but to most spectators, it looked like she'd simply been obliterated in one blow.
A Shrek Academy prodigy, one-shot before everyone—that was headline material if anything!
"Damn it! Star God Rain!"
Ye Xinglan's fury ignited.
These underhanded tactics—no direct confrontation, all trickery!
Disgraceful!
Her long sword gleamed bright yellow, starlight rippling down its blade. Even in daylight, it dazzled the arena.
She struck with all her might—one sweeping arc of brilliance aimed at Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi, freshly descended from their fusion form.
"Nether Slash!"
Once again, the familiar dark light flared—Dai Lingyu refusing to back down!
She needed to prove herself—not a burden, not someone easily manipulated.
She was a Soul Ancestor, after all. Against mere Soul Elders, she should reign supreme!
But fate decided otherwise.
Even Xu Xiaoyan hadn't realized her Starlight Feedback lingered just a moment longer.
And so—unbelievably—Dai Lingyu's Nether Slash veered again, slamming straight into Ye Xinglan a second time.
Ye Xinglan, completely focused on executing her Star God Rain, took the strike full on.
If not for sheer endurance, she might've coughed blood right then.
"Dai! Ling! Yu!"
"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean to! Waaaa—"
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10