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**
The reason he wanted his son to enter an Advanced Soul Master Academy was not only the hope that he would receive better instruction, but also the hope that he would have the chance to participate in the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament—even if only as a substitute.
The Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was a grand event for the entire Douluo Continent. At that time, almost every prominent figure on the continent would attend. The participating students could use this platform to showcase themselves.
As long as they could demonstrate their excellence, even as a substitute member, there was a high probability of attracting the attention of those great figures.
Upon graduation, whether joining an Empire, a Kingdom, or entering a Sect or Academy, their opportunities would be vastly increased, and their future path would be a smooth one.
For civilian Soul Masters like them, this was already considered bringing honor to the family ancestors, and he, as the father, would share in that supreme glory. Unfortunately, the registration and tuition fees for most Advanced Soul Master Academies were extremely high.
The reason he had previously chosen Shrek Academy was that, among all the enrollment information he had gathered, only Shrek Academy's registration fee was within his means—similar to an Intermediate Soul Master Academy.
The tuition was also somewhat acceptable. That was why he had taken his son there.
Looking at it now, that so-called Shrek Academy's "low price" of ten Gold Soul Coins was nothing more than bait to swindle them of their money.
Some might think that as a Soul Master and not an ordinary person, how could he be short on money?
Although he, Tian Lie, was a two-ring Soul Grandmaster, and appeared to be a noble "Lord Soul Master" in the eyes of commoners, he knew his own situation best. This bit of cultivation in the world of Soul Masters was, frankly, not even worth mentioning.
Furthermore, he came from a civilian background.
His family had been poor when he was young. Although his Martial Soul aptitude was decent—with an Innate Soul Power of over rank one and a half, nearly rank two—allowing him to become a Soul Master, he had never even attended a Primary Soul Master Academy.
It took him over ten years to finally become a one-ring Soul Master. From then on, relying on the stipends distributed by the Spirit Hall Branches, he improved his family's living conditions and barely managed to set foot in the world of Soul Masters.
However, after many years, he had ultimately achieved nothing.
His cultivation had stalled at the Soul Grandmaster realm. Moreover, many items used by Soul Masters were exorbitantly expensive. Even with a monthly stipend, he was far from wealthy, and as a result, he hadn't saved much money.
After recognizing reality and giving up on his youthful dreams, he no longer harbored illusions about becoming a powerhouse. What brought him joy, however, was that his son's aptitude was far better than his own.
After supporting his son through Junior Soul Master Academy, the boy's cultivation had reached Rank 18—a high-tier Soul Master—which left him overjoyed.
With this level of cultivation, there was actually no need to attend an Intermediate Soul Master Academy, as the graduation requirement for such schools was simply breaking through to the Soul Grandmaster realm.
Therefore, he wanted to send Tian Ming directly to an Advanced Soul Master Academy. He had spent much effort to find one that seemed to have cheap tuition, only to have his registration fee swallowed and be insulted for nothing.
Regarding the fact that Shrek was an unregistered, non-official academy, he did not tell his son, fearing it would leave a knot in the boy's heart and affect his cultivation.
Suddenly, Tian Ming's voice rang out.
"Dad, if I can't go to that Shrek Academy, does that mean there are no other academies left? I know the tuition for normal Advanced Soul Master Academies is very high; our family can't afford it."
Tian Lie shook his head with a trace of bitterness.
"I'll go out tomorrow and ask around to see if there are any other Advanced Soul Master Academies with cheaper fees."
"It's a pity. If I hadn't wanted you to remain a free man so you could choose your own path in the future and didn't let you join the Spirit Hall Academy, we wouldn't have to worry about these things now, nor would we have to endure this treatment."
"It's okay, Dad. Even if I can't go to a Soul Master Academy, it's fine. I can rely on my own strength to roam the world of Soul Masters just like you. Don't forget, I'm already a Soul Master now, and at the peak of the one-ring level too!"
"In the future, I will definitely become a powerhouse even more formidable than a Soul Emperor. When that time comes, we'll make that Shrek Academy regret it."
Tian Ming's words couldn't help but brighten Tian Lie's heart, easing his depressed mood slightly.
"Good! My son has ambition! When the time comes, we father and son will go back to that Shrek Academy to seek justice and hold our heads high," Tian Lie said with a look of approval.
"Hehe, Dad that might be a bit difficult though. Shrek Academy is so run-down; what if they can't keep it going and have already disbanded by then?"
Tian Lie was stunned for a moment, then was immediately amused by his son's words and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
In the somewhat humble house, a joyful atmosphere suddenly filled the air.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than three months had passed.
On a wasteland within the Death Canyon, Ling Xiao and the others were currently locked in a fierce battle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled violently, as if it were about to crack open at any moment.
Not long ago, a massive Evil Beast had set its sights on Ling Xiao's group.
Its strength had already reached the level of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, far exceeding the cultivation level of Ling Xiao and his companions. Though they had tried their best to avoid it and shake it off, its overwhelming power made escape impossible for the time being.
The Evil Beast was covered in massive, dark-blue scales.
Its four limbs were like giant pillars, and its head bore two curved horns that crackled with intense blue lightning. Its aura was terrifying, far surpassing that of an ordinary Evil Beast. It was a top-tier Evil Beast species within the Death Canyon: the Dark Thunder-Horned Rhinoceros Dragon.
A thunderous roar erupted.
The two giant horns on its head flashed with lightning, and with a deafening blast, a massive bolt of blue lightning struck out like a bolt from the blue—swift, fierce, and peerless. It was so fast that the lightning arrived before them in a flash.
The group had no time to dodge and could only use their full power to block. Axe radiance, blade light, and flames erupted in all directions, yet they were fundamentally unable to offset this powerful electrical force.
No matter how sharp the axe and blade strikes were, or how scorching and unbearable the shooting flames appeared, they were all shattered by the lightning of this Horned Rhinoceros Dragon.
Using the few seconds gained by their combined resistance, the four of them scrambled to get out of the way. Unfortunately, the window was too short and the lightning was too fast to avoid completely.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena fared better; they only caught the minor aftereffects of the impact while dodging, so their injuries were light.
Ling Xiao and Yan, however, were a step slower, and the lightning had been directed closest to them. Though they tried their best to evade, the power unleashed when the lightning struck the ground heavily wounded them both.
Under the explosive thunder, the two were sent flying, coughing up blood. While they weren't completely incapacitated or left unable to stand, their injuries were severe, and a surge of intense pain rushed to their hearts.
Gritting his teeth, Ling Xiao struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, inwardly noting the creature's horror.
Luckily, he had managed to evade slightly; had he taken a direct hit, that single bolt of lightning would have likely killed him instantly. Even so, his chest was now almost completely charred black, with several wounds torn open by the lightning's residual force, bleeding profusely.
The crisscrossing, bloody wounds looked quite gruesome.
However, a strange power within Ling Xiao's body seemed to take effect. Before long, the bleeding stopped, preventing the condition from worsening. The speed of his recovery was almost comparable to having a healing-type Soul Master treating him.
Nearby, Yan, who had also been injured by the residual lightning, struggled to stand.
At this moment, a glaring hole had been blasted into the chest of his possessed Martial Soul form. His Martial Soul's defense had been almost completely breached—one could even see Yan's own body nestled within the Martial Soul.
The surrounding areas were also heavily damaged.
His Martial Soul had clearly suffered a significant blow.
If he took a few more hits like that, the damage would become too severe, and he would likely be forced out of his Martial Soul Possession state. Fortunately, because his Martial Soul's defense had absorbed most of the damage, his physical injuries were actually lighter than Ling Xiao's.
Although the Flame Lord Martial Soul's defense had been completely pierced, the lightning's power hadn't progressed further to cause significant damage to his actual flesh.
Of course, when a Martial Soul suffers such a severe injury, the Soul Master still feels a continuous, gnawing pain even if the physical body is unharmed.
This was exactly the characteristic of a Beast Martial Soul.
When the surface defense of a possessed Beast Martial Soul is only slightly damaged by an enemy, the Soul Master usually doesn't feel much pain. In such cases, the defense isn't considered truly breached.
After all, while some damage is dealt to the Martial Soul, it doesn't cause pain to the user, so how can it be called a breach?
Only when the Martial Soul's defense is breached on a large scale, causing obvious damage to the Martial Soul itself, is it considered a true breakthrough. In this situation, the Soul Master will feel pain due to the trauma inflicted on the Martial Soul.
In more severe cases, after the Martial Soul's defense is shattered, the person protected within can be directly and heavily wounded.
If enough of these injuries accumulate, it can severely damage the enemy's Martial Soul, knocking them out of the Martial Soul Possession state and making it impossible for them to re-possess it for a short period of time.
**
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