When the crowd learned that this was a Level 9 soul-guided device, they were utterly stunned.
After all, the Douluo Continent had never seen its own Level 9 soul engineer—until now. And the fact that this Level 9 soul engineer was also a transcendent Douluo left the representatives of the Three Kingdoms of Douluo deeply shaken.
But when Ye Wen began explaining the function of this Level 9 soul-guided device, the audience was even more astonished.
"I named this Level 9 soul-guided device the 'Ultimate Golden Ring' because its function is to temporarily convert all soul masters' soul attributes into the ultimate golden attribute through this device.
As you know, the soul-guided armor I crafted for my disciples can forcibly elevate their cultivation levels to Level 70.
Thus, when faced with the attack that this young girl claimed could only be defended against by an 85-level defensive-type Soul Douluo, my disciple used this device to transform the Blue Silver Grass encasing her into the ultimate golden attribute.
At this point, you should understand why my disciple didn't perish in the flames, correct?" Ye Wen calmly addressed Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao felt her entire body stiffen. If Ye Wen's words were true, then she had just slandered a transcendent Douluo.
It was entirely reasonable for her Level 67 ultimate fire to fail against a Level 70 ultimate golden defense.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ma Xiaotao had no choice but to bend her pride and bow respectfully to Ye Wen.
"Junior understands now. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Tianxing."
Ye Wen nodded, accepting Ma Xiaotao's apology, and then tossed the Ultimate Golden Ring back to Tang Ya.
However, since Ye Wen intended to suppress Shrek Academy, he decided to go all out in humiliating them. He coldly said:
"Facts speak louder than words. Xiaoya, demonstrate it once more."
"Yes."
Tang Ya responded respectfully, then activated the Ultimate Golden Ring to surround herself. Pure golden Blue Silver Emperor strands blossomed around her, forming a protective cocoon.
Seeing this, Ye Wen turned to the referee and said, "Fetch an 80-level offensive-type Soul Douluo to test the strength of this defense."
The referee, who should have immediately complied, hesitated, worried that such a test might excessively drain Tang Ya's soul power and affect her performance in the upcoming matches. He quietly reminded Ye Wen of this concern.
In response, Ye Wen arrogantly replied, "This Shrek student has sufficient strength. My earlier disciples don't necessarily need to win—they're merely using her as practice. Go ahead and test the defense's strength. Let no one accuse me, Tianxing Douluo, of bullying juniors."
With that, Ye Wen turned and walked back to the competitor lounge without another glance.
Ma Xiaotao felt a deep sense of humiliation. As one of Shrek's top students, she had been reduced to nothing more than a tool for these weaker opponents to hone their skills!
But faced with Ye Wen's overwhelming power, Ma Xiaotao felt utterly powerless. What else could she do? Accept reality.
In no time, a Soul Douluo stepped onto the stage.
Clearly, this Soul Douluo had been instructed beforehand not to use his full strength, lest he damage Ye Wen's reputation.
Yet even so, the fact that this Soul Douluo's sixth soul skill failed to make even the slightest dent in Tang Ya's defenses was enough to demonstrate the sheer power of this Level 9 soul-guided device.
Soon, Tang Ya and Ma Xiaotao's battle resumed.
However, many in the audience were no longer focused on the match.
Some soul engineers stared at Ye Wen with fervent eyes, eager to know what kind of soul-guided array patterns allowed a soul master to leap five ranks and wield a Level 9 soul-guided device.
If this technology were to spread, it would undoubtedly cause a seismic shift across the Douluo Continent. In the near future, low-level soul masters might completely vanish from the tides of history.
The Star Luo Emperor clearly understood the implications of this technology. His enthusiasm for Xu Jiujiu's deep binding with Ye Wen grew even stronger.
Unlike the other factions of the Three Kingdoms of Douluo, who were thrilled, Ma Xiaotao and the rest of Shrek Academy were filled with frustration.
With the activation of the Ultimate Golden Ring, Tang Ya had placed Ma Xiaotao at a significant disadvantage.
Now, Tang Ya was far more troublesome than before. The Blue Silver Emperor strands imbued with the ultimate golden attribute were being unleashed relentlessly, as if they were limitless.
If these were ordinary Blue Silver Emperor strands, Ma Xiaotao could easily incinerate them into ash. But with the ultimate golden attribute added, the best she could do was manipulate air currents and flames to alter their trajectory—completely blocking them was impossible.
Suddenly, Tang Wulin, who had remained inconspicuous in Shrek's competitor lounge, exclaimed in alarm:
"No! Something's wrong!"
Everyone turned to look at him. With Ma Xiaotao already struggling, Tang Wulin's panic only added to their anxiety. Wang Yan immediately asked:
"What's wrong?"
"Senior Tang Ya is using the Tang Sect's hidden weapon techniques—'Thousand Blossoms Showering the Sky' and 'Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers.' And her proficiency is extraordinary. She's likely mastered the Tang Sect's fourth-ranked hidden weapon technique, 'One Thousand and One Nights.' If Senior Ma Xiaotao doesn't prepare herself, she'll be gravely injured in an instant!"
Tang Wulin held nothing back, directly revealing Tang Ya's current tactics.
From the corner of the room, Bei Bei cast a complex glance at Tang Wulin but remained silent. Although Tang Ya was no longer part of the Tang Sect, she had once made tremendous sacrifices for its survival. Now, to see her sold out by Tang Wulin left Bei Bei with mixed emotions.
But ever since Tang Wulin learned from Er Ming that the person who ruined his plans was Tang Ya's master, he had come to resent Tang Ya as well, feeling no guilt about exposing her.
This 'One Thousand and One Nights' technique had once shone brilliantly in Tang San's hands, wiping out the infamous Purple Pearl Sea Pirate Gang during a naval battle—its power was undeniable.
But what could Wang Yan do, even knowing this? This match did not allow outside assistance.
Moreover, there was no Huo Yuhao's spirit-based cheating to rely on this time. Ma Xiaotao's fate was sealed.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao's soul power, which had barely recovered slightly, was drained by another ten percent due to Tang Ya's relentless barrage of attacks. She now had only forty percent of her soul power remaining.
Ma Xiaotao realized she couldn't continue like this or she'd be slowly worn down to death. A flicker of determination appeared in her eyes.
"For the glory of Shrek!!!" Ma Xiaotao cried passionately in her heart. With a sudden burst of strength, she shot forward like a crimson meteorite, charging straight toward Tang Ya.
Tang Ya had initially thought Ma Xiaotao would be difficult to handle. Now, however, she was dominating the fight and planned to vent some of her frustrations accumulated during her time at Shrek. To her surprise, Ma Xiaotao had recklessly charged directly to her front!
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