Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

"Victory is ours!"

Wang Yan quickly noticed that something was off with the team, so he hurried to reassure them, gathering everyone together.

"You are fighting for the honor of Shrek! A crushing victory will clear away the shadows of the past few days! You are Shrek's heroes!"

Though his words were cliché, they worked like magic on these young fighters.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi temporarily put aside their personal distractions and stepped onto the stage with determination.

Despite their nervousness, they had full confidence in achieving a decisive victory…

Across the Field

The Tianling Academy team also stepped onto the stage.

However, unlike in the original timeline, where they trembled in fear at the sight of Shrek Academy, today, they were burning with fighting spirit as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

Just yesterday, a mysterious black-robed figure had approached them, not only handing them seven soul tools specifically designed to counter ice-type abilities but also showing them a recorded image explaining why Shrek Academy was so weakened.

If they had faced a fully assembled Shrek team, they would have stood no chance.

But in Shrek's current crippled state, they just might have a shot!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they could defeat Shrek Academy, their Tianling Academy would be immortalized in history. Even their entire Douling Empire would gain immense prestige!

With such a tempting prize before them, who cared who that black-robed figure was?

They just wanted to win!

And with the soul tools they had received—explicitly meant to counter Shrek's strongest member, the Ice-element Soul King Ling Luocheng—they felt even more confident.

Although they were still not guaranteed victory, their morale was soaring, preventing them from collapsing in fear like in the original events…

"Hey, Bei Bei, Why Aren't They Scared?"

Xu Sanshi immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Why weren't their opponents shivering in fear like they had expected? Instead, they looked eager and ready to fight.

"You're asking me? Who should I ask?!" Bei Bei shot back.

"But even if they're pumped up, so what? Once Ling Luocheng unleashes her ultimate move, they'll all be frozen solid. Then we can just kick them off one by one. A Soul King's power is overwhelming, even if she's injured…"

"You guys don't need to rush in," Ling Luocheng said coldly. "I'll use my fifth soul skill, and then you can just kick the ice statues off the stage. It'll be a perfect show of dominance."

"Yes! Ling-jie is amazing!"

Xu Sanshi flattered her while sneaking a glance at Jiang Nannan.

What kind of kick would make him look the coolest in front of her?

"Step Back and Prepare for Battle!"

The referee's voice cut through the anticipation.

Both teams moved to the edges of the platform, eyes blazing with determination.

Tens of thousands of spectators fell into silence as their gazes locked onto the stage.

"Let the match begin!"

With that declaration, all the competitors simultaneously unleashed their spirit rings.

The Tianling Academy team consisted mainly of Soul Elders (three rings) and Soul Ancestors (four rings), each with optimal ring configurations.

On Shrek's side, Soul King Ling Luocheng stood out with her two yellow, two purple, and one black ring. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and a few others had two yellow and two purple rings, while Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had two yellow and one purple.

The sight of a Soul King in action sent waves of excitement through the audience.

And Ling Luocheng did not disappoint.

She tapped her staff lightly against the ground, her red lips parting slightly as she chanted:

"Ice Radiance Ring!"

The moment her fifth black soul ring lit up, an overwhelming chill spread through the air. A terrifying tide of extreme ice surged outward, swallowing everything in its path.

Even the referee, about to step off the stage, was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture.

The audience gasped in disbelief.

"Is this the power of Shrek Academy?" someone murmured in awe.

While the audience was in shock, the Tianling team members were just as astonished—but for a different reason.

The words of the black-robed figure echoed in their minds:

"Remember, Shrek will most likely send their strongest member—an Ice-type Soul King—to the match tomorrow. To intimidate you, they will almost certainly start by using their fifth soul skill immediately. Keep your anti-ice soul tools ready and activate them the moment the match starts."

"Activate soul tools, now!" their captain shouted.

Before he even finished speaking, crimson lights flared around all seven of them.

As the icy wave engulfed them, they did feel the chill seep into their bodies, but thanks to their preparation and the soul tools' effects, they were merely numbed rather than frozen solid.

In fact, their bodies were already shaking off the stiffness.

Within mere seconds, they had completely recovered.

Shrek's Fatal Miscalculation

Meanwhile, on Shrek's side…

Everyone had followed Ling Luocheng's plan, expecting their opponents to be frozen in place. They had even prepared to humiliate them by kicking them off the stage one by one.

But when the ice cleared and their enemies were still standing, their jaws dropped in shock.

"Impossible!" Ling Luocheng's face turned pale.

Her fifth soul skill, the one she had always been proud of, should have frozen the entire battlefield!

Even lower-level Soul Kings had been caught off guard by it before.

So how could a group of Soul Elders and Soul Ancestors still be standing?

But an even bigger problem loomed—she had already reached her limit.

In the Stands…

Xiao Hongchen crossed his arms with a smirk.

"Hehe, I pulled an all-nighter to modify seven five-ring defensive soul tools, reducing their physical defense while maximizing their resistance to ice. Essentially, I turned them into high-powered heating devices. But instead of burning their users, they efficiently circulate energy to keep their bodies from freezing stiff… Brilliant, right?"

"Not bad," Xu Cheng nodded approvingly.

In the original timeline, Ling Luocheng hadn't been deployed this early. She had only entered a later match, when Bei Bei and the others had been seriously injured.

Which meant that at this point, she wasn't fully recovered.

She had forced herself onto the battlefield and exhausted her energy in one big attack.

Now, she was barely keeping herself standing. The only reason she hadn't collapsed yet was sheer willpower.

And now…

"Attack Already! What Are You Waiting For?!"

Wang Yan's desperate shout jolted the Shrek team back to reality.

They had to end this match quickly!

Bei Bei took the lead, surging forward.

Xu Sanshi, who had just been pondering how to impress Jiang Nannan, now found himself rushing into battle with his Xuanming Shield.

He Caitou provided covering fire from the rear.

Xiao Xiao summoned her Jade Flute, playing a melody to support her teammates.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion ability—a massive White Tiger that charged straight at the enemy team.

And Ling Luocheng?

She stood trembling, barely able to hold herself up with her ice staff.

Her vision blurred.

In the original timeline, the plan had been to freeze the enemy and take them down instantly, then discreetly help her off the stage.

But now…

Things had taken a very different turn.

(End of Chapter)