The Final Gate, A Crucible of Legends
The collision was not a contest; it was a decree.
Yao Xuan's Ancestral Dragon Claw, sheathed in shimmering, nine-colored light, met the titanic Vajra Ape Fist. For a split second, the opposing forces warred in mid-air—primal strength against sovereign sharpness.
Then, the shockwave erupted. A BOOM like a minor thunderclap echoed through the hall, forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes from the backlash of swirling energy. When the light cleared, the outcome was undeniable.
The second student—Talon—was airborne, hurled backward by the impact. He crashed to the polished floor with a heavy THUMP, skidding several meters. His arms, now returned to human size, were bent at unnatural angles, bruised and lacerated. He coughed, a metallic taste flooding his mouth, his world spinning.
Before he could even process the pain, the chilling, razor-sharp tip of Yao Xuan's dragon claw rested gently, yet unmistakably, against his sternum. The message was absolute. The fight was over.
"I… yield," Talon rasped, the words tasting of ash. The resentment in his eyes was fleeting, washed away by a tidal wave of stunned disbelief. He had been unraveled, not through trickery, but by a power so focused it felt like a law of nature.
A stunned silence held the room, then shattered into hushed, fervent whispers.
"Talon… lost? In one move?"
"That aura… it wasn't just power. It felt… ancient."
"The first-year rankings are going to be turned upside down."
The referee, recovering his composure, announced flatly, "Match concluded. Challenger scores ten points." As Yao Xuan retracted his claw and the transformations faded, a soft chime sounded in his mind:
Xu Xiaoyan's subsequent match was a clever counterpoint—a battle of wits where her strategic mind and well-practiced acting secured her a surprising, clean victory and another ten points.
With that, the eighth trial concluded. The scores stood: Yao Xuan (80), Gu Yue (79), Tang Wulin (78), Xie Xie (66), Xu Xiaoyan (67). All had cleared the threshold.
"Congratulations," their guide said, a new, profound respect in his tone. "You have one hour to recuperate. The ninth and final trial awaits."
The ninth trial chamber was a stark contrast to the grand halls and arenas before. It was a sleek, metallic cube, its walls etched with dense, glowing soul tool arrays that pulsed with a low hum. It resembled the most advanced Spirit Ascension Platform, yet the air thrummed with a different, more tangible charge.
"This environment will feel familiar, yet fundamentally different," explained the examiner for this stage—Shen Yi, Wu Changkong's junior sister. Her smile was warm but her eyes were serious. "The soul beasts you encounter here possess a degree of reality the simulators lack. Your objective is survival. This tests your comprehensive strength, adaptability, and, above all, your teamwork—the quality the academy values most highly." She paused, a glint in her eye. "A final perk: if you are at a bottleneck, spirit rings obtained here are genuine. Any other spoils are yours to keep."
As Yao Xuan and the others settled into the advanced immersion pods, a side door opened. Elder Cai entered alongside a tall, imposing old man with azure eyes and flowing gray hair—the Crimson Dragon Douluo, Zhuo Shi.
"Teacher," Shen Yi bowed.
"How fare the students my wayward pupil brought?" Zhuo Shi asked, his voice deep, a hint of pride warring with gruffness as he glanced at Elder Cai.
"Exceptionally well," Elder Cai replied, though her tone was measured. "Yao Xuan, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin barely lost points through eight trials. They are prodigies of the highest order. The other two are solid academy material."
Zhuo Shi nodded, a sigh escaping him. "A pity the two brightest are already bound to the Spirit Pagoda and the Heavenly Phoenix. They will shine, but not for our Sea God Pavilion."
"Fate often diverts the brightest streams," Elder Cai conceded. "Yet the Pavilion Master has instructed that they be nurtured without prejudice. Their future influence within the Spirit Pagoda could become a bridge. Furthermore," she added, her voice dropping, "the Inner Court reforms begin now. Henceforth, all students start in the Outer Court. No special admissions. They will climb the same mountain as everyone else."
"A wise policy. Let the forge of the Outer Court temper them," Zhuo Shi grunted in approval. Then his gaze hardened, returning to the pods where the five youths lay. "The true test is this one. Character, under extreme duress. Failure here negates all previous success."
"I have faith in their mettle," Elder Cai said softly.
"Teacher," Shen Yi interjected, "what difficulty level for their survival trial?"
Zhuo Shi did not hesitate. "The highest."
Shen Yi's breath hitched. "The highest? But that's calibrated for veteran teams! They're just freshmen—"
"You heard me," Zhuo Shi stated, his voice leaving no room for debate. "The highest. Now."
Swallowing her protest, Shen Yi turned to the control console. Her fingers flew over the runes, inputting the command that would plunge the five teenagers into the most brutal simulated wilderness Shrek Academy could conjure.
Inside the pods, a deep, resonant dizziness claimed Yao Xuan. The last thing he felt was the faint, steadying warmth of Gu Yue's spiritual signature beside his own, a silver thread in the encroaching dark. Then, the world dissolved, and the final trial began—a crucible designed not just to test their power, but to reveal the core of who they were, and who they would become for each other.