A Dark Horse Emerges, the Eerie Gray-Clad Youth

The quarterfinal matchups were announced. Just as Ning Fengzhi had expected, Shrek Academy would face Godwind Academy, led by Feng Xiaotian. The other highly anticipated match was Spirit Hall Team against a dark horse team known as Shadow Academy Team.

Shadow Academy was virtually unknown. It came from a remote duchy, and in the earlier rounds, it had stumbled through several close calls without drawing much attention. Only after reaching the round of sixteen did people gradually notice that the team's core was a gray-clad youth who was always expressionless and ruthlessly vicious when he struck.

Ling Yun made a point of watching Shadow Academy's match. Sure enough, the gray-clad youth took the field again. His fighting style was extraordinarily strange. His Martial Soul seemed to be shadow-type, allowing him to blend into darkness and launch fatal strikes. Yet every one of his attacks carried an unsettling aura of deathly stillness. Opponents struck by his shadows were not only injured—their life force rapidly drained away, as though it had been devoured.

"Devouring life force... This isn't an ordinary shadow Martial Soul." Ling Yun's gaze narrowed slightly. Such an attribute was more like... an Evil Martial Soul! It faintly matched the aura of the Holy Spirit Cult!

In this match, Shadow Academy's opponent was a fairly strong Element Academy Team. However, under the gray-clad youth's bizarre attacks, the Element Academy Team members fell one after another. Their elemental attacks seemed ineffective against the gray-clad youth, easily swallowed by the shadows.

In the end, Shadow Academy upset Element Academy and advanced to the quarterfinals! The gray-clad youth alone had taken out four of the opposing team's members, including a Soul Ancestor! Yet he himself seemed completely unscathed, with barely any visible Soul Power expenditure.

This match turned Shadow Academy and the gray-clad youth into the biggest dark horse, sparking widespread discussion and wariness.

"That kid is wicked," Bone Douluo Gu Rong said with a frown. "This old man has never seen his Martial Soul before."

Sword Douluo Chen Xin's gaze was sharp. "His attacks carry a deathly aura. He does not seem to walk the righteous path."

Ning Fengzhi's expression was grave. "It seems this tournament truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Even Spirit Hall Team probably won't have an easy time against them."

Ling Yun said nothing, but he was basically certain that this gray-clad youth was someone sent by the Holy Spirit Cult! His purpose in infiltrating the tournament was probably not simply to win the championship, but to carry out some deeper scheme. Perhaps he wanted to use this opportunity to display his strength and recruit members? Or perhaps... he was targeting certain specific people?

He glanced toward Spirit Hall Team. Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena remained expressionless, seemingly not taking Shadow Academy seriously at all. Then again, the Golden Generation truly had the strength to justify their pride.

Meanwhile, the match between Shrek Academy and Godwind Academy had also begun. In order to pursue Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian had sworn to defeat Tang San, launching a fierce assault from the very start. His Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Martial Soul was incredibly fast and powerful, causing Shrek considerable trouble.

But after many hard-fought battles, the Shrek Seven Devils had developed even better coordination. With Tang San controlling the battlefield, Dai Mubai leading the assault, Xiao Wu launching sneak attacks, plus Ning Rongrong's all-around boosts and Oscar's Recovery Sausage, they ultimately defeated Godwind Academy without too much danger and advanced to the semifinals!

The semifinalists had been decided: Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team, Spirit Hall Team, Shrek Academy Team, and the dark horse Shadow Academy Team!

The semifinal matchups would be Heaven Dou Royal Academy versus Shadow Academy, and Spirit Hall Team versus Shrek Academy Team!

The true clash of dragons and tigers was about to begin! Everyone was filled with anticipation.

But Ling Yun knew that beneath the calm surface, an undercurrent was about to erupt. The Holy Spirit Cult's pieces were already in place, and the tournament would likely no longer proceed according to its predetermined script.

He needed to be prepared for any unexpected developments that might arise.