Zhang Yang vanished in a flash back into his own formation. In an instant, he crossed nearly fifty meters, becoming a bayonet that stabbed straight into the Imperial Fighting Team's vital point.
The Shi Brothers only saw a yellow light streak past their eyes. The speed was so great that neither of them had time to react.
Ye Lingling, positioned deep in the Imperial Fighting Team's rear and protected by the Shi Brothers, had never imagined that an enemy could break through her teammates' defenses and reach her.
Zhang Yang smiled at Ye Lingling. Without another word, he gathered Soul Power and kicked her hard in the abdomen.
Bang!
Ye Lingling, who had been more than ten meters from the edge of the Great Soul Fighting Stage, flew cleanly backward.
No!
The Shi Brothers turned around, unable to believe what they were seeing.
After delivering that kick, Zhang Yang turned back without even looking to see Ye Lingling's fate. Instead, he flashed the Shi Brothers a brilliant smile, his neat white teeth practically gleaming.
Ye Lingling was only a Support System Soul Master. She had no way to withstand Zhang Yang's Soul Power-infused kick. Being sent flying out of the arena and eliminated was her only fate.
Sure enough, Doudou's voice rang throughout the Main Soul Fighting Arena from midair.
Out of bounds!!!
Shrek Team's Yellow Flash has infiltrated deep into the Imperial Fighting Team's formation alone and kicked their support Soul Master, Ye Lingling, off the Soul Fighting Stage, eliminating her directly!
The Soul Fighting Stage fell deathly silent.
None of the other Soul Masters on the Imperial Fighting Team had expected Ye Lingling, their greatest safeguard and the Nine Heart Begonia Soul Master, to be kicked out of the arena and eliminated outright.
Meanwhile, Tang San and the others in Shrek's formation all revealed smiles as their plan succeeded.
With praise from the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, how could Tang San and the others possibly fail to take this Support System Soul Master seriously?
Tang San had devised an extremely complicated plan for Ye Lingling.
The plan was so elaborate that even using Yu Tianheng's pride to lure him into venturing deep alone, then surrounding him with all their combat power, was merely one part of it.
Only such an intricate, interlocking plan had allowed Zhang Yang to successfully eliminate Ye Lingling with a single kick.
Bang!
Yu Tianheng, whom Dai Mubai had slapped back toward the Imperial Fighting Team, only came to a stop after crashing into the Shi Brothers' turtle shells. Blood sprayed from wounds all over his body, and he spat blood from his mouth. It stained both his white clothes and the Soul Fighting Stage beneath him red.
Watching his nephew get set up by his own disciples and suffer such severe injuries, Master's cheek twitched involuntarily in the viewing room.
"Xiao Gang..."
Seeing Master like this, Flender was somewhat worried.
"Flender, I'm fine." Master shook his head.
Master was a reasonable man. Yu Tianheng's serious injuries could only be blamed on his being burdened by the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, daring to venture alone into enemy lines. He had planted the cause himself, so naturally he had to taste the bitter fruit.
"Bastards, I'll kill you all!"
Yu Tianheng's severe injuries had undoubtedly enraged the Imperial Fighting Team completely, especially Vice Captain Dugu Yan. As Yu Tianheng's beloved woman, watching her man get surrounded and heavily injured by the enemy while she was too late to save him was agonizing.
At this point, Dugu Yan, the Descendant of Nuwa, disregarded Qin Ming's prior instructions. Amid a shrill cry, her Thousand-Year Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
Her originally emerald-green eyes turned entirely purple. Even the green scales on her snake tail were covered in a faint purple glow. Opening her mouth, she spat out a thick cloud of purple mist that rapidly spread through the air and surged toward Shrek Team.
At the same time, Zhang Yang, deep within the Imperial Fighting Team's formation and outside Dugu Yan's Poison Mist range, was about to face the combined assault of the Black Panther Soul Master, the Wind Bell Bird Soul Master, and the Shi Brothers—a total of four people.
Whoosh!
Zhang Yang, whom the Imperial Fighting Team had been guarding against, activated Golden Flash Mode. His figure flickered repeatedly through their formation as Rankyaku lashed out at the four people surrounding him as though it cost nothing.
Of course, against four opponents, Zhang Yang had an even better option: attack what they had to save. He could have kicked the nearly dead Yu Tianheng a few more times, and those people would have had no thoughts of anything else.
But Zhang Yang did not do that. It was not because Yu Tianheng was Master's nephew, but because such a move was too despicable and would tarnish his character.
While Zhang Yang held back four of the enemy's combatants as though he were walking a fool on a leash, Tang San on the other side used ignited Realgar Wine to counter Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Snake poison.
Although Ma Hongjun was not present to ignite the Realgar Wine with his Evil Fire, how could Tang San let that stop him? The liquor filling the air was rapidly ignited, turning into fiery mist that dispelled Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Snake poison.
"No, that's impossible. How could you break my Jade Phosphor Purple Poison?" Dugu Yan stared blankly at Tang San across from her, her eyes full of disbelief.
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It was not only her. The other Imperial Fighting Team members also looked as if they had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
Tang San said calmly, "The Jade Phosphor Snake poison is nothing more than a petty trick. If all five Jade Phosphor Five Poisons came at once, perhaps I would pay some attention. Your Jade Phosphor Snake poison has not yet reached the proper level."
Dugu Yan, holding Yu Tianheng in her arms, was left speechless by Tang San's words.
At that moment, Zhang Yang, who was darting back and forth through the Imperial Fighting Team's rear, suddenly said, "I really didn't expect this. Yu Tianheng is about to die at his own teammates' hands. What a pity for such a genius youth."
Hearing Zhang Yang say that, Dugu Yan snapped awake as though electrocuted. She hurriedly lowered her head to look at Yu Tianheng in her arms. Sure enough, his condition was getting worse by the moment.
"Bullshit! The Captain was injured because you surrounded him!" the Wind Bell Bird Soul Master roared at Zhang Yang.
"It is only natural for Soul Masters to be injured when they fight. On the other hand, instead of taking him for treatment, you have time to stand around in a daze and trade insults with me. It seems... you truly have no intention of letting him walk off the Soul Fighting Stage alive." Zhang Yang continued fanning the flames from the side.
Yu Tianheng had already suffered severe injuries after being attacked in succession by Dai Mubai, Zhang Yang, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Qing. He no longer had the strength to fight. If he was not treated soon, his life could even be in danger.
Every word Zhang Yang spoke was like a sharp dagger. Not only did he stab the Imperial Fighting Team once, but he twisted it, then pulled it back out.
Dugu Yan deactivated her Martial Soul, picked up the heavily injured Yu Tianheng, and shot Zhang Yang a cold look. Her red lips parted, but her voice was chilling. "We concede."
"That isn't necessary. If you hand Yu Tianheng over to the Nine Heart Begonia Soul Master below the stage, the battle can still continue."
"Hmph. A loss is a loss. Our Imperial Fighting Team can afford to lose. Let's go!" Dugu Yan did not want to waste any more words on Zhang Yang. Holding Yu Tianheng, she turned and headed down from the stage.
Doudou, the host in the sky, promptly announced the result. "The Imperial Fighting Team concedes! I declare Shrek Team the victors!"
With the match settled, everyone put away their Martial Souls. After receiving treatment from the Nine Heart Begonia Soul Master below the stage, Yu Tianheng had already awakened. Though still extremely weak, his body was no longer in serious condition.
Seeing this, the Shrek group felt immensely fortunate. "Yu Tianheng was injured so badly, yet he could stand up again in the blink of an eye. The Nine Heart Begonia really is terrifying. Luckily, we eliminated her right away. Otherwise, this battle would have been difficult."
According to the rules of team battles, the two teams stood together once more.
Yu Tianheng was still extremely weak and even needed his teammates' support to stand steadily. Yet despite such serious injuries, his attitude was still worthy of recognition. "Your coordination is unlike anything I have ever seen, and your plan was extremely ingenious. I did not lose unfairly."
Dai Mubai said frankly, "That's right. If our plan had not been so precise, and if you had not been so proud and arrogant, then it would still be uncertain who would have won this Soul Fighting match."
"Pride..." Yu Tianheng sighed inwardly. He nodded at Dai Mubai. "I hope we will have another chance to fight in the future. When that time comes, the outcome definitely will not be like today."
Their gazes clashed again, sparking a series of invisible flames. Yu Tianheng took a deep breath before saying to Osler, the Black Panther Soul Master supporting him, and the other teammates, "Let's go."
Yu Tianheng walked away with unsteady steps alongside his teammates, slowly heading toward the Soul Master entrance. Dugu Yan, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Master, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the ordinary-looking Tang San. "You may have broken my snake poison, but this isn't over. Just wait."
Tang San looked calmly at his opponent and replied indifferently, "I'll be waiting anytime."
Ye Lingling, the Nine Heart Begonia Soul Master, also turned back with Dugu Yan. She gave Zhang Yang a deep look, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she did not speak.
Amid Shrek's cheers, the Imperial Fighting Team's retreating figures appeared somewhat forlorn.
Qin Ming had been standing at the entrance passage all along, waiting for each of his disciples to approach. There was no displeasure on his face. Instead, he wore a faint smile. In his view, this might have been a very good outcome.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Qin. We lost." Yu Tianheng stopped before Qin Ming and lowered his head, which had always been held high in pride.
Qin Ming said nothing. He merely looked at him quietly. Yu Tianheng could be called his most outstanding disciple and his pride.
Yu Tianheng continued, "Today's defeat was entirely my responsibility. I failed to command properly, ventured deep alone, and fell into the enemy's trap. If you wish to punish someone, punish me."
Everyone wanted to say something, but Qin Ming raised a hand to stop them. "Although this was a defeat for you, it is also a good thing," Qin Ming said with a smile.
"Everything you have experienced until now has gone far too smoothly. That is why you needed a defeat. Failure itself is not frightening. What is frightening is being unable to learn a lesson from it."
Qin Ming's gaze swept across everyone. "Learn from this defeat. Turn it into nourishment for your growth, and grow through this defeat."
"Grow through this defeat." The Imperial Fighting Team members repeated Qin Ming's words.
Qin Ming waved his hand. "Go back and rest. Recover as quickly as possible. I still have some people to meet."
With that, Qin Ming turned and strode away.
In complete contrast to the Imperial Fighting Team's dejection, when the Shrek Seven Devils walked through the spectators' applause to Master, Flender, and Zhao Wuji, their eyes were filled with irrepressible excitement.
Master and Tang San exchanged a look. From Master's eyes, Tang San saw satisfaction. To Tang San, gaining his Teacher's approval was more important than the audience's applause.
Master did not hold back his praise. "Very good. You won. You defeated your opponents through meticulous planning. Consider today's team Soul Fighting battle an examination in the second stage of training. You all passed my test with outstanding results."
Flender beside him was also smiling broadly.
Shrek Academy could be called his lifelong persistence, something he had held on to all this time. And now, he had finally welcomed the most outstanding group of students in Shrek Academy's history.
He believed that within twenty years, the children before him would bring a storm to the Soul Master world of the entire Douluo Continent—a true storm.
Just then, someone slowly walked over. Before the person arrived, his voice came first. "Your disciple Qin Ming greets Dean Flender and Vice Dean Zhao Wuji. Have you both been well recently?"
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