In a corner of the stadium, Tang Wulin and his companions watched the scene unfold.
Xie Xie's mouth hung open. For a long moment, he couldn't close it.
"This..."
"That was way too brutal, wasn't it?"
Tang Wulin watched the boy's back onstage, a complicated look flickering in his eyes.
Gu Yue remained cool and aloof, but her gaze lingered on Wang Zhi for a few seconds.
Meanwhile, Ye Xinglan walked off the stage with a dark expression.
She remembered the look Wang Zhi had given her at the end: calm and indifferent, with even a hint of pity.
That look made her feel awful.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Wang Zhi.
She would remember that name.
Just then, Xu Lizhi came over, looking worried.
"Xinglan, are you okay?"
He reached out, trying to steady Ye Xinglan.
Ye Xinglan slapped his hand away, her expression sour and her tone sharp.
"Leave me alone."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have come to compete just so I could fight that Tang Wulin."
"And now I've lost."
Xu Lizhi lowered his head, his voice muffled.
"I'm sorry..."
Ye Xinglan was about to say something else when she saw someone walking toward them.
It was a woman with dark green hair. Her face was cold, and her expression was frighteningly grim.
Shen Yi, the teacher leading the seven Shrek Academy students on this trip.
She stopped in front of Ye Xinglan and looked her straight in the eye.
"We're going back."
Ye Xinglan froze.
Shen Yi continued.
"The Academy contacted me..."
"Because you acted selfishly and forced your way into the Individual Match halfway through, you didn't just fail to win—you lost and brought shame upon the Academy."
"So you'll have to face the consequences."
Ye Xinglan's face went pale.
She knew exactly what "face the consequences" meant.
Shrek Academy gave its students a great deal of freedom.
But in return, students had to take responsibility for their actions.
If she had won, everything would have been fine.
But since she had lost, she would have to accept punishment.
And that was the best-case scenario.
If she had lost today to a student from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, the consequences would have been even worse.
It wouldn't have just been her; Shen Yi would have had to leave Shrek Academy too.
Ye Xinglan was no longer as haughty as before. She lowered her head and silently followed Shen Yi toward the exit.
Xu Lizhi watched her go, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he said nothing and followed them.
On the competition stage.
Wang Zhi had just stepped down when a green figure came rushing over.
"Xiao Zhi!"
"You were amazing!"
Zhou Tian'er threw her arms around him, her face beaming as if she had been the one to win the match.
Wang Zhi smiled and let her hug him.
Zhou Hanyou came over too. She didn't say anything, but there was a hint of approval in her eyes.
"Let's go back and rest," Wang Zhi said.
The next day.
The group returned to the competition venue.
The stadium was still packed and buzzing with excitement.
Wang Zhi's match was scheduled for the morning. His opponent was...
He glanced down at the schedule in his hand, his eyes settling on the name.
Tang Wulin.
A distant look crossed his eyes.
As expected.
He had known he would inevitably face this protagonist.
According to the Original Work, Tang Wulin had advanced through the Tianhai Competition and ultimately achieved a respectable result.
Since Wang Zhi had taken the place originally meant for Ye Xinglan, he had also inherited her match against Tang Wulin.
He put away the schedule, his expression calm.
So what if he was the protagonist?
He'd find out once they fought.
The announcer's voice rang out, calling the two competitors' names.
Wang Zhi stepped onto the competition stage.
Tang Wulin walked up from the other side.
At first glance, Wang Zhi couldn't help but marvel.
No wonder the Original Work described Tang Wulin as having a face that made even girls jealous.
His features really were almost too delicate, his brows and eyes gentle, his skin fair.
If he wore a wig, Wang Zhi might not even be able to tell what his real gender was.
They walked to the center of the stage and took their places.
"Sea and Land Academy, Wang Zhi."
Wang Zhi spoke evenly.
"Eastsea Academy, Tang Wulin."
Tang Wulin nodded slightly, his expression serious.
The referee walked to the edge of the stage and raised his right hand high.
"Three, two, one..."
"Begin!"
The instant the word fell, Tang Wulin moved.
He stamped his left foot down, using the recoil to launch himself at Wang Zhi like a cannonball.
He was fast and powerful, and the ground trembled slightly with every step.
He had watched the recordings of Wang Zhi's matches.
Combined with Teacher Wu's analysis, he knew that the best way to deal with a Summoner Type Soul Master like Wang Zhi was to close in right away and defeat the Summoner before his summoned creatures could build up their numbers.
It was his only chance to win.
Watching Tang Wulin charge at him, Wang Zhi understood at once.
The shadows beneath his feet rippled.
Two dark figures sprang out in an instant.
One was a Ghost Shadow Ninja, dressed in a black bodysuit and wielding a kunai.
The other was a Ghost Shadow Warrior, dressed in samurai armor and wielding a katana.
They charged at Tang Wulin, one from each side, and intercepted him in an instant.
Wang Zhi, meanwhile, backed away a few leisurely steps to the edge of the stage and calmly watched the battle.
Intercepted by the two shadows, Tang Wulin felt his heart sink slightly.
But he didn't panic.
Golden Dragon Claw!
His right hand rapidly transformed. His fingers thickened, golden scales covered them, and sharp claws extended from his fingertips.
He swung the Golden Dragon Claw at the Ghost Shadow Warrior with all his strength.
He was giving it everything he had.
After all, his physical abilities, enhanced by the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, were terrifying.
Even a Soul Master at the Three Rings Soul Elder level would be injured by a direct hit from him.
And yet...
"Clang!"
The Ghost Shadow Warrior raised its sword to block. Blade and claw collided, sending sparks flying.
Tang Wulin felt tremendous force slam into him. His arm jolted, and he staggered half a step backward.
Surprise flashed through his eyes.
The summoned creature's physical abilities were actually on par with his?
Before he could react, the Ghost Shadow Warrior's second slash was already coming.
He hurriedly raised his claw to block, only to see the warrior's form suddenly turn indistinct. It transformed into a shadow and vanished from the path of his attack.
Not good!
Tang Wulin's heart tightened. He instinctively tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
A sharp pain struck his back.
A tremendous force slammed into him from behind. He flew forward uncontrollably and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Bang!"
Dust filled the air.
Tang Wulin lay facedown, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
But he gritted his teeth, braced his hands against the ground, and sprang to his feet.
He couldn't fall!
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and fixed his gaze on Wang Zhi across the stage.
As long as he could get close, he still had a chance!
He drew a deep breath, gathered his strength, and charged at Wang Zhi again.
This time, he was more cautious.
The Ghost Shadow Ninja and Ghost Shadow Warrior intercepted him again, but he darted left and right with nimble footwork and forced his way through their assault.
Closer!
Closer!
He was less than five meters from Wang Zhi.
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