First Battle of the Silver Dou Ranking, Light and Darkness Resonate

Suotuo City Great Soul Arena, Shrek Team resting area.

The dim, yellowish glow of the kerosene lamp stretched the shadows of Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Zhao Wuji, casting them against the mottled wall like three frozen statues.

The three sat around a wooden table, the record sheet on the table wrinkled from being handled repeatedly, every line of the winning streak hiding a sharp edge.

"Eleven consecutive wins..."

Flender tapped his fingertips against the paper, a flash of pride in his eyes.

"These little monsters have really brought honor to Shrek! The points are already enough to cross the threshold from Silver Soul to Gold Soul."

Zhao Wuji slapped the table, making the cups tremble, and laughed heartily.

"Good lads! Our Shrek monsters truly live up to their reputation!"

Yu Xiaogang pushed up his glasses, his tone steady.

"According to the rules, advancing from Silver Soul to Gold Soul requires challenging a team of the same or higher rank. Win, and you advance; lose, and your points are wiped clean to start over. This step cannot be rushed; we must choose our opponent carefully."

Flender stood up with a slap to the table, full of bravado.

"Shrek has never feared a challenge! If we're going to fight, we fight the strongest. We'll challenge the top-ranked Silver Soul team in Suotuo City, the Huangdou Team!"

Yu Xiaogang's lips curled slightly as he pointed his finger at the information sheet for the Huangdou Team.

"Very well. This battle will be both a challenge and the best whetstone for the little ones."

Once Flender's decision was announced, the resting area instantly boiled over, the teenagers' fighting spirit completely ignited.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his dual-colored eyes burning with battle intent.

"The Huangdou Team? Is that the team made up entirely of noble children, the ones known as the number one Silver Soul team in Suotuo City? Good! I've been wanting to clash with them for a long time!"

Ma Hongjun patted his belly, full of confidence.

"Our eleven-game winning streak was earned through hard work! Whether it's Huangdou or Xingdou, watch as I burn them to a crisp!"

Oscar looked solemn. "The average level of the Huangdou Team is six levels higher than ours. We can't fight them head-on; we need to plan our tactics carefully."

Ning Rongrong frowned, biting her lip tightly, hoping to herself, "I just hope those two Soul Ancestors from Huangdou can't play, otherwise we have no chance of winning."

Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly, her expression indifferent. To her, as long as she could improve her strength, it didn't matter who the opponent was.

Xiao Wu linked her arm with Tang San's, tilting her head.

"San-ge, we will definitely win!"

"Mm,"

Tang San replied softly, his tone firm, his eyes hiding a sense of composure.

"We will win."

Yu Xiaogang pushed up his glasses and walked in front of the Shrek Seven Devils, his tone heavy and focused.

"The core of the Huangdou Team is Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; Dai Mubai will hold him off in a frontal assault. Their dual Black Tortoise defense is tight, but there must be gaps during their defensive rotation. San, the timing of that opening is up to you. As for their control-type Azure Vine, Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun will work together to break it quickly. Don't let them form a control chain, and don't get dragged into their rhythm of attrition. Remember, their individual strength is higher than yours, but your coordination is better than theirs. Play as a team, don't fight one-on-one!"

The seven nodded, their fighting spirit becoming increasingly solid.

On the other side, in the Huangdou Team resting area, Qin Ming held the message and repeated in a low voice, "Shrek Seven Devils? Challenging us?"

His expression was complex, as if he had thought of something, and he sighed.

"A team with an eleven-game winning streak. Dean Flender is still as daring as ever, but he shouldn't have picked the Huangdou Team."

He turned to look at Yu Tianheng.

"Since Xiao Qi and Yanzi are Soul Ancestors, if they participate, the team's rating will soar, matching us against other Soul Ancestor teams. Therefore, they must sit this one out. I have arranged for a substitute control-type Soul Master to participate: the 33rd-level Soul Elder Tian Xuan, with the Azure Vine martial soul. Do you have the confidence to take them down?"

Dugu Yan leaned against the door, her expression languid, as if none of this had anything to do with her.

Yu Feng looked on with utter disdain, "A bunch of street fighters dare to challenge us? Even without Captain Chen and the big sister, we could send them back to being Bronze Soul Masters in a minute!"

Osler, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo brothers remained calm, showing no signs of underestimating their opponents.

Yu Tianheng, however, looked grave, his brows tightly furrowed—ever since Chen Jieqi and Dugu Yan stopped interfering with the team's trivial matters, he, as the vice-captain, had to shoulder all the responsibilities alone.

He knew clearly that the Shrek Seven Devils across from them were not to be underestimated; that 37th-rank White Tiger Soul Elder Dai Mubai was powerful, and the other Soul Elders also possessed their own unique skills.

But what made him most wary was the 28th-rank Hell Spirit Cat Zhu Zhuqing, because their family knew exactly what it meant when a White Tiger and a Hell Spirit Cat appeared together.

He just couldn't be sure yet if she could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Dai Mubai, as that would be the greatest variable in this duel.

Ye Lingling stood quietly beside Dugu Yan, like a Nine-Heart Begonia isolated from the world, indifferent to the surrounding clamor.

Qin Ming warned sternly, "Do not underestimate the enemy! Even a lion hunting a rabbit must use its full strength; a moment of carelessness could lead to capsizing!"

Yu Feng curled his lips but said nothing more.

Chen Jieqi had not said a single word from beginning to end, merely watching the people before him in silence.

In his view, letting the Huangdou Team have a good trial was not a bad thing, and besides, the team's average level was 6 ranks higher than their opponents.

Coupled with the tacit understanding and strength the Huangdou Team had honed over the years, he truly couldn't think of a reason why they would lose.

However, as his gaze swept over the list of the Shrek Seven Devils in Qin Ming's hand, it lingered for a moment on the name "Tang San,"

Eight Spider Lances... Purple Demon Eye... Mysterious Heaven Skill.

He lowered his eyes, masking the profound meaning that flashed through them.

The main Soul Fighting Arena of the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena.

The 30-meter bluestone ring was locked in the glare of white-hot spotlights, while the crimson crystals on the dome poured down warm light.

The air was thick with sweat, the pungent scent of soul power, and feverish anxiety, steaming into a restless mist under the lights that felt sticky and scorching against the skin.

The roar of twenty thousand spectators crashed against the stone walls and bounced back, making eardrums ring.

The front rows were filled with the desperate shouts of gamblers, the middle tiers with the hushed whispers of nobles, and from the top-tier boxes came the occasional crisp sound of clinking glasses.

The three layers of sound wove into an invisible net, firmly trapping the youths on the ring.

The host Doudou hovered in mid-air, flapping her wings. The moment her voice pierced the crowd through the microphone, the entire Soul Fighting Arena was like a lit powder keg.

Screams, whistles, and stomping feet erupted simultaneously, making the dome tremble slightly.

"Welcome to the Suotuo Great Soul Arena—tonight's peak team battle, Shrek Team versus Huangdou Team!"

The passages on both sides opened with a boom, the sound of stone doors grinding mixed with the screams of the audience, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.

The moment the Huangdou Team stepped onto the ring, the entire arena suddenly went quiet for a beat. It was the moment twenty thousand spectators held their breath in unison, like the dead silence before a storm.

The seven members of the Huangdou Team appeared first, their deep blue uniforms accentuating their upright postures, their Silver Soul badges gleaming with a cold light.

Vice-captain Yu Tianheng walked at the front, wreathed in purple lightning, the phantom of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul flickering in and out of existence.

The pressure of his 39th-rank assault-type soul power felt like a giant boulder crushing down, causing the front-row spectators to lean back involuntarily.

The light from the crimson crystals on the dome shone upon him, yet it was rendered cold by the swirling purple lightning, and the air itself seemed to grow thin.

The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo stood side by side, their Black Tortoise Martial Souls awakened. Thick, ink-colored tortoise shells spread across their bodies like two human shields flanking the team's wings.

The ink-colored shells glinted under the lights with the cold sheen of cold weapons.

Yu Feng soared into mid-air, his Wind Bell Bird Martial Soul manifested, his glazed wings fanning the wind.

Osler's body was taut, the aura of his Ghost Leopard Martial Soul permeating the air, his figure shifting in the light and shadow, as elusive as a ghost.

The substitute control-type Soul Master Tian Xuan walked in the middle of the team, Azure Vines coiling around his fingertips, his soul power ready to strike.

Ye Lingling held her Nine-Heart Begonia, pink and white petals drifting down as healing soul power quietly dispersed, fortifying the team's rear guard.

On the other side of the passage, the Shrek Seven Devils walked out slowly, their simple, tight-fitting outfits looking sharp and rebellious, forming a stark contrast to the Huangdou Team.

Dai Mubai took the lead, the aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul awakened, gold and black fur faintly visible, his presence domineering.

Xiao Wu's two pink, delicate rabbit ears stood upright, her charming appearance concealing explosive power as her lively eyes swept across the arena.

They paused instinctively for a fleeting moment in a certain direction.

The young man who made her feel "so comfortable" was standing behind the Huangdou Team, his gaze watching the field with calm composure.

Zhu Zhuqing was cold and aloof, the aura of the Hell Spirit Cat circulating around her like a dormant hunter.

Her figure flickered in and out of existence at the edge of the spotlight, as if she could merge into the shadows at any moment.

The most dangerous person is never the one standing in the light.

Tang San stood in the middle row with a calm expression, the phantom of his Blue Silver Grass appearing faint and indistinct while his Purple Demon Eye quietly activated.

The fluctuations of the opponents' soul power and countless pieces of information flooded into his mind, only to be dismantled, categorized, and archived by him one by one.

This was his battlefield, and it had already begun before the fight even started.

Ma Hongjun was surrounded by a halo of flames, the scorching aura of his Phoenix martial soul faintly leaking outward.

Oscar followed closely behind, a sausage quietly taking shape in his hand.

At the end of the line, Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, its seven-colored halo swirling as she smiled with composure.

Doudou's impassioned voice rang out once again:

"Both sides, release your martial souls! One minute of preparation!"

Tang San's Eight Spider Lances trembled ever so slightly beneath his clothes, but he merely assumed it was his battle intent surging and paid it no mind.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the Huangdou Team, the Naaru Brand on Chen Jieqi's forehead also grew slightly warm at that very same instant.