As Doudou finished speaking, the air above the main Soul Fighting Arena suddenly tightened. Two utterly different waves of Soul Power crashed together, and an invisible shockwave swept wildly outward from the center of the arena.
The cheers of twenty thousand spectators threatened to lift the roof. Warm light from the red crystals spilled across the stone arena, illuminating the figures of the two teams' young fighters with striking clarity.
Doudou's voice echoed beneath the dome.
"Imperial Fighting Team—Yu Tianheng, Level 39! Shi Mo, Level 38! Shi Mo, Level 38! Yu Feng, Level 37! Osler, Level 37! Ye Lingling, Level 36! Tian Xuan, Level 33!"
The stands erupted each time she announced another level.
"Level 39? How are they supposed to fight that?"
"Isn't the highest level on Shrek only 37?"
"Imperial Fighting Team is going to end Shrek's winning streak right here."
Doudou continued.
"Shrek Team—Dai Mubai, Level 37! Tang San, Level 32! Xiao Wu, Level 31! Oscar, Level 31! Ma Hongjun, Level 28! Zhu Zhuqing, Level 28! Ning Rongrong, Level 27!"
This time, the crowd fell much quieter, their reaction one of grave astonishment.
Seven people: four Soul Elders, two at Level 28, and one at Level 27.
Their opponents, meanwhile, were all Soul Elders!
"This... the difference is way too big!"
As the words fell, both teams retreated half a step. Their Martial Souls and Soul Rings blazed to life, and their oppressive auras swept across the arena.
"Team battle, begin!"
The instant Doudou's "begin" struck their ears, Yu Tianheng's Soul Power surged to its peak, and he attacked first.
The phantom of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon opened its jaws behind him. Blue lightning crawled from his spine to his shoulder blades, then split off and surged toward his right arm.
His right hand transformed into a dragon's claw, its fingertips sharpening as blue lightning gathered around them, edged with a faint purple gleam.
His left arm was covered only by a thin layer of blue lightning, his fist clenched tight.
The crushing pressure of a Level 39 Soul Elder rolled over the arena like a boulder. The spectators in the front rows leaned back without realizing it.
Dai Mubai didn't retreat.
The pale gold sheen of the White Tiger clashed with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's blue lightning at the center of the arena. A gust of wind burst outward, whipping both men's robes.
Yu Tianheng's right claw smashed into Dai Mubai's crossed arms. Lightning exploded on contact, its blue glow turning purple at the moment of impact and unleashing several times its usual power.
The current crawled up his skin, then withdrew half a second later, like a venomous snake striking and slithering away.
Dai Mubai grunted, but his feet stayed planted. Two charred claw marks had appeared across his arms.
"What tough bones."
Yu Tianheng felt a flicker of unease, but didn't panic.
His peripheral vision swept across the battlefield. It was instinctive for a temporary captain: even in a head-on clash, he had to keep the entire field under control.
Shi Mo and Shi Mo held the left and right flanks, their Black Tortoise shells already spreading over their shoulders and necks.
Yu Feng hovered in the air, the wings of his Wind Bell Bird shimmering like glazed glass.
Tian Xuan was in the back row, Azure Vine spreading from his palm to the ground.
Ye Lingling stood at the rear, the pink-white Soul Power of the Nine-Heart Begonia quietly diffusing around her.
Tang San stood about five meters behind Dai Mubai. Blue Silver Grass had already spread from beneath his feet, weaving into a net that linked everyone on the field.
That's him!
Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted slightly.
He remembered what Chen Jieqi had told him before the match.
"Shrek's greatest threat isn't Dai Mubai. It's that Blue Silver Grass Soul Master, Tang San.
"He's the linchpin of Shrek's formation. Break through the formation by targeting its core. As long as we take him out, Shrek's whole system will collapse."
Break through the formation by targeting its core.
Just as Captain Chen had said.
He suddenly understood why Shrek had managed to rack up eleven consecutive victories with a team whose average level had only just reached that of Soul Elders.
It wasn't because Dai Mubai was especially strong, or because Ma Hongjun's flames were especially fierce. It was because Tang San had stitched the whole team together.
Blue Silver Grass was the thread; Tang San's hands were the needle.
As long as Tang San remained on the field, Shrek wasn't seven people. It was one.
Yu Tianheng drew a deep breath. The lightning in his palm slowly faded.
Dai Mubai frowned.
"What is it? Scared?"
Yu Tianheng didn't answer.
He turned his head and quietly spoke in a voice only his teammates could hear.
"Shi Mo, keep Dai Mubai occupied.
"Shi Mo, work with Tian Xuan to suppress Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Yu Feng, keep your eyes on that fat guy. Don't let him help the others."
"Captain Yu?"
Shi Mo froze for a moment.
"Do as I say."
Yu Tianheng's voice was soft, but left no room for argument.
"I'll take out the one using Blue Silver Grass."
Shi Mo fell silent for a moment, then nodded firmly.
The dark shell of his Black Tortoise grew thicker over his body. He stepped forward, placing himself between Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai.
The next instant, lightning burst forth again—but not toward the front. It shot sideways.
Yu Tianheng vanished from the front line.
Dai Mubai roared from behind him. "Stop him!"
But Shi Mo's shell had already blocked his way.
Dai Mubai wouldn't be able to break through the Black Tortoise's defenses in a minute or two. Yu Tianheng had complete faith in his teammate.
His footsteps struck the arena with two heavy thuds. The stone tiles beneath him bore clear marks as blue lightning wrapped around his body. He shot toward the core of Shrek's formation like a bolt of lightning.
On an arena thirty meters square, a Power Attack System Soul Master needed only two or three seconds to charge from one end to the other at full speed.
Tang San's eyes met his.
Those eyes were purple...
No, not purple. They were a deeper color, as if they could see through all illusion.
Yu Tianheng saw Tang San's pupils contract slightly. He even saw the corner of his mouth curl upward.
It was the instinctive response of a genius facing a challenge.
He wanted to try—
to see if he could use speed and skill to keep a Power Attack System Soul Elder seven levels above him at bay.
Yu Tianheng sneered.
Then let's see you try.
Purple lightning gathered in the palm of his right claw, a sign that he had compressed his Soul Power to its limit. His left fist drew back beside his waist.
He didn't need lightning in both hands. The explosive power of one dragon-transformed claw was enough; he kept the other hand free for defense and control.
A purple lightning serpent shot from his right claw, heading straight for Tang San's face.
Once it left his hand, the lightning serpent no longer consumed his Soul Power. It exploded in midair, blocking Tang San's path from the front.
Tang San dodged to the side as Blue Silver Grass surged up from the ground, trying to wrap around Yu Tianheng's ankles.
Too slow!
Blue lightning burst beneath Yu Tianheng's feet. It flared only when it touched the Blue Silver Grass, burning the creeping blades to ash before the flash vanished.
He didn't slow down. His right claw was already smashing toward Tang San, purple lightning flickering at its tips.
Tang San pushed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit, leaving three afterimages across the arena.
Yu Tianheng's left fist shattered one of them. It carried no lightning, relying purely on the explosive strength of his body.
The other two afterimages circled toward his flanks, one to the left and one to the right. Hidden Weapons flew from Tang San's fingers, blocking Yu Tianheng's front and right sides.
But Tang San's Blue Silver Grass—the vines that should have surged from the ground and attacked from behind—
was scattered by the blue arcs lingering around Yu Tianheng's body.
He wasn't deliberately maintaining the lightning. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul naturally possessed the lightning attribute, leaving a faint current across his skin at all times. Blue Silver Grass simply couldn't get close.
Tang San's expression changed.
He finally realized the problem: his Blue Silver Grass couldn't restrain Yu Tianheng.
A Plant-type Martial Soul faced with lightning was like paper facing fire. Most of the Blue Silver Grass burned to ash the instant it touched the lightning.
The few strands that managed to wrap around him were shattered by the arcs on his skin before they could tighten.
Tang San gritted his teeth and accelerated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track again, trying to open up some distance.
But his peripheral vision swept across the battlefield.
Zhu Zhuqing was pinned down on the left flank by Shi Mo's Black Tortoise. Every time she disappeared, the gusts from his shell forced her back into view. She couldn't find an opening to strike.
It wasn't that she hadn't tried to reach the back line.
Three seconds earlier, Zhu Zhuqing had briefly broken free from Shi Mo's suppression and turned into a streak of black, charging straight toward Ye Lingling.
If she could take out Imperial Fighting Team's healer, the battle could turn around.
But Shi Mo's shell was like a moving wall. When she was still five meters from Ye Lingling, it cut across her path, and the gust from its edge sent her veering off course.
Tian Xuan's Azure Vine surged up from the ground at the same time, blocking every escape route. She had no choice but to abandon her attack and retreat to the left flank.
Xiao Wu was trapped by Tian Xuan's Azure Vine. The tendrils surged at her from every direction like living creatures. She could still dodge, but she couldn't break free and go help anyone.
She was looking for an opening too, but Tian Xuan had clearly studied her teleportation.
The first time, Xiao Wu's third Soul Ring lit up and she vanished from where she stood, only to be forced back into view three meters behind Ye Lingling.
Azure Vine had already been woven into a net there. The moment she crashed into it, the tendrils caught her ankles.
The second time, she'd learned her lesson. She chose to teleport above Ye Lingling's head, but Shi Mo had already raised his shell overhead.
It covered Ye Lingling like a giant umbrella. Xiao Wu's kick slammed into the shell, leaving behind only a white mark.
After her two failed attacks, Tian Xuan's vines gave her no chance to get away. One wrapped around her ankle, another blocked her path, and a third hung in midair, waiting to catch her wherever she landed after teleporting.
It wasn't that Xiao Wu didn't want to teleport. Every place she could land had already been sealed off.
Both of Shrek's attempts to reach the back line had been stopped by Imperial Fighting Team's defense.
Tian Xuan's Azure Vine repeatedly tried to circle around the flank. The emerald tendrils slithered like snakes, reaching for Xiao Wu's ankles and waist.
But Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame always burned through the most dangerous vines at the critical moment. Orange-red flames licked across them, filling the air with a scorched stench as the Azure Vine curled, carbonized, and crumbled.
Tian Xuan gritted his teeth and poured Soul Power into his attack. Fresh vines kept growing from his palm, but every vine he sent out was precisely intercepted by a line of that Evil Fire.
"Damn fatso..."
Tian Xuan muttered, sweat beading across his forehead. His Soul Power was draining fast, but his hands never stopped.
As long as he kept attacking, Ma Hongjun had to divide his attention to block him. That was his value to the team.
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai was being held fast by Shi Mo.
The glow of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had already dimmed considerably, and the strength of its enhancements was waning. The golden light of White Tiger Vajra Transformation still shone,
but Shi Mo's defense was like a bottomless pit. Every punch left another crack in his shell, yet Shi Mo still wouldn't fall.
He couldn't retreat.
Tang San gritted his teeth, but didn't move an inch.