Tang Ya was conflicted. She was in an extremely difficult state of mind and didn't know what kind of relationship she should have with Xue Yuheng.
This went on for three or four days. With the help of the carefree Xiao Xiao, Tang Ya took another look at her future.
Perhaps agreeing to be Xue Yuheng's scabbard wouldn't be so bad.
Heaven Dou City, main arena of the Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition.
Deafening cheers swept through the entire venue like a tidal wave. On the enormous soul tool screen, the confrontation in the center of the arena was clearly displayed.
After sweeping through the round of thirty-two and easily defeating the Star Luo Empire's seeded team in the round of sixteen, Shrek Academy was now at the peak of its performance in a thousand years.
The only team that might compare was the one from the Twin Dragons' Battle.
Six girls stood shoulder to shoulder, each surrounded by two black Soul Rings. Five utterly different Ultimate Attribute auras—gold, black, blue, white, and green—intertwined, forming a terrifying pressure.
Behind them, Chu Qingtian stood all alone. The lightning of his Electric Mad Leopard Martial Soul made him seem out of place.
Big Sister Zhang Lexuan was still in the Star Dou Forest with Elder Song, hunting for her Seventh Soul Ring. She had yet to return.
Ma Xiaotao, an Inner Court student, had temporarily taken her place, while Wu Ming, as vice-captain, had officially taken on the responsibility of leading the team.
Ma Xiaotao folded her arms across her chest. Her fiery red hair fluttered in the breeze, and a hint of wickedness flickered in her eyes.
She had heard rumors that these senior sisters had all broken through together. Only now, seeing it with her own eyes, did she truly feel the pressure bearing down on her.
The senior sisters were tight-lipped about how they'd obtained their Ultimate Attributes.
Ultimate Attributes—Ma Xiaotao dreamed of having one!
Could the Academy have gotten its hands on a batch of rare treasures?
"Up next is the quarterfinals of this competition!
"Shrek Academy will face Douling Royal Soul Master Academy!"
The commentator's voice brimmed with barely contained excitement, and the crowd's cheers soared to an even greater height.
The seven members of Douling Royal Soul Master Academy walked onto the arena with grave expressions.
They had been one of the favorites to win, but when they saw the six Soul Emperors lined up on Shrek's side, their hearts sank.
"Six Soul Emperors? How is that possible? In the preliminary round three months ago, most of them were still Soul Kings!"
The Douling captain gritted his teeth, his voice full of disbelief.
He himself had only just broken through level sixty. He was the team's only Soul Emperor.
"Don't panic! Even if they're all Soul Emperors, they can't all be as ridiculously talented as Wu Ming!
"They must have taken pills. Don't they know that'll burn through their potential? What a bunch of idiots.
"We came prepared. Use that formation!"
At the referee's signal, the match began.
The seven members of Douling Royal Soul Master Academy immediately spread out. Three Defense-type Soul Masters released their Martial Souls at the same time, gathering thick earth elements into three impenetrable walls before them.
Two Control-type Soul Masters raised their hands and sent out countless vines and ice spikes, trying to restrict Shrek's movements.
"Move."
At Wu Ming's cool command, she was the first to release her Martial Soul.
A three-legged Golden Crow, its body entirely gold and crimson, slowly spread its wings behind her. The terrifying heat of Ultimate Fire instantly warped the air.
The vines and ice spikes rushing toward them melted away like snow beneath the sun the moment they touched the Golden Crow's flames.
"Sun Golden Crow Break!"
"Sun Golden Crow Domain!"
Golden flames turned into enormous waves and crashed toward the three earthen walls.
The walls looked impenetrable, but they lasted barely three seconds before shattering with a roar and crumbling into dust.
Chu Qingtian's eyes lit up. At last, it was his turn to shine!
"Watch this! Fifth Soul Skill, Thunder Shadow Blitz!"
He became a streak of purple lightning and shot toward the opposing formation. He had already decided to take out their Control-type Soul Masters first and create an opening for his teammates.
But he had taken only two steps when a pitch-black stream of water silently welled up from the ground and coiled around the Douling captain's ankle.
Baise stood motionless. The Ultimate Water of her Styx Martial Soul carried the power to devour everything, relentlessly eroding the giant bear's defenses.
The Douling captain was horrified to discover that his Soul Power was draining at an astonishing rate. Even moving a finger had become incredibly difficult.
"Metal Storm!"
Mu Yue's voice was cool. Countless golden metal shards gathered in the air, forming a storm of flying blades that shot toward the remaining Douling team members.
The piercing power of Ultimate Metal was unstoppable. The Soul Skills protecting those Soul Masters were like paper before the blades.
Su Tong gently raised her hand. Snowflakes drifted down, instantly freezing half the arena into a frozen wasteland. The Douling team members who tried to flee slipped and fell, then were frozen into ice sculptures.
Hua Yao smiled and waved. Countless thick vines burst through the cracks in the ice and bound every frozen Douling team member tight.
The vitality of Ultimate Wood surged into them, draining away the last traces of Soul Power in their bodies.
Ma Xiaotao hadn't even had time to release her Martial Soul before the battle was over.
Baise raised an eyebrow and glanced at Chu Qingtian, who stood beside her looking utterly bewildered. A playful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
The whole thing had taken just fifty-nine seconds.
When the referee announced Shrek Academy's victory, the arena fell briefly silent, then erupted in earth-shaking cheers.
Chu Qingtian remained frozen in his charging pose.
He hadn't even made it to the opposing side of the arena before the match was over.
"Hey, Chu Qingtian, you just stood there without moving. Were you cheering us on?"
Wu Ming walked over and patted him on the shoulder, teasing him.
Chu Qingtian's face instantly flushed bright red. He stiffened his neck and said, "I was observing the battle and looking for the best time to strike! Who knew you'd finish them off so quickly?"
"Oh? And did you find the best time?" Baise glanced at him coolly.
"..."
Chu Qingtian was left speechless. He could only snort and turn toward the arena exit, his back looking especially forlorn.
Seeing his dejected figure, Hua Yao couldn't help laughing. "Chu Qingtian's kind of pitiful, actually. He used to be the only boy among our Shrek Seven Monsters, but now he's the most useless one."
"Who can blame him for being a boy?" Su Tong said with a smile and a shake of her head. "Xiao Xue's ancient method only works on women. He can only stand by and watch."
Ma Xiaotao was completely confused. She was just about to ask when Senior Sister Wu Ming shot her a glare, and she swallowed her question in frustration.
As for who Ma Xiaotao feared most at the Academy, it was naturally Senior Sister Wu Ming, whose temper was even more explosive than her own. Wu Ming had really bullied her before...
Wu Ming didn't join in the teasing. She simply looked up toward a certain section of the stands.
There, Xue Yuheng sat in the VIP seats with Xiao Xiao and waved to them.
Wu Ming straightened her clothes, which hadn't been rumpled in the first place, and put her best side on display.
In the VIP seats.
Xiao Xiao munched on a candied hawthorn skewer, swinging her short legs as she said excitedly, "Xiao Xue, look! Sister Wu Ming and the others are amazing! They took down their opponents in one go!"
Xue Yuheng leaned back in his chair, his gaze calmly sweeping over the arena.
"Not bad. The Millennium Mysterious Ice Marrow did a good job suppressing Ma Xiaotao's evil fire. She didn't hold the team back." Xue Yuheng said calmly, "Elder Song just sent word. Zhang Lexuan has successfully obtained her Seventh Soul Ring and will be back tomorrow morning."
"That's great!" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up. "With Big Sister back, we'll be even stronger! Those people from Sun Moon Academy definitely won't beat us!"
Xue Yuheng smiled. "You've already started thinking of yourself as a student of Shrek? After tomorrow's final, we should go report to Tianzheng Academy."
"No, Xiao Xue, aren't you forgetting something?" Xiao Xiao said, displeased.
"Right. I still have to go home with you and meet your parents."
"Who are you calling your parents-in-law... Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..."
The semifinals, that afternoon.
Shrek Academy's opponent was Tianzheng Academy, known for its defense and powerful attacks.
Tianzheng Academy had come prepared this time. They'd studied the footage of Shrek's morning match.
Well, they decided to forfeit.
Shrek was full of monsters. With a lineup that powerful, there was no way to win.
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