Tang San Falls, the Net Begins to Close!

Tang San Falls, the Net Begins to Close!

Tang San's pupils contracted sharply.

He stared at the orange-red beams of light raining down from above.

An unprecedented sense of crisis swept over him. He swung the golden Clear Sky Hammer in his hands, carving an arc through the air.

The enormous hammer crashed into the descending orange-red beams.

The orange-red Light of Judgment seemed capable of melting everything in the world. The golden coating began to fade, revealing the dark hammer beneath.

"This move is powerful!"

"Boss Dai, Oscar, we have to hold on!"

Tang San took a deep breath and gripped the hammer's handle with both hands. Beads of sweat, large as beans, rolled down his forehead one after another.

He held his breath, unable to draw it smoothly.

"Xiao San, we can still hold on!"

Dai Mubai shouted, standing in a line with Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and the others.

With Ning Rongrong leading their Ring Fusion, all their strength flowed toward Tang San.

Feeling the state of Dai Mubai and the others behind him, Tang San saw the handle of the Clear Sky Hammer begin to bend in his grasp.

The force of the descending Light of Judgment was not only melting the hammer's golden coating; it was also pressing down with tremendous strength.

Seated high on the Throne, Yan watched Tang San and the others. Suddenly, he understood why Qian Renyu had put him through special training.

If they had taken the field as the Martial Soul Team had originally been assembled, Tang San and the others really would have posed a significant threat to them.

At the slightest misstep, the championship might truly have fallen into Shrek Academy's hands.

"His Holiness has accepted me as his personal disciple. I can't bring shame upon him!"

"His Holiness has already used the projection of his Martial Soul. If I still lose under these circumstances, how could I ever call myself part of the Golden Generation again?"

Yan snorted inwardly.

In an instant, the hand pressing down descended even farther.

"Damn it, the force is still increasing!"

Tang San sucked in a sharp breath, personally swinging the Clear Sky Hammer to resist the crushing pressure of the Light of Judgment.

He felt the increase in the Light of Judgment's strength more acutely than anyone.

His hands, gripping the Clear Sky Hammer, began to tremble. He could barely hold on to the thick handle.

BOOM—

At that moment, all the golden figures came hurtling down.

Tang San's pupils contracted to slits. He was already struggling to withstand the orange-red Light of Judgment.

The golden figures that followed pushed him beyond the limits of what he could bear.

Yan watched it all impassively.

Tang San's unsteady hands were plain to see.

No one else knew how the Throne Projection worked, but after these days of special training, Yan understood it perfectly.

Though it possessed only thirty percent of Qian Renyu's strength, the Throne Projection already let him bring his abilities up to the level of a Soul Douluo.

The golden figures could not all match a Soul Douluo, but every one of them was at least on par with a Soul Saint.

There was no way Tang San and the others from Shrek Academy could withstand a sea of Soul Saints.

RUMBLE—

A deafening roar rang out.

The dark Clear Sky Hammer suddenly flew into the air.

A golden ocean swallowed Tang San and the others whole.

Tang San had still been trying to hold on, but at the final moment, he could no longer keep his grip on the Clear Sky Hammer.

Eyes wide, he could only watch helplessly as the sea of golden figures engulfed all seven of them.

"Rongrong!"

Ning Fengzhi's heart leaped into his throat.

Golden figures continued to descend across the competition grounds.

Unable to see Tang San or Ning Rongrong anymore, Ning Fengzhi nearly sprang to his feet.

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, both doting grandfathers, activated their Martial Souls at once.

They were ready to intervene in the fight at any moment.

Yan remained seated on the Throne, watching as the golden ocean slowly faded away. He descended the golden steps that had reappeared.

The instant he stepped onto the ground, the golden light vanished into nothing.

Tang San and the others lay sprawled across the ground. Not one of them could get back up; they had clearly lost the ability to fight.

"Looks like you no longer have the strength to continue."

"Then this year's championship belongs to the Martial Soul Team!"

Yan glanced at the still-unwell Hu Liena, then at Tang San, and spoke calmly.

Tang San's face turned ashen.

He had experienced the might of the Throne's Judgment for himself.

Deep down, he didn't want to admit defeat, but he could no longer bring himself to insist otherwise.

They couldn't even handle Yan alone, let alone Xie Yue and Hu Liena.

If they kept fighting, they had no chance of winning.

When Tang San didn't argue, Yan turned and saluted Qian Renyu on the high platform.

"Teacher, your disciple has lived up to your expectations and won the championship!"

On the high platform,

Qian Renyu watched Yan end the match decisively, his expression unchanged.

The outcome had been entirely within his expectations.

With the Throne Projection, if Yan hadn't ended the fight with such overwhelming ease, he would have deserved to be nailed to a pillar of shame.

"Since the Shrek Team has lost the ability to continue, the Martial Soul Team is hereby declared the champion of this Spirit Master Tournament!"

"And now, I shall award the champion team its prizes."

Qian Renyu spoke casually.

With a wave of his hand, three Soul Bones fell from the high platform.

They did not float toward Hu Liena, but landed in Yan's hands.

Yan accepted the three Soul Bones and bowed once more. This time, he did not address Qian Renyu as his teacher. "On behalf of the Martial Soul Team, I, Yan, thank His Holiness the Pope for these rewards!"

Qian Renyu gave a soft acknowledgment, his voice light as he spoke. "The finals have concluded. Yan, take the members of the Martial Soul Team and leave first."

"Next, I have matters from earlier to deal with."

Yan said nothing. He glanced at Xie Yue, who led the still-unwell Hu Liena out of the competition grounds.

Before long, only Tang San and the other six remained in the vast competition area.

As they recovered, Tang San and the others helped one another to their feet.

Hearing Qian Renyu's words, their hearts sank. One after another, they looked toward him on the high platform.

Bibi Dong, standing beside Qian Renyu, felt her heart sink as well. She shot him a deeply hostile look.

Qian Renyu ignored it all, his indifferent gaze shifting farther away.

In the direction he was looking, Gui Mei was bringing Yu Xiaogang over under guard.

At the same time, Spirit Hall Soul Masters gathered nearby began closing in around the competition area.

"Flender, take Xiao Wu and the others and go! Qian Renyu is after me!"

Flender and Liu Erlong rushed out of the rest area, and Liu Erlong stepped directly in front of Xiao Wu.

Understanding what Qian Renyu meant, she ordered Tang San without even looking back.

After giving Tang San his instructions, Liu Erlong glared at Qian Renyu like a furious she-dragon and bellowed:

"With a mighty institution like Spirit Hall, this is how you choose to operate—with schemes and dirty tricks!"

"You had that guy Yan end the match in an instant. You were obviously planning for this very moment!"

"Qian Renyu, you're unworthy of being Spirit Hall's Pope! I used to think Bibi Dong was an embarrassment as Pope."

"But now I see that you're even more unfit for the position!"

"Whatever tricks you've got, bring them on! I'm not afraid of you or Spirit Hall!"