Absolute Crushing on Court No. 8

The next day.

The area around Star Luo Grand Stadium was packed with people, and many streets had been closed.

With the help of their electronic participant badges, the participants finally managed to enter the main stadium through the designated entrance.

Upon entering the stadium, the first thing they felt was the incredibly enthusiastic atmosphere emanating from the stands.

Cheers rose and fell like crashing waves, the enormous sound making it difficult for people to hear each other even when they were close together.

That was the cheers of 300,000 people.

Inside the large stadium, rows of competition stands stand side by side, each protected by a dedicated Soul Guidance Barrier to prevent mutual interference or energy leakage.

As stated in the competition rules, individuals can use any ability, and must sign a waiver of liability.

Although actual injuries and fatalities are rare, the referee will try to stop the game if necessary.

But this was the first time they had ever seen a match where everyone was fighting with all their might.

There aren't many people actually competing in mechs because there are fifty arenas set up at the same time, and each arena has a limited area. Mechs have too little room to maneuver in a competition arena with a diameter of fifty meters, and would instead become a burden.

But they saw people using Soul Tool to compete, their various lights blooming like fireworks in different competition venues.

It was dazzling for a moment.

"It looks quite exciting." Tang Wulin looked at the people around him.

"Your princess might come to cheer you on," Yun Jingheng teased Tang Wulin, pushing away the water Xu Xiaoyan offered.

"No... Big brother, then it's mine?"

Yun Jingheng chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Stubborn. Hurry up and get ready, no one will team up with you for the individual competition."

Tang Wulin shook his head helplessly, but his gaze unconsciously swept towards the audience.

Three hundred thousand people, densely packed like ants, looked down from above as a sea of surging heads, waving flags, and gleaming support signs.

"Who should we look for?"

Xie Xie had somehow gotten close, arms crossed, and said sarcastically, "You seem distracted."

"Is it not even okay for me to check?"

Amidst the laughter and banter, a mechanical female voice came over the loudspeaker. "Contestants, please proceed to the competition stage as indicated by the electronic signs. Repeat..."

Tang Wulin glanced down at the electronic display on his wrist. A message popped up: [Contestant No. 333, Stage No. 33, Match 3. Please arrive at the designated area in advance.]

"Station number thirty-three."

He looked up. "And you?"

Twenty-five.

"Eight."

Thirty-one.

The group each called out their numbers and dispersed to different locations.

Yun Jingheng glanced at his number one last time, then suddenly looked up at Tang Wulin, his tone becoming more serious. "The first round is all random matching. Don't mess up before you run into someone you're on the same team."

Tang Wulin nodded. "You too."

Yun Jingheng's competition table is number eight.

As he passed through the East District, he glanced in the direction of Platform Seventeen, where a light had already been lit up—that was Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass.

His lips curved slightly, but he didn't stop walking.

The eighth match stand is located on the west side of the stadium. Compared to the east section, the stands here are slightly quieter, but with a population of 300,000, the roar still makes the air vibrate.

The first two matches are nearing their end.

Yun Jingheng stood in the waiting area, zipped his jacket all the way up, and slightly moved his wrists.

His electronic display vibrated slightly on his arm: [Station 8, Match 4. Ready to enter.]

"Fourth match, both players enter the arena."

Yun Jingheng stepped onto the competition stage.

The Soul Guidance Barrier closed behind him, isolating him from some of the noise, but making the alloy ground beneath his feet feel even colder and harder.

He stood slightly to the left of the center of the field, calmly looking across at the other side.

The person walking towards him was younger than he had imagined, probably around eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in a gray outfit with fine embroidery on the cuffs and collar, which reflected a cold light under the lamp.

The other person also recognized the Shrek badge on his chest. Their expression changed noticeably, and they paused for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

The two stood twenty meters apart in the center of the field, while the referee stood at the edge of the protective barrier, raising his hand expressionlessly.

"There's only one rule—the match ends when I determine that one side is incapacitated, voluntarily surrenders, or goes out of bounds. Otherwise, any means are acceptable, regardless of life or death. Do you understand?"

"Clear."

"Start."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the young man opposite him launched the first attack.

He clasped his hands together in front of him, and silver-gray Soul Power surged out like a tide, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound in the air.

On the ground, countless tiny metal particles drifted out from the gaps in his combat suit, condensing in the air into dozens of silver needles about the length of a finger, all with their tips aimed at Yun Jingheng.

Weapon Soul Master.

Moreover, it is a rare type with Metal Control.

Yun Jingheng narrowed his eyes slightly, and instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

"Go."

The young man gave a low shout, and dozens of silver needles shot out like a torrential rain. The sound of them cutting through the air was sharp and piercing. Each needle carried a high-speed rotating airflow, and their targets covered Yun Jingheng's vital points.

Rainstorm of pear blossom needles?

Yun Jingheng remained motionless. Just as the referee was about to move, Yun Jingheng twitched his finger.

The needles stopped in mid-air, less than three feet from Yun Jingheng's face.

The entire competition stage seemed to be held down by an invisible giant hand, and time and space froze.

Dozens of silver needles hovered in the air, neither falling nor moving forward, as if they were embedded in transparent amber.

The referee, who had raised his hand halfway, froze in place, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

In his thirty years in the profession, he had never seen anything like it. It wasn't a high-speed dodge, nor Soul Power barrier, but rather the complete cessation of the opponent's attack.

The young man turned deathly pale.

He could clearly feel that the connection between his Soul Power and those silver needles was still there, but he couldn't move forward even an inch.

Yun Jingheng slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched.

The silver needles all turned around in unison, their tips no longer aimed at Yun Jingheng, but at their original owner.

"This is impossible..." The young man subconsciously took a step back.

As Yun Jingheng pointed forward, all the silver needles rushed towards him.

The young man's Soul Power erupted, and a layer of silver-gray light condensed on his body, forming an armor-like layer. He gritted his teeth and thrust his hands forward violently, attempting to regain control of the silver needles.

The needles trembled violently in the air, as if being pulled by two forces, slowing their forward speed.

Yun Jingheng raised an eyebrow slightly and pressed down gently with his finger.

Oh, I was just letting you have your way, you really think you can do it?

The gravitational force suddenly doubled.

The silver needle broke through the youth's last line of defense and stopped less than a foot away from him.

Dozens of needles, their tips gleaming coldly, pointed densely at his eyes, throat, and heart.

Cold sweat trickled down the young man's forehead.

He could even see his own face reflected in the tip of the needle—a face filled with horror.

Yun Jingheng did not allow the silver needles to go any further.

"Admit defeat? Or..."

Yun Jingheng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

He didn't finish his sentence, but tilted his head slightly, as if listening intently to something.

Then, the needles began to tremble violently in the air.

Each silver needle was vibrating at a frequency imperceptible to the naked eye, emitting a subtle yet sharp hum.

The sound was initially very soft, like the flapping of wings of a swarm of bees in the distance, but it quickly amplified, converged, and intertwined, eventually transforming into a piercing wave of sound.

The silver needles are singing.

That was the vibration emitted by the metal itself after being compressed to its limit in the gravitational field, like the sound of a sword, like the roar of a dragon.

The sound waves spread out from the tip of the needle, reflecting and overlapping within the Soul Guidance Barrier, forming visible ripples.

Enveloped in this wave of sound, the young man felt a stinging pain in his eardrums, a throbbing sensation in his temples, and his Soul Power was thrown into disarray.

Even more terrifying, those needles were less than a foot away from his vital organs.

Yun Jingheng finally spoke the second half of his sentence, his tone still calm, as if he were asking what he wanted to eat for lunch.

"Want to test how sharp they are?"

The young man opened his mouth, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He realized that the outcome of the match was never in doubt from the start.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but rather that the opponent's strength had exceeded the limits he could reach.

He didn't even release his Martial Soul or Soul Ring.

Absolute crushing, utter crushing...

"I surrender."

The young man's voice was hoarse when he uttered those three words.

As soon as he finished speaking, all the silver needles stopped vibrating simultaneously.

The piercing chant abruptly stopped, and the competition stage fell into a brief silence before being filled with gasps of surprise from the audience.

Yun Jingheng withdrew his right hand, and the silver needles clattered and fell to the ground.

He didn't look at the young man again, turned around and walked off the stage.

Behind him, the referee's voice rang out. "Eighth match, fourth round, winner: Yun Jingheng."

The young man stood there, his legs weak and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He looked at the scattered silver needles on the ground, then at Yun Jingheng's departing figure, and suddenly realized that the back of his combat suit was soaked with sweat.

The whistling of the needles still echoed in his ears, lingering for Jiujiu.

He will never forget that voice in his life.

That was a warning from the one who crushed them.

Gentle, yet deadly.

In the stands, an elderly man lowered his eyes.

"The Son of Yun Ming... is in trouble."

The person next to him turned slightly and lowered their voice. "What did you say?"

The old man did not answer.

His gaze swept across the bustling arena and landed on the back of the boy who was walking out of the eighth competition platform.

This child is like a bottomless pool of water.

Unfathomable.

"You mean... Yun Jingheng from Shrek?"

The person beside him finally reacted, lowering their voice even further, "Yun Ming's son?"

The old man neither nodded nor shook his head.

He simply turned his head slowly and looked at another person sitting a few steps away.

Dai Tianling.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire sat upright, his gaze sweeping across the arena with a smile on his face.

He was dressed in a dark purple casual suit, with the golden emblem of the Star Luo Empire embroidered on his chest, exuding an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger.

But his smile carried a nonchalant arrogance, as if the clamor of 300,000 people and the fierce battles on 50 competition stages were nothing more than a dish to accompany drinks.

The old man cleared his throat and carefully spoke, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince's strength is still weak. This person... do you really want him to continue fighting?"

Dai Tianling turned his head, raising a thick eyebrow.

"Eh~"

He waved his hand dismissively, as if he were remarking on the pleasant weather, "How can a prince of the Star Luo Empire back down? How will he command respect in the future?"

The old man opened his mouth, but then stopped himself from speaking.

He saw the stubbornness in Dai Tianling's eyes; it wasn't a well-thought-out decision, but rather a father's expectation for his son.

Add the Emperor's considerations for the royal family, and the Star Luo Empire people's ambiguous rivalry with Shrek Academy.

Complex emotions tangled together, twisted into a knot.

The old man ultimately chose to remain silent and close his eyes.

If Dai Yueyan were to encounter that Little Monster, you'd better still be able to laugh.

The match continued.

Round 2, Round 3, Round 4.

The individual competition has to be completed in one day, with the first three rounds eliminated, eliminating more than 70% of the players.

The schedule was as tight as a wound-up toy; the winners stayed, the losers left, with no extra time to breathe.

Yun Jingheng's second opponent was a power-type Battle Soul Master, with a muscular build like an iron tower and a pair of giant stone hammers as his Martial Soul.

The man came onto the stage with a menacing air, slamming his double hammers into the ground, causing the entire arena to tremble.

Then Yun Jingheng moved his fingers.

The burly man, hammer and all, was thrown away by an invisible force, crashing heavily into the Soul Guidance Barrier. As he slid down, the stone hammer slipped from his hand, and his face was filled with bewilderment.

He didn't even touch the hem of Yun Jingheng's clothes.

The match lasted eleven seconds.

The third round.

The opponent was a woman with agility-based attacks; she was slender and moved with Gui Mei speed.

She had clearly studied Yun Jingheng's previous two matches, and as soon as she stepped onto the stage, she unleashed her full speed, attempting to use high-frequency movements to evade the lock of gravity.

Yun Jingheng also used his agility to circle her a few times with great interest, but then he lost interest.

He raised his hand and used gravity to press her to the ground.

She gritted her teeth and held on for ten seconds.

"I surrender."

Yun Jingheng withdrew his right hand, turned around, and walked off the competition stage.

In the contestant tunnel, Xie Xie leaned against the wall, watching Yun Jingheng walk over, his expression a complex mix of emotions.

"You're still trying to seduce her?" Xie Xie's voice was a little unsteady.

Yun Jingheng glanced at him. "Boring, isn't this level of difficulty?"

Xie Xie fell silent.

His opponent in the third round was a control-type Soul Master with bizarre Soul Skill. It took him nearly four minutes to defeat him, leaving him with three cuts on his combat suit and a burn on his arm.

Yun Jingheng's lips curled into an undisguised sneer.

In the distance, Tang Wulin was walking towards them.

His combat uniform had several tears, and there was a shallow bloodstain on the back of his right hand, but he was in good spirits, and his eyes shone like two stars.

"Your princess is watching you," Yun Jingheng suddenly said.

Tang Wulin was taken aback and subconsciously turned his head to look at the audience.

Yun Jingheng smiled triumphantly and patted him on the shoulder, "Just kidding. Let's go, the fourth round is about to begin."

Tang Wulin: "..."

Xie Xie was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight.

Round four.

On the first day of the individual competition, the top 128 teams will be determined.

The first three rounds eliminated the vast majority of weaker contestants; from the fourth round onwards, those remaining were no pushovers.

Yun Jingheng's opponent in the fourth round was a young man wearing a red school uniform.

As the opponent stepped onto the stage, Yun Jingheng noticed that a small area in the audience suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't the kind of silence that comes from being overwhelmed by a great match, but rather a breathless silence filled with tension and anticipation.

Then he noticed the badge on the other person's chest; it was a very ugly one.

He looked down at his chest. Well, mine doesn't look good either.

Are they students from the Monster Academy? Whatever, just kick them down first.

But the young man on the other side clearly didn't think that way.

Dai Yueyan stood on the stage, her gaze fixed on Yun Jingheng.

His eyes held scrutiny, vigilance, and a barely perceptible hint of... fighting spirit.

He had watched the recordings of Yun Jingheng's first three matches.

Crushing, crushing, and still fucking crushing.

He knew what he was facing.

But he did not back down.

The dignity of the royal family would not allow him to back down.