The next day, at the arena.
The grandest stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament welcomed its final showdown.
The vast circular stands were packed to capacity.
The roar of the crowd surged like a tidal wave, threatening to overturn the sky.
At the highest point facing the arena, on the VIP viewing platform symbolizing power and status,
the members of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family sat in attendance.
Xue Ye sat with an air of dignity and authority. Beside him sat Qian Renxue, still disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and Prince Xue Beng, who wore a carefree, irreverent expression.
On the other side,
Ning Fengzhi, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's leader, wore a warm smile and an air of refined ease.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong stood behind him, one on either side, like guardian deities.
And at the very center, upon the throne symbolizing the highest authority of Spirit Hall,
Pope Bibi Dong held her scepter, her gaze sharp as a blade, her bearing noble and untouchable.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei stood silently at her sides, radiating the unique pressure of Titled Douluo.
Under the gaze of countless spectators,
the heavy iron gates on either side of the arena slowly swung open.
"Shrek Academy, enter!"
The announcer's booming voice rang across the arena.
In the passage on the left,
Tang San led the way, with Dai Mubai and the others close behind.
The seven wore their iconic green uniforms, their backs straight and their steps steady and resolute.
Defiant flames burned in their eyes as they faced every gaze.
On the opposite side,
"Spirit Hall Academy, enter!"
The gate on the right stood wide open.
Seven people in dazzling golden uniforms strode into the arena, their arrival accompanied by an aura of overwhelming power.
But when the spectators in the stands saw the Spirit Hall Team's formation, a wave of barely contained gasps swept through the crowd.
The one at the head of the team wasn't Xie Yue, the core of the renowned Golden Generation.
Instead, it was a handsome young man in dark robes, his expression calm and composed.
It was Gu Sheng.
And the once-arrogant Xie Yue now looked like an ordinary team member, silently following behind Gu Sheng with his head lowered, showing no sign of resistance.
"Who's that kid?"
"Why isn't Xie Yue leading the team?"
"How can this be? Did Spirit Hall change captains at the last minute?"
The spectators' chatter swept through the arena like a tsunami.
Everyone's eyes focused on the young man leading the team.
Gu Sheng paid no attention to the commotion around him.
He led his team to the center of the arena, where they faced the Shrek Seven Devils from across the field.
Gu Sheng stopped and stood firm.
His deep eyes met Tang San's gaze, brimming with battle intent.
Invisible sparks seemed to crackle in the air between them.
The referee walked between the two teams and glanced at the sky.
He raised his right hand high, channeling Soul Power into his voice so it carried across the arena.
"The final—"
"Begins!"
The referee's arm swept down.
"The match begins!"
The moment those words rang out, it was as if a barrel of gunpowder had been set alight at the center of the arena.
Dai Mubai charged forward first.
A colossal White Tiger phantom roared furiously behind him as White Tiger Vajra Transformation burst into action.
His muscles swelled at a visible pace, and his thick bones cracked and popped.
An overwhelming sense of power surged from within him. Golden fur stood on end, warping the air around him.
Zhu Zhuqing's figure blurred at the same moment.
Like a drop of ink vanishing into the sea, she moved with utmost lightness, slipping soundlessly into the arena's shadows.
Ma Hongjun planted his feet and sprang upward. His plump body unleashed astonishing jumping power as he soared into the air.
Blazing Phoenix Flame burst from him without restraint.
Crimson waves of fire swept through the surroundings, turning half the arena a fiery red. The terrifying heat made the air ripple like water.
Xiao Wu followed close behind, her long, straight legs moving in rapid strides.
The Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul blazed above her head, wrapping her in dazzling light. She moved so fast that only a pink afterimage remained.
Tang San stood firm in the center of the formation, his hands weaving through a rapid series of hand seals like butterflies darting among flowers.
Thick Blue Silver Grass vines spread wildly across the hard stone floor.
Countless blue-black vines intertwined and tangled, like a vast swarm of venomous snakes. In the blink of an eye, they covered most of the arena.
Ning Rongrong lifted the crystalline Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in both hands.
Its seven-colored glow made her already stunning features seem even more noble.
"Seven Treasures Have Names: First, Strength; Second, Speed!"
Brilliant streams of light burst from the pagoda, becoming bands of radiance that precisely entered the bodies of her charging teammates.
Oscar stood beside Ning Rongrong, rubbing his hands together without pause.
Sausages glimmering with a strange sheen were already prepared in his hands as he watched the battle closely.
The Shrek Seven Devils were all in motion.
They held nothing back, launching a thunderous assault from the very start.
On the other side, the seven members of the Spirit Hall Team moved as well.
Powerful Soul Power surged from them one after another, while Soul Skill lights of every color wove together.
And yet,
at the center, where the two furious forces were about to collide,
only one person stood quietly in place.
Gu Sheng.
He casually clasped his hands behind his back, the hem of his dark robes fluttering gently in the currents of air.
He didn't move.
He hadn't even shifted half a step, and showed no sign of releasing his Martial Soul.
He neither attacked nor gave orders.
He simply watched the Shrek members charging toward him, as if the life-or-death battle before him were nothing more than children at play.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue exchanged a glance.
Years of fighting side by side had given the siblings a tacit understanding that needed no words.
A blinding red light erupted from both of them at once.
Their two kindred Soul Powers intertwined perfectly in midair.
Red mist surged upward like a primordial beast opening its cavernous jaws.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Demon Charm erupted with unstoppable force.
The mist spread at an astonishing speed, enveloping the center of the arena in an instant.
Within the red fog, all the senses were forcibly stripped away.
Their vision was sealed; they could barely make out anything even one meter away. All they could hear was a series of unsettling wails.
The Shrek Team's charging formation came to an abrupt halt.
At that critical moment,
two beams of purple light burst from deep within Tang San's eyes, as if they were solid.
He pushed the Purple Demon Eye to its limit, forcibly piercing the thick red fog before him.
After spotting the terrifying figure within the mist, Tang San shouted,
"Fly!"
The instant the order was given, Oscar moved like lightning.
He tossed Flying Mushroom Sausages, placing one precisely into each teammate's hand.
Dai Mubai and the others didn't hesitate. They swallowed the sausages in one bite.
Transparent wings sprouted from their backs in unison.
All six beat their wings at once and rose into the air, escaping the reach of the red fog.
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