The smile on Huyan Yu's face froze completely.
The last glimmer in his eyes abruptly went out, replaced by boundless disbelief and the despair of having his hopes utterly crushed.
"Wh... why... Puh—!"
Overcome by fury and frustration, his blood surged in reverse!
Huyan Yu could no longer hold on. He spat out a mouthful of blood he had suppressed for far too long.
The failure of that final blow, the victory that had been within reach slipping away in such a dramatic fashion, became the last straw that broke his already crumbling mental defenses.
The light in his eyes scattered completely. His sturdy body, which had only been held up by sheer will, finally lost all strength and crashed forward onto the ground, falling fully unconscious.
The stage fell silent.
Then, the referee's booming voice echoed throughout the arena through a sound-amplifying Soul Tool:
"Shrek Academy wins!"
As the words fell, the brief silence was followed by deafening cries that swept through the stands like an erupting volcano.
The outcome of this match had exceeded everyone's expectations.
When Xia Ming conceded and stepped down from the arena, returning to Shrek Academy's preparation area, he was met by several complicated gazes.
Especially from the members of the main team, whose eyes on Xia Ming had subtly changed.
The admiration they had once held for an outstanding junior with astonishing potential but still apparent immaturity quietly faded away.
In its place was a solemn regard almost on equal footing, even carrying a trace of barely perceptible wariness.
"Tch..." A burly main-team member clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a mix of emotion and self-mockery.
"I don't think I could beat you now, Junior Xia."
He was also a power-attack Soul Master, but both his strength and defense were a notch below Huyan Yu's.
At the very least, Xia Ming, who could control his strength, would certainly be able to break through his defenses.
Even Huyan Yu, who surpassed him in every respect, had lost. If the two of them faced each other, he estimated that he would only lose even more miserably.
"Enough." Mu En nodded, stopping the others from continuing to scrutinize Xia Ming.
He was not at all surprised by the result of this match.
He was the person present who understood Xia Ming's strength best. He knew Xia Ming could certainly defeat his opponent with ease, or he would not have entrusted him with this task.
"There's no need to dwell on what has already passed."
Mu En gently turned the page, shifting his gaze to the woman beside him, whose temperament was gentle and tranquil, yet whom no one dared underestimate.
"Lexuan, it's your turn. Make it quick and clean."
"Yes." Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly, her voice crisp.
She made no unnecessary movements, merely rising calmly and walking toward the arena with unhurried steps.
In less than five minutes, she defeated the remaining two Soul Kings in succession, bringing this match to an end.
Shrek Academy advanced to the top eight!
After the round of sixteen, the following matches were equally without suspense.
Even teams that also possessed Soul Emperors were worlds apart from Zhang Lexuan in strength.
With the amplification of a Soul King-level Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, she alone was enough to defeat an entire team.
Not to mention that the other members of the main team were no weaklings either. Their overall strength was far ahead of the competition.
Only the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy caused them even the slightest trouble.
But that was all. The strength of this year's team was actually far inferior to that of the next generation in the original work.
Their captain was a sixth-level Soul Engineer who had barely been raised to the Soul Emperor realm through medication.
The other five main-team members were merely fifth-level Soul Engineers, and their strength varied greatly.
They were certainly strong enough to defeat other teams, but against the main team led by Zhang Lexuan, they were still nowhere near qualified.
Just as everyone expected, Shrek Academy won the championship of this tournament and received the three Soul Bones awarded to the champions.
These were three high-quality Soul Bones, each over ten thousand years old, respectively suited for power-attack, agility-attack, and control-type Soul Masters.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor personally placed the three Soul Bones in their hands, making countless observing Soul Masters' hearts race with envy.
For the vast majority of Soul Masters in the world, obtaining even one such Soul Bone in an entire lifetime would be a blessing from the heavens, enough to change the course of their fate.
For most Soul Masters of this era, being able to absorb a Soul Bone of this level was already an immense fortune.
Even for Shrek's well-traveled main-team members, these were undoubtedly exciting spoils of war.
The team soon distributed them reasonably according to the Soul Bones' attributes and each person's development path, and every face brimmed with the joy of harvest.
As the clamor faded and the crowd gradually dispersed,
Mu En kept Xia Ming behind alone.
The two stood at a high point in the somewhat empty rest area, overlooking the arena below as it gradually grew deserted.
"Are you envious? These are ten-thousand-year Soul Bones."
"Although they are far less valuable than that five-hundred-thousand-year skull bone, they can still be considered rare treasures."
Xia Ming shook his head without the slightest hesitation.
He was not putting on airs. He truly looked down on Soul Bones of this level.
Seeing the unfeigned calm in Xia Ming's eyes, the wrinkles on Mu En's face seemed to relax somewhat as he revealed a satisfied smile.
"Very good." He nodded, his tone turning solemn.
"Remember your state of mind at this moment. Your sights must be set higher."
"Regarding your sixth Soul Ring," Mu En lowered his voice.
"My expectation is that it will be at the Hundred-Thousand-Year level. And a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is guaranteed to produce a Soul Bone."
He raised his eyes slightly, sketching out a magnificent blueprint for Xia Ming.
"This means that simply through hunting Soul Rings, you will possess at least four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bones in the future!"
"Add that five-hundred-thousand-year head Soul Bone to the equation."
"By then, only one position among all the Soul Bones on your body will remain vacant."
Mu En turned around and stared directly at Xia Ming.
"So promise me."
"For that final Soul Bone position, you absolutely must not settle!"
"Either choose one old enough to match your other Soul Bones in age."
"Or choose one with a unique special skill whose strategic value cannot be replaced."
"Better none than something inferior."
"Yes." Xia Ming nodded solemnly.
"Good." The seriousness on Mu En's face melted away, and his usual gentle smile returned.
He lightly patted Xia Ming on the shoulder.
"As long as you understand, I can rest easy."
"The tournament is over, and we will return tomorrow. We will stay in Heaven Dou City for one final night today..."
A trace of understanding and gentle teasing flashed through his eyes.
"Go say a proper goodbye to your little maid. After we leave, years may pass. When you meet again, things may be entirely different."
Before his words had even faded, Mu En had already turned away with a soft laugh, his figure silently vanishing as though melting into the breeze.
He still needed to find Du Busi and the Heavenly Soul Emperor to discuss a few matters.
Before you continue