The Artifact Forged by the Goddess of Life

Four halos of different colors instantly expanded, landing precisely upon his six teammates.

In a split second, the six of them felt a surge of majestic power erupting from within their bodies.

All four of their attributes had been elevated by an entire level out of thin air!

Under the amplification of Gongyang Mo, the six members of the reserve team coordinated with tacit understanding, their offensive like a tidal wave.

In less than thirty seconds, the seven starting members of Tianling Academy were completely routed, collapsing to the ground and losing their ability to fight.

The referee was stunned for a long moment before finally raising his hand high, announcing in a voice that carried a trace of a tremor:

"This match, Shrek Academy, wins!"

The entire arena fell silent, not a sound to be heard.

A moment later, cheers and gasps as earth-shattering as a landslide finally detonated across the entire Star Luo Plaza.

With the battle over, the seven members of the Shrek reserve team walked off the competition stage with relaxed expressions, returning to the preparation area.

Wang Yan wore a satisfied smile on his face, praising them highly:

"Well done! This first battle has truly displayed the momentum of our Shrek!"

Ji Jing glanced at the bracket for the subsequent matches, shook his head, and said:

"The following matches don't hold much reference value for us. Let's head back to the hotel first, get some good rest, and prepare for the next round."

"That works too."

Wang Yan nodded.

And so, under the gaze of the entire audience, the Shrek Academy delegation, having just achieved a shocking victory, showed no intention of staying to watch the following matches; they rose as a group and left the arena.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive lounge on the other side with an excellent view, the members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, dressed in uniform team attire, had watched the entire match.

Their team leader, Elder Ma, spoke in a deep voice, breaking the silence in the room:

"Ma Rulong, what did you see in this match?"

The named Ma Rulong, captain of the Sun Moon team, frowned slightly and pondered before saying:

"Grandfather, the coordination of this Shrek reserve team is incredibly tacit; there are almost no flaws. That sissy's support ability is no less than the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda and must be dealt with as a priority."

Elder Ma nodded, his gaze shifting to the others.

At this moment, a slightly lazy yet confident voice rang out.

Xiao Hongchen rested his hands behind his head, leaning back on the sofa with a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth:

"I, on the other hand, think the team leader who walked at the very front when they entered is very interesting."

Ma Rulong looked at him in confusion:

"That redhead? He didn't even make a move."

"It is precisely because he didn't make a move that it is interesting."

Xiao Hongchen explained, "This person gives me a very dangerous feeling. He wasn't in the previous tournament, and he doesn't look very old; it's clear he is also a member of the reserve team."

Xiao Hongchen paused, continuing his analysis:

"In the first match, with almost their entire reserve team deployed, he, as the core figure of the reserve team, sat firmly on the sidelines. There are only two possibilities for this."

He stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, catching sight of Ji Jing leading the Shrek group as they left the arena, a flash of excitement in his eyes.

"The first is that he wants to hide his strength and keep his trump cards for the end. The second possibility is that he is very strong—so strong that the opponents we just saw aren't even worthy of him making a move!"

Watching Ji Jing's back disappear at the end of the corridor, Xiao Hongchen turned back, his sharp gaze sweeping over his teammates as his tone became resolute:

"And the fact that this person could stand at the core position of the entire Shrek delegation during the entrance ceremony shows that he is definitely not someone who likes to keep a low profile. Therefore, there is only one truth!"

Xiao Hongchen pointed his index finger forward:

"He is extremely strong!"

A flash of approval crossed Elder Ma's eyes as he nodded in agreement:

"Xiao Hongchen is right. Shrek Academy has hidden such a figure, one who was not in our previous intelligence. If there are any of his matches later, we must pay close attention and gather as much information on him as possible."

Xiao Hongchen, however, sat back down, returning to his lazy demeanor, and waved his hand:

"I don't think that's necessary. No matter how strong the people from Shrek are, they will never be a match for us Soul Engineers! Our Soul Tool can't be countered by individual strength alone."

Just as he finished speaking, his younger sister Meng Hongchen, who had been sitting beside him resting her chin in her hands while daydreaming, suddenly spoke up, stars twinkling in her large eyes:

"But... I feel like that red-haired captain is quite handsome. That sunny, confident vibe is truly charming."

Seeming to recall something, she added:

"Oh right, that boy with the water-blue hair in their team is also exceptionally handsome! He looks like he walked right out of a painting!"

The lounge instantly fell into an eerie silence.

The corner of Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched violently as he glared at his sister in annoyance:

"Meng! We are enemies with them! Can you please fix this habit of yours of swooning over people?"

Meng Hongchen stuck out her delicate pink tongue at her brother, making a playful face as she giggled:

"Hehe, why so serious? Relax a little. I know, I won't show any mercy on the arena!"

Returning to the top-floor suite of the Star Luo Grand Hotel, everyone was still immersed in the excitement of their opening victory.

"That was so satisfying! The faces of those people from Tianling Academy turned green the moment they saw us!"

Xu Sanshi gestured wildly as he spoke.

"Oh my, I never expected that I could be this strong with the support of senior Gongyang Mo!"

Xiao Xiao chimed in excitedly.

Ji Jing waved his hand with a smile and said:

"Alright, don't get too carried away. This was only the first match; the opponents ahead will only get stronger. Everyone go get some rest and recharge."

With that, he walked straight toward his room.

The competition was somewhat boring to him, and when bored, the thing Ji Jing liked to do most was still to sleep.

Wang Dong, however, wanted to go out for a stroll to see what was interesting in Star Luo City.

Inside his room, Ji Jing took off his coat and collapsed onto the soft, large bed, relaxing his entire body.

Just as he closed his eyes and his consciousness was about to drift into slumber, a gentle yet vast aura of life suddenly flooded the entire room.

He was incredibly familiar with this aura.

Ji Jing immediately opened his eyes, leaped up from the bed, and stood at attention respectfully.

Before him, a phantom radiating a soft green light quietly coalesced into form; it was none other than the Goddess of Life.

Her eyes remained filled with maternal love.

"Auntie Green!"

Ji Jing called out in pleasant surprise.

The Goddess of Life nodded with a smile, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze:

"Jing'er, the divine artifact I prepared for you is complete."

No sooner had she finished speaking than she lightly raised her slender hand, and a soft green light gathered in her palm.

After the light dissipated, a pair of exquisitely crafted forging hammers hovered silently in mid-air.

Ji Jing's gaze was instantly drawn to the pair of hammers.

They were a pair of forging hammers that shimmered with a brilliant green-gold hue throughout.

The hammer heads seemed to be fused from the purest gold and emerald, with patterns flowing across their surfaces that were brimming with vitality; merely looking at them made one feel invigorated, as if every cell in his body were cheering and leaping for joy.

As for the deep green handles, they were as warm and smooth as jade, exuding an ancient and vast aura, with a few strands of fresh, newborn sprouts wrapped around them, full of vibrant life.