At Star Luo Square, the eyes of 200,000 people are focused on the north passageway.
The group from the Shrek Academy walked out slowly.
Lin Ciyan walked at the front, his short, golden-white hair still standing out against the gloomy sky.
His specially made black and white team uniform accentuated his tall and straight figure, and he wore his signature lazy expression.
Behind him, Zhang Lexuan wore a moon-white long dress, her temperament as gentle and graceful as the moon.
Following them, Ling Luochеn, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and other regular team members, along with seven reserve team members, followed in turn.
The athletes' rest area was already full.
All 67 teams that advanced through the knockout stage participated.
Their gazes were almost entirely fixed on Shrek Academy, or more precisely... on Lin Ciyan.
The shock of one person "sleeping on the field" that day is still vivid in my mind.
What will this mysterious Shrek captain bring this time?
Shrek Academy's rest area is located at the far north end, and it's ridiculously spacious.
Twenty comfortable sofas were neatly arranged, waiters stood respectfully, and the tables were laden with food and drinks.
In contrast, the rest areas of other colleges only had seven seats, forcing reserve team members to stand at the back.
This is the treatment received by the top academy on the mainland.
The host was already warming up the crowd. "Next, please welcome the Shrek Academy team, the number one academy on the continent, and their opponents, the Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy team from the Star Luo Empire, to the waiting area! Also, please invite the captains of both teams to the stage to confirm the competition format!"
Lin Ciyan stood up.
"Captain, shall I go?" Bei Bei offered.
"No need." Lin Ciyan waved his hand and walked towards the competition stage.
His pace was casual, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.
Across from them, the captain of the Yunluo Academy was a muscular, blond man with clearly defined muscles beneath his white school uniform.
Seeing Lin Ciyan go on stage, his expression became visibly tense.
The referee brought a transparent lottery tube onto the stage and had both sides check it first.
The three balls—red, yellow, and blue—represent three different game modes.
Lin Ciyan casually touched the lottery tube to make sure there was nothing wrong, then placed his palm against the tube wall.
"Three, two, one!"
The two exerted force simultaneously, flinging the large sphere high into the air.
A small yellow ball fell out.
The referee caught the ball and raised it high, signaling. " Shrek Academy vs. Yunluo Academy, a one-on-one elimination tournament! Please send out your first player!"
One-on-one?
The audience immediately stirred.
Countless eyes were fixed on Lin Ciyan...
Everyone hoped he would be the first to appear, and ideally, deliver another stunning performance.
But Lin Ciyan simply stepped off the competition stage and returned to the waiting area.
"For the first match," he began, his voice soft but clear, "You're Luo Chen."
The waiting area fell silent instantly.
Ling Luochеn's icy blue eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised.
"Me?" she asked softly.
"Mm." Lin Ciyan nodded.
Ling Luochеn was taken aback for a moment, then understood what he meant.
This is to allow her to appear in formal settings as a Shrek Academy student.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
Her long, icy blue hair was simply tied back, revealing her slender, fair neck.
She was wearing the blue and white school uniform of the Shrek Academy...
She wore a fitted blue and white cropped top and a knee-length blue and white skirt.
Her legs were encased in pure white stockings, and she wore small leather shoes.
This outfit perfectly accentuated her cool and aloof temperament, while also adding a touch of youthful energy reminiscent of a schoolgirl.
"Keep it up," Lin Ciyan said calmly.
Ling Luochеn nodded slightly and stepped towards the competition stage.
Her steps were steady, each one as precise as if measured with a ruler.
Her blue and white short skirt swayed gently with her steps, and her long legs, encased in white stockings, gleamed delicately under the light.
A low gasp rippled through the audience.
"This girl... is so beautiful..."
"She has such a cold demeanor, like an iceberg."
The first student sent by the Yunluo Academy has taken the stage...
He was a short, stout young man, his Soul Tool making him look like a metal can, and his face was full of tension.
The referee called the two players over, "Individual elimination tournament rules: the losing side immediately leaves the stage, and the winning side can choose to continue or substitute. Each side will field seven players, and the tournament will continue until all seven players on one side have lost. Understand?"
"Understood." Ling Luochеn's voice was cold.
"I understand..." Yunluo student's voice trembled.
Both sides stepped back.
Ling Luochеn stood on one side of the competition stage, her blue and white school uniform fluttering gently in the breeze.
She did not immediately release her Martial Soul, but instead quietly looked at her opponent, her gaze as calm as if she were looking at an object.
"The match begins!"
The referee finished speaking.
Yunluo student Ma Yingjun (it really was that name) immediately activated his Soul Tool...
More than twenty metal tubes protruded from his arms, shoulders, back, and legs, and a soul-guided shield appeared on his chest. In an instant, he transformed into a mobile turret.
Ling Luochеn simply raised his right hand.
An icy blue light emanated from her palm.
Five Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet... two yellow, two purple, and one black.
A few disappointed sighs rose from the audience.
The Fifth Ring? Not the Soul Emperor I imagined.
But the next moment, everyone's expression froze.
Because Ling Luochеn's Martial Soul has changed.
Her originally icy blue hair quickly turned a bright white from the roots.
However, the ends of the hair still retain an icy blue sheen, creating a mysterious gradient of white and blue.
A complex ice-blue light pattern quietly appeared in the center of his forehead, like an ancient rune.
Her eyes deepened, and snowflakes seemed to fall into her icy blue pupils.
Extreme cold air spread out from her center.
A layer of white frost instantly formed on the competition platform, and the air temperature plummeted.
"This is..." In the waiting area, Wang Yan suddenly stood up.
Dai Yueheng's eyes widened as well. " Ling Luochеn's ice attribute... when did it become so strong?!"
Xi Xi covered her mouth, exclaiming, " Luo Chen... this Soul Power fluctuation, could it be the Ultimate Ice?!"
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly, looking at Ling Luochеn on the stage, whose temperament was completely different, and fell into deep thought.
Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth, a flame igniting in her orange-red eyes...
It wasn't anger, it was jealousy.
She could sense that Ling Luochеn's ice attribute had undergone a qualitative change, reaching its ultimate level.
As for herself, the Evil Fire was just one last bit short...
She turned to look at Lin Ciyan.
Lin Ciyan was looking at the competition stage, his profile standing out sharply against the gloomy sky.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, he turned his head and met her eyes.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes instantly turned resentful, yet with a hint of seduction...
It's as if it's saying: Look at her, you're the one who helped her. And what about me?
Lin Ciyan smiled slightly and gave her a "don't rush" look.
On the stage, the battle has begun.
Ma Yingjun's Soul Tool barrel simultaneously emitted light, unleashing dozens of beams of light, fireballs, ice spikes, and wind blades that rained down on Ling Luochеn.
Ling Luochеn didn't even move.