Just like in Soul Fighting, once the match was declared underway, both sides were given a minute to activate their Martial Souls.
"Brothers, activate your Martial Souls!!"
Dai Mubai raised his hands in front of his chest and shouted.
White Tiger Possession! Four Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—flashed brilliantly around him. Standing on either side of him, Tailong and Huang Yuan also released their Martial Souls: Giant Ape Possession and Lone Wolf Possession. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple—shone around each of them.
Xiao Wu, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu at the rear also activated their Martial Souls, each releasing three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple.
All six of them had the optimal Soul Ring Configuration.
But then!
"That's... a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"
"How is that possible? How could a fourth Soul Ring be ten thousand years old?"
A wave of gasps swept through the stands!
The source of all those cries was none other than Shrek's Tang San, standing in the center, his Soul Ring Configuration yellow, yellow, purple, black.
Black was usually the least conspicuous color.
But anyone who knew even a little about Soul Masters understood what it meant... That was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
A Ten Thousand Year Fourth Soul Ring!!
It completely overturned their understanding of Soul Master common sense and the limits of what Soul Rings could withstand!
Even Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, who were bent on revenge and determined to teach Shrek a lesson, had a trace of wariness flash in their eyes. Who could have guessed that Tang San would have a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?
Without a doubt, that Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring would be the greatest wild card on their road to revenge against Shrek!
But the wariness in Dugu Yan's eyes was soon replaced by hatred—pure, unmasked hatred!
Was this what he'd gained from the Herb Garden after tricking Grandpa out of it?
A Ten Thousand Year Fourth Soul Ring... That damned thief!!
"Everyone, as we agreed, Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, rush in first. Outnumber them, take them down one by one, and eliminate those four substitutes first... Activate your Martial Souls!"
Jade Phosphorous Serpent, Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, Nine Heart Begonia... Aside from Dugu Yan, whose Soul Ring Configuration was yellow, yellow, purple, purple, everyone else on the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team had three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple.
On the other side, Tang San and Dai Mubai both had four Soul Rings, and Tang San even had a Ten Thousand Year Fourth Soul Ring. Their imposing aura had already surpassed that of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team.
That gave Tailong, Jiang Zhu, and the others a good deal of their confidence back.
"Charge!!"
The minute of preparation passed in a blink. Tang San shouted.
Taking the signal, Dai Mubai charged ahead. With his Martial Soul in possession and his muscles bulging, he led Tailong and Huang Yuan straight into a head-on assault, hoping to seize the initiative!
On the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team, Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf charged forward as planned. But Dugu Yan was faster. She brought her legs together, transforming them into a snake's tail, twisted her body, and reached the front of the formation. The Second Soul Ring on her body lit up.
"Not good, fall back!!"
At the sight of her, Dai Mubai was immediately reminded of the fear of being controlled by Dugu Yan's deadly poison. He was reckless, but he wasn't brainless. He shouted a warning and skidded to a halt.
He'd fought Dugu Yan before, and recognized her Second Soul Skill at a glance: Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison.
Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison was a neurotoxin that slowed the movements and dulled the reactions of anyone it struck. It even slightly affected the circulation of Soul Power. Without Oscar's Detoxifying Sausages to provide an antidote, they couldn't afford to be too cautious.
Tailong and Huang Yuan obeyed without hesitation, retreating the moment they were told.
But...
The Second Soul Ring on Dugu Yan's body only flashed. She didn't activate her Soul Skill. Not only that, but she abruptly halted her seemingly aggressive charge, too.
She'd only been faking them out!
Just as she knew the effects of Shrek's Soul Skills and their fighting styles, the Shrek members who had fought her before knew her Soul Ring Configuration and the effects of her Soul Skills.
So she'd turned that knowledge against them.
That feint was all about psychological warfare!
She'd deliberately shown them her Second Soul Ring, and the big, dumb tiger on the other side had taken the bait!
As she slowed, the five who'd fallen behind—Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf—surged to the front of their formation again. Meanwhile, Dai Mubai and the others had retreated, completely losing the initiative!
The five-man team followed her pre-battle plan to the letter.
Lion leaped high. Bear followed close behind, scooped him up, turned, stepped forward, and hurled him—a smooth, seamless series of movements.
"We are not spoiled good-for-nothings!!"
With a roar from both men, Bear unleashed his formidable arm strength and flung Lion forward!
"Boom!"
A sonic boom burst through the air!
Lion shot toward Shrek like a cannonball.
As the Soul Rings lit up, Tang San was the first to react.
"You want to seize the initiative?"
"Then you'll have to ask whether my Blue Silver Grass agrees!"
"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Entanglement!"
Tang San snorted. Blue Silver Grass shimmered in his palm. In the next instant, three thick, vine-like stalks appeared around the waists of Dai Mubai, Tailong, and Huang Yuan.
Then he yanked hard.
But...
"Snap!"
After being strengthened layer upon layer by the Datura Snake, Ghost Vine, Man Faced Demon Spider, and Ten Thousand Year Crypt Demon Spider Soul Rings, the Blue Silver Grass should have been incredibly tough. Yet the moment he pulled with all his strength... it snapped!
Just like that?
"What?"
Tang San's pupils contracted.
When experts clashed, a moment's lapse in concentration was all it took to expose an opening!
And in that split second—
Lion had already flown over the heads of the Shrek team. At the same time, the Third Soul Ring on his body blazed brightly!
Brilliant purple light, vivid and dazzling!
"Third Soul Skill: Raging Lion's Roar!!"
Roar—
A roar rang through the entire arena, its shock wave striking straight at the soul!
"Ah..."
Tailong and Huang Yuan below, along with Jing Ling, who'd sensed something was wrong the instant the Blue Silver Grass snapped and rushed forward to help, were all struck without exception.
They clutched their heads and collapsed, screaming. At that moment, they felt as if a thousand needles were stabbing in and out of their brains. Their heads throbbed with unbearable pain, and they were completely unable to fight.
Raging Lion's Roar was a rare mental-attack Soul Skill, with a powerful effect for seizing the initiative and controlling the enemy—much like the Lion King's ability to cow the beasts!
Only Dai Mubai, whose battle instincts were astonishing, escaped unscathed.
"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!!"
His Third Soul Ring lit up. His muscles, already swollen from Martial Soul Possession, grew even larger, and black stripes appeared on his skin.
White Tiger Vajra Transformation was a self-enhancement Soul Skill. For its duration, it doubled the user's resistance to abnormal conditions, attack power, defense, and strength!
Once the Third Soul Skill was activated, the mental attack from Raging Lion's Roar was dispelled.
But Lion's roar hadn't just been a hard-control move to seize the initiative. It had also sounded the charge!
Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf pressed forward together!
"First Soul Skill: Demon Bear Transformation!"
With his huge body after Martial Soul Possession and the First Soul Skill, Demon Bear Transformation, Bear charged straight at Dai Mubai. This foiled the latter's attempt to retreat with Tailong and the others.
But that wasn't Bear's only goal!
"Second Soul Skill: Mountain Crash!"
The powerful impact forced Dai Mubai backward... driving him away from the substitutes and splitting the battlefield. That was Bear's real objective!
And right behind Bear—
"Second Soul Skill: Heaven-Splitting Tiger Claw!"
"First Soul Skill: Fire Leopard Flame Bullet!"
"First Soul Skill: Wolf Charge!"
Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf's Soul Rings flashed, and their Soul Skills burst forth. They concentrated their attacks, striking only one person at a time and never spreading them out. They followed Dugu Yan's orders to the letter: outnumber the enemy and take them down one by one!
Some charged, some supported, some took the hits, and some finished off their targets... This was the simplest form of coordinated battle formation!
It was too fast!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
From the moment the Blue Silver Grass snapped to the elimination of the three substitutes, only a single breath had passed. Dai Mubai was the only one in the front line who could fight, and Bear had him pinned down while the others closed in on him.
"Boss, hang in there!!"
Tang San called out, and the Ten Thousand Year Fourth Soul Ring on his body lit up.
But just then...
"Tang San, I'm your opponent!"
A cool voice rang out. Dugu Yan twisted her serpentine body and vaulted right over Lion, Bear, and the others, blocking Tang San's path. Her tail lashed out, forcibly cutting him off!
Before you continue