Squad Two: We're Not Trash!

Similar to soul fighting, there is a one-minute preparation time after the announcement for both sides to activate their Martial Soul Possession.

"Brothers, activate your Martial Souls!!"

Dai Mubai raised his hands before his chest and let out a loud shout.

With his White Tiger possessed, four soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—flashed brilliantly around him. Standing on his flanks, Tailong and Huang Yuan also released their Martial Souls, Giant Ape and Lone Wolf respectively, with three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—shining brightly.

Xiao Wu, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu in the rear also activated their Martial Souls, each releasing three yellow, yellow, and purple soul rings.

Every one of these six possessed the optimal soul ring configuration.

But immediately after!

"Is that... a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"

"How is that possible? How could the fourth soul ring be ten-thousand-year?"

In an instant, exclamations surged through the spectator stands like a tide!

The source of everyone's astonishment was none other than the center of the Shrek side, Tang San, and his yellow, yellow, purple, and black soul ring configuration.

Black, originally the most inconspicuous color;

Yet anyone with even a modicum of knowledge about Spirit Masters understood what it signified... that was a ten-thousand-year soul ring;

And a ten-thousand-year fourth ring at that!!

This completely subverted their common knowledge of Spirit Masters and their understanding of the limits of soul ring endurance!

Even for Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, who were bent on revenge and determined to teach Shrek a lesson, a flicker of gravity crossed their eyes. Who could have imagined that such a ten-thousand-year soul ring would appear on Tang San?

This ten-thousand-year soul ring would undoubtedly become the greatest variable on their path to revenge against Shrek!

But soon, the gravity in Dugu Yan's eyes was replaced by hatred—pure, unadulterated hatred!

Is this what he gained after swindling the medicinal garden from Grandpa?

A ten-thousand-year fourth ring... that damned thief!!

"Everyone, as we discussed: Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf, take the initiative to attack. Use our numbers to overwhelm them, break them one by one, and prioritize eliminating those four substitutes... Activate your Martial Souls!"

Jade Phosphorous Serpent, Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, and Nine Heart Begonia... aside from Dugu Yan's yellow, yellow, purple, and purple configuration, the rest of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy side all possessed the yellow, yellow, and purple three-ring setup;

Across from them, both Tang San and Dai Mubai were four-ringed, and Tang San's fourth ring was ten-thousand-year, giving them an edge in momentum over the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

This restored quite a bit of confidence to Tailong, Jiang Zhu, and the others.

"Go!!"

The one-minute preparation time passed in a blink, and Tang San shouted.

Receiving the order, Dai Mubai took the lead. Under the state of Martial Soul Possession, his muscles bulged as he, Tailong, and Huang Yuan charged straight ahead, attempting to seize the initiative!

On the Heaven Dou Royal Academy side, the five—Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf—charged forward according to the plan. However, Dugu Yan was faster; her legs merged into a serpent's tail, and with a twist of her body, she reached the front of the formation as her second soul ring lit up.

"Bad, retreat quickly!!"

Seeing this, Dai Mubai was instantly reminded of the fear of being dominated by Dugu Yan's potent poison. He was reckless, but never brainless, so he roared and slammed on the brakes;

He had fought Dugu Yan before and recognized her second soul skill, Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison, at a glance;

Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison was a neurotoxic poison that slowed the victim's movements and reactions, even slightly hindering the circulation of soul power. Without Oscar providing his detoxifying small sausages, they could not afford to be too cautious.

Tailong and Huang Yuan obeyed the order instantly, retreating as told.

But...

Dugu Yan's second soul ring only flashed once without triggering the skill. Not only did it fail to trigger, but her aggressive momentum also came to a sudden halt.

She had been feinting all along!

Just as she understood the effects of the soul skills and combat style of the Shrek side, those who had fought her before also understood her soul ring configuration and skill effects;

And she, in turn, had utilized that very fact;

This feint was a psychological game!

By deliberately showing her second soul ring, the foolish big tiger on the other side had fallen for it!

Because she slowed down, the five—Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf—who had been trailing behind, surged to the front of the formation again. With Dai Mubai and the others retreating, they had completely lost the initiative!

The group of five was strictly executing her pre-battle plan.

The Lion leaped high, the Bear followed closely behind, grabbed the Lion, turned, stepped, and threw—the sequence of movements was fluid and completed in one breath.

"We are not useless playboys!!"

Following their roar, the Bear's formidable arm strength erupted, violently hurling the Lion forward!

"Boom!"

A sonic boom exploded in mid-air!

At this moment, the Lion was like a cannonball fired from a barrel, slamming fiercely toward the Shrek side!

As the soul rings lit up, Tang San was the first to react.

"Trying to seize the initiative?"

"That depends on whether my Blue Silver Grass agrees!"

"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Entanglement!"

Tang San let out a cold snort as light shimmered in his palms. The next second, three thick, vine-like strands of Blue Silver Grass appeared simultaneously around the waists of Dai Mubai, Tailong, and Huang Yuan.

Then, he yanked them back violently.

However...

"Snap!"

Reinforced by the soul rings of the Datura Snake, Ghost Vine, Man Faced Demon Spider, and the ten-thousand-year Crypt Demon Spider, the Blue Silver Grass—which should have been incomparably tough—snapped the very moment he pulled back!

It just snapped, like that!?

"What?"

Tang San's pupils constricted.

When experts clash, a momentary lapse in focus is a fatal flaw!

It was precisely during this split second of stunned disbelief!

Lion had already soared above the heads of the Shrek team, and at the same time, his third soul ring flared with brilliant light!

The scorching purple glow was dazzling!

"Third Soul Skill: Mad Lion Roar!!"

ROAR--

A roar resounded across the arena, the sound waves spreading to strike directly at the soul!

"Ah..."

Below, Tailong, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling—who had sensed something was wrong the moment the Blue Silver Grass snapped and had rushed forward to support the others—were all struck without exception.

Clutching their heads and collapsing to the ground, they screamed in agony. In that moment, they felt as if thousands of needles were stabbing back and forth inside their brains; their heads throbbed with splitting pain, and their combat effectiveness vanished entirely.

Mad Lion Roar was a rare mental-type soul skill with an incredibly strong preemptive control effect, just like a lion king intimidating all beasts!

Only Dai Mubai, with his astonishing combat instincts, escaped the blow.

"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!!"

As his third soul ring lit up, the muscles already swollen from his Martial Soul Possession grew even larger, and black stripes emerged on his skin.

White Tiger Vajra Transformation was a self-strengthening soul skill; while active, his resistance to abnormal status effects, as well as his attack, defense, and strength, all doubled!

With the activation of his third soul skill, the mental attack effect of the Mad Lion Roar was instantly shattered.

But Lion's roar was not just a hard crowd-control opener; it was the horn that signaled the charge!

Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf pressed forward simultaneously!

"First Soul Skill: Demon Bear Transformation!"

Relying on the massive size granted by his Martial Soul Possession, Bear used his First Soul Skill: Demon Bear Transformation to charge head-on, meeting Dai Mubai directly and thwarting the latter's plan to pull Tailong and the others back.

But Bear's goal was not just that!

"Second Soul Skill: Mountain Peak Collision!"

The powerful impact forced Dai Mubai to retreat... forcing Dai Mubai away from the substitutes to split the battlefield—that was his true objective!

And behind Bear!

"Second Soul Skill: Heaven Rending Tiger Claw!"

"First Soul Skill: Fire Leopard Flowing Flame Shot!"

"First Soul Skill: Wolf Rush!"

Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf had their soul rings shining and skills blooming. Their attacks were concentrated, directed at one person at a time without ever scattering, strictly executing the orders of Dugu Yan: use numbers to overwhelm and defeat them one by one!

Some charged, some supported, some tanked damage, and some finished the job... this was the simplest method of battle formation coordination!

It was too fast!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye!

From the snapping of the Blue Silver Grass to the three substitutes being taken out of the fight, not even a single breath had passed. Dai Mubai, the only one in the front line capable of fighting, was being dragged down by Bear, while the others were closing in on him.

"Boss, hold on!!"

Tang San let out a low shout, his ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring glowing.

But at that moment...

"Tang San, your opponent is me!"

A cold voice rang out, and Dugu Yan was seen twisting her snake body, leaping directly over Lion, Bear, and the others to block Tang San's path, her snake tail lashing out to forcibly interrupt him!