The referee walked onto the arena and cleared his throat before announcing the rules:
"This friendly match will be decided by a best-of-three format. Each side will send out one contestant per round. The winner stays in the ring, while the losing side switches contestants. The first team to win two rounds takes the match."
"Competing in the first round: Yu Longheng of Shrek Academy versus Yuanen Yehui of the Spirit Pagoda!"
As soon as the announcement rang out, the spectators erupted into another thunderous cheer.
Yu Longheng smiled faintly and sprang onto the arena, landing steadily in the center. He swept his gaze across the stands, basking in the crowd's cheers.
Then he looked toward Yuanen Yehui, who was walking slowly onto the arena, and a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes.
This girl... She's so cold, but she really is beautiful.
He cleared his throat, struck what he thought was his most dashing pose, and called out in a ringing voice:
"Shrek Academy, Yu Longheng! My Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and I'm a twenty-seventh-rank Soul Grandmaster! Please, teach me!"
Yuanen Yehui looked at him without expression, as if he were a rock.
She was silent for three seconds.
"...Spirit Pagoda, Yuanen Yehui. My Martial Soul is the Titan Giant Ape, and I'm a twenty-fourth-rank Soul Grandmaster."
Yu Longheng raised an eyebrow.
A Titan Giant Ape? That was a top-tier Soul Beast! No wonder she'd been chosen to compete.
"You've certainly got a chilly air about you." Yu Longheng smiled, his tone carrying a hint of flirtatiousness. "But don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl. Once we're in the ring, I won't be sparing the fair maiden."
Yuanen Yehui remained expressionless and didn't even bother to respond.
Yu Longheng furrowed his brows, a trace of displeasure sweeping through his heart.
He was Shrek's favored prodigy, the center of attention wherever he went. When had anyone ever ignored him like this?
"Fine. Let's settle this with our fists!"
Soul Power burst from his body. Two purple Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet, and at the same time, his body began to undergo an astonishing transformation.
His muscles swelled. Fine blue scales surfaced across his skin, his eyes became vertical pupils, and his right arm instantly transformed into a dragon claw.
Dragon Transformation!
The signature ability of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul!
Once transformed, his strength, speed, and defense all increased, and he could even manipulate lightning!
"Haah—!"
Yu Longheng pushed off the ground. His body became a streak of blue, and he was upon Yuanen Yehui in an instant!
He threw a punch, the air around it crackling with lightning as it shot straight for her face!
Yuanen Yehui neither dodged nor retreated. She threw a punch of her own!
"Boom—!"
Their fists collided, and a violent shock wave roared outward from where they stood! The defensive formation carved into the arena flared at once, barely containing the impact within the ring!
The spectators cried out in shock!
Yu Longheng's pupils contracted. A terrifying force came at him through his opponent's fist, leaving his entire arm numb!
How can this woman be so strong?!
He was in Dragon Transformation! His strength far surpassed that of others at the same rank!
Yet in that head-on clash, he hadn't gained the slightest advantage!
Yuanen Yehui gave him no time to think. Her second punch was already on its way! It was still a plain, unadorned punch, but its sheer force could make any technique seem pale and useless!
Yu Longheng didn't dare take it head-on. Lightning flickered beneath his feet as he narrowly evaded the blow. But Yuanen Yehui pursued him like a shadow, every punch landing solidly, each strike carrying enough terrifying force to shatter stone tablets and split rocks!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"
The arena shook with one deafening boom after another.
Yuanen Yehui was like a human-shaped Ferocious Beast, using the simplest, most savage methods to drive Yu Longheng steadily backward!
The spectators stared, stunned.
Wait, this girl looks so cold and delicate. How can she fight like a human-shaped tyrannosaur?
At that moment, Cai Yue'er sprang to her feet in the viewing stands, her eyes wide with utter disbelief.
"Is that... the Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul? A pure strength-type Martial Soul?!" She stared fixedly at the petite figure below, her voice rising with astonishment. "Is this the secret weapon of your Spirit Pagoda?"
Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly, lifted her teacup, and took an elegant sip without saying a word.
Ya Li's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as well.
A Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul... Could such a top-tier, pure-blooded strength-type Martial Soul, with a lineage this rare, truly exist in a human?
And the girl seemed to have already mastered her Martial Soul quite well. That wasn't something she could have achieved overnight!
No wonder Yaozhu had been so confident about this match.
The fight continued.
The longer Yu Longheng fought, the more shocked and frustrated he became.
He was the heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, hailed as the top genius of Shrek Outer Court. How could he be driven back by a girl who looked even younger than him?
And she hadn't used a single Soul Skill. She was just relying on the simplest, most primitive, most unreasonable kind of punch after punch!
"Roar—!"
He let out an angry roar and abandoned all restraint. His Second Soul Ring suddenly lit up!
Thunderous Might!
In an instant, countless bolts of lightning surged out of his body, forming a sea of electricity that engulfed the entire arena!
Each bolt was powerful enough to pierce steel and paralyze a Soul Master of the same rank in an instant!
Yuanen Yehui was finally forced back half a step.
Yu Longheng seized the opening and unleashed a furious barrage!
Lightning fell like raindrops, its thunderous roar deafening!
He absolutely could not lose! Absolutely not!
He was Shrek's pride! The hope of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
He had to win this match!
The lightning grew more and more violent, almost completely swallowing Yuanen Yehui's figure!
The spectators held their breath, staring fixedly at the sea of lightning.
Yu Longheng panted heavily, a smile finally appearing on his face.
That should finish it, right?
But then.
The very next instant.
The smile froze on his face.
Amid the lightning, a petite figure slowly walked out.
She was covered in scorch marks, her clothes torn in several places, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
But her gaze remained as cold as frost, without the slightest wavering.
Her Second Soul Ring lit up.
Yuanen Yehui's body suddenly swelled! Her muscles bulged, her stature grew, and she seemed to transform into a miniature Titan Giant Ape!
That pure, primitive aura of power, capable of crushing everything, swept across the arena like a mountain and a sea in upheaval!
"Roar—!"
She let out a roar that sounded nothing like a human's, stamped down hard, and shot toward Yu Longheng like a cannonball!
One punch.
A plain, unadorned punch.
But it carried the full force of the Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul unleashed to its limits, along with all of Yuanen Yehui's fighting spirit and conviction!
"BOOM—!!!"
The lightning protecting Yu Longheng was shattered instantly. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slammed into the barrier at the edge of the arena, then bounced to the ground.
He struggled to get back up, but every bone in his body was crying out, and his Soul Power was so chaotic he could barely summon it.
The referee hurried over to examine him. Once he confirmed that Yu Longheng had lost the ability to fight, he raised his hand high.
"First round goes to Yuanen Yehui of the Spirit Pagoda!"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
For three whole seconds, not a sound came from the entire arena.
Then.
"BOOM—!!!"
The crowd's cheers erupted like a volcano, instantly engulfing the arena!
"Yuanen Yehui! Yuanen Yehui! Yuanen Yehui!"
"Spirit Pagoda! Spirit Pagoda!"
The spectators who had bet on Shrek looked livid, while those who had bet on the Spirit Pagoda cheered wildly. The entire arena became a boiling sea of excitement.
Yuanen Yehui stood in the center of the arena as the light around her slowly faded. Her face remained expressionless, but the moment the match ended, she instinctively looked toward the contestants' waiting area, toward the black-haired, dark-eyed figure.
Well done!
Luo Yang grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
The corner of Yuanen Yehui's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
In the viewing stands, Cai Yue'er's face was livid. She said nothing.
Ya Li smiled faintly, her gaze resting on the petite figure below as a note of admiration flickered in her eyes.
Leng Yaozhu leaned back elegantly in her chair, lifted her teacup, and took a leisurely sip. Then she looked at Cai Yue'er, her smile especially radiant.
"Elder Cai, there are still two rounds."
"Take your time."
"No rush."
Cai Yue'er's face turned even more livid.