"Ladies and gentlemen, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament is now underway!"
"First up, Skywater Academy versus Shrek Academy. Let's welcome both teams to the arena!"
As the host's voice rang out, the atmosphere in the arena instantly caught fire.
When the Shrek Seven Devils walked onto the stage in their eye-catching green uniforms, a muffled wave of laughter broke out among the spectators. After all, the green uniforms, plastered with advertisements, were painfully conspicuous in the sunlight.
But the moment they took their positions and Dai Mubai barked, "Brothers, release your Martial Souls," every laugh died away.
Two yellow and two purple Soul Rings revolved around Dai Mubai. Then Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu... Xiao Wu was still a Soul Master with three rings, but every one of the others was a Soul Ancestor!
And when four Soul Rings—two yellow, one purple, and one black—slowly rose beneath Tang San's feet, the entire arena fell silent for a heartbeat. The instant that deep black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring appeared, a tsunami of gasps erupted.
"A ten-thousand-year fourth ring... How is that possible?!"
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye's pupils contracted sharply. Beside him, Ning Fengzhi couldn't hide his astonishment.
Salas, the Spirit Hall Platinum Bishop, unconsciously gripped the back of his chair, his gaze fixed on Tang San like a venomous snake.
Feeling the shocked gazes all around him, Tang San's lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
This was exactly the effect he wanted: to carve Shrek's name into everyone's mind with their strength!
"Third Brother, with that Soul Ring, the other side must be dumbstruck!"
Ma Hongjun leaned closer and whispered, waggling his eyebrows.
"Fatty, shut up and focus on the match."
Dai Mubai snapped.
Across from them, every member of the Skywater Academy team was a strikingly beautiful young woman. Their water-blue uniforms made them look like hibiscus blossoms rising from the water.
Team captain Shui Bing'er stood at the front, her bearing as cold as ice. The other team members behind her were equally solemn, showing no sign of panic at the Soul Ring lineup Shrek had revealed.
Just then, a young man on the Skywater Academy team, Yang Teng, had been standing with his head tilted, looking somewhat languid. Suddenly, he rolled his neck.
His gaze passed over the others and landed squarely on Tang San—or, more precisely, on that black Soul Ring.
"You want to show off your Soul Rings against me?"
Yang Teng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried with an uncanny clarity, reaching every member of Shrek.
Before his words had faded, he stepped forward.
"Release your Martial Soul."
He didn't shout. He simply said those three words calmly.
But in the next instant, the Soul Rings rising beneath his feet silenced the entire arena!
Purple, purple, black, black!
Four Soul Rings: two thousand-year rings to start, followed by two ten-thousand-year rings!
The Soul Power surging from him was like a tangible tide, instantly eclipsing the shock caused by Tang San's ten-thousand-year ring.
Even more unnerving, as the Soul Rings appeared, a majestic, illusory dragon flickered into view behind him.
"Two ten-thousand-year rings?"
In the VIP seats, Salas jerked forward, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"This... This doesn't fit the theory of Soul Ring absorption! Who is he?!"
Ning Fengzhi's teacup stopped in midair. His usually composed face was now full of disbelief, while Emperor Xue Ye had risen to his feet, staring fixedly at the arena.
On Shrek's side, Ma Hongjun's jaw dropped. It took him a long moment to stammer out,
"Th-Third Brother, that... that Yang Teng's Soul Rings are even... even more incredible than yours!"
Xiao Wu's brows shot up, and she spun around to glare at him.
"Fatty! Are you trying to bolster the enemy's morale and undermine our own? Third Brother is the best!"
The smugness had vanished from Tang San's face, replaced by a gravity he had never felt before.
His Purple Demon Eye quietly activated as he tried to see through Yang Teng, but he couldn't make out the depths of his strength.
He drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down before saying solemnly,
"Stick to the original plan! Mu Bai!"
Dai Mubai snapped out of his shock. As captain, he knew they absolutely couldn't afford to panic now.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
His body swelled with a surge of strength, and a blazing golden-white beam burst from his mouth, shooting straight toward the center of Skywater Academy's formation in an attempt to disrupt their deployment.
Yet in the face of this ferocious attack, Yang Teng merely lifted his eyes with lazy indifference.
"Shui Bing'er, Ice Seal."
He didn't even intend to act himself. He simply gave the order in a level voice, and an invisible, crushing pressure—like a force capable of freezing space—came crashing down, enveloping Dai Mubai with pinpoint precision!
"Ugh!"
Dai Mubai's charging body abruptly stalled, as if he had crashed into an invisible wall. He was pinned in place by sheer force!
That moment created a perfect opening.
Shui Bing'er's eyes sharpened, and she instantly unleashed her already-prepared first Soul Skill.
"Ice Seal!"
An icy blue radiance spread out from her, moving at astonishing speed as it rushed toward Shrek's team.
Her target was clear. She wanted to seize the moment while Dai Mubai was under control and Shrek's formation was briefly in disarray, freezing as many of them as possible.
"Not good!"
The Purple Demon Eye caught every detail. Dai Mubai had been suppressed by some inexplicable force, his attack had missed, and the enemy's control skill was already upon them!
Tang San had no time to think about Yang Teng's strange ability. His fourth Soul Ring instantly blazed with black light!
"Blue Silver Cage!"
Blue Silver Grass streaked with black patterns burst from the earth. It wasn't an attack; the vines rapidly wove together in front of Shrek's team, forming a dense barrier.
Shui Bing'er's freezing chill slammed into the Blue Silver Cage, coating it in ice with a series of crackling sounds. But in the end, the instant ten-thousand-year Soul Skill blocked most of it. Only Oscar and Ning Rongrong, at the edges, were touched by the cold, leaving their movements slightly sluggish.
"That Tang San reacts so quickly!"
A flicker of admiration crossed Shui Bing'er's beautiful eyes. She hadn't expected her opponent to use a Soul Skill like that for defense, let alone seize the moment so precisely.
"Quick?"
A cool, melodious female voice spoke, her tone impossible to read.
Gu Yuena, the stunning beauty who had been standing quietly just behind Yang Teng, slowly stepped forward.
She had a rare head of silver hair, clear violet eyes, and features so exquisite she seemed otherworldly.
Five Soul Rings hovered quietly beneath her feet: two yellow, two purple, and one black.
Her Soul Ring Configuration looked ordinary enough, but she was already a Soul King at such a young age—a feat astonishing in its own right.
Gu Yuena's calm gaze swept over Shrek's seven members, standing ready for battle, then settled on Yang Teng.
"Want to steal the show?"
Yang Teng remained as languid as ever, even letting out a light yawn as he glanced at Dai Mubai, who was still struggling beneath his invisible pressure, his face flushed red from the effort.
"It's been ten seconds."
He spoke casually, as if merely stating an unimportant fact.
"Xiao Na, pull them together. I'll deal with them all at once afterward!"
"Mm."
Gu Yuena gave a slight nod and raised her slender, fair right hand, palm facing the sky.
In an instant, the light in the arena seemed to twist.
In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi cried out,
"Element Control?! Such pure elemental energy gathering over such a wide area... This girl..."
Salas's face darkened. He stared at Gu Yuena, then at Yang Teng, his mind churning like a stormy sea.
Where had these two monsters come from?!
In Shrek's formation, Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was working furiously. He could see the terrifying energy within the ball of light.
"Spread out! Quickly, spread out!" Tang San roared.
Yang Teng's lips curled into a half-smile. His previously languid gaze suddenly sharpened.
"What Soul Skill is that?!"
Tang San was horrified. Blue Silver Grass spread wildly, trying to anchor his teammates, but under that strange force field, even the vines were tossed into disarray.
The Shrek Seven Devils were forcibly drawn together by an invisible force in the span of just two or three seconds!
A vast vortex of wind and water spun across the arena, growing larger and larger.
Gu Yuena's red lips parted as she uttered four words:
"Elemental Tide."
Before you continue