Dean, We've Got This in the Bag!

"Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Divine Dragon Shattering Hunting Claw!"

As Yang Teng and Gu Yuena fused their Soul Power, a gigantic phantom dragon claw appeared, carrying the ancient majesty of the Space-Time Divine Dragon and the Silver Dragon King. It tore through space.

Trailing five clearly visible spatial rifts, it slammed down toward the Shenfeng Chihuo Combined Team!

Feng Xiaotian was surrounded by intermingling wind and fire, his momentum rising to an unprecedented peak as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack.

But the instant the fused dragon claw appeared, he knew he had been wrong—terribly wrong!

It was an absolute pressure, born of a higher plane and an ancient bloodline!

"Th-this... how is this possible?!"

The arrogance and confidence on Feng Xiaotian's face were utterly replaced by incredulous horror.

"They... actually had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill hidden away?! And one this..."

Before he could finish, the dragon claw was upon them!

"Boom!!!"

The wind-and-fire barrier Feng Xiaotian had desperately gathered shattered like paper. He was sent flying like a kicked ball, blood spraying from his mouth.

The armor over his chest was torn to shreds, revealing five terrifying claw marks, deep enough to show bone. He passed out on the spot.

"Feng Xiaotian!"

Huo Wu's eyes turned bloodshot. Seeing Feng Xiaotian defeated and gravely wounded in an instant, she was overcome by an unprecedented fury and humiliation.

With a shriek, she ignored the enormous gap in strength between them. Blazing flames erupted around her as she charged at Yang Teng, heedless of the lingering power of the dragon claw!

"You damn Yang Teng! I'll kill you!"

Yang Teng frowned at the sight, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes.

He had never had much patience for reckless people who let their emotions cloud their judgment and completely ignored the difference in strength.

He had agreed to settle things with Feng Xiaotian. His opponent had simply been outmatched, and Yang Teng had already shown mercy by not killing him. Huo Wu charging at him now was just asking to be humiliated.

"Hopelessly stubborn."

Yang Teng gave a cold snort.

Then he raised his hand again and aimed it at Huo Wu and the Shenfeng Chihuo team members behind her, who wore equally angry yet unmistakably fearful expressions. He looked ready to strike!

"Yang Teng! Please, show mercy! The Shenfeng Chihuo Academy surrenders! We surrender!"

The teacher leading Shenfeng Chihuo Academy was scared out of his wits. He hurriedly yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice warping with sheer terror.

He knew all too well that if that claw really came down, Huo Wu and the others would be gravely wounded at best. They might even be crippled!

"Even I, Yang Teng, can't bring myself to turn ruthless and show no mercy!"

Yang Teng gave a cold snort at the words, then changed his mind. The gigantic phantom dragon claw slowly faded away.

Five spatial rifts, gradually knitting themselves shut, bore witness to the terrifying power of that strike.

He glanced at Huo Wu, held back by her teammates, her eyes still bloodshot as she glared at him, and tossed out a cool remark:

"If word got around that I, Yang Teng, bullied a bunch of women... I couldn't live that down."

With that, he paid no heed to the Shenfeng Chihuo team's grief and anger. He turned and led Gu Yuena and the others from Skywater Academy off the arena, calm and composed as the referee announced their victory.

"Skywater Academy advances to the finals!"

In the elevated stands, in Spirit Hall's private viewing area,

Hu Liena instinctively covered her delicate cherry-red lips with one slender hand. Her breathtaking face was filled with shock and solemnity.

"Skywater Academy... Yang Teng and Gu Yuena... they're far more troublesome than we expected!"

Her voice held a faint, barely perceptible rasp.

A Martial Soul Fusion Skill! And one so terrifyingly powerful that it clearly surpassed the ordinary Soul King level! It had completely upended every battle strategy they had devised for Yang Teng and Gu Yuena.

Beside her, Xie Yue's face was just as frighteningly grim.

To the outside world, he, the captain of the Golden Generation, was regarded as the undisputed strongest. But they knew the truth: the real strongest was his younger sister, Hu Liena.

Yan's face had turned ashen. He had always been fiercely competitive, and when he'd seen Feng Xiaotian's ferocious momentum after receiving support, he'd secretly compared himself to him.

But Yang Teng and Gu Yuena's casual-looking strike had shattered his illusions completely. The gap between them was despair-inducing.

Spirit Hall Team had won the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament for who knew how many years running. They had long been regarded as an invincible symbol.

Yet today, facing Yang Teng and Gu Yuena without having even fought them directly, the three arrogant members of the Golden Generation all found themselves thinking the same thing: they might not be able to defeat their opponents!

The next match was Shrek Academy versus Spirit Hall Team!

With the formidable obstacle of Shenfeng Chihuo no longer there to wear them down, Shrek Academy was able to save the trump card they had concealed for so long—the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill—for last.

Under Tang San's leadership, the Shrek Seven Devils gave it everything they had. They even brought out Tang San's Martial Soul Avatar ahead of schedule and defeated Spirit Hall Team.

The audience stared in disbelief at the fallen members of the Golden Generation and the still-standing Shrek Seven Devils.

Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, the biggest favorites to win this tournament, had fallen just short of the finals!

"I can't accept this!"

The Pope, Bibi Dong, had watched the entire match from the main seat. Yet her face showed little shock or disappointment.

Her gaze did not linger on the defeated Golden Generation or the victorious Shrek Seven Devils. Instead, she looked from afar toward Skywater Academy's rest area.

Yang Teng and Gu Yuena had already far surpassed the bounds of the younger generation. In Bibi Dong's eyes, the Golden Generation's defeat was merely one inevitable consequence of this variable's influence.

Bibi Dong's violet eyes were deep and inscrutable as a question echoed again and again in her heart:

"Yang Teng... just how many secrets are you still hiding? Just who... are you?"

That night, in a luxurious hotel somewhere in Spirit City,

To celebrate Skywater Academy's historic entry into the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament finals, Dean Shui Yunxia had personally treated everyone to a meal, booking the hotel's finest private room.

Shui Yunxia raised her glass and walked over to Yang Teng and Gu Yuena, her face flushed with barely contained excitement.

Looking at these two young people, who were nothing short of monsters, she spoke with heartfelt gratitude and emotion:

"Yang Teng, Gu Yuena, I'd like to offer you a toast on behalf of all of Skywater Academy! The academy couldn't have achieved this without your tremendous contributions! We could never have made it this far without you!"

She drained her glass, then set it down. Her expression turned somewhat grave as she lowered her voice:

"Still, tomorrow is the final match. Our opponent is Shrek Academy. You all saw Tang San's Clear Sky Avatar today..."

At the mention of the gigantic Clear Sky Hammer phantom that had towered over the arena, the lively mood in the private room froze for a moment.

A hint of fear passed over Shui Bing'er, Xue Wu, and the others. The terrifying power still lingered in everyone's minds, refusing to fade.

Shui Yunxia took a deep breath and continued:

"I know you're strong, but Shrek Academy's Seven-in-One Fusion Skill is no joke either. Tomorrow's match is bound to be dangerous. If... if you truly can't win, it's all right to surrender."

"Just making it to the finals has already made history. Keeping yourselves safe comes first."

Her words were full of concern. She was afraid Yang Teng and Gu Yuena might put themselves in danger just to win.

Yang Teng gently swirled the wine in his glass. A familiar smile appeared on his face—lazy, perhaps, but brimming with confidence.

Yang Teng turned toward Shui Yunxia and all the members of Skywater Academy looking at him with concern, then raised his glass. His voice rang out, clear and firm, brimming with certainty:

"Don't worry, Dean."

The curve of Yang Teng's lips widened.

"We've got this in the bag!"