Could It Be Him?!

Tianhai Stadium stood at the end of Skysea City's busiest coastal boulevard. The entire structure resembled an enormous white seashell, half-buried in the shoreline. A ring of reinforced glass panels encircled the edge of its dome, offering a sweeping view of the shimmering waters of Tianhai Port and the distant horizon.

The stadium could hold a hundred thousand spectators, and every seat was taken. Voices roared around the circular stands as colorful flags and banners billowed like waves in the autumn wind. The air was thick with excitement.

At the center of the grounds stood a regulation arena. Its base was assembled from massive slabs of white granite, and its surface was covered in dense patterns of protective arrays.

A silver-white soul-guidance crystal pillar stood at each corner of the arena. These high-definition soul-guidance screens projected the battle in real time. All four pillars were lit, projecting the enormous Skysea Alliance emblem above the arena, where it slowly revolved.

In the waiting area, all three from Shen Nanxun's group had arrived. Na'er was there to watch, while only Shen Nanxun and Gu Yue would compete.

The lead teacher from Tianhai Soul Master Academy came over with a courteous smile. "Her Excellency Heavenly Phoenix has already explained everything to us. When the time comes, just take the field with our five students."

When interests were at stake, anything could be conceded—especially when Leng Yaozhu, a renowned figure on the continent, was involved. It was no trouble for her to influence a little competition like the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.

"Yu Chen, take a look at those people over there. Do any of them look familiar?" Ning Yu asked quietly, pointing toward a few people in the distance.

Yu Chen looked over, furrowing his brow. "They're those guys from dinner yesterday!"

"Think they'll be competing against us?" the Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master Zhou Min beside them guessed.

"Hopefully," Yu Chen snorted. "They made us wait around for nothing yesterday. If they really are our opponents, we can teach them a lesson!"

"Xinglan, look! That's the silver-haired guy. He eats even more than I do!" Xu Lizhi was chattering away nearby.

Although Ye Xinglan hadn't gone with them yesterday, for some reason, when she saw the young man beside the silver-haired girl, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out who he was.

A rousing blast of horns sounded, and the stadium's soul-guidance loudspeakers carried the host's voice throughout the venue.

A clear yet dignified woman's voice rang out, infused with the professional energy of a seasoned commentator. "Distinguished guests and fellow Soul Masters, welcome to the seventeenth Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition! I'm your host, Lan Wei. Today, Tianhai Stadium welcomes young Soul Masters from across the entire Skysea Alliance. They'll fight here for glory and their dreams!"

The cheers of a hundred thousand spectators surged like a tide, carrying her voice up toward the dome. The four soul-guidance pillars switched images in unison and began playing highlights from past Tianhai Alliance Grand Competitions.

The clash of ice and fire, the roars of Beast Martial Souls, the duels between tool Martial Souls—one classic battle after another flashed across the sky above the stadium, sending wave after wave of cheers through the stands.

Lan Wei's voice rang out again. "And before the official competition begins, we're honored to welcome the continent's number one academy—Shrek Academy—and our host, Tianhai Soul Master Academy, for an exciting friendly match!"

The cheers in the stands climbed several notches. Shrek Academy's name carried incomparable weight across the continent.

"First, let's welcome our hosts, the Tianhai Soul Master Academy team!"

Seven youths filed out of the passage on the left side of the arena. Only five wore matching uniforms. The other two were dressed differently.

They were Shen Nanxun and Gu Yue, who had entered alongside the team.

Once the Tianhai team had made their entrance, Lan Wei's voice rose slightly, her delivery deliberately building suspense. "And now, let's welcome the Shrek Academy team!"

Seven figures walked out side by side through the passage on the right. Their shit-green uniforms stood out particularly sharply.

"So they really are here?"

Yu Chen spotted Shen Nanxun and Gu Yue behind the seven Tianhai Academy students, though the silver-haired girl wasn't with them.

"Shrek Academy versus Tianhai Soul Master Academy," Lan Wei announced, drawing out the final word before abruptly dropping her voice at the peak of the suspense. "Begin!"

Both teams took their positions, and blue light flared from the protective arrays around the arena.

But just then, the five at the front of the seven Tianhai Academy students simultaneously faced the judges' stand and raised their right hands. All five held up their hands with fingers spread and palms facing the judges. It was the standard withdrawal signal in the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.

The entire stadium erupted. Lan Wei's voice trembled. She had never encountered anything like this in her career as a commentator: just before a friendly match began, the host team's five players had withdrawn at once, handing the arena over to two strangers who weren't even wearing Tianhai uniforms.

Yu Chen's expression changed. He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the only two opponents left across the arena.

"Are you insulting Shrek?"

But instead of an explanation, Gu Yue struck without hesitation.

The girl raised her right hand and spread her fingers slightly. Fire, wind, earth, and water gathered in her palm. The four glowing elemental clusters were initially no bigger than fists, but they swelled in an instant, weaving together into an enormous four-colored ring before her. Space rippled faintly around its edge, and a deep, low hum filled the air.

She hadn't come to fight a friendly match. She was here to finish this quickly. The four-colored ring erupted. Flames, wind blades, earthen spikes, and ice spears crashed down on the seven Shrek students like a violent storm.

She had gone all out from the first strike.

In the stands, Na'er lounged in her seat with her legs crossed, cradling a bucket of popcorn and eating with relish. She watched Gu Yue take on all seven Shrek students and keep them pinned down, then glanced at Shen Nanxun behind her, who hadn't even unfurled his wings of light. The corners of her mouth curled in triumph.

She tossed a kernel into her mouth and mumbled through a full mouth, "Darn Gu Yue, stealing Na'er's thunder."

But since Gu Yue was helping Shen Nanxun save face today, she'd let it slide.

After a brief flash of anger, Yu Chen sensed the threat Gu Yue posed. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul manifested at once.

"Ning Yu!"

Ning Yu reacted quickly, summoning the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda from her hand.

"Seven Treasures turn, out comes the Glazed Pagoda!"

"First: Strength!"

"Second: Speed!"

Boosted by the enhancement, Yu Chen charged at Gu Yue with a dragon's roar, attempting to shatter her Elemental Storm by himself.

At the same time, Zhou Min, the Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master, sprang into action and dashed toward Shen Nanxun at the rear.

A few seconds later, Zhou Min had already circled behind him. As an Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master from Shrek Outer Court, his speed ranked among the best of his generation. His Wind-Chasing Falcon Martial Soul gave him explosive acceleration. He was confident he could strike before Shen Nanxun had time to react.

But the target of his ambush simply unfurled his golden wings and shot straight up into the air, avoiding a direct clash.

Shen Nanxun spread his angel wings. The first radiant golden soul ring beneath him lit up, and a golden longsword appeared in his hand.

"A Golden Soul Ring?!"

The person at the front, Zhou Min, wasn't the only one stunned. Ye Xinglan, standing farther back, was just as shocked.

Wings, a golden sword, a radiant golden soul ring!

Could it... be him?!