As Chen Zifeng was hurriedly carried off the arena on a stretcher by the medical staff, Shrek's rest area fell into dead silence.
In the very first match, an Inner Court main team member had been kicked hard enough by the opponent to break his spine in an almost crushing display.
This brutally exposed reality was like a resounding slap across the faces of every proud Shrek student.
The relaxed, cheerful atmosphere, which had even felt somewhat like a sightseeing vacation, vanished completely.
Everyone unconsciously softened their breathing, and an indescribable tension filled the air.
Wang Yan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and assumed command of the team.
As usual, he raised a hand to adjust his black-rimmed glasses and looked solemnly at the burly young man beside him.
"Haoxuan, you're up next."
Yao Haoxuan silently nodded and rose to his feet with a grave expression.
Wang Yan opened the intelligence dossier on Minghuang Academy in his hands and rapidly gave his instructions in a low voice.
"The opponent's second contestant is named Ji Juechen, a level fifty-seven Battle Soul King."
"Our intelligence is extremely limited. We only know that his Martial Soul is an ordinary sword."
"During the previous elimination rounds, he appeared on the field and revealed his Soul Rings, but from beginning to end, he never used any attack or defensive Soul Skill with any clear effect."
"However, one thing is absolutely certain: his mastery of the sword has reached an unimaginable level, and his killing intent is extremely heavy."
"Haoxuan, you're a Control-type Battle Soul King. Your Sky-Shaking Ape Martial Soul naturally possesses tremendous strength and resistance to damage."
"Don't rush this match. Fight steadily, use large-scale control Soul Skills to probe his abilities and attack range first. Understand?"
Yao Haoxuan nodded heavily. "Don't worry,