At the referee's command, thunderous cheers instantly erupted throughout the Shrek Inner Court arena.
Young Tang Wulin sprang forward, golden Soul Power surging across his body as dragon patterns climbed up his arms. Three soul rings hovered steadily around him—yellow, purple, purple. The clean, efficient ring configuration suppressed the entire arena's momentum the moment he appeared. Without the slightest hesitation, he charged straight at the Star Luo Team, his captain's presence fully on display.
"Xiaoyan, control the field!"
Tang Wulin shouted low.
Xu Xiaoyan lightly raised her wrist, and the Starwheel Ice Staff traced a gentle arc through the air. Icy blue starlight spread like a tide, instantly blanketing more than half the arena. Wherever it passed, the air faintly froze, and the members of the Star Luo Team faltered, their movements immediately slowed and restricted. Her positioning was steady and her control range precise, sealing off the enemy's retreat while never interfering with her teammates' attacks. It was obvious at a glance how solid their training together had been during this time.
Gu Yue followed close behind, elemental power arriving without a sound.
Wind blades tore through the air, striking directly at the opponents' vision; earthen walls rose slightly, protecting their flank. She and Tang Wulin needed no words. The slightest shift in their auras told them each other's intentions—their understanding had long since seeped into their bones.
Xie Xie flashed forward, splitting into two afterimages as both martial souls operated at once. He circled from the right to launch a surprise attack, attempting to disrupt the enemy formation. Ye Xinglan drew her sword, its gleam cold and sharp, forming a pincer attack with Yuanen Yehui from both sides. Yue Zhengyu's sacred aura spread out, granting everyone a stable enhancement. Xu Lizhi remained at the very rear, his food martial soul quietly operating as he stood ready to restore his companions' Soul Power at any moment.
The entire Shrek Seven Monsters moved like a precisely operating machine, each performing their role as every link meshed perfectly with the next.
The Star Luo Academy Team clearly had not expected Shrek to open with such ferocity. Their initial contempt vanished in an instant. Their captain roared, soul rings lighting up around his body as he forcibly broke through the starlight's restraints and charged straight at Tang Wulin.
Two powerful attacks collided with a thunderous crash, and a Soul Power shockwave rippled outward.
Rather than retreating, Tang Wulin pressed forward. His Golden Dragon Claw swept horizontally with overwhelming force, and in the head-on clash, he actually sent the opposing captain staggering several steps back.
"So strong!"
A wave of startled cries rose from the stands.
Seizing the opening, Xu Xiaoyan activated her Soul Power again. The starlight abruptly brightened, coiling around the Star Luo Team's rear-line soul masters like chains and completely cutting off the connection between their front and back lines. She raised her eyes toward Tang Wulin at the center of the battlefield. There was not a trace of distraction in her gaze, only the absolute trust between brother and sister.
Tang Wulin grew fiercer with every exchange, the aura of the Gold Dragon steadily rising. Every strike carried the force to split mountains and shatter rocks. While launching relentless attacks, he continued observing the entire field and issuing commands:
"Yehui, push up the left flank!"
"Xing Lan, cut into the back line!"
"Xiaoyan, tighten the control field another ring!"
Every command was precise and timely.
Xu Xiaoyan immediately responded, shrinking the control area inward and trapping the Star Luo Team firmly in the central zone, leaving them no room to maneuver.
Soul Power surged across the arena as figures crisscrossed.
The Shrek Seven Monsters' coordination grew increasingly fluid, their momentum completely overwhelming their opponents. Though the Star Luo Team fought back desperately, their main force remained tied down by Tang Wulin, their movements sealed off by Xu Xiaoyan, and they were gradually forced deeper into disadvantage.
Na'er sat in the front row of the audience, her small hands clenched nervously into fists. Without blinking, she stared at Tang Wulin on the field and softly kept chanting, "Go, Brother... Go, Brother..."
The battle continued to intensify.
Tang Wulin seized an opening in the enemy's defense. His Golden Dragon Claw slammed down from above, joining Gu Yue's fire-element bombardment to send the opposing captain flying out of the arena.
Immediately afterward, Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan launched a joint surprise attack, instantly taking down two Star Luo soul masters.
Xu Xiaoyan withdrew her starlight, and the final two Star Luo Team members lost their ability to move and collapsed helplessly.
The referee called out loudly:
"The Star Luo Academy Team has lost all combat capability!"
"The winners of this match are the Shrek Seven Monsters!"
The entire arena erupted, applause and cheers nearly lifting the roof off the stadium.
Tang Wulin slowly withdrew his Soul Power and turned toward his companions, a relaxed and radiant smile appearing on his face.
Xu Xiaoyan hurried over to his side, her eyes curved into crescents as she said brightly, "Brother, we won."
"Mm, we won." Tang Wulin nodded, his gaze warm with an elder brother's gentleness. "Your field control was steady. You did very well."
Sunlight fell over the young men and women, sweat reflecting their smiles as their spirits soared.
The Shrek Seven Monsters stood shoulder to shoulder at the center of the arena, accepting the cheers of the entire crowd. Their first exchange match had ended in a complete victory.
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