The referee's voice fell, and the silence across the arena was instantly shattered. The flag in the referee's hand swept down sharply, and a clear voice rang through the stadium. "The match begins!"
Before the words had even faded, two powerful surges of Soul Power erupted and shot into the sky. Winds and clouds roiled above the arena, while the air itself warped slightly under the force of the overwhelming Soul Power fluctuations.
The Heaven Soul Team moved with extreme speed, without even the slightest attempt at probing. Orange-red soul rings around their captain lit up abruptly. Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose into view as the Blazing Sun Tiger Martial Soul Possession fully took hold. Tiger markings appeared across his forehead, flames billowed around his body, and scorching waves of heat swept across the arena as if a blazing sun had descended. His foot slammed into the ground, cracking it instantly. He shot forward like a cannonball, wrapped in flames that seemed capable of burning everything to ash, charging straight at Tang Wulin. There were no fancy techniques, only an all-out assault. Clearly, he intended to use his explosive power to crush Shrek's formation in one stroke.
"Good!"
Tang Wulin let out a low shout, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. Gold Dragon Soul Power erupted around him without restraint. Three soul rings—yellow, purple, purple—hovered steadily in the air as golden dragon patterns instantly spread across his arms and neck. Brilliant golden light stood in stark contrast to his opponent's blazing flames. He did not retreat in the slightest. With a steady step forward, he met the attack head-on. The Golden Dragon Claw condensed with a roar, its talons gleaming with sharp golden light and carrying the unique pressure of a dragon as it smashed directly into the Blazing Sun Tiger's flaming fist.
He knew very well that against a balanced and powerful team like the Heaven Soul Team, retreating even once would allow them to press forward step by step and force Shrek into a passive position. Only by confronting them head-on and stabilizing the line could he create opportunities for his companions.
At the same time, the Heaven Soul Team's control-type Soul Master flicked his wrist. Dark green Soul Power erupted as the Illusive Vine Martial Soul burst from the ground. Countless flexible vines, glowing with eerie green light, lashed toward Xu Xiaoyan. Wherever they passed, distorted ripples spread through the air. A mental illusion silently unfolded, attempting to directly disrupt Xu Xiaoyan's mind and break her control over the battlefield.
"Xiaoyan, focus!"
Gu Yue's voice rang out at once, calm and composed. The powers of four elements erupted around her simultaneously. Wind, fire, water, and earth swirled around her, forming an elemental barrier before Xu Xiaoyan. At the same time, her fingers flicked repeatedly. Wind blades carried water arrows toward the Illusive Vine, while fire elemental energy turned into scorching flames that burned away the vines' mental fluctuations, precisely disrupting the formation of the illusion and providing perfect protection for Xu Xiaoyan.
Xu Xiaoyan's gaze sharpened as she instantly cast aside every distracting thought. She raised the Starwheel Ice Staff high, and icy blue starlight erupted. Holding nothing back, she spread a large-scale field of starlight control across the arena. Her frigid Soul Power suppressed the Illusive Vine's eerie aura, while Starburst Chains rapidly coiled outward. They not only blocked the enemy vines but also swept toward the Heaven Soul Team's front-line members to bind them. Her control and counterattack flowed in one seamless motion. There was none of her former inexperience left; she displayed the calmness of a true control core.
"Xie Xie, Yehui, hold back their agility attackers! Xing Lan, circle around and suppress their support!" Tang Wulin's voice pierced through the roaring Soul Power and reached every companion's ears with precise, flawless orders.
Everyone moved at once, their coordination seamless. Xie Xie unleashed both Martial Souls, his body turning into two afterimages as he cut into the battlefield like a ghost, rushing toward the Heaven Soul Team's agility-type Soul Master to disrupt his assault rhythm. Yuanen Yehui underwent Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul Possession, her body growing larger as earth-yellow Soul Power gathered around her with mountain-like heaviness. She firmly guarded the flank, blocking the enemy's side attack and protecting Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi. Ye Xinglan drew her longsword, its sword light incomparably sharp. She nimbly circled behind the enemy, her sword qi pressing directly toward the Heaven Soul Team's two support-type Soul Masters and forcing them to divide their attention to defend. Holy golden light surged around Yue Zhengyu as Holy Amplification spread fully across the field. Golden radiance enveloped all seven Shrek Seven Monsters, enhancing their strength, speed, and Soul Power recovery. Xu Lizhi remained at the back of the formation, rapidly tossing steaming Soul Power buns to his companions to replenish their expenditure at any moment, leaving no gaps in the team's logistical support.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the arena as Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw collided fiercely with the Heaven Soul captain's Blazing Sun Tiger fist. Golden light and flames crashed together violently, and a powerful shockwave swept outward, cracking the arena floor in countless places. A searing pain shot through Tang Wulin's arm. His opponent's strength and fiery explosive power were even more formidable than he had expected, forcing him back two steps. Yet the Heaven Soul captain was also shaken by the Golden Dragon Power until his blood and qi churned, stumbling several steps backward. His eyes were filled with shock. He had clearly never expected Tang Wulin, so young, to possess the strength to clash with him head-on.
"Shrek's captain does have some skill, but defeating me won't be that easy!" the Heaven Soul captain roared. His second soul ring flashed, and the Blazing Sun flames grew even hotter. Flaming claws condensed around him as he pounced at Tang Wulin again, his assault becoming increasingly ferocious.
Tang Wulin's gaze was resolute as the Golden Dragon Berserk Domain silently unfolded. His strength surged once more. Rather than retreating, he advanced and met the Heaven Soul captain head-on again. The two became locked in close combat as gold and crimson Soul Power continuously collided. The battle was exceptionally intense, and Tang Wulin firmly pinned down the enemy's core offensive force.
The battle across the arena was deadlocked. The Heaven Soul Team's coordination was indeed seasoned. Even while being restrained by Shrek, their formation remained orderly. The Illusive Vine launched illusion and binding attacks again and again, only for Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan to resolve them together each time. Both sides exchanged blows amid ceaseless roars of Soul Power. The audience held their breath, forgetting even to cheer as they stared fixedly at the arena, afraid of missing a single thrilling moment. Na'er gripped the railing tightly, her little face filled with anxiety. Her small hands clenched into fists as she kept quietly cheering for her brother.
Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue became increasingly synchronized. Gu Yue precisely disrupted the illusions while Xu Xiaoyan pressed forward step by step, continuously shrinking the range of her control and gradually suppressing the Illusive Vine. Then Gu Yue's eyes turned cold. She accurately caught a half-second gap in the transition between the Heaven Soul Team's control and offense, immediately calling out, "Wulin, there's an opening! Move!"
Tang Wulin's eyes instantly sharpened. Seizing that fleeting chance, he stopped tangling with the Heaven Soul captain. His third purple soul ring blazed to its brightest as the Golden Dragon Claw erupted with full force. Golden dragon power surged forth, bypassing the edge of the enemy's flames and striking straight at the Heaven Soul captain's weakness. At the same time, Xu Xiaoyan immediately understood. The Starburst Chains suddenly tightened, firmly binding the Illusive Vine as it tried to support its captain, preventing it from unleashing any illusion interference.
The Heaven Soul captain's expression changed drastically. He tried to defend, but it was already too late. Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw descended with unmatched force onto his flaming defense. With a sharp crack, the fiery barrier shattered instantly. The Heaven Soul captain was blasted away by the powerful Golden Dragon Power and slammed heavily onto the arena floor. Blood spilled from his mouth, and the Soul Power around his body scattered.
With their core offensive force gone, the Heaven Soul Team instantly fell into disarray. The Shrek Seven Monsters seized the opportunity and attacked with everything they had. Xie Xie's surprise assaults, Ye Xinglan's sword qi, Yuanen Yehui's immense strength, and Yue Zhengyu's amplification worked together flawlessly. Within just a few breaths, the Heaven Soul Team's members were defeated one after another, each losing the ability to continue fighting.
Seeing this, the referee immediately announced in a loud voice, "All members of the Heaven Soul Empire Academy Team have lost their ability to fight. The winner of this match is the Shrek Academy Team!"
As the words fell, thunderous cheers instantly erupted from the crowd and shook the entire arena. The Shrek Seven Monsters had defeated another powerful opponent and advanced into the finals!
Tang Wulin slowly withdrew his Soul Power, and the golden dragon patterns gradually faded. Sweat slid down his cheeks, but it could not hide the high spirits in his eyes. Xu Xiaoyan hurried to his side, her face brimming with joy. She was panting, yet her smile was radiant. "Brother, we won! We made it to the finals!"
The companions gathered around them, every face filled with excitement. They embraced and celebrated as the youths' passion and glory bloomed freely across the arena. In the stands, Na'er jumped up in excitement and loudly shouted that her brother was the best. Sunlight fell over the spirited youths, reflecting the brilliant radiance that belonged to them.
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