One Against Three

Star Luo City, Star Luo Plaza.

After fighting two matches in a row, Song Que now faced the Sun Moon Team's strongest opponent.

Ma Rulong was both a Soul Emperor and a Level Seven Soul Engineer. His strength was beyond doubt.

After seeing Song Que's ghostlike footwork, Ma Rulong and the Sun Moon Team had worked out a plan to counter him.

He channeled his Soul Power and compressed the lightning field generated by his Level Seven Soul Tool.

Fine, pale-blue lightning covered a small section of the arena around him. It did not reach far, but it divided the battlefield.

If Song Que rushed into the field, arcs of lightning would catch him. His speed would falter instantly, hampering his movements for a time.

With the field in place, Ma Rulong deployed every Soul Tool cannon on his back and shoulders. Several high-level cannons flared with blinding light.

Blazing lightning beams and high-temperature explosive rounds fired in succession.

Cannon fire flashed across the arena as arcs of lightning darted everywhere.

Song Que continued to fight with Senbonzakura.

Pink petals filled the air, layering before him and shredding the incoming shells.

But Ma Rulong's lightning field was troublesome.

Whenever Song Que tried to close in, the lightning disrupted his movements and visibly slowed his footwork, giving Ma Rulong time to react.

For the moment, Song Que could only circle Ma Rulong at a distance. Getting close was difficult.

At the edge of the arena, in the spectator stands.

Yan Shaozhe kept his eyes fixed on Song Que, his expression growing grave.

Beside him, Ma Xiaotao watched just as intently.

"Look closely," Yan Shaozhe said quietly.

"The petals he used against Xiao Hongchen were nowhere near as powerful as they are in this match."

"Against Ma Rulong, their speed and force have clearly increased. They're no weaker than a Level Seven Soul Tool."

As Yan Shaozhe spoke, Song Que's petals changed again.

They flew even faster, and their cutting power visibly grew.

The petals that had only been able to block shells now swept through the air and tore apart the scattered arcs of lightning.

"The power of his martial soul varies greatly," Yan Shaozhe continued.

"The more Soul Power he puts into it, the faster and more destructive his attacks become."

Ma Xiaotao frowned. "So he's been adjusting his output to match his opponent in every match."

"No one knows where his true limit lies."

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly. "Exactly."

"All we can tell now is that his upper limit is very high. As for how much Soul Power it costs him, we won't know until we face him ourselves."

"In any case, we mustn't let our guard down."

In the arena, the tide of battle quietly shifted.

Song Que had no desire to keep wasting energy on a drawn-out exchange with Ma Rulong.

He secretly increased his Soul Power, raising the strength of every cherry-blossom blade another notch.

Countless petals darted and wheeled through the lightning field, moving as freely as the wind.

Ma Rulong's expression changed. He hurriedly intensified his cannon fire, trying to regain control through sheer firepower.

But Senbonzakura could now keep pace with his barrage.

The instant a shell left its barrel, it was shredded in midair.

Before Ma Rulong could switch to another high-level Soul Tool, Song Que's low voice rang out.

"Bakudō #61: Six Rods Prison of Light."

He cast the Kidō without an incantation. Though weakened, it caught Ma Rulong by surprise.

Six silver beams appeared from nowhere, locking Ma Rulong's limbs and torso in place.

Caught off guard, Ma Rulong was pinned where he stood, unable to move.

In that brief moment, the cherry-blossom blades filling the sky surged together.

Countless petals spun and coiled at high speed. In an instant, they formed a huge pink tornado.

Howling blades of wind tore through the air, carrying tremendous cutting power as they swallowed the helpless Ma Rulong.

Clang, clang, clang!

Under the relentless storm of blades, his Soul Tool armor and defensive Soul Tool barrier cracked and broke apart piece by piece.

Several seconds later, the wind stopped and the blossoms fell.

The pink petals slowly scattered.

At the center of the arena, Ma Rulong was covered in wounds. Most of his armor had shattered, and all strength had left his body. He collapsed heavily to the floor, completely unable to fight.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in an uproar.

One man had beaten three.

Song Que had defeated three core members of the Sun Moon Team in succession: Meng Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, and Ma Rulong.

Song Que let out a small breath. His breathing was slightly ragged, but his expression remained composed.

The referee stepped forward at once and declared Just Sky Academy the winner.

Song Que did not linger. He turned and left the arena, returning to the team's rest area to recover.

Just Sky Academy's second contestant, Ye Wuqing, then stepped into the arena.

In the matches that followed.

Song Que had beaten the Sun Moon Team's three core members by himself. Though it had cost him enough to leave the arena and let someone else take over, the team's decline was beyond reversing. Its remaining members were badly demoralized.

They faced Ye Wuqing, Yu Mengdi, and the others one after another, and all were defeated.

"The match is over. Just Sky Academy wins the individual competition."

"Just Sky Academy has defeated Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and advances to the final."

Below the arena, Xiao Hongchen stared at Song Que across from him. His fists were clenched, his face full of frustration.

"Damn it, Song Que. Just wait. I'll beat you at the next tournament."

Song Que met Xiao Hongchen's gaze with a faint smile. Without replying, he turned toward the Shrek team.

His eyes met Yan Shaozhe's.

Yan Shaozhe gave a slight nod. "Congratulations, Song Que. It seems your martial soul has finally shown its true power."

Song Que nodded. "I have you to thank for that, Dean Yan. I'm looking forward to the next match."

Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched, but his mechanical smile stayed in place. "As am I."

By the afternoon, there was little suspense surrounding Shrek's individual matches.

Still, it was a semifinal, and plenty of spectators had come to watch.

In the stands, Du Busi was talking as he watched the match with Huo Yuhao. A large-headed man approached from a distance and leaned in beside him.

"Sect Master, Elder Jin discovered that some of Virtue Hall's Soul Engineers have already left the hotel. He's taken people to follow them."

"Jing Hongchen and the rest of the Sun Moon Team are still at the hotel."

Du Busi nodded. "Good. I'll head over now."

"I'll keep an eye on Jing Hongchen. Have our people quietly watch Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the others."

"Now that the Sun Moon Team has lost, they may leave early."

The large-headed man acknowledged the order and turned away.

Du Busi turned back and signaled to Song Que and Huo Yuhao before leaving.

Song Que considered it for a moment, then lowered his voice and told Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, and the others, "I'm going away for a while. If something happens and I can't make it back in time, make your own decisions about the final and hold on until I return."