The atmosphere inside the Soul Fighting Arena was taut as a drawn bow, the air thick with suffocating pressure. Every gaze was fixed on the referee at the center of the stage, his entire body covered in magnificent metal. His intricate armor gleamed coldly, especially the flowing soul-device patterns where his breastplate met his pauldrons. Every detail proclaimed its owner's power—this was a Three-Word Battle Armor Master, an expert with at least the cultivation of a Soul Saint. Clad in his Battle Armor, he released faint traces of pressure on the level of a Titled Douluo. Clearly, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had arranged this deliberately, hoping to cast a shadow over the Shrek Academy youngsters' minds before the match even began.
The referee hovered in midair, looking down on everyone from above. He spoke in a deep voice infused with soul power, attempting to drown out the uproar in the stands. "Now, I announce the mat—"
"What?" Gu Yue tilted her head up slightly, her purple eyes filled with bewilderment. She even obligingly picked at her ear. "Referee, what did you say? It's too noisy here. I can't hear you."
The referee knitted his brows, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. Soul power erupted within him, and his voice thundered through the Soul Fighting Arena. "I said—I'll now announce the rules of the match!"
Yet Gu Yue still wore an expression of "innocent bewilderment." She turned sideways, seemingly trying to locate the source of the voice, and continued complaining under her breath. "I really can't hear... There's so much noise, buzzing and buzzing, like thousands upon thousands of flies darting around my ears. It's giving me a headache. Could you make these 'flies' quiet down?"
The entire arena fell dead silent for an instant at those