At the Referee's command, the eagerly awaited clash at the pinnacle officially began.
"Roar!"
Long Yue struck first. He threw his head back and unleashed a deafening dragon roar as Soul Rings abruptly rose beneath his feet.
Purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black!
Three purple and five black—a full eight Soul Rings!
"What?! Eight rings?!"
The Monster Academy waiting area instantly erupted.
"When did our captain break through?! Wasn't he still a Seven-Ring Soul Sage yesterday?"
"This... this is absurd! How did our Monster Academy's genius go 'crazy' along with the people from Shrek Academy?"
"Is this the legendary 'duel of two dragons'? Do they even have to compete over how fast they break through?"
Everyone exchanged looks, disbelief written all over their faces.
Meanwhile, on the Arena, Tang Wulin remained calm in the face of Long Yue's raging aura.
He slowly raised his right hand, and the Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up.
Red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red!
Eight blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!
The instant those eight red rings appeared, the entire Arena seemed to fall silent for a moment.
It was absolute suppression stemming from the very level of life itself. Even Long Yue's imposing Mountain Dragon King Martial Soul seemed somewhat dim beside those eight red rings.
"Eight reds against three purples and five blacks!"
"This is a feast for the eyes!"
In the stands, a sharp gleam flashed through Dai Tianling's eyes, and an expectant smile appeared on his face.
"Good! Good! Good! Now this is a true clash at the pinnacle!"
Yet the real shock was still to come.
Long Yue drew a deep breath, and a layer of heavy golden armor instantly covered his dark-red skin.
"Three-Word Battle Armor—Mountain-Subduing Dragon!"
With a deep roar, a suit