Tianhai Stadium roared with voices as the eagerly awaited seven-person team match was about to begin.
As the host's ringing voice faded, the Shrek Team made its entrance first.
Seven figures, dressed in Shrek's distinctive dark green uniforms, strode to the center of the arena with straight backs and soaring momentum.
Thunderous cheers instantly erupted from the stands. Applause and shouts rose in waves, ringing to the heavens.
To the people of the Douluo Continent, the name "Shrek" was synonymous with invincibility.
It was a faith carved into their bones. Almost everyone firmly believed that victory in this match would inevitably belong to Shrek.
Next, the Skysea Team entered.
But when Xiao Chen, Na'er, and Gu Yue appeared in the arena, the cheers abruptly stopped, replaced by an uproar of bewilderment.
"What's going on? Why does the Skysea Team only have three people? Isn't this a seven-person team match?"
"Exactly! Where are Tianhai Academy's team members from last time? Did they change the lineup?"
"This is ridiculous! Three against seven? Isn't that a guaranteed loss?"
Even so, since most spectators were Skysea locals, a scattering of reluctant cheers arose in support of their local team. Compared with the reception Shrek had received, however, they sounded especially feeble.
In the arena, the Shrek Team also noticed something amiss. Looking at the mere three members of the opposing Skysea Team, they grew puzzled before their confusion turned to disdain.
In their eyes, regardless of who their opponents were or whether they held the numerical advantage, Shrek would inevitably win with ease. This little hiccup could not affect the final outcome at all.
The two teams stood facing each other, and the atmosphere instantly tightened.
Standing in the Shrek Team's formation, Ye Xinglan immediately locked onto the three opponents. Once she saw their faces clearly, fury blazed within her, and her face turned livid.
"So it's you!" Ye Xinglan snapped shrilly. "Well, well! No wonder you ambushed me back then. You were planning to play dirty all along!"
"You wanted me in poor condition before the match so you could defeat us in the arena! Despicable!"
Gu Yue's brows knitted slightly at that. Disdain filled her cool face as she said flatly, "Twisting black into white."
Na'er was even more furious, her silver eyes brimming with hostility. "You're spitting blood to slander us! You were the one who provoked and insulted us first, and now you're turning around and blaming us!"
"Enough, Na'er, Gu Yue. Why waste words on them?" Xiao Chen raised a hand to interrupt them. "Fists carry more authority than words."
He turned his head and instructed Na'er and Gu Yue beside him, "Na'er, you handle Ye Xinglan. Gu Yue, do as you please."
"I'll finish off the rest quickly and call it a day."
Gu Yue and Na'er both nodded, their gazes firm. "All right!"
Seeing this, the Shrek Team's captain, Yu Longyuan, stepped forward and stared coldly at Xiao Chen. "Just the three of you dare challenge us? Arrogant!"
The other Shrek members chimed in, their faces full of disdain and mockery. To them, Xiao Chen and his companions were nothing but clowns jumping about, not worth mentioning.
At those words, Xiao Chen swept an indifferent gaze over Shrek's seven members. "Arrogance takes backing. And I happen to have it."
No sooner had he spoken than the referee gave the order. "Begin!"
In an instant, the Shrek members revealed their Martial Souls. Yu Longyuan struck first, activating his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul Possession. Three Soul Rings lit up around him as he charged straight at Xiao Chen.
But before he could approach, Xiao Chen abruptly vanished, moving too fast for him to react.
The next second, Xiao Chen appeared directly in front of Yu Longyuan and clamped a hand over his face.
His Wither Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and a chilling layer of wither Soul Power coated the fingers gripping Yu Longyuan's face.
The wither Soul Power seeped through his palm into Yu Longyuan's brain, nearly making it crash.
Yu Longyuan's limbs abruptly stiffened, leaving him unable to move. All the Soul Power in his body became a stagnant pool, impossible to mobilize and constantly draining away.
It was not over yet. Xiao Chen's Soul Power wreaked havoc throughout Yu Longyuan's body, forcibly canceling his Martial Soul Possession.
Still, Xiao Chen was far too merciful. To avoid killing anyone, he held back a little.
He deliberately kept his opponent's brain conscious, lest he fall asleep forever and miss the heartwarming sight of Shrek's defeat.
Meanwhile, the three black Soul Rings shining around Xiao Chen instantly plunged the entire stadium into deathly silence.
"Three... three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings! How is that possible?"
Ye Xinglan's eyes widened, disbelief covering her face as she cried out involuntarily.
She could not fathom how a boy of only ten could possess Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. It completely shattered her understanding.
Not only Ye Xinglan, but the entire audience, the remaining Shrek Team members, and even the referee were stunned speechless by the sight.
Before anyone could react, Xiao Chen had already activated his second Soul Skill.
Soul sand appeared out of thin air, filling the sky and surging like a tide toward the other five members of the Shrek Team, instantly engulfing Xu Lizhi and a nameless team member.
Neither had a chance to resist before the soul sand bound them tightly. Their Soul Power and Spiritual Power were continuously eroded, and they soon lost their fighting strength. Xiao Chen casually flung them out of the arena.
The two slammed heavily into the ground, their bodies covered in bloody marks from the crushing pressure, completely unable to fight.
The remaining Shrek members paled at the sight and hurriedly mobilized all their Soul Power, trying to resist the bizarre sand.
Zheng Hui immediately activated Martial Soul Possession, fully unleashing his Taotie Giant Bull Martial Soul. His body instantly swelled, muscles bulging, as he smashed a fist at the soul sand before him, intending to shatter it.
But the next second, he let out an agonized scream. The soul sand had wrapped tightly around his fist, leaving him unable to pull it free. The excruciating pain nearly broke him.
"Aaaah!" Zheng Hui's screams echoed across the arena. His hand felt as though it no longer belonged to him, as if it were being burned by raging flames over and over. The pain was unbearable.
Ye Kai fared even worse. Xiao Chen still remembered his arrogance at the start and deliberately controlled the soul sand to envelop his lower body.
Ye Kai's face instantly turned deathly pale. He let out a terrified scream, his entire body shaking violently. Gone was his swagger from the opening, leaving only endless pain and despair.
Ning Feng, whose Martial Soul was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, was comparatively lucky. Out of a support-type Soul Master's combat instincts, she had retreated as soon as the match began, narrowly escaping the soul sand's encirclement. She stood pale-faced behind the others, not daring to move a muscle.
At the same time, Na'er moved too.
Holding the Silver Dragon Spear, she flashed forward and charged at Ye Xinglan, activating her third Soul Skill-Silver Dragon Transformation.
The Soul Power around her surged, all her physical attributes increased by 200%, and her Soul Power recovery accelerated greatly.
Na'er charged fiercely at Ye Xinglan like a Dayun truck.
Ye Xinglan hurriedly summoned the Star God Sword and gripped it with both hands, trying to block Na'er's attack.
Seeing Ye Xinglan raise her sword to defend, Na'er deliberately refrained from thrusting with the spearhead. Instead, she slammed the shaft hard against the Star God Sword.
With a deafening clang, the Star God Sword in Ye Xinglan's hands shook violently. The impact made blood run from her ears and nose and left her whole body numb. Her sword hand trembled incessantly, nearly losing its grip.
Before Ye Xinglan could recover, Na'er swept the Silver Dragon Spear hard across her, sending her flying to crash heavily at the edge of the arena.
Ye Xinglan struggled to rise, only to be instantly cut by wind blades controlled by Gu Yue. The sharp blades left several bloody gashes across her body.
Gu Yue controlled their force, avoiding her vital areas and deliberately tormenting Ye Xinglan.
In just a few short minutes, the battle had become entirely one-sided. The Shrek Team was thoroughly forced onto the defensive, almost completely suppressed.
Yu Longyuan struggled desperately in Xiao Chen's grip on his face, but to no avail.
Xu Lizhi and the nameless team member had long since been eliminated.
Ye Kai and Zheng Hui were entangled in soul sand, wailing in agony.
Ye Xinglan was being brutally beaten by Na'er and Gu Yue together, reduced to a miserable state.
Only Ning Feng had luckily avoided serious injury, yet she was too frightened to move.
The entire audience fell utterly silent at the sight before erupting into an unprecedented uproar.
"How is this possible? Shrek is getting crushed?"
"Rigged! This has to be rigged!"
"This match is fixed! It has to be! How could Shrek lose this badly?"
"Is it too late to change my bet? I bet on Shrek winning..."
"Shrek, how could you let us down? Give us our money back!"
The spectators' shouts, complaints, and doubts mingled, echoing throughout the stadium.
No one had expected the invincible Shrek Team to be utterly crushed by three youngsters in this match and suffer a complete rout.
In the arena, Xiao Chen held Yu Longyuan captive while watching the thoroughly suppressed Shrek members, his gaze indifferent and utterly unruffled.
A match like this, shooting fish in a barrel, really was too boring.
Na'er and Gu Yue did not stop either. They continued attacking Ye Xinglan, venting all their earlier resentment, while Ye Xinglan could only endure the one-sided beating.
The outcome of this match had been sealed from the very beginning.
One cheat and two powerhouses cultivating anew-if Shrek did not get instantly defeated by that, it really would be the greatest academy in the world.
Before you continue