The formation of the Elephant Armor Academy was riddled with holes due to the continuous interference of the sound waves.
Huyan Li's Diamond Shield was mostly shattered, and the golden luster on his skin flickered like a lamp about to go out. Huyan Huo's shoulder was cut open by Lu Qing's Wind Scythe, and blood flowed all over his arm, but he gritted his teeth and did not back down.
The other five were in no better shape— their Soul Power was scattered by the sound waves, their Diamond Shield appeared and disappeared intermittently, and their defensive power was less than half of its peak.
But they keep pushing forward.
"Continue!" Huyan Li's voice was hoarse as his Fourth Soul Ring lit up again, forcibly condensing the Diamond Shield.
Shi Yan's Second Soul Ring lit up, and the long chime of the Void Resonance Bell rang out again. The sound wave precisely cut into the node where Huyan Li's Soul Power was circulating, and the Diamond Shield that had just been formed was shattered again.
Huyan Li finally stopped.
He knelt on one knee, his hands braced against the surface of the arena, panting heavily. No matter how strong the Diamond Mammoth's defense was, it couldn't withstand the constant shockwaves erupting from within. His internal organs ached, his head was buzzing, and the channels through which his Soul Power circulated were disrupted by the sound waves.
He raised his head and looked at Shi Yan.
The boy's eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool.
"That's enough," Huyan Li said in a low voice.
He withdrew his Fourth Soul Ring. The other six followed suit and withdrew their Soul Skill.
" Elephant Armor Academy concedes defeat."
The referee paused for a moment, then raised his right hand. " Godwind Academy wins!"
The stands erupted in cheers.
"We won! Godwind Academy won!"
"That Bell Martial Soul... is too strong! He broke through the entire defense of the Elephant Armor Academy all by himself?"
"It's not strength, it's restraint. The Sonic Wave Diamond Mammoth —this was specially arranged by the Godwind Academy."
The team members from the Iron Rock Academy sat in the stands, and none of them spoke. Tie Hu looked at Shi Yan on the field and remained silent for a long time.
"We didn't lose unjustly," he said as a final remark.
Shi Chui nodded. Even Elephant Armor Academy couldn't withstand it, so what was Iron Rock compared to that?
In the spectator areas of other colleges, discussions rose and fell.
"No wonder Godwind Academy kept sending Zhong Yue; they were hiding him until now before releasing him."
"Sonic Diamond Mammoth, this is specially prepared for the Elephant Armor Academy."
" Thunder Academy is probably going to have a headache too."
In Shrek's private lounge, Tang San stood by the window, looking at the arena. He kept staring at Shi Yan's Void Resonance Bell.
Sound waves and vibrations are not achieved through force, but through penetration.
He recalled Zhong Yue, the Defense System from the Godwind Academy in Suotuo City, who relied on sheer brute force. This Shi Yan, on the other hand, relied on clever tactics.
Just how many trump cards does Godwind Academy still have up its sleeve?
Dai Mubai sat in a chair, arms crossed, brows furrowed. "That Bell Martial Soul's sonic waves aren't just effective against Defense System. They can also interfere with Soul Power circulation, physical condition, and mental concentration."
Tang San didn't turn around. "So we can't let him stand comfortably on the field. Disrupting his rhythm is more effective than trying to withstand it head-on."
Dai Mubai paused for a moment, then nodded.
--
In the VIP section, Huyan Zhen stood up, his face ashen, and turned to leave. He didn't look at anyone.
Elephant Armor Academy lost. Shi Yan passed the first test of the one-year agreement.
Salas put down his teacup, his gaze lingering on Shi Yan for a moment. Shi Yan. The Void Resonance Bell. How interesting.
But he didn't say a word. He simply picked up his teacup and put it down again.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Shi Yan on the field and nodded slightly. He turned to look in Feng Qingxuan's direction, where Feng Qingxuan was smiling and clapping.
" Dean Feng, the person your son brought back is quite good," Ning Fengzhi said.
Feng Qingxuan smiled slightly, "It's because he's determined to succeed."
Ning Fengzhi withdrew his gaze, his tone tinged with emotion. " The Elephant Armor Academy's defenses have remained unbroken for countless years. It's not that no one has tried, but that no one has ever imagined—that they could be breached from within."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
"We've all been stuck in our old ways of thinking. But this young man is showing us a new path today."
Feng Qingxuan didn't reply, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"The matches to come will surely be even more exciting," Ning Fengzhi remarked.
Shi Yan stepped down from the arena.
He didn't stop, didn't look at his teammates on either side, and walked straight through the crowd towards the players' bench.
Jiang Lin watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips, but didn't follow. Cheng Luo stood beside him, arms crossed, and chuckled softly, "This kid, he's been waiting for this day for a long time, hasn't he?"
Lu Qing put away the Wind Scythe without speaking, but his gaze remained fixed on Shi Yan's retreating figure. Lu Hanxiao folded his wings and stood to the side, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly—to him, that was already a smile.
Feng Lingtian stood at the back, watching Shi Yan walk towards Feng Xiaotian. He remained silent for a moment, then looked away. He knew that this was not the time to disturb them.
Ye Qingyu put away her Wind Zither, watched Shi Yan's retreating figure from afar, and shook her head with a smile. She didn't go over to join in the fun, but her fingers gently plucked a note on the Wind Zither, and a Light Sound fell upon Shi Yan —not a boost, but a congratulation.
Several people stood below the arena, watching Shi Yan from a distance.
"He's fast," Cheng Luo said.
Jiang Lin didn't reply, but the curve of his lips said it all.
From being Shi Yan and ridiculed, to being bailed out and brought back to the academy by Feng Xiaotian, and now standing on the preliminary round stage to personally defeat Elephant Armor Academy —this anger has been pent up for far too long.
Now, it's finally out.
And all of them were witnesses.
Shi Yan walked up to Feng Xiaotian.
He stood there without saying a word, but his eyes conveyed two words—waiting for praise.
Feng Xiaotian looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. But in the end, he clenched his fist to his mouth, coughed lightly, and commented, "Not bad."
Shi Yan was taken aback.
"After passing the Elephant Armor, there's still Thunder Academy." Feng Xiaotian stood up and patted him on the shoulder.
Shi Yan paused for a moment, the expectation in his eyes disappearing, replaced by composure. He nodded and followed behind him.
At the same time, on the other side of the arena.
The seven members of the Canghui Academy stood in a peculiar formation, their combined Soul Power slowly coalescing. Shi Nian, who was leading the team, stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed and a gloomy expression.
Opposite them, the seven members of the Shrek Academy were already lined up.
Tang San stood at the front, the Blue Silver Grass faintly visible in his palm. His gaze fell on the seven people from the Canghui Academy.
The Seven-in-One Fusion Skill. This was the first time Tang San had ever seen a fusion technique like this.
"Interesting," he said softly.
The referee raised his right hand.