Nan Qiuqiu's Annihilation attribute is indeed powerful, enough to render most Soul Master rely on elemental and energy attacks helpless.
However, the Qiangu Fuliu she encountered this time was precisely one of the very few exceptions.
Her invincible, Annihilation nature, faced with the opponent's supremely concentrated and immense power, felt somewhat helpless and was subtly restrained.
Having never held out much hope for victory, Nan Qiuqiu didn't feel much negative emotion when she truly experienced the seemingly insurmountable gap in strength.
The lingering shock in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a calm that came after everything had settled.
She raised her eyes to look at Qiangu Fuliu, who stood opposite her with his staff sheathed, and her voice clearly echoed throughout the arena, "As agreed beforehand, in this individual battle, my Earth Dragon Sect... concedes defeat."
Faced with an absolute gap in strength, she was utterly defeated and completely convinced of her superiority.
Although he didn't achieve the legendary feat of defeating seven opponents single-handedly in this individual battle, no one doubted that Qiangu Fuliu possessed such strength.
Two consecutive victories, forcing the opposing captain to concede defeat, is enough to demonstrate his absolute dominance and the breathtaking overall strength of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Qiangu Fuliu stood alone in the center of the arena, surrounded by cheers and shouts that swept in from all sides of the audience like a tangible wave.
He could clearly hear countless people calling his name, their burning gazes focusing on him alone.
An indescribable surge of heat coursed through his chest.
Only now did he truly understand what it meant to "appear before others" as Kong Xuan had described.
The feeling of standing atop the pinnacle of public attention, winning awe and applause with absolute power... is truly exhilarating!
Back in the preparation area, Qiangu Fuliu was immediately greeted with a warm welcome from his teammates.
Although the victory was expected, everyone was proud of him for winning in such a dominant manner.
Kong Ling's tone carried a hint of teasing. "Young Master Qian Gu is amazing, he took care of the Earth Dragon Sect all by himself."
The title "Young Master" carried a hint of teasing, and as the young master of a reclusive family with Qiangu Fuliu, he certainly deserved it.
This somewhat unusual title originated from Xu Wei.
Although she also comes from a "reclusive family," Gu Yuena did not receive a similar title, perhaps due to her naturally aloof and unapproachable aura.
There are some jokes that Xu Wei would never dare to make about this person.
Qiangu Fuliu shook his head, a humble smile on his face, "With the strength of any one member of our team, we should be able to achieve the same result against Di Earth Dragon Sect."
The words " Qiangu Fuliu " were not merely humble politeness, but a heartfelt realization.
Among the reclusive, Qiangu Clan, he was indeed a recognized young genius, virtually unmatched.
But since following Kong Xuan into this vast world, he has come to truly understand what it means to have a world beyond the world.
The people gathered around Kong Xuan were all exceptionally talented and powerful.
Among them were several individuals who, even someone as proud and arrogant as him, had to genuinely admire them and admit their inferiority.
"The strongest in the Earth Dragon Sect is only at the Soul King realm, which is hardly enough to satisfy our desires."
As Qiangu Fuliu spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the Shrek Academy's training area not far away.
The fighting spirit that had subsided in his eyes rose and condensed like flames once more, almost becoming tangible.
He spoke slowly, his voice filled with undisguised anticipation. "I only hope that Shrek Academy will truly allow me to fight to my heart's content!"
As a "remnant of the Spirit Hall," he was extremely familiar with the name " Shrek Academy."
However, as the years have passed, the grudges of that time have long since settled into ink marks on the pages of history.
At this moment, he didn't harbor much personal hostility towards Shrek. His burning fighting spirit stemmed more from his curiosity and desire to explore the strength and foundation of the "Number One Academy on the Continent."
He was genuinely looking forward to a thrilling and exhilarating showdown with this renowned rival, one that would allow him to give it his all!
That evening, on the top floor of the Mingyue Hotel.
"Our opponent in the next round of the back-to-back race..."
Cai Mei'er's gaze swept over every young and tense face before she finally said, "It's the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy."
Inside the Shrek Team's meeting room, the news just announced by team leader Cai Mei'er caused everyone to freeze in their tracks.
The nine characters " Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy " seemed to carry an invisible pressure, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the room.
Meanwhile, in another meeting room on the same top floor, the atmosphere was completely different.
When coach Ren Jun announced the same competition schedule with a smile, he was instantly met with a surge of fighting spirit and excitement.
Qiangu Fuliu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his fighting spirit rose uncontrollably. He hadn't expected to have to fight Shrek Academy so soon.
However, he wasn't the only one.
The others in the conference room had burning desire in their eyes; they were all eagerly awaiting another showdown with the Shrek Academy!
On one side, they were chatting and laughing, yet their fighting spirit was palpable.
On the other side, however, a gloomy atmosphere hung over them, and their brows were furrowed.
This is not just a simple back-and-forth match, but a pre-final clash between two destined teams.
Inside the Shrek Academy meeting room, it was finally Bei Bei, the team captain, who took a deep breath and broke the suffocating silence.
His voice was calm and steady as he said, "Since we've been grouped with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, this battle is an inevitable destiny."
Cai Mei'er quietly observed the somber-faced young people before her, offering neither words of interference nor any encouragement.
She knew that some inner conflicts and pressures must be faced and resolved by themselves; this was an essential step in growing into a truly strong person.
Wang Dong raised his head, his beautiful big eyes sweeping over each of his teammates present.
Her clear voice rang out in the silent conference room. "Currently, although our understanding of the specific strength of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's participating students is limited, judging from their strength during the exchange two years ago, and the tip of the iceberg they have shown now..."
She paused slightly, then said in a deep voice, "With our current strength, our chances of winning are slim."
These words, like cold rain, poured down on everyone's heart.
Despite their resentment and frustration, faced with the stark reality, they had to admit that what Wang Dong said was absolutely true.
Xu Sanshi leaned back in his chair, seemingly unconcerned, and said with a nonchalant air, "As per Mu En's instructions, we weren't supposed to be aiming for any particular ranking this time. If you ask me, there's no need for everyone to be so tense. If we lose, we lose!"
Since his fierce conflict with Xuan Zi five years ago, he has had very little sense of belonging to the Shrek Academy.
If Jiang Nannan hadn't participated, he probably wouldn't have been on this team at all.
Therefore, among all the team members, Xu Sanshi was perhaps the most relaxed, or even the most "detached."
Sitting opposite him, Bei Bei, as a close friend of many years, naturally understood the root of Xu Sanshi's mentality.
He looked at Xu Sanshi, his lips moved, but in the end he only frowned slightly and did not say anything more.
However, Dai Huabin on the other side suddenly stood up, his young and impetuous face slightly flushed with anger.
His voice suddenly rose. " Mu En is considerate of us and doesn't put pressure on us; that's his magnanimity!"
"But can we ourselves be completely indifferent to rankings because of this?"
"Have you forgotten Shrek's glory?!"
His intense gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Xu Sanshi, his eyes burning with fighting spirit and anger.