Spirit City
Ten days later, the carriage slowly drove into Spirit City.
Everyone leaned out of the car windows, taking in this renowned holy land of Soul Master.
Tall buildings stand on both sides of the wide street, their gray-white stone gleaming faintly in the sunlight, exuding a more solemn air than the bustling Heaven Dou City.
People wearing Soul Master robes and various badges can be seen everywhere on the streets.
"Finally here!" Ma Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief, jumping up from his seat. "I was about to burst!"
Wang Xingyu also let out a long sigh of relief. It was really tough; this carriage in another world had no shock absorption! After ten days of being jostled around, his buttocks felt like iron.
The group was led to their accommodations arranged by the Spirit Hall, a detached two-story building, which was far superior to the tents they had used during the preliminaries.
The Grandmaster told everyone to settle in properly, and then gathered everyone in the lobby on the first floor.
"There are three days left until the finals." The Grandmaster glanced at everyone, his tone as calm as ever. "These three days are for you to train hard and adjust your condition. Also, practice what I taught you a few more times. Prepare for the real battle."
"Alright!" everyone responded in unison.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the finals, everyone arrived at the competition venue.
This arena, built specifically for the Soul Master Tournament, is even more magnificent than the Heaven Dou Arena. The circular grandstand has three levels and can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. Teams from various academies entered the arena one after another, their flags fluttering in the wind.
Flender went to draw lots, while everyone else waited in the waiting area. Not long after, the Dean returned with his hands behind his back, his expression a mix of joy and something else entirely.
"The opponent for the first match has been revealed—an old acquaintance, Blazing Fire Academy."
Ma Hongjun chuckled upon hearing this, "Blazing Fire Academy? That's a piece of cake!"
Dai Mubai nodded, his gaze drifting to Wang Xingyu and Tang San: "That's right, we have the fire-immune duo."
Oscar leaned over and nudged Wang Xingyu with his elbow with a grin. Wang Xingyu sighed, speechless. Why did this have to happen again? He didn't want people to nag him for the rest of their lives.
He turned to Flender, "Dean Flander, we shouldn't need to play in this match, right?"
Ning Rongrong blinked, somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean by 'not needing to play'?"
Flender raised an eyebrow. "How did you know, kid?"
Ma Hongjun's mouth gaped open, his head darting back and forth between Wang Xingyu and Flender: "You really don't need to play? Why is that?"
"I just saw people from the Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy walking together. They must have merged. After the merger, they can only give up one of the two spots. Since they're facing us in the first match, they'll most likely give up the Blazing Fire Academy spot."
Flender nodded. "That's true. Blazing Fire Academy has submitted its withdrawal application to the organizing committee."
The Grandmaster continued, "Blazing Fire Academy conceded the first match, so we advance directly. We get a bye in the second match, which puts us in the top ten."
Ma Hongjun put his hands on his hips, shook his head triumphantly, and said, "Yay! We're so lucky! We didn't do anything and we're already in the top ten!"
The Grandmaster glanced at him, his tone turning serious. "The Blazing Fire and the divine wind combined, with the fire aided by the wind, still pose a threat to us. We must not be arrogant."
Ma Hongjun, who had just been holding his head high, immediately lowered it and obediently replied, "Yes, Grandmaster."
The crowd watched another match from the stands.
The New Godwind Academy —the team formed by the merger of Blazing Fire and Kamikaze—defeated their opponent in just a few minutes.
Huo Wu Feng Xiaotian didn't even use their third or Fourth Soul Skill from beginning to end. They relied solely on their first two Soul Skill and their tacit cooperation to completely overwhelm their opponents.
Oscar gasped after watching. "This New Godwind is really something. Hopefully, we won't run into them in the next match."
Back at his lodgings, Flender publicly announced his next opponent.
"Star Luo Royal Academy." He adjusted his glasses, his tone a bit more serious than usual, "Equivalent to our Heaven Dou Royal Team One, the Star Luo Empire's seeded players. Their strength is only slightly higher, not lower, and they shouldn't be underestimated."
Dai Mubai slowly clenched his fist. He turned his head and his gaze met Zhu Zhuqing's in mid-air. Zhu Zhuqing was about to stand up when Dai Mubai acted even faster. He stood up and bowed deeply to the Shrek members.
"Dean, Grandmaster, I request to play in this match."
The Grandmaster looked at him calmly and asked, "Is it because of the Star Luo Empire?"
Dai Mubai straightened up and nodded. "This match, for Zhu Zhuqing and me, is not just a contest of strength—"
"It's a life-or-death duel." Zhu Zhuqing continued, her voice as cold as ever, but every word resounding.
Ma Hongjun leaned back, the chair creaking loudly. "That serious?"
"Yes." Dai Mubai's voice was deep and heavy. "This is our destiny. I ran away before, but things are different now. I have the strength now, and I can no longer run away."
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.
Wang Xingyu said, "Do you need Little San and Xiao Wu's help? The three of us can use our Martial Soul Fusion Skill anytime."
Dai Mubai's serious atmosphere vanished abruptly at his interruption, and he said with a faint smile, "That won't be necessary. Save your three Martial Soul Fusion Skill for the final match. This time—just use mine and Zhu Zhuqing's."
He hadn't forgotten the scene back in the Great Soul Arena, when he and Zhuqing had just summoned the Hell White Tiger, and Tang San and Xiao Wu had already taken care of all the enemies.
The Grandmaster pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright. Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing will perform this round. You can decide the rest of the contestants yourselves."
Oscar immediately raised his hand. "Then there's one more spot! Let's flip a coin!"
"I won't participate," Wang Xingyu said casually, leaning back in his chair. "I'll save it for the finals. You guys go ahead. I can help you recover right after you're done."
Ma Hongjun gave a thumbs up, his expression exaggerated. "Brother Yu, you're so kind and righteous!"
Tang San and Xiao Wu both looked at Wang Xingyu. Wang Xingyu met their gazes and nodded with a smile. Tang San and Xiao Wu could tell that he was sincere, so they didn't say anything more.
In fact, Wang Xingyu felt that all of the Shrek Seven Devils participated in the original work, and since he had already taken up one of the spots, if they were to participate, someone would inevitably be unable to do so.
It felt like he left that person with a regret. Of course, he had to participate in the final match; after hiding his abilities for so long, wouldn't it be a waste not to make a big splash?
The next day, on the arena.
The seven members of Shrek stood in a row, facing the Star Luo Royal Academy team. Dai Mubai stood at the front, with Zhu Zhuqing beside him. Wang Xingyu and Tai Long did not participate in the match, but sat in the waiting area to watch.
In the stands, Feng Xiaotian had somehow managed to sidle up next to Wang Xingyu. Arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the blond figure on the ring, a slight brow raised. "Oh, so this blond heartthrob has finally come up. You're not holding back your trump cards anymore?"
Wang Xingyu leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed. "Don't worry, I've saved a big one for you. I've also saved one for the Spirit Hall."
"Oh?" Feng Xiaotian turned his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Then I'm really looking forward to it."
The referee's voice, Amplifying Soul Tool, resounded throughout the arena. "Shrek Academy has fielded a player who has never appeared before! Is this blond-haired athlete Shrek's hidden trump card? What surprises will he bring us? Let's wait and see!"