Wu Zhangkong watched as Tang Wulin stepped down from the platform, and a rare, barely perceptible hint of approval flashed across his stern face.
He walked over to the slightly disheartened Wu Sido, his voice cold but carrying a trace of affirmation: "Don't dwell on it. The academy acknowledges your strength and contributions."
These few simple words calmed Wu Sido's emotions significantly, and she silently nodded.
Taking advantage of the brief interlude before the next match began, Wu Zhangkong called Gu La over. His gaze swept over Bo Xi, who was preparing on the platform, his expression grave.
"The next match, your opponent is Bo Xi."
Wu Zhangkong's voice was low and clear. "This person's origins are mysterious, his strength unfathomable. Five ten-thousand-year soul rings, dual overlapping domains, astonishing recovery power, and extremely bizarre attack methods. After leaving with the others from Monster Academy yesterday, Long Yue returned injured, indicating that Bo Xi's strength is at least comparable to Long Yue's."
Gu La listened quietly, inwardly feeling both amused and exasperated. Of course, he knew Bo Xi's true identity—he was essentially an extension of himself.
Wu Zhangkong continued his analysis, clearly having done extensive research: "His five exposed soul skills are: First Soul Skill, …"
"This opponent is indeed formidable," Wu Zhangkong shifted his tone, looking sharply at Gu La, "but the good news is, both of your martial souls have a natural advantage over him. Your second martial soul controls plant abilities, which naturally counters water."
"Your Lava Behemoth (Groudon) martial soul manipulates earth and rock—earth subdues water—and your powerful spiritual force makes you immune to his mental attacks. As long as you fight steadily, leveraging your elemental advantages to disrupt his aquatic environment, your chances of victory are over seventy percent."
He paused, his tone turning unusually serious: "However, under no circumstances should you underestimate him. Even when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses its full strength, especially against such an unpredictable foe. Do not let the elemental advantage lull you into carelessness. Remember, we cannot afford to lose!"
Clearly, the last failure in leading the team had made this aloof mentor nearly obsessively cautious.
Gu La felt helpless inside but could only nod earnestly in response: "Yes, Teacher Wu, I understand. I won't underestimate him."
He was indeed somewhat troubled. He had originally planned for Bo Xi to achieve a narrow victory over him in the quarterfinals. This would boost Bo Xi's reputation and status within the Star Luo Empire, facilitating future plans while avoiding excessive exposure of Shrek's prowess.
But now, with Wu Zhangkong scrutinizing so closely and the entire Shrek Academy pinning their hopes on him, if he dared to stage an obvious act, the consequences would likely be dire.
'So be it,' Gu La sighed inwardly. 'If I must win, then I'll win. A loss for Bo Xi wouldn't hurt either—it would make the Star Luo Empire think he narrowly lost, adding a touch of tragic heroism. I just need to make it look evenly matched, not too easy.'
At that moment, the referee's voice rang out.
"Quarterfinals, Fourth Match!"
"Monster Academy, Bo Xi!"
"Versus,"
"Shrek Academy, Gu La!"
The referee's voice was like lighting a powder keg. As soon as Bo Xi's name was announced, the entire Star Luo Grand Stadium instantly erupted. Cheers thundered through the arena, almost lifting the roof.
"Sea King! Sea King! Sea King!"
"Bo Xi, Heavenly King! Victory guaranteed!"
"Ninth Heavenly King! Light of Star Luo!"
Under the intense spotlight, Bo Xi walked onto the platform, his demeanor remaining as calm as ever, as if the surrounding frenzy had nothing to do with him. He basked in the roaring waves of sound—it was exactly the foundation of prestige he needed.
When Gu La stepped onto the platform, the cheers noticeably diminished. Many Star Luo spectators eyed this emerald-haired youth from Shrek with scrutiny and hostility.
Gu La stood still, facing Bo Xi without any unnecessary movements. He slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread.
Buzz—
Five deep, pure, seemingly light-devouring black soul rings rose silently from beneath his feet, like five pitch-black suns.
The appearance of five ten-thousand-year soul rings caused the cheers for Bo Xi among the Star Luo audience to abruptly halt, as if their throats had been choked.
Countless gazes instantly froze on Gu La, filled with extreme shock and disbelief.
Shrek Academy… also had a monster with five ten-thousand-year soul rings?! And he appeared… even younger than Bo Xi?!
On the highest viewing platform, Emperor Dai Tianling, Elder En Ci, and the other high-ranking officials of Star Luo suddenly stood up, their faces etched with horror.
Dai Tianling's hand even trembled slightly. One Bo Xi was already a once-in-a-century phenomenon, and now Gu La from Shrek was equally monstrous?! Just how deep were Shrek Academy's roots?!
Inside the booth, Wu Zhangkong's icy lips curled into the faintest of smiles. Tang Wulin and the others held their breath—they knew Gu La was strong, but the visual impact of five ten-thousand-year soul rings still shook them deeply.
Bo Xi gazed at the five black rings beneath Gu La's feet, a flicker of "gravity" flashing in his eyes.
This battle wouldn't be easy, but all he needed to do was give his all and showcase his true strength—the rest of the performance would naturally fall into place for Gu La.
Gu La did not choose the Celebi martial soul that countered water attributes but instead activated the power of the earth.
"Soul Attachment, Groudon!"
A deep, rumbling roar, as if emanating from the depths of the earth, resonated within Gu La's soul.
His body instantly grew taller, muscles bulging, his skin covered with thick, dark red armor resembling cooled magma.
An ancient, heavy presence imbued with endless majesty and destructive energy burst forth. This pressure carried divine radiance, far surpassing ordinary beast martial souls! The temperature in the arena soared abruptly.
Above the sky, the blazing sun seemed to respond, its light becoming intensely blinding, as if it had grown larger.
The entire main platform area was bathed in unbearably bright and scorching light. This was the ultimate Ability of Groudon's martial soul—Desolate Land!
Forcibly altering the environment to create an eternal, extreme heatwave—a perpetual "Sunny Day"!
"Radiant Sun Domain!"
Gu La roared, a condensed golden aura radiating terrifying heat and purifying power spreading outward from him. Within the domain, light bent, air boiled, as if standing on the surface of a star!
Bo Xi's eyes narrowed, and almost simultaneously, he unleashed his Steam Domain.
Scorching, high-pressure white steam instantly flooded the area.
The two domains collided fiercely!
"Hiss—!"
Blazing light and boiling steam intertwined and annihilated each other violently.
Gu La's Radiant Sun Domain aggressively purified and evaporated the steam, while Bo Xi's Steam Domain stubbornly resisted, attempting to counter the light with high pressure and heat.
For a moment, radiant light and white mist churned on the platform, eroding each other, forming a stalemate where neither could gain the upper hand.
"Deep Sea High-Pressure Domain." Without hesitation, Bo Xi overlapped his second domain, a terrifying pressure descending instantly, attempting to suppress Gu La's domain and movement.
"Gravity Domain."
The first soul ring beneath Gu La's feet shone brightly, a similarly earth-derived, yet purer and more domineering gravity crashing down.
The two terrifying pressures clashed fiercely in the air, causing the platform to groan under the strain, as if space itself were twisting.
"Whew… Such terrifying domain clashes."
Elder En Ci's eyes gleamed, unable to contain his admiration. "Their abilities are so similar. Overlapping domains, gravity manipulation… Gu La's martial soul must be a god-tier existence no less impressive than a true dragon, perhaps… even surpassing it."
He sensed the divine majesty emanating from Groudon's martial soul, rooted in the essence of the earth.
Amidst the stalemate, Bo Xi moved first.
Transforming into a stream of deep blue water, he moved at incredible speed, throwing a punch wrapped in rapidly spinning water blades—Walking Wake Divine Kill!
Gu La didn't dodge or evade. His magma-like fist, radiating temperatures hot enough to incinerate mountains and boil seas, met the attack head-on. On his dark red fist, purple-golden patterns lit up—elemental defense and strength enhancement from his second soul skill, Titan Undying Body!
Boom!!!
Fists collided. There was no flashy explosion of soul skills, only the purest, most brutal clash of raw power!
A violent shockwave exploded, causing the protective barrier at the edge of the platform to tremble violently. The alloy flooring beneath their feet was crushed into two deep pits, spider-web cracks spreading outward.
The audience gasped. This was a platform capable of withstanding attacks from Soul Saints, yet a single collision between these two caused such destruction.
The battle instantly escalated into a white-hot frenzy!
Bo Xi manipulated water, sometimes transforming it into massive waves to crash down, sometimes condensing it into sharp water spears for piercing, and other times shaping it into resilient water shields for defense. His Deep Sea High-Pressure Domain and Steam Domain continuously interfered and suppressed.
Gu La, on the other hand, commanded the earth. Pillars of molten lava surged upward to intercept the waves, massive stone barriers blocked the spears, and torrents of scorching magma crashed against the water shields.
His Gravity Domain constantly shifted, sometimes increasing pressure to limit Bo Xi's speed, other times reducing it to allow himself lightning-fast movement. The light of his Radiant Sun Domain acted like swords, ceaselessly burning and purifying Bo Xi's water.
Fire and water, rock and waves, light and steam, gravity and pressure.
Two opposing forces, both incredibly powerful, collided and annihilated each other wildly on the platform.
Each exchange erupted with deafening explosions and terrifying energy storms. The platform visibly deteriorated, becoming pockmarked and chaotic.
The two exchanged blows, their figures darting and colliding amidst the glow of domains and swirling steam. Their combat techniques, soul power usage, and domain control reached breathtaking levels.
The audience was mesmerized, while Dai Tianling and others watched with pounding hearts.
An hour passed, and the battle remained fierce. Both showed significant signs of exhaustion—Gu La's magma armor was riddled with water blade cuts, and Bo Xi's water had been heavily evaporated by the heat. Yet their eyes remained sharp, their fighting spirit undiminished.
'It's about time…' Gu La thought inwardly. His eyes narrowed, and his main soul core- Star Core, revved into overdrive.
The sun overhead, amplified by the Desolate Land ability, blazed with blinding intensity, as if it would ignite the entire world.
"Radiant Sun Domain—Ultimate Ascension! Sun Elf!"
Behind Gu La, a colossal angelic figure composed of pure light and fire, wings of light unfurled, slowly emerged. It was his Sun Elf spirit soul, perfectly fused with his domain.
"Purification! Expulsion!"
As Gu La roared, the Sun Elf phantom spread its arms, unleashing an endless surge of light and fire like a tsunami sweeping across the platform. This force was overwhelmingly domineering, targeting one thing—water elements!
Hiss—!
Bo Xi's Steam Domain melted away under the extreme purification of light, rapidly dissipating.
The omnipresent water vapor was forcibly evaporated and dispersed. Even the water currents he controlled became sluggish, dim, and began to break apart under the suppression of this force.
Without water vapor to support it, the Deep Sea High-Pressure Domain's potency plummeted.
The entire platform transformed into a massive furnace. The air turned as dry as a desert, every stray water molecule expelled and purged by the overwhelming light and heat. Within a kilometer, water elements were nearly extinct!
Bo Xi's expression finally changed.
His movements became unbearably difficult, like a fish out of water. The source of his combat water was cut off, and the effectiveness of his soul skills was reduced to less than ten percent. The recovery effect of Boundless Ocean was also greatly diminished in a waterless environment!
"It's over."
Gu La's voice was like a verdict. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, his magma fist, carrying the final remnants of the Radiant Sun Domain and the earth's power, crashed toward the immobilized Bo Xi like a meteor.
Bo Xi hastily gathered the last of his water defenses.
Boom——!!!
The water defense shattered instantly, and Bo Xi was blasted backward, slamming heavily into the protective barrier at the edge of the platform. He slid down, his energy depleted, unable to continue fighting.
Dead silence enveloped the stadium. Many spectators weren't even sure what had just happened.
The referee's voice rang out, tinged with awe: "Winner—Shrek Academy, Gu La."
The cheers were delayed for a moment before erupting from the direction of Shrek Academy. The Star Luo audience, however, remained silent, many faces filled with reluctance and regret.
Gu La slowly retracted his martial soul and domain, his gaze calm and unruffled as he looked at Bo Xi being helped up by medical staff. He had won, but at least on the surface, it hadn't been an easy victory.
On the highest viewing platform, Dai Tianling watched the scene, his brows furrowed, but his eyes held little disappointment—instead, they carried a sense of relief and gratitude.
He turned to En Ci and the other key officials: "Bo Xi's defeat is not due to a lack of fighting ability. It's purely environmental suppression. Gu La's martial soul characteristic is overwhelmingly domineering, able to forcibly expel moisture. If this battle had taken place near the sea or a lake, the outcome might still be uncertain."
"Your Majesty speaks wisely," a minister immediately chimed in. "Heavenly King Bo Xi simply lost due to terrain disadvantage. His talent and strength are beyond doubt. If he ascends to the rank of Title Douluo in the future, our Star Luo Empire will gain a significant advantage at sea."
"Indeed, the title of Sea King is well-deserved. Though this battle ended in defeat, it highlights his resilience even more."
The Star Luo leadership quickly unified their narrative. Bo Xi's loss to another monstrous genius from Shrek, compounded by environmental suppression, was entirely acceptable—and even more effective in rallying public sympathy and support for him.
Bo Xi's value hadn't diminished in the slightest due to this loss; in fact, his position in the minds of Star Luo's high-ranking officials had only solidified. After all, a genius who needed "nurturing" required even more support from the empire.
Before leaving the field, Bo Xi's gaze briefly met Gu La's in the air—everything was understood without words. This highly anticipated "internal battle" concluded with Gu La's victory, bringing the quarterfinals to a shocking close.
The semifinalists were determined: Gu La, Tang Wulin, Long Yue, and Bai Yuan. Even fiercer battles lay ahead.
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