Chapter 54 — Yu Xiaogang, You Still Have the Face to Protest?
Gui Mei's cold gaze swept across the arena, falling upon the trembling Zhu Zhuqing and Jiang Zhu.
That oppressive aura—so dense it felt tangible—still blanketed the entire stage.
Neither of the two girls dared lift their heads. It felt as though even the slightest movement would trigger another lightning-fast strike of that terrifying sword qi.
Shrek surrendered.
Only then did Gui Mei slowly withdraw the monstrous soul power surging from his body.
The black sword dissolved into wisps of dark mist, flowing back into him like a living shadow.
The suffocating pressure over the arena vanished with it.
Zhu Zhuqing and Jiang Zhu felt the crushing weight evaporate from their bodies. Their knees almost gave out, and they nearly collapsed where they stood.
And it wasn't only them—every member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team was just as shaken.
They already knew the newcomer was strong, but none of them expected him to be this terrifying.
"Shrek Academy has already admitted defeat. Why did you still injure them?!"
A deep, booming voice suddenly erupted across the arena.
It was Flender.
His face flushed red with fury, veins bulging on his forehead. His eyes looked as if they might pop out of their sockets, blazing with rage.
"A match should end when victory is clear! The other side had already surrendered, and you still attacked with such vicious intent—this is going too far!"
Flender roared. His voice echoed like thunder throughout the stadium.
Yu Xiaogang immediately followed:
"Referee! On behalf of Shrek Academy, I lodge a formal protest! Wuming deliberately injured our students after we surrendered. This match should be ruled a loss!"
His words sent a wave of uproar through the audience.
The rules of the Soul Master Tournament stated clearly: matches were for sparring—deliberate injury was forbidden.
If someone intentionally injured their opponent, the wronged side was allowed to file a protest.
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi were both stunned.
Xue Ye had just learned that Ning Fengzhi's daughter was among Shrek's students.
But the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team represented the royal family.
No matter which side he ruled against, someone influential would be offended.
Xue Ye frowned deeply, a trace of worry flickering in his eyes. He turned slightly toward Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Fengzhi's expression was equally serious. His gaze shifted between the arena and Flender's group, weighing the situation.
On the stage—
Gui Mei let out a cold laugh, utterly dismissive of their protest.
"Yu Xiaogang, you still dare to complain? If I had truly gone for the kill, do you think they'd still be breathing? If you had surrendered earlier, none of this would've happened."
At that moment, Teacher Lin from the stands chimed in:
"Before Shrek admitted defeat, Wuming had already launched his attack. His sword qi was too fast—how exactly was he supposed to retract it? This is only the first match of the preliminaries. If every losing team throws a tantrum like this, how are we supposed to continue the tournament?"
The referee thought for a moment, then made his ruling:
"Shrek Academy's protest is invalid! The victory goes to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Second Team!"
Instantly, the arena erupted in cheers.
One young man had crushed Shrek Academy's entire team by himself.
The spectators shouted his name in excitement.
"Wuming!"
"Wuming!"
To them, this boy was a rising star—sharp, unstoppable, unforgettable.
They once thought Tang San, possessing five soul rings, was already monstrous enough.
They hadn't expected someone even more unbelievable to appear.
At this moment, Tang San was completely overshadowed. In front of Wuming, he wasn't even worth mentioning.
In the VIP section, Emperor Xue Ye could no longer hide the delight on his face.
He turned to the three Education Committee members behind him and said softly:
"I truly didn't expect the Royal Academy to have such a monstrously strong student."
"Your Majesty," one of the committee members replied, "Wuming was recommended by Poison Douluo. His talent is extraordinary. We didn't inform you beforehand—because we wanted to give you a pleasant surprise."
"So that's how it is. It certainly is a pleasant surprise."
Emperor Xue Ye then looked toward Ning Fengzhi at his side and smiled:
"School Master Ning, fortunately, your daughter didn't go up. Those Shrek students may be injured, but it shouldn't affect their future matches. Tang San is strong, but he was unlucky to encounter someone even stronger. Well, regardless, they're all talents of our empire. With these students, the Empire has a real chance at seizing the championship!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."
Seeing how pleased Emperor Xue Ye was, Ning Fengzhi naturally didn't add anything further.
Meanwhile, Platinum Bishop Salas stared darkly at Wuming, who was walking off the stage.
Tang San's strength alone already posed a potential threat to Spirit Hall's championship ambitions.
But compared to Wuming, Tang San wasn't even worth mentioning.
Wuming's strength was unfathomable—he had taken on Shrek's entire team alone and crushed them effortlessly.
He was the greatest obstacle to Spirit Hall's victory.
"This boy is close with Dugu Bo. He will never join Spirit Hall… Someone like him must be eliminated!"
Gui Mei stepped off the arena and headed toward the exit passage.
Watching his figure gradually disappear, Feng Xiaotian, Shui Bing'er, Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, and the others exchanged glances. A silent consensus formed instantly.
"Defeating Shrek without even activating his soul rings… Wuming is too terrifying. If we meet him, we should just surrender."
"Agreed. He didn't even use his full strength. His abilities are completely unreadable—far too frightening."
Meanwhile, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others were carried off the stage by staff members.
Yu Xiaogang, Flender, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong all rushed over anxiously.
"Boss Dai, Brother San, hurry and eat!"
Oscar quickly distributed five large Recovery Sausages he had prepared in advance, helping them regain stamina and receive immediate healing.
Jiang Zhu also released her Healing Scepter martial soul, channeling gentle light over them.
Although the bleeding had stopped, deep, ugly gashes still marred their faces and chests.
"I'm sorry… my healing ability isn't strong enough. I can't fully repair your sword wounds…"
Liu Erlong gently patted Jiang Zhu's shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself. You've already done everything you could."
But the sight before her was heartbreaking.
Tang San, Dai Mubai, Tai Long, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling—each had a long, jagged scar slashing across half their face.
All of them… had become scar-faced.
Dai Mubai's former handsomeness was gone.
Tang San, who had never been good-looking to begin with… now bordered on disfigured.
Seeing their condition, guilt stabbed deeper into Yu Xiaogang's chest.
"I'm sorry… this is my fault. I underestimated Wuming's strength. I should've surrendered earlier…"
"No, Teacher!" Tang San immediately shook his head. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. These scars… maybe one day they can be healed."
Flender followed up quickly:
"Xiao San is right. Don't lose heart yet. This isn't the place to talk—let's return to the academy first."
The Shrek group left the arena, walking in heavy silence.
For Tang San, the scene on the stage kept replaying in his mind.
That overwhelming pressure… it felt strangely familiar.
'Just who is Wuming? How can someone so young possess such terrifying power? Is it really related to his Martial Soul?'
'Gui Mei's Martial Soul is related to his soul… and Wuming's Martial Soul is his original body. Could there be a connection between the two…?'
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End of Chapter