The morning sun rose, radiating a warmth no less than Nana's. Inside the Great Spirit Arena, the air was cool and refreshing.
"Xiao Hai, our opponent today has chosen to forfeit." In the rest area, Meng Shenshou came over with the drawing results.
Since the opening of the preliminaries, the team's record had been dazzling—nineteen straight victories, an achievement that overshadowed the entire field.
During this run, Yang Yunhai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan stood out most on stage. Their performances were so overwhelming that most opponents shrank back in fear.
Because of this, many teams simply chose to forfeit once matched against them.
Fortunately, everyone in the team had already gone on stage in earlier rounds and had solid performances, so their training goals had been met regardless.
"Also, this morning there's a match between Skywater Academy and Shrek Academy." Meng Shenshou added.
"Then let's go watch." Yang Yunhai nodded.
Before long, he led his teammates to the spectator stands and found seats.
"Preliminaries, Round 20, Match One: Shrek Academy versus Skywater Academy!" The host's spirited announcement rang out.
Looking to the stage, on one side, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, Tai Long, Jiangzhu, and Ma Hongjun walked out from the tunnel.
On the other side, led by Shui Bing'er, the women of Skywater Academy appeared—each tall, fair-skinned, and beautiful.
As expected, Ma Hongjun's eyes glazed over.
"A dog can't stop itself from eating filth." Dugu Yan snorted.
"Heh, isn't Shrek Academy a bit scared of the Fire and Godwind elemental academies lately?" Yu Feng quipped with a raised brow. "I've noticed—they always send their strongest lineup whenever they're facing an elemental team."
"So, which side do you think will win today?"
"What's there to guess? Just watch the fight." Oslo gave him a flat glance.
"Match start!" the referee's sharp cry silenced the chatter.
"Third soul skill, Phoenix Soaring Wings!" Ma Hongjun spread his arms as if in a grand embrace, fiery red wings unfurling as he took to the air.
"First soul skill, Binding." Tang San flicked his hands, vines snapping out to tie around his teammates' waists.
"Third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"Third soul skill, Thunder Fury!"
Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, and Tai Long all activated their buffs and charged forward.
Behind them, Xiao Wu followed closely, using Tai Long's enormous Demon Ape Golden Body form as cover.
Opposite them, Xue Wu danced gracefully, pale mist of cold rising around her as frost crept along the ground.
From above, the formation was clear to see, but down on the stage, her view was deliberately obscured.
Overhead, Ma Hongjun blazed with fire and dove straight at Xue Wu.
Everyone knew that when they fought the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Skywater had already revealed that Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu could use a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
So this time, it was obvious—Shrek had sent Ma Hongjun specifically to interrupt Xue Wu's buildup.
"Second soul skill, Ice Ring Armor!" Shui Bing'er seemed to anticipate it. With a wave of her hands, crystalline ice armor spread instantly over herself and her teammates.
Then, she pressed her right hand downward. "First soul skill, Ice Seal!"
Frost crept rapidly across the ground, racing straight toward Tang San.
"Damn, you're not even looking at me!" In the air, Ma Hongjun growled and accelerated, closing over Xue Wu. "Second soul skill, Bathing Fire Phoenix!"
"First soul skill, Phoenix Fire Line!" He thrust his arms wide, flames spewing from his mouth in a straight line.
But Xue Wu danced away like a skater gliding on ice, snow mist coiling around her, snowflakes falling in graceful arcs. Flames met frost, turning into a thick cloud of steam. Her long legs brushed the edge of the fire, but her ice aura prevented them from igniting.
"Hahaha!" Yu Feng burst out laughing.
"That fat guy flew too high. His flame is straight-line, easy to predict from a mile away. Did he think Skywater hasn't studied their opponents' abilities by now? Fire melts ice, but ice resists fire too. He's only a Soul Elder trying to hurt a Soul Ancestor covered by Shui Bing'er's Ice Armor. What was he even thinking? Their leader really overestimated that firepower."
'Yu Xiaogang is always way too confident in his own theories,' Yang Yunhai thought.
"And worse—he just helped Skywater." Dugu Yan sneered as thicker clouds of mist billowed around Xue Wu. "Fire against ice creates water vapor. Now she's hidden her movements and sped up her charge time."
Yang Yunhai tilted his head up. Indeed, the vapor rising to the sky was condensing clouds faster.
"That's what they call shooting yourself in the foot." He smiled faintly.
"How can this be!?" Ma Hongjun shouted in disbelief.
On the stands, Yu Xiaogang's face turned pale.
"This is bad," Flender frowned, "the enemy predicted we'd send Fatty, using him to counter Shui Bing'er's Ice Seal while giving Xue Wu cover to charge. And now it's backfired."
"Damn it!" Liu Erlong's fists clenched.
"Fatty, fall back!" Tang San urgently called.
Meanwhile, his Purple Demon Eye glowed, and a vine shot out to intercept the frost—but ice spread up the vine, forcing him to snap it off.
Shui Bing'er frowned. She couldn't pin him down, but that had still bought them time.
'Looks like I even helped him a bit there,' Yang Yunhai smirked.
"Third soul skill, Spider Web Restraint!" Tang San launched more vines at Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, but they simply skated back, easily dodging.
"Second soul skill, Parasite!" He clenched his hand—nothing happened.
Yang Yunhai's lips twitched. 'Really, Xiao San? You didn't realize spores freeze? You thought that Ice Armor was just for show?'
"What happened? His soul ring lit up," Yu Feng muttered.
"The spores froze." Zhu Zhuqing said flatly.
"Skywater Academy came well-prepared." Meng Shenshou sighed. "They've studied every Shrek ability by now."
Yu Feng nodded, trying to hide his earlier blunder. Luckily, Tang San had been even dumber.
"Now his vines are blocking his own team." Sure enough, the plants around them had frozen solid, obstructing Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng's path.
"First soul skill, Ice Seal!" Shui Bing'er pointed forward, freezing Yu Tianheng mid-charge.
Yu Tianheng smashed through with Blue Lightning Dragon Assault, joined by Dai Mubai and Tai Long, but the battlefield was already chaos.
Overhead, Ma Hongjun spewed fire to melt frost, while Tang San tried desperately to control the vines.
And then, Xue Wu's snowstorm built to a peak—
"Fusion Technique!" Hand in hand, she and Shui Bing'er released a radiant pillar of light.
Clouds thickened, snow spun into a vortex, and a colossal Ice Phoenix descended.
In the stands, Emperor Xue Ye muttered, "The youth of today… truly remarkable."
Shrek's remaining members fell back, leaving only Tang San standing.
"Be careful!" Dai Mubai called, retreating pale-faced.
"Come then!" Tang San roared, putting away his Blue Silver Grass and pulling out the Clear Sky Hammer. Bending low, eight spider lances flaring, he began hammering.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!"
The hammer rose and fell faster, stronger—until the Ice Phoenix itself crashed down upon him.
Boom!
The Clear Sky Hammer struck its beak, shattering ice and spraying shards everywhere. But the phoenix's power still overwhelmed him. Tang San's body froze solid, crashing down into the ruins as the Ice Phoenix smashed the arena floor to pieces.
Gasps swept the crowd. Frost spread across the entire Arena.
"Save him!" Yu Xiaogang screamed as staff rushed in, dragging Tang San's frozen, purple-lipped body out from under ice.
"Third Brother!" Xiao Wu wailed.
On the edge, Shui Bing'er sighed. "I warned you to concede."
"The winner: Skywater Academy!" the referee declared.
Rules were rules. If Tang San had pushed himself to death, that was his own fault.
"Why act tough like that?" Yang Yunhai shook his head, stood, and left the stands with his team, satisfied.
Canghui Academy and Elephant Armored Academy students also grinned as they left, full of cheer.
(End of Chapter)
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