"Both teams, step back."
Huang Jinxu stood on the arena stage, looking at the members sent by Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy, and spoke.
Beibei looked at the young girl in front of him and slowly stepped back. Since this was Meng Hongchen's first appearance in the Advanced Soul Masters Continental Tournament, he knew nothing of her Martial Soul or soul skills.
The unknown is always unsettling.
Meng Hongchen, however, remained calm, stepping back with measured ease.
"The match begins!"
With a loud shout from referee Huang Jinxu, this match — one that Shrek Academy could hardly afford to lose — officially started!
Beibei gave a low growl, sliding forward, moving at top speed toward Meng Hongchen.
In his experience, soul instructors like Meng Hongchen were mostly ranged fighters. Closing the distance was the optimal choice. And since this was the first match of the individual tournament, he wanted to start strong!
Facing Beibei's charge, Meng Hongchen's expression remained serene. She didn't immediately use a spirit guidance tool or unleash a ranged attack like other soul instructors might have.
Her feet shifted slightly in small steps, moving toward Beibei. At the same time, a dramatic change occurred to her appearance.
Her wine-red hair turned pure white, and her previously ice-blue eyes instantly became blood-red, as if they were about to drip blood.
The already gloomy sky thundered, unable to resist, and a light drizzle began to fall.
Meng Hongchen stretched out her pale, slender palms, letting the raindrops fall on them. Softly, she spoke:
"Rain… it seems even heaven is on my side."
In the next instant, faint cyan light flickered in the center of her palms.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black — five soul rings, in standard proportion, rose from beneath her feet, circling her.
A jade-white toad-shaped illusion flashed behind her, its eyes glowing blood-red.
Wang Yan, watching from the arena, suddenly widened his eyes when he saw the phantom behind Meng Hongchen. He had studied countless Martial Souls, and he knew he had seen hers before — but at this moment, he couldn't recall where.
As Beibei charged recklessly, Meng Hongchen remained unhurried. She pushed both palms forward, sending a one-foot-diameter white energy stream directly toward him. Her first soul ring glowed simultaneously.
The energy stream seemed slow, white tinged with cyan, like a mist. The falling raindrops naturally merged into it, forming a swirling effect.
"Ghostly Phantom!"
Facing an unknown Martial Soul and soul skill, Beibei dared not take chances. He immediately activated a Tang Sect secret technique, attempting to dodge the stream.
Meng Hongchen's lips curved slightly. She dispersed the stream into the falling rain, making it vanish seamlessly.
Seeing the energy dissipate, Beibei leaped forward, electricity crackling around him. His fourth soul ring lit up.
A thousand bolts of lightning accompanied the fearsome Thunder Dragon Head, reflecting off the blue-purple scales on his right side. The powerful dragon aura pushed the surrounding raindrops aside.
Simultaneously, a loud dragon roar erupted. The enormous Thunder Dragon Head surged forward, amplified by the storm's rage, a strike worthy of a Soul King-level expert.
Meng Hongchen's eyes narrowed. She didn't advance or attempt to clash head-on. With a tap of her toe, her body sprang backward at lightning speed.
The white energy she had formed dispersed into a small vortex ahead of her.
The Thunder Dragon Head charged in, shredding the mist into pieces and howling as it pursued her.
But Meng Hongchen merely smiled, glancing at the soul-guided shield behind her as she slipped past.
The Thunder Dragon Head, which could also lock onto opponents, strangely did not continue the chase, instead crashing loudly against the arena's protective shield.
Meng Hongchen landed lightly. Though she could have blocked Beibei's strike, she had no intention of doing so — why confront something head-on if you can dodge?
Beibei's attack had failed, yet he did not panic. Instead, he wore a sly smile, reaching toward his waist — the location of his Tang Sect hidden weapons.
He had not expected the Thunder Dragon Head to win him the fight. It was merely a distraction. His real backup was his Tang Sect hidden weapons.
Seeing Meng Hongchen on the ground, Beibei's face lit with excitement — he was about to unleash the hidden weapons!
Yet Meng Hongchen did not move. She didn't attack or act; she merely watched Beibei on the far arena stage.
"Underestimating me?"
"Take my Twin Soul-Seeking Deadly Balls!"
Two iron balls glowed blue in Beibei's hands.
"Go… go now…"
Just as Beibei prepared to launch the Twin Soul-Seeking Deadly Balls, the world around him seemed to flip upside down.
"Wha… what's happening? Am I… poisoned?!"
Beibei bitterly chuckled. He never expected that, as a Tang Sect disciple — a master of poison — he would end up poisoned.
This was an unbelievable joke!
"When did you…" Beibei asked, glaring at Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen did not answer. She extended a long finger, imitating Jiang Jue, and snapped her fingers at Beibei.
"Snap!"
With that sound, Beibei's eyes dimmed instantly. He collapsed straight backward onto the arena stage.
Even when his body bounced off the stage, he did not move a single muscle.
His Tang Sect dream… had not even been used, and it was already shattered.
The audience in the stands were left dumbfounded.
"Uh… what just happened?"
"Is Shrek Academy throwing the match?"
"Fake match! Refunds!"
"Shrek, how can you face us?!"
The once-supportive audience now roared in anger, demanding their money back.
It wasn't just the audience — everyone on the Shrek team rose in disbelief.
"Why did Senior Beibei suddenly fall?"
A petite, delicate-looking female student asked — it was Xiao Xiao.
But Beibei had fallen. This meant the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy won the match.
Seeing Beibei being carried back, clearly poisoned, Wang Yan scratched his head anxiously. Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul seemed both familiar and foreign to him. Seeing Xuanzi nearby eating chicken leg like a savior, he quickly asked:
"Master Xuan, do you know what Martial Soul Meng Hongchen has?"
Xuanzi, about to sip his wine, froze, then said:
"That… I really don't know."
You can ask him to fight, but this… he had no knowledge of. His knowledge reserve wasn't enough.
"Then what do we do? We don't even know why Beibei lost. Next…"
"Teacher Wang, I'll go."
A clear voice spoke — it was Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao, you…"
"Teacher Wang, I'm only a Great Soul Master, but I have two Martial Souls. I can go out there to buy time for Senior Ma and Senior Dai, letting them recover more soul power."
Xiao Xiao's expression was resolute.
Wang Yan remained silent.
Beibei was defeated, Xu Sanshi unconscious. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were his ace pair in the 2v2v3. Ma Xiaotao and the other main three were recovering. Having Xiao Xiao go out to delay the enemy was the best option.
Looking at the usually quiet and reserved girl, Wang Yan could only nod solemnly.
Finally, Xiao Xiao stepped onto the arena.
Meng Hongchen stared at the girl younger than herself, momentarily stunned.
"What is Shrek doing?"
Sending a Great Soul Master against her — what were they thinking?
Xiao Xiao stared firmly at Meng Hongchen and, under Huang Jinxu's command, slowly retreated.
"The match begins!"
As Huang Jinxu finished speaking, Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul possessed her, but she didn't strike immediately. Instead, she asked:
"Are you really just a Great Soul Master?"
Xiao Xiao nodded firmly, seemingly understanding what Meng Hongchen meant, and said:
"I also carry something on my shoulders."
Though Xiao Xiao didn't know the "glory of Shrek" that Beibei had spoken of, seeing her teammates fall one by one, she knew she could not retreat. She had to stand her ground.
Meng Hongchen paused slightly.
Indeed, everyone here bears something — and that thing has a name: responsibility.
Her eyes brightened as she looked at the younger girl seriously.
"I will treat you as a true opponent!"
"Thank you."
Xiao Xiao's voice was soft, but in this moment it was filled with strength…
(End of Chapter)