Originally, in the semifinals and finals, the major teams would need to spend a lot of time holding meetings and discussing tactics.
For example, the other three imperial academy teams were currently studying the other three teams, attempting to overwhelm them with tactics in the semifinals.
The leading teachers and captains of the three major teams were practically tearing their hair out, yet still couldn't come up with a way to deal with Shrek Academy.
The Sun Moon team and the Star Luo team were still alright. Ma Rulong and Xu Jiujiu were both strong, "pay-to-win" players. Ma Rulong already had a large stash of soul tools that surpassed the current version, and Xu Jiujiu, relying on the Star Luo Imperial Family's financial capabilities, had also acquired quite a few soul tools useful for the competition.
The Imperial Sky team was in a bit of a pickle. After much deliberation, the Imperial Sky team realized that their only chance of advancing in the semifinals was to draw the Star Luo team in the lottery.
Whether they faced Shrek or Sun Moon, they had no certainty of victory.
Although the Imperial Sky team also used soul tools, they were definitely inferior to Sun Moon in that regard, and in terms of raw power, they couldn't compare to Shrek, which had Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao.
Soon, the day for the semifinal drawing arrived.
Without exception, Xu Jiawei once again used some extreme micro-management in the drawing, arranging for the Star Luo team to face Shrek Academy in the semifinals.
The other match was the Sun Moon team vs. the Imperial Sky team.
In Xu Jiawei's words, losing to Shrek Academy was not shameful. It was already very good to reach the top four. Losing to Shrek was acceptable, but losing to Imperial Sky or Sun Moon was not.
There was no need to mention the Sun Moon team, the perpetual second-place holders. The Star Luo team basically had no chance of winning against them.
And the captain of the Imperial Sky team was also a Soul Emperor. They were also afraid of capsizing in the gutter, so after much thought, they decided to micro-manage a bit.
Then, both Imperial Sky and Star Luo would stop at the top four. The pot couldn't call the kettle black; neither would have truly "won" against the other.
Perfect.
Thus, this scene appeared on the arena.
Lin Yun still led a large group of girls, chatting and laughing as if on a sightseeing tour, standing on one side of the arena. Xu Jiujiu, on the other hand, stood opposite them, grim-faced, with the other six "accessories" of the Star Luo team, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"The first match of the semifinals, group battle, Shrek Academy versus Star Luo Royal Academy. I am Huang Jinxu, titled Heavenly Fiend. This match will be officiated by me!" The Heavenly Fiend Douluo, Huang Jinxu, whose feet were surrounded by nine soul rings, stood in the air above the arena and spoke in a deep voice.
During the elimination rounds and round-robin stage, Soul Sages could serve as referees. In the top sixteen and top eight battles, the referees were replaced by more powerful Soul Douluo.
And in the semifinals and finals, the referees were directly replaced by Titled Douluo powerhouses, who were at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent's soul master world.
This was also a way for the Star Luo Empire to display its national power.
Having a Titled Douluo as a referee not only showcased the Star Luo Empire's national strength but also ensured the safety of the participants to a greater extent.
After all, at this stage of the competition, no one would be willing to stop here, and their attacks would become increasingly reckless. Accidents leading to death could easily occur.
A Titled Douluo could more accurately rescue participants who might be in mortal danger.
But frankly, it was almost useless.
Looking back at the two major competitions during the Peerless Tang Sect period, the Star Luo City Competition and the Ming Dou City Competition, Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo, and Zheng Zhan, the Unbreakable Douluo who had yet to appear, both had cases of participating team members dying under their watch.
Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao practically slaughtered others right under their noses, and neither of them could stop it.
Numb.
Lin Yun was also confident that even if he instantly killed all seven opponents, led by Xu Jiujiu, Huang Jinxu wouldn't be able to react at all.
He could send He Caitou to accompany Xu Tianran right under Xuan Zi's nose. Even if Xuan Zi was weaker, his strength was still greater than Huang Jinxu's. If Lin Yun could cause trouble under Xuan Zi's nose, he could also cause trouble under Huang Jinxu's nose.
It's always easier to be a thief for a thousand days than to guard against one for a thousand days. Against a truly insidious move, even a Titled Douluo would stumble.
Although Lin Yun had no intention of causing trouble at the moment.
After the competition, that would be the perfect time for him to once again stir up internal conflicts within Shrek and then incite a full-scale war among the four great Douluo empires.
"During the match, no soul tools explicitly prohibited by the rules may be used. Deliberate injury to an opponent is forbidden. Once discovered, the offender will be directly disqualified. Loss of combat capability during the match constitutes elimination. I will do my best to ensure the safety of each of you." Huang Jinxu's tone was calm, yet it accurately reached everyone's ears.
"Now, let the match begin!"
The cautious Xu Jiujiu made the first move. An exquisite and magnificent star crown appeared on her head, elevating her already noble and outstanding temperament, making her appear like a star princess.
"Star's Protection!"
Xu Jiujiu chanted loudly, and her fourth soul ring instantly lit up. A layer of starlight-infused shield completely enveloped half of the arena, completely separating the Shrek Academy and Star Luo Royal Academy members on opposite sides of the stage.
This was one of the abnormal abilities of the Star Crown, Star's Protection.
This ability required Xu Jiujiu to absorb starlight every night, filling the stars on the Star Crown. Only one star could be filled each night, and there were twenty-four stars on the Star Crown.
This meant that the Star's Protection released by Xu Jiujiu was a shield formed from the total starlight absorbed over twenty-four nights.
On the surface, Star's Protection was only a thousand-year soul skill, but with its pre-storage characteristic, Star's Protection was essentially no worse than any ten-thousand-year soul ring.
This soul skill even gave Huo Guang (Huo Yuhao) a headache in the original work, and he eventually had to use two soul fusion skills to break it.
However, for Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao, it was not a big deal.
"You or me?" Lin Yun turned to Ma Xiaotao, looking at the turtle shell in front of him.
Both of them had explosive single-target soul skills, such as Ma Xiaotao's fully stacked Phoenix Sky-Piercing Strike, or Lin Yun's fully stacked Heaven-Breaking Dragon Punch.
Although it would take a considerable amount of time to break Star's Protection, it was not impossible.
Ultimate power and ultimate fire were not something Xu Jiujiu's starlight could defend against.
"You do it. I'll go deal with those battle soul masters in the Star Luo team," Ma Xiaotao said.
She was well aware of her own limitations. In terms of combat power, she was definitely not as good as Lin Yun, and ultimate fire was not specialized in breaking through defenses. Breaking through a turtle shell, by all accounts, seemed more suitable for Lin Yun.
"Alright, if you say so, I'll do it." Lin Yun nodded, then, with a ripping sound, he replicated the King's Stripping. His nearly two-meter height further increased by a segment, and the muscles on his body gradually swelled.
Golden Path + Emperor's Hammer = Point Break.
With my ultimate power stacked with the extreme ice and fire of the Ice and Fire Duality, it might not be impossible to break through all techniques with sheer force!
(End of Chapter)
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