The match had begun—and ended.
To most of the audience, although Zhu Ziyang was undeniably impressive—perhaps the most powerful soul master of this year's tournament—it still felt impossible for him to defeat all seven members of the Sun Moon team by himself. In their eyes, it wasn't a question of whether he'd lose, but how he'd lose. They were already looking forward to the individual and cooperative rounds.
To the seven members of the Sun Moon team, however, the command to begin the match marked the beginning of their humiliation. No matter how beautifully or decisively they won, this match would forever be seen as an unfair fluke—because Shrek Academy had publicly insulted them by sending only one person. And that insult would never be forgotten.
To Zhu Ziyang, though, this match was his moment to shine. For him, everything was going perfectly.
Referee Huang Jinxu did not leave the stage after declaring the start. Instead, he retreated to the edge, prepared to act at any moment to save lives—he could not allow Zhu Ziyang to die in this match.
All eyes locked onto the stage.
The Sun Moon team, despite their anger, remained focused and serious. They arranged themselves in a cone formation, with team captain Ma Rulong at the forefront. Behind him, a triangle formation had Xiao Hongchen at its center. As they deployed their soul tools and martial souls, the energy surged.
On the opposite side, Zhu Ziyang continued his leisurely stroll toward the center of the arena. He moved as if he were taking a walk along the lakeside path at Sea God Lake, not standing in the final battle of the Continental Elite Tournament.
His relaxed demeanor made many in the audience begin to wonder—what if?
What if this Soul Emperor with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring really had a trump card strong enough to take on seven opponents?
In the Sun Moon team, Xiao Hongchen's gaze was fixed on Zhu Ziyang. His eyes were filled with confusion and anger. He couldn't understand why someone he saw as his lifelong rival would act in a way that lacked the dignity of a true powerhouse. Or was it arrogance—did Zhu Ziyang really believe he could beat all seven of them by himself… with just that single red soul ring?
Though Zhu Ziyang couldn't hear their thoughts, he could guess.
The strong are always lonely—especially when they're too strong.
A faint smile touched his lips. In his heart, he whispered:
"His era… has begun."
With the entire plaza watching, Zhu Ziyang began to release his martial soul.
Each step he took brought a transformation to his body. First his arms changed, then his chest, back, abdomen, and finally a long, agile dragon tail extended from his body. As his Heavenfrost Saint White Dragon Martial Soul activated, a surge of freezing cold spread from him like a tide, blanketing the entire arena.
And behind him, the soul rings appeared:
One red ring…
Two red rings…
Three…
Four…
Five glowing crimson rings, each lined with golden patterns!
The illusion of the Heavenfrost Saint White Dragon appeared behind him, letting out a roar filled with royal might, before fusing into his body.
At that moment, Star Luo Square fell into utter silence. The entire audience was frozen in awe. Only Zhu Ziyang continued to move.
His second and third soul rings lit up at once.
The next second, a massive, hundred-meter-tall ice mountain rose from the ground like a jagged fang. Its extreme cold pierced the barrier around the stage, causing the first few rows of spectators to shiver uncontrollably. In an instant, the Sun Moon team was completely frozen within the glacier—each member's expression preserved in chillingly vivid detail.
Heavenfrost Saint White Dragon's Second Soul Skill: Heavenfrost Wolf Fang Glacier!
A translucent ice-white dragon appeared behind Zhu Ziyang. Its gaping maw gathered an immense surge of ice-elemental energy, and then—
A massive blast of pure ice energy roared from its mouth, slamming straight into the frozen Sun Moon team.
Heavenfrost Saint White Dragon's Third Soul Skill: Heavenfrost Emperor's Wrath!
From the moment Zhu Ziyang revealed his martial soul to the end of his attack, the entire process took less than five seconds!
The crowd was still stunned when the glacier shattered and the Sun Moon team members collapsed onto the arena floor.
Only then did the audience—along with those on the city walls, in the stands, in the Sun Moon rest area, and even Referee Huang Jinxu—finally come back to their senses.
"Rulong!" shouted Old Ma, the Sun Moon team's supervisor, as he rushed to the edge of the stage, calling out to the only three still-standing members.
Huang Jinxu instantly appeared beside the fallen students. After carefully checking the four unconscious ones, he sighed in relief—they were alive.
"As long as they're not dead," he muttered. "That's good. That's good…"
After the unconscious members were carried off the stage, Huang Jinxu turned to Zhu Ziyang with a gaze full of awe and fanaticism. But when his eyes shifted to the four Shrek elders seated below—Lin Huiqun, Song Lan, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er—his burning passion was instantly extinguished.
Now he finally understood why Shrek had brought four Super Douluo.
And not just Huang Jinxu—Emperor Xu Jiawei, Duke Dai Hao, and Xu Luo all understood as well.
"Brother… pinch me. Am I dreaming?" Xu Jiawei asked dazedly, his face full of disbelief.
"Your Majesty, I think we're both dreaming," Dai Hao replied softly.
"I should've realized it sooner," Xu Luo said, finally snapping out of his shock. A bitter smile formed on his lips.
"Ultimate Light… and now Ultimate Ice. Twin Ultimate Martial Souls. Only someone with such monstrous talent would be worth Shrek Academy dispatching four Super Douluo to protect."
"Ultimate Ice?!" Xu Jiawei turned toward him, voice trembling. "Elder Luo, are you saying that Zhu Ziyang's dragon martial soul, with the five red rings, is Ultimate Ice?"
"Yes…" Xu Luo nodded heavily. "Your Majesty, we really do need to consider forging a deep alliance with Shrek. With Zhu Ziyang around, no one will be able to shake their position for the next five hundred years. He might even reach the same level as the original Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago…"
"Wait… Are you saying he could… become a god?" Xu Jiawei stammered.
"The odds are high," Xu Luo admitted, eyes full of envy. "And I think Dai Hao understands this better than any of us."
"…Yes, Your Majesty," Dai Hao said, suppressing his inner turmoil. "According to my clan's records, not even Ancestor Dai Mubai was this accomplished at fifteen. Even Tang San, the Sea God, can't compare to this monster."
"I understand," Xu Jiawei said, nodding solemnly. "We must deepen our ties with Shrek."
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward Xu Jiujiu, who was still staring dreamily at Zhu Ziyang.
Back on the arena, Zhu Ziyang looked at the barely standing Ma Rulong and the twin siblings Xiao and Meng Hongchen, who were supporting each other behind him. A look of admiration appeared on Zhu Ziyang's face.
"You're Ma Rulong? Not bad. You actually managed to withstand my third soul skill and stay on your feet. You're worthy of being captain."
Ma Rulong had taken the full brunt of Zhu Ziyang's most powerful attack. The fact that he was still standing—barely—was a testament to his strength and pride.
But in Ma Rulong's ears, Zhu Ziyang's compliment sounded like the cruelest mockery. His pride and stubborn will crumbled.
He coughed up blood and collapsed.
"Brother Ma!" Xiao Hongchen shouted, his voice filled with emotion for the first time. But this shout came amidst the deepest humiliation. In the face of Zhu Ziyang, they were nothing.
He and Meng Hongchen struggled to hold up Ma Rulong, their eyes dull and empty as they stared at Zhu Ziyang.
"Admit defeat," Zhu Ziyang said calmly. "I don't want to keep fighting."
"You…"
"The Sun Moon team surrenders!" Old Ma's voice roared from below, cutting Meng Hongchen off. His face was twisted with rage and anxiety.
Meng Hongchen sighed, no longer having the will to argue. She nodded.
"First round of the finals, team battle—Shrek Academy wins!" Huang Jinxu announced immediately.
"We forfeit the rest as well," Old Ma added bitterly.
Huang Jinxu wasn't surprised. With a monster like Zhu Ziyang present, the outcome wouldn't change even if they fought the next rounds. Surrendering now was the only way to preserve a shred of dignity.
"The Sun Moon team forfeits the remaining rounds. I hereby declare: the final winner of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is—
Shrek Academy!"
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