Since the two teams merged together, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Shrek Academy team had been full of energy and determination, achieving an impressively long winning streak. The entire reorganized team could basically be described as completely unstoppable in their recent matches.
However, due to their devastating three consecutive losses earlier in the tournament, their overall record had consistently ranked fifth in the Heaven Dou region, trailing behind Wind Spirit Academy, Thunder Academy, Heaven Water Academy, and Blazing Fire Academy.
Their current record was slightly better than Elephant Armor Academy, but the two teams maintained very similar overall results and standings.
During this successful period, both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were filled with renewed vigor and confidence, their spirits having risen significantly after recovering from the initial three consecutive defeats.
Of course, Salas and other members of the organizing committee, while officially acknowledging the personnel changes, also issued a stern and solemn statement that no further arbitrary team modifications would be permitted.
Salas in particular had already placed the Shrek Academy team on his list of key targets requiring close observation. From an age perspective, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Yang Xiong of Shrek Academy could almost certainly break the historical record for youngest Spirit Ancestor achievements, especially Tang San, who was extremely close to advancing to Spirit Ancestor rank. He represented a major potential threat to Spirit Hall's interests.
Moreover, the personnel within the Shrek Academy team possessed complex backgrounds, each member having very strong family connections and political influence, so even Salas dared not act too rashly or aggressively.
There was also a small but unexpected development in the tournament: Shi Nian and Canghui Academy, who had targeted Shrek Academy and Tang San in the original timeline, did not make any hostile moves this time. After all, from a background perspective, very few people in Shrek Academy were individuals that Shi Nian could afford to offend, especially since Tang San had already revealed his Clear Sky Hammer heritage in advance.
Canghui Academy also did not employ their Seven-in-One Spirit Fusion ability as they had in the original timeline, so Yu Xiaogang had no opportunity to learn from and analyze it as he had originally planned.
After more than ten intense rounds of competition, the Shrek Academy team finally faced another formidable opponent: Heaven Water Academy.
Although Heaven Water Academy ranked third among all participating teams, their actual battle record was even more impressive than Blazing Fire Academy, trailing only behind Thunder Academy and Wind Spirit Academy in overall performance.
Yang Xiong had taken leave for this crucial match, having been absent for several consecutive days for unknown reasons, so Xiao Wu was forced to serve as the team's agility-attack type Spirit Master. Xiao Wu's martial soul was a Soft Bone Rabbit, and her natural speed was exceptionally fast. Moreover, Xiao Wu had recently achieved a breakthrough in cultivation, and her spirit power had reached Rank 39.
From a superficial tactical perspective, Shrek Academy fielded five Spirit Ancestors, which represented their strongest possible lineup aside from Yang Xiong's absence, clearly demonstrating how much importance everyone placed on defeating Heaven Water Academy.
However, even with their significant advantage in spirit power rankings, the actual combat situation proved completely different from their expectations.
Shui Bing'er was a Rank 43 control-type Spirit Ancestor with the Ice Phoenix martial soul, widely considered the top control-type Spirit Master in the entire Heaven Dou region. She wielded ice elemental attacks with tremendous speed and devastating precision.
As soon as the match officially began, Shui Bing'er directly activated her first Spirit Ability: Ice Seal.
This technique was an exceptionally rare instant-cast ice elemental control Spirit Ability. Even Tang San, despite his extremely fast reaction speed, was quickly frozen solid by the unexpected attack.
The only team member who fared slightly better was Yu Tianheng. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul's powerful lightning attribute allowed him to break free from the ice elemental restraint much faster than his teammates.
However, Tang San and Dugu Yan, their two primary controllers, found themselves severely suppressed from the very beginning.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass appeared incredibly fragile when subjected to ice attacks, unable to even utilize his second Spirit Ability, Parasite, effectively.
It seemed that any plant-type martial soul would be naturally suppressed by ice elemental attacks, especially since Blue Silver Grass was relatively fragile by nature, making it even more vulnerable to counter-attacks than other plant-type martial souls.
The poisonous mist emitted by Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent was also completely frozen and neutralized, transforming into tiny crystalline snowflakes that fell harmlessly onto the arena floor.
Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai reacted with exceptional speed, swiftly activating their second Spirit Abilities to break free. Dai Mubai unleashed his White Tiger Light Wave, and the brilliant golden energy quickly penetrated their frozen bodies, successfully breaking free from the ice restraint.
Yu Tianheng was equally swift in his response, his entire body crackling with lightning energy, and the encasing ice was rapidly shattered by electrical discharge.
Even so, the Shrek Academy team's carefully planned formation had been completely broken, and Heaven Water Academy had gained the crucial initiative to launch their offensive. Most troubling was that Shui Bing'er's Ice Seal was merely her first Spirit Ability, consuming very little of her spirit power reserves.
After successfully using her first Spirit Ability, Shui Bing'er immediately activated her second Spirit Ability: Ice Ring Armor. Every member of Heaven Water Academy appeared to don protective armor made of crystalline ice, dramatically increasing their defensive capabilities. Even Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng, both powerful Spirit Ancestors, found themselves without any significant advantage against Heaven Water Academy's two Spirit Ancestors.
By the time Tang San and the other team members had completely broken free from the ice restraint, the Shrek Academy team's formation had been utterly scattered and disorganized. Even though Heaven Water Academy fielded fewer Spirit Ancestors, Shui Bing'er's control abilities were indeed formidable enough, and both sides engaged in fierce back-and-forth combat.
The two teams then engaged in a prolonged war of attrition. The Shrek Academy team gradually began to recover from their initial disadvantage, as they possessed two additional Spirit Ancestors, and both Tang San and Dugu Yan retained certain degrees of combat effectiveness.
Unfortunately, both Tang San and Dugu Yan found themselves completely suppressed by Shui Bing'er's ice control, unable to dominate the entire battlefield with their usual dual-control tactics.
Originally, the team had planned to focus their attacks on Shui Bing'er, with Xiao Wu even employing her Teleportation ability to close the distance. However, just as everyone approached Shui Bing'er's position, she suddenly activated her third Spirit Ability: Repelling Ice Ring.
This technique produced effects very similar to Huo Wu's Repelling Fire Ring, serving as an excellent defensive Spirit Ability. Shui Bing'er applied it with clever timing, directly repelling Xiao Wu and Tang San who were attacking her, along with other Shrek Academy members who were preparing to surround her position.
As for the Stone Brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, although their defensive capabilities were substantial, their movement speed was too slow, and their attack power proved somewhat inferior. They had no effective methods for dealing with Heaven Water Academy's Spirit Elders who were protected by Ice Ring Armor.
Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu seized this rare tactical opportunity. Shui Bing'er released her first Spirit Ability, Ice Seal, once again, while the other five Heaven Water Academy members coordinated to counter all seven Shrek Academy members simultaneously.
At that critical instant, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's martial souls began to gradually fuse together, forming a magnificent giant Ice Phoenix that materialized in the sky above the arena. The temperature of the entire arena plummeted dramatically, and countless snowflakes drifted through the air, as if preparing to envelop the entire battlefield.
This was the legendary Spirit Fusion ability of Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu: Ice and Snow Drifting. Clearly, this technique possessed an extremely wide attack range, and even the referee had to quickly deploy protective barriers over the entire arena, otherwise the live audience would be seriously affected by the freezing temperatures.
As the giant Ice Phoenix released a clear, haunting phoenix cry, even Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng, with their excellent Beast-type martial souls, felt their bodies trembling involuntarily. From a martial soul quality perspective, the White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon might not be inherently weaker than the Ice Phoenix, but this was a Spirit Fusion ability combining two people's power.
Especially since Xue Wu's martial soul was the Slender Dance Snow Silk, which perfectly complemented the Ice Phoenix martial soul, ice and snow elements intertwined harmoniously, ultimately forming this terrifying Spirit Fusion ability known as Ice and Snow Drifting.
Seeing that Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's Spirit Fusion ability had successfully formed, the other five members of Heaven Water Academy immediately withdrew from the arena stage. Only the seven Shrek Academy members remained on the arena to face the imposing giant Ice Phoenix.
Shui Bing'er's voice echoed from the sky with genuine concern: "You should surrender immediately. Our Ice and Snow Drifting technique is not something you can possibly withstand."
Witnessing the giant Ice Phoenix seemingly preparing to descend from the heavens, it was completely understandable why the five Heaven Water Academy members had withdrawn early. At the very least, this appeared to be a devastating large-area attack Spirit Ability, and its destructive power looked absolutely impressive.
The seven Shrek Academy members stood as if trapped within a world of ice and snow. They gritted their teeth and persevered, unwilling to surrender despite the overwhelming odds. Such a powerful Spirit Fusion ability would consume tremendous amounts of physical energy and spirit power, so their opponents might be engaging in psychological warfare.
All seven Shrek Academy members activated their strongest attack Spirit Abilities, determined to fully resist this devastating Spirit Fusion ability, Ice and Snow Drifting.
Seeing the seven Shrek Academy members remained unmoved by her warning, the giant Ice Phoenix began its descent from the sky. In that instant, the entire arena seemed to explode with freezing energy. The overwhelming chill was almost too much for even the protective barriers to contain, and all spectators in the audience felt an intense cold penetrating their bodies.
Facing the giant Ice Phoenix descending from above, Tang San wielded his Clear Sky Hammer and smashed it forward with all his strength. Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng both unleashed their most powerful Spirit Abilities, transforming into manifestations of a White Tiger and a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon respectively, while the other team members fought with absolute determination.
Unfortunately, when confronting the devastating giant Ice Phoenix, many team members were knocked completely off the arena. Tang San and the others were once again frozen into solid ice sculptures, and clearly, this freezing effect lasted much longer and was far more powerful than Shui Bing'er's first Spirit Ability.
After several long minutes, the arena gradually returned to relative calm. The ice sculptures containing Tang San and Dai Mubai had been pushed off the arena platform, while Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu were breathing heavily, clearly having exhausted most of their spirit power reserves.
Regardless of the circumstances, the referee then officially announced that Heaven Water Academy had achieved victory. The Shrek Academy team had indeed suffered the defeat of all seven members being eliminated from the arena.
Tang San and the other team members shivered uncontrollably from the intense cold, and some of them still retained some spirit power, but unfortunately, a loss was definitively a loss.
Compared to Heaven Water Academy's jubilant celebrations, the Shrek Academy team members appeared exceptionally dejected and disappointed. Despite possessing a significant advantage in spirit power rankings, not only had their strategy been completely crushed, but almost every team member had been thoroughly suppressed by Shui Bing'er's control abilities. It could be said that Heaven Water Academy had achieved a classic upset victory, while the Shrek Academy team had been the unfortunate victims of a tactical reversal.
As both teams prepared to leave the arena, Shui Bing'er suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a moment, Tang San, why didn't that Yang Xiong from your team participate today? I really wanted to witness the strongest defensive-type Spirit Master in the entire Heaven Dou region."
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, who was still shivering from the intense cold, and couldn't help but shake his head sadly: "Yang Xiong has taken leave from the team. I honestly don't know where he went."
Shui Bing'er responded with obvious disappointment: "That's quite unfortunate. All of us from the elemental academies wanted to challenge Yang Xiong and discover whether my ice techniques could truly affect his legendary defenses."
The Shrek Academy team's loss in this match left both Emperor Xue Ye among the distinguished guests and Yu Xiaogang with extremely grim expressions. They had believed this would be a certain victory, but they had lost so easily and decisively.
Since the Heaven Dou First Team and Second Team had reorganized their lineups, the Second Team had been completely unstoppable and increasingly arrogant. At least on paper, their five Spirit Ancestors represented the strongest formation among all competing teams. Yu Xiaogang had maintained tremendous confidence in Tang San particularly; he believed not only that Tang San's control abilities were outstanding, but also that his combat power was excellent, and he would definitely be the most brilliant and dazzling presence in the entire Heaven Dou region.
Unfortunately, Tang San had been suppressed by Shui Bing'er throughout the entire match, and the entire Shrek Academy team had been dominated from beginning to end. This result was somewhat unacceptable, especially since all the team's tactical arrangements had been orchestrated by Tang San.
According to the current situation, Tang San's individual strength and tactical leadership had not demonstrated particularly brilliant performances. If they could lose to Heaven Water Academy now, what would happen when they traveled to Spirit City for the final rounds?
It should be understood that in the context of the Soul Master Elite Competition, defeating weaker teams meant very little. Only when facing truly strong opponents could a team demonstrate genuine strength and tactical excellence, and it was becoming clear that the Shrek Academy team was not performing as well as everyone had expected.
Most problematic was that the coordination among team members was not nearly as effective as hoped. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had been essentially neutralized, and his control abilities had been significantly reduced in effectiveness.
Furthermore, there was another critical issue: the original four members of the First Team had basically revolved around Yu Tianheng as their tactical backbone, while the Second Team's captain had been Dai Mubai, with Tang San serving as the tactical core, plus the relatively independent Dugu Yan. All of a sudden, the entire team effectively had four main and vice-captains. While not necessarily competing for authority, everyone wanted to perform excellently, especially since both Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai's family situations remained relatively complex and politically charged.
When Yang Xiong had been present, everyone understood that Yang Xiong was undoubtedly the strongest individual fighter. At the very least, none of them felt confident they could defeat Yang Xiong in direct one-on-one combat. Yang Xiong himself maintained a relatively casual attitude; normally, besides focusing on his cultivation, he spent most of his time with Ning Rongrong in their own private world, completely unconcerned about tactical positions or team leadership.
Now that Yang Xiong had taken leave, various underlying problems had suddenly emerged. At the very least, there was no longer that intuitive understanding and seamless cooperation among all team members.
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