Behind the Pope, Ghost Douluo spoke in his deep, shadowy voice:
"The three soul bones are the Wisdom Skull of Spiritual Focus, the Flame Right Arm of Explosive Fury, and the Wind-Chasing Left Leg of Swift Movement. Each originates from a ten-thousand-year spirit beast."
He paused briefly, letting the words sink in.
"Among them, the Wisdom Skull of Spiritual Focus was forged from a spirit beast over fifty thousand years old. It was personally slain by the former Pope, making it a true masterpiece among soul bones—surpassed only by external soul bones and the legendary hundred-thousand-year soul bones."
Bibi Dong's voice was calm, yet carried weight enough to command the entire square.
"Victory belongs only to one. There can be only one champion. Thus, these three soul bones shall belong solely to the winning team. I hope all four academies that have reached this stage will fight with everything they have—and prove themselves worthy of this honor."
The moment the word soul bone left her lips, even the most composed spirit masters couldn't hide the gleam in their eyes.
Three soul bones—three ten-thousand-year soul bones—was an unimaginable prize. The battle intent across the twenty-eight remaining contestants ignited like wildfire.
Even Li Chang'an and his teammates politely played along, showing outward excitement to please the Pope.
Bibi Dong continued,
"This morning, all four academies will participate in an individual elimination round. The two teams that remain standing will gain the advantage of rest and proceed directly to tomorrow's championship battle. The two losing teams will face off this afternoon for the remaining slot in the finals. You may now send out your first representatives."
It was the same individual elimination format as before—but this time, four teams would compete simultaneously.
Though not yet the final, this round was no less crucial: a win meant not just prestige, but also strategic advantage.
In front of the Pope's Hall, a row of gilded seats was arranged. At the center sat Pope Bibi Dong, flanked on her left by Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, and on her right by Ghost Douluo Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.
The first match was set: Crimson Rose Academy vs. Shrek Academy.
But before the match could begin, Flender suddenly stood up and announced,
"Shrek Academy withdraws from the individual round. We will forfeit and compete only in this afternoon's team match."
It was a decision that stunned the crowd—but not Li Chang'an.
Of course Flender isn't stupid, he mused.
'Who in their right mind would send Shrek's students to fight me one-on-one?'
In response, Li Chang'an also proposed that the two academies settle things properly during the afternoon team battle.
Thus, neither side scored points in the morning session.
Meanwhile, Godwind Academy outright conceded both their morning and afternoon matches to Spirit Hall Academy, likely in an attempt to curry favor.
As a result, Spirit Hall advanced directly to the grand final.
It was a bizarre morning—one full of forfeits and no battles fought.
By the time it ended, even the audience could hardly process what had just happened.
Thus, the afternoon's spotlight would fall squarely on Crimson Rose Academy vs. Shrek Academy, a duel to determine who would claim the final slot in the championship round.
As for Godwind Academy's behavior, Li Chang'an wasn't surprised. A simple gesture of allegiance toward Spirit Hall. Typical politics.
He sighed inwardly. 'Poor Huo Wu… she worked so hard, only to lose her chance because of backroom deals. I wonder if she'll cry when she learns the truth.'
---
The morning's crisp coolness had long since burned away. By afternoon, the sun hung high, and heat shimmered over the marble square.
The Spirit Hall Academy team stood silently to the side, observing.
Before the Pope's Hall, the two semifinal teams faced each other—Crimson Rose and Shrek—each side composed and solemn.
At the forefront of Shrek stood Tang San and Dai Mubai, their gazes fixed upon their opponents' familiar faces. A wry smile crossed both their lips.
Those before them had once been teachers, allies, and friends. Now, they would meet as rivals.
Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu smiled back, equally calm. A fight is a fight, he thought. No need for bad blood.
Besides, Flender had once helped him—he was, after all, still Shrek's honorary professor.
Xiao Wu suddenly tensed, feeling a sharp, almost invasive gaze fixed upon her. She looked up—and met the eyes of Yu Xiaogang, standing among Shrek's instructors.
His expression was… strange. A mix of pity and greed.
Li Chang'an noticed her unease immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing," Xiao Wu replied softly, forcing a smile.
The referee raised his arm.
"Match—begin!"
To everyone's surprise, Shrek Academy didn't charge or summon their spirits.
Instead, as soon as the word begin was spoken, the seven members swiftly fell back, forming a perfect circle.
At the center stood Jiang Zhu and Oscar. The other five—Tang San, Dai Mubai, Huang Yuan, Ma Hongjun, and Zhang San—began moving in a synchronized orbit, circling the two.
None of them had yet released their martial souls, but waves of soul power pulsed outward, gathering toward the center.
Even Bibi Dong, Ning Fengzhi, and the four Titled Douluo exchanged surprised looks.
What was Shrek doing?
Even they, paragons of the spirit master world, couldn't immediately discern the technique.
The five outer members moved with uncanny rhythm—each step precise, deliberate, unified—as if following a hidden cadence. Soul power intertwined between them, forming glowing currents of energy that spiraled inward.
In the center, Jiang Zhu and Oscar clasped hands and closed their eyes.
A soft yellow aura rose from Jiang Zhu, while a faint red glow enveloped Oscar. The two lights coiled upward, twisting into a spiral of radiant energy.
Though no martial souls had appeared, the sheer coordination and momentum pressed heavily upon Crimson Rose Academy's members.
Li Chang'an, however, remained unbothered. His lips curved faintly.
'Ah… so it's this move. A Seven-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Looks like Yu Xiaogang's handiwork. But how much power can it really muster?'
"Transform!" Tang San shouted.
In a blink, Shrek's formation shifted—from a circle to a straight line.
Tang San stood at the front, followed by Dai Mubai, then Ma Hongjun, Huang Yuan, Zhang San, and finally Jiang Zhu and Oscar at the rear.
The moment they aligned, their converging soul power twisted into one flow.
Oscar suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jiang Zhu from behind. The red light from his body flared into rose-pink radiance, pouring into her.
Jiang Zhu's healing staff rose before her, her expression solemn as she thrust both palms forward. Her three soul rings gleamed all at once.
Though few knew it, Jiang Zhu—like Huo Wu—possessed the Ring Fusion Talent, a rare ability researched and refined under Yu Xiaogang's guidance.
Three concentric golden halos erupted from her staff, shooting into Zhang San's body ahead.
A chain reaction followed. Empowered by the torrent of auxiliary energy, Zhang San raised his hands and pressed them onto Huang Yuan's shoulders.
Brilliant yellow light surged, flowing forward—each link in the chain amplifying the next.
By the time the energy reached Dai Mubai, it had grown exponentially brighter.
Dai Mubai slammed his palms onto Tang San's back—
—and in that instant, Tang San's entire body convulsed as a wave of crushing pressure exploded outward.
His body no longer glowed but emanated pure, oppressive might—a force so immense that even the air trembled.