The next day, at the competition venue, it was time for Shrek Academy vs. Spark Academy.
Spark Academy looked ordinary in their attire — only those in high positions truly paid attention to this seemingly unimpressive team.
Meanwhile, all the audience's eyes were drawn to Shrek Academy, thanks to their bizarre and unconventional school uniforms.
"What an ugly uniform. That poop-green color is disgusting."
"They're even running ads? Sponsorships? This is ridiculous. What kind of fly-by-night school is this? What was it called again… Shi something?"
"There's no suspense in today's match. A school that even has to get sponsorships for its uniforms — how could they possibly cultivate good students? I've bet all the 1,000 Gold Soul Coins I've saved over the years on Spark Academy. Just waiting to cash in."
In the VIP box, Ning Fengzhi sat with his hands folded under his chin, eyes locked onto Luo Xingqi from Spark Academy's team.
If nothing went wrong, he was likely to witness the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appear today. But unfortunately, it didn't belong to the Ning Clan.
Ning Fengzhi really wanted to take that little girl for his own, but when he looked toward Spark Academy's team leader — the Snow Empress who could easily freeze even someone like Gu Rong — he immediately abandoned such dangerous thoughts.
Both teams began entering the arena.
Tang San said to Yu Tianheng: "Yu Tianheng, don't forget our bet."
"I know, Tang San. But let's wait until you win first," Yu Tianheng replied with a cold sneer.
"Hmph." With a snort, Tang San led his team up to the battle platform.
As they passed by Xiao Wu, she gave a subtle signal to Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.
Dai Mubai: OK
Oscar: OK
Ma Hongjun: OK
The seven from Shrek stepped into the arena. On the other side, the seven from Spark took their positions across from them.
In the spectator stands, Flender, Zhao Wuji, Liu Erlong, and others saw this and looked noticeably concerned.
"What's Tang San doing?" Flender asked. "Why are none of our three Soul Kings from Shrek in this match? A fight we could've won easily is now full of uncertainty."
Yu Xiaogang replied calmly, "Trust Little San. Spark's only real threat is Ye Qingmei's self-initiated martial soul fusion skill — it's tricky, yes, but since she's using a skill that normally requires two people by herself, it won't last long. With our current setup, Shrek still has a good shot."
Tang San's arrangement aligned perfectly with Yu Xiaogang's wishes.
Among the Shrek Eight Monsters, only Tang San was his prized disciple. If Tang San performed well in this tournament, Yu Xiaogang would earn much prestige as his master.
But if Yu Tianheng stole the spotlight in the very first match, Tang San would be overshadowed, and fewer people would even remember Tang San — let alone his teacher.
On stage, the Shrek team could hear the noisy jeers from the crowd:
"Go Spark! Eliminate them!"
"Kick out this Shi-what Academy!"
"Just look at those awful uniforms. Clearly some third-rate school trying to get attention."
"I bet all my money on Spark. Just seeing Shrek's clownish uniforms pisses me off!"
Tang San said with a smirk, "Looks like a lot of people are about to lose their money today."
Mu Yuanfang from Spark replied, "Not that many, actually. Not many people would bet on a freak show like your Shi-whatever Academy."
"It's Shrek," Ma Hongjun corrected him. "Shrek is a kind of strange-tempered—"
"A freak, right? I know," Ye Qingmei interrupted disdainfully. "Those green, slimy, weak, and self-unaware little forest creatures with weird tempers. I don't understand why your school would use such trash as your totem. What's there to be proud of?"
Despite the mockery, the Shrek team remained calm. Dai Mubai responded, "The only thing you can be proud of is right now. Soon, we'll show you this is not the Shrek from two years ago."
Then Dai Mubai nudged Tang San with his elbow and asked, "San, how many minutes do you think this'll take?"
Tang San glanced down at Xiao Wu, knowing this was his moment to shine. He raised one hand — originally intending to say "one minute" — but thought better of it and declared: "Five minutes!"
"Five minutes?" the Spark team repeated, confused by the gesture.
Dai Mubai clarified loudly, "What our San means is — once this match starts, you'll last at most five minutes on this stage. After five minutes, you'll be carried off on stretchers!"
The crowd burst into laughter and mockery echoed throughout the arena.
"Five minutes, huh?" Mu Yuanfang said with a calm smile. Then he raised one finger.
"What do you mean by that?" Tang San asked.
"One minute," Mu Yuanfang replied, grinning. "We'll eliminate you in one minute."
At that, the Shrek team's rage ignited — especially the four reincarnated members. They had carried the honor of Shrek for millennia — when had they ever been so insulted?
Still, despite their fury, for the three Shrek heroes, one thing mattered even more than the academy's honor — that girl.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar each glanced toward Xiao Wu in the audience. She winked back at them.
They looked away, thinking to themselves: Whatever. Let's just try not to embarrass ourselves.
But Tang San was different. His anger reached the point of laughter. He said, "They think they can eliminate us in one minute? Mubai, let's show them Shrek's strength!"
"Got it." Dai Mubai's muscles suddenly surged as a tiger's roar echoed behind him. A phantom of the White Tiger appeared at his back, and four soul rings — yellow, yellow, purple, purple — circled him.
As soon as Dai Mubai activated his martial soul, half of the jeering in the arena immediately died down.
Then came a loud, clear rooster's crow from Ma Hongjun. A plump fire chicken (Ma Hongjun: "It's a Phoenix!") appeared behind him — comical in appearance, but undeniably Soul Ancestor-level strength, with the same four soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple.
Next, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Tai Long, and Huang Yuan all activated their martial souls as well.
Only then did the audience begin to realize: Shrek had sent only five main players, but four of them were already Soul Ancestors, and even substitute Tai Long, though one-armed, was also a Soul Ancestor.
Finally, when Tang San's soul power surged, everyone held their breath. If the teammates were this strong, what about their captain?
They saw Blue Silver Grass bloom around Tang San. Four soul rings floated around him — light yellow, yellow, purple, purple. His soul power appeared slightly lower than his teammates'.
"Tch~" A wave of booing immediately followed.
The strength of Shrek Academy had truly exceeded everyone's expectations, and as a result, the crowd held great hopes for Tang San, their team captain. And yet—
Currently, Shrek's team consisted of five main members and two substitutes: six Soul Emperors and one Soul Ancestor. With such a configuration, they would have been strong enough to reach the finals in past Continental Soul Master Tournaments.
After witnessing Shrek's formidable strength, a wave of groans broke out from the audience:
"Nooo, I bet all my money on Spark Team winning!"
"Shrek Academy, with this level of strength, why the hell are you dressed like total weirdos?!"
"My money... my savings... all gone!"
"I bet on Shrek and I'm rolling in profit! Limited-edition dark horse, hahahaha!"
Tang San looked smugly over at the Spark Team's side and said,
"Well? Do you still have the confidence to boast now?"
Mu Yuanfang responded:
"Everyone, let's show those Shrek monsters what our true strength is!"
Then, they unleashed their martial souls.
In that instant, the entire noisy Battle Arena seemed to fall completely silent.
Luo Xingqi: Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Rank 53 Soul King, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black
Mu Yuanfang: Golden Clear Sky Hammer , Rank 55 Soul King, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black
Lin Chen: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Rank 52 Soul King, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black
Ye Qingmei: Nether Cat, Rank 51 Soul King, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black
Su Qingqian: Emerald Swan, Rank 49 Soul Sect, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black
Zhao Hengning: Bone Dragon, Rank 48 Soul Sect, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black
Lu Kai: Holy Light Guardian Angel, Rank 49 Soul Sect, soul ring colors: Purple, Purple, Purple, Black
(Note: Four Soul Kings and three Soul Sects—this setup is slightly stronger than Shrek's core lineup, but not overwhelmingly so. After all, Xiao Wu can randomly fuse spirits with various men, creating unpredictable fusion skills, which still makes them strong contenders for the championship. In this novel's setting, Shrek is not depicted as inherently weak, but rather as divided—thus, this version of the Shrek team possesses strength equivalent to a top-three team in the tournament.)
The Spark Team's brilliant martial spirits and exceedingly rare soul ring configurations captivated the attention of everyone present. At this moment, the shock Shrek had initially delivered seemed to pale in comparison.
Even the well-seasoned nobles in the VIP seats couldn't help but be moved.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze was fixed on Luo Xingqi. On the stage stood two martial spirits of the same origin—his daughter Ning Rongrong and Luo Xingqi. But while Ning Rongrong's pagoda had only seven levels, Luo Xingqi's had nine. No matter how he looked at it, it was unmistakably a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Why? Why?! In the distant past, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was our Ning family's exclusive legacy. Now, with its reappearance, why is it in the hands of an outsider and not among our own descendants?
Emperor Xue Ye focused his attention on Su Qingqian, sensing a pressure from her Emerald Swan that marked it as a high-level beast martial spirit—a top-tier one at that.
"That looks like a Clear Sky Hammer, but something's different about it... How did that end up in his hands? Could he be from our Clear Sky Clan?"
In the VIP section, a dignified and elegant woman lost her composure at this sight. She was Yuehua, formerly known as Tang Yuehua. After changing her name and hiding the fact that her martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer, she had avoided the Spirit Hall's pursuit. She now ran the Moon Pavilion in Heaven Dou City, using the wealth it generated to support the Clear Sky Clan.
"I must inform my brothers of this."
Salas clenched the armrest of his chair, fingers like claws, muttering:
"Clear Sky Hammer..."
Yu Xiaomen turned to look at Lin Chen's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, then glanced at the calm-looking Sect Master Huo beside him—and immediately understood. He quickly feigned a shocked expression.
Huo Qiqiang tilted his head toward Ning Fengzhi and joked:
"I didn't expect the Spark Team to be so well-connected. They've gathered the legacy spirits of the former Upper Three Sects, the Zhu family from Star Luo, and even the Angel Spirit into one team. If I remember correctly, Sect Master Ning, that girl with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—wasn't she the slave you once bought and later freed?"
Ning Fengzhi's stiff neck slowly turned, and he forced an awkward smile.
"Your memory is quite impressive, Sect Master Huo."
"Well, your act of kindness left a deep impression on me," Huo Qiqiang said. "But I wonder, what is your sect's actual relationship with that girl?"
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment and vaguely replied:
"Even I'm not sure. All the records we've checked show no connection between her and the Ning family. But perhaps, long ago, one of her ancestors had ties to our clan that simply weren't recorded in our family genealogy."
In the stands, Yu Xiaogang clutched his flattop haircut, violently shaking his head in disbelief:
"No... Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This doesn't match my theoretical martial spirit cultivation curve!"
Flender was dumbfounded:
"H-How can they be this strong?!"
At that moment, his certainty about Shrek winning the championship wavered for the first time.
"Dean, can our little monsters really win?" Zhao Wuji asked with visible doubt.
Flender pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead and replied:
"We made a mistake with the lineup in the first match. But it's fine—this is just the round-robin stage. As long as we're not eliminated, it's okay to lose once or twice. The margin for error still exists."
No, Little San, you must win. You're the key to making your master famous!
Yu Xiaogang gripped the rail tightly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Shrek's team on the battle platform.
Everyone had their own thoughts as the duel commenced on the stage.
At this moment, Tang San was trapped in a dilemma. He never imagined the Spark Team would reveal such overwhelming strength. Facing such a team, Shrek's current lineup was simply not enough.
But if they lost, then Xiao Wu...
He had made a wager with Yu Tianheng, only to be played for a fool. Now Xiao Wu had an impression of him as selfish and petty, and Tang San originally intended to win a glorious victory to win her admiration and drive Yu Tianheng away from her.
He couldn't afford to lose.
As he hesitated, Tang San suddenly felt a mocking gaze on his back. He glanced sideways and saw Yu Tianheng in the audience, arms crossed, looking smugly at him.
Yu Tianheng, you dog who's asking for death! Do you really want to see me fall like this when Shrek is facing such a powerful enemy? Have you no sense of team honor?!
Tang San raged inwardly.