As Dugu Yan and the others revealed their full Spirit Elder (Rank 3 Spirit Master) strength, the crowd couldn't help but gasp. Especially when the earthy-brown Rock Domain Poison Dragon emerged—its presence, that of a top-tier beast spirit, exuded such pressure that the morale of the seven Elephant Armor Academy members immediately dropped.
Huyan Li, though somewhat intimidated, still spoke with pride,
"Not even a Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus could match our Diamond Mammoths. How could a dragon evolved from a serpent possibly beat us?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ignaz's spirit rings began to manifest one by one—five in total: yellow, yellow, purple, black, and black. The fourth ring shone dazzlingly, drawing gasps from the audience.
"Another ten-thousand-year fourth ring!"
"This year's Spirit Master competition is producing so many prodigies. Two ten-thousand-year fourth-ring Spirit Masters appearing at the same time… if they were to face each other, who would win?"
The Shrek team in the audience was equally stunned by Ignaz's extraordinary talent. Tang San, in particular, was puzzled.
His own ten-thousand-year fourth ring had been barely acquired, with the help of the revered Blue Silver King deep in the Blue Silver Forest, only after surviving a life-and-death ordeal.
How had this person achieved a ten-thousand-year fourth ring? Did he have a close spirit beast assisting him? Or had he discovered some rare natural treasure that enhanced his Spirit Master physique?
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang's mind turned to another theory—about ten-thousand-year fourth rings.
Until now, the only people to achieve this were his most esteemed disciple and Ignaz. One appearing could be luck, but two at the same time suggested something more profound—perhaps they had perfected a particular aspect of themselves to an astonishing degree, achieving the fourth-ring milestone.
Yu Xiaogang had studied Tang San's fourth ring closely. If he could similarly analyze Ignaz's situation, his theory on ten-thousand-year fourth rings could reach a new level. He was confident that once revealed, it would shake the entire Spirit Master world, solidifying his place as one of its greatest figures.
Meanwhile, Huyan Li and his team, witnessing Ignaz's spirit rings up close, felt a chill run down their spines.
"Boss… what do we do now?"
"Panicking? Our defensive formation is invincible."
Huyan Li glanced at his six teammates. Together, the seven activated their first spirit skill: Copper Wall Iron Shield.
Seven deep-blue, rectangular, heavy crystal shields connected to form a straight barrier, blocking their path.
Huff huff ha hey, huff huff ha hey!
Like sumo wrestlers, they pushed forward with massive swings, slowly advancing toward Ignaz.
Dugu Yan and the other six glanced at Ignaz in the rear. Almost simultaneously, they nodded silently.
"Second spirit skill: Earthwave Swamp."
In an instant, a muddy marsh formed across the arena floor, a faint green mist hovering above it. The already heavy seven from Elephant Armor Academy sank into the swamp, their movements severely restricted.
Huyan Li struggled, but his legs remained stuck. He was furious, yet powerless. Their last two spirit skills—one for strength amplification and another for suppression—combined with their massive bodies, made them no more than lambs to the slaughter.
"Fifth spirit skill: Rock Domain Poison Array."
From above, countless purple-tinged rock spikes rained down on the trapped Elephant Armor members. To coordinate with Dugu Yan's fifth spirit skill, ensuring a decisive victory, Yang Yong held his Soul-Destroying Spear at the left flank.
"Third spirit skill: Explosion."
Yellow energy surged around his spear as it shot toward the Elephant Armor team.
"Raise shields, defend!" Huyan Li ordered.
The other six froze their struggles and raised their shields, but it was already too late. The combination of Dugu Yan's fifth skill and Yang Yong's third skill sent six Elephant Armor members flying unconscious off the arena, leaving only Huyan Li struggling to stay upright.
He was gravely injured and unable to use any spirit skills, left with no choice but to be defeated.
"Third spirit skill: Nether Annihilation Strike."
Suddenly, a figure appeared to Huyan Li's left, slashing with two claws. Huyan Li collapsed, unconscious.
"Ahh—Li!"
Huyan Zhen, witnessing this brutal and merciless scene, could not sit still. He rose quickly, ready to discipline those harming his grandson. But a stern, somewhat aged voice came from the side,
"Clan Master Huyan, no need to worry. The Heaven Dou Imperial's team acts with restraint. Your grandson will be fine."
"I understand, Your Majesty," Huyan Zhen replied, reluctantly sitting back to await the official result.
The host drew a sharp breath at the ruthless display, then announced:
"Prelim Match 14: Heaven Dou Imperial First Team wins."
The Shrek team in the audience became even more vigilant. Their thirty-second victory over the Heaven Dou Imperial Second Team had involved some luck. But defeating Elephant Armor Academy so decisively required genuine strength.
Dugu Yan's second spirit skill, particularly effective against heavier Spirit Masters, was crucial. And Ignaz had only revealed his spirit rings—he hadn't intervened directly from team battle start to finish, showing the terrifying extent of his power.
Yu Xiaogang, seeing the awe on everyone's faces, reassured Tang San:
"When the Heaven Dou Imperial First Team faced Elephant Armor Academy, you surely saw the perfect strategy to defeat them."
"Yes, Teacher. Their bodies are too heavy; their mobility is slow. A bit of crowd control, and they can't fight back at all."
"Boss Dai, if we face Elephant Armor Academy later, we can use Oscar's flying Mushroom Sausage technique to attack from the air, sustaining ground-to-air pressure and gradually wearing them down."
Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San's shoulder, pleased. As expected, Tang San hadn't been affected by the Heaven Dou Imperial First Team's display and was able to quickly deduce a solid counter-strategy.