Shrek Academy crushed their opponents in the first match of the promotion tournament. The other teams also brought out their strongest abilities.
Aside from Shenfeng Academy, who had a bye, both Thunder Academy, Tianshui Academy, and Blazing Academy secured their victories.
Their opponents were not weak. Being able to enter the promotion tournament meant every team was strong, with at least one Soul Sect-level expert.
But while the other ten teams from the various kingdoms and duchies were powerful, they still could not push the Four Element Academies to go all out. Even when merely spectating, Shrek Academy did not get to see any truly exciting battles.
In the following days of the tournament, Shrek Academy did not get a bye and did not face any of the Four Element Academies either, so they won every match with absolute victory.
Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others barely had a chance to play. They even sent Jing Ling and Huang Yuan to gain experience, and Tai Long or Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu would usually finish things off.
After seven matches, Shrek Academy had accumulated forty-nine points. Tai Long earned twenty, Jing Ling ten, Huang Yuan nine, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu ten each.
Tai Long had the most appearances, as he had just broken through to the Soul Sect level, and this was a good opportunity for him to get used to his new strength and his fourth soul skill.
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu only came out to ensure final victory. Tang San and Dai Mubai never even had to appear.
And there was no need to mention Ma Hongjun, the hidden Soul King at level fifty-five, who never fought either.
The results of the Four Element Academies were similar to Shrek's. Up to this point, they still had not faced each other, but the performances of Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, Yu Tianxin, Shui Bing'er, and Feng Xiaotian were all brilliant.
Whenever they came out, they won with overwhelming dominance.
Until the eighth day, the eighth round of the promotion tournament, when Shrek Academy finally faced Blazing Academy.
Although Huo Wu knew that in a one-on-one duel they had no chance of defeating Shrek Academy, who had Dai Mubai, a level fifty-five Soul King, she was determined to defeat the other members of Shrek Academy.
Even if they lost, they would lose beautifully.
At the referee's signal, both sides sent out their first fighters.
The first to appear for Shrek was Jing Ling. His opponent was Huo Yu.
Jing Ling was only level thirty-six, while Huo Yu's soul power had already reached level thirty-nine, just one step away from level forty.
It was no surprise that Jing Ling lost the first match. Huo Yu's soul power was three levels higher, and his martial soul, the Fire Crane, had the ability to fly.
In the second round, Huang Yuan from Shrek came out. He too was level thirty-six and was also defeated by Huo Yu, but Huo Yu's soul power was almost completely spent.
Although Jing Ling and Huang Yuan were defeated, they did their job by consuming as much of Huo Yu's soul power as possible.
The third to fight for Shrek was Tai Long. Against the flying Huo Yu, Tai Long did not have a good counter, but Huo Yu also could not inflict real damage on Tai Long.
After a long stalemate, Huo Yu finally ran out of soul power, and Tai Long seized the chance to eliminate him.
The second fighter from Blazing Academy was Huo Yun, Huo Yu's twin brother. His martial soul was also the Fire Crane, and his soul power was likewise level thirty-nine.
Against another flying opponent, Tai Long felt frustrated. He was constantly being worn down, and eventually the match ended in a draw.
This was Blazing Academy's tactic: send out the flying Huo brothers first to consume the opponents' strength and gain an advantage.
Huo Wu's strategy was indeed well thought out. With just two people, Blazing Academy had already eliminated three members of Shrek, including a Soul Sect. At this point, Blazing Academy clearly had the upper hand.
But Shrek had already used up their weaker fighters. Next to step onto the stage was Zhu Zhuqing, level forty-five.
Blazing Academy sent out a level thirty-eight Fire Leopard Soul Elder, not Huo Wu or Huo Wushuang.
Huo Wu had almost perfectly predicted Shrek's lineup. The Fire Leopard Soul Elder's job was to drain Zhu Zhuqing's soul power.
As soon as the match started, the Fire Leopard Soul Elder activated all three of his soul skills with no reservations. His only purpose was to drain Zhu Zhuqing's strength to make it easier for the next fighters, perhaps even to defeat her.
But the gap in strength was too great. Zhu Zhuqing used her first soul skill, Nether Thrust, to get in close and injure him, then her second soul skill, Nether Hundred Claws, to eliminate him.
The entire process took less than a minute.
Although she had used three soul skills in a row, the consumption was negligible for someone of Zhu Zhuqing's current foundation.
Next, Blazing Academy sent a level thirty-seven Fire Star Soul Elder. He had decent attack and control abilities despite being more of a support type.
They still sent him out because his skills could greatly restrict an agility attack-type like Zhu Zhuqing.
Huo Wu was indeed clever, having predicted Shrek's lineup from the start and arranged every move to maximize the consumption of their soul power.
Zhu Zhuqing had an eight-level advantage in soul power over this Fire Star Soul Elder. He went all out from the start, activating three soul skills at once, igniting flames in a five-meter radius around himself and forming a circular wall of fire to protect him.
Zhu Zhuqing tried to use Nether Thrust to pass through the wall of fire, but he had concentrated the flames in the exact direction she was charging from.
Even with her higher soul power, she could not force her way through without suffering burns.
Her plan to save strength was ruined. She had to use her third soul skill, Nether Slash, to tear open a gap in the fire wall, then instantly used her first soul skill to get close and eliminated him with Nether Hundred Claws.
Again, the whole process took less than a minute. Blazing Academy's members had not expected to win, only to wear down her strength.
Using two first soul skills, two second soul skills, and one third soul skill had consumed roughly thirty percent of Zhu Zhuqing's soul power.
At this point, Blazing Academy had lost four fighters, and the advantage was gone.
Next up was vice-captain Huo Wushuang, martial soul: One-Horned Fire Tyrant Dragon, level forty-three assault-type Soul Sect.
In the past month, Blazing Academy had not slacked off, and Huo Wushuang had even risen a level.
Facing Zhu Zhuqing, who had two levels more soul power, Huo Wushuang's expression did not change. His goal was simple: defeat his opponent if possible.
And Zhu Zhuqing had already been worn down, giving him a higher chance of victory.
As soon as he entered the field and released his martial soul, the battle erupted.
Huo Wushuang's strength was formidable. Using his first and second soul skills, his hands turned into blazing dragon claws, and his body was covered in dragon-scale armor as he lunged at Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing relied on the speed boost from Nether Thrust to evade his frontal strike and struck his back with Nether Hundred Claws, scattering sparks and tearing away some of his scales.
But her claws were badly burned in the process, injuring her as well.
After attacking, Zhu Zhuqing quickly widened the distance and unleashed her third soul skill, Nether Slash.
The devastating strike was blocked by Huo Wushuang, who used his third soul skill to boost his attributes again. His blazing dragon claws actually caught Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Slash head-on.
The two of them exchanged attacks back and forth. Because Zhu Zhuqing had already been drained by the previous two opponents, her soul power advantage had disappeared. The fight lasted nearly ten minutes before ending in a draw.
Neither of them could deal a decisive blow. After their last clash, both were knocked out of the ring.
Huo Wu frowned. This was not the result she wanted. In her calculations, Zhu Zhuqing, who had consumed so much soul power, should not have been able to match her brother.
But even with a two-level difference, Huo Wushuang still could not defeat Zhu Zhuqing without being eliminated himself.
In the next round, Blazing Academy sent out their sixth fighter, another level thirty-seven Fire Star Soul Elder. Shrek sent Xiao Wu.
Now, aside from Xiao Wu and the Fire Star Soul Elder in the arena, Shrek still had Tang San and Dai Mubai. Blazing Academy only had Huo Wu left, so the advantage was still with Shrek.
If Huo Wu could defeat Xiao Wu, they would still have a chance to face Dai Mubai or Tang San.
Up until now, neither Dai Mubai nor Tang San had appeared once in the promotion tournament.
The Fire Star Soul Elder once again formed a fire wall in a five-meter radius, just like before. He did not expect to win, only to consume Xiao Wu's soul power.
Xiao Wu instantly used her third soul skill to teleport through the fire wall, closed in on him, and used Waist Bow to throw him out of the ring.
The combined soul power cost of her third and first soul skills was less than twenty percent. She was confident about fighting Huo Wu, who was also level forty-three.
Huo Wu did not have the same explosive attack power as Huo Wushuang, and Xiao Wu's teleportation countered her Repelling Fire Ring perfectly.
Huo Wu stepped into the ring. All seven of Blazing Academy's members had now fought. If Huo Wu lost, Shrek would have an eight-win streak.
Facing Xiao Wu, Huo Wu smirked. "I know what you're thinking. You think your teleportation counters my Repelling Fire Ring, so you think you've already won?"
Xiao Wu smiled. "Since you know that, why don't you save some soul power and just admit defeat?"
Huo Wu snorted. "Admit defeat? Defeat me fair and square and make me step down!"
Xiao Wu's smile faded. "Fine. But be careful. My Waist Bow really hurts."
Huo Wu was reminded of the preliminary rounds, when she was eliminated by Xiao Wu after getting close, knocked out in one blow, and left with a sore waist for days.
This time, she would show everyone what a true genius could do.
Both were level forty-three, but there was still a gap.
Huo Wu released her martial soul. Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose. Before Xiao Wu could act, Huo Wu activated her third soul skill, Repelling Fire Ring.
Xiao Wu was stunned. Her opponent had gone straight to defense?
Teleportation could not pass through the circular barrier, so Xiao Wu could not find an opening.
But it was not hopeless. Maintaining a third soul skill like this consumed a lot of energy. If Xiao Wu just waited for Huo Wu's soul power to run dry, she could still win.
And Xiao Wu still had her second soul skill, Charm, which could not be blocked by Repelling Fire Ring.
Just as Xiao Wu was preparing to use Charm, Huo Wu suddenly closed her eyes, completely ignoring Xiao Wu's presence.
It was obvious she had already studied Xiao Wu's abilities thoroughly. Charm required eye contact, and with her eyes closed, Huo Wu was immune.
Huo Wu was not just standing still. Flames began to cover her body, her four soul rings glowing brightly as she gathered her energy.
From the VIP area, Ning Fengzhi could not help but exclaim.
Emperor Xue Ye turned to him. "Sect Master Ning, do you understand what this girl is doing?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "She's clever. She's using Repelling Fire Ring to block Xiao Wu's assault while charging up for a far more powerful attack.
"Your Majesty must have noticed this girl from Blazing Academy is different."
Emperor Xue Ye nodded. "She is using some kind of special skill. Her energy, spirit, and soul power have reached their peak. All four soul rings are resonating at once. This is not something an ordinary soul master can do."
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Correct. If I'm not mistaken, this skill is called Ring Fusion."
Emperor Xue Ye's eyes widened. "You mean the special skill that channels all one's strength into a single soul ring for an explosive attack?"
"Yes. Only true geniuses can master Ring Fusion. By combining all power into one ring, the soul skill's effect becomes overwhelming.
"It is not just a technique but a rare talent. Very few soul masters ever awaken such an ability."
Ring Fusion releases the full soul power output of multiple rings at once but channels it through a single soul skill, greatly increasing its destructive force.
Its greatest advantage is explosive power. Like a pond with only one outlet instead of four, the water drains all at once instead of slowly.
With maximum output, the power of the chosen soul skill increases several times over.
As Ning Fengzhi explained, Huo Wu's fourth soul ring lit up.
A blinding white flame formed in her palm. Its heat was so intense it affected even the spectators outside the hundred-meter arena. This time, Huo Wu was not releasing ordinary flames but the core of her fire , explosion.
"Blazing Sun!" Huo Wu cried.
A one-meter-wide white light sphere shot out, flying toward Xiao Wu. Huo Wu's face turned pale immediately.
Ring Fusion was powerful but consumed an enormous amount of soul power. She no longer had enough left to continue fighting, but Xiao Wu had no way to block this attack.
She could lose, but she had to lose beautifully.
Xiao Wu knew she could not defend against this. She could only block it for four seconds if she used Invincible Golden Body.
But that was meaningless. She dodged left to escape the light sphere, only to find it locked onto her and followed her movement.
Realizing this, Xiao Wu looked at Huo Wu. She understood her intent, but she would not let her have her way.
Xiao Wu burned a large amount of soul power to teleport twice in succession, appearing right in front of Huo Wu. She used her braid to wrap around Huo Wu's neck, locking her in place and turning her to face the oncoming light sphere.
Huo Wu had no strength left to resist. She could only watch as the blazing sphere approached.
From the Shrek spectators' area, Oscar's voice rang out. "Xiao Wu, let her go!"
Hearing Oscar, Xiao Wu quickly swung her braid, throwing Huo Wu away, then teleported to safety.
A Soul Sage-level referee had to use his sixth soul skill to contain the attack before it hit the knights guarding the arena.
Huo Wu crashed to the ground hard, her depleted soul power making her faint instantly.
Huo Wushuang and Feng Xiaotian rushed over, carrying Huo Wu to the medical team.
Xiao Wu landed safely. Though she had consumed a lot of soul power, she was unharmed.
But when she saw Oscar's gaze, she suddenly felt nervous.
"Senior… I…" Xiao Wu said hesitantly.
Oscar looked at her. "You did nothing wrong. In a fight, you go all out until your opponent is down. But she had already spent all her soul power. If she had taken that hit directly, she would have been gravely injured, maybe worse."
Oscar then looked at the others. "This is a match. If you cripple someone, you will be disqualified. But on a battlefield, I would agree with Xiao Wu's decision."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu finally smiled. She had thought she would be scolded by her senior , that was scary!
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