On the other side, Wu Zhangkong and the members of Class Zero were staring at the stage in astonishment.
Youth group versus the junior group?
Tang Wulin glanced at Xu Xiaoyan beside him, a little surprised—sure enough, she had guessed right. The higher-ups of the Tianhai Alliance had indeed considered the issue of morale. But… if the youth group still lost against the junior group, then things could become embarrassing…
Representing the Tianhai Alliance were last year's youth group champions, seven students from Tianhai Academy. All of them were already over twenty this year, meaning they could only compete in the adult division now.
Clad in silver uniforms, the five men and two women stood tall and imposing. Their movements were synchronized, their auras strong and full of spirit. Their eyes shone with excitement—clearly, these were experienced and well-trained fighters.
What shocked Tang Wulin more, however, were the people stepping onto the opposite side of the stage.
The five who walked at the front, he didn't recognize. They were dressed in green athletic uniforms and looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old.
But the two walking at the back—he immediately recognized them. They had just had an unpleasant encounter with one of them, the girl named Ye Xinglan.
Compared to the others, these two were younger, making them especially noticeable on the competition stage.
"Huh, it's those two! Why are they up there, too?" Xie Xie exclaimed.
Xu Xiaoyan, on the other hand, stared blankly. "Everyone's about the same age… so why's the gap so huge?"
Yes. They were all around ten years old, yet those kids were already standing on the stage of an exhibition match. More importantly, standing there meant they were representing the legendary Shrek Academy!
On stage, both teams exchanged bows. The seven from Tianhai Alliance were noticeably taller, the age difference obvious.
It was at least a five-year gap!
Leading Shrek Academy's team was a boy of about fifteen. His appearance was nothing special, but his aura was extraordinary. Though young, he stood as steady as a mountain. With just a few steps forward, he instantly became the focus of the entire arena.
Inside the rest area, Nan Fusheng watched the broadcast intently. Even if he had his hidden trump cards, there was no harm in learning more.
Seven-versus-seven—this was the most traditional team battle format. After tens of thousands of years, this lineup had proven to best display a soul master team's strengths.
And these were no ordinary participants. They represented the very best of their age groups—especially the Shrek Academy team. What kind of strength would these prodigies display?
After a simple round of introductions, Nan Fusheng learned that the leader of Shrek's team was named Yuan Tingyue. Alongside him were none other than future Shrek Seven Devils—Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi.
The referee was an elderly man, his aura deep and unfathomable—someone of high cultivation.
"Now then… begin!"
The arena wasn't especially large, even smaller than the usual training grounds Nan Fusheng and his team used. It was a temporary setup, with a diameter of less than fifty meters.
With fourteen people on stage, it wasn't crowded, but it didn't leave much extra room either.
The referee had barely announced the start when Shrek Academy's team immediately took action.
The first to move was none other than Xu Lizhi.
With a flick of his right hand, two yellow spirit rings rose at his feet. The first ring lit up, and something seemed to fly out of his hand. From the camera feed, Nan Fusheng could see—it was a steamed bun.
The other six each caught one and stuffed it into their mouths.
Then, a teenage girl gave a sharp cry. Three spirit rings—two yellow, one purple—rose beneath her feet, the optimal configuration. A radiant seven-story pagoda appeared in her hand—the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. The first three layers shone simultaneously, three rays of light falling upon Yuan Tingyue at the front.
Yuan Tingyue let out a long, resounding dragon's roar. His body swelled, his arms thickening tremendously. Four spirit rings rose beneath his feet—two yellow, one purple, and… one black. A ten-thousand-year spirit ring!
A moment later, thunder rumbled. The screen flickered as everything on stage blurred under waves of crackling blue-violet lightning.
"Damn, what are they showing us? This is useless! Zero stars!" Nan Fusheng cursed. The soul screen distorted everything in a haze of lightning, making it impossible to see clearly.
On paper, the Tianhai Alliance had the advantage: three Soul Ancestors with two yellow and two purple rings, plus four Soul Elders. But Nan Fusheng knew—they had already lost.
Sure enough, instead of fading, the thunder only grew stronger, filling the stage. Through the distortion, faint images appeared—something rampaging within the lightning. For a brief instant, a dragon's roar echoed. A lightning dragon?
That was all he could see.
One minute later, the match was over.
The seven Tianhai Alliance champions lay sprawled across the stage, defeated. Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's team hadn't even broken formation. The youngest members, Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan, remained in the back—Ye Xinglan hadn't even attacked.
In the stands, few had seen what truly happened. All they witnessed was an explosion of blinding blue light, then massive bolts of lightning engulfing the arena.
When the light faded, the Tianhai team was down.
The entire stadium—eighty thousand strong—fell into stunned silence.
A cross-age match, finished in under one minute?
It wasn't even a contest. It was a massacre.
The Shrek students' assault had been like a storm. The sudden eruption was as if a true dragon had awakened on stage and devoured its prey in an instant.
The Shrek leader bowed slightly, ready to lead his team off the stage.
But then, another figure appeared on the platform.
"Honored guests, greetings! I am one of the hosts of the Tianhai Alliance Tournament. I believe everyone here just witnessed the astonishing strength of these young prodigies from Shrek Academy."
"To be honest, even I did not expect this result. Despite an age gap of over five years, our previous youth champions failed to last even a single minute. Shrek Academy truly deserves the title of the number one academy on the continent. Let us give them a round of applause!"
As he clapped, the audience followed. Applause spread like wildfire, soon becoming a thunderous wave. Cries of "Shrek! Shrek!" rang through the stadium.
The seven Shrek students, though surprised, lifted their heads proudly and accepted the cheers. They were, after all, students of the continent's greatest academy.
Ye Xinglan especially felt her chest swell with pride. To her, Shrek Academy was home. Bringing honor to her home filled her with joy.
"But…" the Tianhai official's tone suddenly shifted.
"Just moments ago, another team applied. They, too, wish to face these gifted students of Shrek Academy."
"At first, I was against it. After all, Shrek came here at our invitation, and it would be improper to push more battles onto them. Moreover, they have just fought one match already. To pit them in a series of battles would seem like bullying."
"However… that last match changed my mind. Shrek's students have shown us their monstrous power, defeating our champions in under a minute. I am certain that most of you did not even see what truly happened."
Now, I ask you all—do you want to see another match?