"Match starts now~"
Dugu Yan smiled, pupils turning vertical like a snake's as she fixed her gaze on the Shrek team, making their scalps tingle.
"Hold steady! Finish the match first!" Tang San gritted his teeth.
"With Teacher Qin Ming's intel, we know their weaknesses! No problem!" Ning Rongrong also steadied the team, sneaking a glance toward the VIP stands and biting her lip. She'd show the world that kicking her out was the Seven Treasure Clan's biggest mistake!
At the same time—
The complete opposite scene unfolded among their opponents.
Six Soul Ancestors, only one Soul Elder.
Overwhelming aura.
The whole arena fell silent.
No one had expected the Heaven Dou Royal Team to be that strong—let alone so overpoweringly so!
"Take Dugu Yan first!" Tang San commanded, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track launching him ahead; Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged a glance, charging.
Dugu Yan seemed the strongest, nearly at Soul King level.
But in truth, she was the "weakest"—her poison wasn't much use against Tang San.
As long as he broke her poison, she was less than a Soul Elder!
But he was confused—Osler and Yu Feng only gave a token block as he slipped past. Even the Shi brothers just watched coldly.
With Blue Silver Grass controlling interference, he slipped smoothly to the enemy's rear, smiling—
Careless, are you? You'll pay.
He pulled out two pouches and hurled them at Dugu Yan.
At the same time—
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun followed up.
"White Tiger Light Wave!"
"Phoenix Fire Line!"
White and red rays broke through the Shi brothers' guard and blasted the pouches.
"Got her!" Tang San felt the toxins in the air and smiled. Realgar wine, made on the spot!
"Don't think Blue Silver Grass is my only trick—take this!"
With that, eight Spider Lances shot out toward Dugu Yan.
But Dugu Yan remained calm.
She watched Tang San approach without moving.
"Do you know why I haven't shown my Spirit yet?"
"..."
Tang San froze.
"I'm afraid I'd kill you." Dugu Yan's lips curled up, as a serpent—a dragon, really—dark green and horned, appeared to countless spectators.
Chill swept the field.
She'd inherited half the Ice Emperor's ultimate ice, taken a rare herb, and fully evolved her Spirit—her combat power was overwhelming.
She was the ace up the team's sleeve.
Even facing Hulena and company, she'd never gone all out...
"Roar!"
A faint dragon's cry. The Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Dragon spewed a mist of dark-green frost. Wherever the toxic mist passed, all was corroded.
Tang San, even moving at top speed, took a face-full.
"Ugh..."
As pain overwhelmed him, Tang San realized the realgar wine hadn't worked at all.
"How could this be...?"
"You dare show off in front of me?" Dugu Yan sneered, throwing Tang San's own mocking phrase back at him.
How satisfying.
Tang San's face festered; he wilted, rolling on the ground in pain.
The toxic mist spread, but didn't touch the Heaven Dou team at all.
"What do we do!" Dai Mubai looked stricken.
White Tiger Vajra Transformation or not, he dared not step forward.
He even stepped back—to avoid the mist, and with a poison dragon eyeing them.
They'd thought the opponents just found some shortcut to boost their cultivation.
They never imagined their enemies' Martial Spirits would literally evolve!
Clearly, Grandmaster's "evil arts" theory was nonsense.
This was all about teacher's skill!
Otherwise, how could Zhu Zhuqing change Spirit and advance a level in a matter of days?
"Tch, boss, save a couple for us!" Osler called.
"Yeah, yeah." Yu Feng grinned.
"Heh, all yours then." Dugu Yan stretched lazily, her dragon form sucking up the poisonous mist until the field was clear.
"Now it's your turn..." The two agility attack specialists shot out like arrows, too fast for Shrek to react.
"Bang!"
Dai Mubai, coughing blood, realized to his horror that his 'invincible' offense-defense balance couldn't withstand a single blow from an agility attacker!
A black paw smacked his face, sending him rolling.
A wild gale swept the field.
Ma Hongjun spat fire, but couldn't catch the opponent, and a wind blade kayoed him.
Tai Long rushed to rescue but was slapped aside, his 'meat tank' defense torn apart.
Then it was the powerless Ning Rongrong...
It was over in barely a minute.
The field was left in chaos.
"This is a real agility attack type! Extreme offense, even breaking through warriors' defenses!" Osler and Yu Feng high-fived—their performance today far exceeded people's expectations for their class.
This wasn't just spirit power—it was true battlefield dominance.
Otherwise, Shrek's tenacity would have let them hang in much longer.
Lying on the ground, drenched in blood, Yu Tianheng looked at the celebrating team. Bitterness filled his eyes. This was the opportunity he'd given up himself.
If not for his uncle, if Qin Ming hadn't intervened...
He'd be part of the Royal Team, enjoying the crowd's cheers and honor!
Regret, fury, frustration—emotions exploded inside.
But it was too late.
Now, he could only lie among Shrek's wounded and feel despair.
Fortunately, the prelims were round robin, not elimination—but he'd lost all hope.
"..."
In the rest area.
A rare flicker of shock appeared in Shui Bing'er's serene gaze.
Such a one-sided fight was a feast for the eyes—a massacre.
Even their team, with Soul Elders everywhere, wouldn't be that calm facing Shrek!
Besides...
"We fought the Royal Team not long ago." The teacher of the Skywater Academy, a graceful woman, looked stunned. "Back then, they were about even with us—only Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were hard to deal with. But today..."
"And is their lead teacher still Qin Ming? Could he really do this?!!"