Ma Hongjun's fiery attacks blasted furiously toward the members of Elephant Armor Academy. While his flames still weren't powerful enough to instantly shatter their formidable defense, the extreme heat penetrated their diamond-like armor. The members of the academy felt as if they were trapped inside a furnace, with waves of burning pain searing their skin. Diamond might be resistant to high temperatures, but it was not a perfect insulator.
Hu Yanli roared in frustration, trying to shield himself from the flames with his massive arms. But the Phoenix Fire Wire was incredibly agile, weaving through his defenses to strike at his head, the back of his neck, and other areas where his armor was weaker or harder to block. The members of Elephant Armor Academy could only awkwardly cover their heads and faces, and their tight formation once again began to crumble.
As Hu Yanli, agitated by the constant barrage of fire, looked up angrily at Ma Hongjun in the air, he failed to notice Ye Yin floating even higher above. A faint, almost unnoticeable smile curved Ye Yin's lips as his eyes locked onto the opposing team's captain.
His third spirit ring suddenly began to glow.
Third Spirit Ability: Organ Curse!
A target was chosen: Hu Yanli. The curse would affect a specific organ: his left leg. The effect was simple but devastating: it would shorten the leg by one-tenth of its length for one hour. A silent, black stream of light shot out and merged into Hu Yanli's massive body.
Hu Yanli, who was still trying to block the Phoenix Fire Wire, suddenly went stiff. He didn't feel any intense pain, just a strange and subtle awkwardness in his left knee. It felt as if… his left leg had suddenly become shorter.
He instinctively took a step forward to steady himself.
Thump!
Hu Yanli's huge body stumbled, and he nearly fell flat on the ground. He quickly regained his balance, his face a mask of surprise and confusion. What was going on? Did his leg just give out? That was impossible. He tried to take two more steps to test it.
This time, everyone in the arena saw it clearly. Hu Yanli's usually steady, mountain-like gait, where each step shook the stage, was gone. He was limping. His left leg was now visibly shorter than his right, making him walk like a clumsy duck. In an instant, his imposing, oppressive presence vanished, replaced by something incredibly comical.
"Pfft—hahahahaha!"
"Look at Hu Yanli! What happened to him? Is he trying to walk like a duck?"
"Oh my god! He's limping? He was perfectly fine a second ago!"
After a moment of stunned silence, the entire venue erupted in thunderous laughter. The other members of Elephant Armor Academy were just as shocked, staring at their captain's bizarre way of walking. Hu Yanli was both surprised and furious. He desperately tried to control his body, but the imbalance caused by his shortened leg couldn't be corrected by willpower alone. The harder he tried to walk steadily, the more his shoulders swayed, and the funnier his movements became.
High above, Ye Yin looked down at the disheveled Hu Yanli, and his gentle smile widened. He spoke softly, his voice like a devil's whisper that only he could hear.
"A family should always be neat and tidy."
His fifth spirit ring began to glow.
Fifth Spirit Ability: Curse Replication!
He locked onto the Organ Curse currently active on Hu Yanli and chose his new targets: the other six members of Elephant Armor Academy. A black light entered Hu Yanli's body before splitting into six smaller streams, which then shot out and connected precisely with the other six members of the team.
In the next second, a scene unfolded that shocked the entire audience, one worthy of being recorded in the history of Douluo's most humorous moments. The six other members of Elephant Armor Academy, who stood tall and mighty like iron towers around Hu Yanli, all stiffened at the exact same time.
Immediately after, thump! Thump! Thump!
All six of them stumbled as if their bones had been pulled from their legs, and they nearly collapsed. As they frantically tried to regain their balance, the audience saw seven massive Diamond Mammoth giants on the Douhun Stage, all with one leg shorter than the other. Their shoulders were uneven, and they swayed dangerously as they tried to move forward. The seven of them advanced in a crooked formation, their movements uniformly comical, looking like a well-rehearsed army of ducks. Every step they took was accompanied by a loud thud and a violent sway of their bodies.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
The Great Spirit Arena was completely overwhelmed with laughter. The sound waves were so powerful they nearly blew the roof off the stadium.
In the judges' stand, Emperor Xue Ye spat out a mouthful of tea and began coughing violently. Ning Fengzhi covered his eyes with his hand, but his shaking shoulders gave away his laughter. Salas's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot that had been left on a fire for a thousand years. As for Hu Yan Zhen, the dean of Elephant Armor Academy, his expression was even worse.
Hu Yanli looked at his teammates, who had all become cripples just like him. He listened to the tsunami of laughter coming from all directions and felt so ashamed and angry he wished the ground would swallow him whole. Rage completely burned away his reason.
"Shrek! Ye Yin! I'm going to kill you!" he roared like a wild beast, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Ye Yin in the air.
Just then, a playful glint flashed in Ye Yin's eyes, and his fourth spirit ring lit up.
Fourth Spirit Ability: Mental Curse!
The target was Hu Yanli. The curse would generate a powerful obsession: he must walk at the very front of his team. If anyone was in front of him, he would stick out his leg and trip them.
Another invisible curse entered Hu Yanli's body. The anger and shame that had consumed him were instantly replaced by a stronger, more twisted thought.
I am first! I must walk at the very front! No one can block my path! If they block me, I'll trip them!
He suddenly turned his attention to a teammate who had fallen half a step behind him due to his limp. That teammate was still lost in the confusion and shame of his own condition, completely unaware of the danger he was in. A crazed obsession flashed in Hu Yanli's eyes. Without hesitation, he stuck out his good right leg and hooked it fiercely around the ankle of his teammate's limping left leg.
Thump!
A dull thud echoed across the stage. The teammate, caught completely off guard, was tripped. His massive body crashed forward like a collapsing mountain and slammed heavily onto the Douhun Stage, sending dust flying everywhere.
The entire arena fell silent. Everyone stared in disbelief at the incredible scene. Did Hu Yanli just trip his own teammate?
The fallen teammate struggled to lift his head, his face covered in dust and his eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.
"Cap… Captain?! Why did you trip me?!"
Hu Yanli looked down at his fallen comrade, a strange sense of accomplishment washing over him. A small part of his mind, however, screamed in fury and shame. He wanted to explain, to roar, but the twisted thought from the curse took over once more. He was now at the front. He had to maintain his position. He ignored his fallen teammate and continued to "charge" forward with his uneven shoulders and limping legs, his face a mask of stubborn determination.
Ye Yin's face showed a pleased smile. "Replicate."
His fifth spirit ring glowed again. The Mental Curse was replicated.
The remaining six members of Elephant Armor Academy, including the one who had just struggled back to his feet, all had the same crazy thought implanted in their minds: Walk at the very front! Trip anyone who blocks the way!
The scene spiraled completely out of control. On the Douhun Stage, the seven limping giants no longer cared about Ma Hongjun or Xiao Wu in the air. They only had eyes for each other, each one desperately trying to squeeze to the front of the team.
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