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Bang.
A weak punch was thrown with the last of her energy. It landed softly on the chest of Kong Mingan, who was clearly the real body, and made a faint sound like a quiet whimper. With her strength completely gone, Zhang Lexuan lost all control of her body. she fell forward and dropped right into a warm embrace.
She struggled to stay conscious and lifted her eyes to look at him. There was a look of confusion in her gaze as she asked the question that mattered most to her right then.
How old are you, really? she asked in a weak voice.
Kong Mingan looked down at her and spoke softly. His tone held the same gentle smile it always did as he replied that he was probably six or seven years younger than her.
Zhang Lexuan paused for a moment. Her heart sank into a state of shock that was even greater than before. She had investigated him in the past and knew his rough age, but his behavior and his power did not seem like those of a teenager at all.
In fact, she had honestly thought that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had lied about his age to make him look like a genius. She suspected he might actually be close to her in age. However, his personal admission now took away all those wild thoughts.
It is just unbelievable, Zhang Lexuan whispered.
She uttered only those two words, but she let her body lean against him. As she breathed, she could smell the clean and pure scent of the young man. She finally understood why this guy had so many girls around him at such a young age. Anyone would find it hard to resist his charm. Zhang Lexuan closed her eyes and gave up. She stayed motionless in his arms, looking as if she had fainted and lost all ability to fight.
In the corner of the arena, Ping Er and Fang Yi were sitting together. They were even sharing snacks and watching the scene like they were watching a juicy drama. There was nothing else they could do. Both of them were support system Spirit Masters.
Even though one was a Soul Engineer, her specialty was in defense. Their fighting strength was so low that it could basically be ignored. They both knew the result of this battle did not depend on them. It all rested on their captain, Kong Mingan. Because of that, they just relaxed and watched the match with peace of mind.
A moment later, Ping Er looked at her captain. Zhang Lexuan appeared to be unconscious after the red mist around them cleared away. Ping Er let out a sigh of helplessness. Fang Yi blinked and looked at Ping Er for a second.
Ping Er understood immediately and hopped off the competition stage on her own. With their captain defeated, a support system Spirit Master had no reason to stay. It was better to leave with some dignity.
At this point, the Shrek representative team was completely beaten.
Kong Mingan reached out and gently picked up Zhang Lexuan. With a quick flash of movement, he appeared at the resting area where the Shrek team was waiting. Almost instantly, the people there stared at him. Some looked wary and others looked fearful.
The air felt heavy and still. Kong Mingan did not say a word. He just held Zhang Lexuan and walked calmly through the crowd. He placed her down carefully on a reclining chair.
He extended his hand and began to work. He drew out the power of Qi and blood that was blocking her Meridians and affecting her Spirit. The sharp pain made Zhang Lexuan groan quietly, but right after that, she felt her control over her spirit power returning. She had recovered.
Zhang Lexuan slowly opened her eyes and looked at the young man. Her feelings were very complicated. She watched as Kong Mingan turned to look at the rest of the Shrek students.
Those of you who just fought me should come over here, Kong Mingan said to them. I will help you recover your strength.
The Shrek crowd just looked at each other in silence. No one moved.
At the same time, the referee was still hanging in mid-air above the stage. He made an announcement in a loud voice. His tone was full of disbelief and shock.
The second round of the two-two-three battle strategy is over, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy wins! he shouted. According to the official rules, I represent the Tianhun Empire to declare the winner. The winner of this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Dueling Grand Finals is the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!
The entire venue exploded with noise!
As soon as the results were announced, the stadium was filled with shouting and exclamations. People could not believe what they had just heard. It was bound to happen. People love to see a hero rise, but they talk even more when a legend falls.
Today, the Shrek myth was over. They had been undefeated for ten thousand years, but the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had just pulled them down from their high place. It was a perfect and total victory.
The audience was screaming, but the important people on the high viewing platforms were mostly silent. No matter what they thought before, the image of Shrek's defeat was now burned into their minds. Shrek was the academy that produced a God ten thousand years ago. They had the title of being undefeated for centuries.
Their glory was written into the very history of the Douluo Continent. No one could say they weren't great. That glory had always been like a light high above the world. Everyone felt a natural sense of awe when they thought of Shrek.
But now, a very visible crack had appeared on that golden glory. To put it simply, the final boss finally showed a health bar.
On the viewing platform, Ju Zi was watching the chaos below. She was wearing a neat uniform and glasses. She turned to the people standing next to her and gave an order.
Go ahead with the original plan, Ju Zi said firmly.
Yes, they all replied together.
Several figures bowed and then walked quickly through the quiet doorway behind her. They were going to spread the news of what happened here to every city in the Douluo Continent as fast as they could. Many writers were already waiting. They would turn these events into exciting stories within half an hour. In less than an hour, the newspapers would be printed. Shortly after that, those papers would be in every corner of the cities.
Time passed slowly.
Outside the Shrek Outer Court, near the dorms for the new students, the afternoon sun was shining. It was bright but not too hot. The warmth felt very comforting and relaxing. An old man lay on a chair under a big tree with his eyes narrowed. He watched the first-year students walking back and forth. They were full of energy and life. He sighed softly to himself.
Being young is a wonderful thing, he muttered.
Just then, a yellow light landed nearby. A middle-aged man appeared with a worried look on his face.
Elder Mu! he called out.
Mu En opened his eyes and looked at the man. The peaceful feeling he had just a moment ago was gone. He sighed again and asked what was wrong.
Something terrible has happened, Yan Shaozhe said as he ran closer. He handed a newspaper to Mu En. We lost, Elder Mu. We actually lost the match!
Mu En looked at the newspaper and seemed a bit surprised. He sat up slightly to read it.
So they really lost, Mu En said. He didn't sound sad or disappointed. He actually sounded a little bit amused by the news.
Elder Mu! Yan Shaozhe said anxiously. This is the glory of Shrek! How can our ten-thousand-year record be ruined like this? I think we need to do something.
That is enough, Shao Zhe, Mu En said, cutting him off. He lay back down on his chair and spoke in a lazy voice. It is just the result of one match. You cannot call that a ruin.
But Elder Mu, it's our reputation, Yan Shaozhe argued.
No buts, Mu En replied. He looked up at the shadows of the leaves dancing above him. His eyes were very calm. Shrek has been focused on this so-called glory for way too long. If we keep going like this, it will become a disaster instead of a blessing. This defeat might actually be a good thing for Shrek. It will wake everyone up.
Mu En closed his eyes again, letting the warm sun hit his face. He knew that even the greatest legends had to change eventually. Yu Xiaogang would have understood that things cannot stay the same forever. If an academy only looks at its past, it cannot have a future. The loss was a shock, but to Mu En, it was just part of the natural cycle of the world.
The news continued to spread across the land. In every tea house and every spirit hall, people talked about the boy who defeated the giants. They talked about the Sun Moon Academy and how the world of Spirit Masters was changing.
While the students at Shrek felt the weight of the loss, the old man under the tree just saw it as a new chapter. The sun continued to shine, and the wind continued to blow, indifferent to the falling of myths.