However…
Faced with what looked like an unstoppable offensive, Ma Rulong—acting as the temporary commander of the Sun Moon Team—wore a calm, cold smile.
Xiao Hongchen looked even more dismissive.
"That's it?"
He curled his lip, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "We've been guarding against this move of yours for a long time now."
Before the match even began, Liu Yuan had already predicted Shrek's possible tactics with remarkable precision—right down to how they would use their spirit tools.
After all, while Shrek Academy was powerful, their understanding and application of spirit tools simply couldn't compare to the Sun Moon Empire, which had been immersed in this field for thousands of years. The difference was like that between an elementary student and a doctoral researcher.
Not to mention, Liu Yuan and the others had personally witnessed Shrek's purchases at last night's auction. With a bit of analysis, it wasn't hard to deduce their loadouts and combat plans.
At that moment—
"Raise shields! Counterattack!"
Ma Rulong barked sharply.
Buzz—
The defensive Spirit Master at the front of the Sun Moon Team didn't deploy a conventional barrier.
Instead, he pulled out a massive metal shield from his storage spirit tool. Its surface was covered in dense, honeycomb-like holes, and its design was unlike anything commonly seen. He slammed it heavily into the ground.
"Targeted defensive spirit tool—Repulsion Mirror Shield!"
In the next instant, Dai Yueheng's powerful White Tiger Claws smashed straight into the shield.
The violent collision everyone expected… never came.
The moment his claws made contact, the honeycomb holes on the shield flared with blinding white light. A strange yet overwhelming reverse force erupted outward!
"What?!"
Dai Yueheng's pupils shrank.
It felt as though his attack had struck a tightly compressed spring. Not only did he fail to release his power—he was hurled backward by an even more terrifying rebound!
Bang!
Caught completely off guard, Dai Yueheng was flung into the air. He flipped several times before barely regaining balance, his internal blood and qi churning violently, nearly forcing a mouthful of blood up his throat.
"How is this possible?!"
Shock filled his face.
His attack… had been perfectly countered.
And that wasn't all.
On the other side of the battlefield, Xi Xi—attempting to use her speed to cut straight into the backline—ran into the same kind of nightmare.
Just as she was about to reach Xiao Hongchen, he snapped his fingers lightly.
"Snap."
Several unremarkable discs embedded in the ground around him shot upward at once, instantly forming an invisible electromagnetic net in the air.
"Improved Gravity Mire Generator," Xiao Hongchen said casually.
The moment Xi Xi entered the field, her body felt as if it were weighed down by a mountain. Her lightning-fast movements slowed to a crawl.
"Got you."
Meng Hongchen appeared beside her like a phantom. The ice-blue longsword in her hand slashed out without hesitation.
Clang!
If Xi Xi hadn't reacted in time and blocked with her dagger, that strike alone would have been enough to severely injure her and force her out of the match.
Even so, the bone-chilling cold surged through her arms, making her shudder uncontrollably and slowing her movements even further.
As for Chen Zifeng's lightning-fast Soul-Chasing Sword qi, it fared no better.
When it encountered the Sun Moon Team's prepared "Magnetic Deflection Barrier," it veered off course as if drunk, sliding past its targets by mere inches again and again, failing to cause any real damage.
In the blink of an eye, the situation on the battlefield reversed completely.
The Shrek members—who had charged in aggressively, fully armed and intent on overwhelming their opponents—felt as though they had slammed headfirst into a carefully constructed iron wall.
Every movement.
Every Spirit Ability.
Even the functions of every spirit tool.
It was as if all of it had been thoroughly analyzed in advance, with specific countermeasures waiting for them.
"How can this be…?"
"Were these spirit tools… specifically tailored to deal with us?!"
Dai Yueheng and the others were utterly stunned.
But after a brief moment of thought, the answer became painfully clear.
These spirit tools had been prepared for them.
Ma Rulong no longer bothered to hide it. Hearing Dai Yueheng's words, he smiled faintly.
"Of course."
"Do you know why our captain kept telling us not to reveal too much of our strength in the earlier matches?"
"It was precisely to avoid ending up like you."
"The real final hasn't even begun yet, and you've already exposed all your trump cards."
"How could we not prepare for that?"
Dai Yueheng's expression turned extremely ugly.
At the same time, Chen Zifeng and the others recalled the reprimand Mu En had given Elder Xuan after learning what they had done.
Indeed…
Their actions back then had been a serious miscalculation.
Dai Yueheng clenched his teeth. "At this point, words are meaningless!"
"We have to go all out!"
"Otherwise, Xiaotao might not be able to defeat Liu Yuan."
"If Liu Yuan beats her… then it's over for us!"
Hearing this, Chen Zifeng and the others' eyes filled with grim resolve. They charged once more toward Xiao Hongchen and the rest, launching another wave of attacks.
"Hold them back!"
Ma Rulong and the others were just as clear about the situation.
They had no intention of meeting Shrek head-on.
All they needed to do was stall Dai Yueheng and the others.
Once Liu Yuan defeated Ma Xiaotao, the balance of victory would inevitably tip in their favor.
With that in mind, the Sun Moon Team began fully utilizing the tactics and spirit tools they had prepared in advance, focusing entirely on delaying and controlling the battlefield.
…
On the other side of the arena.
Liu Yuan and Ma Xiaotao had also noticed the situation.
A smile appeared on Liu Yuan's face.
"See?" he said lightly, provoking her once more. "Just like I said—you really underestimated my teammates."
"Even if their ranks aren't as high as Dai Yueheng's, spirit tools are our greatest advantage."
"When it comes to spirit tools, the gap between us and you isn't small… it's enormous."
Ma Xiaotao felt irritation rise at his words.
But she also knew he was telling the truth.
She didn't bother arguing that point. Instead, she snorted coldly, her spirit power erupting to its peak as she charged straight at Liu Yuan.
"I won't deny that what you said is correct."
"However…"
"In today's match, the ones who truly decide victory or defeat… are still the two of us."
"Last time, you won because of incomplete intelligence."
"But this time, I have non-fire attribute attack methods—and I fully understand your abilities."
"I will not lose to you again."