"Eliminated…"
These two words seemed to carry a strange kind of power, echoing endlessly within the ancient wooden structure of Sea God's Pavilion. Each echo was like a heavy hammer, smashing mercilessly into the hearts of every elder present.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The first to explode was Xian Lin'er, known for her fiery temper. She slammed her palm onto the table and shot to her feet. The aura of a Super Douluo burst forth instantly, and the teacup in front of her shattered with a sharp crack.
"Steward Li! Did you hear wrong? Or did the frontline scouts send back false intelligence?!"
Xian Lin'er's eyes were wide as she glared at Steward Li, her voice sharp with fury.
"Didn't Elder Lin just say that Xuan Zi equipped Xiaotao with an eighth-rank soul tool?"
"Eighth-rank! That's an eighth-rank soul tool! With Xiaotao's own strength on top of that, how could the Shrek Team possibly lose?!"
Yan Shaozhe did not lose control like Xian Lin'er, but the gentle smile he usually wore was gone. His face was dark enough to drip water.
"Steward Li," he said in a low, hoarse voice that carried unquestionable authority, "tell us everything you know. Every detail."
"This subordinate… doesn't know the full process," Steward Li lowered his head even further, his voice barely louder than a mosquito.
"The frontline only sent back the final result. There hasn't been time yet for the detailed battle report…"
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
One of the elders couldn't help but curse aloud.
No matter how they thought about it, they simply couldn't understand how things had ended up like this.
"Enough."
At that moment, an old yet steady voice rang out, instantly suppressing all the anger and noise.
Mu En slowly opened his eyes. Though he was still reclining on his lounge chair, the presence he exuded made all the elders fall silent at once.
If one looked closely, they would notice a trace of fatigue and disappointment hidden deep within those usually calm, unshakable eyes.
"Things have already come to this. Saying more is meaningless," Mu En said softly, yet his voice reached everyone clearly.
"A loss is a loss. Making excuses is not Shrek's way."
He turned his gaze slightly toward Steward Li, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Where are Elder Xuan and the others? When will they return?"
Steward Li answered quickly, "Reporting to the Pavilion Master, according to the frontline report, Captain Ma Xiaotao's injuries are… quite severe. She is still unconscious. Elder Xuan has decided to rest in Star Luo Imperial City for a few days. Once Captain Ma Xiaotao's condition stabilizes, they will return to the academy."
"Severe injuries…" Mu En sighed quietly.
"Then let them recover first before coming back. Tell Elder Xuan that no matter what happened, the priority is to bring the children back safely. As for everything else… we'll discuss it after they return."
"Yes!"
Steward Li felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly kowtowed in response, then fled Sea God's Pavilion as if escaping for his life.
As the doors closed once more, the pavilion fell into a deathly silence.
But this time, it was no longer filled with anticipation or ease.
Instead, it was weighed down by oppression, confusion, and a quiet panic—the collapse of faith.
The invincible golden body that had stood for ten thousand years had been shattered.
And shattered so completely, so inexplicably.
Every elder understood that once Elder Xuan returned with those children, Shrek Academy would likely face an unprecedented earthquake.
…
Star Luo Empire, Star Luo Imperial City.
In stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of Sea God's Pavilion, today's Star Luo Imperial City—though slightly less frenzied due to Shrek's elimination—was, for some, a day they would remember for the rest of their lives.
As night fell, lanterns and spirit lights lit up one after another.
Inside a luxurious private room on the top floor of the Star Luo Grand Hotel, all members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team sat together.
The table was filled with delicacies from land and sea, each dish meticulously prepared by the empire's top imperial chefs. The wine was a century-old vintage.
"Come!" Xiao Hongchen raised his glass. On the face that was usually full of arrogance, there was now only pure joy and respect.
"To today's victory—cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone echoed him, glasses clinking. Even the normally reserved Meng Hongchen drank a bit more than usual, her small face flushed red. Her beautiful eyes never once left Liu Yuan, who sat beside the main seat.
Ma Rulong, Xiao Xiafeng, and the other regular team members all looked at Liu Yuan with undisguised admiration.
"Alright, everyone, don't drink too much."
Although Jing Hongchen's face was glowing with excitement, he was a seasoned veteran. He quickly reined himself in, tapping the table lightly as a reminder.
"We've already chewed through the hardest bone—Shrek—and made it into the top sixteen. But don't forget, the championship trophy isn't ours yet."
"There are still three matches left: the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and the final."
"Even though the remaining opponents can't compare to Shrek, a lion still uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. We cannot stumble when victory is in sight. And absolutely no celebrating halfway through—understand?"
"Understood!" everyone answered loudly and in unison.
Liu Yuan simply smiled and nodded, saying nothing as he continued eating.
He knew very well that even without Jing Hongchen's reminder, these Sun Moon geniuses—suppressed for far too long—would never allow the championship to slip through their fingers.
That night, everyone on the Sun Moon Team slept deeply.
It was a long-awaited, peaceful rest after casting off a tremendous burden.
…
The next two days seemed to fly by.
Just as expected, with Shrek gone, the remaining teams were as fragile as paper before the all-star lineup of Liu Yuan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen.
The quarterfinal match ended in less than ten minutes.
A complete rout.
There was no suspense at all.
Under the overwhelming power of Liu Yuan and the others, their opponents had no room to resist and were swiftly defeated.
The competition advanced rapidly into the semifinals.
And even there, the result was unchanged.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy once again won in crushing fashion.
…
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
The day of the finals arrived.
The first rays of morning sunlight spilled over Star Luo Plaza, dispersing the morning mist and bathing the massive competition stage in golden light.
Even though Shrek had already been eliminated, Star Luo Plaza was still packed to the brim today, every seat filled.
After all, this was the final match of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament—a historic moment that would witness the coronation of a new king.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators poured into the venue early. Though there was less anticipation for suspense, there was far more awe and curiosity toward the strong.
Everyone wanted to see for themselves how the Sun Moon Team—who had defeated Shrek and shattered a ten-thousand-year myth—would dominantly raise the championship trophy symbolizing the highest glory!
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
Deep, solemn war drums thundered, reverberating through the hearts of all present.
On the grandstand, a powerful voice soon rang out:
"The grand finale of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament—"
"Begins now!"