"Eliminated..."
These two words seemed to possess a certain magic, echoing continuously within the ancient wooden structure of the Sea Gods Pavilion. Each echo felt like a heavy hammer, ruthlessly smashing against the chests of every Elder present.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The first to react was the fiery-tempered Xian Liner. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly. The aura of a Super Douluo erupted instantly, causing the teacup in front of her to shatter with a crack.
"Steward Li! Did you mishear? Or did the Scouts on the front lines report false military intelligence?!"
Xian Liner's eyes widened as she glared fixedly at Steward Li. Her voice became sharp with rage: "Didn't Elder Lin just say? Xuan Zi equipped Xiao Tao with an eighth-rank soul tool!"
"Eighth-rank! That's an eighth-rank soul tool! Combined with Xiao Tao's own strength, how could the Shrek Team possibly lose?"
Although Yan Shaozhe did not lose his composure like Xian Liner, his face, which usually wore a gentle smile, was now so dark it looked like it could drip water.
"Steward Li, tell us every detail you know." Yan Shaozhe's voice was low and raspy, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"The specific process, this subordinate does not know..." Steward Li buried his head even lower, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "The front line only sent back this result. The specific battle details... there hasn't been time yet..."
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
One of the Elders couldn't help but curse out loud.
No matter how they thought about it, they couldn't understand why things had turned out this way.
"Enough."
Just then, an old and calm voice rang out, instantly suppressing all the noise and anger.
Mu En slowly opened his eyes. Although he was still lying on the lounge chair, the aura he radiated made all the Elders quiet down immediately.
However, if one observed closely, they could see a trace of hard-to-conceal fatigue and disappointment deep within Mu En's eyes, which were usually calm and unruffled.
"Things have come to this; there is no use in saying more."
Mu En's voice was very soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "A loss is a loss. Making excuses is not Shrek's style."
He turned his head slightly and looked at Steward Li, who was kneeling on the ground. "Where are Elder Xuan and the others? When will they return?"
Steward Li quickly replied, "Reporting to the Pavilion Master, according to the front-line report, Captain Ma Xiaotao's injuries are... quite severe. She is currently still unconscious. Elder Xuan decided to rest in the Star Luo Imperial City for a few days. Once Captain Ma Xiaotao's condition stabilizes, they will set out to return to the academy."
"Quite severe injuries, huh..." Mu En sighed.
"Then let them recover from their injuries before coming back. Tell Elder Xuan that no matter what happened, bring the children back safely first. As for the rest... we'll talk when they return."
"Yes!" Steward Li responded as if he had been granted a great pardon, hurriedly kowtowing in agreement before fleeing the Sea Gods Pavilion.
As the door closed once more, the Sea Gods Pavilion fell back into a deathly silence.
Only this time, it was no longer the previous relaxation and anticipation.
Instead, it was filled with suppression, confusion, and a panic known as the "collapse of faith."
The ten-thousand-year-old invincible golden body was broken.
And it was broken so thoroughly, so inexplicably.
All the Elders understood that the moment Elder Xuan returned with those children, Shrek Academy would likely face an unprecedented earthquake.
...
Star Luo Empire, Star Luo Imperial City.
Starkly different from the funereal atmosphere of the Sea Gods Pavilion, although today's Star Luo Imperial City was slightly less noisy and frenetic due to Shrek's elimination, for some, it was a day worth remembering for a lifetime.
As night fell, the lights began to glow.
Inside the luxury private box on the top floor of the Star Luo Grand Hotel, all the members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy Team were sitting together.
The table was laden with delicacies from the land and sea. Each dish was meticulously prepared by the Star Luo Empire's top imperial chefs, and the wine was a hundred-year-old vintage.
"Come! To today's victory, cheers!"
Xiao Hongchen raised his glass. On that face, which was usually filled with arrogance, there was now only pure joy and respect.
"Cheers!"
Everyone cheered in unison. Even the usually reserved Meng Hongchen couldn't help but drink a few more glasses. Her small face was flushed red, and her beautiful eyes never left Liu Yuan, who was sitting next to the main seat.
Ma Rulong, Xiao Xiafeng, and the other regular team members now looked at Liu Yuan with nothing but admiration.
"Alright, everyone, drink a bit less."
Although Jing Hongchen's face was also glowing, he was an old hand in the Jianghu after all. He quickly calmed down from his ecstasy, tapped the table, and reminded them:
"Although we've already gnawed through the toughest bone that is Shrek, and we've won the Round of 16, don't forget that we haven't secured the championship trophy yet."
"There are still three matches left: the Quarterfinals, the Semifinals, and the final match."
"Although the remaining opponents are nothing compared to Shrek, a lion still uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit. We must not fail in an easy task, and we absolutely cannot pop the champagne halfway through, understand?"
"Understood!" everyone responded in a loud, clear voice.
Liu Yuan nodded with a smile, saying nothing more, just silently eating.
He knew very well that even without Jing Hongchen's reminder, these Sun Moon geniuses, who had been suppressed for too long, would not allow the championship to slip through their fingers.
That night, everyone in the Sun Moon Team slept very soundly. It was a long-awaited peaceful sleep after a heavy burden had been lifted.
...
The next two days seemed to be on fast-forward for the Sun Moon Team.
Just as everyone expected, without the obstacle of Shrek, the remaining teams were as fragile as paper in the face of the Sun Moon Team's all-star lineup of Liu Yuan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen.
The Quarterfinal match ended in less than ten minutes.
A total crush.
A crush with no suspense whatsoever.
Under the formidable power of Liu Yuan and the others, the opponents had absolutely no room for resistance and were easily defeated.
Thus, the competition quickly reached the Semifinals.
And even in the Semifinals, the result remained the same.
Sun Moon Royal Academy still emerged victorious in a crushing manner.
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the finals had arrived.
The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon Star Luo Plaza, dispersing the morning mist and illuminating the massive competition stage with a golden glow.
Although Shrek had been eliminated, Star Luo Plaza was still packed with people today, with every seat filled.
After all, this was the finals of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament! It was a historic moment to witness the coronation of a new king!
Hundreds of thousands of spectators flooded into the venue early. Although their eyes held less anticipation for suspense, they were filled with more admiration and curiosity for the strong.
Everyone wanted to see with their own eyes how that Sun Moon Team, which had defeated Shrek and ended the ten-thousand-year myth, would dominantly lift the championship trophy that symbolized the highest glory!
"Boom— Boom— Boom—"
The heavy and solemn sound of war drums rang out, vibrating in everyone's hearts.
On the rostrum, a loud voice soon rang out!
"The grand finale of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament"
"Begins now!"
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