The horn for the round robin tournament officially sounded, and the atmosphere at the Martial Soul Great Soul Arena was even more scorching than during the elimination stage. Every academy that managed to break into this phase consisted of elites chosen from hundreds, and every duel could be called a clash of dragons and tigers.
The Shrek Team was placed in Group B, and their first match brought them an extremely formidable opponent—the Blazing Fire Academy, one of the Five Elements Academy!
The stands were packed, with countless gazes focused on the arena. On one side was the dark horse Shrek, which had risen to fame recently, and on the other was the Blazing Fire Academy, a veteran powerhouse with a deep foundation known for their violent flames. This duel was undoubtedly the focal point of the first day of the round robin.
As the members of both sides took the stage and released their soul rings, a low murmur rippled through the stands.
On the Blazing Fire Academy side, the scorching soul power fluctuations were enough to ignite the air. The captain, Huo Wushuang, had a burly physique and skin with a dark red luster. With his Unicorn Fire Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul Avatar active and five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—swirling around him, the aura of a level 56 Power Attack System Battle Soul King surged forth!
What was even more eye-catching was that his arms were covered in a layer of fine, crimson dragon scales, his finger joints were thick, and his fingertips were sharp, radiating a scorching and domineering aura—this was the mark of having mastered the initial stage of the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique passed down by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
Because they now possessed the even more powerful True Dragon Transformation, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was no longer stingy about passing down the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, which they had once guarded as a treasure, to certain allies in need.
After all, the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique had its own threshold. The primary condition was that one must possess a Sub-dragon Martial Soul of sufficient quality (at least the quality of a top-tier Martial Soul). Furthermore, if the Martial Soul's own dragon bloodline was not pure enough, one had to follow the path the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan once took, absorbing soul rings from Dragon Species Soul Beasts to sustain the subsequent cultivation of the technique.
The vice-captain, Huo Wu, wore a fiery red outfit and had a graceful figure. Her Fire Shadow Martial Soul caused the air around her to distort, and the pressure of her level 53 Control System Battle Soul King status was not the least bit inferior.
Huo Xuan held a long sword burning with flames and was a level 54 Power Attack System Battle Soul King. In addition, there was a Fire Whip Control System Soul Ancestor, two Agility Attack System Fire Crane Soul Ancestors, and one Fire Star Support System Soul Ancestor. The entire team was at least at the Soul Ancestor level, with three Soul Kings! Their average soul power was nearly level 47! The lineup was truly luxurious!
Looking at the Shrek Team, Dai Mubai was a level 51 Soul King, while Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the other four were all Soul Ancestors. On paper, the gap in strength was obvious.
"The match begins!"
As soon as the referee's voice fell, the Blazing Fire Academy displayed the demeanor of a powerhouse. Huo Wushuang let out a roar similar to a dragon's cry toward the sky, the flames on his dragon-transformed arms surged, and like a crazed fire dragon, he charged directly at the core of the Shrek formation—Dai Mubai! He intended to pit his strongest against their strongest and crush the opponent's trump card in one fell swoop!
"Well come! White Tiger Vajra Transformation! White Tiger Demon God Transformation!" Dai Mubai roared, his Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul erupting as he met the charge without fear! Tiger claws and dragon fists collided violently!
Boom—!
Amidst the dull, thunderous sound, Dai Mubai's body shook violently. He stumbled back several steps, his arm numb and his complexion changing slightly. Such powerful strength! The quality of Huo Wushuang's Unicorn Fire Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was extremely high, and his strength was naturally astonishing. Combined with the amplification of his dragon-transformed arms, he had actually gained the upper hand in a pure clash of strength against someone using two powerful amplification soul skills!
"First Soul Skill, Mars Like Rain!" In the back, the Blazing Fire Academy's support soul master waved a staff, and specks of sparks merged into the teammates' bodies. The flames on the Blazing Fire team members instantly surged, and their momentum rose once more!
"Third Soul Skill, Fire Crane Assault!" The two Agility Attack System Fire Crane Soul Ancestors transformed into two streams of fire, bypassing the frontal battlefield and diving straight for Oscar and Tang San at the rear of Shrek.
"In your dreams! Phoenix Fire Line!" Ma Hongjun spread his phoenix wings, attempting to intercept, but Huo Xuan held his flame sword, the sword light flashing as he traded blows with Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames, causing continuous explosions.
"Second Soul Skill, Fire Sun Halo!" Huo Wu let out a sharp cry. A massive fireball condensed in her hands, but instead of attacking, it hovered in mid-air, emitting intense light and heat to interfere with the vision and perception of the Shrek members.
Her third soul skill, Repulsion Fire Ring, pushed Xiao Wu away when she attempted to attack, and she fired off waves of fireballs that forced Xiao Wu to rely on her instantaneous movement soul skill to dodge repeatedly. Even while handling this with ease, Huo Wu did not forget to occasionally launch fireballs to restrict Tang San's spider webs and Dai Mubai's positioning.
Tang San's brows were locked in a frown, his Purple Demon Eye active as he tried to find an opening. "First Soul Skill, Tough Spider Web!" He flung the web, aiming directly at one of the Fire Crane Soul Ancestors. However, the moment the web approached, it was scorched by the intense flames on the opponent's body, its toughness greatly reduced, and it was easily broken free from. The fire attribute was a natural counter to his spider-type control skills!
"Third Soul Skill, Fire Snake Dance!" The whip of the Fire Whip Soul Ancestor moved like a living creature, coiling toward Xiao Wu and forcing her to dodge repeatedly.
Li Qingshan and Lu Ziqi went to face the original Tang San and Ma Hongjun respectively. Under Huo Xuan's fierce sword momentum, Li Qingshan and Ma Hongjun struggled to hold on, while Lu Ziqi used his Star Luo Chess Martial Soul to lay out a board, helping Tang San with great difficulty to restrict the movements of the two Fire Crane Soul Ancestors.
The situation was one-sided! The Shrek Team had fallen into a complete disadvantage! Their individual strength, Martial Soul attributes, and team coordination were all being suppressed! Dai Mubai was tightly entangled by Huo Wushuang and was losing ground; Tang San's control was countered by the flames; Ma Hongjun's flame effects were extremely limited against the opponents; and Xiao Wu and the others were also completely pinned down.
In the stands, Flender and Zhao Wuji had grave expressions. The gap in strength was even greater than they had anticipated.
Just then, while Huo Wu was elegantly controlling the flames, she cast her gaze toward Ma Hongjun, who was struggling against Huo Xuan. Her crisp voice rang out with the tone of an expert's critique: "Evil Fire Phoenix? What a pity... It was originally a top-tier phoenix bloodline mutation, but due to insufficient origin, it became this state of being plagued by evil fire."
"If you had been able to endure the pain of the evil fire burning your body when your Martial Soul awakened and guided it with your will, you might have been able to refine a true phoenix flame in the future. What a pity, what a pity. By coveting momentary relief and venting it outward, you ultimately took a lower path and severed the road to your Martial Soul's sublimation. Unless you encounter a heaven-sent opportunity, this Soul Sage level will be your limit in this life."
Her words were like needles, piercing into Ma Hongjun's heart. The fatty's face instantly flushed red, and a flash of shame, anger, and a trace of imperceptible despair crossed his eyes.
Hearing this, Flender also wore a bitter expression. He knew this all too well, but when Ma Hongjun was young and suffering from the evil fire attacking his heart, he, as a teacher, had ultimately been soft-hearted.
Huo Wu shook her head and sighed, seemingly feeling regret for this. However, at the very moment she was slightly distracted by her critique—
A sudden change occurred!
Tang San, who had been suppressed and appeared to be at his wit's end, suddenly erupted with a blinding crimson-gold light in his eyes! A primordial, domineering, and terrifying dragon might that reigned supreme over all beasts erupted like a dormant volcano, sweeping across the entire arena!
"Second Martial Soul, Crimson Gold Dragon, Avatar!"
Accompanied by a low dragon roar, a layer of fine, crimson-gold dragon scales instantly covered the surface of Tang San's body. Two small bumps protruded from the sides of his forehead, and his right hand transformed into a ferocious and domineering dragon claw.
A solid, golden soul ring radiating a heart-palpitating power fluctuation rose from beneath his feet! Although it was just a simple Martial Soul Avatar, the pure pressure of the Golden Dragon bloodline made many of the beast Martial Soul masters present, especially those who possessed dragon-type Martial Souls, tremble in their souls!
During this period, Tang San, having realized his own lack of strength, had also attempted to master his second Martial Soul. He had activated his second Martial Soul multiple times under Flender's supervision, attempting to gain control over it.
In the end, he succeeded. He was now able to control the Crimson Gold Dragon Martial Soul for avatar usage. The original illusory golden soul ring had also solidified into a real, genuine soul ring, granting him a powerful amplification soul skill. Furthermore, he could control his right hand to transform into a Golden Dragon Claw possessing crushing properties. At full power, his combat strength was enough to easily surpass Dai Mubai, who was already a Soul King.
"What?! Twin Martial Souls, and... a different-colored soul ring?!" Huo Wu's face turned pale, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief!
Huo Wushuang, who bore the brunt of it, felt an indescribable sense of fear and submission coming from his Unicorn Fire Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. His soul power circulation instantly stagnated, and his movements slowed by half a beat!
"Now is the time!" Tang San's crimson-gold dragon pupils coldly locked onto Huo Wushuang. His dragon claw tore through the air, carrying an indomitable crushing artistic conception, and slammed fiercely toward Huo Wushuang, who had revealed an opening due to the bloodline suppression!
"Watch out!" Huo Wu exclaimed, but it was too late to rescue him!
"Boom—!"
Huo Wushuang, who had only managed to cross his dragon-transformed arms to protect his chest in his haste, was hit as if by a battering ram. His entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, heading exactly toward where Dai Mubai was!
Dai Mubai was stunned for a moment, then a fierce light erupted in his eyes! "Fourth Soul Skill, White Tiger Meteor Shower!" Countless light orbs filled with fury rained down like a storm toward Huo Wushuang, who had no leverage in the air!
"Brother!" Huo Wu's eyes were about to split!
Boom-boom-boom—!
Violent explosions rang out in mid-air. A strong flame shield erupted from Huo Wushuang's body, but he was still blasted into tatters, covered in wounds, and fell heavily outside the arena. He struggled a few times before he could barely stand up, but it was clear he was already out.
The entire arena was in an uproar!
Twin Martial Souls! Shrek's Tang San was actually one in ten thousand with Twin Martial Souls! And his second Martial Soul was such a powerful dragon-type Martial Soul! He had reversed the battle in an instant!
"Brother--!" Huo Wu let out a shrill, piercing scream. Watching her brother collapse, severely injured and unconscious, her heart was flooded with regret, self-reproach, and fury.
It was because of her carelessness that she had given Tang San an opening; otherwise, she would have had the ability to block Tang San's sneak attack with her Repulsion Fire Ring.
"You... since you hurt my brother! You will pay the price!" Huo Wu's pretty face turned frosty, and a crazed flame burned within her beautiful eyes! Her soul power surged as if boiling, and all five of her soul rings lit up simultaneously, beginning to resonate and fuse along a strange trajectory!
"Ring Fusion—Huo Wu's Radiant Sun, Fall!"
Ring Fusion is a rather powerful secret technique. Its core lies in using a powerful spiritual power, far exceeding one's current soul power level, as a control hub to forcibly "fuse" the soul power essence of one or more of one's own soul rings into another. This causes it to "sublimate" in a short period, erupting with terrifying power that far exceeds its original age and level.
Huo Wu let out a sharp cry, and the soul power of her five soul rings flowed like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, crazily pouring into her fourth soul skill! The already massive fireball expanded several times in volume, its color shifting from crimson to a blinding white-gold!
The terrifying high temperature caused the arena floor to begin melting, and the air distorted as if a miniature sun had descended upon the world! The energy fluctuations it emitted had reached the level of a Soul Sage!
"Oh no! Quickly, concede!" Flender and Zhao Wuji's expressions changed drastically, and they stood up abruptly!
But it was too late! That white-gold sun, carrying an aura of total destruction, crushed down toward the members of the Shrek Team! It was an area-of-effect attack that covered the entire arena!
"Referee!" Flender roared!
The referee, who had already sensed that something was wrong, was a powerhouse at the Soul Douluo level. His figure flashed, and he appeared in front of the Shrek team, his vast soul power transforming into a solid barrier to protect the seven of them behind him!
BOOM----------!!!
A deafening explosion resounded throughout the Great Soul Arena! The white-gold firestorm swallowed half the arena, and the terrifying blast wave, even after being weakened by the barrier set up by the Soul Sage, still made the spectators in the front row feel a wave of scorching heat!
This firestorm lasted for a full six seconds; even if Xiao Wu's fourth soul skill, Invincible Golden Body, could provide three seconds of invincibility, it would be impossible to remain unscathed in this storm.
As the light faded, a massive, charred crater appeared in the center of the arena. The referee's face was slightly pale; clearly, blocking that strike had consumed a significant amount of his soul power. The Shrek Seven Devils behind him, though protected, were left pale and shaken by the terrifying display of power. If he had been a second late, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"Blazing Fire Academy wins!" the referee announced loudly, while casting a stern look at Huo Wu. The Ring Fusion secret technique was immensely powerful, but if not controlled well, it could easily cause casualties; this girl was too impulsive.
Huo Wu, having exhausted her soul power, slumped to the ground. She felt a pang of guilt as she watched her brother being carried away. However, when she looked at Shrek, especially at Tang San and Dai Mubai, her resentment did not diminish in the slightest.
The Shrek Team's first match of the round robin was a loss! And it was a crushing defeat, a total landslide with no suspense. Even though Tang San had revealed his trump card of Twin Martial Souls, it still could not bridge the massive gap in overall strength. Huo Wu's final angry strike had completely shattered the last shred of luck they had held onto.
Returning to their quarters, the atmosphere of the Shrek Team dropped to freezing point. The shadow of defeat loomed over everyone. Dai Mubai remained silent, Ma Hongjun was deeply struck, Xiao Wu looked at Tang San with worry, and Li Qingshan and Lu Ziqi wore bitter expressions. They had truly experienced the gap between themselves and the geniuses of top-tier academies; it was not something that could be easily bridged by a few lucky encounters or tactics.
Flender did not blame them too much, only saying in a deep voice: "Do you see the gap now? This is reality. Blazing Fire Academy is not even the strongest. For the upcoming matches, give me your absolute focus! Our goal is to qualify, and then, strive for the best ranking in the repechage! This year, we accumulate experience; the next year is our true stage!"
In the subsequent round robin matches, the Shrek Team abandoned their unrealistic fantasies and played steadily. In Group B, where they were placed, apart from the standout Blazing Fire Academy, the strength of the other teams was relatively average.
The Shrek members learned their lessons, their tactics became more pragmatic, and their coordination grew increasingly seamless. They successively defeated the other six teams in their group, ultimately finishing with a record of six wins and one loss, ranking second in the group and successfully advancing to the Round of 16!
However, entering the knockout stage of the Round of 16 meant they were likely to face top-tier powerhouses from other groups. When the draw results were announced, the hearts of the Shrek members sank once again—their opponents were the winners of Group D, the Skywater Academy, whose strength was on par with the Blazing Fire Academy among the Five Elements Academy, and in some aspects, even more difficult to deal with!
Skywater Academy, led by captain Shui Bing'er, a sixteen-year-old level 54 Control System Battle Soul King with the Ice Phoenix martial soul! Vice-captain Xue Wu, a level 54 Control System Battle Soul King with the Snow martial soul! Yu Hairou, a level 52 Power Attack System Battle Soul King with the Coral Barracuda martial soul! In addition, there were four Soul Ancestor members, all possessing high-quality water-type martial souls and excellent coordination, especially the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu—Ice Snow Falling, which was terrifyingly powerful!
The most critical factor was that the entire Skywater Academy team possessed water-type martial souls; there were no dragons, so Tang San's Crimson Gold Dragon bloodline suppression was ineffective! Furthermore, the opponent's Ultimate Ice had a certain degree of restraint against Ma Hongjun's flames and Tang San's spider webs.
In the preparation room, there was silence. The disparity in strength was vast, and there was almost no chance of victory.
After a long while, Tang San raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his teammates, his voice calm but tinged with a hint of helplessness: "For this match, we concede."
Dai Mubai clenched his fists, but eventually released them powerlessly and nodded dejectedly. Xiao Wu, Oscar, and the others also silently agreed. Knowing something is impossible and doing it anyway is bravery, but it is also foolishness. Conserving their strength to prepare fully for the upcoming repechage and fighting for the ninth or tenth position was the more realistic and wiser choice.
The crushing defeat in the first match of the round robin was like a heavy hammer, waking the Shrek members from their dreams of being geniuses and making them truly recognize their own standing. The road ahead remained long and difficult, but at this moment, they had a little less restlessness and a little more composure.
Once the decision to concede was made, everyone felt a bit more at ease. Although it was a pity to stop here, being able to reach this point was already a huge success for Shrek Academy, which had not been established for long.
When the news that the Shrek Team had voluntarily conceded spread, there was an uproar in the stands—some understood, some felt pity, and some were disdainful. But the hearts of the Shrek members were exceptionally calm. Recognizing reality and making the most advantageous choice was also a part of growth.
Although they would stop here, Shrek's journey was not over. They still had the chance of the repechage.
Moreover, they shared a common anticipation—to witness with their own eyes the peak duel between the two individuals standing at the pinnacle of the young generation of this tournament, and indeed the entire continent: Yu Tianquan and Qian Renxue!
That would not just be a match, but a symbol, a goal they needed to look up to and chase. Perhaps, observing this battle of the century would allow them to see the road ahead clearly and find the direction for their future efforts.
They knew that it would be a collision between true geniuses of a generation, one that surpassed their current level of understanding.
───────────────
Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan