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On the third arena platform, the Shrek Academy team faced the Huangdou Second Team.
Representing Shrek were Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Tai Long, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling—seven in total.
In order to vent the resentment burning in his heart, Tang San deliberately arranged a lineup without a single support-type spirit master. Aside from himself—the "assassination-type" Spirit Ancestor—every other member was a power-attack spirit master.
On the other side, despite their desire for a swift assault, the Huangdou Second Team fielded only five power-attack spirit masters, their spirits being Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf.
In addition, they brought one support-type Spirit Elder and one control-type Spirit Elder.
As the referee announced the start of the third match, all fourteen combatants simultaneously activated their martial spirits.
In an instant, seven-colored soul rings flared across the thousand-square-meter arena.
Dai Mubai was the first to complete spirit possession—two yellow and two purple soul rings rose beneath him.
Tang San followed, black soul power coursing through his body as Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground. Two yellow and two purple rings glowed around him as well.
The other twelve fighters all displayed the two-yellow-one-purple configuration.
Seeing Shrek Academy field not one but two Spirit Ancestors, Emperor Xue Ye frowned.
He had not expected the underestimated Shrek team to hide such strength, already stronger than the Huangdou Second Team. Still, he was not overly concerned. After all, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was, at its core, more performance than true battle—its greatest purpose was to allow factions to scout for talent.
The intensity of combat rarely compared to the life-and-death duels of the Great Spirit Arena.
Yet while the Huangdou Second Team was still stunned by the four soul rings of Tang San and Dai Mubai, Tang San barked out coldly:
"Charge! Together!"
He had already planned everything before the battle.
Within one minute, the Huangdou Second Team was to be utterly crushed.
Only this way could they trample Heaven Dou Imperial Academy into the ground—striking the audience's faces with ruthless proof and erasing Shrek's humiliation and ridicule once and for all.
Dai Mubai's soul light blazed. In an instant, he activated White Tiger Vajra Transformation. His body swelled with muscle, his attack and defense power instantly doubling.
Roaring like a lion, he charged straight at the Huangdou Second Team.
Tai Long, after possessing his Black Gorilla spirit, activated Demonic Ape Gold Body. The black furred muscles of his form turned blood-red, his defense doubling and strength increasing by fifty percent.
Huang Yuan, with his Wolf spirit, ignited his third soul ring, his attack and speed both surging by fifty percent.
Jing Ling's body glowed with a purple skeletal aura as his third skill, Berserk Battle, burst forth, increasing his attack and speed by fifty percent as well.
The three followed Dai Mubai's lead, purple light gleaming around them as they charged the Huangdou Second Team.
Only after the four Shrek fighters rushed forward did the Huangdou Second Team snap out of their daze, hastily launching their own charge.
But just as they took a few steps—
Tang San's fourth soul ring lit up.
"Blue Silver Prison!"
Instantly, countless blackened Blue Silver Grass vines erupted beneath the seven opponents, forming cages of darkness that trapped them all.
The Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf Spirit Elders had only just begun their sprint when they smashed into the black cages headlong.
Momentum carried them forward, cracking their skulls against the thorny prisons. Blood seeped from their foreheads—blood tainted by the venom of the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Seeing this, Tang San's lips curled into a sinister grin. "This is the true power of an assassination-type spirit master! Die, all of you!"
But before his words had faded, the Second Team's support-type Spirit Elder shouted, activating his third ability:
"Purification!!"
A white light swept across the five warriors, instantly cleansing them of poison.
Tang San's face darkened—his humiliation burned hotter than the poison's flame.
Snarling, he dissolved the Blue Silver Prisons around the five power-attackers, only to bind them again with Blue Silver Bind. He roared: "Mubai! Beat them within an inch of their lives!"
The five Spirit Elders were now fully exposed, bound like helpless targets before Dai Mubai, Tai Long, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling.
"White Tiger Meteor Shower!!"
Dai Mubai's fourth skill erupted. His tiger claws blurred into countless afterimages, tearing into the Lion and Bear Spirit Elders at the front.
He vented every ounce of humiliation—every shame of being forced to kneel by Ye Lan, every humiliation of betrayal—into his savage strikes.
Where the tiger claws fell, flesh and blood exploded.
Crack! Crack!
Bones shattered under his blows, joints twisted unnaturally.
Tai Long bellowed: "Explosive Strength!!"
One massive punch smashed the Tiger Spirit Elder into a spray of blood.
But Tai Long was far from done. His hatred for Ye Lan drove him into frenzy. Fist after fist pounded the Tiger Spirit Elder until blood drenched his face—yet only riled him further.
Meanwhile, Huang Yuan and Jing Ling treated the Leopard and Wolf Spirit Elders like sandbags, their blows merciless and unrelenting.
Tang San's heart swelled with savage delight. Every strike Dai Mubai and Tai Long landed felt like a strike against Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—like a strike against Ye Lan himself.
His gaze flicked toward the VIP stands, searching Ye Lan's face for anger—
For fear.
For shock.
For resentment.
But what he found left him bitterly disappointed.
Ye Lan's expression was tranquil, untouched by any wave of emotion.
"Still pretending, are you? Xiao Wu! Cripple that control-type Spirit Master!" Tang San commanded, releasing the prison around the opponent.
Xiao Wu giggled as her third soul ring glowed. In a flash she appeared before the Moon-Ring Spirit Master. Her legs snapped tight around his neck—
Her first ring lit: Waist Bow. Her waist strength surged by 135%.
Planting her hands on the ground, she arched backward in a brutal throw.
Crack!
Bones shattered instantly.
But she wasn't finished.
"Eight-Stage Drop!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Over and over she slammed him into the ground, reducing him to a mangled heap.
Tang San's approving smile was cold. "Well done, Xiao Wu."
Yet when he looked again at Ye Lan, that same calm expression stared back.
A nameless fury consumed him. Why was Ye Lan unmoved?
"Ma Hongjun! Give Ye Lan a show—burn that support spirit master alive!" Tang San ordered cruelly.
Irritated by the one who had nullified his poison, he wanted her to taste fire itself.
Ma Hongjun glanced at the woman trapped in Blue Silver Grass, his eyes lingering on her graceful figure.
Forgive me. I don't want to burn you either. But if Tang San commands, I dare not refuse.
Even though his flame restrained Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, Tang San's Eight Spider Spears alone were enough to crush him.
Reluctantly, Ma Hongjun opened his beak, purple flame condensing into waves of heat.
Just then, a desperate voice cried out:
"Referee!! Heaven Dou Imperial Academy concedes!!"
The Second Team's instructor, horrified by his bloodied students, flung the white surrender token.
Still, Dai Mubai landed one last punch on the Lion Spirit Elder, spitting in his face before pulling back.
Ma Hongjun let out a sigh of relief—thankfully, the beautiful girl would not be scarred by his flames.
In the audience, countless parents shielded their children's eyes, unwilling to let them see such brutality.
Except for the lone support Spirit Master, every member of the Huangdou Second Team lay battered, drenched in blood, bones broken and limbs twisted.
Their instructor roared in outrage: "Referee! I demand a complaint! Shrek Academy isn't here to compete—they're here to slaughter in blind rage!"
At last, the referee awoke from shock. The Elite Tournament was meant to be a performance for talent scouting. If every academy fought like Shrek, wouldn't that mean every five years a generation of genius spirit masters would be crippled?
"Shrek Academy! You had best explain why you sought blood instead of competition!"
Tang San smirked. "Respected referee, tell me—are they dead?"
He waved dismissively. "Zhuqing, heal them, or else they won't even announce Shrek's victory!"
On the imperial dais, Emperor Xue Ye crushed the armrest of his dragon throne to powder, his face livid.
"Good. Very good. Well done, Shrek Academy! They're not dead?!"
For Shrek to ravage the Huangdou Second Team like this, in front of everyone, was no less than a resounding slap to his face.
Bishop Salas chuckled darkly: "Shrek Academy? Indeed, its students are like monsters… psychologically, at least. The Grandmaster truly knows how to cultivate 'talent'."
Ning Fengzhi's face was no less grim. His disciple was Crown Prince Xue Qinghe; his daughter and future son-in-law were also within Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Shrek's brutality was a direct insult to their prestige.
"Your Majesty," Ning Fengzhi suggested, "why not expel the unqualified members of the Heaven Dou First Team?"
Emperor Xue Ye's dark expression brightened with bloodthirsty color. He laughed. "Excellent! Truly worthy of the Imperial Advisor!"
"Dream Commissioner, notify Heaven Dou Academy. Expel every First Team member whose strength falls short! Relegate them to the Second Team, with replacements chosen internally."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Brilliant decree!" Dream God Machine replied, his eyes shining.
By procedure, there was nothing improper in demoting First Team members to the Second Team. None could fault it.
And once the new Huangdou Second Team proved their strength and advanced in the rankings, the reputation of both Heaven Dou Academy and the empire would be restored.
Then, come the finals, those same members could be promoted back into the First Team without issue.
(End of Chapter)