As they took the field, Chen Junting, Xi Xi, and Bei Bei stepped forward in a triangular formation, while Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan flanked them on either side—forming a protective arc that shielded Ning Tian and Huo Yuhao in the center.
On the opposing side, Qianling Academy arranged their four Spiritual Rhino Shield soul masters in a solid, unyielding wall at the front. Behind them stood Shen Ce, flanked by two female teammates known as the "Ice-Fire Dual Controllers."
Clearly, faced with the overwhelming might of the Shrek Team, even their battle-hungry opponents had abandoned their original strategy.
To win?
Dragging the match out or hard blocking—it was no longer viable.
But Chen Junting merely shook his head inwardly. Team battles demanded seamless coordination.
To center everything on one person?
Was that not a death sentence—unless that one person possessed godlike power.
"Match begins!"
At Cheng Gang's command, both teams simultaneously unleashed their martial souls.
In an instant, soul rings flared to life—except for Chen Junting, who stood motionless, sword in hand, eyes closed.
Then, in the blink of an eye, his eyes snapped open.
A tangible, crushing aura erupted from his body—azure, violet-black, ash-gray, blood-red—four distinct, ferocious killing intents twisted into one unified force. A chilling, overwhelming wave of slaughter swept across the entire arena.
Hidden among the spectators, Elder Song watched silently, her breath catching.
"This kid… is barely a step away from a Domain."
There was no mistaking the awe—and envy—in her tone.
After all, no one in the Sea God Pavilion possessed a Domain.
And the difference between those who had one and those who didn't?
The Qianling team, facing this near-Domain Seven Kill Sword Pressure for the first time, were utterly paralyzed. Their minds blanked. Their bodies froze.
Seizing the opening, Xi Xi and Bei Bei moved as one.
Black and blue currents instantly intertwined.
Xi Xi activated a wearable soul guidance device—armor infused with soul energy—and in an instant, the dual lightning currents surged into it. Her figure vanished—replaced by a streaking afterimage hurtling toward the enemy!
From behind, a crimson flash followed.
The crimson radiance of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Tower engulfed her completely. Only a terrifying surge of soul energy remained—rapidly closing in on the seven members of Qianling Academy.
"Hah!"
Just as the Qianling team began to snap out of their shock, Chen Junting's assault followed in perfect sync.
Dark energy flared—two streams of light from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Tower surged into his body.
A piercing sword cry rang through the arena.
An invisible Seven Kill Sword seemed to rise from behind him, piercing upward into the heavens. As his soul power surged violently and sword qi carved the air, the space above him twisted into a spiraling vortex—as if the gates of heaven itself had opened.
A colossal sword descended from the sky.
Countless smaller blades followed in its wake, guided by Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection Sharing, each striking with surgical precision—aimed directly at the heads of the Qianling team.
A storm of blades. A nightmare made manifest.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Sword Domain: Torrent!"
The Seven Kill Sword plunged downward. Thousands of blades tore through the sky like a celestial waterfall.
The leading giant blade seemed capable of cleaving through any defense.
The Qianling team, finally shaken from their stupor, frantically converged their four Spiritual Rhino Shields into a single, overlapping barrier—covering the two Ice-Fire Controllers and Shen Ce beneath them.
As countless dim yellow light patterns erupted from the surface of their shields, their hair stood on end.
A numbing, prickling sensation spread through every nerve.
A dread took root in their hearts.
And it was justified.
BOOM!
The thunderous detonation erupted as Xi Xi arrived at point-blank range.
The black-and-blue lightning, now amplified and channeled through her armor, exploded outward.
Under Chen Junting's manipulation, the Qianling team had been caught in three phases of disruption: first, the killing intent paralyzed them; second, the sword domain distracted them as they recovered; and now, as they finally tried to react—it was too late.
At Xi Xi's center, a vast electric grid erupted.
BOOM!
The roar of thunder ripped through the battlefield as the grid struck every member of the Qianling team. Seven men, utterly unprepared, were instantly bound—electric chains coiling around limbs, immobilizing them, filling the air with the stench of burnt flesh.
But their paralysis didn't save them.
The torrent of blades above did not wait.
Like a celestial waterfall crashing from the heavens, the storm of blades tore through their defenses. The sharpness, the impact, the crushing weight of the central giant blade—all combined to shatter the Spiritual Rhino Shields one by one.
As the last flicker of yellow light vanished—
CRACK!
The colossal sword cleaved through the final shield.
The backlash from their damaged martial souls sent four defense-type soul masters spewing blood.
Cheng Gang didn't hesitate. He waved his hand, unleashing a torrent of soul power to sweep the four fallen defenders off the dueling platform.
Only Shen Ce and his two allies remained.
But thanks to their teammates' sacrifice, they had gained precious seconds.
Shen Ce raised both arms. A brilliant silver glow erupted from his body, and behind him, countless silver projectiles—like arrows of pure energy—shot skyward, slamming into the descending giant sword.
An Lengye and Feiyu Yan acted in unison.
A towering ice bear and a blazing tiger materialized on the field with deafening roars. The ice bear unleashed a wave of glacial frost that surged toward Xi Xi, freezing the air in its wake.
Feiyu Yan activated her second soul skill—two wings, each spanning four meters, burst from the tiger's back. The flames transformed into blinding white-blue fire and hurtled toward Xi Xi like a storm of divine wrath.
They knew: her proximity was lethal.
But the moment the last ripple of sword qi faded—
Woosh!
Xi Xi appeared beside Shen Ce.
Her claws were already pressed against his throat.
As for An Lengye and Feiyu Yan?
An Lengye was instantly suppressed by Huo Yuhao's martial soul. Feiyu Yan's attack was intercepted mid-air by Jiang Nannan, who had teleported into position with flawless timing.
Defeat was inevitable.
The match ended in seconds.
Shen Ce and his teammates stood frozen—dazed, hollow-eyed.
They had entered the arena brimming with fighting spirit, determined to give the Shrek Team their hardest battle—even if they lost.
Yet the reality had been more brutal than any defeat they'd imagined.
But among the spectators, many recognized what had truly happened.
This wasn't just raw soul power overpowering them.
This was precision. Timing. Strategy.
They had seen it clearly.
Xi Xi's armor had stored the thunder of the Blue Lightning Dragon, merged with the electric surge of the Lightning Leopard, and unleashed a single, devastating grid—paralyzing the entire team.
Then came the sword storm.
Every move, every tool, every synergy—
It all pointed to one undeniable truth:
The Shrek Team had changed.
They no longer looked down on soul guidance devices.
They used them.
And their strength had multiplied.
But the ones who felt the deepest unease?
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Even Xiao Hongchen fell silent.
"Let's go back," Elder Ma said grimly, brow furrowed.
The priority now was an immediate strategy session. They had to prepare—for the moment they encounter Shrek Team.
Because this wasn't some casual adjustment.
This was a transformation.
As the strongest soul engineering academy in the world, they understood better than anyone: when a powerful soul master wields the right soul guidance devices, the result is not just an edge—it's a revolution.
Their advantage had always been technological superiority.
But now?
That gap was narrowing.
Their path to victory had grown perilously thin.
Unless—
Elder Ma's gaze drifted to Xiao Hongchen, his face solemn, and to Meng Hongchen, who now stood with equal gravity.
Perhaps… their only hope lay in these two.
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