After this period of special training, the Shrek group's strength had progressed by leaps and bounds. Even advancing at a run, they could cover about four hundred kilometers a day.
One day, the group arrived at a large city, covered in dust from their travels.
"Flender, when did you suddenly have a change of heart?" The Soul Saint with the candy bean Martial Soul looked at the luxurious hotel before them and said teasingly.
Both the teachers and the students were greatly perplexed by Flender's behavior. Even Yu Xiaogang, who always had a stoic face, couldn't help but show a hint of confusion.
"Hahaha, everyone has worked hard traveling for two days. Today, I'm treating everyone to a good meal. However, the students are not allowed to drink," Flender laughed heartily.
"Why do I get the feeling the Dean's smile isn't entirely benevolent?" Oscar said in a low voice.
Ma Hongjun stuffed an entire chicken leg into his mouth and said indistinctly, "Who cares. Even if the sky falls, we have to eat first."
After dinner, when Flender led the group to the Spirit Arena, everyone finally understood his purpose.
Sure enough, the profiteer was still a profiteer.
Inside the Great Spirit Arena, in a contestant rest area. Several members of the Fierce God Team were sitting on a sofa, chatting idly.
"Boss, your injury is finally healed. During this time, the brothers have been 'behaving themselves', and we're all about to starve to death," a man said in a booming voice.
This man had a shaved head, with veins bulging on his scalp. A long scar ran diagonally from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth, adding to his ferocious aura.
"Hmph!" Meng Li snorted coldly and said viciously, "Let's wait for news from Old Two. I've been lying in bed for half a month. If I don't spill some blood soon, I feel like my Martial Soul is going to rust."
"Swish!" Meng Li toyed with a fruit knife, tracing a sharp arc in the air.
Just then, a one-eyed man pushed open the door and entered. "Boss, we've got news," the one-eyed man said loudly.
As his voice fell, the others in the room stood up in unison. They stared intently at the one-eyed man, their faces filled with a thirst for battle and slaughter.
"What did the Spirit Arena management say?" Meng Li asked in a low voice.
The one-eyed man picked up a water cup and took a large gulp, the corners of his mouth splitting into a grin. "There's a team in the level 30s that's challenging us, punching up."
"What! The level 30s!" Meng Li slammed the table, asking uncertainly.
The one-eyed man nodded. "It's absolutely true. The Spirit Arena manager told me their highest soul power level doesn't exceed the Soul Ancestor rank."
After he finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.
This was followed by a burst of crazed laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Is their leader insane? A level 30 team? Challenging us?"
"Smack!" A vicious glint flashed in Meng Li's eyes as he slammed the table hard.
"Brothers, our Fierce God Team's name is infamous. But while I was recovering, I heard plenty of ridicule. Today, we'll show those cowards who the real masters of this Great Spirit Arena are."
As his voice fell, the room instantly filled with demonic howls. For the Fierce God Team, killing—especially killing Soul Masters—was simply a form of enjoyment.
At this, the one-eyed man said coldly, "This team must be from out of town. They probably want to use us for practice."
Meng Li nodded and said viciously, "In a bit, no one holds back. Activate your strongest soul skills immediately. We'll slaughter them, leave no one standing."
On the other side, Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and the others were in a VIP room, watching the situation outside.
"Xiaogang, I hear this Fierce God Team is no simple matter. They are all power attack system Soul Masters. Can their soul skills block Tang San's hidden weapons?" Flender's voice held a hint of worry.
"They can be blocked," Yu Xiaogang said with a faint smile.
"What did you say?"
Flender's eyes widened when he heard this. Even with his steady personality, he couldn't help but reveal a look of panic.
Yu Xiaogang said indifferently, "The attack power of the Zhuge God-Crossbow... a power attack system Soul Master can basically nullify it with a third soul skill. If it's a fourth soul skill, then it's even less of a problem."
"You... Then why did you still let them go to the spirit battle? Are you sending them to their deaths?" Flender's voice rose sharply.
As his anger flared, his soul power began to circulate on its own, and the entire room seemed to tremble slightly.
You brute. Yu Xiaogang glanced at Flender, mocking him inwardly.
As expected. After all these years, Flender hasn't changed a bit. Ai... Back in the Golden Iron Triangle, I was known as the 'wisdom' corner. It's truly an exhausting fate.
Yu Xiaogang walked to the window, his hands behind his back, a smile touching his lips. "So what if they can block it? When facing an opponent who is clearly weaker, would a normal person immediately use a third or fourth soul skill that consumes a large amount of soul power?"
"Tang San told me that the key to hidden weapons is the 'hidden' aspect. Do you think those people know how powerful the hidden weapons are? If it were you..."
Before Yu Xiaogang could finish his sentence...
Suddenly, a surging soul power fluctuation erupted from Flender, shoving Yu Xiaogang aside.
"Kacha!" The sound of shattering glass.
Flender had directly summoned his Martial Soul and charged out the window.
Immediately after, Li Yusong, Lu Qibin, and even the auxiliary-type Soul Saint, Shao Xin, all jumped straight out the window.
"Cough, cough."
Yu Xiaogang coughed heavily. He laboriously clutched his aching back as he pushed himself up from the floor.
"That Flender... what is he doing?"
Yu Xiaogang slowly walked to the broken window. The shouts of the audience rushed in like a tide.
"Kill them!"
"Kill! Fierce God Team, good job! Leave no one alive!"
"This!" Yu Xiaogang looked at the scene on the spirit battle stage, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth.
The next moment, Yu Xiaogang felt a suffocating tightness in his chest. His vision went dark, and he collapsed directly onto the floor.
On the stage.
"Bang!" Dai Mubai was struck in the chest by an eagle claw. His entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
It wasn't over. While his body was still in mid-air, two sharp blasts of wind shot toward him.
"Mubai!" Tang San shouted anxiously.
His voice had barely faded when Dai Mubai's first soul skill was shattered. The two soul power attacks struck Dai Mubai's stomach. "Pfft!" A spray of crimson blood erupted.
"Bang!" Dai Mubai slammed heavily onto the stage.
He struggled to prop himself up, but the next moment, a wave of intense dizziness washed over him, and he fainted.
Not far away, the one-eyed man's mouth tilted up. Clearly, he was very satisfied with his attack.
At this moment, Tang San took several quick steps, dodging a fireball spat from the mouth of a Wild Boar Soul Master.
"Boom!" A loud explosion occurred at Tang San's original position. Surging soul power rippled out, sweeping up a violent gale that spread in all directions.
This Soul Master's Martial Soul was the Flame Pig, a Martial Soul that excelled in both offense and defense, and possessed a powerful fire element.
"Pfft!" Tang San was struck in the back by this gale and immediately spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Although Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was subtle, it was useless against this kind of wide-area, indiscriminate attack.
Tang San frantically circulated his Mysterious Heaven Skill, barely suppressing his injuries. "Sou!" Several strands of Blue Silver Grass shot out, binding the Wild Boar Soul Master's legs.
The purple in his eyes deepened to its limit, and his hands turned a milky white. While dodging, streaks of dark light spiraled from his hands.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!" A dense series of collision sounds rang out.
Triangular, four-pointed, barbed, poisoned... Tang San's hidden weapons all pelted the Wild Boar Soul Master's body.
However, upon closer inspection, the opponent's body was covered in a layer of earthy yellow soul power, blocking all the hidden weapons.
Damn it! If only I had the Dragon Beard Needle, which is specifically designed to counter this kind of protective aura. Tang San's eyes narrowed, his face etched with anxiety.
In the original plan, the Shrek group was supposed to use the Zhuge God-Crossbow. It should have only taken one round to knock out the entire opposing team.
Who would have thought... the opponents would immediately activate their strongest soul skills.
Tang San also hadn't anticipated that the Zhuge God-Crossbow, which could pierce steel plates, would fail to break the opponent's fourth soul skill.
Fortunately, two of the enemies had been careless and were taken down.
But the remaining four... the Shrek side couldn't hold against them at all.
For the first time, Tang San felt his hidden weapons were insufficient.
At the same time, he gained a much deeper understanding of experts at the Soul Ancestor level.
And even though they were also Soul Ancestors, the combat power of these opponents was more than double that of the Nuoding Academy's Dean.
It was just that the price paid for this growth was a bit too high.
"Damn it! These strange weapons again. Old Two, you and Old Three go, flay this kid alive!" Meng Li roared, knocking Zhu Zhuqing back with a single blow.
"Yes!"
The one-eyed man abandoned Dai Mubai. A blast of wind erupted from his back, and his entire body shot into the air, charging toward Tang San.
His Martial Soul was the Giant Eagle, a Martial Soul that was both ferocious and swift.
Feeling the soul power fluctuation from behind, Tang San focused his spiritual power to the limit.
"Screech!" A sharp attack grazed Tang San's shoulder.
Instantly, a large amount of blood gushed out. The next moment, Tang San felt his left arm go completely numb.
"Pff-pff-pff—"
A dense series of sounds, like claws piercing flesh, rang out. It was Zhu Zhuqing's attack.
Seizing the moment Meng Li issued his command, Zhu Zhuqing struck.
First Soul Skill: Netherworld Rush.
Second Soul Skill: Netherworld Hundred Claws.
Third Soul Skill: Netherworld Transformation. With the soul skill active, her own strength and attack power were simultaneously increased by 50%.
Her three soul rings shone simultaneously. Coupled with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's 30% speed buff, Zhu Zhuqing's figure had almost completely turned into a phantom.
Her timing was perfect. It was the exact instant Meng Li had knocked her back and was giving orders to others, his attention momentarily relaxed.
Of course, it was also possible that Meng Li believed a Soul Elder-level opponent was fundamentally unable to break his Giant Bear Martial Soul's defense.
However, how could he have known that this girl had a secret weapon?
A two-thousand-year Direclaw Bear External Soul Bone: under absolute conditions, it ignores 50% of the opponent's defense.
"Swish!" The final strike of the Netherworld Hundred Claws slashed down.
The soul power in Zhu Zhuqing's right hand was almost tangible, cutting through the air with a piercing sound.
She had only one target: Meng Li's head.
Agility-type Soul Masters did not have an advantage on the stage. But without a doubt, they were always the type of people with the most acute grasp of opportunities.
However, in the next moment...
Zhu Zhuqing's body suddenly changed direction.
Her body instantly completed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree spin, swinging out this strongest attack.
"Clang!"
A violent clash rang out. Zhu Zhuqing's sharp claws collided with the one-eyed man's eagle talons.
"Kacha!"
The sound of several bones breaking was heard. An intense pain shot up his fingers, and the one-eyed man's face instantly twisted.
He had never imagined that this Soul Elder's attack power would be so formidable that she could best him in a direct confrontation.
He gritted his teeth, a vicious light flashing in his eye.
"Bang!" A surging soul power burst from his body, instantly knocking Zhu Zhuqing back.
It couldn't be helped. A soul power gap of more than ten levels was not something that could be bridged by a few exquisite soul skills.
"Whoosh!" A violent blast of soul power rushed over.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sharpened, and she slashed out with her claws again.
The next moment, surging soul power erupted from Meng Li. Zhu Zhuqing's body was sent flying backward, taking Ning Rongrong, who was behind her, rolling twenty or thirty meters away.
"Huu~"
Meng Li panted heavily, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes. If the one-eyed man hadn't attacked in time to ambush Zhu Zhuqing, he might have met his end here today.
Meng Li's face instantly returned to its ferocious expression.
In the Fierce God Team's original plan, they intended to kill all their opponents in a single charge.
However, two members had relaxed slightly and did not use their strongest soul skills. The next moment, they were shot full of holes.
The remaining four couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, even fear. If they hadn't used their full strength, they would be corpses right now.
However, it was this stimulus of blood that made the Fierce God Team completely lose control.
They charged without hesitation. In just one exchange, they had beaten the Shrek group into disarray.
Dai Mubai was defeated in one blow by the one-eyed Soul Master; it was unknown if he was dead or alive.
Tang San, relying on his hidden weapons and movement technique, was barely holding off the Wild Boar Soul Master.
On the Fierce God Team, Meng Li's Martial Soul was the strongest, and his soul power was the highest. But Zhu Zhuqing, with Ning Rongrong's support, could barely block his attacks.
The most severely injured was Oscar. At this moment, he was lying in a pool of blood.
His face had an almost ashen-gray color, his eyes were tightly closed, and his lips were colorless. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest indicated he was still alive.
However, his left arm... was now an empty void.
Next to him, a bald Soul Master held that severed arm and took a large bite. He chewed in satisfaction for a few moments, then casually tossed the arm aside.
Ma Hongjun, however, was fine.
The moment the four enemies charged, Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai, and Tang San each met an opponent.
Ma Hongjun's reaction was quicker. He bit down on one of Oscar's flight sausages, rolled to dodge an attack, and then scrambled off the stage.
It was just that Oscar, who was behind him, was not so fortunate.
"Referee, we surrender! We surrender!"
Just as Meng Li was preparing to strike again, Flender rushed to the edge of the stage, shouting anxiously.
The moment Flender saw the four Fierce God Team members attack, he had instantly activated his Owl Martial Soul and charged from the window.
The VIP room was only a few hundred meters from the spirit battle stage, but Flender felt that this short distance was the longest he had ever traveled in his life.
Hearing this, the referee raised his sound amplifier and shouted, "I announce, in the Fourth Spirit Arena, the Soul Ancestor six-on-six team battle, the winner is the Fierce God Team!"
For the referee, this situation was all too common.
Any team that fought the Fierce God Team met a bad end. Even for Soul Ancestor-level teams, the battle between the two sides usually ended within three minutes.
Not to mention, a Soul Elder team challenging a higher rank.
He just hadn't expected that this time, the Fierce God Team would actually lose two members.
Seeing this, Flender let out a breath of relief.
But looking at the two students lying on the stage, especially Oscar's empty left arm, the light instantly vanished from Flender's eyes.
The audience, however, was not satisfied.
Although the battle on the stage was intense, in reality, less than a minute had passed since the match began.
"What the hell! What is that team leader doing?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. Didn't you see the seven soul rings on his body? That's a Soul Saint expert."
"Hmph, so what if he's a Soul Saint? Does that mean he can do whatever he wants? Fuck you, refund!"