Killing is not allowed in the competition. Although unexpected situations can be accepted, Shrek Academy easily crushed Star Luo Royal Academy. In such a clear victory, killing would be disrespectful to the organizing committee.
Moreover, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't bring themselves to do it; they couldn't bring themselves to harm their own siblings.
However, whether or not they acted was no longer important. After losing the competition, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun had lost the initiative. They had no advantage in the succession process.
Dai Mubai was now on par with Davis, and although Zhu Zhuqing was three levels below Zhu Zhuyun, she was seven years younger. At the current rate, she would completely surpass Zhu Zhuyun in less than a year. Davis
and Zhu Zhuyun would have even less of a chance in future competitions.
This victory showed everyone Ma Hongjun's strength.
Even Qian Renxue was surprised; it was the first time she had seen Ma Hongjun in action, and he far exceeded her expectations.
With only her Silver Spear martial soul, Qian Renxue realized she might not be a match for Ma Hongjun at the same level.
Her martial soul was the Six-Winged Angel, a divinely bestowed martial soul that awakened at level 20 of the Innate Realm.
Ma Hongjun's mutated Silver Spear martial soul, however, felt no weaker than hers.
The second match was
between Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Spirit Hall Academy.
In the previous two rounds, Spirit Hall had fielded only Soul Master level players. Facing Heaven Dou Royal Academy, sending only Soul Master level players was clearly risky; after all, losing the finals meant elimination, and Spirit Hall wouldn't do anything without a chance.
"Tianheng, show your strength! Win or lose, have the courage and confidence to face everything," Grandmaster encouraged before the match.
"Go for it! Believe in yourself!" Ma Hongjun pumped his fist at Yu Tianheng.
Yu Tianheng responded with a smile, his brow relaxing, his handsome face radiating confidence once more.
They had already heard rumors that the Spirit Hall team included a Soul King, and they knew that facing the Spirit Hall meant virtually no hope of victory. However,
Yu Tianheng realized that regardless, they were facing them anyway, and he couldn't let himself be in a slump before the match even began.
Even in defeat, he had to give it his all and leave no regrets.
At the very least, he needed to understand the gap between himself and his opponents.
The match began, and sure enough, the Spirit Hall fielded three new members:
two men and one woman, leading the team.
The first was a man, about 1.9 meters tall, with short, neatly styled black hair standing on end like steel needles. His expression was calm, and the invisible aura of a powerful figure seemed to emanate entirely from him. On either side of the short-haired man were a
man and a woman. The man had long, fiery red hair that flowed down his back, and even his eyes were dark red. His appearance was very ordinary, but he shared a similar temperament with the previous short-haired youth.
It seemed he was a product of the Spirit Hall's system training.
The only woman among the three had long black hair and resembled the man in front somewhat. All three had expressions that seemed identical, calm yet carrying a hint of aloofness.
At first glance, this girl didn't seem particularly beautiful. But if you looked closer, you could sense a strange charm emanating from her, drawing you in effortlessly.
Dugu Bo had somehow already moved to sit behind Tang San and Ma Hongjun.
"See them?
These three are the three geniuses hailed as the Golden Generation by the Spirit Hall. They all wear purple badges on their chests."
Ma Hongjun looked towards the arena and, sure enough, it was true.
Dugu Bo continued,
"The black-haired youth at the front is named Xie Yue, a level 52 Power Attack-type Soul King, whose Martial Soul is the Moon Blade. He is a Weapon Soul Master.
The red-haired man behind him is named Yan, a level 52 Fire Attribute Power Attack-type Soul King, whose Martial Soul is the Flame Lord. The
girl on Xie Yue's other side is his sister, Hu Liena, a level 51 Control-type Soul King, whose Martial Soul is a fox.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena take their parents' surnames and inherited their parents' Martial Souls respectively.
Of the three, besides paying attention to the two Power Attack-type Soul Kings, you should also be especially careful of Hu Liena. Hu Liena possesses extremely powerful charm abilities. Her Soul Skills are all based on charm."
"Fox, charm!"
Ma Hongjun muttered these two keywords softly, his thoughts drifting again.
To a certain extent, charm can indeed put someone in a good state.
Dugu Bo is quite dutiful. As an honorary elder of Shrek Academy, he comes to deliver information and provide pre-match guidance at such a crucial time. He lives up to his title.
The battle began, and
the Spirit Hall team summoned their spirits, their spirit rings gleaming with dazzling colors.
Three were yellow-yellow-purple-purple-black, and
four were yellow-yellow-purple-purple.
This was the strength of the Spirit Hall.
The appearance of these three from the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation was bound to elicit gasps of astonishment.
However, with the Shrek Academy monsters preceding them, the three Soul Kings' team suddenly seemed less formidable.
Compared to Shrek Academy, although they had two Soul Kings, they possessed four black ten-thousand-year Soul Rings.
There's a significant difference between a super Soul Ring configuration and an optimal Soul Ring configuration, highlighting the issue of limits
and showcasing talent .
Hu Liena, now possessed by her Martial Soul, became incredibly alluring, a large, fluffy tail emerging from her back, a pale red light emanating from her body.
The only flaw was her attire; the white team uniform failed to showcase her seductive beauty.
Seeing Hu Liena's Martial Soul-possessed appearance, Ma Hongjun had already envisioned several different styles of clothing for her.
Looking at Hu Liena's noble allure, Ma Hongjun thought of the opposite style:
a maid outfit.
Hu Liena moved; her five Soul Rings shone in succession, first the black fifth Soul Ring, then the fourth, third, second, and finally the yellow first Soul Ring.
With each fluctuation of a Soul Ring, the red light on her body intensified.
Behind her, Xie Yue also moved.
Xie Yue wielded not one, but two crescent-shaped blades, both blood-red, each held in the center of a blade. With a sudden movement, his hands opened, and he
charged towards his sister from behind .
A red light screen appeared and spread, enveloping Xie Yue and Hu Liena the instant their bodies collided. Simultaneously
, the red light exploded, expanding like a sphere of light, covering nearly half the arena and encompassing all seven opponents from the opposing Heaven Dou team.
"Soul Fusion Technique!"
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Xie Yue and Hu Liena were using a Soul Fusion Technique.
This was truly unexpected; the power of a Soul Fusion Technique used by two Soul Kings was unimaginable.
The Spirit Hall's immediate use of a Soul Fusion Technique seemed to indicate their intention to quickly end the match.
As Xie Yue and her brother unleashed their Spirit Fusion Technique, the other five members of the Spirit Hall retreated.
Enveloped in red light, the two figures merged into one—a person with flowing long hair, whose gender was indistinguishable.
The hair had turned red, and this figure, formed from Xie Yue and Hu Liena, began to move silently. Two moon blades, magnified to twice their original size, slashed out with a rainbow-like brilliance.
Truly siblings; their Spirit Fusion was so powerful they could even combine into one.
Ma Hongjun had witnessed many Spirit Fusions, each with its own unique method.
But seeing people merge together was a first for him; this figure truly resembled the demonized Eastern Cult Master.
The dense red light spread towards the Heaven Dou Academy, enveloping half the arena.
The Heaven Dou Academy members were unaware of the situation, but from the outside, they could no longer see what was happening inside.
"Soul Fusion Skill, Enchantress.
Within the control range of the Enchantress skill, everyone's senses will be reduced by 50%, their soul power suppressed by 50%, and all actions will be slowed by 50%."
Dugu Bo said coldly, his face turning extremely ugly.
Dugu Yan was among them, and it was estimated that she was about to be attacked.
Sure enough, although the situation on the field was unclear, miserable screams still came from within.
Accompanied by shrill howls, eerie voices of indistinguishable gender rang out in the red curtain, and
one after another, people were thrown off the field.
The first one thrown out was Ye Lingling.
Ma Hongjun quickly got up and rushed over to help her up from the ground.
"Are you alright?"
Seeing the blood flowing from the corner of Ye Lingling's mouth, Ma Hongjun asked with concern.
Ye Lingling leaned against Ma Hongjun, barely managing to stand. As a support-type soul master, her body was already weak, and judging from the situation, the people from the Spirit Hall had attacked quite heavily. Ye Lingling couldn't even summon her martial soul, Ye.
"Senior Sister Jiangzhu!" Ma Hongjun looked towards the audience.
Just then, another person was thrown off the field, landing
directly in front of Ma Hongjun. He caught them with his other hand.
It was Bai Chenxiang.
Her injuries were clearly more severe than Ye Lingling's; she had fainted as soon as she hit Ma Hongjun's arms.
"Ah Xiang!"
Ye Lingling said worriedly.
Jiangzhu, Tang San, and the other Shrek Academy students also came over.
With a wave of the healing staff, beams of healing light fell upon Ye Lingling and Bai Chenxiang.
Then, another person was thrown off the field. Tang San, Xiang Chengxian, and the others quickly caught them, while Jiangzhu activated healing on them.
"Poison, within our domain, will also be weakened. Dugu Yan, your poison isn't enough to affect me. Go."
Dugu Yan was also thrown off, and Xiang Chengxian quickly caught her.
At this moment, the red light screen on the field slowly dispersed, allowing a clear view of the situation.
The brother and sister, who had previously merged like the Eastern Cult Leader, reverted to being two people.
Yu Tianheng, the only remaining member of the Heavenly Fighting faction, stood opposite them, his dragon-shaped arms trembling uncontrollably.
"For the sake of your family, I'll spare your life," Xie Yue's indifferent voice drifted out.
With a slight flick of his moon blade, as if a thread were pulling Yu Tianheng's body, his powerful frame crashed to the ground. Dragon scales scattered from his arms, blood splattering everywhere.
Slowly raising his moon blade, Xie Yue's gaze swept across Ma Hongjun and the others below the arena, finally settling on Ma Hongjun, his eyes filled with provocation.
Ma Hongjun looked at him calmly, his gaze unmoved, then turned to Ye Lingling on his body and whispered,
"Don't worry, I will avenge you."
Xie Yue seemed to hear Ma Hongjun's words; his arrogant face turned cold, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He raised his right hand, making a gesture of annihilation across his neck.
"Idiot!"
Ma Hongjun sneered, uttering two words with a flippant gaze.
He wasn't sure if Xie Yue understood the meaning of this uniquely foreign word, but judging from Ma Hongjun's lip movements, he should get the gist.
Xie Yue indeed didn't understand the meaning of those two words, looking at Ma Hongjun with a questioning, almost oppressive, gaze. He
clearly wanted an explanation.
"Brother!"
Hu Liena called out, indicating that Xie Yue should leave.
"What do you mean?"
Xie Yue persisted, unwilling to give up, seeing Ma Hongjun's lack of explanation.
Ma Hongjun looked at Hu Liena, who had turned to Xie Yue. Hu Liena, who had just used her Martial Soul Fusion Technique, had a rosy complexion, the faint red glow still lingering, making her incredibly alluring and seductive. Ma Hongjun
grew impatient.
"Fuck your sister!"
"You!"
Hu Liena pointed angrily at Ma Hongjun; she understood what he meant. She
was being shot even while lying down!
Ma Hongjun held Bai Chenxiang, disguised as a man, on his left and the beautiful Ye Lingling on his right, brazenly scanning her body from bottom to top.
"Hmph, see you on the field! Come on, sister!"
Xie Yue pulled the angry Hu Liena around and walked off the field from the other side.
After Jiang Zhu's treatment, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team's injuries were temporarily stabilized, and Ye Lingling quickly recovered and treated the others again.
This match was no less surprising than the previous Shrek vs. Star Luo match.
The Spirit Hall sent seven people, but only two were actually used, and they completely defeated Heaven Dou with just one Spirit Fusion Technique.
Their displayed strength was terrifying.
This time, things were going to be interesting.
Shrek and the Spirit Hall were roughly equal in strength, evenly matched.
People were already looking forward to the match between these two teams.
After the third round, only six teams remained.
The three strongest teams were the Spirit Hall, Shrek, and the reorganized Divine Wind Academy.
In the fourth round, the six teams drew lots!
Compared to the brutal third round, the fourth round draw was much easier, though it's unclear if there was any behind-the-scenes manipulation.
The three clearly superior teams didn't face each other.
The fourth round was quick, with the three super-strong teams winning almost overwhelming victories,
advancing to the fifth round .
In the fifth round, only the final three teams remained, competing in the Pope's Palace.
By the fifth round, the matches were no longer public, and only a few were qualified to watch from the Pope's Palace.
A small stage had been set up in front of the Pope's Palace plaza.
The three teams—Spirit Hall, Shrek Academy, and Divine Wind—were lined up, totaling twenty-one people.
No one except the participating team members was allowed to enter the plaza, including their teachers.
Xie Yue, Ma Hongjun, and Feng Xiaotian stood at the front.
Behind Ma Hongjun were Tang San, Xiang Chengxian, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong. The
bright sunlight bathed the earth, making the Pope's Palace appear even more magnificent, like a celestial abode.
Before the Papal Palace, two rows of paladin knights stretched from the palace entrance down the mountain, their gleaming silver armor and heavy swords adding to the imposing grandeur of Papal Mountain.
The side doors of the Papal Palace slowly opened, six on each side, and twelve people dressed in red robes emerged in orderly fashion.
These were the cardinals of the Spirit Hall, second only to the platinum bishops in rank.
"His Holiness the Pope has arrived!"
"Long live the Pope! Long live the Pope! Long live the Pope!"
Three resounding shouts echoed throughout the Papal Palace like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.
A woman, clad in a long, gleaming gold gown, wearing a purple-gold crown and holding a scepter, stepped forward. Her perfect face, radiating solemnity, was revealed.
Majestic and noble!
She was Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall!
Behind her followed four people.
Ma Hongjun recognized two of them: Sword Douluo Chen Xin and his father-in-law, Ning Fengzhi.
He didn't recognize the other two, but their identities were likely extraordinary.
As Bibi Dong stepped forward, all the members of the Spirit Hall knelt on one knee.
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"
Shrek Academy was in the middle of the three groups. The Spirit Hall group on the left had already knelt, and the Divine Wind Academy group on the right had also knelt.
This was awkward.
Bibi Dong and her five entourage walked towards them, while Ma Hongjun led a group directly towards them. The kneeling groups on either side made it seem as if they were Ma Hongjun's subordinates.
An invisible antagonism subtly formed between Ma Hongjun and Bibi Dong.
"How dare you disrespect Her Holiness the Pope!"
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