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Feeling the pressure around him dissipate, Shi Quan didn't even need to think; Bibi Dong's gaze must have shifted to the Shrek Team.
"System space."
Shi Quan silently recited in his heart, summoning the System's storage space, preparing to check the rewards from this Heavenly Mandate Treasure Chest.
Teleportation Talisman: A talisman paper inscribed with spatial runes, containing the power of space, capable of teleporting to any location on the Douluo Continent.
Note: This item is a consumable, currently usable three times, immune to all external influences, the best item for escaping and preserving life.
"Teleportation Talisman? Escaping and preserving life?" Shi Quan sighed helplessly, "Did getting this thing mean they were afraid I'd be killed by that old madman Tang Hao?"
"But this 'immune to all external influences' note is quite interesting. Does 'all external influences' include divine force?"
"Also, this 'any location' is very interesting. If I directly teleport into Tang Hao's heart, wouldn't he just drop dead?"
Who said a Teleportation Talisman must only be used for escape? Using a Teleportation Talisman to kill an enemy is also a means of preserving one's life, isn't it?
"How dare you disrespect His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff!" Just as Shi Quan was thinking, he heard an angry reprimand from afar, it was the Cardinal from before.
Glancing over, he saw a purple light emanating from Tang San's eyes as he looked at Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong immediately raised her hand, indicating it was fine, and with a slight smile, she gazed at Tang San, "Are you Master's Disciple Tang San?"
"Yes, Your Holiness Supreme Pontiff," Tang San replied neither obsequiously nor arrogantly.
Bibi Dong nodded slightly, "You are very good. You truly possess some of your teacher's former demeanor."
"I dare not compare myself to my teacher," Tang San said with a calm expression.
Hearing this, Shi Quan couldn't help but secretly grumble in his heart: "Knowing they are enemies, yet still showing such favoritism. Love-struck brains are truly terrifying."
Bibi Dong did not linger on Tang San for too long. She lightly waved the scepter in her hand, "Rise."
After her gaze swept over the three teams again, she spoke once more: "From you all, I see hope. However, before the Supreme Pontiff Palace, I hope to see your excellent performance in the upcoming matches." As she spoke, she gently waved the scepter in her hand.
Three lustrous Spirit Bones immediately appeared, floating in the air.
They were three different items, all small in size, shaped like bones: a right arm bone, a skull, and a left leg bone. They each shimmered with fiery red, light blue, and dark green light.
Spirit Bones, precisely the three Spirit Bones that were the rewards for the competition.
"Is that the Wisdom Skull?" A hint of longing appeared in Tang San's eyes. "I must win..."
It was also at this moment that Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's low voice sounded, "These three Spirit Bones are respectively..."
"There is always only one victor, and the same goes for the champion."
"Therefore, these three Spirit Bones will all belong to the team that ultimately wins the championship."
"This morning's competition will be a personal elimination round, with each team fielding seven members. The team that remains on the field will gain the upper hand, entering tomorrow's championship final."
"The two defeated teams will compete in a team battle this afternoon to determine the last spot in the finals."
"Now, you may send your first combatant to the stage." After speaking and retrieving the three Spirit Bones, Bibi Dong turned and walked to the gilded armchair behind her and sat down.
The schedule for the grand finals was very tight.
After the individual battles in the morning, the loser's bracket team battles would immediately follow in the afternoon, and then the final grand finals would take place the very next day.
The rest time was almost compressed to the extreme, and continuous battles within a single day would undoubtedly lead to significant exhaustion, and even injuries. It would be almost impossible to recover to optimal condition for the final battles the next day.
Therefore, today's battles would undoubtedly be extremely intense.
Each of the three academies sent one member to the stage. Spirit Hall's representative was Li Kai, a Spirit Ancestor with the Black Horn Mountain Boar Martial Spirit. Shi Quan, representing the Heaven Dou Battle Team, rose, and Shrek's representative was Ma Hongjun.
According to the process, before the individual elimination rounds, a three-person draw was needed to determine which two teams would compete in the first match, with the winner continuing to fight, and so on.
On the Heaven Dou Battle Team's side, sending their strongest, Shi Quan, to the stage immediately surprised everyone.
Because the individual elimination rounds involved three teams taking turns, being the first to enter meant enduring successive challenges from the remaining two teams until defeat.
Considering stamina and spirit power issues, having the team's strongest member go first was clearly not a wise move.
The Heaven Dou Battle Team members were also puzzled by Shi Quan's arrangement, but they quickly understood.
"Blindly arrogant." On the other side, Yu Xiaogang's expression was indifferent as he silently evaluated.
"Xiaogang, are you sure you want to forfeit the match? It might be difficult to explain to the Heaven Dou Empire," Flender said, looking at Yu Xiaogang with some hesitation.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head slightly, "If we get injured because of this, it's not worth it. As for the Heaven Dou Empire, there's no need to worry. As long as we win the final championship, the Empire won't dare to say anything. Don't you want Shrek to win the championship?"
After the previous incident with the school uniforms, Flender now couldn't help but consider the Empire's prestige more when it came to academy matters.
The Shrek Team now belonged to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Just as it was said before, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy represented the face of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, representing the Heaven Dou Empire. If they conceded, setting aside whether the Empire would blame them.
Logically, as two teams from the same academy, they should try to unite as much as possible to consume the Martial Soul Palace Team's strength. However, Yu Xiaogang was preparing to directly forfeit the morning's individual battles, preserving all their strength, and planning to play the long game, watching the tigers fight from afar.
While the two were conversing, the draw on the stage had already concluded.
First match: Martial Soul Palace Team vs. Heaven Dou Battle Team, Shrek Team gets a bye.
"Good heavens, that's truly lucky."
Shi Quan held the lot in his hand. The three lots were placed on a plate, making it impossible to cheat. So, Shrek really did draw the bye lot purely by their own luck.
Especially when Ma Hongjun saw that it was a bye, he really showed off for a while.
Yu Xiaogang, below the stage, also had his eyes light up at the sight.
"They actually drew a bye, that's perfect! Li Kai from the other side is definitely no match for Shi Quan. When it's their turn, I'll have Hongjun surrender directly. Isn't that also a form of unity? We'll make specific arrangements after the Martial Soul Palace Team and Heaven Dou Battle Team have fought it out."
Flender also nodded with a full smile, "That's right, this way the Empire won't find trouble with us either."
"Both sides, take your places!" With the referee's command, Shi Quan and Li Kai walked to the designated distance. The referee loudly prompted both sides to activate their Martial Spirits and prepare.
Blue light blossomed, and the Blue Silver Emperor appeared in Shi Quan's hand. On the opposite side, Li Kai's body expanded, and two pitch-black tusks grew on either side of his nose.
The referee glanced left and right, then loudly declared, "Match start!"
"First Soul Skill, Savage Charge." Li Kai directly released his First Soul Skill, his heavy body accelerating with thudding steps as he charged towards Shi Quan.
This type of Spirit Ability was the easiest to analyze; it was clearly a speed and strength-based Spirit Ability, and it came with a certain knock-back effect.
"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Growth!" Shi Quan's eyes flashed. With a flick of his hand, the Blue Silver Emperor in his grasp rapidly extended, forming layers of overlapping vines that crisscrossed in front of Li Kai.
As soon as the Blue Silver Emperor approached, it was swept aside by the scattering impact.
Shi Quan was not in a hurry. Seeing that Li Kai had completely entered the range of the Blue Silver Emperor, he then raised his hand and pulled. Several vines of the Blue Silver Emperor on the ground immediately rose. Following this, Shi Quan's Second spirit ring lit up, "Blue Silver Hardening!"
Li Kai's face changed. Looking at the Blue Silver Emperor protruding like thorns in front of him, he quickly stopped. If he were to collide with it, he would surely turn into a hedgehog. Immediately after, his Third spirit ring below him lit up.
"Third Soul Skill, Savage Stomp!"
He lifted his leg and stomped hard on the ground. A powerful shockwave erupted from the ground, sending all the Blue Silver Emperor vines on the ground flying into the air.
Seeing this, Shi Quan lightly leaped up, his hand moving like a nimble snake striking out of its hole. The hardened Blue Silver Thorns in mid-air instantly transformed into venomous snakes, thrusting forward.
Li Kai clearly hadn't anticipated that these thorny Blue Silver vines could also strike out like poisonous barbs. He had intended to raise his hand to push aside these hardened thorns, but instead, he directly collided with these hardened Blue Silver Emperor vines.
Not only were his arms pierced, but some of the hardened thorns also violently struck his chest, causing flesh and blood to fly. He was sent flying backward, his fate unknown.
"Damn it!" The faces of Hu Liena and the others below the stage immediately changed. Yan, who was beside them, also took a sudden step forward, clenching his fists.
"Save him first," Hu Liena ordered with a grim expression. The Martial Soul Palace Team members quickly carried the unconscious Li Kai off the stage.
"First match, Heaven Dou Battle Team's Shi Quan wins." The Cardinal looked at Shi Quan with cold eyes before announcing the result of the first match.
Hu Liena's expression was also a bit grim after checking Li Kai's injuries. "He went first to consume as much of our strength as possible. We can't slowly drain his spirit power. After their match ends, Yan, you go first."
"No problem." A cold glint flickered in Yan's eyes. He had long wanted to have a good fight with Shi Quan.
"Second match, Heaven Dou Battle Team's Shi Quan versus Shrek Team's Ma Hongjun."
The referee's voice came. Ma Hongjun rose and walked towards the arena. Just as he reached the center of the field, he immediately turned towards the referee and said, "I forfeit this match."
The Cardinal, who was officiating, narrowed his eyes slightly, looked in the direction of the Heaven Dou Empire, his gaze cold, and then announced Shi Quan's victory in the second match.
On the Martial Soul Palace Team's side, Hu Liena and the other two exchanged glances, frowning, their eyes filled with unconcealed anger.
"Heh heh, I thought Ma Hongjun would come up and try to unleash an explosive attack to drain some of my spirit power before surrendering. But it seems he doesn't even dare to make a move?" Shi Quan looked disdainfully in Shrek's direction. He wasn't surprised by this; he had long anticipated that Shrek might surrender, just not that they would be so decisive.