Chapter 114: Those Who Want to Win Have No Smiles, But Those Guaranteed to Win Do
The one hundred and eight Soul Kings simultaneously deactivated the soul tool barrier. Members from both the Sun Moon Team and Shrek rushed onto the competition stage to check on their respective teammates.
"How are you all doing? Are your injuries serious?" Wang Yan asked anxiously, looking at Dai Yueheng, who was covered in blood but still retained his imposing aura.
"I'm fine, I can still fight."
Dai Yueheng shook his head, and as he spoke, he couldn't help but look up toward the high platform.
Seeing his father, Dai Hao, looking back at him with clear eyes of appreciation, the pain in his body seemed to recede significantly. He felt as if he could fight Ma Rulong for another whole day.
"Teacher Wang, I'm afraid I won't be able to participate in the upcoming individual battles."
Xu Sanshi stood up from the ground with Bei Bei's support, his face as pale as paper.
His condition was the worst among them. To protect Ning Tian, he had been enduring the bombardment of that Rank 5 Soul Engineer from the very beginning. To recover any combat strength, the earliest he could return would be for the final 2-2-3 format.
"I'm alright, my Soul Power consumption is just a bit high. It won't delay the final 2-2-3," Ling Luochen said, breathing heavily. Her ice-blue hair was soaked with sweat and clung to her pale cheeks.
Just then, Lin Xuan walked over to Ning Tian's side. Looking at her slightly reddened eyes, he asked softly,
"And you? Are you injured?"
Ning Tian looked up, meeting his concerned black eyes, and a slight warmth spread through her heart.
"I'm fine." Ning Tian shook her head and gave a faint smile.
"With Senior Xu blocking in front, I didn't take any direct hits. It's just..."
She paused, her voice dropping lower.
"Seeing you all risking your lives out front while I can only stand in the back providing support... it doesn't feel very good."
Lin Xuan gently brushed her smooth platinum hair and patted her back, saying softly,
"Support is also a part of combat. Without you, they wouldn't have held on until now."
Ning Tian was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head.
At that moment, the duration of the Absolute Defense Shield expired. Ma Xiaotao and Chen Zifeng hurriedly stepped out. Seeing the varying injuries of Dai Yueheng and the other two, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but clench her fists.
She should have been the one to decide the outcome of this team battle, but in the end, she could only stare helplessly from inside the barrier, unable to do anything.
"Damn it! They actually brought out two Absolute Defense Shields! What kind of skill is it to just use high-level spirit tools? Is this a Soul Master Competition or a Soul Engineer competition?!" Ma Xiaotao's eyes were filled with fury as she glared at the Sun Moon Team members not far away.
"Forget it, everyone calm down."
A composed Wang Yan stepped forward, clapping his hands lightly to signal for her to calm down. His gaze then swept over the group, and his tone actually lightened a bit.
"As the saying goes, blessings and misfortunes come hand in hand. Being trapped wasn't entirely a bad thing."
Everyone looked at him as Wang Yan continued, "Think about it. Precisely because you and Chen Zifeng were trapped, you've expended zero energy after this team battle. When it comes to the individual battles and the final 2-2-3 format, you will face them in perfect condition!"
He paused, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"The ones who should truly be worried are the Sun Moon Team."
Following his gaze, everyone looked nearby. The members of the Sun Moon Team were scrambled, carrying their injured off the stage.
The four Rank 4 Soul Engineers wearing Four Symbols Armor were still unconscious, blood constantly leaking from their mouths, their chests rising and falling weakly.
The two Rank 5 Soul Engineers weren't doing much better. One was charred all over, while the other was curled into a ball. From the looks of it, forget about the rest of the matches—they probably wouldn't even be able to get out of bed for a month.
"In this way... the numerical disadvantage we originally had against the Sun Moon Team has basically been leveled out." Wang Yan looked back and smiled.
"I can even confidently say now: the advantage is ours!"
Hearing this, everyone nodded one after another.
Then, their eyes simultaneously fell upon the figure not far away who was talking quietly with Ning Tian.
Everyone knew that the advantage Wang Yan spoke of was entirely built on the premise that they had won this team battle.
And ninety percent of the credit for winning the team battle belonged to Lin Xuan.
Without him, this team battle would have been a certain loss.
That youth had single-handedly turned the tide of a doomed situation.
In this match, he had perfectly illustrated the meaning of 'ultimate individual heroism' and 'holding up a collapsing building, turning back the raging tide at the last moment'.
Even while being supported by Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi couldn't resist shouting toward Lin Xuan and giving him a big thumbs up.
"Lin Xuan! You're incredible! You said you could handle it, and you actually did! From now on, even if you say playing the fool is the way to chase Nannan, I'll believe you!"
Bei Bei gave Xu Sanshi a speechless look, but then said seriously to Lin Xuan,
"Indeed, you saved everyone in today's match."
Ma Xiaotao walked up and looked at Lin Xuan, her pink eyes full of complex emotions.
"Thank you... I was supposed to be the one to step up for this match, but it ended up being you carrying the burden alone."
Dai Yueheng also came over. Though bloodied, he kept his back straight and gave Lin Xuan a solemn nod.
"Junior Lin Xuan, I will remember this favor."
Lin Xuan looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone as he smiled slightly.
"I'm relieved to hear that. As long as you don't blame me for being slow to act."
The group shared a smile and helped each other back to the waiting area.
Meanwhile, in the Sun Moon Team's waiting area.
Elder Ma stared fixedly at Lin Xuan, who was surrounded by the crowd. He gritted his teeth, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.
Beside him, several elders of the Sun Moon Empire also had ashen faces.
"This boy..." one elder spoke slowly, his voice low like muffled thunder, "if he cannot be recruited, he must not be allowed to grow further!"
"Agreed," another chimed in. "Otherwise, the Empire's great cause will surely face complications because of him!"
The others nodded in silence.
Elder Ma let out a long sigh, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the team members beside him.
"In the upcoming individual battles, as long as Lin Xuan doesn't participate, we can still win with our spirit tools."
He paused, his gaze falling on the Hongchen siblings.
"And once it reaches the final 2-2-3... whether the Empire can seize the championship will depend on you two."
Xiao Hongchen nodded in silence.
At this moment, the pressure on him was immense, but despite that, he still felt he had a chance to defeat Lin Xuan.
His gaze crossed the vast Soul Fighting Platform, landing on the figure in the Shrek waiting area talking to Ning Tian. He murmured under his breath,
"Your Domain is indeed strong... but your strongest single-target explosive attack is still that strange black lightning."
He paused, fighting spirit rising in his heterochromatic eyes until it was almost tangible.
"In that case... I will use brute force to break all techniques! With absolute power, I will sweep through the entire Domain!"
...
The subsequent individual battles arrived as scheduled.
The first to go up for Shrek was He Caitou.
The opponent was a Rank 5 Soul Engineer.
As soon as the match began, the two seemed to have a mutual understanding as they made the same decision: soul cannon Fortresses, bombardment!
"Boom, boom, boom, boom—!"
Countless light orbs collided frantically on the Soul Fighting Platform, exploding into bursts of blinding light! Metal parts flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air!
However, the Rank 5 Soul Engineer's firepower and overall equipment were ultimately superior.
Three minutes later, He Caitou was hit head-on by a light orb. He was sent flying and crashed heavily near the edge of the Soul Fighting Platform.
Physicians from the Star Luo Empire rushed forward to carry him off for treatment.
He Caitou clearly wouldn't be able to appear in the 2-2-3 phase.
Next to go up was Bei Bei.
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he directly activated his Light Holy Dragon bloodline! Golden lightning surged across his body, and his aura skyrocketed!
The already depleted Rank 5 Soul Engineer retreated step by step under his violent assault. Five minutes later, Bei Bei used a Light Holy Dragon Claw to blast him off the Soul Fighting Platform.
But Bei Bei himself was panting heavily, the light on his body flickering uncertainly.
Immediately after, a Rank 4 Soul Engineer from the opposing side took the stage.
The two went back and forth, fighting fiercely for a full five minutes. Blood splattered on the Soul Fighting Platform, and metal parts flew in all directions.
In the end, Bei Bei won, but he was also unable to continue and was helped off the stage.
Next for Shrek was Wang Dong, while the opponent was a Rank 5 Soul Engineer in peak condition.
There were no surprises.
Wang Dong only lasted less than two minutes before being forced into a corner by the dense cannon fire.
Fortunately, Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu acted in time, enveloping him in Soul Power to save him; otherwise, he might have had to be carried off.
Wang Dong walked off the Soul Fighting Platform with his head down, not saying a word.
The fourth to go up for Shrek was Chen Zifeng, who was in full health.
Seeing Chen Zifeng, the Rank 5 Soul Engineer across from him didn't look serious; instead, he let out a soft laugh.
As soon as the match started, he directly released several soul tool barriers, layering them in front of himself!
Then, he took something out of his storage soul tool.
It was a dark red, ferociously shaped metal cylinder.
The surface of the cylinder was inscribed with dense formation patterns. At the muzzle, a faint dark red light swirled, like some sleeping beast awakening.
Seeing this spirit tool, the heavily injured He Caitou suddenly sat up. Ignoring his injuries, he cried out in shock,
"That... that's actually a Rank 7 spirit tool, the Star-Shattering Soul-Breaking Cannon!!!"
"What?!"
Wang Yan turned sharply. "A Rank 7 spirit tool? How can he, a Rank 5 Soul Engineer, use a Rank 7 spirit tool?!"
"Yeah! Caitou, you couldn't have misidentified it, right?" Xu Sanshi asked anxiously.
He Caitou shook his head solemnly, his voice trembling.
"I'm certain it's the Star-Shattering Soul-Breaking Cannon. My teacher once showed me a damaged version captured from the Sun Moon Empire. After all, this kind of spirit tool is a very common standard-issue weapon in the Sun Moon Empire's army.
"As for why he can use it... I suspect someone in the Sun Moon Team modified this Star-Shattering Soul-Breaking Cannon by adding a charging core formation... This way, the user doesn't need high Soul Power themselves; they only need to use Soul Power to trigger the core formation to release an attack of fixed power!"
"Although the spirit tool will be completely scrapped after one use," his voice grew more bitter, "regardless, its power will not change."
Everyone's expression changed drastically. A single-use Rank 7 spirit tool's power was enough to rival the full-strength strike of a Soul Saint! And Chen Zifeng was only a Soul King! Moreover, he was an attack system Soul King who wasn't good at defense.
If Chen Zifeng took a direct hit, then... his life would be in danger!
"Damn it! Is the Sun Moon Team crazy?! Do they actually want to kill someone?!" Wang Yan slammed his fist against the glass of the waiting area, but that was all he could do.
Setting aside that the match had already begun, even if they wanted to stop it, they didn't have the status to do so. After all, the only one who could truly make the Sun Moon Empire and Star Luo Empire wary was Elder Xuan, and that was the Elder Xuan of the past.
On the Soul Fighting Platform, the Rank 5 Soul Engineer grinned as he aimed the muzzle of the Star-Shattering Soul-Breaking Cannon at Chen Zifeng.
"Chen Zifeng, right? An Inner Court Disciple of Shrek?"
"Come! Take this shot!"
As the words fell, he slammed his finger onto the trigger.
In an instant, the dense formation patterns on the surface of the dark red metal cylinder lit up simultaneously!
Terrifying Soul Power fluctuations converged frantically at the muzzle. Blood-red light, like boiling lava, rapidly brewed and compressed at the opening, then boomed outward!
A blood-red pillar of light nearly half a meter in diameter tore through the air, carrying destructive power as it charged straight at Chen Zifeng!
Everywhere it passed, the ground of the Soul Fighting Platform was plowed into a deep trench by the terrifying energy aftershocks!
Chen Zifeng's pupils shrank. This strike was too fast and its power too great.
Defend? He couldn't. Dodge? There was no way.
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but ultimately, only one remained.
Since being hit meant losing, then he would trade his life for a life!
Chen Zifeng suddenly looked up at the Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu watching from mid-air and grinned.
In the next second, the blood-red soul chasing sword in his hand flew out, soaring into the sky!
The sword blade hovered in mid-air, and at the tip, a strange blood-red array suddenly emerged! The array rotated rapidly, expanding larger and larger, covering an area of several meters in the blink of an eye!
Immediately after, countless blood-red sword shadows shot out from that array!
Thousands upon thousands, dense and packed like a blood-colored rainstorm, poured down toward that Rank 5 Soul Engineer!
These sword shadows bypassed the light pillar and all defenses, heading straight for the target!
Chen Zifeng's idea was simple: I can lose, but you're coming with me!
If Huang Jinxu acting to save him meant he lost, then his own strike would also force Huang Jinxu to act to save the opponent!
Either we die together, or we leave the stage together!
In the spectator stands, one hundred and fifty thousand people simultaneously gasped!
"He's crazy!!!"
"He's putting his life on the line!!!"
"Heavens—!"
No one expected that this match, having reached this point, would actually turn into a desperate struggle for life!
That blood-red pillar of light was less than ten meters away from Chen Zifeng! The sky full of sword shadows was also inches away from that Rank 5 Soul Engineer!
The two attacks arrived almost simultaneously!
No matter which one hit first, there would only be one outcome.
Both must die!
The cruel sneer on that Rank 5 Soul Engineer's face instantly froze.
His eyes widened as he watched the overwhelming blood-red sword shadows coming at him. His whole body trembled; he wanted to dodge, but he simply couldn't!
"No—!!!"
At this critical moment, a figure appeared out of thin air in the center of the Soul Fighting Platform!
Heavenly Fiend Douluo, Huang Jinxu!
His face was ashen as he raised both hands at the same time!
A thick golden light shield shot out from his left hand, instantly enveloping Chen Zifeng! Another golden light shield blasted from his right hand, protecting that Rank 5 Soul Engineer just as securely!
"Boom—!!!"
The blood-red pillar of light slammed hard against the shield in front of Chen Zifeng, exploding into a sky full of bloody light!
At the same time, countless blood-red sword shadows poured onto the shield in front of the Rank 5 Soul Engineer, producing a dense 'ting-ting' sound like a rainstorm!
Dust rose everywhere, obscuring everyone's vision.
In the audience, there was dead silence.
A moment later, the dust finally began to dissipate.
Everyone looked closely and saw Chen Zifeng standing in place, completely unharmed. The golden light shield in front of him had protected him steadily; not even a single hair was injured.
That Rank 5 Soul Engineer was also unharmed, slumped on the ground, gasping for breath, his whole body shaking like a sieve.
Neither died. The entire venue was as silent as a grave, and in the next moment, a mountain-shaking, ocean-roaring wave of cheers erupted toward the sky!
They weren't cheering for anyone in particular, but rather shouting for this thrilling duel, for the madness and courage of these two young men, and for the miracle of escaping death!
On the Soul Fighting Platform, Huang Jinxu's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
He slowly retracted his hands, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Zifeng and the Rank 5 Soul Engineer, his chest heaving violently.
Damn it! It's just a competition, is it really worth it for you people?! For that useless glory, you'd even throw away your lives?!
Huang Jinxu took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and waved his hand irritably.
Two surges of Soul Power gushed out simultaneously, directly pushing Chen Zifeng and the Rank 5 Soul Engineer off the Soul Fighting Platform!
The two stumbled as they landed, but neither was injured.
Huang Jinxu's voice was amplified by Soul Power, spreading throughout the venue, his tone as hard as stone.
"This round is a draw!"
The entire venue erupted in earth-shattering cheers once again!
A draw!
Under these circumstances, a draw was the best possible result!
Chen Zifeng stood below the Soul Fighting Platform, gasping for breath. Looking at his trembling hands, he suddenly laughed.
He raised his head, looked toward the figure in the Shrek waiting area who was watching him, and grinned.
Lin Xuan looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, and nodded.
As for that Rank 5 Soul Engineer, he sat slumped on the ground, taking a long time to regain his composure.
In the Shrek waiting area, Wang Yan plopped back into his chair and let out a long breath, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
"That kid Chen Zifeng... he's truly reckless when he goes crazy..."
He Caitou lay on the ground but couldn't help laughing. "Trading life for life... that move was ruthless enough. That Rank 5 Soul Engineer will probably take a detour whenever he sees Chen Zifeng from now on."
In the Sun Moon Team's waiting area, Elder Ma's expression could no longer be described as merely unsightly.
He stared intently at the Rank 5 Soul Engineer being helped back, his lips twitching, but in the end, he said nothing.
The several guest elders looked at each other and remained silent as well.
They thought this Rank 7 spirit tool would secure a point, but what was the result?
A draw.
The opponent wasn't injured, the point wasn't taken, and they even lost a precious rechargeable Rank 7 spirit tool.
This deal was a total loss.
Xiao Hongchen was still sitting there, his gaze crossing the Soul Fighting Platform to land on the figure opposite him. His eyes were even more intense than before.
A draw? It didn't matter.
As long as that person was still there, everything had meaning.
Meng Hongchen, on the side, didn't notice any of this at all.
She was staring intently at Ning Tian, who was speaking in a low voice with Lin Xuan in the Shrek waiting area, her face full of displeasure.
Elder Ma took a deep breath, suppressed his irritation, and turned to look at Ma Rulong, who had recovered some of his injuries. He said in a low voice,
"Rulong, whether we can drag the match into the 2-2-3 phase depends on you."
Ma Rulong slowly stood up, his gaze passing through the barrier of the waiting area to land on the Shrek camp. He saw Ma Xiaotao, he saw Dai Yueheng, and he saw Lin Xuan talking quietly with Ning Tian.
"Don't worry, Grandfather."
He walked out of the waiting area without looking back, saying determinedly,
"I will win."
Meanwhile, in the Shrek waiting area, the atmosphere was completely different.
"I'm going up next."
Ma Xiaotao stood up and rolled her wrists. She had been trapped for an entire team battle and was currently bursting with anger with nowhere to vent.
However, Dai Yueheng also stood up.
"No, I'm going up this round."
Ma Xiaotao frowned. "What do you mean?"
Dai Yueheng didn't look at her; his gaze crossed the Soul Fighting Platform and landed on Ma Rulong, who was walking out of the Sun Moon Team's waiting area, cold light flashing in his eyes.
"This is the Star Luo Empire, my homeland."
He paused and looked up at the high platform where that figure clad in golden armor still stood tall, looking down over the entire Soul Fighting Platform.
"My father is watching me right now."
Dai Yueheng retracted his gaze and looked at Ma Xiaotao, a raging battle intent burning in his eyes as he said word for word,
"I can accept not being able to play in the following matches, but Ma Rulong, I must defeat him head-on."
"As a member of the White Tiger Clan, when we face an opponent, we must return an eye for an eye and blood for blood."
He stood up, patted Ma Xiaotao's shoulder, and said in a relaxed tone,
"I'm sure you wouldn't have the heart to stop a son from showing his determination in front of his father, right?"
With that, he ignored Ma Xiaotao's objection and strode out of the waiting area.
On the Soul Fighting Platform, the two stood facing each other.
Ma Rulong looked at Dai Yueheng opposite him, a cold smile curling on his lips.
"I didn't expect it to be you. I thought it would be Ma Xiaotao."
Dai Yueheng rolled his wrists and grinned. "Why? Scared?"
"No." Ma Rulong shook his head. "Compared to Ma Xiaotao, my win rate is higher against a weakling like you."
With that, he joined his hands in front of him. In an instant, his six Soul Rings flashed in succession! While his aura surged rapidly, a golden greatsword slowly emerged in his hands!
The sword was brilliant throughout; deep darkness flowed on one side of the blade, while blazing light bloomed on the other.
Light and darkness were interwoven and coexisted, yet remained distinctly separate—eerie yet divine.
Peak Rank 8 spirit tool, Sword of Judgment!
"Sword of Judgment." Ma Rulong gripped the hilt and looked directly at Dai Yueheng.
"Holding both light and darkness, it first attaches the darkness attribute to the enemy, then uses its own light attribute to pass judgment."
He paused and gave a cold laugh. "Your White Tiger is tough, but my sword might just be sharper!"
Looking at the sword, Dai Yueheng didn't panic; instead, his smile grew even more brilliant.
"It's a good thing I didn't let Ma Xiaotao come up," he murmured, his voice so low only he could hear. "Otherwise, who knows how bad her evil fire would act up after this battle."
He paused, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: evil fire erupting... loss of sanity... and having coveted Lin Xuan for a long time...
Dai Yueheng couldn't help but chuckle. Lin Xuan, oh Lin Xuan, don't blame your brother for ruining your 'good fortune' later...
After laughing, he suddenly raised his head and roared toward the heavens!
White Tiger Possession!
Golden light surged wildly from within his body, condensing into brilliant tiger stripes on his skin! His frame expanded, his muscles bulged, and his whole being became like a humanoid tiger, radiating a terrifying pressure!
Finally, he glanced toward the high platform.
The golden figure was looking down at him.
Dai Hao's gaze remained deep, but that slightly upturned corner of his mouth was more useful than any praise.
Dai Yueheng retracted his gaze, looked directly at Ma Rulong, and said word for word,
"Come! Let us finish the battle that didn't end in the last round!"
...
On the Soul Fighting Platform, the dust gradually settled.
Dai Yueheng lay face up on the rubble, covered in blood and riddled with wounds.
His White Tiger Possession had long since dissipated. The sword mark on his chest was deep enough to see bone, and his left arm was twisted at a bizarre angle, clearly broken.
He had lost consciousness, and Ma Rulong opposite him was not in much better shape.
He leaned on the Sword of Judgment with both hands, kneeling on one knee and gasping for breath. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, his nose, and even his eyes, dripping onto the shattered ground.
Ma Rulong's body was covered in wounds torn by tiger claws; the deepest one extended from his left shoulder all the way to his waist, nearly exposing the bone beneath.
But his eyes were still fixed on the figure lying on the ground opposite him.
"I was almost killed by you, you bastard..."
Witnessing this tragic scene, the veins on Heavenly Fiend Douluo's forehead throbbed. If he could, he would rather face the Fallen Heaven Douluo right now than be this damn referee.
"Shrek Academy's Dai Yueheng has lost consciousness. Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's Ma Rulong wins!"
He paused and continued,
"Shrek Academy voluntarily forfeits the remaining individual battles. Both sides will enter the 2-2-3 format. Both sides will rest for three minutes. After three minutes, the 2-2-3 format competition will officially begin!"
In the Shrek waiting area.
Medicine Fairy Douluo Wang Xianer was providing emergency treatment for Dai Yueheng. A soft emerald green light enveloped his entire body, and those shocking wounds were slowly healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Dai Hao had arrived in the waiting area at some unknown point. He stood to the side, looking at his unconscious son, his resolute face showing little emotion.
But in his deep eyes, there was clearly a trace of pride that was hard to conceal.
A moment later, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. Finally, he spoke slowly,
"I leave the upcoming matches to all of you. You must keep the championship within the three empires of Douluo."
...
Three minutes passed in a flash.
"The first match of the 2-2-3 format, members from both sides please take the stage!"
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen stood up at the same time.
As teammates, the two currently wished they could be ten thousand miles apart.
Ma Xiaotao stared straight ahead, while Ling Luochen's gaze fell in the completely opposite direction. It was as if an invisible chasm separated the two.
Before going up, Ma Xiaotao suddenly looked back at Lin Xuan.
"I will definitely win this round." She paused and continued, "But the next round is the most important. They will definitely send the Hongchen siblings."
"If you win, we are the champions. If you lose..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone present understood.
They had the advantage in the first two rounds, but once it reached the final 2-2-3 format, the Sun Moon Team, with more people, would have a very high probability of winning.
Lin Xuan looked at her and smiled slightly.
"Win your round first."
Ma Xiaotao curled her lip and muttered, "If it wasn't for that damned Absolute Defense Shield, I would have already led the team to the championship!"
With that, she walked toward the Soul Fighting Platform without looking back.
Ling Luochen followed behind, maintaining a distance of at least five meters from her at all times.
The first 2v2 match held no suspense.
The Sun Moon Team didn't even think about winning this round. They only sent out two Rank 4 Soul Engineers, who fired a few soul cannons symbolically before surrendering cleanly.
"The first match of the 2-2-3 format, Shrek Academy wins!"
Earth-shattering cheers erupted throughout the venue, but everyone knew that the true decisive battle had only just begun.
In the Sun Moon Team's waiting area.
Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Hongchen slowly stood up, and beside him, Meng Hongchen also stood up.
This was the first time the siblings were officially appearing in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition.
And this appearance would directly determine the direction of the championship.
The smile was gone from Xiao Hongchen's face, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.
In those heterochromatic eyes, a blazing battle intent burned.
Meng Hongchen, however, seemed much more relaxed. She leaned toward her brother and asked curiously,
"Brother, don't you love to smile? Why aren't you smiling now?"
Xiao Hongchen was silent for a second, then he spoke softly,
"Those who want to win don't have smiles on their faces."
With that, he strode outside.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Lin Xuan and Ning Tian walked out of the waiting area together. Ning Tian pursed her lips tightly, her palms already slick with sweat. She stole a glance at Lin Xuan beside her and found that he was smiling.
The smile was very faint, so faint it was almost unnoticeable, but it was a genuine smile.
"Aren't you... nervous?" Ning Tian couldn't help asking.
Lin Xuan glanced at her, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Those who want to win don't have smiles on their faces."
"But those who are guaranteed to win, do."
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