Chapter 116 Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng Return to the Team! Public Opinion Shifts!
As the referee's loud yet slightly trembling announcement rang out, the smoke of battle in Xingluo Square finally began to dissipate.
This exciting match ended with the entire Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team being eliminated.
Heavenly Soul Royal Academy wins.
This was a result that almost no one dared to be certain of before the start of the competition.
Even though Liu Yuan was already famous, and even though Long Aotian was the eldest disciple of the Body Sect, most people thought that the Heavenly Soul Team would be defeated under the dense firepower of the Sun and Moon Royal Team, which was armed to the teeth and represented the pinnacle of Soul Guidance Civilization.
The hundreds of thousands of spectators in the stands fell into a brief, extremely oppressive, and even somewhat eerie silence the moment the referee's voice fell.
Immediately afterwards, like a long-accumulated volcanic eruption, a series of intense gasps that could shatter the clouds swept wildly across the square.
"I never expected that the Heavenly Soul Royal Team would actually win in the end... That's the Sun Moon Royal Team!"
"Yes! Did you see it clearly just now? The overall level of the Heavenly Soul Team is far inferior to that of the opponent, especially Liu Yuan. He is only level 49, but the combat power he unleashed is ridiculously high."
"It's not just Liu Yuan. Did you see Long Aotian catch the Sword of Judgment with his bare hands just now? This kind of pure physical strength is simply a nightmare for Soul Masters."
"Judging from their tactical execution and individual burst damage, the Heavenly Soul Royal Team can be considered the strongest team in this tournament. To be honest, I think even Shrek Academy would probably not have much of an advantage against Liu Yuan in this state."
Discussions rose and fell, filled with extreme approval of the Heavenly Soul Royal Team.
This recognition was earned through countless hard-fought battles.
At this moment, the reputation of the Tianhun team in the eyes of the audience has undergone a complete transformation. They are no longer seen as a "dark horse" challenger, but have become a true overlord with the potential to win the championship.
In the main seat of the VIP section, Emperor Xu Jiawei of Xingluo sat upright, his face displaying the most sincere and satisfied smile since the start of the competition.
From the perspective of the Star Luo Empire, he didn't care which academy ultimately won the championship, but he absolutely did not want to see the Sun Moon Royal Team lift the trophy.
After all, the Sun Moon Empire was an enemy country. Allowing the other side to take away the highest honor on their own territory was tantamount to slapping the Star Luo Empire in the face.
Therefore, seeing Ma Rulong and the others being carried off the stage, Xu Jiawei was in high spirits. He turned his head and praised Xu Jiujiu beside him:
"What an excellent team! Especially Liu Yuan and Long Aotian, those two young men, they are outstanding. It seems that the Heavenly Soul Empire is going to achieve amazing results this year."
Princess Xu Jiujiu nodded in agreement, "Yes. Vina is really lucky this time. At this rate, the rise of the Heavenly Soul Empire is probably unstoppable."
Meanwhile, at the other end of the square, the atmosphere on the Shrek team's preparation bench was unusually oppressive.
Huo Yuhao was staring intently at Liu Yuan, who was receiving cheers in the center of the arena, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.
As a Soul Master who also possesses an eye-shaped Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao understood better than anyone what the mental control and destructive power Liu Yuan had just displayed meant.
He recalled the scene when they first met in the Star Dou Great Forest. At that time, although he felt that Liu Yuan was very strong, he subconsciously believed that the gap between the two was not so great as to be hopeless.
But now, Liu Yuan has already demonstrated his dominant strength to the entire continent, while Huo Yuhao is still struggling to gain a foothold in this incomplete reserve team.
This huge disparity caused Huo Yuhao's already wavering heart, which had been shaken by Xuanzi's suppression, to resurface a thought that he had forcibly suppressed before: Had he really made the wrong choice?
If I had actually chosen to go to the Body Sect when Liu Yuan extended the invitation back in the Star Dou Great Forest and the Far North, would I be standing under the spotlight now, receiving cheers from thousands of people, just like Liu Yuan?
But this thought was fleeting.
"Never mind..."
"Overthinking is pointless."
Huo Yuhao quickly shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
It's all in the past. I chose this path myself. Now that I'm already in Shrek Academy, there's no point in thinking about it anymore.
Xuanzi, who was sitting in the team leader's seat, was in a state that could only be described as "appalling".
He was the person who disliked Ryu Won-ho the most in the entire room.
To him, the more amazing Liu Yuan's performance was, the more it proved how poor Xuanzi's judgment was.
Watching Liu Yuan instantly defeat the Hongchen siblings and severely injure Ma Rulong, Xuanzi felt as if his cheeks had been slapped dozens of times from afar.
He broke down completely; his entire body trembled violently as he sat in his seat, his hand holding the wine jug shaking.
Fear and distress intertwined in Xuanzi's heart.
He began to worry seriously: if things continued this way, could Shrek really hold onto their perpetual championship title?
"Elder Xuan, you don't need to worry. We are almost recovered."
Just as Xuanzi was sinking into a quagmire of anxiety, two confident voices rang in his ears.
Xuanzi turned around abruptly and saw Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng.
Although the two true souls of the Shrek team were still somewhat pale, the arrogance of top-tier powerhouses had been rekindled in their eyes.
Hearing their assurances, Xuanzi's heart, which was on the verge of collapse, instantly felt as if it had found a stabilizing force.
Yes! Why should I worry?
Xuanzi quickly reassured himself internally.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng will be returning to the team soon.
They are genuine Soul Emperor level experts, the ultimate trump card of the Shrek Academy team.
Even if Liu Yuan and Long Aotian are performing exceptionally well now, can they really overcome the gap in levels and defeat two top-tier Soul Emperors who work together seamlessly?
In Xuanzi's view, this was clearly impossible.
Moreover, the strength of the other official members of the Shrek team is far superior to that of the "runners-up" of the Heavenly Soul team.
Thinking of this, Xuanzi's confidence returned.
He even glanced defiantly at Poison Undying in the distance, and muttered to himself with a cold laugh:
"Hmph, Liu Yuan, let you be smug for a while longer. Once we meet in the finals, once Xiao Tao and Yue Heng make their move, you'll have to behave yourselves."
"When the time comes, I will personally reclaim Shrek's dignity."
Time flew by during the intense competition.
Just as Xuanzi had hoped, Shrek Academy experienced a turning point in the following days.
As the Round of 16 progressed, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng officially announced their return to the team after recovering from their injuries. In the first match of the quarterfinals, Shrek Academy fielded these two Soul Emperors as their starting lineup.
That battle caused Xingluo Square to boil over once again.
Ma Xiaotao's ferocious Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul once again ravaged the arena, while Dai Yueheng's White Tiger Vajra Transformation displayed unparalleled head-on crushing power.
With the return of the two of them, the Shrek team was like a completely different team, no longer the pathetic group that was struggling to survive with its remaining members.
They used a violent aesthetic that was almost devastating and completely unreasonable to utterly crush their opponents in a very short time.
This overwhelming performance once again shocked the entire audience.
The public opinion, which had completely sided with the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy, began to waver once again.
Many people, watching Shrek regain his invincible form, began to feel uneasy.
"As expected, Shrek Academy is still Shrek Academy. As long as their main force returns, they remain invincible."
"It seems that the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy's chances of winning the championship are still slim, after all, the Soul Emperor's suppressive power is just too terrifying."
"Although Liu Yuan is strong, can he really withstand that terrifying flame when facing Ma Xiaotao in her prime?"
(End of chapter)