With the red-robed cardinal's announcement, all fourteen members of both teams released their martial souls and soul rings.
On the Spirit Hall Academy side, Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena stood at the very front. Five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—shone around each of them.
Xu Yu stood in the center. Sun Chuantao, Li Kai, and Zhang Ping formed the rear. These four possessed the optimal two-yellow, two-purple configuration.
The Shrek Academy team did not adopt the Seven-in-One formation they had used against the Godwind Academy the previous day. Instead, they arranged themselves in a 2-3-2 formation.
Tang San and Dai Mubai stood at the front.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun held the middle.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar stood in the rear line.
Among them, only Tang San, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and Oscar possessed the two-yellow, two-purple configuration. Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong were all three-ring spirit masters with two yellow and one purple ring.
Seeing the vast disparity in soul power, the Spirit Hall Elders could not hide their joy.
Bibi Dong frowned slightly as she glanced toward where Yu Xiaogang was seated, thinking to herself:
Xiaogang, you changed your formation again? I'd like to see what tricks you still have left.
Yu Xiaogang stared at the center of the arena, his expression heavy.
The gap in strength between the two sides was too great. He had no absolute confidence in victory—he could only hope that Tang San's plan would succeed.
Seeing the situation, Ning Fengzhi grew tense.
Among the fourteen participants, his daughter Ning Rongrong was the weakest.
Xie Yue and Yan of the Spirit Hall team possessed terrifying offensive power. Ning Rongrong could very well be injured.
Ning Rongrong was the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. No matter the circumstances—even within the Pope's Palace surrounded by countless experts—he would not allow her life to be threatened.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin also watched the arena without blinking, prepared to strike at any moment.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. Their figures blurred, and red light burst from their bodies as a special wave of soul power swept outward.
Xu Yu lifted his staff, and a beam of golden light descended upon the pair.
Immediately afterward, the siblings' bodies rapidly merged, forming a twisted humanoid silhouette.
As the figure appeared, more than half the arena became shrouded in a faint red mist.
Within this red mist, the opponent's movements, soul power, and senses were all suppressed by fifty percent.
However, in the face of this sudden development, the Shrek Seven displayed not a hint of panic.
Their gazes remained firmly on Tang San—as if they had long expected their opponents to use this technique first.
Just as the red mist was about to engulf them, Tang San suddenly moved.
He ate a flying mushroom sausage made by Oscar and immediately shot upward into the air.
Six Blue Silver Grass vines then whipped out from him like flexible tentacles, binding his six teammates tightly together.
Under the pull of the Blue Silver Grass, the Shrek Seven rose rapidly skyward, as though guided by an invisible force.
Their movements were neat and unified, almost as if they had rehearsed them countless times.
From the start, Tang San's plan had been meticulous. He had never intended to interrupt Xie Yue and Hu Liena's powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
He knew well that once the siblings activated that ability, they could no longer use any other soul skills.
The Bewitching Demon Fox could only exert its full power within a fixed range of control.
Once outside this range, its effects would fade, and the technique would pose no great threat to the Shrek Seven.
But Tang San's plan went far beyond simple evasion.
He understood that using their Martial Soul Fusion consumed a tremendous amount of Xie Yue and Hu Liena's soul power.
His strategy was not only to drain the siblings' power but also to force the other Spirit Hall members to expend theirs.
Only when they were no longer at peak condition could his razor-sharp Eight Spider Lances deliver devastating wounds.
Oscar's flying mushroom sausage allowed them to stay airborne only for about one minute.
Suddenly, Sun Chuantao's circular bladed ring shot toward Tang San like lightning.
Tang San reacted quickly—he released the other six immediately, allowing them to dive into their individual fights.
Dai Mubai lunged toward Yan like a savage tiger.
Xiao Wu targeted Sun Chuantao.
Ma Hongjun engaged Zhang Ping, who also possessed the ability to fly.
Zhu Zhuqing confronted Li Kai—outmatched in raw power but relying on her incredible speed.
Oscar ate another flying mushroom sausage, carrying Ning Rongrong on his back to support teammates from the air.
Tang San's Eight Spider Lances unfurled behind him like eight black scythes, and he charged straight toward the red mist and the androgynous figure within.
Shrek Academy's reckless assault shocked everyone present.
This was practically using eggs to strike stone—
a suicidal attack!
On the surface, every single matchup was overwhelmingly in Spirit Hall's favor.
Watching the scene unfold, Ning Fengzhi's expression grew increasingly grim.
He did not know Yu Xiaogang's plan and could not understand why they would risk themselves like this.
But no matter what, he absolutely could not allow harm to come to Ning Rongrong.
Facing Dai Mubai's fierce assault, Yan did not use a soul skill.
Instead, he simply threw a punch.
He understood Shrek's intentions: aside from Tang San, all other attacks were mere feints.
This method bought time for Tang San while draining the Spirit Hall team's stamina.
BOOM—
The White Tiger Light Wave collided with Yan's soul-power-infused stone fist, releasing a deafening blast.
Yan's soul power exceeded Dai Mubai's by more than ten levels. Even without using soul rings, the force behind his strike was immense.
The explosive shockwave sent Dai Mubai flying.
He flipped several times in midair before finally stabilizing himself.
He had only intended to test Yan's strength, but he hadn't expected his defense to be so terrifying.
From that point on, he avoided direct confrontation—choosing instead to harass and evade.
He, too, needed to conserve soul power for what was to come.
Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing also engaged their opponents in similar hit-and-run battles.
They fought while dodging, trying to drain the enemy's soul power.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Hall members—unaware of the true plan—kept unleashing soul skills in an attempt to defeat their foes quickly.
In her seat, Bibi Dong began to feel uneasy.
Yu Xiaogang's intentions were difficult to read.
And Tang San choosing to face Hu Liena and Xie Yue's Martial Soul Fusion alone—it made no sense.
Was he seeking death?
Tang San charged fearlessly into the red mist.
Inside the mist, only Xie Yue and Hu Liena could see clearly. But they had underestimated Tang San.
With his Purple Demon Eye and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San not only located their fused form but also evaded its attacks with precision.
When the four-meter-long spider leg pierced toward the figure, Xie Yue was startled.
"You can actually find my position!?"
He immediately grew cautious, gripping his dual blades tightly as he prepared to strike again.
Though he and Hu Liena could not use soul abilities in their fused state, their attacks were still terrifyingly strong.
"You think having an external spirit bone qualifies you to challenge us? Foolish. Since you want to die, I'll oblige you!"
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