Chapter 265 The Sixth Match Begins
The dull cracking sound gradually subsided on the competition stage.
Seven students from Skyfire Academy lay sprawled among the ruins below the stage. Several pale-faced teachers rushed forward and hurriedly helped them up.
The Shrek Academy members on the stage had all withdrawn their martial souls, and not a speck of dust had even settled on their bodies.
After a brief silence, a roar that even surpassed the previous clamor erupted from the stands surrounding the main square.
"Half a minute... Skyfire Academy is a prestigious academy, yet it couldn't even last half a minute?" An elder from a sect sitting in the middle row stared intently at the Shrek Academy team, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. "Is this the foundation of Shrek Academy? These brats are all monsters."
"We originally thought that Shrek Academy would be in decline after Elder Mu's death, but now it seems that we were all wrong. With a level 99 Taotie Douluo in the rear and such a group of young juniors in front, Shrek Academy's position as the number one academy is unshakable."
Countless rogue cultivators and minor sect soul masters wore expressions of awe, whispering amongst themselves. This utterly decisive crushing victory completely shattered the contempt they had harbored for the past five years.
Not only ordinary people, but also the main forces of other top powers on their preparation seats at this time had different expressions.
At the preparation stand of the Star Luo National Academy, Xu Jiujiu rested her hands on the railing, a rare solemnity on her delicate face. Watching Huo Yuhao and the others walk off the stage, she turned to her teammates behind her and said in a deep voice, "Did you see that clearly? That Huo Yuhao, the purity of his Ultimate Ice Soul Power is even more terrifying than it was five years ago. And that Captain Bei Bei, his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul seems to have undergone a certain degree of benign mutation. This year's Shrek Academy is significantly stronger than the last one in Star Luo City."
The members of the Star Luo team nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with shock. They had initially thought that without Ma Xiaotao this year, Shrek Academy would have a chance to compete, but now it seemed the gap was still significant.
On the other side of the main square, the atmosphere was equally tense at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's training ground.
Jing Hongchen's cold eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao: "Huo Yuhao's spiritual attribute martial soul, combined with his ultimate ice, has a great restraining effect on our soul masters' coordinated defensive formation. It will be difficult to keep the championship in Mingdu this year's competition."
Under the watchful, awe-inspiring gazes of the entire audience, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and the other seven Shrek Academy members slowly walked back to their respective training seats through the passage.
Xuanzi remained seated on the central wooden chair. Listening to the awe-inspiring shouts from the audience on either side, and seeing the expressions of utter shock on the faces of the leaders of various factions, he felt as if he had drunk a century-old vintage wine, a feeling of exhilaration that permeated his very bones.
It's done.
Xuanzi leisurely hung the wine gourd back on his waist, his smugness undisguised. He could clearly feel that since the slaying of the evil soul master at the North Gate, and the younger generation's sweeping victory over their opponents in half a minute, Shrek Academy's reputation and prestige, lost over the past five years, were gradually returning at a visible pace.
"Haha, good! Well done!"
As Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao approached, Xuan Zi laughed loudly, patting their shoulders hard with his rough hands, sparing no praise: "You little rascals, you truly deserve to be the core members of our Shrek Academy. That move you made on stage just now was clean and decisive, showcasing the prestige of our First Academy. I'd like to see who in Mingdu City dares to gossip about Shrek Academy behind our backs after this battle!"
Beibei bowed slightly and replied, "It's all thanks to Elder Xuan's excellent strategic guidance."
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao also looked proud, after all, the cheers from the center of attention were indeed pleasing.
However, Huo Yuhao, who had returned to his seat, still had a furrowed brow.
He turned his head and glanced at Xuanzi, who was stroking his beard and looking smug and proud, and then looked at his companions who were immersed in the joy of victory.
Huo Yuhao picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, but the worry in his heart only intensified.
In the first elimination round, in their pursuit of "regaining their reputation," they revealed all their secrets.
Although it shocked the entire audience, in Huo Yuhao's view, it completely exposed Shrek Academy's true strengths and weaknesses to the light of day.
After all, Skyfire Academy is just an ordinary opponent. If they reveal all their secrets for such an opponent, what will they use to cooperate when facing Sun Moon Royal Academy later?
Is such an unrestrained outburst really a good thing?
Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly but remained silent. He knew that the entire sect's higher-ups, including Xuanzi, were in high spirits, and anything he said would be futile.
Meanwhile, on the west side of the main square, in the exclusive preparation area of the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy.
Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, and several other core disciples of the Body Sect were coldly watching the Shrek Academy group, who were surrounded by a crowd and looking smug, not far away.
"laugh--"
Chen Lu picked up a fruit from the plate and threw it into his mouth. He glanced sideways at the south side where Shrek Academy was located, his eyes full of disdainful sneers: "Is it necessary to use all of their main core soul skills to fight an ordinary academy that doesn't even have two Soul Kings? They finished the battle in half a minute. It looks impressive, but it's just bluffing. I really don't know what they're pretending to be so great about."
Wang Yanfeng gave a cold snort of agreement, crossed his arms, and said in a stiff tone, "Not bad. The purity of the Extreme Ice is acceptable, but Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi's movements seemed too slow to me. If it had been us on that stage just now, Chen Lu and Senior Brother Aotian, without even releasing their martial souls, could have blasted Tianhuo Academy down in half a minute just with their second-awakened physical essence. Do they, Shrek Academy, really think they're the only ones in the world with hands and feet?"
Long Aotian remained seated with a cold expression. Although he did not make sarcastic remarks like Chen Lu and Wang Yanfeng, his handsome eyes were also largely unmoved, indicating that Shrek Academy's combat power had not posed any real threat to him.
Liu Yuan sat at the very front, his white robes spotless. He silently adjusted the source of his double pupils within his body, listening to the conversation of his junior brothers behind him, merely smiling faintly without saying a word. To him now, the fighting power Shrek Academy had just displayed was still within his expectations, and it didn't arouse much interest in him at all.
On the high platform, the competition continued to unfold.
With Shrek Academy's high-profile advancement, the fourth match came to a complete close. Immediately afterwards, the two prestigious academy teams from the Heavenly Soul and the Douling Empire, who had drawn the fifth match, stepped onto the stage.
After the ultimate audiovisual spectacle of the fourth Shrek showdown, the fifth match seemed somewhat lackluster to the audience. However, the discussions around the main plaza were already building to another climax.
"Is the fifth game almost over? Next up is the sixth game."
"Tianhun Royal Academy! The team that ended Shrek Academy's undefeated streak last year is finally about to make their appearance."
"Shrek fought so fiercely just now, they practically revealed their trump cards in a show of force. I want to see how this year's Heavenly Soul Royal Academy will respond to the invisible pressure from Shrek."
"I heard their opponent is the academy of the Douling Empire. The captain's face turned green after drawing the lots. I guess this will be another crushing defeat."
The surrounding spectators, independent cultivators, and even the various factions on the viewing platform were all whispering among themselves. Everyone was extremely eager for the upcoming matches, and most of the attention that was originally focused on the fifth match had spontaneously shifted to the preparation seats of the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy.
Bang.
Half an hour later, the last contestant in the fifth match was knocked off the stage.
The referee in charge of the competition strode to the center of the stage. He channeled his soul power, and his booming voice, amplified by dozens of soul-guided amplifiers, instantly reverberated throughout every corner of the entire plaza.
"The fifth match is over, and the winner advances! Now, both teams in the sixth match of the first stage knockout round, please prepare yourselves and take the field immediately!"
"The Heavenly Soul Royal Academy team versus the Douling Empire's Fenglin Advanced Soul Master Academy!"
(End of chapter)