"Captain!"
The Shi brothers, seeing Yu Tianheng's battered state, felt anger well up in their eyes and instinctively prepared to charge forward again.
"Hold your ground for now!"
Yu Tianheng gritted his teeth and barked the order. "Stay in position! The formation cannot break apart any further!"
Though defeat seemed inevitable, it wasn't so easy to make Yu Tianheng concede.
His words were more directed at Oslo and Yu Feng standing farther away.
And true to their years of teamwork with Yu Tianheng, Oslo and Yu Feng exchanged a quick glance, suppressed their impulses, and remained in place.
"Not bad, your will hasn't been broken despite everything… Truly worthy of being the Tian Dou Imperial Academy Team…"
Hu Liena's captivating pupils slowly swept over the Shi brothers' faces filled with unwillingness and anger, then moved to Yu Tianheng, who was breathing heavily but still holding on, preparing to continue the fight. Her gaze lingered briefly on Oslo's group before she nodded with a charming smile.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything, but admiration flickered in her eyes. However, her fighting spirit showed no signs of waning.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng took a slow step forward.
Just this single step caused Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers to tense up like frightened birds!
Oslo and Yu Feng trembled involuntarily, instinctively taking half a step back…
"Yu Tianheng, you truly live up to being one of the twin stars of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family."
Dai Chengfeng's gaze settled on Yu Tianheng. "Your team is good, but unfortunately, they ran into us."
"Let's continue! This time, Zhuqing will cooperate with me, while Nana handles restraining Oslo and the others."
"Understood!"
"..."
In an instant, Dai Chengfeng stomped the ground once more, and Zhu Zhuqing followed closely behind. The two surged forward—one golden, one black—transforming into streaks of light, charging toward Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers.
Hu Liena, on the other hand, stood smiling at Oslo, Yu Feng, and Oskar:
"Sorry, but the way ahead is off-limits~"
---
The battle held no suspense anymore. Even though Dai Chengfeng intentionally held back and only coordinated with Zhu Zhuqing, Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers—already injured from earlier—couldn't withstand their combined attacks.
As for Hu Liena, she effortlessly executed the tactics Dai Chengfeng had assigned, leading Oslo, Yu Feng, and Oskar around by the nose.
Finally, satisfied with the battle and considering the team sufficiently meshed, Dai Chengfeng delivered a punch that sent Yu Tianheng, still stubbornly refusing to surrender, along with the Shi brothers flying off the platform.
"Nana, end the battle!"
"Yes!"
Hearing Dai Chengfeng's command, Hu Liena no longer held back her strength. "Third Soul Skill: Celestial Fox Transformation!"
In an instant, the pink glow surrounding Hu Liena surged dramatically, transforming into a tangible flow of rosy clouds.
Her speed, strength, and mental power received a massive boost across the board!
Already an alluring figure, she now moved as swiftly as a demon, leaving behind a clear pink afterimage on the spot.
Oslo, Yu Feng, and their teammate felt another wave of dizziness as a stronger mental pressure mixed with a heavy fragrance overwhelmed them, causing their soul power to falter and their thoughts to become sluggish.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several dull thuds echoed, and Oslo, Yu Feng, and their teammate couldn't even mount an effective resistance before feeling a clever force strike their bodies, sending them off the platform.
Subsequently, the pink, enchanting figure gracefully descended at the edge of the platform, her three fox tails swaying elegantly behind her…
"This is the true strength of the Spirit Hall's golden generation?"
Standing beside Dai Chengfeng, Zhu Zhuqing witnessed the astonishing power Hu Liena unleashed in that instant.
That fluidity and overwhelming strength left a deep impression in her mind.
Her fist, hidden at her side, clenched tightly at that moment, nails almost digging into her palm. She realized just how vast the gap between herself and Hu Liena truly was!
"…The match is over! All members of the Imperial Battle Team have lost the ability to fight. The Netherworld Fox Team wins!"
After a brief moment of astonishment, the referee loudly announced the result.
The audience erupted into enthusiastic cheers and incredulous discussions.
Dai Chengfeng, however, remained completely calm, unsurprised by the outcome.
He retracted his imposing aura, glanced at the unwilling Yu Tianheng and his teammates below the platform, turned around, and said to Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena:
"Let's go."
Hu Liena smiled sweetly and naturally fell into step beside Dai Chengfeng.
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment, deeply gazed at Yu Tianheng—now supported by his teammates, his eyes complex as he looked over—and quickly caught up with Dai Chengfeng's pace.
"Dai Chengfeng, next time… Next time I'll definitely defeat you. I won't always lose to you! I swear!"
Yu Tianheng shouted at Dai Chengfeng's retreating back.
"Alright, I hope for you to grow stronger, but you're destined to never be my match!"
Dai Chengfeng didn't turn around, merely waving a casual hand as he bathed in the audience's gazes and murmurs, walking off the platform.
"Boss… Are you… are you alright?"
At this moment, Yu Feng approached Yu Tianheng, concern evident in his eyes.
"I'm fine."
Yu Tianheng shook his head, still staring at Dai Chengfeng's back. His eyes brimmed with reluctance, but unconsciously, a hint of admiration crept in.
Soon, Yu Tianheng looked at the utterly disheartened Shi brothers, Oslo, Yu Feng, and the others.
"Brothers…"
"We must admit, Dai Chengfeng is incredibly strong—the strongest of the younger generation I've ever seen. But as for me, Yu Tianheng…"
"I am not a failure!"
"At the Continental Elite Soul Academy Tournament, I will lead you all to defeat him honorably and avenge our humiliation! Do you have faith?!"
Instantly, the Shi brothers, Oslo, and Yu Feng perked up, their eyes reigniting with fighting spirit. "Yes!"
---
On the way back to the Spirit Hall, Dai Chengfeng's gaze swept over the two stunningly different yet equally breathtaking figures of Hu Liena and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Alright, let's discuss the battle summary."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing slightly lowered her head, her lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes carried a trace of stubbornness but were mostly filled with undeniable disappointment and clarity born from self-reflection.
"I'm sorry, I held us back."
She spoke first, her voice low but remarkably clear.
Though reluctant to admit it, her shortcomings as a Soul Grandmaster were glaringly exposed during that level of combat.
Whether it was speed, strength, or breakthrough ability when facing formidable opponents, she fell far short of Dai Chengfeng and Hu Liena, both Soul Ancestors.
During the final stage of the attack against the injured Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers, if not for Dai Chengfeng's intentional protection and guiding cooperation, her current strength wouldn't have been enough to independently eliminate any one of them effectively.
She even realized that in a one-on-one situation, Yu Tianheng—crushed by Dai Chengfeng—could easily defeat her.
This realization filled her with a deep sense of failure.
At the same time, guilt washed over her…
After all, before meeting Dai Chengfeng, she had doubted his abilities, even thinking he might be a useless playboy.
But now…
Zhu Zhuqing understood that she was wrong—terribly wrong!
Dai Chengfeng's strength was overwhelming, something she could only look up to now. He was absolutely not the failure others had claimed him to be!
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