The afternoon arrived quickly, and it was time for the fifth round of the finals' loser bracket, Star Luo Royal Academy vs. Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Shrek Team.
The audience was packed, shoulder to shoulder. The two great empires had never been particularly friendly over the years, making this battle a true clash of titans.
Yu Xiaogang, after some consideration, surprisingly decided to continue using the same formation used against the New Divine Wind team, the defensive setup created by Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong found this a bit baffling. That formation might have worked against the New Divine Wind team due to their explosive power but lack of top-tier support like Ning Rongrong or Ye Lingling. Their endurance wasn't great.
But Star Luo Royal Academy was the exact opposite. Not only did they have strong offense, but their formation was well-balanced. Even in a prolonged battle, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage, after all, they had two Spirit Masters above level 45.
The Shrek Team lineup remained unchanged: Yang Xiong, Yu Tianheng, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Shi Mo, Shi Mo (the twins), and Ye Lingling.
Star Luo Royal Academy made some adjustments to their formation.
- Captain Davis: Martial Spirit, White Tiger, Level 49 Power Attack Spirit Master.
- Vice-captain Zhu Zhuyun: Martial Spirit, Netherworld Civet, Level 47 Agility Attack Spirit Master.
- Team member Lin Yao: Martial Spirit, Flame Eagle, Level 39 Agility Attack Spirit Elder.
- Team member Ying Wei: Martial Spirit, Expanding Water Buffalo, Level 44 Power Attack Spirit Master.
- Team member Tang Hongning: Martial Spirit, Fierce Thunder Leopard, Level 43 Agility Attack Spirit Master.
- Team members Dong Hui and Yang Mingxi (twin sisters): Martial Spirit, Water of Virtue, Level 40 Support-type Spirit Masters.
Yang Xiong found their lineup odd. Normally, they had another Spirit Master, but now they replaced them with a high-level fire-type Spirit Elder, likely for a specific counter-strategy.
Yang Xiong was speechless looking at both teams' setups. Star Luo had three agility-type Spirit Masters but no defense-type ones. On the other hand, Shrek had no agility-type fighters, only Yang Xiong could be counted as a half-agility fighter. Overall, Shrek's formation lacked speed.
Despite this, Star Luo Royal Academy had a significantly higher average spirit power than Shrek, since Shrek had two Spirit Elders.
At the referee's signal, both sides summoned their Martial Spirits and Spirit Rings, the match began.
Star Luo took the initiative. Davis charged forward like a massive tiger, trying to break through Shrek's formation with brute force. Ying Wei, with his Water Buffalo Martial Spirit, followed right beside him at level 44.
In addition to the frontal assault, the three agility-type Spirit Masters executed a coordinated pincer attack at high speed. Star Luo's tactics were well-designed, most teams wouldn't be able to defend against such an offensive.
Shrek initially planned to form a defensive formation, but Tang San immediately shouted, "Scatter!"
The team quickly broke formation and spread out. Tang San had quick judgment, had they held formation, it likely would have been broken by force.
The Shi brothers responded swiftly, rushing to intercept Davis and Ying Wei. Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai also moved in quickly, protecting the Shi brothers and fending off the agility attackers. Thanks to their combat prowess, they could hold their own for now, otherwise, the relatively slow Shi brothers would have been overwhelmed.
Yang Xiong dashed toward Zhu Zhuyun. Among the team, only he had the speed to match her level-47 agility.
But Davis's power exceeded expectations. He transformed into a giant white tiger and struck Shi Mo's Black Tortoise shell, sending him flying back several meters. From his power and Martial Spirit, Davis seemed to already possess Spirit King-level combat strength, his offense and defense were comparable to Yan from the Spirit Hall team.
Dai Mubai immediately moved to confront Davis. The hatred between the two was obvious.
Davis smirked. "My dear brother, you've been gone for years. I wonder if you've improved at all."
Both activated their third spirit skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation. Their bodies swelled with muscle and power.
But after just one clash, Davis stood his ground while Dai Mubai was knocked back several meters. The gap was evident. Davis was five levels stronger than Feng Xiaotian and clearly more powerful.
Ye Lingling responded quickly. Her Nine-Star Begonia sent healing light into Dai Mubai and Shi Mo, restoring them instantly.
While Dai Mubai and Davis were locked in a brutal duel, Yang Xiong and Zhu Zhuyun demonstrated extreme speed. The Netherworld Civet was a top-tier agility Martial Spirit, faster than any Spirit Master Yang Xiong had encountered, even Feng Xiaotian.
Yang Xiong didn't back down. He pushed his speed to the limit, his hands turning into silver claws as he lunged at her.
Zhu Zhuyun, however, was shockingly nimble. Her hands, like twin daggers, clashed with Yang Xiong's claws. Before he could retaliate, she retreated swiftly, impossible to pin down.
Yang Xiong was impressed. Zhu Zhuyun wasn't just fast, her combat instincts were incredibly sharp, especially with her Martial Spirit's reflexes.
Though Yang Xiong considered himself unmatched in speed among Spirit Masters, Zhu Zhuyun was elusive, using agility-focused tactics similar to Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Tracks, no wonder the Netherworld Civet was famed for its reflexes.
Yang Xiong enhanced his speed and used a unique footwork style he developed from years of battling Tang San and studying Tai Chi, his "Bagua Footwork."
Derived from Tai Chi principles, Yin and Yang birthing the Four Symbols, which in turn form the Eight Trigrams, the technique prioritized fluidity over raw speed. Each step followed a calculated, circular motion.
Zhu Zhuyun couldn't keep up. After several exchanges, she misstepped. In that instant, Yang Xiong drew a circle with his hands and struck like lightning, landing a heavy blow on her abdomen and sending her flying.
Tai Chi was known for using softness to overcome strength, and slowness to overcome speed. At that moment, it was unstoppable.
Startled, Zhu Zhuyun countered with her first spirit skill, Nether Spike. Her claws extended, speed doubling, a powerful close-range skill.
Yang Xiong hardened his body with his self-developed defensive skill: Steel Muscles and Iron Bones.
Zhu Zhuyun's claws struck him like hitting iron, she couldn't penetrate. Before she could retreat, Yang Xiong grabbed her and raked five long gashes into her body, tearing a chunk of her clothes.
Zhu Zhuyun shouted, "Pervert!"
She launched another furious assault. Yang Xiong, however, was speechless. It's just a battle, why am I suddenly the villain? Don't Spirit Masters expect to get hit in a match?
While Yang Xiong had the upper hand against Zhu Zhuyun, things weren't going as well elsewhere.
Dai Mubai was clearly no match for Davis. Yu Tianheng couldn't suppress Ying Wei either, his level-44 Water Buffalo Martial Spirit was no pushover. The Shi brothers' slowness was becoming a liability against the three agility attackers.
Tang San tried to control the field with Blue Silver Grass, but Star Luo had prepared for that. Lin Yao, the Flame Eagle Spirit Elder, was clearly deployed to counter Tang San. With high speed and aerial mobility, he targeted the vines directly.
The Flame Eagle was a top-tier Martial Spirit, fast, airborne, and strong. Though Lin Yao was only a Spirit Elder, he had air superiority, and Shrek had no good counter.
As the battle dragged on, both sides entered a war of attrition, like the Shrek vs. Divine Wind match. But Shrek was at a clear disadvantage now. Star Luo's offense was more aggressive, and they had two top-tier support Spirit Masters.
The Water of Virtue twins, Dong Hui and Yang Mingxi, provided powerful healing and buffs with their water-type Martial Spirit, considered one of the best.
Compared to others, Zhu Zhuyun had it the worst. She was slower than Yang Xiong and physically weaker. Multiple wounds covered her body from Yang Xiong's attacks. If not for her speed, she'd have been knocked off the platform already.
The twins constantly healed Zhu Zhuyun, and the effect was impressive. Yang Xiong even wondered if their joint healing had a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their powers.
Seeing Zhu Zhuyun repeatedly injured, Davis launched his second spirit skill, White Tiger Light Wave. Dai Mubai responded with the same skill but was overpowered and forced back several meters.
Davis suddenly altered his skill, the beam became a cutting laser, slicing toward Yang Xiong with immense force.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuyun activated her second spirit skill, Nether Claw Barrage. The two coordinated their attacks perfectly, cornering Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong merely sneered. His silver dragon-like claws extended, left hand grabbing Davis's beam, right hand intercepting Zhu Zhuyun's claws.
In a stunning display, he crushed both attacks. Zhu Zhuyun was sent flying again.
Yang Xiong wasn't afraid of Zhu Zhuyun attacking, only wary of her using her speed to dodge and harass his teammates. As long as he kept her occupied, that was enough.
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