As expected, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy won their semifinal match against Dio Academy with overwhelming superiority.
The Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen siblings still didn't appear on stage, but the Sun Moon team's captain, Ma Rulong, displayed extraordinary individual strength.
In the subsequent individual elimination rounds, he directly suppressed Dio Academy's captain and then consecutively defeated two more of their members, leading his team powerfully into the Grand Finals.
In that match, Ma Rulong had used two powerful Level Seven soul tools.
Although his cultivation was only at the Soul Emperor level, all of his soul ring skills were designed to amplify his soul power.
That was what allowed him to use Level Seven soul tools despite being below the Soul Sage rank.
Of course, when it came to foundation and overall strength, he could not compare to Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, two Soul Emperors from Shrek Academy's Inner Court.
Soul skills that amplified soul power could only grant temporary bursts of energy to reach the level of a seven-ring Soul Sage—they didn't actually increase the total amount of soul power.
While Level Seven soul tools were incredibly powerful, their consumption of soul power was equally immense.
If Ma Rulong were to engage in a prolonged battle against Ma Xiaotao or Dai Yueheng, there was absolutely no chance of victory.
This was also the typical weakness of Soul Engineers—their ability to sustain long-term combat was weak.
As the times evolved, the cultivation systems of Soul Masters were gradually refined. Compared to ten thousand years ago, Soul Masters of the same age today were indeed far stronger overall.
However, those capable of relying purely on their own cultivation to break through to the Soul King rank before the age of twenty remained extremely rare.
In this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, quite a few contestants had reached the Soul King level, but in reality, at least half of them had relied on various elixirs and heavenly treasures to raise their cultivation.
This was especially true for the Sun Moon Empire, which heavily emphasized the use of soul tools.
Disciples of Shrek Academy's Inner Court, so long as they did not perish halfway, could almost certainly break through to the rank of Titled Douluo.
But those from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, who relied on numerous potions to artificially boost their power and whose martial souls were not particularly strong, mostly ended up as mediocrities in the end.
That was precisely why Wang Yan had such confidence in his students.
Even though the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's overall combat ability was impressive, perhaps narrowing the gap through soul tools or specific tactics, the foundations of the two sides were worlds apart.
Moreover, the Grand Finals would follow a best-of-three format: team battle, individual elimination, and the 2–2–3 match system.
Soul Engineers excelled most in coordinated combat, relying on concentrated firepower to suppress their enemies. Thus, the Sun Moon team would only hold an advantage in the team battle.
The other two formats, however, were highly favorable to Shrek Academy.
The tournament had now reached its final stage, and for several consecutive days, Star Luo City had become so crowded that the streets were packed beyond capacity.
After the semifinals, in which both Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy won with overwhelming dominance, it was clear to everyone that the final showdown would be the ultimate clash between these two giants.
From the moment the semifinals ended, audiences began lining up, filling Star Luo Square completely, all for the chance to obtain a ticket to the Grand Finals.
Even the members of Shrek Academy, who had stayed to watch the Sun Moon vs. Dio Academy match, had to rely on the intervention of soldiers to maintain order just to leave the area through a less-crowded route.
Upon returning to the Star Emperor Grand Hotel, Wang Yan immediately gathered everyone in the top-floor conference room for the final pre-battle meeting.
Just one more victory against the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, and Shrek Academy would once again extend its legacy of glory.
Seated at the head of the table, Wang Yan scanned the faces of everyone present.
"After watching today's match, does anyone have any thoughts?"
His gaze lingered most on Ma Xiaotao and Xu Zihuang, for in the upcoming final against the Sun Moon team, Yu Tianhuang and Ma Xiaotao were the core of Shrek Academy's formation.
Dai Yueheng frowned slightly.
"This Ma Rulong is indeed very strong, and with the combined firepower of six Level-Five Soul Engineers supporting him, the team battle might not be easy."
As he spoke, he turned his eyes toward Xu Zihuang.
"Tianhuang, is your first soul skill really as miraculous as everyone says?"
From the start of this entire tournament, Shrek Academy had been dominating all the way. Even when Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Chen Zifeng were recovering from injuries, they had almost completely relied on Yu Tianhuang's power to suppress their opponents.
However, Yu Tianhuang had never once displayed his first soul skill throughout the entire competition.
In Wang Yan's tactical plan, Yu Tianhuang's first soul skill was the key element.
Except for Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao, and a few of the reserve members who had personally experienced its effects, even Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo could only vaguely guess what kind of ability it was.
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly.
"My first soul skill's effect is to remove all negative statuses and provide a ten-percent area-wide boost to both spiritual power and martial soul attributes."
There was no need to conceal the ability anymore.
At his words, everyone in the room widened their eyes in astonishment.
Just the ability to eliminate all negative effects was already enough to shock them. What did that mean? It meant complete immunity to all negative status-type skills and auras.
And then there was the ten-percent enhancement to spiritual power and martial soul attributes.
The importance of spiritual power to a Soul Master was beyond question — the stronger one's spirit, the greater one's control over their martial soul, soul power, and skills.
In practice, this meant being able to unleash the maximum effect of a soul skill with the least energy consumption, along with many other benefits that manifested in real combat.
As for the boost to martial soul attributes, that was even more incredible.
For example, Gongyang Mo's fifth soul skill could only increase the power of soul skills.
But an enhancement to martial soul attributes directly elevated the quality of the martial soul itself — almost like an evolution.
Only Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao, and Ning Tian, who already knew about it, remained calm, while those like Beibei who had experienced it before showed looks of realization.
Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo, however, were visibly stunned.
"So that's it. No wonder during that sparring match, Yao Haoxuan and Ling Luochen's soul skills stopped working," Chen Zifeng murmured in amazement as he recalled the past event.
Ma Xiaotao, sitting beside Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, glanced at the two with a complex expression before suddenly speaking up.
"Since you've revealed your soul skill's effect, I'll also stop hiding mine. Under Yu Tianhuang's first soul skill, my Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul's fire attribute can be elevated to the level of the Ultimate Fire."
"Ultimate Fire? Xiao Tao, are you sure?!"
Even Wang Yan lost his composure, standing abruptly in disbelief.
It was well known that a Soul Master possessing an Ultimate Attribute could often wield the combat strength of an average Titled Douluo even at the Soul Sage rank — though, of course, that referred to weaker Titled Douluo whose martial souls and rings weren't particularly exceptional.
Still, this fact alone was enough to show the terrifying power of Ultimate Attributes.
Ma Xiaotao's soul power had already reached Rank 68, and with Gongyang Mo, a Soul Emperor-level auxiliary-type Soul Master, providing support, if her martial soul attribute were further elevated to the level of the Ultimate Fire, she might not quite match a Titled Douluo, but she could certainly crush the vast majority of Soul Douluo-level experts.
Ma Xiaotao nodded firmly.
"My feeling won't be wrong."
Wang Yan took a deep breath and smiled wryly.
"In that case, there's really nothing left to plan. In the team battle, we'll just crush them head-on."
Yu Tianhuang's first soul skill, Song of the White Whale, was indeed Shrek Academy's final trump card.
What Wang Yan hadn't expected, however, was that under its effect, Ma Xiaotao's martial soul attribute could actually rise all the way to the Ultimate Fire level.
That alone rendered all strategies unnecessary—
Because Ma Xiaotao alone would be enough to tear the enemy apart.
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