Although this tournament introduced participation from sects, no one could deny the strength of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Having Yu Tianhuang and Xiao Hongchen settle the match with a one-on-one duel was actually more advantageous for Shrek Academy.
Zhang Lexuan naturally had no reason to object.
As the competition progressed into its later stages, the clashes grew increasingly intense. Many of the more important matches were personally officiated by the Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan.
And in the first round-robin match, Shrek Academy versus the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was undoubtedly the most crucial.
The Unbreakable Douluo floated down from the rostrum and stood at the center of the competition stage. Before the match began, the soul engineer's protective barrier had not yet risen. Zheng Zhan's voice, amplified by soul power, resounded throughout the entire venue.
"Due to the agreement between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, both team captains will decide the outcome through a one-on-one match."
The entire audience erupted in an uproar, chaos spreading everywhere.
Only a very small number felt genuine disappointment; the vast majority had their emotions instantly ignited.
Yu Tianhuang was the most gifted prodigy among the younger generation of soul masters on the original Douluo Continent, while Xiao Hongchen was likewise a once-in-a-millennium genius rarely seen in the Sun Moon Empire over thousands of years.
Deciding the match in this manner was not only a clash between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but also a collision between traditional soul masters and soul engineers.
Although one could not hastily conclude from the match's outcome which side—traditional soul masters or soul engineers- was superior, it could at least prove, in the current era, which side held the advantage.
Because to a certain extent, Yu Tianhuang and Xiao Hongchen symbolized the future pinnacles of traditional soul masters and soul engineers, respectively.
"Sun Moon! Must win! Must win! Must win! Must win!"
Frenzied shouts spread across the entire spectator area, and the crowd's emotions exploded in an instant.
Among the audience present, ordinary people made up at least ninety percent or more. Those who truly knew about Xu Zihuang's soul ring configuration and terrifying strength were, after all, only a minority.
In such a situation, the citizens of the Sun Moon Empire naturally supported the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, which represented the Sun Moon Empire.
Amid the cheers and roars filling the venue, Xiao Hongchen was unusually calm, abnormally so. Step by step, he steadily walked to the center of the competition stage.
At the same time, Xu Zihuang arrived on Zheng Zhan's other side, locking eyes with Xiao Hongchen.
From the rostrum, upon hearing that Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had reached such an agreement, Xu Tianran smiled and praised,
"Hall Master Hongchen, your grandson has grown quite a bit. To have such courage and responsibility, very good."
"Your Highness overpraises." Jing Hongchen gave a wry smile and lowered his head.
"Although my grandson's talent is decent, compared to that of Yu Tianhuang, there is still a considerable gap. I'm afraid he will end up embarrassing the empire later. Please punish him accordingly."
Xu Tianran gave a faint smile.
"The round-robin stage has only just begun; it is far from over. Until the final result is out, no one can say he has embarrassed anyone. Hall Master Hongchen, your grandson already deserves praise simply for having the courage to stand on the competition stage. Moreover, I can see that he is not merely brave without a strategy; he truly has confidence. Let us wait and see. I believe today's match will be very exciting."
Receiving Xu Tianran's affirmation, Jing Hongchen's expression eased somewhat, though his heart was filled with even greater helplessness.
His grandson did indeed have a trump card. After five years of bitter cultivation, his progress had truly been remarkable. But unfortunately, when compared to a prodigy like Yu Tianhuang, he was destined to be nothing more than a foil.
Nearby, Zhongli Wu and Ju Zi were also focused on the situation in the arena and did not interrupt the conversation between Xu Tianran and Jing Hongchen.
"Shrek Academy, Yu Tianhuang."
"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Xiao Hongchen."
The customary introductions seemed to spark an unusual fire. Both simultaneously retreated to the edges of the field.
Xu Zihuang and Xiao Hongchen faced each other from afar. But unlike the turbulent emotions hidden beneath Xiao Hongchen's calm expression, Xu Zihuang's inner world remained completely undisturbed, without the slightest ripple.
Zheng Zhan looked at both sides, then abruptly swung down the raised right hand.
"Match—begin!"
In an instant, soul rings emerged one after another around each of them. Although Xiao Hongchen had the optimal configuration of two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings, they still appeared far too plain compared to Xu Zihuang's six terrifying soul rings that could shock anyone's heart.
Feeling the oppressive aura from Xu Zihuang's six soul rings at such close range, Xiao Hongchen's body could not help but momentarily stiffen. But this lasted only an instant. Once he reacted, his expression turned resolute. He swung both hands into the air, and countless metal orbs of various colors, engraved with complex patterns, filled the sky.
These were the aggregated bodies of core formations, the core of all soul tools.
Immediately afterward, Xiao Hongchen's first four soul rings lit up almost simultaneously.
First soul skill: Metal Control, second soul skill: Gold Boiling, third soul skill: Gold Shaping, fourth soul skill: Gold Sacrifice.
Relying on the first four soul skills of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul, cannon barrels rapidly took shape amid the fusion of specks of radiant light. Behind him emerged a dense array of soul cannon turrets, resembling a black metal forest, deep, dark, and brimming with danger.
Most terrifying of all, every single one of these soul cannons was at least sixth level. And their number easily exceeded three hundred.
For an ordinary sixth-level soul engineer, simultaneously controlling two or three sixth-level soul tools was already the limit. Yet Xiao Hongchen, thanks to the special nature of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul and his fourth soul skill Gold Sacrifice, was able to achieve such a shocking feat.
The Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul's fourth soul skill, Gold Sacrifice, could burn the metal elements he condensed, generating immense energy. It was precisely this energy that allowed Xiao Hongchen to operate such a massive number of sixth-level soul cannons simultaneously.
It could be said that his martial soul was born for soul tools.
A true one-man army!
Just as the audience was about to cheer for the ability Xiao Hongchen had displayed, Xu Zihuang on the opposite side made the same motion.
Light flashed from the storage soul tools on both wrists, and one after another, dazzling dark-red crystal orbs were thrown high into the air.
Strange dark-red ripples swept past, and behind Xu Zihuang, an array of soul cannon turrets constructed from dark-red crystal stood ready.
Just as Xiao Hongchen's pupils contracted, both sides' soul cannon arrays instantly erupted with countless barrages.
As early as the previous All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, Xu Zihuang had received inspiration from Xiao Hongchen. He did not possess Xiao Hongchen's ability to control metal, but the dark-red crystal condensed through his second soul skill, Mirror of Annihilation, possessed all the excellent properties of rare metals.
High hardness, high temperature resistance, and almost lossless soul power conductivity. The dark-red crystal he condensed with soul power was itself an ideal material for crafting soul tools.
Moreover, these dark-red crystals could be converted into pure soul power at his will, equivalent to Xiao Hongchen's fourth soul skill, Gold Sacrifice, providing energy to the soul tools.
In preparation for the wars that might erupt in the future, during his training journeys and in the free time before this tournament began, Xu Zihuang would spend his idle moments crafting such core formation aggregated bodies from dark-red crystal.
Now, in this confrontation with Xiao Hongchen, they finally came in handy.
With so many soul cannons firing simultaneously, the competition stage felt far too narrow. Countless soul cannon blasts exploded across the space, and the violent energy fluctuations caused the pale-yellow soul engineer's protective barrier around the stage to ripple continuously.
The stage was filled with the blinding light of exploding soul cannons, dazzling like suns descending upon the mortal world.
On the rostrum, Jing Hongchen's slightly relieved expression instantly turned ashen.
With just one soul skill, Yu Tianhuang had perfectly replicated his grandson's ability?! Even he, who considered his grandson sufficiently outstanding, could not help but once again acutely feel the enormous gap between them and Yu Tianhuang.
Moreover, the soul cannons constructed with those dark-red crystal orbs thrown by Yu Tianhuang as cores were clearly also sixth level.
Did this not mean that Yu Tianhuang's abilities as a soul engineer had also reached sixth level? Perhaps even beyond.
A trace of coldness appeared in Xu Tianran's eyes. Earlier, he had already learned from Ju Zi that Yu Tianhuang had spent two years studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
He did not believe Shrek Academy possessed the capability to train a genius soul engineer of this level. Thus, Yu Tianhuang's soul engineer abilities had naturally been acquired from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
However, he did not flare up at this moment. Instead, he suppressed his temper and continued watching the changes on the field.
Nearby, Zhongli Wu gave a cold laugh. He was delighted by the situation. The more astonishing talent Yu Tianhuang displayed, the more Xu Tianran would grow wary of him. In the end, things would still develop in the direction they desired.
In the depths of Ju Zi's eyes, a hint of worry emerged, but beside Xu Tianran, her expression showed no change. She simply sat upright, a smile on her face as she remained by Xu Tianran's side.
More than five hundred sixth-level soul cannons firing together, even with the astonishing defensive power of the protective barrier around the competition stage, could not fully withstand it. This level of energy impact had already reached the eighth-ring Soul Douluo level.
To prevent any accidents, the referee, the Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan, had no choice but to act once more. He rose into the air, circled his hands in front of his chest, and a pristine jade-like shield appeared before him out of thin air.
With this shield at the center, vast swathes of distorted light rapidly boiled and expanded, forming an enormous white light barrier that enveloped the entire competition stage.
A ninth-level defensive soul tool, the Unbreakable Divine Shield. This was the very soul tool that had made Zheng Zhan famous.
After about half a quarter of an hour, the roaring in the arena finally gradually subsided. The blinding light and smoke dispersed, revealing Xu Zihuang and Xiao Hongchen's figures on opposite sides once more.
The crystal cannon array behind Xu Zihuang remained completely intact, while the metal barrels behind Xiao Hongchen had melted from the intense heat, turning into crimson molten metal that flowed across the metal floor, leaving irregular trails.
Xu Zihuang had not only perfectly replicated Xiao Hongchen's ability, but he had surpassed it. This was thanks to the special properties of the dark-red crystal.
Realizing this, a powerful sense of defeat rose in Xiao Hongchen's heart. To have the ability he prided himself on be suppressed by his opponent, Yu Tianhuang, was an unbearable feeling.
However, he had never believed he could defeat Yu Tianhuang so easily. The fighting spirit in his eyes did not diminish as he suddenly raised his head to look at Xu Zihuang. At the same time, he withdrew the core formation aggregated bodies, the sixth soul ring, black, slowly rose beside him. Deep black light abruptly spread outward.
"Guā—"
A massive illusory Three-Legged Golden Toad appeared behind Xiao Hongchen, shining with golden light so solid it seemed tangible, enveloping his entire body. With a flash of gold, another leg emerged from behind him, this leg completely golden and possessing an extreme metallic texture. Even his slightly arched back sprouted golden protrusions that pushed out from beneath his clothes, radiating soft golden halos.
His entire body was undergoing a transformation approaching that of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul.
Such an ability was very common: for beast martial soul users, the closer the body approached the martial soul, the greater the power they could unleash from it.
Earlier, when using his first four soul skills, Xiao Hongchen had not needed to alter his body. But for this sixth soul skill, he had to push martial soul possession to the extreme.
"Sixth soul skill: Metal Storm."
Xiao Hongchen murmured in his heart. His gaze suddenly sharpened, his eyes flashing with golden light like incomparably sharp metal. With his body bowed, he extended his left hand and touched the ground.
Every cannon barrel that had lost its core formation aggregated bodies, the shattered metal floor, even the flowing crimson molten metal; the metal elements within them were forcibly stripped away, transforming into countless golden motes that drifted through the air.
Even as a Titled Douluo and ninth-level soul engineer, the Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan instinctively sensed danger.
He hastily released a layer of golden light to protect his body. Though this defensive soul tool was not as powerful as the Unbreakable Divine Shield, it was still a formidable eighth-level soul tool.
Yet the instant this golden light barrier made contact with those golden motes, it erupted with blinding golden radiance, and the rate of soul power consumption within his body skyrocketed.
"This is..." Zheng Zhan vaguely heard something like the trembling and friction of metal powder. When his gaze focused on one point, his expression changed dramatically.
"Boom—"
The entire metal competition stage collapsed as though weathered rock, crumbling into even more metal powder that merged into the drifting golden motes in the air.
The sound of metal friction and vibration grew increasingly sharp and piercing.
Metal Storm soul skill effect: It could turn all metal within an area to his command and maintain ultra-high-frequency vibration. This attack, fine to the extreme, ordinary defensive soul skills and defensive soul tools could hardly resist, and it could easily shatter protective soul power.
This soul skill originated from a powerful mutated soul beast with a cultivation of nearly fifty thousand years. Jing Hongchen had personally led a team, including a full five eighth-level soul engineers, to assist Xiao Hongchen in hunting it down. Moreover, Xiao Hongchen had used special drugs to aid in successfully absorbing this soul ring.
During his previous training in the Jingyang Mountain Range, Xiao Hongchen had once used this soul skill to effortlessly slay a metal-type soul beast with over thirty thousand years of cultivation. Metal-type soul beasts were always renowned for their powerful defenses, yet they had no resistance whatsoever against Metal Storm and were melted from existence.
His pupils focused, staring at the high-frequency vibrating metal motes in the air. An odd expression appeared on Xu Zihuang's face.
It really was too similar; Xiao Hongchen's sixth soul skill, Metal Storm, resembled his own fifth soul skill, Mental Storm, far too closely. Both were extremely fine attacks that struck from the inside out.
But metal particles were, after all, physical entities. Their fineness could not compare to mental power, which existed as pure energy.
Xu Zihuang's gaze sharpened. The deep fifth soul ring instantly bloomed with profound light.
Behind him, an illusory silver eyeball appeared out of thin air. It was none other than the pure-mental-type Evil Eye Tyrant that had become his fifth soul ring. The pupil within that eyeball also contracted slightly, and silver light instantly enveloped the entire competition stage. The air distorted violently; everything seemed to become unreal.
The silver light transformed into wave-like silver patterns, as though a suspended bright-silver ocean had appeared in midair. And Xu Zihuang was the very center of this ocean.
Then, the wave-like silver patterns suddenly began to tremble. The trembling was extremely subtle; wherever it passed, no destructive power was caused. But when this vibration swept through, the vibrating metal particles abruptly came to a halt.
Once again, Xiao Hongchen was perfectly countered.
Xiao Hongchen stared in disbelief, eyes wide. On the rostrum, Zhongli Wu, Xu Tianran, and Jing Hongchen all recognized the origin of the silver eyeball behind Xu Zihuang.
"A pure-mental-type Evil Eye Tyrant?!"
Especially Zhongli Wu, who stared fixedly at Xu Zihuang as though he had discovered a heaven-shaking secret.
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