The opening ceremony concluded, and the competition officially began.
As the most anticipated team, Shrek's first match, arranged as the opening battle, ended without suspense amidst thunderous cheers.
In this match, their opponents were not strong, lacking even a single Spirit King.
Precisely because of this, Shrek's Team Leader Teacher did not choose to send all main team members for a direct crush . Instead, he had reserve members like Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen play, while Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo from the main team served as controllers.
This was considered 'training' on the competition stage, allowing reserve members to familiarize themselves with the competition and prepare for the next one.
Ma Xiaotao and the other reserve members did not disappoint the Team Leader Teacher. Though slightly green, their performance was exceptionally good. With coordinated teamwork, they easily defeated their opponents, showcasing Shrek's profound heritage and the quality of its students.
At this moment, the faces of the reserve members were beaming with excitement and pride, basking in Shrek's glory.
However, as the captain, Zhang Lexuan's eyes held no excitement, only calmness.
Perhaps Zhang Lexuan herself didn't realize that the 'glory of Shrek' in her eyes had long since faded in repeated disappointments.
Only rotten dregs remained, clad in former splendor, outwardly brilliant but inwardly decayed and nauseating.
"Lexuan?" Han Ruoruo couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Lexuan snapped back, shaking her head gently, "I'm fine."
After a slight pause, she continued:
"...There's another elimination match this afternoon. I've checked; the opponent isn't strong. You and Wu Ming, or a few others, can win without difficulty.
"I'm a bit tired and want to go back to the hotel to rest first."
Han Ruoruo had doubts, but Zhang Lexuan didn't linger. She stood up and left the competition venue directly.
Han Ruoruo watched Zhang Lexuan's retreating figure, her worry undiminished. After a brief hesitation, she looked not far away.
"Wu Ming!"
"Hmm? What is it, Sister Ruoruo?" Wu Ming leaned in, a little puzzled.
"Come with me. I feel like something's wrong with Lexuan." Han Ruoruo's tone was unusually serious.
"What could be wrong with Sister Lexuan… Hey, hey, hey! Sister Ruoruo, don't drag me! I can walk by myself…"
Han Ruoruo ignored her, pulling Wu Ming and walking in the direction Zhang Lexuan had left… On the other side, Zhang Lexuan walked out of Shrek's resting area, but her steps did not lead towards the hotel. Instead, she entered the bustling crowd.
Soon, based on the information she had gathered in advance, she arrived at the entrance of another sub-arena.
And here, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team's match was about to begin.
Although the Sun Moon team was a strong one, perhaps due to the Empire's stance, the noise in the stands was far less than in the main arena, more like people were just there for the spectacle.
Zhang Lexuan, using her status as a participant, went directly to a front-row seat, her gaze directed at the field below.
The Sun Moon team's opponent for this match was the Tianxiang Advanced Spirit Master Academy team from the Tianhun Empire itself. Their seven members were well-formed, their spirit rings shining. They had two Spirit Kings and five Spirit Ancestors, a strength considered good among the many representative teams.
On the other side, the seven figures of the Sun Moon team slowly stepped onto the competition field.
Zhang Lexuan's gaze searched among them, and soon, at the very front of the seven, she found the figure she was looking for.
It was a young man, even childish, perhaps due to his age. His figure was slightly slender, appearing weak, and coupled with his overly handsome face, he seemed out of place with the atmosphere of this grand competition.
Zhang Lexuan heard excited or curious voices from the stands, mostly about the young man's appearance and age.
She ignored them, her eyes fixed on the young man, unwilling to move even an inch.
She had come to find Kong Ming'an. She wanted to clarify the matter of her background and explicitly reject him. That was what she intended to do.
Now that she could confirm the young man was here, she could go up and explain things clearly later. She thought… there wouldn't be any problems.
A slight sigh of relief escaped her, and Zhang Lexuan relaxed her posture a little, preparing to watch the match and gather information about the Sun Moon team, which might be useful in later matches.
However, the next moment, her expression subtly changed.
On the competition stage, the young man slowly walked forward alone, while the other six sat casually at the edge of the arena, seemingly with no intention of participating.
The captain of the Tianxiang team couldn't help but look at the referee, but the referee only paused, contacted the off-field staff, and received a reply that there was no problem.
The members of the Tianxiang team exchanged glances, finally suppressing their confusion, and looked solemnly at the somewhat solitary young man in front.
Whether the opponent was overconfident or truly had something to rely on, they had to give their all. This was respect for the competition.
"Match start!"
As the referee's voice fell, the seven members of the Tianxiang team instantly released their Spirits, their spirit rings blazing. They tactically spread out their formation, cautiously and swiftly closing in.
And it was at this moment that Kong Ming'an moved.
Taking a casual step, the next moment, scorching Qi and blood, like a tangible red tide, erupted centered on him!
The surrounding temperature rose sharply, and vision was distorted by the heat. Terrifying Qi and blood boiled, slowly condensing and outlining behind him, vaguely forming a gigantic humanoid phantom with a blurred face!
The members of the Tianxiang team gasped, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down their foreheads, their eyes fixed on the massive phantom, but their pupils trembled uncontrollably.
They instinctively tried to escape, but it was as if they were pressed down by an invisible mountain, even the circulation of their spirit power became sluggish, completely suppressed.
What in the world… was this thing?!
As Spirit Masters, although they didn't come from top-tier Spirit Master academies, they still possessed basic common sense.
Therefore, they could instantly confirm that the massive humanoid, blood-red phantom was absolutely not a Spirit Avatar, because there was not a trace of Spirit aura within it!
Although it was blood-red, there was not a hint of the sinister aura of an evil Spirit Master. There was only a pure and profound sense of power originating from the Origin of life, radiating a heavy pressure that made both their bodies and wills tremble!
Under this unspeakable pressure, the members of the Tianxiang team stood frozen in place, their bodies and pupils trembling slightly. Their will to resist was completely swallowed by the body's instinctive fear, leaving only blank terror in their eyes.
The Spirit Douluo referee responsible for safety was unsure whether to intervene, but then, the young man gently clapped his hands, and the terrifying Qi and blood that covered the entire arena, along with the blood-red phantom behind him, surged back into his body like a tide.
Everything returned to normal, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
Kong Ming'an's eyes were calm as he looked up at the referee in mid-air:
"The victor has been decided."
As his voice fell, the members of the Tianxiang team fell one by one like stalks of straw, unable to rise again.
The entire arena was silent.