Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the first battle between Shrek and Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy quickly began. Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy sent out a team with one Soul King and one Soul Ancestor, and Shrek Academy sent out the same combination: the ice mage Ling Luochen and the Soft Bone Rabbit Jiang Nannan.
"This match should be safe enough," Xu Tianxi quietly assessed.
Ling Luochen engaged in a fierce exchange of soul-guided beams with the two Soul Engineers from the opposing team, while Jiang Nannan moved agilely, using Teleportation to close distances, Invincible Golden Body to withstand damage, and Gravity Control to slow down her opponents. Finally, she used her Waist Bow to defeat the opposing four-ring Soul Engineer, securing a joint victory.
The second battle saw Shrek Academy field an offense-defense combination: Bei Bei, who possessed the Light Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and Hu Yanbashan, with his Diamond Mammoth. Both sides still had identical Soul Ring configurations.
Seeing Hu Yanbashan's physique rapidly swell into a small mountain of flesh as he released his Martial Soul, Xiao Hongchen couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Xu Tianxi.
"Old Xu, I heard you mention that the Diamond Mammoth was the inherited Martial Soul of the Elephant Armor Sect, one of the lower four sects on the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago, and that it was the strongest defense-type Martial Soul of its era. What do you think of it?"
Xu Tianxi raised an eyebrow. "Ten thousand years have passed, and the title of the strongest defense-type Martial Soul has long changed hands. However, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was known as the strongest offense ten thousand years ago. It's certainly interesting to see these two working together."
"Indeed. After all, the Elephant Armor Sect back then was aligned with the Martial Soul Hall," Xiao Hongchen nodded in profound agreement. Under Xu Tianxi's influence, he had gained some understanding of the history of the Douluo Continent, no longer the illiterate he once was.
Ten thousand years can change many things.
Several minutes later.
"Battle concluded. Shrek Academy wins. Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy and Shrek Academy, do you wish to proceed with the final match?"
Hu Yanbashan and Bei Bei had worked together to defeat their opponents. The referee announced the result and then consulted both academies for their decision.
"We want to compete! Do you dare?" Ma Xiaotao preempted Wang Yan's reply, making a provocative gesture towards the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy team.
Having her first chance to compete since the tournament began, she absolutely did not want to remain seated and just watch. She was determined to showcase Shrek's power!
"Dare! Of course, we dare!"
The remaining three students from Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy were all hot-blooded youths and couldn't resist Ma Xiaotao's provocation. They accepted with reddened necks.
Their team leader hesitated but found it difficult to retract their words. He simply equipped both Soul Kings with Invincible Shields and urged them to be careful.
"Don't worry, teacher, we will return safely," the three solemnly promised and set off.
The Shrek trio facing them consisted of Ma Xiaotao with her Evil Fire Phoenix, Nai Yang with his Serpent Spear, and He Caitou, a Soul Ancestor. Xu Tianxi's eyelids twitched when he saw Ma Xiaotao.
A gut feeling told him something was about to happen.
As the battle began, Ma Xiaotao charged forward, unleashing her Second Soul Skill, Bathing Fire Phoenix, and Third Soul Skill, Phoenix Wings Soaring, to amplify her flame intensity and combat power. Then, she boldly ascended, spewing Phoenix Flame that engulfed the two five-ring Soul Engineers.
The brilliant Phoenix flames covered tens of meters of the sky, circling and dancing in mid-air like a blooming fiery parasol flower. The temperature in the air rapidly rose, accompanied by crackling sounds.
On the other side, Yu Yang, who was suspected to be a descendant of the Serpent Spear Titled Douluo from the Martial Soul Hall of years past, raised his Serpent Spear to ambush the last remaining four-ring Soul Engineer on the field. He Caitou assisted Ma Xiaotao from the side, providing suppressing fire.
From the looks of it, Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy was at an absolute disadvantage from the start, with no hope of turning the tide.
Xiao Hongchen stroked his chin and said, "This female Soul Emperor is very powerful. I think she could even suppress all three opponents by herself."
He had to admit that the ten-thousand-year-old Shrek still had some hidden depths. If he were to fight Ma Xiaotao one-on-one, he would likely lose more than win. This woman's strength could even threaten a Soul Sage.
Fortunately, they had strength in numbers this time. With four Soul Emperor-level combatants, they could surround and defeat her.
Xu Tianxi frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "If possible, I plan to kill her when we deal with her."
Xiao Hongchen suddenly turned his head, his expression startled. "What's wrong? Are you changing your ways?"
In his impression, Xu Tianxi was usually mild-mannered. He would only undergo a drastic change when facing Evil Soul Masters, something Xiao Hongchen had never witnessed before.
Xu Tianxi gently shook his head and said, word by word, "If we don't kill her, she will kill us. Given time, she will surely bring disaster to the continent."
Ma Xiaotao, in the original work, was the Fire Phoenix Saintess of the Holy Spirit Church. She killed two members of the Sun Moon Battle Team in the arena and was abducted by the Holy Spirit Church. In a very short time, she ascended from a quasi-seven-ring Soul Emperor to a nine-ring Titled Douluo. She was the Holy Spirit Church's perfect killing machine, personally trained by Zhongli Wu.
It wasn't that Xu Tianxi was maliciously speculating about her; Ma Xiaotao was brainwashed into a Holy Maiden after joining the Holy Spirit Church, and her Evil Fire was completely unleashed. In her frenzied state, she would kill countless people, if not create mountains of corpses.
Although her Evil Fire hadn't been fully activated yet, it was highly likely that she would try to kill their Sun Moon Battle Team. So, he might as well prepare to kill her first.
Mu En was dead, Xuan Zi was incapacitated, and Shrek no longer had powerhouses capable of dominating the entire Star Luo City. Xu Tianxi was determined to eliminate future troubles.
In the original work, three members of the Sun Moon Battle Team were killed here without any consequences. So, it was also possible for Shrek's people to die.
As for her good looks and high talent? Xu Tianxi used his brain to think, not his 'little head.' There was no need for mercy towards such a lunatic, no matter how beautiful or well-figured she was. Keeping her alive would only cause trouble, and her high talent made it even more imperative to kill her.
If the direction was wrong, the greater the ability, the greater the harm.
On the field, the Phoenix Flame suppressed the two five-ring Soul Engineers, preventing them from even raising their heads. He Caitou, with a heavy cannon on his shoulder, occasionally supplemented the attacks, creating a booming barrage.
After nearly a month of recovery, He Caitou could now stand independently without a wheelchair. He stared at the two five-ring Soul Engineers from Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Mingdu, what a nostalgic name. What a pity. You are all now subjects of that traitor. You all—"
"Deserve to die!"
"Let me send you on your way with the Hidden Weapons techniques I learned from the Tang Sect!"
Barely perceptible silver needles appeared between He Caitou's thick fingers. He seized the opportune moment and shot one towards the heart of one of the five-ring Soul Engineers.
The silver needle shot out, concealed by the Phoenix Flame and Soul Guided Beams. No one on the field noticed it.
And just two breaths after He Caitou made his move, the two five-ring Soul Engineers finally couldn't withstand the assault of the Phoenix Evil Fire. They activated the Invincible Shields given to them by their team leader, preparing to retreat.
Seeing the two take out their Invincible Shields, Ma Xiaotao's face showed deep disdain. "You think this turtle shell can stop my Phoenix Evil Fire? These idiots from the Sun Moon Empire really don't know their place."
"Phoenix Sky Howl Strike!"
Her fourth Soul Ring instantly lit up, and Ma Xiaotao descended from the sky. Amidst a violent roar, a dense, fiery red mist enveloped the two rank five Soul Engineers. A massive pillar of flame erupted from the ground.
The surging air currents swept across the entire competition stage, even affecting Yu Yang and the rank four Soul Engineer who were fighting on the other side, forcing both to retreat.
A cold glint flashed in He Caitou's eyes as a fine needle reappeared between his fingers. He took a puff from his large cigar, aimed his cannon at the rank four Soul Engineer, and subtly flicked out the needle.
The referee, whose cultivation was only at the Soul Sage realm, watched Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Sky Howl Strike, beads of sweat dripping down his face. He didn't notice the "rumble" coming from that spot.
The terrifying Phoenix flame pillar lasted for five seconds before dissipating, revealing a massive crater and one unconscious Soul Engineer. The other Soul Engineer had vanished into thin air.
"No! We surrender! Stop, stop!"
The Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy's team leader turned pale and rushed towards the competition stage with his students, about to intervene to save them.
Ma Xiaotao glanced dismissively at the people from Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy, lifted her long leg, and kicked the rank five Soul Engineer who hadn't been burned to ash, sending him off the stage.
On the other side, the rank four Soul Engineer who was clashing with He Caitou suddenly seemed to suffer a painful blow. He let out a scream of "Ah," pointed at the guileless-looking He Caitou, his eyes glazed over and lifeless, before collapsing to the ground.
The Mingdu Soul Engineer contingent, who had just helped their companion, immediately rushed onto the stage again to retrieve the person. Soon after, the team leader let out an angry roar.
"You Shrek are going too far! Are you here to kill people on the competition stage?!"
The team leader touched the rank four Soul Engineer's chest and found a thumb-sized hole near his heart. A fine needle, shimmering with blue-purple light, had pierced his heart, and the student's life force was completely gone.
Just then, the student on the other side also cried out in grief and anger, "Teacher, Senior Brother Wang is dead too! They killed him too!"
The Mingdu Academy's team leader snapped his head around, only to see the rank five Soul Engineer, whose body was half-charred black, twitch unconsciously a few times as his life force completely drained away.
Shrek had killed three people in a row, and the area below the competition stage fell into complete silence.
Whether it was the Sun Moon Battle Team or any other academy, deep apprehension emerged in their eyes. The Mingdu Battle Team students' gazes were filled with anger and hatred. Even the referee had a look that screamed, "You Shrek are too ruthless!"
Killing three people in the elimination rounds, and then three more in the final round of the round robin matches—killing people at the drop of a hat, how ruthless could they be?
If it were an accident caused by carelessness during a match, that would be one thing, but could Shrek really be unable to control the power of their Soul Skills and cause an accident?
Absolutely impossible! This was deliberate murder!
Ma Xiaotao was pleased. Killing to her heart's content put her in a good mood. She utterly disdained the Mingdu students' anger, scoffing, "What are you looking at? Would you have held back if it were you?"
"Facing the renowned Shrek, of course we wouldn't dare to hold back—"
The Mingdu Academy's team leader was overwhelmed with grief and indignation. He pointed at Ma Xiaotao, his eyes practically splitting as he said,
"But we never thought of killing anyone, we just wanted to compete, we didn't even think about winning; yet you consecutively killed three of our excellent students. These are three human lives, Shrek, you've gone too far!"
"If the geniuses of our Sun Moon Empire's top academy did the same, those people from Zheng Tian Academy would have died long ago! Do you really think you're invincible?!"
The Zheng Tian Academy's seven-person team was unexpectedly brought into the conversation. Aside from Shangguan Can, who was still recovering from his injuries, the other six couldn't help but nod subtly.
Kong Tianxi's strength was beyond imagination; if he had been ruthless, none of them would have survived.
Moreover, Kong Tianxi had shown them considerable respect, speaking kindly before the fight, and ending battles in a single move. As for his final words... he also said them with good intentions.
Compared to this crazy woman from Shrek, Kong Tianxi's image was immeasurably grander, practically the epitome of humility, friendliness, and generosity.
Ma Xiaotao sneered coldly, "Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory is not for you to question! If the Sun Moon Battle Team dares to come, we will show them who the true geniuses are!"
Cai Meier appeared on the competition stage, facing the Mingdu students, and said proudly, "If something goes wrong in a match, it's the referee's problem. If you want to bully my Shrek people, come up and try!"
At that moment, the pressure of a Titled Douluo erupted, enveloping the entire arena. The seven-ring referee was forced back repeatedly, his face instantly turning as black as a pot.
Who is bullying whom here? Can Shrek really lie through their teeth like that? Your students are so vicious, how could I have saved them in that situation?
The Mingdu Academy's team leader was forced back several steps by the Titled Douluo's pressure, a metallic taste rising in his throat.
He clutched his chest, enduring the pain, and looked towards the Sun Moon Battle Team's resting area, crying out in sorrow,
"Everyone, Shrek is going too far! Please, for the sake of being fellow Sun Moon people, help us out! Mingdu Academy will never forget your kindness!"
Xu Tianxi's expression tightened. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Hongchen and released an SOS Signal.
A giant firework bloomed in the sky above Star Luo City. A powerful aura surged from a corner of the spectator stands, hurtling straight towards Cai Meier on the competition stage.
In that corner, countless spectators retreated in panic, creating an empty space. There, a steady, powerful figure wearing a bamboo hat slowly rose. He took off his hat and tossed it aside, revealing a righteous and awe-inspiring face.
"I am Jing Hongchen, Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and Master of the Mingde Hall. Today, for my fellow Sun Moon citizens, I welcome Shrek Academy's grand moves! You dare to bully our Sun Moon people? Let's see if my Soul Guided Device agrees!"