Amid the tsunami-like cheers and chants, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but feel her heart stir with emotion.
Moments later, she calmed herself, smiled lightly at Li Li, and said,
"Concede. Don't waste your strength in pointless resistance, or you'll only get yourself injured."
Hearing her words, Li Li raised his brows, feeling underestimated.
He admitted he wasn't Zhang Lexuan's match, but defeating him would still cost her some soul power.
He was, after all, an elite of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—far from those weakling Soul Kings.
With his soul tool armor and various offensive soul tools, even a Soul Emperor wouldn't be an impossible fight.
And now Zhang Lexuan expected him to surrender with just a word? Ridiculous! Such arrogance—anyone who didn't know better might think she was a Title Douluo.
Li Li snorted coldly, no longer bothering with words. His Martial Spirit Possession activated, and five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—rose and lit up, the best possible configuration.
Under Martial Spirit Possession and the strengthening of his five soul skills, his already huge frame swelled even larger, covered in thick black fur. He now resembled a humanoid beast, his soul power surging even more violently.
This was his Martial Spirit—the Mighty Bear. Among bear-type spirits, it was only above average in strength.
Thus, like most Soul Engineers, Li Li's soul skills focused on amplifying his soul power and enhancing bursts of strength, to better sustain prolonged use of soul tools in combat.
Feeling the torrent of soul power racing through his meridians, Li Li grinned. Then, with a loud click of metal, his body spread open and soul tool cannons protruded from his arms, shoulders, chest—an array of deadly barrels pointing straight at Zhang Lexuan.
"Boom!!"
With an ear-splitting roar, blazing beams of light erupted from every cannon, surging toward Zhang Lexuan in a storm of destruction.
The simultaneous fire of so many fifth-rank soul cannons had power enough to force even a Soul Emperor to retreat.
Yet Zhang Lexuan made no move to dodge.
Her flawless, fair face remained serene, lips curling in a slight smile as she looked at Li Li's assault.
"External tools are fine, but what matters most to a soul master is unlocking their own strength."
As her words fell, a silver-white crescent moon appeared behind her, radiating brilliant light, making her seem like an untouchable moon goddess.
With Martial Spirit Possession complete, six soul rings rose around her—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black.
Terrifying soul power close to Soul Sage level erupted, thickening the very air around her. Along with it came an overwhelming surge of spiritual power.
Raising her left hand, Zhang Lexuan fused soul power with spiritual power into a force even stronger. Her fourth ring—the purple one—lit up.
In the blink of an eye, silver-white moonlight swept across the arena. Under its glow, every blazing beam from Li Li's cannons vanished like illusions—flowers in a mirror, moons reflected in water.
The sight was breathtaking, dreamlike. Countless spectators stared wide-eyed, unwilling to miss even a second.
Li Li's expression twisted in disbelief.
"Impossible! A mere thousand-year soul skill can't nullify my attacks!"
He tried to rally his soul power to continue the assault—but before he could, searing pain tore through his body. The world spun violently, and darkness swallowed his consciousness.
Zhang Lexuan lowered her raised left hand as casually as if brushing away dust. Her gaze moved past Li Li's collapsed body, landing on the other Sun Moon Empire contestants. Her voice was calm and flat:
"Next."
The crowd of hundreds of thousands erupted into madness at the sight of her one-move victory.
"Zhang Lexuan! Invincible!"
"One versus seven!"
"One versus seven!!"
Hearing the chants, both the Sun Moon Academy participants and their teachers looked grim to the extreme.
They could accept losing to Shrek Academy—but being defeated in a one-versus-seven? That was humiliation beyond bearing.
If that happened, Dean Jing Hongchen would surely unleash his wrath.
Elder Ma, the instructor, roared in fury:
"Sun Tianyu! You're the captain, so you go last.
The rest of you—get in there and burn through her soul power! Use your Invincible Shields, your defensive soul tools—everything! Any losses, I'll compensate you later!
Remember—no matter what, you cannot allow a one-versus-seven! If it really happens, even if the Dean spares you, I won't!"
"Yes, Elder Ma!!"
Flames of determination lit in the contestants' eyes. They glared at Zhang Lexuan with fury.
They were elites of the Sun Moon Empire, proud geniuses. To be looked down on like this ignited their pride.
Each resolved: they would make this arrogant woman pay!
Zhang Lexuan, facing their glares, still wore her gentle smile.
To her, defeating these Soul King-level Sun Moon students was like swatting children—one slap each.
She, Zhang Lexuan, the finest inner court student of Shrek Academy, the chosen successor of Elder Mu, the Sea God Pavilion Master—among her peers, she was unmatched!
Even against a Soul Sage, with Elder Mu's taught combat skills and secret arts, she had confidence in victory.
For her, this tournament was nothing but a stage—a stage to showcase Shrek Academy's might.
And she was its brightest star.
Through this stage, she would proclaim to the world: Shrek Academy was still strong!
All who schemed in the shadows would have to restrain themselves—or be destroyed by Shrek!
Zhang Lexuan looked at the Sun Moon Academy contestants and said,
"Use whatever soul tools you've got. I'm actually curious about these little toys of yours."
Elder Ma and Elder Zhang: Outrageous! To look down on soul tools!
The contestants: Damn her! How dare she belittle us like this!
One lean Sun Moon contestant could no longer endure her contempt. He shouted,
"Enough arrogance! Let me, Song Wu, face you!"
With incredible speed, his figure blurred into a streak of blue lightning, flashing onto the stage in an instant.
Five seconds later…
With the shattering of his Invincible Shield, Zhang Lexuan casually pressed her palm into Song Wu's chest.
Crack!! The sickening sound of breaking bones rang out.
His chest caved in, blood spurted from his mouth.
Like a hammer's strike, he was hurled off the stage even faster than he had entered. He crashed to the ground, twitching, half-dead.