Word Count: 2,877 Words
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After the preceding matches, the vast competition grounds were riddled with holes and covered in scorched marks left by spirit skills and Spirit Guidance Devices. The most conspicuous of these was the deep pit, exceeding ten meters in diameter, where the Ice Explosion had buried four Class 5 Spirit Guidance Masters.
Ma Rulong glanced at the deep pit, recalling his teammates who had died without leaving intact bodies. Determination immediately appeared between his brows. Ling Bai was purifying the death energy for Xu Sanshi, and Ma Xiaotao needed to divert her energy to suppress her Phoenix Evil Fire. Among Shrek Academy's members, this White Tiger Spirit Emperor was the one whose strength remained most preserved.
It wasn't just Dai Yueheng who wanted to cripple him; he equally wanted to cripple Dai Yueheng.
"The match begins!"
Heavenfiend Douluo's thunderous shout echoed. Another Sun Moon student had just died in the individual matches, so this time he dared not leave. He positioned himself at the edge of the competition grounds, ready to intervene and save lives at any moment.
One was the White Tiger Duke's eldest legitimate son, the other the captain of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. Both possessed esteemed identities far beyond ordinary people. If either suffered an accident, Heavenfiend Douluo, as the referee of the finals, would bear undeniable responsibility.
The three strengthening spirit skills were still active. Dai Yueheng, like a white tiger that had locked onto its prey, charged straight at Ma Rulong with the ferocious momentum of a tiger descending a mountain.
Ma Rulong remained composed. Twelve Class 6 Spirit Cannons emerged from his shoulders, and beams of light erupted in waves: orbs of light, rays of light, and metallic spheres that ascended into the air, tracing parabolas before striking downward.
Dai Yueheng's second spirit ring lit up, and he spat forth a beam of white light. Under the effect of the three amplification skills, the White Tiger Intense Light Wave's attack power was quite considerable. The arm-thick beam of white light swept out, clashing with the cannonballs fired from the Class 6 Spirit Cannons, producing thunderous booms in mid-air.
Then Ma Rulong did something entirely unexpected. He clasped his hands together in front of him, and the light of his six spirit rings flashed in succession. As his aura surged rapidly, the twelve Class 6 Spirit Cannon barrels on his shoulders vanished, replaced by a golden greatsword.
Peak Class 8 Spirit Guidance Device, Judgment Sword!
Before departing from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, Illustrious Virtue Hall Master Jing Hongchen had entrusted the Judgment Sword to Ma Rulong. He hoped Ma Rulong could use this pinnacle of close-combat Spirit Guidance Devices to defeat Shrek Academy and win the first-ever Continental Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament championship for the Sun Moon Empire.
The Judgment Sword wielded both light and darkness attributes. Its attack method was to first inflict the darkness attribute on an enemy, then use its own light attribute to deliver judgment.
Ma Rulong had confidently taken the Judgment Sword, but upon arriving at the tournament, he was suddenly dumbfounded. Shrek's trump card was the Seraphim!
Forcibly afflicting the Seraphim with darkness attributes seemed utterly preposterous. Ma Rulong had a gut feeling that Ling Bai could turn around and beat him along with his sword. After discussing with his grandfather, Elder Ma, he wrote to Jing Hongchen requesting support, which led to another Class 8 Spirit Guidance Device: the Death Lance.
Now that Shrek Academy was at the end of its rope, Ma Rulong decided to reveal his trump card and use the Judgment Sword to cripple the White Tiger Spirit Emperor, Dai Yueheng!
Ma Rulong gripped the Judgment Sword with both hands and slowly raised its heavy blade. An intense golden light erupted fiercely. Nine core arrays extended from just below the sword's tip to its hilt, their brilliant lights continuously dancing wildly in the air.
The Judgment Sword was raised high above his head, and Ma Rulong's eyes glowed with the same gilded light. His spirit power surged into the blade at an astonishing speed. Halos of light rose from beneath his feet, passed through his entire body, and ultimately converged in his hands.
Having absorbed Ma Rulong's spirit power, the gleaming golden Judgment Sword began to change. One edge of the blade turned white, while the other turned black. The two starkly contrasting colors, set against the blooming golden radiance, gave off a somewhat bizarre sensation.
The Judgment Sword was only one step away from becoming a Class 9 Spirit Guidance Device, and its destructive power far surpassed that of a single Death Lance. On the high platform, White Tiger Duke Dai Hao couldn't help but clench his fists. Wang Yan also broke into a cold sweat for Dai Yueheng. The spectators held their breath, staring unblinkingly at the battlefield.
"He is darkness, I pronounce him heretical!"
Ma Rulong steadied the Judgment Sword with both hands and pointed its black-edged side toward Dai Yueheng.
Dai Yueheng's evil eyes flickered. He pushed the White Tiger Shield Body Barrier to its limit, but it proved futile under the Judgment Sword's assault. Darkness energy instantly forced its way into his body. The white fur of the White Tiger turned black in an instant, and the insidious chill of darkness spread throughout his body, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
Ma Rulong revealed a triumphant smile, but his eyes were already densely bloodshot, as if a crimson spiderweb had formed within them. A blood-red light flickered from his back, where intense blood-flames burned.
Class 7 Spirit Guidance Device, Sacrificial Seal.
It sacrificed Ma Rulong's own life force and potential to sustain the Judgment Sword. The Death Lance required the lives of four Class 5 Spirit Guidance Masters, yet Ma Rulong sustained the Judgment Sword by his power alone, sufficiently demonstrating his outstanding talent and profound cultivation.
The blade of the Judgment Sword burst forth with intense incandescent light. The sword light instantly shone to the extreme. Light restrained darkness at the same level. After this strike, Dai Yueheng would be either dead or crippled. His responding action, however, was simple. He took a step forward with his left foot and raised his right arm to block in front of him.
A sharp explosive sound rang out as Dai Yueheng's right arm erupted in a flash of golden brilliance that instantly encompassed his entire body. The Judgment Sword's light-attribute judgment failed to produce any attacking effect whatsoever.
Right Arm Spirit Bone Skill, Absolute Defense!
Absolute Defense had similarities to the Invincible Golden Body; the prerequisite for its activation was that the opponent's attack must first strike Dai Yueheng's right arm.
Those evil eyes shone with brilliant light. His companions were watching, his father was watching, and hundreds of thousands of Star Luo Empire citizens were watching. Dai Yueheng's soaring fighting spirit wasn't diminished in the slightest by the might of the Class 8 Judgment Sword.
His fourth and sixth spirit rings shone. White meteors rained across a wide zone, and sparkling light scattered from his pupils. The illusory figure of a white tiger roared above him, shaking the surroundings. Dazzling gold light condensed into a gigantic character for 'Kill' in the air!
Fourth Spirit Skill, White Tiger Meteor Shower!
Sixth Spirit Skill, White Tiger Annihilation Slash!
Absolute Defense could only be used once a day. Dai Yueheng had been biding his time, and the moment to erupt had finally arrived. He gathered all his spirit power, seeking a single fatal blow! Ma Rulong could no longer maintain his composed expression. The Sacrificial Seal on his back frantically devoured his life force. The Judgment Sword swung, unleashing a golden blade of light that tore the earth asunder!
Boom—
The already battle-scarred competition grounds suffered further destruction. The collision of spirit skills and Spirit Guidance Devices sent ripples through the air. After the explosion ceased and the smoke dissipated, the figures of the two combatants were revealed.
A horrifying character for 'Kill' had been carved into Ma Rulong's chest. His Spirit Inner Armor had been torn apart by a tremendous force, the flesh of his chest turned outward. Blood dripped down like little snakes as he leaned on the Judgment Sword like a crutch, gasping heavily for breath.
Opposite him, Dai Yueheng stood perfectly straight, neither making another move nor collapsing. A beam of starlight descended before this White Tiger Spirit Emperor. Heavenfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu checked his breathing, then placed his fingers on his pulse, observing for a few seconds before announcing in a loud voice:
"Shrek Academy's Dai Yueheng has lost consciousness! Ma Rulong of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy wins!"
Wang Yan rose, preparing to go onto the stage to bring Dai Yueheng back. However, a tall and sturdy figure beat him to it: White Tiger Duke Dai Hao!
"Good lad, tough enough! You're truly a son of our old Dai family!"
Dai Hao bent down and lifted his eldest son, unconscious yet still standing upright, onto his back. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Although Dai Yueheng had been defeated, Dai Hao was extremely satisfied with his son's performance and felt deeply proud of him.
In Shrek's rest area, Immortal Doctor Douluo Wang Xian'er had arrived to treat the injured Xu Sanshi and the others. Huo Yuhao, secretly protected by Skydream, had not suffered very severe injuries. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Dai Yueheng being carried off the competition stage by Dai Hao, and his composure instantly shattered.
Admittedly, this was something he was very reluctant to acknowledge, but his heart told him that he, too, wished to be a child carried on his father's back.
Heavenfiend Douluo's voice rang out, "Shrek Academy voluntarily forfeits the remaining individual matches. Both sides will proceed to the 2-2-3 battle format. Both teams will rest for three minutes, after which the 2-2-3 battles will officially begin.
Due to both sides currently lacking sufficient members to support all three matches, if the first two matches result in each side winning one, then the third match will feature reserve team members who did not participate in the individual matches!"
Whether it was the ordinary spectators in Star Luo Plaza or the emperor and ministers of the Star Luo Empire on the high platform, all were as silent as a grave. They had anticipated the excitement of this final, but could this match really be described with such a word?
Tragic. That was the true byword for these finals.
Of Shrek Academy's eleven students, a total of eight had been seriously injured in the team and individual battles. The only ones able to take the 2-2-3 competition stage were Ma Xiaotao, who was desperately suppressing her evil fire; Ling Bai, whose spirit power was severely depleted; and the auxiliary-type Spirit Master, Ning Tian.
In contrast, the Sun Moon Imperial Academy still had Ma Rulong, who possessed the strength for one more battle, and the Hongchen siblings, who were in perfect condition. They only needed to win one 2-2-3 match, and then they could rely on their additional reserve team Class 4 Spirit Guidance Master to win the championship.
That Class 4 Spirit Guidance Master's mouth was about to split from grinning. Ma Rulong had fought in both the team and individual battles, and this reserve member had thought he would be warming the bench for the entire tournament; yet, it turned out he was the deciding factor!
The Sun Moon Imperial Academy was in a virtually invincible position, unless Shrek's half-crippled trio could win the first two matches outright.
Wang Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head. Opposite them, Ma Rulong was using a Class 7 Milk Bottle to recover his spirit power. Furthermore, there were the Hongchen siblings, whose abilities were a complete unknown. Even he didn't believe Shrek could defend the champion's glory.
Shadow Dragon Douluo Xie Qin secretly sent a voice transmission to Ling Bai and Ning Tian: "The Sun Moon Empire has sent a bunch of lunatics. You came here to study; there's no need to fight them to the death. If it looks hopeless, just concede."
"Ling Bai."
A call, as if blended with a thousand intonations, resounded by his ear. Ling Bai saw Ma Xiaotao, her eyes bloodshot.
The evil fire was assaulting her heart. If she didn't control it soon with the Seraphim's holy purification, her entire life would be ruined. Yet she didn't seem to care. Emotions that Ling Bai couldn't comprehend churned in her eyes. She gazed at that face, calm as still water, as if it would never be nervous or worried, and her red lips parted slightly:
"Will we win?"
"Don't know... It's always like this. But I want a definite answer from you this time."
Ma Xiaotao knew that if she didn't say some things now, she might never get another chance. She softly voiced the words that had been hidden deep in her heart for a long time:
"It seems that in your eyes, the championship that all of us are fighting for desperately is like a joke.
I've made countless excuses for you in my mind. Maybe you're too arrogant, but I see how kindly you treat others in the Inner Courtyard. You're not that kind of person. Perhaps it's because you've only been enrolled for a year and don't feel a sense of belonging to Shrek Academy. But Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong have also only been enrolled for a year, and I can sense their willingness to give everything for the academy. You don't have that. Not even a little bit...
After the opening match of the first elimination round, if Wang Yan told you to fight, you'd go on stage and just go through the motions. If he told you to rest, you'd agree enthusiastically. Whether Shrek wins or loses, you simply don't care."
Ma Xiaotao wasn't questioning, nor was she angry or hysterical. Her tone was very calm, as if she were merely stating an established fact.
Ling Bai remained silent. Everyone around them, including Bei Bei and He Caitou who had just awakened under Immortal Doctor Douluo's healing, fell silent. They had all seen Ling Bai's behavior, but no one had dared to point it out to his face. Besides, Ling Bai neither dodged battles nor threw matches. What was wrong with following the supervising teacher's arrangements? One couldn't just point at his nose and say, 'Go fight to the death for Shrek!'
He was like a top-performing employee who always clocked in on time and never made mistakes. Meanwhile, those who sacrificed their off-hours and livelihoods for Shrek, giving blood and tears for free, could only feel powerless when facing him.
Seeing Ling Bai remain silent, Ma Xiaotao continued: "The reserve team has shouldered responsibilities that they shouldn't have to at their age. When the three of us were injured, it was they, along with you, who carried Shrek on their shoulders, moving forward step by step. Now, for Shrek's glory, every one of them has fought to the point of serious injury.
We can win. Can you promise me to fight with all you have, just this once? Don't let Shrek's ten thousand years of glory be ruined in our hands..."
Her eyes unknowingly grew moist as she spoke, revealing an unprecedented hint of pleading.
Ling Bai looked directly into those hope-filled eyes and said faintly, "The spirit power stored in the Class 7 Milk Bottle is empty. Most of it was used to clear the death energy from Xu Sanshi's body. I have about twenty-five percent of my spirit power left. If Shrek wants to win, we must win the first two rounds. The outcome isn't something I can decide alone. Do you understand?"
"Fine. Then I'll let you be the one to decide."
Ma Xiaotao turned, her fierce gaze locking onto Ma Rulong, who was walking onto the stage opposite them, carrying the Judgment Sword. She said coldly:
"This old lady is going to go kill him right now."
…
Drip, drip...
Ma Xiaotao staggered step by step from the competition stage toward Ling Bai. She was now practically a blood-soaked figure; blood spurted and flowed from the countless wounds on her body, continuously dripping onto the ground.
She alone had defeated Ma Rulong, who had wielded the Class 8 Judgment Sword!
Ma Rulong's robust body lay collapsed in the center of the competition stage. The Judgment Sword was thrust deeply into the ground beside him. The pitch-black Phoenix Evil Fire had incinerated his right arm and left leg. If Heavenfiend Douluo hadn't intervened in time, the Phoenix Evil Fire would undoubtedly have burned him to a pile of cinders.
The Judgment Sword was extremely effective at restraining the Evil Fire Phoenix. The Phoenix Evil Fire that had previously assaulted her heart now raged with increasing intensity. Ma Xiaotao's consciousness was somewhat blurred, and her body unconsciously emitted waves of evil aura. However, she resolutely refused Wang Yan's offered support and, enduring the pain from the light-attribute judgment, she slowly moved in front of Ling Bai. Her blood-red eyes met those brilliant golden pupils, still as calm as an ancient well, as she said calmly:
"What about now?"
"As you wish."