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"What's going on?"
Seeing the team from Heaven Dou Royal Academy enter, the entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in screams that shook the whole venue.
"Aren't they from the Royal Fighting Team's main squad?"
Looking at Xuan Ming's iconic three heads, Oscar's face instantly turned pale, and the Shrek Team, which had just been so aggressive, immediately deflated.
"Did they send the wrong people? This is the preliminary round!" Flender looked bewildered.
Liu Erlong's expression was a bit unnatural, "Boss Flender, I think they might have swapped with the real Royal Fighting Team Two, letting Royal Fighting Team Two be the seeded team."
"They can play like that?" Flender was on the verge of collapsing.
Fighting Xuan Ming right at the start?
Wouldn't that completely crush Shrek's morale?!
"Boss Flender, don't be nervous, Xuan Ming probably won't make a move," Liu Erlong said.
"However, to be safe, I suggest we forfeit this match directly."
The preliminary round would last twenty-eight days. If any team members were severely injured midway and couldn't recover quickly, it would make subsequent matches increasingly difficult!
Others were uncertain and hard to say, but Dai Mubai would most likely be crippled by Xuan Ming!
VIP section.
Looking at the audience's intense reaction, Emperor Xue Ye's mood was very complicated.
If the Auction House incident hadn't happened, he would be very happy now to hear everyone cheering for this team.
"Sect Master Ning, do you think this Shrek Team can still participate in the next match?" Salas suddenly showed a malicious smile.
He had seen Xuan Ming's Spirit battles in the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena many times over the years. Opponents who fought him either died or were crippled!
Only a very small number of people could walk off the stage intact!
And those who were lucky enough to survive mostly did so by surrendering while they could still speak.
As for those who survived by their own strength, they were few and far between.
"Your Excellency Salas, the Soul Master Competition is mainly about sparring and exchange, not a fight to the death. I believe Xuan Ming will have a sense of proportion," Ning Fengzhi said.
"Sense of proportion?" Salas couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Sect Master Ning, don't you find what you're saying amusing yourself?"
Why did Xuan Ming's matches attract so many spectators? Because he was violent enough! Cruel enough! And had enough contrast with his image!
Usually, he looked cold and aloof, but when he fought, he was so bloody and violent!
That sense of contrast, and the suffocating feeling of crushing and killing opponents with absolute strength, brought a huge impact to the audience!
Even just watching, there was still a suffocating feeling of escaping death!
And that feeling was addictive!
Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly, his expression still calm, "Your Excellency Salas, Xuan Ming is not an unreasonable person. Although he acts decisively, he also knows the rules of the competition. If the Shrek Team truly cannot win, and surrenders in time, he will not go too far."
Salas was noncommittal, "Yes, surrender, but once they've started fighting, will they still have a chance to surrender?"
At this moment, the atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense.
The members of the Shrek Team looked at each other, their hearts filled with fear and helplessness.
They hadn't expected to encounter such a powerful opponent in their first match.
"Captain, what should we do?" Oscar asked with a trembling voice.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, "Everyone, don't panic. We can't give up easily. Even if we can't win, we must give it our all and let everyone see Shrek's courage."
Tang San also nodded, "That's right, we can't be afraid before we even fight. Although Xuan Ming is powerful, we also have our own advantages. If we unite, we might not be without a chance to fight."
On the Heaven Dou Royal Academy side, Ning Rongrong and the others looked at the nervous Shrek Team, feeling a bit of pity.
Although they had left Shrek Academy, they were still classmates who had spent a lot of time together, and they only disliked Dai Mubai and Yu Xiaogang. Even if they didn't have a great relationship with the others, they were at least friends.
"If you're too embarrassed to act, I'll do it," Xuan Ming said indifferently.
"You?" Ning Rongrong's eye twitched slightly.
"You wouldn't... cripple them, would you?"
Although the competition prohibited crippling opponents and killing people, severe injuries that prevented movement for ten days to half a month did not violate the rules.
"Not to that extent. How heavy-handed I am depends on them," Xuan Ming said.
Gu Yuena stood quietly to the side, not speaking, but a hint of coldness emanated from her eyes.
To her, this match was nothing more than an insignificant farce.
Her friendliness towards these team members was solely because they were Xuan Ming's friends. As for the others, she viewed these weak humans the same way powerful human Spirit Masters viewed weak, low-level Spirit Beasts.
With the referee's command, the match officially began.
Similar to Spirit fighting, there was a one-minute period for both sides to activate their Spirits before the official start.
The Shrek Team members instantly released their Spirits, various lights shining, attempting to regain some confidence through their aura.
Xuan Ming took a step forward, and an evil, icy pressure suddenly spread, causing the Shrek Team members to feel a surge of fear.
"No, I'll die!" Oscar was the first to buckle, instinctively turning and fleeing towards the back of the stage.
"Oscar! Come back!" Dai Mubai's face was extremely ugly.
"No way! Boss Dai, I'll die!" Oscar couldn't stop at all, ignoring the countless taunts from the audience. He jumped directly off the competition stage, choosing to forfeit automatically.
The match had not yet officially begun, and a contestant voluntarily giving up their qualification was something that had never happened in the Soul Master Competition, immediately causing countless discussions in the audience.
"That kid is quite smart," Salas sneered.
"Losing face is better than losing life."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes showed a hint of helplessness. He still remembered that this child named Oscar had previously wanted to join their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
For such an important opening ceremony match, he should at least try his best to perform.
"Such an aura without even releasing his Spirit and spirit ring..."
The three Education Committee members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy exchanged glances, all somewhat shocked.
They had been out of touch with Xuan Ming for too long, and their understanding of his strength was actually still at the time when the Royal Fighting Team had left Heaven Dou City to train in the Great Spirit Arenas of various cities.
In less than two years, such a big change had occurred?
Oscar's escape seemed to open Pandora's box, and the Shrek Team's already fragile morale instantly collapsed.
Ma Hongjun looked at Oscar's pathetic retreating figure, his legs also starting to tremble uncontrollably. Although he was usually carefree, facing Xuan Ming's substantial pressure, the fear that had been buried in him since his time in the Sotou Great Spirit Arena surged out again.
"I... I'm not fighting either!" Ma Hongjun yelled, turning and running towards the edge of the stage, his speed a few points faster than when he usually practiced Spirit Abilities.
A burst of laughter immediately erupted from the audience, and the Shrek Team's face was completely lost.
Dai Mubai trembled with anger. He never expected his teammates to be so vulnerable.
"You... you've disappointed me so much!"
Dai Mubai roared, but his voice carried a hint of powerlessness.
He was the one who should have run away the most! He hadn't even run yet, and these two guys had run first!
Tang San clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms. He looked at Xuan Ming, his eyes full of unwillingness and anger.
"Xuan Ming, even if you are strong, we will not give up easily!"
Tang San shouted loudly, trying to rekindle his teammates' fighting Spirit.
However, his voice seemed so weak under Xuan Ming's powerful pressure.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong and the others looked at this scene, feeling somewhat conflicted.
Although they had left Shrek, they didn't want to see their former teammates in such a sorry state.
"Five, four, three, two... one!"
"Referee!"
Just as the preparation time ended, Yu Xiaogang, the leader of the Shrek Team, suddenly raised his hand and called a halt.
"We... surrender!"
Under the gaze of countless people, Yu Xiaogang almost gritted his teeth as he uttered the two words, "We surrender."
He never expected this highly anticipated first battle to end in such a humiliating way.
But he had no choice but to do so, otherwise, the Shrek Team's competition for this year would have ended right there!