The group stage of the All-Continent Advanced Youth Soul Master Elite Tournament had officially begun.
At this moment, all thirty-two teams were gathered at the competition venue. The rest area had been remodeled into thirty-two distinct sections, each furnished with a canopy and sofa—an official perk reserved for teams who made it to the top thirty-two.
Everyone believed that today's matches would be more exciting than the four rounds of preliminary matches. After all, every match in the group stage was critical—each one determined the team's chances of advancing. As such, all teams were bound to give it their all and wouldn't dare be careless.
However, the very first match of the group stage made everyone widen their eyes in shock—Shrek Academy versus the Tyrant Armour Sect, and the Tyrant Armour Sect actually surrendered without a fight!
This surprised many but also seemed reasonable. After all, everyone had seen how thoroughly Shrek Academy had crushed the Tyrant Armour Sect in the fourth round of the preliminaries. Surrendering was, in fact, the wisest choice.
There was really no point in humiliating themselves. Charging ahead when they knew they had no chance would only make them look foolish. No one would call it noble. So, while other teams understood the Tyrant Armour Sect's decision, the audience was far less forgiving, loudly shouting words like "cowards" and "weaklings," but the Tyrant Armour Sect's team leader remained unmoved.
With that, the first match ended instantly, and the second match began right away.
This match was Tang Sect versus the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Academy Team. These two teams had faced each other in the fourth preliminary round, but Tang Sect had forfeited then, avoiding a true clash. This time, they had no excuse—they couldn't surrender again.
The crowd's energy immediately surged. Any dissatisfaction from the previous match evaporated. Most people shouted Sun Moon Team's name in unison, nearly everyone convinced that the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Academy would win this match. Most of the other participating teams thought the same. Tang Sect's decision to forfeit in the fourth round had left many believing they were no match for the Sun Moon Academy. But what the real result would be—only the arena would reveal.
In Tang Sect's rest area, Tang Ya, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Xue Weiwei, He Caitou, Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong'er, and the three friends Huo Yuhao had poached from the Sun Moon Academy—Ji Juechen, Jing Ziyan, and Nana—all eleven of them stacked their hands together, eyes blazing with fighting spirit. Together, they shouted, "Victory!"
Naturally, this rally cry did not escape the attention of the other teams. In the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Academy's rest area, their members also heard Tang Sect's roar. They were unimpressed.
Xiao Hongchen sneered, "Heh, arrogant fools. If they were so strong, why did they surrender in the last match?"
"Brother, don't be careless!" Compared to Xiao Hongchen's overconfidence, Meng Hongchen was more level-headed. She analyzed, "We know Tang Sect's data well. They're practically the same as Shrek Academy's previous reserve team. I don't know why they're representing this so-called Tang Sect, but to have been chosen as Shrek's reserve team, their talent and strength must be extraordinary. Just look at that Beibei."
"Meng, you worry too much!" Xiao Hongchen said confidently, "Besides him, there's no one among our peers I fear. So what if they were Shrek's reserve team before? At most, that's the level of a previous-gen Shrek Academy team. Our strength is already beyond what any previous Shrek team could compare to."
"This match—we must win! That's the only way Her Highness's team can advance alongside us!"
His final sentence was filled with confidence and conviction, instantly invigorating Meng Hongchen and the other Sun Moon team members. Excited and flushed, they all shouted, "Yes! Sun Moon Imperial Soul Academy will win!"
Both teams were fired up. The battle was about to begin.
The chosen fighter for the Sun Moon Team was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with a calm gaze and large, slender hands—classic signs of a soul engineer. His very presence exuded strength. Tang Sect sent out Wang Dong'er—her first appearance in this tournament.
As Wang Dong'er and the Sun Moon fighter met at the center of the arena, the referee solemnly said, "Though this is the second match in name, it's actually the first real fight of the group stage. You two had better be careful. Do not maim your opponent. If I judge that the outcome is decided, I will stop the match immediately. No one is allowed to continue attacking—violators will be disqualified. Understood?"
Due to the high death toll in the preliminaries, the tournament committee was under intense pressure. Hence, this referee was being especially strict.
The Sun Moon youth nodded and said, "My name is Shi Xing. Remember it—it might stay with you for life." Then he turned and walked back to his side of the arena.
Wang Dong'er frowned slightly and muttered to the referee, "Are young people these days always this full of nonsense?"
The referee twitched and replied, "Just get ready. Victory comes from strength, not banter."
Wang Dong'er added indifferently, "Don't play favorites. You'll regret it."
The referee was stunned. He'd presided over many matches during the preliminaries and seen all kinds of contestants, but someone bold enough to threaten a referee? Wang Dong'er was the first. This girl was way too audacious.
Wang Dong'er turned to walk back, and the moment she did, Shi Xing launched his attack. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she didn't hesitate—her wings instantly unfolded behind her.
Brilliant blue wings burst open, covering her back and bathing her in a magnificent blue-gold glow. The golden spots on her Light Goddess Butterfly Wings seemed to come alive, and a strong aura of light surged forth.
At the same time, Shi Xing spread his flight-type soul tool's wings behind him, took two steps, and leaped into the air. Four dazzling white jets burst from his wings, propelling him like a meteor into the sky. A scarlet fourth-level high-explosive shell launched straight toward Wang Dong'er.
As in the previous tournament in Star Luo City, fixed-mounted soul tools were banned in Mingdu's competition as well. The fourth-level explosive shell was on par with milk bottles in importance—immensely powerful, but slow to charge. The fact that Shi Xing could launch it so quickly while flying showed his skill as a soul engineer.
Wang Dong'er curled her lip in disdain. With a flap of her wings, she shot into the air like an arrow. But then—an astonishing sight—the explosive shell actually veered in midair, homing in on her.
Without hesitation, her second soul ring lit up. A beam of golden light shot from the glowing spots on her wings and collided head-on with the explosive shell.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted in midair, releasing a crimson blast over ten meters wide. The powerful shockwave twisted the air above the arena.
When the smoke cleared, Wang Dong'er was unscathed. In contrast, Shi Xing had already revealed his soul rings: two yellow, three purple—nowhere near Wang Dong'er's two yellow, two purple, two black configuration.
"It's over," said Zhu Ziyang calmly, reclining on the sofa in Shrek's rest area. "Dong'er got this. Unless the Sun Moon Team sends out a top-tier fighter, this whole match is basically done."
"Mhm!" Ma Xiaotao agreed, nodding. "After all, Dong'er is your junior. She can't afford to make you, her senior, lose face."
"Haha!" Zhu Ziyang chuckled, a glint of meaning flashing in his eyes.
Just as he predicted, Wang Dong'er was more than capable of handling a fifth-level soul engineer. She even toyed with the Soul Sage-level referee, forcing him to blink to the edge of the arena in a panic—quite the embarrassing scene.
(End of Chapter)
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