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A few minutes passed, and the main stage of the Soto Great Spirit Arena was buzzing with excitement. The large stage was a massive stone platform, hundreds of square meters wide, located right in the center of the stadium. All around it, the stands were packed with people, and the roar of the crowd was so loud it felt like it could shake the entire building.
Suddenly, more than a dozen golden beams of light appeared above the center of the stage. They intersected in the air, then merged into a single, brilliant golden light that shot down to the stage floor. Just as the light landed, a circular platform, two meters in diameter, began to rise from the ground. It was supported by a thick golden pillar, and leaning against that pillar was a woman.
She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a simple, elegant white dress. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her slightly curled hair glowed softly under the lights, flowing over her shoulders.
"Greetings, everyone, and welcome to the Soto Great Spirit Arena!" her voice echoed through the stadium. "It's my honor to host tonight's team soul battle. My name is Doudou!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a massive wave of cheers erupted from the crowd, a sound so loud it was like a tidal wave crashing over the stadium. Doudou smiled, her eyes narrowing as she seemed to enjoy the moment of applause and excitement. A moment later, her smile widened, and her voice became even more sincere and full of energy.
"Alright, now let's welcome the two teams who will be fighting tonight!" she announced.
With a loud bang, heavy mechanical sounds came from both sides of the stage. Two tall metal gates slowly opened, and a bright light spilled out, revealing the two teams.
On the left side was the Royal Fight Team. Yu Tianheng led the way, with Dugu Yan right behind him. The Stone Brothers, Ao Siluo, and Yu Feng followed them. The last person on the team was wearing a light green dress and a ghost mask. From the way they walked, it seemed like their clothes didn't fit them very well.
On the other side, the Shrek Team entered, led by Dai Mubai. All of them wore black, tight-fitting clothes and green monster masks. As the two teams appeared, Dai Mubai, the captain of the Shrek Seven Devils, and Yu Tianheng, the captain of the Royal Fight Team, locked eyes, their gazes clashing fiercely across the stage.
In the spectator stands nearby, Yu Xiaogang and Flender stood together, their eyes focused on the stage. Flender's eyebrows were furrowed, and his hands, clasped behind his back, were clenched tight. His face showed a clear sense of worry.
Yu Xiaogang noticed this and glanced at him. "You don't need to be so nervous, Flender," he said calmly. "I already made a detailed battle plan for Little San. And with his external Spirit Bone, I think it won't take more than thirty rounds for them to defeat the Royal Fight Team."
"I hope so," Flender sighed, letting out a breath. "As long as the kids come back safe, I'll be happy."
Just as he spoke, a flash of recognition crossed his eyes. His expression changed dramatically as he noticed something that shouldn't have been there. Flender leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the last support Spirit Master of the Royal Fight Team. His pupils narrowed.
"Xiao Gang, look!" Flender said in a low, urgent voice. "Doesn't that mask the last support Spirit Master is wearing look familiar?"
Yu Xiaogang followed his gaze and stared intently. He narrowed his eyes, a strange expression on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't that the mask that little rascal Tang Chuan used to wear? But that can't be right. This support Spirit Master is clearly a girl. How could it be him?"
The two men looked at each other, their eyes filled with both surprise and a subtle sense of dread.
At the same time, on the stage, Tang San and Xiao Wu's eyes also fell on the same support Spirit Master from the Royal Fight Team.
"That mask is exactly the same as the one Brother used to wear," Xiao Wu whispered. "What's going on? Does he know them, or is it just a coincidence?"
"I don't know," Tang San replied, his pupils slightly contracted. "But for some reason, I'm getting an extremely familiar feeling from her." A familiar blue figure instantly flashed through his mind.
Xiao Wu's expression also changed, and a mix of surprise and worry appeared in her eyes. She subconsciously took a half-step closer to Tang San but said nothing more.
Just then, Doudou raised her hand, held her amplification soul tool to her lips, and her voice rang out across the venue. "Let the soul battle begin!"
As her words faded, Dai Mubai stomped his foot, and his deep, powerful voice boomed through the arena. "Everyone, release your Spirits!"
Boom!
Seven powerful spirit energy fluctuations swept out almost at the same time. The spirit rings of the Shrek Seven Devils appeared at their feet, and they all released their Spirits. Oscar had already given his three types of sausages to everyone. He and Ning Rongrong stood at the very back of the team. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were on Dai Mubai's left and right, while Tang San stood behind all three of them. Ma Hongjun was positioned just ahead of Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
With their Spirits released, the Shrek Team's aura instantly reached its peak. Tang San's eyes gleamed with a cold light. His voice was clear and firm as he gave his orders.
"Mubai, Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, I'll use my Blue Silver Grass to create the Meteor Human Hammer Formation! You three directly attack that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit Master!"
As he spoke, his first spirit ring glowed. He flipped his palm, and his Blue Silver Grass quietly appeared, almost as if it were alive, with a faint purple light. It wrapped around the entire team, connecting all seven of them. With Tang San at the center, the team became a single, unified group.
"First Soul Skill: White Tiger Protection Barrier!" Dai Mubai roared. He raised an eyebrow, and his first spirit ring lit up. A battle-ready smirk appeared on his face. He stomped his foot, and with a loud bang, the stone floor cracked. He charged toward the Royal Fight Team like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey.
Since the Shrek Seven Devils had released their Spirits, the other side naturally didn't stand still. The Royal Fight Team's formation was completely different from the Shrek team's. At the very front were not their captain, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit Master Yu Tianheng, but the two Black Tortoise Spirit Masters, the Stone Brothers.
Standing side by side, they both roared as soon as Doudou announced the start of the battle. An earthy-yellow light rose from their feet, their voices even more powerful than Dai Mubai's.
"First Soul Skill: Shield Transformation!"
Seeing Dai Mubai charge, the Stone Brothers roared again, their voices like a grand bell. Their first spirit rings lit up at the same time, and earthy-yellow spirit energy rippled out from their feet. This soft yellow light quickly solidified into two massive tortoise-shell shields that glowed with a heavy, earthy-yellow color.
"Captain, we'll stop him!" they said with a low roar.
The Stone Brothers stepped forward together, and the ghostly images of two tortoise shells appeared in front of them, acting like two moving city walls that completely blocked Dai Mubai's path.
At the same time, the battle on the other side of the stage shifted. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing broke away from Dai Mubai's flanks, their bodies becoming two blurs as they circled around to attack Yu Tianheng from the left and right.
Yu Tianheng's eyes narrowed. He was about to use his spirit energy to meet their attack, but Dugu Yan and Ao Siluo, who were standing next to him, had already figured out what the two women were doing.
The two of them exchanged a quick glance, understanding each other's thoughts. Their spirit energy burst from their feet, and they shot forward like arrows, blocking Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's path. The distance between the two pairs of fighters quickly closed, and you could hear the sound of the wind being cut as they rushed toward each other.
Just as they were about to clash, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved into a slight smile. A hint of cunning flashed in their eyes. In a split second, both of them pushed off the ground, leaping into the air.
Their bodies were like two soaring swallows as they flew gracefully over Dugu Yan and Ao Siluo's heads. The faint gusts of wind from their movements even made the hair of the two people below them flutter slightly.
"What? They can fly?" Dugu Yan frowned. Only then did she notice the pair of transparent wings on the backs of Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!" Just then, Ning Rongrong gracefully spun in place, and a brilliant seven-colored light radiated from her body. In her hand, a colorful pagoda, about a foot tall, had appeared.
"First: Strength!" she shouted. "Second: Speed!"
Two beams of different colored light shot out from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, hitting Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu while they were in mid-air. Their auras suddenly surged. Their speed instantly increased as if they were being pushed by a powerful wind. In the blink of an eye, they became two afterimages that appeared on either side of Yu Tianheng.
"They're so fast!" Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted sharply. He only had time to raise his arms to protect himself.
Outside Soto City, night had fallen, and the mountains stood silently like sleeping giants. On the peak of a majestic mountain, three streaks of light descended from the sky. Spirit energy fluctuations spread through the mountain air.
The three people who landed were Bibi Dong, Ghost Douluo, and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"How far are we from Soto City?" Bibi Dong asked, looking into the distance. Her voice was deep and commanding.
"Your Holiness, at our current speed, we'll reach Soto City within an hour," Ghost Douluo replied, taking a half-step forward and bowing respectfully.