After dispersing the final golden sword shadow, Xu Zihuang calmly withdrew the soul power he had infused into the short blade, Whale Tooth.
The originally deep purple translucent blade instantly transformed into a dual-color pattern of black and white — an ink-black spine and a snow-white edge.
The edge gleamed coldly, without the slightest damage.
Although Gu Fengli's fourth soul skill was powerful, its strength was divided among each of the sword shadows, making each one only slightly stronger than the second soul skill of a two-ringed Grand Soul Master.
The blade of Whale Tooth had been forged from the tooth of a twenty-thousand-year Evil Demon Orca, its hardness surpassing that of most grade-six soul tools. Naturally, it could not be harmed in the slightest.
On the other hand, Gu Fengli, having exhausted too much of her soul power, had turned pale as snow.
The shock in her eyes was no less than that of the audience, and along with it rose a deep, helpless sense of powerlessness.
Yu Tianhuang had defended against her strongest fourth soul skill without even using a soul skill himself.
Was the gap between them really this vast?
Gu Fengli gave a bitter smile, unconsciously recalling the words Yu Tianhuang had said before.
At this point, the outcome was already clear. The referee walked between the two and loudly announced the result of the match.
"Shrek Academy versus Sylvis Academy, individual elimination battle, second match—Shrek Academy's Yu Tianhuang wins!"
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted across the arena.
In two consecutive matches, Yu Tianhuang had only used his third soul skill once. Though the second match against Gu Fengli had lasted for quite a while, anyone with discerning eyes could tell—it was yet another absolute domination.
Worthy of being called the number one academy on the continent—Shrek Academy.
The instructor leading the Sylvis Academy team gazed complexly at Xu Zihuang, who stood in the center of the stage.
He could no longer tell whether having their academy face Shrek had been the right decision.
His original intention was to allow his students to recognize their weaknesses through battle with Shrek's members, but after two consecutive crushing defeats, all it had done was deal a heavy blow to their confidence.
While overcoming inner fear could indeed benefit one's future growth, it was just as possible that such psychological trauma would leave them broken beyond recovery.
Shrek Academy was indeed far stronger than he had ever imagined.
Just as the Sylvis instructor wrestled with his thoughts, a tall, slender young man walked up beside him and said in a low voice,
"Teacher Yi, let me go next. If I lose too, our Sylvis Academy will forfeit this round."
At those words, not only did the instructor look at him in surprise, but so did Gu Fengli, who had just lost, and the remaining five team members.
To think he had already considered defeat before the battle even began.
Their captain had always been proud and unyielding. It was hard to imagine such words coming from his mouth.
The Sylvis Academy instructor knew his student's personality well. He only placed a firm hand on the young man's shoulder as a reminder.
"Wushang, don't force yourself too much. You're now the captain of the Sylvis Academy team."
"Teacher Yi, I understand."
Yang Wushang immediately grasped his instructor's intent.
As captain, he had to prioritize the interests of the entire team and not let personal emotions cloud his judgment.
After saying this, he stepped onto the competition stage.
Xu Zihuang's gaze also shifted toward the tall, slender young man across from him.
The youth had long, jet-black hair and a straight posture. His expression, however, was somber, and his shadowed eyes gave off an eerie, oppressive feeling.
With a solemn expression and burning eyes, he bowed deeply toward Xu Zihuang.
"Sylvis Academy, Yang Wushang."
"I know your true strength is great. As captain of the Sylvis Academy team, I wish to have a proper, fair duel with you. If you defeat me, there's no need for the remaining matches. Our Sylvis Academy will concede. I only hope that when facing me, you'll fight with your full strength."
"Whether or not I use my full strength doesn't depend on me—it depends on you," Xu Zihuang replied faintly. His calm, golden eyes showed no trace of emotion.
Yang Wushang narrowed his eyes slightly, but after a brief moment of thought, he regained his composure.
At that moment, the referee stepped between the two.
"Both sides, step back."
Xu Zihuang and Yang Wushang slowly retreated while locking gazes in midair. Xu Zihuang's face remained as tranquil as still water, while Yang Wushang's eyes grew sharper, his entire body radiating a piercing aura like a drawn blade.
Though the audience couldn't hear their exchange through the soul tool barrier, they could sense the mounting tension.
The atmosphere in the arena reached another peak.
When Yang Wushang had taken the stage, the host had introduced him through an amplification soul tool—he was the captain of Sylvis Academy, its undisputed core.
This duel was, in essence, the peak showdown of this round's individual elimination matches. How could the spectators not be excited?
After glancing at both competitors, the referee raised his voice and shouted,
"Begin!"
Yang Wushang's gaze sharpened, and dark light flared from his right hand.
A long spear, over three meters in length, appeared in his grasp.
The spear was pitch black from tip to tail, radiating a cold, deadly gleam. The shaft measured eight feet long, with the broad spearhead alone spanning four feet. Two yellow and two purple soul rings—the optimal combination—rose from beneath him and revolved around the spear, shining brilliantly.
"This spear's name is Soul-Breaker."
Yang Wushang's eyes were icy as he flicked the spearhead. The instant the tip leveled toward Xu Zihuang, his entire being seemed to merge with the weapon. The surge of aura that erupted from him faintly surpassed even Xu Zihuang's.
To have led Sylvis Academy—a team ranked only in the mid-lower tier among all participants—through the knockout round into the group stage, he naturally possessed considerable strength.
At just nineteen years old, Yang Wushang had already reached level forty-nine in soul power. If he participated in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament at age twenty, he would undoubtedly break through to the Soul King realm.
Moreover, his martial soul, the Soul-Breaking Spear, was no ordinary weapon-type spirit. It was the inherited martial soul of the "Po" Clan, one of the four subsidiary clans of the Clear Sky Sect from ten thousand years ago—an apex-level weapon martial soul.
With spear in hand, the sharp aura emanating from him even exceeded that of Shen Ce, the captain of Qianling Academy's team.
And Shen Ce was a level-53 Soul King—while Yang Wushang was only a Soul Ancestor.
That was the difference in martial soul quality.
Without a doubt, if they were both Soul Kings, Shen Ce would have no chance before Yang Wushang.
"The Soul-Breaking Spear?" Xu Zihuang's golden eyes flickered slightly, but there was no hint of fear.
His second soul ring glowed, and a crystal spear identical to Yang Wushang's appeared in his right hand, perfectly replicated.
Yang Wushang instantly recalled the scene two days prior, when Yu Tianhuang had crushed Shen Ce. Every team had been present to draw lots for their knockout opponents, so he had personally witnessed Xu Zihuang's one-against-seven annihilation of Qianling Academy.
But confident in his own martial soul, he didn't believe he would share Shen Ce's fate.
A soul skill-forged spear was only a hollow imitation of the real thing.
Raising his right arm, Yang Wushang's body followed his spear seamlessly as he thrust straight toward Xu Zihuang's chest—clean and precise.
His first soul ring lit up, and a blast of concussive force erupted around him, his aura soaring even higher.
"First soul skill—Shock!"
Xu Zihuang brought his dark red crystal spear behind him as the black ten-thousand-year soul ring glowed beneath his feet.
"Shock."
With a faint murmur, he mirrored Yang Wushang's movement, thrusting forward at the same time.
Before the two spearheads could even meet, the violent shockwaves from their respective skills collided in midair.
Both men were straining forward, yet unable to touch—an invisible force separating the two tips.
The air between them rippled like water, and both spears trembled under the pressure.
After three seconds of stalemate, Yang Wushang's aura fluctuated violently. His right arm went numb, and he staggered back over ten steps.
There was no question—he was at a disadvantage, having suffered internal injury from the clash.
Though Xu Zihuang's crystal spear was a condensed soul power construct and could not match the Soul-Breaking Spear's physical quality, the difference between a hundred-year and a ten-thousand-year soul skill was something that could not be bridged.
Moreover, in overall soul power and foundation, Xu Zihuang clearly surpassed Yang Wushang.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Wushang's second soul ring shone as a layer of black light surged over the spear's tip.
"Second soul skill—Explosion!"
He thrust again.
"Explosion."
Xu Zihuang's calm gaze met Yang Wushang's as his fourth soul skill, Imprint, replicated the same second soul skill in response.
Boom—!
This time, the spearheads clashed directly, producing a rapid series of violent detonations.
The resulting shockwave swept across the stage, sending both of their long hair fluttering wildly.
Xu Zihuang stood unmoved, while Yang Wushang staggered back again.
Weapon-type martial souls indeed grew stronger with the user's cultivation, but Yang Wushang was only a Soul Ancestor. Even if his Soul-Breaking Spear's quality was high, it couldn't bridge the massive gap between a ten-thousand-year and a hundred-year soul skill.
It wasn't uncommon for weapon martial souls to shatter under such strain.
A mouthful of blood spurted from Yang Wushang's lips. His mind shaken, he roared as he activated his third soul skill.
"Third soul skill—Shatter!"
A ring of black flames erupted from his body. His entire spear turned pitch black, engulfed in dark fire. The flames condensed into a three-foot-long fiery spear tip at the front.
Stomping the ground, Yang Wushang's body shot forward in a low charge toward Xu Zihuang.
But what appeared before his eyes next utterly shattered his will.
Xu Zihuang had once again replicated his third soul skill—but the flame spear tip on his dark red crystal spear wasn't black; it was crimson.
The two differently colored Soul-Breaking Spears collided in midair. The destructive energy from their clash caused countless fine cracks to spread across the marble floor beneath them.
After a brief stalemate, the crimson light swiftly overwhelmed the black.
With a thunderous bang, the Soul-Breaking Spear in Yang Wushang's hands was blown away.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang altered his thrust, driving the crystal spear straight into the marble floor.
A hole over three meters wide instantly appeared before him—yet not a single fragment or shard of marble remained, as though the matter itself had been erased from existence.
From start to finish, both Xu Zihuang and Yang Wushang had exchanged only three strikes. But each collision was so intense and perilous that every spectator felt their hearts clench in awe.
Yang Wushang stared blankly at his trembling, split palms and murmured bitterly, "I lost… completely. Sylvis Academy concedes."
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