As the Shrek team stepped onto the arena—Aside from Ma Xiaotao, the rest of the team appeared somewhat youthful, even a little immature.
Whether it was the live audience, the emperor and his ministers in the imperial city, or the competing teams from various academies—
At that moment, everyone realized: This was most likely Shrek's reserve team!
The seven members of Tianling Academy quickly grasped the situation as well.
Shrek hadn't fielded their full main roster.
Perhaps only one or two of them were members of main team?
'Then… maybe we stood a chance?'
'At the very least, we wouldn't lose too disgracefully.' With this thought, the Tianling captain swiftly rallied his team's morale.
Losing to Shrek was expected, but even in defeat, they had to put up a decent fight—or they'd be ridiculed for life.
Off the arena, the powerhouse teams of the tournament focused intently, analyzing Shrek's strength.
As the saying goes: Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
It wasn't just the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy that coveted Shrek's throne—others harbored the same ambition.
'They could be overthrown!'
For every soul master who walked this path, there was only one ultimate goal: The championship.
The audience, however, was far simpler—they just wanted to see Shrek dominate.
Yet even they couldn't help but sigh: 'Wow, they're really showing off!'
Fielding six reserve team members at once might seem arrogant but this was Shrek.
They'd done this countless times before—using the reserves for training wasn't unusual.
The audience conceded tactfully: 'This is the foundation of the continent's top soul master academy!'
As both teams took their positions, the referee gave the signal: "Begin!"
With that command, both sides released their martial souls almost simultaneously.
To be fair, Tianling's team wasn't weak.
Their soul rings—dominated by yellow and purple—shone brilliantly.
Among the seven, five were four-ringed, and only two were three-ringed.
Their captain, a young man with four rings, had clearly reached the late stages of the Soul Ancestor realm—a remarkable feat for someone barely twenty.
Yet at that moment, no one paid them any attention.
Every spectator's gaze was locked onto Shrek Academy—or more precisely, the young man and girl at the forefront.
Everyone were silent and shocked.
Mouths hung slightly agape as everyone stared.
First, the stunning red-haired girl.
As her martial soul manifested, crimson feathers adorned Ma Xiaotao's figure, her eyes blazing with fiery intensity.
Yellow, purple, black—six soul rings encircled her proud form.
"A Soul Emperor—as expected."
This was practically routine for Shrek.
Every tournament, they reliably produced at least one Soul Emperor.
"Typical Shrek—always nurturing prodigies."
But what truly stunned the crowd wasn't Ma Xiaotao's strength—It was the boy beside her.
Though only a four-ringed Soul Ancestor, his soul ring configuration defied the heavens: Yellow, purple, purple, black!
In all the years of the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament, few had ever absorbed a thousand-year soul ring as their second ring.
Let alone a ten-thousand-year soul ring as their fourth!
This was outright outrageous!
Even with a lineup of one Soul Emperor, five Soul Ancestors, and one Soul Elder—No one dared underestimate them.
After all, as reserves, they'd return in five years for the next tournament.
Just considering Huo Yuhao's soul rings and talent—In five years, he'd undoubtedly be another Soul Emperor-level powerhouse.
And not just any Soul Emperor—one of terrifying caliber.
If he could absorb a ten-thousand-year ring at the fourth rank, who knew what heights he'd reach next?
As for the match itself—It was over before it began.
The audience barely had time to react before it ended in an instant.
Ma Xiaotao's near-Soul Saint-level pressure engulfed the entire arena.
With just the flicker of her first few soul rings, her Scorching Phoenix Fire Line suppressed Tianling's team completely.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao charged into their ranks, gleefully finishing them off with bare-handed strikes—not even using soul skills.
In mere breaths, all seven opponents lay defeated, utterly overwhelmed.
It was instant annihilation. Pure level suppression and numerical domination.
Tianling's team barely managed a few symbolic soul skills before crumbling.
Shrek was too fast. So fast the audience was left dazed.
The referee, recovering first, swallowed hard before announcing: "Shrek Academy wins—advancing to the second round!"
For a moment, the crowd was stunned into silence.
Then—the arena erupted.
Cheers, roars, and chants of "Shrek! Shrek!" thundered endlessly.
The spectators' faces flushed with exhilaration, their excitement beyond words.
This was Shrek Academy—the undefeated legend of millennia!
A lightning-fast, overwhelming victory—this was the thrill they craved.
And let's not forget—the team's visuals were top-tier.
Especially Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao, whose looks alone could stun onlookers.
Watching a fight was entertaining, but watching beautiful people dominate? It was even better.
After the battle, Huo Yuhao's group exited the stage, returning to Shrek's rest area.
Team leader Wang Yan asked, "Xiaotao, Yuhao, do you want to stay and watch the other matches?"
Ma Xiaotao didn't answer—her pride barely tolerated Wang Yan's authority, and only out of respect for Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "No need, Teacher Wang Yan. This is just the knockout stage—the real powerhouses won't reveal their hands yet."
With that, the team unanimously decided to leave.
As Shrek's members departed for the Xinghuang Hotel east of the square, the entire audience's attention followed them.
Their early exit even paused the tournament for several minutes.
Meanwhile, atop the imperial city, Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire stood abruptly, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.
He turned to an attendant and ordered: "Investigate Shrek's participants—especially their recent activities."
Tournament registrations only required names and ages—no further details.
Even the emperor knew little beyond Shrek's listed roster: five main members and seven reserves.
'Where were the other two main players?'
More puzzling—why hadn't Dai Hao's son taken the field? And why did he seem so listless?
"At once, Your Majesty."
In the competitors' rest areas, tension lingered.
Shrek's dominance was undeniable—the gap was just too vast.
Memories of the last tournament resurfaced—the fear of Shrek's unstoppable momentum, led by two girls who steamrolled the competition.
"How is this level of power even possible…?" In the Sun Moon team's area, Ma Rulong muttered, rising from his seat.
As a reserve in the last tournament, he'd witnessed Zhang Lexuan's invincibility—her control with Han Ruoruo made resistance futile.
Back then, he'd been relieved not to face such monsters.
But now? A new monster had arrived—one even more terrifying.
If his senses weren't mistaken, that red-haired girl was near the Soul Saint realm! And she hadn't even been a reserve last time!
In his mind, two figures overlapped—both devastatingly beautiful, devastatingly strong.
Five years ago, Zhang Lexuan had crushed the Sun Moon team.
Now, Shrek's captain Ma Xiaotao seemed poised to do the same.
He'd thought their biggest threat was Shrek's White Tiger Soul Emperor.
'But there was another powerhouse?!'
'Damn you, Shrek—playing dirty like this?!'
With at least two Soul Emperors, their strength was absurd.
And then there was Shrek's vice-captain, Huo Yuhao.
Though information on him was scarce, three things stood out: Twelve years old, Vice-captain of Shrek, A Soul Elder now revealed as a Soul Ancestor.
Just Shrek's paper strength was enough to make Ma Rulong's expression darken.
One teammate hesitantly asked, "Captain… if you faced Shrek's Soul Emperor head-on, could you win?"
Ma Rulong: ?
'What kind of nonsense is this?'
The opponent was a half-step Soul Saint—from Shrek.
How could he possibly compete?
But to prevent morale from collapsing, he forced a reply: "Fifty-fifty… if I use my soul tools."
Lacking confidence, he added firmly: "Don't worry. We have multiple trump cards—we won't fall easily."
Beside him, Meng Hongchen nudged her brother. "Xiao, any thoughts?"
Xiao Hongchen sighed. "Our chances this year… are slim."
Meng Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "You? Lacking confidence?"
"My confidence is for my peers," he retorted. "Shrek has two Soul Emperors a tier above me. Why wouldn't I be wary?"
He scoffed. "The next tournament is on our home turf. Besides preparing for this one, we need to watch Shrek's under-fifteen members—especially that vice-captain."
Gritting his teeth, he vowed: "I'll defeat him myself!"
Meng Hongchen rolled her eyes. "Huo Yuhao's already a four-ringed Soul Ancestor at twelve. With those soul rings? A true genius. Could you do that without pills?"
"Meng Hongchen!" Xiao Hongchen's face reddened. "Whose side are you on?!"
She shrugged. "I am just stating facts."
Internally, Xiao Hongchen sighed.
He'd thought himself a prodigy—a Soul King at fourteen.
Yet here was someone two years younger, already a Soul Ancestor with insane soul rings.
Huo Yuhao was his greatest rival.
For this tournament—and the next.
Clenching his fists, he declared: "But talent is just talent. My focus is soul tools—I'll prove my strength in battle!"
Meng Hongchen shook her head.
'Prove what? That you're better than him now?'
'That changes nothing.'
With two Soul Emperors, Shrek was a nightmare.
And in five years? Huo Yuhao would be even more monstrous.
Perhaps… she'd handle this herself.
Meng Hongchen had a plan—to defeat the enemy without fighting.
…
Meanwhile…the second match began, but after Shrek's dazzling opener, it felt mundane. Still, evenly matched battles had their own thrill.
On the imperial terrace, Xu Jiawei turned to a disheveled old man gnawing a chicken leg.
"Elder Xuan, could you tell me more about that boy, Huo Yuhao?"
The old man—Shrek's Supreme Douluo Xuan Zi—chuckled.
"Don't get any funny ideas, kid."
Xu Jiawei smiled. "Of course not, Elder Xuan."
Nearby officials shuddered.
Only a Supreme Douluo could call the emperor "kid" so casually.
Indeed—Xuan Zi had returned.
Though he hadn't brought reinforcements, he had…other methods.
…
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