After the captains of both sides finished their self-introductions,
the referee shouted,
"Both teams, bow!"
Led by Ye Qiu and Hu Yanli
, all fourteen participating teams from both sides bowed to each other simultaneously.
The atmosphere in the arena
instantly became somewhat tense.
With the referee's announcement,
the first match of the second round of the preliminary competition officially began.
At the same time, the matches on the other four arenas also began almost simultaneously.
In that instant
, in all five matches, the Soul Masters on all five arenas activated their Martial Souls.
Suddenly,
Martial Souls possessed their bodies, and Weapon Souls were summoned.
In an instant, dazzling Soul Ring halos filled the air.
Soul Rings flew up and down.
The entire Heaven Dou Grand Soul Arena became dazzling.
The only exception was on the central arena.
Of the fourteen participating students, only eight had activated their Martial Souls.
From the Blue Tyrant Academy team,
only Ye Qiu had activated his Martial Soul.
This unusual scene, strikingly familiar yet strangely reminiscent, seemed to transport the audience back to the match two days prior.
Cheers erupted from the crowd simultaneously.
Even the students on the other four arenas couldn't help but glance over, some puzzled, others sneering.
Even the audience felt the Blue Tyrant Academy team was being overly dramatic.
Today's situation was different.
The opposing team had three Soul Masters!
The seven Elephant Armor Sect direct descendants standing before the Blue Tyrant Academy team exchanged bewildered glances.
Hu Yanli's face was particularly grim.
The thick, fleshy muscles on his face trembled with a cold laugh.
"You'll regret this!"
he declared
, tearing open his clothes to reveal his muscular physique.
The other six followed suit.
The audience was somewhat bewildered.
But soon,
the seven members of the Elephant Armor Sect demonstrated their transformation, explaining why they had removed their shirts.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Hu Yanli shouted.
His already imposing body swelled even more with the explosive shout of Martial Soul Possession.
Some loose, flabby flesh rapidly bulged, transforming into exaggerated and terrifying muscles.
A layer of dark yellow keratin surfaced, shimmering with a metallic sheen.
Even more inhuman,
their noses simultaneously extended and lengthened.
At the same time, their upper lips curled up, revealing two fangs, each a foot long.
All seven simultaneously raised their right feet
and slammed them heavily onto the arena, creating a deafening roar.
This not only captivated the audience but also made everyone worry whether the arena could withstand their ferocious power.
Of the seven people,
the three in the middle all had four spirit rings (two yellow and two purple), while the four on the sides had three spirit rings (two yellow and one purple).
Ye Qiu quietly observed their changes, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. It seemed that the larger the Elephant Armor Sect disciples were, the stronger they were.
Their strength could be judged from their appearance.
In the VIP seats,
Platinum Bishop Salas looked at the mountain of flesh beside him.
The two exchanged a glance.
Hu Yanzhen nodded to him and said loudly,
"Ali is the most outstanding disciple of the younger generation of my Elephant Armor Sect, and also my eldest grandson. He is exceptionally talented, even better than I was at his age. I am confident that he will become a Title Douluo!"
Hu Yanzhen did not conceal his voice.
Not only Salas could hear it, but Emperor Xue Ye, Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, and Bone Douluo beside him could also hear it.
Emperor Xue Ye smiled slightly and said, "Sect Master Hu Yanzhen has such a grandson, it is truly something to celebrate!"
Hu Yanzhen laughed heartily, his voice resounding throughout the VIP seats.
"Your Majesty flatters me. Let's watch Ali's performance. Our Elephant Armor Sect's goal this year is to be in the top three of the finals,"
Emperor Xueye said calmly. "However, your grandson's opponents seem a bit difficult this time. There are at least two Soul Masters."
Huyan Zhen was stunned for a moment. He had never thought that his sect's disciples would lose. In addition, the physique of their Elephant Armor Sect disciples was unmatched by others, so he naturally hadn't paid attention to their opponents.
Now, hearing Emperor Xueye's words, his gaze fell on the Blue Tyrant Academy team.
A strange look immediately appeared on his face.
"What does this team mean? Do they want to challenge my Elephant Armor Sect's sons one-on-one?"
"Maybe he can really do it?"
Ning Fengzhi suddenly spoke up.
His face had a meaningful smile. He hadn't expected that Ye Qiu would take action so quickly.
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Huyan Zhen burst into laughter.
"Haha. Impossible, absolutely impossible. He, a mere Soul Master, thinks he can defeat my Elephant Armor Academy team? It's utterly absurd!"
"Sect Master Ning, perhaps you didn't get enough rest last night? This is clearly impossible."
Salas couldn't help but sneer.
Ning Fengzhi remained silent. Facts speak louder than words; they would understand once the results were in.
Given Ye Qiu's strength, he wouldn't have to wait long.
Emperor Xue Ye smiled slightly, glancing at Xue Ke's empty seat, then at Ye Qiu.
He was also anticipating the young man's performance—was he truly powerful and fearless, or simply trying to attract attention?
"Since the three of you have differing opinions, let's wait and see. I'm quite curious myself."
After the speech on the VIP platform,
the preliminary rounds on the five arenas officially began.
The seven mountains of flesh before Ye Qiu didn't launch a fierce attack like the five offensive Soul Masters of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team in the previous match. Their defenses allowed them to rest and wait.
But clearly, they didn't want to do that; they were already impatient to crush Ye Qiu.
The seven of them stood in a row.
Their first spirit rings simultaneously shone, and they raised their elephant legs, taking steady steps towards Ye Qiu.
Under the effect of their first spirit skill,
a layer of crystalline color appeared on the originally dark yellow keratin of these seven fleshy mountains, making each of them seem covered in glaze.
The seven massive bodies, standing in a row, already occupied half the length of the entire arena.
Their steps were slow, but with each step forward, their aura increased, both physically and spiritually.
Ye Qiu stood calmly before them, quietly waiting. He had absolutely no interest in this level of battle; it was a thankless task.
"Go, brother! Defeat those ugly monsters!"
Xiao Lan shouted happily.
Ye Qiu chuckled, strolled forward, and walked towards the wall of flesh.
Under Hu Yanli's strange gaze, they quickly arrived in front of him. Ye Qiu looked up, silently observing them. The moment
Hu Yanli and the others focused their attention
, a strange, blood-red light flashed in Ye Qiu's eyes. Hu Yanli and the other six trembled and froze on the spot.