Chapter 188: Shrek vs. Godwind Academy
In the original timeline, Shi Nian was killed by Tang San, and the research notes on the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique were obtained by Yu Xiaogang, allowing him to develop the Shrek Seven Devils' team technique. But now, Shi Nian had died at Luo Ling's hands.
That Yu Xiaogang had managed to produce even a Four-in-One Fusion Technique was already an extraordinary accomplishment.
The Xingluo Royal Academy's defeat in the second round of the finals was a major upset.
Spectators and gamblers were already betting on who would claim the championship. At the top of the predictions was Heaven Dou Royal Academy—with Luo Ling as its ace.
Next came Wuhun Hall Academy, boasting three Soul Kings, followed by Godwind Academy and Shrek Academy.
In the third round of the finals, Luo Ling didn't dominate the match single-handedly like before. True to his word, he played the role of support while Dugu Yan shone brilliantly on stage.
Shrek Academy, meanwhile, faced a team from the Xingluo Empire. Under Tang San's brutal assault, the Xingluo team was quickly overwhelmed and defeated.
In the fourth round, Shrek would face Godwind Academy.
Two championship contenders colliding ignited the entire arena's atmosphere.
In Shrek's resting zone, Liu Erlong frowned as she read the match draw.
The fourth round featured six remaining teams—four of which were strong contenders for the championship: Shrek Academy, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Wuhun Hall Academy, and Godwind Academy.
The other two, from Xingluo Empire, were far weaker—their presence in round four was pure luck.
Had Shrek drawn one of those weaker teams, they would have been almost guaranteed a spot in the top three.
"Our opponent is Godwind Academy." Liu Erlong's frown deepened.
The others all looked grim.
They had lost to Godwind Academy in the qualifying rounds.
At that time, Godwind Academy hadn't yet merged with Blazing Fire Academy. Now that they had, their strength had grown tremendously.
Although Tang San had since broken through to Soul King, the outlook remained uncertain.
"Godwind Academy? Perfect," Tang San said with a faint, confident smirk. "Looks like I'll finally get to stretch my limbs."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Yu Xiaogang, hearing Tang San's tone, understood exactly what he meant.
The world's top weapon martial soul—the Clear Sky Hammer—would make its appearance in the tournament's grand stage.
…
In Godwind Academy's resting area, Feng Xiaotian's expression was heavy after seeing the match results.
"Shrek Academy… Their captain Tang San is ruthless. He shows no mercy in battle—we need to be careful."
"Shrek?" Fire Dance raised her head, surprised. "That academy? I remember we beat them in the qualifying rounds."
"Fire Dance, don't take it lightly," Fire Unparalleled warned. "Tang San was just a Soul Ancestor during the qualifiers. Now he's already a Soul King."
"I know," Fire Dance nodded, frowning. "But how did he grow that fast? During the preliminaries, he had barely broken through to Soul Ancestor."
"Enough," Feng Xiaotian said, raising his hand. "However he did it, Tang San is a powerful opponent—and we should treat him as such. But we have one major advantage: his martial soul is plant-type. Naturally, it's weak against our fire attributes. That means, Fire Dance, Fire Unparalleled, I'll need you two to handle him."
"Feng Xiaotian," Fire Unparalleled said hesitantly, "Tang San's Blue Silver Grass isn't ordinary. During the last tournament, I already noticed that my flames didn't have much of a suppressive effect."
"That's why I'm pairing you with Fire Dance. The two of you should be able to stall him, at least for long enough," Feng Xiaotian said confidently.
Fire Dance and Fire Unparalleled exchanged a glance, then nodded.
Just stalling Tang San shouldn't be a problem, even if the elemental suppression wasn't as strong as expected.
"Good. You two keep Tang San busy, while I lead the others to eliminate the rest of the Shrek team quickly."
In his mind, aside from Tang San, only three Shrek members warranted his caution: Zhu Zhuqing, Yu Tianheng, and Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda made her a priority target for elimination, while Yu Tianheng and Zhu Zhuqing's combat strength couldn't be ignored.
As for the rest…
Ma Hongjun was decent but not an immediate threat.
Oscar, being a food-type support, was even less dangerous. Feng Xiaotian recalled that food-type soul masters needed time to prepare consumables, meaning that in a real fight, their usefulness was limited.
And since the tournament didn't allow pre-prepared items or external supplies, Oscar's impact would be negligible.
Soon, before a full audience, the fourth round of the finals began.
Shrek Academy vs. Godwind Academy.
Both teams fielded members who were at least at Soul Sect level, and Tang San was now a full-fledged Soul King.
In terms of strength, Shrek held the advantage. But in terms of popularity, they were being completely crushed—by none other than their opponents.
Tang San's reputation for ruthlessness had angered many spectators, and as the two teams entered the arena, the jeers and curses directed at him filled the air.
As the saying went: "One rat's dropping spoils the whole pot."
Shrek's other members were all associated with Tang San's infamy. Their faces stiffened with embarrassment as they stepped onto the stage.
Though none of the insults named them specifically, they couldn't shake the shame—they were still part of Shrek after all.
"Tang San, I didn't expect we'd meet again on this stage," Feng Xiaotian said coldly.
"Neither did I," Tang San replied proudly. "I lost to you last time, but this time, I'll reclaim victory."
He had the confidence to say it now—his spirit power surpassed Feng Xiaotian's, and he possessed twin martial souls.
"Because you reached Soul King?" Feng Xiaotian said with disdain. "I don't know how you gained power so quickly—but any strength obtained through underhanded means never truly belongs to you."
Tang San froze, a flicker of nervousness flashing in his eyes.
What did he mean by that? Did Feng Xiaotian somehow know about the Blood Demon Ritual—or the Original God Sect?
Murderous intent crept into Tang San's heart. That secret was too important—it could never be exposed.
Feng Xiaotian, however, remained impassive.
He had no idea what Tang San was thinking. He simply assumed Tang San had consumed some sort of rare heavenly treasure to boost his cultivation—after all, records of similar cases existed in the Godwind Academy's archives.
Each man misunderstood the other completely.
But Feng Xiaotian's casual remark had already sealed his fate—it had kindled Tang San's killing intent.
(END CHAPTER)
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