As Emperor Xu Jiawei's words fell, Celestial Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu instantly appeared on the arena, his expression as cold as ever. His gaze subconsciously swept towards the two teams. Everything was normal on the Sun Moon Team's side, but when he looked towards Shrek Academy, his pupils constricted unnaturally, revealing a deep shock in his eyes.
What did he see? Not many people noticed this change in Huang Jinxu's expression, but those who did were all extraordinary individuals, such as Emperor Xu Jiawei, Dai Hao, Starlight Douluo Xu Luo behind Emperor Xu Jiawei, and Old Ma, the leading teacher of the Sun Moon Team.
They all looked towards Shrek Academy's direction in unison, then showed the same expression.
What did they see? In Shrek Academy's resting area, four new faces had appeared: two elderly women with aged appearances and two middle-aged women who still possessed their charm. These four individuals were absolutely top-tier existences in the intelligence networks of various Empires and major forces! Because the identity of each of them was enough to make Emperor Xu Jiawei, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, treat them with the highest etiquette.
Title Tianhe Douluo Lin Huiqun!
Title Shenying Douluo Song Lan!
Title Wushen Douluo Xian Lin'er!
Title Poxie Douluo Cai Meier!
"This is truly unbelievable. The two deans of Shrek Academy and two Sea God Pavilion elders actually appeared at the same time. Are they really taking the finals of this Elite Soul Master Competition so seriously?" Emperor Xu Jiawei murmured, his face filled with doubt. He had just met Old Lin and Old Song before, but he hadn't expected Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier to also come.
"Perhaps it's to protect Zhu Ziyang, after all, he is an Ultimate Light Spirit owner!" Xu Luo explained, but there was also some confusion in his eyes. "However, Shrek Academy seems to be making too big a fuss, doesn't it? Even if Zhu Ziyang's talent is high, it's not worth four Super Douluo protecting him!"
"Old Luo, what did you say? Four Super Douluo?" Princess Xu Jiujiu heard the conversation between Xu Luo and Emperor Xu Jiawei and also reacted, her eyes filled with disbelief. Her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Shrek Academy's resting area. Four Super Douluo! Their Star Luo Empire only had three Super Douluo. Shrek Academy could actually dispatch four at once. Is this the foundation of the number one academy in the world? Terrifying!
In the Sun Moon Team's resting area, Old Ma's mood was also very unstable. The appearance of the four elders, including Old Lin, greatly impacted him, making him somewhat unsure of Shrek Academy's objective. If his side defeated them and won the championship, would these four Super Douluo attack them?
People from the number one academy on the continent shouldn't be such sore losers, right? But if they really did attack, then he and the children behind him would be in trouble! Old Ma was somewhat worried, but he still decided to go all out. It was funny to say, but he chose to believe in Shrek Academy's credibility.
"Old Lin, you're here!" Wang Yan was not surprised by the appearance of the four elders, including Old Lin, because it was something that had already been planned.
"Mm! Everything is proceeding according to plan." Old Lin said something that left everyone in the preliminary team puzzled. Plan? What plan? But Zhu Ziyang, Ma Xiaotao, and Jiang Nannan knew.
So, Ma Xiaotao said, "Old Lin, can Ziyang really do it alone?"
"Sister Xiaotao, don't you know my strength yet?" Zhu Ziyang said with a smile.
Listening to their conversation, the preliminary team members vaguely guessed what Old Lin's plan was.
While everyone was talking, Huang Jinxu on the arena had already composed himself and continued, "For the finals of the Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition, I, Huang Jinxu, will be the referee for the finals."
Next, I announce the rules for the final competition. The finals are divided into three major matches: team battle, individual battle, and two-on-two-on-three cooperative battle, adopting a best-of-three system. In the team battle, each side will send seven members to the arena. After the team battle concludes, both sides will have one opportunity to replace participating members. However, this is the only opportunity.
In the subsequent individual battle and two-on-two-on-three cooperative battle, both sides can only be represented by their fixed seven members, and no further replacements of any kind are allowed. The side that ultimately wins two of the three matches will be crowned champion.
Both sides can fight without restraint in the competition. The safety of both sides' members is the responsibility of this referee. Once this referee detects a situation that could be fatal to one side, I will intervene in the match, and the benefiting side will be disqualified. However, due to the rapidly changing nature of competition, this referee cannot guarantee the absolute safety of both sides' participating members. I hope both sides exercise restraint during the competition.
Now, both sides prepare. In one minute, the members participating in the team battle will enter the arena."
As his words fell, the originally chaotic Star Luo Plaza instantly became silent. Hundreds of thousands of spectators all held their breath, intently watching the arena, anticipating the personnel arrangements of both teams, and even more so, the impending finals.
"Ziyang!" Wang Yan stood up directly, looking at Zhu Ziyang with a serious and earnest expression, and said, "Go for it!"
"Brother, please be sure to protect yourself!" Jiang Nannan held Zhu Ziyang's hand, her face filled with concern, and exhorted him.
"Old Lin, let me go with Ziyang!" Ma Xiaotao was very dissatisfied and directly pleaded with Old Lin.
"No!" Old Lin shook her head and said, "Only by letting Ziyang fight alone can we maximize the deterrence and display of power! Moreover, I believe in Ziyang's strength!"
At this point, how could Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and the others not understand what the so-called plan was? Old Lin and the others actually wanted Zhu Ziyang to face the seven members of the Sun Moon Team alone. This, whether they won or lost, would be a huge insult to the Sun Moon Team! Moreover, they thought of Zhu Ziyang's second Spirit and felt that the possibility of Zhu Ziyang being defeated seemed not very high!
"Both sides' team battle members, enter the arena!" One minute ended, Huang Jinxu announced.
"Ziyang, go!" Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier walked up to Zhu Ziyang, patted his shoulder, their eyes filled with trust and expectation.
"Everyone, watch my performance!" Zhu Ziyang smiled confidently, then strode towards the arena. He had long been impatient. After this battle, he wanted his name to spread across the entire continent!
As Zhu Ziyang walked onto the arena alone, hundreds of thousands of people in Star Luo Plaza all showed incredibly stunned expressions. This, this, this was the finals! What was Shrek Academy doing? Were they going to directly forfeit the finals?
Although Zhu Ziyang was a Spirit Emperor with a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, no one believed he could defeat the Sun Moon Team, which had one sixth-rank Soul Engineer and six fifth-rank Soul Engineers, by himself!
"Where are Shrek Academy's other members? The team battle is about to begin!" Huang Jinxu suppressed the doubt and confusion in his heart and said to Zhu Ziyang. He didn't believe that Shrek Academy would so frivolously send only one student for such an important match. This was not only disrespect to him as a referee but also disrespect to all the spectators!
"There are no other members, only me!" Zhu Ziyang said with a faint smile.
"What?!" Huang Jinxu really couldn't hold it in this time. He hadn't expected Shrek Academy to actually make such an absurd move. This, this... This made things very difficult for him!
The audience below the arena had already started to clamor. The faces of the seven members of the Sun Moon Team on the arena were even more extremely grim. This was a naked insult, practically stomping their faces into the ground and rubbing them in!
Ma Rulong's eyes were bloodshot, Xiao Hongchen's face was ashen, and the four fifth-rank Soul Engineers—Mi Jia, Xiao Xiafeng, Chen Fei, and Lin Xi—also gritted their teeth in hatred. Only Meng Hongchen looked at Zhu Ziyang with eyes full of admiration.
"Old Luo, worthy brother, what do you think Shrek Academy is doing?" Emperor Xu Jiawei's face also didn't look good, but it was more of confusion and incomprehension. He asked the two people beside him.
"Your Majesty, forgive my dullness, but I also can't figure out the meaning of Shrek Academy's arrangement like this." Dai Hao shook his head helplessly. His understanding of the Shrek Team members was not even as high as Emperor Xu Jiawei's.
"Unfathomable, hard to guess!" Xu Luo also shook his head. He thought more deeply. He always felt that the appearance of the four elders, including Old Lin, was definitely connected to Shrek Academy's current actions, but he couldn't fathom the mystery within. Could it be... his pupils suddenly constricted, and he thought of an incredibly absurd possibility. Would Shrek Academy really be so unwise as to use a genius with an Ultimate Spirit as bait?
Old Ma also thought of the same thing as Xu Luo, and his face was very grim. He was firmly convinced of his guess: Shrek Academy was preparing to go to war with the Empire. Had they become so powerful that they could actively declare war on the Empire?
Old Ma was already numb now, only hoping that Huang Jinxu on the stage would be strong enough to save that Zhu Ziyang in time.
"I have already announced the competition rules, so I won't repeat them. Both sides retreat and prepare to begin." Huang Jinxu had already tried his best to suppress the turbulent emotions in his heart, trying to keep his voice free of other things, and announced.
Zhu Ziyang stood to Huang Jinxu's right, a smile on his face, surveying the seven members of the Sun Moon Team lined up to Huang Jinxu's left. Among the seven members of the Sun Moon Team, all except Meng Hongchen stared intently at him. If gazes could kill, then Zhu Ziyang would have been killed countless times by them by now.
Ignoring their gazes, Zhu Ziyang walked towards the edge of the arena with a calm and unhurried demeanor, as if taking a leisurely stroll.
As both sides retreated to the edge of the arena, Huang Jinxu finally shouted the command that made everyone's blood pump.
"The match begins!"