The competition began, and it ended.
In the eyes of most spectators, although Zhu Ziyang was incredibly stunning and his personal strength could be considered the best in this competition, facing the equally powerful seven members of the Sun Moon Team alone was simply too much.
From their perspective, it was merely a question of how they would lose. They were already looking forward to the individual and cooperative matches that would follow.
In the eyes of the seven members of the Sun Moon Team, the starting signal of the competition also marked the beginning of their humiliation. No matter how brilliantly and flawlessly they won this round, it would be seen as an undeserved fluke. All of this was the humiliation inflicted upon them by Shrek Academy!
In Zhu Ziyang's eyes, the time that followed was his performance time; everything was just right.
After Huang Jinxu shouted "Start," he did not leave the arena but retreated directly to its edge, ready to intervene and save someone at any moment. He absolutely could not let Zhu Ziyang die in the arena.
Everyone's gaze fell upon the arena. Although the seven members of the Sun Moon Team were filled with anger, they still took this match very seriously. They formed a wedge-shaped formation, with their captain, Ma Rulong, at the very front. Behind him was a triangular formation with Xiao Hongchen at its apex. They released their respective spirit tools and Spirits.
Across from the Sun Moon Team, Zhu Ziyang, who had attracted the attention of most people, still maintained a calm and composed demeanor. He walked with leisurely steps, moving towards the center of the arena one step at a time, as if he were not on the final stage of the Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition but on a lakeside path by Sea God Lake at Shrek Academy.
Zhu Ziyang's leisurely actions sparked a glimmer of fantasy in many spectators' hearts: what if this Spirit Emperor, possessing a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, truly held a trump card capable of defeating the seven members of the Sun Moon Team?
Among the Sun Moon Team, while Xiao Hongchen released his spirit tool, his gaze remained fixed on Zhu Ziyang. His eyes held both anger and confusion. He couldn't understand why this man, whom he considered his lifelong rival, would choose such an action devoid of any strong heart. Or was he so arrogant as to believe he could defeat all seven of them by himself? Just with that hundred-thousand-year spirit ring of his?
Although Zhu Ziyang couldn't fathom the thoughts of others, he could guess them. The strong are always lonely, especially when they are too strong.
A smile played on his face as he silently thought, "His era has begun!"
Under everyone's gaze, Zhu Ziyang began to release his Spirit. With each step he took, a part of his body transformed. First his arms, then his chest, back, abdomen, and finally a slender, flexible dragon tail. As the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit possessed him, a chill capable of freezing the air instantly spread across the entire arena, centered around Zhu Ziyang.
Appearing simultaneously with Zhu Ziyang's bodily changes were the spirit rings belonging to the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit: one red spirit ring, two red spirit rings, three red spirit rings, four red spirit rings, five red spirit rings!
Five crimson spirit rings, shimmering with golden patterns, flashed behind Zhu Ziyang. The phantom of the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit let out a roar imbued with kingly majesty, then crashed into Zhu Ziyang's body.
At this moment, the vast Star Luo Plaza was as silent as a deathly realm. Everyone was plunged into deep shock, with only Zhu Ziyang still moving.
His second and third Spirit Abilities lit up simultaneously. The next second, a hundred-meter-tall, fanged ice mountain shot up from the ground. The extreme cold aura directly broke through the arena's protective shield, causing the first three rows of spectators to shiver, and then instantly froze the seven members of the Sun Moon Team, who were in a state of daze and self-doubt. The expressions on each of their faces were incredibly lifelike.
Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon's Second Spirit Ability, Heavenly Frost Wolf Claw!
A giant ice-white dragon phantom followed closely, appearing behind Zhu Ziyang. The giant dragon opened its massive maw, and ice elements gathered within it like seawater. Then, an energy shockwave, entirely composed of ice elements, burst from its mouth, shooting directly towards the seven members of the Sun Moon Team frozen within the ice mountain.
Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon's Third Spirit Ability, Heavenly Frost Emperor's Fury!
From the moment Zhu Ziyang revealed his Spirit until his attack concluded, less than five seconds had passed!
Everyone was still caught in their shock until the ice mountain on the arena shattered and the members of the Sun Moon Team collapsed. Only then did everyone, including those on the city wall, in the audience stands, in the Sun Moon Team's resting area, and the referee, Celestial Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu, truly regain consciousness.
"Rulong!" Ma Lao, the leader of the Sun Moon Team, rushed to the arena's edge immediately, shouting at the only three standing members on the stage.
Huang Jinxu also instantly rushed to the side of the Sun Moon Team members and carefully examined the four fallen members. Only after finding they still had vital signs did he let out a heavy sigh of relief. "It's good they're not dead, it's good they're not dead."
After sending the unconscious individuals off the arena, Huang Jinxu turned to look at Zhu Ziyang, his eyes filled with awe and fanaticism. However, when he saw the four Old Luo sitting below the stage, the warmth in his heart was instantly extinguished. He finally understood the purpose of Shrek Academy dispatching four Super Douluo!
At this moment, not only Huang Jinxu understood, but Emperor Xu Jiawei, Dai Hao, Xu Luo, and others on the imperial city wall also understood.
"My worthy brother, pinch me. I'm not dreaming, am I?" Emperor Xu Jiawei said blankly, his face filled with disbelief and confusion.
"Your Majesty, I think both of us are dreaming!" Dai Hao muttered.
"I should have realized it sooner!" Xu Luo was the first to come to his senses, a bitter smile appearing on his face as he said, "Ultimate Light combined with Ultimate Ice, twin ultimate Spirits. Only such talent is worthy of Shrek Academy dispatching four Super Douluo!"
"Ultimate Ice?!" Emperor Xu Jiawei looked at Xu Luo, his voice trembling as he said, "Old Luo, are you saying that the dragon Spirit with five red spirit rings that Zhu Ziyang displayed is Ultimate Ice?"
"Indeed!" Xu Luo nodded with difficulty, saying, "Your Majesty, it seems we truly need to consider a deep alliance with Shrek Academy. With this Zhu Ziyang, no one will be able to shake Shrek Academy's position for the next five hundred years! In fact, he is very likely to reach that realm, just like the Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago!"
"Old Luo, this..." Emperor Xu Jiawei was already somewhat at a loss, starting to speak incoherently. He said, "Can he really become a god, like our ancestor, the Dai family's ancestor?"
"The possibility is very high!" Xu Luo nodded with envy and jealousy, saying, "I think young Dai Hao should be very clear about this."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Dai Hao, after being called out, had no choice but to suppress the unusual feelings in his heart and replied, "According to the records in my family, Ancestor Dai Mubai absolutely did not achieve what Zhu Ziyang has at fifteen years old. Even that Lord Sea God Tang San cannot compare to him!"
"I understand!" Emperor Xu Jiawei nodded with a solemn expression, saying, "It is time to deepen our ties with Shrek Academy!"
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Princess Xu Jiujiu, who was staring foolishly at Zhu Ziyang's figure on the arena, and an inexplicable surge of eagerness rose in his heart.
On the arena, Zhu Ziyang looked at Ma Rulong, who was struggling to stand but whose face was pale, and the Hongchen siblings, who were supporting each other behind him. He showed an appreciative smile and said, "You are Ma Rulong? You are very good. To be able to withstand my third Spirit Ability without falling, you are worthy of your captain's position."
As the captain standing at the very front of the team, Ma Rulong had, in a sense, directly taken a full-force blow from his Heavenly Frost Emperor's Fury. While the teammates in the back who were affected had all fallen, he still stood firm in the arena, which indeed earned Zhu Ziyang's special regard.
However, Zhu Ziyang's praise, in the ears of Ma Rulong, who could only remain standing by his last shred of consciousness and will, sounded so ironic. His persistence and pride seemed so insignificant at this moment!
Ma Rulong was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, then collapsed heavily.
"Big Brother Ma!" Xiao Hongchen, for the first time, sincerely called out these three words, yet he never expected it to be in such a humiliating scene. The pride that had always sustained Xiao Hongchen completely dissipated, because compared to Zhu Ziyang, he was nothing!
He and Meng Hongchen laboriously helped Ma Rulong up, their gazes blank as they looked at Zhu Ziyang.
"You all surrender. I don't want to make another move," Zhu Ziyang said to the Hongchen siblings, his tone indifferent.
"You..."
"Sun Moon Team surrenders!" Meng Hongchen wanted to say something but was immediately interrupted by Ma Lao from below the stage. Ma Lao's face was extremely grim, and his eyes were filled with worry as he shouted loudly from below.
Seeing this, Meng Hongchen lost the desire to continue speaking and simply nodded, indicating their surrender.
"The first round of the Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition finals, the team competition, Shrek Academy wins!" Huang Jinxu immediately announced.
"No, we also forfeit the remaining matches!" Ma Lao said with difficulty.
"..." Huang Jinxu was not surprised by the words, because with a monster like Zhu Ziyang, surrendering or not would yield the same result. Since that was the case, it was better to be direct and surrender, which would at least preserve a sliver of their dignity. So, he announced, "The Sun Moon Team abandons the remaining matches, therefore I declare that Shrek Academy is the winner of this year's Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition finals!
I declare the ultimate champion: Shrek Academy!"