Silence.
After hearing Xiao Hongchen's words, Li Yunfeng fell completely silent.
His mind seemed to freeze in that instant. The tension and seriousness on his face vanished, replaced by a blank, stunned expression. His mouth opened slightly, yet no words came out.
Who was Xiao Hongchen?
He was the favored grandson of Jing Hongchen, the Hall Master of Mingde Hall—the undisputed prodigy of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and one of the most outstanding Core Disciples.
His Martial Soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad, was top-tier. His spirit power far surpassed his peers, and his mastery of soul tools was nearly flawless.
In Li Yunfeng's understanding, Xiao Hongchen was synonymous with invincibility among their generation.
And yet…
He had just said he was instantly defeated by Liu Yuan.
That was simply unbelievable.
The term "instantly defeated" implied a gap so vast that no amount of skill or strategy could bridge it.
Li Yunfeng swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly:
"Xiao Hongchen… are you serious? You're not joking, right?"
He desperately hoped this was just a poor joke to ease the tension before the match.
But Xiao Hongchen only shook his head.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" he replied bitterly. "It's true. Just a few days ago, at the academy's training grounds—with my grandfather watching—I was instantly defeated by Liu Yuan."
To make it clearer, he added:
"I unleashed a full carpet bombardment—dozens of soul tool cannons and energy beams at once. And he neutralized it in a single move. It didn't even take him a second to beat me. That fight… wasn't even on the same level."
Hiss—
Li Yunfeng sucked in a sharp breath, a chill running from his feet to his scalp.
His expression turned completely serious.
Any trace of hope vanished.
If even Xiao Hongchen had been defeated so effortlessly, then Liu Yuan's strength far surpassed all three of them combined.
A deep sense of helplessness crept into his heart.
Did their weapons… their tactics… even matter anymore?
But soon, Li Yunfeng's gaze hardened again.
He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms.
Give up?
No. Never.
Even if victory was nearly impossible, he would still fight.
"I didn't expect Liu Yuan to be this strong…" Li Yunfeng said, his voice firm. "But I refuse to give up! The match hasn't started yet—the outcome isn't decided! If the three of us work together, we might still have a chance!"
His determination reignited the team's fighting spirit.
Then, his eyes turned to Meng Hongchen.
He quickly formed a plan.
"Xiao Meng, Liu Yuan's biggest advantage is his speed. We can't let him get close like before. You need to restrict him!"
"Your Scarlet Clear Ice Toad carries lethal poison. As soon as the match begins, release your ice poison and toxic mist at full power—cover as much area as possible!"
"The wider the range, the better. The stronger the poison, the better. If he wants to approach us, he'll have to pass through your domain. That should slow him down!"
Then he looked at Xiao Hongchen:
"You'll be our main attacker."
"I'll use all my defensive soul tools to protect you and create the strongest possible defense."
"You just focus on offense. The moment Liu Yuan is even slightly affected by the poison—unleash your strongest bombardment and overwhelm him completely!"
It was a clean and decisive strategy:
Control → Defense → Burst.
Their only possible way to counter Liu Yuan's terrifying speed.
Meng Hongchen nodded, eyes flashing.
Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath. "Let's try. We can't just surrender."
With their plan set, the three stepped onto the stage.
---
On the other side, the atmosphere was far more relaxed.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke looked at Liu Yuan, who seemed completely unfazed—as if he weren't facing the strongest duo in class, but just another ordinary team.
"Um… Liu Yuan," Ke Ke whispered, "this is the finals. Do we really not need a strategy?"
Liu Yuan smiled calmly.
"No need. Same as before. I'll attack—you two support."
"Support…" Ju Zi and Ke Ke exchanged helpless looks.
Ju Zi muttered, "What support? We haven't even fired a single shot the entire time…"
Ke Ke sighed. "We're not teammates—we're just… spectators with VIP seats."
Despite their complaints, there was no resentment.
They knew the truth:
They simply weren't on this level.
And forcing themselves into the fight would only be a burden.
Liu Yuan just smiled.
Victory would speak louder than any reassurance.
---
Soon, both teams stood facing each other at the center of the arena.
The crowd exploded with excitement.
"This is it! The finals!"
"Can Liu Yuan still win instantly?"
"No way—it won't be that easy this time!"
"Look at their formation—they're prepared!"
---
"Finals… begin!"
The moment Mr. Xuan gave the signal—
Xiao Hongchen's team moved instantly!
Meng Hongchen activated her Martial Soul:
"Third Spirit Ability—Ice Poison Array!"
"Fourth Spirit Ability—Toad Poison Mist!"
Dark green frost spread rapidly across the ground, while thick poisonous fog engulfed half the arena.
A deadly domain was formed.
Anyone entering it would be slowed and poisoned simultaneously.
At the same time—
Li Yunfeng summoned multiple alloy shields, forming a solid defensive wall.
Behind him, Xiao Hongchen deployed a massive soul tool cannon, its muzzle glowing with terrifying energy.
Everything was perfectly synchronized.
The audience erupted:
"This is insane!"
"They've completely sealed off Liu Yuan's path!"
"Now let's see what he does!"
---
Even Mr. Xuan leaned forward slightly.
"A textbook counter to speed… So, Liu Yuan—how will you respond?"
---
On stage—
Ju Zi and Ke Ke turned pale.
"We can't get through that!"
Liu Yuan glanced at the domain… and smiled faintly.
"Stick to the plan."
Then—
He moved.
No detours.
No hesitation.
No tricks.
"Extreme Speed."
Whoosh—!
A flash of emerald light.
And then—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three dull impacts echoed.
Xiao Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen.
Li Yunfeng.
All three were kicked off the stage—instantly.
---
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every student froze.
Their minds went blank.
What… just happened?
The match… ended again?
What about the poison domain?
What about the slowing ice?
What about their perfect strategy?
Why…
Why did none of it matter?
---
Even control… was useless.
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