Chapter 405 - 102

Chapter 102: The FinalsThe team battle against the Star Luo National Academy was over. After one night, the second round should have taken place today.This match was supposed to be the individual elimination round, but before the competition started, the Star Luo National Academy proactively conceded, allowing Shrek Academy to enter the finals with a commanding score of two to zero.It seems Xu Jiujiu was curious to see how far Dai Youheng could go, and whether he would meet his downfall before the Sun Moon Empire.Since the Star Luo National Academy conceded, the Shrek team had time to observe the situation in the other semi-final match.Dio Academy versus the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.Xiao Xiao, who returned from observing yesterday's team battle, had already reported the situation. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy achieved victory with an overwhelming advantage. This was not surprising, as the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, skilled in using spirit tools, has always held a massive advantage in team battles.In today's individual elimination round, Dio Academy hoped to achieve a reversal using the strength of the Genius Spirit Emperor Jiang Peng."Hah!!!"On the fighting arena, accompanied by Jiang Peng's roar, the Heaven-Shaking Axe swept through, unleashing a powerful and unrestrained strike.Jiang Peng's opponent was named Mi Jia, a Soul Engineer skilled in using spirit tool boosters for guerrilla warfare.But before the Heaven-Shaking Axe, the light spewed by the spirit tool booster was split in two. The Heaven-Shaking Axe viciously struck Mi Jia's back. The next moment, a dull explosion sounded, blasting Mi Jia forward and making him tumble out.This was the Shockwave Explosion, a destructive skill inherent to the Heaven-Shaking Axe Spirit. Its power was considerable, and combined with the Heaven-Shaking Axe's heavy weight, this strike was quite severe.The armor on Mi Jia's back was cleaved inward by the strike, and he himself lay on the ground, barely clinging to life.In this state, his participation in the subsequent finals would definitely be affected.Jiang Peng had unintentionally done Shrek a favor.Six spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—circled Jiang Peng. His strength was fully displayed; this was already the third Sun Moon team member he had defeated."This Jiang Peng is really asking for trouble! Can't he see that Dio Academy can't possibly win? He's fighting like a maniac and striking so heavily, needlessly weakening our fighting strength! What's the point, other than letting Shrek reap the benefits?" Meng Hongchen said angrily.Look how sensible the Star Luo National Academy was—they knew they couldn't win, so they stopped fighting."This is the style of the Heaven Soul Empire. They only believe in their own power, look down on spirit tools, and have overbearing personalities," Elder Ma commented. "Hmph, such a force is nothing to worry about. They will surely pay the price for their foolishness in the future. Among the original three great nations of the Douluo Continent, those simpletons are the easiest to scheme against.""Elder Ma, I will deal with him. If we let him continue fighting like this, it will only cause us trouble when we face Shrek later," Ma Rulong stepped forward and said.He was also a six-ring Spirit Emperor and a sixth-rank Soul Engineer, having even successfully crafted a seventh-rank spirit tool. He was absolutely confident he could defeat Jiang Peng.Elder Ma nodded, "Good, go!"Ma Rulong finally entered the arena. He was the captain of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the only sixth-rank Soul Engineer.Facing the Genius Spirit Emperor Jiang Peng, he used a defensive spirit tool to block Jiang Peng's self-created Spirit Ability, the Eighteen Dragon Slashes, and then defeated Jiang Peng in one fell swoop with his self-made flame spirit tool.This scene filled Zhou Yi with apprehension. With Ma Rulong's strength, even Ma Xiaotao would find it difficult to win.She needed to rearrange their tactics. She even considered abandoning the team battle and aiming for a reversal victory directly in the individual elimination round and the Two-Two-Three Battle.Finals Day.Early in the morning, Star Luo Plaza was already a hive of activity, with vast crowds surging, creating an incredibly fervent atmosphere.In order to secure a prime spot to watch the finals, countless fervent spectators had even lined up here overnight, starting the day before.The finals of the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament across the entire Douluo Continent was a top-tier spectacle that no Spirit Master enthusiast could afford to miss.Today, all the matches—the team battle, the individual elimination round, and the final Two-Two-Three Battle Strategy—would be held compactly within a single day. The high-intensity confrontations, the rapidly changing dynamics of the battle, and the dazzling radiance of Spirit Abilities and spirit tools would surely make all spectators feel their trip was worthwhile.The two sides in the finals were, on one hand, the legendary, undefeated entity of ten thousand years, Shrek Academy, the Holy Land of Spirit Masters on the Continent. On the other hand, was the representative of the Peak of spirit tool technology, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, which had lain dormant for thousands of years and yearned to wipe away its humiliation.This was not just a clash between two academies; it was a direct confrontation between the traditional Spirit Master system and the emerging power of spirit tools.When the members of both teams successively stepped into the final venue, which was covered by a massive spirit tool shield, the invisible pressure seemed to solidify. On Shrek's side, led by Ma Xiaotao and Dai Youheng, the team members tried their best to remain calm, but the reserve team members who were stepping onto the final stage for the first time couldn't help but show some nervousness and excitement as they felt the intense heat of ten thousand gazes from the stands.However, they were not the only ones who were nervous. The expressions of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy members were even more solemn.For thousands of years, they had never defeated Shrek Academy in a formal competition. That long-accumulated humiliation and yearning had turned into a heavy burden weighing on everyone's heart.Even Xiao Hongchen, who was usually arrogant and self-conceited, had restrained his usual flippancy. His facial features were taut, and his eyes burned with nearly frantic Battle Intent. He stared intently at the Shrek team opposite him, especially Dai Youheng, who made him feel inexplicably suppressed.In comparison, his younger sister Meng Hongchen seemed more relaxed. Her beautiful eyes curiously scanned the Shrek formation, her gaze shifting between the cold, tough, and overbearing Dai Youheng and the exquisitely handsome and radiant Wang Dong. Inwardly, she was even making a strange comparison: "Hmm—the cold, tough guy type, or the delicate, handsome youth type? Which one should I choose? What a happy dilemma."In the distance, on the high walls of the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Emperor Emperor Xu Jiawei had already taken his seat, surrounded by civil and military officials, signifying the Empire's utmost importance placed on this final match.Beside him, in addition to the graceful and luxurious Empress, were the bright and charming Xu Jiujiu Jiu Jiu and the White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, who wore full military attire and commanded respect without needing to show anger.Xu Jiujiu's gaze seemed to calmly sweep the entire venue, but the corner of her eye invariably fell upon the tall, black-haired young man.The Heavenly Fiend Great Enforcer Huang Jinxu quietly appeared in the center of the arena. His low, distinctively magnetic voice, amplified by a sound-amplifying spirit tool, spread throughout the venue: "The finals of the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament across the entire Douluo Continent. I, Tiansha Douluo Huang Jinxu, will serve as the final referee. Now, I announce the rules of the competition—"Although the rules were already well-known, the process was essential. Team battle, individual elimination round, and the Two-Two-Three Battle Strategy, conducted in a best-of-three format. If one side won two matches first, the final match would not need to be held.In the Shrek preparation area, Zhou Yi took a deep breath, stood up, and scanned the team members who were about to enter the stage one by one. Her voice was steady and powerful, attempting to suppress the turmoil in her team's hearts: "Everyone, remember everything we arranged before the match. Proceed according to the original plan! Shrek's glory rests in your hands!""Yes!""Team battle members from both sides, please enter the arena." The Heavenly Fiend Douluo announced emotionlessly, strictly calculating the time.On the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's side, seven figures responded and stepped out. Captain Ma Rulong took the lead, followed closely by the sibling pair, Xiao Hongchen, whose Battle Intent was boiling, and Meng Hongchen, who appeared relaxed but whose aura was actually restrained. After them were four equally strong main team members.On Shrek Academy's side, the seven who entered were Captain Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Xiao Xiao, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, and Xu Sanshi.As soon as this lineup appeared, it immediately caused waves of discussion in the stands. Dai Youheng, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong—the aces who had performed outstandingly in previous matches—were actually relegated to the substitute bench!Zhou Yi's expression was stern. Abandoning the team battle was a decision she had made after painful deliberation.The Sun Moon Team's coordinated spirit tool combat ability in team battles was too strong. If Shrek, with its incomplete lineup, engaged in a head-on fight, the chance of victory was extremely low. Rather than exhausting their mental and physical energy or even suffering casualties in the team battle, it was better to strategically conserve their strength.Her plan was cold and pragmatic: the goal of the team battle was not victory. Instead, it was to concentrate all their efforts, at any cost, to attack and severely injure the key figures of the Sun Moon Team, such as Captain Ma Rulong and core member Xiao Hongchen! Even if it meant trading injuries, they had to maximize the chances of preventing them from participating in the subsequent individual elimination round and the Two-Two-Three Battle.At the same time, they must ensure their own safety. Once they achieved part of their goal, or if the situation became untenable, they were to decisively concede to conserve strength, placing the true decisive factor on the upcoming individual elimination round and the Two-Two-Three Battle!Unwilling flames burned in Ma Xiaotao's eyes. Making her willingly concede was more painful than killing her, but for the sake of the overall situation, she could only forcibly suppress her impatience.Dai Youheng sat below the stage, remaining calm as always. He just wanted to finish the match quickly, claim the Spirit Bone, and leave.>