Chapter 175: Chapter 176 – The Hongchen Siblings’ Showcase
Upon the grand and solemn city walls, a gentle breeze stirred, causing the Star Luo Emperor’s resplendent dragon robe to ripple softly.
He stood tall and upright, his gaze sharp as lightning as he looked down upon the arena where the fierce battle had just concluded. A sigh escaped him, laden with emotion.
"This is Shrek—Shrek’s overwhelming might. But the Douling team was not bad either. Unfortunately, they faced the wrong opponent."
Beside him, Xuanzi chuckled, his kindly smile never fading as he replied:
"Indeed. This batch of little monsters is the strongest Shrek has seen in a thousand years. Your Majesty will one day know how wise your decision was."
His eyes gleamed with pride and expectation for Shrek’s new generation, as though he could already glimpse an even brighter tomorrow for the academy.
Meanwhile, in the resting area of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, the atmosphere was heavy, oppressive—every breath seemed weighed down.
Faces were grim as still water. The strength Shrek had just displayed loomed like a towering mountain upon their hearts, a suffocating reminder of the immense pressure they would one day face.
Ma Rulong furrowed his brows. Slowly turning his head, he fixed his gaze on Xiao Hongchen, his expression serious and solemn.
"Xiao, your talent surpasses mine by far—perhaps even unrivaled within the Empire. But now that you’ve witnessed Shrek’s true strength, what are your thoughts?"
Xiao Hongchen’s face was unreadable, his eyes deep and solemn, as though still trapped in the crushing momentum Shrek had unleashed.
At his side, Meng Hongchen tugged lightly at her brother’s sleeve, worry filling her eyes. That soft, caring gesture pulled him back from his trance, and he blinked awake, his expression hardening.
"No matter how powerful the opponent, for the sake of the Empire, for Mingde Hall, and for our academy, I will fight with everything I have."
His voice rang with resolve:
"Shrek is formidable, yes, but we are not weak. Until we truly clash, I will never concede that they are above us. After all, it’s not as if we are without our trump cards."
Hearing this, a rare look of satisfaction crossed Ma Rulong’s face. He nodded in approval.
"Good. When the day comes that we face Shrek, I hope every one of us unleashes one hundred and twenty percent of our strength. Let those arrogant monsters see that Mingde Hall is the strongest academy of all!"
His words brimmed with fighting spirit and determination, as if he could already envision victory against Shrek.
Encouraged, the team gathered close, discussing Shrek’s performance in detail.
Their eyes were sharp, their attention fixed—no detail was overlooked. To their surprise, Shrek’s main team had all been equipped with soul tools.
"Ye Guyi’s Holy Radiant Sword, Ma Xiaotao’s Phoenix Divine Spear, Dugu Xianmeng’s Jade Phosphor Godly Bow..." Ma Rulong counted them off one by one on his fingers, astonishment plain on his face.
"The others may not have shown theirs, but if Shrek’s two strongest Soul Emperors are equipped, how could the rest not be?"
Xiao Hongchen nodded gravely.
"It seems Grandfather was right. When top-tier soul masters combine with powerful soul tools, the force they unleash is terrifying."
His eyes glimmered with thought, already weaving strategies of how to perfectly integrate soul masters and soul tools.
Ma Rulong agreed, nodding deeply.
"Even Shrek, ever so arrogant, has embraced soul tools to this degree. Their change over the years is greater than we imagined."
His tone carried a trace of respect, surprise mingled with admiration.
Suddenly, Meng Hongchen’s eyes lit up.
"But doesn’t this prove just how powerful our soul tools truly are? Otherwise, why would Shrek abandon tradition for them?"
Her words carried confidence and pride, a reflection of the Sun Moon Empire’s unmatched achievements in soul engineering.
Xiao Hongchen smiled faintly, his gaze filled with gentle affection for his sister.
"Yes. The proper use of soul tools is an immense boost, whether for soul masters or soul engineers."
He paused, eyes flashing with determination.
"And we haven’t neglected our martial soul cultivation either. With that plus our mastery of soul tools, we will surpass Shrek. After all... this isn’t even our home ground."
His words radiated confidence and longing for the future, as though he could already see the day their academy eclipsed Shrek Academy.
Meanwhile, the Shrek team strolled down the streets, drawing admiration from all sides. Citizens showered them with cheers and praise, eyes filled with respect and envy for their victory.
Back at the hotel, Gongyang Mo was brimming with energy, bouncing around the room like a jubilant bird. His face glowed with delight, his eyes sparkling.
"After so many matches, I finally got to perform on stage! I’m certain that after today, my Rainbow Dragon Martial Soul will be known across the continent!"
His voice was alive with confidence and expectation, as though he could already see himself celebrated as a renowned soul master.
Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao, however, were far calmer. Sitting quietly with faint smiles, they seemed almost indifferent.
For them, given their current strength, the match had been no more challenging than adults toying with children.
"At our level, these fights are just bullying ’kids’," Ye Guyi said with a shake of her head, her tone tinged with helpless amusement.
"Still, it’s nice to show off a little," Ma Xiaotao added, a flicker of excitement glinting in her eyes.
Dugu Xianmeng was much the same, though she stood coolly to the side, her expression aloof.
Yet her pride was unmistakable. After all, the greatest credit for the victory lay with her Jade Phosphor Venom. A smug light flickered in her eyes as she glanced at Zhou Sicheng.
"Sicheng, how was my performance today? I even picked up a seventh-rank soul tool as a bonus."
Her tone carried both playful boasting and a touch of coquettishness, as though seeking his praise.
Zhou Sicheng’s gentle smile and encouraging gaze warmed her heart.
"You were brilliant. Keep it up."
His words were like sunlight, filling Dugu Xianmeng with warmth.
Dai Yueheng then stepped forward, his tone serious.
"Your poison caught Douling completely unprepared this time. But in the future, other academies will be ready for you."
Dugu Xianmeng only nodded, unconcerned. A confident smile curved her lips.
"So what if they know? Stopping my Jade Phosphor Venom won’t be easy. And even if someone can resist it... aren’t the rest of you still here?"
Her words left Dai Yueheng unable to hold back a laugh.
His laughter was hearty and bold.
"Haha! Exactly—so what if they can withstand Xianmeng’s poison?"
"It’s just a pity we didn’t get the chance to fight to our heart’s content today. I didn’t even use half my strength—only three soul skills to smash that shield wall. The rest barely counted as a performance." Dai Yueheng sighed softly, his tone carrying a trace of regret.
He chuckled and added playfully, "Honestly, it wasn’t even as enjoyable as watching Gongyang Mo’s rainbow-colored support skills." His eyes teased Gongyang Mo as he spoke.
Laughter rippled through the resting room as the team chatted idly, their voices light and cheerful.
The reserve members stood to the side, chiming in with envy and admiration written across their faces.
Unable to hold back, they crowded around Zhou Sicheng, pleading earnestly with expectant looks. They wanted him to swap them in next time—just once—so they too could taste the thrill of battle.
After all, in today’s match Zhou Sicheng and Ling Luochen had practically done nothing. They had simply stood tall on the stage like statues, and victory was theirs.
"Brother, if you swapped two or three of us reserves in, it shouldn’t make much difference, right?" Long Xiangyue asked, his tone tentative yet hopeful, eyes brimming with longing.
Zhou Sicheng smiled faintly, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
"We’ll see. Honestly, just standing there for several minutes today made my legs a little sore..."
He hadn’t even finished speaking before Long Xiangyue and Xu Sanshi shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow. Each grabbed one of his legs and immediately began massaging with exaggerated eagerness.
"Big Brother, let me rub it for you!" Long Xiangyue grinned, kneading away as though his life depended on it.
"Brother Zhou, me too! Let me help!" Xu Sanshi refused to be outdone, his hands working with even greater vigor, his face full of flattering smiles.
The sight was too much—the entire room burst into laughter, the atmosphere filling with warmth and joy.
Amid the laughter, the Shrek Academy team once again felt the comfort of their bond, the warmth of their unity. Confidence for the battles ahead swelled in their hearts. They firmly believed that in the journey to come, they would continue carving out brilliance, bringing even more glory to Shrek Academy.
As the flames of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament continued to burn, the round of sixteen advanced toward the quarterfinals under the eager eyes of the entire continent.
Every match was a breathtaking performance, seizing the audience’s full attention.
Among all the clashes, none drew more focus than the battles of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
On the day of their match, the sun shone bright, casting golden light across the magnificent arena. Faces across the stands glowed with excitement and anticipation.
The representatives of the Sun Moon Academy strode forward with confidence, their posture upright, eyes gleaming with determination.
To the surprise of all, they once again fielded an entirely reserve team.
This decision was like dropping a boulder into a calm lake, sending ripples of shock and speculation through the audience.
"They’re using reserves again? Just what is the Sun Moon Academy planning?"
"Could it be that their reserve squad is already strong enough to handle the brutal intensity of the round of sixteen?"
Amid the murmurs and guesses, the great bell tolled, signaling the start of battle.
Instantly, the Sun Moon reserve team sprang into motion, their coordination flawless, like a machine of countless interlocking gears.
At the heart of their formation were none other than the sibling duo, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Xiao Hongchen’s martial soul glowed with a strange light under the sun, radiating waves of destructive force. Every technique he unleashed sent violent ripples of energy through the battlefield, striking fear into his opponents.
Meng Hongchen, agile as a sprite, moved with grace. Her martial soul complemented her brother’s perfectly—sometimes supporting her teammates with deft precision, other times striking a lethal blow when least expected, leaving enemies scrambling to defend.
But what stunned the crowd most was their mastery over soul tools.
Xiao Hongchen wielded a uniquely crafted device inscribed with mysterious runes, its metallic surface gleaming coldly. With a surge of soul power, the soul tool released a devastating beam of light—like a bolt of lightning—striking the opponent and erupting into a thunderous explosion.
Meng Hongchen, meanwhile, brandished a close-combat soul tool that meshed seamlessly with her Scarlet-eyed Ice Toad martial soul. Infused with her special venom, her power skyrocketed.
Under this amplification, she danced across the battlefield like an elegant spirit, gracefully and effortlessly defeating one opponent after another.
Their martial souls were already formidable; paired with high-grade soul tools, their combat ability multiplied geometrically.
With seamless teamwork, the siblings and their teammates dominated the battlefield, forcing their opponents into complete retreat.
In just a short, ferocious clash, the Sun Moon reserve squad decisively overwhelmed their challengers, claiming victory in this crucial match.
That they continued to rely solely on reserves revealed an undeniable truth—the Sun Moon Academy’s reserves already surpassed even Shrek’s.
The revelation left countless spectators shaken, while other academies felt a crushing sense of pressure like never before.
Yet Shrek Academy’s earlier performance was just as unforgettable.
In their match, three Soul Emperors had appeared, and they had won almost effortlessly, hardly revealing any strength at all.
The display of overwhelming power and flawless coordination left the audience filled with awe and burning curiosity about Shrek’s true limits.
Thus anticipation grew even stronger.
Whispers rippled through the stands:
"If Sun Moon’s reserve team is this strong, then surely their main lineup might stand on equal footing with Shrek’s official squad?"
The question hung in the hearts of all like a riddle, stirring boundless excitement for the battles to come.
Everyone yearned for that inevitable collision—a clash between the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy’s true elite and the unrivaled monsters of Shrek Academy.
A peak duel destined to be etched forever into the history of the Soul Master Tournament.
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