Chapter 178: Chapter 179 – Shrek vs. Star Luo
After the Heavenly Fiend Douluo finished his clear and detailed explanation of the complex and challenging rules of the semifinals, his figure flashed like lightning, stepping to the very center of the wide battle platform.
Sunlight fell upon his specially tailored referee’s robes, casting off a sharp and imposing gleam.
Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire had already returned to the grand imperial city, accompanied closely by three Titled Douluo who guarded him with unwavering vigilance.
He ascended the tall city walls that overlooked the arena. From this vantage point, he could see every corner of the battlefield. Dressed in his resplendent dragon robes, his face bore the dignity of a sovereign. His eyes carried both anticipation and scrutiny as he silently awaited the start of the match.
As the impartial referee of this semifinal, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo wore a solemn expression. He cleared his throat, then spoke with a booming, penetrating voice:
"Two days ago, the lineup for this duel was decided by a fair and impartial draw. Now, let the teams from Shrek Academy and the Star Luo National Academy enter the stage!"
His voice echoed across the entire arena, igniting the crowd’s fervor. Waves of cheers and shouts erupted in response, shaking the atmosphere with their intensity.
The moment his words fell, the resting area of Shrek Academy erupted in energy.
Led by Zhou Sichén, the seven official Shrek members rose to their feet, their gazes firm and brimming with confidence.
Their synchronized movements displayed flawless teamwork, while Xu Sanshi and the other substitutes shouted with flushed faces, their throats hoarse as they cheered with all their might, pouring every ounce of strength into encouraging their teammates.
Their combined voices merged into a powerful roar, a tidal wave of sound that seemed ready to overturn the entire stadium.
Meanwhile, Xu Jiujiu led the members of the Star Luo National Academy from their rest area, their steps steady and deliberate.
Both teams advanced through separate tunnels, heading toward the battle platform.
When they finally stood upon the stage, Zhou Sichén and Xu Jiujiu’s gazes met midair. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and both revealed meaningful smiles.
The Star Luo team members behind Xu Jiujiu mirrored her demeanor. Light flickered in their eyes as they looked upon their formidable opponents, smiles warming their faces.
They already understood their captain’s plan. Deep down, they were well aware that against Shrek Academy’s overwhelming strength, victory was nearly impossible.
But they also knew this was an excellent opportunity to showcase themselves before countless spectators.
And since Shrek was willing to cooperate, allowing them to put on a fierce and exciting performance that would seem nearly evenly matched, they had no reason to refuse.
Of course, this did not mean the students of Star Luo had given up the desire to win.
In truth, they had a clear grasp of Shrek’s true power.
After careful comparisons, they knew that even with their hidden trump cards, overturning Shrek Academy was nearly impossible.
Under such helpless circumstances, their calm and optimistic mindset was only natural.
If their opponent had been the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy or the Di Ao Imperial Academy, they would have fought with everything they had, sparing nothing.
Because they knew that against those academies, they truly had the possibility of winning with their own strength.
But now, facing an almost insurmountable Shrek Academy, their tactics focused instead on how best to display their abilities and brilliance.
After all, the final outcome was unlikely to change. It was better to leave behind the most dazzling impression possible.
The Heavenly Fiend Douluo’s eyes were sharp as torches, sweeping across the Shrek students one by one.
When he saw the unique aura and overwhelming momentum emanating from Zhou Sichén and the others, a trace of surprise flashed in his gaze.
But as a veteran Titled Douluo, his control over his emotions was ironclad. He quickly regained his composure.
His expression hardened, and in an unquestionable tone, he declared:
"Both sides, step back. Before I announce the start of the match, no one is allowed to release their martial spirits."
His voice carried a soul power pressure that reverberated across the platform, forcing every participant to feel the full weight of his authority.
As a Titled Douluo, his strength stood at the pinnacle of the continent. Every command he issued carried the force of an imperial decree, leaving no room for disobedience.
Neither team voiced objections. As they retreated simultaneously, their eyes remained firmly locked on their opponents, filled with vigilance and probing intent. Their formations shifted rapidly.
The Star Luo Academy’s formation was unusual. Six members aligned into a triangular ladder: one in front like a vanguard general, followed by two, and then three, forming a solid echelon.
Only Princess Jiujiu stood at the very rear, resembling a commander-in-chief overseeing the battlefield.
At that moment, the golden light in her eyes grew brighter as she fixed her sharp gaze on Zhou Sichén, as though seeking to discern something hidden within him.
Shrek Academy’s formation remained consistent with their usual style. Zhou Sichén and Dai Yueheng stood like twin blades at the front, ready to strike.
Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao spread out like swift wings on either side, prepared to launch sudden assaults.
Ling Luochen and Du Gu Xinmeng occupied the central positions, capable of both supporting and attacking at any moment.
Gongyang Mo held the rear, the team’s sturdy pillar, always ready to unleash supportive abilities and safeguard his comrades.
"Begin the match!"
Just as both teams focused intently on their opponents, nerves taut to the extreme, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo suddenly shouted.
His voice cracked like thunder across the arena. At the same time, his body transformed into a dazzling streak of golden light that flashed across the center of the battle platform.
The powerful Titled Douluo vanished like a phantom, leaving behind only a faint afterimage that rippled through the air.
The instant the Heavenly Fiend Douluo disappeared, both teams erupted like triggered springs, releasing their martial spirits at the very first moment.
In an instant, dazzling soul rings flared, and martial spirits of all shapes and sizes burst forth with radiant brilliance. Their vast momentum collided head-on atop the battle platform, as though even the air itself was about to be torn apart.
Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao reacted with incredible speed. Their wings beat furiously, stirring up violent gusts of wind.
Their figures transformed into twin streaks of light, shooting across the air like arrows loosed from a bowstring, hurtling straight toward the Star Luo Academy’s formation.
Their gazes were resolute, their targets clear, as if they meant to destroy everything standing in their path.
Zhou Sichén and Dai Yueheng were no less imposing. They advanced in a fierce assault, overwhelming force emanating from their bodies.
The roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger echoed around them as soul power surged. Their figures blurred forward like ferocious beasts charging down the mountain, unleashing a feral strike against the enemy.
At the same time, in the rear, Gongyang Mo did not relax for a single breath.
The soul rings around him alternated in quick succession as he chanted under his breath. Waves of support abilities surged outward like a rising tide.
Speed boosts, attack boosts, soul power amplification, defense enhancements—each was delivered with pinpoint precision to his teammates in the very first moments.
Ling Luochen’s elemental staff swept rapidly through the air. From its tip, streaks of icy-blue light surged forth, layering crystalline rings of ice armor upon her teammates.
This armor radiated a frigid aura and significantly bolstered their defenses.
Of course, her careful nature prevented her from placing the armor on Ma Xiaotao, for she knew well that Ma Xiaotao’s fiery martial spirit clashed directly with her ice. Forcing it upon her would only have backfired.
Meanwhile, Du Gu Xinmeng already had her bow drawn, an arrow nocked. Her eyes were cold, like stars glittering in a winter sky.
She did not immediately unleash a soul skill. Instead, her soul power surged violently. Under her control, her Serpent of Venom martial spirit condensed into glowing emerald arrows, each radiating a poisonous, eerie light.
Seven of these venomous arrows locked onto Xu Jiujiu’s team. As soon as she released the bowstring, they shot forth like meteors racing toward the moon.
Faced with Shrek Academy’s overwhelming assault, the Star Luo Academy members responded with astonishing speed.
By now, Xu Jiujiu had already summoned her mysterious and powerful martial spirit. The moment it appeared, a golden diamond-shaped gem materialized out of thin air, releasing a radiant, resplendent light.
Slowly, the gem detached from her forehead and floated upward.
Surrounded by golden radiance, a magnificent crown manifested above her head. The crown gently descended and rested upon her brow.
The crown seemed to be forged from countless stars, each one shimmering with a faint golden light.
From the central diamond, streams of light gathered backward, forming an elegant circlet. Eighteen prominent golden stars extended upward like pointed tips, releasing a mysterious and regal aura.
This was the Star Crown—the unique martial spirit of Princess Jiujiu, and the symbol of the Star Luo royal bloodline.
As her martial spirit released, five soul rings rose from her body: two yellow, two purple, and one black.
The dazzling radiance of her rings revealed her cultivation—already at the level of a high-rank Soul King.
At the same time, the other Star Luo Academy members released their own martial spirits, revealing the exact same soul ring configuration—two yellow, two purple, one black.
The glow of their rings intertwined, displaying the collective strength of seven Soul Kings. Their formidable lineup drew gasps of awe from the crowd.
Despite Shrek Academy’s fierce frontal assault, Xu Jiujiu remained calm, her gaze locked onto her advancing foes.
In that moment, her third soul ring shone brilliantly, purple light gleaming like a star ignited.
Her third soul skill—Stellar Radiance—burst forth. A blazing golden pillar of light shot skyward, as though piercing the heavens.
Inside the beam swirled a misty golden haze, dotted with countless starlike motes that spiraled and rose. Strange and otherworldly, its effect was not immediately apparent to onlookers.
Yet the moment Du Gu Xinmeng’s venomous arrows touched the golden light, its purpose became clear.
The arrows, once swift and unstoppable, lost much of their force upon contact.
Not only that—the toxic venom imbued within them was heavily suppressed, weakened under the mysterious pressure of the golden radiance.
Even more astonishing, as the other Star Luo members unleashed their soul skills to defend against the arrows, the golden light attached itself to their martial spirits and abilities like living sprites.
With this enhancement, the power of their soul skills surged, and their defenses grew significantly stronger.
In the clash of strengths, Du Gu Xinmeng’s venomous arrows were intercepted with surprising ease.
Though part of the reason was that she had chosen not to detonate them, even if she had, the overwhelming suppression of Stellar Radiance would have minimized their impact.
Just as the Star Luo team successfully blocked the wave of poison arrows, Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao, who had taken flight, swooped down from the sky like specters, closing in at blinding speed.
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