Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

Dai Mubai led the charge, his first spirit ring glowing brilliantly, enveloping his entire body in a white light as he rushed towards the members of the Emperor Battle Team.

On the Emperor Battle Team's side, the Shi brothers stepped forward in unison, their first spirit rings lighting up. A steady aura emanated from them as they raised their green tortoise shields to meet Dai Mubai head-on.

"Rongrong, speed boost!" Tang San shouted.

Ning Rongrong's second spirit ring lit up as she spun gracefully on the spot. Brilliant rainbow-colored light radiated from her body.

In her right palm appeared a multicolored pagoda about a foot tall. Her whole being seemed ethereal, like a celestial being, and her second spirit ring shone brightly.

"Seven Treasures have a name, the second is: Speed!"

A beam of multicolored light shot out from her pagoda, landing directly on Dai Mubai. Instantly, Dai Mubai's left foot stomped heavily on the ground, propelling him into the air. He soared over the Shi brothers' heads, heading straight for the Emperor Battle Team members behind them.

Seeing this, Yu Tianheng naturally wouldn't let Dai Mubai go that easily. His first spirit ring shone as he launched his condensed Thunderclap Dragon Claw straight towards Dai Mubai.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, being one of the top-tier beast spirits, was incredibly fast. Before Dai Mubai even touched the ground, the moment he saw the blue figure, the purple-blue lightning dragon claw was already closing in on his chest.

At that moment, Dai Mubai was suspended in mid-air. Even if he used both arms to block the incoming attack, his suspended position would certainly put him at a disadvantage. Yu Tianheng could easily press the attack and, with the help of his teammates, take him down. The scales of victory would tip in favor of the Emperor Battle Team.

But suddenly, Dai Mubai's body seemed to retreat in mid-air, dodging Yu Tianheng's violent Thunderclap Dragon Claw.

This unexpected development left Yu Tianheng momentarily stunned. When he looked closely at Dai Mubai, he realized that blue-silver grass was wrapped around his waist—Tang San had used his Blue Silver Grass to pull Dai Mubai out of danger.

Yu Tianheng wanted to continue the chase, but as the captain, he knew that diving too deep into enemy territory would only disadvantage his own team. To secure victory in the fight, he opted to return to his position, maintaining the team's formation.

...

In the spectator area.

Watching the battle with Flender and Zhao Wuji, the Grandmaster was initially taken aback, but then his face lit up with satisfaction.

What worried him most about the Emperor Battle Team, besides Cheng Xiao, was his nephew, Yu Tianheng. Now, with Cheng Xiao staying out of the fight and Yu Tianheng being restricted by Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, wasn't victory already in sight?

"Flender, did you see that? As long as Cheng Xiao doesn't make a move, our Shrek team is bound to win tonight!" The Grandmaster's rigid face broke into a smug smile as he patted Flender's shoulder, laughing excitedly.

"Haha, Xiaogang, Cheng Xiao hasn't made a move yet, but are you sure it's not too early to declare victory?" Flender exchanged a glance with Zhao Wuji, both casting puzzled looks at the Grandmaster.

They knew the Emperor Battle Team had won numerous battles without Cheng Xiao even lifting a finger. To assume victory just because Cheng Xiao wasn't participating seemed overly hasty.

The Grandmaster slowly poured himself a cup of tea, a confident gleam flashing in his eyes. "Flender, I don't know what you arranged, but the fact that the Emperor Battle Team's support and Cheng Xiao haven't even activated their spirits—what does that tell you?"

"It tells you they're arrogant. You must understand, while the soul fighting tournament isn't a true battlefield, the saying holds: pride comes before the fall. They're underestimating our Shrek team, and their arrogance will cost them the victory."

The viewing position of Shrek Academy provided a clear view of the battlefield. Indeed, Ye Lingling hadn't activated her spirit, but no one knew the real reason for her restraint, except for her teammates.

At this moment, Ye Lingling stood beside Cheng Xiao, her cold gaze fixed on her teammates fighting Shrek.

"Phew..." Flender inhaled sharply. He wasn't sure how to respond to the Grandmaster's swift judgment. Not releasing one's spirit is arrogance? What kind of analysis was that?

Flender sighed internally, refocusing on the battle platform, where Xiao Wu stood next to Ning Rongrong, showing no intention of joining the fight yet.

On the platform, Tang San observed the Emperor Battle Team carefully. Suddenly, he stepped into Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his first spirit skill activating as countless Blue Silver Grass tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around the members of the Emperor Battle Team.

In that instant, apart from Yu Feng, who was airborne, and the strategically positioned Ye Lingling and Cheng Xiao, the rest of the team was ensnared by the Blue Silver Grass.

"Fatty, fire!" Seeing the opportunity, Tang San shouted.

Seizing his moment to shine, Ma Hongjun held nothing back. Two yellow spirit rings lit up as a surge of violet flames burst from his body. A thick, purple-red flame shot from his mouth, heading straight for the bound members of the Emperor Battle Team. Everything was going according to Tang San's plan; this was the moment he had been waiting for.

Faced with Ma Hongjun's incoming Phoenix Fire, the Shi brothers' third spirit rings lit up. The Blue Silver Grass binding them shattered as they raised their Black Tortoise Shields to block the flames.

Taking advantage of this, Tang San's eyes flashed red, his spirit power surging as the Eight Spider Lances burst out from his back, tearing through his clothes.

With the appearance of the Eight Spider Lances, Tang San's entire aura became significantly colder, making him resemble a giant spider.

"That's an external spirit bone! Everyone, be careful!" Dugu Yan immediately noticed something was wrong and shouted a warning to her teammates.

Tang San's Eight Spider Lances were no secret to Cheng Xiao, who had informed his teammates after their last battle.

"Get down!" Tang San's third spirit ring lit up, sending a purple ball of energy straight towards Yu Feng.

With the speed enhancement from his external spirit bone, Tang San's attack came incredibly fast. Despite Dugu Yan's warning, Yu Feng had no time to react.

The next moment, the purple energy ball expanded into a web, trapping Yu Feng and sending him crashing to the ground.

Seeing Yu Feng taken down in one move, Yu Tianheng was slightly shocked. Tang San was proving far more formidable than he had anticipated.

"Mubai, Zhuqing, quick! Let's finish this!" Having eliminated one opponent, Tang San urgently called out to Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.

Upon hearing his command, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and charged towards the enemy simultaneously. "Spirit Fusion Technique—Hell White Tiger!"

Seeing the two initiate a fusion, Yu Tianheng knew he couldn't allow it to complete. He charged forward.

As he moved, his third spirit ring lit up.

The thousand-year spirit skill, Thunder Fury, activated, sending blinding blue lightning through his body. With a loud explosion, the Blue Silver Grass binding him disintegrated into scorched bits.

A thousand-year spirit skill—its power was immense! Confronting the Hell White Tiger, Yu Tianheng's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected the enemy to have such a trump card, but now he had to act quickly. His first and second spirit skills activated as he launched his Thunderclap Dragon Claw and full-force Thunderous Fury towards the Netherworld White Tiger.

However, just when everyone thought Yu Tianheng's attack was futile, an unexpected twist occurred.

The Hell White Tiger, after taking Yu Tianheng's violent Thunderclap Dragon Claw, abruptly disengaged from the fusion. Both Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were sent flying, crashing heavily onto the platform.

The scene left everyone stunned, especially Yu Tianheng himself. He stared incredulously at the two who had fallen to the ground, lost in thought.

Since when had he become so powerful? Looking at the severely injured Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San's expression grew dark. According to his plan, that last move should have been enough to take down Yu Tianheng, but he never anticipated that Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing would encounter such an accident!

A Spirit Fusion Technique requires complete harmony between the two spirit masters. But were Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing truly in sync? Without their spirits' high compatibility, they might not have even completed the fusion.

At this point, the scales of victory had completely tipped in favor of the Emperor Battle Team. With Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's fusion disrupted, Shrek had lost their last hope of winning.

But would Tang San give up so easily? He knew from the Grandmaster how crucial this victory was. A loss would mean the disbandment of Shrek Academy.

Tang San had finally found a sense of belonging in Shrek Academy, and he wouldn't let anyone destroy it! "Rongrong, amplify me! Fatty, wait for my signal." Tang San's eyes sharpened as the Eight Spider Lances on his back trembled, eager for action.

On the Emperor Battle Team's side, noticing Tang San's unusual behavior, Yu Tianheng warned his teammates, "Leave Tang San to me. The rest of you take care of the others!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Tianheng stomped his foot, blue electric arcs crackling over his body. In the next second, he charged towards Tang San, wielding his Thunderclap Dragon Claw.

However, just as Yu Tianheng rushed forward, a mocking smile tugged at the corner of Tang San's lips.