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Today's match saw both Xue Qinghe and Xue Ye in attendance.
Xue Qinghe didn't sit in the high seats but instead took a private box in the middle of the arena.
Seeing Ning Tianchen's performance, he couldn't help but remark:
"His movements are perfectly coordinated—he looks more like an elegant dancer than a fighter. A genius like this is destined to be a shining star. I wonder if he can be of use to me."
Qingluan Douluo said admiringly, "A genius like this, as long as he continues to grow, will surely reach the level of a Great Elder. It makes me itch to fight him myself—I'm really looking forward to it."
Xue Qinghe furrowed his brows. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Third Grandfather is a 97th-level Super Douluo. Fighting a Soul King would be a one-sided massacre."
Qingluan Douluo laughed heartily. "Young Master, in the future, you might have the chance to face him. Back then, the Great Elder crushed Swordmaster Chen Jianjun with overwhelming strength."
"You two are both juniors, inheriting your elders' martial souls. This fated battle is unavoidable."
A flicker of anticipation appeared in Xue Qinghe's eyes. "That does sound exciting."
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With Tai Long eliminated, the Shrek Team was now down one member.
Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai, even when fighting together, couldn't gain an advantage over Ning Tianchen.
After losing Tai Long, their front-row superiority completely vanished.
Tang San's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Tai Long to be so foolish.
To punch at such close range—only to be dodged by Ning Tianchen and counterattacked!
This would only fuel Ning Tianchen's arrogance.
"Mubai, let's go all out and take him down together!" Yu Tianheng urged anxiously.
"Fourth soul skill, Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Strike!"
"Fourth soul skill, White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
Below the stage, Flender patted Yu Xiaogang on the shoulder. "Regardless, forcing Ning Tianchen to use his fifth soul skill in this match is already a success for us."
The combined full-power attack of two mid-level Soul Ancestors would usually require a Soul King to use their fifth soul skill to counter.
On the stage, Ning Tianchen had no intention of revealing all his cards.
The tip of the Dragon Pattern Seven Kill Sword lightly dragged across the stage floor before suddenly flipping to a reverse grip. The Seven Kill Sword swept up from the ground.
"Fourth soul skill, Wind Dragon Sword Shadow!"
As the Dragon Pattern Seven Kill Sword slashed, a crisp sword resonance rang out. The sword qi surged upward, transforming into the shadow of a wind dragon mid-flight, roaring as it met Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng's soul skills head-on.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing identified the Shrek Team's back row and prepared to strike.
Tang San dared not continue tangling with Bao Zhen, his gaze fixed firmly on Zhu Zhuqing.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhuqing was merely posturing and had no intention of breaking into the back row.
By the time Tang San realized this, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng at the front line had already been utterly defeated.
The wind dragon sword qi obliterated their fourth soul skills and engulfed them, subjecting them to repeated strikes from the sword qi.
In the blink of an eye, their bodies were covered in countless sword wounds, their clothes drenched in blood—they looked like bloody figures.
The Shrek Team was now down two more members.
The match had entered garbage time.
Tang San, leveraging the techniques of the Tang Sect, actively engaged Ning Tianchen in close combat, hoping to turn the tide for the Shrek Team.
But to his surprise, Ning Tianchen's close-combat abilities were also formidable.
Under the massive gap in soul power, despite Tang San's best efforts, he couldn't reverse the situation.
And during the intense exchanges, his injuries worsened significantly. Even with Jiang Zhu's desperate attempts to heal him, his condition didn't improve.
Eventually, he collapsed unconscious on the stage.
With four main members consecutively incapacitated, the remaining members of the Shrek Team gave up resistance, and the match ended.
"Hmph, is this the once-arrogant Shrek Team? Is this how they fall?"
"Indeed. Ning Tianchen managed to defeat them all by himself. Is this how the dark horse of this tournament crumbles?"
In the stands, many spectators mocked them harshly.
They had been hyped up so high before, and now they fell just as hard.
Yu Xiaogang ignored the jeers and rushed toward the stage.
Tang San had numerous sword wounds, and due to being overpowered by Ning Tianchen, his left arm had already dislocated.
Seeing Tang San's severe injuries, Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot, his chest heaving rapidly, his breathing heavy.
As soon as the referee announced the match results, Yu Xiaogang pointed at Ning Tianchen and shouted loudly, "Attempted murder! This is attempted murder. The competition rules explicitly prohibit lethal attacks, yet Ning Tianchen dared to do this—it shows he has no regard for the rules. I demand that the organizing committee severely punish the Seven Treasures Team!"
Yu Xiaogang's understanding of the rules was far more thorough than that of the second team of Huangdou Academy's coach.
The competition rules explicitly prohibited killing opponents. By accusing Ning Tianchen of attempted murder, even if it wouldn't get the Seven Treasures Team disqualified from the tournament, it could at least result in a suspension for several matches.
Ning Tianchen, however, refused to accept the accusation and immediately retorted, "If it's attempted murder, then please, Mr. Yu Xiaogang, show me the fatal wound on Tang San's body."
"In that case, we should investigate thoroughly to ensure nothing is missed," Xue Ye waved his hand dismissively.
This scene felt eerily familiar to him.
Back when the Imperial second team was humiliated by the Shrek Team, similar arguments were made.
Even if Ning Tianchen had violated the rules, what of it?
As one of the co-hosts of the tournament, the Tiandou Empire had the authority to interpret the competition rules.
Before Yu Xiaogang could examine Tang San further, the referee immediately rushed onto the stage to inspect Tang San's injuries.
At the same time, the referee kept a close eye on Yu Xiaogang to prevent any underhanded moves.
After a short while, the referee bowed to Xue Ye on the high platform and reported, "Your Majesty, all of Tang San's injuries are external wounds. There are no injuries to his vital areas. His loss of consciousness is ultimately due to excessive blood loss."
Xue Ye nodded, his gaze sweeping across the audience. "Everyone here must have seen the match clearly. During the fight between Tang San and Ning Tianchen, Tang San's injuries continued to worsen, yet he neither surrendered nor left the stage."
"Then, can we assume that Tang San was aware of and accepted the consequences of continuing to fight? As one of the co-hosts of this tournament, I believe some rules need to be clarified further."
"If a competitor knowingly fights despite severe injuries and insists on risking their life, and their opponent does not target their vital areas, it does not constitute a violation. Soul skills are indiscriminate, and the tournament encourages intense competition among participants—getting injured is inevitable. In such cases, even if a participant dies, it is their own doing and cannot be blamed on others."
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Many spectators whispered to each other, expressing agreement.
"That's right—if Tang San wanted to die, how can you blame Ning Tianchen?"
"Brother, doesn't this scene feel familiar?"
"Little brother, evil always gets punished—it's not a matter of if, but when."
"The Shrek Team forced the Imperial second team to withdraw on the first day of the tournament. I heard they still haven't compensated them. Tsk tsk, in this match, I support the Seven Treasures Team."
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