Chapter 106: Chapter 106: The Evil Phoenix Appears!
As Bei Bei charged forward, a graceful figure flashed and appeared beside Xiao Hongchen.
The coordination between the brother and sister was seamless, as if they had telepathic understanding.
Meng Hongchen raised her hand and traced a gentle circle in the air in the direction Bei Bei was coming from. Instantly, a vortex formed, and a mass of white mist, dozens of times larger, appeared not far away.
On her shoulder, a snow-white toad materialized slowly—it was her martial soul, the Ice Toad.
Bei Bei's eyes narrowed, but he didn't hesitate. He charged directly into the white mist, prepared for an ambush once his vision cleared.
But when he broke through the mist and his sight returned, he was stunned.
Xiao Hongchen wasn't even paying attention to him. The distant artillery platform continued to roar, and it seemed as if the entire Sun Moon team had completely ignored his presence—only Meng Hongchen glanced at him.
"Roar!"
Bei Bei let out an enraged shout and lunged straight at the airborne Xiao and Meng siblings.
But just as his claws were about to reach Meng Hongchen—
It was as if time had stopped.
The lightning surging over his body visibly dissipated, like a robot that had its power supply cut off. His consciousness faded, and he plummeted heavily onto the arena.
"Poison element!"
Dai Yueheng's eyes narrowed.
"Everyone, be careful! The mist is poisonous!"
"Hold your breath!"
Soul Masters had bodies far stronger than ordinary people, so even holding their breath for long periods wasn't difficult.
"What a pity…" Meng Hongchen shrugged. "I was hoping to take out more of you in one go."
If they had fully inhaled her poisonous mist, even Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng would have suffered greatly. But unfortunately, Dai Yueheng had been quick to recognize the threat.
The battle intensified.
In less than a minute, both sides began revealing their trump cards.
Shrek had lost a Soul Ancestor (four-ringed Soul Master). The watching academies were shocked but still hopeful—after all, their main forces, the twin Soul Emperors, were still in play.
"White Tiger Transformation!"
Dai Yueheng clenched his teeth and let out a deep shout.
A dazzling golden, regal white tiger phantom slowly emerged behind him, rising majestically to its feet and facing the Sun Moon Empire team.
Six soul rings shone one by one—
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black.
Then, like a living tank, he leapt high into the air. The massive phantom followed suit, exuding an overwhelming presence as he charged toward Xiao Hongchen.
"Another Soul Emperor!"
Countless voices cried out in astonishment.
To see six soul rings on a combatant under the age of twenty was nothing short of a miracle.
"Shrek! Shrek!"
The crowd erupted with fervor.
On the City Walls
Xu Jiawei, the emperor of Star Luo, smiled broadly. "Dai Hao, your son is very much like you—full of determination and extraordinary talent. If only Huabin were in this match, we'd have two brothers on the battlefield."
He wasn't being sarcastic—
Dai Yueheng had long expressed his loyalty to the empire.
A good child.
Even though he was from Shrek Academy, he hadn't been brainwashed by them and remained devoted to Star Luo. This pleased the emperor greatly.
Who knows? In twenty years, he might become a Titled Douluo and inherit his father's position, continuing to guard the borders of Star Luo.
"He's still a bit immature," Dai Hao responded calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.
"You…"
Xu Jiawei chuckled.
On the Battlefield
"What a pity…"
Xiao Hongchen was forced to cease his artillery bombardment.
Against a Soul Emperor, even he and his sister had to retreat temporarily.
"Old Ma!"
Xiao Hongchen called out, his face a bit pale.
Clearly, the relentless high-powered bombardment had taken a toll on his soul power.
"Got it!"
From behind a metal fortress, Ma Rulong shouted in response.
A Grade 6 Soul Tool Laser Cannon rested on his shoulder, and as soon as he locked onto Dai Yueheng's path, he fired.
Blocking his way—
Creating time for the Xiao-Meng siblings to retreat.
"Buzz!"
A searing laser, hot as molten lava, shot forth.
Even in his Transformation, Dai Yueheng tensed. This laser was different from ordinary soul tool blasts—Ma Rulong had personally developed it.
In the original story, this very weapon had pierced through Jiang Peng's shoulder, proving its power.
So he didn't dare to take the hit head-on.
At this moment, the battle had become intense.
Xu Cheng had been switched out at the start, yet Shrek had not gained any advantage.
Instead, they had lost a Soul Ancestor.
The battlefield grew more tense.
On the Sun Moon side, Ma Rulong and Lin Xi continued operating their artillery, unleashing a barrage of long-range Soul Tool Cannons and Laser Soul Tools, bombarding Shrek to the point where they could barely lift their heads.
Under Ma Rulong's suppression, even someone as powerful as Dai Yueheng struggled to break through the metal fortress set up at the start of the match.
"Almost there…"
Xu Cheng wasn't just standing idly by. He was watching the fight between Ji Juechen and Ma Xiaotao.
Ji Juechen was formidable—able to fight on par with a normal Soul Emperor despite only being a Soul King. But Ma Xiaotao wasn't just any Soul Emperor—she was a once-in-a-century talent at Shrek.
Merely holding her off was already impressive.
Because Xu Cheng had planned for Ji Juechen to stall Ma Xiaotao—until her Evil Fire completely erupted.
So the Sun Moon team was deliberately dragging things out.
Meanwhile, Shrek's Ling Luocheng and others were also stalling, waiting for Ma Xiaotao to defeat Ji Juechen and then turn back to help them break through Ma Rulong and Lin Xi's fortress.
For a moment, it almost looked like a rigged match, with both sides seemingly playing passively—when in reality, everyone was focused on the battle between those two.
On the City Walls
"They're waiting for Ma Xiaotao and that sword-wielding boy to determine a winner," Dai Hao said, standing straight on the city wall beside the emperor like a loyal guardian.
With his keen eyesight, he saw through the situation instantly.
"But… why is the Sun Moon Empire also waiting?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"Yes, logically, that sword-wielding boy is strong, but he shouldn't be able to defeat a peak Soul Emperor alone. The outcome should be clear," Xu Jiawei mused, also perplexed.
Were they really going to sacrifice one of their strongest fighters?
That would be a huge loss!
"Wait, something's wrong!"
Xu Jiawei suddenly froze, his expression changing drastically.
Dai Hao sighed internally. As expected…
The Explosion
"Boom!"
Ma Xiaotao's pupils had turned completely purple.
A terrifying wave of flames erupted from her body, surging across the arena like a tidal wave. Even the distant spectators, separated by protective barriers, could feel the overwhelming heat.
"This is… Ma Xiaotao has gone berserk!"
Xuanzi shot to his feet, the liquor in his mouth spilling down his beard unnoticed.
His eyes were filled with shock.
Ma Xiaotao wasn't just Yan Shaozhe's disciple—she was one of Shrek's most promising prodigies. She was very likely the next (or the next-next) Sea God Pavilion Master!
If something happened to her, the blow to Shrek would be immeasurable!
But he hesitated.
Shrek's centuries-old reputation was on the line…
"Wait… just a little longer!" Xuanzi suppressed his rising anxiety.
Let Ma Xiaotao take down the Sun Moon Empire first—then he would intervene.