"It's time to put an end to this farce…"
As Dai Mubai's calm words fell, everyone present froze.
Was he finally going to make his move?
How would he act?
The first round of the preliminaries had already revealed a Soul King-level powerhouse. How would such a formidable figure intervene?
Dai Mubai crossed his arms, his White Tiger King spirit receding back into his body, along with his spirit rings vanishing from sight.
Yet, his body remained suspended in midair, not descending to the ground!
"I won't bully you. I won't use my spirit. Come at me together," Dai Mubai said calmly and indifferently, walking in the air toward the members of the second team.
"???"
No spirit, no soul power fluctuations, and yet this monster could walk on air!
He was genuinely stepping on air, as though it were solid ground. Saying he was "walking on air" was no exaggeration.
Could a Titled Douluo fly through the air without relying on spirit or soul power?
At any rate, a Spirit Douluo definitely couldn't achieve such a feat!
"Brother, how are we supposed to fight like this?"
The second team's captain, his face still bruised and swollen, asked helplessly.
"Shall I come down then?"
"Brother, you know I didn't mean it that way!"
The captain was on the verge of tears. Even without using his spirit, Dai Mubai could walk on air. How could this group of cannon fodder possibly match him?
Even if Dai Mubai didn't use his spirit!
The captain wasn't a fool, just a bit of a dandy…
The second team's supervising teacher didn't let them down, quickly stepping up to shout, "Referee! Referee! We surrender!"
What else could he do? He couldn't exactly report Dai Mubai for cheating—there was no evidence!
If this was his strength without using his spirit, just how terrifying would he be in full spirit-possessed form?
Spirits and spirit skills provided percentage-based attribute boosts, with the enhancement scaling according to one's base stats. The stronger the base stats, the more powerful the amplified form became.
Of course, this comparison only held true when both sides had similar levels of attribute enhancement. If one side gained a 100% boost while the other only received 10%, there was no point in making comparisons.
With the second team's coach officially announcing their surrender, the farce finally came to an end.
Dai Mubai descended slowly from the air, landing beside Dugu Yan.
Unlike Ye Lingling, who blushed shyly, Dugu Yan openly took Dai Mubai's arm, making it clear to everyone that this was her man.
In the spectator stands, Yu Tianheng was heartbroken. Tears streamed down his face.
Why? Why had Yan left Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?
What had he, Yu Tianheng, done wrong?
He was a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan member, the pride of his clan, and he had always ignored other women.
And Dai Mubai? He was surrounded by women all the time!
Yet, Dugu Yan still chose someone like him!
"Boss, the more you watch, the more it'll hurt. How about we just stop watching?"
Yu Feng suggested quietly.
Before Yu Tianheng could respond, Oslo clapped a hand over Yu Feng's mouth and dragged him away.
"Yu Feng, just say less! Let's all pretend we didn't see anything. Yu Tianheng just needs to cry it out, and it'll be over."
Anything else would only make him cry harder, wouldn't it?
Sure enough, upon hearing Yu Feng's words, Yu Tianheng's sobbing grew even louder. This time, no one tried to console him.
In the Soul Arena
"W-We… won…"
Tang San slurred his words, his face still swollen and bruised despite Ye Lingling's healing.
The most noticeable feature was his pair of panda eyes.
"This victory is practically all thanks to you. You singlehandedly wore down their entire team," Dai Mubai said earnestly, patting Tang San's shoulder.
The audience was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter. Dai Mubai wasn't wrong—this clown Tang San really had managed to hold off all five opponents!
Tang San, misinterpreting Dai Mubai's praise as genuine, smiled faintly.
"A win is a win…"
And with that, he fainted.
Dai Mubai shook his head. For someone like him, tasked with completing the Death God's Trial, a single match was hardly worth fretting over. Yet Tang San, an outsider to Shrek, treated this competition as more important than his own life!
Wasn't this just like in the original timeline? Even after learning Xiao Wu's true identity and the risks of exposure, Tang San had insisted on going to Spirit City despite everyone's warnings.
What was Tang San's true motive?
Dai Mubai genuinely didn't know.
"Congratulations to Shrek Academy for their victory in the first match of the preliminaries!"
DouDou quickly announced Shrek's win. She had encountered Dai Mubai back in Soto City, but she hadn't formed much of an impression of him back then.
With the match between Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and Shrek Academy concluded, the opening ceremony was considered a great success.
The audience left the Soul Arena in high spirits, thrilled by the sight of a Soul King-level powerhouse in the very first round. The ticket price had been worth it!
Meanwhile, other competing teams fell silent, their minds preoccupied with Dai Mubai's overwhelming strength.
He was too powerful!
Flying without a spirit or soul power, simply relying on his physique—this was something Soul Elders and even Soul Ancestors couldn't dream of achieving!
"Captain, what if we face Shrek Academy…?"
"Hmph. No matter how strong Dai Mubai is, he's just one person. His teammates are mediocre at best—we still have a chance!"
"But… there's also Dugu Yan!"
After all, Shrek Academy didn't have just one Soul King-level powerhouse.
Back in the contestants' rest area, Tang San was carried in by Ma Hongjun and Huang Yuan.
Zhao Wuji and Flender greeted them with wide grins, completely ignoring Tang San's injuries.
Was anyone really injured?
Not at all!
Still, they couldn't leave Tang San in such a pitiful state forever. After a while, Flender asked Jiang Zhu to heal him.
Although Jiang Zhu's healing abilities weren't as effective as Ye Lingling's, they were sufficient.
"Ha! A great victory today. Time to celebrate! Let's go—I, Old Zhao, finally have my salary and will treat everyone to a meal!" Zhao Wuji announced cheerfully.
Dai Mubai glanced at Zhao Wuji, suspecting his excitement wasn't about the victory itself. After all, winning had been a foregone conclusion.
Was Zhao Wuji secretly celebrating the beating Tang San had endured?
Who would've thought this seemingly straightforward teacher had such a dark sense of humor? Well, a celebration was in order!
"Old Zhao, I won a few hundred gold spirit coins before the match. Let me treat everyone to a feast!" Dai Mubai declared grandly.
Just as Tang San woke up, he overheard Dai Mubai's words. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.
"Great! This time, Xiao Bai treats. Next time, it'll be my turn!" Zhao Wuji exclaimed enthusiastically.
(Chapter End)