As a disciple of the Elephant Armored Clan, one of the Seven Great Sects, he naturally understood the properties of a Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Though a Martial Soul Fusion Technique was incredibly powerful, the Soul Power cost was equally enormous. He knew that as long as he could withstand even one or two attacks, even if he was ultimately defeated, the two forty-level powerhouses on the opposing side would lose all combat ability from overexhausting their Soul Power. By then, his brothers who had regained their mobility would surely claim victory in the match.
Hu Yan Li's thinking was perfectly logical. Unfortunately, he had still underestimated the true power of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul Fusion Technique — the Nether White Tiger.
With an extraordinarily high degree of Martial Soul compatibility, both partners at over forty levels of cultivation, and the inherent complementary nature of their Martial Souls, the Nether White Tiger not only merged their Soul Power but amplified it enormously. The gap was far too vast for a single Soul Bone to bridge. Never mind Hu Yan Li — even if Tang San stood beside Hu Yan Li right now, both wielding Soul Bones, they still might not be able to withstand the explosive force of this Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
Two tiger claws slammed down simultaneously. With a thunderous boom, Hu Yan Li felt an irresistible force surge through him, and his entire body erupted in pain like an explosion. The next instant, he felt the ground vanish beneath him — and then he knew nothing more.
Riding the momentum of that strike, the Nether White Tiger surged forward. Nether White Tiger Break — activated.
The colossal phantom figure crashed headlong into the other two Elephant Armored Clan disciples who had just broken free from their restraints, both at forty levels or above.
Another deafening boom rang out. The two massive bodies of the Elephant Armored Clan disciples were sent flying by the Nether White Tiger's charge, blasted right off the arena platform. And at that very moment, the Nether White Tiger's ethereal form dissipated as well, revealing Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, both pale-faced and returned to their normal states. The Martial Souls attached to their bodies had already released.
The Nether White Tiger's assault hadn't lasted long, but it left an indelible impression on every spectator present. A single swipe had hammered Hu Yan Li straight down through the arena, punching through the granite layer beneath. Then the Nether White Tiger Break had sent two forty-level disciples — who had already activated their fourth Soul Skills, a defensive technique akin to ice-crystal body augmentation — flying off the stage. In the span of a heartbeat, it had dismantled the three strongest members of the Elephant Armored Clan.
Meanwhile, under the near-frenzied attacks of Jing Ling and Huang Yuan, one Elephant Armored Clan disciple hadn't even managed to break free from Tang San's Blue Silver Grass before being knocked unconscious. Xiao Wu, too, had exploited the temporary Soul Power boost from the Excitement Pink Sausage to slam her weakest opponent around so thoroughly that he was reeling, clearly unable to break free of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass either.
The Meteor Human Hammer formation fully disbanded at this point. Tang San didn't bother consuming a third Flying Mushroom Sausage, instead descending from the sky with Oscar.
Several Recovery Sausages sailed accurately from Tang San's hands into the hands of the Shrek Academy team. The seven of them formed a circle, enclosing the last two opponents in the center.
The fighting spirit of the Elephant Armored Clan disciples was truly admirable. With only two members remaining, both below forty levels, they showed not the slightest intention of retreating. They could clearly see that the Shrek Seven Devils were running on fumes as well. Tang San had expended enormous Soul Power consecutively using large-scale control skills, and after the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, the two strongest attackers — Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing — had temporarily lost the ability to use their Martial Souls. Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and Xiao Wu might not be able to break through their defenses either. So after exchanging a glance, the two heavies launched their attack skills without hesitation.
Like Hu Yan Li, their third Soul Skill was also the Crush. And the two fat men locked onto Tang San and Xiao Wu respectively.
The audience might not have caught the details of Xiao Wu's throwing technique, but the opponents on the arena had seen it crystal clearly. They had no intention of having their massive bodies flung through the air like that — their weight made the impact devastating. Their companion hadn't fainted because his body couldn't withstand the impact; rather, the bones in his neck had been dislocated under the combined force of his own enormous gravity and Xiao Wu's Waist Bow counter-leveraging.
So the moment they attacked, they chose who they considered the greatest threats — Tang San and Xiao Wu. As for Jing Ling and Huang Yuan, they were confident that those two didn't have enough offensive power to break through their defenses. After all, the restraints on them had now been removed.
But they overlooked one person — though this person was the least conspicuous member of the Shrek Academy team, never having participated in the assault and possessing no offensive capability whatsoever. Yet his presence had dramatically extended the team's sustained combat endurance. That person was the forty-one-level Food-Type Tool Soul Ancestor — Big Sausage Uncle Oscar.
The continuous use of Recovery Sausages had kept Tang San's depleted Soul Power steadily replenishing. Though his consumption was enormous, it was far from a hopeless situation.
Tang San's assessment of the Elephant Armored Clan was accurate: superlative defense, superlative strength, but low agility, limited attack patterns, no support-type follow-up, and no field control. Against opponents like this, as long as you defeated their strongest members, they had no chance of a comeback. The absence of a support-type Soul Master meant the sudden explosion of hidden power was impossible. After all, not everyone could possess treasures like Soul Bones that were worth a fortune.
Tang San and Xiao Wu's bodies were instantly locked onto by the two enormous heavies. Though Jing Ling and Huang Yuan's attacks immediately landed on them, the fearsome defensive power of the Elephant Armored Clan disciples — now freed from their restraints — came fully into play. Ignoring the attacks entirely, they leapt high into the air, crashing down toward Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Having their feet locked didn't mean their hands were useless. Tang San showed not a flicker of panic. With a flick of his right hand, a strand of Blue Silver Grass shot out, wrapping precisely around Xiao Wu's waist and pulling her toward him. At the same time, Tang San dropped into a half-crouch, exhaled sharply, and brilliant white light surged frantically through his body as he condensed the Mysterious Heaven Skill into both palms.
Xiao Wu and Tang San had been coordinating for a long time. The moment she was pulled to his side, she executed a startling move — flipping upside down with her legs pointing toward the sky. By this point, the lock on her body had been broken by Tang San's pull.
Xiao Wu's legs aimed skyward, Tang San's hands raised high. As the fat man crashed down upon them, they struck in unison.
The Waist Bow activated. Xiao Wu's feet struck the descending fat man's belly with pinpoint precision, instantly slowing his downward momentum. And just as her legs were about to buckle under the immense weight in their Waist Bow-enhanced state, Tang San's palms were already braced beneath the fat man's abdomen. Crane Control Dragon Catch — activated. It was the classic martial arts principle of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.
One at forty-one levels, the other at thirty-eight — though the fat man's body weight and technique were both brutally powerful, the combined effort of both fighters, amplified by Xiao Wu's Waist Bow, neutralized the threat entirely.
The downward force was instantaneously converted into lateral momentum. Under Tang San's precise control through Crane Control Dragon Catch, the enormous body went hurtling sideways, slamming directly into the other fat man who was just about to hit the ground.
With a tremendous crash, a团 of yellow-green light silently spread outward at the moment of their collision, ensnering both bodies within. Their massive frames immediately became a pair of tumbling gourds, slamming heavily onto the arena platform.
At this point, all seven members of the Elephant Armored Academy had lost all capacity to resist. The Web Bind's hundred-percent increase in binding toughness was not something that could be broken free from in a short time — not even with their astounding strength. After all, they only had thirty-something levels of Soul Power.
When the seven members of Shrek Academy surrounded the pair once more, the referee had no choice but to declare the victors of the match.
"Second round, first preliminary match — Shrek Academy wins over Elephant Armored Academy."
Bang! An explosive sound erupted from the VIP gallery. It was the Elephant Armored Clan Master, Sky Elephant Huyan Zhen, who had crushed the armrest of his chair. His bell-like eyes seemed ready to breathe fire.
He was unwilling — truly unwilling. He had clearly sensed that Shrek Academy could not possibly break through the defensive formation led by his eldest grandson. Yet they had done exactly that. The Martial Soul Fusion Technique — the Nether White Tiger — was formidable, with tremendous explosive power. But under normal circumstances, Huyan Zhen was confident that three Elephant Armored Clan disciples at forty levels or above, led by his grandson Hu Yan Li, should have been able to hold. Once they neutralized the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, victory would have been a foregone conclusion.
And yet, in a match he had deemed impossible to lose, the Elephant Armored Clan had been defeated. Why? Why had they lost?
It wasn't just Huyan Zhen who was bewildered — even Platinum Bishop Salaras, seated beside him, was stunned.
Though four of Shrek Academy's seven members exceeded forty levels, the Elephant Armored Clan had three at that threshold, and Hu Yan Li had used a Soul Bone. In theory, that should have been enough to offset the gap from the Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Furthermore, all seven Elephant Armored Clan members possessed top-tier Martial Souls — the Diamond Mammoth — giving them an overall advantage in raw power. So why had they still lost?
Ning Fengzhi's face was now brimming with a smile as he watched the seven members of Shrek Academy celebrating their victory on the arena, secretly marveling with admiration. Beside him, Bone Douluo's eyes were gleaming as well, murmuring to himself: "What a masterful approach — striking at the critical point to break through the whole, leveraging strengths while avoiding weaknesses. In team battles, the role of a Control-Type Soul Master is truly without limit."