The seven members of Star Luo Academy's team released their Soul Power in an instant. Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun stood at the very front, and the waves of Soul Power radiating from them were by far the most immense.
In the blink of an eye, two yellow and two purple Soul Rings had already appeared around their bodies.
Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun's Martial Souls were the same as those of their younger siblings—the White Tiger and the Nether Spirit Cat. Judging from the fluctuations of their Soul Power, Dai Weis had already surpassed at least the forty-seventh rank, while Zhu Zhuyun was no lower than the forty-sixth.
They were, without question, the strongest opponents the Shrek Seven Devils had faced in the tournament so far.
What was even more astonishing was that when the five people behind Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun released their Martial Souls, four of them were also above the fortieth rank. Combined with the two at the front, the entire Star Luo Academy team boasted a staggering six Soul Ancestors.
Aside from Spirit Hall Academy, whose members had already taken the stage days ago to jaw-dropping effect, and the merged team of Divine Wind and Blazing Fire Academies, this was the squad with the most Soul Masters above the fortieth rank among all the teams that had appeared thus far. And that was before accounting for how outstanding Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun themselves truly were.
In terms of overall strength, they were in no way inferior to the combined forces of Divine Wind and Blazing Fire Academies.
The Star Luo Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy was nothing like the Tian Dou Royal Academy. There was no way in—you couldn't buy your way in through status or money alone.
However, what left Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun utterly dumbfounded was the sheer, terrifying shock that the Shrek Seven Devils delivered to everyone watching.
The Soul Rings blazing around Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were likewise two yellow and two purple—four rings in total. But what truly shook them to their core was Tang San, who stood off to the side with a placid expression, his appearance entirely unremarkable.
Two yellow, one purple, one black—the moment those four Soul Rings materialized, every academy that had advanced on the Star Luo Empire's side let out a collective gasp of disbelief.
The shock was not yet over. Flanking those three, the other four members displayed Soul Rings of identical color—two yellow and two purple, the optimal configuration in each case.
The Shrek Academy team, which had not appeared in either of the first two rounds of the Grand Finals, possessed seven Soul Ancestors, all at or above the fortieth rank and every single one with the perfect Soul Ring arrangement. In a single heartbeat, the pressure exerted by those rings slashed the Star Luo Empire's side's momentum to shreds. The expressions on Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun's faces finally shifted.
Zhu Zhuyun stared at Zhu Zhuqing with undisguised disbelief. "No… that's impossible. When you left the family, you were only at the twenty-something rank. It's only been two years—how could you possibly have broken through to the fortieth rank?"
When Shrek Academy had arrived at the Grand Finals, Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun had already taken note of them. But deep down, neither had ever considered their younger siblings to be real competitors.
After all, the age gap was right there. Given that their innate talent was roughly comparable, there was no way the younger pair could catch up. Even after learning that Shrek Academy had been the champion of the Tian Dou Empire's advancement tournament, it hadn't changed their thinking.
As one of the three seeded teams, the only opponents they considered worthy of their attention were the members of Spirit Hall Academy.
But now, watching Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing display genuine power beyond the fortieth rank, Dai Weis and Zhu Zhuyun felt a tremor of shock—and beneath it, a surge of murderous intent. The age gap between them was so large, yet these two had rapidly closed the gap in strength. Given a little more time, the outcome of any future confrontation would be anyone's guess.
Even if it meant bending the tournament rules, they had to eliminate this threat as thoroughly as possible during this competition.
Dai Mubai stared coldly at Dai Weis. He could read the killing intent in his elder brother's eyes without the slightest difficulty. In terms of innate talent, Dai Mubai had always been slightly superior. His innate Evil Eye Pupils had drawn attention to him since childhood—otherwise, he never would have become a rival to Dai Weis in the first place.
At this moment, though the match had not yet begun, his heart soared with a wild, exhilarating satisfaction.
Growing up, every time Dai Weis had laid eyes on him, there had always been that deep-seated contempt and disdain lurking in the back of his gaze—as though Dai Mubai had never once been considered a genuine opponent. But now, when he looked into Dai Weis's eyes, he found gravity and even a flicker of fear. All of this, he had earned with his own strength.
"The match begins!" At the referee's command, this long-awaited and highly anticipated battle finally commenced.
"Rongrong, give me Soul Power." While their Martial Souls were being released, both sides had already taken their formations. Tang San quickly retreated behind Dai Mubai. Xiao Wu stepped forward to Dai Mubai's left flank. Ma Hongjun remained in his usual position, guarding the rear and protecting the two support Soul Masters.
It was Tang San who had shouted the order. Ning Rongrong had been releasing her Martial Soul behind them the entire time—at least from the front, the opposing team had caught little glimpse of the prismatic glow emanating from her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Tower.
At Tang San's command, as a purple Soul Ring blazed to life, a dazzling stream of multicolored light poured into his body. Along with it came a pinkish luminescence that Oscar had already tossed his way.