It wasn't until the referee announced his victory that Yan Meiluo planted his spear into the ground, leaning on it with one hand, as blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The outburst just now wasn't without side effects.
This technique, a secret of his family, was similar to a fusion ring outburst, a trump card he had kept hidden from even his teammates. It could unleash an immense burst of power temporarily, but it risked damaging his meridians from the overwhelming force.
Qi Qing's last strike had once again exceeded Yan Meiluo's expectations. In desperation, he was forced to use this hidden card.
After all, with Yun Xi's earlier success in a one-against-three match, it would've been embarrassing if Yan Meiluo had been defeated by his opponent right after.
But...
Yan Meiluo bitterly smiled, feeling several of his meridians ruptured from the excessive power. He knew he needed to take healing medicine immediately to recover in time for the upcoming team battles.
"Shrek Academy, substitute."
With a soft sigh, Yan Meiluo turned and left the stage.
In Shrek's viewing area, the team finally relaxed after seeing that Yan Meiluo was unharmed.
None of them had known about this hidden technique of Yan Meiluo's. Given the situation, they had all thought he would surely lose.
Luckily, Yan Meiluo had surprised both the opponent and his own team.
As Yan Meiluo sat down and immediately began healing with his medicine, Yun Ruo, the next contestant, stood up. She was a Spirit King with a remote-attack martial spirit called the Jade Moon Bow, and was slated to be the third to fight.
However, just as Yun Ruo stood up, a broad hand gently patted her shoulder. "Yun Ruo, let me take this one."
"Captain?" Yun Ruo turned in surprise to see the muscular man beside her. "Why?"
Sun Changhao looked apologetic. "Meiluo's meridians are damaged, and it will likely affect him in the later rounds. We can't afford to have anyone else get hurt. Let me eliminate the last three of their team quickly."
Yun Ruo glanced at Yan Meiluo, who was deep in healing meditation. She hadn't realized how serious his injury was. After a moment, she nodded, acknowledging that Sun Changhao made a lot of sense.
With Sun Changhao's strength, the remaining members of the Star Luo team were no match for him.
"Alright, good luck, Captain."
Sun Changhao nodded and stepped out of the waiting area.
The rest of the one-on-one bouts proceeded without much incident. When Sun Changhao stepped in, the fifth and sixth opponents from Star Luo only made symbolic efforts before withdrawing.
They didn't dare to engage in full combat with a higher-ranked opponent at this stage, knowing there were still more battles ahead.
As for the Star Luo team captain, Dai Tonghua, he chose to forfeit the match entirely, strategically saving his strength for the following rounds.
Though this was a rational decision, the crowd erupted in boos.
As the first prince of the Star Luo Empire, how could he surrender so easily?
Even the emperor of Star Luo, watching from the royal platform, scowled at this development.
In the end, the first round of the finals ended with Shrek Academy's victory. After a brief ten-minute rest, the second round, a two-on-two battle, was about to begin.
Initially, Yan Meiluo was scheduled to fight in the first two-on-two match, but given his injuries, Sun Changhao moved him to the three-on-three round to give him more time to recover.
There was no need to worry about teamwork issues—Shrek's main team had practiced together countless times, and any combination of players could effectively collaborate.
The second round ended quicker than expected.
For the first two-on-two match, Sun Changhao paired with Yun Xi.
With a six-ring Spirit Emperor and a near-breakthrough Spirit King at level 59, the result of their battle was practically guaranteed.
Their opponents were only a Spirit King and a Spirit Elder, making the outcome a foregone conclusion.
With Sun Changhao and Yun Xi securing the first victory, it left the Star Luo team in a precarious position.
If they lost the next two-on-two match, the three-round, best-of-three team battle would automatically declare them the losers.
Even more concerning was that the Star Luo team had already lost the first one-on-one round. If they lost this round too, there would be no need for the final seven-on-seven team battle.
Naturally, the Star Luo team quickly realized this and, amidst some discussion, a man and woman stepped forward.
The man was their captain, Dai Tonghua. At this point, he had no choice but to fight. If he held back any longer, there wouldn't be another chance.
And seeing the girl beside him made everyone on the Shrek team frown.
This girl, like Qi Qing, hadn't participated in any matches before.
Sun Changhao, fresh from his last battle, had a troubled expression.
He naturally hoped Shrek could win this next two-on-two match, but this unfamiliar girl left him uncertain about how to proceed.
"What's the name of that girl?" Yue Lengxin suddenly asked.
"I think her name is Zhu Ziyan," Sun Changhao quickly replied after a moment's thought.
Hearing this, Yue Lengxin's expression shifted slightly. "Send Lan Sisi and Lan Niannian. Have them use the Martial Spirit Fusion technique immediately, no holding back."
Uh…
Sun Changhao was taken aback.
Shrek Academy had a pair of twin sisters on their team, Lan Sisi and Lan Niannian, who could perform an extremely rare Martial Spirit Fusion technique. It was considered one of Shrek's most powerful trump cards.
But Sun Changhao had never intended to use it during a two-on-two match.
Why reveal such a card now?
Seeing his confusion, Yue Lengxin's expression grew more meaningful. "Don't forget about the Hell White Tiger."
The Hell White Tiger?!
Sun Changhao's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to look at the pair stepping onto the stage.
Right—that girl's surname was Zhu!
If Dai Tonghua was exposing this trump card now, it could only mean one thing—the girl was likely from the Zhu family, known for the Hell Civet martial spirit. There was a high chance they could perform a Martial Spirit Fusion technique together.
If that was the case, only another Martial Spirit Fusion could counter theirs!
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