Ning Tianchen's initial assault was merely a test. After assessing the opponent's situation, he immediately retreated.
Behind him, Feng Xiaotian gathered a storm that made it difficult for the Elephant Armor team to maintain their footing.
The opponent's defensive vulnerabilities were fully exposed, and Ning Tianchen decisively activated his fourth soul skill—Wind Dragon Sword Shadow.
The power of the sword qi increased by 100%, sweeping up the storm in front of him and unleashing a powerful wind dragon sword qi with full force.
In just thirty seconds, the Seven Treasures team had sent the Elephant Armor team into disarray, ending the match.
The referee announced loudly, "Simply incredible! With the strength of two Soul Kings, the Seven Treasures team ended the battle in just thirty seconds at lightning speed. They have successfully broken the previous record of fifty-seven seconds set by the Shrek team!"
The audience had paid for the entire duel, yet the match ended in just thirty seconds—before they'd even had time to sit comfortably.
However, for the spectators, witnessing the birth of a new record at the Great Spirit Arena made their ticket purchase worthwhile.
In terms of value, there was no comparison between the records set by Shrek Academy and Seven Treasures Academy.
The Shrek team's opponents were all Soul Elders, while the Elephant Armor team was one of the strongest teams in the preliminaries.
Defeating a strong team with hopes of advancing in just thirty seconds was enough to glimpse the overwhelming strength of the Seven Treasures team.
After leaving the stage, Ning Rongrong and the Yu Die sisters greeted everyone.
"Big Brother Tianchen is truly amazing," Ning Rongrong said as she hooked her arm around his.
When she smiled, her two adorable little fangs showed, making her look irresistibly cute.
Unable to resist, Ning Tianchen gently pinched her cheek. "Rongrong has become even prettier."
Ning Rongrong turned her head, pouting. "You're hurting me, Big Brother Tianchen."
Chen Huayu nudged his elbow. "Boss, shouldn't you two be more mindful of appearances? There are so many people watching."
Today's match had undoubtedly made the Seven Treasures team the center of attention.
Many female spectators rubbed their cheeks, fantasizing about being on the receiving end of that scene themselves.
"Cough, cough." Clearing his throat lightly, Ning Tianchen said, "Let's return to the rest area first. Our commemorative uniforms will soon be available for sale."
---
Inside the Shrek Academy rest area, the atmosphere was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After a long silence, Flender broke the stillness. "For our match against the Seven Treasures team, let's avoid fighting them. At least before the finals, it's not advisable to face them."
No one spoke, their gazes shifting to Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, waiting for their opinions.
The strength displayed by the Seven Treasures team was terrifying—they defeated the Elephant Armor team with just two Soul Kings and broke the record for the fastest elimination.
If all seven of them had gone all out, would they have ended the match even faster?
The Shrek team had struggled in their prolonged battle against the Elephant Armor team. If their opponent had been them instead, could they have performed any better?
Yu Xiaogang sighed and asked, "Xiao San, what are your thoughts?"
Tang San paused thoughtfully before speaking. "Oscar's berserk soul skill seems to have no side effects. Back then, the strategy we used against the Berserker Team simply wouldn't work here."
Through the Purple Extreme Devil Eye, Tang San clearly observed the movements of Ning Tianchen and his team after they left the stage.
They acted like normal people, showing no signs of berserk aftereffects.
This match wasn't all bad news for them—it also brought some good news.
Ning Tianchen and Oscar's fourth soul skills had already been revealed.
But Ning Tianchen was a Soul King—he still had an even more powerful fifth soul skill.
Tang San felt that unless they used hidden weapons, there was absolutely no way to defeat the Seven Treasures team.
Yu Tianheng added, "The Seven Kill Sword is known as the continent's number one offensive weapon-type martial soul, with extremely powerful attack capabilities. I believe there was a counter relationship between the Seven Kill Sword and the Elephant Armor team in this match. Otherwise, Ning Tianchen wouldn't have broken through their impenetrable defense so quickly."
The members of the Shrek team lowered their heads, sighing repeatedly.
A powerful attack was useful in any context—it wasn't just effective against the Elephant Armor team.
The Shrek team lacked defensive-type soul skills. During the match, how would they withstand Ning Tianchen's attacks?
As the principal, Flender tried to console everyone. "Our match against the Seven Treasures team is scheduled for the second half of the tournament. We still have plenty of time to consider whether to fight them—we don't need to worry about this now."
"Worst-case scenario, even if we can't defeat the Seven Treasures team, we can still advance. The promotion matches rank teams based solely on wins and losses, which won't affect our chances of reaching the finals."
"Besides, have you forgotten? Our goal for this tournament is simply to reach the finals and gain experience. Winning the championship is our target for the next tournament."
Yu Tianheng, who had a relatively positive mindset, smiled and agreed. "Principal is right. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years.' Even if we lose this tournament, given our age, we can still participate in the next one."
"At present, we have the strength of Soul Ancestors. In five years, most of us will inevitably become Soul Kings. Who knows? We might even see the emergence of a Soul Emperor among us."
---
Meanwhile, dozens of vendors flooded into the tournament venue.
Carrying wooden boxes, they moved back and forth through the stands, shouting continuously, "Commemorative uniforms of the Seven Treasures team! Not ten thousand, not eight thousand—just one thousand golden soul coins to take home! Limited to one thousand sets, first come, first served!"
The design of the Seven Treasures team's uniforms had already been a topic of much discussion among the audience.
Now that there was an opportunity to own one, it immediately drew attention.
"Sigh… one thousand golden soul coins is too expensive; I don't have enough money."
"There are only one thousand sets—once they're sold out, that's it. I'll buy a few extra. If the Seven Treasures team wins the tournament, they might even increase in value!"
Those with spare cash and a knack for business bought several sets.
Even if they didn't appreciate in value, purchasing souvenirs from their favorite team wasn't a bad deal.
The commotion in the stands soon caught the attention of the Shrek Academy.
"What's going on over there?" Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but ask.
After finishing his business and returning to the rest area, Tai Long pointed to the stands. "Over there, someone is selling replicas of the Seven Treasures team's uniforms, calling them commemorative editions. Only one thousand sets in total. I checked earlier—they're identical to the Seven Treasures team's uniforms, except for the school badge."
Tai Long's explanation was detailed, and Yu Xiaogang immediately realized this was a lucrative business.
He glanced at Flender, hinting, "You've been plastering advertisements on our uniforms, while the Seven Treasures team is directly selling theirs. Can't you learn something from them?"
After the opening match, the Shrek team had already changed their uniforms, abandoning the previous unattractive green ones.
As the academy's reputation grew, many merchants approached Flender, paying to place several advertisements on the Shrek team's uniforms.
Listening to Yu Xiaogang's words, Flender slapped his forehead. "Selling uniforms is a one-time deal. It's nothing like this, where you constantly have to ensure the ads on the uniforms don't get damaged."
Pushing up his glasses, a glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "This principal has decided—we're also going to sell replica uniforms. From now on, no more advertisements!"
"Principal is wise!"
------------------------------------------------------
Thank you to our new Patrons: HADES, Diogo Frazão, Unknown, Jared Toussaint, zFuriaMz and bwuooq! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to 'Chapter 270: Dai Mubai Gradually Feminizes, Sword Asura' on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.