As expected by Xia Yi, apart from his own team, the other two teams from Monster Academy also lost against Shrek Academy.
In this clash between Douluo Continent and Star Luo Continent, Monster Academy of the Star Luo Empire was utterly defeated.
Whether it was Wu Jin and Wu Siduo or Tang Wulin and Na'er, they all had the strength to challenge Soul Kings.
Wu Siduo had even unknowingly advanced to the Five-Ring level.
With a Five-Ring Martial Soul Fusion Skill, her cultivation alone completely overpowered the strongest members of Monster Academy besides Long Yue—Dai Yueyan and Su Mu.
This battle truly cemented Shrek Academy's reputation.
Shrek Academy received thunderous applause for their victory.
However, while Shrek basked in praise, Xia Yi was bombarded with curses.
His trick of painting the mechas was exposed by the Star Luo Empire's officials, leading many to denounce him as shameless.
But since the officials never anticipated anyone being so cunning, there was no rule in the tournament explicitly prohibiting painting mechas.
So, while people cursed at him, Xia Yi had technically not broken any rules.
There was nothing anyone could do about it.
On the third day, the team battles took place. Xia Yi did not participate; instead, he stayed at the Star Luo Hotel and trained with Leng Yulai using the Yellow Emperor's Internal Canon.
It wasn't until the fourth day, when the second round of the individual competition began, that Xia Yi returned to the Star Luo Arena.
Upon arrival, he immediately noticed that the surrounding spectators were looking at him with hostility.
All of them bore expressions of gritted teeth and seething resentment.
Monster Academy, the top institution of the Star Luo Empire, had suffered a crushing defeat.
The audience was full of pent-up frustration with no way to vent it.
They couldn't blame Shrek Academy for winning fair and square.
So instead, they directed all their anger at Xia Yi, the one who had "cheated" his way to victory.
Being stared at by tens of thousands of people, Xia Yi felt a chill run down his spine!
Thankfully, the Star Luo Empire's spectators were still rational. Otherwise, if they started throwing rotten eggs at him, he wouldn't even have a place to complain.
Just imagining that scenario made his scalp tingle.
"Make sure to protect me!" Xia Yi turned to a nearby arena guard and said.
"I feel like punching you myself," the guard gritted his teeth.
Entering the Arena
Xia Yi's opponent for the day was a woman from the Tang Sect.
The Star Luo Empire's official tournament records listed her name as Third Sister-in-law—clearly an alias.
The Tang Sect held a high status in the Star Luo Empire, so it was likely she had used connections to register without revealing her real name.
Before long, Xia Yi saw the so-called Third Sister-in-law.
She was a large, burly woman.
Yes, she was female, but five-foot-tall and burly fit her description perfectly.
She had dark skin, stood over 1.8 meters tall, and weighed at least 250 kilograms.
As she walked, her body trembled with each step, making one worry that the arena might crack under her weight.
Meanwhile, in the audience, a figure known as Smiling Douluo Hu Jie, the head of the Tang Sect in the Star Luo Empire, quietly arrived in a hidden corner with four strange-looking men.
These four men were identical in appearance.
Though their skin was not as dark as Third Sister-in-law's, it was nowhere near fair either.
Most noticeably, they emitted a faint stench, akin to a sewer.
Though they tried their best to suppress it, the surrounding spectators instinctively distanced themselves.
If Yali had been present, she would have immediately recognized their aura—they were the very ones who had poisoned Yuanen Yehui a few days ago.
They were Hu Jie's ultimate secret weapons—Tang Sect's F4!
Each of them had mastered both the Tang Sect's secret techniques and the unique arts of the Body Sect.
They were quadruplets who always acted as one.
Normally, only one of them appeared in public.
Since the third brother was the first to reveal himself, he was known as San Ge (Third Brother).
Even among the younger generation of the Tang Sect, anyone who encountered him had to respectfully call him San Ge.
Even Long Yue didn't dare underestimate him.
If not for their greed for the Demon Tentacle King's soul spirit and soul bones, Hu Jie would never have exposed all four of them at once.
After all, aside from their Tang Sect skills, he had also cultivated them using the Body Sect's Innate Secret Method.
Most of the wealth from the Tang Sect's arms trade in the Star Luo Empire had been invested into these four men.
The Body Sect's Innate Secret Method was extremely dangerous.
But if even one of them succeeded, Hu Jie would have the means to return to the Body Sect with pride.
Before today, even Third Sister-in-law herself had no idea that her Third Brother was actually four people!
As for Third Sister-in-law, she was merely a pawn they had sent to test Xia Yi.
The previous night, Xia Yi hadn't displayed overwhelming strength. But Shrek Academy certainly had!
Since Xia Yi had been able to suppress Shrek's top talents back in the Douluo Continent, Hu Jie dared not underestimate him.
"No matter how talented he is, there's no way he can win in a doubles match against us," one of the Third Brothers sneered.
The four of them were identical in appearance—there was no way to tell them apart.
"Better safe than sorry. This is your first battle in the open world. You must win—failure is not an option," Hu Jie warned.
The Match Begins
On the arena, as the protective barrier rose, an electronic voice announced:
"Second round of the elimination matches: Contestant No. 88 versus Contestant No. 31. Get ready—countdown begins: Five, four, three, two, one—Start!"
"ROAR!"
Third Sister-in-law let out a thunderous bellow as five soul rings—three purple, two black—rose from beneath her feet.
At the same time, her dark skin bulged with small, raised bumps.
Her mouth filled with large, razor-sharp teeth, and a long tongue flicked out.
"Armored Giant Lizard!"
Xia Yi raised an eyebrow.
So her martial soul was a type of giant lizard.
Due to the dense bumps covering their bodies, their defense was terrifyingly high—hence the name Armored Giant Lizard.
Most people wouldn't even be able to scratch their defenses.
Moreover, these creatures had ferocious appetites and could swallow prey as large as themselves in a single bite.
No wonder Third Sister-in-law looked the way she did.
She likely suffered from martial soul-induced overeating.
She probably ate more than Tang Wulin, but without his monstrous bloodline, obesity was inevitable.
"Xia Yi, the so-called Number One Genius of Douluo Continent, representative of the Spirit Pagoda! I, representing the Tang Sect, challenge you to sign a life-and-death contract! Do you dare?"
After activating her martial soul, Third Sister-in-law didn't attack immediately.
Instead, she fixed a provocative stare on Xia Yi.
"If you're afraid of facing a Five-Ring opponent, just pretend I never said anything."
In the Star Luo Continent, the conflict between the Tang Sect and the Spirit Pagoda was just as intense as it was on the Douluo Continent—if not worse.
Neither side could eliminate the other, but they constantly sought to outmaneuver each other.
If Third Sister-in-law could kill Xia Yi, the Spirit Pagoda's representative, in an official tournament, the Tang Sect would gain the upper hand for a long time.
It would be a massive humiliation for the Spirit Pagoda.
And if she succeeded, Tang Sect's F4 had promised to treat her well afterward.
Remembering last night's Third Brother's tenderness, Third Sister-in-law's gaze grew even more determined.
She had no idea that her four Third Brothers were merely using her to force Xia Yi to reveal his full strength.
Signing the life-and-death contract meant Xia Yi couldn't hold back.
"Life-and-death contract?"
Xia Yi's eyes narrowed slightly before he suddenly burst into laughter, his voice brimming with arrogance.
"If you're not afraid of dying, then bring it on!"