Douluo Continent: Naru Sacred Heart, Snow Shines Forever

Soto City Grand Arena, Shrek Team's rest area.

The dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp cast long shadows of Flander, Yu Xiaogang, and Zhao Wuji onto the mottled wall, making them look like three frozen statues.

The three sat around a wooden table, the record sheet on it worn and wrinkled from being handled, each line of winning streaks revealing a sharp edge.

"Eleven consecutive wins..."

Flander tapped his fingertips lightly on the paper, a smug glint in his eyes.

"These little monsters are really making Shrek Academy proud! Their points are already enough to advance them from Silver Fighting Soul to Gold Fighting Soul."

Zhao Wuji slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and saucers to tremble slightly, and then burst into hearty laughter.

"Good heavens! Our Shrek monsters truly live up to their reputation!"

Yu Xiaogang adjusted his glasses, his tone calm and steady.

"According to the rules, to advance from Silver Battle Soul to Gold Battle Soul, one must challenge teams of the same or higher level. Victory grants advancement, while defeat resets one's points to zero and requires starting over."

This step cannot be rushed; we must choose the right opponent.

Flanders slammed his fist on the table and stood up, displaying great bravado.

"We at Shrek Academy are never afraid of challenges! If we're going to fight, we'll fight the strongest! Let's go straight for the top team on the Soto City Silver Soul Ranking, the Royal Fighting Team!"

Yu Xiaogang's lips curled slightly as he pointed his finger at the "Royal Fighting Team" information sheet.

"Alright, this battle is both a challenge and the best whetstone for the little ones."

......

Flander's decision caused an uproar in the rest area, igniting the boys' fighting spirit.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his heterochromatic eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Royal Fighting Team?"

Is that the team composed entirely of noble children, known as the number one Silver Fighting Spirit in Soto City?

Great! I've been wanting to meet them for ages!

Ma Hongjun patted his belly, full of confidence.

"Our eleven-game winning streak was earned through hard work! Whether it's Royal Fight or Star Fight, we don't care."

Watch as I, Fatty, burn them to a crisp!

Oscar looked serious. "The average level of the Royal Fighters is 6 levels higher than ours. We can't fight them head-on. We need to plan our tactics carefully."

Ning Rongrong frowned slightly, biting her lip tightly, secretly hoping.

"Hopefully, those two Soul Masters from the Royal Battle won't be able to participate, otherwise we have no chance of winning."

Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly, her expression indifferent. To her, as long as she could improve her strength, it didn't matter who her opponent was.

Xiao Wu, holding Tang San's arm, tilted her head.

"Third Brother, we can definitely win!"

"Um,"

Tang San responded softly, his tone firm, his eyes revealing composure.

"We will win."

Yu Xiaogang adjusted his glasses, walked up to the Seven Devils, and spoke in a solemn tone.

"The core of the Royal Fighting Team is Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex, while Dai Mubai controls the frontal assault."

Their double Xuanwu tortoise defenses are formidable, but there are bound to be gaps between the rotations of their defenses.

Mistress, the timing is up to you.

The control-type Azure Vine should be quickly broken by Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun working together. Don't let them form a control chain, and don't get dragged into their rhythm to wear them down.

Remember, their individual abilities are all superior to yours, but your teamwork is more seamless than theirs.

Play as a team, not individual battles!

The Seven Devils nodded, their fighting spirit growing even stronger.

......

On the other side, in the Royal Fighting Team's rest area,

Qin Ming held the message and repeated it in a low voice.

"The Shrek Seven Devils? Challenging us?"

His expression was complicated, as if he had thought of something, and he sighed:

"With an eleven-game winning streak, Dean Flander is still so daring, but he shouldn't have challenged the Royal Tournament."

He turned to look at Yu Tianheng.

"As Soul Masters, Xiao Qi and Yan Zi's participation would cause their team's rating to skyrocket and allow them to be matched with other Soul Master teams, so they can only take a break in this Soul Battle."

I've arranged for a substitute control-type Soul Master to participate: Soul Master Tianxuan, level 33, with the Martial Soul Heavenly Green Vine. Are you confident you can defeat him?

Dugu Yan leaned against the door, looking languid, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.

Yu Feng's face was full of disdain.

"A bunch of amateurs dare to challenge us? Even without Captain Chen and the leader,

"I could beat them back to bronze-level fighting spirit in no time!"

Oslow and the Graphite and Millstone brothers remained calm and composed, showing no sign of underestimating their opponents.

Tian Heng looked solemn, his brows furrowed—since Chen Jieqi and Dugu Yan stopped interfering in the team's trivial matters, he, as the vice-captain, had to shoulder all the responsibilities alone.

He knew in his heart that the Shrek Seven Devils opposite him were not to be underestimated. Dai Mubai, the level 37 White Tiger Soul Master, was powerful, and the other Soul Masters each possessed unique skills.

But what he feared most was the level 28 Netherworld Cat Zhu Zhuqing, because his family knew what it meant when the White Tiger and the Netherworld Cat appeared together.

However, he couldn't be sure yet whether she could unleash the Martial Soul Fusion Technique with Dai Mubai.

That's the biggest variable in this showdown.

Ye Lingling stood quietly beside Dugu Yan, like a solitary nine-hearted begonia, completely indifferent to the surrounding noise.

Qin Ming sternly warned,

"Don't underestimate your opponent! Even a lion needs to go all out to hunt a rabbit; a slight mistake can capsize your boat!"

Yu Feng pursed his lips but said nothing more.

Chen Jieqi didn't utter a single word from beginning to end; he simply watched the crowd before him quietly.

In his opinion, it wouldn't hurt to let the Royal Fighting Team have a good trial, especially since their average level was 6 levels higher than the opponents.

Given the Royal Fighting Team's long-standing synergy and strength, he simply couldn't think of any reason why they would lose.

However, when his gaze swept over the list of the Shrek Seven Devils in Qin Ming's hand,

I paused for a moment on the name "Tang San".

Eight Spider Lances... Purple Demon Eyes... Mysterious Heaven Technique.

He lowered his eyes, concealing the fleeting, profound meaning in them.

......

The main arena of the Soto City Grand Arena.

The 30-meter-long blue stone arena was locked in place by bright white spotlights, while the red crystal dome poured out warm light.

The air was thick with the stench of sweat, the metallic scent of soul energy, and the burning fervor of feverish anxiety. Under the lamplight, it vaporized into a restless mist that felt sticky and scalding on the face.

The clamor of 20,000 spectators crashed against the stone wall and bounced back, making people's eardrums ring.

The front row was filled with the desperate shouts of gamblers.

The middle class was filled with the whispers and murmurs of the nobility.

The occasional clinking of glasses could be heard from the top-floor private room.

The three layers of sound waves intertwined to form an invisible net, firmly enveloping the young men on the stage.

The host, DouDou, hovered in mid-air, her wings fluttering. The moment her microphone cleaved through the crowd, the entire arena erupted like a powder keg.

Screams, whistles, and stomping erupted simultaneously, causing the dome to tremble slightly.

Welcome to the Soto Arena—Tonight's Peak Battle!

Shrek Team vs. Royal Fighting Team!

The passageways on both sides opened with a roar, and the sound of stone doors scraping together, mixed with the screams of the audience, pushed the atmosphere to a climax.

...

The moment the Royal Fighting Team stepped onto the stage, the entire arena fell silent for a moment. It was the instant when 20,000 spectators held their breath, like the deathly silence before a storm.

The seven members of the Royal Fighting Team were the first to appear, their azure uniforms accentuating their upright figures, and their silver Fighting Soul badges gleaming coldly.

Vice-captain Yu Tianheng walked at the front, surrounded by purple lightning, with the phantom of his Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex martial spirit appearing and disappearing.

The overwhelming pressure of the level 39 offensive type was like a boulder crushing everything in its path, causing the front-row audience to involuntarily lean back.

The crimson crystal light from the dome shone on him, yet it was chilled by the swirling purple lightning, and even the air seemed to thin out.

The brothers Graphite and Millstone stood side by side, their Xuanwu Turtle martial spirit awakened, their thick, dark tortoise shells spreading across their bodies like two human shields protecting the flanks of the team.

The dark tortoise shell gleamed with a cold light under the lamp, reminiscent of a cold weapon.

Riding the wind, it soared into the air, its Wind Chime Bird martial spirit manifesting, its azure wings flapping and creating a gust of wind.

Oslo's body was tense, his Ghost Leopard Martial Soul aura emanating from him, the light and shadow shifting slightly, making him difficult to discern as a ghost.

Substitute control-type Soul Master Tianxuan walked among the team, Azure Vine entwined around his fingertips, his Soul Power poised to be unleashed.

Ye Lingling held the Nine-Heart Begonia in her hand, and pink and white petals fell, their healing power quietly spreading out to solidify the team's support.

.....

On the other side of the passage, the Shrek Seven Devils emerged slowly, their simple yet sharp outfits contrasting sharply with the Royal Fighting Team.

Dai Mubai took the lead, his White Tiger Martial Soul aura awakened, his golden and black fur appeared, and his aura was domineering.

Xiao Wu's two pink rabbit ears stood up straight, her delicate beauty concealing explosive power, her lively eyes sweeping across the arena.

I subconsciously paused for a moment in a certain direction.

The boy who made her feel "so comfortable" was standing behind the Royal Fighting Team.

He calmly observed the scene.

Zhu Zhuqing was aloof and cold, with the aura of a ghostly cat swirling around her, like a lurking hunter.

Her figure appeared and disappeared at the edge of the spotlight, as if she might merge into the shadows at any moment.

The most dangerous person is never the one standing in the light.

Tang San stood in the middle row, his expression calm. The illusory image of the Blue Silver Grass was faintly visible, and his Purple Demon Eye was quietly activated.

The opponent's soul power fluctuations sent countless pieces of information into his mind, which he then dissected, categorized, and archived one by one.

This is his battlefield, which began even before the battle started.

Ma Hongjun was surrounded by a fiery aura, and the scorching aura of his Phoenix Martial Soul was faintly leaking out.

Oscar followed closely behind, and a sausage quietly took shape in his hand.

At the back of the line, Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, its seven-colored halo swirling around her, and smiled serenely.

DouDou's impassioned voice rang out again:

"Both sides release their Martial Souls! One minute to prepare!"

Tang San's Eight Spider Lances trembled very slightly beneath his clothes, but he was too preoccupied with his fighting spirit to notice it.

At the same moment, behind the Royal Fighting Team, the Naru mark on Chen Jieqi's forehead also slightly warmed up.