Douluo Continent: Little Huo Niang Taken Away by Di Tian

Zheng Zhan stood precariously on the cracked arena, his hair disheveled, his robes stained with dust and scorch marks. His voice, almost a shout, cracked as he announced, "Huo Yutong wins! The Spirit Pagoda scores one point! Medical team—quick! Treat Wang Dong! Shrek Academy's next contestant will enter the arena in one minute!"

The aftershocks of the previous energy shock had not yet subsided, forcing the medical team to retreat.

At this moment, the vast arena was eerily empty, with only Long Xiaoyao, Zhong Liwu, Xu Tianran, and Ju Zi sitting on the high platform, Zheng Zhan, Jing Hongchen, Ye Yulin, and Xue Chen by the side of the arena, Wang Dong lying flat in the arena, and Huo Yutong standing proudly despite looking disheveled.

Inside the Spirit Pagoda's rest area, Zi Ji stood silently, as if all the turmoil was irrelevant to her.

Bi Ji gracefully stepped onto the stage and said softly, "I am a healing-type Soul Master, and I can heal Wang Dong."

A warm, emerald-green halo enveloped Wang Dong like a piece of smooth jade, and his external wounds healed rapidly, while a trace of color returned to his pale face.

However, Bi Ji frowned slightly: "The explosion of the rings has overtaxed the body, and the soul power is almost exhausted. I can only heal the skin and flesh, but the internal damage requires a month of quiet recuperation."

"Such pure and rich life energy..." A hint of greed flashed in Zhongli Wu's eyes as he pondered: If I could devour this woman's soul power, it might help me break through my bottleneck.

Long Xiaoyao's turbid gaze swept over Huo Yutong, finally landing on Zi Ji. He nodded to himself: This woman has exceptional talent. If it were back then, I would definitely have taken her as my last disciple.

Xu Tianran's gaze shifted between Bi Ji's breathtaking beauty and Zi Ji's cold and beautiful appearance. His greed vanished in an instant, replaced by sinister intent.

He glanced at Wang Dong, a cold smile playing on his lips: This boy is doomed. As for Huo Yutong… the light in her eyes is perfect for falling into darkness, to become a blade in my hand.

"Continue the game!" Xu Tianran waved impatiently.

Zheng Zhan's heart tightened, but he forced himself to shout, "One minute is up! No one from Shrek Academy has accepted the challenge, so they forfeit! Huo Yutong wins, and the Spirit Pagoda accumulates two points! Next minute, please welcome the next Shrek Academy contestant!"

He prayed frantically in his heart: Please don't come! This refereeing job is simply torture! Everyone knows the new rules for this tournament's finals—individual matches and team battles must be played in full rounds, and team battles are now played to seven points. If the score is tied, an additional individual match is required, with the rules for the additional individual match being the same as the individual match.

All of this was simply to make the once-every-five-years event as exciting as possible and to whet the audience's appetite. But it was tough on him, the referee caught in the middle!

He had never seen such a frustrated referee before. The audience was empty, and the stage was fraught with danger. If the competition continued, he felt that he might become the first unlucky guy in the history of the competition to fall from the referee's seat.

"Huo Yutong wins! The Spirit Pagoda gets one point, for a total of three!"

"Huo Yutong wins! The Spirit Pagoda gains one point, for a total of four points!"

……

"Huo Yutong wins! The Spirit Pagoda scores one point, for a total of six! One minute left, please welcome a Shrek Academy player!"

Zheng Zhan's voice trembled with hope, wishing that this long period of time would fly by.

According to the new rules, if Shrek forfeits again, he will get a full seven points in the individual Spirit Tower competition. Then, if Shrek forfeits again, the team battle in the Spirit Tower will be automatically won, and he will be free!

Wang Dong has been carefully moved to the Shrek rest area by Jing Hongchen.

Just when Zheng Zhan was almost in despair, a beautiful figure appeared—it was Zhang Lexuan, the leader of Shrek Academy.

Zheng Zhan's heart skipped a beat; he had a bad feeling.

Zhang Lexuan remained calm and composed, her gaze sweeping over the chaotic arena: "I am Zhang Lexuan, the leader of Shrek Academy. The other team members are temporarily unable to return due to unforeseen circumstances off the field, so I have come to inquire about the match situation."

Zheng Zhan's face was ashen, and he almost cried: "Huo Yutong has defeated Wang Dong. Since no one from your team appeared on time, you have been ruled a loser according to the rules. The Spirit Pagoda currently has six points. According to the new rules, team battles must go through seven rounds..."

"I see." Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly, then changed the subject and pointed directly at Xu Tianran, "The Sun Moon Empire's inadequate defenses forced the spectators and our students to evacuate for their safety. The organizers should bear the responsibility for this."

Jing Hongchen sneered: "The fact that everyone in the Spirit Pagoda is safe and sound shows that Elder Huo Ziyan's command is effective."

"That's natural." Zhang Lexuan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, then launched a powerful counterattack. "However, our team members will be back within ten minutes. According to the new rules, team battles must be played to their full potential. Even if we are currently behind in points, we can still start a team battle. If the score is tied after the team battle, we will have an individual decisive match. We'll decide the winner in one game! What does Your Highness think?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Xu Tianran narrowed his eyes, about to speak, when he heard Zhang Lexuan chuckle and suddenly change the subject: "Unfortunately, our students have been frightened, and Wang Dong is seriously injured. To protect our team members, Shrek Academy concedes defeat today."

The entire audience was stunned. This woman first used the rules to exert pressure, turning her gaze towards Xu Tianran, but then gracefully conceded defeat just as he was about to respond. Clearly, she had calculated the timing precisely, coming specifically to humiliate the Sun Moon Empire!

The next instant, Zheng Zhan erupted with unprecedented fervor, almost leaping up as he roared, "The Spirit Tower wins!!!"

A sense of liberation washed away all his frustration, and he wanted nothing more than to roar to the heavens. Finally... he didn't have to be this unlucky referee anymore!

What's even better is that, according to that damned new rule, since Shrek has admitted defeat, he's also exempt from the arduous task of team battle!

Xu Tianran looked down at the empty, dark stands, as if a multitude of people were still worshipping there. His voice, amplified by his soul-guided amplifier, struck the ruins with a chilling intensity:

"I hereby announce—the champion of this year's Continental Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament is the Spirit Pagoda!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was not a single cheer in response; only an empty echo lingered under the dome.

A chilling smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he whispered like a venomous snake in his heart: Shout, scream. Even if you're being crowned to thin air, the imperial ceremony must be performed flawlessly. And you, whether you're the remnants of Shrek Academy or the new elites of the Spirit Tower, tonight… you will all be buried with me!

"As for Shrek Academy," Xu Tianran changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate amusement, "since all the members of the Spirit Pagoda are from Shrek, this championship title can also be considered Shrek's glory."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan's expression immediately became quite interesting—she had been forced to swallow a bitter pill.

If you win, you'll be crowned champion of the Spirit Pagoda; if you lose, you'll still have to accept the title of "de facto champion."

Jing Hongchen listened intently, her brows twitching, as Xu Tianran had already set the tone:

"The tournament has now come to a successful conclusion. Champion: Spirit Pagoda. Third Place: Shrek Academy."

He deliberately omitted mentioning the runner-up—a position that should have belonged to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, which had now become the greatest irony.