Douro Continent

Chapter 384 The Phoenix Arrives: The Phoenix's Wildness (Part 1)

Tang San's injury was good news for most of the academies participating in the qualifying rounds, especially those academies that hadn't yet faced Shrek Academy and were hoping for a good result. However, starting from the second day of the qualifying rounds, these academies discovered that Shrek Academy had changed.

The people who appeared have changed, and their strength seems to have changed as well.

In the next three matches, Dai Mubai, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, defeated at least four opponents each time with his fierce and explosive attacks. Zhu Zhuqing, the second to appear, finished the match. Without Tang San, Shrek Academy still only fielded two players.

As time passed, Tang San recovered even faster than the doctor had predicted. In just three days, his wounds had healed and scabbed over, and he was able to move around freely again. He was full of energy once more. However, when Tang San expressed his desire to participate in the later stages of the competition, he was met with unanimous opposition from everyone at Shrek Academy.

Left with no other choice, Tang San had to go from being a key player to a spectator. Today was the sixth day of the competition. Shrek Academy had won all five of their previous matches.

Today, Shrek Academy's opponent is the Plant Academy, the very academy Tang San can't fathom. Facing this academy, Grandmaster's lineup is completely different from the previous matches. The first three to take the stage are Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Tai Long.

Shortly after the match began, those watching were astonished. In the first three matches, Shrek Academy had been swept by their opponents, the Plant Academy, who had defeated Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Tai Long in quick succession. The Plant Academy had only fielded one player, yet they had already defeated Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Tai Long.

The member of the Plant Academy possessed a vine-like spirit, somewhat similar to Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, only much thicker. With a spirit power level of forty-one, he fought using control-type abilities, completely dominating Tailong and his two companions. Although he expended considerable spirit power, he still managed to defeat three opponents in a row. This could be considered Shrek Academy's biggest setback since the start of the qualifying tournament.

When Talon, who was the third to appear, was completely suppressed and defeated by his opponent, a single sentence from the opponent changed the atmosphere of the entire Shrek Academy team.

The plant academy student, having defeated three opponents in a row, was clearly a bit carried away. After defeating Tyrone, he said, "Shrek Academy isn't all that great."

"Damn it, I can't stand it anymore! Watch how I deal with them!" The fourth player from Shrek Academy to appear was Ma Hongjun. At this moment, his chubby face was flushed red as he angrily stared at the Soul Master who was about to become his opponent in the center of the arena.

Just then, a large, broad hand landed on the fat man's shoulder. "Have you seen the opponent's attack pattern clearly? Your goal is to defeat them all. Conserve as much soul power as possible."

When Ma Hongjun turned around, he saw that the speaker was none other than Grandmaster. Tang San, who was watching from the sidelines, naturally understood that Grandmaster had sent Tailong and the other two out first to observe their opponents' fighting methods. The fourth person sent out, Ma Hongjun, had only one purpose: elemental advantage. Just like how Blazing Fire Academy thought their Blue Silver Grass could counter Tang San.

When Ma Hongjun stepped onto the stage, the student who had defeated three Shrek Academy students almost burst out laughing.

Although Ma Hongjun isn't as chubby as he was two years ago, he still has a round body, especially his chubby face, which looks exceptionally cute. While he's not the youngest member of the Shrek Academy team, he's clearly the youngest based on his appearance. Moreover, Ma Hongjun hasn't played a single game in previous matches.

Even the Four Elements Academy never paid attention to Ma Hongjun. They would pay attention to Tang San, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu, but they would never pay attention to a little fat boy.

Having won three consecutive matches, the Plant Academy player had exhausted a lot of his soul power, but his confidence had reached its peak, and he didn't take Ma Hongjun seriously at all.

"Little fatty, you'd better go down. It wouldn't be good if your brother hurt you." Although he had a smile on his face, the student from the plant academy clearly showed contempt in his eyes.

Spending so much time together at Shrek Academy, everyone's personality is influenced by their friends, and Fatty is no exception. He blinked, feigning innocence, "But the teacher made me go on stage. If I go down like this, I'll be punished when I get back. How about you hit me off, brother? But you have to be gentle, okay?"

"Okay, no problem. I wouldn't bully a child."

Before the words had even finished, the elite from the Plant Academy, who had won three consecutive matches, widened his eyes in surprise. He could clearly see four rising spirit rings on Ma Hongjun's body—two yellow and two purple, the perfect combination.

He wasn't the only one surprised; the Four Elements Academy members watching from below were equally astonished. They never expected that Shrek Academy would have such a hidden member. His strength, exceeding level forty, the sudden distortion of the air around him, and the changes in his hair and body, all undeniably demonstrated the power of his martial soul.

As his soul power increased, Ma Hongjun's mohawk hairstyle had turned completely red after using his martial soul. Since eating the immortal herb "Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower" given to him by Tang San, not only was he no longer threatened by the backlash of evil fire, but his phoenix power was also completely purified. Even Grandmaster said that among the Shrek Seven Devils, Ma Hongjun was the strongest in terms of explosive power.

Ignoring whether his opponent was surprised, the fat man attacked the instant his martial spirit was released. With a boom, accompanied by the flash of his second spirit ring, surging purplish-red flames soared into the air, followed by a line of fire that shot out straight towards his opponent.

Even when the dense vines were erected as a shield, the power of the opposing elemental attributes was immediately apparent. Not to mention that Ma Hongjun's opponent had already expended a great deal of soul power in the previous three matches, even without such expenditure, he wouldn't be able to withstand the Phoenix Flame's attack. Just like their unsurprising and complete defeat when they encountered Blazing Fire Academy before.

The purplish-red flames easily pierced through the opponent's defenses and stuck to the opponent's body.

In shock, the Plant Academy player, who had won three consecutive victories, didn't hesitate to roll over and fall to the ground, his body rolling rapidly in an attempt to extinguish the flames on his body. At the same time, countless green vines surged out from his body, rushing towards Ma Hongjun, trying to stop him from launching another attack.

However, Ma Hongjun did not continue his attack as he had expected. Instead, he stared at his opponent with a cold smile, and the purplish-red flames rising from his body became even more intense.

The green vines rushed towards Ma Hongjun, but he acted as if he didn't see them, letting them attack him. Unfortunately, these green vines couldn't overcome the Phoenix Reborn in Flames. The purplish-red flames were like an insurmountable chasm; any green vines that approached were instantly reduced to ashes.

If this plant-type Soul Master, who was above level 40, had maintained his full Soul Power, he might have posed a threat to Ma Hongjun. Unfortunately, he had already exhausted too much Soul Power in the first three battles. How could he possibly contend with Ma Hongjun, who was no less powerful, had full Soul Power, and whose attributes were completely countered by him?

Not only did it fail to stop Ma Hongjun, but the purplish-red flames covering his body did not extinguish despite rolling. The powerful adhesion, corrosiveness, and intense heat inflicted pain on his opponent that words could not describe. At this moment, the team member was no longer able to speak; his plant-based soul power desperately resisted the erosion of the phoenix flames, but those terrifying flames were not so easily withstood.

"We concede defeat in this match," the teacher leading the Botany College team shouted to the referee without hesitation.

Ma Hongjun raised his right hand towards his opponent, and the purplish-red flames receded, thus averting the crisis. For him, this was merely a simple victory. Of course, this simple victory was only just beginning.

The Plant Academy has three Soul Masters above level 40. Besides the first member to appear, the remaining two are ranked last. Therefore, the four opponents Ma Hongjun will face next are all Plant-type Soul Masters around level 30.

Although these Soul Masters with plant-based Martial Souls were all control-type, unfortunately, their Martial Souls were so effectively countered by Ma Hongjun that the two sides didn't even need to fight. Ma Hongjun only needed to unleash his Phoenix Rebirth to ensure that his opponents' Soul Skills were completely ineffective against him.

No matter how strong your soul skill is, it is meaningless when your martial soul is completely ineffective against your opponent.

From the first to the fifth match, Ma Hongjun simply stood still, protected by his Phoenix Flame, amplifying his Phoenix Fire Line as it spewed flames, sweeping across the battlefield. Once it hit his opponent, the match would end instantly. For him, this battle was that simple.

One against three was already a huge advantage, but in the blink of an eye, the Plant Academy was defeated by Shrek Academy by five, and the defeat was a foregone conclusion.

Finally, another Soul Master above level 40 stepped onto the stage, his four Soul Rings being yellow, yellow, yellow, and purple respectively. His attributes were clearly inferior to Ma Hongjun's.

(End of this chapter)