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After severely injuring Dai Mubai, Huo Wu's name was remembered by everyone.
Dai Mubai's injury was good news for the other competing academies, as Shrek Academy had lost one of its key fighters.
But Shrek Academy was still formidable.
Besides Tang San, the two other female spirit masters, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, also had impressive strength.
As long as Shrek Academy fielded those three, they could easily secure victory in any match.
After Feng Xiaotian's impressive feat, Tang San also managed to defeat seven opponents in one go, though they were relatively weak.
Day by day, Dai Mubai continued to recover, and as a result, he hadn't participated in any of Shrek Academy's recent matches.
Today marked the sixth day.
In the first five battles, Godwind Academy, Thunderclap Academy, and Shrek Academy all maintained undefeated records.
Tianshui Academy had won four out of five matches, their only loss being to Thunderclap Academy.
Blazing Academy had also won four out of five, having lost to Shrek Academy.
Today, both Tianshui and Blazing Academy had relatively weak opponents in earlier matches, allowing them to easily secure victories.
Godwind Academy, however, drew a tough opponent: Thunderclap Academy.
Two powerful forces were about to clash, and one side's winning streak was destined to end.
This was the most anticipated match of the knockout stage thus far, and it was scheduled for last.
In the previous few days, the opponents were weak, so Feng Xiaotian had essentially been resting.
Apart from his initial seven-win streak in the first match, he hadn't appeared again.
But as the leader of Godwind Academy, he would undoubtedly step up when facing a formidable opponent.
So, in today's match against Thunderclap Academy, Feng Xiaotian would not sit out.
After the earlier rounds had concluded, Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and the others stayed behind to watch.
Today, Shrek Academy was facing Plant Academy, their match scheduled as the sixth of the day.
Since the preliminary rounds, due to Shrek's strategy of hiding its true strength, Ma Hongjun hadn't yet appeared in any matches.
Feng Xiaotian knew that against Plant Academy, Ma Hongjun would finally have a chance to showcase his abilities.
The three elemental academies sat together.
Huo Wushuang remarked, "Shrek Academy's opponent today, Plant Academy, might give them some trouble.
I've been observing Plant Academy closely these past few days. They do have some strength. All their members have plant-based martial souls, and some of these plants are quite peculiar.
So far, they've won a few matches, probably because they haven't faced any strong teams."
Shui Bing'er responded, "Yes, I've also kept an eye on Plant Academy. Their spirit masters are all control-type, which makes them hard to deal with."
Huo Wu chuckled, "Their plant-based martial souls are completely restrained by our fire attribute. The last time they faced us, they forfeited without even showing up."
Feng Xiaotian added:
"That chubby guy is about to take the stage. His spirit skills are a perfect counter to plant-based martial souls. He might even manage to pull off a seven-victory streak," Feng Xiaotian remarked confidently.
Hearing this, the others were a bit taken aback.
From the beginning of the preliminaries up to this point, Ma Hongjun had not been in a single match, so his true strength remained a mystery to everyone.
In the six days since the knockout rounds had commenced, only Feng Xiaotian and Tang San had achieved the remarkable feat of defeating seven opponents consecutively.
Could Ma Hongjun become the third person to accomplish this?
Huo Wushuang gritted his teeth, unwilling to believe it.
Originally, when Huo Wushuang and his sister, Huo Wu, had faced Plant Academy, they had also had the chance to achieve a seven-win streak. However, their opponents forfeited before the match even began.
Feng Xiaotian glanced at the arena and calmly said,
"The match is about to begin. That chubby guy does have some skill. Watch closely and pay attention."
Not long after, the match officially commenced.
Against Plant Academy, Shrek Academy fielded a lineup that had never been seen before.
Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Tai Long were the first to step into the arena.
To everyone's surprise, all three were defeated by a single member of Plant Academy in a one-versus-three showdown.
The Plant Academy spirit master's power had reached over level 40, with a martial soul in the form of vines.
Huo Wushuang laughed,
"Shrek Academy's lead teacher must be having a particularly bad day. He sent out three weaklings and got wiped out. I don't think they've ever faced such utter humiliation before."
Feng Xiaotian shook his head in response.
"You can't judge solely by appearances. Yu Xiaogang must have his reasons. Those three battles were enough for them to assess the opponent's fighting style. Now, it's time for the chubby guy to step up and perform."
"That damn chubby guy..."
Huo Wushuang still wasn't convinced, his eyes fixed intently on the arena, eager to see what Ma Hongjun was capable of.
Meanwhile,
after witnessing his teammates being taken down one by one, with a hint of provocation from the opponent, Ma Hongjun couldn't contain his growing anger.
Yu Xiaogang asked,
"Hongjun, you've seen how your opponent attacks, haven't you?"
"Yes, I've seen it clearly and understand their tactics."
"Now, it's time to demonstrate your strength. Are you confident?"
"Absolutely, teacher! I know exactly what needs to be done!"
As Ma Hongjun stepped confidently into the arena, the crowd was intrigued.
He was as round as a ball and had yet to make an appearance in previous fights.
In prior battles, it was usually Tang San, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu who took center stage. They had become the iconic figures of Shrek Academy, while Ma Hongjun had remained relatively unknown.
Despite having already fought three rounds, the Plant Academy spirit master wasn't the least bit intimidated by Ma Hongjun.
After a few exchanged taunts, Ma Hongjun revealed his four spirit rings: two yellow and two purple.
As his martial soul was released, his first spirit skill, Phoenix Fire Line, was unleashed.
(End of Chapter)