In the VIP seats, Bone Douluo Gu Rong was the first to break the silence. Looking at Hu Yan Zhen, whose face was livid and body trembling slightly, he chuckled hoarsely, "Sect Leader Hu Yan, your Diamond Bulwark... well, it made quite a sound. Shattered in three strikes—clear and melodious. Not bad, not bad."
Hu Yan Zhen trembled with rage but had no strength to retort, only staring fixedly at the youth on the stage, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and a trace of unconcealable fear.
Bishop Salas's face was as dark as water, his fingers tightening slightly on the armrests of his chair. Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi exchanged glances, both seeing profound astonishment in each other's eyes. Li Zhaoyan slowly sat down, his face showing unconcealable pride and relief.
Below the stage, the elites of various teams remained immersed in extreme shock. In the Shrek Academy area, Dai Mubai's tiger-like eyes widened, his voice dry: "This... is his true strength?" Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes flickered with unprecedented gravity: "It's not just power... The way he struck contained power application techniques we completely cannot comprehend."
The entire Great Spirit Arena seemed to have been muted, everyone thoroughly shocked by those three casual yet terrifying strikes. Marco remained calmly standing at the center of the Soul Duel Stage, as if he had just done something trivial. His gaze swept across the arena, finally settling on the VIP seats, briefly meeting his father's eyes and giving a slight nod.
The Diamond Bulwark shattered by Marco's three casual strikes, and the seven Elephant Armor Academy members sent flying while spitting blood—this scene completely shocked the entire arena.
However, the battle was not over.
Huyan Li struggled to rise from the ground, unable to accept the reality before him. Their Elephant Armor Sect's proud Seven-in-One Defense Formation, the ultimate defense of their Diamond Mammoth Spirit—how could it be completely shattered by a youth who hadn't even released his Martial Soul, in such a humiliating manner—like knocking on a door three times?
"No... impossible!" Huyan Li's eyes turned crimson, veins bulging on his forehead, his face flushed as if about to drip blood. Extreme humiliation and disbelief churned in his chest, finally transforming into an ear-splitting roar: "How could our defense be broken like this! I don't believe it! Brothers, charge! Let him witness the true power of our Elephant Armor Sect!"
Amid the roaring, Huyan Li ignored the churning blood in his body and the excruciating pain from Soul Power backlash, erupting with intense Soul Power once again! The other six team members, stirred by their captain's roar, forcibly endured their injuries and rose one after another, their Soul Rings glowing again!
"Third Spirit Ability, Mammoth Ram!" Huyan Li took the lead, his massive body like an out-of-control chariot, charging madly toward Marco with unstoppable momentum!
"Second Spirit Ability, Diamond Thrust!"
"First Spirit Ability, Giant Strength Strike!"
Other team members also unleashed their Spirit Abilities, attacking from different directions! Seven "mountains of flesh" erupted simultaneously, their momentum terrifying, as if about to completely overwhelm that calmly standing figure!
Facing this furious counterattack, Marco remained as composed as ever. He didn't even quicken his pace, still moving slowly across the Soul Duel Stage as if strolling through a garden.
Huyan Li's Mammoth Ram charged forth first, his fist containing terrifying force whistled through the air as it smashed fiercely toward Marco's face!
Under everyone's astonished gazes, Marco merely casually raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and met the attack head-on.
Thud!
A dull, heavy impact echoed as fists collided!
The imagined scene of Marco being sent flying did not materialize! Instead, Huyan Li, who had been brimming with momentum, felt an irresistible, tremendous force surge from the other's seemingly ordinary fist. His entire arm instantly went numb with excruciating pain, and his massive body uncontrollably staggered backward seven or eight steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard surface of the Soul Duel Stage!
"What?!" Huyan Li's eyes were filled with shock! He felt as if he had just crashed into an immovable mountain! The opponent's strength completely overwhelmed him, a Soul Ancestor renowned for power with his Diamond Mammoth Spirit!
Simultaneously, the attacks from the other team members arrived. A Diamond Thrust struck from the side, while a Giant Strength Strike smashed down from behind!
Marco shifted his stance slightly, his left elbow casually thrusting backward with precision, striking the wrist of the teammate executing the Giant Strength Strike!
Crack! A faint sound of bone fracturing echoed as the teammate cried out in agony, clutching his wrist and stumbling backward!
At the same time, Marco's right foot seemed to casually sweep sideways, the tip of his foot tapping the flank of the Diamond Thrust!
Hum! The condensed diamond spike instantly dissipated. The teammate who had executed the Spirit Ability grunted as if struck by a heavy blow, sent flying backward!
Fist against fist, elbow against elbow, foot against foot! Marco's movements always appeared slow, casual, even somewhat lazy, yet every strike landed with impeccable accuracy on the weakest point of the opponent's attack. Moreover, at the moment of contact, they erupted with a terrifying force far exceeding the opponent's endurance limit!
He did not use any Spirit Abilities, and even the fluctuations of his Soul Power were minimal. Only he himself knew that Armament Haki had long been flowing effortlessly, covering his fists and feet. Having cultivated it to an extremely high level, it no longer displayed any visible color when activated, yet the immense defensive and offensive power it provided far surpassed ordinary imagination.
In the VIP seats, Hu Yan Zhen's face had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Watching his sect's most outstanding disciples being casually repelled and injured like children, his heart burned with fury and humiliation, nearly boiling over! His lips moved slightly, and an extremely faint yet commanding voice pierced through the clamor, reaching Huyan Li's ears below the stage: "Li! You can no longer hold back! Use that! You must force him to reveal his true strength! Otherwise, what face will our Elephant Armor Sect have left?!"
This transmission was extremely covert, but what kind of figures were seated in the VIP area? Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo, revealed a barely perceptible, faint smile on his withered face and murmured hoarsely, "Heh, the old rhinoceros can't sit still anymore." Meanwhile, Li Zhaoyan's gaze sharpened instantly like a spear! An invisible yet vast and mighty pressure of Soul Power, akin to an unsheathed Godly Spear, precisely and dominantly enveloped Hu Yan Zhen!
Huyan Zhen's entire body suddenly stiffened! He felt an icy, bone-piercing killing intent and a sharp aura capable of penetrating everything instantly lock onto him, causing his very soul to tremble! Uncontrollable terror surged from the depths of his heart, fine beads of cold sweat instantly forming on his forehead as his face turned deathly pale, nearly suffocating him! He felt as though an invisible spear capable of slaying gods and extinguishing souls had pinned him to his seat, rendering him completely immobile!
At that moment, Bishop Salas beside him slightly furrowed his brows and let out a soft cough. A gentle yet authoritative aura unique to the Spirit Hall quietly intervened, skillfully neutralizing part of Li Zhaoyan's Soul Power pressure. He spoke calmly, "Your Excellencies, why get angry while watching the juniors compete?" Despite his words, his gaze toward Li Zhaoyan carried a trace of solemnity—this newly promoted Titled Douluo's strength and domineering presence far exceeded his expectations.
Only then did Huyan Zhen feel the pressure ease slightly. Gasping for air, he shot a fearful glance at Li Zhaoyan, not daring to make any further moves.
Down on the stage, Huyan Li—having received his sect leader's mental command—flashed a struggle in his eyes before it was replaced by madness! He knew that whether the Elephant Armor Sect could salvage even a shred of dignity today depended entirely on him!
"Ahhh—!" Huyan Li let out a roar like a wounded beast, his massive body swelling even further as a dazzling earthy yellow light suddenly ignited around his head! The faint shadow of an unusual bone flickered intermittently on his forehead, radiating powerful energy fluctuations!