Marco's calm voice echoed through the silent arena, clearly reaching everyone's ears, and like a final judgment, shattered the last trace of hope in Huo Wu's heart.
Collapsed on the charred stage, Huo Wu's delicate body trembled violently. The last trace of color drained completely from her beautiful face, leaving only ashen despair and bone-deep powerlessness. She had given her all, even resorting to her ultimate trump card—Ring Fusion—staking her life to unleash her final attack, only to be met with his dismissive "You lost" and his devastatingly unscathed figure. She couldn't even manage to injure him... This gap was like an insurmountable chasm, crushing all her pride and resentment into dust. She suddenly coughed violently, spitting out another mouthful of blood, her eyes vacant and completely devoid of spirit.
The Blazing Academy team rushed onto the stage immediately. Several members carefully helped up the nearly unconscious, mentally shattered Huo Wu, while others hurried to check on the unconscious Huo Wushuang on the other side. Their gazes toward Marco were complex—filled with fear, awe, and a hint of indescribable gratitude that he had shown mercy and not critically injured Huo Wu. Silently and swiftly, they carried the two off the stage with heavy steps, returning to their preparation area under a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.
The elderly referee took a deep breath, suppressing the storm of emotions within, and loudly announced: "First round of the advancement matches, first bout—Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's first team, Marco, wins!"
Yet after the announcement, the entire massive arena fell into an eerie silence. There were no cheers, no discussions, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
All eyes were fixed intently on the figure still standing calmly at the center of the stage.
Marco.
He stood alone in the center of the charred and shattered stage, the blue-red flames that had enveloped him now completely withdrawn, restoring his usual black combat attire. His expression was tranquil, his gaze profound, as if the earth-shattering battle that would have shaken any Soul King or even Soul Emperor had been nothing more than a trivial warm-up to him.
But it was this extreme calmness, contrasted so starkly with the devastated stage and Huo Wu's despairing collapse after her crushing defeat, that imposed an indescribable, soul-deep pressure on everyone!
He had won, so effortlessly, so... unbelievably. The ultimate Fire Dance Sun enhanced by Ring Fusion had been effortlessly neutralized by a Spirit Ability called "Elementalization"! This completely surpassed the understanding of most Soul Masters present!
At that moment, Marco slowly raised his head. His gaze was no longer fixed on any specific opponent but calmly, deliberately swept across the entire arena, across all the Soul Masters in the thirteen spectator stands—whether they were spirited young students or experienced instructors.
Under his sweeping gaze, everyone who met his eyes—regardless of their cultivation level—felt an involuntary chill rise in their hearts, as if being stared down by a prehistoric beast, their very souls trembling! Some of the weaker students turned pale, instinctively wanting to retreat, only to find their legs weak and immobile!
Suddenly—
"Bzzz—!"
An indescribable, soul-deep terror—a pressure emanating from the very Source of Life—erupted from Marco as its center, sweeping across the entire training ground like an ancient primordial beast awakening from an eons-long slumber!
This was not the oppression of Soul Power! Rather... it was the manifestation of something far more supreme, far more domineering—a will and spirit that stood above all living beings... the bearing of a true monarch!
"Argh!"
"Thud!"
"What's happening?!"
"My head... it hurts!"
In an instant, chaos erupted across the training ground!
Weaker students at the three-ring and four-ring levels—Soul Honour and Soul Ancestor ranks—didn't even have time to utter a sound before their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed like harvested wheat, falling unconscious in waves!
Slightly stronger students at the Soul King level and some instructors, though managing to avoid immediate unconsciousness, were as pale as paper, veins bulging on their foreheads as they clutched their heads and groaned in agony. Their bodies trembled violently beyond control before ultimately succumbing to the invisible, crushing pressure—thud after thud—forced face-down onto the ground, unable to move even a finger, gasping for breath with none coming in!
Even the top talents and lead instructors from various academies who had reached the Soul Emperor level were far from comfortable! They desperately circulated their Soul Power in resistance, yet felt as if their souls were being crushed beneath an invisible mountain, struggling to breathe with hearts pounding like war drums! Gritting their teeth, they tried to straighten their backs, but their legs felt leaden and heavy, bending involuntarily until—thump, thump—they half-knelt on the ground! Barely managing to support themselves with their hands to avoid collapsing completely, beads of sweat streamed like rivers from their foreheads, their faces etched with horror and disbelief!
The entire training ground had transformed into a slaughterhouse! Those who remained standing could be counted on one hand!
Within this terrifying pressure that seemed capable of suppressing all, faint traces of azure-gold lightning flickered briefly through the air, accompanied by soft sizzling crackles, adding to the aura of destruction and ominousness!
Marco's gaze remained calm as he slowly scanned the area. He observed those who had fainted, those pressed to the ground, those kneeling, and the few who remained standing but were at their limits—his expression devoid of joy or sorrow.
He said nothing.
No declaration of victory, no mockery of the weak.
He simply stood there quietly, like an emperor surveying his domain and subjects. This wordless pressure was more impactful, more suffocating, than any speech could ever be!
A few seconds later, as if having completed a trivial task, Marco slowly withdrew his gaze.
The next moment, the soul-freezing terror that had enveloped the entire grounds vanished as abruptly as a receding tide—disappearing without a trace, as though it had never existed.
The pressure vanished abruptly, and those who had managed to retain consciousness felt an immediate relief, gasping for air as if they had just escaped drowning. Their faces were filled with lingering fear and bewilderment.
Marco did not linger. Without so much as a glance at anyone, he turned and strode calmly down the scorched arena, retracing his steps. His pace was unhurried, his back straight and solitary. Under the gaze of countless eyes—filled with terror, awe, shock, and disbelief—he gradually disappeared into the shadows of the passage leading to the rest area.
Even after his figure had completely vanished, the entire martial arena remained deathly silent!
So quiet you could hear a pin drop!
Everyone was still immersed in the nightmare-like terror of the oppressive force from moments ago, unable to snap back to reality. The air seemed to linger with the soul-shaking pressure and the destructive aura of the azure-gold lightning.
A long, long time passed...
Gulp... Someone swallowed hard, the sound piercing the extreme silence with startling clarity.
Then, like a dam breaking, a flood of voices surged forth!
"Wh-what... what was that just now?"
"Was that... a Mental Power attack? It was terrifying!"
"I... I thought I was going to die!"
"Even a Soul Emperor was forced to his knees!"
"What kind of monster is he?!"
"That... that's the aura of a conqueror!"
Exclamations, gasps, groans, and sobs (some female students had been frightened to tears) intertwined, creating a scene of chaos. The teachers and team leaders from various academies finally snapped out of their daze, hurriedly tending to the unconscious students and helping up those who had collapsed. Every face was marked by lingering fear and profound terror.
On Shrek Academy's side, Flender and Zhao Wuji were busy attending to the students. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, pale-faced, muttered to himself, "Impossible... This is no ordinary mental pressure... It's like... the wrath of heaven!" Supported by Dai Mubai, Tang San rose to his feet, his fists clenched tightly as he stared at the passage where Marco had disappeared, his eyes filled with unprecedented gravity.
Academies like Divine Wind, Heavenly Water, and Blazing Fire were also in disarray, dealing with the aftermath. Feng Xiaotian gazed toward the passage, his usual composure gone, replaced by bitterness. Shui Bing'er's beautiful eyes were vacant, while Xue Wu held her hand tightly, both feeling the chill in each other's palms.
No one had the heart to pay attention to the matches that followed. Everyone's minds were overshadowed by the dark, demonic figure. That figure, along with the terrifying, emperor-like pressure that had silently forced the entire arena to its knees, would be forever etched into the depths of their souls!
The first day of the advancement matches had begun in a shocking, utterly unexpected manner. And the name Marco, along with the absolute power and imperial Haki he had displayed, would undoubtedly spread like wildfire through the accounts of those present, shaking the entire Soul Master Realm at an even faster pace!
Each team silently carried their unconscious or exhausted members away from the training ground—some supporting them by the shoulder, some carrying them on their backs, others using stretchers. No one spoke; the atmosphere was so heavy it felt as though one could wring water from the air. Everyone's hearts were in turmoil, filled with dread toward absolute power and uncertainty about the future.
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