"Calm down!" Just as Xuan Zi was about to act, a calm voice sounded behind him.

Xuan Zi froze—he knew that voice too well, having heard it countless times over a century.

"Elder Mu, you're here! Xiaotao, she—" Xuan Zi was first delighted, for with Elder Mu present, even Snow Moon Douluo would have to give Shrek a proper explanation.

But seeing Mu En's form, his joy vanished, replaced by disappointment.

It was not Mu En's true body, but a projection formed from the Golden Tree's energy.

Though the projection could wield Ultimate Douluo power, it could not last long.

Mu En's projection, glowing with gentle gold, spoke calmly: "Don't worry, Xiaotao isn't dead."

What Xuan Zi missed, Mu En saw clearly.

Ma Xiaotao was not in mortal danger—the lance through her chest was not meant to kill but to stop her from burning her life force further.

In fact, it saved her.

Otherwise, in her battle frenzy, Ma Xiaotao might have burned herself to death.

Moreover, Mu En knew Lu Jingming had no reason to kill Ma Xiaotao publicly—they had no deep enmity, and their relationship was not bad.

Just as Mu En predicted, the Black Abyss White Flower was now dominated by White Flower's power.

When Lu Jingming withdrew the lance, Ma Xiaotao's wound healed instantly, as if never there.

However, her soul power was erased, leaving her limp and powerless.

Under the fusion skill's special effects, as long as Lu Jingming didn't want to kill, he could save even the gravest wounds.

Like Ma Xiaotao—even with her heart pierced, Lu Jingming could keep her alive with White Flower's creative power.

"I almost thought you actually killed her!" Gu Yue had been startled but quickly figured it out.

Lu Jingming wielded both destruction and creation—his fused lance was not for killing.

"Xiao Ming couldn't bear to, right?" March 7th skipped over, eyeing the unconscious Ma Xiaotao.

Her gaze lingered on Ma Xiaotao's impressive figure, especially her generous chest, making her twitch her lips.

Such a figure, she'd only seen on Changli—no one else compared.

Neither she, Jinhsi, nor Zhang Lexuan could match Ma Xiaotao's physique.

At this point, the battlefield was completely transformed.

Saint Freya's team stood tall in victory.

In contrast, Shrek's team lay scattered on the ground.

Wang Yan, seeing Ma Xiaotao was safe, finally relaxed.

Then he sighed heavily—Shrek had lost.

Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong were all unconscious; Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, Dai Yaoheng, and Ling Luocheng were unable to fight.

Shrek's main force was wiped out.

Even with substitutions allowed in the individual elimination round, Shrek only had He Caitou, Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and Xi Xi left—hopeless against Saint Freya.

Thus, the outcome of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was clear.

Shrek, devastated in the team battle, could no longer fight; the match was decided in one round, no need for a second or third.

Though Wang Yan was unwilling, reality left no choice.

To persist would be humiliation, so he reluctantly withdrew from the rest of the competition.

As Shrek's head coach, he had the authority to forfeit.

Wang Yan approached Dan Heng, choosing to concede.

Dan Heng calmly announced, "Since Shrek Academy forfeits the individual elimination round, the champion of this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is Saint Freya Academy!"

His voice, amplified, rang through every corner of Haiyuan City.

Everyone was stunned, their minds briefly stopping.

Then, thunderous cheers erupted.

No one blamed Shrek for conceding—anyone could see that after the fierce team battle, Shrek's members were spent, unable to continue.

Saint Freya was strong, the defending champion, and their victory was well-deserved.

People reacted to Shrek's defeat in different ways.

Some sighed, believing Shrek's glory days were over.

Others, like the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, were secretly delighted—their old rival had finally fallen.

Even though they lost to Saint Freya, they preferred that over Shrek winning.

Xu Jiawei, meanwhile, was all smiles, very pleased.

After all, the championship returned to the Star Luo Empire, boosting its reputation and unity.

"Elder Mu, we lost again—it's all my fault!" Xuan Zi stood by, full of guilt and remorse.

He regretted that if only he'd been more careful, stellar students like Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, and Chen Zifeng wouldn't have fallen.

Their absence crippled Shrek, leading to such an easy defeat.

Mu En shook his head, his eyes a mix of disappointment and helplessness.

He cared less about wins and losses and more about inheritance and talent.

But Xuan Zi's repeated mistakes had cost the academy many fine students—this pained him.

Now, Shrek faced a talent gap—the Sea God Pavilion was full of elders; Yan Shaozhe and others couldn't take charge.

Mu En had no choice but to pin his hopes on Ma Xiaotao and her generation.

Ma Xiaotao was highly talented but too impulsive, as seen when she risked everything with uncontrollable power—nearly courting disaster.

If not for the opponent's mercy, she'd have died by her own hand—not suitable for Pavilion Master.

After much thought, Mu En fixed his hopes on Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao had twin martial souls, one being the rare ultimate ice.

More valuable, he was calm and rational, keeping his head in adversity—Mu En saw him as the best candidate for Pavilion Master.

Mu En decided to formally take Huo Yuhao as his disciple after returning.

He planned to use the Golden Tree's life force to heal Huo Yuhao.

With his talent and potential, he was worth every resource.

If Xuan Zi could hold on until Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao matured, Shrek's future would be secure.

As for Mu En himself, he knew he hadn't many years left—he wouldn't live to see them mature.

The match was over, but the excitement at Eye of Abyss lingered.

Spectators basked in the aftermath, reluctant to leave.

This lively scene lasted for hours, until the city guards cleared the venue and spectators slowly departed by boat.

The academy teams also packed up and prepared to leave.

On the eve of the departures, Ye Wuqing and Yu Mengdi from Zhengtian Academy sought out Lu Jingming.

Lu Jingming was surprised but greeted them warmly.

Ye Wuqing spoke first, sincere, "City Lord, once we return to Zhengtian Academy and graduate, we'll come to Haiyuan City to join you."

Clearly, Ye Wuqing had learned Lu Jingming's true identity—not only the Saint Freya team captain but also the City Lord of Haiyuan City, the current Viscount of Star Lou Empire.

Lu Jingming smiled, knowing Ye Wuqing wouldn't refuse. Zhengtian Academy lacked resources and strong fighters—if Ye Wuqing wanted to grow, he needed to join another power, and Haiyuan City was ideal.

Haiyuan City had the best resources and experts, and Lu Jingming's personal invitation was irresistible.

As for Yu Mengdi, she wasn't just after training and teachers, but more for Ye Guyi, or more accurately, her dream.

As a descendant of the Angel Legion, her family was in decline, so she wanted to rebuild the Angel Clan with Ye Guyi and restore their glory.

Lu Jingming could satisfy both their wishes—rebuilding the Angel Clan would surely interest Ye Guyi as well.

Though the tournament had ended and most spectators and teams had left, many chose to stay, so Haiyuan City remained lively.

PS: Bonus Chapter at 100 PS