"Since everyone is so full of hope, as the leading teacher, I naturally can't afford to be downhearted."
Wang Yan looked at the group of young men and women before him. His eyes grew slightly moist, but he forced a smile and raised his voice.
That loud voice covered the slight tremor in his throat.
"With such conviction, I fear that aside from our Shrek Academy, no other academy could achieve this."
Wang Yan sighed inwardly.
"But next, we still need to arrange our strategy. Tomorrow will be the first team battle."
"From my perspective, our Shrek Academy's greatest advantage doesn't lie in the team battles. I value the later individual matches and the 2v2 and 3v3 rounds more. After all, in team battles, the overall strength of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy is superior to ours."
He glanced across the group, and seeing no objections, continued.
At this final juncture, he had to take care of their emotions.
"But there's one point we need to be careful about—that is Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's Jiang Jue. Don't be fooled by him only being a Soul Ancestor. I believe you've all seen the few matches he's had. And yet, just from those few matches, you can already tell how extraordinary he is."
"He's like an unstable powder keg. Judging from his earlier performances, he's like… like a miracle."
Wang Yan paused before continuing. During the match between Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and Xingluo Academy, even he hadn't expected that Jiang Jue, a mere Soul Ancestor, could so easily break through an absolute-defense soul tool that even Soul Saints couldn't crack.
"We cannot regard him as an ordinary Soul Ancestor. In the team battle, we should deal with him first. Best would be to injure him heavily so he won't be able to participate in later matches."
Adjusting his glasses, a sharp gleam flashed in Wang Yan's eyes as he spoke.
The others didn't react much.
On this stage, crippling injuries were not uncommon. Up to this point, over thirty people had already died.
The arena was like a battlefield—life and death left to fate.
"Teacher Wang, just tell us how you want to arrange it. We'll listen to you."
Ma Xiaotao didn't want to waste words and asked directly.
"For the team battle, I plan to send you, Dai Yaoheng, Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, He Caitou, Ling Luochen, and… Huo Yuhao."
Wang Yan's gaze swept across the group before settling on Huo Yuhao.
"When the match begins, Xu Sanshi, use your Mysterious Nether Swap to bring Jiang Jue over. Huo Yuhao, you'll assist Ling Luochen to temporarily offset Jiang Jue's suppression of her ice attribute. Then we'll concentrate firepower to eliminate him."
Huo Yuhao, hearing this, suddenly recalled the glance Jiang Jue had given him that day.
That look was like a nightmare, lingering in his heart ever since.
Now, hearing Wang Yan instruct him to cooperate with Ling Luochen against Jiang Jue, he felt a wave of unease. But with everyone watching him, he still nodded in agreement.
"Both of us wield Ultimate Ice. If Jiang Jue can do it, why can't I, Huo Yuhao?"
"Good!"
Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction, then proceeded to lay out more tactics and important reminders.
Meanwhile, outside, the atmosphere was equally lively. Countless spectators and onlookers were fiercely debating who would ultimately claim the championship of this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
In the end, it all circled back to Shrek Academy versus Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. The matchup alone sent anticipation skyrocketing.
Time passed, and the sun set in the west.
Night.
Inside Jiang Jue's room—
A wisp of black fog slipped in through the window, condensing into a human figure.
"Young master, there's news from headquarters."
It was Zhang Peng, standing before Jiang Jue, reporting information from the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters.
"Oh? What did they say?"
Sitting in a chair, Jiang Jue raised an eyebrow and asked with a serious look.
Since coming to Star Luo City, he had secretly left Zhang Peng in charge of the Holy Spirit Sect's local branch. Through their unique channels, they constantly relayed news back to headquarters—for his master, Zhongli Wu.
"This time, it's from the Sect Master himself. He has already returned from the Extreme North and is awaiting your return, Holy Son. But from other channels, I also learned that during this expedition to the Extreme North, our sect's Third Worshipper of the Worship Hall perished."
"And the seventy-thousand-year soul bone and the hundred-thousand-year soul bone he carried were not retrieved…"
At this, Jiang Jue's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So, I was right after all. My master truly went to the Extreme North for my sake. With his strength, capturing an Ice Jade Scorpion shouldn't be difficult.
"But since the Third Worshipper fell, he must have encountered Mu En. And if I recall, the Third Worshipper's title was… Bloodflame Douluo."
"Bloodflame Douluo… soul bones…"
A sharp light flickered in Jiang Jue's eyes.
"Mu En truly has skill—taking from me, and using it against me."
He muttered quietly.
He remembered that the condition Mu En had given in exchange for Xuan Zi back then was exactly a seventy-thousand-year soul bone and a hundred-thousand-year soul bone. Now it seemed those must have come from Bloodflame Douluo's corpse.
The Worship Hall of the Holy Spirit Sect was not the same as the Elder Hall. Worshippers were all powerful experts invited from outside, stronger even than the sect's elders. Even the former Zhang Peng might not have ranked in the top five.
And Bloodflame Douluo had been a Level 97 Super Douluo, ranked third among the Worshippers.
"Well, you kill me, I kill you—that's perfectly normal in this world."
"But if your skill isn't enough, then you simply weren't worthy."
Jiang Jue thought silently.
In this world, strength was everything. The strong wrote history. The strong had everything. The weak had nothing.
This world was not black and white.
"Young master, the Sect Master will likely soon know that you possess an Ultimate attribute. This…"
Jiang Jue waved his hand lightly. Flipping his palm, an envelope appeared.
"Elder Zhang, when you return to the sect, secretly deliver this to my master."
Jiang Jue had always acted this way—anticipating every possibility, and arranging for them before they could even happen, striving to leave nothing to chance.
He never intended to hide the fact that he possessed an Ultimate attribute. His master Zhongli Wu knowing was merely a matter of time.
"If my master has doubts or questions, push them onto Elder Nangong. After all, Nangong is already dead in the open. The dead can't testify."
Jiang Jue spoke calmly after a moment of thought.
(Inside the Soul Refining Banner, Nangong Wan, busy teasing a "dog": So much for respecting the dead!)
"Yes, young master. From here on, I will no longer remain at your side. Please take good care of yourself."
Zhang Peng's expression grew solemn as he spoke.
"Hahaha, don't worry, Elder Zhang. I treasure my life more than anyone."
Jiang Jue looked at him with a faint smile, nodding.
"It's just that, for the sake of the current situation and for the future, I have no choice but to step into the game myself."
This last sentence, he did not say aloud. Some things were enough for him to understand alone.
(End of Chapter)