"Ahem."
Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat twice to get Flender's attention. Then, putting on a serious expression, he began, "Flender, I must admit, your talent for cultivation is far greater than mine."
For once, Yu Xiaogang was trying a new tactic: praising Flender first. And what he said was undeniably true. Flender was a rank 78 Spirit Sage, while Yu Xiaogang was merely a rank 29 Great Spirit Master. Even a child could see who had more talent.
However, this unusually pleasant approach immediately put Flender on guard. He had a bad feeling about this. Since when did Yu Xiaogang speak so nicely? He had to be up to something. Flender guessed that whatever came next would not be pleasant at all.
Frowning, Flender asked irritably, "What do you want?"
Hearing the question, Yu Xiaogang's expression shifted to one of smug confidence. "Your talent for cultivation is strong, Flender, that's true. But when it comes to teaching students, I believe you are still slightly inferior to me."
Flender was stunned speechless. What in the world is he talking about? You're a better teacher than me? He couldn't believe how shamelessly Yu Xiaogang could utter such a sentence. The man's ability to boast was truly reaching new heights.
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Flender asked, managing to keep his expression neutral, though his frown deepened.
"Once this team battle is over, I should be the one to take over their training," Yu Xiaogang declared. "As you can see, this match is about to end. It's clear that under your guidance, the Shrek team can't even secure their first win. Perhaps with my arrangements, their true potential can be unlocked."
After listening to this, Flender was so angry he almost laughed. He finally understood why Yu Xiaogang had returned. He was here to demand control of the team. And apparently, he was convinced that Shrek was about to lose this match.
"Oh?" Flender replied calmly. "I don't think Shrek is going to lose. Why don't you wait until the match is over before we talk about this?"
Yu Xiaogang pouted, clearly displeased. He assumed Flender was just being stubborn to save face. Fine, fine, he thought. Let him pretend for a little longer. After all, as the dean of Shrek Academy, it must be embarrassing for his team to lose their very first match. He could understand the feeling. He would just wait. The match would be over soon enough, and then he would naturally take command.
The more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the happier he became. He felt so clever that his head started to feel light, as if he were floating on air.
"Holy crap! How is that Shrek captain so fast?!"
Suddenly, a shout from the nearby crowd broke through Yu Xiaogang's daydream.
Huo Feng?
He frowned and immediately looked down at the arena. What he saw made him freeze. The situation on the field was the complete opposite of what he had imagined. Huo Feng, who he thought was cornered, was now moving across the stage at an unbelievable speed.
Yu Xiaogang rubbed his eyes in disbelief. With his rank 29 cultivation, he couldn't even follow Huo Feng's movements. All he could see was a black shadow vanishing and reappearing in an instant. Each time the shadow reappeared, it was perfectly positioned behind a member of the Berserker Team. A moment later, that team member would collapse to the ground, unconscious.
This insane scene not only stunned Yu Xiaogang but also left Flender and Zao Wou-Ki speechless beside him. Even as powerful Spirit Sages, they had to admit they couldn't clearly track Huo Feng's attacks.
But no one was more stunned than Yu Xiaogang. The confident smirk on his face had vanished, replaced by a look of pure panic.
"Impossible," he muttered to himself. "No matter how strong Huo Feng is, he can't fight six people at once!"
He knew Huo Feng was strong, but if he really defeated the entire Berserker Team by himself, that was a result he couldn't accept. It would not only prove Huo Feng's terrifying strength, but it would also highlight Tang San's weakness. By extension, it would prove that he, the "Grandmaster," was a complete failure as a teacher. Tang San might even start to regret his choice.
Huo Feng had refused to become his disciple and was now growing stronger by the day. Meanwhile, Tang San had eagerly become his disciple and was seemingly getting left further and further behind. When they first entered Nuoding Academy, both boys had innate full spirit power. They were equals then, but now, there was a world of difference between them. It wasn't hard to see where the problem was.
"Whoa! Shrek is amazing!" another cheer erupted from the stands.
"He's too fierce! Way too damn fierce!"
"No wonder their captain just sat in the back! It's because the moment he attacks, the other team has no chance of winning!"
"I knew it! I knew that captain was something special!"
In less than a minute, the audience had done a complete one-eighty. The same people who were cursing Shrek moments ago were now showering them with praise.
Under the crowd's excited gaze, Huo Feng moved like a shadow assassin.
Thud!
The last of the berserk fighters fell to the ground, unconscious. Now, only two figures remained standing on the stage: Huo Feng and the female spider Spirit Master.
Her face was pale with terror, and her entire body trembled uncontrollably. She stared in horror at her six teammates lying motionless on the ground, completely at a loss.
"Don't worry," Huo Feng's calm voice cut through her panic, making her instinctively stumble back. "They're not going to die."
Hearing this, the spider woman's expression relaxed slightly. If her teammates had been killed, she would have fought him to the death.
"Surrender," Huo Feng said simply.
He had just used his third spirit ability, Shadow Ambush, to land a single, decisive blow on each of the five frenzied opponents, sacrificing them for his system mission along the way. Of course, he didn't forget the support master who was already unconscious. Now, all he had to do was sacrifice this final opponent to complete the mission and receive his reward.
Five thousand sacrifice points, he thought. Sounds pretty good.
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