The rooms where Shrek Academy's members stayed were all of the same standard. Ma Xiaotao's room was no different, even the overall layout was almost identical.
However, within her room there was a faint, delicate fragrance in the air.
Xu Zihuang looked at Ma Xiaotao, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa cultivating. Her aura gradually stabilized, and only then did he withdraw his own martial soul.
Since arriving in Star Luo City and settling into the Star Emperor Hotel, he had already used his first soul skill several times to help Ma Xiaotao suppress the problem of her evil fire. But in truth, there had been no further ambiguous incidents between them.
On the one hand, Ma Xiaotao herself was troubled by the issue of the evil fire and had to concentrate on controlling her soul power's circulation whenever Xu Zihuang helped her suppress it. On the other hand, every time her breathing stabilized, Xu Zihuang would immediately choose to leave her room.
Just like now.
His talent alone was already enough to earn the full attention of Shrek Academy's upper echelon. If his relationship with Ma Xiaotao became too close, it might instead put him in a passive position.
Therefore, he deliberately avoided those kinds of ambiguous situations.
After all, he didn't yet wish to completely bind himself to Shrek Academy. At present, the appearance of the Body Sect could provide the academy's higher-ups with just the right sense of crisis. Only by doing so could he maximize his own interests.
And Ning Tian—the sole heir and future successor of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—was the key person he could use to balance the relationship among all three sides.
Although Shrek Academy shared some historical ties with the ancient clans and sects such as the Clear Sky Sect, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, those relationships were far from inseparable.
Ning Tian's status and background matched Ma Xiaotao's perfectly.
Xu Zihuang was essentially using Ning Tian as a shield. With her around, if Shrek's upper management ever tried to pair him with Ma Xiaotao, they would have to consider the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect standing behind Ning Tian.
Of course, he also wouldn't show open rejection when interacting with Ma Xiaotao.
Closing the door softly behind him, Xu Zihuang stepped into the luxurious and spacious corridor of the Star Emperor Hotel.
Because of the delay earlier, night had already fallen.
From the ceiling, rows of crystal soul-guide chandeliers emitted a soft, warm glow.
Following the corridor, Xu Zihuang returned to the crystal dining table in the restaurant. On the surface, the atmosphere among everyone still seemed lively, but there was a subtle loss of the natural ease from before.
Under the illumination of the light, Ning Tian's fair, delicate skin gleamed with the translucence of fine white jade, her platinum-golden hair shining faintly under the chandeliers. Her slender chin lifted slightly, and in her azure eyes shimmered a trace of thought, though no one knew what she was thinking.
She didn't even notice Xu Zihuang approaching until he was already beside her.
Seeing Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian sitting so closely together, the others tactfully chose not to disturb them. Even Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng refrained from pulling Xu Zihuang into further conversation.
"What's wrong?"
A gentle voice sounded beside her ear. Ning Tian awoke from her thoughts as if from a dream and turned to look. Seeing that it was Xu Zihuang, she quickly regained her composure, her elegant demeanor returning as she smiled lightly and shook her head.
Although Ning Tian's temperament was far more mature than that of her peers, she was, after all, still only twelve. Her life experience was nowhere near as turbulent as Xu Zihuang's. It was not easy for her to completely conceal her emotions.
Xu Zihuang understood this well. Leaning slightly closer, he lowered his voice.
"Senior Sister Xiaotao's martial soul is a variant one, which causes her to be troubled frequently by the issue of her evil fire. My first soul skill can dispel negative effects. Every time she asks me to come over, it's actually so that I can use that skill to help her suppress the fire."
He knew full well the principle of moderation. Because of the previous misunderstanding surrounding Ma Xiaotao, Ning Tian's sense of insecurity toward him had already deepened. By taking the initiative to explain now, he could create a contrast that would make her feel all the more deeply that he cared about her thoughts.
Their seats were already close together, and with Xu Zihuang leaning in, Ning Tian could clearly feel the warmth of his breath brushing her ear as he spoke. A flush of heat rose to her earlobes, and her body stiffened slightly.
"Mmm… mmm." Ning Tian responded softly.
She didn't reject his closeness, but, driven by a girl's natural shyness, she couldn't help feeling a wave of embarrassment. The calm thoughts in her mind were completely scattered, leaving her unable to respond as appropriately as usual.
And this was exactly the effect Xu Zihuang wanted.
"That kid Tianhuang really knows what he's doing," Xu Sanshi muttered sourly to himself as he took in the scene. Then, mimicking Xu Zihuang's actions, he leaned toward Jiang Nannan with an ingratiating grin.
But no matter how you looked at him, he just seemed perverted.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out, snapping Xu Sanshi instantly to attention.
Jiang Nannan glared icily at him, her pretty face covered in frost, as she brought her silver dining knife down sharply, slicing the sausage on her plate cleanly in half.
Xu Sanshi immediately felt a chill between his legs and sat up straight, not daring to move another inch.
Across the table, Beibei and He Caitou exchanged glances, both wearing the same gloating smile.
Xu Sanshi wanted to retort, but afraid of further angering Jiang Nannan, he could only glare furiously at the two of them instead.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
It was Wang Yan, returning from the Star Luo imperial palace after completing the draw.
Glancing around at everyone, he spoke seriously.
"The draw for the final elimination stage is out. Our opponent in the round of sixteen is the Star Luo Royal Academy, the number one academy of the Star Luo Empire. This match won't be as easy as before. After you finish eating, gather in the conference room to discuss our tactics."
With that, Wang Yan turned and left.
At the mention of Star Luo Royal Academy, the faces of Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo—three inner court disciples—shifted slightly.
Dai Yueheng had mentioned this before.
In this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, there were only three academies capable of posing a real threat to Shrek. Star Luo Royal Academy was one of them. Though not quite on par with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy or Dio Academy, their overall strength was extremely formidable.
All of their main team members were at least Soul Kings.
Dai Yueheng said in surprise, "I didn't expect to face the Star Luo Royal Academy this early. Weren't they supposed to qualify as first in their group?"
According to the tournament rules, teams advancing as first place in their groups would not be drawn against each other in the round of sixteen.
That was why so many teams fought desperately to emerge as group leaders—to secure a relatively easier match in this elimination stage.
Gongyang Mo replied softly, "If I remember correctly, the Star Luo Royal Academy was placed in the same group as the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy."
"That explains it." Everyone immediately understood.
After finishing their meals, the group quickly gathered in the meeting room.
Wang Yan sat at the head of the table. Ma Xiaotao, who had already stabilized her evil fire, was also there, seated at the head of the main team's side.
"Everyone, take your seats."
Once the room had quieted, Wang Yan continued,
"Under normal circumstances, Star Luo Royal Academy should have advanced as first in their group. But they were unlucky to be placed with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. That doesn't mean their strength is far inferior, though—quite the opposite.
This year's Star Luo Royal Academy is very strong, with an average soul power around level fifty-five. They only advanced as second in their group because they conserved their strength, avoiding a head-on clash with the Sun Moon Royal team."
Ma Xiaotao snorted and said casually, "We'd have to face them sooner or later anyway. We'll just crush them tomorrow."
As she spoke, she swung her arms eagerly, clearly itching for battle.
Given her personality, it was already remarkable that she had restrained herself from joining earlier matches.
Wang Yan frowned slightly at her before speaking again.
"Confidence is good. With you and Dai Yueheng anchoring the team, there shouldn't be any major problems. But Shrek's ultimate goal is the championship, and our greatest rival remains the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Before facing them, we should still conserve some strength. Now, let me explain the rules of the final elimination stage."
"In the history of the tournament, each stage has featured different rules. Especially in the elimination rounds, to make the matches more exciting and allow contestants to better display their abilities, the format differs from the previous round-robin. No more random draws to determine match types. Instead, each matchup will consist of two parts: first a seven-versus-seven team battle, and then an individual elimination battle, held over two days.
Winning the team battle doesn't guarantee advancement. If the losing side can have three members defeat all seven opponents in the individual elimination, they can still reverse the outcome and advance.
Conversely, the side that wins the team battle only needs to have seven defeat three in the individual round to secure final victory.
This format highlights both the importance of teamwork and gives strong individuals a chance to shine."
With the return of Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, both Soul Emperors, this format was extremely advantageous to them.
Especially Ma Xiaotao, whose soul power had reached level sixty-eight. For high-level soul masters, every level meant a tremendous leap in power. Dai Yueheng, though at level sixty-four, possessed barely half her soul power reserves. Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix was a top-tier martial soul, and as an inner court disciple of Shrek, her individual strength was superior even to some ordinary Soul Sages.
At least in this tournament, Wang Yan hadn't seen any individual stronger than her.
Thus, he wasn't particularly worried about tomorrow's match against Star Luo Royal Academy. His main concern was whether they could win while still holding back enough strength.
He carefully outlined the battle arrangements:
The team battle lineup would include Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and from the reserve team—Xu Zihuang, Beibei, and Xu Sanshi.
Ma Xiaotao and the other three main team members, as well as Xu Zihuang, were unquestionable choices. Wang Yan's decision not to send out the destructive soul engineer He Caitou was due to the special cooperative abilities of Beibei and Xu Sanshi.
After explaining the tactics, Wang Yan retrieved a stack of golden-edged invitations from his soul guide.
Dai Yueheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Invitations to the Starlight Auction House's top-tier auction?"
Wang Yan nodded.
"On my way back from the Star Luo imperial palace, I happened to meet that auctioneer Qing Ya from last time. She gave these to me, saying that in the Star Luo Empire, such high-level auctions are held only once or twice a year."
"That's true," Dai Yueheng said, his tone serious. "The forces behind the Starlight Auction House are enormous. Even I never had the qualifications to attend such top-level events—only my father, members of the royal family, the major merchant associations, and top-ranked soul masters or soul engineers can attend. Everything auctioned there is a true treasure.
I think that Qing Ya auctioneer gave you these purely as a gesture of goodwill from the Starlight Auction House toward Shrek Academy. What do you think, Teacher Wang?"
Even Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo—all inner court students—looked at Wang Yan expectantly. Such an auction was not something one could easily attend; they were simply benefiting from Shrek's prestige this time.
Wang Yan smiled, his attitude open-minded.
"The fact that I brought these invitations out already explains everything. You've all been busy lately—eliminating evil soul masters, competing in matches—so tonight, let's broaden our horizons and relax a little.
Also, Gongyang Mo, didn't your soul power just break through level sixty recently? I heard the Starlight Auction House offers custom soul ring services. I asked that Qing Ya about it just now—she said they currently have several ten-thousand-year soul beasts suitable for your sixth ring.
If you can advance to the Soul Emperor rank, our team's overall strength will rise by another tier. That'll give us greater confidence when facing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy later."
Gongyang Mo's charming peach-blossom eyes immediately lit up. No soul master could resist the temptation of advancement.
And since all expenses were being covered by Shrek Academy, he didn't need to pay anything for a perfectly suited sixth ring.
Of course, this was also a form of investment from Shrek in its inner court disciples.
Seeing everyone's faces brighten with excitement, Wang Yan chuckled.
"All right, go change into something proper first, then we'll head out together. But let me make one thing clear in advance—when we get to the Starlight Auction House, observe more and speak less. Avoid any trouble, and don't let it affect tomorrow's crucial match."
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