Chapter 156: Weakness, Need to be Replenished
As soon as Tang San was brought back to the academy by Tang Hao, he learned from his teammates that Yu Xiaogang's position in the academy had been stripped. Besides no longer receiving a salary, the Education Committee, considering Flender and others, allowed Yu Xiaogang to remain in the academy. The leader of the Shrek Team also changed from Yu Xiaogang to Qin Ming.
Although this did not affect Yu Xiaogang's ability to teach the Shrek Team, for someone like Yu Xiaogang, who was obsessed with fame, the cancellation of his title as the Shrek Team's leader meant that if the Shrek Team participated in the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament, all their achievements would have nothing to do with him.
His many years of effort, fantasizing about proving himself, were snatched away at the last moment, which was a significant blow to him.
However, Flender used the same words Yu Xiaogang had used to comfort him before to comfort Yu Xiaogang, calling it "borrowing a chicken to lay eggs." Although Qin Ming was now the Shrek's leader, everyone in Shrek understood his contribution to the entire team. Qin Ming was just the academy's external leader, while he would be the Shrek Team's external leader.
With this, Yu Xiaogang's expression brightened a little, and he regained his drive.
Tang San was originally a bit angry when he heard this, but since things had come to this, he could only accept it helplessly.
Seeing Tang San return alone, Yu Xiaogang immediately went to his room with Tang San to understand his situation over the past few days.
Upon hearing that Tang Hao still hadn't confirmed whether Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor had any issues, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed, lost in thought.
"What about His Excellency?"
"Dad said he still has other things to confirm and won't be staying nearby during this time."
Yu Xiaogang nodded upon hearing this and ultimately said nothing. After arranging for Tang San to train as usual, the matter temporarily came to an end.
On the other side, not long after school started, Zhu Zhuqing's strength had already reached Rank thirty-seven.
Among the Tiandou Battle Team, only Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng had not broken through Rank forty. Zhu Zhuqing herself was diligent in Cultivating, and coupled with her current Rank being the lowest in the entire team, she was almost immersed in Cultivating day and night. Additionally, she had absorbed an Immortal Herb, and with the aid of medicinal baths, her strength increased exceptionally quickly.
Compared to Zhu Zhuqing, who was diligently Cultivating, the other members of the team also became more diligent, especially Yu Feng. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's intense Cultivation, he could only follow suit, afraid of being surpassed by Zhu Zhuqing if he wasn't careful.
As a result, two months later, Yu Feng was the first to break through Rank thirty-nine, beginning his push towards the Rank forty Bottleneck.
At the same time, the Shrek Team.
It was also time for their monthly day off.
Two months of high-pressure training had left everyone miserable.
As soon as it was time to rest, Ma Hongjun called Dai Mubai and the others to vent their internal evil fire.
Heaven Dou City, Peach Heart Hotel.
"What's going on? Is it because the training has been too tiring lately?"
Dai Mubai looked at the snowy peach garden beside him with some self-doubt, then turned over helplessly and said lightly, "Come and give me a good massage."
The young lady couldn't help but secretly roll her eyes. She had seen many impotent guests like him, but this was the first time she had encountered one so young and yet so weak.
The situation of the others was not much different. They also discovered a problem: it seemed that after recent training, each time they came to relax, the time became shorter and shorter.
The night passed without a word. The next day, the few of them looked at each other, speechless. Of course, they wouldn't talk about such private matters, otherwise, wouldn't they all become the other's laughingstock?
After making a few casual excuses, each of them secretly sought out a pharmacy and bought some tonics for themselves, preparing to replenish their bodies well so that next time they had a holiday, they could fully display their masculinity again.
A month later, Zhu Zhuqing also broke through to Rank thirty-nine.
Shi Quan's goal for Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng was for them to break through Rank forty before the preliminary rounds of the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament began.
Based on their current situation, there shouldn't be any problems.
Although Yu Feng didn't have an Immortal Herb, his daily medicinal baths were specially formulated by Shi Quan and Dugu Bo, containing some lower-grade Immortal Herbs as an aid, so his spirit power increase was not slow.
It was another rest day for Shrek.
After a month of health maintenance and major replenishment.
The masculinity of the few finally recovered somewhat. After a night, each of them felt refreshed. After the night ended, the few of them tacitly went to their previous pharmacies, bought a large amount of tonics, and then returned to the academy satisfied.
They were indeed weak, they needed to replenish.
With one month left until the competition, Yu Feng finally broke through to Rank forty first.
After a simple discussion, it was decided to wait until Zhu Zhuqing broke through Rank forty before going together to acquire spirit rings.
Another half a month passed. There was only half a month left until the competition.
Tian Dou Royal Academy training ground.
After this period of special training, the Shrek Team's strength had also improved to some extent.
Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai both reached Rank forty-three.
Xiao Wu was Rank thirty-seven. Oscar was Rank thirty-six, Ma Hongjun was Rank thirty-five, Ning Rongrong was Rank thirty-four.
As for Tang San, his spirit power had already broken through to Rank thirty-nine.
He was preparing to push for Rank forty, but Tang San had not been Rank thirty-nine for long, so it was almost impossible for him to break through Rank forty in a short period under normal circumstances.
At such a young age, reaching such a high spirit power Rank, Yu Xiaogang, as his teacher, was very proud.
Training requires a balance of work and rest. If such high-pressure training continued until the competition began, it might not be a good thing. Flender and others also felt that the recent training intensity was a bit high.
After some discussion, the Shrek Team decided to give everyone half a month off to relax their tense minds.
Therefore, after training ended in the afternoon, during dinner, while the team members were all together, after eating, Yu Xiaogang first announced the holiday decision, and then explained the competition system of this Soul Master Competition to everyone.
When Yu Xiaogang mentioned the seeded teams, everyone's expressions were a bit downcast, but with Yu Xiaogang's encouragement, everyone quickly regained their fighting spirit.
After explaining the competition system, just as the Shrek members were enthusiastically discussing how to arrange their rest time.
Under the leadership of Dugu Bo, Shi Quan and others also set off for the Sunset Forest.
Because just yesterday, Zhu Zhuqing finally broke through to Rank forty.
The purpose of this trip was to help Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng find suitable Spirit Beasts.
"Shi Quan, you said you have a way to quickly help them find suitable Spirit Beasts. How do you do it?"
Under Dugu Bo's leadership, everyone had already arrived at the section of the Sunset Forest where thousand-year Spirit Beasts frequented.
"Wait a moment."
Shi Quan sat cross-legged, a blue-gold light emanating from his eyes, and four spirit rings appeared beneath him. A circle of blue ripples instantly spread from his body, dispersing through the forest at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
"This is!" Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted. Others might not have noticed anything unusual, but how could Dugu Bo not notice?
A Domain.
Shi Quan had actually awakened a Innate Domain.
A huge wave immediately surged in Dugu Bo's heart. Obtaining a Innate Domain at Rank forty—what kind of concept was this? Even as a Titled Douluo, he had never heard of such a thing.
"This brat actually has such a trump card. It seems the origin of his fourth spirit ring is not simple. Not only did he gain an external Spirit Bone, but he also awakened a Domain. From the looks of it, this Domain should be able to establish a connection with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass, right?" Looking at Shi Quan, who had his eyes slightly closed, Dugu Bo couldn't help but think to himself.
The Blue Silver Domain could originally explore a very vast area, and coupled with Shi Quan's natural affinity, he could now use the surrounding Blue Silver Grass as a relay station for the Blue Silver Domain, further expanding its detection range.
Feeling the joyful Life aura around him, Shi Quan felt his vision, following the sensation, continuously spread out. This feeling was very peculiar.
It made him feel as if he had transformed into the plants that had lived in the forest for an unknown period. This feeling was somewhat similar to the feeling in Xiao Meng's dream back then.
It was like transforming into the entire natural world, but limited to plants.
While experiencing the mysteries within, Shi Quan continuously helped the two search for suitable Spirit Beasts.
As the range increased, more and more plants joined the Blue Silver Domain, and a large amount of information continuously transmitted into Shi Quan's mind. Shi Quan directly had Xiao Meng help him block out some chaotic information and then filter out information about Spirit Beasts for him.
Otherwise, his mental force simply couldn't handle so much information.
Everyone saw Shi Quan sitting cross-legged and were somewhat confused, but as time passed, they were surprised to find that a vibrant sense of vitality emanated from Shi Quan's body. Stimulated by this vitality, they all felt their spirit power circulate faster, their fatigue from the journey was swept away, and their Cultivation became more stable.
"Grandpa, what is Shi Quan doing?" Dugu Yan asked Dugu Bo curiously.
Dugu Bo explained, "This is a Domain. Even I don't have a Domain, but Shi Quan has awakened a Innate Domain. If I'm not mistaken, he should be able to establish some connection with the surrounding plants through his Domain, thereby achieving a detection effect. He is now using these plants to help Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng find Spirit Beasts."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.
Yu Feng swallowed and couldn't help but say, "It's actually a Domain! This guy Shi Quan is too abnormal!"
"Remember, the fact that Shi Quan possesses a Domain must not be leaked," Dugu Bo reminded everyone in a deep voice.
"Understood." Everyone nodded in agreement.
About half an hour later, Shi Quan reopened his eyes. He did not retract his Blue Silver Domain but turned to look at one side of the forest, stood up, and said to Dugu Bo, "Grandpa Dugu, let's go this way…"Chapter 157 The Day Before the Competition
Moving forward, under Shi Quan's lead, everyone quickly encountered their first Spirit Beast.
It was a top-tier agile dark-attribute Spirit Beast with a cultivation age of around 6,700 years, known as the Blood Shadow Demonic Leopard, a top-tier Spirit Beast in terms of Bloodline Rank.
Its pure speed was comparable to that of the Hell Civet, but its sharp claws were incredibly keen, imbued with the Sharp Gold attribute, making even heavy armor as fragile as tofu before them.
Wherever it went, blood would inevitably be spilled, which earned it the nickname 'Blood Shadow'.
Zhu Zhuqing currently didn't lack offensive Spirit Abilities, so Shi Quan specifically chose this Blood Shadow Demonic Leopard for her.
If she absorbed the Blood Shadow Demonic Leopard's spirit ring, the sharpness, armor penetration, and armor-breaking capabilities of the Hell Civet's claws would be greatly enhanced, and she would likely gain an amplification-type Spirit Ability.
This time, Dugu Bo did not make a move; instead, Shi Quan led the Tiandou Battle Team members to act together, which was one of the purposes of this trip.
After a fierce battle, with everyone's coordinated efforts, the Blood Shadow Demonic Leopard was quickly stunned.
After Zhu Zhuqing finished it off, she spent several hours successfully absorbing the spirit ring, and her spirit power also reached Rank 41.
The Spirit Ability she gained was exactly as Shi Quan had planned: Hell Blood Shadow, which increased her speed by 30%, enhanced her perception and negative resistance by 20%, and increased her attack power by 50%, adding armor-breaking and penetration capabilities.
The amplification for Zhu Zhuqing was almost comprehensive, and the consumption of this Spirit Ability was not high, which meant that the amplification state of this Spirit Ability could last for a long time.
In addition to the Spirit Ability, the Spirit's own attack power and speed also improved to some extent, especially its armor-breaking capabilities, which were significantly enhanced.
It was quite a fruitful harvest, but unfortunately, no Spirit Bone dropped.
However, Zhu Zhuqing was still very satisfied with acquiring such an excellent Spirit Ability.
After a simple tidying up, Shi Quan once again released his Blue Silver Domain; this time, the speed was very fast because Shi Quan had already identified the Spirit Beast for Yu Feng earlier, and since Zhu Zhuqing was absorbing her spirit ring, Shi Quan had temporarily withdrawn his Blue Silver Domain.
Now, setting off again, Shi Quan searched along the previous location and quickly locked onto the Spirit Beast he had previously identified.
Under Shi Quan's guidance, everyone once again changed direction, leading them towards another side.
After walking for about half an hour, amidst a gust of wind, they encountered their second target for this trip—the Wind Spirit Eagle.
Both the Wind Spirit Eagle and the Blood Shadow Demonic Leopard are top-tier Spirit Beasts; the Wind Spirit Eagle is even known as the Son of Wind, with incredibly astonishing speed.
The group chased and besieged it for more than half an hour before finally finding an opportunity to capture the Wind Spirit Eagle.
After absorbing the Wind Spirit Eagle's spirit ring, Yu Feng's spirit power Rank also reached 41, and he acquired his fourth Spirit Ability, Wind Spirit.
Wind Spirit is also an amplification-type Spirit Ability, especially its speed, which reached an astonishing 60%; moreover, after Wind Spirit is cast, Yu Feng's perception of wind elements becomes more acute, and it has a certain amplification effect on his three Spirit Abilities, making it an excellent Spirit Ability just like Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Blood Shadow.
With Yu Feng's spirit ring absorption completed, the trip to Sunset Forest also came to an end.
Everyone returned to the Academy, rested for a day, and on the second day, everyone began a new day of training as usual.
Shi Quan had many abilities, and there was too much for him to adapt to and master, so every day was very fulfilling.
Under Shi Quan's arrangement, Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng were preparing to accelerate their adaptation to their newly Breakthrough power through a certain amount of high-intensity training.
The Cultivation of others didn't change much; it was just a constant cycle between martial arts, Spirit, Spirit Ability, and spirit power.
Time quietly slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the day before the competition.
Although the grand competition hadn't started yet, the entire Heaven Dou City had been preparing for tomorrow's start a month ago; the streets were bustling with people, filled with young men and beautiful women.
There were a total of twenty-eight participating teams in the Heaven Dou City division, and as the competition approached, all participating teams had already arrived in Heaven Dou City.
To demonstrate the Empire's Pay attention to of the competition, the Heaven Dou Empire arranged special hotels to welcome each Academy.
Of course, if an Academy was close enough, or if they were dissatisfied with the accommodation and wanted to arrange their own lodging, they could choose not to stay; the Heaven Dou Empire did not impose mandatory requirements.
Tian Dou Royal Academy is located on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City, and the round trip is not short; although the Tiandou Battle Team, as the Empire's seed team, does not need to participate in the preliminary or promotion rounds, they still have to attend tomorrow's opening ceremony.
So, after a day of Cultivation, Shi Quan and the others gathered together and, along with Dugu Bo, arrived at the designated hotel in Heaven Dou City, planning to rest there for a night and head directly to the opening ceremony tomorrow.
As a hotel specially arranged by the Empire, its scale was naturally not small, and most teams chose to stay in the hotel arranged by the Empire.
Walking into the hotel under Dugu Bo's lead, everyone's gaze swept across the lobby and caught sight of a beautiful sight.
Tight-fitting blue uniforms revealed their beautiful figures, with long, straight, fair, and tender legs beneath short skirts; their attire was neat and uniform, their faces lovely, and they were all stunning beauties.
They didn't even need to look at the Academy's emblem on their arms to guess that this group of people must be the Tian Shui Academy's participating team.
Not far from Tian Shui Academy, there was also the Blazing Academy, dressed in fiery red, and the Thunder Academy, clad in purple, making the atmosphere quite lively.
Upon seeing this, Yu Feng almost instantly straightened his back, trying to appear very gentlemanly.
Ye Lingling subconsciously moved a few steps closer to Shi Quan.
Hearing footsteps, the teachers and students of Tian Shui, Blazing, and other major academies in the lobby all turned their heads.
"Tian Dou Royal Academy, Tiandou Battle Team." A glance at their attire immediately identified them, and their gazes involuntarily moved to the person at the front.
Dugu Bo!
The news that the Tiandou Battle Team's leader was a Titled Douluo had already spread, and everyone looked at Dugu Bo with awe.
"Is that this year's Tiandou Battle Team? To have a Titled Douluo as their leader, it seems the Tiandou Battle Team is determined to win this year's championship."
Everyone present immediately began to discuss in low voices.
"Is he the one who drove Yu Tianheng from the Tiandou Battle Team to the Heaven Dou Second Team?" Yu Tianxin of Thunder Academy's gaze fell on Shi Quan.
As rivals, he and Yu Tianheng naturally kept a constant eye on Yu Tianheng's news.
"Is that Shi Quan? He's quite handsome." Shui Yue'er from the Tian Shui Team whispered.
"..." Everyone looked at Shui Yue'er speechlessly.
"Yue'er, stop being so infatuated; didn't you see his girlfriend is still beside him?" Her teammate, Xue Wu, couldn't help but complain.
"Hehe, I'm just purely appreciating him." Shui Yue'er playfully stuck out her tongue, "Besides, isn't it said that this Shi Quan is the strongest in the Tiandou Battle Team? I'm just observing the enemy in advance."
"This time, Tian Dou Royal Academy is very different from before. The original Heaven Dou Second Team, for some unknown reason, changed its name to something called Shrek Team, and Yu Tianheng, who originally belonged to the Tiandou Battle Team, for some unknown reason, withdrew from the Tiandou Battle Team and joined the Shrek Team."
The leader of Tian Shui Academy, watching the Heaven Dou group go upstairs, seriously reminded them, "The strength of this year's Tiandou Battle Team is by no means simple; everyone, pay close attention."
"Understood." The Tian Shui Team members quickly nodded.
On the other side, the Shrek Team had arrived at the hotel earlier than Shi Quan and the others and had already checked in.
"Qin Ming, hand out our team uniforms." Flender's voice came.
Qin Ming agreed and moved a stack of uniforms from a nearby table. The pale gold uniforms had the characters "Heaven Dou" embroidered on the left chest, and on the back were seven silver stars, the emblem of the Heaven Dou Empire; they looked quite normal.
But as Ma Hongjun was the first to take a uniform and flipped it over, his expression immediately became a bit strange, "Teacher, are you serious?"
Saying that, Ma Hongjun held up the uniform with both hands and gave it a gentle shake, displaying the entire top.
On the right side of the uniform, there was a green monster Shrek pattern, with the three large characters "Shrek" embroidered on it, instantly lowering the otherwise luxurious-looking uniform by several grades. Moreover, the Shrek pattern on the clothes looked truly odd and mismatched no matter how one looked at it.
Flender cleared his throat a few times, "Although we are Heaven Dou Academy, we are also Shrek. Half and half, it's very reasonable, isn't it?"
Hearing this, everyone also looked speechless, but the disgusting green color of Shrek was just too ugly.
"Teacher, can't we just change the color?" Ma Hongjun said with a bitter face, looking at Flender. After all, they had seen many beautiful girls when they came to the hotel, and he didn't want to lose face in front of them.
Flender glared at Ma Hongjun and said, "What do you know? It's precisely this color that makes us stand out. Otherwise, how would other Academies know about our Shrek?"
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't our team name already Shrek? What about these uniforms..."
Flender immediately said, "What? You've forgotten your roots just because you've entered Heaven Dou? Is wearing half a Shrek uniform going to kill you?"
With things said to this extent, everyone couldn't say much more and could only reluctantly accept.
Before long, Qin Ming had distributed all the uniforms, and Flender, Qin Ming, and the other instructors also each received a set.
However, compared to their uniforms, the instructors' uniforms were clearly much more normal, with only a Shrek pattern embroidered on the right chest, about the same size as the Heaven Dou on the left chest, which looked much more coordinated and not strange at all.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong was also extremely speechless. As teachers, not setting an example was one thing, but giving them such ugly team uniforms was another. Moreover, as Tian Dou Royal Academy was an Imperial Academy, and they were the team representing Tian Dou Royal Academy, wearing such uniforms out would be a disgrace to the Heaven Dou Empire. Weren't they afraid of the Heaven Dou Empire's wrath?
The others also had somewhat aggrieved expressions.
But they were quickly suppressed by FlenderChapter 158 School Uniform Incident
The night passed without incident, and early the next morning.
The Shrek Team took advantage of the lack of people and got into their carriages early.
Besides the hotel, the Empire also arranged special carriages for each team to transport them from the hotel to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
Both the opening ceremony and the preliminary matches would be held at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
"So many people."
Shi Quan and the others also arrived near the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena by carriage, and even before getting out, they could already hear the bustling crowd outside.
"Of course, the Spirit Master's Grand Competition is one of the biggest events in the Spirit Master's world. Besides commoners, there are also many nobles and Spirit Master's forces from across the continent who come to watch."
Yu Feng chuckled softly, then winked at the Shi Family Brothers, "And there are a lot of beautiful women too."
The Shi Family Brothers couldn't be bothered to respond to Yu Feng.
"Look, look, aren't those people from Tian Dou Royal Academy? Why are their uniforms like that? It's too ridiculous, isn't it?"
"Keep your voice down, that's Tian Dou Royal Academy, the Imperial Academy, we can't make fun of them…"
As soon as Shi Quan and the others got out of their carriage outside the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, they heard many people discussing the group in front of them.
"It's those people from the Shrek Team." Dugu Yan curled her lips in disdain. Looking from behind, she didn't see anything special about their uniforms. "Their uniforms look fine. Why do these people look like they've seen something strange?"
"From behind, there really isn't any problem. Then it must be the front. Since people are discussing it, there must be something wrong with their uniforms," Shi Quan said after a glance.
The Shrek Team members in front had their heads bowed. They had tried to block the emblem on the right with their arms, but the emblem was too large to be covered.
Moreover, Flender had specifically reminded them to display the emblem so that others would know of Shrek's existence.
So they could only walk quickly into the Great Spirit Arena with their heads bowed.
Wherever they went, people on both sides pointed and discussed.
Flender was naturally happy to see this. What he wanted was for everyone to discuss, so he could make Shrek's name known.
However, this did not stop him from quickening his pace, as he didn't want to be surrounded by the crowd like Tang San and the others.
"Calm down, calm down, calm down…" Ning Rongrong, hidden in the middle of the team, constantly comforted herself, but even so, she felt the anger in her heart constantly growing. If her father, School Master Ning, hadn't also persuaded her to temporarily stay with Shrek, she would really want to quit the team and leave right now. There was no way, it was simply too embarrassing.
After a short while, as the team entered the Great Spirit Arena, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"For the next match, I absolutely won't wear this uniform. It's too damaging to my heroic image," Ma Hongjun was the first to complain.
Tang San also looked helpless and comforted him, "After today's exhibition match, we'll talk to the Dean and see if we can shrink this emblem."
Everyone nodded in agreement, then followed Tang San to the resting area specially provided for participating students within the main arena, found a corner, and waited.
The resting area was very large, with thousands of seats, divided into different sections to provide a place for Spirit Master students to rest and wait.
They arrived relatively early, and there weren't many participating teams in the resting area, but they were still noticed by most.
"Are those people from Tian Dou Royal Academy? Why are they dressed like that?" If they were ordinary students, they might just laugh, but Tian Dou Royal Academy represented the Imperial Family. Dressed like this, it was inevitable that people would discuss it.
Soon after, Flender walked over leisurely, a surprised expression on his face. "Oh, why did you run off to such a remote corner?"
Everyone immediately glared at him with ill intent.
"Cough, cough." Flender cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment. "Well, since you're here, then stay here."
"The registration has been completed. At the opening ceremony later, all of you give me your best. Don't lose face for our Shrek."
While they were talking, Shi Quan and the others also arrived at the resting area.
After a quick scan, they soon spotted the Shrek Team in the corner.
When everyone saw their uniforms, their expressions varied.
"They actually changed their uniforms to that? Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter." Dugu Yan burst out laughing directly.
"This Flender is crazy about gaining fame." A hint of a smile appeared in Shi Quan's eyes at the sight.
In the original work, Flender and the others rushed to Tian Dou Royal Academy, which was enough to show their disregard for Tian Dou Royal Academy and their disdain for nobles. Even when facing a prince, Flender and the others had repeatedly wanted to take action.
Tang San and the others' uniforms were most likely designed and modified by Flender himself. These uniforms represented the face and identity of an academy, not to mention Tian Dou Royal Academy, an academy run by the Imperial Family. No matter how foolish the Three Great Education Committee were, they would not possibly give such uniforms to Shrek, especially in a continent-wide competition like this.
"Flender is courting death." Shi Quan smiled faintly, then led everyone to find a random spot and sit down.
As more participating teams continued to arrive at the resting area, it gradually became lively.
Many people noticed the Shrek Team in the corner.
Anyone who noticed them would discuss it, but no one dared to openly mock them, because Tian Dou Royal Academy was behind them. Even if they mocked, it was only in secret.
In less than half an hour, the entrance ceremony began.
The competition staff quickly entered the resting area and began to organize the students for entry.
The first to enter was naturally the Tiandou Battle Team led by Shi Quan.
Entering the arena.
Around the huge and open square were countless shouting and cheering spectators. Directly in front of the central arena was a rostrum with a golden background. Behind the rostrum was the renovated VIP area.
The wide arena had a diameter of over one hundred and fifty meters. As the first team to enter, the emcee on the rostrum immediately stirred up the atmosphere.
On the VIP stand, everyone sat upright. Xue Ye, in the center, looked at the upright figures of the seven Tiandou members with a beaming smile.
"School Master Ning, what do you think of this year's Tiandou Battle Team?" Xue Ye asked, looking at Ning Fengzhi beside him.
Ning Fengzhi replied with a faint smile, "They will be able to achieve the final victory!"
Xue Ye burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Platinum Bishop Salas's eyes slightly opened as he looked at Shi Quan and the others below the stage, disdain hidden in his eyes.
Spirit Hall could be said to have absolute confidence in winning this year's competition; otherwise, they wouldn't have offered three Spirit Bones as rewards.
"Next, let me welcome Tian Dou Royal Academy's Heaven Dou Second Team, the Shrek Team…"
Under the emcee's introduction, the Shrek Team, as Tian Dou Royal Academy's second team, made their entrance second.
As the Shrek Team entered, the already lively scene suddenly fell silent for a moment. It was unclear who suddenly let out a laugh, and the audience in the stands immediately burst into laughter, with jeers rising one after another.
"The Shrek Team's attire is unique, just as outstanding as their strength…" The emcee's forehead was beaded with cold sweat as he tried his best to cover for the Shrek Team below the stage.
However, the emcee's words could not affect the audience's laughter below the stage at all.
"Damn it, I'm about to lose it." Dai Mubai clenched his fists as he walked forward.
"Boss Dai, bear with it a little longer. Once we're on the arena, we'll use our strength to shut them up," Tang San said in a low voice.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and continued to walk forward.
On the VIP stand, Xue Ye's face had darkened, and anger flickered in his eyes.
Platinum Bishop Salas beside him even mocked, "What a unique style, hahahaha."
Upon hearing this, Xue Ye looked at the Shrek Team below the stage, even more enraged. He cast an angry gaze at Xue Xing and Dream Machine behind him.
Xue Xing quickly said, "Your Majesty, this Shrek Team was accepted by the three Education Committee members, Dream Machine. Although I was aware of this matter, I did not participate in it at all. It was all discussed and decided by the three Education Committee members, Dream Machine."
Xue Xing immediately distanced himself, leaving Dream Machine to explain with a grim expression, "Your Majesty, the uniforms I gave them were not like this. I think there must be some misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding could there be, Education Committee Dream Machine? As the direct person in charge of the academy, you can't even handle a small matter like uniforms, and you've made the Empire lose face in front of so many people."
Dream Machine clenched his fists, his expression exceptionally embarrassed. Although he didn't know what was going on, he had some ideas.
Xue Ye glanced at Dream Machine and then said indifferently, "Education Committee Dream Machine, I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer as soon as possible. If not, then just disband this Shrek Team directly."
"Your Majesty, this matter was indeed my oversight, but please rest assured, the strength of this Shrek Team will definitely surprise you."
"It had better be." Xue Ye's voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
Dream Machine also rose angrily and walked towards the spectator stand.
"Dean, something must have happened with the uniforms." Qin Ming's gaze had been on the VIP section.
The uniforms were pretty much as Shi Quan had expected. The uniforms originally provided by the academy were the same as the ones they were wearing, but Flender felt that Shrek's emblem was too small, so he privately changed the uniforms to their current appearance.
When Flender changed the uniforms, Qin Ming had already reminded him that uniforms represented the academy, and privately changing them might lead to the Education Committee's displeasure.
Flender, however, was indifferent to this. In his opinion, as long as the competition began, the Shrek Team would be able to conquer everyone with their strength, and small matters like clothes were not a problem.
"It's fine, I'll handle it," Flender said, chest puffed out. Since he dared to change it, he was already prepared to deal with the consequences.Chapter 159 Meng Shenji's Rage
"Flender, I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation!"
In just a moment, Dream Commissioner's voice, suppressing his anger, rang out from behind him.
Flender's expression remained unchanged as he turned and bowed to Dream Commissioner before saying, "Dream Commissioner, I apologize. This matter was indeed abrupt of me, but they are the last group of students from Shrek Academy. As the Dean, I truly hope that in the end, they can help me spread the name of Shrek."
"Flender, we have already agreed to let you change the Heaven Dou Second Team to the Shrek Team and embroider the Shrek Academy emblem on their uniforms to highlight the name of your Shrek Academy. But is this how you repay my trust in you?
Do you understand how much your unauthorized alteration of the uniform affects the face of the entire Empire? They are now not only Shrek's people but also people of my Tian Dou Royal Academy! When they stand here today, besides representing your Shrek, they also represent the Tian Dou Royal Academy and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!
Yet, you privately changed the uniform into such an odd and mismatched appearance, making them a joke. How am I to explain this to His Majesty, and how will the Spirit Masters of this world view His Majesty?"
Upon hearing this, Flender immediately furrowed his brows. "Dream Commissioner, aren't your words a bit too serious? The Spirit Master Tournament relies on strength, not a piece of clothing. As long as the Shrek Team demonstrates sufficient strength, their uniforms will only become their emblem."
"Nonsense!" Dream Commissioner angrily shook his head. "Since you say the Spirit Master Tournament relies on strength, why do you still engage in these flashy things? If they show enough strength, everyone will naturally notice Shrek on their uniforms. But your action directly made everyone treat Shrek as a joke, not to mention that a slight misstep could also harm the reputation of the entire Empire."
Flender helplessly waved his hand and said, "I believe in Little San and the others. Let alone the preliminaries, they can easily handle the promotion rounds. The Shrek Team will definitely make it to the final championship. Besides, the uniforms have already been worn; it's too late to change them now."
Dream Commissioner looked at Flender's petulant demeanor and couldn't help but shake his head. "Flender, this matter is not that simple. Your action has completely pushed all of Shrek to a dead end. I'm telling you, if your performance is even slightly problematic, or if His Majesty is dissatisfied, His Majesty will directly cancel your team's participation qualification. Forget the promotion rounds; whether the Shrek Team can even finish the preliminaries is a question!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of panic finally appeared in Flender's calm eyes. "It's just a piece of clothing. Is it really such a big deal?"
"A piece of clothing?" Dream Commissioner was furious. "Even now, you still don't realize how big of a mistake you've made. This concerns the face of an Empire, and you tell me it's just a piece of clothing? Flender, you've truly disappointed me too much."
"Education Committee, it's all Junior's fault. Junior should have reminded Teacher Flender and the others immediately," Qin Ming quickly said, taking the blame upon himself.
Dream Commissioner looked at Qin Ming and sternly rebuked him, "Qin Ming, it's good that you know! You've been at Tian Dou Royal Academy for quite some time now. Don't you clearly understand what the Academy represents? And as the leader of Shrek, instead of setting an example by wearing the original uniform yourself, you let the students wear these messy uniforms. How exactly are you leading? Or is it as Shi Quan said, that in your heart, there is only Shrek and no Tian Dou Royal Academy?"
Hearing Dream Commissioner's rebuke, Qin Ming couldn't help but hang his head.
"This is Heaven Dou City, this is Tian Dou Royal Academy! It's not Shrek! Since you've joined, you must abide by the Academy's rules. Have I been too lenient with you usually, making you forget what kind of place this is!?"
Flender and the others clenched their fists. They had never been reprimanded like this, but when under someone else's roof, one must bow their head.
Yu Xiaogang also spoke at this moment, "Dream Commissioner, Flender indeed went too far in this matter. The most pressing task is how to salvage the Empire's reputation. Further arguing won't solve the problem, will it?"
Dream Commissioner gave Yu Xiaogang a cold glance. "In the exhibition match later, you'd best make Shrek perform well and win with an overwhelming force to achieve a stunning effect. Otherwise, His Majesty is very likely to directly revoke the Shrek Team's participation qualification, and all of you will receive severe punishment from His Majesty."
"Education Committee, rest assured, Shrek will definitely not disappoint you."
"Heh heh." Dream Commissioner sneered. "It's about not disappointing His Majesty. You'd better hope His Majesty is satisfied, otherwise, you could be disqualified at any time."
With that, Dream Commissioner angrily turned and left.
Leaving Flender and the others behind.
"Xiaogang, I only wanted to make our Shrek's name a bit more famous. I didn't expect the consequences to be so severe." Flender looked at Yu Xiaogang with a troubled expression.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head helplessly. "This matter was indeed ill-considered, but since it has come to this, saying more is useless. We can only go all out, and I also believe in Little San and the others. Their performance will definitely satisfy everyone."
Qin Ming also comforted him, "That's right, Dean, don't you know Junior Brother's strength? These ordinary teams pose no threat to them at all. Little San and the others will definitely win easily."
"It's just that you've been wronged, Qin Ming." Flender sighed and patted Qin Ming's shoulder.
"It's nothing, Dean, this is what I should do," Qin Ming replied with a smile.
In the square, teams entered one after another. After the emcee finished introducing the last team, his gaze fell on Emperor Xue Ye, who was in the center of the VIP seating.
"Next, please welcome His Majesty, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, to announce the opening of this tournament."
Loud cheers immediately erupted inside and outside the arena, until Emperor Xue Ye stood up, raised his right hand, and gently waved it towards the audience and contestants, then pressed it down slightly, and silence fell.
"I, Xue Ye, Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire…" Xue Ye's rich voice quickly spread throughout the venue via a spirit tool.
After that was Ning Fengzhi. After a small interlude where the emcee asked him questions, Platinum Bishop Salas stood up.
"Preliminaries, first round!"
"Canghui Academy versus Purple Star Academy… Auckland Academy versus Fiery Radiance Academy."
"Tian Dou Royal Academy Shrek Team, versus Lan Ba Academy."
"It couldn't be that coincidental, could it?" As soon as Salas's voice fell, Flender couldn't help but murmur.
Others might not know Lan Ba Academy, but he knew its origins. He subconsciously looked towards Lan Ba Academy's position but didn't see that familiar figure.
Some time ago, Flender had thought about coaxing Yu Xiaogang out for a stroll to create a chance encounter, but Yu Xiaogang was immersed in planning various Cultivation schemes all day and simply wouldn't bother with him, so he had no way to arrange their meeting.
As he pondered, the drawing of lots concluded. Salas's gaze swept across the venue, and he said indifferently, "This Seat swears by the honor of Spirit Hall, there is absolutely no falsehood in this drawing of lots. At the same time, this Seat hereby announces that any participating student from any academy present. All who can advance to the final stage will be exceptionally permitted by Spirit Hall to directly join the Spirit Holy Temple."
As his words fell, there was an uproar outside the venue, and Emperor Xue Ye, sitting in the main seat behind him, instantly turned gloomy.
"Your Majesty." Ning Fengzhi, beside him, quietly reminded him, shaking his head slightly, and only then did Xue Ye's expression soften a bit.
At this moment, Salas turned and returned to his seat. The emcee stepped forward and spoke, "Then, what will follow is the first match of the first round of the preliminaries, between the Tian Dou Royal Academy Shrek Team and Lan Ba Academy. Now, please have all participating teams orderly exit under the guidance of the staff. The two academies participating shortly after exiting, please be prepared. The match will officially begin in half an hour."
"Those who just mocked us, we must make sure they witness our strength later!" Ignoring the scornful and disdainful gazes around him, Ma Hongjun turned to Tang San, rubbing his fists and eager to try.
His face was full of confidence.
Tang San didn't reply immediately but said, "Let's discuss it when we get back."
He had just noticed Dream Commissioner going to where Flender and the others were. The distance was too far for him to hear exactly what they said, but from everyone's expressions, something must have happened.
So he planned to go back and ask about the specific situation before making detailed arrangements.
"Good thing we're the second to leave, otherwise if we kept being stared at like this, I really wouldn't be able to hold back." Dai Mubai released his tightly clenched fists and let out a long breath.
"No need to be angry, later we'll use our strength and victory to shut these vulgar people up," Tang San said in a low voice, comforting him.
Dai Mubai nodded and said nothing more.
Because today was the opening ceremony, there was only one match, which was between their Shrek Team and the Lan Ba Academy Team. This meant that other academies had no matches that day. When they left the arena, Shi Quan and the others in front had already been led by staff directly to the designated spectator area to watch the match.
The large resting area was left with only their team. They originally thought they wouldn't be mocked once they reached the resting area, but every team that left the arena had to pass through the resting area before going to the spectator area. Sitting in the resting area, they felt like a group of clowns, scrutinized by every team that passed by.
Even with their thick skin, being scrutinized by so many people, and with quite a few beautiful Spirit Masters covering their mouths and chuckling, they only felt more embarrassed.
Seeing Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Qin Ming, and others walking quickly towards them, everyone couldn't help but show a resentful expression.
Upon arriving, Yu Xiaogang didn't arrange any tactics but first recounted everything that had happened with Dream Commissioner.
Upon hearing this, everyone was speechless. After all that, it turned out their ugly uniforms were privately changed by the Dean, and now it had caused so much trouble. Knowing Flender was in a bad mood, they didn't dare to say much. After a brief deliberation, the conversation directly returned to tactical arrangements.Chapter 160 Disease
"Education Committee Dream Machine has already directly told us his demands, so there's no need for us to hide our strength. Let's go all out and strive for victory in the shortest possible time."
Tang San said directly.
"That's right. In the face of absolute strength, wasn't this Lan Ba Academy easily swept away by us?"
"Plus, given our current situation, we need to show our Aura and let everyone see the power of our Shrek Team!"
Flender nodded along, "That's right. For this match, all of you play beautifully. Let everyone who looked down on you truly know the splendor of Shrek. But still, don't be too heavy-handed. This Lan Ba Academy…"
Flender looked at Grandmaster, paused slightly, then looked at Tang San.
Tang San frowned upon hearing this, but still nodded in agreement, "Since that's the case, once we're on stage, we'll have one word: Charge! Mubai, Tianheng, you two lead the front. Don't worry about spirit power consumption, and don't give them a chance to resist. Our goal is to achieve victory directly with lightning speed! At that time, just blast them off the stage; there's no need to be too heavy-handed."
Saying that, Tang San extended his right hand, his gaze firm, his Battle Intent overflowing, "Victory!"
"Victory!" Everyone extended their hands and placed them on top of each other, shouting in unison.
Spectator Area.
"Grandpa just sent word. Because of the Shrek Team's uniforms, Emperor Xue Ye was furious and almost directly disqualified the Shrek Team. If it weren't for the Education Committee guaranteeing that Shrek's strength wouldn't disappoint, Emperor Xue Ye wouldn't have directly disqualified the Shrek Team," Dugu Yan whispered to the others, sharing the news she had received.
Shi Quan said, "If you don't court death, you won't die. They courted death themselves, so they can't blame anyone. For such an All-Continent tournament, they made such uniforms. If it were an ordinary academy, it would at most be amusing, but our academy is different. Even if they perform well later, they will still be significantly affected by their uniforms."
Yu Feng continued, "Teacher Qin, as the team leader, will probably be significantly affected."
Dugu Yan pouted and said, "Teacher Qin has been with the academy for so long, how could he not know the ins and outs? It's only because he's biased towards Shrek that he dared to take such a risky approach. If anyone's to blame, it's only himself."
"This is Teacher Qin's own choice. Let's watch the battle below. If all goes as expected, this battle should end very quickly." Shi Quan's gaze returned to the empty square.
The people arranged by the Empire were orderly constructing the arena needed for the Spirit battle.
In less than half an hour, a circular arena, ten meters high and thirty meters in diameter, appeared on the originally empty ground.
There were a total of twenty-seven rounds in the preliminary competition, and each team had to face twenty-seven opponents. A win earned one point, while a loss earned no points. After twenty-seven rounds, the top five teams in points would enter the promotion competition.
Entering the promotion competition was equivalent to entering the grand finals.
The purpose of the promotion competition was to Rank the teams, facilitating the arrangements for the grand finals.
The entire tournament lasted approximately two months, with the preliminary competition alone occupying half of that time.
Half an hour passed, and under the arrangement of the staff, a special golden beam of light shone down from a high platform set up on one side of the Great Spirit Arena, escorting the Shrek Team onto the stage.
Although there were some issues with their uniforms, their background was there, and the staff dared not show the slightest negligence.
"Brothers, if we want to have a good life in the future. Then, today, we must completely defeat our opponents. I think, for us, one minute is already enough." Tang San looked at the Lan Ba Academy members slowly approaching from the opposite side and spoke without reservation.
Dai Mubai clapped his tiger palms together, his Evil Eye Double Pupils flashing with fierce light, "That's right, we only need one minute."
An invisible, chilling Aura of killing intent quietly spread with Tang San and Dai Mubai at its center.
To prove the name Shrek, they were bound to give their all in this battle.
Just then, the seven members of the Lan Ba Team stepped onto the stage. The leader was Tai Long of the Strength Clan. However, because Tang San and the others were not expelled from Tian Dou Royal Academy, Tai Tan and the others did not know Tang San.
But it didn't matter. Tai Long's gaze fell directly on Xiao Wu, "So beautiful, just my type! Hello, beautiful, I'm Tai Long, the captain of the Lan Ba Team. How about we become friends?"
Tang San's expression stiffened, his face gradually turning cold.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, rolled her eyes directly at Tai Long and said, "Big oaf, you want to be friends with me? Why don't you and your skeleton friends surrender early?"
Jing Ling said sinisterly, "With your motley appearance, you've completely disgraced the Empire. How dare you still shout in front of us?"
Dai Mubai said coldly, "Dead skeleton, in a moment, I'll let you truly see what Shrek is! What a monster is!"
Shi Quan, in the stands, saw this scene and couldn't help but smile. After all, in the original work, Tai Long and the others participated in many matches with Tang San and his team, especially during the preliminary competition phase, where four members of their Lan Ba Academy often played.
Now that Shrek had not merged with Lan Ba, the two sides didn't know each other, and the situation immediately changed.
The match hadn't even started, but both sides were already at daggers drawn, the smell of gunpowder noticeably thicker.
VIP Section.
Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, although the Shrek Team's uniforms are a bit strange, their strength is indeed not weak."
Emperor Xue Ye looked at the seven people on the stage, his gaze finally resting on the Shrek Team, "School Master Ning, with your words, I think the first match should be without suspense."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded in agreement.
Platinum Bishop Salas looked at Ning Rongrong at the back of the team and said with a fake smile, "School Master Ning sent his own daughter over; he certainly thinks highly of this Shrek Team."
Ning Fengzhi smiled calmly and said, "I think it's my Sect Master's freedom where I want my daughter to go, and it seems to have nothing to do with Your Excellency Salas."
"Heh heh." Salas sneered, his gaze briefly clashing with Ning Fengzhi's before he withdrew it.
Dream Machine listened from behind, his expression finally improving somewhat. Although Flender acted recklessly, people from the Upper Three Sects were all in the Shrek Team. Emperor Xue Ye wasn't clear about it before, but once Shrek displayed their strength, he could find ways to minimize the impact of the uniforms. However, for Flender and Qin Ming, Dream Machine no longer trusted them as before.
"Preliminary Competition, First Round, First Match, officially begins."
At the referee's signal, this match, which marked the official start of this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament's first preliminary match, officially began.
Similar to a Spirit battle, the tournament allowed one minute for both sides to activate their Spirits.
Watching each other coldly, Dai Mubai raised his hands in front of his chest and roared, "Brothers, activate your Spirits. White Tiger Possession."
Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng took the lead, and four spirit rings, two yellow and two purple, brilliantly flashed around Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng.
Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and the others also released their three spirit rings, two yellow and one purple.
Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, and Ma Hongjun, three attack system Spirit Masters, erupted with powerful Aura, instantly pressing down on Tai Long and the others like a surging tide.
Tai Long and the others also released their Spirits in succession. As expected, none of the Lan Ba Academy team members had their spirit power break through Rank forty.
The difference in Rank, coupled with Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng's Spirits being top-tier Spirits like the White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, immediately created a clear disparity in Aura between the two teams.
"Spirit Ancestor!"
The audience below gasped in surprise. A Spirit Ancestor had already appeared in the very first match of the tournament. Seeing this, everyone became even more excited for this match.
"Charge!" With a loud shout from Tang San.
Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng immediately charged forward, a burst of lightning mixed with white light erupting.
Neither of them held back, directly unleashing their enhancing Spirit Ability.
Dai Mubai's White Tiger Vajra Transformation and Yu Tianheng's Thunder Fury were instantly released.
Tang San and the others had no intention of giving their opponents a chance to breathe. The disparity in Spirit Ability Rank, coupled with Ning Rongrong's immediate enhancement, was too overwhelming.
Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng directly crashed into the middle of the opposing team. Just as the Lan Ba Academy was busy dealing with the two of them, Ma Hongjun, also an attack system Spirit Master, followed closely, further increasing their pressure.
Seeing this, Tang San seized the opportunity, flung out his hand, and with the Soul Devouring Spider Web released, the web enlarged, directly binding Tai Long, the strongest member of the Lan Ba Team, firmly in place.
As Dai Mubai's White Tiger Meteor Shower fell, coupled with Yu Tianheng's Thunderous Might, it created a fierce impact directly on the Lan Ba Academy members.
Loud screams erupted almost simultaneously on the stage.
The moment Dai Mubai and the others unleashed their strongest attacks instantly, the outcome was already determined without any suspense.
"Charge" was a very simple word, but it was the agreed-upon signal among Tang San and the others, meaning to unleash their attacks, a full-force burst without any reservations.
Originally, although there was a disparity in strength between the two sides, it was only in the two Spirit Ancestors, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng.
However, Tang San, right from the start, used his Hidden Weapons technique to bind their strongest opponent, Tai Long, with the Soul Devouring Spider Web. Not only was Tai Long unable to break free, but it also allowed all of his own teammates to activate their strongest Spirit Abilities to attack. The instantaneous explosive power left the opponents no time to react before they were overwhelmed by the torrent of attacks.
"Stop! We surrender!" The Lan Ba Academy members immediately raised their hands to signal surrender, and quickly rushed onto the stage to rescue their teammates.
Upon reaching the stage, he realized that the injuries of the Lan Ba Academy members were not severe; most were just unconscious. He then let out a sigh of relief.
He thanked Tang San and the others, then quickly led the Lan Ba members off the Great Spirit Arena.
At this moment, the entire Great Spirit Arena fell into a brief silence. The effect Tang San and the others wanted, to make a name for themselves, was achieved. The entire Great Spirit Arena was cheering for them.