Hearing Tang San's response, Flender's face lit up with a knowing expression.
So that's where he went.
Flender didn't care whether Yu Xiaogang lived or died, nor was he concerned about what the man was up to.
Sigh, I still don't understand how I lost… Flender thought bitterly.
After all, Yu Xiaogang, a man who would never break through Rank 30, had somehow managed to charm not only Spirit Hall's former Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong (now the Pope), but also Liu Erlong.
What did those two women see in him?
Now aware that Yu Xiaogang had gone to find his old flame, Flender saw no need to dig further.
Zhao Wuji, on the other hand, was clueless. He didn't know Yu Xiaogang well and wasn't sure why Flender seemed so frustrated.
Soon, everyone assembled, except for Ning Rongrong.
Instinctively, everyone turned their gaze to Dai Mubai.
"Er…"
"Rongrong is in seclusion for cultivation. She won't be joining us at the battle arena today," Dai Mubai explained, keeping a straight face.
His thick skin made him unbothered by the suspicious glances he received.
Despite his explanation, the group collectively rolled their eyes. Who would believe that?
"Cough, cough."
Flender cleared his throat to shift the focus back to himself.
"Today, your opponents are the Canghui Academy team. Their strength…" Flender paused briefly. Canghui Academy's displayed abilities so far were unremarkable.
"While they may not seem particularly strong, you should still take them seriously!"
"Teacher, is Canghui Academy even worth worrying about?" Ma Hongjun asked bluntly.
Flender: "…"
Admittedly, compared to the Five Element Academies, Canghui Academy wasn't much.
On paper, they seemed weak. However, they had only lost two matches—one to Blazing Academy and another to Tianshui Academy. Their latest defeat, against Tianshui Academy, was just yesterday.
Dai Mubai, knowing Canghui Academy's background, didn't reveal anything.
In this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, Canghui Academy's team was considered one of the strongest in group combat.
Their trump card was the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill, the "Seven Shura Illusion Domain," a skill so powerful that even the Five Element Academies couldn't stand against it.
If not for Tang San's plot armor in the original storyline, Canghui Academy would have annihilated Shrek Academy.
Will they use the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill today? Dai Mubai wondered.
Probably not.
There was no prior enmity between Shrek and Canghui. Even Shi Nian's death wouldn't lead back to Shrek, so there was no immediate grudge.
But then again…
If Canghui Academy wants to make a name for themselves, today would be their best chance. Shrek is currently the most powerful team in the tournament. Defeating us would make them famous.
At this thought, Dai Mubai's face twitched. He glanced at Tang San and felt reassured. With Tang San around, surprises were unlikely.
"Fatty, you and Tang San will take the stage today!" Dai Mubai said with a wicked grin.
Giving Ma Hongjun a taste of… an intense challenge seemed like a good idea.
"Boss Dai, you mean just the two of us?" Ma Hongjun asked, confused.
Isn't a two-man team a bit too much?
"No." Dai Mubai shook his head.
Just as Ma Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief, Dai Mubai added,
"It'll be the three of us."
"???"
Everyone stared at Dai Mubai in confusion.
Fielding only three people for a team battle—isn't that underestimating Canghui Academy?
Zhao Wuji folded his arms, a slight smirk on his face.
He wasn't worried in the slightest. With Dai Mubai's current strength at Rank 76, losing was out of the question.
Even if Canghui had some secret weapon, Dai Mubai wouldn't fall to them.
"Last time, against Tianshui Academy, you didn't get to show your full potential because they surrendered early," Dai Mubai said, patting Tang San on the shoulder.
"This time, make sure to give a good performance against Canghui Academy."
Dai Mubai was curious about how Tang San would handle the Seven Shura Illusion Domain.
"Don't worry, Boss Dai. It's just Canghui Academy!" Tang San replied confidently.
Last time, against Shui Bing'er's instant-cast skills and Repelling Ice Ring, Tang San had been completely suppressed, unable to get close. But this time, against Canghui Academy, he was sure things would go differently.
Tang San fully supported Dai Mubai's plan. Fewer participants meant a greater opportunity to showcase his strength.
No one else objected either. Dai Mubai, as team captain, must have had his reasons.
The only one unhappy was Ma Hongjun.
"Wait, are we really doing a 3v7?"
As the weakest of the trio, Ma Hongjun figured he'd be the one taking the brunt of the punishment.
"We're sticking to Dai Mubai's plan," Flender said decisively.
Ma Hongjun: "???"
Teacher, are you setting me up?!
Heaven Dou Battle Arena
"Captain, Teacher Shi Nian didn't return yesterday. What do we…"
"He's probably dead. We just don't know who killed him," the Canghui team captain said grimly, arms crossed.
The team showed little concern for Shi Nian's death. What they cared about was the fate of the spirit bone he had possessed.
If Shi Nian hadn't died, the team had already planned to turn on him to claim the spirit bone.
"Seriously, if he was going to die, couldn't he have passed the spirit bone to us first?" the captain grumbled.
The others remained silent, as if they all agreed with his sentiment.
After a long pause, the sole female member of the team spoke up.
"Our opponents today are Shrek Academy, the biggest dark horse in the tournament. They have two Soul Kings on their team. Should we target them?"
Her words brought everyone back to the present.
To be honest, none of them wanted to go against Shrek Academy unless absolutely necessary. Shrek's strength was too intimidating, and challenging them felt unwise.
"Two Soul Kings…"
"If we beat them today, we'll be famous, even if we don't win the championship."
"Captain, it's up to you—do we surrender, or do we risk it all?"
Even if Shrek's team was mostly composed of Soul Elders, their Seven-in-One Fusion Skill could defeat or even kill them. But against two Soul Kings with powerful spirit rings, especially ones with ten-thousand-year rings, survival wasn't guaranteed.
(End of Chapter)