Tang San received his due result and turned to walk off the stage. Just then, the spider female soul master's melodious voice, carrying a trace of fear and some unusual emotion, rang out from behind him. "Can you tell me your name?"
Tang San's steps paused briefly, but he did not turn around. "Number three of the Shrek Seven Devils — Thousand Hand Asura."
This time, Tang San did not conceal his voice. Not only did the spider female soul master hear it, but Director Ao and the audience members close to the spectator stands heard it as well.
When Tang San descended from the battle stage, the first thing to greet him was Xiao Wu's enthusiastic embrace. "Xiao San, you were so cool!"
Xiao Wu's embracing style might have been influenced by her own soul skills — her slender body wrapped around Tang San's like an octopus, legs coiling around his waist, arms clutching his neck, her pretty face flushed red with excitement.
Xiao Wu appeared to be acting on the kind of impulse unique to an excited young girl, but Tang San's actual age had already exceeded thirty. Seeing the playful amusement in his companions' eyes, he couldn't help but feel his face heat up. "Xiao Wu, get down quickly."
Dai Mubai laughed heartily. "We won big today. Come on, brothers and sisters — my treat. Let's go have a drink."
The seven of them, still wearing their masks, first registered their points amid the cheers, collected their respective rewards, and then walked out of the Sotuo Grand Battle Arena.
When the audience members gradually leaving the Grand Battle Arena's thirteenth district caught sight of them, many whispered among themselves. Especially upon seeing the plainly dressed Tang San, he drew the most attention of all.
In the earlier team battle, Tang San had immediately controlled the opposing defense-type Battle Soul Master, Mad Rhino, then successfully seized control of the situation on the field. In the critical moment, he had led his companions to safety, and finally defeated the opponent single-handedly.
From the audience's perspective, they naturally couldn't tell that the Mad Team had suffered a backlash from losing their Frenzy — all they saw was Tang San turning the tide.
Among the crowd, quite a few people were already calling out his title — Thousand Hand Asura.
The seven didn't linger long and quickly pushed through the crowd. After regrouping with the Great Master, Flandre, and Zhao Wuji, they swiftly departed from the Grand Battle Arena's vicinity.
When no one around them was paying attention anymore, the seven finally removed their masks, looked at each other, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
They often trained together in their daily routine, but it was nothing like the feeling of facing real enemies in the Grand Battle Arena.
The deepest impression belonged to Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu — the moment at the critical juncture when Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had swiftly pulled them back to safety. The power of teamwork had prevented injuries.
They suddenly gained a much deeper understanding of what the Great Master had said about the importance of coordination in actual team combat.
Back at the inn, the Great Master once again gathered everyone in Tang San's room, including Flandre and Zhao Wuji. Looking at his disciples who were somewhat tired but whose spirits were extremely excited, he calmly asked, "Tell me — in today's battles, what impressions did you all come away with?"
Dai Mubai said, "The individual matches were fine, but in the team battle, our coordination still wasn't smooth enough. After all, this was our first time facing such immense pressure."
Oscar said somewhat bitterly, "In the team battle, I was the one who became a burden to everyone. Being one combatant short made it very difficult for us to secure victory against powerful opponents."
The others wanted to say something as well, but the Great Master raised his hand to stop them.
A faint smile gradually spread across the Great Master's stiff face. Except for Tang San, the other students couldn't help but rub their eyes, thinking their fatigue was making them see things. From the devil's training until now, this was the first time they had ever seen the Great Master smile.
"What you've all said is incorrect. What I want to say is — you did very well today. You've made me very satisfied. That's right, you're not yet perfectly coordinated, but this was, after all, your first time working together as a team. And what you faced was a team whose members were all above level thirty-five, with a seven-match winning streak and a complete formation. Among your opponents, whether it was that spider female soul master's control ability, Mad Rhino's defensive power, or the support soul master's contribution, they were all outstanding existences among Soul Masters at the thirty-level tier. Yet despite your coordination not being fully synchronized, you still achieved ultimate victory. I hope for your rapid growth, but I absolutely do not mean to force it by pulling up seedlings. Being able to accomplish what you did today has already exceeded my expectations. Thank you — you've brought me a pleasant surprise."
Receiving praise from someone who smiled every day might not feel like much. But receiving heartfelt admiration from a devilish teacher whom they had never once seen smile — that feeling was even more exhilarating than the Shrek Seven Devils winning all their battles that day.