In Room No. 3 of the VIP Section at the Sotuo Grand Soul Arena, the members of the Imperial Battle Team were waiting for the team battle to arrive. Just then, the door to the room opened, and a person walked in from outside.
The moment this person appeared, every member of the Imperial Battle Team—who had been scattered about in various states of relaxation, including their captain Yu Tianheng who sat on the sofa—even the Shi brothers who had been deep in meditation, all performed the same action. All seven rose to their feet and bowed respectfully to the newcomer.
"Teacher."
The man who had entered was middle-aged, appearing to be around thirty years old. His features were plain, his black hair simple, and his clothing unadorned and modest. Only his eyes were remarkably bright. He was far less eye-catching than the Imperial Battle Team members in terms of outward appearance—to all appearances, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary man. Yet if he could command such deep respect from every member of the Imperial Team, how could he possibly be ordinary?
The middle-aged man's expression looked somewhat strange—a look that even Yu Tianheng, the captain of the Imperial Battle Team, had never seen before. Yu Tianheng quietly stepped forward a few paces and asked in a low voice, "Teacher Qin, what's wrong?"
A glimmer of light flashed in Teacher Qin's eyes, and a profound depth surfaced within those dark, bright irises. "This time, you're likely to run into a real opponent. I just got a brief file on tonight's opponents from the city lord. The Sotuo Grand Soul Arena only just confirmed the matchup. Take a look."
As he spoke, he walked over to the sofa behind the crystal table and sat down. A flash of light passed over his hand, and a piece of silk fabric appeared. He spread it across the table.
The Imperial Battle Team members hurried over to gather around and peer at the silk.
Vice Captain Dugu Yan read aloud: "'Shrek Seven Devils Team. Seven members. Origin unknown. Iron Soul Master badge.' Teacher, this Shrek team is only Iron-ranked. Are they even qualified to challenge us in a team soul battle?"
Teacher Qin said calmly, "Indeed, a month ago they were all Iron-ranked Soul Masters. However, through this month's dueling, their cumulative points have all reached the Silver rank. Though an official recalculation hasn't been done yet, the Sotuo Grand Soul Arena has decided to grant them Silver-level qualifications ahead of schedule—just in time for your challenge. According to the city lord, the Shrek Seven Devils have participated in twenty-seven team battles. Twenty-seven fights, twenty-seven victories. How long did it take you to earn your Silver rank? Not one month, I'm sure. A full year."
The Wind Chime Bird Soul Master, Yu Feng, spoke up with some indignation from the side. "That's only because they haven't faced any truly strong opponents. That's the only reason they racked up wins so easily. How can Sotuo City compare to our Imperial City?"
Teacher Qin shot Yu Feng a glance. "According to the city lord's investigation, the Shrek Seven Devils' very first team battle was against the Mad Team—the same team you faced last round. You should be well aware of the Mad Team's strength. Their Soul Power levels are no lower than yours. It was only the gap in Soul Skills and Martial Souls themselves that caused them to lose to you."
"Wait—the Shrek Seven Devils actually won?" This time it was the Black Panther Soul Master, Aosi Luo, who spoke up.
Vice Captain Dugu Yan gave him a look. "Is that even worth asking? Otherwise, why would Teacher bring it up?"
Yu Tianheng had been carefully studying the information on the silk and suddenly spoke up. "Teacher, their Soul Power is so low. How could they possibly have beaten the Mad Team?"
Low? The Imperial Battle Team members couldn't help but redirect their gazes to the silk, studying the data written there more carefully.
Shrek Seven Devils Team.
Captain: Evil-Eyed White Tiger. Martial Soul: White Tiger. Rank 38, Assault-type Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: two yellow, one purple.
Vice Captain: Thousand Hand Asura. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Rank 32, Control-type Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: two yellow, one purple.
Member: Softbone Charming Rabbit. Martial Soul: Jade Rabbit. Rank 31, Close-Combat Assault-type Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: two yellow, one purple.
Member: Evil Fire Phoenix. Martial Soul: Evil Phoenix. Rank 28, Assault-type Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: two yellow.
Member: Nether Spirit Cat. Martial Soul: Nether Spirit Cat. Rank 28, Agility-type Attack Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: two yellow.