Everyone was accustomed to resting in a corner. Their eleven consecutive victories had long made them stand out among the contestants from the various competing academies, and the mockery they had faced at the start of the preliminary rounds was a thing of the past.
Though many people watched them from all around, few dared to approach.
In the world of Soul Masters, strength was the ultimate symbol of status, and academies were no exception. Shrek Academy came across as a team with no distinguishing features whatsoever.
Yet it was precisely this unremarkable team that gave every opponent a splitting headache.
Tang San, who possessed a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, was already the frontrunner for the Most Valuable Soul Master award in this preliminary round. As it stood, he had claimed over half of all the votes cast for the honor.
As long as no one defeated him, the award would undoubtedly be his. But defeating a Soul Ancestor with a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring was easier said than done for these student competitors.
The Shrek Academy group gathered together in high spirits. Ma Hongjun, itching with restlessness, turned to Tang San. "Third Brother, why not let me compete today? I won't use my fourth Soul Skill. How about it?"
Tang San shot him a glare. "No. Zhuqing, you'll take Jiangzhu's place today. No problem, right?" As they spent more time together and fought in more battles side by side, Tang San's authority among the Shrek Seven Devils had quietly taken root in everyone's hearts—especially among the four younger members, who felt a sense of respect beyond mere friendship.
His standing in the team now rivaled Dai Mubai's, if not surpassed it.
Zhu Zhuqing was briefly taken aback, but then nodded. "No problem."
Oscar frowned in confusion. "Xiao San, is this really necessary? We didn't even put Zhuqing up against Blazing Fire Academy. Do we really need her against the trash from Canghui Academy?"
Tang San said gravely, "Canghui Academy may not be as trashy as you think. Have you noticed their record? Since the tournament began, they've only lost three matches—against Elephant Armory Academy, Thunderbolt Academy, and Divine Wind Academy. Against every other opponent, they've won. In the overall standings, they're currently ranked above Elephant Armory Academy. And don't forget, Dean Flandre once warned us that their team leader is no ordinary person. Canghui Academy has already lost to Elephant Armory Academy, and their remaining matches against strong opponents include us, Blazing Fire Academy, and Tianshui Academy. In those three matches, they need to win at least two to keep their advancement in their own hands. Add to that the old grudge between our two teams, and I guarantee they'll go all out today. That's why I'm putting Zhuqing on the field—to make sure we secure the win."
Dai Mubai nodded. "Agreed. We'll go with Xiao San's plan. Those Canghui Academy punks have been acting awfully cocky. Today we'll teach them a lesson. The idea that they could advance to the next round is nothing but a delusion."
"Hey, you guys are from Shrek Academy, right?" Just as Tang San began laying out their strategy, a sudden voice cut in and interrupted him.
Everyone turned to look. A young man in a teal team uniform, with moderately handsome features, had sidled up to them, a broad smile plastered across his face.
Dai Mubai furrowed his brow. "That's right. We're Shrek Academy. Who are you?"
The young man chuckled. "Name's Feng Xiaotian. You probably haven't heard of me. That's fine—we'll meet in the competition soon enough. I came to cheer you on. Make sure you give it everything you've got and wipe out Canghui Academy."
Hmm? Dai Mubai and Tang San exchanged a glance, both surprised.
Though they hadn't watched many of the other teams' matches, the uniform gave this guy away—he clearly belonged to Divine Wind Academy.
There were twenty-eight teams in the preliminaries, and every one of them wanted to win, wanted to advance. They rarely interacted with each other. This was the first person since the tournament began who had proactively approached them with friendly intent.
Tang San nodded. "We will."
Feng Xiaotian grinned. "You must be Tang San. I believe in your strength. But you should be careful. Our academy once fought Canghui Academy. Their abilities are fairly ordinary, but when they faced us, I always felt like they weren't using their full strength—as if they were deliberately hiding something. I'm rooting for you. Whatever you do, don't lose before you face us. All right, get your rest. I'll be going."
The guy came fast and left fast, dropping a pile of bewildering words before darting away. Even the clever members of Shrek Academy couldn't immediately figure out what Feng Xiaotian had really meant—or why he had bothered to come and cheer them on.
Only Feng Xiaotian himself knew the answer to that. Having said his piece, he quickly returned to his own teammates.