novelhk Chapter 19: Understand Shrek Academy in One Minute!
Chapter 19: Understand Shrek Academy in One Minute!
After a brief interruption, the atmosphere returned to its usual lively state, and the host cleared his throat, his voice once again resounding throughout the venue:
"Now, please welcome His Majesty Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, Lord Salas, the Platinum Bishop of the Spirit Hall, and Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to deliver speeches for this competition!"
Emperor Xueye was the first to rise. This ruler of the Heavenly Dou Empire wore a golden dragon robe, his face was majestic, and his voice was steady and powerful:
"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament is a grand event to showcase the style of our Heavenly Dou Soul Masters. I hope that all participating teams will uphold the spirit of fair competition and demonstrate their skills and style."
"To fight for glory in the heavens."
Next up is Salas.
His narrow eyes swept across the entire room, lingering for a moment on the group with the most female students before he slowly spoke:
"The Spirit Hall has always valued the training of young spirit masters. In this competition, the Spirit Hall will provide three precious spirit bones as rewards. At the same time, outstanding spirit masters will have the opportunity to directly join the Spirit Hall and obtain the best cultivation resources."
These words made the eyes of many teams light up. Soul bones! Those are treasures that every soul master dreams of!
Finally, it was Ning Fengzhi's turn.
The sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School rose gracefully, smiled slightly, and silenced the entire room.
Although he was only a Soul Saint, his composure was in no way inferior to any Title Douluo.
"The path of a Soul Master lies in honing one's skills. This competition is not only a contest of strength but also a test of character. May you all grow in battle and gain insights through confrontation."
Ning Fengzhi's words were brief yet profound. Seeing this, the host quickly stepped forward and asked:
"Sect Leader Ning, as the number one support-type Soul Master on the continent, you have extraordinary insight. Do you have any teams you favor in this competition?"
This question piqued everyone's interest; Ning Fengzhi's insight was notoriously sharp.
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly.
His gaze first turned toward Tianshui Academy, lingering on Yang Teng for a moment, his eyes filled with inquiry and deep thought.
Then, he turned to Shrek Academy, glanced at Tang San, and finally looked away.
"I do have a team that I'm optimistic about."
Ning Fengzhi's voice was gentle.
"However, I will keep you in suspense for now. You will all know when the time is right."
This answer disappointed the host, but it also made the audience even more agitated.
In the VIP section, Salas narrowed his eyes and glanced thoughtfully at Ning Fengzhi, while Emperor Xueye remained calm, as if he had expected this.
"alright!"
The host regained control of the situation.
"Now, let's begin the first round of the draw for this competition! Please welcome Bishop Salas to draw the pairings for the first round!"
A hostess brought out an exquisite lottery box. Salas slowly stepped forward, and as his aged hands reached for the box, they inadvertently brushed against the hostess's fair hand.
The movement was so light and quick that almost no one noticed.
But Yang Teng noticed it.
In the waiting area of Tianshui College, Yang Teng narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Salas's hand with a look of disgust.
"I really want to beat this guy up!"
Gu Yuena, standing beside him, glanced at him upon hearing this and asked, "You know him?"
"I don't know him."
Yang Teng said coldly, "But I know what kind of person he is."
When he read the original story in his previous life, he was deeply impressed by Salas, that old lecher. Now that he has seen him in person, his sense of disgust is even stronger.
Salas stirred the box for a moment, then slowly pulled out the first slip of paper. He unfolded it, glanced at it, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
"Round 1, Match 1"
Salas drawled, "Skywater Academy versus Shrek Academy!"
The entire audience erupted in uproar!
This draw was so dramatic! Tianshui Academy, who made a stunning entrance, is now facing Shrek Academy, whose bizarre team uniforms have been the subject of much ridicule!
Yang Teng looked at Salas's smiling face and sneered inwardly. Just as he expected, the old man had done something wrong.
Yang Teng looked towards the VIP seats. Salas was talking quietly with Ning Fengzhi, his eyes occasionally glancing in his direction.
"Trying to test my capabilities?"
Yang Teng understood.
The two teams reacted very differently after the draw results were announced.
On the Tianshui Academy side, Shui Bing'er remained calm, Gu Yuena was expressionless, and the other team members simply straightened their uniforms.
Yang Teng yawned, as if what was about to happen was not the first round of the competition, but a warm-up exercise.
But Shrek Academy was in an uproar.
"What?! We're facing Tianshui Academy in the first round?!"
Ma Hongjun jumped up, his chubby face filled with terror.
"What should we do? There's a Soul King at Tianshui Academy!"
He pointed to Gu Yuena in the distance.
"That woman is level 53, and our highest level is only 44, even for Boss Dai. How are we supposed to fight her?"
Dai Mubai also scratched his head, his golden hair getting all messy from being pulled.
"Even if all seven of us go, our chances of winning aren't great, are they? They still have four Soul Masters and one Soul King..."
Even the usually calm and collected Tang San was stumped. He frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the back of the chair, and finally turned his gaze to Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, what do you think?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression was solemn, and his voice was deep:
"Tianshui Academy boasts a formidable lineup, with one Soul King and four Soul Masters; their overall strength far surpasses ours..."
He paused, then uttered words that sank everyone's hearts:
"My suggestion is... to just concede and conserve our strength. Losing in the first round isn't a big deal. As long as we can make it to the knockout stage, we still have a chance."
"What?!"
Flander suddenly stood up, his glasses askew.
"Xiao Gang, you're saying we admit defeat? When has Shrek Academy ever admitted defeat?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at him calmly.
"Flander, this is a rational choice. A direct confrontation would only expose our weaknesses and could cause unnecessary casualties."
"But……"
"Flander".
Liu Erlong pulled him back and shook her head. As the killing corner of the Golden Iron Triangle, she was more warlike than anyone else, but at this moment she also agreed with Yu Xiaogang's judgment.
However, at that moment, Tang San spoke up.
Are you willing to accept this?
His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone.
Tang San stood up and his gaze swept over each of the Shrek Seven Devils.
"We've never even fought, how do we know if we'll win or lose? Are we just going to admit defeat every time we encounter a strong opponent?"
Dai Mubai was the first to step forward and slammed his fist on the table.
"The mistress is right! Giving up before even fighting isn't Shrek Academy's style!"
Xiao Wu jumped to Tang San's side and took his arm: "Third Brother, I support you! Let's fight, who's afraid of who?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded coldly: "Fight."
Ning Rongrong bit her lip: "I can give everyone my full support."
Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged a glance and stood up as well.
"Fuck him!"
Ma Hongjun roared.
"So what if he's a Soul King? If the seven of us join forces, we might not be without a chance!"
The atmosphere instantly reversed.
Looking at this group of passionate young people, Yu Xiaogang finally sighed and gave a wry smile.
"Fine... since you've made your decision, then let's fight."
Flander's face instantly broke into a smile, revealing his true colors as a shrewd businessman.
"That's right! We Shrek Academy are aiming for the championship, how can we back down in the first round?"
He clapped his hands: "Come on, I announce that we won this match! Extra dinner tonight! All you can eat!"
"Shrek will win!"
The seven people shouted in unison.
This scene prompted Ning Fengzhi, who was in the VIP section, to nod slightly, while Salas revealed a playful smile, seemingly even more excited for the duel.
……
In the waiting area of Tianshui Academy, Yang Teng took in all the commotion from Shrek Academy. He chuckled and shook his head.
"I just love your arrogant and ignorant attitude."
He muttered to himself.
"Unfortunately, you are no longer the main characters."
Yang Teng turned around and faced the team members from Tianshui College.
Shui Bing'er, Xue Wu, Shui Yue'er... and Gu Yue Na standing to the side, everyone was looking at him.
Yang Teng cleared his throat, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable determination:
"Everyone, in this battle, we need to understand Shrek within one minute."
……