"Boss Dai, Oscar's soul power level is actually on par with yours now," Ma Hongjun exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Dai Mubai didn't care much about Oscar's strength.
A forty-five-level auxiliary-type soul master might not necessarily be a match for a Soul Grandmaster in terms of combat ability.
What truly concerned Dai Mubai was Zhu Zhuqing's soul power level.
If he hadn't absorbed the pseudo-immortal herb that Tang San brought back, did that mean Zhu Zhuqing's soul power level would have equaled his?
"How the hell does this wretch train?"
Yu Xiaogang ignored his comment and continued asking, "Flender, what about the others' strength?"
"The two substitutes both have forty-two levels of soul power," Liu Erlong replied.
After detecting the fluctuations of Cai Die's soul power, her expression tightened involuntarily.
"Cai Die has forty-eight levels of soul power. Her sister Yu Die didn't appear on stage, but I imagine her soul power level should be similar."
"Two forty-eight-level strong attack-type Soul Ancestors!" Tang San was stunned.
They had watched the sisters Yu Die and Cai Die duel before—their opponents were extremely tough to deal with.
Relying solely on Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng, they wouldn't even stand a chance against them, let alone Feng Xiaotian and Ning Tianchen.
If they were to face the Seven Treasures team, the sheer gap in soul power levels alone would allow the other side to overwhelm them effortlessly—would there even be a need for tactics?
"What about Feng Xiaotian?" Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply and asked solemnly.
Flender shook his head. "There's a layer of soul power barrier surrounding the arena. He hasn't activated his martial soul, so I can't detect anything. But I estimate that Feng Xiaotian is very likely a Soul King."
"Patriarch Ning dared to openly express confidence in the Seven Treasures team during the opening ceremony, probably because of Feng Xiaotian's strength," Tang San analyzed. "Ning Tianchen's soul power level may not have broken through to fifty levels yet, but his strength is definitely no weaker than Feng Xiaotian's."
"Teacher, what should we do?"
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
In the face of overwhelming strength, all techniques were mere illusions. Aside from adding stronger members to the team, what could he do?
Moreover, the team roster had already been submitted before the tournament began—it wasn't possible to make any changes now, even if they wanted to.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the rest area grew somewhat awkward.
---
On the stage, the match had already begun.
Although Zhu Zhuqing and Bao Zhen hadn't trained together beforehand, their coordination during the match was surprisingly smooth.
"Second soul skill, Thorny Bind."
Under Bao Zhen's control, the thorny vine crept along the arena floor toward the rear ranks of the Purple Star team, binding their control-type soul master.
Zhu Zhuqing seized the opportunity, accelerating suddenly and charging from the flank to eliminate the control-type soul master.
Cai Die, taking advantage of her flight ability, joined forces with Zhu Zhuqing to break through the Purple Star team's rear ranks.
The match was almost completely one-sided. The Seven Treasures team displayed excellent coordination but didn't reveal too many tactics—it was purely an overwhelming display of strength.
"Xiao San, if it were you, how would you handle the situation just now?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Tang San furrowed his brows, remaining silent for a long while before replying, "The thorny vine is too strange, and her casting range is very long. Aside from relying on speed to evade, I can't think of a good solution."
Once bound, the sharp thorns on the vines slowed down the opponent's ability to break free.
Auxiliary-type and control-type soul masters who were bound had almost no chance of breaking free using their own abilities.
After pondering for a moment, Yu Xiaogang suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Mubai, come with me for a moment—I have something to discuss with you."
Leaving the rest area, Yu Xiaogang pulled Dai Mubai into a secluded corner where no one else was around.
"Mubai, what are your thoughts on Zhu Zhuqing?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
At the mention of Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai felt a surge of anger welling up inside him. "That wretch betrayed me—sooner or later, I'll make her pay."
Yu Xiaogang chuckled and shook his head. "Mubai, if you say things like that, it makes you seem petty. In my opinion, if you clear up what happened between you two, Zhu Zhuqing will definitely return."
"Don't forget—you two still have a marriage contract."
Dai Mubai opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
After some thought, he said, "Master, Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul is no longer the Ghostly Spirit Cat. Even if she were to return, there wouldn't be a spirit fusion technique between us. Moreover, because of this, our marriage contract might very well be nullified."
Yu Xiaogang had some understanding of the matters concerning the Star Luo Imperial Family. He responded, "Even without a spirit fusion technique, you've seen Zhu Zhuqing's strength. I can assure you that her martial soul underwent a beneficial mutation—it's far superior to the Netherworld Spirit Cat in every attribute."
"The essence of a spirit fusion technique lies in the soul masters themselves. If you and Zhu Zhuqing work well together, why couldn't you defeat your opponents?"
"This..."
Seeing Dai Mubai waver, Yu Xiaogang pressed further. "Mubai, don't you want Zhu Zhuqing to return? And Oscar—I've heard from Xiao San that your relationship with him is quite good as well."
"With those two joining, our Shrek team's strength would increase significantly. As our strength grows and theirs diminishes, the Seven Treasures team would no longer be a threat."
Oscar at forty-five levels and Zhu Zhuqing at forty-three levels—two ready-made assets. Not to mention, they were also intimately familiar with the Seven Treasures team's tactical system.
Just as Dai Mubai was about to agree, his gaze suddenly dimmed. "But, Master, our team roster has already been submitted. Even if Xiao Ao and Zhu Zhuqing leave the Seven Treasures team, they can't join the Shrek team."
Unconsciously, Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, turned around, and tilted his head upward at a forty-five-degree angle, his eyes flashing with determination. "Don't worry—there's a loophole in the rules. I have a way to get them to join the Shrek team. However, whether they can return depends on you."
He held the Pope's Token—if he approached Bishop Salas with it, the other party would surely help. This, he didn't worry about.
Dai Mubai nodded firmly. "Tonight, I'll go talk to them and try to convince them to see reason."
Satisfied, Yu Xiaogang turned around and patted his shoulder. "Good. Everyone at the academy will wait for your news."
---
The match ended, and the Seven Treasures team returned to the rest area.
"Boss, they weren't as strong as you said. The entire team only had three Soul Ancestors, and the rest were Soul Elders—not even enough for me to fight alone," Chen Huayu complained.
Because he trusted Ning Tianchen's words, he had assumed the opponent had some hidden trump cards. When facing their Soul Elder-ranked members, he had inexplicably fallen into passive defense.
If anyone noticed, they'd probably call him a coward.
"Even the strongest must maintain a sense of vigilance. Are you thinking that your own strength is unmatched under heaven?" Ke Jie interjected, his eyes narrowing slightly, clearly poised to lecture Chen Huayu.
Ning Tianchen, knowing Chen Huayu's personality, quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Fatty, even a lion hunting a rabbit must give its all. Before understanding the opponent's strength, being cautious isn't wrong."
"Those who truly understand the game won't ridicule you for your performance—they'll even regard you as a positive example to warn others."
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