Yu Xiaogang gazed at Tang San and couldn't help but sigh. "Xiao San, earlier on the stage, Yang Xiong had already announced our surrender. The opponents were even preparing to withdraw their soul skill, and someone was ready to intervene. Why didn't you give up? Was it because of Xiao Wu, or were you simply unwilling to concede?"
Tang San fell silent for a moment before replying, "Teacher, they injured Xiao Wu. I can't forgive them."
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned serious. "Xiao San, this is an arena match, a Spirit Duel. It's normal for both sides to sustain injuries. In your condition on the stage, none of you could have withstood Huo Wu's final soul skill. That attack was powered by three soul masters—no one could have blocked it, not even at your peak strength."
"On the stage, it wasn't just you. There were two relatively fragile auxiliary soul masters, and even Dai Mubai tried to persuade you. Why did you insist on going against everyone?"
Tang San replied, "Teacher, I understand all these principles, but I can't stand seeing Xiao Wu hurt. Every time Xiao Wu gets injured, I feel like killing the opponent."
Then he added, "By the way, what was the final result on the stage?"
Yu Xiaogang answered, "This time, all four of you were severely injured. You, Mubai, Xiao Wu, and Tai Long have been treated, but you'll need to rest for at least two days. Among the five of you, only Yang Xiong managed to withstand the attack without injury."
Tang San frowned in confusion. "How is that possible? I remember Yang Xiong was near the edge of the stage, but Huo Wu's soul skill covered the entire arena."
Yu Xiaogang sighed. "I don't know either, but Yang Xiong's defense is far stronger than we imagined. His defensive abilities might even surpass those of Huyan Li from the Elephant Armor Sect."
…
After a long conversation, Yu Xiaogang finally left the room.
Flender quickly sought out Yu Xiaogang. "Xiaogang, how did your talk with Xiao San go? Did he say anything?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "Flender, you should know Xiao San's personality. He's strong-willed, and his bond with Xiao Wu runs deep. We should support him more. Otherwise, our team will lose its cohesion."
Flender's expression grew grave. "Xiaogang, what are you talking about? There are seven people on the stage, and the other members don't have Xiao San's physical resilience. Yang Xiong had already received my instruction to concede, yet Xiao San stubbornly insisted on resisting the opponent's soul skill, resulting in four people getting injured."
"If Yang Xiong hadn't decisively pushed Oscar and Ning Rongrong off the stage, six people would have been injured. Especially Oscar and Ning Rongrong—they're just auxiliaries. If they'd been injured, it would have been much worse. And before approaching me, Yang Xiong had actually tried to consult you, but you didn't notice his situation."
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Flender, I apologize for this. My focus was entirely on Xiao San, and I didn't pay attention to the others. I underestimated the power of Huo Wu's soul skill and trusted Xiao San's judgment."
Flender shook his head. "Xiaogang, I know Xiao San is your disciple, and you've invested so much in him. But now, you're the leader of this team. You need to think about the entire team."
"This is just an arena match, an ordinary competition. Injuries are normal in such matches. We can't let the whole team become passive because Xiao Wu was injured, or disregard the safety of all the members."
…
As Flender and Yu Xiaogang debated over the events on the stage, Liu Erlong suddenly interjected.
"Big Brother Flender, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill? I think Tang San and Xiao Wu are deeply loyal and courageous. Especially Tang San—he always risks himself to protect Xiao Wu whenever she's injured. That's true manhood."
Flender couldn't help but shake his head. "Every time Tang San acts like this, he loses his composure and judgment on the stage. For a team's core, that's fatal and leads to poor decisions."
Liu Erlong countered, "It's just a Soul Master Competition. These little monsters are still young and immature. Besides, we're treating this competition as practice. Their real rise will come in the next Soul Master Competition."
Flender turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Xiaogang, do you feel the same way? Do you really not take this Soul Master Competition seriously?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression became extremely serious. "Once we step onto the stage, we must pursue victory. Every match, we aim to win. In this regard, I support Xiao San."
Flender couldn't help but shake his head as he looked at Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong's expressions. He was now unsure how to view this Soul Master Competition.
Compared to Flender and the others' struggles, Yang Xiong was much more relaxed. He casually strolled through the academy campus, holding Ning Rongrong's hand. After spending so much time together, the two were widely regarded as the academy's golden couple. Others had grown accustomed to seeing them together, and no one disturbed the young lovers.
However, before Yang Xiong could fully enjoy the moment, a stern figure appeared before him—Sword Douluo.
Seeing Sword Douluo, Yang Xiong immediately felt a chill run down his spine. When he first arrived at Tian Dou Imperial Academy, Sword Douluo had given him a hard time. Though things had improved recently, neither Sword Douluo nor Bone Douluo had provided much combat guidance lately.
Ning Rongrong greeted him cheerfully. "Grandpa Sword, why are you here? Didn't you already see Father and Grandpa Bone today?"
Sword Douluo's expression softened slightly. "I heard you encountered danger on the stage and came to check on you to make sure you're alright."
Ning Rongrong smiled. "I wasn't in any danger. Little Bear made sure I left the stage right away."
Rarely showing favor to Yang Xiong, Sword Douluo gave him a rare approving look. "Yang Xiong, your performance this time was commendable. At least you didn't tarnish the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's reputation. Remember, on the stage, Rongrong's safety comes first. As for victory or championship, those are just childish games—not important."
Yang Xiong forced a smile. "Thank you, Elder Sword Douluo. I'll keep that in mind."
The next day, the teams drew lots for the next match. Yu Xiaogang and Flender's expressions were grim.
Their opponent was called Flame Radiance Academy—a second-tier team with mediocre results. They had only one Soul Ancestor.
However, compared to Flame Radiance Academy, Shrek Academy's team was in dire straits. Four of their seven main members were injured, and Tang San and the others would miss at least two matches.
Yang Xiong quickly spoke up. "Master, Principal Flender, I suggest we forfeit this match. With our current lineup, we don't stand a chance."
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned serious. "Are you afraid? Don't forget—you're elites of Shrek Academy. Don't you want to prove yourselves?"
Everyone exchanged glances. While they wanted to showcase their skills, they couldn't afford to be reckless.
Now, Shrek Academy's team consisted of Yang Xiong, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, Qin Shuang, Jiang Zhu, and Ma Hongjun—four of whom were originally substitutes.
In this lineup, Yang Xiong was the strongest at Level 38, followed by Ning Rongrong and Oscar at Level 36, Zhu Zhuqing and Qin Shuang at Level 34, and Ma Hongjun at only Level 33. Jiang Zhu was at Level 35.
In comparison, most advanced soul master academy teams had at least one Soul Ancestor, with the rest typically above Level 37 and substitutes above Level 35.
Moreover, this lineup was highly unbalanced. They had three auxiliaries, while other teams generally had only one non-combat auxiliary. Having two auxiliaries was already considered extreme.
This meant that their four battle soul masters would face six opponents on the stage. If the enemy targeted their auxiliaries, it would be difficult to protect them.
Especially after the previous match, where Captain Dai Mubai and Vice-Captain Tang San made several poor decisions, leaving the team in a constant state of passivity. Unfortunately, both were injured this time.
Yu Xiaogang carefully observed the group, his gaze finally landing on Yang Xiong. "Yang Xiong, this time, you'll act as our powerhouse attacker. With your attack power, you should be able to break through their formation. Perhaps we'll achieve unexpected results."
Yang Xiong sighed helplessly. "Master, you're mistaken. Teamwork requires coordination. I've been practicing as a defensive soul master for the past year. Suddenly switching to an offensive role will disrupt our synergy, making us vulnerable."
"Besides, we have three auxiliaries. If the opponent assigns two or three people to restrain me, our auxiliaries will become sitting ducks."
"Moreover, without Tang San, the team has no control-type soul master—essentially, no brain. Fighting without one would put us at a severe disadvantage."
The other team members nodded in agreement, while Yu Xiaogang's expression turned sour.
Over the years, Yu Xiaogang had built Tang San into the team's tactical core. Most strategies revolved around him. The team had only one control-type soul master, Tang San. Even the three Elder Committee members had suggested adding a substitute control-type soul master, but Yu Xiaogang had rejected the idea.
As a result, the team was now severely imbalanced. There was no point in sending them onto the stage. They couldn't rely on Yang Xiong to take on all seven opponents—every team had dedicated defensive soul masters and coordinated tactics.
Privately, Oscar and Ning Rongrong had sometimes felt sorry for Yang Xiong. Normally, his attack power surpassed even Tang San's and Dai Mubai's, but he had been relegated to a defensive role. On the stage, defensive soul masters rarely shone as brightly as powerhouse attackers.
However, Yang Xiong remained unusually laid-back. He only cared about protecting his girlfriend and friends. He never intended to be the hero who turned the tide. The more he stood out, the more likely he'd attract unwanted attention from the Spirit Hall. Instead, he preferred to focus on cultivation and wait for the right opportunity.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang suddenly cleared his throat. "Little Monsters, I've recently received some news. The finals of this competition will be held in Spirit City. The champion's reward is beyond anyone's imagination—three top-tier soul bones."
The group was stunned. Soul bones were known as blood river treasures, extremely rare in the soul master world. So far, only one soul bone had appeared in the entire competition.
It was said that after Huyan Li displayed his head soul bone, Huyan Zhen had stayed by his side every day, fearing for his grandson's safety. The allure of soul bones for soul masters was undeniable.
Huyan Zhen, an 88th-level peak Soul Douluo and the sect leader of the lower-ranked Elephant Armor Sect, was incredibly powerful and prestigious. Yet even he couldn't fully ensure Huyan Li's safety.
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