Ning Tianchen patted his head and said irritably, "Don't underestimate your opponents. Watch more matches from other teams—you might even learn some new techniques."
"Our opponent tomorrow is the Plant Academy. Since you're bored, you'll be the first to go on stage and give them a good lesson."
Chen Huayu gave a bitter smile. "Isn't the Plant Academy team made up entirely of female students?"
Oscar raised an eyebrow at him. "Isn't that great? Tianchen's letting you experience the thrill of crushing flowers with your bare hands."
"Such nonsense!" Ke Jie said in exasperation.
Amidst their banter, it was soon time for the Shrek Team's match.
Today, their opponent was the Beast Academy.
From the overall strength of the teams in this promotion round, the Beast Academy's strength was at the bottom of the rankings.
Tang San volunteered. "Teacher, let me take the stage for this match. The Beast Academy team isn't strong—I want to attempt completing a one-against-seven sweep."
"How confident are you?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Tang San replied seriously, "There are three Soul Elders on the Beast Team. If I can defeat more than three Soul Ancestors in the first five matches, I have an eighty percent chance of succeeding."
Yu Xiaogang patted his shoulder. "Xiao San, what Flender said is right—don't let the pursuit of a one-against-seven sweep affect your competitive condition. You can try in this match, but remember to gauge your limits."
"Teacher, don't worry."
After some thought, Yu Xiaogang arranged, "Alright, let Huang Wu and Jing Ling go first. Just intentionally lose the matches—no need to waste time."
In the Soul Master Tournament, there were no penalties for throwing matches. This approach would allow them to lull their opponents into complacency and create conditions for Tang San to achieve a one-against-seven sweep.
"Uncle Xiaogang, are you planning to imitate what the Seven Treasures Academy did back then?" Yu Tianheng asked.
As one of the people involved, Yu Tianxin was quite familiar with the situation.
Although he felt that the Seven Treasures Academy's performance during the inter-academy tournament had been too outrageous and disrespectful to their opponents, now he had to admit that it was a good strategy.
Huang Yuan and Jing Ling were essentially just extras on the team—they didn't care about winning or losing, so they readily agreed.
---
Under the referee's repeated urging, Huang Yuan was the first to step onto the stage.
The Beast Academy sent out a Soul Ancestor to face him.
For the past few days, Tang San hadn't participated in Shrek Academy's matches, and the stage hadn't been destroyed again.
Seeing that Tang San wasn't the first contestant, the referee finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, less than a minute into the match, Huang Yuan deliberately left an opening and was knocked off the stage by his opponent.
Jing Ling, who went on stage next, was even more ridiculous. Just ten seconds into the match, he accidentally ran off the stage because he failed to stop in time due to his excessive speed.
"This scene feels somewhat familiar," Chen Huayu muttered as he rubbed his nose.
Zhu Zhuqing confirmed, "Jing Ling's actions are exactly what I did during the inter-academy tournament."
"They're trying to imitate our tactics to create conditions for Tang San to achieve a one-against-seven sweep," Ning Tianchen said casually.
Eliminating two opponents in a row was bound to lull the Beast Academy team into a false sense of security.
With this record under their belt, the opponents were unlikely to choose to concede.
"Hmph, I hope when it's our turn to face them, the Shrek Team won't dare surrender," Chen Huayu clenched his fists and said angrily.
Especially since Dai Mubai had bullied his brother Oscar—he'd long wanted revenge.
---
On the stage, after Jing Ling was eliminated, Tang San stepped onto the platform.
When the referee saw him, his face fell as if he'd seen a plague. Though reluctant, they had to prepare to repair the stage once again.
In the Beast Academy's rest area, Dragon Duke and Serpent Grandmother sat beside Meng Yiran.
"Yiran, forget about Ning Tianchen. This Tang San is also quite good. Use today's match to seize the opportunity," Mengshu advised.
"Grandpa!" Meng Yiran complained. "You were the ones who told me to get close to Ning Tianchen earlier, and now you're telling me to switch to Tang San. What do you think I am?"
Mengshu was helpless but couldn't reveal that they had been threatened by Dugu Bo.
Chao Tianxiang smoothed things over for him. "Yiran, this is our oversight. But after careful consideration, we realized that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect can't bring much benefit to the family."
"Right now, they're a thorn in the Spirit Hall's side. If our family gets too close to them, wouldn't we be throwing ourselves into the fire?"
Meng Yiran angrily retorted, "What about Tang San? There have already been rumors that he's a disciple of the Hao Tian Sect and the son of Tang Hao."
"Aren't the Hao Tian Sect and Tang Hao in an even worse situation than the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Mengshu shook his head. "Yiran, you can't say that. The Hao Tian Sect has been in seclusion for so many years—there must be countless talented individuals within their ranks. Besides, the Spirit Hall is targeting Tang Hao, not Tang San. How does this involve him?"
"When the Hao Tian Sect reemerges, they will undoubtedly become a super sect. If our family aligns with them, we'll have better prospects for the future."
Meng Yiran fell silent.
This whole situation was truly absurd.
Not long after, Chao Tianxiang patted her shoulder. "Yiran, Tang San has already eliminated three opponents. Next, it's your turn to go on stage."
"For this match, win or lose doesn't matter. Just interact well with Tang San and try to leave a good impression on him."
Without responding, Meng Yiran walked onto the stage like a soulless shell.
Seeing a familiar face, Tang San couldn't help but greet her. "Meng Yiran, it's been a while since we last met in the Star Dou Forest."
Thinking back to what happened then, Meng Yiran's expression turned grim.
She angrily said, "Tang San, you stole my spirit ring and still dare to boast about it?"
It was Oscar who had absorbed the spirit ring, and he was no longer a student at Shrek Academy, so Tang San naturally denied responsibility. "Meng Yiran, the spirit ring was absorbed by Oscar. I barely contributed to the hunt for that spirit ring. So, you can't blame me for this, right?"
Meng Yiran knew full well that both Oscar and Ning Tianchen were no longer part of Shrek Academy, but she still felt resentful.
The match began, and despite being a thirty-eight-level Soul Emperor, she took the initiative to attack Tang San.
Tang San placed the Hao Tian Hammer in front of him and casually dodged her attacks.
However, in the eyes of the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent couple, this exchange looked like flirtatious banter.
Chao Tianxiang said contentedly, "Old man, it seems the events that happened back in the Star Dou Forest have become the key to opening up a conversation between them. By the end of this match, they'll probably have formed impressions of each other."
But was that really the case?
Wielding the Hao Tian Hammer consumed a lot of physical stamina. Since Meng Yiran was only a Soul Emperor, Tang San didn't need to waste too much energy on her.
The match lasted three minutes before Tang San kicked Meng Yiran off the stage with a single strike.
Though the match had taken longer, Tang San had managed to recover some of his stamina during this time.
Facing the remaining members of the Beast Academy, he wouldn't have to leave the stage prematurely due to exhaustion.
"Tang San, you're despicable!" Meng Yiran clutched her chest and shouted angrily.
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