Yu Xiaogang continued, "In the past, you've never undergone strength training, so it's normal for you to have some deficiencies in that area."
"In the future, I'll create a detailed cultivation plan for you—don't worry about it."
Back in the rest area, Tang San informed everyone of his current condition.
Dai Mubai chuckled, "Xiao San, I can't believe that in just over two years, you've grown to this extent. Yesterday, when I fought against the Balak Team, I exhausted both my stamina and soul power after defeating only four opponents. But you managed to defeat five, despite only suffering from immense physical exhaustion."
"Physical stamina is one of the factors that soul masters must consider during combat," Yu Xiaogang remarked thoughtfully.
Yu Tianxin asked in confusion, "Tang San, why didn't you use your Blue Silver Grass martial soul first? That way, in the earlier matches, you could've conserved a lot of stamina and soul power. Then, later, you could've switched to the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul and easily completed a one-against-seven sweep."
Had Tang San not considered this suggestion?
The answer was no—he had already thought about it before the match began.
Unfortunately, the two conflicting forces of soul power within him prevented him from switching martial souls in a short period of time; otherwise, he risked exploding from the strain. Continuously using the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul was a "necessary evil."
Of course, Tang San wouldn't admit that there was an issue with his twin martial soul cultivation.
Yu Xiaogang explained on his behalf, "Tianxin, we also need to consider the actual situation. The first contestant from the Portland Team was a fire-attribute soul master. Not only does fire suppress plant-type martial souls, but Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul also lacks strong offensive capabilities—it would've been difficult for him to defeat the opponent quickly."
"Switching between martial souls places a heavy burden on Xiao San. I think Xiao San's choice was correct."
Flender clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. "Regardless, Xiao San achieving a one-against-five sweep is a new record for Shrek Academy. Whether or not he completes a one-against-seven sweep isn't important. Xiao San, you should rest more and avoid overexerting yourself, so as not to affect your performance in the upcoming matches."
Tang San nodded solemnly.
Through the recent match, he had gained a clear understanding of the intensity required for a one-against-seven sweep.
He decided that unless he faced a weak team, he wouldn't attempt a one-against-seven sweep anytime soon.
After all, it was incredibly exhausting.
---
A few nights later, after finishing up at the medicinal herb shop, Dugu Bo entered the competition venue to look for Ning Tianchen.
The Royal Hunting Grounds prohibited outsiders, but for Dugu Bo, coming and going was effortless.
The Tiandou Imperial Family also intended to curry favor with him—they wouldn't dare cause trouble over such a trivial matter.
Inside the Seven Treasures Academy's tent, Dugu Bo used his perception of qi to locate Ning Tianchen.
"Kid, Tang Hao…"
He recounted how Tang Hao and his son had come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well a few days ago.
Ning Tianchen gave a faint smile and, after a moment, said, "By doing this, they probably won't come again."
Even if Tang Hao and his son entered, they wouldn't find anything valuable.
Whenever Dugu Bo's medicinal herbs were about to mature, he would usually return to check on them. It was nearly impossible for Tang Hao and his son to exploit a timing gap.
If Dugu Bo wasn't around, the medicinal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wouldn't have matured yet, rendering them useless even if Tang San took them.
What would be most beneficial to the father and son pair was the Ice and Fire Spring in the center.
Even if we assume the worst-case scenario—Tang Hao and his son somehow seized the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wasn't powerless.
For the sake of obtaining the Beautiful Silk Tulip in the future, Ning Fengzhi would surely send powerful sect members to reclaim it.
"Besides, I heard that something big recently happened in Balak City."
"The Balak Kingdom's Guardian Soul Douluo was killed by a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul user while out on a mission."
Ning Tianchen asked, "What level was this Guardian Soul Douluo?"
Dugu Bo thought for a moment and replied, "It was Kunlin Soul Douluo—I encountered him seven years ago. At that time, he was at level eighty-two. After all these years, he might've increased his strength by one or two levels."
To kill an eighty-four-level Soul Douluo and escape unscathed, the attacker must be at least an eighty-six-level Soul Douluo.
Among the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, the only ones with such strength were Yu Luomian and Yu Yuanzhen.
As the sole Title Douluo of the sect, Yu Yuanzhen's movements were closely monitored by various factions. There had been no reports of him leaving the sect recently, so the perpetrator could only be Yu Luomian.
"Why did Elder Yu attack someone from the Balak Kingdom?" Dugu Bo was perplexed.
Ning Tianchen explained, "The Spirit Hall has made moves in the Balak Kingdom—they likely aim to seize control of the Balak Royal Family. Elder Yu attacking them might have been under the Spirit Hall's orders."
This explanation made sense regarding why Yu Luo Mian had targeted the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in recent years.
This was probably his "letter of submission" to the Spirit Hall.
As for whether Yu Yuanzhen was involved, Ning Tianchen didn't know.
In the original timeline, the Spirit Hall's ability to annihilate the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family was likely inseparable from Yu Luomian's collusion.
After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family was surrounded by water on three sides, with Thunder Gorge acting as a natural barrier on the land connection. For the Spirit Hall's army to penetrate so deeply, there must have been an insider.
Ning Tianchen didn't know why Yu Luomian would collaborate with the Spirit Hall, but the outcome was inevitable.
"Elder Yu entangled with the Spirit Hall? What does he want? As the deputy head of one of the top three sects, is there really something he can't obtain?" Dugu Bo scoffed, unable to understand the man's reasoning.
Ning Tianchen seized on the key point of his statement. "You're right—he's the deputy head. So, the only thing he desires is to remove that 'deputy' title."
Dugu Bo couldn't agree. "Elder Yu's potential has already been exhausted—he has no chance of breaking through to level ninety. If he becomes the sect leader, without a Title Douluo to anchor the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, how can they maintain their status among the top three sects?"
Ning Tianchen shrugged helplessly. "It's just a guess—why are you taking it so seriously? Perhaps the Spirit Hall promised Elder Yu a way to break through to level ninety?"
Dugu Bo still found this far-fetched.
If the Spirit Hall truly had the ability to help those who had exhausted their potential break through to level ninety, why hadn't they used it on their own peak Soul Douluos?
Wouldn't increasing the number of Title Douluos be more beneficial?
Take Salas, for example. He had been a peak Soul Douluo for years, yet he hadn't broken through to level ninety.
Ning Tianchen backtracked, "Even if my guess doesn't hold, this incident is still too coincidental. Even if Elder Yu had personal grievances with Kunlin Soul Douluo, avenging himself at this time is far too sensitive."
"I'll have people from the sect keep an eye on things. If we gather any intelligence, we'll share it."
Dugu Bo nodded. "Alright. However, there's something you need to be cautious about."
"I noticed you're on good terms with Ning Fengzhi's daughter. Earlier, when I came here, I overheard Old Man Mengshu saying he wanted to 'give' his granddaughter to you."
"Haha, back in the day, I also had—"
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