Before the Battle

After so many days of hard work, Ye Han and the others would finally earn their Gold Spirit Badges tomorrow—provided they defeated the Shrek Seven Devils.

So, to celebrate, everyone went to the largest hotel in Suotuo City.

"I didn't expect Yu Tianheng to lose even after becoming a Soul Ancestor. Looks like the protagonist group Xiao Han mentioned really can't be underestimated!" Yoruichi said lazily as she drank juice.

"Yeah! We need to be careful tomorrow. Don't let ourselves get overturned!" Honjou Kaede said softly as well.

Ye Han merely smiled. "I know most of their information fairly well. Since we have the chance, let me go over it now. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never be defeated!"

Esdeath spoke slowly upon hearing that. "Did Shrek hide their strength when they faced Yu Tianheng's team today?"

"Of course. First is the Martial Soul Fusion Skill we saw today. It's worth taking seriously. Since it's an energy construct, it would be best if we could interrupt it! Second, Tang San has Twin Martial Souls. He also possesses the Clear Sky Hammer, known as the world's number one Tool Martial Soul, and its power is formidable. Lastly, there are the Hidden Weapons. Those require special attention!"

Ye Han revealed all of Tang San's secrets in one breath, but to avoid an upset, it couldn't be helped.

"That Tang San really hid himself deeply," Lia said while eating.

"My, Xiao Han knows so much. You must have a plan already, right?" Kurumi asked with a smile.

Naturally, Ye Han was fully confident. "Tomorrow, when the Soul Fighting begins, everyone enters the Guild Chat. We'll use silent command. I'll be in charge this time, and Esdeath can fight freely!"

Hearing this, Esdeath revealed a seductive smile. For her, being limited to crowd control these past days had been far too stifling.

"We should've done this ages ago! You don't have much to do standing in the back every time anyway!" Esdeath said excitedly.

Ye Han rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, I don't do much? I have my Third Soul Skill now—it's one of our trump cards! And you say I'm useless!"

"My! Xiao Han is angry," Kurumi said with a smile, picking up a piece of pastry. "Ah! Eat my cake, and don't be angry anymore!"

"Damn it! Do you take me for a child?" Though Ye Han was somewhat speechless, he still had to eat the pastry Kurumi personally offered him. The previous Ye Han had refused, and the result was being hunted for several days.

"I think my Best Friend has always been crucial! After all, we're the best partners!"

Hearing Todo's words, Ye Han instantly revived at full health. "Listen to that! Now this is my Best Friend! Only Todo understands me! I'm crucial!"

As relaxed as the atmosphere was on Ye Han's side, the atmosphere on Shrek's side was just as grave.

This strategy meeting did not only include Shrek. Even the defeated Royal Fighting Team sat off to the side.

"Tomorrow is the day we face the Second Dimension Battle Team. I gathered some intelligence! First, there was their match against the Royal Fighting Team! It contained far too many strange elements, so I need to focus on it!" Grandmaster said sternly.

Seeing everyone fall silent, Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction. "First, the position swap between Ye Lingling and Todo had a signal—the clap. It was simple, but fatal, because I have no way of discovering how to counter that ability!"

"Then wouldn't Support Department Soul Masters be in great danger? If Rongrong and I get swapped over at random, wouldn't we be instantly taken out?" Oscar asked despairingly.

"I have a suggestion! I just don't know whether it will work!" Tang San suddenly said. "Could we have Xiao Ao prepare Mushroom Sausages before the match? That way, as soon as the match starts, we can all take to the air. No matter who gets swapped over, they'll have the ability to fly, while Todo, once swapped over, naturally won't be able to take off!"

Tang San's words lit up everyone's eyes. It truly made sense. Without the ability to fly, he naturally could not attack, while the others could quickly support whoever had been swapped over.

"Little San's suggestion is excellent. Once you take the field, decide based on the situation whether you need to use it. Next is the strangest part of the entire match! Why was Todo able to take every attack without injury?"

As Grandmaster finished speaking, everyone from the Royal Fighting Team pricked up their ears. They wanted to know this as well.

"Before Todo attacked, Kurumi Tokisaki and Honjou Kaede had both used Soul Skills. One was black mist, while the other was light! Furthermore, Honjou Kaede's originally black armor turned into white attire! Therefore, the issue must lie with those two!"

Grandmaster's eye was indeed sharp. Yu Tianheng, seated nearby, also suddenly understood. "Kurumi Tokisaki's black mist is her First Soul Skill. It can drain our Soul Power! I know that much. Then the problem must be Honjou Kaede!"

"But even if we know that, we have no way to break it! Even Yu Tianheng's Fourth Soul Skill seemed useless!" Ma Hongjun said helplessly.

"Two methods. Skills similar to domains consume a great deal of Soul Power, so drag it out. The other is to focus on Honjou Kaede and eliminate her first!"

Grandmaster had provided two lines of thought. Given the lack of information, it was already impressive that he had figured out so much.

Unfortunately, Grandmaster had miscalculated from the very beginning. In tomorrow's battle, Ye Han had no intention of holding back. Defeating Tang San with everything he had and obtaining the mission reward was what truly mattered.

Very soon, Grandmaster laid out all the intelligence currently available. Just facing the Soul Skills that had already appeared made Shrek feel somewhat powerless.

"Also, to ensure victory, you may use Hidden Weapons tomorrow. That will also protect the Support Department Soul Masters!" Grandmaster's words made everyone's eyes light up.

Tang San hesitated somewhat. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? Hidden Weapons are still quite powerful!"

"I considered that as well, but they can block two Fourth Soul Skills. Even if Hidden Weapons can injure them, the injuries will not be serious! I've already spoken with Ye Lingling to prevent any accidents!"

Grandmaster's words let Tang San breathe a sigh of relief. When it came to Hidden Weapons, Tang San had absolute confidence. Even Zhao Wuji, a Soul Saint, had suffered at his hands.

"Don't worry. As long as they aren't dead, I can save them!" Ye Lingling's cool voice slowly rang out.

"There is another point that is very favorable for you. I searched through a great deal of information. They have no Support Department Soul Master! All seven of them have fought one-on-one matches! That is why their Support Department Soul Masters are always the first to act!"

Everyone understood what Grandmaster meant. Without a Support Department Soul Master, their team's overall strength was naturally increased, but they could not sustain themselves for long.

After a few more reminders, Shrek's strategy meeting was declared over, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

The next day.

Early in the morning, both sides entered the Great Soul Arena one after the other.

The crowd today was unprecedentedly large. The Shrek Seven Devils, once considered the weakest, had drawn a huge number of supporters after using their Martial Soul Fusion Skill a few days ago.

Of course, when it came to the number of supporters, Ye Han's side still held the upper hand.

As soon as he entered, Ye Han saw Yu Tianheng with his arm around Tang San's shoulders.

"Yo! Morning, Ye Han!" Yu Tianheng greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Brother Ye!" Though everyone wore masks, they all knew exactly who was who.

Facing the two greetings, Ye Han was not an arrogant person. Somewhat irritably, he said, "Morning, Tianheng! You switched sides that easily?"

Yu Tianheng shamelessly replied, "You beat me so badly last time. Of course I have to get revenge!"

"Get lost!" Ye Han ignored Yu Tianheng and instead looked at Tang San. "I hope you take today seriously. I won't hold back!"

Tang San froze for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "Neither will I!"

With that, Ye Han left directly, while Yu Tianheng was still mulling over his words. "Damn! Are you saying you weren't even serious when you beat us before?"

Ye Han ignored Yu Tianheng's displeasure, and that was indeed the truth.

"What arrogance! Tang San, let me tell you, as your future senior, I strongly demand that you hit Ye Han right in that pretty face!" Yu Tianheng said resentfully to Tang San.

"Uh, I'll do my best!" Tang San smiled awkwardly and left. "I'll go prepare first! I'm off!"

Today, Grandmaster did not let them participate in any other matches, all so they could conserve their energy for the afternoon battle. Grandmaster also understood clearly that if they could win this match, it would be a transformation for Tang San and the others.

"Xiao Gang! What on earth have you been writing and stopping to write all along the way?" Flender asked uncertainly as he watched the somewhat abnormal Grandmaster.

Grandmaster's expression was grave. "To be honest, I've been thinking since this morning about our chances of winning, but even now, I haven't found any!"

"N-No way, right?" Flender found it hard to believe. "Even if their individual strength is outstanding, a Team Battle isn't as simple as one-on-one!"

"Then we'll see! Perhaps a crushing defeat can make these Little Monsters work even harder!" Grandmaster neither confirmed nor denied Flender's words.

But Flender was anxious. "Xiao Gang, are you sure about that? I bet on the Shrek Seven Devils to win! If they lose, won't I be ruined?"

Grandmaster's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at Flender. Sure enough, he should not have expected anything from him. He was not worried about Tang San and the others—he was only worried about his money.

"If you can withdraw the bet, you'll lose a little less!" After saying that, Grandmaster no longer wanted to pay Flender any attention.