(While writing, I forgot about Yu Tianheng, so I revised the earlier parts. He was now Shrek's captain.)
The moment Ma Hongjun heard that their opponents were the Heaven Dou Academy Reserve Team, his face turned deathly pale.
"It's over, it's over. With Xiao Wu's personality, isn't she going to beat us to death?"
As soon as he said that, Tailong, Jing Ling, Jiang Zhu, and the others on the Shrek Team did not feel much, but Dai Mubai and the others who knew Xiao Wu's temper well looked awful.
Oscar spoke even more timidly. "Since we're no match for the Heaven Dou Academy Team anyway, how about we forfeit the first match?"
Hearing his best friend's suggestion, Ma Hongjun immediately chimed in, "Little Ao's right. How about we forfeit the first match, conserve our strength? What do you all think?"
As soon as he said that, the others also showed signs of being tempted.
In the Heaven Dou City preliminary division, five teams would ultimately advance to the promotion round. The Shrek Team only needed to become one of those five teams; there was no need to fight Heaven Dou Academy tooth and nail. If they suffered serious injuries that affected the following matches, that would truly be a loss outweighing the gain.
However, even though they knew forfeiting was the best solution, this was the first match of the Spirit Master Tournament.
If Shrek Academy forfeited outright, they would likely draw the ridicule of nearly a hundred thousand spectators throughout the Grand Arena.
At that thought, unwillingness appeared on everyone's faces.
As captain of the Shrek Team, Yu Tianheng snorted coldly and swept his gaze over Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
"Cowering before the fight even starts—you may be able to bear that disgrace, but I can't!"
At his