Encountering Soul Beasts and Showing Off, First Arrival in Heaven Dou Welcomes a New Battle

As dawn broke, the Shrek Seven Devils left the Suo Tuo City inn with their luggage. Flender rode at the front on his horse, a map of Heaven Dou City in hand. "We'll take the main road. If all goes well, we'll be there in three days. We might encounter Soul Beasts along the way, so stay alert!"

Tang San walked in the middle of the group, deliberately slowing his pace. He let his Blue Silver Grass quietly extend along the ground. "Even though the main road is safe, Soul Beasts could be hiding in the grass. Walking slower will allow the Blue Silver Grass to sense them in advance and avoid surprise attacks." While observing their surroundings, he instructed Xiao Wu, "Don't rush forward if we encounter a Soul Beast. I'll control it first, then you can find an opening to attack."

[Reason: "Using advanced sensing to prevent surprise Soul Beast attacks" to slow down the journey and avoid unexpected combat depletion. Slacking Value +1, current total 101 points]

After walking for half a day, just past a patch of woods, three 200-year-old Nether Wolves suddenly leaped out from the undergrowth. The leading wolf was carrying a rabbit in its mouth. Upon seeing the seven of them, it bared its teeth and lunged. Dai Mubai was about to charge forward, but Tang San stopped him. "The three wolves are coordinating closely. Let's control the middle one first to break their formation!" He instantly ensnared the middle Nether Wolf's leg with his Blue Silver Grass, deliberately wrapping it only halfway. "Wrapping it too tightly would allow the other two to sneak attack. Leaving half a loop for movement will disrupt its own rhythm." Xiao Wu seized the opportunity, leaping forward and using her Waist Bow to kick the middle wolf's head. The wolf immediately collapsed on the ground, twitching.

Seeing this, the remaining two Nether Wolves split up and lunged at Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong. Tang San immediately adjusted his Blue Silver Grass, wrapping half of it around the neck of the wolf attacking Ma Hongjun and using the other half to block in front of Ning Rongrong. "The wolf attacking Ma Hongjun has flames for self-defense. Let's protect the support system first, otherwise, we'll have no one to provide buffs." Although controlling two at once consumed more Soul Power than controlling them sequentially, he managed to protect Ning Rongrong. Dai Mubai seized the moment, charging forward and using his White Tiger Claw to dispatch the last two wolves.

"Tang San, why didn't you control them all at once? Ning Rongrong was almost pounced on!" Flender reined in his horse, asking with a frown.

"Controlling them all at once would consume too much Soul Power, and the wolves are fast, making it easy to miss. It's more stable to protect the support first before dealing with the others," Tang San replied, gesturing for Oscar to give Ning Rongrong a sausage. "See? No one is injured, and we still have enough Soul Power to deal with the next wave of attacks."

[Adjusting crowd control targets with the reason "prioritizing protection of the support system to prevent team imbalance," avoiding team attrition, Slacking Value +1, current total 102 points]

By the evening of the third day, the seven finally saw the gates of Heaven Dou City. The towering city walls were three times more magnificent than those of Suo Tuo City, and the guards at the gate wore armor trimmed with gold. As soon as they entered the city, they saw a crowd gathered around a notice board on the street. Flender squeezed his way through and looked, then waved with a smile. "Come over here quickly! The Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena is holding a 'Team Promotion Match.' Win three matches, and you can directly advance to the Silver Tier!"

Tang San leaned closer and saw the notice board read, "Opponents for the promotion match are randomly matched. One team is eliminated in each round." He deliberately feigned hesitation. "We've just arrived in Heaven Dou City and haven't adapted to the environment yet. Isn't it too soon to jump straight into the promotion match?"

"What's the rush? You guys even defeated the Imperial Dou Team, so why fear random opponents?" Flender patted his shoulder. "Sign up tomorrow and play one match to test the waters!"

Back at the inn, the seven devised a strategy for the promotion match. Tang San deliberately set his crowd control range to "within three meters in front." "The opponents in Heaven Dou City are of unknown strength. A smaller crowd control range allows for timely adjustments, while a larger one makes us vulnerable to sneak attacks from long-range Soul Masters." He drew circles on the tactical map and told everyone, "Don't go all out in tomorrow's first match. Let's just gauge the opponents' strength. Winning is enough."

[Shrinking crowd control range due to "unknown opponent strength in a new environment to prevent sneak attacks," avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total 103 points]

The next morning, the seven went to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena to register. The staff member was surprised when they saw the name "Shrek Seven Devils." "You're the group that defeated the Imperial Dou Team? Perfect timing. Today's opponents are the 'Ironclad Combination,' five Defense Type Soul Masters at level 22, all with the Steel Armor Martial Soul!"

The Spirit Combat stage was twice as large as Suo Tuo City's, and there were more spectators. Even the referee wore a magnificent robe. As soon as they stepped onto the stage, they saw five Soul Masters in steel armor lined up opposite them. The leader patted his chest. "Our Steel Armor can withstand attacks from Soul Elders. You can't win!"

After the referee announced the start, the five Ironclad Soul Masters immediately formed a circle, their steel armor clashing together with a "clang." Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame burned against them, leaving only a black mark; it couldn't penetrate at all. "Tang San, what do we do? The flames are useless!" Ma Hongjun shouted anxiously.

Tang San didn't rush to adjust the strategy. Instead, he let his Blue Silver Grass wrap around his teammates' legs. "They've formed a circle. If we charge in, we'll be surrounded. Let's pull ourselves together first and then find a weakness." He deliberately tightened the Blue Silver Grass, forming the seven of them into a tight circle. "Look, there are gaps in their circle. When Dai Mubai charges into the middle, I'll wrap the gaps in their Steel Armor, which should loosen it!"

"Tang San! Why are you wrapping your own teammates? Aren't you afraid they'll attack us?" Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had already lit up, but she didn't dare to add buffs rashly.

"Wrapping my teammates prevents us from being scattered. Their circle moves slowly. Let's stabilize our formation first and then look for an opportunity to attack; it's more effective than rushing in blindly," Tang San said. As the Ironclad Combination's circle slowly approached, he suddenly let his Blue Silver Grass slip into the gaps of their Steel Armor and gave a gentle tug. The leader's armor immediately tilted. "Dai Mubai! Now!"

Dai Mubai seized the opportunity and charged in. His White Tiger Fierce Light Wave struck the tilted armor, and with a "clang," a crack appeared in the steel. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing immediately circled around to the back, kicking at the gaps of the other Ironclad Soul Masters. Before long, all five Ironclad Soul Masters' armor was askew, making it impossible for them to form a circle.

"We surrender! We surrender!" the leader shouted helplessly. The referee raised the Shrek Seven Devils' hands and announced their victory.

The cheers from the audience were even more enthusiastic than in Suo Tuo City. Flender ran over with a smile. "Well fought! Win two more matches tomorrow, and you can advance to the Silver Tier!" Tang San wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself: Today I've accumulated 3 Slacking Points, bringing me closer to the next Soul Power Increase.

Back at the inn, after the seven celebrated, Tang San sat by the window meditating, deliberately slowing his Soul Power circulation by 10%. "Continuous travel and Spirit Combat. Slow meditation allows the meridians to rest; meditating too quickly can easily leave hidden dangers." He looked out at the night view of Heaven Dou City and thought to himself: The trials in Heaven Dou City are more exhilarating than those in Suo Tuo City. As long as I find the right reasons like "adapting to the new environment" and "stable team formation control," the "peak slacking path" will surely be even smoother!