Simulated Combat? Teamwork

Dawn had barely pierced Shrek's morning mist when the open space behind the academy had already been transformed into a temporary battlefield. Flender floated in midair, with Zhao Wuji and Yu Xiaogang behind him. All three wore unusually grave expressions. A five-meter-square arena had been marked out with lime on the ground, and eight rune-engraved wooden pillars stood around it. Vines emitting black mist coiled around the tops of the pillars—these were the "Simulated Corrosive Vine" Oscar had cultivated by mixing Poisonous Mire Grass remnants with Soul Power, specifically to simulate Spirit Hall's poison attacks.

"Stay sharp!" Flender's voice boomed like a bell. "According to reliable information, Spirit Hall has recently laid an ambush in Suotuo City. Their main force is a mixed squad skilled in poison and direct assault. Starting today, you'll undergo ten rounds of simulated combat training. If you fail to meet the teamwork standard, none of you will be getting any rest!"

With a wave of his hand, the vines on the pillars suddenly writhed, transforming into six humanoid phantoms wielding black blades. "This is a Spirit Hall squad setup simulated with my Soul Power—two Corrosion System control Soul Masters, three Assault System Battle Soul Masters, and one Agility Attack System scout. Your roles are clear: Dai Mubai holds the front line as the tank, Tang San controls the field with Blue Silver Grass, Lin Che breaks through as the main attacker, Ma Hongjun provides ranged damage, Oscar handles supplies, and Jiang Zhu focuses solely on healing."

"Remember," Yu Xiaogang added, pushing up his glasses, "Spirit Hall's tactical core is 'poison attacks to restrain, direct assaults to finish.' You must form a complete offensive and defensive loop within three breaths, or you'll be walking straight into death."

Dai Mubai immediately operated his Soul Power and unleashed Martial Soul Possession. White fur covered his entire body, and his tiger claws glinted coldly in the sunlight. "Don't worry, leave the front line to me!" Ma Hongjun rubbed his hands together as a Phoenix Phantom appeared behind him, orange-red flames flickering eagerly. Oscar quickly produced a pile of sausages and arranged them by type on a tray: green-glowing Anti-Poison Sausages and Recovery Sausages shimmering with Golden Light.

Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass. Its blades spread over the ground and wove a Defense Net beneath everyone's feet. "I'll use Blue Silver Grass Entanglement to restrain the Corrosion System Soul Masters first. Lin Che can seize the opportunity to break their soul skills." Lin Che nodded, holding the Azure Water Sword at an angle in his hand while the Universe Cauldron quietly hovered over his palm. After studying it the previous night, he had learned to freely adjust the cauldron's size with Soul Power, making it easier to deploy quickly in actual combat.

Jiang Zhu gripped the Seven-Colored Sacred Staff tightly. The green and golden markings on its shaft glowed faintly. The previous night, Lin Che had specifically taught her how to use the sensing techniques of the Spirit Grass Cultivation Method to predict the direction of poison flow. Now, she could clearly sense the corrosive Energy Fluctuation concealed within the vines on the wooden pillars. "I'll focus on the front line. The moment poison touches anyone, I'll purify it immediately."

"First round, begin!" Flender brought his hand down.

The phantoms on the wooden pillars instantly came alive. The two Corrosion System Soul Masters raised their hands at the same time, and black Soul Power transformed into poisonous arrows that shot toward Dai Mubai. Tang San had been prepared. Blue Silver Grass surged upward, forming a shield in front of him. Yet the instant the poison arrows touched the grass blades, they gave off a sizzling corrosion sound. The once-lush green leaves blackened and withered at a visible rate.

"Not good! This poison can corrode plant Martial Souls!" Tang San's expression changed as he hurriedly activated his Soul Power to reinforce the defense. But the Blue Silver Grass withered far faster than expected, and holes appeared in the blink of an eye. Taking advantage of the opening, three Assault System phantoms charged forward, their black blades stabbing directly at Dai Mubai's chest.

"Do not even think of it!" Dai Mubai roared as he met them head-on, his tiger claws colliding with the black blades in a shower of sparks. But the second wave of poisonous mist from the Corrosion System Soul Masters had already spread, slipping into his body with his breath. Dai Mubai felt his throat tighten, and the circulation of his Soul Power immediately became sluggish.

"Lin Che!" Tang San shouted urgently.

Lin Che had already moved. Pale golden light burst from the Azure Water Sword as he leaped off the remnants of the Blue Silver Grass, gathering Pale Golden Soul Power at the sword tip—the energy-analysis technique from the Spirit Grass Cultivation Method, capable of precisely cutting off the connection between Soul Power and poison. His sword light flashed, dividing the poisonous mist into two as it turned into black smoke and dissipated. At the same time, he raised his left hand, sending the Universe Cauldron flying out. Its body expanded to cover Dai Mubai, while Spirit Nourishing Fire ignited beneath its three legs and instantly burned away the clinging poison.

"Jiang Zhu!" Lin Che called as he landed.

Jiang Zhu was already in position. The green markings on her sacred staff lit up, and vine-like energy entered Dai Mubai's body through his wrist. Dai Mubai felt a cool current travel through his meridians, and the burning pain in his throat vanished instantly. "That's more like it! Now this is teamwork!"

Ma Hongjun seized the opportunity to attack, his Phoenix Fire Line lashing toward the Corrosion System phantoms like a long whip. Meanwhile, Oscar tossed an Anti-Poison Sausage to Tang San. "Eat it, quick! Restore your Soul Power!"

The first round ended amid chaos, and Flender's voice carried clear displeasure. "Too slow! After Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was corroded, the team stalled for a full two breaths! Dai Mubai, you could clearly predict the poison arrows' trajectory. Why didn't you evade beforehand?"

Dai Mubai scratched his head. "I was too focused on blocking the attacks. I forgot I had a speed advantage too." Tang San also blamed himself. "I relied too much on Blue Silver Grass. I didn't prepare a backup plan in advance."

Lin Che wiped his blade clean. "Next round, I'll deal with the Corrosion System Soul Masters first. Tang San, use Blue Silver Grass to restrain the Agility Attack System, so they can't ambush Jiang Zhu and Oscar." Jiang Zhu added, "I'll leave healing marks on all of you in advance. Once poison enters your bodies, it can be purified automatically."

Before the second round began, Oscar suddenly raised a new sausage. "This is a 'Detoxifying Sausage' I just developed. It can form an anti-poison barrier inside the body in advance. The duration is short, but it can buy us time to react." He had spent the entire previous night researching, and had finally incorporated the energy principles behind Jiang Zhu's poison purification into his sausage-making.

The second round of combat went far more smoothly. The moment the Corrosion System Soul Masters released their poisonous mist, Lin Che's sword light had already arrived. The Azure Water Sword accurately knocked aside the poison arrows, while the Universe Cauldron suppressed the spread of the toxic mist. Tang San abandoned frontal defense, transforming Blue Silver Grass into threads that wrapped around the ankles of the Agility Attack System phantom and dragged it into Ma Hongjun's range of flames. Dai Mubai moved flexibly through the field, blocking only attacks that could not be avoided and conserving Soul Power.

When the Corrosion System Soul Masters released a stronger "Corrosion Domain" in the third round, Jiang Zhu's sacred staff suddenly erupted with Golden Light. The healing marks she had left on everyone lit up at once, and the green markings extended automatically, blocking the poison that attempted to enter their bodies. "It worked! I can purify poison remotely through the marks!"

This breakthrough made the following rounds increasingly smooth. In the fourth round, an Agility Attack System phantom ambushed Oscar. Dai Mubai instantly returned to defend, swatting the phantom away with his tiger claws, while Jiang Zhu's golden markings had already repaired Oscar's slashed arm. In the fifth round, Tang San deliberately allowed his Blue Silver Grass to wither and lured the enemies deeper in. Lin Che seized the opportunity to cut down two Corrosion System phantoms, and Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Meteor Shower finished them off. In the seventh round, against enhanced corrosion soul skills, Oscar's Detoxifying Sausage and Jiang Zhu's purification formed a double layer of protection, and not a single person was poisoned.

By the ninth round, the team's coordination had reached near-perfect harmony. Flender deliberately increased the difficulty, raising the phantoms' Soul Power to the level of rank 30. The poison arrows of the Corrosion System Soul Masters now carried a paralysis effect. Tang San was the first to launch control. Though his Blue Silver Grass was corroded, he deliberately left behind fragments of leaves as markers. Lin Che followed those markers and instantly moved behind the Corrosion System phantoms. As the Azure Water Sword pierced through their cores, the Universe Cauldron blocked the counterattack from the Assault System phantoms.

Dai Mubai battled within the poisonous mist for a while. His arm had turned bluish-black, but he did not retreat in the slightest—he knew Jiang Zhu would support him in time. Sure enough, the green markings of the sacred staff swept past like lightning, instantly purifying the poison. The golden markings followed immediately, repairing his damaged meridians. Meanwhile, boosted by Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ma Hongjun's flames surged in power and burned down the final two phantoms in one stroke.

"Final round! Go all out!" There was a hint of approval in Flender's voice.

The tenth round's phantom lineup was exceptionally formidable: three Corrosion System phantoms, two Assault System phantoms, one Agility Attack System phantom, and an additional support-type phantom capable of releasing a Soul Power shield. The Corrosion System Soul Masters simultaneously unleashed "Soul Corroding Mist." Black Mist instantly enveloped the entire battlefield, making even the air thick and viscous.

"Rongrong, boost Lin Che's speed!" Tang San shouted. Golden Light from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda immediately wrapped around Lin Che. His figure became an afterimage as the Azure Water Sword unleashed seven consecutive arcs of sword light, first breaking the support phantom's shield. Tang San seized the opportunity to drive Blue Silver Grass into the ground, abandoning defense to launch "Blue Silver Grass Entanglement." Though corroded by the poison, it successfully bound the ankles of four phantoms.

Dai Mubai charged forward through the poisonous mist. White Tiger Meteor Shower forced back the Assault System phantoms, and his tiger claws left deep wounds despite the corrosion. Jiang Zhu's sacred staff was pushed to its limits, its green and golden markings weaving into a net of light that continuously purified the poisonous mist while repairing Dai Mubai's Injuries. Under Tang San's cover, Oscar rapidly produced a large number of sausages. Red Recovery Sausages and green Anti-Poison Sausages rained into everyone's hands.

After dealing with the support phantom, Lin Che immediately returned to aid Dai Mubai. The Azure Water Sword and the Universe Cauldron worked in tandem: sword light broke soul skills, and the cauldron suppressed poison. In the blink of an eye, he had slain two Corrosion System phantoms. Empowered by the boost, Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire transformed into a Fire Dragon and swallowed the Agility Attack System phantom in a single bite. The final two Assault System phantoms were bound by Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, and Dai Mubai delivered the killing blow.

When the final phantom dissipated, Flender finally smiled. "Not bad! No one was severely injured through ten rounds of combat, and your coordination efficiency has improved by seventy percent! This is the standard Shrek should have!"

[Detected that the host's team has completed high-intensity cooperative training. Overall coordination has reached 92%. "Teamwork Standard Met" confirmed.]

[Reward: [Rare Can] ×1. Team Soul Power affinity permanently +5%.]

An ancient clay can appeared out of nowhere in Lin Che's hand. It was smaller and more exquisite than the Epic Can, its surface engraved full of interwoven chain patterns symbolizing the bonds of the team. Everyone gathered around him, and Ma Hongjun rubbed his hands eagerly. "Open it already! Could it be some treasure that can boost the team's combat strength?"

Lin Che smiled and shook his head. "Let's save it. It'll be more worthwhile to open it when we hit a bottleneck." He could feel that after those ten rounds of training, not only was the team's coordination more seamless, but each person's Soul Power operated more smoothly. That five-percent Soul Power affinity boost was undoubtedly crucial support for dealing with Spirit Hall's ambush.

Jiang Zhu looked at the Seven-Colored Sacred Staff in her hand. Its green and golden markings had grown increasingly vivid. Through ten rounds of real combat, her control over "Poison and Heal Dual Ability" had become masterful. She could even predict the spread trajectory of poison in advance. Oscar, meanwhile, excitedly recorded the formula for his new sausages. This real battle had filled him with inspiration.

Flender walked up to them, his expression turning serious. "Training is over, but the real test is only beginning. Spirit Hall's Soul Corroding Poison is ten times stronger than the simulated version, and their Titled Douluo may strike at any time." He looked at Lin Che. "Your Universe Cauldron and Jiang Zhu's sacred staff are the key. Make sure you protect yourselves."

Lin Che tightened his grip on the Azure Water Sword as Golden Light flowed across the Universe Cauldron in his palm. "Don't worry. We're not fighting alone." Tang San nodded as well. "I've already informed Master. He'll help us formulate a response plan."

In the direction of distant Suotuo City, a Black Shadow quietly slipped in. Ghost Douluo Ghost Mei watched the post-training Shrek team through a Crystal Ball, his face dark. "His Majesty the Pope, their coordination is growing more seamless by the day. Jiang Zhu's purification ability is stronger than expected."

Bibi Dong's voice was filled with coldness. "Coordination? Then let them despair before absolute strength. Notify Yue Guan. In tomorrow's ambush, use the Bone Corroding Soul Poison. I want that sacred staff to fail completely."

As night deepened, Shrek's wooden cabins remained brightly lit. Everyone sat together, reviewing the details of the ten rounds of combat. Oscar grilled sausages nearby, their fragrance filling the air. Lin Che rubbed the Rare Can in his hand, understanding that it was not merely a reward, but the system's recognition of their team bond.

When tomorrow's sun rose, the ambush battle in Suotuo City would be unavoidable. But at this moment, as Lin Che looked at the companions beside him who worked with such perfect understanding, there was not the slightest fear in his eyes—their team had been forged through repeated trials into an indestructible force.