Was Qin Yuan the Instructor?

Yan raised an eyebrow and said with obvious displeasure, "With our strength, we're more than qualified to compete. From what I've seen, many teams don't even have three Soul Ancestors. I don't know how they managed to advance!"

Xie Yue patted him on the shoulder and shook his head. "Don't question His Holiness the Pope's decision. Besides, we're the top talents in Spirit Hall. We can't judge other Soul Masters' cultivation speed by our own standards."

Hu Liena gave no opinion. Once the two had finished talking, she asked, "Have you found the expert our teacher mentioned?"

At the mention of that mysterious teacher, Yan immediately perked up.

"I checked. Every Battle Team from the Heaven Dou Empire that competed today had an older leader."

"The only team that hasn't competed is the Imperial Fighting Team. I heard their leader is a young Soul Master. A friend of mine was on duty at the city gate yesterday. Apparently, the man made the Star Luo Empire's convoy back down. He's a forceful one."

Yan was someone Spirit Hall had singled out for cultivation. Though he did as he pleased, plenty of people tried to curry favor with him.

Yan wasn't calculating. If someone amused him, he naturally considered them a friend.

Xie Yue nodded gravely and picked up the thread. "I heard about that too. The man seems to possess some kind of domain formed from killing intent. His aptitude is remarkable, and even quite a few people in the Star Luo Empire's delegation spoke highly of him."

"I wonder if our future instructor could be that Teacher Qin?"

The Divine Slaughter's Domain and Slaughter City were among the continent's deepest secrets.

Apart from Spirit Hall's and the Clear Sky Sect's senior ranks, only veteran Titled Douluo knew of them.

Xie Yue and the other two had only just set foot on the path of Soul Master cultivation. That desperate place was not somewhere they should go!

Yan considered it carefully, then said, "Probably not. Countless people in the Heaven Dou Empire sing Teacher Qin's praises. He must have joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Family long ago. Why would he train talent for Spirit Hall?"

"Still, there's no harm in paying him a visit. He's a Spirit Emperor with a domain, and so young at that. His future achievements can't be underestimated. Building a relationship early can only benefit us."

The hotel where the Imperial Fighting Team was staying.

The draw results were out. Tomorrow, the Imperial Fighting Team would face the Blue Tyrant Team.

Although Blue Tyrant Academy had been founded only a few years ago and had little reputation, it had reached the finals in both Soul Master Tournaments since its founding. It was a dark horse.

But its team had only three Soul Ancestors. Compared with the Imperial Fighting Team's five, it fell somewhat short in individual strength.

Qin Yuan tapped lightly on the tea table and said evenly, "The Blue Tyrant Team's luck ends here. Tomorrow, Ye Lingling will take the Support System Soul Master spot, and Dugu Yan will take the control spot."

This match was the two substitutes' only chance to compete. If they missed it, the opponents would only grow stronger, and Qin Yuan would not dare field them again.

Qin Yuan did not need to devise the Battle Team's tactics. The teachers on the strategy staff would prepare plans, then leave Qin Yuan and the Battle Team members to choose one.

Just as the discussion grew lively, someone knocked on the room's door.

"Who is it?" Lei Meng looked annoyed and ready to throw a punch.

Everyone was preparing their tactics. Interrupting them now was downright rude!

Qin Yuan pressed a hand down to calm him. "From the footsteps, there are three of them. And they're no one we know."

To avoid trouble, Qin Yuan had everyone put away the deployment diagrams on the tea table so outsiders could not get hold of them.

Qin Yuan opened the door halfway and leaned out, with no intention of letting the visitors in.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Outsiders were strictly forbidden from entering the Battle Teams' lodging area. These three were not contestants from the Heaven Dou Division, yet they had gotten in. They must have had high-level access within Spirit Hall.

Qin Yuan could roughly guess who they were.

But what were they doing here?

Xie Yue politely introduced the three of them, then bowed. "Senior, might you be the instructor His Holiness the Pope hired for us?"

Qin Yuan shook his head.

Bibi Dong had given him no commission, so the answer was no lie.

Who knew what Bibi Dong was thinking?

Until she gave him a Formal Commission, Qin Yuan would not acknowledge any such arrangement.

The smiles on their faces froze, and the three stood rooted to the spot.

His Holiness the Pope had not actually said their instructor was the Imperial Fighting Team's leader. They did not even know whether the person was a team leader at all.

The instructor was merely employed by an academy Battle Team from the Heaven Dou Empire. He might be one of the teachers handling logistics for some Battle Team, or he might have another job altogether.

Truthfully, the three had a good impression of Qin Yuan.

He was young, possessed a domain, and stood at the peak of the Spirit Emperor rank. Unfortunately, someone like him must already have been recruited by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. He could not be their teacher.

Hu Liena bowed. "Sorry, we were mistaken. We've disturbed you."

Qin Yuan gave it no further thought and closed the door.

Until Bibi Dong issued a Formal Commission and a system task appeared, he had no intention of offering his services.

If they wanted him to teach them his Movement Technique, it would depend on whether Hu Liena and the others were fated to learn it!

"If it isn't him, then who could it be?" Xie Yue was at a loss.

The Heaven Dou Empire's Battle Teams had plenty of young teachers handling logistics and other duties. If they widened the criteria, finding the instructor Bibi Dong had mentioned would be like fishing a needle from the sea.

After a pause, Xie Yue added, "I still think Teacher Qin is the most likely."

Yan protested, "I'd say that teacher is only skilled at creating Self-Created Soul Skills. He might be ordinary in every other respect—probably just a Soul Master with the strength of a Soul King."

He still wanted to give that teacher a little "welcome gift." If it really was Qin Yuan, he would not dare try anything.

After all, Qin Yuan had forced the entire Star Luo Empire convoy to retreat on his own and faced a Soul Douluo without fear. The three of them were merely high-level Soul Elders. They could not afford to provoke someone like that.

Inside the hotel room.

The visitors' youthful voices had left the Imperial Fighting Battle Team curious. "Teacher Qin, was that another Battle Team trying to gather information on us?"

Qin Yuan shook his head and continued arranging their tactics.

This would be the Blue Tyrant Team's last tournament under the name "Blue Tyrant."

In the years after this tournament, Flender, Tang San, and the others would arrive. Blue Tyrant Academy would officially be renamed Shrek Academy, and that name would endure for tens of thousands of years.

Judging by how things had gone in the original timeline, those who could defeat the Shrek Team could be counted on one hand. Whatever it took, Qin Yuan would have his team score a point against them tomorrow!

Even if the future still unfolded as it had in the original timeline, so what?

The Fighting Team would forever be a team that had defeated the Shrek Team—the Blue Tyrant Team!