At those words, the meeting room erupted into an uproar.
Dai Mubai folded his arms across his chest, his brows shooting up.
"Replacing the captain? What about Xie Yue?"
According to the intelligence they had gathered, Xie Yue had always been the undisputed core of the Martial Soul Hall Team.
Changing generals on the eve of battle was a grave taboo in military strategy.
Yu Xiaogang drew a deep breath and slammed the papers in his hand onto the table.
"He's been replaced."
"Three days ago, at Spirit Hall's Martial Arts Arena."
"One man challenged every member of Spirit Hall by himself."
Yu Xiaogang's voice sounded dry with utter shock.
"And won decisively."
Dead silence.
The meeting room fell into a long silence.
They all knew how strong Spirit Hall's Golden Generation was.
Every one of them had Soul King-level strength or higher, and yet one man had challenged them all by himself?
Ma Hongjun's curiosity got the better of him. He was the first to hurry over to the table and look at the paper.
The next second, the fatty's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
The paper bore the new captain's name, along with an exceptionally lifelike portrait.
The young man in the picture wore a calm expression, his hands clasped behind his back. There was an indescribable ease about him.
"It's him!"
Ma Hongjun sucked in a sharp breath, his bulky body trembling uncontrollably.
Tang San was seated nearby and immediately sensed that something was wrong with Ma Hongjun.
He turned to the fatty and asked in a low voice,
"You know him?"
Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth, his fists clenching with a crackle as anger blazed in his eyes.
He stretched out a trembling, stubby finger and pointed at the portrait.
"Third Brother, it's him!"
"That little bastard who beat me and Grandmaster half to death on the streets of Heaven Dou City and humiliated Shrek Academy in public!"
"That guy named Gu Sheng!"
Ma Hongjun was worked up. The humiliation and pain of that day came surging back.
At those words, Tang San immediately turned to Yu Xiaogang, seeking confirmation.
Yu Xiaogang's face was ashen as he nodded gravely.
"Hongjun's right."
"He's the young man we encountered on the street that day."
"I never thought he'd join the Martial Soul Hall Team and become their captain."
"Spirit Hall changed the finals format. There'll be two teams, and the winner will be decided in a single team match. If we want to win the championship, we'll have to face them."
Tang San's gaze returned to the portrait.
He studied the young man's face in silence, his eyes narrowing slightly as a dangerous violet glint flashed deep within them.
"He hit the fatty."
"He hit Teacher."
Tang San slowly rose to his feet.
His voice was perfectly calm, without a hint of emotion. But those who knew him understood that this was what he was like when truly enraged.
"Tomorrow, in the finals, I'll make him pay back every last bit—with interest."
At that, Dai Mubai slammed his palm on the table and stood up.
Wild fighting spirit flickered in his eyes.
"Count me in!"
"He dares to bully one of our own? I don't care if he's a god or a ghost. We'll beat him first and ask questions later!"
Zhu Zhuqing sat in the corner, her cool face betraying no emotion.
She simply nodded in silence, showing her support.
Xiao Wu stood beside Tang San, her fists clenched as she waved them angrily.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance.
Neither hesitated. They both nodded solemnly in agreement.
Looking at the friends around him, united against a common enemy,
Ma Hongjun sniffed, his eyes instantly reddening.
The grievances he had kept bottled up inside all these days were finally released.
"Third Brother..."
Ma Hongjun looked at Tang San, his voice full of gratitude.
Tang San reached out and patted the fatty's shoulder firmly, reassuring him.
"We're family. You can't just let them get away with hurting you."
"Get a good rest. Tomorrow, we'll win the championship!"
At the same time,
in a luxurious room on the top floor of Spirit Hall's residence,
Qian Renxue stood silently before a huge floor-to-ceiling window.
The cool moonlight fell across her beautiful face, bathing her in a sacred glow.
Her gaze pierced the night, resting on the magnificent arena in the distance where the finals would be held.
A faint fragrance of tea filled the room.
Gu Sheng lounged casually in a wide, velvet-upholstered chair.
He held a delicate white porcelain teacup in one hand, sipping his tea at an unhurried pace.
The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.
"Shrek's record is impressive."
Qian Renxue turned around, her relaxed brows drawing together slightly as she broke the silence.
"On their journey here, they've shown strength and resilience far beyond that of the other academies."
Gu Sheng took a small sip of tea.
He set down his cup and said nothing, simply listening in silence.
Qian Renxue strode over to Gu Sheng on her long, graceful legs.
Beneath her luxurious gown was a figure that would leave the world in awe.
"You need to be careful."
Qian Renxue looked at Gu Sheng, her voice carrying a trace of concern she could barely hide.
Gu Sheng set his teacup back on the table.
He slowly raised his head and met her beautiful golden eyes.
"Are you worried about me?"
Gu Sheng's voice was steady, touched with a hint of laziness.
Caught out, Qian Renxue's cheeks turned faintly red.
She shot Gu Sheng an annoyed look, trying to maintain the dignity of the young mistress.
"I'm being serious!"
"Those people from Shrek are full of schemes, and they have one trick after another. Don't underestimate them just because you won before."
At that, Gu Sheng rose from his chair at an unhurried pace.
He walked slowly toward Qian Renxue, one step at a time.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
Gu Sheng lifted a hand and casually tipped up Qian Renxue's smooth, pale chin.
Their skin touched, cool and delicate.
Qian Renxue trembled slightly.
"When have you ever seen me lose?"
Gu Sheng looked into her eyes. There wasn't a ripple in his deep gaze, only absolute confidence.
Qian Renxue's face grew hot. She forced herself to stay composed and slapped his fingers away.
"Shrek is different."
She stubbornly held her ground.
"How are they different?"
Gu Sheng smiled without a care and stepped closer.
Qian Renxue instinctively retreated.
She kept going until her back met the cold wall, leaving her nowhere else to go.
Now she was completely enveloped by Gu Sheng's presence.
Her beautiful, long legs—enough to drive any man wild—were pressed tightly together, and her chest rose and fell faster with nervousness.
An ambiguous air quickly spread between them.
Gu Sheng leaned forward slightly.
He brought his face close to Qian Renxue's ear, near enough to feel their warm breaths mingling.
His voice was soft, yet seemed to pierce straight into her soul.
"Who do you think will win?"
Qian Renxue's breathing fell out of rhythm.
She gazed at the handsome face so close to hers, feeling the powerful pressure he exuded. For a moment, she couldn't manage a single word in response.
Seeing Qian Renxue wear this rare, girlish expression,
Gu Sheng gave a satisfied, quiet chuckle.
He stepped back and straightened the front of his dark robe.
"Don't worry."
Gu Sheng turned, opened the door, and strode out of the room.
Qian Renxue leaned against the wall, watching his retreating figure.
She let out a long breath, but her heart was still beating far too fast.
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