After easily advancing to the final sixty-four with a perfect record, You Jie and the Lan Sisters charged toward the championship with even greater energy.
Perhaps Zhang Lexuan's covert intervention had worked too well. The entire elimination tournament, right up to the quarterfinals, had seen no truly even match between top teams.
Although dozens of teams had entered the final sixty-four undefeated, there weren't many truly elite ones. And the four teams with a Soul Elder hadn't faced one another, not even in the quarterfinals.
But once the tournament reached the semifinals, things changed.
Wang Dong's team from Freshman Class One had clawed its way up from the edge of the sixty-four to become a dark horse. In the quarterfinals, they sacrificed Chun Sanxiang to defeat the team led by Soul Elder Xie Huanyue and advance to the semifinals. They were now the only team there without a Soul Elder.
It seemed their good fortune had run its course, though, because they had to challenge a team led by a Soul Elder while missing one of their own members.
The good news: the opposing Soul Elder was an auxiliary type, without the overwhelming power of a Battle Soul Master.
The bad news: that auxiliary Soul Master's Martial Soul was the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
A Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master had little combat ability of her own, but with her buffs, she could raise both of her Soul Grandmaster teammates to Soul Elder-level strength.
Even in a small three-on-three match, a team could use a sacrifice play to take out the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master first and turn the tide—but that was an extremely risky strategy.
Besides, Wang Dong's team was now down to just Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. They had no choice but to fight to the bitter end against two Soul Grandmasters bolstered by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master.
That morning, in the dining hall of Shrek Academy's outer court, Ning Tian—the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Elder from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—sat across from You Jie at the little table he had brought himself.
As for why You Jie had brought his own little table...
It was because there were no tables in Shrek Academy's outer-court dining hall!
"Give me a recommendation. What new Soul Tools have you had the Shrek Soul Tool Department develop lately?"
"In terms of types, there aren't any completely new Soul Tools at the moment. But we've adopted a new process to increase the strength of metal materials, so even Soul Tools of the same type can perform much better when made with the improved materials."
You Jie explained as he ate steamed buns and drank soy milk, glancing toward Wu Feng, who stood by the dining hall entrance keeping watch.
It was still early. Only people like Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who practiced the Purple Demon Eye, could drag themselves out of bed. Most of the others were probably still meditating or asleep.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was arguably the sect among the three Douluo Continent nations that showed the greatest respect for Soul Tools. If not for certain differences in their positions, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would most likely have become Mingde Hall's ideal partner.
And now, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was the Shrek Academy Soul Tool Department's biggest customer. So it was only natural that Ning Tian knew about You Jie, the key figure who had more than tripled the department's overall strength.
"Oh? Just improving the strength of the materials can greatly enhance a Soul Tool's performance? That's fascinating... I wonder how many Gold Soul Coins it would take to buy this technology."
"Neither of us has the authority to make that decision, so there's no point speculating about it. It depends on how Old Qian and Dean Xian get along with your people.
"Still, I hope you'll join us in pushing the limits of material strength. Also, do you know anything about the Strength Clan? They were once vassals of the Clear Sky Sect, then got talked into joining the Tang Sect, and now no one knows whether they're dead or alive."
Although the Strength Clan had once been fiercely loyal to Tang Hao and Tang San, ten thousand years had passed. The Tang Sect was on its last legs, yet the Strength Clan hadn't shown up to die for its master. And in the original story, there had been no mention of any connection between the Strength Clan and the Clear Sky Sect.
Considering their talent for forging, if the influence of God King Tang's Curse could be removed, they might become excellent blacksmiths and give Qian Duoduo more time and energy to study Spirit Forging.
Only...
"What an old-fashioned name... Our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has always wanted to recruit them. In fact, we considered all of the Four Single-Attribute Clans back then,
"but they've remained missing ever since. Just like those people on Sea God Island, perhaps they've hidden themselves even more thoroughly than our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. And it's possible they've changed significantly over the years, too..."
Looking at Ning Tian's serious expression, You Jie could tell she wasn't lying, and he sighed.
Still, perhaps that was for the best. It would save them the time and effort of detoxifying so many people.
"By the way, you seem to have it in for that Wang Dong from the Clear Sky Sect. You went especially hard on her team during the group stage. Was that just to get back at their homeroom teacher?"
Seeing You Jie sigh, Ning Tian was inexplicably reminded of the giant red warrior that had appeared on the third day of the Freshman Assessment. Then she thought of Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Zhou Yi being sent flying.
Ning Tian had once heard from an elder responsible for liaising with Shrek Academy that You Jie of Shrek Academy had the makings of a great emperor—cross that out—and could summon creatures as powerful as high-ranking Soul Masters and Soul Beasts.
Besides, when that elder—and her father, the sect master—had given her their advice, they had added a few pointed hints.
She had been skeptical at first, but after seeing the Junk Berserker, she became completely convinced that the rumors were true.
As for those hints... Ning Tian had been rather helpless about them, but later realized that if they were only friends, You Jie really was a pretty great guy.
As for the closer relationship her elders had hinted at...
Me, fighting Zhang Lexuan? Seriously?
Also, since You Jie had pulled off the same stunt twice, leaving Zhou Yi elbowed by her own student and pressed up against a wall, Mu Jin, the homeroom teacher of Ning Tian's class, had been so happy she was practically floating as she walked.
And once she learned who they would face in the semifinals, Mu Jin had been even more eager for Ning Tian's team to elbow Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao out of the tournament and deny them a spot in the top three.
After learning about the grudge between Mu Jin and Zhou Yi, Ning Tian naturally wasn't going to go easy on Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. So she decided to use the opportunity to get more detailed information out of You Jie.
"Of course not. But Wang Dong is dangerous. When you fight her, don't let your guard down until the very last moment, no matter what. There's something strange inside her. She might turn into a monster that can't lose as long as she's still breathing.
"Besides, I'm looking forward to facing you in the finals. And don't worry—I won't be too rough with a big customer."
You Jie set down the cup of soy milk he had just finished, tidied himself up, and gave Ning Tian his warning with grave seriousness.
Who knew whether Tang San's Curse would force Wang Dong to win the Freshman Assessment championship? Better to keep something in reserve.
Before you continue