Lin Ciyan had just finished speaking.
Zhang Lexuan chimed in, explaining gently, "The captain is right. We won the first two matches easily, largely because our opponents were weak. But the later the Round-Robin Tournament, the stronger the opponents will become."
"Observing the strength and tactics of other teams in advance will help us in the upcoming matches."
She paused, then looked at the seven reserve team members. "Especially you guys. Observe and learn more; this is the best opportunity to accumulate practical experience."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.
He had already been somewhat puzzled by Wang Yan's suggestion to go back directly during the battle.
Hearing my Grandmaster say this now, I immediately realized that this was the right decision.
Wang Yan stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
What he was actually worried about was...
If the reserve team sees the strength of other colleges, it will damage their confidence.
But Lin Ciyan seemed to see through his thoughts and said calmly, "Teacher Wang, Shrek's disciples are not that fragile."
The words had barely left his mouth when the next match began.
The second group consists of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and a Soul Master Academy from the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The competition format drawn was a 7v7 team battle.
Then, everyone witnessed what "crushing" truly meant.
The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy only sent five people.
The five Soul Engineer were all Five-Ring Soul King.
After the battle began, they didn't even release their Martial Soul Avatar.
They simply stood at the five corners of the competition stage, and each person took out three Soul Tool of level four or above.
Thirty Soul Tool fired simultaneously.
Firepower coverage, precision strikes, energy shields, displacement and evasion...
Five people achieved the firepower of fifty.
The academy of the Heavenly Soul Empire is also a long-established powerhouse, with four Soul King and three Soul Ancestor among its seven members, making it a truly formidable lineup.
But under overwhelming firepower, they didn't even have a chance to get close to their opponents.
Three minutes.
The game ended in just three minutes.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, a complete victory.
"Did you see that?" Lin Ciyan's voice rang out, still languid, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"This is how Soul Engineer fight. They don't engage in close combat, they don't fight with Soul Skill, they just use Soul Tool to smash you until you question your existence."
Bei Bei's expression turned serious. "With this kind of firepower... how should we fight against them?"
Xu Sanshi also abandoned his usual nonchalant attitude and said in a deep voice, "My Black Mysterious Tortoise Shell Shield should be able to withstand some of it, but it definitely won't last long."
"So we need to see their weaknesses clearly," Zhang Lexuan said gently.
" Soul Engineer excel in long-range firepower but are weak in close-quarters combat and sustained fighting ability. As long as an opportunity is found to get close, victory is within reach."
The following matches were all exciting.
The third group consists of the Zhengtian Academy and a Soul Engineer Academy from the Star Luo Empire.
The two sides were evenly matched, and it took seven individual elimination matches to determine a winner.
The captain who went last on the field for the Zhengtian Academy was actually a Six-Ring Soul Emperor!
Although it was only a short time since the breakthrough, those six Soul Ring...
Two yellows, two purples, and two blacks—still a stunning performance that captivated the entire audience.
" Soul Emperor ..." Dai Yueheng clenched his fist.
" Zhengtian Academy actually has Soul Emperor overseeing it."
A hint of fighting spirit flashed in Ling Luochеn's icy blue eyes.
Ma Xiaotao curled her lip and said, "It's just the Sixth Ring Road, what's so great about it?"
As she spoke, flames flickered in her orange-red eyes.
After that "deep exchange" in the rest room, her Evil Fire Phoenix had been completely transformed, the prototype of the Ultimate Fire had been formed, and her Soul Power had stabilized at the peak of level sixty-four.
She is now confident that she can fight any Soul Emperor except for " Ci Yan ".
The matches continued one after another.
The Shrek members watched intently, occasionally exchanging tactical cues in hushed tones.
Lin Ciyan spent most of his time resting with his eyes closed, but whenever there was a crucial moment, he would open his eyes and offer a few simple comments.
"That Soul Engineer has a three-second gap in his charging time."
"The third Soul Skill of a control-type Soul Master has a range limitation; it becomes ineffective if the user is more than ten meters away."
"That guy from the Power Attack System has an old injury on his left hand, so his right shoulder involuntarily leans forward when he exerts force."
Every word he uttered pinpointed the opponent's weaknesses, making everyone suddenly realize their mistake.
Wang Yan, listening from the side, was alarmed.
These details were not fully noticed even by him, a teacher who specialized in tactics, but the captain saw through them at a glance.
Is this... a true genius?
As the sun set, all of today's matches came to an end.
The audience began to leave, and other colleges followed suit.
Lin Ciyan then stood up, stretched, and said, "That's enough, let's go."
"Back to the hotel?" Wang Yan asked.
"No." Lin Ciyan looked at Zhang Lexuan, " Sister Lexuan, take them somewhere."
Zhang Lexuan smiled gently, as if she already knew his plan. "Okay."
The group left the stands and walked through the bustling crowd.
The area around Star Luo Square is the most bustling area in the entire city, with crowds thronging the streets.
The Shrek students, dressed in dark green school uniforms, stood out in the crowd, attracting countless glances and discussions.
"It's Shrek Academy!"
"That's the ice queen who beat six opponents today!"
"The blond boy walking at the front... isn't he the captain who slept through the first game and won?"
Lin Ciyan ignored the surrounding chatter and simply walked along lazily.
Zhang Lexuan walked beside him, her moon-white dress swaying gently in the evening breeze.
She would occasionally turn her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a gentle smile.
After walking for about fifteen minutes and crossing several streets, the surroundings gradually quieted down.
A pointed building appeared ahead, constructed entirely of white stone, with a simple yet grand design.
Above the main entrance of the building hangs a gilded plaque with three large, elegant characters:
Star Luo Auction House.
"An auction house?" Bei Bei was taken aback. "Captain, what are we doing here?"
Lin Ciyan didn't answer, but looked at Zhang Lexuan.
Zhang Lexuan said gently, "The captain said that during the competition, each college will offer some resources for exchange or auction, and there might be things we need. And..."
She paused, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Since we're already here, we should at least see what the largest auction house in the Star Luo Empire is like."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Auction houses are inherently attractive to teenagers.
Lin Ciyan strode towards the main entrance.
Zhang Lexuan naturally followed and reached out to take his arm.
The movement was performed with extreme naturalness, as if it had been done countless times before.
The sleeves of her moon-white dress slipped down, revealing her fair and slender wrists.
She leaned slightly towards Lin Ciyan, her slender figure standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
Lin Ciyan felt the soft touch on his arm and glanced at her.
Zhang Lexuan responded with a gentle smile and tightened her grip on his hand slightly.
Their actions were observed by those behind them.
Ling Luochеn lowered his icy blue eyes slightly.
Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips, but this time she didn't say anything.
After all, she had already received enough "compensation" in the lounge earlier.
Wang Dong watched his master and Grandmaster walk side by side, a complex emotion flashing across his handsome face beneath his light blue short hair, before he lowered his head.
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance, both seeing the "I knew it" look in each other's eyes.
At that moment, Zhang Lexuan suddenly let out a soft "Eh".
She held Lin Ciyan's arm and could clearly feel the warmth emanating from him.
The temperature was higher than usual, and it also faintly carried a trace of fire elemental fluctuations.
" Ci Yan, why do you have a fire attribute aura on you?" she asked softly.
Lin Ciyan remained expressionless. "I was bored while watching the battle earlier, so I circulated my Soul Power, which may have acquired a little attribute."
"Really...?" Zhang Lexuan didn't think much of it and just said gently.
Don't overwork yourself, remember to rest.
"Hmm," Lin Ciyan responded, his suddenly pounding heart gradually calming down.
The two linked arms and led the Shrek group toward the brightly lit auction house.
As night fell, the Soul Guidance Lamp at the entrance of the auction house were already on.
The white building was illuminated, making it resemble a palace.