Ma Hongjun scratched his red hair and asked carelessly,
"Who's this guy? Never heard of him. What about Yu Tianheng?"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, his tone growing serious.
"According to the reports, Qin Feng defeated Yu Tianheng in the internal selection and claimed the position of captain."
As soon as he said this, the lounge fell silent.
A flicker of surprise finally appeared on the faces of the Shrek group.
They had experienced Yu Tianheng's strength firsthand. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was hailed as the strongest Beast Martial Soul in the world, with an overwhelmingly domineering attack.
And this Qin Feng had actually defeated Yu Tianheng?
Yu Xiaogang was more shocked than anyone.
Yu Tianheng was his nephew, the most outstanding genius of the third generation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the pride of the family.
He knew exactly how powerful the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was.
Anyone who could defeat Tianheng was no ordinary person.
Tang San took the report, his gaze settling on the name "Qin Feng." His expression grew a little more serious.
"If he could defeat Yu Tianheng, his Soul Power must be at least rank forty. It could even be higher."
Tang San analyzed the situation calmly.
"When we defeated the Imperial Fighting Team last time, we did rely on a few tricks. In a straight fight, we might not have won back then."
But he quickly changed tack, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"That was then."
"Everyone's strength has grown by leaps and bounds since. If I faced the Yu Tianheng from back then again now, I'm confident I could beat him easily within a hundred moves."
Hearing Tang San say this, the others—who had still been a little surprised—immediately relaxed.
Ning Rongrong covered her mouth with a soft laugh, the Glazed Pagoda in her hand gleaming faintly.
"Third Brother's right. We're not the same as we were before."
"However strong that Qin Feng is, could he really be stronger than Third Brother is now?"
"Exactly!"
Oscar pumped his fist.
"We, the Shrek Seven Devils, are one. Even if he's a Soul King, we'll still take him on!"
Zhao Wuji had been standing in a corner. Watching these spirited youngsters, he couldn't help grinning broadly and slapping his thigh with his fan-sized hands.
"Good! That's the spirit!"
"These kids are already stronger than anyone could have imagined. Even I was nowhere near as strong as them at their age."
Flender pushed his crystal glasses up the bridge of his nose, greed glinting in his sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"If you're all this confident, then I can rest easy."
He pulled a crumpled betting slip from his robes and chuckled.
"I've put all the academy's available funds on you, along with my own coffin money."
"The odds are three to one. If you win, we'll have this year's expenses covered, and I'll make a fortune too!"
Hearing this, Liu Erlong furrowed her brows and glanced at Flender with concern.
"Dean Flender, that's far too risky. What if we lose? That's all our savings."
"Lose?"
Before Flender could reply, Ma Hongjun jumped in, red light surging around him as a wisp of Evil Fire danced on his fingertip.
"Teacher Erlong, you're underestimating us."
He pointed to the description of Qin Feng's Martial Soul in the report, his face full of disdain.
"Look, it says right here that this kid's Martial Soul is a lotus."
"A lotus? That's a Plant-type Martial Soul, isn't it?"
Ma Hongjun smugly waved the flame at his fingertip.
"My Evil Fire Phoenix is the king of all birds and the natural enemy of every Plant-type Martial Soul. I don't care if it's a lotus or a chrysanthemum—as soon as it meets my Phoenix Fire Line, I'll roast it to a crisp!"
Yu Xiaogang turned to Liu Erlong, his gaze firm.
"Erlong, don't you trust me?"
"With my guidance, we've perfected both our tactical arrangements and our coordination with Soul Skills."
"Little San has especially taken my teachings to heart. He won't lose this match."
In his view, the achievements Tang San and the others had attained were entirely thanks to his own theories as Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
Without his guidance, these children would be nothing more than a scattered heap, no matter how talented they were.
That was his pride.
Seeing how certain Yu Xiaogang was, most of Liu Erlong's worries faded. She looked at the side of his face, her expression softening.
"If Xiaogang says it'll be fine, then it definitely will."
On the other side of the lounge,
Zhu Zhuqing stood alone, leaning against the wall. Her tight black leather outfit accentuated her stunning figure, but her cool eyes were fixed on another name in the report—Ye Lingling.
She instinctively reached out to touch her slender waist.
"Last time..."
Zhu Zhuqing murmured, a hint of frustration in her voice.
During their last match against the Imperial Fighting Team, her mission had been to strike at the back line and take out their healer, Ye Lingling.
But though the woman's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul had no offensive power, her defenses were exceptionally tight. Then Yu Tianheng had rushed back to support her, and Zhu Zhuqing's ambush had failed. The other team had even nearly turned the tables.
She hadn't won that battle cleanly. In fact, she'd been rather worse for wear.
"This time, I'll finish it in one strike."
Zhu Zhuqing spread her five fingers, sharp blades snapping out from her fingertips, their edges glinting coldly.
Ning Rongrong walked over, gently took her arm, and smiled.
"Zhuqing, don't worry."
"I'll boost all your attributes when the time comes. You'll be more than twice as fast as before."
"No matter how good Ye Lingling is at dodging, she won't escape your Hell Stab."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, the faintest smile appearing on her cool face.
"Mm."
Meanwhile, at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, in the boys' dormitory,
The sun was already high in the sky, but Qin Feng was still fast asleep beneath the covers.
He'd had too much fun test-flying his Bone Spirit Fire Dragon Wings last night, spending half the night in the air. He hadn't returned to catch up on sleep until just before dawn.
"Creak—"
The dormitory door swung open.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling walked in side by side.
Dugu Yan wore a dark green outfit today, its close fit showing off her wild, shapely figure to the fullest.
Her long legs were especially striking. Years of cultivating Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison had given her skin an alluringly eerie pallor, while her rounded, toned thighs brimmed with explosive strength.
As she walked, the muscles beneath her tight pants shifted subtly. She was like a beautiful serpent swaying her hips, radiating a deadly allure.
By comparison, Ye Lingling wore a black dress with a hem that ended just above her knees.
Her calves were slim and straight, like works of art carved with exquisite care.
Black high heels arched her feet, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white, delicate ankles.
She gave off a cool, aloof air, like a black rose blooming in the snow.
One was cool, the other fiery; one wild, the other composed. Together, they made a breathtaking sight.