Mimi seemed to understand what Ye Qiong had said,
Her ears drooped, and she lowered her little head, letting out a soft "Mimi."
Ye Qiong hurriedly rubbed her head.
"It's all right. There's no rush."
Mimi lifted her head and rubbed her cheek against his palm.
Ye Qiong looked at the fluffy little ball in his hand, but his brows still refused to relax.
The Iron Curtain had awakened.
He did still have time, but not much.
According to what the Water and Fire Dragon Kings had said before they disappeared, that rift barrier couldn't hold for long.
When the time came, the Iron Curtain would surely invade the Douluo World through that rift.
Not only that,
With its arrival, those ancient beasts might descend here as well.
The two might even join forces, with the Iron Curtain corrupting all those ancient beasts into terrifying Black Tide Constructs.
If he didn't prepare for such a crisis, then when the time came, they truly wouldn't be able to handle it.
So he had to make Amphoreus Academy stronger as soon as possible.
"It's time to find the academy a new stage. Suotuo City is only a small city, after all."
As he thought this, a system notification suddenly appeared.
[A new mission has been issued.]
Ye Qiong immediately opened it to take a look. The mission read:
[First Battle Against the Imperial Fighting Team. One month from now, challenge the Imperial Fighting Team to a team Soul Fighting match in the name of the academy team. Victory reward: 3,000 Stellar Jades. Regional Qualification Upgrade.]
Ye Qiong looked at the mission, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
The Imperial Fighting Team? They'd make the perfect whetstone for Amphoreus Academy.
One month later, at the Soto Great Soul Arena.
The stands were packed that night.
The host stood on the high platform, his voice louder than ever.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight's first team match has concluded! Shrek Academy Team versus the Imperial Fighting Team—the Imperial Fighting Team wins!"
Cheers erupted from the audience.
In Shrek's rest area, Flender's face was dark as iron.
He looked at the others and saw them hanging their heads, not saying a word.
He could only sigh helplessly.
"Come on. We'll talk when we get back."
Imperial Fighting Team's rest area.
Yu Tianheng plopped down in his seat.
"Shrek was a little tougher than I expected, but that's all. We still beat them without breaking a sweat."
Dugu Yan leaned against him and laughed.
"Exactly. With skills like that, they still dared to come out and make fools of themselves."
"Our leader is incredible! He had them running with their tails between their legs."
"Right, and that Tang San, too. His Realgar Wine really was impressive—it broke Sister Yan's Poison Mist. But he's a glass cannon himself. That Blue Silver Grass Bind was such a joke."
Qin Ming stood at the door. Hearing their remarks, he frowned slightly.
He raised a hand, stopping their chatter.
"That's enough. Shrek was my alma mater, after all. Show some respect."
Dugu Yan curled her lip but said nothing more.
When everyone had quieted down, Qin Ming sighed inwardly.
Honestly, the strength Shrek had shown today had disappointed him.
Just as he was about to tell everyone to head back and rest, someone walked in.
It was Ye Qiong.
"Teacher Qin Ming. Amphoreus Academy would like to challenge the Imperial Fighting Team to a team match."
Qin Ming was taken aback.
Amphoreus Academy?
The name sounded unfamiliar, but he thought he'd heard people around the city mention it. It seemed to be a new academy that had recently become quite popular.
"Are you sure?"
Ye Qiong smiled.
"What, are you afraid we'll lose?"
Dugu Yan's gaze fell on Ye Qiong's face.
Hearing the name Amphoreus Academy,
She remembered the person her grandfather had mentioned.
Gray hair...
Dugu Yan bit her lip, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes.
It was him.
He was the one who had hurt her grandfather!
But Dugu Yan didn't say anything. She only stared coldly at Ye Qiong.
Beside Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng snorted.
"Amphoreus? Never heard of it. What kind of backwater academy is that?"
The Shi Brothers chimed in.
"Exactly. You win a few Soul Fighting matches and think you're hot stuff?"
Qin Ming raised a hand to silence them.
"Don't underestimate them. Anyone who comes to challenge us must have some confidence."
He turned to Ye Qiong and fell silent for a moment before answering.
"Fine. If you want a match, the Imperial Fighting Team isn't afraid to accept."
Ye Qiong smiled and set down a challenge letter.
"Good. I'll give you half an hour to rest. Meet us at the Soul Fighting Arena in half an hour."
After speaking, Ye Qiong glanced at Dugu Yan, then slowly left.
Dugu Yan, who had been watching Ye Qiong the whole time, naturally noticed his gaze, and her heart tightened.
Why had he looked at her?
What was he trying to do?
Half an hour later, the host called out again.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight's second team match is about to begin!"
"The opposing sides are the seven members of the Imperial Fighting Team and... one member of Amphoreus Academy Team!"
The audience erupted.
"One person? Did I hear that right?"
"Amphoreus sent one person to fight all seven of them? Are they crazy?"
"Wait, isn't that Caesar? The auxiliary-type who blew up the chessboard last time?"
"An auxiliary-type fighting seven people alone? What a joke!"
The murmurs surged like a tide.
Standing on the Soul Fighting Arena, Dugu Yan saw only one person come out from the other side. Her expression instantly turned cold.
Yu Tianheng frowned as well and muttered a curse.
"Only one person? Who do they think they are?"
Qin Ming stood at the edge of the arena, his expression grim, too.
He'd thought the other side would at least field a full team. He hadn't expected them to send just one person.
He looked toward Ye Qiong in Amphoreus Academy Team's rest area, a trace of displeasure in his eyes.
Was this person trying to humiliate the Imperial Fighting Team?
Win or lose, this would make the Imperial Fighting Team look bad.
But there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could only clench his fists and look toward the arena.
Cerydra walked unhurriedly to the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, brought out a chair, and sat down.
As soon as she sat, her gaze swept over the seven people opposite her. She spoke calmly.
"To deal with you, I alone am enough."
"How arrogant!"
Yu Tianheng couldn't take it.
The other side clearly didn't take them seriously at all.
He swore he'd use his Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon
To teach that ignorant little brat a harsh lesson!
Seeing this, the referee immediately blew the whistle.
"The match begins!"
The instant the whistle sounded,
The seven members of the Imperial Fighting Team spread out, taking up a standard formation.
Yu Tianheng stood at the front, while Dugu Yan was protected in the middle. The Shi Brothers took positions on either side of her.
Yu Feng flew into the air to provide support. Osler took the flank, ready to dart in and attack, while Ye Lingling stood at the rear, prepared to heal everyone.
But facing them, Cerydra merely raised her right hand.
The next second, the Scales of Justice appeared in the air, then shattered into countless blue points of light.
The points of light fell, and a gigantic chessboard spread across the arena in an instant.