Dusk gathered, and night spread like ink across all of Shrek Academy. The clamor of the daytime arena gradually faded, leaving only the Inner Academy's tactical discussion room brightly lit and warmly inviting, in stark contrast to the chill outside.
After entrusting Na'er to one of the academy's dorm supervisors and reminding her repeatedly, Tang Wulin hurried into the discussion room. His companions had all arrived. The table was covered with match data on the Sun Moon Empire Academy Team, Soul Tool catalogues, and a whole food box of steaming Soul Power buns Xu Lizhi had prepared in advance. Their rich fragrance filled the room, easing the tension of the coming battle.
The joy of reaching the finals that afternoon had long vanished from everyone's faces. They all looked solemn, their eyes heavy with concern. Those cold gazes from the corner of the arena that afternoon had felt like needles against their backs, constantly reminding them that their opponents in the finals would be far stranger and more troublesome than the Heaven Soul Team.
"Everyone's here. Let's begin." Tang Wulin stepped up to the table and raised a hand to activate the Soul Tool light screen in the center. Information on every member of the Sun Moon Team, recordings of their past matches, and detailed explanations of their various Soul Tools instantly appeared on the display. "According to the intelligence gathered by the academy, every member of the Sun Moon Team is a Soul Engineer. They cultivate both martial souls and Soul Tools, and their fighting style is unconventional. They excel at long-range firepower suppression, close-range Soul Tool ambushes, and battlefield control using restraint- and interference-type Soul Tools. We've never faced opponents like this before. We must study every detail thoroughly."
He tapped the light screen, freezing the image on the Sun Moon Team's core members. "Their captain is a power-attack Soul Ancestor with the Flame-Pattern Wolf martial soul, equipped with a fifth-grade Explosive Soul Cannon. He is extremely formidable at both range and close quarters. Their vice-captain is a control-type Soul Engineer with the Illusion Spirit Butterfly martial soul. He excels at using Soul-Conducting Restraint Nets and interference waves in conjunction with his martial soul to create illusions. He's even harder to handle than the Heaven Soul Team's Illusive Vine. There are also two agility-attack Soul Masters equipped with high-speed Soul Tool boosters. They're far faster than ordinary agility-attack Soul Masters and specialize in circling behind us to ambush the support and control positions. The remaining two are support Soul Engineers, responsible for charging and repairing their Soul Tools. Their endurance is exceptionally strong."
The intelligence was incredibly detailed. Even the Sun Moon Team's tactical positioning and Soul Tool usage frequency in every match had been clearly marked. It was obvious that Shrek Academy had thoroughly prepared for this final.
Xu Xiaoyan held the documents, her fingertips lightly tracing the Soul Tool diagrams. Her brows furrowed with worry. "Their Soul-Conducting Restraint Net covers a huge area. Once someone gets caught, their Soul Power will be temporarily sealed, and it'll be hard to break free. And their interference waves will disrupt the Soul Power fluctuations of my Starwheel Control. I'm afraid it'll be difficult for me to keep the formation steady then." As the team's core battlefield controller, she feared these interference-type Soul Tools most, as they would directly cripple her effectiveness.
"Interference-type Soul Tools rely on disrupting Soul Power fluctuations. My elemental power can form an isolating barrier around your Star Wheel Soul Power and help stabilize your control rhythm." Gu Yue spoke immediately, her voice calm yet certain. She was extraordinarily sensitive to all kinds of energy fluctuations and had already devised a countermeasure. "As for the restraint nets, I can use wind to cut through them and earth to block them. Combined with Xie Xie's ambushes, we can quickly destroy the core formations of those Soul Tools."
Gu Yue's gift for elemental control surpassed all her peers. With Gu Yue protecting her, more than half of Xu Xiaoyan's worries immediately disappeared. She looked up at Gu Yue, her eyes full of gratitude.
Xie Xie patted his chest, brimming with confidence. "Leave the agility-attack types who circle behind us to me. I'm no slower than their Soul Tool boosters. I'll stick to them in close combat so they can't activate their Soul Tools. With Yehui's defense as well, we'll definitely hold the back line!" As an agility-attack Soul Master, he was naturally skilled at both ambushes and counter-ambushes. He could not have been better suited to dealing with such opponents.
Yuanen Yehui agreed in a deep voice. "I'll raise the strongest defense and protect Xiaoyan and Lizhi. I can withstand most of the Sun Moon Team's long-range Soul Cannon attacks and create chances for everyone to charge in." Her Titan Giant Ape martial soul possessed the strongest defense in the team, making her their unquestionable bulwark.
Ye Xinglan gripped the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp. "I'll break through to their support positions and prioritize destroying the devices that charge their Soul Tools. As long as we cut off their Soul Tool endurance, their combat strength will drop drastically. My sword can cleave through most Soul Tool defenses."
A holy glow slowly circulated around Yue Zhengyu. "I'll keep Holy Amplification active throughout the battle, and I'll also use Holy Purification to dispel the interference and negative effects of their Soul Tools, ensuring everyone's Soul Power flows smoothly."
Xu Lizhi hurriedly spoke as well, his honest face filled with seriousness. "I'll make more high-grade Soul Power recovery buns, as well as Soul Power pastries that resist interference. Everyone can replenish themselves whenever needed. No matter how much Soul Power we use, we'll be able to recover quickly!"
Watching his companions each take on their own roles and eagerly offer suggestions, Tang Wulin felt warmth fill his heart. His previously taut nerves gradually settled. He pressed down with one hand to signal everyone to quiet down, then continued arranging their tactics. "Everyone has made good points. We'll prepare two strategies for the Sun Moon Team's Soul Tool fighting style. The first is steady advancement: Yehui defends on the front line, Zhengyu purifies and amplifies, Gu Yue protects Xiaoyan's battlefield control, Xie Xie counters ambushes, Xinglan breaks through to their support, and I restrain their captain head-on. We'll advance step by step and deny them any chance for long-range suppression. The second strategy is for if their Soul Cannons suppress us: spread out the formation. Yehui and I will draw their fire from the front, while Xie Xie and Xinglan circle behind to destroy their core Soul Tools. Xiaoyan will restrict them with large-scale battlefield control, and Gu Yue will counterattack with elemental coverage."
"Remember this: against the Sun Moon Team, we absolutely cannot cluster together and let area-of-effect Soul Tools wipe us out in one go. But we also cannot charge in rashly. We must maintain our formation and cover one another!" Tang Wulin's tone was especially stern as he repeatedly emphasized the core points. Soul Tools had extremely powerful area damage. Once their formation fell into disorder, they would be doomed.
Everyone nodded and committed the tactics to memory. Holding their documents, they checked their tasks one by one, occasionally raising questions and discussing possible responses. The only sounds in the discussion room were pen tips brushing against paper and their quiet conversations. The atmosphere was focused and solemn.
Tang Wulin stood before the light screen, reviewing the Sun Moon Team's match recordings again and again without overlooking even the slightest flaw. He discovered that although the Sun Moon Team's Soul Tools were powerful, they consumed enormous amounts of Soul Power. After prolonged combat, the might of their Soul Tools would decrease dramatically. Moreover, their core Soul Tools required close-range operation. That was their fatal weakness.
"Remember, the Sun Moon Team's weakness is endurance. We'll focus on defense in the early stages and wear down their Soul Power and Soul Tool energy. Then, in the middle and late stages, we'll launch our full counterattack. As long as we withstand their initial fierce assault, we'll have already won half the battle." Tang Wulin pointed to the footage and identified the key to breaking the deadlock.
Before they knew it, the night had grown deep. Moonlight shone brightly outside the windows, with stars scattered across the sky, while the discussion room remained illuminated. Everyone had thoroughly memorized both strategies and developed responses for every possible emergency. Only after every detail had been confirmed did Tang Wulin announce the end of the discussion.
"Go back and get some proper rest. Restore your energy. Tomorrow's final—we'll give it everything we have."
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison, their voices firm and powerful.
Xu Lizhi distributed the remaining Soul Power buns, smiling as he reminded them, "Before tomorrow's match, I'll steam the buns early. Make sure you all eat your fill. You'll need the strength to fight!"
Everyone accepted them with smiles and gradually left the discussion room. Gu Yue walked to Tang Wulin's side and spoke calmly. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll protect Xiaoyan. We can break through the Soul Tools' interference."
Tang Wulin looked at her and nodded, his eyes filled with trust. "With you here, I'm at ease."
After watching his companions leave, Tang Wulin remained alone in the discussion room and reviewed the Sun Moon Team's information once more before turning to depart. The night air was faintly cool, and moonlight fell across him, stretching his shadow long behind him. He looked up at the night sky, his eyes resolute and completely fearless.
So what if their Soul Tools were powerful? So what if their opponents were troublesome? As long as he and his companions stood united, there was no obstacle they could not overcome. Tomorrow's final would be the moment they claimed the championship.
When he returned to the dormitory, Na'er was already fast asleep, a sweet smile on her little face. Tang Wulin gently tucked in her blanket, then sat cross-legged beside the bed and closed his eyes to meditate, circulating his Soul Power until it reached its optimal state as he awaited tomorrow's decisive battle.
All of Shrek Academy sank into sleep, yet the fighting spirit in the youths' hearts only burned hotter. Their meticulous tactics against Soul Tools had already been forged. On tomorrow's arena, the Shrek Seven Monsters would face the strongest dark horse head-on and set their sights on the championship!
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