Hidden-Card Tactics, Feng Xiaotian Joins
Tang San was rescued in time by Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin. The three of them also repelled the enemies led by Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
Huo Lei was extremely frustrated, yet filled with doubt, as he sat in the carriage, carefully sorting through the complex thoughts in his mind.
"No need to guess, that masked man in black should be Tang Hao. But why did he appear dressed in black and masked? Is it because he doesn't want to be exposed too early? That must be it."
"If Tang Hao reveals his identity, then the hidden card becomes an open card, and it's clearly not time to tear off the mask yet. After all, the Spirit Hall has chosen to play the hidden card strategy. There's still room for maneuver with a hidden card, but with an open card, there's no game left. It's similar to poker on Blue Star. This way, Tang San and Shrek Academy can still participate in the Soul Master Tournament. There are many advantages to doing this. First, Tang San can still get training. Second, after winning the championship openly, he can also obtain three Soul Bones, making it difficult for the Spirit Hall to renege in front of everyone. Third, Tang Hao is confident in his own strength; even if Tang San is in danger in Spirit City, he's confident he can take Tang San away."
"This is no simple matter. Both sides are cunning old foxes, each calculating their own moves with increasing shrewdness."
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe of the Heaven Dou Empire accompanied the enemy. After the enemy retreated, he immediately and methodically began to direct the Royal Knights, pulling the undamaged carriages to the front, treating the warhorses, and restoring formation.
Before long, apart from the dead warhorses, most of the five hundred Royal Knights had recovered their fighting strength. The entire column continued their journey. However, the atmosphere had become much more tense than before the enemy attack.
Sitting in the car, Huo Lie muttered under his breath, "This Shrek Academy is really a troublemaker. They even dare to offend Titled Douluo. Luckily, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School showed up in time, otherwise they would have been crippled."
Huo Yun said, "These people who launched the sneak attack are really useless. So many people, so many powerful individuals, even Titled Douluo was mobilized, yet they still couldn't take down Shrek Academy. Alas! It's truly pathetic!"
Huo Lei smiled and said, "Everything has two sides. The fact that the attackers are crippled is a good thing for the entire convoy. But it's a bad thing for the mastermind behind the ambush."
Xie Chong spoke up to stop them, saying, "Alright, this matter is over, let's not bring it up again. Anyway, we didn't suffer any losses. The matter is complicated, it's best if we don't discuss it."
The Heaven Dou Empire's team of Soul Master continued their journey. No further incidents occurred during the rest of the trip. To better protect these Soul Masters, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe temporarily dispatched three thousand Ironclad Army from the cities they passed through as auxiliary guards. He also summoned several Soul Master experts from the capital to rush to their aid.
As time passed, the entire group finally arrived at Spirit City. Due to the special regulations of Spirit City, Xue Qinghe ordered the Ironclad Army and the Royal Knights to garrison outside the city. Xue Qinghe led fifteen teams of Soul Master into Spirit City.
The area of Spirit City is not large, only about one-tenth the size of Heaven Dou City.
The walls of Spirit City were built in the style of the capital city, reaching a height of eighty meters and a thickness of over thirty meters. They were entirely constructed of granite, making them extremely majestic and spectacular from the outside.
Unlike other cities, which are typically quadrilateral, Spirit City is hexagonal. The patrols on the six city walls are all conducted by Soul Master, who wear the uniform attire of the Spirit Hall.
Entering Spirit City, one is struck by its emptiness. There are few pedestrians on the streets and even fewer shops. Most of the shops sell items needed by Soul Master, and some even sell Soul Tool that allow for spatial storage.
A Red-Clothed Cardinal came out of Spirit City to greet them, and under his guidance, the group of over two hundred people were quickly settled in a hotel on the west side of Spirit City. To Huo Lei's surprise, even the hotel staff were all at least level twenty Soul Grandmaster.
The Spirit Hall sent word that the competition would officially begin in three days. Three days of rest would be enough time for each academy to adjust.
The participating academies from the Star Luo Empire were arranged to rest at a hotel on the east side of Spirit City.
For three days, everyone at the Blazing Fire Academy remained in a state of rest, devoting all their time to cultivation and meditation, trying to keep themselves in the best possible condition.
At this moment, everyone from the Blazing Fire Academy gathered together.
Xie Chong's gaze swept over everyone. "The Grand Finals are about to begin. I think you might have forgotten the format I mentioned before. Let me repeat it for you. There are a total of thirty-three teams participating in the Grand Finals. Among them, three are seeded teams, selected by the two great empires and the Spirit Hall respectively. The team that poses the greatest threat to you is undoubtedly the one selected by the Spirit Hall Academy. They are also the biggest obstacle to your final victory."
"The Grand Finals will consist of only five rounds, which is shorter than the Preliminary Round and Promotion Round. Because the competition will be more intense and the physical exertion will be greater, there will be a one-day rest period between each round. Before the final fifth round, which is the last match, there will be three days to adjust."
"The Grand Finals will be an elimination tournament, so each academy will field its strongest forces, and there will be no more hiding their strength. Therefore, everyone must not be careless, including your former opponents."
"..."
"These are all the rules. Do you understand?"
The students from the Blazing Fire Academy responded in unison, "We understand."
Xie Chong nodded and said, "It's impossible to guess who our opponents will be in the first round. But at least they won't be one of the three seeded teams that received a bye. We need to meet the challenge with our strongest forces. Huo Lei, you have both strength and wisdom, so the tactical arrangements and personnel selections will be left to you."
Huo Lei stood up from the sofa, looked at everyone, and smiled, "Friends, we fought our way through the Preliminary Round and Promotion Round, always coming in first place. This is all thanks to our collective efforts. We gained honor and valuable experience from it. Some of us definitely won't be able to participate in this year's Soul Master Tournament, but they will still share in the final glory. If we win the championship, the rewards will be distributed according to each person's contribution."
"I have a secret to tell you all. After the Promotion Round, Feng Xiaotian secretly approached me to discuss joining our Blazing Fire Academy team. I've already agreed, and Teacher Xie Chong knows about it and has made the necessary arrangements. I believe everyone can understand my decision."
"Godwind Academy is quite cunning. Knowing they couldn't win the championship, they chose to join our Blazing Fire Academy. Actually, we're confident even with or without Feng Xiaotian, but they're so eager to join that I couldn't refuse. Let's just say we're giving Godwind Academy some face."
"To put it bluntly, Feng Xiaotian is definitely among the seven of us who will be participating, so only six of us can participate. Who among you is willing to voluntarily withdraw? But don't worry, if we win the reward, we won't forget anyone."
The students from the Blazing Fire Academy exchanged bewildered glances. Then, Huo Chui looked at Huo Lei and asked, "Huo Lei, both Huo Jun and I are support characters, and our levels are the lowest. How many support characters do you plan to field? If only one can be fielded, I'll give my spot to my younger brother, Huo Jun."