After the first elimination round ended, there was a break to rest and recover.
During this time, the system did not generate any quests for the players, leaving them free to do as they pleased.
They explored Star Luo City as though exploring an open world. Of course, this was a real world, with no treasure chests placed in advance.
Of course, anyone with a good head on their shoulders could still use money to make more money.
But none of these players knew how to do business. At most, they browsed the auction house to see whether they could pick up any overlooked bargains.
Over at Shrek Academy, Xuan Zi sought out Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao.
"Elder Xuan, is something the matter?"
"Yuhao, Wang Dong, I have a task for you."
"Please tell us, Elder Xuan."
"It's actually very simple. I want you to approach those people from the New Tang Sect and sound them out."
"Elder Xuan, is that necessary? They've been working to eliminate Evil Soul Masters all along the way. They must be good people."
"Wang Dong, Elder Xuan must have his reasons for saying this. If it's inconvenient for him to explain, we won't ask."
"You little brat, I'm not suspecting them of being bad people. I'm wondering whether they really appeared on a deity's instructions, as they claim.
"This concerns the attitude Shrek Academy will take toward them going forward.
"You've both joined the Tang Sect too. You must want to find out their true purpose, right?"
"Yes, Elder Xuan. We'll complete the task."
And so, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong approached Wang Zhongwang, Agile Dog in the Mountains, and Primordial One by staging a chance encounter.
"Hello! I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."
In the team voice chat.
Wang Zhongwang: "Huo Yuhao's smile looks so fake."
Primordial One: "They were deliberately waiting for us, weren't they? Could there be a quest?"
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "A quest would be great. We can't grind monsters in this city, and I got bored after one trip around."
Agile Dog in the Mountains also enthusiastically greeted Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "Hi, handsome, beautiful. Need our help with anything?"
Because he knew Wang Dong was a girl disguised as a boy, he blurted it out without thinking.
But that greeting shattered Wang Dong's composure.
"What nonsense are you spouting? I'm a man through and through!"
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "Okay, okay, okay. My mistake. You're a man through and through. Happy now?"
Yet Wang Dong sensed Wang Zhongwang, Primordial One, and Agile Dog in the Mountains all taking another look at her chest.
Could they really know I'm a girl disguised as a boy? How is that possible? My disguise is so good.
As Wang Dong thought this, Huo Yuhao also gave him a puzzled look.
Wang Zhongwang: "Ahem, Huo Yuhao, let's talk business. What did you come to see us for? Is there a quest?"
"Huh? A quest? N-no, there's no quest. We just happened to run into you."
Primordial One: "Really just a chance encounter? Then why are you nervous? Is there really no quest?"
"N-no. Wang Dong, let's go!"
With that, Huo Yuhao pulled Wang Dong away and fled.
Wang Zhongwang: "If there's no quest, there's no quest. Why's he running so fast?"
Primordial One: "Who cares? This protagonist is so weird."
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "We'd better go back and practice with that Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon thing. It determines whether we can win matches and keep getting rewards."
Wang Zhongwang: "That's right. Let's go back and prepare."
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were still panting a couple of times after they stopped.
"Yuhao, how did they find out? Could they even be keeping Elder Xuan under surveillance?"
"That can't be, can it? I can't figure out how they knew we'd accepted Elder Xun's task to approach them either.
"Now all our efforts have fallen short at the final hurdle. How are we going to explain this to Elder Xuan?"
Thinking that her disguise as a boy might also have been seen through, Wang Dong said, "Perhaps this itself proves one thing: they really do have a mysterious power supporting them. As for whether it's Lord Sea God, that's unclear."
There was indeed nothing wrong with what Wang Dong said, except that the one behind these players was not Sea God Tang San, but Tang Yi, who had transmigrated into the will of the Douluo plane.
Time flew, like a white steed flashing past a gap, and the day of the round-robin matches arrived. The group Shrek Academy's team was in was no different from the original story.
The group assigned to the New Tang Sect Academy Team was also fairly good, with none of its teams being particularly strong.
By contrast, the group Shrek Academy's team belonged to consisted almost entirely of powerful students. Whether the Star Luo Empire had manipulated things behind the scenes was unclear.
The players' opponents in their first round-robin match were Qinglang Academy, an obscure academy with a total of four Soul Ancestors and three Soul Elders.
The match format drawn was another team battle.
As the host announced the start of the match, the Qinglang Academy Team immediately spread out their formation to avoid falling into the players' trap like Tianling Academy had last time.
The positioning of the seven players also left the Qinglang Academy Team puzzled.
Qian Xixi and Ten-Year Veteran stood at the very front, while the other five stood behind them.
The next second, they learned why.
I Am an Angel, Wang Zhongwang, Primordial One, Agile Dog in the Mountains, and Spirit Hall Eternal each pulled out a Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon.
The sight of the Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannons left many people unable to remain calm.
He Caitou, who was beside Huo Yuhao, stood straight up.
"They actually have Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannons too!"
Huo Yuhao frowned and said, "A Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon needs to drain all of a Soul King's soul power to activate. Most of them have three rings, and only one has four. They can't use them at all."
Wang Dong did not know much about soul tools, so she asked, "Can't they use milk bottles?"
He Caitou shook his head. "No. You can't absorb soul power from a milk bottle while charging a Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon."
He Caitou used a Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon himself, so he knew this very well.
"Could these people already have Soul King-level soul power reserves with just three rings? Or are the Super Soul Guidance Cannons they're holding specially made so they can use them with three rings?"
No one could answer Wang Dong's questions.
The Qinglang Academy Team on the stage was also frightened by the sight. Once they recovered, their captain immediately gave an order.
"Attack immediately! We absolutely cannot let them finish charging!"
"Yes!"
The captain led several of Qinglang Academy's assault-type team members in a charge at their greatest speed.
Qian Xixi: "Fourth soul skill: Black Tortoise Cage!"
This move was not cast on her opponents, but on her teammates.
It could trap opponents as well as provide defense for teammates.
Ten-Year Veteran directly used his first soul skill, Throw, sending the Formation-Breaking Overlord Spear stabbing straight at Qinglang Academy's captain as he chased after it himself.
His opponent blocked the Formation-Breaking Overlord Spear. Ten-Year Veteran caught it again and immediately followed up with Spear Thrust Like a Dragon.
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