The four people whose names were called remained silent, their lips moving slightly, but they ultimately couldn't utter a sound; the word "hope" simply wouldn't come out.
Seeing this, Tang San frowned and his tone became commanding. "Speak! Tell him!"
He knew that once these words came out of their mouths, it would mean that their past relationship with Lin Kong would be severed in public, and the team would be united under his will.
Seeing no one respond immediately, Tang San's gaze first locked onto the person he cared about most, applying pressure. " Xiao Wu!"
Xiao Wu's body trembled slightly; she lowered her head, her fingers tightly intertwined.
Tang San softened his voice, but it carried a guiding and compelling tone. " Xiao Wu, you'll listen to me, won't you?"
Xiao Wu's mind was in turmoil; sadness and struggle almost overwhelmed her, and she still couldn't utter a single word.
" Tang San!" Lin Kong's voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised contempt, "Are you even a man? How can you force Xiao Wu like this? Do you genuinely care about her, or are you just using her trust to achieve your own goals?"
" Lin Kong! You're talking nonsense!" Tang San's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, but his voice betrayed a hint of panic. He hurriedly turned to look at Xiao Wu, his eyes pleading, and his voice softened. " Xiao Wu, I'm not that kind of person, you know that..."
Xiao Wu simply shook her head, lowered her face even further, and stopped looking at him and speaking.
Just then, a clear and firm voice broke the deadlock:
" Brother Lin."
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, her clear gaze fixed on Lin Kong, and those two short words clearly expressed her attitude.
Dai Mubai, standing to the side, had a face as black as the bottom of a pot, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, as if some kind of green pressure was heavily looming over him.
"The main reason I came back this time is to find certain people and settle some scores." Lin Kong's gaze calmly swept over the Shrek Devils, finally stopping meaningfully on a certain spot. "You should understand what I mean, right?"
That couldn't be clearer.
Lin Kong's sword was clearly aimed at Tang San alone. As for the others, he did not show any hostility, and even carried the lingering warmth of past friendship.
The fact that Ning Rongrong stood behind him without hesitation was the most direct proof of this.
Tang San's heart tightened, and in a panic, he immediately looked to Dai Mubai beside him for help, as they were now tied together.
Dai Mubai naturally understood, and sneered, trying to regain his composure and sow discord. "Heh, who are you going to settle scores with? You make it sound so high and mighty, but who knows if you have ulterior motives, or if you're just scared and trying to use this excuse to disrupt us?"
"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Lin Kong casually spread his hands, his posture relaxed, as if he had everything under control. He tilted his head slightly, turning his gaze to Ning Rongrong beside him, and even winked at her playfully.
This familiar little gesture reminded Ning Rongrong of how Lin Kong had flirted with Meng Yiran in the Star Dou Great Forest. She had secretly found it amusing then, but now that it was her turn, a faint blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks.
Lin Kong shook his head helplessly, his voice softening further. " Rongrong."
"Oh, oh!" Ning Rongrong seemed to have just come to her senses. "Actually, I'm not really interested in this Soul Fighting. If you're not going to play, Brother Lin, then I won't play either. Perfect, I can chat with Brother Lin on the sidelines."
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone on Shrek Academy darkened, especially Tang San and Dai Mubai, whose faces turned as black as ink.
They knew all too well how terrifying the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's support capabilities were.
In a seven-person team battle, the combat power of an ordinary Support System Soul Master surpasses that of a Battle Soul Master, at least equivalent to "one and a half Battle Soul Master ". The team as a whole reaches "seven and a half Battle Soul Master ". This is why a team usually needs support, rather than simply stacking seven Battle Soul Master.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, as the number one Support System Martial Soul in the world, has an amplification effect far exceeding that of ordinary support characters. One person is equivalent to "three Battle Soul Master ", which means the team has a total of "nine Battle Soul Master "!
Even though she is only Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster now, a 30% increase in speed and strength is enough to be a decisive factor in an evenly matched battle.
If Ning Rongrong leaves the field now, the Shrek Seven Devils' chances of winning against the Imperial Fighting Team, which has all members at the Soul Elder and is fully equipped, will drop from a few points to zero.
There is absolutely no chance of winning.
"Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you anymore." Lin Kong looked at the complex expressions on the Shrek Academy members' faces, suddenly chuckled, shook his head, and softened his tone, as if he had taken a step back.
"I know you're caught in the middle, so..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, before uttering a sentence that sent a chill down everyone's spine. "It's just me. Only me, to test my skills against you all. Let me see just how much you've improved in the past few months."
Upon hearing this, the Shrek group members all showed varying expressions, and were all shocked.
"What? Brother Lin, you..." Xiao Wu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, her eyes filled with worry.
" Brother Lin, I won't fight." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was cold, but her refusal was firm.
Ma Hongjun panicked and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, Brother Lin! This won't do!"
Oscar was so flustered he stammered, "This... this... Brother Lin, you're kidding me!"
They all thought it was absurd and too embarrassing—seven people beating up a former partner; winning wouldn't be honorable, and losing would be even more shameful.
In stark contrast to them, Tang San felt a surge of wild joy, almost bursting into laughter. He cursed Lin Kong inwardly for being foolish and arrogant, courting death, but on the surface, he tried his best to maintain a cold demeanor and preemptively spoke to cut off the others' hesitation, "Fine! Since you look down on us Shrek Seven Devils so much, then... we won't hold back!"
Dai Mubai immediately understood, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He shouted in a deep voice, "Did you all hear that? Prepare to make your move!" He wanted to take this opportunity to completely destroy Lin Kong's position in everyone's hearts, especially... in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
Lin Kong nodded calmly, even with a hint of encouraging smile, "Come on, all of you come at me together. It'll be fine."
He turned his gaze to Xiao Wu, his tone as gentle as ever, reminding her, " Xiao Wu, don't try to Teleportation next to me like you did during practice before. My reaction time is probably faster now."
Tang San's face instantly darkened.
Lin Kong looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, " Zhu Zhuqing, especially remember, whatever you do, don't use your Martial Soul Fusion Skill. I really can't handle that; I'll collapse instantly."
Dai Mubai's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Lin Kong's words had struck a nerve with him.
Lin Kong then looked at Ma Hongjun and laughed, "Fatty, my Dark Blue Silver Grass isn't afraid of fire. Let me show you."
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun was startled and, forgetting the occasion, blurted out curiously, "Really, Brother Lin?!"
Lin Kong nodded with a smile, his gaze finally settling on Oscar, his tone the most relaxed. " Little Ao, just relax, it's alright."
Oscar scratched his head, his expression complicated, and whispered, " Brother Lin... I... I understand."
The air Douluo I, yet an extremely strange atmosphere permeated the air.
On one side were seven people, each with their own thoughts and intentions, while on the other side stood a lone old friend, seemingly only there to "reminisce and exchange ideas."