"Precisely because Blazing Fire disrupted the tournament format, of the seventeen teams that advanced today, apart from the Godwind and Blazing Fire academies, another four teams have already begun merging, reducing the number of competing teams by three."
"The team you were supposed to face tomorrow has forfeited too. All their main fighters joined another strong team, so you'll be facing the Heaven Thunder Team tomorrow."
Xu Zi nodded in understanding.
The book had alluded to all of this, but he had never expected his overwhelming performance today to disrupt the plot and cause tomorrow's opposing team to forfeit as well.
"Sixteen minus two, so tomorrow will be fourteen teams competing for seven spots?" Xu Zi asked.
From his tone, he did not seem concerned about tomorrow's clash.
"Yes." Ling Yuan Douluo weighed the matter and said, "If you have other plans tomorrow, as chief judge, I can exercise my authority to postpone the match between the Second Team and the Heaven Thunder Team by a day."
"No need," Xu Zi interrupted.
After a moment's thought, he made his request. "I agree to the matchup, but it has to be tomorrow's last match."
Ling Yuan readily nodded. "That's entirely doable."
Xu Zi asked again, "Which team will the Shrek Team face tomorrow?"
Ling Yuan answered, "The Star Luo Royal Team. In terms of strength, they firmly rank second among all the teams in this tournament's ranking matches."
"That's because their captain and vice-captain have a hereditary Martial Soul Fusion Skill whose strength reaches straight into the realm of a high-level, rank-fifty-five Soul King."
"Good." Xu Zi made his final request. "Put the Spirit Hall First Team's match against the second-ranked team from the Star Luo region first tomorrow."
"Schedule the Shrek Team against the Star Luo Royal Team for the second match."
"Put my Second Team against the Heaven Thunder Team in the seventh match-the last one."
Xu Zi did this because he did not want Shrek's side to see him possessed by the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon, because tomorrow...
There would be a battle of dragons!
Had any other captain made these three scheduling requests, Ling Yuan would not even have bothered responding.
But with Xu Zi making them, she nodded her agreement without even pausing to consider.
Throughout their loud plotting, Ling Yuan did not so much as glance at Huang Ying, the First Team member whose schedule they were arranging.
"By the way, how is your Soul Power consolidation coming along?" Ling Yuan suddenly asked.
Faced with this pointed question, Xu Zi naturally heard the meaning between the strings.
He immediately rose and told Huang Ying regretfully, "Sorry, Senior. As captain, I have to prepare for tomorrow's matches. I'll be going on ahead."
Huang Ying gave a soft "Mm," feeling as though something rightfully hers was quietly slipping away from her heart.
Only after Xu Zi followed Ling Yuan out of sight beyond the shop's entrance did a shaft of warm afternoon sunlight fall through the glass at an angle onto the back of her hand.
Early the next morning.
The sun had only just risen in the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest. Xu Zi was still immersed in warmth when knocking downstairs woke him.
"Captain Xu, is Captain Xu here?"
It was Shi Xing's voice.
Xu Zi cupped Ling Yuan's cheek, disturbing her sleeping face, and asked, "Didn't you tell the tournament organizers about the match arrangements yesterday?"
"Hmph, mmh..." With her eyelashes still closed, Ling Yuan said irritably, "Before dinner yesterday, I already sent a knight to inform the cardinal and explain your three requests. With their efficiency, everyone would have been notified by last night at the latest..."
"Oh, isn't that your own fault? You can't even manage the people under you."
Xu Zi pulled his arm out of her warm embrace, then quickly got up and briefly sensed the Soul Power inside him...
With three more rounds of support from Ling Yuan, a Titled Douluo, all seven ranks of Soul Power that had surged within Xu Zi had been thoroughly consolidated.
In terms of Soul Power quality alone, he was already a little stronger than yesterday.
Once dressed, Xu Zi went downstairs to open the door. Shi Xing stood outside, his face full of worry.
"Vice-captain Shi, what's so urgent this early?"
Shi Xing smelled the lingering feminine fragrance on Xu Zi. He first apologized, then was welcomed into the small sitting room.
Xu Zi listened to his report while brewing tea, preparing milk, and dissolving sugar.
Shi Xing quickly explained how Blazing Fire had disrupted the order and exploited loopholes in the rules, leaving their team facing a monstrous combination like Heaven Dou plus Thunderclap, and so on.
Clearly, he also wanted to escape a life of merely gilding himself, hoping to use the blazing fire of Xu Zi's sudden arrival to refine himself into genuine gold.
That was why he was taking this so seriously.
"All right." Xu Zi interrupted the report, picked up his milk tea, and took a sip. "As captain, I knew more about this than you did yesterday, and I also worked 'through the night' last night to draw up a battle plan."
"This afternoon, beside the Soul Fighting Plaza, I'll lay out our strategy. Go back and reassure the team members first."
Shi Xing seized every second to ask, "Then which six people are you planning to field today? That way, I can go back and have them prepare."
That question struck the nail on the head, but Xu Zi really had not done any work on that front, so he could only offer a perfunctory reply. "As the strongest fighter under me, you'll definitely take the stage with me. I'll decide on the other five on the spot."
"That's all. I'm here to handle things, so you don't need to worry."
After sending Shi Xing away with a few words, Xu Zi was just about to head upstairs when...
A gust of hot wind brushed his face. Ling Yuan spread her wings and floated down the narrow stairwell, bringing a white sheet of information with her.
Ling Yuan took the milk tea Xu Zi had just sipped and took a sip herself as she said, "You were washing up when I brought this over last night, so I forgot about it until this morning."
Xu Zi gave an "Mm" and unfolded the paper in his hands.
Yesterday's sheet had only been the Heaven Thunder Team's roster. This one contained detailed information about its members:
"The Heaven Thunder Team was jointly formed by three members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team and four members of the Thunder Team."
"Yu Tianheng, captain of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly captain of the Imperial Fighting Team. Rank forty-five power attack system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."
"Yu Tianxin, vice-captain of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly captain of the Thunder Team. Rank forty-three power attack system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."
"Dugu Yan, vice-captain of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly vice-captain of the Imperial Fighting Team. Rank forty-three control system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Jade Phosphorus Snake."
"Lei Dong, member of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly vice-captain of the Thunder Team. Rank forty-three control system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Thunder Spider."
"Lei Tian, member of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly vice-captain of the Thunder Team. Rank forty-three agility attack system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Thunder Eagle."
"Shi Mo, member of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly a member of the Imperial Fighting Team. Rank forty defense system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Black Tortoise."
"Shi Mo, member of the Heaven Thunder Team, formerly a member of the Imperial Fighting Team. Rank forty defense system Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Black Tortoise."
"Substitutes: Lei Mie, Ye Lingling, Osler, Yu Feng."
"All members possess Soul Ancestor-level fighting strength."
"Both Blue Lightning Twin Stars are present..."
Xu Zi gave the name "Ye Lingling" a particularly close look, then put away the information sheet.
Ling Yuan happened to finish the milk tea. Brushing aside her bangs on the right, she asked, "What, feeling the pressure?"
Xu Zi shook his head. "No, I'm feeling fortunate. Good thing I won you over ahead of time. Not only are you presiding over the judges' seats, you also helped me change the schedule. Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare, today..."
"To use Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon possession already."
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