Flender and Yu Xiaogang looked at the basic information on the Imperial Fighting Team that Manager Ao had handed them, and both their expressions shifted slightly.
Several days had passed, and the Shrek Seven Devils had swept all before them at the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena! Nearly every seven-person Soul Elder team had fallen to them, and Flender had made a fortune off that fact. Now, no team at the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena could contend with the Shrek Seven Devils. They were true stars.
But who could have imagined that, having become invincible within Suotuo City, they would face an enemy from outside it?
"Manager Ao, forgive me, but I cannot agree to your request! This Imperial Fighting Team is a Soul Master team from Heaven Dou City, while our Shrek Seven Devils are merely a Soul Master team from a small city. The gap between the two sides is far too great!"
Manager Ao had offered extremely generous terms, but Flender still forced himself to refuse despite the heartache. The reason was simple: the Imperial Fighting Team's overall strength was currently far above the Shrek Seven Devils'! Every member of that Soul Elder team had Soul Power above rank 35, and all of them had the optimal Soul Ring configuration! Barring any surprises, this Imperial Fighting Team would represent the Heaven Dou Empire in next year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. They were absolutely not something the current Shrek could handle.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Jade Phosphorus Snake, Black Tortoise... every member possessed a top-tier Martial Soul. Although Flender believed his Little Monsters were no less talented than the Imperial Fighting Team, the gap in Soul Power Level was real. Two members of Shrek Academy had yet to reach the Soul Elder level. Facing the Imperial Fighting Team was too much of a stretch.
Manager Ao looked deeply troubled. It was not that he had no trump card; his trump card was that powerful Young Master Bai! If this were one-on-one Soul Fighting, he would have had nothing to fear. The problem was that this was team Soul Fighting, and every match Young Master Bai participated in was certain to involve casualties... The city's nobles had invited the Imperial Fighting Team here precisely to carve a hefty slice out of his Great Soul Arena, which had been raking in money.
The Imperial Fighting Team had already fought four matches, crushing their opponents every time. The Great Soul Arena had already lost over a million Gold Soul Coins.
Manager Ao now enjoyed an exalted position and enormous wealth. Having tasted such extraordinary treatment, how could he willingly surrender the fat meat already in his mouth? The Shrek Seven Devils were his last straw to cling to. For their help, he had even offered fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins!
"No, Flender, don't be so quick to say that!"
Just as Flender firmly rejected Manager Ao's request and Manager Ao prepared to raise his offer again, Yu Xiaogang spoke. He set the information on the table, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon! Yu Tianheng!
Neither was a name he, Yu Xiaogang, could ever forget! As the Grandmaster who came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he yearned desperately for his family's recognition. What could give him more face than a disciple he had personally trained defeating the young clan master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Yu Xiaogang would prove that he was right, that he was not trash!
So he would accept this match!
"Our Shrek Seven Devils will take this match!"
Their chances of victory were low, but they did exist. Tang San's current strength gave Yu Xiaogang considerable confidence, and the trump card Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing shared could not be underestimated either. Of course, the one who truly made Yu Xiaogang believe they had a full fifty-percent chance of winning was Shangguan Hong!
"Xiaogang, this is no joking matter! That Imperial Fighting Team is far stronger than the Little Monsters!"
Flender looked anxious, while Manager Ao, like a gambler who had seized a glimmer of hope, hurriedly spoke.
"Grandmaster Yu is right! Dean Flender, there's no need to be so nervous! Just do your best in one match. How about this? I'm willing to add another thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins! Eighty thousand Gold Soul Coins in total. What do you say?"
"This isn't about money..."
"One hundred thousand! One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"Isn't it just the Imperial Fighting Team? Their swords may be sharp, but the swords of my Shrek Seven Devils are just as keen!"
Flender fully demonstrated what it meant to change faces, mainly because one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was an astronomical sum for Shrek Academy! Those Gold Soul Coins could help his Little Monsters grow better and allow the academy to develop further into the future. Of course, most importantly, he trusted his good friend Yu Xiaogang. Since Yu Xiaogang had said this match was worth a try, he must have his reasons.
Thus, he could only reluctantly accept these one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Seeing Flender agree to the Soul Fighting match, Manager Ao was naturally overjoyed and handed over ten thousand Gold Soul Coins as a deposit on the spot. Flender was thrilled when he received the money, but as he left with Yu Xiaogang, a trace of worry returned to his face.
"Xiaogang, that Imperial Fighting Team is no easy opponent!"
"No matter. This mountain hermit has a cunning plan!"
As they spoke, the two reached Shrek Academy's lounge. Tang San and the others were inside discussing the opponents they might face in their next match. Shangguan Hong lay off to one side, bored out of his mind, occasionally exchanging a few words with Ning Rongrong beside him. Just then, Yu Xiaogang and Flender pushed open the door and entered.
"Come take a look. These are your opponents today!"
The Great Soul Arena was frantic, so it had wasted no time arranging this match for the Shrek Seven Devils. After Tang San and the others took the information Yu Xiaogang handed them, a few glances were enough to make their expressions change drastically.
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon..."
"Golden Spatula?"
Yu Tianheng stared at the information in his hands, momentarily stunned. His voice drew the attention of the other Imperial Fighting Team members beside him. They swarmed around him and sank into thought as they looked at the purple-haired, purple-eyed youth pictured in the report and the enormous spatula resting on his shoulder.
"Yes, Golden Spatula! As far as I know, this is the first time such a Martial Soul has appeared on the continent! The Soul Master who possesses it calls himself Purple Dead Sea. His Soul Power is as high as rank 38, and he has two Thousand-Year Soul Rings!"
As Qin Ming looked at these Imperial Fighting Team members he took such pride in, a rare trace of gravity appeared on his face.
"A Summoning System Soul Master? Good grief, judging by that spatula, it looks more like a Power Attack System Tool Martial Soul!"
Yu Feng clicked his tongue in wonder, but as he continued reading, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
The report was extremely detailed, listing every match Shangguan Hong had participated in under the identity of Purple Dead Sea. It also contained information about two of Shangguan Hong's Soul Skills.
"You must not underestimate this fellow! According to the information we gathered, Purple Dead Sea's Second Soul Skill is extremely troublesome. It can call forth five exceptionally powerful summons! His Third Soul Skill is an even more formidable frontliner, capable of crushing an ordinary Four-Ring Soul Ancestor in terms of strength, with astonishing defensive power as well. Though it cannot last very long, used properly, it is enough to turn the tide of battle!"
As Qin Ming spoke, his thoughts drifted to the name of this team.
Shrek...