Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

After reading the information provided by the Great Spirit Arena, the Master sighed deeply. The entire document didn't mention the opponents' spirit abilities or their effects. He knew well that this wasn't because the Great Spirit Arena didn't want to provide this information, but rather because they couldn't.

Flender said, "Xiaogang, when you agreed earlier, didn't you ask if Cheng Xiao would participate in the team spirit fight? By agreeing so hastily, we Shrek may have a hard time winning."

The Master shook his head and replied, "I thought about it, but there was no choice. The academy doesn't have any money, and the other side's offer was so high. I had no option but to agree." He added, "To be fair, it was my fault for not thinking it through."

"Alright, don't blame yourself too much," Flender said after a pause. "Right now, the only problem we have is Cheng Xiao. If he doesn't participate in the team spirit fight, how confident are you that Shrek can win?"

The Master thought for a moment before answering, "Without Cheng Xiao, I estimate it's about 80% to 20% in our favor. We'll have an 80% chance of winning."

"I see…" Flender adjusted his crystal-framed glasses, then stood up and said, "You go ahead and arrange the tactics for the kids. Leave Cheng Xiao to me. Perhaps, Shrek really can win that 10,000 gold soul coins."

The Master asked with some doubt, "What are you planning?"

Flender just shook his head and left without further explanation, walking out of the Shrek resting room.

Watching Flender leave, the Grandmaster was confused but relieved. If this problem could be solved, it would indeed be a blessing for Shrek. After all, Shrek was in desperate need of money at the moment.

An hour later, all the Shrek team members had gathered in the resting room.

"Teacher, who are we fighting today?" Tang San approached the Master once everyone had arrived and asked curiously.

The Grandmaster didn't respond to Tang San immediately. Instead, he placed a stack of papers on the table and said with a serious expression, "This is the information on today's opponents. Take a look."

Of course, he didn't include Cheng Xiao's details. The Master wanted to avoid undermining the team's confidence. Important members like Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun had all been defeated by Cheng Xiao before. If they lost confidence, they wouldn't be able to perform at their best, something the Master absolutely didn't want to see.

For Shrek Academy, giving up the match meant losing income and, in the long run, ruining the reputation of the Shrek team. If that happened, they might not even be able to compete in the Great Spirit Arena in the future.

Moreover, without money, Shrek Academy would go bankrupt. Without money, how could the Grandmaster train Tang San to be a powerful spirit master and prove the correctness of his theories?

So, for Shrek, and for himself, the Grandmaster chose to withhold the fact that Cheng Xiao might participate. In any case, it was still uncertain, and the Master trusted that Flender could handle it.

After listening to the Master, the Shrek members took a quick look at the documents on the table. Soon, the room fell into silence. They knew about the reputation of the Emperor Team. Powerful beast martial spirits (spirits or abilities unique to each spirit master, linked to their martial soul) like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Jade Phosphor Serpent were formidable. They understood that this would be a significant challenge, and one mistake could put them at a severe disadvantage, leading to defeat.

Seeing the team's low spirits, the Master spoke in a deep voice, "The Emperor Team may be strong, but they aren't invincible. Dai Mubai's White Tiger spirit isn't weak. Oscar provides strong healing abilities. Ma Hongjun's mutant spirit and Xiao Wu's unique fighting techniques are powerful tools."

"Zhu Zhuqing's speed and Ning Rongrong's strong buffing abilities give us a solid chance against them. So, there's no need to worry."

"Also, you're much younger than they are. Even if we lose, it's no big deal. But if you've already lost your confidence before the fight, then you might as well not participate."

As Shrek's leader, the Master understood the pride in the hearts of his students. This pride was something he had carefully nurtured. As long as they saw themselves as geniuses, they would behave like true geniuses. If they backed down now, all his efforts would be wasted.

Prompted by the Master's words, Dai Mubai couldn't stay quiet anymore. He turned to the silent Tang San and asked, "Xiao San, what do you think? You're the soul of our Shrek team. You should make the decision."

Hearing this, a faint light flashed in Tang San's eyes. He slowly clenched his fists, and a strong fighting spirit welled up within him. In a low voice, he said, "The teacher is right. We are the Shrek Seven Devils. We're monsters."

"If the Emperor Team stands in our way, then we'll fight!"

"Good! That's the spirit!" The Master stepped forward, patted Tang San on the shoulder, and smiled sincerely. "Xiao San, during this team battle, you must not give up until the very last moment. Even if we lose, we must show the Shrek team's fighting spirit!"

"And one more thing, in this fight, you can't seriously injure the opponents. Also, the battle tactics will be entirely up to you, Tang San. Does anyone have any objections?"

"No," the Shrek members all responded, shaking their heads.

"Good, teacher," Tang San said, nodding slightly. His heart was filled with excitement. "The teacher trusts me so much! Not only does he give me command of this battle, but he also lets me freely organize the tactics. This truly is my teacher!"

For a moment, Tang San felt deeply moved.

"Shrek, victory!" Tang San raised his right hand first, then looked at Xiao Wu, Oscar, Dai Mubai, and the others. Understanding his intent, they also extended their hands. Soon, their hands were stacked on top of each other, and they shouted together, "Shrek, victory!"

...

Meanwhile, in the Emperor Team's resting room, they also received the information on the Shrek team.

"Isn't this Shrek team made up of the spirit masters who caused trouble for Lingling a while ago?" Yu Tianheng frowned, putting down the papers and said coldly.

"That's right, boss," Yu Feng replied. "During tonight's fight, should we give them a lesson?"

"Let's wait until Teacher Qin Ming comes back and see what he has planned," Yu Tianheng said with a glance at Yu Feng.

"You're right," Yu Feng agreed. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, boss, didn't Teacher Qin Ming say we'll be heading back to Heaven Dou City after this team fight?"

"I'm not sure," Yu Tianheng replied, shaking his head.

"Yu Feng, you're asking too many questions," Dugu Yan said impatiently. "It's better to wait for Teacher Qin's instructions."

However, she added, "We've been out for a long time. Knowing Teacher Qin, it might be time to head back."

Thinking of her green-haired grandfather, Dugu Yan missed him after being away for so long.

At this point, Oslo said, "We've been doing team fights for a while now, and we haven't come across any strong opponents. They're all too weak. Heaven Dou City's team fights were tougher."

"Oslo, don't get arrogant. We haven't faced the five elemental academies or the Spirit Hall Academy teams yet. If we had, our victories wouldn't have come so easily," Yu Tianheng warned with a cold flash of lightning in his eyes.

Though their path had been smooth, Yu Tianheng knew it wasn't because they were exceptionally strong, but because their opponents were too weak.

If they started to believe they were unbeatable, it would be a big mistake!

"Yes, boss," Oslo said, scratching his head awkwardly after being reminded.

Yu Tianheng turned to the silent Cheng Xiao in the corner. "Cheng Xiao, has Teacher Qin Ming arranged for you to participate in tonight's team fight?"

"I don't think so," Cheng Xiao replied with a slight shake of his head. "He didn't tell me to join."

"I see," Yu Tianheng said, nodding without pressing further.

"Lingling, you've been sitting next to Cheng Xiao a lot lately. You've almost forgotten about the rest of us," Yu Feng teased.

"Get lost," Ye Lingling said without even looking at him.

"Uh…" Yu Feng scratched his head and was about to say more when Dugu Yan interrupted, "Yu Feng, I know what you're thinking. If you keep bothering Lingling, I'll poison your third leg and make sure you're her best girlfriend for life."

After this warning, Dugu Yan glanced at the smirking Oslo. "That goes for you too. Watch yourselves."

"Understood," Oslo quickly covered his mouth.

"Come on, Yanzi, isn't that a bit unfair?" Yu Feng protested. "Lingling sits with Cheng Xiao, but you're only threatening us. Isn't that too much?"

"Too much?" Dugu Yan laughed. "If you can withstand my poison like Cheng Xiao, you can sit wherever you like. The catch is, you have to endure it first."

Hearing this, Yu Feng instantly quieted down, even looking at Cheng Xiao with a tinge of envy in his eyes.

With Yu Feng behaving himself, the rest room fell into a rare calm.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Qin Ming entered.

"Teacher," the members of the Emperor Team stood up and greeted him with a slight bow upon seeing him.

Waving them off, Qin Ming gestured for everyone to sit down. With a strange expression on his face, he asked, "You've all read the information sent by Supervisor Ao, right?"

"Yes, we've all read it, Teacher," Yu Tianheng replied.

"Then let's start planning our strategy. Tianheng," Qin Ming said before turning to Cheng Xiao, "Cheng Xiao, come with me for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."

...

If you'd like to support me and gain access to extra chapters, you can follow the link:

patreon.com/Firesight323.

Thank you for your support.