"I'll head back first. Keep an eye on Shrek Academy's movements. If there's any trace of the Saintess, contact me immediately."
Myriad Soul Douluo stood and walked to the window.
"Yes, Elder."
Lin Xiao replied. When he looked up, the Myriad Soul Douluo's figure was already gone from the room. A wave of relief washed over him. He had truly feared the elder might suddenly come up with some new idea on a whim.
He knew full well that Xuanzi was closely watching every move of Shrek Academy's group at this moment. Acting rashly would only lead to falling into his hands. Even if action was necessary, it would have to wait until Zhongli Wu arrived.
Fortunately, the Myriad Soul Douluo had taken his suggestion and was preparing to spread the rumor. Spreading information would take time—by then, Ma Xiaotao might have already taken the field. As long as she revealed even a hint of the evil fire's aura, the rest wouldn't require his concern.
After some delay, it wasn't long before the group from Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy returned to their accommodations.
"Where's Teacher Ma?" In the corridor, Lin Xiao looked at the group, whose expressions seemed subtly strange.
"There's an urgent matter Teacher Ma needs to handle. I had them come back first." It wasn't Ma Rulong, the team captain, who answered, but Xiao Hongchen.
To send back the lead teacher in charge of the Soul Battle Tournament—Lin Xiao already knew that Xiao Hongchen had likely, as in his memory, won the final auction item: the "100,000-year" soul beast embryo.
After all, few could rival Mingde Hall in financial power.
Lin Xiao didn't press further. Some things were better known as little as possible.
"With both teachers absent, how will the upcoming matches be arranged?"
"They should be back soon." Ma Rulong said, raising his hand to reveal a storage soul tool. "Grandfather left all the soul tools behind. The schedule is set—we won't face Shrek Academy. Dealing with the other academies shouldn't be a problem."
"With Shrek Academy's lineup this year, even if we did face them, we could easily defeat them."
Someone chimed in, and Ma Rulong's expression instantly changed. He turned back. "Don't underestimate the enemy. Have you forgotten what happened on the first day? Shrek Academy still has three members who haven't appeared—likely their official team members. They still have hidden strength."
Ma Rulong suddenly turned to Lin Xiao. "Senior Lin, why don't you come with us? While we're competing, you can guide these juniors."
"Sure, though 'guiding' might be too strong a word. If there's anything unclear during the match, we can discuss it together." Lin Xiao glanced over, nodded lightly. "Hurry back and rest. In the knockout rounds, losing means elimination from the rest of the tournament."
As the competition progressed, more academies were eliminated. The Star Luo Empire opened additional spectator seats. Every day, before matches even began, crowds packed the arena so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.
Word of the auction still spread. After all, a 100,000-year soul beast embryo was a first in the ten-thousand-year history of the Douluo Continent.
The group from Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy seemed to have been specifically instructed—no one revealed who ultimately won the item. Lin Xiao was glad for it and didn't inquire, simply leading them to the Soul Battle Tournament preparation area.
Inside the preparation zone, when Lin Xiao sat at the very front of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's section, Wang Yan, not far away, visibly froze.
Lin Xiao's gaze swept over Shrek Academy's three official members. Seeing Wang Yan, he smiled and nodded. Wang Yan instinctively returned the gesture, though the confusion on his face didn't diminish in the slightest.
"Teacher Wang, what's wrong?" Dai Yaoheng, nearby, noticed Wang Yan's odd expression and leaned in to ask.
"You've all been recovering these past few days, so you're unaware of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's members. I've never seen that person in their team before."
"Could he be a player like us who hasn't taken the field yet?" Dai Yaoheng turned slightly to glance.
"Shouldn't be." Wang Yan shook his head. "Soul Battle Tournament participants are registered in advance. All fourteen of their official and reserve members have appeared. The Star Luo Empire wouldn't allow temporary substitutions."
"Then maybe a lead teacher? But he looks too young." Dai Yaoheng continued guessing along Wang Yan's line of thought.
"That's not impossible. The Soul Battle Tournament only regulates competing participants, not lead teachers. But why would Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy suddenly change teachers? Could they have some hidden strategy?"
Wang Yan pondered with his head down. Suddenly noticing the other students looking at him, his brows relaxed. He smiled at the group. "Alright, no matter what tactics our opponents have, you've already exceeded my expectations by reaching this point. You've done incredibly well."
"Win or lose in the coming matches, in my heart, you are all the most outstanding students."
Smiles clearly appeared on the faces of Shrek Academy's group. The older ones could tell that Wang Yan still cared deeply about the outcome—otherwise, he wouldn't pay such close attention to personnel changes at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
But at a time like this, it wasn't good to point it out. They simply smiled along with the others.
Only the three official members smiled somewhat stiffly. They were supposed to represent Shrek Academy in the Soul Battle Tournament and, like previous years, claim the championship.
But due to the incident, they couldn't compete and had to rely on a group of reserve members struggling to hold on. Naturally, they felt somewhat uneasy.
"Senior, the one sitting at the front is named Dai Yaoheng. In the last tournament, he was the captain of Shrek Academy's reserve team. The female student beside him hasn't appeared before."
Ma Rulong was introducing Shrek's members to Lin Xiao. "They haven't shown up since the tournament began. Suddenly appearing today—they're probably going on stage."
"Mm, then let's take this chance to observe closely." Lin Xiao nodded and glanced back at the spectator stands.
He wasn't sure if the Holy Spirit Cult had sent anyone else to watch the Soul Battle Tournament. Perhaps something could be discerned from Ma Xiaotao.
In Shrek Academy's preparation area, He Caitou kept turning to glance at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's side. When he looked back once more, he met Huo Yuhao's puzzled stare.
"Senior Brother He, did you notice something?"
"No." He Caitou, scratched his head honestly. "I just feel that person in Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy looks familiar—like I've seen him somewhere before."
Huo Yuhao followed He Caitou's gaze, lowering his voice. "Senior Brother He, could it be related to your background…"
"Probably not. I can't quite remember."
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
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[email protected]/facficmax10--------(@→a)
"Sorry for not uploading any chapters in 3 days, guys—my hard drive died on me."