Naturally, Liu Yuan didn't care how others viewed them.
To him, outside opinions were nothing more than passing clouds.
Whether it was the goodwill of bystanders or the wariness of rival team leaders, none of it could stir his emotions in the slightest.
A true expert remains calm like still water, focusing only on their own objective.
At this moment, after entering the hotel and finding the exclusive floor reserved for the Sun Moon Royal Team, everyone unpacked their luggage.
Before anyone could even relax, Liu Yuan summoned everyone to his room.
Inside, the atmosphere was slightly solemn.
Liu Yuan stood by the table, pen in hand, writing rapidly across a large sheet of white paper. The pen scratched softly as it moved, his expression focused and intent.
A moment later, he stopped, slid the sheet—now densely covered in writing—to the center of the table.
"Everyone, take a look."
His voice was calm, yet carried undeniable weight.
"This is detailed intelligence on our greatest opponent—Shrek Academy."
Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Ma Rulong, and the others immediately crowded around.
The moment their eyes landed on the paper, the faint ease on their faces vanished, replaced by heavy seriousness.
Even though they had already skimmed this information earlier, seeing it laid out so clearly before them still made the pressure feel suffocating.
[Captain: Ma Xiaotao — Martial Soul: Evil Fire Phoenix — Rank 72 Attack System Spirit Saint]
[Vice Captain: Dai Yueheng — Martial Soul: White Tiger — Rank 69 Attack System Spirit Emperor]
[Team Member: Chen Zifeng — Martial Soul: Soul-Seeking Sword — Rank 57 Attack System Spirit King]
[Team Member: Gongyang Mo — Martial Soul: Rainbow Dragon — Rank 59 Auxiliary System Spirit King]
[Team Member: Xi Xi — Martial Soul: Lightning Leopard — Rank 56 Agility Attack System Spirit King]
The list felt like a mountain pressing down on everyone's chest.
"Hiss…"
Ma Rulong sucked in a sharp breath, brows tightly furrowed.
"This… isn't this too outrageous?"
"Leaving aside the reserve members, they're all high-level Spirit Kings or above!"
"Especially Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng… one's a Spirit Saint, the other is at the peak of Spirit Emperor. How are we supposed to fight this?"
Even the usually arrogant Xiao Hongchen fell silent when his gaze stopped at the words Rank 72.
No matter how confident he was, he knew all too well that there was still an insurmountable gap between him and a Spirit Saint.
Level suppression was the cruelest law in the world of Spirit Masters.
Watching everyone's reactions, Liu Yuan sighed inwardly.
This really was troublesome.
In the original outcome, the Sun Moon Royal Team had still lost even when facing a crippled Shrek lineup.
Yet this time, for reasons unknown, Shrek's entire main team had arrived in Star Luo City completely intact.
The Shrek main team at full strength.
Against any other academy, this was practically a dimensional strike.
For a moment, the room felt stifling.
Facing such an overwhelmingly powerful team, fear and anxiety were inevitable.
But Liu Yuan knew that, as captain, he had to step forward now—break the deadlock and rebuild confidence.
"What?"
"Already scared?"
Liu Yuan lightly tapped the table, his voice cold and clear, snapping everyone back to attention.
He swept his gaze around the room, eyes firm and sharp.
"Shrek is strong. That's a fact we must acknowledge."
"But Spirit Master combat has never been a simple comparison of numbers."
"If the higher Rank always won, then everyone might as well just summon their spirit rings and compare them. Why bother holding a tournament at all?"
Those words caused everyone's eyes to brighten slightly as they looked up at him.
A confident curve appeared at the corner of Liu Yuan's lips as he pointed to the first name on the list.
"Ma Xiaotao. Rank 72 Spirit Saint. Evil Fire Phoenix."
"She is their strongest point."
"But precisely because she's a fire-attribute Spirit Master—"
His finger tapped firmly on Ma Xiaotao's name.
"She's also the easiest one for us to target."
"Don't forget—we brought a secret weapon this time."
Everyone froze for a split second. Then, realization struck, and their eyes lit up with excitement.
"Fire-Resistant Bracelets!"
Meng Hongchen blurted out excitedly.
"Exactly."
Liu Yuan nodded, intelligence flashing in his eyes.
"With the Fire-Resistant Bracelets, Ma Xiaotao's flame-based lethality will be weakened by at least seventy percent."
"A Spirit Saint who loses her strongest burst method is still powerful—but no longer invincible."
At those words, the oppressive atmosphere instantly eased.
That's right.
They were Soul Engineers.
And what were Soul Engineers best at?
Using tools to compensate for their shortcomings—and to precisely counter their enemies.
Seeing morale recover, Liu Yuan pressed his advantage and continued laying out his strategy.
"There's also more good news."
"That is—Shrek is far too arrogant."
He pointed at the densely written sheet and sneered.
"They're practically begging to show all their trump cards to the world."
"This kind of arrogance is our greatest opportunity."
"According to the schedule, we likely won't face Shrek until the finals."
"Which means we can fully use this time to observe every one of their matches."
"We'll analyze each person's combat style, spirit abilities, and even personality flaws."
"And then—manufacture spirit tools designed specifically to restrain them."
"For Dai Yueheng's White Tiger Vajra Transformation—we develop armor-piercing fixed soul cannons."
"For Gongyang Mo, the Auxiliary System—we use sonic interference or visual-blocking devices."
"For Xi Xi, the Agility Attack System—we set gravity traps or adhesive slowing beams."
Liu Yuan spoke faster and faster, his thoughts becoming crystal clear.
"Since they don't know how to hide their cards, we'll study them thoroughly."
"We'll turn them into lab specimens—waiting to be dissected on our table."
"When we finally meet them in the finals…"
Liu Yuan clenched his fist, voice cold and resolute.
"With each of us wielding spirit tools tailor-made to counter them—what will they have left to fight us with?"
"This is brilliant!"
Ma Rulong slapped his thigh, eyes blazing with excitement.
"Absolutely brilliant! This is the true power of soul tool technology!"
"I'm getting excited just imagining it! Hahaha!"
Xiao Hongchen's eyes also shone brightly as he looked at Liu Yuan with open admiration.
"Captain, your mind really works the fastest."
"This kind of 'custom-built' combat style—only Soul Engineers like us can pull it off."
In an instant, the atmosphere transformed completely.
The earlier heaviness vanished, replaced by excitement and anticipation.
Everyone felt an urge to rush straight into the laboratory and start designing immediately.
"However…"
At that moment, Mi Jia, who had remained silent until now, frowned slightly and voiced her concern.
"The plan is great, but manufacturing so many high-level, specialized spirit tools on short notice…"
"The rare metals required would be astronomical."
"And some materials may not be easy to purchase in Star Luo City."
All eyes turned to Liu Yuan.
Even the most brilliant plan required resources—this was a very real issue.
Yet before Liu Yuan could respond, Jing Hongchen, who had been leisurely sipping tea in the corner, calmly set his cup down.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat and stood up unhurriedly, a smile forming on his face—one that could only be described as rich.
"Materials?"
He reached out and tapped the storage pouch at his waist—a seemingly ordinary item that was, in fact, a top-tier soul tool.
"How could we ever be lacking in those?"
Jing Hongchen smiled at the group, his tone utterly domineering.
"As long as you have the ideas."
"Even if you wanted to build something capable of blowing Star Luo City into the sky—this old man has more than enough materials to support it."
"As for 'rare' metals…"
He chuckled softly.
"In my place, the word 'rare' doesn't exist."
Instantly, everyone's eyes sparkled like stars.
This was the benefit of having a dean whose wealth rivaled a nation.
"Dean is mighty!"
"Dean is generous!"
Meng Hongchen and the others couldn't help cheering.
Liu Yuan also smiled and nodded toward Jing Hongchen.
With that, the final missing piece of the plan fell into place.
"Since materials are no longer an issue, everyone can rest easy."
Liu Yuan clapped his hands, bringing the discussion to a close.
"Our priority now is to eat—and then rest properly."
"The enemy is strong, but we're not weak."
"Only by maintaining our best condition will we have the energy to research—and to face them."
"Come on."
"Let's go enjoy the cuisine of Star Luo City."
"And while we're at it… celebrate the 'hunt' that's about to begin."
With high spirits, Liu Yuan led the group toward the restaurant.
Meanwhile—on the other side.
Deep within the Star Luo Imperial Palace, inside the Imperial Study.
The hall was brightly lit.
With all participating academies having completed registration, Xu Jiujiu held a thick roster in her hands and stepped lightly into the study.
She respectfully placed the compiled list onto the wide dragon desk.
Behind the desk, a middle-aged man in a bright yellow dragon robe was bent over reading memorials.
Handsome and dignified, every movement he made carried the natural authority of one in supreme power.
He was none other than the current Emperor of the Star Luo Empire—
Xu Jiawei.
-------------Author---------------
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