"The scent is truly delightful. As expected, beautiful young girls are always fragrant.
However, the green-haired one's scent, though pleasant, carries a faint fishy undertone.
A snake-like odor?"
Ye Wen pondered silently. After carefully comparing his memories, he finally nodded with certainty. That unmistakably belonged to the distinct fishy smell of snakes.
Seeing the two about to turn a corner and possibly notice him, Ye Wen quickly turned away.
"Rare green hair, an unusual fishy smell that no ordinary soul master would possess, and a cute Lolita girl.
If I'm not mistaken, these two should be Dugu Yan, the granddaughter of Dugu Bo, and Ye Lingling, who wields the Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul."
As he walked slowly forward, Ye Wen made his judgment while inwardly sighing. After waiting for so long, he had finally encountered the person he was looking for. Staying in this place any longer was driving him to boredom.
However, Ye Wen didn't act rashly. He repeatedly reminded himself to stay calm, not to make a move too soon, and not to reveal his intentions. Otherwise, if Dugu Bo were to go berserk, things could get messy.
Soon, as if by fate, the battle between Shrek's Seven Monsters and the Imperial Team officially began.
Before this, the Berserker Team had fulfilled their wish, advancing to Silver Combat Soul status. The very next day, they faced the Imperial Team and were utterly crushed, leaving them questioning life itself.
Ye Wen chuckled unkindly. These people really had terrible luck. Just as they narrowly missed advancing, they were beaten back by Shrek's Seven Monsters, only to be pummeled again immediately after advancing.
Later, Ye Wen teasingly asked them if they wanted to fight their way back to regain their Silver Combat Soul status. After enduring two beatings, the Berserker Team finally acknowledged reality. Who would want to fight again with such terrible luck?
Once is bad enough, twice is pushing it—but three times? Unthinkable!
Though Ye Wen had referred to this as a fateful confrontation, much of it was orchestrated behind the scenes. Recently, nobles had complained to him about how the Imperial Team's dominance had caused the Grand Spirit Arena to lose significant money. In the original storyline, due to similar financial losses, the Spirit Arena manipulated the matchups to pit these two powerful teams against each other.
When reading the novel or manga, it didn't seem odd, but from Ye Wen's perspective as an insider, it felt unnatural.
After all, the Imperial Team was a perennially victorious squad, and Shrek's Seven Monsters were no different. The hardest opponent in the Spirit Arena had been the Berserker Team, and Shrek had already defeated them. Who else could stand against them? Surely, the gamblers would bet heavily on them!
So, both sides were losing propositions. What was the Spirit Arena aiming for?
However, upon closer inspection, while both teams had faced the Berserker Team, the Imperial Team was clearly stronger. Their victory over the Berserker Team had been a complete rout.
Thus, anyone with half a brain would naturally bet on the Imperial Team to win.
Yet, the Grand Spirit Arena officials went out of their way to beg Shrek's Seven Monsters to secure a victory. It all seemed rather suspicious.
Perhaps they panicked after realizing they'd have to pay out billions, Ye Wen mused.
After all, the Imperial Team hadn't broken any rules. Both teams were evenly matched in terms of cultivation and rank. If they lost, it was no one's fault.
The Grand Spirit Arena wanted revenge but discovered that the noble families backing the Imperial Team were untouchable. Desperate, they clung to Shrek's Seven Monsters like drowning men grasping at straws.
As the referee's high-pitched voice rang out, both teams slowly stepped onto the stage.
However, Ye Wen found little excitement in watching them. The Imperial Team was openly backed by generations of aristocratic soul masters, while on Shrek's side, only Ma Hongjun and Oscar stood out.
Wait.
If this world followed the manhua's storyline, then Ma Hongjun also had a background. Among Shrek's Seven Monsters, the only true grassroots, poverty-stricken commoner was Oscar, the food-system soul master.
Interesting. Ye Wen glanced at the stage. Out of everyone present, Oscar was the only one from a humble background. The rest were all hidden elites.
This realization made Ye Wen grin even wider. It gave him yet another excellent reason to poach talent later.
After all, birds of a feather flock together. When Oscar realized he was surrounded by deeply concealed second-generation elites while being the lone poor and powerless commoner, anyone would feel unbalanced.
Thinking this, Ye Wen clicked his tongue. Perhaps this was why Oscar among Shrek's Seven Monsters had the most upright moral compass.
After all, just like Ye Wen in his previous life, Oscar was nothing more than an ordinary, poverty-stricken nobody.
Soon, the battle commenced.
Due to Qin Ming's pre-match instructions, Ye Wen noticed that the Imperial Team members weren't using their full strength. They deliberately restrained their soul skills to avoid completely overwhelming their opponents.
It made sense. Both teams possessed top-tier martial souls, and the Imperial Team consisted entirely of Soul Elders, with some nearing the Soul Ancestor level due to age.
Meanwhile, Shrek still had two stragglers stuck at the Soul Grandmaster stage.
Moreover, in a seven-on-seven matchup, the Imperial Team had only one auxiliary soul master, meaning they had one more combatant than Shrek's team. Clearly, the scales were tipped in their favor. Without handicapping, Shrek would need a miracle to win!
The battle quickly escalated into a fierce clash.
Though Zhu Zhuqing appeared reluctant, her time spent with the group had fostered a sense of camaraderie. She didn't want to lose now!
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mu Bai clasped hands, their soul powers intertwining. A flash of white light enveloped them in a thick mist.
Soul Fusion Technique—Netherworld White Tiger!
Unlike Tang San's forced intervention to create a fusion between unrelated martial souls, this was the renowned soul fusion technique exclusive to the Star Luo Empire's imperial family in the world of Douluo.
Though currently at its lowest fusion level, the sheer presence it exuded was already terrifying.
The tide of battle shifted. The Netherworld White Tiger's most fearsome aspect was its ability to amplify a soul master's power. Standing on the stage, the White Tiger's strength had already reached the Soul Ancestor level, far beyond what an ordinary member of the Imperial Team could handle!
If anyone on the stage could challenge the White Tiger, it would be Yu Tianheng, who wielded the top-tier Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon lineage.
However, due to Shrek's Seven Monsters' earlier underhanded tactics, Yu Tianheng was currently severely injured and receiving treatment from Ye Lingling.
Knowing that their close relatives and friends were fighting on the stage, yet still resorting to ruthless attacks, Ye Wen understood the necessity of holding nothing back despite the vast disparity in strength.
But, as expected from Yu Xiaogang, the cold and heartless strategist, Ye Wen couldn't help but mutter from the stands.
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